Prayer III

Can a mother forget the child she has borne? And if she could forget the fruit of her womb, yet God will not forget you. For it is He who created you, who supported you in your childhood, who will support you in your old age. Why should you fear? Your name is written in His heart; your memory is always before His eyes.

Christ is your Father and Redeemer. Before you have even begun to pray He has already heard it. Before you have even cried out to Him, He has already answered you. Christ is the All-Powerful. He is the Fullness of all perfection, the Lord and Master, the First and the Last. He is the Abyss of riches and mercy; He seeks an abyss of wretchedness that He may fill it. Acknowledge your nothingness, your utter poverty. Christ’s riches will fill you to the brim. Christ created man a weak and powerless thing in order to clothe him with His strength, with His power and with His own Divine Nature. He is the God who dwells in light inaccessible, but it is His delight to repose in the humble hearts of the children of men.

On the Cross, Christ held His arms extended all day toward those who had injured and tortured Him, wishing to draw them to His Heart and to pardon them. How much more does He desire to enfold in the arms of His love you who are humbly repentant of your sins!

He who asks receives; if you ask anything of the Father in the name of Christ, He will give it to you!

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeff Fasching

Prayer II

Go with Christ into a quiet place and He will teach you how to pray. Bring with you an attentive mind; banish all willful distractions; drop all preoccupation with your daily duties and concerns. Do not consider this conference a heavy burden. Do not treat Christ as one is accustomed to treat the great ones of the world. You approach them not because you love them but only because you must; you do not converse intimately with them; you address them as courtesy demands, but you are glad when you are free to take your leave.

Our Lord is not a great one of the earth. He is your Jesus, sweet and humble, good and compassionate, anxious to love and be loved.

You have been enriched with sanctifying grace. But this grace must be stirred up with Christ’s assistance. This is the actual grace which Christ will give you at every instant if you but ask for it. Could Christ make holiness more simpler than by having it depend upon your prayer? Ask and you shall receive, knock and it shall be opened to you, seek and you shall find.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Temptation II

The devil has permission to tempt the children of men. He knows he has little time, and so he goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He watches to the end in the hope that he may one day see you fall into mortal sin and so into hell. He strains every nerve by day and by night to tax your patience, to discourage you and at last to drag you into the abyss.

In the pursuit of his infamous trade he has gained the experience of centuries; he knows your weaknesses, your past sins, your present faults, and he uses all his hellish arts and the fury of his own damnation to effect a breach in your soul. Christ Himself was tempted by Satan, but over Him he had no power whatsoever. Why should we be surprised that Satan should direct his rage against those whom Christ has left on earth, especially against His priests, who continue His work?

The devil will tempt you with desire for gain. He will induce you to accumulate worldly goods. You are tempted by the devil of pride. You are tempted by the demon of pleasure. We must watch over ourselves. The Lord your God shall you adore and Him only shall you serve. We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We may be standing now, but we must pray and watch lest we fall.

Accept the battle with bravery and confidence. Our guardian angel is beside us on this dangerous journey, and if we call upon him, he will defend us in the hour of danger. The Immaculate Virgin will cover us with her mother’s cloak and under her virgin foot she will crush for us the head of the serpent. If we pray fervently to Christ He will lead us safely through all dangers. If God is with you, who shall be against you?

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeffery A. Fasching

Temptation

Christ is so compassionate, knowing that we are exposed to so many dangers. Satan has asked to put us through the crucible of temptation, but Christ has prayed for us. Saint Paul reminds us that “God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able, but will make also with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it.”

In Christ’s Church there are many generous souls. They offer themselves as victims to save and sanctify not only His priests, but you as well. They take upon themselves temptations which were destined for you and me to which we would have given in to! Still, we cannot be free from struggle. Job says: “Man’s life on earth is a temptation.“ No one will be crowned unless he fights a good fight.

No one is so perfect and holy as sometimes not to have temptations. Nevertheless, temptations can be very profitable, difficult though they may be. The world is opposed to the Gospel of Christ. Secularists rail at the simplicity of the just man and the liveliness of his faith; they deride the practices of piety and the austerity of the priestly life.

We see examples of this spirit of worldliness in the lukewarmness and the luxurious lifestyles of so many people and even priests. Scandal may come, but woe to him by whom it is given. Watch therefore and pray. Our own corrupt nature is our most dangerous enemy. Our hearts are inclined to evil from our youth; our bodies are like chains which bind us to the earth; our traitorous wills enter into secret alliances with the enemy.

Temptation enters through the eyes, the ears, the tongue, the imagination, the memory and the intelligence. The world is given over to evil. For all that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes and the pride of life. The shameless seduction of sin lays hold on everything. Watch therefore and pray...

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeffery A. Fasching

Prayer and Eucharistic Adoration

There is absolutely no substitute for prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. In fact, the most efficacious prayer we can offer God other than the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass itself is prayer before the Blessed Sacrament exposed. Eucharistic Adoration is indispensible in my life as a Catholic priest. Each morning Christ invites me to this intimate meeting with Him to renew my spiritual strength for the day.

As I kneel before our Lord I beseech the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede on my behalf. My spirituality revolves around reciting the rosary very devoutly each and every day. In addition, I pray the Liturgy of the Hours before the Blessed Sacrament on behalf of the Church. This is how I begin each day as an offering to the Lord.

Sincerely in Christ,

Father Jeffery A. Fasching

Prayer

Prayer is the single most important thing that I do as a priest each and every day. Prayer is what gives me the strength to want to serve Christ and His Church. Nourishing my personal relationship with Christ is my top priority. It is only when I know I am grounded in my relationship with Christ that I feel confident that I can do any good to the people He has invited me to serve. If I fail to encounter Christ in prayer, I don't believe I have anything to bring to other people except myself.

In Christ,

Fr. Jeff Fasching