Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Don Bosco, "Apostle of Youth"

Just two years before St. Marcellin founded the Marist Brothers, Giovanni Melchior Bosco was born to a poor family in a village near Turin, Italy. One of three boys whose father died when John was 2 years old, he was forced to work in the fields to help support the family despite his intelligence and desire to become a priest. He overcame those early obstacles and did become a priest, which signaled the beginning of greater trials and greater triumphs. His first assignment brought him into contact with "street kids" who were imprisoned with seasoned convicts. He fumed at the injustice of this kind of punishment, and determined to rectify it. Direct contact with a young boy of the streets who at first refused to serve his Mass, drew out a love that embraced this young lad and spread to others. Don Bosco founded the first "oratory" where prayer, community and education worked wonders. Thought insane by his contemporaries, he continued to expand his "Rifugios" while also founding the Salesian Order of Priests and Brothers as well as two orders of Sisters. The Salesian charism is much like the Marist charism: using love as the tool to help students reach their potential. Particular attention has typically been given to "vocational training", plumbing, carpentry, welding, electricity. When visiting a Salesian school in Nairobi, I was amazed at the ingenuity and practicality of the work being done with the boys. It was the old, "teach them to fish" story: give them a trade and they will be able to support their families. Always, the love of Jesus and Mary is present in these schools and takes root in the hearts of their students. Don Bosco out lived St. Marcellin by 48 years but the two of them hit the winning combination of what makes effective Catholic Education: Faith, Love, Compassion and Practicality.
Bro. Rene

Monday, January 30, 2012

Apostles to Youth

This morning major distraction set in; I accomplished a lot, but FORGOT about a slice of Daily Bread, usually my top priority. I'm trying now, but think this might appear tomorrow, not today; hence two slices on the last day of January. We'll see.
One of our most practical Marist Publications is entitled, In the Footsteps of Marcellin Champagnat; it was the result of the pooling of educational and Marist experise and was copyrighted in 1998. It is still extremely relevant today and serves as a basis for reflections during Catholic Schools Week.
"Following Marcellin Champagnat we seek to be apostles to youth, evanglizing through our life and our presence among them as well as through our teaching: neither simply catechists, nor just teachers of secular subjects." Marcellin is quoted in the LIFE stating our mission very clearly: "If it were only a question of teaching the children secular subjects, the Brothes would not be necessary, because secular masters could do that; if our only aim were to give religious instruction,we could confine ourselves to being simply catechists, bringing children together for an hour each day and getting them to recite their Christian doctrine. But, we aim at something better; we want to educate the children, that is to instruct them in their duty, to teach them to practice it, to give them a Christian spirit and attidudes and to form them to religious habits and the virtues possessed by a good Christian and a good citizen." Thus, it is the aim of our Marist Education to educate "the whole person". Due to the diminishing number of brothers in our schools, it becomes imperative that our lay faculty imbibe this same mission and spirit in order to maintain the Marist Identity of our schools. We all need to work together, parents, alumni, and faculty to understand and accept this mission. All can help with their prayers.
Bro. Rene

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Why Catholic Schools

Catholic Schools Week is being observed in the United States from January 29 to February 5. This year's theme: "Faith, Academics, Service," highlights the purpose of our Catholic schools and underscores the need for their presence in our country, where closings are occuring at an alarming rate. Schools and churches were top priorities of the immigrant population of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Grateful for the opportunity to work even for meager wages, families put aside money each week to support their parish with its schools and convents, for they believed that the passing on of the faith to their children as well as the splendid education they would receive in the Catholic/Christian tradition was the best they could do for their children. Still today, families sacrifice to give their children the same opportunities. With an emphasis on our faith, as first and foremost in the educational experience, not only as an academic subject, but in an atmosphere where its values permeate the culture of the school, it is clear that Catholic schools are an important building block for the faith of the next generation. A school where faith, respect, compassion, love, acceptance, good order (discipline), strong emphasis on service, academic excellence, and over-the-top support exists, will result in happy, well-prepared adults who will be responsible, honest, caring and faith-filled citizens who will help our country maintain its ideals from generation to generation. I know I can say that in looking back at the Catholic education I received from grammar school through college and university studies...all in Catholic schools,,,, it had a profound and formative influence on me. May we support them with our prayers and our pockets. They are definitely worth the investment.
Bro. Rene

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Centering on Christ

When the chips are down, tragedy upon tragedy surrounds us, injustice overwhelms us, our own weakness and powerlessness, fears, and feelings of inadequacies paralyze us, there stands Jesus with this familiar and consoling invitation: "Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy-burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Mt 11:38-30). Many a time in our lives we have probably resorted to this passage and found the compassion and relief we could find nowhere else.
St. Thomas Aquinas, the great thirteenth century theologian, after discussing the nature of God, creation, ethics, and sacraments, focuses on Jesus in his unfinished section three of his famous Summa Theologica. In other words, all the thinking and reasoning, the explaining and defending we can do, make no sense unless they bring us to a deeper knowledge and love of Jesus whom God the Father gave us as Lord, Savior, Brother, and Bridge to him. With hearts centered on him, even our sins don't stand in the way, for he brings forgiveness, acceptance of ourselves as we are (unfinished!) and unbounded love. "Come unto me..." The invitation stands forever. How can we not accept it?
Bro. Rene

Friday, January 27, 2012

Addressing Needs

It takes boldness, daring and courage to step into the unknown. St. Angela Merici who began the Companions of St. Ursula, in the 15th century known better as simply "the Ursulines" wanted to meet the needs of her city, Brescia, Italy, and times by having her sisters educate students in their homes, for she saw that unless the whole family be engaged in education, what the students would receive would only be superficial. To make this happen naturally, the sisters would not wear habits nor would they be restricted to the cloister. All of this was very radical and, naturally, met with opposition. Eventually Canon Law requiring some restrictions and a habit was imposed, but the spirit of including the entire family in the educational process remained.
Our Marist schools, though not directly including the family, do attempt to keep the lines of communication between school and parents open and with electronic communication so available, this is becoming easier and easier. The world of techonology is opening doors perhaps never imagined and is allowing education to reach students more effectively and efficiently. What lies ahead could match the radical approach of St. Angela. May we not fear to do what's needed to meet the needs of the times.
Bro. Rene

Thursday, January 26, 2012

The Price of Discipleship

In his second letter to Timothy, whose Memorial along with Titus, is commemorated today, St. Paul charges him (and every other bishop and disciple) "to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands" (2 Tim 1: 6). He goes on, "For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength at comes from God." (2 Tim 1: 7-8). If indeed we "stir into flame", that is, be passionate about our mission, we will inevitably be misunderstood, cast aside as a fanatic, or openly opposed by those whom we seek to teach by word or by example. It takes bravery to "go against the flow" of current trends and values which contradict the truth. Yes, the truth will make us free, (Jn 8:32) but there is hardship involved as well, for the truth is not always the popular stance. The disciple is not better than the master...if they persecuted him, they will persecute us.(Jn 20: 21). The early Christians and even in some places today, persecution was real and tangible. Blood was shed, is being shed. But most of us suffer from the more subtle kinds of persecution: mockery, indifference, opposition from law and authority. It is the price of discipleship; Paul knew it and prepared Timothy for it. His warning remains as valid for us today as it was for him.
Bro. Rene

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Conversion Is Possible

Our 700th Slice of Daily Bread. Fittingly on the day which concludes the Christian Unity Octave and is the Conversion of St. Paul, we see evidences globaly, that conversion is possible. A stauch opponent of "The Way", Saul of Tarsus was determined to stamp out this threat to his beloved Judaism and was a major persecutor of Jews who followed Jesus. Yet, a complete turn around in his life resulted from his personal encounter with Jesus on the Road to Damascus. Over the weekend, hundreds of thousands of people walked in Washington, San Francisco, Paris, to name a few cities, to call for a change of heart regarding the unborn, the disabled, and the elderly. In Washington alone, it is estimated that more than 400,000 people, of all ages, but mostly young, showed their desire for the end of legalized abortion. People from Australia and Germany flew in to support the March, and workers from the Russell Senate Office Building stood on their balconies with "thumbs up". Conversion does not always take place as dramatically as it did for Saul, but even in his case, he was blinded for three days, and after receiving back his sight, went into retreat for two or three years before beginning his heroic career as Apostle of the Gentiles. The movement for Christian Unity has been "in the works" for a hundred years, but slowly unity is coming about. Certainly the Marchers of all faiths gathered on the Mall or in front of the Supreme Court were united in their belief in the power of prayer and the power of the people to effect change, conversion. Significantly, at the head of the March were two Jewish Rabbis. Stories told by women who had had abortions, or doctors who performed them but were now "pro-life" gave confidence to the Marchers that these efforts of prayer and visibile unity are effective tools in fighting for Life.
Bro. Rene

Saturday, January 21, 2012

The March for Life

Students from Central Catholic will be busing with hundreds of other students from the Archdiocese of Boston (10 buses) on Sunday to attend the 39th annual March for Life to commemorate the Roe-vs--Wade decision in 1973 There will be speeches on the Mall on Monday and the actual March to the Supreme Court. The media have stopped covering the march for the most part, and the numbers they do report are less than the actual number of people attending. Nonetheless, we hope that the presence of thousands of young people might raise awareness of the sanctity of all life and help turn the country back to a healthy respect for life. It is estimated that 54 million abortions have taken place in these 39 years...more than all the deaths in Vietnam, and certainly in Iraq and Afghanistan. When life is trivialized, as has happened, it seems to me, with this decision, one moral brick after another has toppled from the structure erected on Judao-Christian principles. I was in DC for one of the first rallies for life, and heard the admonition to keep coming and eventually there will be a change. Prayer, education, and bold incursions into what has become a way of life are needed to bring this about.
Let us keep in mind that respect for life includes all phases of life, all situations in which life is degraded. May God help us to find a way to bring the truth to light.
Bro. Rene
I will not be able to offer a slice of bread on Monday or Tuesday. Back on the cutting board for Wednesday. Please pray for us. Thank you.

St. Agnes

So popular was St. Agnes that her name is still included in the first Eucharistic Prayer at Mass. From the Acts of St. Agnes, we learn that she was martyred under Emperor Diocletion (around 304 AD) after staunchly adhering to her desire to remain a virgin whose only spouse was to be Jesus Christ. Evidently a young woman of great wealth and beauty, she was sought after for marriage by many young Roman men, but her refusal to accept their offers led her suitors to accuse her of being a Christian. She was physically tortured and even placed in a brothel where it was hoped that she would be violated. The story goes that her radiant beauty and holiness alone dissuaded the men who had come for pleasure from pursuing their objective. One man, who advanced further than the others was struck blind, and left the premises trembling. Ultimately, she was beheaded. St. Ambrose wrote that she went to the place of her execution "more cheefully than brides go to their wedding."
What an example St. Agnes provides in a society in which all restraints on sexual expression seem to have disappeared. Sex has been divorced from love and hence has become a pleasure game akin to a video game that is played at will. The results of this separation are appalling and can be reversed only by prayer, education and a restoration of values. May St. Agnes help us find the way.
Bro. Rene

Friday, January 20, 2012

Church Unity Octave

We are well into the annual week of prayer for Church unity, known as the Church Unity Octave. It began on January 18 and will end on January, 25, The Conversion of St. Paul. This year's theme is taken from 1 Corinthians 15: 51-58: "We will all be changed by the vistory of our Lord Jesus Christ." St, Paul speaks of the resurrection as the victory over sin and death, that we who have been baptized in Christ will share also in his resurrection. All Christians have this goal, it is what unites us and it is what should encourage us to avoid competition, disdain or jealousy. It is truly scandalous for Christians to be arguing or fighting among each other, as it is to be condescending or simply tolerant. Our energies should be directed toward loving harmony with one another, and if there be any belligerence, let it be directed toward the Evil One and his minions. In our reflections this week we might find in our hearts traces of elements which divide rather than unite. For these let us ask pardon and seek to remove them by asking God to transform us into the "new man (or woman)" who came to be at our baptism. Unity taking place within us and then within our immediate community, will have global repercussions. Let us pray with Jesus, "that all may be one." (Jn 17:20)

Thursday, January 19, 2012

The Power of "Yes"

We look upon Mary's acquiescence to Gabriel's invitation with admiration, and a sense of challenge. "If she could do it, why can't I?" Yes, this is certainly the ideal, but hesitancy can creep in: the ever-present: "what if?" Too much caution can stifle the Spirit and a "no" from Mary would have had a devastating impact on the world: it would not be as we know it today, as yet imperfect as it is, for behind all the "mess" we have hope, we have Jesus. God's love of paradox constantly plays out from the choosing of an unwed, teenage, country girl to be the Mother of God to invitations in our own lives. Does not compute...in our way of thinking, but in God's, it makes perfect sense. Mary asked one question, and satisfied with Gabriel's answer, complied without hesitation.
How many times does "Gabriel" appear in our lives, carrying an invitation from God to step yet again into the "unknown", or to make it possible for God to work through us in ways we never dreamed of? Standing before the never-before-seen students at Mout Royal Academy in VERY rural Sunapee, New Hampshire...almost in the middle of nowhere, it seemed...I again had this sense that a NO to this invitation would have left both the students and me much less richer than it was with my being there. Another group of young people heard the story of St. Marcellin and his passion to make Jesus known and loved. Some promising relationships were initiated, further contact planned. A NO would have been a mistake. So it has been as I look back...NO's would have deprived me of Pine Ridge and Rwanda, Bishop Donahue High School, or Central Catholic...all unimaginable. YES means trust, risk, and surrender, but it becomes the springboard for God to show his unending and unconditional love which make all things possible.
Say YES!
Bro. Rene

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

The Desert Experience

St. Antony of the Desert was born in 251 AD of wealthy parents, he abandoned his inheritance at the age of thirty- four and after hearing the story of the Rich Young Man read at Mass and, providing for his sisters, began his long life in the desert as an "anchorite", a hermit who periodically came together with other hermits to celebrate Eucharist. He died in 356 at the age of 104 after inspiring thousands to follow his way of life.
The desert holds a special place in spirituality...its barreness forces a person to find resouces within to face the rigors of even physical survival, but above all, it forces one to depend totally on God. Without the usual distractions, anchorites dealt with the same temptations we face, but learned through prayer how to handle them. We all need a "desert experience" from time to time, not literally, but a time set apart from the usual routine to face ourselves and God in stark barreness. We might take a day or part of a day for recollection away from our homes, and with Lent coming up next month, begin now by looking at the calendar to see if we can find time for such a Desert Day. We can ask St. Antony ( also Anthony) to help us find what he found in our regular daily routine and lives. It's not impossible. God is there always and wants to help us find him, no matter where we are or how busy we are.
Bro. Rene

Monday, January 16, 2012

Fighting the Good Fight

The celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day brings to mind this phrase from St. Paul's First Letter to Timothy, "Fight the good fight for what we believe." (1Tim 6:12). Based on his belief that God loves all his children, regardless of race, color or creed, he spoke out, he marched, he inspired, fearless of the opposition, which today, many people find hard to believe existed. Even the movement to establish this holiday took until 1983. Yet, honoring his 83rd birthday means that he could still be alive today, had it not been for the assassin's bullet on April 6, 1968. Well-versed in the Bible as he was, he no doubt prayed these verses from Psalm 3:
How many are my foes, O Lord!
How many are rising up against me!
How many are saying about me:
"There is no help for him in God."

But you, Lord are a shield about me,
my glory, who lift up my head.
I cry aloud to the Lord.
He answers from his holy mountain.

I will not fear even thousands of people
who are ranged on every side against me. (Ps 3: 2-8a)

Bigotry and prejudice still exist, so the "fight" is not over. Neither is the inner battle against the shadow-side of ourselves, nor against the forces of the Evil One so tantilizingly and powerfully present outside of us. Dr. King's persistence, faith and conviction remain as models for us in our attempt to live a good Christian life. Let us pray this psalm with him and thank him for the legacy he has left us.
Bro. Rene

Sunday, January 15, 2012

HUGO

HUGO,the charming and mesmerizing film by Martin Scorcese, rated by some in the top ten of the year and certainly due for Golden Globe and Oscar recognition, is also one that provides a message and food for thought. On the plate are "purpose" and "fixing". "We are all made for a purpose" says twelve year old Hugo, echoing Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life, and his friend Isabelle responds "and your purpose is to fix things." Hugo lights up, realizing that he is a fixer, not only of watches and mechanical toys, but also of people. Both concepts fit in with our Christian and Marist view of life. Each one of us was created by God with a purpose in mind, and yes, some of us, perhaps all of us are called to be "fixers". Do we not all desire the ultimate "fix": to be loved, and accepted by God, to be guided by his wisdom and to share his love with others? Since God is within us, we already have the tools to do so, for where God is, there is love, wisdom and the capacity to love others. We can all be Hugos, but it takes time, and quiet reflective prayer to discover the Hugo powers within us. How worth the effort to bring joy to others, to bring the love and compassion we have received from God to others!
Bro. Rene

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Going Viral

Teenagers wrecking displays in stores, hating religion but loving Jesus, desecration of corpses by US Marines, affirmations of faith, disavowals of faith...the list can go on infinitely of what is availble on Youtube. Pope Benedict has designated this "The Year of Faith" a "getting back to basics" by urging all Christians to delve into the heart of Christianity: the teaching of Jesus, the PERSON of Jesus. In light of what is happening in the world, this comes at an opportune and crucial time, for again, as history shows, a lot of "rust" and "oxidation" have accrued, impeding the core message of Jesus. For Catholics, a study of the Catechism, the Documents of Vatican II will help, but there's no substitute for the encounter with Jesus that comes through time spent with him in prayer and in service to others. Our own Superior General, Br. Emili Turu, is asking Marists to focus on Mary as a means to coming to meet her Son and make him a part of our lives. It is truly through Mary that we can come to Jesus, personally and as a church. He calls for a Marial Church, one based on making Jesus known and loved, of doing good quietly, of living compassionatly and lovingly. These suggestions might not "go viral" (perhaps they ought to), but they can become part of our own efforts throughout our Marist World, and have an effect on us, our students, and all with whom we interact. As Saturdays are devoted to Mary, may we begin today to ask her for guidance and direction in polishing the treasure that Jesus left us and commanded us to pass on.
Bro. Rene

Friday, January 13, 2012

A Word From Africa

More that just a word, UBUNTU is a concept and a way of life that bears prophetic witness for those of us in the First World. UBUNTU signifies connectedness, intercommunication, sharing, generosity, commonality, a communal way of thinking and acting, all of which are contrary to our "rugged individualism" on which we pride ourselves, but which, in many ways continues to separate and divide us. Perhaps one of the reasons religious life has met with such success in Africa is that it builds on this concept which is so much a part of the culture of the continent. Living in small huts, sleeping on a common mat, eating from the same dish (with hands, not forks), drinking from a common gourd through a common "straw" though not totally sanitary, (to say the least), emphasizes the notion of sharing, relationship and community. It amazed me my first years in Rwanda when I would show my little camera or cassette player to the Brothers or students, how they would hold it for such a long time, that I thought I'd never get it back. I'd be thinking, "Hey, that's mine, I'm just showing it to you, not giving it to you." A narrow way of thinking compared to their inbred concept of "what's yours is mine and what's mine is yours." I learned to be less "possessive" and more open to sharing. This worked with "things" but it also works with the religious and spiritual life. Holding on to "my wants", "my way" can be very divisive. Forgetting the needs of the group because of my individual likes or cravings breeds isolation and a breakdown of the common good or the progress of an institution, or a country. Look what's happening to the USA.... Shifting the spotlight from "me" to "we" is the healthy gift Africa can give to us.
Bro. Rene

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Living the Mission

With colleges and universities still on semester break, many alumni have dropped in to see their alma mater and replenish their souls with a dose of Marist Spirit. Speaking with them I cannot say how pleased and impressed I am with their growth in maturity, their current activities in and out of school, and their plans for the future. The Marks of a Marist Student are very much alive in them and they remain true to who they are, their family upbringing and their Marist education with is spirituality and values deeply embedded in their souls. It was like coming into a garden in early summer after the seeds have sprouted and the promise of beautiful flowers is already visible. These students have learned more about themselves and seek how best to employ their talents in a meaningful way in adulthood. One student is going to Chile as part of his college course, to help people become more aware of the need to care for the environment. Another student, already in Guatemala in a small village with a team of other students to help in the school teaching English, writes about his experience so far. He confessed to the people from the get-go that they had a lot to teach him: their language, their customs and culture. His openness to this simple exchange in the midst of heat and droves of mosquitoes is admirable. Others are looking into the medical field not to make money, but to help with the diseases that plague the Third World. How enriching are these experiences not only for them and those who will benefit directly from their presence, but for us, their educators, to hear how our lessons have been taken to heart. I can sense the joy and satisfaction of St. Marcellin as he looks down from heaven 195 years after the founding of the Marist Brothers to see how Marist students are living the mission he envisioned, for in giving so totally of themselves, these graduates are making Jesus known and loved in a very real and concrete way. May they be an inspriration to us!
Bro. Rene

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Marist Mentoring

Part of our Marist Mission, even from the beginning, has been to watch over those most in need with tender, loving care. St. Marcellin walked from school to school to observe the brothers, give them advice and help them with their personal and spiritual lives. He, though, "Father Champagnat", was "brother" to them. Then, he would make sure he talked to the students and even in these brief visits, would be "brother" to them. Today, what distinguishes a Marist school from other Catholic schools is the care, concern, time spent, with those in need...extra help, explanations, advice and guidance with growing up, or in a word, "brothering" that the teachers give to our students. In turn, many of our students are involved as "mentors" after school at the YMCA, the Boys and Girls Club, or other schools doing these same things. January is National Mentor Month and tonight the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club is "celebrating" its mentors with a dinner and words of gratitude and encouragement. Hearing the testimonies of "the mentored" is often reward enough for the time, effort and love expended by the mentors. It is good that the nation is acknowledging this time tested system of providing true education through relationship, which has so long been part of the Marist Tradition. May we ever remain faithful to it.
Bro. Rene

Monday, January 9, 2012

Vocation Awareness Week

Back we are into Ordinary Time (until Ash Wednesday, February 22), but this week we celebrate Vocation Awareness Week with the rest of the country. We have been presenting explanations of the different states of life to our students for several years and these have led to further discussions from our open minded students. It's like planting seeds. Someday, some of them will sprout. The soil seems much more receptive now than it did even years ago. As Vocation Director four four years, I was in contact with over a hundred young men who wanted to continue their relationship with the Marists that they had begun in high school. The summer service programs and week-long projects gave them a chance to experience community as well as the satisfaction of helping others in ways that far exceeded their expectations. Although none of these as yet has become a brother or priest, one told me to look at the good they are doing now as engaged and active lay people. So true.
Prayers, example, loving relationships...all will help to bring the harvest to fruition. Awareness means keeping an alert eye for the generous heart, the bold, willing and daring heart...and making the invitation. God's grace will do the rest.
Bro. Rene

What It All Means

The Advent/Christmas season concludes today with Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, this year, rather abruptly following the Epiphany of the Lord. It is the summation of all that we have been pondering and celebrating since the first Sunday of Advent at the end of November. A long time ago, or just barely the wink of an eye back? Time flies. Today we have Jesus, no longer a babe in a manger, but a grown man, standing in the waters of the River Jordan receiving John's baptism, a sign of the desire to turn one's life completely over to God...John preached repentance and this is how it was accepted into each individual's life. However, in the case of Jesus, a specatular event occured: A voice from heaven was heard booming, "You are my beloved Son, with you I am well-pleased" (Mk 1: 11). The Spirit in the form of a dove descended from heaven upon him as well. The three persons of the Blessed Trinity were present, assuring Jesus (and us) of his identity. We referred to Emmanuel, God-with-us, throughout this season, and now it all comes together in this moment: Truly God is among us in Jesus. Through our own baptisms, we have become children of God and so these words, "You are my Son (daughter), with you I am well pleased" apply to us as well. We are vessels of Emmanuel, for God is with us in a very real way. Our identity is clear; we are not simply human, but we also have the divine element lifting us up a peg higher. What a privilege, what an responsibility! "What's it all about, Alfie?" This is what it's all about: we are not our own, we are God's.
Bro. Rene

Sunday, January 8, 2012

The Epiphany of the Lord

We usually associate the Epiphay of the Lord with the visit of the Magi to the child in Bethlehem, but this is only one aspect of a much deeper reality. The Eastern Church celebrates the Theophany of the Lord, that is, the revelation of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit at the Baptism of the Lord in the river Jordan, where all three persons of the blessed Trinity were manifest: The voice, the dove and Jesus in the water. Yesterday, we read the story of the wedding feast at Cana, another time when Jesus revealed his divinity, as we look back on it. Evidently the disciples did not make the connection at the moment, but just saw it as a great miracle, later called a "sign". In the early Church, all three events were combined into one celebration, the visit of the Magi, Cana and the Baptism. These became separate feasts over time, especially when the Birth of the Lord became a focal point. Tomorrow, we will celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, bringing to a close the Christmas cycle.
Focusing on the arrival of the Magi, there are many elements which fire the imagination: the star, the Wisemen themselves...who were they???....the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh...their adoration and homage to a little babe...This is another day to spend time before the Crib, as St. Marcellin loved to do and strongly advised his followers to do and allow the rich imagery touch us. What treasures can we find in our own hearts to present to Jesus? We have no access to the gold, frankincense and myrrh of the Magi, but we have our love, our faith, and our hope. Let us place these at the foot of the crib, and like these Wisemen, let the star, lead us to the hearts of those who need the light of our love, care, and compassion.
Bro. Rene

Saturday, January 7, 2012

First Saturday

One of Mary's requests at Fatima was that her followers attend Mass on the First Saturday of each month...at least five...to pray for the conversion of Russia and those who have drifted away from their faith. This first Saturday comes on the eve of Epiphany and rightfully, today's Gospel is the Wedding Feast at Cana, where Mary's role in a very mundane affair (no wine) is symbolic in the manifestation of Jesus to the world, which we celebrate tomorrow. At her instigation, Jesus performs his first miracle and thus reveals himself as certainly someone "different". Mary's announcement, "they have no wine"(Jn 2:2), became a gentle, but non-negotiable hint to her Son, that he could and should do something about it. And so he complied, even though he first protested that his "hour had not come." Mary's exposure in the Gospel is minimal, but her role is key: the one who give human life to the Son of God, who nudges him to "get started" on his mission, and who stands by him in his suffering and "making of all things new." Over the centuries she has appeared many times to remind us, to keep us on track, to show her unending love for us, and to urge us to come to know and love her Son. We have spent six weeks preparing a place in our hearts for him, reflecting on the astounding grace of his presence among us, and now the message comes down to loving him with our whole hearts, minds, souls and strength, as he loves us. The tenderness of Mary's love for him and for us warrants more than lip service, and demands a strong, unconditional love and trust of both Mother and Son. As we go about our Saturday routines, may we be conscious of the closeness of Jesus and Mary to us and allow their love to enhance ours.
Bro. Rene

Friday, January 6, 2012

God's Amazing Plans

As we celebrate the Memorial of St. Andre Bissette, his life stands out as a huge sign of encouragement to us who might be impeded in our quest for holiness by thinking that "I just don't have it." Andre was born near Quebec in 1845, and because or ill health as a child, he was not able to attend school, and hence, could not read nor write, but he had a strong desire to serve God. The Holy Cross Brothers accepted him as a candidate despite his apparent lack of "useful gifts" which might help him as a teacher. As a lay brother, he was assigned as doorkeeper at the College of Notre Dame in Montreal, a post he held for more than 40 years. He was also a janitor, infirmarian, barber, gardner and lamplighter. All simple tasks which he carried out lovingly. He was a warm, engaging person, with a very generous heart; when greeting people at the doorway, he'd offer to pray for their needs. St. Joseph was his ally and answered his prayers. Br. Andre's simple calm and faith allowed God to work through him. His devotion to St. Joseph led to the completion of a church in his honor. After Br. Andre's death in 1937, people who had come in contact with him or had met him rallied and built the magnificent Oratory of St. Joseph which overlooks the city of Montreal. Pilgrims climb the stairs to it on their knees in penance and supplication even today. "Brother Andre", as he was always known, was canonized in 2010.
Who would have thought this simple man with little education would achieve such holiness as to be given the recognition of the entire Church as a saint? It was God's plan, and Brother Andre simply remained calm and found that God worked in him. We might repeat to ourselves in our busyness, "Lord, calm me and work in me." God's amazing plan for us might thus have a better chance to unfold.
Bro. Rene
A personal note: The funeral for my friend, including the eulogy I gave, was a testimony to a man whose life's battle at last found peace and whose accomplishments, along the lines of Brother Andre, touched many hearts and prepared him for entry into eternal life.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Eulogy Time Again

Dear Readers...I will be flying out of Manchester, NH at 6 am on Tuesday...to attend the funeral of a friend who died suddenly on December 30 in Flint, MI, and give the eulogy. It's too late for a slice of bread for tomorrow...perhaps I can slice some up while in Flint.
Br. Rene