"My Foot Is Slipping"

With all the talk of an early snow-filled Nor'easter predicted for eastern New York and New England, this phrase from Psalm 94, "My foot is slipping," seems rather appropriate as a base for our slice of bread today. The verse continues, "your mercy, O Lord, sustains me." (Ps 94:18). How often do we feel that, as one unshaven, untucked, disheveled senior said to me yesterday, "I am a mess."? There are days when from minute one of awakening, we knock something over, can't find something else, are late for this, forgot that; the whole days is off-kilter and we feel ourselves on a non-stop slide. It's worse when this happens with our prayer life, with our spiritual life. Can't seem to "connect" with God, monkey wrenches thrown in from all sides, lack of interest or ability to concentrate, no spiritual energy, a feeling of total isolation and inadequacy. Yes, these things happen but are quite normal. They are part of the human condition and they are part of God's pedagogy in helping us grow. For it's at those times that we realize we need to turn to God and humbly ask for mercy. Psalm 94 reminds us that God is the one who gives rest from "evil days", does not cast off his people nor abandon his inheritance. When we think our souls will soon dwell "in the silent grave", it's the mercy of the Lord that comes to our assistance. (see Psalm 94, 12-19). "All things work toward the good", St. Paul writes, (Rm 8: 28), a saving thought when we feel our feet slipping.
Bro. Rene

The Gift of Jean-Baptiste Montagne

On this day 195 years ago, Father Marcellin Champagnat responded to a sick call in a little hamlet known as Le Palais high up in the mountains above LaValla. There he met Jean-Baptiste Montagne, a 17 year old boy who was dying. As Father Champagnat questioned him before administering the Sacrament of Anointing, known in those days as "the Last Sacrament", he realized the lad knew nothing about God or his faith. Father Champagnat gave him a "crash course", anointed him and left to visit another sick person. When he returned, he found that Jean-Baptiste had died. That event triggered the young curate to put an idea that he had had in the seminary into action: to found an order of teaching brothers who would prevent such ignorance of the faith to exist. Three months later on January 2, 1817, the foundation of the Little Brothers of Mary, or Marist Brothers, was begun. St. Marcellin was a man who took to heart the words of St. James, "Be doers of the word and not hearers only..." (Jas 1:22). Had it now been for the death of Jean-Baptiste, it might have been awhile, if ever, that Marcellin would have moved to set his dream into reality. Jean-Baptiste's situation, sad though it was, had a happy ending: the world-wide congregation of Marist Brothers of the Schools who continue to spread the knowledge and love of Jesus.
Is it not more than just a coincidence that on the Church's calendar, this is the Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude: Simon called the zealot, because of his association with the Zealot group of his day that was seeking a way to remove Israel from Roman rule, and Jude, whose reputation for resolving "hopeless cases" has made him extremely popular even today. The zeal of Simon flowed in the veins of Marcellin and he was not afraid to address what seemed like a hopeless situation. Over and over again in his life we see this. Let us pray that when a "Montagne Moment" crosses our path, we will respond similar zeal and hope.
Bro. Rene

Joy

On this rainy day with the threat of a freeze and snow later today, the definitive marks of the end of summer, let us look at a quality, a gift, that goes much deeper than the weather. Pope Paul VI wrote in Gaudete in Domino (Rejoice in the Lord), "...it is necessary here below to undestand properly he secret of the unfathomable joy which dwells in Jesus and which is special to Him. It is especially the Gospel of Saint John that lifts the veil.... If Jesus radiates such peace, such assurance, such happiness, such availability, it is by reason of the inexpressible love by which He knows that He is loved by His Father." We know this formula to be true...when we see happy people with these qualities of peace, assurance and availability, flexibility, openess, generosity of heart, we just have to meet their families to see where these qualities come from. Gerald O'Collins, noted spiritual writer of 30 books, writes: "Jesus reminds us how joy, even indescribable joy, is woven into the very texture of love. Joy inevitably accompanies real love and all those occasions which in a particular way celebrate and express our love for one another: a birth, baptism bar mitzvah, a wedding, and ordination, and even a funeral. We happily join our special friends or take part in family reunions. there is no more obvious spin-ff form love than joy." Our Marist spirituality and pedagogy are based on love for this reason: it is the most effective way of influence, forming, healing (when necessary), those with whom we come into contact. Let not the rain nor the snow, then prevent us from radiating the joy that flows from love.
Bro. Rene

The Calming Gift of Silent Grace

A beautiful evening hymn sings a prayer that underscores the contemplative side of our Marist Spirituality: Good Father, send in time of need/ The calming gift of silent grace,/ Lest in our hearts deceit should tear/ The quiet fabric of your peace." In our efforts to evanglize youth, even to deal with our super-charged days, without the "gift of silent grace" our focus will dissolve, discouragement overtake us, and our enegry be dissipated. Not what our Marist Mission demands! This mission is more and more necessary as we see students, much like Jean-Baptiste Montagne, the 17 year old dying boy who knew nothing about God, coming to our schools seeking academic knowledge and opportunities to play sports, but missing the real punch of what a Marist School is, and, more importantly, what the basic foundation for a happy life is. It is we, the adult Marists, who are the teachers, the witnesses, the mentors, whom they need more than a 5 in their AP Calculus class. And we, without that "gift of silent calm" will not be able to meet their needs. May we support one another by lightening loads as we "walk that extra mile", lend the proverbial helping hand, and lend an ear as an easy remedy to someone's frustration. A bystander said of Albert Schweitzer after he helped a woman carry her two suitcases, "That is the first time I've ever seen a walking sermon." May it be said of us as well.
Bro. Rene

Not To Panic

While disasters fill the newpapers daily and more and more outrageous behaviors are reported in the media, we could easily fall into panic about the collapse of all that we hold dear and sacred. When St. Marcellin was born, just two months before the start of the French Revolution, the same thoughts must have occured to Catholics who attempted to hold on to the faith. The Reign of Terror brought about the deaths of thousands of priests and religious, monasteries and churches were destroyed or desecrated, and a militant secularism supported by the government spread like morning fog over France. Yet, from the little village of Marlhes, arose a man who grew up in the midst of this chaos, but who would help restore the faith and help rebuild the Church. Many religious orders were founded around the time of St. Marcellin for the purpose of restoring the faith. France "hit bottom" and there was no place to go but up. Death, resurrection; sowing in tears rejoicing with the harvest. Such is the pattern repeated over and over in history; so it is today. These rebuilder-founders set their sights on Jesus and with the help of his Mother, were able to do what we might consider "the impossible." Can we do the same? We have not "hit bottom" in our country yet; do we have to? Can we turn things around now? In our prayer, and at the liturgy, let us seek guidance and strength to see the role we can play, and above all, keep from panicking.
Bro. Rene

A Year of Faith

On October 16th, Pope Benedict XVI announced that a "Year of Faith" will begin next October 11, 2012, the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, and end on November 24th, 2013, the feast of Christ the King.  Concerned with the global "drifting away" from the faith, the absence of a catchesis which promotes a personal relationship with Jesus and an active and joyfilled living of that relationship, the Church is mustering up massive efforts for "New Evangelization".  The Pope wrote in his letter, "The Door of Faith" (Porta Fidei), released on October 17th, "What the world is in particular need of today is the credible witness of people enlightened in mind and heart by the word of the Lord, and capable of opening the hearts and minds of many to the desire for God and for true life, life without end."  With Sunday Mass attendance down to 17% in the Archdiocese of Boston, fewer and fewer weddings in Churches, a rapidly increasing number of burials without Mass, and a startling number of unbaptized children, it is time for the awakening of witnesses to come forward to stir the desire for God, so displaced by materialism and secularism in the hearts of a growing number of Christians of all denominations.  While the YEAR does not begin until a year from now, it would be good to pray and reflect over the temperature of our own faith...lukewarm? cold? hot?...and ask that it be enkindled so that we might be agents of this NEW EVANGELIZATION. 
Bro. Rene

World Mission Sunday

The misson of the Church entails the preaching of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. "Go and make disciples of all nations." (Mt 28: 19).  Pope John Paul II stressed the need to carry out this command of Jesus and each year on the second last Sunday of October, our awareness of our part in this mission is brought home to us through an annual message from the Holy Father (see Vatican.org)  and an opportunity to give prayerful and financial aid to those who have been called to go diretly to other nations to fullfill this commission.  Having been one of those myself, and having just this summer spoken in two parishes in Massachusetts to gain support for our Marist Missions, I can attest to the need for both prayer and financial assistance.  There is an eagerness to embrace the faith, to become members of a parish, to enter the seminary or join a religious congregation that we don't see in our country anymore.  We who once sent personnel to "the missions" now need missionaires to come to us!  Because of the fast growth of the Church in these mission countries, whose populations live far below "the poverty line", our support is needed to help finance the catechetical programs, seminaries, building of churches and schools, and means of transportation and communication.
In Rwanda we needed a better truck to transport students to athletic contests, and more importantly, to bring water to the school from a source three miles away.  Everyday we had to push the truck down a hill to "clutch start it" and finally it gave out totally.  It took about five years to accumulate the money to buy a second hand truck that was reliable!  I saw it only after I returned for a visit three years after I had returned to the USA. And prayer for the "missionaries" to keep the faith under hardship and continue the demanding but rewarding work to form native churches is absolutely necessary. While we are at it, we might also pray for the work of re-evangelizing our own country as secular values encroach more and more on Christian values. Let all of this be our mission on Mission Sunday.
Bro. Rene

At Home With Mary and Joseph

Each of us was called to not only imitate Jesus as fully as we can, but also to bring him to others.  Where and how we do this is left to us to decide.  Most of us do it in the context of marriage and the family; happily we have two excellent models to show us the way, Joseph and Mary.  We have no direct knowledge of what went on in their home in Nazareth, or when they were living temporarily in Egypt, but we can infer from the little that is said, that their lives were simple and centered around their Son, Jesus.  Joseph worked daily at his carpentry trade, taught Jesus these skills as well as how to deal with people in accordance with the Law of Moses. His work provided the income for their sustenance.  Mary, a good housewife, tended toward the usual duties of providing food for their meals, as well as other household and motherly tasks.  Nothing extraordinary, nothing we don't or cannot do ourselves.  And from this loving family emerges the Savior of the World.  The lesson is that doing these ordinary things for Jesus, with Jesus, and in Jesus, we not only sanctify ourselves, but become the witnesses to each other, to our family and to our neighbors that we are supposed to be as sincere followers of Jesus.  Coming into daily contact with students at Central Catholic, and seeing their goodness and their ability to love others, I see in them a reflection of their home life and see that their parents are creating Jesuses for our day.  Praise God!
Bro. Rene

"God Wins"

Concluding a thorough and hope-filled assessment of what's going on in the world today, at the Pregnancy Care Center Fund-raiser Dinner last night, Rev. Dale S. Kuehne, Ph.D. a pastor and a professor of Ethics, Economics, and Politics at St. Anselm College, re-stated a central biblical theme, "In the end, God wins."  It was refreshing to hear what we believe, but may be doubting as day after day things seem to be getting worse.  He admitted that and said that they will continue to worsen until license and anarchy grind themselves to a halt, for they cannot go on unbounded forever, since they militate against the basic thrust of human nature and society.  They proport an "I" centered world: me, me and me.  We see it as one value after another seems to dissolve in the pursuit of a happiness based on self-gratification.  But, we were created for family, for community, for "the other",  not for self, and the lust for that which satisfies will never be fulfilled until we come face to face with that which never can be known completely and thus never fails to satisfy. Aristotle discovered this principle and St. Thomas Aquinas named it:  God, in echo of St. Augustine's famous observation:  "Our souls are restless until they rest in thee, O God."  Social and moral anarchy might have to evolve further, but when fully disspated, anarchy will cease and the core values will return to their proper place.  We will not self-destruct, but will resurrect. Professor Kuehne's message was given in the context of an organization whose purpose is to offer a choice for life as opposed to death.  The thirty-three babies who were born in Lawrence alone last year as a result of the counseling and love provided by the Care Center attest to the validity of Dr. Kuehne's faith-filled presentation.  I recommend his book, Sex and the iWorld: Rethinking Relationship beyond an Age of Individualism, which is available at a very reasonable price on Amazon.  It makes a lot of sense in a world when non-sense is for a time with the upper hand.
Bro. Rene

Worship Without Obedience

Usually we associate worship with Mass on Sunday, or a para-liturgical service, or the recitation of the rosary, but we do not associate it with obedience.  When we look deeper into worship, it comes down to acknowledging that God is God, the only God, and we are dependent on him.  As such we see that acting selfishly or out of vainglory keeps us from God and our neighbor, and blocks our walk with both.  St. Paul admonishes us, rather, to have the same attitude that Jesus, the model of true worship of the Father:  "though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.  Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likenesss; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross." (Phil. 2: 6-9).  St. Paul of the Cross, whose memorial we observe today, had a special devotion to the cross, and saw the connection between worship and obedience.  "Worship without obedience is merely hollow flattery.  Yet both worship and obedience are less than Christian if they do not spring from the one root, love of God." (Magnificat p. 282-283). It would be helpful to take a few moments today to look at the cross to see if we connect it with obedience, with emptying of ourselves, with humbly doing what God asks of us...as did St. Paul of the Cross, and our own models, Mary and St. Marcellin. 
Bro. Rene

The North American Martyrs

Between 1642 and 1649, eight Jesuits were martyred for their efforts to evanglize the Mohawks, Hurons, and Iroquois tribes of what is now upstate New York and part of Canada.  St. Isaac Jogues heads the list and is probably the best known because of the famous biography, Saint Among Savages, by Father Francis Talbot, S.J., while St. John de Brebeuf is named as well.  The rest are lumped under "Companions" and usually remain "hidden and unkown", but I will remove the veil of anonymity since they all serve as models for us:  They are:  Charles Granier, Anthony Daniel, Gabriel Lallemant, Noel Chabanel, John de Lalande and Rene Goupil.  Rene, my patron saint, was a "donne", that is, an aspirant to the Jesuits, but Isaac Jogues received his Jesuit vows before his death.  He was tomahawked for either teaching children how to make the sign of the cross, or blessing them with the sign of the cross.  Little did I know that I would follow so closely in his footsteps when during my fourteen years among the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) on the Pine Ridge Reservation, did I do those very things.  The tomahawk, however, was not in the cards for me, thank God.
These men understood the missionary nature of our Christian faith...not to be kept for "me" alone, but to be spread to others.  They suffered beatings, tortures, mutilations ( some of St. Isaac's fingers and thumb were chewed off, so that he had to have special permission to say Mass using his remaining digits) and finally death.  Their blood became the seed of faith and today, the Mohawks are devout Catholics, and among them is Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, the "Lily of the Mohawks".   We might be moved by their example to take that extra step today to make our faith more evident in a society which encourages "the privacy of relgion" by living the message of love, forgiveness, compassion and selflessness exemplified by these martyrs.
Bro. Rene

St. Luke

Taylor Caldwell's novel, Dear and Glorious Physician, (which I highly recommend), not only gives us a fascinating recreation of the  life of St. Luke, but also a title which sums up his gifts: truly a physician of body and of soul.  A Gentile, a doctor, an artist, talented writer, he traveled as a dear friend of St. Paul after becoming a believer and has left us a priceless legacy in his Gospel and Acts of the Apostles.  To him do we owe the magnificent parallel Annunciation stories, and the Canticles of Zechariah and Mary prayed each day in the Divine Office, found  in the first chapter of his Gospel.  In chapter two, we have the beloved and detailed description of the birth of Jesus, his presentation in the temple his teaching among the rabbis at the age of twelve and his withdrawl to his hidden life in Nazareth.  The Jesus presented by Luke is a man with a mission...setting his face like flint toward Jerusalem to accomplish the will of his Father, as well as a man of compassion, gentleness, and tenderness as seen in his concern for healings, forgiveness, and love of the poor.  Luke gives us the most details about Mary we have among the four Gospels,  as well as the names of the many women who were part of the early community and who ministered to him and the Twelve. We would have little idea of the spread of the Church under the direction of the Holy Spirit, were it not for the extensive narratives in the Acts.  Our spiritual lives are so much richer because of this man.  Isaiah wrote, "How beautiful upon the mountains/ are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,/ announcing peace, bearing good news,' announcing salvation." (Is 52:7)  We are all called to this, but certainly, Luke shines as one who fullfilled this description to its fullest.  St. Luke, help us to live what you taught.
Bro. Rene

Men of Courage

Two valiant and courageous pastors and soldiers who serve as models for our life of faith, provide  the wheat for today's daily slice of bread.  St, Ignatius of Antioch, third bishop of Antioch, friend of St. Polycarp and disciple of St. John the Evangelist, spoke eloquently of his faith before the Emperor Trajan, who despite being impressed with the eloquence of Ignatius, ordered him to be put in chains and taken to Rome to be fed to the beasts for the entertainment of the populace.  The arduous journey was the occasion of pain and trials, but also the opportunity to evanglize the crowds who met him along the way.  It is said that before dying he exclaimed, "I am the wheat of Christ, ground by the teeth of beasts to become pure bread."
In our own day, Father Francis L. Sampson, a native of Iowa, spent most of his priesthood as a military chaplain.  He parachuted as part of Operation Overlord before the D-Day landing, and tended to the wounded after the invasion had begun.  He was saved from death when a German officer halted men who were about to shoot him and allowed him to continue to minister to the physical spiritual needs of the soldiers.  He was eventually captured and sent as a prisoner of war to one of the prison camps in Germany where again, he continued his priestly ministry.  He left the armed forces for a short time when the war ended, but re-enlisted during the Korean War,  parachuting to serve the men on the ground.  In 1967, he was appointed chief of Army Chaplains as a major general, and upon retirment, served as head of the USO.  During the Viet-nam War, he spent Christmas with the troops and visited hospitals.  He died in 1996 and was accorded the Military Service Cross and the Distinguished Service Medal.
These men lived what St. Paul wrote to the Romans:  "I urge you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God your spiritual worship.,  Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind..."(Rm 12: 1).  Lord, when I think I can't, help me to remember what these men did."
Bro. Rene

Called by Name

A four year old being questioned by professionals to describe what love is, replied, " When someone loves you, the way they say your name is diffrent.  You know that your name is safe in their mouth."  When through the prophet Isaiah we hear these words, "I have called you by your name,/giving you a title, though you knew me not," (Is 45: 4) what would our names sound like?  No doubt that feeling safe factor would be there, but have we ever imagined how God would pronounce our names?  Tenderly? Sternly? Rousingly?  How do we say the names of Jesus, Mary, Joseph or our favorite saints?  The George M. Cohan song, "Mary" comes to mind...so affectionate, so reverent, so loving. So does the St Louis Jesuit song, "Jesus"...slowly repeated several times with warmth and familiarity.  How do we say the names of those whom we love?  The simple act of calling a name reveals so much about a relationship.  A name like Zach with the heavy Z almost always dictates a snappy, gutteral, even harsh, pronounciation.  Saying the whole name, Zachary might be done tenderly or warningly, "I want your attention, NOW!"  On and on.  May I suggest we take some time with names on this sabbath are reflect on how we say them and how that reveals and perhaps helps our relationship with those people.  And, above all, let us listen to how God calls our name.
Bro. Rene

St. Teresa's Gift

October is the month of the Teresas:  October 1st, St. Therese of Lisieux, and October 15th, St. Teresa of Avila.  Both have been declared Doctors of the Church, both were Carmelites, both had a very practical approach to prayer and growth in the spiritual life. St. Therese wrote only one book, The Story of a Soul, while St. Teresa wrote several, her own Life, The Ascent of Mt Carmel, The Way of Perfection, Meditations on the Song of Songs, and her masterpiece, The Interior Castle.  Although blessed with visions, levitation and deep mystical prayer, her practical side enabled her to reform the Carmelite Order and open 16 convents of Discalced (shoeless) Carmelites besides the one at Avila.  She describes prayer in terms that everyone can understand: "Prayer, in my view, is nothing but friendly and frequent conversation with Him Who we know loves us." In even more graphic terms, she wrote, "Christ has not body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours.  Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ must look out on the world.Yours are the feet by which he is to go about doing good.  Yours are the hands with which he is to bless his people."  Her gift is thus linking prayer with practical action. These verses from Psalm 73 describe her aptly and serve as a blueprint for the contemplative side of our active Marist spirituality:
I was always in your presence;/ you were holding me by my right hand./ You will guide me by your counsel/ and so you will lead me to glory. 
What else have I in heaven but you?/ Apart from you I want nothing on earth./ My body and my heart faint for joy;/ God is my possession forever.
To be near God is my happiness./ I have made the Lord God my refuge./ I will tell of all your works/ at the gates of the city of Zion. (Ps 73: 23-25, 27-28).
Bro. Rene

Faith Is Never Unhappy

Note:  The 1 pm Rosary Rally in the South Common is on Saturday.  Weather should be clear.  I failed to mention the day in yesterday's slice of Daily Bread.  Sorry.  One reader called me from an empty Common; hence I became aware of this omission.  Hope to see many folks on Saturday.

Father Jean-Pierre de Caussade, SJ , noted spiritual writer, whose spiritual classic, Abandonment to Divine Providence, still provides guidance and nourishment for those seeking a closer relationship with Jesus, states clearly that "Faith is never unhappy."  Faith gives us an assurance beyond human experience and logic that "All shall be well", a refrain used often by the anchoress, Julian of Norwich, centuries before de Caussade wrote.  People of faith have an optimism and joy that defy and challenge the gloomy pessimists whose caution and fear prevent them from seeing the good that lies behind the "clouds" we face each day. Instead of concentrating on weakness and failures, or the paralyzing "what if's" that could occur, the person of faith plunges ahead in the belief that "God will provide."  For some this is not convincing enough, so no plunges are taken. But for those who are convinced, it makes all the difference.   It doesn't take too much imagination to see what would NOT have come to pass if St. Marcellin did not move fearlessly on the faith that has brought is vision to 79 countries and 650,000 students in our Marist schools around the world.  His labors, his physical sufferings, his rejections, the lowly esteem in which he was held by so many, did not stop him.  His faith made him happy and gave him strength, and serves as a model for us.  Lord, please give me the same faith you gave to St. Marcellin.  Amen.
Bro. Rene

Fatima Anniversary

Ninety-four years ago on October 13, 70,000 people at Fatima and beyond witnessed the startling "Miracle of the Sun", for some the cause of conversion, for others, fear, and still others, skepticism. It seems this is a typical reaction and even today the message of Fatima is pooh-poohed.  Yet Mary's call to prayer, the "Five First Saturday's Devotions and living a good, holy life continues.  Russia and communism were the "Big Enemies" then.  Who is to say that the rosary campaign "for the conversion of Russia" was not effective in the collapse of the USSR and the current revival of Russian Orthodoxy taking place today?  Googling "Religious Revival in Russia", I found an solid article, which I recommend,  by Fr. Seraphim Rose on the return to Orthdoxy and an astounding story of Fr. Dimitry Dudko. Ironically, in the West, atheism and secularsim, while not officially mandated by governments, is taking hold of hearts at an alarming rate.  Blessed Pope John Paul II, even before he was pope and blessed, warned that the message of Fatima is needed more today than it was in 1917.  During this month of the Holy Rosary, we might make "conversion"...not only of Russia, but of our own hearts, our own families and country a major intention.  In Lawrence, MA, there will be a Rosary Rally at the South Common at 1:00 pm. for this intention. Would be a good idea to join together in prayer around the rosary which leads us "to Jesus through Mary."
Bro. Rene

We Bring Joy to Jesus

There will be two slices of Daily Bread today as yesterday's was delayed publication by a computer freeze.  Everything stopped just before 9 am and I noticed that it wasn't until nearly 10 am that the entry was finally sent.  Totally out of my control.

All of us have experienced people whose very presence brightens our day.  Yesterday, a student had on a yellow polo shirt and light pants.  He looked like spring.  When I commented on his sparkling appearance, he said he deliberately wears uplifting colors on the first day of the class week to lift others out of the Monday blahs.  So refreshingly, creatively thoughtful!  There are others whose smile alone can do the same, and others whose accomplishments or goals inspire hope and assurance of a bright future not only for them but for the Church and the country.  As people like this bring us joy, it is good to remember that Jesus appreciates and finds joy in US!!!   We seldom think of it this way; we are always looking for comfort from him.  But not so.  Can we imagine that in the midst of suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, or on the cross, there were glimpses of us and our efforts to lead a good, prayerful, charitable life that brought joy to him in that darkest hour?  As we go about our day, let us remember that the power of love and kindness not only have a positive effect on others, but on Jesus as well.  Lord, let me remember that I am a cause of joy for you as I go about my daily tasks.
Bro. Rene

Simple Prayer with Mary

This being the month of the Holy Rosary, our prayer to Jesus through Mary takes on special significance.  In the Mary model, the simpler it is, the better.  I was very moved last night praying with a group of a hundred or so people in Lawrence who gathered in the Campagnone Common around the Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima.  A procession had initiated the afternoon of Rosary and talks, and another with a candle light, prayers and hymns concluded the day.  There was something very "down to earth" about the simplicity of the faith that took its expression in that procession.  It reminded me very much of the simple "prayer meetings" we used to have in Oglala, South Dakota: a poor, simple people pouring their hearts out to their Mother.  Several Franciscans of the Primitive Observance led the prayers,  which came from hearts as simple as those who responded to them.  The love of Mary and a closeness, as children with their mother, were evident and lent meaning and beauty to the prayers being said in Spanish and English.  The climax of the day was a consecration of the city of Lawrence to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and a prayer for an end to the violence, corruption and crime that have plagued this city for years.  I could not help feeling that Mary heard the cry of her children and will answer this prayer.  May this story inspire us to continue our prayer with similar simplicity, faith and depth.  She will answer.
Bro. Rene

St. Florentius

It is believed that St. Florentius could have been one of the Theban Martyrs, who, led by the example of St. Maurice, refused to worship the gods to pray for victory at the commaned of Emperor Maximian Herculeus in the late third century. The soldiers in this Legion were decimated (every tenth man killed) until the entire Legion of 5,000 soldiers were massacred for their faith.  It is believed that St. Florentius was among nine martyrs whose death took place in Bonn, Germany.  A church was built over their graves but it was only in 1929 that their relics were discovered.
By that time Brother Florentius had already founded Mount St. Michael Academy and in a few more years would, with that same determination inspired by the holy martyrs, found Central Catholic High School.
Yesterday, as we reviewed the 125 year history of the Marist Brothers in the United States, the theme of tough, determined pioneers was evident. Always, it seemed, there was a lack of money, or there were disagreements with pastors which led to the withdrawl of brothers from one school to the opening of others.  Many died from a rigorous ascetisism, hard work, failure to adjust to climate changes, poor diet, or diseases such as tuberculosis.  Any ideas of a romantic, idyllic past were balanced with these facts.  And yet the work thrived just as the seed of faith of martyrs yielded a miraculous spread of the faith in Europe and beyond.  That St. Marcellin began the Congregation with two uneducated young men, fought with debt most of his life, faced disappointment, doubt and discouragement and yet continued to move forward is grounds enough for us today not to give up, but to move forward in haste to a new land...a future as bright as the one that lay ahead for the Marist Brothers beyond their shakey beginnings. As we commemorate the discovery of America by Christopher and Columbus and his hearty crew, again let us remember that great things happen when people are bold, daring, and unafraid.
Bro. Rene

Mary Working Through Us

American Marists will gather at St. Jean Baptiste Church in Manahttan, NY to celebrate 125 years of Marist
presence in the United States The first brothers came to Canada from France in 1885 and the next year to staff a parish school in Lewiston, Maine. St. Anne's Academy was established in the parish of St. Jean Baptiste at the invitation of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers, in 1892 and taught in their grammar school as well.  These were the first two foundations in New York City.  Mass will be offered in thanksgiving for these 125 years of educating youth in the Marist Way, that is bringing them to Jesus through Mary. We will also pledge to continue this work, so urgently needed today to counterbalance the fast disappearing Christian culture of North America.  With Mary's intercession and our devoted and sincer efforts, we will be successful.
At Fatima in 1916, the Angel of Peace asked that this simple but effective prayer be said at least once a day, but as often as we think of it, to bring about the conversion of sinners.  Russia was the target at that time, but now Russia is undergoing a major return to Christianity while we are slipping away.  As Marists, let us make it our task by prayer, word and deed to re-evangelize our nation, beginning with ourselves, our families, and our parishes, and our communities.  My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I  I beg pardon
 for those who do not believe, adore, hope and love You!
 Bro. Rene
I will not have access to a computer tomorrow morning.  No Daily Bread till Monday.

The Holy Rosary

The Rosary is one of those "tools" that has helped people of all ages and levels of education to pray for centuries.  Its genius lies in its simplicity.  Accompanying the recitation of the Our Father's, Hail Mary's and Glory Be's is the essential element of reflection on scenes from the life of Jesus.  During these brief meditations, it is amazing what insights come to deepen our knowledge of Jesus and move us to a greater love of him and our neighbor.  Besides this, the peace that these fifteen minutes gives us calms whatever is agitating us in our minds and even our bodies.  Blessed John Paul II in his encyclical, Rosarium Virginis Mariae,  calls it an "outpouring of love" saying that love is evoked by seeing the face of Jesus gazing at us. In contemplating the face of Jesus in return, "we cannot fail to see the face of Christ in others, especially the most afflicted."  He goes on to say that since "no one has ever devoted himself or herself to the contmplation of the face of Christ as faithfully as Mary, Our Lady's role in our contemplating of Christ's face remains vital.  The Rosary is an "echo of the prayer of Mary."  No wonder Mary has asked that this prayer be used daily and that it is part of our Marist Heritage. Can we let this day pass without praying it ourselves?
Bro. Rene

Spiritual Communion

Receiving the Holy Eucharist provides the opportunity for us to enter into the most intimate union with Jesus available to us while we walk this planet.  Once a week is not enough for some of us, but not all can attend Mass daily.  There is a way around this: "spiritual communion."  In quiet prayer from the heart we can invite Jesus to join us there, as if we were receiving the sacrament, and spend some intimate moments with him.  It's a very focused experience of putting ourselves in the presence of God.  Here is a sample prayer I composed recently:
"Lord Jesus, I can't receive you sacramentally today, but I do want you to come into my heart in a spirtual communion.  I unite my heart with yours and assure you of my complete love.  You showed your love for me and all people by your death on the cross and left us the precious gift of yourself in the Holy Eucharist.  Thank you.  Let me now take a moment in silence to feel your presence and to listen to you tell me how much you love me.  Pause for 2-3 minutes of silence to listen to Jesus and to express your own personal needs and thoughts; close with a prayer similar to this:  Thank you for this time with you. Accept the gift of my love, of myself, of my complete trust in you, and do with me what you will.  You must increase and I must decrease.  May this spiritual communion and every sacramental communion make me more like you in thought, word and deed so that I may bring your love to my family, friends and all I meet. Amen."
Bro. Rene

Evangelizers

A new Marist Document, Evangelizers in the Midst of Youth, reminds us that ALL of us are evangelizers who have a specific focus on young people.  It is amazing how much they observe, although they don't seem to be paying attention.  They don't miss a thing.  What we might consider our most insignificant routine action or word is measured by these keen observers as positive or negative influences on them.  Sometimes a passing word, even a "hello" gets reported at home as if  it had been a hundred dollar bill.  In one sense, this might make evangelizing easy...just be genuine, just show caring concern, just offer a word of recognition and encouragement, and more good has been done than in a full blown religion lesson. On the other hand, it means that care needs to be taken not to slip into words or behaviors that might hurt or betray the mission of making Jesus known and loved.  We need to be on our toes, but once we see ourselves as "teachers" evangelizers, we will be less prone to sabotage the mission.  Not being "perfect" we will fail from time to time,  but these themselves can lead to a positive result as we seek forgiveness and try to compensate for the fault.  Dear God, thank you for the call to be an evangelizers of youth, and of all we meet.  Help me remember my role as this day passes, and let me be faithful to it always.  Amen.

Joyful Love

St. Francis of Assisi, who is being honored around the world today, is one of the most popular figures in the history of the Church and appeals to people of all denominations and faiths.  A somewhat "watered down" image of him as the lover of animals or the patron of gardens, where his statue is frequently found, fails to capture the real St. Francis.  He certainly loved all of creation as his Canticle of the Sun reveals, but his life was far from sweet and easy.  His "joyful love" came from a total abandonment to God's providence, even when physical suffering was involved, or rejection by others, including his own Franciscans!  He endured much pain from the stigmata, the wounds of Christ embedded in his body...not just token openings, but as real as Jesus experienced from the nails, thorns and lance to his side.  His eyes weakened to the point where he was almost totally blind at the end of his life.  He saw his ideal of total poverty "adjusted" to meet the needs of those who could not live as he did. So, ownership of buildings, regular meals, university studies all became part of the Friars Minor  while its founder was alive and secluded with a few of his first followers on Mt. Alvernia. Yes, he kept his joy, an abiding joy that came from deep within, and welcomed as these adversities as brothers and sisters.  Sister pain, Brother Death could not destroy the strength of that joyful love. Lord, in the spirit of St. Francis,  may I strive for this same ability to maintain a joyful, loving spirit despite my own aches, pains, frustrations, and disappointments.  Thank you. Amen.

Persevere in Prayer

Sometimes it seems that everything is going wrong.  We reach out to people and they don't respond, or they give us a surface response "what they think we'd like to hear" but no connection is actually made.  We find ourselves again and again overwhelmed by activity and resonsibility and can't seem to get on top of things.  We forget to do things, we lose things, we waste so much time looking for them.  The day ends and we have nothing to show for it, at least in our estimation.  Then we see a story on the news (good news for a change) that Oprah came to the rescue of a woman who lost both arms from the elbow down, and both legs from the knee down.  A handicapped friendly house was Oprah's gift.  Itself astounding, but to me even more astounding was the handicapped woman's totally joyful attitude toward life despite her affliction.  Rather than wallowing in self-pity, she sees the goodness that comes to us through hope and trust.  St. Paul tells us:  "Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer" (Rom 12:12).  A very succinct formula, any part of which could be come a mantra we might repeat over and over several times during the day.  Or if we need a further elaboration and want to spend more time with this notion, here is another apt passage:  "We urge you brothers and sisters, admonish the idle, cheer the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with all. See that no one returns evil for evil; rather, always seek what is good [both]for each other and for all.  Rejoice always.  Pray without ceasing.  In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thess 14:-18).  If we see ourselves as  the idle, the fainthearted, the weak and see the need for patience with ourselves, we will find release from the negative attitudes that bring us down. If persevere in prayer along these lines we'll find that joyful attitude of the armless and legless woman.
Bro. Rene

Respecting Life

The Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Guardian Angels, Respect Life Sunday, a full agenda for this Sabbath Day.  And, at Central Catholic, we will host our first "Marist Prayer" for our students, based on Taize Prayer of Psalmody, Scripture and time for reflection, but in our case, focused on Mary and our Marist Heritage as well. 
We are all made in the image of God and as such not only deserve respect and recognition for that gift, but should receive from one another what we need to grow into that image.  In the classroom, it is easy to ignore the students who never raise their hands and applaud those who actively participate.  My exprience, however, has proved that when one of the "non-participants" is given a chance and then lauded for his or her response, that student then gains confidence and joins the hand-raisers.  When we look at each other, every person we meet, and see in them what God has put there...special gifts, including his own presence, and when we tell them in so many words and by our tone, that we see something special in them, they light up and allow their inner beauty to shine even more.  In this context, then, respect for life broadens from just concern about the right to life and a natural death, (both of which are under threat and attack these days), to a daily respect for all people and the gift of God's life in them that makes them who they are. Thus the "culture of LIFE" replaces the "culture of death" so aptly named by Blessed John Paul II. No wonder God has given each of us a guardian angel to protect and guide this precious life! The fruit of our prayer is the acknoweldgement of the common life we share with God and each other.  Lord, help me to see your face and beauty in everyone I meet today and treat them with the respect and love I would give to you if I saw you face to face.
Bro. Rene

Mary and Therese

In our 600th  slice of Daily Bread we look at the connection between Mary, our Good Mother, and St. Therese of Lisieux, whose Memorial is observed today.  Therese is noted for her "little way" of simplicity and love. Her motto was taken from St. John of the Cross:  "Love is repaid by love alone" and her nine years in the Carmelite Convent of Lisieux revealed nothing outwardly spectacular,  She truly live the words of St. Paul:  "God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong.l" (1 Cor. 1:27). Yet, when her autobiography, The Story of a Soul was published, it made her a giant among the saints.  She was canonized in 1925, only 28 years after her death and is still one of the most beloved and popular saints of our time.  Br. Florentius put the founding of Central Catholic under her patronage and we honor her today as our patron saint.
Her devotion to Mary, not as well known as her "little way", finds resonance with Marists and as we begin the Month of the Holy Rosary, it is fitting that we offer a word about it.  Therese understood the profound insight of St. Augustine that we are all begotten with Jesus in the womb of Mary, thus making her truly our Mother.  The last poem Therese wrote recalls this childhood which we all share:
O you who came to smile on me
At the dawn of life's beginning,
Come once again to smile on me...Mother!
The night is nigh,
I fear no more yhour majesty,
So far removed above me,
For I have suffered much with you;
\Now hear me, Mother mild!
Oh let me tell you, face to face,
Dear Mary, how I love you;
And say to you forevermore:
I am your little child."

Bro. Rene