Family

Today is the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and a time to look at how our families can find inspiration from this first of families. Simple obedience to the requests of God, especially those which seemed "impossible" and demanding more than average faith and trust: Mary's pregnancy before her marriage, Joseph's dilemma, the trip to Bethlehem, the search for a room, the flight into Egypt, the return to Nazareth, the temporary loss of Jesus, fidelity to the raising of the Child into manhood in the day to day humdrum of work, Joseph's death, Jesus departure from Mary for his mission, Mary's "letting go" and later pain when she witnesses his passion and death. What couple has not experienced its own suprises and demands far beyond their imaginations as they walked down the aisle and pronounced their vows before the altar? Fidelity, faith, love, trust emerge as the glue that binds no matter what the stress. Sometimes very hard choices have to be made, choices that do not fit the ideal pattern, but can lead still foster a relationship with God and the proper raising of the children. Happily, our US Marist Province has taken the Holy Family as its patron, and images of this remarkable family are present in our communities and schools as reminder of the values we must foster in our commuity life and in our schools. Our Marist Family Spirit is a great gift that we share with each other, our colleagues, our parents and our students. May we reflect on the model presented by the Holy Family to appreciate and put into practice this simple but precious gift and love one another as members of this extended family.
Bro. Rene
I will be away till Monday evening, celebrating family in Wheeling, WV and will not have access to a computer. Sunday is the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, and the World Day of Peace. May Mary help us all to find the peace that eludes us, the peace that can only be found in her Son, the Prince of Peace.

Saved By What We Lose

The Christmas paradoxes continue: God becomes a human child...the Creator, a creature; his death gives life; we celebrate his human birth and the heavenly birth of martyrs Stephen, the Innocents, and today, Thomas a Becket. There's no escaping these paradoxes if we truly value and live our Christian life. This verse from a beautiful hymn describes the need for "death" in its many forms:

And all the nations then will see
The light that spills from Zion's height
And purifies our blinded hearts
till sin-dimmed eyes can see aright.
The price is high: a piercing sword,
A cross that asks of us to choose
The fire that cinders selfishness--
For we are saved by what we lose.

What we lose: even when the time we planned for what we considered important is usurped by a commitment to service to others...especially to family. A mother holding a crying baby when the dishes she planned to wash remain in the sink, untouched...or the beds remain un-made...or the practice or game that ran overtime and required a longer wait than anticipated and thus threw off the plans for the rest of the day. We all live through moments such as these. It is consoling to know that in such cases, "we are saved by what we lose."
Bro. Rene

The Holy Innocents

Again during this Christmas Octave, we read of another tragedy: the murder of all Bethlehem's boys, two and under, by King Herod's men, in an attempt to wipe out a rival king. The wailing of their mothers was foretold by the prophet Jeremiah centuries before: "In Ramah is heard the sound of moaning/ of bitter weeping!/ Rachel mouns her children,/ she refuses to be consoled/ because her children are no more." (Jer 31: 15). Herod's attempt at eliminating his rival did not succeed, in the same way that attempts to eliminate rivals by mass murder have never succeeded throughout history.
In our own day, the "slaughter" of innoncent children continues through abuse of all kinds, physical, sexual, psychological, as we read or hear daily, it seems, in the media. Children who have no means to defend themselves are victimized by adults who should know better, or by their peers whose sense of respect for others has been lost along the way or never learned. Pope Paul VI in his controversial encyclical, Humanae Vitae, predicted that artificial contraception would lead to a contraceptive mentalility and ultimately to an across-the-boards disrespect for life. The ensuing years have verified his insight. It is not just concern for the unborn that needs attention, but for life in all phases, in all aspects. May the prayers of the Holy Innocents, recognized as the first martyrs for Christ help us all come to a new and needed sensitivity and respect for life and lead us to concrete ways in which to show this by our words and deeds.
Bro. Rene

St. John the Evangelist

Known via tradition as the youngest disciple, and called "beloved", or "the disciple whom Jesus loved," his is also the disciple of light and love. The prologue to his gospel speaks of light overcoming darkness, and forever immortalizes Jesus proclamation that he is the light of the world (Jn 8:12). His first letter abounds with descriptions of love (cf 1 Jn 4). We find comfort in his words but there is also challenge. How do we become light, how do we love as he describes it?
Making the headlines day after day is Bronco's quarterback, Tim Tebow, whose public kneeling and praying has raised eyebrows and won him admiration and scorn. His new book, Through My Eyes, has sold thousands of copies and has made him the most popular sports writer of 2011, and the number one best seller for his publisher, Harper. In an interview with Shawn Hannity, he speaks frankly about his faith, and the responsibility as a role model to the young, to his fellow players, and to his fans. He is in a position to be a tremendous light to others, accepts it and lives it. He sponsors an orphanage in the Philippines, supports the Timmy Foundation which provides "Timmy Rooms" for children who need a place of faith, fun and nourishment. The love he received from his mother who was advised to abort him, but chose in faith to proceed with her pregnancy, has enabled this "born of love" child and born again Christian to live his faith publicly.
He speaks of the need for a deep faith and the support of his family and colleagues...his community. So too for Marists who need one another to live our "love story" and be light for othes. Thank you, St. John. Thank you, Tim.
Bro Rene

The Crib and the Cross

While we might be "in recovery" after yesterday's feasting and today's inventorying of all the cookies and cakes we received as gifts, "the day after" for us is nowhere near the reminder of what lies in store for every Christian who worshipped at the manger as is today's Feast. The martyrdom of St. Stephen is a stark reminder that our calling to be another Jesus, to follow in his footsteps, is a call to suffering, even to the cross itself. The contrast of Stephen's gruesome stoning to the joy of the heavenly hosts, whose song and image are still fresh in our minds is sobering, to say the least. Certainly more than the sobering realization, after looking at the scale this morning, of what price all that eating yesterday cost us. Stephen reminds us that following Jesus means standing up for him and his teachings, paying for them dearly, even with our own lives, if necessary. St. Marcellin's "favorite places" were the crib, the cross and the altar" and, as he told his followers, these should be theirs as well. Today's meditation might be spending time before the creche and reflecting on what followed for Jesus, from the quick night escape into Egypt to the painful road to Calvary. What has been our journey thus far from our birth till now? Not one of us can say there hasn't been pain, sorrow, and suffering in some manner or form. How much of it has been related to our faith, to our living out and proclamation of it, to our growth in it? Not all are called to physical martyrdom, but all are called to a constant death to selfishness and sin. While in this Octave of Christmas and in the sorting out of the gifts we have received, may we also sort out what impedes our complete Stephen-like fidelity to Jesus.
Bro. Rene

The Wonders of His Love

Carols ring out in our churches this day, a day of joy to and for the world. The King of Kings, who is our peace, comes in the splendor of a host of angels singing Glory to God in the Highest, and on eath peace to people of good will, and in the simplicity and poverty of a homeless child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Poor shepherds are the first to respond and give him homage; Wisemen follow in due time. It is paradoxical that the Son of God, who existed from all time and before, the creator of the universe, the Savior of the human race, should come among us as one of us, in the total dependence of a newborn baby. He rests in a manger, the trough where animals feed, for he feeds us with his body and blood. The child is there for everyone; the child shows us that the weakness of God is more powerful than any force we humans can muster; the child incarnates God's all-inclusive love. We sing in the carol, Joy to the World, "And wonders of his love," and repeat this line again. It is as if we can't comprehend these wonders, cannot fathom them, for they are beyond us. "Oh the depths or the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God..who has known the mind of God? (Rm 11:33). The child in the manger is only a glimpse of God, but with him begins our journey and goal to know and love God as fully as we can and help others to do the same. The Church takes a week, called the Octave of Christmas, to digest and reflect on this event, on this challenge, on this calling. May we, like the shepherds, make haste to come to the child and then with equal haste be on our mission to spread the wonders of his love to all, beginning today.
Merry Christmas,
Bro. Rene

Our Salvation

Today you shall know the Lord is coming and in the morning you will see his glory. So reads the Invitatory Verse which begins the Church's Prayer for today. This promise has been kept but it is up to us to renew it in our own lives and experience. This morning, gathered with over 200 men, many of whom brought their sons, of all ages, neatly dressed in shirts, ties, and even suitjackets, to the 27th annual Merrimack Valley Christian Men's Christmas Breakfast, I did experience not only the hope that Christmas engenders, but also that faith that will keep it alive until the Second Coming of Jesus. The room was filled with believiers whose hefty voices raised the ceiling in song, whose hearts prayed with deep conviction, and whose laughter and good fellowship exhibited the joy that is essential to Christmas. The Lord's coming will be celebrated tonight and tomorrow; with the angels and shepherds we will see his glory. It will prompt us to take the faith in our hearts and bring it to family, to the streets of our communities and to the workplace in the weeks ahead. Yes, Christmas is about more than decorations and gifts, it is about our salvation, and for that we hoot and holler, and "tell it on the mountain": Jesus Christ is born!
Bro. Rene

O Emmanuel

O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God. The final "O" Antiphon sums up the others and clearly states the purpose of Jesus birth: to be with us (Emmanuel) and to set us free. God among us, God in us. Do we see him in our hearts and in the face of others? Do we recognize our gifts and those of others? Do we share ours and encourage others to share theirs? We send cards expressing our love, we give gifts symbolic of our love and the love God has poured out in the gift of Jesus to us; are we just going through the motions or are we aware of what powerful signs these are? A friend whom I will be visiting for his 60th birthday on New Year's Day said that just my being there would be my greatest gift to him. Until someone makes such a statement, we don't realize the impact of our presence in the lives of others. What more powerful impact, then, is the presence of God-with-us, Emmanuel! Let us coast toward Christmas Day in peace, freedom and confidence in the arms of the greatest Presence possible.
Bro. Rene

O King of All the Nations

O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of humanity, come and save the creatures you fashioned from the dust. Beautifully and succinctly we are reminded that Christ the King is our only joy and satisfaction, a lesson we try to absorb throughout our lifetime, despite the tugs and enticements of the world's glitter and gold, or the laziness that allures us to the "easy path" whose shallow diversions can kill our souls. Without Jesus as the Keystone, the arch crumbles. We might have discovered that already, but need to review this lesson and relive it. Life's twists and turns, the instruments of God, have a way of turning us around. Just remembering that we are dust and have not here a lasting city can poke us back onto the right track. In these final days before Christmas, may we look at the path our day takes, where we spend our time, how much we are reflecting on what we are doing, and where our focus is. If we are tired, or on "automatic pilot", how are we going to give our King the welcome and honor he deserves? If we can let go of all we wanted to do before Christmas, and just basque in the message of "peace and goodwill to all", we might come to the stable with the pure hearts of the shepherds, fall on our knees, and worship the God who has come among us.
May our deeds and actions these days help us bring the gift of ourselves to the Babe and to others.
Bro. Rene

O Dayspring

As the sun rises, (today is not the day to see it), fresh light floods the world. South Dakota, with its flat plains and grasslands as far as the eye can see is the place to watch and really appreciate this daily miracle. For fifteen or twenty minutes the sky brightens heralding the coming of the first rays which break upon the horizon which are followed by a pinpoint of strong light which grows into the fireball of the sun. It's almost blinding. Our "O" antiphon today compares this daily gift of light to brightness of eternal Light and Sun of Justice, and begs enlightenment to those who "sit in darkenss and in the shadow of death." A Christmas greeting from one of our brothers in India, Brother Shanthi Liyanage, once the director of the school we run in Sargoda, Pakistan, and now the Provincial of the province which encompasses India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, translates the message of Light to Love: "God is Love and it is by Love alone we can reach Him. Dedicate your life in all humility to the loving service of youth."
He quotes a Guru:
I have turned my heart into a boat,
I have searched in every sea;
I have dwelt by rivers and streams;
I have bathed at places of pilgrimage;
I have eaten bitter and sweet;
I have seen the remotest regions.
And this I have learnt that he is the True Man
Who loveth God and loveth man,
And serving all abideth in Eternal Love.

Bro. Rene

O Key of David

Today's "O" antiphon connects Jesus with his ancestor David, and, using the image of a key, reminds us of the prophecy of Isaiah, that the Messiah would lead captives to freedom (Is 61: 1). O Key of David, and scepter of the house of Israel: you open and no one shuts; you shut and no one opens. come and lead forth from his prison the captive sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death." We are the prisoners of our own self-centeredness, fears, doubts, hesitations, misplaced self-confidence, and lack of faith and trust. Only the Messiah can truly free us from these shackles. If we allow him to turn the key to our hearts by admitting our NEED for outside help, then he can lead us to freedom.
This came home to me in a brutal way at the Marist Marine Adventure Retreat when following orders to walk blindfolded and in silence through a maze defined by a thin wire, we would find the exit. It seemed easy to slide my hand along the wire and go wherever it took me. Those running the exercise kept asking if I needed our would like help, but in keeping with the rule of silence and determined to "do it my way" I grunted refusals time after time. When it was announced that everyone had found the exit and I was the only one still blindfoldedly searching for it, I was finally put into a conversation where I admitted that I was lost and in my frustration, asked for help. At that moment, my blindfold was removed, and I was told I had found the exit: by admitting that I could not do it alone, but needed help from outside. My whole life flashed before me, for I have always been the first to GIVE help, but the last to ask for it. Wow! So, I can truly pray, Come, Key of David. open the gate for me and lead me out of my captivity.
Bro. Rene

O Root of Jesse

Jesse was the father of David and of the House of David, Jesus was born, hence Jesus was the offspring from the root of Jesse. "Before you kings shall remain silent, and to you the Gentiles shall make supplication. Come to deliver us, and delay not." (Traditional "O" antiphon 3) During this fourth week the anticipation of the Church turns almost to impatience as she longs for the birth of the Messiah. Translated to our current situation, many of us are wondering how we are going to get throught this week, and are looking forward with desparation to December 26th so we can breathe a sight of relief. Just picture Mary and Joseph on their journey toward Bethelehem...similar anxieties...where to stay, will the baby be born on the road? etc. We're in good company, so the prayer, "Come deliver us and delay not" can be very much our own.
Bro. Rene

O Adonai

Due to a dislocated finger incurred yesterday during one of the challenges faced on our Marist Marine Adventure Retreat I'm typing with one hand, so my slice of Daily Bread will be thin until the splint is removed.
It has been a very physical and enlightening weekend as we dove deeper into each of the five Marks of a Marist student through "tasks" similar to those seen on the program, Survivor. The students came up with solutions quickly, with some students emerging as gifted leaders, and all working together as an effective team team. Group reflections after each task enabled the students to connect the task to the Marist Mark. For example, "Servant Leadership" became a realty as the students worked their way across a seemingly unreachable pattern of small platforms, by giving of themselves to help their partners.
Our God, Adonai, the substitute name for the unutterable name, Yahweh, has reached out to us from the burning bush which Moses saw to Jesus, who gave totally of himself. Our Marist schools are teaching our students to follow that style of Leadership, which is the style for all Marists.
Bro. Rene

The "O" Antiphons

Even for those who are familiar with the "O Antiphons" it still might come as a shock that they begin today. We are on the final descent of our four week flight to Christmas, indeed a week from today will be Christmas Eve! These traditional antiphons, sung in Latin to simple but soulful Gregorian Chant, have been treasured for centuries and survive in the vernacular with much of their elegance and beauty. They are sung or recited before and after the Magnificat at Vespers, or Evening Prayer, as it is commonly called today. The familiar Advent hymn, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, paraphrases them and is more well-known than the originals. Today's addresses the Holy Spirit as "Wisdom", and reads thus: O Wisdom, you came forth from the mouth of the most High and reached from end to end, and disposed of all things sweetly and mightily: come and teach us the way of prudence.
I write today from Esopus, New York, where I am on what we are calling a Marist Marine Adventure Retreat with 20 Central students. The students are acquiring wisdom and knowledge to help them grow in the Spirit, in prudence, and in their understanding of what it means to be a Marist student through arduous and challenging physical tasks. This is a fitting time and place for such an experience. Buried not far from our activities are the Marist Brothers, including our four most recent, Brothers Raoul Molnar, Victor Serna, Valerian T. Doiron and Edward Vollmer, whose lives were spent spreading wisdom, knowledge and the love which we are celebrating at Christmas. This property still serves as the seat of formation for Marist novices, and the spiritual formation of students who come here on retreats and Encounters. Wisdom has found a place here and disposes sweetly and mightily the gifts of God to those who seek them. No matter where we are today, let us beg for the wisdom we need to learn the way of prudence and knowledge.
Bro. Rene

Our Lady of the New Advent

In the Diocese of Denver, today is the feast day of Our Lady of the New Advent, a title for Mary created by Pope John Paul II who foresaw the third millenium as a New Advent, a new coming of Jesus into the hearts of believers. The icon was created by Fr. William McNichols and can be viewed via Google under Our Lady of the New Advent. We have placed a large copy of this image in our lobby between our Advent Wreath and our Christmas Tree, and this morning, each faculty and staff member received a 4 x 6 card with this prayer which we can make our own today and for the remainder of Advent:
Our Lady and Mother of the One who was and is and is to come, dawn of the New Jerusalem, we earnestly beseech you, bring us by your intercession so to live in love that the Church, the Body of Christ, may stand in the world's dark as a fiery icon of the New Jerusalem. We ask you to to obtain for us this mercy through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father in the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Truly we are in a period of the "world's dark" and need to pray earnestly and constantly for the Light of Christ to dispell it, and we need to "live in love", that is put love into all our words, actions of kindness, and acts of forgiveness, so that little by little we can influence our "little worlds" and let the ripple effect take hold in the larger world.
Bro. Rene

Redemption

Ten days from today, we will be celebrating Christmas. It's coming like a steamroller paving a new street, not stopping, rolling toward us, ready or not! Do we laugh, do we panic, or do we look calmly at what a Gift has been given and can be renewed in our hearts this year and every year? Indeed, we who were lost, abandoned to our own whims and sins, have been redeemed. Let us not forget that amidst the glitter of the new LED lights that are everywhere, or in the dilemmas over what to buy Aunt Susie.... The prophet Isaiah speaks to us today using the image of marriage to describe what redemption means: Fear not, you shall not be put to shame;/ you need not blush, for you shall not be disgraced./ The shame of your youth you shall forget,/ the reproach of your widowhood no longer remember./ For he who has become your husband is your Maker; / his name is the Lord of hosts;/ Your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,/ called God of all the earth./ The lord calls you back,/ like a wife foresaken and grieved in spirit,/ A wife married in youth and then cast off./ says your God./ for a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great tenderness I will take you back./ In an outburst of wrath, for a moment/ I hid my face from you;/ but with enduring love I take pity on you,/ says the Lord your redeemer." (Is 54: 4-8). The shepherds, the manger, the angels singing Glory to God in the Highest, all that comes to mind about Christmas Eve...is really about God's love, forgiving a sinful, unfaithful people, taking us back, redeeming us. May we not lose sight of this.
Bro. Rene

The Dark Night

St. John of the Cross is one of the great mystics who has left us a blueprint and a reminder that distress, disaster and depression are also the vehicles for seeing the light, a light that comes not from the sun but from the Son. Imprisoned as he was for nine months by his own Carmelite brethren in a dark dungeon, he dealt with more than just disappointment at the refusal of the Carmelites to accept his proposed reforms, but it seemed that even God had abandoned him. This was the worst part of his confinement; the absence of God was a taste of hell. Yet in that darkness, he wrote his most penetrating poetry, and the classic, The Dark Night of the Soul. He began to see, to understand, that in being stripped totally of all that the sense could provide, he was given a clear vision of the God who surpasses all human understanding. It was an intuitive experience of God, or, as we say, a mystical experience...a knowing without words, without images.
In our own struggles, we might not sink (or rise) to such levels of darkness, doubt or near despair, and thus might not reach the Everest of mystical heights, but we can experience a closeness to God we never thought possible. When we strip ourselves, or are stripped of what we think is necessary for prayer or for our own growth, we discover a new level of intimacy with God, one that is more direct, simple, less cluttered, and ultimately more fulfilling. Emotion is reduced, feelings shrivel, faith, hope and love blossom. These Advent days or preparation can be a gift, one that comes outside the box, to help us appreciate and preview what's in store for us when we meet God face to face. Lord, in the darkness let me see the light of your face. Amen.

Radiant With Joy

In Scandanavian countries, December 13th is regarded as the shortest day with the longest night, hence the memorial of St. Lucy (from the Latin, Lux, Light) is celebrated with great festivity. A young girl wearing a crown of lighted candles proceeds gingerly into a darkened room where those gathered light their own candles from her crown thus dispelling the darkness of this longest night. Fine foods and drink prepared weeks in advance grace the table for the rest of the celebration.
St. Lucy did exist, living and dying as a virgin and martyr not in these northern countries, but in Syracuse, Sicily in 304 A.D. under the persecution of Diocletian. Her name is listed in the first Eucharistic prayer with other martyrs: Lucy, Agnes, Agatha, Cecilia, Anastasia. She is depicted in art as carrying a platter with her eyes on it, derived from the legend that they were plucked out in the course of her martyrdom, or in another legend, that she plucked them out herself and gave them to her suitor, saying, "You have my eyes, now let me go so that I can behold my true love, Jesus." She is thus the patronness of the blind or those with eye disorders.
Light, darkness, sight, blindness, all images that can be applied to our own inner darkeness and blindness...as exposed in our impatience to have things go "our way", or our stubborness in refusing to turn ourselves increasingly into God's hands. Conversion ,this is called...an on-going, life-long process, that demands attention to choices we make, words that slip from our lips, and attitudes and prejudices that prevent us from seeing the beauty and goodness of others, or allowing them to grow at their own pace. It comes down to admitting and acknowledging that God is in charge, not us, and that God's way, will, plan, call is what we will, is better than any we can devise. St. Lucy, cast aside that darkness that blinds us from seeing the goodness, truth and beauty of God's plan and all of God's creation.
Bro, Rene

Mary and the Oppressed

It would be quite a stretch of imagination to picture Mary camping out with the Occupy Wall Street movement, but she made quite a statement about care for the oppressed by her appearance at Tepeyac to the simple peasant Juan Diego as a pregnant Aztec woman. She did not come as a Spaniard or even a Jewish maiden. but as one of the people who were being subjugated by the European conquerors. During the Mass of this feast we pray, "O God, Father of mercies, who placed your people under the singular protection of your Son's most holy Mother, grant that all who invoke the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe, may seek with ever more lively faith the progress of peoples in the ways of justice and of peace." This powerful prayer reminds us of our own mission, in imitation of Mary, to work for justice and peace ourselves. Interestingly enough, Mary did not ask for a "camp out" or a protest march, but rather that a church be built. This is her usual request. A church, not as a temple in her honor, but a sacred place where the Mass is offered and her Son's gift of the Eucharist is made available to a hungry people. Again, she wants to bring forth her Son to the world, so that he can be the source of life, peace and justice. Do we miss this in our attendance at Mass? With Pope Benedict we pray that "Our Lady of Guadalupe may protect and inspire those who govern in their difficult task as promoters of the common good, and renew the bonds of Christian fellowship for the good of ALL the people."
Bro. Rene

Gaudete--Rejoice

The Third Sunday of Advent used to be called "Gaudete Sunday" because of the first words of the Introit, Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete! taken from St. Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians (5: 16). "Rejoice always, again I say, rejoice." Indeed the passage which serves as the second reading for today's Mass sums up the entire theme of Advent: be happy, be ecstatic because Emmanuel, God is with us! The exuberent Paul continues: "Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit." (I Thess 5: 19). In anticipation of the joy of Christ's presence among us to be duly celebrated at Christmas, the purple of Advent yields to rose, a step closer to the white of the Nativity. The third Advent candle and where possible, the celebrant's chasuble bear the rose-colored mark of rejoicing. Like children who "can't wait for Christmas morning" we want to jump ahead and get to it NOW!
Last evening I attended two Christmas events, yes in Advent, but in that anticipation described above. One was a huge, and I mean huge, party for the children of the Arlington Neighborhood, one densely populated by Latinos, mostly from the Domnincan Repbulic. The loudspeakers, turned up to the max, it seemed, fostered a great sense of excitement visibily present in the enthusiastic games played by the children. The pulse was definitely over the top. The second was an absolutely charming concert given by a dozen gifted singers in their twenties and thirties whose faces radiated the joy of Christmas as they sang not of Frosty or Rudolph, but of the Savior born in Bethlehem. It was so refreshing to hear these unfamiliar but beautiful songs telling and retelling the familiar Christmas story or describing the peace of Christmas, with no allusions to "Black Friday" or current mythological accretions. No, it was a spiritual oasis aptly in tune with Gaudete Sunday and a source of hope and joy to hear these men and women profess their faith in Jesus in so beautifully in harmony with each other, and obviously in harmony with Him! I pray with St. Paul for all: "May the God of peace make you pefectly holy and may you enterily, spirit, soul and body, be preserved blameless for the coin go four Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is Faithful, and he will also accomplish it." (1 Thess. 5: 24). Gaudete....Rejoice!

World Human Rights Day

With the OCCUPY Movement dominating headlines for months and causing a welcome and non-welcome stir across the nation, talk of human rights is certainly a topic that provokes reflection and discussion. Since 1950, December 10th has been observed as World Human Rights Day as a way of keeping alive the Universal Declaration of Human Rights promulgated by the United Nations on this date in 1948. For the past two years this declaration has been the basis of the Marist Advent Prayer Book distributed world wide by the Marist International Solidarity Fund. This year's theme is non-discrimination, relating to Article 2 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Children from our Marist World describe the experiences of discrimination, bullying, taunting and disrespect that have both hurt them and yet caused them to grow into more caring and compassionate persons. The stories told by these children are appalling and reveal that the rights of children are still being violated by the harshness, rudeness, and disregard of others in spite of the declaration of their rights.
Our Advent prayer can turn into action as we review our attitudes, thoughts and words in which subtle or even overt expressions of prejudice, discrimination and disrespect still linger. These might be the hills we attempt to level, the valleys that need to be filled, to make straight "a highway for our God." (Is 40: 3). Lord, cleanse my heart and my lips that I may be freed of prejudice, discrimination and unkindness so that I may help bring healing whose rights and dignity have been violated. Amen.
Bro. Rene

The Light to Walk

With the moon coming to fullness and the days getting ever shorter, our appreciation for light heightens. We are reminded that Jesus, the Light of the World, came to dispel the darkness, and John tell us that the darkness could not overcome the Light. (Jn 1:5). ) How blessed are we to be "children of light". Yet the stresses of this season, endless meetings, preparations for Christmas, finals for students, collections for empty pantry shelves to help the poor have a good Christmas dinner, all of these can become a disconcerting darkness that prevents us from seeing the light. A first year college student and graduate of Mount St. Michael, Stanley De La Cruz, writes in Live Marist, about the need to "take a break" to avoid being weighed down totally by stressful burdens, in his case, studying for finals. He uses a story which illustrates how even simple things if carried too long can become impossible to handle: holding a milk bottle for a minute is not problem, but for an hour, it becomes painful, and for a whole day, almost paralyzes the arm, but holding it for a little while, putting it down, picking it up again after that little rest, and continuing this pattern, makes it possible to hold that bottle indefinitely. He puts down his books, has a snack or takes a "power nap" then continues his studying. Not only is he growing in knowledge, but in wisdom as well. May his story shed some light on the darkness we might be experiencing and help us walk with a lighter, enlightened heart.
Bro. Rene

Mary's Willing Participation

The Church turns to a major Advent figure, Mary, the Immaculate Conception, during the second week of Advent as model for our Advent observances and our Christian life. We are pleased to offer this reflection by Br. John Kachinsky, one of our guidance counselors and our vocation coordinator as today's slice of daily bread.

Mary’s life was pregnant with possibilities. The Church reminds us of this Marian truth that is easy to overlook but nevertheless, stupendous. In some mysterious way, the incarnation resulted not only from the work of God the Father, but also from the will of Mother Mary.

Numerous church fathers acknowledged Mary’s active cooperation in the history of salvation. According to Thomas Aquinas (Summa, III: 30) human redemption depended upon the consent of the pregnant teenager, Mary. She did not ask to bear the Son of God, nor was she compelled to do so. She might have said no. But she did not shrink from God’s call in her life and instead enriched all humanity by her willing participation, not knowing where that would take her. Mary had to wrestle with the meaning of God’s will in her life like any person of authentic faith. She is an extraordinary model of discipleship for all of us.

-Br. John Kachinsky, FMS

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

As president Franklin D. Rooselvelt named it in his address to Congress on December 8, 1941, December 7th is a "date that will live in infamy," and is rightly being commemorated on its 70th anniversary by a moment of silence, fly-overs, and the scattering of ashes of survivors, some on the Utah, others on the Arizona, both of which still lie at the bottom of the harbor, and others over the waters. 120 survivors have mustered to be present to pay their respects to the 2,388 servicemen who died and the the 1,178 who were wounded that morning. It was the shock that brought us into war with the Empire of Japan, and, in truth, changed the world.
As the numbers of survivors dwindle, along with those of us who remember the bombing from our youths, all that is right and just demands that we not lose the memory of this catastrophic event, and continue to reflect on its impact. War is never neat nor pretty, but sometimes necessary. Sacrifices of lives and lifestyle to preserve our national integrity were needed and came forth without hesitation. Those who returned from battle, spoke little of their experiences until recently, stating it simply as a job to be done. A terrible job, we might say, but one which allowed our flag to fly free.
Today war continues in Afgahnistan, but worse, a war against the message of Jesus rages with ever increasing intensity. No, we are not throwing people to the lions, but subtly, the message is being diluted, rejected, mocked, ignored, and in some areas, attacked. When we read of some of the atrocities being committed in our schools, our communities, our cities, aren't we asking, "Where is all this coming from? How far does it have to go before we put a stop to it?"
The Hebrews longed for a Messiah to deliver them from the oppression of the Romans, but the Messiah came to liberate all on a much deeper level. May reflection on Pearl Harbor, and our present world help us to draw deeper meaning from our Advent observences, and help us to make its hope and promise real.
Bro. Rene

St. Nicholas

The limelight given to Santa Claus whose ever-expanding entourage of Mrs. Claus, elves, reindeer, etc. clouds the vision of the real man behind the legend, St. Nicholas. Even at that, we know little about him who has his own series of stories and legends. We do know that he was the son of wealthy parents and was born in the third century in Patara, which is now part of southern Turkey. It was part of Greece during his lifetime. When his parents died, he gave away his legacy to the poor, and noted for his kindness, was made a bishop, even as a young man. His generosity continued during his life as bishop of Myra, leading to the stories in which he devotes much of his attention to the well-being and protection of children, particularly the poor.
One story tells of three bags of gold being thrown through the window of a father of three daughters too poor to provide dowries for them, and thus facing the possibility of having to sell them into slavery. The bags of gold landed on the shoes and stockings of the girls which were drying by the fire, thus saving them from slavery. Hence, today, the custom of hanging stockings on the mantle. Other stories describe miraculous rescues of children from marauders and returning them to their parents.
In our preparation for Christmas, we might keep in mind the type of generosity which blesses children with care, kindness, and love, rather than with bundles of material things whose attraction soon fades away.
Bro. Rene

Revive Us Now

Fighting off a persistent cold can help us understand the dynamic that motivated the Psalmist and other spiritual writers to cry out rather impatiently, "How long, O Lord? I cry out for help/ but you do not listen." (Hb 1:2) Sleepless nights due to coughing, hacking, blowing, and spitting, tire us and reduce our energy, leaving us with no alternative, it seems, than to beg for relief. The repetition of the same sins, our inability to keep our Advent resolutions, or to find that extra minute for prayer, can be exasperating. "Revive us now, God our helper! we pray in Psalm 85: 5. A good prayer for us as we continue into this Second Week of Advent. As a cold runs its course and eventually disappears, we appreciate the relief and welcome change. The same is true on the spiritual level: our prayer for revival and new life will be answerd. Advent is a time of Promise, and it will be kept for us personally, as well as for the whole of mankind. Perhaps looking beyond our own personal shortcomings and turning our prayer to the needs of the world-at large, will help bring about the revival that we so desire. Persistence and patient waiting are the prescription for healing and return to health.
The Lord is waiting to show you favor,/and he rises to pity you;/ For the Lord is a God of justice: / blessed are all who wait for him!
O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem,/ no more will you weep;/ He will be gracious to you when you cry out." (Is 30: 18-19).
Bro. Rene
Note: if you click on the blogspot at the bottom of the Daily Bread post,
a nicer version of it comes up. I smile at you.

Preparing the Way of the Lord

John the Baptist makes his appearance on this Second Sunday of Advent, reminding us that he is simply a voice in the desert preparing the way of the Lord. I don't think we appreciate the courage John displayed in carrying out this task until we find ourselves in situations where everything said, and everything done is NOT according to the "way of the Lord." Rather, people seem to talk and behave as if there were no "way of the Lord," and each person is free to follow desires and instincts that are in total opposition to what, let's say, the Church has perennially taught. How does one change the level of conversation, or tactfully approach a person as an avalanche of contrary values smothers what is right and true? John did not hesitate to challenge values and life styles, and point to Jesus. As a champion of the truth, he eventually lost his head for it, but has left us with an example of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Not only a follower, but a spokesman whose words were supported by his actions. Further meditation and prayer on Mark 1:1-8 would be helpful in giving our Advent observence some teeth. Our prayer might be: Lord, give me the guts of St. John the Baptist.
Bro. Rene

Draw Near

During Advent we make an effort to draw nearer to Jesus by thinking and praying over his coming as foretold by the prophets and described by Matthew and Luke. We rarely think of Jesus as yearning to draw close to us because of the good he sees in us that we do not see. He sees in us the ideal person, the person we can be, the person he would have us to be. He longs for us to be true to the vision he has of us, and suffers pain when we deviate from it. Do we see Jesus as such a friend, as the friend who wants the best for us, gives us the hints and helps to achieve it, and nudges us along the path to it? This is the friend we long to see, whose coming we anticipate: the friend who longs for us to accept his friendship, his plan, and his love. May we allow him to draw closer to us this Advent, by listening...listening to Isaiah, Paul and the Evangelists, listening to what our daily circumstances teach us, and listening to him in the quiet of our Advent prayer.
Bro. Rene
I will be visiting my friend Bill in Bal Harbour, Florida for the weekend and cannot insure a daily slice of bread. I'll do my best.

A Time of Promise

Advent is a time of promise: the promise of the birth of the Messiah, and the promise of his Second Coming at the end of time. Huge promises, but one already fulfilled, giving us hope that the second will also. Our own lives are engaged in a similar promise: that we will eventually grow fully into the persons we were intended to be from all eternity. A relief to know it will happen, despite our ups and downs.
In the Marist World, another huge surge of new life is underway on the shores beyond ours. The Marist Asian Pacific Solidarity movement includes initiatives sponsored by the Marist Solidarity Fund, which is investing $1.4 million to work with youth in Pakistan, India, Cambodia, East Timor, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Kribati. through the builidng of new schools and exchange programs.
There was recently a meeting in Mindelheim, Germany, of European Marists to brainstorm the revitalization of the Marist Charism throughout Europe, noted for its acute secularism. New ways of being Brother, new routes for Marist Life and Mission promise to counteract the tenor of the times.
And an amazing exchange took place in Istanbul between Greek and Turkish students from Marist schools. Greeks and Turks have long been at odds (to say the least), and this meeting of youth holds promise for the future, as these students make friends. We talked about the Wolf and the Lamb coming together as Isaiah predicted, and it is most encouraging to note that the Marist Brothers are in the midst of making that happen. Advent is not just a word, it is a concrete reality. Praise to God for our role in helping to bring alive the promises of old .
Bro. Rene