"Leap Day"

Dear Readers,
When I arrived at LaGorce Country Club in Miami Beach, FL last week, I learned, much to my chagrin, that the guest computer had been removed, but the club was Wi-Fi so that laptops and other private devices might be used anywhere in the club. No help for us, since I did not have my laptop with me. Thus the dirth of Daily Bread for the past several days.

Today, a "bonus" day that comes every four years, we have a chance to celebrate those rare birthdays or other events that took place on February 29th. This also marks a week since Ash Wednesday. How is God talking to us? How are we responding? Jonas heard the call to preach repentence to the Ninevites twice and not only ignored it, but ran (sailed) in the opposite direction. If we're struggling with the demands of the season, we are in good company. Jonas dealt with frustration and anger, but in the end, learned that God is God and his will must prevail. Perhaps our "Lenten Regimen" is proving too hard to carry out, given the circumstances that inevitably interfere; what then do we do, simply abandon our plan, or can we adapt, can we learn something about ourselves, can we draw closer to God in humility and "obedience" circumstances often beyond our control? Are we experiencing God as loving, patient, kind and forgiving? Are we experiencing ourselves as just the opposite? Are we thankful for what IS happening in our lives, rather than complaining about what is NOT? The purpose of Lent is to draw closer to God through renewal of our baptismal promises. The renewal of these promises is formalized at Easter, but the process of renewal takes place over 40 days. Let us be patient pupils and allow God to teach us his way.
Bro. Rene

Believing In Each Other

Perhaps one of the most telling and far-reaching alms-giving we can do this Lent is to believe in someone. It's amazing how many folks do not believe in themselves, just plodding along from day to day in low gear. As amazing is how often these people are told or sense that others do not believe in them. With two strikes against them, it's awfully hard to keep "chin up" and move ahead. One such person wrote to me recently decrying his teamates for their lack of belief in his ability to take on a lead role on his team next year. He said that the only ones who believe in him are his dad, himself, me and God. That he should include God among his supporters said a lot about him. It bespeaks his future success. Not many would include God in their list of supportive believers. It will be interesting how far that faith will carry him. No doubt he will find himself in the position he covets.
Billy Mills, the 1964 10K Olympic Champion wrote in his journal during the months of training before the Tokyo Olympics: "Believe, believe, believe." While riding the bus to the stadium from the Olympic village, another runner asked Billy who he thought would win, for there were two outstanding runners favored, one from Australia, and the other from Ethiopia. He answered, "Billy Mills." The runner asked, "Who's that?" Yet Billy had visualized himself breaking the tape many a time in practice and in his imagination and dreams. And that's just what happened, with the Australian and Ethiopian falling behind him in second and third places.
Billy believed in himself and it worked. What a gift it would be to let someone know that we believe in him or her. We could help them leap forward to achieve the great things they imagine or dream of. May God guide us to the person who needs our belief!
Bro. Rene
P.S. I'll be in Bal Harbour, Florida till Tuesday, so slices of Daily Bread might not appear daily. I'll do my best.

Ashes to Ashes

Ashes on our foreheads today are signs to us and to the world around us that we've begun a special season and have the best intentions of making use of the time to spruce up our spiritual lives. It is helpful to remember that these ashes were once palms blessed on Palm Sunday and waved as signs of royal acclaim to accompany Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The "Hosannas" sung on that day have become the "Be mercifuls" of today, and the burnt palms reduced to ashes now signify the transformation that we are undertaking. For from these ashes shall rise a person who has died and risen with Jesus and come to know a bit more deeply and live a bit more fully the truth of what it means to be baptized. The three prongs of Lent, fasting, prayer and almsgiving, can help us flesh out this abstract concept as we find ourselves abstaining from meat, cutting back on snacks, attending stations of the cross and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and giving more generously, not only money, but perhaps those unused clothes that just pile up from year to year, to the poor. This "cleansing action," purging, purification, as all part of the ashes of Lent, but the final product is a person who rises from them, walking and talking more like Jesus than ever before. The time is short, "now is the acceptable time" (2 Cor 6: 2). Let's not waste a minute.
Bro. Rene

Fat Tuesday

Mardi Gras, the pre-Lenten bash of noteriety, especially in New Orleans, culminates today, "Fat Tuesday, the literal translation of the French, Mardi Gras. Like other religous celebrations in this country, it is an overdone and highly commercialized excuse to "let loose" before the rigors on Lent arrive on Wednesday and the bright, garish costumes of the revelers are literally reduced to ashes. Today is the last day we can "indulge" in what we might be intending to "give up for Lent"...desserts, candy, cigarettes (very popular when everyone was smoking), beer and liquor..."hard things to do." But we might also take it on a purely spiritual level and set the tone for the next forty days. Lent, is after all, a time to "lighten up", to set aside the "baggage" accumulated over the past year, and clear the decks for the rightful place of Jesus in our lives.
Psalm 55: 22 urges us to "Give your burdens to the Lord,/ and he will take care of you." Another reading is: "Throw your cares on the Lord and he will support you." This attitude can be our personal Mardi Gras parade, as we "let loose" the concerns that plague us, cast them on the Lord and revel in the assurance that he is glad to receive them, protect us, and fill us with a love and desire that will allow us to draw closer in confidence and friendship. If we approach Lent with this freedom of spirit, how much more will God be able to work wonders in us! Let us, then, with abandon, "throw our cares on the Lord."
Bro. Rene

Prayer

So many questions seem to go unanswered. Dwelling on them clouds the sunshine that is there despite our limited perception. When we take off in a plane on a cloudy day and break through the cloud barrier, there's the sun...as always, bright and faithful as always. We think we live in the worst of times, or that our little world is on the verge of collapse. And sometimes it seems that way; nothing we do brings consolation of removes the gloom. St. Marcellin certainly must have had these days: constant debt, concern about his young flock, the future of the congregation, the criticism from his opponents who actively tried to shut him down, and his own ill health, to name a few. We all share a portion of the frustration of the father in Mark's Gospel who was possessed from an early age with a mute spirit that threw him down in convulsions. Nothing seemed to work, not even the efforts of the disciples. Talk about clouds. But in pleading directly to Jesus, in that humble prayer, "Lord, I do believe, help my unbelief." (Mk 9: 24 ) he receives the answer. The boys is cured and the disciples learn from the lips of Jesus, "This kind can only come out through prayer." (Mk 9: 29). Yes, prayer, the kind of prayer that brings Wisdom and peace. "But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity." ((Js 3: 18). This is where deep, heart-felt prayer brings us. This is the kind of prayer Lent helps us to find.
Bro. Rene

Inertia

With Lent fast approaching in three days and with our snowless winter, Ash Wednesday might be the target of a subtle inertia that says, "No, not yet...I'm not ready for six weeks of spiritual effort, doomed anyway to be fraught with 'failure.'" As with our snowless Christmas which didn't "feel like Christmas" so too with Lent beginning in this long Autumn. Or with some of us who are up in years, is it just that overall feeling that we can't do what we used to do? Have you said to yourself, I used to be able to clean the house in a hour, or take care of errands or rake the yard in a couple of hours, and now it takes me all day, or I don't even feel like doing any of these? Welcome to the human condition. Inertia was set in motion in the Garden of Paradise and has not gained momentum since. If you recall, the Law of interia states that "a body at rest tends to remain at rest." So true...don't bother me with Lent; I don't want to move; I can't move!
How do we cope with this, or overcome it and get "this body, this soul at rest" to move? We can't do it ourselves. The poor paralytic who wanted to see Jesus for a cure got there only through the effort of his friends and the removal of part of a roof! (Mk 2: 1-12). Not it won't be easy; the effort of the community, the encouragement of family and friends, pastors, authors, speakers...our own humble request for assistance....these will "put us in the mood" and once we get going, will keep us rolling. Today is the Sabbath...a time for rest and nourishment bodily and spiritually. Tomorrow is a holiday for some...extended time for these necessary elements of renewal. May we find a few more moments than normal to listen, to receive, and to find motivation and help to overcome our inertia.
Bro. Rene

Reliance on Prayer

Jeremy Lin has already captured headlines and the admiration of basketball fans nationwide. In just a few weeks he has come from the bench to the forefront of the winning spree of the New York Knicks and curiousity about him as a person is mounting him to the level of "rock star". Who is Jeremy Lin and what makes him tick? Surprisingly enough, or not so surprisingly, this 6'3" Harvard graduate of a Taiwanese-American family of three boys from California, attributes his ability as a gift from God and offers thanks to God publicly at every opportunity. Shades of Tim Tebow. How refreshing to have these witnesses, so successful in their sport, unafraid to sport their faith in front of the cameras. Such witness has to stop and make people think...especially young admirers, who will, we hope, emulate the faith component of their heroes' athletic ability as well as their skills.
At Central Catholic, we have such faithfilled players. One, a leader on the boys' varisty basketball team, had a very sore hand for a few days before a recent game and wasn't sure about playing that night. He did play, and had a fabulous game, with obviously no pain. When I asked what happened, he told me he prayed and that God said, "Just go out there and play." This young man, for three years has led the team in prayer before every game.
A young JV hockey goalie, of great talent, already being sought by colleges, acknowledges that his ability comes from God and is earnestly pursuing his confirmation preparation in order to get closer to God.
For those of us with doubts about God's care or the power of prayer, may we learn from the young that indeed, reliance on prayer is still the best way to play the game.
Bro. Rene

The Potter

A beloved image of God is taken from Jeremiah 18: 3-4, where he describes God as the potter and himself as the clay in the potter's hands. A very apt image implying a planned design on God's part, and the required maleability on ours. With Lent just around the corner, it is time to begin looking, if we have not already, at HOW, even IF, we are going to allow the Potter to do his work with us this Lent. We might start looking at the "unmaleable" parts of our clay make up and direct them into the hands of the Potter. Where have we become "crusty", rigid, or side-tracked from our call to be disciples and friends of Jesus? How are we doing on being judgmental, overly critical, impatient, self-centered, unfaithful to prayer and even Mass or the sacrament of reconciliation? Are we willing to let the Potter go to work on us? All it takes is our consent and "the new person" will begin to emerge. These pre-Lenten days can help us set the tone for a Lent that will be fruitful and rewarding, life-giving and love-inducing. God is our Master; his loving hands will shape us as he sees fit. May we say with St. Ignatius: "Take, Lord, receive, all is yours now; dispose of it according to your will."
Bro. Rene

Lay Marist Movement

Apologies. I completed Thursday's Daily Bread, but due to some technical glitch, I lost the whole thing and it was too late to redo it before 9 am. I'll try to reconstruct it here; it should appear on Friday.

When we hear Venzuela mentioned in the media, don't we all think immediately of Chavez and his oppressive regime? Would we ever think that there is a vibrant movement of Lay Marists afoot in that beleaguered country? Well, there is. The Marists, lay and consecrated, are very much alive there and recently a group of the laity met to set goals for the future of the Lay Marist Movement. They define themselves as "Lay Marists of Champagnat--men and women--we involve ourselves with the brothers in this challenge: to help the dawning of a new Marist life being born and to strengthen the current Marist life, making it more creative, faithful, dynamic and prophetic." They go on to say, "We invite to lives as lay Marists all those who feel called by God to walk in the footsteps of Marcellin Champagnat. this is a unique opportunity, a sign of the times which urges us to live and share the Marist charism with audacity. Strong with the participation of the lay people of the various works, we will be able to give life to the Lay Marist Movement of Venezuela."
No such powerful Lay Movement thrust has occurred as yet in the United States, but it is strong in Europe and other South American countries, and surely is he wave of the future.
Our slices of Daily Bread are gradually introducing our "consumers" to Marist Spirituality and spirituality in general, so that in the future there might be a base for further action in this direction. It is not to compensate for the decline in vocations that this movement is taking place, but it comes as a further step in St. Marcellin's dream that there should be Marists in every diocese of the world. It is an opening of the coffers of our charism and offering of this rich legacy, a treasure, really, to the entire Church. May the Holy Spirit help us to discern the time to begin and be the driving force for its implementation.
Bro. Rene

Jesus Leads The Way

There are many "narrow gates" along the path of spiriual growth and they imply "squiggling": adaptation, re-evalutation, analysis, determination and some pain to get through them. Sometimes it's hearing hard things from colleagues or spiritual directors that give us pause to pull out the mirror and take good, hard look at ourselves and our behaviors. Sometimes its a form of depression that helps us touch our emptiness, admit our pride and humbly ask for and accept help from others. Facing the demons of selfishness, of self-centeredness and becoming more sensitive for others demands courage and perseverance. And then there are the trunks and boxes of material goods and our attachments to them that hold us back from passing through these gates. A tough road, but not impossible. Jesus leads the way! He is the prime example of "emptying himself" and giving totally of his will and life to the will of his Father, and relinquishing all that stood in the way of complete union with him, even to the shedding of his last drop of blood on the cross. He didn't get to that last gate without passing through the many others along the way: the endless hours of teaching, healing, the false accusations, the misunderstandings, the compassion for sinners, the frustration with the slowness of his disciples to "get it". Yes, he was no stranger to these gates that our part of our human condition and the instruments of our spiritual growth and purification. His compassion is the oil that makes squeezing through them easier. Let us not refuse his help; let him led the way.
Bro. Rene

From Your Valentine

Valentine's Day has become a huge commercial hit in the United States, when just days after Christmas, stores are adorned with familar red hearts, candyboxes and cards galore. Florists thrive and even our sagging postal service receives a boost. Most of us will make an effort throughout the day to wish a "Happy Valentine's Day" to those whom we meet, and make an effort to be especially kind and loving. So, there are benefits to all.
But, the story of St. Valentine has a deeper level than most of us are aware of. St. Valentine was a priest in the Roman Empire under the Emperor Claudius II. Legend has it that Claudius promulgated a law preventing soldiers from marrying, with the thought that married men fight with less valor, hoping not to be killed and leave their wives widowed. This law led to cohabitation and in some instances, polygamy, both contrary to the Christian belief in the sanctity of marriage with one partner for life. Father Valentine secretly would marry these young military men and for this he was imprisoned, totured and eventually killed. A note from him to one of these young couples was signed, "From your Valentine", and over the years has found an honored place on our Valentine cards. St. Valentine was seen as a champion of "true love", especially in in Chaucer's England. His firm belief in the sanctity of marriage and his willingness to give his life for it. are needed into today's society where marriage has become so casual and infrequent. St. Valentine, pray for us.
Bro. Rene

Everything Indeed Is For You

Sometimes we wonder what place our mistakes and failings, illnesses, loss of jobs, deaths, disappointments in our own behavior and that of those whom we love, even to having our e-mail hacked, have in our lives. St. Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth which had its share of divisions and problems that "Everything indeed is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God. (2 Cor 4:15). It takes some hefty reflecting to digest this and to move from acceptance to thanksgiving. Yes, even in the "bad" things, grace is at work, for all comes from a God whose love has not measure and who cannot will evil or harm for us. Our human condition subjects us to failures, illness, and hosts of shortcomings, which lead us to the conclusion that WE are not God, that We cannot resolve nor understand everything. Our own emptiness and inadequacies lead us to turn to a "power" outside of ourselves...to God and God's mercy. When it seems we "can't go on like this", we humbly come to rely on God to fill up what is missing in us. Paul goes on to say, "Therefore we are not discouraged; rather, although the outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed each day." (2 Cor 4:16). When we realize that our inner self's growth is the most important aspect of our being, then we can more willingly bear with the shorcomings and aches and pains that come with being human. And for this, gratitude and thanksgiving come more easilyto our hearts and lips.
Bro. Rene

Healing Low Self-esteem

As we continue to reflect on the World Day of the Sick, we look at another area, less obvious, that needs healing. A phrase from today's Gospel story of the healing of a leper (Mk 1:40-50) leaps out: "he (Jesus) stretched out his hand, touched him...." (Mk 1: 41). When was the "unclean" bell-ringing leper last touched by a non-leper? That action alone must have given him the thought, "this man really cares, this man is not afraid of me." Already a boost in self-esteem from this recognition and this touch. Then comes the actual physical healing. No wonder he left Jesus "publicizing" the cure, even though Jesus had admonished him not to.
In our dealings with those in whom we see a lack of self-esteem, a simple gesture of "reaching out", bringing to their attention some quality we see, brings about a smile and the thought, "This person took the time to notice and to say something to me. I can't be all that bad." A smile comes to their face and an opportunity for even more uplifting conversation...as in "What a beautiful smile you have. I'd like to see it more often" The next encounter begins with that smile, and the relationship, the healing relationship, continues to grow. It's simple and it works;I know from exprience.
Bro. Rene

World Day of the Sick

Today, the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, is also the 20th World Day of the Sick during which we are fittingly asked to pray for healing of the sick around the world, for Mary has acknowledged their needs by the many cures of incurable illnesses at the Grotto of Massabielle since her first apparitions in 1858. Daily, and especially today, thousands of pilgrims and malades will spend the day their in prayer at the Grotto, in the baths, and at the solemn procession of the Blessed Sacrament in the evening. The hopes and prayers for cures continue; the Knights of Malta provide pilgrimages with chartered planes full of malades and their accompanying Knights or Dames of Malta. Most often, the physical cures do not happen, but all speak of a spiritual healing from the Lourdes experience. Having been there myself for four days simply to BE, and witness the faith of the pilgrims, I can vouch for the validity of spiritual healing.
There is not one of us who does not know or know of someone battling cancer, diabetes, heart disease or other serious illnesses. Colds, bronchitis, and flu, touch all of us, and seem more rampant in this mild, snowless winter. So, praying for the sick is not only a good thing, it is a necessary thing, for along with the physical effects of illness, go the psychological and spiritual effects: depression, questioning, doubt. Doctors are beginning to acknowledge the healing aspects of faith in their patients. For those whose faith is strong, come an endurance, acceptance, and even joy along with their suffering. Many unite their pain with the agony of Jesus in the Passion and find strength to bear their burden: "If he could do it, so can I."
Lord, if it be your will, please bring healing of body and soul to all the ill, especially N... through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady Help of the Sick, Amen.
Bro. Rene

Putting Out Into The Deep

Last evening 43 sophomores, six junior and senior leaders along with four adults "put out into the deep" at Rolling Ridge Retreat House in North Andover, for another Sophomore Retreat. Fighting recent illness and fatigue, the team is taking Jesus' command to the disciples (Luke 5:4), and are putting their trust in God and the prayers of others to help them carry off the mission of introducing these sophomores to a deeper understanding of themselves, relationship with each other and with God. The student leaders will give witness talks and lead the group through various activities to help them "come out of themselves" and see another side of life and of God.
We trust that as with the magnificent catch made by the Apostles, God's grace will be at work again, harvesting this time, not fish, but hearts. This venture will continue till the end of the school day.
So it is with all we do: there is a certain risk required, going out into deep, sometimes unfamiliar waters, a trek often met with excuses and anxieties, but ending in spiritual growth and inner joy that would not have been obtained had not the risk been taken. May God be with us to nudge us into the deep day after day; it is there that we find the Answer to our restless hearts.
Bro. Rene

Mingling With Idols

The virtue of simplicity is one of the three foundational virtues St. Marcellin encouraged all brothers (now all of us) to embrace. It complements humility and modesty by "keeping it simple", that is. straightforward, uncomplicated, a "what you see is what you get" approach, no false masks, no pretense, no spotlights, no diversionary side-bars, no false images or idols. Even with the best of intentions, we can, like the wise Solomon, become enamored of our gifts, seeing them as entitlements, and giving them undo attention and adulation. We live in a society that creates idols, more and more these days of not the best of ideals, values, or even people. Looking closely, we see that often they are merely "fronts" for something inadequate, empty, or even evil. Praying for the ability to "keep it simple" and on track in our own lives is one way of preventing the idols with which our daily life almost forces us to mingle from subtlely creeping into our own lives. And listening to the input from our families and friends who "tell it like it is" and whose opinion can be trusted, is another way of retaining simplicity. Not an easy virtue to practice, but one which allows us to be more effective witnesses to the God who has blessed us with our gifts, experiences and priceless people in our lives.
Bro. Rene

Going In Haste To A New Land

The Holy Spirit gave Marists the commission at the end of the last General Chapter "to go with Mary in haste to a new land." Three elements stand out: 1) with Mary, 2) in haste, 3) a new land. As Marists we continue to walk with Mary as our first Superior, "truly our sister", and the model of discipleship. As Champagnat lived always with a sense of urgency to get things done, not waste time "in committee", and to move, move move foward, so too that same urgency should impel us now. And the "new land"...symbolic of needed change and adaptation of our charism to the needs of our time.
Significantly, Br. Emili Turu, our Superior General, recently addressed a commission of laity gathered at the Generalate in Rome to study and strategize a new awareness that has been growing in the Congregation since the days of Br. Charles Howard, recently deceased former Superior General who was the first to write a circular on the place of the laity in the Marist World. Br. Emili now says that the Marist lay vocation is a gift of the Holy Spirit and as valid a calling as the call to the Marist Brotherhood. The "new land" that this opens up for us, first of all, demands a dying to old divisions and prejudices (i.e. that the vocation of the brother is "superior" to that of the layman, and that attitudes must change to create a valid and solid relationship between brothers and laity: a communion of people, of vital forces, to meet the challenges of the times. Again, boldness and daring is being required. As the two provinces of Australia collaborate to form a new province, with new energy and goals, so too a deeper relationship with the laity to make our Marist mission even more effective in the very near future is coming into focus. This is a refreshing and life-giving move and we are all privileged, if not called, to be part of it.
Bro. Rene

Plowing the Fields

A well beloved hymn, put into a new musical setting in Godspell many years ago, still reverberates the ancient but ever current truth:
We plow the fields, and scatter
The good seed on the land,
But it is fed and watered
By God's almighty hand.
Perhaps this is nowhere more evident than in Catholic education. The daily routine of class after class, the lack of time to "get everything in", the unnerving questions in religion class, the sometimes apparent hostility, the joys of leaping ahead counterbalanced by the setbacks, seem to lend themselves to the doubt that we are accomplishing anything. These are the years of the sowing. Then, years later, a student returns from college to testify before parents, teachers, and prospective students, how well he or she was prepared for undergraduate work, and of particular note to a Catholic school community, how prepared he or she was as far as the understanding and love of their faith, for the onslaught into a world of challenge, question, mockery and outright temptation. The simple sentence, "It is possible to live the Catholic Faith on a secular campus" from a graduate, is music to the ears. Somehow the "watering" was done by a power beyond us when we thought nothing was happening. And this principle holds true in so many other facets of life: the raising of children, leadership in the workplace, governance in the community, etc. It leads us to sing with great joy the chorus of this old hymn:
All good gifts around us
Are sent from heaven above;
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord
For all his love.
Bro. Rene

There Is Hope For Religious Life

A group of 200 hundred relgious surpassed our anticipated number of participants at the conference for the World Day for Consecrated Life and left much more joy-filled and satisfied than the Patriots fans who left Lucas Oil Stadium last night. We were more like Giants Fans, happy with our performance to date and encouraged to plunge into the future with HOPE. Br. Sean convincingly argued that because of the promise of the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit, there will always be religious life, for there will always be a Holy Spirit who uses the consecrated life as the "conscience of the Church" and the examplar to the people of God of what the kingdom of God should look like. Because of the human element, as in the Church, the consecrated life as lived is not always perfect but the ideal remains valid and a challenge to religious to continue to renew themselves, and in so doing, challenge the Church to renew itself. The time is here for action, not talk, as to how these challenges will be implemented. Where are the needs that no one else wants to address? Incarcerated youth? Immigrants settling into the "melting pot"? Witness to families of the need for faith and Christian values?
Encouragement for the ill, education and care of the poor? There are many venues in this country alone what could benefit from the most educated and zealous group of people in the country: religious. Age need not be a deterent. Everyone can contribute. As an editor wrote years ago about Santa Claus, we can paraphrase him in saying, "Yes, Virginia, there is a future for Relgious Life." May there be many Virginias and Jims to help us continue our mission!
Bro. Rene

The Future of Relgious Life in the United States

Today being not only Super Bowl Sunday, it is also The World Day for Consecrated Life, a day set aside in 1997 by Blessed Pope John Paul II to express gratitude for the many who answered the call to live the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and in so doing, dedicate their entire lives to the service of others and the building of the Kingdom of God. It is also a day to deepen our understanding of this way of life and to pray that others might heed the call to live it.
Brother Sean D. Sammon, F.M.S. will address the topic of Hope for the Future of Relgious life in the United States at a gathering for relgious from New England at the Oblate Fathers' Novitiate in Tewksbury, Massachusetts today. About 170 are expected to attend, the largest number since the inception of this conference 13 years ago. The topic is one that's on the minds of many, since it is so apparent that numbers of sisters, brothers and religious orders of priests have been dwindling for years. Br. Sean is a hope-filled, passionate brother and does not see the current situation as "the end". The Holy Spirit has not given up on us and the appeal of such a totally dedicated life is beginning to stir in the hearts of men and women of all ages in recent years. Living our vows joyfully and lovingly along with the prayers of everyone, will help turn things around. I will follow up on the conference in tomorrow's Daily Bread.
Bro. Rene

Learning From Mary

As all good mothers, Mary was a responsible for passing on to Jesus "the things that mothers teach": manners, prayers, hygiene, neatness, orderliness, etc. The list is endless. Jesus learned all these things from her as he learned carpentry from Joseph, his foster father. We rarely think of Mary and Joseph in such practical and domestic ways, but from what we see of Jesus in the Gospels, they were successful teachers.
At the wedding feast at Cana, we see Mary in this role, even with her adult son. She gently but firmly suggested that, despite his protest, there was a need he could fulfill so, indeed, this was "the hour." And to the servants she was clear and direct: "Do whatever he tells you." (Jn 2, 5 ).
This is the mother, our mother too, who in her apparitions over the centuries almost naggingly reminds us (as mothers have to do with their children to get them to "move") to pray, pray, pray. How does one overcome pride and find true humility, except through prayer where, if done right, we LISTEN to God, find peace, strength, comfort, whatever we need, as we realize that God is "in charge", not us? We hear, but "don't get it" until we are backed into a corner: illness, the death of a family member or friend, or some cruel and injust occurrence in our world that never ceases to run out of them. It might be good now, as you consume this slice of bread to stop, and prayerfully listen to Mary and allow her to mother us to her son and to our Father.
Bro. Rene

Blessing of the Throat

Today, St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, our attention is called to "diseases of the throat and all other diseases" (Prayer of throat blessing). Candles in the form of an X are placed around the throat, as we know. But did we know that St. Blaise was a philosopher and a physician before being ordained a priest and later a bishop? A well educated man, he was extremely pastoral, steadfastly adhered to the faith and was beheaded for it. His popularity increased over the years and his blessing is also invoked for animals.
Even today scientists are researching the relationship of faith to healing and are discovering what to some is so obvious that it doesn't need research, that there is definitely a corrolation between faith and healing. Todays sacramental blessing, using yesterday's newly blessed candles, affirms that relationship. Some parishes are offering the blessing over the weekend in addition to today because of the rampant presence of "a bad cold that won't go away" or actual bronchitis with it's deep, dry and seemingly everlasting cough. May our faith help bring the healing we seek.
Bro. Rene

Candlemas Day

Every February 2nd, attention in the northeast (perhaps nationally), is given to "Punxsutawney Phil" from Punxsutawney, PA to determine how much winter is remaining. Today, he saw his shadow, which means six more weeks of "winter", whatever that means this year. Hype over him and the upcoming Super Bowl XLVI certainly overshadow the liturgical observance of The Presentation of the Lord, formerly known as The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or Candlemas Day. In the old liturgical calendar, is signaled the end of the Christmas Cycle, for it commemorated the purification of Mary, as prescribed by Mosaic Law, as well as the consecration of the first-born male to God. The child was ransomed by the offering of a bull, or in the case of the poor, two turtle doves, or two pigeons. Mary and Joseph dutifully followed these precriptions, but to their amazement, Simeon, an elderly man who was filled with the Spirit and had been awaiting the coming of the Messiah, came to the temple and extoled God saying, "Now Lord, you may dismiss your servant in peace, for my eyes have seen the salvation you have prepared in the sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people, Israel." (Lk 2: 29-32). Jesus came in Bethlehem as light and again reference is made to light, hence the blessing of the candles that will be used in the church for the next year, and for use in the homes of the parishoners.
More than just candlelight, the LIGHT...the presence of Jesus enlightens our hearts and enables us to be LIGHT for others, by our love, our faith, our hope, our compassion. As Jesus was consecrated to the Father, may our prayer today be one of consecration to be such examplars, missionaries, or in a word, candles of LIGHT. (and put Punxsutawney Phil and the Super Bowl in their rightful place).
Bro. Rene

Searching for a Catholic School

Archbishop Charles Chaput, newly appointed Archbishop of Philadelphia, announced in January that 48 Catholic Schools would close at the end of this academic year. Alarming, but really a continuing trend that has seen the number of students in Catholic schools shrink from 5 million in 1960 to 2 million currently; this with an increase of 20 million Catholics over the same period. There have been some new schools, but they are far below the number closing. These closings and consolidations are intended to strengthen the remaining schools, and increases the pressure on them to offer more than just good academics, discipline and sports programs. If parents are going to pay large amounts for a Catholic education, they expect that their children will learn the basics of the faith in an atmosphere that will foster their implementation in everyday life. The hope that their children will in some way encounter Jesus, learn to communicate (pray), love and serve him. Service is becoming more and more popular even in public schools, but Christian Service has the special dimension of serving others as a ministry in the footsteps of Jesus. The temptation to "water down" Catholic education in view of an increasing number of non-Catholics who attend Catholic schools, is present, and in some cases succumbed to, but is really a denial or the professed identity of the school. Let us pray that our awareness this week of the value of Catholic Schools will confirm them in their purpose and function.
Bro. Rene