A Guest Video

I will be away Thursday - Tuesday visiting friends in California, one of whom will be leaving for a second tour in Afghanistan in early April. If you go to http://www.youtube.com and enter the title below, Eric Alaimo, a religion teacher at Central Catholic, will give you a scripture passage and some thoughts to consider.
Bro. Rene

Marist Young Adult Lenten Retreat 2012 Week 5

In The Stillness

Trappist monks rise to begin Vigils, the first Hour of the Liturgy of the Hours, somewhere around 3:00 am. Outside the chapel there is a stillness that certainly can't be found later in the day. Stars and planets seem within reach, the Milky Way is clearly evident and an enormous sense of peace wraps around the soul. It is easy to chime into the chanting of the monks when there is such stillness. No wonder the Psalmist could write, "Be still and know that I am God." (Ps 46:11).
We don't have the luxury of living in or near a Trappist monastery; most of us don't rise at 3:00 am unless we're heading to the airport for a very early flight. And in that case, we are not in a very contemplative state of mind. How then do we capture the stillness so necessary for coming to know God? Even when we sit in our favorite chair, or before the Blessed Sacrament during Adoration, our minds run in high gear. A half hour is not enough to shut it down so that we are still.
Here's one "procedure" we might follow: Slowing down our breathing over the course of 20 or 30 breaths is a big help. Closing our eyes and sensing the different parts of our body brings us into ourselves. Dismissing one thought or distraction by simply imagining an open door and a broom can help us sweep our imaginations and minds clean till there is emptiness and stillness...no thoughts, just being there, conscious only of our breathing, which by now is very slow. Into that "void" comes a deep awareness of the presence of God. We have created our own monastery with it's 3:00 am stillness. Try to go there today.
Bro. Rene

Provincial Visitation

Carrying on a tradition dating back to St. Marcellin, each year the Provincial visits each community and is available for a conversation with each brother. Yesterday and today, Br. Ben Consigli, Provincial and Br. Roy George, Vice-Provincial, have been doing just that. At a community meeting with all seven of the brothers in Lawrence, Br. Ben outlined six areas of focus for a healthy religious life. He also gave us a "state of the province report", noting that most of our schools are holding their own regarding enrollment, with a couple facing serious challenges, which are being addressed. Notable among his facts were that the total number of brothers in the Province of the United States of America is 165, and for the first year, there will be more "non-income producing brothers" than "income producing". Not that the "non-incomers" are not working, but they have retired from the classroom and moved into more volunteer type work, such as permanent sub-ing, or study hall superivison...something to keep in contact with students and a Marist presence visible. While these realities might be a bit disconcerting, there is a lot of hope and movement toward growth.
Our Vocation Directors are very active, visiting schools, encouraging local communities to invite young people to "come and see" or "come and eat" (very popular). Two very good and talented young men are in serious discernment and could possible enter as postulants in 2013. Aggressive use of the internet is also producing interest beyond our Marist Schools and circles.
A further creative approach was the creation of A sub-region of the Americas, referred to as "Arco-Norte", including Canada, the USA, Mexico, Central America and Venezuala. Another region, known as Norandina, comprised of Bolivia, Columbia and Peru, recently welcomed 12 postulants, 3 second year, and 9 first year, to begin their formation. These regions allow for sharing of personnel, resources and creativity to address the needs of our time. St. Marcellin faced similar crises: lack of vocations, debt, opposition of all sorts; he turned to Mary and in a prayer he composed to her, boldly reminded her that if the oil ran out in the lamp, it was her fault, and that she should step up and refill it. And she did. We need her help and that same boldness of St. Marcellin to meet today's challenges. And it seems we're moving closer and closer towards them each day.
Bro. Rene

Here I Am, Lord

The Annuciation, usually celebrated on March 25th but pre-empted this year because it fell on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, commemorates the moment "the Word became Flesh and dwelt amongst us" (Angelus). It is a moment when two wills, the Divine Will of God and Mary's united to begin the nine month gestation of the Son of God. It was a breathless moment, when perhaps even the angels hovered in a circle of expectation awaiting Mary's response. Her, "Behold, I am the hadnmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." (Lk 1:36) echoes Psalm 40: 8-9: "Here I am...To do your will is my delight." This verse is applied to Jesus in the Letter to the Hebrews (10: 5-7) and reminds us that both Mary and Jesus bent their wills to comply with the Will of the Father. They gave us MUCH of themselves--Jesus, his very life--so that their offering might bring LIFE to us!
We wrestle with ourselves, with and especially with others who are in charge, when OUR will is not done. We think we have the perfect solution, the best way of doing things, the right way, and poof, we are not only ignored, but not even thanked for our suggestions. It is in situations such as these that we taste a bit what Mary and Jesus experienced in turning their wills over to God: they paid the price of emptying their selves. But oh, the rich benefits that filled the void.
If we could learn to trust more in the Will of God by meditating on today's Solmenity, we will have taken a significant step in our Lenten process of renewal and preparation for the re-commitment to our baptismal promises.
Bro. Rene

The Hour Has Come

On this Fifth Sunday of Lent, the focus is now definitely on the Passion as we listen to the events and speeches that led to the capture, condemnation, scourging and crucifixion of Jesus. He tell his disciples, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." (Jn 12: 23). We are always looking at our watches, our calendars, with so much to do, we can't seem to get along without them to help us keep track of commitments and up-coming events. Rarely can we focus on the NOW. St. Francis de Sales in his Introduction to the Devout Life, writes with a smile, "We are often in the condition of those who long for fresh cherries in autumn and for fresh grapes in spring." So true.
Jesus, however, knew clearly it was his hour, the time had come for the grain of wheat to be placed into the soil, die, and bring forth new life. This is why he was born, this is what he prepared his disciples and followers for. The purple draped statues in our churches today bring this home very starkly. This is the hour for us to give the last two weeks of Lent a shift from the project of renewing ourselves to uniting ourselves in thought and action (our fasting, prayer and almsgiving) to the last days of Jesus' active ministry and his passion and death. What was HE going through in thought and action these days? Can we deepen our understanding of his suffering, physical and emotional, even spiritual as he feels reluctant to complete his mission and abandoned, totally emptied, that hour in the garden and on the cross? Yes, the hour has come for us to look at and be with Jesus. What can we, do we, want to say to him?
Bro. Rene

Looking for Happiness

There is something seeded deeply within us that craves happiness. We know from our own searchings and watching those of others, that this craving is very hard to fully satisfy and often leads us to dead-ends. Elusive as it may be, it remains a basic drive which will not let us rest until it is satisfied. Hans Ur von Balthasar, one of the great theologians of the twentieth century described happiness as "giving back to God what God has given to the soul. Happiness lies in the "reciprocity of giving." This fancy phrase reminds me of the sonorous voice of Bing Crosby joined by Grace Kelly singing "True Love" in the film, High Society: "While I give to you and you give to me, true love, true love." (Those of you who remember this movie will be haunted by this song all day now. Not a bad distraction!)
Since God is Love and shares it so abundantly with us, in passing it on to others, in thus returning it to him, we find that deep satisfaction that "money cannot buy", nor anything material satisfy, for we find root in the very essence of God.
A shining local example of such giving will take place at Central Catholic tonight when students and faculty, who have been working on this since September, will present our fifth Catwalk for Cancer. The behind-the-scenes-work became visible yesterday with set decorations, rehearsals going late into the night. It is a "labor of love", a huge production that last year raised over $30,000.00 which was donated to Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund. Even more spectacular is the witness of the cancer survivors whose presence is an emotional testimony to the power of giving. As one of the "hammy" models, I know that those two minutes in the spotlight on the ramp flashing a smile and sharing the love in my heart brings joy and happiness to the cheering audience and to me. It is in these moments of giving to others, giving to God, that the search for happiness finds fulfillment. Wish you could all come to the Catwalk...but in some ways you can hold your own Catwalk wherever you are.
Bro. Rene

Perspective

St. Brendan gives us a sobering thought as we are enjoying the early blossoms and the soft warm breezes of Spring: "I bear witness before the King of the stars that the things of this world are no more to me than the sand of the sea or leaves of the wind." What are "the things of this world?" Are they what give us short-term results--power, fame, fortune, things? Are they the items I accrue to add to my sense of self-importance: Titles, high salaries, designer, name-brand clothing? Cars? St. Brendan had less of a list to work off than we do, but nevertheless, the tendency to misplace priorities, values and importance was as true in sixth century Ireland as it is today. It is part of human nature, "wounded" human nature. Our Lenten reflections and sacrifices can help us restore proper perspective, and help us relinquish the attachments that have grown out of proportion. As we go about the day surrounded by our "stuff", material and immaterial, perhaps we can take inventory and like businesses do, discard those items which are simply taking up space and preventing us from access to those which are useful and helpful to us in achieving the purpose of our life. We certainly don't like dragging extra sand into our houses, nor do we enjoy raking up the leaves that once so gracefully fell from the trees. Everything has its place, but too much of anything gets in the way.
Bro. Rene

The LaValla Experience

The Marist Brothers were founded in the small village of LaValla in Southern France. The building bought and renovated as the first community by Fr. Champagnat still stands, now as a museum. This house is considered the "Cradle of the Institute and the name, LaValla, a symbol of new beginnings.
In Naples, Italy, a new beginning, entitled "The LaValla Experience", was made in early February, when four lay people, three university students and one high school student, all very much involved in campus ministry, spent an entire week living in community with the brothers. They rose early and prayed with them, ate, worked, recreated, and attended Mass as if they were members of the community. Not necessarily aimed at fostering vocations to the brotherhood, it was a tangible way for these young people to imbibe Marist Family Spirit, come to appreciate the value of community and our Marist charism, and see their roles and work in a new light. It was an idea that had been talked about for years, but finally put into action. Creative, bold and daring, it had a beneficial effect on the participants and serves as a model to the rest of the Marist World as we seek ways to pass on the legacy of St. Marcellin. St. Marcellin, inspire us with bold and creative initiatives to help foster your vision and goal to make Jesus known and loved in every diocese of the world as well as to foster a deeper understanding of Marist Spirit.
Bro. Rene

"Take out" Fasting and Sacrifice

Fast food restaurants, drive-in banking, and all the options opened by the new I-pad 3 have set us on a track that even the Acebo, our fast train from Boston to DC can't match. We've become accustomed to a fast-track life. Well, perhaps not fully accustomed, but certainly influenced by it: spontaneity and speed go hand in hand with the rising and setting of the sun.
As we try to remain steadfast in our Lenten observances, interventions of unplanned requests, or underestimated times for completing projects bite into our resolves and reduce them to crumbs, it seems. Being on our fast track, there seems to be no way to recoup our lost prayers, penances and sacrifices. But there is. The very inconvenience, the frustration the apparent failure to keep our promises because we have responded to these unplanned "take out orders" on our time can themselves be our offering to God, the occasion for giving God what HE came to the window to buy from us: a willing, compassionate heart that is not tied to the letter of the law or to the observances we have set for ourselves. When the Scribes and Pharisees chided Jesus for curing (working!) on the Sabbath, he reminded them of how they led their animals to water and fed them on the Sabbath with no qualms of conscience. Was the not cure more valuable than the obeservance of the "no work" mandate? So, when we have the opportunity to be kind, charitable, at the disposal of another even at the price of not saying all of that promised daily rosary, are we not living the spirit of Lent, are we not putting into practice what we hope to achieve by our prayer? Flexibility rather than rigid observance is needed in molding us more and more into the image of God in whom we were created and seek to become by our Lenten fasting and prayer. If we are lifting our hearts to God as we serve others, if we are "giving up" our Lenten "program" on occasion to bring healing, comfort and compassion to others, are we not fulfilling the purpose of Lent?
Bro. Rene

Entitlement

Our first official day of Spring began at 1:40 am today. It's really a paper designation in view of the warm, spring-like days we've been enjoying, despite the interjection of some slightly cooler ones here and there. We're amazed at the mild winter and the easy slide into Spring and we can be lured into thinking that we are entitled to Florida weather from now on. If we stop for a moment, we catch ourselves and remember that we are entitled to nothing. All is gift.
The same with our Lenten journey: the efforts we are making to "turn our lives around and believe (act on) the Good News" will bear fruit as God's gift, not because we have earned it. If we depended on just our own efforts to "earn" heaven, we'd find ourselves far from those "pearly gates." But "with God, nothing is impossible" (Lk 1:37) and with God is the wisdom and the power that we need to journey successfully to him. O God, save me from the error of feeling entitled to a reward for all that I do, and teach me to rely on your saving grace and mercy. You alone are the Author of life and the Giver of all good gifts. I will never be put to shame by putting my trust in you.
Bro. Rene

Good Fathering

A close look at the few facts we have about St. Joseph, whose feast we celebrate today give us insight into the qualities of what a good father should possesss. He shines as a light in the muddle our society is creating of family. A man who did not have all the answers, he learned to trust as time and time again he was faced with challenges beyond what he probably thought were his limits: a fiancee with a child not his, a search for a place for that child to be born, exile from his own country and life in a foreign land, resettling in Nazareth, finding a home and starting a business. the loss of the young boy...The Gospel reports his being "troubled" by Mary's pregnancy, and we can imagine that being troubled in the other situations. He prayed, he listened, God spoke in dreams and Joseph obeyed. His prayer deepened as did his faith and trust, enabling him to be a strong father, faithful husband, family protector. So much so that in 1870 Pope Pius IX named him Patron of the universal Church. So, with one scandal after another "troubling" us, we have this model of prayer, trust and obedience to God's will before us. May we follow is example, and be assured that he will be there for us as he was for his own holy family.
Bro. Rene

Rejoice, Jerusalem

The fourth Sundayof Lent marks the halfway point to Easter and was called "Laetare Sunday" because the Introit, or Entrance Song was taken from Is 66: 10-11, "Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her./ Be joyful all who were in mourning;/ exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast." As on the Third Sunday of Advent, the color, rose, is used for the vestments; we are anticipating the joy of Easter, but not quite, so rose is a compromise between purple and white.
Light and sight dominate the readings, especially if the optional reading of the man born blind is chosen. John the Evangelist tells gives us, in the selection actually slated for today, the familiar quote: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish, but might have eternal life." (Jn 3:16). St. Paul tells us that "God, who is rich in mercy, becasue of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions brought us to life with Christ--by grace you have been saved--,raise us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2: 4-5). This is one of those enthusiastic Pauline sentences that goes on and on and seemingly can't stop, so full of joy is Paul. We might comprehend this feeling if we imagine ourselves being told we have a 99% blockage but the insertion of stents will restore blood flow to our heart and give us a new hold on life. The operation works and we are "born again." What would our attitude to this "second life be?" A lot less taken for granted, a lot more awareness of blessings and endless gratitude, wouldn't you say? So, may we live today with our "rose colored" glasses and see the world and our lives in a new light.
Bro. Rene

Going Green

On St. Patrick's Day, this mantra for saving the planet has a special meaning. It somehow has been translated from the Emerald Isle to green ties, hats, necklaces and bobbles of all sorts to underscore our celebration in honor of St. Patrick. In this country, the celebrations have expanded to parades, corned beef and cabbage dinners, Irish jokes and lots of Irish whiskey, or just anything with alcohol. This was not the custom in Ireland a generation ago, and certainly not in the time of St. Patrick, who was born around 387 AD, when Rome was still ruling its extensive Empire. Scotland and Wales claim him as their native son, and some even contend Brittany was the land of his birth, giving the French a claim to his fame. Myth, legend and hyperbole have evolved to make St. Patrick in the eyes of American Catholics, and "subway Irish" a heroic figure and the justification for St. Patty's Day revelrie.
Cutting to the core of his life, his real claim to fame is due to his resolute determination to LIVE CHRIST and bring him to all corners of Ireland. His deep faith tempered with suffering and oppostion, his zealous, untiring effort to teach about Jesus are what brought him to sanctity and are the qualities worthy of celebration and emulation. Yes, with tongue in cheek, all of us, whether Irish or not, can sing and sprout "The Wearin' O' The Green", but perhaps a more meaningful song would be a familiar section of "The Breastplate of St. Patrick which reads thus:
"Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, "Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me."
Bro. Rene

Never Giving Up

"Never say Never" is an adage that intimates that there will be a time when we can't stick to a goal or a plan because some unexpected turn of events causes us to deviate from them. How often have we made an "I will never...." satement and somewhere down the line, find ourselves doing just what we said we wouldn't. Heroes like the martyrs. however, kept their never: "I will never worship false idols," or "I will never deny Jesus." and gave up their lives remaining true to their pledges. We learn as we go through life, that we don't have that strong conviction in our "nevers." We hope and pray that if it is a matter of faith we'll hold true, but in the lesser things we discover that we are not so steadfast, and sometimes grow discouraged by our lack of fortitude.
We may be weak, we may fail, we may start again over and over, to no lasting avail. In this process we might become aware that God never gives up on us. For God "never" means never, it means always and without fail. God keeps and IS the ideal we seek. God is the epitome of EVER. What a comfort this is, what a source of hope and strength. It is God's fidelity to his ever-lasting commitment to us that spurs us on in our weakness and tempers our efforts to remain as faithful as we can. Lord, let me find the comfort and strength in your fidelity when I feel like giving up. Send this reminder to me when I'm down and ready to quit: "Don't quit on me; I'm not quitting on you!"
Bro. Rene

Encountering.....

54 students, six student leaders and five faculty members are at St. Methodius Retreat House north of Concord, NH, encountering self, one another and Jesus Christ. 10 more students rushed to pick up applications for a Marist Youth Encounter Christ experience in Esopus, NY at the end of the month, and three more are hoping we can squeeze them in. What this says is there is a hunger and thirst for a deeper connection with Jesus and the Encounters provide the vehicle. The leaders have trained for this event for several weeks, and countless details occupy the adults before and during the Encounter. People from all over offer prayers that God's grace be poured out lavishly. And all this works...when the students return, they have Encountered Christ and their lives have changed, their mission as Catholic Christians is clear. What a blessing! Our current website homepage for Central Catholic reads, "BLESSING is my word for Central Catholic". The students do see their years here as a blessing.
The varsity hockey team, despite it's definitive loss to powerhouse Malden Catholic, looked positively on the season and the "brotherhood" of the team. Coach Jankowski referred to the wholesome and caring atmosphere in the locker room. I myself have encountered it. Although not all our students have made or will make the Encounters we offer, they are absorbing its message as part of the school culture and are living this blessing in everything they do. It's the way we do things here, it's the way to live. Let us pray that the Encounter experience remains an on-going encountering.
Bro. Rene

Blown Away By The Wind

So much is in flux in this prolonged age of transition. The certainties of the past are blown away by the wind, it seems, as we pursue our own paths, detached from the anchor that held us firm in a sea of invasions, revolutions, misinterpretations and misunderstandings, not to mention wars and genocides. The anchor we seem to have lost is God and the Church founded by Jesus upon the Rock, Peter, and continued through the centuries by his successors. It is sad to listen to studens who have not been brought up with any knowledge of God or connection with the Church, yet live a good, clean moral lives. It's shocking to learn that even some of our Catholic students do not know The Hail Mairy. The situation today is much like the encounter with Jean-Baptiste Montagne, the dying 17 year old who knew nothing of God and prompted Fr. Champagnat to found the Little Brothers of Mary. The need is here again, approaching the acute stage. All of us, consecrated brothers and lay Marists are being called to make a concerted effort to re-attach the anchor, to restart the mission with greater depth and zeal. Thankfully, this is happening in other parts of the Marist World and convocation after convocation of brothers and lay Marists meet to strategize for the future. And always we remember that in that blowing wind, the Holy Spirit is at work. "The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (Jn 3:8). So, we are not to panic, nor fall into discouragement. "All things work toward the good" (Rm 8: 28), even when the wind seems to be blowing everything away.
Bro. Rene

An Open Door

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: "No man can predict when God will visit him, but he can leave the door open." We cannot dictate the time when God will come, nor the how. So often it is unexpected but "just what the doctor ordered." It might be an awareness of our need for mercy, or our need to forgive someone. Something we read might carry more weight on a certain day...just the thing we need to hear...thus God makes his entry.
Another tack God uses it is convince us to do something that we don't think we can do...we're too busy and therefore must beg off. Really? In our own minds, yes, but in God's no. When we comply to God's wish, we discover a treasure we never would have found, had we followed our own way. The open door is key. Can we leave it open? Again, it's an act of faith and trust. Our God of love has not inteniton of harming us, so we have nothing to fear. No locks on our door, yes, we even leave it open. Let us try it today...and one day at a time make the open door policy ours for life.
Bro. Rene

The Eternal Quest For Prayer Time

How often do we look back on our day and barely remember what happened that morning. Little wonder that we have trouble finding time to pray. If we are serious about growing in prayer, then we need to look at this goal from all sides. Do we really want to pray, or are we just saying it? Is there something besides the lack of time that is blocking us? Are we willing to make it a priority and thus move something else to another time, or deleting it entirely from our day? How much news do we need to watch on TV? How much time do we spend with the newspaper? A busy life often means that we spend too much of it looking for things we have misplaced. Do we need to narrow our involvements so that we can keep track of things: "Orderliness leads to Godliness" is an old adage that takes on fresh meaning as we get older. The answers to these questions might be the key to finding that elusive prayer time.
Another approach is to take whatever happens...those spontaneous interruptions or unplanned conversations, and use them as a "prompt" for a quick prayer: "Lord, this was not on my agenda, but thanks...it was good to do this, nevertheless." We can go through our day with an ongoing conversation with God just about the things that happen in the course of it.
The Cure of Ars spent up to 18 hours a day hearing confessions, but was often seen just sitting in his church. When asked what he did during that time, he answered: "I just sit here looking at Him and He looks at me." That's called "Keeping it simple"! The key is not to clutter up our minds with excuses or self-condemnations, but to trustingly hand over our day, with its good and bad moments, with its moments of prayer and its lack of them...talking to God about it, for he sees us, knows our thoughts and efforts, and like the parent watching a toddler attempting to walk and falling time and time again, God does not grow angry, but encourages and prods till we can finally "walk and run."
Bro. Rene

Setting Boundaries

God in his wisdom, having given us the gift of free will, or what contemporaries might call, "freedom of choice," set certain boundaries for its exercise: the ten commandments. Without them, we would abuse our freedom to the point of destroying everyone else and ourselves as well. By setting these limits, we have a context in which to use our free will. Young children love to roam, climb, open doors, touch, push...as parents of toddlers well know. The crib, the play pen, even the "harness" set boundaries to protect these youngsters from harming themselves. So it is with the commandments: they keep us from harm. They say "NO" to certain things, but at the same time, our "freedom of choice" allows us to say yes to what is forbidden, and bear the consequences. They also remind us that we can't say yes to everything in our everyday life, and that no is an option that will keep us from the self-inflicted harm of over-extension, exhaustion, frustration, and "burn-out".
It might be a good use of our Sabbath Day, this Third Sundayof Lent, to reflect on how we use our freedom to stay within the boundaries of the commandments, and how compuslive we are to say yes, and reluctant to say no. Are we using or abusing our "freedom of choice."
Bro. Rene

When Your Computer Freezes

We've all had the exprience of a computer that refuses to move backwards or forwards. We push ctrl/alt/delete and choose between end now or cancel and still nothing happens. A brick wall, with time passing fast to when other things must be done, yet the computer remains remains disinterested in our next project. One solution left, shut the whole thing off and start from scratch. This always seems to work. Such was my case this morning, but here I am.
It made me think of so many other things in life that reach a similar impasse. A brick wall in business, that late afternoon slump, our prayer, our Lenten observances. Starting from scratch after a "break" a nap, a restart. As we look at our "progress" at the end of the second week of Lent, we might find that our computer has frozen, the brick wall is here already, and we are stymied. Best to shut down and restart. In humility we have to admit that we haven't stuck to our "program", but the good news is that there are still four solid weeks ahead of us, and further, we can take another good look at the truth that we can't do it alone, that we need God's help. Like the Prodigal Son, we need to make our way home, back to the Father, and into the arms of his merciful love. This trek home to the Father is the renewing process of Lent. It is not the number of sacrifices we successfully made, but the change of heart, the learning about ourselves, and more importantly, our deeper understanding of the Father's love. So let us take heart when our computer freezes nd glean the benefit of restarting with a deeper sense of our Father's compassionate, unending, unconditional mercy and love.
Bro. Rene

Paying It Forward

The film, Pay It Forward, which was a hit in 2000, has continued to inspire people of all ages. The story revolves around a challenge given by a teacher to a young boy to take a small gift and see what he can do to multiply it in the service of others, much like the parable of the talents. The idea of using something for the sake of others touches the core of our beings and brings a happiness that the money itself cannot buy.
Yesterday, Bridget Shaheen, Director of Lazarus House Ministries, offered such a challenge to Central students. She told a recent Pay It Forward story at Brooks Academy, where a student took Bridget's offer of $50.00 and returned five weeks later with $1,167.00 raised by events financed by the original seed money. From these earnings Bridget is giving money to other schools, and gave our students $100.00 and five weeks to see what they can do. Her goal is to raise $100,000 in time, believing that the Pay It Forward concept will work to that huge extent. It is a bold and daring move, but with faith and trust in the goodness that is in all of us, she believes it will work. We all know the good that Lazarus House does, so it stands to reason that this drive will succeed. How blessed we are to have such an act of faith at work in our community...especially during Lent!
Bro. Rene

Probing The Heart

Correction: the Lenten website I gave you yesterday is: www.thelightisonforyou.org , not alight... thank you Anthony!

I the Lord alone probe the mind/ and test the heart,
To reward everyone according to his ways,
according to the merit of his deeds. (Jer 17: 10).

If we were to probe the inner recesses of our mind and heart, no doubt we'd find as much clutter as we do in our attics, garages, basements, closets, bedrooms, family rooms and offices. Many of us are plain and simple out-of-control hoarders. We haven't made TV yet, but we know we could. Taking time this Lent to do some housecleaning, as we have mentioned, would really help is get that "pilgrim feeling", reminding us that we have not here a permanent city.

Looking into our souls, we might find some outmoded ideas that need to be put out on the sidewalk with our collected trash...i.e. that the good I do deserves a reward here or in heaven; that people should acknowledge my actions and pat me on the back; that I am not in need of repair, but my neighbor or friend, or relative is... How the list can go on. Rather than dwell on these shorcomings, it might be better simply to let God do the probing and sorting. C.S. Lewis has an unforgettable and poignant statment on this, worthy of memorization: "The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because he loves us." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. A thought to probe for more than just a day.
Bro. Rene

Lenten Confessions

Part of our fasting during Lent entails not only abstinence from foods and whatever we've chosen to "give up", but also a cleansing of the soul through the sacrament of reconciliation. Our busy lives have taken a huge bite out of what used to be a regular practice. In the "very old days", Saturday afternoons were devoted to the full confessionals with lines of people awaiting their turn. Our USA bishops have for the past few years encouraged a Wednesday evening program called "A Light Is On For You" where from 6:30 pm till 8:30 pm, and sometimes longer, priests are available in the parish churches. A wonderful website, www.alightisonforyou.org has talks on the value of the sacrament as well as a handy examination of conscience. Worth checking out as an aid and a nudge to "getting back" to this wonderful sacrament if we have slipped away...so easy to do. The advantage of the on-line materials is that we can use them at our leisure and make a good, thoughtful preparation for reception of the sacrament. It certainly will help to sweep the house clean in preparation for the renewal of our baptismal promises at Easter. Let's get the broom and start sweeping!
Bro. Rene

Looking For Consolation

One of the temptations that crops up during Lent is the prospect of a reward at the end, a "high", a state of utter consolation, as a recompense for the effort and sacrifices we have made for 40 days. There may be some feeling of satisfaction at Easter, as one who sprints at the end of a long race, completing what seemed to be impossible. A Runner's High, it is called. But for most of us, there will not be a huge surge of consolation, unless so ordained by God. Consolation is God's gift, not something we earn. Praying faithfully each day, whether we feel like it or not, squeezing out time from what seems to be daily "work over-run", takes effort, and most of the time, our prayer is "flat" if not dry. No great lights, no great feelings. But what we might be forgetting is that the daily effort, the daily fidelity no matter what the feelings or circumstances, is what God accepts, wants, loves. As he is our Faithful Friend, so does he want us to be to him: faithful in the humdrum of our work, our house-cleaning, shopping, cooking, listening, all.... We don't see nor feel the effects of this fidelity, but all the time we are growing in faith and love. God sees all of this and once in awhile treats us with something better than we ever dreamed of. Sometimes not...as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta's diary revealed. She loved, she helped the dying, she inspired, she consoled, despite the lack of consolation in her heart, perhaps even with the doubts she felt. So too with us. Let us walk our Lenten path with fidelity, leaving all anticipation and expectation aside, thus allowing ourselves to receive WHAT God wants to give us, WHEN he wants to give it.
Bro. Rene

Our Baptism

Over the weekend at a workshop on Living the Vows Today, we were reminded of their connection with our Baptism...really extensions of what all Christians baptized in Christ receive: an adoption as sons and daughters of God, an infusion of the Divine Life...i.e. the Holy Spirit, the gift of faith... and a mission: to spread the good news of our salvation to all we meet for the rest of our lives. So important is baptism, that annually, the Church devotes 90 days, one third of the Liturgical Year, to the preparation for the renewal of our baptismal promises (the 40 days of Lent) and to the celebration and contemplation of this priceless gift (the 50 days of the Easter Season). As we live these seasons, do we see them as such, or in the case of Lent, simply as a time of penance and personal renewal, and the Easter Season, especially after the lilies have faded, as a meaningless prolongation of Easter Sunday to fill in the time before Pentecost? Perhaps this year we can focus on baptism, what it means to us now as adults, and when Easter comes, renew those promises with a deeper understanding and appreciation of their importance, of the DIFFERENCE they have made and continue to make in our lives. Lord, thank you for sharing your life with me in baptism; help me to understand and appreciate this gift at a deeper level, and help me to live it faithfully each day. Amen.

Away Again

Dear Readers,
I forgot to mention that I will be away Saturday and Sunday and will not have computer access...We'll be back in the saddle on Monday.
Bro. Rene

Putting Our House At Rest

Part of the Lenten journey involves reconciliation with God and with our neighbor. Parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston are "keeping the light on" every Wednesday evening from 6:30-8:30 pm to make the Sacrament of Reconciliation available to all who seek it. The prophet Ezekiel reminds us: "Thus says the Lord God:/ If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed, / if he keeps all my statues, and does what is right and just,/ he shall surely live, he shall not die." (Ezek. 18:21). Jesus reminds us that turning away from sin is not simply a matter of words, but of action: "Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar and there recall that your brother has anying against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with him and then come and offer your gift." (Mt 5: 23-24). This makes sense, for how can our house be at rest if there are lingering feelings of resentment, anger, dislike, perhaps, even hatred, in its recesses? If we wish our house to be completely at rest, we must sweep it totally clean. We all know that house cleaning takes time, effort, sweat, patience, and determination. We are faced with the choice of "throwing things out", or just dusting them off and putting them back? If we are serious about a clean house, it seems that we must make the valiant move of eliminating that which clutters or is unwanted. So too with the "house" of our soul. Lent is for cleaning, for renewal. Lord, please give me the grace and courage to put my house at rest. Amen.
Bro. Rene

Who Is God?

The name Michael is translated from the Hebrew as "Who is like God". Stunning, captivating, challenging. During this snowy Lenten Thursday, we might ask ourselves, "Who is God...What is God...to ME? Or, "What is God like?" "How have I experienced God? The swath of answers ranges widely, no doubt, from childhood images of "the old man with the white beard" to a fearful, fiery God of punishment and vengeance, to the "gentle breeze God" whom Elijah discovered on the mountain top.
A lasting impression of God that I experienced 35 years ago as I walked from Assisi to Rome is that God is near, involved even in the minutiae of our lives, giving strength for every step of the way and on occasion handing out surprise lolipops! The God of Lolipops, yes the God who treats us with sweets that surpass our wildest dreams. I walked alone, but not alone, singing frequently along the four day trip, "Yahweh, I know you are near,/ standing always at my side./You guard me from the foe, and you lead me in ways everlasting." (cf Ps 39). That popular hymn by the St. Louis Jesuits blended nicely with another one of theirs, my favorite, "Be not afraid, I go before you always, Come follow me, and I will give you rest." Walking along those unknown roads and encouraged occasionally by a sign and an arrow indicating ROMA, I was ripe to reap the message of these words. They have been my guides ever since, and have deepened my love and trust in this loving, all-knowing and ever-present God, Creator, Father, Grandfather, Great and Mysterious Spirit whose presence removes all fear and truly gives strength for EVERY step of our way through life. This is the God who says, "Love me and do what you will." Lord, help us to come to know and love you, turn our lives completely over to you and become other Michaels.
Bro. Rene