Athirst Is My Soul For The Living God

The image of the hind longing for running waters (Ps 42: 2) has appealed to Seekers for centuries. No one has been exempt from the need to drink refreshing water, and certainly our souls thirst in the same needy way for God.  We may not always sense that it is God we long for; it may simply be rest from the "rat race",  a short break from our daily routine, or a long vacation "away from it all" on the surface, but what really it is God alone who fully satisfies our thirst and for whom we are truly longing.   "Athirst is my soul for God, the living God, When shall I go and see the face of God?" (Ps 42: 3).  Pilgrims on the way to the Temple in Jerusalem sang this song, and we in our own hearts, sitting for a few moments during Mass or simple in a chair at home, have that same desire. Besides the obvious need to escape from those constantly besieging us, our souls cannot continue for long without contact with their Creator, who longs as much as we for contact with us.  Let us take some time today to slake this mutual thirst, so that with the Psalmist we can proceed refreshed and with confidence:  "Send forth your light and your fidelity;/ they shall lead me on./And bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling-place." (Ps 43:3). 
Bro. Rene

World Day of Prayer for Vocations

The Fourth Sunday of Easter is referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday, and this year it is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.  April 29th is also the memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, but she takes a back seat today in deference to the Sunday Liturgy.  However, her sterling example filters through and merges with the Good Shepherd theme as we take a moment to ponder the various vocations in the Church, give thanks for them, ask  God  to strengthen each one of us and to spread the call loud and clear to many more to become priests, sisters and brothers, deacons and good lay people.  Mother Teresa said over and over that vocations would come if consecrated religious would live their vows.  We decry the empty churches on Sundays, but if we lived our faith and showed it in church and in the parking lot, the churches would be full again.  I attended an Easter Service (before going to Easter Mass) at a United Church of Christ in Nashua, NH, and was very touched by the hospitality and friendliness I experienced even walking into the church through the parking lot.  People just struck up conversations as if we were long lost family members.  Greeters inside were genuinely helpful in welcoming me and finding me a seat in the very full church.  A simple thing like that makes a huge difference.  It's another case of "getting back to basics"...for all of us, from the bishops to the children who come with their parents.  Part of our reflection today, in addition to thanking God for the courageous people who have answered the call, might be a prayer that each of us look into our hearts to see how in our interactions with one another we are sharing the love and joy with which God constantly fills our hearts.  St. Catherine gave us a wonderful prayer that seems appropriate today:  "O ender Father, you gave me more, much more than I ever thought of asking for.  I realize that our human desires can never really match what you long to give us.  Thank you and thank you again, O Father, for having granted my petitions, and even that which I never realized I needed."  We might add, "Let me live my joy and gratitude for all to see and imitate."
Bro. Rene

Two of Mary's Men

The Church celebrates the Memorials of two men who have a special place in Marist spirituality:  St. Peter Chanel and St. Louis Gringnon de Montfort.  Fr. Peter Chanel was a Marist Father who for awhile taught in the Marist Seminary at Belley but whose dream to be a missionary finally came through in 1836 when he boarded a ship for New Hebrides in the South Pacific.  Ten months later he landed on the island of Fotuna, and worked for three years evangelizing the people until he was clubbed to death by men sent by the king whose son was interested in becoming a Catholic.  Five months later, the whole island had converted!
St. Louis had great devotion to Mary and his book, True Devotion to Mary, which had a profound influence is the spiritual life of St. Marcellin, is still popular today.  Mary brought Jesus into the lives of these men, enabling them to be missionaries and martyrs, in the case of St. Peter, and teachers and founders of religious orders, in the case of St. Louis.  What would happen to us if we listened to her with the same zeal these men had?  St. Peter Chanel and St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us that we may realize our potential in the service of Jesus and the kingdom.  Amen.
Bro. Rene

Growth In Charity

One of the characteristics of Easter life is a more visible growth in charity, not only in deed, but also in word.  St. James tells us that if we offend not with our tongues, we are perfect (cf Js 3:2).  Not only are we to offer kind words of encouragment, empathy, and compassion but to avoid uncharitable talk about others.  It is very hard to do, since in our judging minds we have the answers to way others should behave, or how a situation should be handled.  If our words were monitored each hour, how many minutes would be devoted to criticism that is not really constructive, but destructive?  There is a place for constructive criticism which can bring improvement to a situation or to another's behavior; above all, there is a place for the communication which will  let others know how they are perceived, or how their actions are hurting us or others.  Being objective, and having the purpose of helping to improve what might be an unjust or intolerable situation is being charitable is speech.  Praying to keep ourselves on this track and thinking before we speak will help us practice a charity which gives life.
Bro. Rene

Christ Is Risen Indeed

The Eastern Church keeps the good news of the resurrection alive with the greeting, "Christ is risen" and the response, "He is risen indeed", or "He is truly risen."  As we move further away from the fervor and excitement of Easter morning, we need to deepen our understanding of that "truly risen" if we are to sustain our Easter enthusiasm.  He is truly risen if we are more compassionate toward others and towards ourselves, if we express our love for others in deeds...going the "extra mile" to do favors for them, to boost them from their discouragement, to be with them in sorrow, to calm their anxieties and melt down their impatience, to chip away at our own self-seeking and fill our empty spaces with purpose and joy.  The phrase, "Easter People" was popular several years ago, but it remains a fact:  our baptisms have given us new life, new roles, and a new relationship with God and one another.  Our Lenten disciplines, we trust, have honed our behaviors so that we can bear witness that not only has Jesus arisen, but that we have risen with him.  Yes, Christ has risen indeed, and so have we!
Bro. Rene

St. Mark

Mark's was the first Gospel and is the shortest.  Interestingly enough, the original version ended with Chapter 16: 8:  "Then they [the women]  went out and fled from the tomb, seized with trembling and bewiilsderment.  They said nothing to anyone, for they were aftraid."  A longer ending was added, it is estimated, about two hundred years later and is based on the post-resurrection accounts of Matthew and Luke. Mark, as always, is succinct but detailed enough to give a realistic picture of what it must have been like to come to an open and empty tomb.  Trembling, bewilderment and fear make sense when we stop and reflect that rising from the dead was not an everyday occurrence.  How would we have reacted?  Startled? Spooked?  Most likely, as if the corpse at a wake had sat up in the casket.  Ending the Gospel with this scenario gives the reader a jolt as well and poses the unstated question, "What next?"  A call to faith, trust and a hearkening back to what we've experienced of Jesus,  a call to the community to share its faith.  A firming up of our trust in what apparently seems "the impossible becoming possible".  Can we do it?
Bro. Rene

Transformation

This third week of Easter continues the theme of resurrection and transformation that our baptisms have given us.  We have died with Christ and risen with him; the path leads eventually to complete victory and union with him in heaven, but while here on earth, there are always obstacles and challenges that prune and hone us to that final form into which we are being transformed.  The martyrdom of the deacon, Stephen,  not long after the apostles began their ministry, reminds us that death is sometimes the consequence of adherence to Jesus and his teachings.  The years of persecutions until the fourth century starkly verify this truth. Yet, their deaths were the "seed of faith" for thousands.  The imprisonments of the apostles often led to the conversion of their prison guards.  St. Augustine tells us that the martyrdom of Stephen was a factor in the eventual conversion of St. Paul, who as the young Saul, oversaw his stoning. 
Sickness, surgeries, periods of convalescence can be opportunities for us to reflect on our lives, our fragility, and the need for a deeper relationship with God.  Anything can be taken as a transforming event if we accept it with openness and trust that God uses all means to contact us and invite us to himself.
Br. Rene

"Rabbi, How Did You Get Here?"

After feeding the five thousand, and walking on water to the boat some of his disciples were sailing, others, searching for him, finally found him on the other side of the Sea of Galilee and asked him how he got there?  This is a good question for us to ask ourselves?  "How did we get here?"  Our paths have taken ways that far surpassed our dreams or plans; twists, turns, people events, which came totally out of the blue have brought us to where we are today. 
This came dramatically home to me as I relived the past ten years and beyond with many of my former students, both from Wheeling and Rwanda.  It was an amazing collage of stories that have brought undreamed of success to them, yet at the same time, remembering where they came from and how they got there, has kept them humble and peppers their tales of success.  One man is now a consultant for Best Buy.  His comment, "I'm just a kid from Rwanda, and these Americans listen to my advice as if I were directly from God.!"   God is never outdone in humor and never outdone in what he can do with the mearest clay. 
Bro. Rene

Seeking Immortality

There is something innate in human nature to want to live forever.  Perhaps deep inside of our core there is the seed that was planted when the first humans began to inhabit the earth: the pre-original sin period when we were destined for immortality.  Death entered the scene only after the great pride-ful disobedience.  At any rate, the Egyptians emtombed their leaders in the pyramids along with ships, provisions and treaures to help them sail into a very comfortable immortality.  The Greeks buried their leaders with crowns, jewelry and household utensils, among other things, to insure that they would be well equipped on the other side of the River Styx.  The Chinese too believed in life hereafter and buried one prince and princess in jade suits sewns together with gold thread, in the belief that jade and gold would guarantee immortal life.  For Christians, the belief is strong and much simpler.  As Naaman found healing simply by bathing in the waters of the Jordan, we find bathing in the waters of baptism opens the door to immortality.  Our faith is nourished by the Eucharist, the Bread of Life..."If you eat of this bread, you shall live forever."  (cf Jn 6:54).  What a great gift, not only eternal life itself, but also the direction and focus it gives us while we "test out" during this earthly phase of our life.  With the promise of life eternal before us, so much else makes sense and governs the choices we make. Let us give praise and thanks to God for this great gift.
Bro. Rene
I will be away from Friday till Sunday night, not having access to e-mail...so fill up on this and perhaps some other favorite slices of Daily Bread.  I will be speaking at Bishop Donahue High School in McMechen, WV and then attending a huge 10 year reunion of the Rwandan students who studied at LaRoche College.

Appointed To Bear Fruit

"I have chosen you from the world and have appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last." (Jn 15:16). Jesus thus addressed the Twelve at the Last Supper, but also addresses us today. Our mission is to carry on the preaching and teaching of Jesus, to be instruments of healing and forgiveness, and to leave a lasting mark on others simply by our presence, a simple word or gesture, or by living our vocation or profession well. Parents certainly make conscious efforts to teach their children manners, right from wrong, respect, values...all the important things. Teachers, like parents, have the opportunity to leave indelible marks on their students.
An alumnus of Central Catholic told me yesterday that he might not be a priest today, had it not been for Br. Godfrey's Latin classes. The seminary entrance test in those days was given in Latin, and after three years of it, this young man was able to pass the test. That was the sign he needed, so he dropped his plans to major in history at a local college and entered the seminary; the rest is history. He said that had he failed the exam, he would have pursued the history degree and abandoned the seminary. Little did Br. Godfrey know that his routine teaching of Latin, which he did for years, would, in this case, bear such lasting fruit. Little do we know as we live through each day doing what seems to be our humdrum tasks that somehow, sometime, we might be planting a seed that will bear fruit in someone's life. May we be faithful to what we are called to do, and trust that our efforts will bear fruit that will last.
Bro. Rene

Anticipating the Spirit

The days between Easter and Pentecost provide time to reflect on the promise of Jesus made at the Last Supper, to send the Advocate, the Spirit...(Jn 16: 7-11). Earlier on in John's Gospel, Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night seeking answers and hears about the Spirit "blowing in the wind". When Jesus appeared to the Eleven the evening of his resurrection, he breathes the Spirit upon them and tells them to receive the Spirit and be able to forgive sins. Of course, Pentecost is the great outpouring of the Spirit and all that Jesus said begins to unfold and make more and more sense as the days go by.
These days are still going by and we are part of them. How is the Spirit working in our lives? Most likely not via tongues of fire, but in the little events that make up each day. Let us not miss the opportunity to allow the Spirit to help us BE more like Jesus, to guide us in our regard for others and for ourselves, and above all, to carry Easter joy wherever we go. The hours speed by each day, so it takes some effort to brake off and on, and take stock of where we are and how faithful we are to the presence of that abiding Spirit.
Bro. Rene

The Day After Easter

Easter's long day ended with the Second Sunday of Easter and now it's the "day after" Easter, when reflection on the resurrection of Jesus is less intense but still focused on what it means to be "born again." We are born into new life, the risen life with the risen Jesus. Just what that means for each of us depends on how deep we want to go. Do we spend all our time in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, cut off from the world, people, obligations and heavy traffic? Or do we somehow try to establish a balance that enables the joy of rebirth to permeate the ordinary tasks that living demands of us. We've got to do laundry, fold it, make beds, make sure there is food on the table, and even find time to eat! Sometimes even that's a challenge!
The Eleven went back to their fishing boats, no doubt perplexed at what the next step would be; at least once Jesus appeared on the shore cooking breakfast for them. How assuring that scene is for us...Jesus knows and provides for our daily needs, even to providing the food we need, not to mention the strength for every step. The Eleven were astounded to see him, but in the course of the meal, the old familiarity came back and they relaxed in his presence. That state of being relaxed in his presence is what we need to find and not lose. He's with us, as he promised, and even in the most menial of tasks. If we fret and "get uptight" it's not his fault. Yesterday we prayed for mercy...today let's pray for serenity: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
Bro. Rene

Divine Mercy

The Second Sunday of Easter focuses on God's infinite mercy which is the outpouring of God's love to fill in the clefts in our human nature, wounded by sin. The birth of Jesus for the purpose of restoring the broken relationship between Creator and creature, Father and children, finds its conclusion in the Resurrection when Jesus confirms once and for all that "good is ultimately victorious , that life conquers death, and that love triumphs over hate." (Blessed Pope John Paul II). Our fragile and forgetful human nature needs this reminder for we can either become so bloated on our own importance or apparent power to do anything we want by our brain-power alone, or we can become discouraged by what we mistake as the victory of evil over good.
On this hundreth anniversary of the sinking of the "unsinkable" luxury liner, the RMS Titanic at 2:20 am, April 15, 1912, just two hours after a huge iceberg slit open 300 feet of its hull, we might look upon it as a metaphor of our fragility and need for God's protection, care and mercy. It was such a grand ship boasting of the finest wines, foods, first class staterooms, even a turkish bath, as well as the latest device in communication, the wireless Marconi radio which allowed its SOS message to be heard even in the United States as it was tapped out from the radio room. It was considered invulnerable, nevertheless it was not God, and its sudden and quick descent to the bottom of the Atlantic is a stern warning to us that but for God's mercy, we too could be on the ocean floor. Then truly do we need to reflect on God's mercy and pray for it not only today, but everyday.
Last night several family members and friends said goodbye to a Marine who leaves for a second tour in Afghanistan next week, again bringing the need for mercy very close to home. Turning him over to God's mercy and care gave us both confidence and humility; we trust that God will hear and answer our prayers.
Bro. Rene

Mary And The Resurrection

The Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of St. John give varying accounts of who was first to witness the empty tomb. It seems to be a toss-up between the three women, or just Mary Magdalene. In his Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius contends that Jesus must have first appeared to his mother, which makes sense, though not explicitly stated in the Gospels, which do mention "many others." If our imaginations roam, we can ponder fruitfully, as Mary was wont to do, what went on in that encounter. Mary must have hearkened back to Gabriel's appearance and his words Son of God, reigning with God forever, now making more sense than ever before. And what of a mother's joy, having held the limp body of her son in her lap, now seeing and hearing him alive and glorious? What did Jesus say to his mother? What would such a loving son say to the woman who had shared so much of his recent pain and death? May our prayer today at the end of this first week of Easter be with Mary and Jesus at this tender moment and give us more insight into this special relationship and help us relate bette with them.
Bro.Rene

Resurrection in Rwanda

As we hear the stories this week at Mass from the Acts of the Apostles of the crowds of 5,000 accepting baptism, for example on Pentecost, and after the cure of the cripple on the steps of the Temple, we are astounded at the enthusiasm of those early followers. Evidently that enthusiasm is still alive and well in, of all places, Rwanda, where on Sunday 40,000 people are expected at a charismatic parish in a little town called Ruhango, where a former student of mine, now Fr. Jean-Baptiste, is the director of the renewal center there. He is superior of the community of Pallotine priests and brothers who staff the center, and as he wrote this morning, they are bracing themselves for the influx of these thousands who will be coming to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, a feast instituted by Blessed John Paul II a few years before his death.
Pope John Paul was very devoted to St. Faustina, who began devotion to Jesus as the author of Divine Mercy, and her Divine Mercy chaplet has become widespread. Even in this country, Divine Mercy Sunday is notably observed with pilgrimages, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and recitation of the Chaplet. But, I don't think we've reached the level of numbers that Rwanda can boast of, where 18 years ago, the Genocide was rampaging through the country. When things look down and out, let us not be discouraged, but remember the impact of the Resurrection. Death first, then new life!
Bro. Rene

Peace Be With You

Jesus appeared to the Eleven on the evening of his resurrection and addressed them with the words we use daily at Mass, and for which we hunger and thirst: "Peace be with you." (Jn 20:19). Peace is Jesus' Easter gift to the Eleven and to us, but oh, how elusive it is! Last night a friend sent a thunderbolt via e-mail that hit me between the eyes, enough to shock me into action right away. I have often written about this, but never in terms of self-inflicting violence. Without being presumptuous, I thought the following might hit home with many of you who seek soul-nourishment through these daily slices of bread.
"There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence...[and that is] activism and overwork. The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence.
"To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to violence.
"The frenzy of our activism neutralizes our work for peace. It destroys our own inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of our own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes our work fruitful." --Thomas Merton.
Wow...Thomas Merton wrote in the '50's and '60's and hit the nail, which is bigger and ever more obvious today, on the head. My friend added the following: "It is important that we take our work and family life seriously, and therefore as well our time for rest, reflection and prayer." If we wish to receive the Easter Gift of Peace, we need to whittle down the scope of our activity, lest we damage ourselves and deprive those whom we are called to serve. Peace be with you this day!
Bro. Rene

NCEA Convention

Beginning today, Catholic Educators from around the country will converge at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston share ideas, approaches and to address some of the major issues facing Catholic schools today. Several people will be recognized for their outstanding contributions to Catholic education as well. The Central Catholic A Capella Choir, Central Harmony, will sing at the opening Mass and several teachers will attend.
As Marist Educators, we face a constant challenge of how best to present the basics of our faith to each generation in a world of constantly shifting values and influences. Classroom instruction is one venue, but somehow the treasure of Christ's teachings must permeate the entire atmosphere of the school: how we treat one another, how we communicate, how we coach, how we discipline, how we involve students in service to others, how we pray and worship, how we reinforce the values learned and practiced in the family, or in some cases, how we encourage families to practice the faith. It's what we are about, why we are here. and why we constantly seek through prayer and conventions such as the NCEA to improve what we are doing. Lord, as we continue to celebrate your resurrection, let us with the zeal and passion of your first disciples, continue to spread the Good News with the assurance that you are still with us. Amen.

Bro. Rene

"I Have Seen the Lord"

Mary Magdalene bursts into the upper room where the apostles are still nestled in fear and confusion over the empty tomb and announces that she has seen the Lord. She is met with disbelief. Earlier, she herself, weeping in the garden, did not recognize Jesus at first, thinking he was the gardner. Only when he called her name did the veil fall from her eyes and she indeed saw the Jesus she loved. She tried to shake a similar veil from the Eleven, but was met with skepticism. until that evening when Jesus appeared to them, not chiding them for their disbelief or fear, but offering them peace.
So often in our own lives, our skepticism, fears and prejudices keep us from seeing the Lord as he comes to us in other people. We see the "gardener" but not the good person inside. Recently I attended a memorial service for a man whose life has been peppered with public scandal, but the eulogies focused on the man inside, and I saw him in a whole different light. It brought home to me how limited my perception is of other people. I pray for the eyes of Mary Magdalene to be able to see the good, the Christ, in others.
Bro. Rene

Flowing With Milk and Honey

We continue the joy of Easter Sunday as we extend the celebration of Easter for the whole week, the Octave of Easter, as if it were one long day. Yes, work calls us back to "reality" but it cannot just be "business as usual."We are an "Easter People" whose lives have been radically changed by the triumph of Jesus over death, his resurrection. Yesterday, the assistant pastor of the First Church of Nashua asked, Is Easter real? Did it really happen? If it did, why are there wars and violence, why is their hatred, bullying, and all the other evils that are rampant in the world? If it did happen, shouldn't there be peace, harmony and love, a global community of love? These questions caused me to look into my life to see if I am living Easter, if I am putting it into practice in my daily life. It's so easy to celebrate for a day with lamb, ham and other good table fare which bring families together, but Monday and the days following should continue to be a feast flowing with milk and honey...the gifts that Jesus offers us if we but believe and put that belief into action. We actually have 50 days to remain in "Easter Mode" to help our Lent and our Easter take root and change our behavior. What little thing can I do today to keep the milk and honey flowing?
Bro. Rene

Rising With Christ

The Light of Christ illumined the darkened Church last night and continues to light the way for us. Yes, Jesus Christ rose from the dead, but this is also the celebration of our resurrection for a St. Paul tells us, "If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as being dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus." (Rm 6: 8-11).
Throughout the dioceses in the United States alone, thousands were baptized last night and many more of us renewed our baptismal promises, for which we have been preparing by our Lenten prayer, readings, reflections and actions. We affirmed that we have renounced sin so as to live in the freedom of the children of God. We renounced the lure of evil so that sin may have no mastery over us, and renounced Satan, the author and prince of sin. We then professed our faith as expressed succintly in the Apostles' Creed. We set ourselves more firmly on the path that was chosen for us at our own baptisms when we were "born again." As we sing "Christ is risen from the dead, and dies no more," we sing about ourselves: we have risen from the dead, the death of sin, we are on the way to eternal life. Alleluia!
Happy Resurection, Happy Easter.
Bro. Rene

The Tomb

The Melchite Rite calls attention to the tomb where Jesus was laid after the crucifixion in a moving candlelight service with a procession around the church. It is solemn and dignified, as if for a funeral, but the emphasis is on the tomb as being the womb from which new life springs. That final moment will be celebrated later today with an evening service called the Hagmaat, Resurrection Orthros. The Roman Rite's equivalent is the Easter Vigil, also with it's dramatic lighting of the new fire and Paschal Candle and procession into a darkened church which becomes illuminated with the influx of the faithful carrying candles. The Exultet is sung, readings, stories of our salvation history, are proclaimed and eventually all lights go on with the singing of the Gloria. Catechumens are baptized in the newly blessed water, baptismal promises are repeated and we all joyfully shout, "Jesus is risen". The path from darkness to light, from death to life has been accomplished.
While we await this joyous celebration, we are, in a sense in the quiet of the tomb. It is a time for looking at the love Jesus has shown us, a time to recall our own lenten journey, and to "tally up" what steps we have fulfilled toward the renewal of our baptismal commitment. Have we deepend our relationship with Jesus? Has our prayer-life improved? Will the fruits of our lenten discipline be visible? With Mary, we take time to ponder, and to nourish what we find in the tomb.
Bro. Rene

Broken For Us

In her captivating book, Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit, tells the nail-biting story of Louie Zamperini who with pilot, Russel Allen Phillips, survived 47 days in a rubber raft which floated 2,000 miles in the Pacific in 1943 only to land on a Japanese occupied atoll, where further pain and suffering were inflicted on them. The story of endurance beyond what we would ordinarily think would be the limits of human suffering gives somewhat of a picture of what Jesus suffered in a more compressed and intense form from his arrest in the gardent to his last breath on the cross: hunger, thirst, weariness, abandonment, and enormous physical pain from the scourging, nails and hours on the cross. He who had said over bread, "This is my body which is broken for you" allowed his body to be truly broken on the cross. As a third grader pointed out after making the stations of the cross: "What Jesus did for us is awesome." Yes, it should strike awe in us, just from a physical perspective, and when we think of it in terms of the Son of God, emptying himself that our sins might be forgiven and our souls filled with new life, it is even more awesome, provoking us to "tremble, tremble, tremble." Meditating on the sufferings of Jesus can also give us courage to face the range of human pain, from a sliver in a finger to the excruciating pain of the final stages of stomach cancer in an "if he can do it, so can I" type of challenge. And such a meditation can lead us to humble gratitude and expressions of love in word and action. If God so loved us and gave his Son as the price of our salvation, so might we offer our lives to him to be instruments of showing that love to others.
Bro. Rene

Out Of Love

Holy Thursday, the first day of the Triduum, the three Holy Days before the Resurrection on Easter, the culmination of the Paschal Mystery, i.e. the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus...the necessary death of the grain of seed allowing new life to sprout. Out of LOVE, Jesus gave of himself, "This is my body given for you...my blood poured out for many." (see Mt 26:26ff and Mk 14: 22ff). To insure that this gift be accessible to all generations he said, "When you do this, do it in memory of me." Thus the apostles were ordained and the priesthood came into being. Further, "and laying aside his garments, he washed the feet of the disciples." (See Jn 13: 1-17). An act of humble service, a model for priests, bishops, all followers of Jesus. "I have given you example so that thus you must do to one another." There is much to ponder today: how deep does our love go? How complete and widespread our giving of ourselves? What is keeping us back? How can we follow our Model more closely?
It seems our CCHS students have taken the service model very seriously and in response to the Pay It Forward Challenge a month ago, have taken the $100.00 and blown it up into $3,244.00, which will help Lazarus House pay for the training of a chef who then will be hired by a local restaurant and thus be able to support his family. There are many ways to wash the feet of others; no doubt Jesus is smiling as he looks at this spectacular effort to take his lesson to heart. A reason to be proud, inspired and to do likewise.
Bro. Rene

Fasting and Feasting

The following concise and powerful, simple but not so simple prayer was suggested by Betty Desjardins, one of Central Catholic's Campus Ministers. It is a fitting slice of bread for this Holy Week and can be the blueprint for the days beyond it.
Bro. Rene

Fast from being discontent; Feast on thankfulness
Fast from worry; Feast on trust.
Fast from anger; Feast on patience.
Fast from self-concern; Feast on compassion
Fast from daily pressures; Feast on daily prayers.
Fast from bitterness; Feast on forgiveness.
Fast from discouragement; Feast on hope.
Fast from idle gossip; Feast on purposeful silence.
Fast from problems that overhwlem; Feast on prayer that strengthens.

The Path of Suffering

The following reflection on Holy Week is the gift of Jim O'Neill, chair of the religion department at Central Catholic. Thank you Jim.
Bro. Rene

Holy Week reminds us of Jesus' passion and the challenging message that the road to holiness or wholeness in life often passes through the path of suffering.
There is a line in the movie, Amish Grace, about ten Amish girls who were shot by a man in their one room schoolhouse: "It is only when our lives are falling apart that we can make our faith real." I think it is because when you are stripped naked like Jesus on the cross with outstretched arms you must fully rely on God. You realize that is when God is closest to you incarnated through the love of family and friends. I have found myself becoming a more loving, forgiving, and compassionate human being through the unwanted gift of suffering.
We should pray at the end of this Lent to stuggle even more with the mystery of suffering. We should ask ourselves this question: Who are the family and friends who have walked with us, like Mary, during our way of the cross?
Jim O'Neill