Time for Spiritual Growth

Time is a gift.  We need it, we love it, we hate it, we never have enough of it, we use it, we squander it.  How do we use it best to grow spiritually?  Sometime we long for the idyllic plateau when we've caught up with everything, conquered our vices, overcome our defects, and have achieved such peace of mind that we feel that at last we can proceed with our spiritual growth.  Well, the secret is that our daily tasks, our being stuck in traffic, our losing things, our race with the clock, in a word, all the ordinary things of daily life ARE our spiritual life. It's a growth process that includes all of he above, and all that you can add to it.
However, there is a further and necessary way we need to enhance our desired growth, and with Lent around the corner, it might be something to consider as part of our Lenten regimen. It is taking time simply to BE with our Lord and God.  Recent studies have shown that the pursuit of money and material things do not bring about happiness or fulfillment, but the development of relationships does.  Relationships take time and communication to make them work and grow.  The ultimate relationship or friendship is with God, and this is the one that brings the most peace and happiness.  Jesus asked his chosen apostles in Gethsemane, "Can you not watch one hour with me?"  (Mt 26:40). Well, in today's world, we might modify the question to "Can you not spend 15 minutes with me?"  If we do, we'll find at first that it takes 10 minutes to settle down and clear away the inner baggage we carry, and that the last 5 minutes produce peace, so much so, that we then we might move beyond the 15 to 20, or 30.  A half hour or an hour apart with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is more productive than hours of  frenetic, superficial labor. Try it, you'll see.   Lent is a time for spiritual growth, it's time to use it to the fullest.
Bro. Rene

Buidling Up to Full Stature in Christ

Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of a period of preparation for the renewal of our baptismal vows at the Easter Vigil or on Easter Sunday. It's time to start lining up what we need to do this year to make Lent fruitful.  Today's excerpts from the Letter of St. James (Jas 5:1-6) and the Gospel of Mark ( 9: 41-50) speak directly about eliminating behaviors that interfere with our relationship to Jesus. Neither speaks gently today of what we must do if we are to grow into full stature in Christ. James attacks those who cheat their workers of a just and fair wage to fatten their own hearts and pockets, and Jesus urges us to cut off whatever leads us to sin.  No mincing of words. We might reflect on where we are not only short-changing others, be they employers, employees, family or friends, but also God.  Where are we cutting corners to avoid the responsibilities we owe to God?  What do we need to cut out of our behavior towards others that alienates us from them or that demeans them?
We might become discouraged when we see how much clutter has accumulated in our souls since last Lent, but St. Paul's words to the Ephesians offer us hope and encouragement:  Grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift....for the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ.(Eph 4:7, 12-13).  In him we live and move and have our being.  ((Acts 17:28).
Bro. Rene

Prayer As Service

So many times a day people ask for prayers for someone who is ill, someone in grief, someone who has strayed; the list never ends.  A look at some of the pictures or comments on Facebook posted by young people we know makes us want to fall immediately to our knees.  We wonder where these people will end up. So we turn to prayer but question whether or not these prayers will have any effect. It seems that when we are just about ready to give up ourselves, we meet some young, faith-filled person whose face is an open door to the beauty and goodness in their soul and their light shines upon the shadows caused by our doubt and dissipates them. It's amazing how this happens time and time again when we need it the most.  It restores our faith and helps us to see the link that praying for others provides.  We benefit from the people who are praying for us and this encourages us to continue to pray for "the lost" or the suffering, having been reassured that prayers do work.  Yes, there is a great need for prayers and we shouldn't let our own discouragement or doubt stop us from offering this simple act of service to others.
Bro. Rene

Reassurance

Today's news and headlines stuff us with warnings and debates about the need for and value of insurance.  If we hear about health insurance or "Obamacare" again, we might want to scream.  Today's Gospel about the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, along with the old Gospel Hymn, Blessed Assurance, remind us that our true insurance is in Jesus. "Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?"  (Mt 6: 27).  "If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?"  (Mt 6: 30).  Let these words of Jesus calm our anxieties as we continue with this day and its unforeseen surprises.
Bro Rene

Rewards, Yes, Not Always Rapid

Southwest Airlines has a program called "Rapid Rewards", as do many other businesses, such as Staples, CVS, etc...whereby every penny one spends, somehow comes back in the form of a reward.  With Southwest, it can be as much as a "free" round trip flight. Certainly worth the investment.  But life has its own rewards program, not always instantaneous, but so much better.
Such was my experience during the "blackout" last week when I could not get access to Wi-Fi where I was staying in West Virginia.  I spoke about "New Marists in Mission" at Bishop Donahue High School, where I had been principal, and where I still visit at least once a year to keep them connected to our Marist World.  It was rewarding for me to participate at Mass with the student body, and then to speak with them in their gym. Several of the students had just made the Encounter in Esopus, NY, and we had a reunion which tightened the bond we had mede in Esopus.
I was able to see many friends, but the climax was the 90th birthday party for the patriarch of a large family of 12 children and huge numbers of grandchildren and great grandchildren.  We also celebrated the "matriarch's" 85th birthday. The party began with Mass, so appropriate for this faith-filled family, lots of time to bounce around and talk with as many of the family as possible and share an A+ meal together.  One of the grandsons, a professional photographer in New York bounced around taking everyone's picture, to make sure the beauty of this moment would be preserved.  He was recently part of the team that took the "zero gravity" cover photo for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.  I was honored when he asked me IF he could take my photo, "a portrait" he called it, and balked a bit asking, "Who am I after taking that now famous (or infamous) photo that is being seen globaly?"  He assured me that it was his honor.  So, there I posed for it, thankfully without having to wear a bikini!
In this family celebration and every event of the vacation week, I saw the rewards of lives of faith, fidelity and love.  We don't have to wait for heaven, we get previews like this from time to time to remind us that what might seem like ordinary life, is really earning points for the big, final reward.
Bro. Rene

Prayers Needed

Am leaving on an early flight Wednesday...time does not allow a slice of bread other than the promise of prayers while I'm away...and requests for prayers for a miracle recovery of a young man, and the deceased in the carbon monoxide deaths in Plaistow, NH on Monday.  Not sure about internet access over the next few days.
Bro. Rene

"Do You Still Not Understand?"

There is a little touch of irritation in the question of Jesus, "Do you still not understand?" (Mk 8:21), as he overheard his disciples expressing their concern about having only one loaf of bread on board their boat.  This is just after he had multiplied loaves and fishes twice for crowds of 5,000 and 4,000. What else would he have to do to teach them that God will always provide?
 This question is not just for the apostles, but for us as well;  how many times have we slipped back into doubt after having received the assurance that we would never have to doubt again, that God would always be there to rescue us?  How slow we are, like the disciples, to understand God's never-ending, overabundant love for us?  We kick ourselves when we hear this question, we profess that we'll never be so stupid again, and sometimes, no sooner than the words are out of our mouths, there we go again, lacking trust, being stupid. Yet the patience and love of God stand fast, and he goes on leading us with new favors, as well as new challenges.  As is said in AA, "one day at a time", let us make an effort just for today, not to fall into the "stupid-trap" but show by our actions, that "yes, Lord, I do understand." If it works for today, then let us do it again tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow.
Bro. Rene

The Presidents of Presidents Day

Presidents Day, initiated to combine the birthday celebrations of Abraham Lincoln, February 12 and George Washington, February 22, into a "long weekend holiday" has done little to honor the memory of these great leaders. Once a big day of special sales, that too has gone by the wayside, as one car dealer said recently, "even presidents day is dead."  Perhaps if we look at the men we honor, even if in name, we might appreciate more why we set this day aside as a holiday.   George Washington, considered by some our greatest president, not only led the successful revolution to gain freedom from Britain, but he nurtured the young nation through its painful early years, and with the help of other greats, like James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, turned the once 13 colonies into a unique constitutional republic.  Washington was a visionary as well, putting his life and wealth on the line to bring forth this new nation.  Often forgotten, or deliberately overlooked, in his farewell address at the end of his second term, he warned that meddling in the internal affairs of foreign countries would weaken our own country, depleting its financial and personnel resources and causing division within that could destroy it.  A look at the past fifty years of our history verifies his advice and his prediction.
Abraham Lincoln stands even taller in the eyes of history than he did in life.  A man of strong convictions and determination, he grew in the understanding of his mission to preserve the union which led to the abolition of slavery, a huge and costly (to him) step in our country's further growth.
A prayer of gratitude for these men and their legacy, as well as a prayer for fidelity to their values and love of our country, are in order today.
Bro. Rene

Choices

St. Marcellin's mission of  "making Jesus known and loved," carries with it more than just teaching facts about Jesus, or lists of do's and don'ts. It means forming a love relationship with him that will enable us to make the right choices which thus take care of the do's and don'ts.  Parents take great pains to begin the process helping their children learn right from wrong, and set up rules which serve as the framework for later choices.  They do so in a loving way, albeit a "tough" loving way at times, especially when the children enter their teens and want to experiment outside the boundaries that have been set for them. It takes loving patience to explain, to help them learn from their mistakes, to bear with their rebellious attitude, (which, thank God, they eventually outgrow), but in the end (whenever that is) the children grow into responsible adults.
In our own process of coming to know and love Jesus, we follow a path not unlike that of our offspring or students.  We make mistakes, we experiment, we take the easy road of less resistance, we question, we whine, and we test God.   That same loving forbearance which we give to the young, God continues to give to us.  With the wisdom of a long path of ups and downs, mistakes and corrections, right choices and wrong, we learn and appreciate God's patience with us and come to love and trust him from the depths of our souls. Right choices, then become easier.
Bro. Rene

Nothing Is Impossible With God

"Nothing will be impossible with God" (Lk 1:37).  So said the angel Gabriel to Mary at the Annunciation, a sentence which was surely true for her and which has rung true through the ages.  Often we forget it when faced with situations that back us up into the "I-can't-take-it-anymore" corner.  A mother faces three suicides in her family;  young adults overdosing on heroin, some dying, others impairing their health for the rest of their lives;  a family killed by a package bomb, the tales are endless and no less tragic nor challenging.
In the mid nineteen century, a newly ordained priest entered a small village ravaged by post-revolution cynicism and a-morality, where hope had died. Mocked, spat upon, ignored, the young priest, faced an impossible situation, but by prayer, fasting and consistency, not by eloquent preaching and academic prowess, gradually won back the hearts that had survived the guillotine, but had hardened into stone. Eventually, the church was full on Sundays, the lines for confession kept the Cure busy all day long as penitents streamed from all of France and beyond to receive absolution from one who could tell them even before they opened their mouths what they had done wrong and how ready God was to forgive them.  Indeed, a special train station was built in Ars because of the man who had arrived there on foot. New life rose from the ashes of the French Revolution. No one could have predicted such a change.
May the faith of St. John Mary Vianney inspire us and give us courage when we feel overwhelmed by the impossible.  No, Nothing is impossible with God.l
Bro. Rene

Hearts

Today is the day of hearts, red, heart-shaped boxes filled with chocolates, chocolates in the shape of hearts, hearts of diamonds, and red roses by the dozens, some in floral pieces in the shape of a heart.  All attempting to visualize love, which is always associated with the heart.  It's amazing how popular this day remains from the little that is known of the third century priest whose name blesses this day, Valentine. One story is told that he wrote a note to a young girl whose sight he restored and signed it, "From your Valentine", a phrase that adorns many a card today.

On a deeper level, we might use this day to give our hearts to Jesus through Mary.  One of her titles is The Immaculate Heart of Mary, and, of course, we revere the Sacred Heart of Jesus. If we give our hearts to Mary, she can transform them into the image of her Son's, for it is from her that he received his human heart. We can learn from her to welcome and love ALL who come into our lives today, in person, via e-mail, or a Valentine card...We can walk the extra mile for someone, or give our ear to someone who needs to talk, or say that extra prayer for someone in need.  This is a day not only to celebrate love, but to live it.  St. Teresa of Avila wrote:of it:

O soul of God hidden in sin,

What more desires for thee remain,

Save but to love and love again,

And all on flame with love within,

Love on, and turn to love again?

Bro. Rene

Live, Serve, Explore

The University of Notre Dame publishes a daily reflection on the Gospel of the day, under the title of Faith ND, but above the Gospel selection, there are three words, Live, Serve, Explore, which fit with our Marist Charism as though they had been included by St. Marcellin himself.  In living in the presence of God, working tirelessly as he did to serve the needs of youth;  in humility and simplicity in the footsteps of Mary and as a family, we are living fully, serving others and always exploring new ways to do so.
Yesterday at the end of an evaluation session of their community service, I encouraged the class to consider service beyond Central Catholic by joining service organizations in college, or even "going international" as one of our graduates did in Australia.  Immediately, two girls came up and asked what they could do along those lines right after graduation this year if possible.  It struck me how Marist they had become by "osomosis"...just by being given the opportunity to serve others while in high school.
Perhaps in the course of this day we might explore opportunities beyond our usual ones, or included in them, to reach out further, or reach in deeper to develop and extend our Marist way of life.
Bro. Rene

A Song and a Prayer for the Hungry Heart

Matt Maher, :"Christian Rock Singer" is well known and love by teens, but is becoming popular among adults.  He sang before at Adoration during World Youth Day in front of Pope Francis and many bishops.
The version below is graced with images that support the words and touch the heart. Fr. Martin Hyatt suggests that the word, "Lord I love you" or "Lord I praise you" might be substituted for "Lord I need you" as we go about our day.  Let this slice of bread satisfy our hunger and thirst for the Lord.
Bro. Rene

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JIOtQyVHBlc

World Day of the Sick

Blessed Pope John Paul II began the practice of dedicating the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, February 11, to praying for the sick, following Mary's plan that the miraculous spring be a source of healing, not only of body, but of heart and faith since the initial apparitions. Countless numbers of "malades" have come to Lourdes seeking healing and have found it, some through spectacular miracles, and others, in the quiet of their hearts. We all know of people who are suffering from grave illnesses and cannot make the piligrimage to Lourdes; we ourselves have our aches and pains, physical and spiritual. All of us can benefit from the suggestions of Pope Francis summarized here.

Pope Francis in 2014 is commending the 22nd World Day of the Sick to the intercession of Mary, so that she will help sick people to live their own suffering in communion with Jesus Christ.
The theme for this world day is Faith and charity: "We too must give our lives for the brethren" and in his message to mark this occasion, the Holy Father turns his attention especially to the sick and all those who provide them with care and treatment. The Pope begins his five point message by saying “the Church sees in you, dear sick people, the special presence of the suffering Christ and he goes on to say that God gives us the courage to face each adversity with him and united to Him
In his second point, Pope Francis underlines the fact that although the Son of God made man has not taken away human disease and suffering, he has taken them on to himself, transforming and reducing them because, as the Holy Father explains, they no longer have the last word. The true test of faith in Christ, continues the Pope is the gift of oneself to spread the love for one's neighbor, especially for those who do not deserve it , for those who suffer, and for those who are marginalized.
In the third part of his message Pope Francis highlights that we should approach those who are in need of care with tenderness. He continues this theme in the penultimate part of his message saying that “to grow in tenderness , and charity, we have a model Christian."
She, Pope Francis says, is the Mother of Jesus and our Mother, attentive to the voice of God and the needs and difficulties of his children. Concluding his message the Holy Father turns to the figure of St. John, the disciple who was with Mary at the foot of the Cross.
It is this Saint, he stresses, that takes us back to the source of faith and charity, to the heart of God who " is love" and he reminds us that we cannot love God if we do not love our neighbor.--Lydia O'Kane, Vatican Radio

Bro. Rene

A Far Cry From St. Scholastica

The Church commemorates St. Scholastica, sister of St. Benedict, whose strong faith,  pure love and openness "to receiving happily whatever came from loving God"  stand on stark contrast to what is becoming an obsession in some parts of the world with  trying to interfere with and control the life cycle as established by God.  Not only is abortion legal, but now in Belgium, euthanasia of children, an extension of the already legal practice of euthanasia of adults, will be voted on this coming Thursday.  Thankfully, many in Belgium and Europe oppose the legislation, stating that there is no need for it; that there are ways and means of caring for the children in question.  Most parents with children who are severely "challenged" find in them blessings they never anticipated.  Coming to light in the debate are shocking practices of nurses injecting patients with lethal doses of drugs without knowledge of doctors, or permission from the patients or their families.  It is euthanasia out of control. Towards the end of his encyclical, Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI predicted such horrors would evolve eventually from the use of artificial birth control.  It seems that his foresight, overlooked in the furor that he didn't "listen to the experts",  is proving correct.
The oft-repeated story about St. Scholastica, whose prayer when Benedict refused to stay overnight and continue their conversation,  was answered with a ferocious thunderstorm which forced him to stay, reminds us of the power of prayer.  Not only Belgium, but the whole world needs a thunderstorm to put us back on the track of serving God with pure love and happily receiving what comes from him.
Bro. Rene

Light and Salt

Advent and Christmas were filled with readings pertaining the light:  light shining in darkness, the star guiding the Magi, Jesus as the Light of  the World. Again today's Gospel brings us the strong words of Jesus regarding OUR mission to be light for the world and salt for the earth .  (Mt 5:13-16). The light MUST shine before others that our good deeds by seen, and glory given, not to us, but to the Father.  Isaiah lists the good deeds in reading that we'll soon be hearing on Ash Wednesday:  "Share your bread with the hungry,/ shelter the oppressed and the homeless; cloth the naked when you see them,/ and do not turn your back on your own." (Is 58: 7)  He goes on to include the removal of oppression, false accusation and malicious speech (Is 58: 9), things that so subtly become part of our behavior.  Go to a hockey game and listen to the "fans." Oooh!  Being light and salt is not easy; it takes time, effort, sacrifice, boldness and daring. Rather than preach about it and not do it, it would be, according to St. John of the Cross, better to keep our mouths shut and divert our energy to prayer. Then the strength and insight would come and we might venture forth with confidence to remove the bushel basket and let our light shine.
Bro. Rene

Endless Solicitations

Is it not amazing that after we give once to an organization, it seems that fifty others line up either by phone or mail to get their share?  Obviously, the mailings and calls are the work of fund-raising businesses who buy  mailing lists and phone numbers and daily, it seems, crank out letter after letter, call after call.  It's impossible to keep giving to all of them, but at least we can offer a little prayer that their needs may somehow, someday be met.  Once in awhile a valid acknowledgement comes and validates that the gift actually has made a difference in a person's life. Yesterday a touching letter arrived from a sixth grader at Guadalupe Middle School in Brownsville Texas, to whom our community sends an annual donation, saying that he loves his religion class the best because they talk about God and the teacher makes it fun. Well, if their were no Guadalupe Middle School, this boy would not be having such a positive experience nor be growing in his relationship with God. So, it's worth putting up with the piles of address labels, note pads, cards, medals and rosaries, for our little donations are making a difference that we may not always be aware of.  If it were not for the generosity of others, St. Marcellin would not have been able to house his young brothers; today our mission appeal talks in parishes around the country enable our work to be done in foreign countries. "The gifts given to us are for us to give." (Magnificat, February, p. 107.
Bro. Rene

God's Way Is Unerring

If we look back over our lives from our earliest memories to just this morning, it might help our confidence in God's way grow ever more solid and unwavering.  In Psalm 18 we read:
God's way is unerring,
the promise of the Lord is fire-tried;
he is a shield to all who take refuge in him. (Ps 18:30)
It's a long psalm,  but clearly comes from the heart of a man, most likely David, who looks back over his life and sees the hand of the Lord in every aspect of it. And true that is for us;  we have been as singled-out and protected as was David, even in our sinfulness.  What makes David special is that as grave and public as his sins were, he publicly asked for forgiveness and each time came closer to God.  As we review our lives, we will see a pattern:  God is ever teaching us, even as we stray; when we return with a contrite heart, he showers us with favors.  When we confess the same sins time after time, God remains faithful and gifts us as if we have made great progress in "amending our lives."  We see that decisions we have made or avoided were all part of his unerring plan. Psalm 18 can provide food for prayer for many days.  It's worth finding the time to pray over it and see how relevant it is to us.
Bro. Rene

The Cost of Spreading the Faith

When Jesus commissioned the apostles to preach the word and baptize, he was not joking.  The apostles took his word seriously and did what they could to spread the faith; all but St. John were martyred for carrying out this mission.  Through the centuries, others have continued to carry out this mandate, some sacrificing their lives, like St. Paul Miki of Japan and his companions, others taking huge risks, suffering setback after setback, but dying at the end of a long life, as did Fr. Edward Sorin, founder of the University of Notre Dame, whose 200th birthday we celebrate today.  St. Marcellin had that same zeal and incorporated it directly in our mission to make Jesus known and loved. He himself wanted to be a missionary (to the United States!!!), but God had other plans.  A few days ago we commemorated the death of the brother who accompanied St. Peter Chanel to the South Pacific.  The brothers who spread to the 80 countries where we are located now fulfilled St. Marcellin's dream.  The Japanese martyrs were first generation Catholics, some fresh out of the catecumenate, but as fervent in their love of and devotion to Jesus as they could be.  They died reciting the prayers they had learned, the Our Father, Hail Mary, and some hymns.  How simple.  May they serve as models for us as we go about our day, as missionaries, as faithful followers of Jesus.  Our example wherever we are can help spread the faith.
Bro. Rene

Judging Others

Today's Gospel from Mark 6: 1-6 relates the reaction of the local neighbors to the teaching of Jesus in the synagogue.  "Where did he get all this knowledge? Who is he except the son of the carpenter? What can he know? We know his family; we knew him growing up."  They rejected him and due to their lack of faith, he could only perform a few healings.  Their lack of faith astonished him.  Yet, so like those people are we in our everyday dealings with others. We ask those same questions, and because of our rash judgments deprive people of opportunities to show their gifts, or to become our friends.  The Native American Deacons I knew on the Pine Ridge Reservation, like Jesus, were not welcome in their local parishes as people pointed to their past histories, often including drinking, their families, or their poor education  and accused them of trying to be better than they.  Even in the annals of our Marist history, one community had to be corrected by St. Marcellin, whose approach might serve as a model for us.
Br. Hippolyte, who had a lame leg, was always late for morning prayer, since he could not walk to the chapel from the river where the brothers washed up, as fast as the rest.  He was scolded by the brothers and reported to Fr. Champagnat as lazy and eternally tardy.  Fr. Champagnat called attention to the cause of Br. Hippolyte's tardiness and solved the problem by giving him a jug which he could fill with water and wash up in his room before prayer.  He was never late again.  If we look behind the appearances that cause us to judge, we most always will find another side which can change our opinion.  St. Marcellin, may we see people with eyes of compassion  as you did, and avoid rash judging them.
Bro. Rene

Seeing wth The Eyes of Faith

Julian of Norwich wrote: See that I am God.  See that I am in everything. See that I do everything.  See that I have never stopped ordering my works, nor ever shall eternally. See that I lead everything on to the conclusion I ordained for it before time began, by the same power, wisdom and love with which I made it.  How can anything be amiss?
This message of a 14th century anchoress rings as true today as when she wrote it.  A young priest in telling his vocation story said that while he was a seminarian, he was struggling with his love for surfing in Hawaii with the call to become a priest.  He asked God what kind of God would so torture a person, causing him sleepless nights and the heavy weight of a heart divided. His answer came one morning as he awoke sweating from his inner pain. God said, "I am not torturing you, but inviting you to see me in all things: in surfing, in the huge waves you love, in these perfect Hawiian days. There is no reason to be torn;  see it all as my gift, and my way of showing you how beautiful I am and how much I love you to let you have time to play in my little paradise on earth."  The anguish in the young man's heart was driven out by the peace which flooded in, and he went on to be a very happy and effective priest who still loves to surf on his vacations.
The eyes of faith help us to see what God is bending over backwards to show us. It's our own lack of focus that causes us to miss the message.What do we want to do about it?
Bro. Rene

Finding Freedom

Blessed John Paul II said, “Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.” As Christians, we have the Church to guide us in knowing what is right and wrong—in knowing what we ought to do. Our Encounter with Christ directly through prayer and the sacraments, or indirectly through other people certainly sets us free.  Today's Gospel of the possessed man in the land of the Gerasenes illustrates what this Encounter can do when Jesus takes up for us. Grace abounds where Jesus is, and evil, or doubt, frustration of anxiety dissipate and we are truly free.
So it was on the Marist Youth Encounter Christ, when 56 young people found freedom in the grace, love and security their encounter with.Christ in the form of people, prayer and sacraments.  It was, as always, a joy to see shy people unleashed from their shyness, and the not-so-shy become even more loving and outgoing. They all found freedom. 
The three young men who committed themselves to study and live the Marist life as novice brothers, in closing certain doors during these  next two years, found a freedom that enabled their hearts and faces to radiate with joy.
And even today, we were given liberation from diseases of the throat through the intercession of St. Blaise. We seek freedom and God is always finding ways to give it to us.Nothing is too insignificant for him.
Bro. Rene

New Life

This weekend carries a series of commemorations that are no coincidence. Yesterday was the Chinese New Year, and boasted of the rare occurrence of the second new moon in the same month; today is the memorial of St. Bridgid or Ireland, a pioneer in the celtic church who was baptized by St. Patrick , founded the convent at what is now Kildare, along with several others throughout Ireland, and after a life of invigorating the spread of Christianity and of service to the poor, was buried in the same grave as St. Patrick and St. Columba; tomorrow is the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord and Candlemass Day, when new candles are blessed. And we are just past the halfway mark in our Encounter with Christ retreat where new insights, new energy, new life are transforming all of us. Tomorrow, in our novitiate, three postulants will become novices, signifying new life for the provinces of the United States and Australia, from where two of the men come. The heavens, the seasons, the saints, the prayers of many from our home bases and the grace of God are clearly visible; we have every reason to "rejoice and be glad," with signs like this, especially if The Tempter has been filling our brains with thoughts of gloom and sabotaging our feelings with discouragement. No, new life definitely abounds.
Bro, Rene