Believing But Unbelieving

The reaction of the disciples to the resurrection is a mixture of joy, fear, disbelief, wondering, striving to understand. Their faith was being stretched, as well can be imagined. When have we ever seen someone rise from the grave after having been buried for three days? It was not normal, a brand new experience for them. Jesus had to eat some baked fish and offer to let Thomas touch his wounds to convince them that he had risen.
At the Easter Vigil, many were baptized and/or received into full communion with the Church. Perhaps today, several days later, they too are wondering, "Did this really happen? What does all of this mean? How do I live my new life when so much of my old life still engulfs me, when old fears, doubts, resentments and angers rear their ugly heads, or when sickness or death of a loved one suddenly intervene? Don't we all ask those questions? It's as if we believe, but, totter on the edge of unbelief. The answer lies in the solid presence of Jesus, who, as we see in the post-resurrection stories, goes out of his way to assure, explain, and show by his actions and love that he is with us in such a way that NOTHING can separate us from him. Let us not, then be unbelieving, but believing.
Bro. Rene

NB: Tomorrow I will be in the hospital, so there will be no slice of bread.

Burning Hearts

The Emmaus story in today's Gospel gives us a picture of our own journey: bolstered by great events or wonderful people, then followed by wondering and questioning. The trumpets and tympani of the Easter Vigil can fast disappear in the drab monotony of work or routine. Even a gray day can pull us down. As the disciples felt their hearts burning within them as they walked with Jesus, listened to him and recognized him in the "breaking of the bread", they gave us the formula for keeping our hearts burnng: prayerful listening to Jesus and participation in the Eucharist. May we avail ourselves of these means as much as we can.
Bro. Rene

"Why Are You Weeping?"

Mary Magdalene is the first person to see Jesus after discovering the empty tomb with the other women, yet in her grief, and now in her pessimism, the body is gone and she'll never be able to see it again. She can't recognize Jesus through her tears. The angels ask her why she is weeping and so does Jesus. Twice the same question! She was evidently really "down". Yet, Jesus does not chide her for her lack of faith, her grief, her discouragement, but reveals himself to her as he calls her name, recognizing her current state, accepting her as she was, and comforting her with his presence.
Isn't that the way he treats us? Even in our deepest depression or slightest incapacitation, he is always there.
I am in a state of partial immobilization after a serious fall in Cleveland which tore my right "quad" from my kneecap. Walking gingerly with the aid of a crutch...no driving, naturally, forced to sit. But, what a gift of time, not to weep with Mary, but to know the presence of Jesus in a special way, especially this week, and be able to "cling" to him, listen to him and receive his comfort. There is always a blessing in the worst of challenges.
Bro. Rene

This Is The Day The Lord Has Made

We continue to celebrate Easter Sunday this entire week, the Octave of Easter, as if were still Easter Sunday itself. For the next 50 days, the Easter Season, we will ponder the resurrection of Jesus and our own baptismal resurrections in a effort to appreciate the magnitude of our salvation.
The newly baptized and confirmed adults who are now in full communion with the Catholic Church can look back at the events that led them to take this big step. Infants and young children will someday realize the treasure they were given as they are nurtured by their families and parish communities and some day make their confirmation. It is all mystery, all gift, as to why some are so chosen; yet Christ died for ALL. May we spend this week praising and thanking God for his universal as well as personal love.
Bro. Rene

The Empty Tomb

NB. Thank you for your patience the past few days...I was not able to connect with the blogspot that powers these slices of bread.

The women found the tomb empty. What further emptiness did they need after the awful scenes of Friday, when the cruel death of the One they loved, believed in and followed with blind loyalty? Perhaps still numb and wondering if it had all been a dream, they mechanically made their way to the tomb to finish the burial process, and not the last link to Jesus, his body, was gone.
Often in our lives when we think we've reached our limits, that "we can't take any more", "more" comes and our emptiness goes deeper. But then, as the women experienced, something happens to assure us that we have not reached the bottom, but have been brought to this place to experience more fully what it means to "rise from the dead", to have new life, new sense of purpose, to be reborn. Jesus comes alive on the Easter skies of our life! So it was with the women whose hearts must have pounded doubly as they ran back to tell the Eleven what they had seen and heard...that their hero had risen from the dead as he promised. What chills in their spines, what tears of joy in their eyes, what wonder in their minds: this had never happened before, coming back from the dead! May the empty tombs, the emptiness of depression and unhappiness we experience from time to time be replaced by new insights and the reassurance that this had to be so that we may know for real that All Shall Be Well.
Bro. Rene

Just A brief Word

Time will not allow more than just a reminder that Lent transitions to the Triduum which begins on tomorrow, Holy Thursday.  Participation in the Liturgy of the Lord's supper followed by adoration is the best way to spend this day.  I will be on retreat at St. Anselm's  Abbey praying for all.
Bro. Rene

False Self-Image

As the Last Supper proceeded and Jesus spoke of a traitor,  Peter vehemently affirmed that he would never betray or deny knowing Jesus, even if it meant death. and the rest of the Eleven said the same thing.  (Mt 33-35). Jesus rightly predicted that before the cock crowed, Peter would have denied him three times.  What an awakening call that cock made at dawn, one that shook Peter to his bones and led to enormous guilt, pain, and desire for forgiveness.

How often do all of us think of ourselves as "on the right track", only to be reminded of how badly we have strayed into insensitivity, or even outright hostile behavior toward others.  Denial seems to be part of our "fallen nature", and on this 102nd anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, I can't help thinking of the over-confidence of the architect, Thomas Andrews and the owners of the White Star Line, who proclaimed her "unsinkable".  Those words came around to strike them in the face on this invulnerable ship's maiden voyage.

It would be helpful to pause today, this week, to look into our hearts to find the Peter or the Thomas Andrews in us, who protest that we will never deny Jesus, or that we are "unsinkable", lest the cock crow and reveal who we really are.  And if it does crow, so much the better, may we, like Peter, seek full forgiveness.
Bro. Rene

Who Am I?

Six days before Passover, while eating at the home in Bethany of Lazarus, Martha and Mary, two contrasting figures stand out:  Mary and Judas. Mary expresses her love for Jesus by anointing his feet with precious ointment, displaying without shame who she is, a woman of deep love.  No false face, no mask.   Her love is out in the open.
Judas protests this waste of precious oil, the price of which, he said, could have been given to the poor. The Evangelist, John, is quick to point out that Judas said this not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief who regularly stole from the common fund that enabled the Apostles to eat.  Again, in Gethsemane, he feigns friendship with Jesus kissing him with the betraying  kiss that led to the arrest of Jesus.  The Judas who appeared in public as one of the Twelve becomes clear in this final week.
It is easy for us to dismiss Judas as the instrument of evil, but he might be worthy of reflection, particularly this week, as we walk with Jesus to his passion, death and resurrection.  We live in a culture of lies, the fate of our fallen nature, and though we are appalled by the lies of public officials, how about our own lies, our own false fronts?  Not to be negative or pessimistic, but there might be a mixture of Mary and Judas in each one of us.  Let us look deeply, admit, and ask for the help of Jesus.
Bro. Rene

A Sprig of Palm

As part of the ambiance in our chapel during Lent, we've had a plain wooden cross on a pedestal covered with a sheer violet cloth flowing from the pedestal to the floor.  Today a sprig of palm below the cross, against the cloth, stands out as an arrow pointing to it, a vivid reminder that today's triumphal entry into Jerusalem included death on the cross. There's no escaping the pain that being a follower of Jesus entails, yet, this is our calling.  It means, as Jose Pagola reminds us, "committing ourselves to humanizing life and so contributing little by little to making a reality of his project of a world in which God and his justice reign.  This means that we, the followers of Jesus, are sent to bring truth where there is deceit and lies, justice where there is injustice and cruelty to the weakest, and bring back compassion where there is indifference and passivity at the sight of those who suffer. This entails building communities that unite on the basis of the project of Jesus while living his spirit and attitudes." (Pagola, Following in the Footsteps of Jesus, Year A)
As we wave our palms in procession and listen to the reading of the Passion, let us recommit ourselves to this project.
Bro. Rene

                                       

The Lord Will Guard Us

Jesus referred to himself as a shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Certainly during this coming week, Holy Week, we see that image become reality.  On Holy Thursday, he gave us his body to be our nourishment and means of total union with him; on Good Friday, he completed that gift by sacrificing his body on the cross.  When we are asked to "go the extra mile" for others, even if they just ask for prayers, if we think for a moment about what Jesus did, we will gladly do whatever we can, "lay down our life", to help.
He "emptied himself", so can we.  And like a good friend, he is there at our side to guard us against the temptation to selfishness, and to guide, strengthen and encourage us to do whatever is asked of us.  The big dramatic requests are few and far between for most of us, but the little daily demands are always with us.  May not be blind or deaf to them as they are the means to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and become more like him.   May we be attentive to today's opportunities, and in the week ahead, ponder the events in the final week of Jesus' life that they may inspire us to make his self-giving the pattern of our lives.
Bro. Rene

Facing Opposition and Suffering

The closer we get to Holy Week, the keener the opposition Jesus faces stands out.  His direct I AM declaration did not convince, but only angered his opponents.  Even his "works", did not convince them.
In frustration, Jesus returned to the place where he was baptized by John in the Jordan and heard the assuring voice of his Father saying, "This is my beloved Son upon whom my favor rests.  Listen to him."  (Mt 3:17). The anguish of  his rejection and the thoughts of the impending suffering and death awaiting him shortly culminated in his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.
When Jesus said, Unless you take up your cross daily and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. (Mk 8: 34). he warned us that we can expect nothing less than what he experienced. St. Stanislaus of Poland, whose memorial is today, bravely challenged King Boleslaus II, the wicked king of Poland, and even excommunicated him, an action which cost him his life at the hands of the king himself. St. Stanislaus was a true disciple of Jesus, bearing the cross of opposition and martyrdom.  How many Christians today bear that same cross?    How many people do we know who are experiencing rejection or mockery because of their faith?  How many do we know who are suffering with terminal illnesses?  Cancer strikes randomly, hitting friends, family, and perhaps us ourselves?  All of this is bearable only if united with the sufferings of Jesus and seen as part of the price for being a true disciple.  May we, like Jesus, embrace it all as a call to share in his self-sacrifice for the redemption of the human race.
Bro. Rene

I AM

Three times in this very week, our Gospel accounts, in preparation for Holy Week and the Passion and Death of Jesus, just a week away (Holy Thursday is NEXT THURSDAY!), highlight the confrontations Jesus had with his opponents  in which he directly uses the Divine Name, I AM, in reference to himself.  It's as if he were trying to reveal explicitly who he was to those who should have known, the teachers and leaders of the people.  Yet, they refused to accept it, though they did "hear it" so much so that they took up stones to hurl at him for making himself equal to God.  If we apply this scenario to ourselves, two things stand out here: 1) how much Jesus wants to make himself known to us, how directly he reveals himself and gives of himself, e.g. our daily Scripture selections at Mass, the Holy Eucharist itself, the loving people who are part of our daily lives so that we may know and love him..  2) He is shouting to us, "I AM" and we deafly go about our busyness, or persist in our petty whining about having too much to do, or being tired or being annoyed by "those people", or like the Pharisees, take up the stones of our self-righteousness to throw at him.
Its so easy to contemn the Jews for their rejection of Jesus, or, in the case of religion teachers, castigating our pupils for their blind ignorance or belligerent argumentativeness, but first, we need to look at ourselves and see how often we miss Jesus' loving and persistent efforts to show us who he is, and invite us to a closer, deeper friendship with him. How many Lents, how many Easters do we need to embrace with our whole beings this Jesus whose persistent love and call to be ONE with him echoes in the recesses of our hearts minute after minute? Jesus, as we approach the final days of Lent open my ears and eyes to hear and see that you are indeed I AM.
Bro. Rene

Being Purified

As we proceed toward Palm Sunday and Holy Week, the image of fire helps us to realize that we need to be delivered from our inclination to hold on to the things that enslave us:  our own stubborn ways, our self-contentedness,our judgmental opinions, our indifference to the call to follow Jesus more closely Sometimes to remove these shackles some trial comes our way, such as losing a job, a friend, of a family member.  Sometimes it's an accident.  The book of Wisdom reminds us that :As gold is tried in the furnace, he proved them,/ and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself."  (Wisdom 3:6).  These challenges are the fire that purify us, if we look upon them as opportunities, or gifts, which, in the midst of them is hard to do.  Yet, Jesus took upon himself his arguments with the Jews and all his suffering and ultimate death.
 Jesus, you promised that the truth would set us free. Draw us into the mystery of your love for us, a love that frees us from the lies that keep us bound in sin and self-deception. May we embrace the new life that comes from Baptism and live in the freedom of the children of God. You live and reign with the Father and the Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen
Father Paul Kollman, C.S.C.
Bro. Rene

God Works It Out

We've all heard and used the expression, "It all works out", sometimes adding on "for the best."  As our Lenten journey proceeds into its final weeks and the focus is on the increased opposition to Jesus and the solidifying of the desire to "eliminate him," certainly, on one hand a situation that doesn't look like it will "work out for the best", but in reality DOES on Easter, it's time for us to modify this old cliche to "God works it out."  Why are we afraid to say it?  Afraid to be mocked, to be thought of as too pious, or a "faith freak"?
Yet, as in the case of Jesus, if we look back, we see that "nothing happens by chance" and that the worst of calamities has its redemptive dimension. God is so intimately involved in our lives, that even to the minutest detail, he works things out for us, and, I dare say, always for the best!
Bro. Rene

Approaching the Last Two Weeks of Lent

 Since I will be traveling to West Virginia Saturday and returning on Monday and will not have access to internet where I'm staying, let me suggest that over the next two weeks you take chapters 13-17 of St. John's Gospel for your spiritual nourishment.
Bro. Rene

Mercy and Justice

In the book, The Church of Mercy, a  compilation of homilies and statements of Pope Francis in the first year of his pontificate, he writes, "True mercy, the mercy God gives to us and teaches us, demands justice; it demands that the poor find their way to be poor no longer."  As part of our Marist Mission to educate youth, particularly "the least favored", Campus Ministry led Central Catholic sophomores through a day long retreat in which they heard speakers who serve the poor, the hungry, the homeless in Lawrence, MA, saw videos underscoring the needs and ways of addressing them.  An inspiring presence was that of Jimmy Kieth, a Special Olympics athlete, who, himself reaches out to the challenged.  Ideas were then made very tangible as the class was divided into three groups to participate in a "Hunger Banquet".  Ten percent of the class represented the wealthy of the world who have all they need, and in many cases, do not share with those who have less.  They sat at tables loaded with food where waiters served them more than they could eat.
The Middle Class, hard working folks of the world sat in chairs, and were fed with a skimpy cheese sandwich and Gatorade.  The larges percentage, representing the poor of the world, some of whom made only a dollar a day, sat on the floor and had rice and water as their food. It was graphic and real, provoking anger at the "injustice and unfairness" they were experiencing.  However, the refusal of some to eat their cheese sandwiches or the cold rice was even a stronger indicator of how the land of abundance spoils its children. My years in Rwanda where rice was a daily staple for families who could only afford one meal a day and where no one would ever refuse a cheese sandwich or any food at all, had taught me  that most of us have no understanding of what it means to be poor.  We processed the experience with the students, who came to see that just having food drives is not the full answer, but that systemic injustice must be addressed.  We won some advocates for the poor
Bro. Rene

Whose Way?

Note:  There should also accompany this slice, yesterday's entitled "Interdependence"

Frank Sinatra's unmistakable voice has soothed the ears and hearts of listeners for sixty years plus, and seems to win over generation after generation. People resonate with his "I Did It My Way" because so many of us pride ourselves on our independence and personal initiative, even to the point of flaunting convention, rules, or the 10 commandments.  I've heard reference to this title at eulogies accompanied by nods and laughter from the mourners, "Yes, that was 'John' all right!"
Bishop Robert Morneau sums it up precisely:  [Our lifestyle today] is characterized by intolerance, incivility, and revenge. Our molten calf is one of radical individualism and doing things 'our way'."
Our call this Lent is to find God's way:  the way of love, compassion, and forgiveness. These three words are a tall order but can be achieved through prayer and service and in our daily interactions with others.
Lord, help me to let go of "my way" and turn to "your way." Amen.
Bro. Rene

Interdependence

Jesus speaks openly of his dependence on the Father: "Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for what he does, the Son will do also." (Jn 5:19)
Jesus sees his effectiveness as coming from his intimate union with the Father.  Later he will say clearly, "I and the Father are one." (Jn 10:30).  So too, our effectiveness as witnesses to the Father, as Jesus for our times, comes from our union with the Father, a union which comes from total abandonment to his plan and an emptying of self, as Jesus did. (Phil 2:17).  We pray that at least during THIS day of Lent, we might make this interdependence our goal.
Bro. Rene

Healing Waters

This is no April Fool's joke, good old water has plenty of uses and figures prominently in the Scriptures.  In Psalm 23, we see the peaceful, restful waters that keep the pastures green; or we hear Isaiah inviting us to come to the waters and drink of what really matters and satisfy our thirst. The pool of Siloam which for 38 years the paralytic longed to enter to be healed; the "living water" that Jesus offered to the Samaritan woman;
the water that flowed from the pierced side of Jesus on the cross, all converge into the life-giving, ultimately healing waters of baptism.  As Easter draws closer, more allusions to water find themselves in the Scripture readings chosen for the Sunday Liturgy, even the weekday Liturgies;  the Church presents them for our reflection and appreciation of the sacrament which has given us new life. Doctors encourage us to drink 8 glasses of water a day to maintain good bodily health, but how much more should we be drinking of the waters that nourish our souls! May we not be content with what fails to satisfy, but go the the living waters that flow from the heart of Christ:  the sacraments and the Scriptures.
Bro. Rene