The First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church

In the year 64, a  huge firbroke out in the city of Rome, destroying two-thirds of the city in ten days..  Arson was evident and suspicion was directed toward the Emperor Nero, noted for his whims, self-centered-mess and crass cruelty.  It was no secret that he wanted a "new Rome", and certainly as part of his urban renewal, an expansion of his palace and gardens.  He allegedly composed a poem while watching the fire which led to the saying, "Nero fiddled while Rome burned."  When the heat got too hot, pardon the pun, he pointed the finger at the Christians of Rome, had them arrested, nailed to crosses, covered with oil and set on fire as torches to light the pathways of his palace gardens. These are the first Roman martyrs we remember today, 1,950 years later.
However, nearly 2,000 years later, there are still innocent people martyred for their faith: Nigeria, Sudan, China, Syria...the list goes on and on.  The deaths are not as public as the flaming human torches, for these current deaths do not make the headlines.  Done quietly, persistently, methodically the killings continue.  We pray often for peace, and rightly so, but those prayers might also include those who give their lives for the Prince of Peace.  May their blood become the seed of faith.
Bro. Rene
 

Saints Peter and Paul

Time permits only a thin slice of bread before I leave for Mass and for the return trip to Lawrence.

Sts. Peter and Paul left an indelible mark on the Church by putting their gifts totally at the service of Jesus and others,, without letting their weaknesses, faults and failures discourage them. When we give our all to Jesus, He steps in and does the rest in ways that far exceed our imaginations. May we model our lives after these great leaders and saints.
Bro. Rene

Mary's Loving Heart

Following on the love feast of her Son, Mary gives us her Immaculate heart as a sign of her love for us, which matches that of her Son to the point where she is bears the title of Co-Redemptorix. Her loving obedience to the Father's invitation to become the mother of his Son allowed him to become one of us and fulfill the plan for our salvation. Without her YES we would still be wandering in darkness and sin. As with Jesus, she continues to shower us with her love, her presence, to help us know and love her Son and appreciate the great gift of his love and presence. This day is one of joy and inspiration. She will pour out her love in a special way. Let us ask her to give us what will be good for us, what we need the most. Let her love fill our hearts with love that will spill over to the hearts of others.
Bro. Rene

The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Today's Solemnity of the Most Sacred heart of Jesus is definitely  love feast...love fest in current jargon. The burning heart exposed on the breast of Jesus is an unmistakable symbol of his passionate love for all of us.  The Old testament uses the term "hesed-emmet", loving kindness, to attempt to put into words God's total love for us.  The attempt goes further in the person of Jesus, the Incarnation of God's love, its visible, tangible reality in human form.  And Jesus then expands the sign with his burning heart.  Pope Benedict tries to explain this great love:  The essential nucleus of Christianity is expressed in the Heart of Jesus; in Christ the whole of the revolutionary newness of he Gospel was revealed and given to us; the Love that saves us and already makes us live in God's eternity.  Even our shortcomings, our limitations, and our weaknesses must lead us back to the Heart of Jesus.  His divine Heart calls to our hearts, inviting us to come out of ourselves, to abandon our human certainties to trust in him and following his example, to make of ourselves a gift of love without reserve.
Bro. Rene

Built On Rock

Jesus concludes his Sermon on the Mount with the image of two houses:  one built on rock that can sustain winds and floods, and the other, built on sand, that succumbs to wind and rain.  Anyone building a house or looking to buy one knows that the foundation is key.  The more solid it is, the longer the house will stand. 
As we build our spiritual life, we should be looking at it the same way.  If we build it on superficial statements or a faith without action, it will not survive.  Words must be accompanied by deeds, Faith, by action.  But above all, out spiritual house must be built on Jesus.  It's uncanny how the ego can slip into the mix and before we know it, we have a structure built on ME. Feedback from community, friends and our own personal dialogue with Jesus can rescue us from this mistake before it gets too big. We need to come humbly before Jesus to keep us straight and on target.  Sometimes we need to be knocked down, brought down, and forced to rebuild on more solid ground.  We will fail from time to time; it is out nature as humans, but we can continue to attempt to build on the solid rock of Jesus, for "what is impossible for human beings is possible for God." (Lk 18:27).
Bro. Rene

A Bit of Heaven

Little do we know as we being our day, what delights God has prepared for us.  Such was the case yesterday as I set out to reach Montreal and celebrate the Solemnity of St. John the Baptist, a holiday in the Province of Quebec with some of my former Rwandan students.  First, I planned  stop in South Burlington, VT to visit a friend I hadn't seen in 4 years.  To my dismay, the GPS could not find his address...(I have an "old" GPS and his address is in a new development.)  I just drove north on I-89 and when close to Burlington, called...and eventually we had our delightful reunion.  On then in rain to Montreal, arriving at the apartment building of my host and finding that the rain stopped just as I parked. Up to the 14th floor for an awesome view of Montreal to a large bedroom, with a computer "for Bro. Rene's Daily Bread" as my host put it.  A drive across town to the Barbecue, which we had outside on damp chairs, but which brought together students I love but never thought I'd see again in this life.  As we prayed before eating, I asked if we had died and gone to heaven, the joy was so tangible and uplifting.  The evening ended in the Rwandan tradition with little speeches (Ijambo) during which they as students and I as former teacher expressed gratitude for our experience in Rwanda and the new life my presence among them had given them. We couldn't say thank you enough...and on top of it all were several gifts..a huge bottle of Canadian Maple Syrup, maple butter and another maple spread for toast.  Maple is my favorite flavor...and they hit upon it by "chance"?  There was also a beautiful card with expressions of gratitude written by each of them, and a little photo album of Compton, the town where my grandfather came from.  I had never seen it, and we are actually going to take a drive there on Thursday.  Finally, there was a commitment to make contributions to the Bro. Rene D. Roy Foundation to help other Rwandans complete their educations.
All of this along with seeing happy people, scores of little children...a teacher's reward that does not often happen in this life. 
We forget that our "awesome" God is also the God of detail and little treats that only we would appreciate.  Such was St. Jean Baptiste Day 2014, a day I shall never forget.  May all readers be so blessed by our loving, caring God who has known us from all eternity and is, as Psalm 139 stays, always standing by our side.
Bro. Rene

Fearfully, Wonderfully Made

The celebration of the Birth of John the Baptist reminds us through the passages chosen from Isaiah and Psalm 139, that we are not here by chance, but that God has known each one of us from all eternity and that we are beautifully, fearfully, wonderfully made.  Even as we reflect on the mechanics of our bodies, certainly, we have to see that we are a work of genius, a work of art.  But besides that, each of us was created for a purpose.  As we look back on our lives, we can see the role we've played in our families, in our work, among our friends and in our communities...As George Bailey learned, it's a wonderful life, and without our part, so many pieces of the lives of others would have not fallen into place.  Let us give thanks today for John the Baptist, for our lives and for the purpose for which we were created.
Bro. Rene

Note:  I will be in Montreal and Ottawa till Sunday.  No guarantee of daily slices of bread.  But who knows?  Check it out and see.

Gifts. Visible and Invisible

Note:  Yesterday I lost track of time and hence was not able to offer a slice of bread; today, time is running out...we'll do our best.

We took time on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ with its rich images of honey, wheat, and grapevine along with the beautiful, comprehensive Sequence, Lauda Sion Savatorem, perhaps with a Procession added after Mass to do as much as we could to reflect on, celebrate, and give thanks for the great and obvious gift of the Holy Eucharist.  As great as this gift is, receiving Holy Communion can become routine and lose its power to transform US into the Body and Blood of Jesus.  Even worse, we can fail to appreciate how much Jesus wants to come to US.

On a completely different note, today's Gospel admonishes us to cast out the beam from our own eye before we criticize and judge others for the speck in their eyes.   Coming to the realization of how often we do this and desiring to make amends is one of those invisible gifts that in our busyness or impatience, or self-centeredness we fail to acknowledge.   May our eyes be open to see all the gifts that God gives to us and offer a sincere prayer of gratitude for all of them.
Bro. Rene

Summer

This year summer begins today on June 21st, "the longest day" in the northern hemisphere.  It is also the jubilee celebration of several Marist Brothers, ranging from 25-75 years! We also celebrate the Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, a Jesuit noted for his purity of heart and passionate love of Jesus and others.  He died of the plague at the early age of 24 while attending victims of it. 
Summer is a beautiful season, a time of rest, vacations, summer courses, remote preparation for the rest of the year.  It is a pure time, a time of hope and renewal and, fittingly, the example of St. Aloysius and our jubilarians might help us begin this season with purity of intention and determination to move forward despite setbacks and disappointments. Evidently there is a radio station in Boston which begins each week with calls relating negative things that happened over the weekend.  What a destructive way to begin the week.  Let us not begin our summer on a sour note, but with the innocence and goodness of St. Aloysius and all who are dedicating their lives to goodness.  May this be a happy summer for everyone.
Bro. Rene

Challenges

There's no question that the breakdown of the family is one of the major challenges facing youth today.  It's so overwhelming in scope that where to begin to address it remains a mystery.  Reflecting on initiatives taken in the past might give us some insight.
St. Edwin, a little known saint in this country, wanted to marry a Christian woman, but she refused unless he converted.  Being a man of integrity, he wanted to understand fully what it meant to be a Christian, sought council of his nobles and instruction from St. Paulinus.  When convinced that Christianity held the TRUTH he was seeking, he accepted baptism and married the woman of his dreams. He surmounted what could have a huge obstacle by taking one step at a time.
Similarly, St. Vladimir of Russia was baptized in order to marry the Christian daughter of the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire.  He was so impressed by the Byzantine liturgy that he converted, which meant giving up his five wives and 800 concubines!  What a change in lifestyle!
It seems and has been confirmed over and over again, that grace is the hidden factor that makes the impossible possible.  Prayer, effort, compassion, and insertion into the task of restoring and rebuilding the family one step at a time will result in the desired change.  Sts. Edwin and Vladimir, pray for us and help us with this huge project.
Bro. Rene

Our Father's Love

Today's Gospel from Matthew presents us with the Lord's Prayer.  We stop on the word Father, and reflect on what he tells us in Scripture about his fatherhood:  "It is my desire to lavish my love on you simply because you  are my child and I am your Father.  I offer you more than your earthly father ever could, for I am the perfect Father.  Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.  My plan for your future has always been filled with hope because I love you with an everlasting love.  I will never stop doing good for you."
Bro. Rene

Strength for Everything

St. Paul told the Philippians that he had the strength for everything through God who empowered him. (cf.  Phil 4:13).  All of us wonder at some time or another how we are ever going to "get through this day" or complete some task we have been assigned, give this presentation of pay those bills.  It gets overwhelming.  Even Pope Francis has chosen or told to pull back, rest and take care of himself, recently complaining of being very fatigued and having put on 20 pounds in the last year.  Sometimes "the strength for everything" comes from God, yes, but through the common sense advice of others, especially doctors who know better than we, when we need that extra strength.  God works though nature, through the community, through friends and professionals. Again, Pope Francis gives us the example...he's listening to the advice he's being given.  All of us need to stop and take stock to see if we are finding the "strength for everything" in the right places...our own egos or stubbornness are not good places to find it.
Bro. Rene

Loving Those Who Make Life Tough For Us

None of us is perfect, but there are some people who get under our skin and whose behavior not only disappoints us, but interferes with the good we are trying to do.  We do not know all the circumstances causing this disruptive behavior, though in many instances, it is apparent:  alcoholism or the many other addictions that have ripple effects on others.  Depression, lack of self-esteem, ego inflation, bi-polar disorders....the list goes on and on. Jesus admonishes us to pray for our enemies, and those who persecute us.  While these folks are not our enemies or persecutors, they obviously do need prayer and one of the ways we can help them and help our relationship with them is to pray for them.  Prayer is the amazing and powerful tool that works.  Praying with patience, love, and invoking the powerful name of Jesus can bring about the healing of people and relationships.  Let our prayer expand to include those who make life tough for us and in faith await the working of grace.
Bro. Rene

Foundation Stones

Note. Rushing to ready for the trip to Esopus after a brief "pit stop" at home following Camp Champagnat, I was not able to offer s slice of bread to honor the Trinity nor all Fathers. I apologize and offer belated good wishes and congratulations to fathers on their special day. May the love of the Trinity continue to fill them with love and devotion to their families.

Here in Esopus, several young men will spend this week on the Foundation Stones of Jesus, St. Marcellin, Mary, the brothers also attending and one one another. They will experience what it is to live, pray, work and recreate in community with the hope that this time together will help them discern further if being a Marist Brother is their calling. These are young men of goodwill who have had positive experiences already in their student days at Marist Schools, so they come with a good foundation, upon which we hope to build. We place them and this week in the hands of Jesus and Mary and ask that the Holy Spirit guide and enlighten all participants.
Bro. Rene

A brief Word

Note: There is internet available, but got to it too late...
Student loving Camp Champagnat in the rain. They have embraced the determination, courage, bravery (cravery) and compassion of St. Marcellin and today with delve into his vision and emerge true Marist Leaders. God's grace as bounded. Praise be to the Holy Trinity. Gratitude to Mary and St. Marcellin.
Bro. Rene

Elusive Peace

News from Iraq these days is very upsetting...the apparent unraveling of a long and costly attempt to bring lasting peace to that nation.  Little less in the headlines,  but equally upsetting is the on-going situation with tea workers in Bangladesh, where rights are trampled upon daily.  Our brothers work with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in trying to bring peace between the oppressors and the oppressed. Jesus speaks of reconciliation as necessary before bringing our gifts to the altar.  (Matt 5: 23-24 )
If we took his words seriously, we'd see that peace begins with Jesus, and not with us.  The peace that the world seeks, in the same way, does not come as the result of war or even negotiations, but from a change of heart, an conversion centered around Jesus.  He is the one who fills the heart with love, forgiveness and the resulting peace  Let our prayer today be for a desire to allow Jesus into our hearts and the hearts of those at war so that the peace that always seems to elude us, might finally begin.
Bro. Rene
Note...I will be at Camp Champagnat till Saturday...Not sure about internet access...so there may not be another slice until Sunday.

Without Cost

As Jesus sent the Twelve on their first experience of preaching and teaching on their own, he reminded them that without cost they had received and without cost they were to give.  Good advice for us today as we practice the "little things" that help us be effective missionaries in our own backyards.
A friend of mine comes once a week from a good distance to help a blind woman do her grocery shopping and get other errands done, as well as cleaning her house.  She does not count the cost of the drive, or of giving up her whole day.
Often, listening to someone might make us late for Mass or an appointment, but it is little cost compared to what good those minutes might do for the other person.  There is no way we can be faithful to Jesus, to our mission, if we start keeping a ledger on how much time, energy, or money we spend in helping others.  We have freely received, so freely must we give.
Bro. Rene

Being Salt and Light

The Gospel Reading for today is the familiar passage in St. Matthew's chapter 5 about salt for the earth and light for the world. Jesus tell us that WE are the salt, and We are the light; our very presence adds flavor and insight into how God is present with us and what he expects of us.  Most of the time, it's something as simple as sitting around in conversation, or, as happened on the way into Mass this morning, answering questions of praying for a woman just diagnosed with cancer.  It's a smile, a handshake, an enthusiastic response to a game victory, or the achievement of a goal, such as receiving a high school diploma, a  medical degree, or a PhD.  Or simply thanking someone for listening.   Without our particular and unique addition to the mix of ordinary life, it can be flat and dull.  This is not a valid reflection of the wondrous Creator who gave us salt and light in the first place.  Let us do him a favor by not letting the salt become so diluted that it loses its flavor, or by capping the light with a bushel basket.
Bro. Rene

The Clean of Heart

The Beatitudes according to St. Matthew come to us in today's Gospel.  My favorite is,"Blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God."  (Mt 5: 8).  I have met many such people, one again just last night...and not only will they see God, but they enable us to see God in them.  One of these wrote of an experience he had at a summer service camp, where conversions of students and faculty (!) took place as they labored together and shared their faith.  One night, four students when to a chapel in the woods and prayed for what they thought was 20 minutes, but turned out to be 2 hours!  As he observed, "How often do you hear of teens praying together for that length of time?"  In one of the photos he sent, there he is kneeling before a statue of Mary in an outside grotto with the sun's rays almost blurring the entire photo...God's grace is much at work, and Mary continues to help the clean of heart see God."
Bro. Rene

Wind and Fire

Pentecost.  the Upper Room, the sound of a great wind,  tongues of fire,  the conversion of 3,000,  all familiar images indicating a powerful transformation and the "birthday" of the Church.  It's important to remember that the work of the Spirit can't be limited to this one moment, but, as signified by the wind, it is all pervasive and cannot be contained.  We received the Holy Spirit at our baptsims and in a more complete way at Confirmation.   St. Thomas Aquinas says that the Holy S;pirit interiorly perfects our spirit, communicating to it a new dynamism that refrains from evil for love. One of the gifts of the Spirit is joy, a deep abiding sense of being where God wants us to be at the present moment.  It is this joy which enables Pope Francis to such hope, love and optimism simply by his presence and gestures.  It is this joy which filled the Apostles and changed their cowering fear to brazen proclaimers of the Good News.  Such is the Spirit that is within us, such is our mission wherever we are.  Happy Feast of Pentecost.  Happy Birthday, everyone!
Bro Rene

Freedom in the Spirit

"There is no greater freedom than that of allowing oneself 

to be guided by the Holy Spirit, renouncing the attempt 

to plan and control everything to the last detail, 

and instead letting him enlighten, guide, and direct us, 

leading us wherever he wills. 

The Holy Spirit knows well what is needed in every time and place. 

This is what it means to be mysteriously fruitful!" 

(Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium #280)

 

We may have had glimpses of this freedom from time to time in our lives, but to be totally committed to this way of acting seems to elude us.  We keep falling back on ourselves in a consuming effort to control everything and everyone.  Hence, we remain prisoners of frustration and disappointment  when so often our plans disintegrate.  On this eve of Pentecost, let us recall the Apostles and Mary gathered in the upper room, still unaware of the marvels to befall them the next day, and ask that we too might be ready for the tongues of fire to set us free to do what GOD wants, what God has planned.

Bro. Rene

An Amazing Faith

174 years ago the brothers at the Hermitage gathered around the bed of St. Marcellin as he breathed his last. They had been praying the rosary and then sang the Salve Regina, both fitting prayers for the man who loved Mary Our Good Mother so much and who, all his life put everything into her hands.  His purpose in founding the Little Brothers of Mary was to teach young children, particularly the most neglected, about Jesus, so that they would come to know and love him.  In so doing, they would become good Christians and citizens.
And so it has been for nearly 200 years, the Little Brothers of Mary have continued this mission, having educated millions in 80 countries of the world.
We pause today to honor this man, who in life, sought to live as simply and humbly as he could, never looking for applause for himself, but was willing to lay down his life for his brothers and the success of their mission.  May we as Marists renew our efforts to carry on the Marist Mission, fortified by St. Marcellin's example and amazing faith.
Bro. Rene

God's Loving Ways

Who has known the mind of God or who has been his counselor (who has told him what to do?), asks St. Paul, (Rm 11:34).  There is no answer other than "No one."  All we know from the Word of God and from our experience, is that he loves us intimately and immeasurably..  We get a glimpse of that love from the last discourse of Jesus to his disciples in John 17, part of which serves as today's Gospel.  He prays that we may be one with the Father, one with Him...totally united with our Creator and Savior.  We know how loves seeks union with the beloved, so the words of Jesus ring true.  And it's not an abstract, generic love, but a love that takes tangible form in the gifts we enjoy every day but take so much for granted.  For example, yesterday I was given a small brace for my "wounded knee" and told I could drive again and go on with the plans I had made months ago for the rest of the summer.  What a gift!  I can see Jesus smiling for he knows how much I wanted to participate in Camp Champagnat,  and the following week in Esopus for the Foundation Stones Week...a week where young men seriously considering our Marist Brotherhood live in community with us, to get a taste of what it is to live the life of a Brother.  The week after that will be a visit to my Rwandan graduates in Canada...the on with the Mission Appeals and a 45th class reunion in Wheeling.  The seven week respite from my usual activity has given me perspective and appreciation for gifts such as these as well as more and more reason to trust in the loving ways of God.
Bro Rene

Consecrated In Truth

Jesus prayed thus for his disciples (us included!):  "Consecrate them in the truth.  Your word is truth.  As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.  And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth." (Jn 17: 17-19).   In Psalm 89 we read:

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord;
through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.
Of this I am sure,  that your love lasts for ever,
that your truth is firmly established as the heavens. Ps 89: 1-2)

If we read sanctify, make holy, for consecrate we get a better idea of Jesus' desire for us to become who we were meant to be, and that is more like him!  What a prayer, what a calling!  And the TRUTH is that God's loving kindness endures, permeates, enlivens forever.  This is the truth that makes us free, not the falsehoods we so often fall for. When we let this truth slip from us through fatigue or "busyness" we need to catch ourselves, stop and reflect on the immensity of God's loving kindness and faithfulness to "power up" again for our mission to bring the good news of God's love to our families and communities.  Come, Holy Spirit, enkindle in us again, the fire of your love."
Bro. Rene

St. Charles Lwanga and Companions

Charles Lwanga, a young Page in the court of King Mwanga in Uganda, was the first of 22 who were killed by order of this king, who wanted to obliterate "all who prayed".  Charles was the head of the royal Pages and a catechist.  He baptized four catechumens and encouraged all the other believers to stand fast in the faith as they made their way through the jungle to be burned alive.  He was the first to die but his blood and the blood of his companions became the seed of faith for a lively Church in Uganda and throughout Africa.  At the beatification of these martyrs in  1920, some of their captors who had converted, were present.
They will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.  (Is 35:2)

The example of such martyrs inspires us \with courage and with the realization that the love Jesus has for us and we for him, can help us through any trial or test, and that in the end, it is this love that wins.  In humility we pray:
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak.
say to those whose hearts are frightened.
Be strong, fear not.

Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.    (Is 35: 3-4)
Bro. Rene

"I Have Overcome The World"

As Jesus prepared to leave the disciples, he both warned and assured them: "In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have overcome the world."   .  Who has not had trouble, or one kind or another?  Who is not facing a difficult challenge right now?  None of us has had an exemption from trouble, but Jesus assures us that he has conquered and overcome "the world" and certainly will help us overcome our troubles.  The Church has had "troubles" such as persecution, or grave mistakes made by its leaders, but continues to be reformed and renewed by the Holy Spirit, as we witness and will see more under the leadership of Pope Francis.
The recent film, Heaven Is For Real, in which young Colton Burpo almost dies of infection from a burst appendix, and whose family faces all kinds of financial troubles and mockery for his tale of going to heaven, shows us again the power of Jesus words and of his fidelity to his promise of helping us overcome the troubles we face. 
As we pray for the Holy Spirit before Pentecost,  may Jesus convince us to have the faith that will give us strength to bear our troubles and believe that we will overcome them as he promised.
Bro. Rene

Making Disciples of Jesus

In some dioceses, the Transfiguration is celebrated; in others, it is the Seventh Sunday of Easter; in any case, we are getting close to Pentecost, the culmination of the Easter Season.  Before leaving the disciples for good, he commissioned them to make disciples of all nations, , baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything he had commanded them. (cf. Matt 28: 16-20).  Some worshiped him, some doubted him, but all received the same commission: to make disciples, followers of Jesus.  That is, to learn to live like him, to be as much like him as we can, loving, forgiving, bringing hope and healing. 
The Church is making a concerted effort to carry out this mission, to bring the good news to those in our day who have never heard it, and to retrieve those who have turned away from it.  This morning a dear friend of mine, a solid and deeply committed young man, is doing just this at two Masses...actually speaking from the pulpit and inviting people to recommit themselves to Jesus, as he did.  Yesterday, he consecrated himself to Mary and was filled with the greatest peace he has ever known. It is by speaking with peace and conviction that he will stir up hearts and be an instrument of their return to Jesus.  Though our prayer, our time with Jesus, getting to know and be like him and through the peace which this relationship give us, we too can make disciples of Jesus.  Let's do what we can TODAY!
Bro. Rene