Betrayal, Denial

Note:  A very slow moving boot up, which took more than ten minutes, due to a "long running script" makes it too late to post Tuesday's slice of bread.  You will be able to read it on Wednesday along with a fresh slice for the day.
Bro. Rene

St. John moves us closer to the agony in the garden and the fast-moving trial, condemnation and death of Jesus.  In his version of the Last Supper, John reveals the betrayer, Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, as he to whom Jesus hands the wine-dipped morsel of unleavened bread and orders  him "What you are going to do, do quickly." (cf Jn 13:27).  Soon after, Jesus tells the remaining apostles that soon he will leave them and that they won't be able to follow him.  Peter protests that he would lay down his life for Jesus, only to be told he will deny him three times before the cock crows. (cf. Jn 13: 36).  As we know, Judas carries out his plan and Jesus is delivered into the hands of the high priest, a move he regrets to the point of taking his own life.  Peter denies Jesus as predicted, but is filled with remorse. begs forgiveness and is pardoned.
It is not uncommon for us to follow to some degree in the footsteps of these men, when by our sins we betray the love that Jesus offers us each moment, or we deny our affiliation with him, or fail to offer the gratitude due him for the amazing, sometimes miraculous working out of our day when we wondered if we could get through it at all.  May we emulate Peter in his remorse and repentance, rather than follow the path of Judas' despair and self-destruction.
Bro. Rene

Mary's Anointing

The scene is a dinner at the Bethany home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary.  Jesus and the apostles are there. All seems as normal, friendly and joyous as usual, for this is not the first time these friends have dined together. Yet, something unusual happens when Mary takes a liter of costly oil, anoints the feet of Jesus and wipes them with her hair.  This is not the first time Mary has fallen to the feet of Jesus. Just a few days ago she had come to those feet in her grief over the death of Lazarus.  The gesture is reminiscent to the woman who came to these feet at the house of Simon and washed them with her tears. Both incidents were expressions of total love and reverence.  Again there is controversy as Judas raises the question of the "waste" in contrast to the needs of the poor.  Jesus calms the situation with the telling words: "Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial.  You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me". (Jn 12 7-8).  Jesus gives a preview of what would transpire four days later. 
In another scene when Mary was being attentive to Jesus, she was defended for paying attention to Jesus rather than hustling about the house to prepare for the evening meal.  Her attentiveness of Jesus serves as a model for us.  We don't always give Jesus this kind of attention nor do we read the significance of his words and presence among us. Again we are told that these are more important than our busyness or even our service to the poor.
Bro. Rene

Sublime Glory, Lowly Suffering

Today's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem is quickly shadowed by a week of conflict with the Pharisees, another dramatic chasing of the money-changers from the temple, the betrayal of Judas and the gut-wrenching passion and death.  The one sweet moment (before the resurrection) is the Last Supper.  Matthew, Mark and Luke give short versions, focusing on the institution of the Eucharist and Priesthood, but John's fuller account gives us a real picture of Jesus...loving, divine, devoted to his Father and to us...John 13-17 are "musts" this week, especially on Holy Thursday.  Treat yourselves to a slow, reflective reading and meditation on them...Perfect for the adoration time after the celebration of the Lord's supper.
The pattern of this week is mirrored in our own lives, when at one point we are gung-ho for Jesus, and in the next fall into some very un-Jesus-like behaviors.  We could kick ourselves over and over again for the stupid and sinful things we do.  But they are blessings, as well as curses, if they force us to turn to Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer, as we come to see that only in Jesus is our power, strength and salvation.  May our prayers and meditations this day bring us closer to living out that realization.
Bro. Rene

Have I Seen and Believed?

Note:  There should be two slices of Bread today.


As we draw closer to Holy Week, we see the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees.  Many folks had seen the wonderful works of Jesus which brought them closer to the notion that Jesus was the Messiah.  Others saw the same signs and wonders and did not believe.  The Pharisees saw these things too, but, fearful of losing control of the people who were flocking to Jesus, they planned to kill him.  It's amazing how perceptions and subsequent actions can be so different.  Yet we know this phenomenon to be true in our own lives.  Our question then for today and Holy Week is, after all the efforts I've made to spend more time with Jesus during Lent, to fast, pray and give alms, have I seen Jesus more clearly, have I come to know, love and believe in him more profoundly?  Am I excited about what I have seen and learned?  Am I more deeply in love with Jesus?  Can I call him my best friend?  Am I willing to lay down my life for him as he was for me?  Ponder these questions while praying, even while driving or during those "commercial breaks" in our busy daily routines.  There's still time left to see and believe.
Bro. Rene

Saving Our World

Note:  Today the computers at CCHS are working very slowly.  This slice of bread might not reach you until Saturday.

In this week before his actual arrest, passion and crucifixion, Jesus was in verbal conflict with the Jews who even wanted to stone him as they heard his claim to be the Son of God.  Jesus was there in their midst working signs and miracles yet still they did not believe. We find ourselves in such a world even today, which seems has not changed, except to get worse! .  Caryll Houselander, a very holy and gifted spiritual writer, speaks of the times in which she lived, the first half of the 20th century:
Looking at the world today, it is not easy to believe that everywhere Christ is born again, that God looks down on the wreckage and misery--the fiasco, if you like,--that we have made of the world, and seeing us in the midst of it says, This is my beloved Son!
How would Ms. Houselander describe OUR world today?   Yet, the truth is, that JESUS is the Savior, and works through US to continue his saving mission.  Houselander continues:  Our rest in a world that is full or unrest is Christ's trust in his Father, our peace in a world without peace is our surrender, complete as the surrender of the sleeping child to its mother, of the Christ in us, to God who is both Father and Mother.  May we turn over again and again our world to the Saving Power of Jesus.
Bro. Rene

The Way of Love

Note:  A power outage due to some electrical work prevented this slice from reaching your table on March 26th.  Enjoy it today...It didn't get stale.


During this Lent many have been participating in the Way of the Cross on Fridays, or praying the Stations at home with a good prayer book and a wooden cross.  As we draw closer to Holy Week and the Triduum, we might consider the "last walk" of Jesus as a walk of love.  He suffered the horrendous scourging at the pillar after having been beaten on the way from Gethsemane, the crowning of thorns, the push-shove-fall-rise walk from the Praetorium to Calvary, the agonizing three hours on the cross, and last breath commending his spirit to the Father.  No greater love has the world seen, no greater inspiration for us to use these last days of Lent to meditate on the passion, death and resurrection.  Can we drink from this same cup?  Can we die to those little things that separate us from God and one another?  Is our WAY of living, of treating one another, no matter who they are, a Way of Love?
Bro. Rene

To Jesus Though Mary

The Solemnity of the Annunciation is an especially Marist Feast, for Jesus comes to us through Mary, and we go to him through her.  Without her, there would be no Jesus.  Without Jesus there would be no reconciliation with the Father nor with one another. As simple but as powerful as the story is told by Luke, (1:26-38), the Son of God takes flesh and lives among us, drawing us to himself and battering down the fences that divide us from one another.  As Marists, our work is to make this Jesus known and loved, to continue his mission of reconciliation, mercy and forgiveness.  May we take inspiration from Mary's openness to receive God's Gift of Jesus and the graces that will help us to love one another as he loved us.  Keeping it simple, it might be just to pat others on the back for their good deeds, to make amends with those with whom we've experienced estrangement, or to go to the sacrament of reconciliation before Lent is over and encourage others to do so.
Bro. Rene

A Sign of Contradiction

As we approach Holy  Week, we focus more and more on the Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus.  To some it is disturbing to see the dead body of Jesus hanging on cross.  True, crucifixion was the worst form of punishment in the Roman Empire and thus the cross was a repulsive sign of ignominy. It is, a sign of contradiction.  Even within the Christian Community, there is division over it. Most non-Catholic denominations display just  the plane cross without the "corpus", saying Jesus has risen  and there's no need to remind ourselves of his pain and suffering. To all believers, however, it is the sign of victory over the power s of evil and of death and it is a reminder of the admonition of Jesus that we must take up our cross daily if we are to be his followers. (Mt 16:24)  May we come to love the cross on which was hung our salvation.  May it be a reminder that paradoxically,  the peace we seek comes only through suffering. 
Bro. Rene

Faux Finger-Pointers

Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent always gives us a lesson on finger-pointing.  The captivating story of Susannah is complemented by John's account of the woman taken in adultery, and in both cases justice and compassion reign.  God sends Daniel to wrest out the truth from Susannah's accusers and exonerate the innocent young woman.  By Jewish Law, they are condemned to death despite their carefully crafted story that falsely pointed blame on Susannah.  The woman who was brought to Jesus had been caught in adultery and was used to test Jesus, who calmly forced the accusers to point their fingers at themselves.   We know nothing of the woman other than this scene: none of the events that brought her to the point of her adulterous relationship, no background at all.  Jesus, like Daniel, took up for her and brought her to the point of repentance, which became a turning point in her life.
 Who are we in these stories?   We have today and the rest of Lent to come up with the answer.
Bro. Rene

God's Desire

We read in today's Gospel that some Greeks approached Philip, asking to see Jesus (cf. Jn 12:21).  In our prayer or thoughts have we ever asked the same question, expressed a desire to see Jesus face to face?   There are myriads of artistic renderings of what he might have looked like, but there will nothing like "the real thing."   What a joy it would be to see right now him whom we hope to see and be with in eternity; to be face to face with the Jesus we love and to whom we have dedicated our lives, striven to imitate, and have come to love as our first love.  Such a preview is not often given, but Jesus has appeared to several saints, such as St. Margaret Mary and St. Catherine of Siena.
 On the other hand, do we ever think that God desires to be as close to us as possible?  Jeremiah tells us that God's desire is to write his law upon our hearts so that we can know him intimately,  (cf. Jer 31:31-34). We can experience his presence within us, we can find forgiveness and revel in his tender, unfailing love.  It's really a two-way street:  our desire to see God, and his desire to yoke himself to us.  What God is as great as our God?  As Lent enters its final fortnight, let us seek God, Father Son and Holy Spirit with greater intensity and sincerely invite him to write his law of love in our hearts.
Bro. Rene

Smashing Fear

Our imaginations can conjure up the greatest arguments against anything good, it seems, especially when we are challenged to step into the "unknown", even to what might be considered a simple thing, like becoming a lector.  "What if's" arise and paralyze.  Two little letters,  N O allow us to retreat to our safe zone: .  But three letters, Y E S, open doors to worlds we never imagined.  Most of the time, our hesitations or refusals are based on fear, fear of making a mistake or of failing completely; fear of what others will think, or fear of being launched into a territory or activity that will eat into "Our Time".  How do we smash those fears?  Seeking advice or help from a trusted friend or family member is one way to put ourselves as ease and convince us to take "that first step."  When we learned how to swim or dive, we went in stages, remember?  Someone was there to guide us, show us, and convince us that we could do it.  The first jump off the diving board let to the first dive.  Having done it once gave us power and confidence to do it over and over, to the point of "showing off."  We experienced a great feeling to have accomplished what we thought impossible, and to conquer the fear that was holding us back.   Life is full of diving boards challenging us to take the plunge.  When we do it, we smash another fear and move with confidence to the next one.
Bro. Rene

Steadfastly Forward

At this point in Lent, the focus is beginning to aim at the passion and death of Jesus.  Imagine what was going through his mind and heart as each day brought him closer the pain of betrayal, condemnation, torture and the excruciating pain of dying on a cross.  Was his stomach in knots?  Did unrest overtake the hours of sleep?  Did he toss and turn as we would when facing some huge burden in our own lives or in the live of loved ones?   Yet, Jesus walked ahead, with his face steadfastly set on going forward to Jerusalem where all this was to take place.  Let us remember that he chose to carry our weaknesses in order to overcome them. He knows of what we are made, so he gives us the example of the power of love and the need for God's grace to continue our Lenten prayers, and sacrifices and the other challenges and trials that inevitably enter our lives.  Our goal too is Jerusalem where its pain is eventually removed in resurrection.  Let us set our faces steadfastly forward, trusting that God's mercy and strength will always be with us.
Bro. Rene

Joseph, the Husband of Mary

What adjectives best describe Joseph, the Husband of Mary? Hard-working, strong, tender, loving, compassionate, faithful, bold, daring, trusting, protective, obedient.  Ah, obedient!  What a marvel to read of his obedience when he had made up his mind to divorce her when her pregnancy during their engagement became apparent, and then at the message of an angel, did as commanded and took Mary as his wife.  Obediently, he made the journey to Bethlehem to register in the census; again, obediently at the word of an angel, fled to Egypt, and returned to Nazareth after several years in Egypt to begin again.  He was like Mary, open to God's will, not his, and obedient to the point of making these very dramatic moves.  The more we reflect on Joseph, the more we are moved to see in him all those qualities summed up in the phrase, "a just man", a good man, a man of God, and the more we come to love him.  No wonder he is the protector, patron of the universal church and the perfect model of husbands and fathers.  No wonder the admonition, Ite ad Joseph, et quidquid dixerit vobis facite, "Go to Joseph and do all the he shall say to you" holds so true century after century.  May Joseph guide and protect us as he did Mary and Jesus.
Bro. Rene

Imitation

"Amen, amen I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also." (Jn 5:19).  It goes without saying that this holds true for a daughter and her mother.  As we grow older we sometimes cringe at how much like our parents we have become...even the same words come out of our mouths!  In other instances, we are grateful for the lessons and wisdom they have passed on to us to make us who we are.  Imitation is the way to learn...even in writing prose or poetry, the more we read, the better we write.
How much more then in our relationship with God!  If we are to "get it", and Lent is surely the best time for this, the more we must spend time in prayer and reflection on the Gospel, the Epistles,  the Psalms and Proverbs and other favorite books of the Bible, the more we will absorb, the more we will imitate.
Bro. Rene

St. Patrick

The cult of St. Patrick seems to be growing more and more in the United States.   Parades, controversies over who can march and who can't; parties; dinners, luncheons; the "wearin' o' the green"; music on the radio, etc.  Patrick the Rock Star instead of Patrick the Bishop and Saint. How good it would be to celebrate his zeal to convert non-believers and share with them his love for God and help them become faithful disciples of Jesus with the same energy put into all these commemorations which have come to be rooted in being Irish rather than being followers of St. Patrick.  Perhaps this prayer from the assistant Director of Media Relations at the University  Notre Dame could help us celebrate this day in the proper spirit:

Prayer - March 17, 2015 Good, gracious, and great Triune God, Saint Patrick glimpsed you in the shamrock’s three green growing sprouts and showed you to Ireland and all the world. Please sow yourself deep in the soil of our inmost selves, so that every prayer we pray, every word we speak, and every deed we do springs forth not only from us, but truly from you. Make us a living sign of your inmost self, your holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Spirit. Amen Michael Garvey Have a truly happy St. Patrick's Day. Bro. Rene

Full Plates

Note:  Apologies are in order for the omission of the strategic "p" in the word "passed" in yesterday's slice.  No offense intended and I offer gratitude to Bob MacDougall for bringing it to my attention.


Getting off on a Monday morning with a full plate ahead of us for the day and the week can fill us with stress, or bring us to Jesus.  Can we imagine the stress of the royal official in today's Gospel (Jn 4:43-54) as he anguished over his ill son?  Not a Jew, but having heard of Jesus' healing powers, he approached him, and when rebuked by the remark Jesus made about people needing a sign, he persisted and demonstrated his belief by asking Jesus to come with him.  That expression of faith was enough for Jesus and the child was healed at the very hour of the brief conversation.
There's the faith we need when we begin our week if we are to accomplish all the we need to do.  Jesus knows our very needs, cares about us, and will take care of us.  Believe, trust, have confidence.  He makes sure that everything works out.  We need to keep reminding ourselves of this truth, repeated over and over again in our lives..  Jesus is patient with us slow learners, and rejoices in being able to help us.
Bro. Rene

Lenten Joy

"Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful all who were in mourning;/ exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast."  So reads the Entrance Antiphon for this Fourth Sunday in Lent, called Laetare Sunday, from the first word of this antiphon and because we are at the half-way mark in Lent and cannot hold back our anticipation of the joyful victory and celebration of Easter.  Even the purple vestments yield to rose, coming a  bit towards closer to the white of Easter. 
This should be a happy day, a day of rejoicing also because of the great love of God for us in Christ Jesus.  For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him, may have eternal life. (Jn 3:16).  Can anything be clearer or more heart stirring than that?  Not only did God become human, one of us, but as that human he acknowledged our value and loveable-ness, and suffered the excruciating pain of his passion, cross and death to show us God's love.  Where would we be without Jesus?  As St. Augustine says, "You would still be in a state of wretchedness, had he not shown you mercy. You would not have returned to life, had he not shared your death. You would have passed away had he not come to your aid. You would be lost, had he not come."  Jesus, our Savior, the Love of God made visible, is the reason for our joy.  This Sunday is dedicated to it, let us be joyful and carry that joy to others.
Bro. Rene

Asking For Mercy

Today's Gospel presents the contrasting prayers of the Publican and the Pharisee.  As we recall this familiar story, the tax collector's prayer for mercy and attitude of humility usually move us to want to pray as he does.  We need to, we admit it, because we know we are sinners. We would like the honesty and courage to beat our breasts beside him and not blow our trumpets beside the Pharisee, but in actuality, we do  this every time we pray the Hail Mary when we say, "pray for us (poor) sinners now and at the hour of our death."  We usually go so fast that we don't realize what we are saying, but it is the prayer of the tax collector.  As we go about this day, we might pray for a humble heart and more conscious attention before we say this beautiful prayer which sums up so much in the life of Mary and serves as a model for our lives and our need to ask constantly for God's mercy.
Bro. Rene

The Great Commandment

Loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves, as Jesus told the earnest and sincere Scribe, were the greatest commandments, There is no other commandment greater than these.  (Mk 12:31).  simply said, but not so simply put into action.  Do we know the God we profess to love?  Could we describe God as beautifully as does the prophet Hosea?  A healer, a lover, a provider, a cultivator who make lilies bloom, trees grow tall and strong as do the cedars of Lebanon, or the olive trees that bear the fruit that provides nutrition and oil for light, cooking, and soothing?  (See Hosea14: 2-10) Have we experienced this God personally in our own lives?  Is this the God we say we love?
And in loving our neighbor as ourselves,  who is the self we love?  Do we know ourselves, accept ourselves?  Are we genuinely who we are when we interface with others, or do we hide ourselves behind a mask?
Who is this "neighbor" we claim to love?   Does it include everyone, even those with whom we disagree, or find difficult, who act as sandpaper on our backs?  
Hard questions.  That's what Lent is for, that's what today is for.  Let us take time to reflect, see clearly, and work on changing what needs to be changed to bring us closer to fulfilling this great commandment.
Bro. Rene

Leaving It To God

It's amazing how useless our worries are, and yet more amazing how we continue to worry even after God has shown us time and time again that he will take care of things better than we can. Being on this Encounter, it's normal as a team member to want every student to get the message and to have a real encounter with Christ. The danger is wanting that encounter to be at the highest level possible, which cannot be the case, since we are all at different levels. There must be a trust that God knows where each participant is and will lift him or her to the place that is unique to each one. Some will "get it " more than others, but all will receive the "boost" in their faith and spiritual life that they can handle.
As parents, teachers, coaches, administrators, managers, bosses, business owners or guides and helpers in some field, we need to put our expectations aside, pray and work earnestly to be in tune with what God wants, not what we want. We will have less stress, better relations with others, and be pleasantly surprised at the outcome that God will serve up..
Bro. Rene

The Wonder of God's Care

St. Marcellin urged all Marists to be good educators, and to do so most effectively, to love the students and love them equally. We wouldn't be able to do that unless we experience God's love first. And so it is, and here we are, at a retreat house with 40 students to help them discover God's love for them, to "educate" them in God's love while at the same time experiencing God's love. All the preparation that goes into such a retreat, the preparation of talks, the minutiae of room assignments, snacks, schedules...all fall into place, a sign that God wants this and that his loving care is with us every step of the way.
As we proceed this day, may we remember that God knows us, watches us, and helps us with the details of our lives as well as the bigger things. We are not alone, he truly is with us.
Please pray for us for the next two days that we may be aware of God's care, and that we make the retreatants so aware of it that it will affect their lives well into the future. Thank you.
Bro. Rene

God's Mercy/Our Mercy

During the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the plea for mercy is repeated umpteen times, it seems..."Lord, have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, O Lord have mercy."   The need for God's mercy is hammered into the congregation, and rightly so.  Without God's mercy, we would be lost. We know that God is kind and merciful and that there is no limit to his patience, forgiveness, compassion and mercy.  We rejoice in it, we hope in it, we rely on it as we admit our weakness and our sinfulness. However, Father Alfred Delp, a German Jesuit, condemned to death by the Nazis in 1945, reminds us: "God bids us place our hope of mercy in the mercy we are prepared to show." (Magnificat, March, p. 149).  As we acknowledge our need for mercy and repeatedly ask for it, so must we then be generous in our having mercy on others, as Jesus tells us:  "seventy times seven" (Mt 18: 22), that is limitlessly.  How does our scale of giving mercy balance with the mercy God gives us?  Lord, O Lord, as I stand in need of mercy, let me not hold back from giving mercy to others.
Bro. Rene

Expectations in Prayer

The story of Naaman, the Syrian's cure from leprosy in today's fist reading (2 Kgs 5:1-15ab) stirs up questions about our on attitude toward and expectations of prayer.  When he was told by a messenger (not ever the prophet Elisha face to face) to bathe seven times in the Jordan, Naaman was insulted and furious that the prophet did not speak to him in person, and secondly, gave him such a simple solution.  Naaman reacted as we do sometimes when the answer to our prayer is not what we expected, as well as being so mundane.  Like Naaman, we might be expecting something more exotic or elaborate...a splash of divine intervention.  We pray for the conversion of an atheist friend, or the healing of a relative or neighbor from cancer, or the victory in a hockey game.  When the answer is "No", or "No, not yet", we balk  and take a step backwards that what we thought we were entitled to is refused.  We miss the real answer:  what God had in mind in the BIG picture.  We miss the answer which comes not as we expected but in another form...a closer bonding with the people we are praying for, the important lesson that God's plans are not ours, nor his ways ours, or that we are to look for the greater good elsewhere.  Naaman learned humility, he learned to listen to his servants, and in the end was cured.  He believed in God and praised him.  Had he not learned humility in the process, his reaction might not have been so rich.  His experience is a lesson for us in prayer, one that we would not have, had he not been so human in resisting the simple proposal for his cure.
Bro. Rene

Cleansing Our Temples

Today's  Gospel for the Year B is John's account of the first cleansing of the Temple. (When Jesus enters Jerusalem at the beginning of the week that he died on the cross, he repeats this action which heightens the anger of the Scribes and Pharisees to the point of forcing their desire for his death).  In both cases, Jesus clearly states his motive: to restore his Father's house to a place of prayer. 
As we enter the third week of Lent, it might be time to look closely at our own temples. What are we allowing to interfere with our prayer?  With what are we filling our bodies and minds that adds to our distraction and diversion from the purpose of Lent?  It is tough to stick to our plan as the weeks go by and life continues in another direction, true, but are we focusing on Jesus or just brushing him off while we pursue our own desires and interests, not exercising an ounce of self-discipline or self-control?  We are called to pray, fast and give alms as concrete ways of cleansing our temples and renewing them, as we regularly bring our vehicles in for an oil change to insure their running smoothly and extending their "life-span". Are not our souls worth more that our cars?  Jesus, help me to cleanse and root out whatever is cluttering my life or hindering my relationship with you.
Bro. Rene

God's Abundant Forgiveness

As we continue our Lenten self-examination, cleansing and renewal, we might bring to the surface some of the sins which have burdened us in the past, and although forgiven continue to plague us and even find themselves in our current confessions. As determined as we are to "amend our lives and sin not more", we can't seem to shake our old sins.  We might even ask, "Is God tired of hearing the same things over and over again, year after year?" The prophet Micah reminds us of God's abundant forgiveness:
Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt
and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever,
but delights rather in clemency,
And will again have compassion on us,
treading underfoot our guilt?
You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins;
You will show faithfulness to Jacob,
and grace to Abraham,
As you have sworn to our fathers
from days of old.  (Micah 7: 18-20)
Jesus follows the same theme with his story of the Prodigal Son...There is nothing to fear or of which to be ashamed, when our Father waits for our return and celebrates us with a ring, a new robe and a party!
Bro. Rene

Returning Love to Jesus Through the Holy Spirit

Frst Fridays bring to mind the great love God has for us, especially in sending his only-begotten Son, Jesus to be one of us, and to offer his life in supreme sacrifice for our salvation and to convey for all time how great God's love is.  The question might come up in our minds, "How do I return this love?" There are many ways, but gearing our love as a total lifting of our hearts and souls to God in absolute abandonment and trust is one that we might consider deeply during these days of Lent.  Fr. Ted Hesburgh, recently deceased President Emeritus of the University of Notre Dame puts it simply and practically:  There's only one way to do it—that is to put yourself in the hands of the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Mother. You will see heartbreaks as well as days of great joy. There will be celebration as well as days of mourning in this Church. But with the Holy Spirit behind you and the Holy Mother inspiring you, these will be great years.”

“I pray every day to the Holy Spirit, as my friend, to give me the light and strength to do the right thing. And the Holy Spirit has never failed to show me the way, and to give me the strength of purpose to struggle on in the face of all kinds of adversity.”

"The Holy Spirit is the light and strength of my life, for which I am eternally grateful. My best daily prayer, apart from the Mass and breviary, continues to be simply, 'Come, Holy Spirit.' No better prayer, no better results: much light and much strength."

—Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C.

With the Holy Spirit as our guide, we cannot help but grow in greater confidence and love of Jesus.
Bro. Rene

Poor Lazarus

We are all faced with a poor Lazarus at our door at sometime or another.  Which ones are "legit" and which are not?...always a question...  Some make it their "business" to beg, others usually suffer as long as they can endure, and only when there is no other recourse, ask for help.  These we don't mind helping to get on their feet.  We pray that we may not become so self-absorbed, as was Dives in today's Gospel, that we are blind to the needs of others, and ask for the grace to deal with the fear, threat, of being exploited by the "pro's"  the con-men. God, help us to be as merciful and as compassionate as you.
Bro. Rene

Faithful God

Every once in awhile, we need to be reminded of just how faithful God is.  We tend to get caught up in our own world, which is full of deadlines and dealings, stressing us to the point of numbness.  We forget the birthday of a friend, we neglect to pass on good news, or send a thank you or sympathy card. So if our lives are so muddled. is it no wonder that God is put (or just left) in the back seat, and on we go trying to make it on our own, until we either crash or something pops up to nudge us back on track.  God frees us from the snares we create for ourselves because God is faithful to us, so much more than we to him.  To keep this in mind, we need to repeat often, "You, Lord, are a faithful God, your love is everlasting; I put my trust in you.  Rescue me from the clutches of my self-sufficiency and overextension.  Calm me, take me by my hand and help me to walk slowly and peacefully with you."
Bro. Rene

Setting Things Right

This morning,  Isaiah calls us to "set things right." (Is 1: 18) Lent is a time to take a good look at how we are living our life of faith:   the time we are giving God in prayer, the quality of that prayer, our fidelity to the sacrament of reconciliation, the need to mend relationships with others, and our inner or verbalized judgments of family members or co-workers.  We might also consider the motives behind our actions. Are we seeking praise?  Are we "takers", or are we ones who "serves the rest"?  Jesus says these are "the greatest among you,"  (Mt 23:11).  May Jesus open our eyes and hearts, even shake us up a bit, and help us to learn humility, admit our shortcomings and "set things right."
Bro, Rene

Being Merciful

Jesus is always setting the bar high for his followers:  "Be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5:48); "Be merciful just as your Father is merciful." (Lk 6: 36).  He admonishes directly, "Stop judging,....stop condemning, give..." (cf.  Lk 6: 37).  It boils down to this:  love without measure, and not just some...friends....good people...but ALL.   Fr. Ted Hesburgh, who speaks with the same clarity and directness as Jesus in this passage,  put it this way        “All human beings are our brothers and sisters, all are our neighbors especially when in need. It matters not whether they are black or white, red or yellow, men or women, Eastern or Western, Northern or Southern, young or old, intelligent or dull, good or bad, attractive or repulsive. I believe that since we are all created in the image of God, I cannot love God without loving and serving them as best I can.”—Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C.
May we  show mercy and love with such directness, holding nothing back.
Bro. Rene

Listen To Him

We begin the second week of Lent with the scene of the Transfiguration: a resplendent Jesus in dazzling white garments, Moses, Elijah, three confused apostles, the Father's voice affirming, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." and a warning to the three to speak nothing of what they had seen till Jesus had risen from the dead. (Mk 9: 2-10). Jesus is the central figure, singled out by the Father, and surpassing the great lawgiver and prophet.  As candidates for Baptism prepare for their own transformation, they are reminded of this hierarchy:  Jesus first, then the law and the prophets.   The lesson hold for us as well.  No substitutes for Jesus.  To him only must we listen.  We might not always understand his words, his call, as did the apostles who could not fathom what this "rising form the dead" meant.  Not at that time, but later it became clear.  If our own transformation is to continue, especially during Lent, we must listen and follow, even without full and clear understanding.  Why, do things go wrong and spoil our mapped out plan?  Later we might see why.  Even our sins can be lessons that have a fruitful side:  more compassion to other sinners, more understanding of our vulnerability, deeper appreciation for the grace of forgiveness, and a stronger resolve to avoid those same sins in the future.  Jesus, help me to listen better, trust more completely, and follow more lovingly.
Bro. Rene