Spontaneous Responses

Note.  Apologies again!  A very early flight out of San Antonio and a late night Wednesday, prevented me from sending off a slice of bread yesterday.  Warning that meetings this weekend in Mariandale, NY may mean no computer access, but if there, is, there will be a slice in your inbox!

So often we attend a gathering or plan some simple errand and out of the blue there appears someone pleading for assistance.  How do we respond?  Jesus was quick to meet the need as he is shown with the man with dropsy at the home of a leading Pharisee who had invited him to dinner.  Jesus uses the occasion not only to cure the man, but also to teach all of us that we need to be flexible in our observance of the Sabbath.  When charity requires "work" on the Sabbath, it is the Law of Charity that supplants the Law of the Sabbath.  May we be ready to respond in charity to whatever or whomever appears unexpectedly, knowing that everything happens for a purpose, and that a greater good can always be found, for "all things work to the good." (Rm 8:28)
Bro. Rene

Zeal and Hope

Note: At last we can provide a thin slice of bread after several days of no internet access at the Oblate Retreat House in San Antonio where I'm attending a conference.  Then, this morning the door was locked till just a few moments ago.  However, here is a thought.

We celebrate the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, two of the chosen Twelve.  St. Jude, patron of hopeless cases, is well known and has  great following, but we can't forget Simon the Zealot, whose desire to right the wrongs inflicted upon the people of Israel drew him to the group known as Zealots even before he was chosen by Jesus to follow him.  No doubt his vigor and energy attracted Jesus to him.  Hope in what might seem a "hopeless age" as we look around us today, and zeal for bringing the Good News to this sad world are needed as much today as in the days when Simon and Jude lived, or when St. Marcellin found ignorance of the faith in the Jean-Baptiste Montagnes of his day.  Things have not changed much over the centuries; the mission and the need for zealous apostles filled with hope impel us to dig in and bring the message of Jesus to all, especially those whose paths cross ours today.  Sts. Simon and Jude, pray for us and make us strong and faithful apostles of Jesus.
Bro. Rene

God Is Calling Me

Even though I might feel overwhelmed with demands of family, work and my own self-imposed expectations, or just tired from routine and lack of stimulation in what I do for a living, if I stop and realize what blessings I do have, and who is giving them, I might hear the voice of God calling me to a deeper level with him.
I once saw a tall, strong-looking teenage boy slump and sleep during Mass, oblivious to the mystery into which he is called to participate.  He was in church because his mother and father made him come, but he was blind to the why and what of the Mass.  I am that boy, at times, "sleeping" through the day where beauty surrounds me, or the call the help  others invites me to wake up and come alive.  How patient God is with me, as he calls most of the time, gently, but occasionally, startlingly, so that I hear the call loudly and clearly. Our Sabbath day, when in theory we take time for God and for self, is an opportunity for me to hear God's call, to rise up,  ask, "Lord, what do YOU want me to do?" and respond with the generosity and energy his love for me and in me makes possible.
Bro. Rene

The Call of the Blind

The blind beggar, Bartimeus, could see enough through his inner eye, that Jesus was near, and could cure him.  Let not our blindness keep us from reaching out to Jesus who wants to heal and forgive us.  His care and love can cure our blindness, our hardness of heart, our "hostility toward God" which St. Paul describes (cf. Rm 8: 7); let us pray for the simplicity of Bartimeus and be unafraid to ask Jesus to have pity on us and heal us.
Bro. Rene

The Year of Fourviere

In preparation for the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Little Brothers of Mary, now recognized as the Marist Brothers of the Schools, three years prior to 2017 have been designated to recall key moments that contributed to our origins:  the encounter with Jean-Baptiste Montagne, the dying 17 year-old which prompted immediate action from St. Marcellin; the Fourviere Pledge made by 12 newly ordained priests, which became the foundation of the Society of Mary; and finally,  the establishment of the first community at LaValla.  This is the Year of the Fourviere Pledge, commemorating the sincere promise to begin a Society of priests, sisters, brothers and lay people as four branches of the larger Society of Mary.  As time passed and due to Rome's intervention, the envisioned society became four separate ones, who all kept the name Marist.  The lay component, The Third Order of Mary, is under the auspices of the Marist Fathers, but their place among the Marist Brothers is evolving at a growing pace since the inception of The Marist Family Movement in the 80's. More and more lay collaboration is becoming the norm as the number of Marist Brothers, especially in the First World, diminishes.   Taking on the charism and spirit of St. Marcellin, these lay people have picked up the mission and have begun to run with it with the vigor and energy of youth. The Year of Fourviere will lend itself to greater understanding of their role in the Marist Mission and participation in it.  It is like a second founding, hence we celebrate and rejoice that the vision of St. Marcellin is guaranteed a long, effective future.
Bro. Rene

Lighting Fire

"Jesus said to his disciples: 'I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!'"  He was passionate about his mission and anguished as it seemed to move so slowly.  We who have suffered injuries know that impatience, that desire to be fully healed and back to normal, as it seems that the healing process drags on and on.  Pope St. John Paul II, an athlete, an actor, a man of action as well as a philosopher and theologian had all the components to set the world ablaze and did so till his voice  and strength failed him.  He told us to "Feat not." and lived it.  His motto, Totus Tuus, (all is yours) demonstrated the extent of his desire and expanse of his energy.  Just remembering him, we can see the flames burning and hear the wood crackling.  Even ten years after his death, and with his recent canonization, we still feel his impact and are moved to let him light our fire. May we take some time today to google some of his words and apply them to our lives.  May the flame of his example enkindle new fire in us.
Bro. Rene

More Will Be Asked

"Much will be required of the person entrusted with much and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more." (Lk 12: 48).  We might not like to hear this, for it puts pressure on us to be ready to "give up" as well as to give more.  Our days are so full, that being asked to do one more thing seems to throw everything off.  "How can I do all this and still find time to eat and sleep, let alone enjoy some leisure to read the news paper or watch my favorite show?", we ask as we shy away from this passaged.  We need to remember that we were created from nothing out of love, for a purpose:  to know, love and serve God.  If we reflect on our experience, we discover that anytime we've been asked to "do more," we've done it, and have been energized by it.  We need to grow in the confidence that God knows all our needs, yes, but he has lavished each one of us with unique gifts, not for ourselves, but for others. We run into so many people asking for prayers, for example.  Can we refuse them by saying "I have too many people to pray for?"  If we have he gift of prayer, such a blessing is not for us alone, but to serve others.  We say over and over, "Nothing is impossible with God."  Do we believe it?  If so, let's act on it, and willing take the sure chance that God will help us to give more.
Bro. Rene

Dressed For Action

Jesus tells us today to have our loins girt and our lamps lit, and to be ready for action when he knocks. (cf. Lk 12: 12:35).  Complacency can so easily creep into our lives, especially when things are going well and we think, "Ah, I've made it.  It's a smooth plateau from here on in;  I'll just coast along".  Little do we know what "interventions" the Lord has planned for us.  It is not necessarily the BIG knock at the door before our final exit for which we need to prepare, but for the little ones, the unexpected phone call for help across the street; a visitor from out of town who "takes a chance" to see if we're home to chat and catch up; a slight twist of an ankle or a mis-step off a curb, which can change our lives for weeks, even months ahead.  It is also the "knock" and request to give more of ourselves than we had planned, to relinquish not only material goods, but a goal we had set for ourselves, or to accept a challenge that we had not anticipated.  We have experienced these knocks, and for the most part, have answered generously, if not reluctantly at first, and found that God's Knock, when answered positively, opens more doors than we ever thought possible.
Bro. Rene

Passion for the Gospel

Note:  Apologies again for missing yesterday's slice.  Early rising for an early flight, and a day previously of visiting and celebrating Bishop Donahue High School's 60th anniversary made it impossible to cut a slice. An early physical therapy appointment, for which I'm late, necessitates this thin slice today.

The desire to spread the Gospel to Native Americans in what is now northern New York state and parts of Canada spurred seven Jesuit priests and two lay brothers to give their lives as martyrs for the faith after years of painful adaptation to the climate of these regions and the customs of the Hurons and Mohawks.
May they inspire us when tepidity or discouragement creep into our practice of the faith. May we burn with the fire that motivated them.  The same Spirit that lived in them lives in us.  Let that Spirit do its work!
Bro. Rene

Celebrating 60 Years

Note:  Written from Wheeling, WV after much searching on the web. Time is limited, so this will be a slim slice.

60 years ago, the pastors from Moundsville, McMechen, Benwood and Glen Dale convinced Bishop Swint that a local high school would enable more students who could not travel to Wheeling Central Catholic to receive a Catholic Education.  The new high school was named after Bishop Donahue, a man who himself was well-educated, gregarious and sincerely interested in the education of youth.  Never intended to be a large school, at max its enrollment topped at 200 for a few years and remained at best around 150.  Just before celebrating it's 50th jubilee, enrollment had shrunk to 68 and rumors were rampant that it would have to close.  Determination, hard work, the presence of the Marist Brothers,, the kindness of Bishop Schmidt and lots of prayer kept the school going.  Just a few years ago when Bishop Bransfield endorsed the school saying he would never close it, the rumor dust settled once and for all, and enrollment has steadily been increasing.  Gathering last night for part one of the 60th celebration, alumni and friends affirmed their love and loyalty and marveled again at how "the little school that could" has now reached its 60th anniversary.   It is another testimony to the power of prayer and the power of community.  When in doubt about the efficacy of prayer, just remember Bishop Donahue High School, and keep praying.
Bro. Rene

Even The Hairs Of Our Heads

We often are tempted to wonder if God is there as he said, if he cares enough for us to help us even in what might be considered trivial matters  We do not hesitate to call on St. Anthony to find a lost object for us, or to pray to our Guardian Angel and St. Christopher  for a safe trip; their reputations are well established, but to call on the Creator for other than cosmic needs seems to belittle the Almighty.
Yet Jesus assures us:  "Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.  Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.  Do not be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows." (Lk 12: 6-7).  I have found over the years that indeed God does care about the smallest details of our lives, working things out for us when they seem to be in an "inoperable" tangle.  He can be the Master Travel Agent, the most effective retreat director, the best "ghost writer" we could ever find.  The Hebrews saw God's intervention in everything, from drought to flood, from feast to famine.  Seems simplistic, but Jesus didn't change that approach, but rather encouraged his followers to believe in it.   May we not lose sight of the God of Details.
Bro. Rene

The Gift of the Great St. Teresa of Avila

Not to be confused with St. Therese of Lisieux (the Little Flower), St. Teresa of Avila is known for her profound writings on prayer, The Ascent of Mt Carmel and, especially, The Interior Castle, and for her reform of the Carmelite Order.  This year we celebrate the 500th anniversary of her birth and look to her legacy and counsel with gratitude and hope.  May these succinct thoughts help us grow in prayer, and, as she did, balance a contemplative life with an active life.

Let nothing disturb you
 Let nothing frighten you
 All things are passing away:
God never changes.
 Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.

St. Teresa of Avila, let me not shun the injunction to "pray without ceasing" (I Thess 5:17), but learn as you did, how to be aware of God's presence as I go about my busy days.  When I can grab some quiet moments, let me spend them in my "interior castle" and learn that "God alone suffices."
Bro. Rene

Missing the Point

The sharp eye and tongue of Jesus catch and challenge the Pharisees and scholars of the law who have missed the point in their religious observances and let minute observances of the law keep them from hitting the target on what really matters.  They pay tithes on herbs, but ignore love for God.  They love instead greetings in the market place and seats of honor in the synagogues. The place burdens on others but duck for carrying them themselves. 
If we look carefully at our own behavior, we qualify for a scolding ourselves.  We can so easily slip into self-righteousness or justify our crassness by excusing our bad behavior to fatigue or busyness.  Indeed, the Pharisee lives on in each of us. The remedy would be to admit our faults and like the Publican ask for mercy, express our desire to get back on track and humbly request the grace to do so.  Without God's help, we might easily miss the point again.
Bro. Rene

Simplicity, Transparency, Trust

Today's brief Gospel passage brings to mind the virtue of simplicity, one of the three "violets" that characterize Marist spirituality.  St. Marcellin urged the early brothers to be themselves, no duplicity, no hypocrisy as Jesus admonished the Pharisees with the familiar observation:  "Although you cleanse the outside of the cup an the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil." (Lk 11:40).  So often WE hide behind the façade of goodness a person we would not want to be seen.  The Marist virtue of simplicity seeks to match the outside with the inside, so that  what people see is what they get directly and transparently from our hearts.
Similarly, the University of Notre Dame is celebrating Founder's Day today, the memorial of St. Edward the Confessor, for whom the founder of Notre Dame, Fr. Edward Sorin was named.  He was a man of strong faith and determination like St. Marcellin, and his words written in an early letter from Notre Dame reveal his steadfast faith and simple trust and hope in the Providence of God, much like that of St. Marcellin. “Yes, we are happy. We have the Lord with us. Only tonight we hung our sanctuary lamp where none had hung before... They tell us we won’t be able to afford to keep it burning. But we have a little olive oil and it will burn while it lasts... We can see it through the woods and it lights the humble home where our Master dwells. We tell each other that we are not alone, that Jesus Christ lives among us. It gives us courage.”
My we find such simple, trusting faith in our own hearts.
Bro. Rene

Searching The Heart

As we celebrate Columbus Day today, the theme of searching seems to be appropriate.  The journey in those three small ships was not easy, not at all, and the crew attempted to mutiny more than once so they could give up the quest and return to the comfort of Spain.  Columbus coaxed them on by asking for a little time more..."Give me three more days."  In the end it paid off.
We pray in Psalm 139:23, "Search me, my God, and know my heart, test me and know my concerns."  This is as powerful and as scary an adventure as faced Columbus and his sailors.  Do we really want God to "go there"?  Do we really want God to test us?  Won't we rebel, want to turn back and not be discovered, or not discover what's in the core of our being?  Yet, if we benefit when others reveal things they see in us, and are grateful for their insights, how much more would God's insight help us?  He alone knows us and, to boot, accepts us as we are.  He loves us and his love should encourage us to open up completely to him and allow his Spirit to point gently to areas of strength and areas of weakness.  If we want to change, if change is needed, whose help can better guide us.  Yes, search me Lord God, and help me to grow in self-understanding and become more like you.
Bro. Rene.

Yearning For Something Deeper

Today's Gospel story of the Rich Young Man (Mk 10: 17-30) touches a chord in all of us.  He kept the commandments, was a good person, but still was unsatisfied.  Just doing the basics was not enough, he yearned for something deeper, causing him to run to Jesus and seek counsel from him.  Jesus was touched by his sincerity and looked lovingly at him, seeing that goodness in his soul, as we often do when we meet sincere and genuine people.  Wanting to help him in his search, Jesus was very specific:  sell his goods, give the profit to the poor and follow him.  Sadness filled the man and he turned from Jesus, a prisoner of his "many possessions." 
Jesus invites us, if we are searching for MORE, to do the same, but in our world so occupied with THINGS, we might be finding it as hard, or even harder to "let go" of them, give to the poor and follow Jesus.   When I approach young men or women about considering the consecrated life, their plans for the future are their "possessions."  No room even to consider changing them to help the poor by following Jesus more closely.  All of us, consecrated religious or not, are invited to sift through our things, our wealth to help the poor, and thus follow Jesus more intimately.  Can we find the courage to do so,  and find that deeper relationship, peace and happiness for which we yearn, or would we rather go on iving with our sadness, and yes, even emptiness?
Bro. Rene

How Blessed Are We!

Jesus offers a great gift, a great comfort and a great challenge in today's short Gospel Passage:  Luke 11: 27-28).  He responds to the woman who shouts her admiration for him and the mother who bore and nursed him with the poignant:  "Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and Observe it."  That's us, we hope.  We too can share the blessing Jesus affirms his mother enjoys if we hear to the word of God and observe it. The hearing must be a listening, an applying of what we hear to our lives; an absorption of it, a digesting of it, and, as Jesus says, an observing of it. It can't just be words that bounce off our ear drums without having an effect in our behavior.  We, as did the woman, look up to Mary and admire her, but in putting God's Word into practice, we can inspire and win the admiration of others by modeling for them what God is saying to all of us.  What a blessed mission; how blessed we are!
Bro. Rene

Casting Out Demons

Much of the ministry of Jesus involved casting out demons, and for it, he was criticized for it. (See Luke 11: 15-26).  He stood firm in his mission to free people from evil and in his footsteps today stand others dedicated to eradicating the demons that plague us.
Once such group is the Pregnancy Care Center with locations in Haverhill, and Lawrence which is celebrating 30 years of assisting parents dealing with "unplanned pregnancies" whose only option in their minds is abortion.   Wrong.  With gentle, loving counseling and much prayer with these confused mothers and fathers, 4,600 lives have been saved in these 30 years.  Last night hundreds of people gathered for the annual fund raising dinner and report of progress.  Shawn Carney, the youthful 33 year old founder of 40 Days for Life, a now global organization in 30 nations, 579 cities with 650,000 volunteers, was the speaker who was as impressive with his humility humor, faith and sincerity as these astounding statistics.  As a result of the prayerful vigils at abortion clinics, half of them have closed in the last few years.  The rosary continues to be a powerful, effective prayer, along with fasting and selfless sacrificing.  The demons are fleeing as they did at the command of Jesus. We can all join in this movement at home, if we can't join the groups that gather near the clinics.  Let us pray for the mothers and fathers who are in process of making a decision to abort or not to abort; for the helpless unborn; for the doctors who perform the abortions, and for those who stand for "choice."   Let us pray that the demons who seek to destroy life might be cast into hell for good.
God bless you.
Bro. Rene

The Rosary and Mercy (The whole sllice)

Note.  The Brothers in Wheeling installed Wi-Fi over the weekend, so I'll be able to continue cutting a slice of Daily Bread when I visit there in the future.  Praise God!

Today we honor Mary as Our Lady of the Rosary.  Her intercession via this favorite prayer saved Europe from the Turks more than once: at the battle of Lepanto in 1571 and in 1716 at the Battle of Belgrade.  A rosary campaign in Austria is credited for the sudden withdrawal  of the Russians form Austria after their post-WWII occupation.
In our own day, we face the "Turks" in other forms:  Isis, Secularism, Indifference, Subtle persecution, etc.  Beginning with her appearances at Fatima, Mary has pleaded with us to pray the rosary daily to avert evil and overcome it.  The recent push toward mercy, with the up-coming Year of Mercy, ties right into praying the rosary...Can we not find 15 minutes a day for this prayer, even for a decade of it?  Let us heed out Mother who has been so patient with us.
God Bless...
Bro. Rene

Opening our Doors

Note:  It seems that only a half a slice of yesterday's daily bread was posted.   I'll see if we can post the whole thing today along with this one.

Today's Gospel (Lk 11:5-13) relates the story of the person who asks his friend to open his door to lend him a few loaves of bread to feed some visitors who arrived unexpectedly, but the friend refuses, protesting that the doors is locked and he is already in bed..  Jesus says that even if he does not get up out of friendship, he eventually will if the knocking continues.  Persistence will prevail.  Jesus continues with the familiar verse, "Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Lk  11:  ). Thus we are urged to pray with such persistence, being assured that our request will be granted at some point.
Such is our dealing with our Heavenly Father, but what about those who come to US with needed favors?  We don't usually refuse our friends, but what about the others, those we don't know, but who come to us through phone or mail solicitations?   They are legion, and we can't open our doors to all, but we can find ways of getting help to them through others, if not through ourselves.  It might cost us, but it always seems to come back to us in some way.  If we want God to open the door for us, the least we can do is open the door for others.
Bro. Rene

The Rosary and Mercy

Note.  The Brothers in Wheeling installed Wi-Fi over the weekend, so I'll be able to continue cutting a slice of Daily Bread when I visit there in the future.  Praise God!

Today we honor Mary as Our Lady of the Rosary.  Her intercession via this favorite prayer saved Europe from the Turks more than once: at the battle of Lepanto in 1571 and in 1716 at the Battle of Belgrade.  A rosary campaign in Austria is credited for the sudden withdrawal  of the Russians form Austria after their post-WWII occupation.
In our own day, we face the "Turks" in other forms:  Isis, Secularism, Indifference, Subtle persecution, etc.  Beginning with her appearances at Fatima, Mary has pleaded with us to pray the rosary daily to avert evil and overcome it.  The recent push toward mercy, with the up-coming Year of Mercy, ties right into praying the rosary...Can we not find 15 minutes a day for this prayer, even for a decade of it?  Let us heed out Mother who has been so patient with us.
God Bless...
Bro. Rene

A Guardian Angel Story

"For to his angels he has given command about you,
that they guard you in all your ways." (Ps 91: 11).  People might not take this literally, but to this writer with a lifetime of such stories, this is exactly what the angels assigned to us, our guardian angels, do. The latest episode:
Two days ago,I had to drive to Boston's South Station to pick up a friend coming in on Amtrak at 3:45 pm, just as "Rush Hour" would be sliding into high gear.  I dreaded the thought of entering the fray to a destination I had been two only once before, two years ago,when it was a nightmare not only to find South Station, but also a place to park. I began talking to my Guardian Angel, Leo, as I headed for Boston, and prayed to him at every turn, right or wrong, to lead me to South Station and protect me from causing an accident. And so it unfolded thusly:   As it turned out this time, I did not need to park, because I missed the exit in the tunnel and was a couple of blocks away from the station (as it turned out) when I came from underground.  I had no idea where to turn or where the station was, and traffic was heavy. I sought more guidance from Leo and I managed to ask pedestrians for directions, but got yelled at twice, "What the h...are you doing?" and almost ran over a lady as I was asking another where to go. My cell phone was useless, since I must have been out of a service area. I had only Leo to help me.  I did hear my party say he was on Atlantic Avenue, but I was on another street right around the corner.  I could not communicate this to him, so I managed to get to his location in a "right turn only lane," in which there were no cars for the longest time, enough for him to run with his bags to the car and eventually hop in. His train had arrived 20 minutes late, so he wasn't waiting very long.  We turned the corner and right away a left hand turn at the next block took us to I-93 North. I was surprised that we found it so easily. Thank you, Leo!  Usually at 5 pm, traffic is at a standstill on this main north/south interstate, but that day, we moved at a moderate to fast speed, quite unbelievable.  Yet it was happening, and only when close to home did we hit a little congestion, but nothing more.   Leo again had guided the way, and made sure I accomplished this mission and can thus vouch for the presence of those who "guard us in all our ways."
Bro. Rene

Note:  I'll be visiting in Wheeling, West Virginia till Tuesday....limited internet access...I have to use the public library, so only expect an occasional slice of bread till Wednesday.

Simple Things

St. Therese of Lisieux, whose memorial we observe today has made a mark on contemporary spirituality through her "little way."  She lived nine years as a cloistered Carmelite nun in the Carmel of Lisieux, and yet her Story of a Soul continues to be published and commenters continue to write books applying her message to our lives today.  The perennial appeal touches all of us because it is so accessible, so doable.  We can all wash dishes with love, we can all offer a prayer before or after a conversation with someone...even as we say a quick hello, we can say, "God, bless so and so."  This keeps us conscious of God's presence and intervention in our lives, and is very much part of our Marist Way.  Without leaving the convent, St. Therese is the co-patron of the missions because of her prayers for missionaries and the letters she wrote to them. So simple, so "ordinary", yet so extraordinary when done with love.
In her fatal bout with tuberculosis, she offered her suffering, her sleepless nights, her helplessness for those who were in the mission field, or who were suffering more painfully than she.  We can bear with the frustrations of heavy traffic, the demands placed on us though social media and the push for instant communication that at times seem so overwhelming and too much for us to handle.  A prayer to St. Therese can help us use these ordinary things as a means to grace.  Dear God, heighten my awareness to the blessings I receive from you and can give to others by offering up the simple things of my day as prayers and acts of love.
Bro. Rene