Advent Model

As we begin this first week of Advent, the Church fittingly celebrates the life and ministry of St. Andrew, the first to respond to the call of Jesus (along with an unnamed disciple of John.  See Jn 1:39).  Later, Andrew told his brother, Peter, that they had found the Messiah, and took Peter to meet him. We also learn that when Jesus passed by their fishing boat, he beckoned them to come and follow him.  They dropped their nets and followed.  Andrew continues to BE THERE as the liason, the man Jesus calls upon for help...he comes up with the loaves and fishes, for example when Jesus asks about feeding the multitude. It seems that his whole life was one of such service to either Jesus, and after his death, the message and mission of Jesus.  He evidently evangelized in Greece and Russia, and is the patron of those countries along with Scotland, where his relics were transported. (Others are located in  Amalfi, Italy.
Andrew serves as a model for us in being so quick to respond to Jesus, to leave all to follow him, and to be his "right hand" in the details of his ministry.  Can we leave behind the busyness of our pre-Christmas days; can we ignore the pressures the media put on us to shop and spend so far ahead of Christmas?  Can we take advantage of the invitation to "Come and see."  and spend time, with Jesus, time that is, no doubt, more worthwhile than bargain hunting at the mall or on the web?
Bro. Rene

Signs of Advent

Advent is here. Even with the hoopla surrounding Thanksgiving and the shopping sprees that evening and continuing even now, Advent might still seem like a surprise, "What already?" and we might not be ready for it.  Perhaps it's best not to fret over it, for we do not need more anxiety or stress, but we do need peace, and that's what these weeks are for.  Yes, they are countercultural, opposed to the hype and frenzy the media feeds us. We need to take time to look ahead and at the WHY of our existence, and, yes, the WHY of all this preparation.  We are preparing our hearts and our world for the COMING of Jesus, as a child and at his second coming at the end of time.  Our Gospel today speaks of the signs of those times, "in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves...the powers of the heaven will be shaken."  (Lk 21: 21-23).  St. Paul outlines what might be the signs of our preparation for Christmas, a plan for our Advent observances:  We urge you brothers, admonish the idle, cheer the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with all.  See that no one returns evil for evil, rather, always seek what is good [both] for each other and for all.  Rejoice always, Pray without ceasing."  (1Thess 5:14-17)  Let us pick something that we can do consistently that, without adding pressure, we bring peace to us and to others, and allow Jesus to find a warm place of welcome in our hearts at Christmas.  Go Advent!
Bro. Rene

Be Vigilant

On this day, which concludes the liturgical year and moves us closer to the First Sunday of Advent and the new liturgical year, we hear Jesus telling us to be vigilant. "Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man." (Lk 21:36).  Again, the busyness of the past few days might distract us from the arrival of Advent, and Sunday just becomes another day and the weeks ahead full of the frenzy of shopping, baking, sending Christmas cards,and decorating with little time left for absorbing the beautiful texts from Isaiah, or paying attention to the prayers and events that will lead us to welcome Jesus at Christmas with ready hearts.  Let us not be hardened to the "holy longing" that is deep within us:
Deep within us and all of creation, there is a longing for union with our Creator, with Jesus:  "For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.  For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.  And not only this, but also we ourselves having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body." (Rm 8: 19, 22, 23). Is not Advent the time for waiting and for longing? May we stir up our hearts to be vigilant and attentive to what God has placed within us.
Bro. Rene

Helping the Poor

Those of us who were blessed with a Thanksgiving Day full of family, food and love, are still reeling from the feasting.  We, perhaps, don't have to eat today...well, certainly not as much as yesterday!  But what of those who were not so blessed?   Churches, organizations, agencies, made efforts to give them some sort of Thanksgiving meal, but today it's back to hunger and seeking shelter.  So frequently in Scripture, these poor are looked upon as those favored by God, and certainly they occupy a special place in the heart of Pope Francis who has said,  "A Church not including them is not a Church."Their plight is a call to action from God.  Perhaps sharing some of our left-overs with these soup kitchens will help a bit.  Perhaps cleaning out our closets before the rush of Christmas shopping takes over. (For some, Black Friday, begun at midnight or before, has taken care of the shopping.  If so, then more time to spend sharing our abundance with those who have less, or nothing.)  Canned Food drives need to continue.  At Central Catholic, the focus now is on our Christmas Project, to provide food and gifts for families at Christmas.  And after that what?   Helping the poor does not stop with the calendar.   The need continues day after day.   May we accept the call to be our "brother's keeper."
Bro. Rene

Thanking God

An appropriate passage from the Book of Tobit for our Thanksgiving meditation follows:

Thank God! Give him the praise and the glory.  Before all the living acknowledge the many good things he has done for you by blessing and extolling his name in song.  Before all men, honor and proclaim God's deeds and do not be slack in praising him." (Tobit 12:6).

We in the United States retreat from our ordinary schedules to gather the family around a sumptuous table (if possible) and take time to give thanks for the many things we enjoy but take for granted:  our faith, our families, our friends, our homes and the food that sustains us daily.  Many of us begin this day appropriately by attending the Liturgy of the Eucharis, Holy Mass, which is THE prayer par excellence of thanksgiving.  May we pay attention today to those "little things" we usually overlook, or even those things that are thorns in our side, and give thanks for them.  "All things work to the good", St. Paul tells us in Romans 8:28.  Let us acknowledge God's goodness that comes to us in so many ways and in so many people.  Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Bro. Rene

An Undivided Heart

This eve of Thanksgiving might be putting more pressure than normal on those of us who celebrate this day of giving thanks to God by gathering with our families.  Based on the tradition that the early pilgrims, after a hard beginning at their Plymouth, Massachusetts colony, served their tribal friends a meal to thank them for their help in adapting to their new home, Thanksgiving has since become a national holiday.
Today we travel with great difficulty, in many instances, to be with family, gather around a sumptuous meal, and offer prayers of gratitude to God and express our gratitude to our family for the love they give us.
In order to do justice to this admirable custom, it might be good to relieve the stress and pressure by approaching it with an undivided heart, focusing on the love we wish to share and not on the problems we experienced traveling, or the things we could be doing, or which "have to be done".  Now that another custom has crept in, that of "Black Friday" bargain shopping for Christmas, we deal with another pressure. It has now even invaded  Thanksgiving Day itself, with stores opening up in the afternoon and evening of Thursday, just as dessert is making its way to our stomachs, pulling us away from family, dividing our loyalty to them to save a few dollars.  If we want to please them with a special gift, why not give them the gift of our time, of the gift of ourselves by BEING with them.  No THING can replace a "heart full of love."  What can we do today to make it less stressful and help us to be more present tomorrow?
Bro. Rene

Looking For Good Signs

Note:  I failed to cut a slice of bread yesterday as I took part in a surprise early morning celebration of a friend's birthday.

St. Luke's chapter 21 speaks of the signs of  the end times...the transformation of the world as we know it to the establishment of the reign of Christ.  That in itself is desirable, but the events leading up to it could be frightening with earthquakes famines and plagues.  We live in a time of frightening signs even now, with terrorists threatening us everywhere.  To balance this lopsided picture, we might look for the positive and encouraging signs that signal what this Kingdom of Christ will be like.  Bells ring in front of large businesses reminding us to share what we have so that those who have less might have a merry Christmas;  agencies are preparing Thanksgiving food baskets and meals; students are volunteering generously locally and around the world; Pope Francis fearlessly attacks the woes of the world and the Church, separating the wheat of Christ's  message from the chaff of bureaucracy and corruption.   Good things are happening; we simply need to open our eyes, and yes, find the courage to join in with them.
Bro. Rene

Serving Christ Our King

Jesus often spoke of the Kingdom of God, and in answer to Pilate's question, "Are you the King of the Jews," Jesus eventually answers that his kingdom is not of this world and that he was born to be a king and to testify to the truth. "Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." (cf; Jn 18: 33b-37).  As followers of Jesus, we are not subjugated as disenfranchised slaves, but rather, raised up to share in his mission to live and spread the truth and to make the kingdom a reality.  Most of us are not in high positions of leadership or influence, but in simple, grass-roots ways, we can serve our King and make his Kingdom a reality even in the smallest ways.  Instead of throwing stones at the Church, which is much in the headlines these days for gross corruption, we might "make church (community) happen by listening twice as much as we speak, and when we do speak, make it constructive.  Look at others as people who have something to teach us.  We can all be quiet examples of Christ to others.  We might even step up to teach CCD, become a Lector, or Eucharistic Minister, or join the St. Vincent de Paul Society.  In small ways we can serve Christ make extend his reign in our family, our parish, our time. (Thanks to Stand Firm, and editors Matt Erickson and Tammy Drolsum for some of these ideas.)
Bro. Rene

Presenting Our Children

Although today's Memorial of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple is based on an apocryphal Book, The Infancy Gospel of James, it is one of the 12 major feasts in the Eastern Church, for it set the stage for the nativity of Jesus.  Mary is presented in the temple and herself later becomes the temple which receives the incarnate Son of God. Her years in the temple help set the stage for her gracious acceptance to be the mother of God; her "Fiat" (be it done to me) becomes the foundation of her discipleship and the model stance for all Marists.
St. Marcellin said over and over again that to educate our charges, we must love them, and love them all equally.  We might even go so far in that love as to present them to God, to lift them up, to dedicate them to him, to give them over to him as Anne and Joaquim did with Mary.  With so many contrary values bombarding our children every day, it becomes more imperative that we place them in God's hands to be loved, protected and guided toward him.  Let us take a few moments now to offer our children, all those entrusted to our care, and, especially the most neglected, to God, asking that HIS will for them be done.
Bro. Rene

Rebuilding

As the Jewish Community prepares for the annual celebration of Hannukah, the 8 day feast of the re-dedication of the Temple, a time of candles and light in our dark, December days, we might reflect on the need for hope and the truth that no matter how bad the situation might be, there is always the possibility of rebuilding, moving forward, and ending up with something even better.  
Raising teens has never been easy, but it seems to be ever more challenging these days.  Multiple choices (not all good) face them on all sides, and being "kids" they succumb.  And who's to say that we don't either?  But as it took time and patience to rebuild the temple, so it will take time and patience to help our offspring learn from their mistakes. Our first instinct is anger or even sadness at how they have taken our love and slapped it in the face by doing the opposite of what we've taught them or what our expectations have been.   We all, then, have to start from scratch and build block by block, principle by principle, value by value.  In the end we have young adults who are even stronger than previously, having learned valuable lessons from their poor choices.  They have become a light in the darkness and a cause for rejoicing.
Bro. Rene

Courage

In these days when fear of terrorism is mounting as a result of the recent bombings in France and threats of more; when daily, it seems, the spread of evil is overpowering goodness, we as a Church are taking a long, hard look at "the last things", heaven, hell and judgment. We have seen the courage of the Maccabees and today's first reading tells of Mattathias, a zealous Jew who resisted the orders of the king to worship false gods.  His courage influenced the people to live according to the Law and their ancient customs.  We also remember Fr. Raphael Kolinowski, a Polish priest who founded several monasteries and helped spread the faith in Poland after suffering 10 years in the salt mines of Siberia.  Marists around the world continue to live the vision of St. Marcellin to protect poor children as well as lead them to come to know and love Jesus.  As Marists, all of us are called "to act with urgency to find new creative ways to educate, evangelize, advocate for, and to be in solidarity with young children, teens and young adults" (from a prayer form the Province of Australia to Universal Day of Children's Rights).  How can we better do this in and outside our schools?  The Holy Spirit is at work and soon we'll be seeing the results of the efforts we are making to give new vitality and dimension to our mission. At this time of the closing of the Church year and the beginning of a new,  may we follow the courageous leaders who have gone before us and trust that as he did with them, God will help us profoundly influence others to accept and live the gift of faith.
Bro. Rene

Steadfast In Your Paths

With tales of violence and counter violence filling the media these days, or with glitches, big and small, or challenges besieging us on every side, we turn with the Psalmist to God for help.  Where else can we go?  Slowly, prayerfully, pray these verses from Psalm 17 and find calmness and peace again.
Hear, O Lord, a just suit,
attend to my outcry;
hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.

My steps have been steadfast in your paths,
my feet have not faltered.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God.
Incline your ear to me; hear my word.

Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings.
But I in justice shall behold our face;
on waking, I shall be content in your presence.  (Ps 17: 1-8 )

Bro. Rene

Relinquishment

Time and time again from the time of Jesus to the present day, people have heeded the invitation to relinquish their wealth or position to serve God either directly or through the poor.  The rich young man refused the invitation, but Zacchaeus accepted it with joy, giving half his possessions to the poor and repaying four times over those he might have extorted. (cf. Lk 19:1-10).  St. Hilda,  one of England's greatest women, abandoned her noble status to become a nun, and was the abbess of monasteries in Hartlepool and later, Whitby.  St. Elizabeth of Hungary, who died at the age of 24, left her castle to become a Franciscan Tertiary, giving abundantly of her wealth to the sick and the poor.
A mark of the Thanksgiving season in the United States, is the ringing of the Salvation Army bells at large stores, to remind us that there are many sick and poor who need help at all times, but particularly as the holidays roll around. Lazarus House has had to downsize its Thanksgiving program due to the enormous drain on supplies this past year. Is it too late to help?  When we want to hold back, we might think of these three who gave so generously of themselves, and follow the spirit of their example
Bro. Rene

Ask Big

Today's Gospel relates the cure of the blind man on the road to Jericho. (cf. Lk 18:35-43).  He was not afraid to ask for what was his dearest and biggest desire:  to see.  He serves as an example for us to do the same:  not be afraid to ask "BIG", to ask for what is deepest in our hearts.  His faith was indeed great, for even without seeing where Jesus was, he shouted over and over again, "Son of David have pity on me," so that Jesus would at least hear him.  The crowd urged him to be quiet, but he called out all the more.  Nothing was going to stop him.
Do we let the fear of ridicule or the power of values gone sour, or the danger of looking foolish stop us from asking for what we really need?  Our faith must be stronger that that if we expect a positive answer to our prayer.  Let us not be blinded by the opinion of others, or the contempt of the worldly, but in faith cry out with this blind man for the pity and mercy we so deeply desire.  Fear not, follow your heart, ask big!  Our world needs this kind of faith more than ever.
Bro. Rene

Making All Things New

As the Liturgical Year winds to a close in two weeks, we turn our attention to the reality that this universe, this world as we know it will itself end and something new will replace it.  In Greek it is called the Parousia, the Second Coming.  Christ will reign and the message of love. compassion, forgiveness, joy and happiness will be the "law of the land." It sounds enticing and relieving as we reel from the recent acts of evil in Paris.  "What is this world coming to?' is the mantra we hear everywhere.  It is coming to an end.  It can't continue on this track for it is dooming itself.  Yet, the glimmer of hope remains:  the promise Jesus himself made:  "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." (Mk 13: 31)
Advent will give us the opportunity to reflect on the promised kingdom of Christ as we prepare to celebrate his first coming.  If we can somehow escape the commercialism and hubbub of these weeks before Christmas, we might focus on what we can make new in our lives.  Our individual newness goals can become a collective newness and we can add our share to the entire newness Jesus guarantees.  What can I do today to help this process along?
Bro. Rene

Without Becoming Weary

In the light of the horrific attacks in Paris, we might wonder if our prayers for peace and an end of violence are ever heard. But events such as this should provoke us to "pray always without becoming weary" (Lk 18:1), as Jesus illustrated with the parable of the widow and the reluctant judge. (Lk 18: 1-9). Mary herself pondered the events in her life and that pondering became her prayer more and more for God's will, not hers to be done.  Everywhere we go, we hear of great needs, horrible suffering, cold indifference, some sort of bullying, be it racial slurs, political bias, or actual statements of hate.  Turmoil within leads to words and acts of violence.   Ceasing to pray because evil is so prevalent or doesn't SEEM to work is not the answer.  Yes, it is wearisome to pray for the same people and the same things over and over, but as the parable illustrates as does Mary's life, that eventually our prayers are answered, usually in ways that are better than we ever expected or asked for. Dear God, help me to continue to pray always without becoming weary.
Bro. Rene 

A Missionary of the Sacred Heart

A diminutive, "sickly", Italian woman named Frances Xavier Cabrini gave her heart totally to Jesus and in so doing "lost" her life in Jesus and showed the world in spectacular ways, how much the heart of Jesus loves us.  At first refused entry into a convent because of her fragile health, she stayed home to help care for her parents and work their farm.  She taught catechism so successfully that the local pastor urged her to start her own religious order which became the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Pope Leo XIII urged her to come to America to care for Italian immigrants, and so she did, founding 67 schools, orphanages and hospitals until her death in 1917.  She was the first American citizen to be canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1946.
Her story points out again what God can do with the "least of his children" when they abandon all they once held dear in order to follow a higher call.  May we hear God's call today and fear not what he is asking us to do for him.  We too can spread the love of the Sacred Heart even in the smallest ways. May Mother Cabrini be our inspiration.
Bro. Rene

Giving It All Up

We read in St. Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you." (2 Cor. 12:), and sometimes think, "yes, for others, but not for me."  Today we honor St. Josephat, a Ruthenian who entered a monastery in present day Ukraine in 1604.  After his election as Archbishop of Polotsk, he spent his time and energy trying to bring his fellow Orthodox Ruthenians into communion with Rome, which occurred only after his martyrdom.  We also remember St. Didacus (Diego), a Franciscan Friar for whom San Diego is named.  With minimum education but with a grace-filled heart, he brought many to the faith.
We think that this only happened centuries ago, but the Marians of the Immaculate Conception have men whose stories are similar:  men who when younger were "beach bums", druggies, businessmen with top-dollar worldly ambitions, who gave it all up, thanks to God's grace, and are now happy, faith-filled, zealous priests.  Fr. Donald Calloway is the vocation director, and Fr. Michael Gaitly is a prolific writer and popular speaker.  Many are familiar with his books, Thirty-Three Days to Morning Glory and No Turning Back.  The Marians have 25 ordained priests, and 30 men in the seminary.  They attribute their bounty to God's grace showered upon them through Mary.  
As Marists, we have special devotion to Mary, and should be overflowing with vocations.  Let us deepen our prayer and faith that God's grace with enable many to give up their present ambitions and life-styles to come to Jesus through Mary as Marist Brothers.
Bro. Rene

A Soldier for Christ

The story of the Roman soldier cutting his cloak in two to share it with a poor beggar, and then in a dream that night learning that he had given it to Jesus, continues to fascinate us.  Now known as St. Martin of Tours, he was still a catechumen at the time, but sought baptism right away. He then refused to continue in the Roman Legion and was imprisoned for a time.  When released he sought solitude as a monk; others soon joined him and he thus became the founder of monasticism in Gaul. He later was made bishop of Tours by popular acclaim and devoted the rest of his life in the service of the Gospel and paid special attention to the poor, living very poorly himself.
As we honor our veterans this day in the United States, recalling the end of the First World War at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, let us pray in gratitude for those who have served in the military, millions of them giving up their lives; let us pray for the safety of those in the service today, and let us pray for a lasting peace that might enable our soldiers to exchange their weapons for the sword of faith as St. Martin did.
Bro. Rene

Courage and Trust

Today we remember Pope St. Leo the Great (one of three bearing the title "Great" along with Gregory I and Nicholas II) whose courage and bravery in the face of opposition remain a challenge and an  example for us.  When controversy over the nature of Jesus reached a head, he called the Council of Chaldedon, resolved the issue by proclaiming two natures (human and divine) in one person, the formula we still adhere to today.
When Attila the Hun arrived at the gates of Rome, Leo went out to meet him face to face and persuaded him to "back off".  Attila did, for an annual fee, but legend has it that he reported seeing a giant figure behind Leo with a sword pointed right at him, presumably St. Michael the Archangel.
Leo is called the GREAT because he fearlessly acted with trust in God's protection amidst doctrinal and physical threats.   St. Leo, pray for us when we feel too weak to withstand those kinds of challenges in our lives.
Bro. Rene

Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

More formally known as the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior in honor of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, or more commonly called St. John Lateran,  this most important and oldest of the four basilicas in Rome has a long history dating back to 324 A.D.  The emperor Constantine received the basilica, owned by the Laterani Family,  through his second marriage and gave it to the Bishop of Rome who placed his cathedra (chair) in it, making it the cathedral of Rome and the Pope's Church. It has been destroyed by earthquake and fire, rebuilt, renovated, and embellished many times over the centuries, a symbol of the endurance of the Church till the end of time promised by Jesus.  (Cf. Mt 28: 20)
St. Paul likens each one of us to God's building built on the foundation of Jesus Christ.  As such we are "the temple of God" in which the Spirit dwells, which thus is holy.  (Cf. 1 Cor 3: 9-17).  Buildings are important, tangible signs of  God's dwelling amongst us, places of worship and centers of sacramental life; they contain family memories of the sacrifices made to build them, and the marriages, baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, Ordinations, and funerals celebrated in them, but they are not the Church.  We are!
Bro. Rene

The Poor Widow's Mite

In today's Gospel, Jesus praises and holds up as an example for us, a poor widow who quietly and unassumingly places two small coins in to the temple treasury.   What makes her give special is that it was all that she had to live on. (cf. Mk 12: 44).  She was "bankrupt", and yet trusted enough in God's generosity to match her own; God would somehow take care of her.  She realized that it is God's generous and unbounded love that counts, not the pennies in her pocket.  Quite the reversal of so many of us today, when "money talks" and becomes our prime motivation.  It's time for us to realize and accept our own bankruptcy, for such is the case if money and things have become so important to us that we think they will make us happy, or give us power over others. If we learned to live from our poverty, we would enjoy the freedom and the happiness of admitting our dependence on God and relieve ourselves of the stress that ties us down and clouds our lives with restlessness and gloom.
Bro. Rene

A Holy Kiss

In closing his longest epistle (Romans), St. Paul lists a number of people who are close friends and to  whom sends a "holy kiss".  ( Cf. Rm 16: 16).  His affection runs deep and he's not afraid to express it.
How pleasant the world would be if we greeted one another with a "holy kiss":  an act or word of kindness.  We are often pre-occupied with the day's agenda, or worried about something to the point that we don't even say "good morning" to our family as we hastily fix breakfast and dash to the car, bemoaning the traffic all the way to work.  We enter our place of employment like a bear, and set the tone for a very stressful and unhappy day.  Time to say, "whoa"...what am I doing?  Is this the way to treat people whom God loves, and in whom God dwells?  A smile, a warm greeting would make a difference to those we live with and work with.  If Paul, who can be so caustic and sarcastic can express his affection with a "holy kiss" (and he shows it even more through his travels, beatings, bearing with criticism and tears), cant' we?  From this moment on, let's greet one another with "a holy kiss."
Bro. Rene

Good Stewards

We have been blessed in the United States with a beautiful country, and the resources to provide a healthy life-style for over 300 million people, if indeed, these resources are husbanded properly and fairly.  We have also been blessed with the gift of freedom:  freedom to develop our own gifts and talents, to chose our careers, to speak without fear of reprisal, and to practice our faith, to name a few. Such blessings need careful stewarding lest they become lost in selfishness, entitlement or misunderstanding.  In passing on our faith, for example, rather than just setting up rules for our children and stressing punishment for breaking those rules, or learning heaping up piles of doctrines into their plates, we mustn't lose sight of the main themes that should permeate these rules and doctrines:   love, generosity, compassion, humility, acceptance of others, respect for self and for others, forgiveness and patience.  If we are not seeing these qualities in our children, then we are missing the point of religious education, which, of course, begins in the family.  As we attempt to be good stewards of our material blessings and  the blessing of our freedom, let's be good stewards and  good models of our most precious resource:  our faith.
Bro. Rene

Finding the Lost

We all know the agony of losing something necessary such as keys, wallets, passcodes, favorite photos.  How we search up and down, try to retrace our steps, remember when we last used or saw them, how we pray to St. Anthony until we find them.  Then, what a feeling of relief, what a joy!
Jesus reminds us today that when the sinner repents, when that lost sheep or lost coin is found, the angels themselves rejoice.  Perhaps we could make their day by looking into our lives to see where we are losing ground, subtly slipping away from prayer or our commitment to service, and finding ourselves again.  Most of us are not guilty of losing the Big Things, but it's those small things, which unless found, could lead to a major loss, a major breach with God.  Lord help me to seek and find so that I will bring joy to you and the angels today.
Bro. Rene

Fulfilling The Law Of Love

St. Paul states clearly in Romans 13: 8, 10 that love is the fulfillment of the law: "Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another ha fulfilled the law....Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law." As challenging as it may sound, it is not impossible to do.
Small of stature, hindered by a speech impediment, and a man who struggled with his studies , St. Charles Borromeo made these words of Paul his way of life. His uncle, Pope Pius IV,  made him a Cardinal before his ordination to the priesthood, and asked him to help reconvene the Council of Trent which eventually concluded with its reforms that guided the Church for the next four hundred years until Vatican II.  After his ordination to the priesthood, he was named Cardinal Archbishop of Milan, a See that had been vacant for 80 years, Charles restored order and initiated the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) which still exists today for the education of young Catholics.  When famine and plague struck the city, he used his own money, even going into debt, to feed and care for the hungry and the sick.  He "emptied himself" out of love for his people, dying at the age of 46. His love was not sentimental mush, but concrete action, his best and most powerful sermon.  His example demonstrates and assures us that we too can fulfill the law by meeting the needs of others out of love.
Bro. Rene

Using Our Gifts

St. Paul is not one to hold back on saying what needs to be said as directly as possible.  He reminds us today in the first reading of today's Mass from Romans 12: 5-16b, that although we are one body, there are many parts and many gifts that make up that body.  Our gifts are meant to build up the Body of Christ.  Today's saint, St. Martin de Porres, though born in poverty and, as a mulato, on the fringe of society in Lima Peru at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries, he used his gifts without reserve for the good of all.  As a barber, and thus a surgeon, he ministered to  the sick, founded an orphanage, and catered especially to the slaves who arrived from Africa. He did the work of several men "with great generosity, promptness and attention to detail", living out the directives of St. Paul and serving as an example to us:
Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor.  Do not slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hop, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.  Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who week.  Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty but association with the lowly." (Rm 12: 9-16)
Bro. Rene

Remembering the Holy Souls

As yesterday we remembered that group of the Communion of Saints who experience eternal bliss in the presence of God, today we remember those who are on their way, but still need purification before seeing God face to face.  We take time today to remember them, tell their stories, do sacrifices for them and pray for them that God's mercy release them from their detainment and take them soon into his presence.  Many of these souls have no family, no one to pray for them, and these, like the "most neglected" we serve on earth, are the ones to whom we might give particular attention. Pope Benedict XVI reminded us that "Purgatory strips of from one person what is unbearable and from another the inability to bear certain things, so that in each of them a pure heart is revealed, and we can see that all belong together in one enormous symphony of being." They are our brothers and sisters needing our help.  May we use this day and all the days of the month of November, which is dedicated to them, to pray that they reach their final destination in heaven.
Bro. Rene

The Call To Holiness

The celebration of All Saints marks not only those who have gone before us and been officially canonized, but includes those family saints or others we know who have committed their lives to the biblical injunction: "Be holy, because I am holy." (Lv 11:4).  The same call goes out to us.  God has done so much for each one of us in an attempt to show his love and desire to take us into his loving care if we would but let him.  And he's not talking just about our final end in heaven, but even here on earth, when opening up to his love, we can begin to participate in the fullness of his presence and love in eternity.  These saints we honor today are proof that this is the plan, this can happen if we love one another, follow the example of Jesus, and live out the "syllabus" of the Beatitudes.  It's all there, all we have to do is incorporate these guidelines into our lives.   May we take time to reflect on them and ask God to help us live them.
Bro. Rene