Witnesses For Christ

"You are witnesses of these things." (Lk 24:48)  Jesus spoke these words after appearing to the Apostles,  showing them his wounds, letting them touch him, eating with them, and explaining why he had to suffer and die. It was a full lesson, but since people rarely come back from the dead, Jesus had to pull out all the stops to convince them they weren't dreaming, but that he had truly risen from the dead and was fully alive.  They saw, heard, and touched, so that fully convinced, they could go out and convince others.  They were his witnesses, but we too, having seen with the eyes of faith, carry this same obligation to be witnesses. How pertinent are these words in an age of growing disbelief, and active persecution from the beheading of Christians to mockery and ridicule!  How do we bear witness to Jesus in this antagonistic climate?  With hearts willing to stand up and even suffer for our faith. With hearts strengthened by a strong relationship with Jesus built on prayer, reflection and sacrifice. With the same trust that turned the Apostles from fear to fearlessness.  It was the coming of the Holy Spirit which enabled them to go out and bear witness.  Come, Holy Spirit, fill us with zeal and conviction...with the fire of your love!.
Bro. Rene

Hearts Afire

When the two disciples walking along the road to Emmaus recognized Jesus in "the breaking of the bread" (Lk 24:35), they also realized how their hearts had burned when he was talking with them and opening up the Scriptures for them. (cf. Lk 24: 22).  They couldn't wait to tell the others so they returned to Jerusalem at once, finding that the Eleven already knew of the resurrection because Jesus had appeared to Simon Peter. (Lk 24:24 )  Yes, we can understand that this was NEWS, even despite the predictions of Jesus that he would rise on the third day, but so much like us, they doubted, were slow to believe, or were so taken up with his death that they forgot his words. So, it's no wonder their hearts were burning when he spoke to them.
2000 years later, do our hearts burn with that same enthusiasm? The logical place for our Emmaus encounter with Jesus is at Mass, when we hear two passages of Scripture and, in the homily, an explanation, and then we share in the breaking of the bread.  
St. Marcellin's goal for his followers was a deeper knowledge and love of Jesus, so as Marists we have a special calling to embrace the Mass with the innocent attention and enthusiasm of these two disciples and to spread our experience to others through our words and actions.  Dear Jesus help me to approach the Mass with freshness and eagerness and joyfully live the Mass so that I might cause the hearts of others to burn with enthusiasm and joy.
Bro. Rene

Called By Name

How many billions of people have existed on this planet since the beginning of human life? Countless billions, no doubt, yet each one of us has a name and God alone knows those names.  We love to hear our name called or recognized publicly or when greeting or being greeted by friends or strangers.  It's humbling to be known by name; we feel embarrassed even, and say to ourselves: "He (she) knows who I am, but I don't know him (her)!"  Of course the next step is to find out that person's name, (and try to remember it!), but nothing can replace the initial joy of being recognized by name.
We can then imagine the surprise and delight of Mary Magdalene when she heard the man she thought was the gardener call her by name.  It was then she recognized him as Jesus and her joy was even greater. She recognized him in the pronouncement of her name.  How would we feel to hear our name called by the One we so love?  Perhaps we could add to the joy of Jesus, but calling out his name frequently today, and by greeting others by their names along with our "Hi" or "Good morning."  "What's in a name?" asked Shakespeare?  Everything!
Bro. Rene

Easter Week

The risen Christ, which appears in a separate slice, is a statue in the Church of the Resurrection in New Albany. OH is a powerful reminder of what we will celebrate this entire week. The Event is too grand to be contained in a one-day celebration...The Easter Season itself will go for 50 days...Shout for joy, for this is the day the Lord has made!
Bro. Rene

HE IS RISEN

Entering Into The Mystery

Pope Francis invites us to enter the tomb with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John.  What do we find?  A mystery.  So, let us enter it:  To enter into the mystery means the ability to wonder, to contemplate; the ability to listen to the silence and to hear the tiny whisper amid great silence by which God speaks to us. (cf. 1 Kgs 19:12).
To enter into the mystery demands that we not be afraid of reality: that we not be locked into ourselves, that we not flee from what we fail to understand, that we not close our eyes to problems or deny them, that we not dismiss our questions.
To enter into the mystery means going beyond our own comfort zone, beyond the laziness and indifference which holds us back.
To enter into the mystery we need humility, to come down off our pedestal, to recognize who we are and not take ourselves too seriously. 
To enter into the mystery we need the lowliness that his powerless, the renunciation of our powerlessness, of our idols...in a word, we need to adore. Without adoration , we cannot enter into the mystery.--Pope Francis
As we renew our baptismal promises, let us add these things and work to integrate them into our lives during the Easter Season.
Bro. Rene

The Absence of Jesus

Today is a hollow day:  No Mass, empty tabernacles, no Jesus.   No Jesus...what must it have been like for his followers, torn by grief and fear after the death of their beloved leader, the eclipse of the sun, the earthquake, the rending of the temple veil?  We know how fear grips us after a terrorist attack; life as normal stops. Did the apostles even remember Jesus' promise to rise again on the third day?  The Jews did, and begged Pilate to authorize the tomb to be sealed and a guard posted. It was a time of shock and paralysis. Witness the slowness to believe the women who brought news of the empty tomb.  It took a lot of convincing, so ingrained was the finality of death, despite the words of hope Jesus had given them.
We might examine our own ability to believe, to hope as we take time today to imagine that day after the crucifixion.  We might fast and continue to deny ourselves (even though Lent is over) to give ourselves that "empty feeling", create an atmosphere of a "Jesus-less" world,  and make our longing for the resurrection keener. This will help us appreciate the drama of the Easter Vigil and the joy of Easter Sunday even more. All this is hard to do with "life as usual" heightened by preparation for Easter Dinner, but worth a try.
Bro. Rene

Today's Gifts

The Three Days, The Triduum, begins today.  We remember the institution of the Eucharist and priesthood and the example of Jesus as he washed the feet of his apostles. The next day he would give the ultimate gift, his last drop of blood, his life, for us.  "God so loved the world..." (cf. Jn 3:16). This is an ordinary workday for most, but in anticipation of the Liturgy of the Lord's Supper tonight,  might we put ourselves in the mind-frame of Jesus and make an extra effort to serve one another, to feed one another, to be the bread that nourishes others.  Perhaps keeping an image of Jesus kneeling at the feet of the Apostles with pitcher, basin and towel in our imaginations as we do our usual, might help make those routine tasks, signs of love and help us to imitate Jesus, even in these simple things.  If at all possible, attendance at the evening liturgy and time before the blessed sacrament afterwards will help us more receptive to today's gifts.
Bro. Rene

Forgiving Judas

In our reflections and self-examinations this Lent, did we find Judas hidden away deep down inside us?  If we didn't, we have the opportunity today as his story is the subject of today's Gospel: (see Mt 26:14-25).  After receiving the 30 pieces of silver for the promise of handing over Jesus to the chief priests,  he plays the innocent, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" (Mt 26:25).  Betrayer, liar...so easy to dislike and condemn as are the ISIS Terrorists, but what about the betrayer and liar that dwells in my inner shadows?  I need to take a good look at him, admit that he's there and, like Judas, needs to ask forgiveness.   This Judas did not do,  If I don't either, then I don't need Jesus as my savior.  Asking Jesus for forgiveness means I need to forgive myself, fully accepting my culpability.  Forgiving myself also means forgiving Judas, for we share the guilt of betrayal and prevarication.
Bro. Rene

Betrayal, Denial, Bombings

A crucial day in Holy Week:  Judas makes his move to hand Jesus over to the Pharisees, Peter pledges his loyalty, "I will lay down my life for  you." (Jn 13:37), and bombs kill 28 people in Brussels.  The actions of the terrorists are betrayals of the dignity and respect humans owe one another as revenge escalates in ancient "eye for an eye" morality.  We might ask forever, "who threw the first stone?" and never get an answer, such is the state of denial in our global morality.  Outrage, attempts at some sort of justice, much blaming on all sides.  We are as stumped as Pilate:  "Truth, what is truth?"
Turning the focus from the world to the individual soul, do we not find a similar pattern of betrayal, denial and self-destruction, blaming and absence of truth in our own lives?  Peter was given a dose of reality when Jesus said, ""I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times." (Jn 13: 38).  At the third crow, the words of Jesus hit Peter like the proverbial ton of bricks, and he went out and "wept bitterly."  Accepting our weakness, our need for redemption and yes, some healthy weeping might tack a note of sincerity on all we have said and tried to do during this Lent.
Bro. Rene

The Anointing

Only six days before the Passover, Jesus was honored by a dinner at the home of his friends, Lazarus, Martha and Mary. When Mary, with a heart full of love, courageously and generously anointed the feet of Jesus with a costly, perfumed oil, she, without knowing it until Jesus defended her,  was previewing his burial.  She provoked criticism from Judas, whose practical concern for the poor seemed noble until we were told he had no concern for them, but was a thief who stole from community funds. This is the Mary who sat listening to Jesus, while her sister Martha was busy about preparing a meal on another occasion.  Again, Mary's priorities were focused on Jesus, and again he commended her. The house was filled with the fragrance from the oil, but also with the fragrance of her fearless love.  To this day as this Gospel is read, that fragrance lingers and continues to inspire us to adopt her courage, her ability to act from her heart despite the criticism of others, and her all-consuming, unconditional  love of Jesus. How will we act today after reflecting on this scene?  Whose feet will we anoint?  Whose hand will we hold?   Whose conversation will we listen to?
Whose thirst will we satisfy?  Mary of Bethany, pray for us that our hearts might be filled with courageous love, even in the ordinary exchanges we have with others today.
Bro. Rene

Why Red?

With palm branches and hosanna's in the air...a festive, triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we might be asking, then, why Red?  It is a happy, lively color, but why not gold which befits the king who comes, riding on a donkey:  "Behold your king shall come to you, the Just and Savior, meek and riding on an ass, the colt of an ass"  (Zeph 9:9))
The answer is that the color red anticipates the blood of Good Friday; we read the Passion Gospel today as the Gospel of the Mass, but the triumphant entry into Jerusalem Gospel is only read before Mass at the blessing of the palms.  So, quickly the focus turns to the passion and  death of Jesus, something to keep in mind when our secular society stresses Easter eggs, baskets and bonnets (not so much bonnets, these days, however).  This is really a serious week, a week of confrontation, pain, abandonment and death for Jesus.  It's a week when our Lenten fast should peak, and when we might guide our prayer more toward the meaning of the death and resurrection.  Reflecting on the sorrowful mysteries, more rigorous fasting, attending the Liturgy on Holy Thursday (spending time in adoration), Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, renewing our baptismal promises with even greater commitment after our Lenten observances, all of these could make this the holiest week of the year and make the color red our color.
Bro. Rene

Doing Good Quietly

Like Mary, Joseph stands out in gigantic proportions, a "plus size" in the virtue of doing good quietly.  The Scriptures record few words of Mary, none of Joseph, yet this couple is central to God's plan of salvation.  To them he entrusted his own Son, trusting that their faith, their openness to his plan, would foster his growth as a man, and the savior of all humans.  Joseph's actions, his consternation over Mary's pregnancy, his obedience to God's revealed by an angel in his dream, repeated several times in what we know, his dedication to providing a living for the three of them, and, no doubt the example he provided for Jesus, not only in teaching him his trade, but in being generously and trustingly responsive to God, show us a man of simplicity and "righteousness" that make "Joseph's Way" a template for our lives.  He was not a theologian nor a preacher, but, as perceived by his neighbors, an ordinary craftsman, and behind this "ordinariness" was his extraordinary gift of doing what needed to be done without fanfare.  He's a saint that makes sainthood accessible to us, within the reach of what each one of us can do, as we go about our ordinary daily routines. A familiar slogan over the ages has been Ite ad Joseph,  Go to Joseph...not only for favors, but for a lesson in how to be a good Christian, and ultimately, a saint.
Bro. Rene

Stoning Jesus?

Can you picture a tired Jesus surrounded by an angry mob with arms cocked and hands armed with stones ready for the first volley to be unleashed?  It's frightening, especially after all the signs and wonders, the miracles Jesus had performed.  Yes, the Jews were angry because Jesus was equating himself with God, blasphemy in their eyes, but they failed to see the connection he was trying to make that "the Father is in me and I am in the Father." (Jn 10: 38 ). 
How many times do we make judgments and decisions based on misinformation, fixed ideas, and even self-interest? In so doing, how often do we miss the point in a discussion that might enlighten us, or mistake a good person for an evil-doer, simply because we have not looked or listened carefully?  We might find ourselves armed with stones before we know the truth.  May we pray to be open, flexible, respectful and slow to judgment.  Otherwise, we might find ourselves stoning Jesus!
Bro. Rene

St. Patrick's Legacy

Born in Britain, kidnapped and brought to Ireland where he served a master as a shepherd (a preview of things to come on a different level) for six years, Patrick was destined to become one of the most popular saints of the Church.   His years as a shepherd while a captive, gave the young man, the opportunity to spend time in prayer and reflection, allowing his relationship with God to grow and his faith deepen. Escaping and eventually returning to his family, he heard a voice urging him to return to Ireland, which he did after becoming a priest and being consecrated a bishop.  His service to the people of Ireland for 30 years created a legacy that still has an impact today.  The entire population became Catholic and the country abounded in monasteries and saints who preserved and spread the faith far beyond Ireland's shores.  Irish immigrants brought their faith and love of St. Patrick to the United States, where parties and parades in his honor in some places begin on the first of March. "The wearin' of the green"  identifies Irish and Irish "wanna be's" and reminds us of this holy man to whom we owe mirth, laughter, song, and especially the faith that was brought here by Irish missionaries and sustained by the influx of Irish priests, sisters and brothers in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Bro. Rene

"Remain in My Word"

We all seek freedom; yet the irony is many of us don't realize how much in bondage we are:  The "shoulds" in our lives, the impossible "to do lists", the overextension of our commitments, on and on.
Jesus supplies the challenging answer:  Remain in his word, and we will find freedom.  Find, make that time each day for quiet prayer, for reflection on a line from Scripture, for a prayer for the help we need to remain calm, joyful and a sign of hope to others.  What a different life we would have if we were able to "remain in Jesus." all day long.
Bro. Rene

Revealing HImself

As the time for his arrest, condemnation and crucifixion draw near, Jesus speaks explicitly of who he is:  "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me.  He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him." (Jn 8: 28-29).  To be "lifted up" means "crucified"; the I AM is God's name, which he gave to Moses in the burning bush.  Being SENT is another key idea...the perfect obedience of Jesus to his father, the echoing of the Father's teachings,  "This is my beloved Son, listen to him" the total emptying of himself; the Father's closeness, all point to the Divinity of Jesus.  The Jews do not see it, though Jesus makes it clear.  And so do we, like the complaining Hebrews in the desert, let little things stand in the way of the clear message of who Jesus is? Do we need to be bitten by seraph serpents and then look at the bronze seraph on a pole to believe and find life? (cf. Num 21: 8-9)  We, indeed, need to look at Jesus crucified, and like the centurion (now known as St. Longinus) be washed by the water and blood (baptism and Eucharist) flowing from the side of Jesus. Weekly, daily Mass bring these gifts to us; we need but to avail ourselves of them.
Bro .Rene

Three Women

Our readings today provide us with two women, both accused of adultery; one actually caught "in the very act".  Susannah protested her innocence even on the way to her execution and putting her trust in God's justice and mercy, was exonerated through  the faith and fortitude of the young Daniel.
The woman taken in adultery, whom we saw yesterday,  found her freedom in the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus himself.  A third woman who is honored today, Matilda, Queen of Germany was accused by her sons of being "too generous" and exiled until later forgiven and allowed to return to the kingdom.  Three women from far different eras, maligned and misjudged, but set free through the mercy of God.
The lesson for us is that no matter how bad we are judged by others, if we trust God,  our innocence will be protected through his mercy working in the hearts of people. "I sought the Lord and he answered me; from all my terrors he set me free." (Ps 34:5)
Bro Rene

Go, Sin No More

The Fifth Sunday of Lent, the last Sunday before Palm Sunday and Holy Week. Already! The Gospel for Year C is the story of the woman caught in adultery.  It is fitting at this point of Lent to look at the compassion of Jesus and his admonition to sin no more (Jn 8: 11).  We need to see his kindness and hear his patient and consoling words, for we have seen, if not all our lives, at least in these five weeks, the pattern of progress and failure.  We are in process, and though it may seem we've reached a plateau, we slide back and have to start over again.  In the second reading from Philippians, Paul speaks about accepting the loss of all things for the supreme good of knowing Christ.  Yet, wisely and realistically, he admits that he has not attained perfect maturity, but continues his pursuit in hopes that someday he might possess it.  (cf. Phil 3: 8-14).  The pursuit of the goal is the thing, the process in which we all find ourselves, the on-going steps forward and steps backward.  Did the adulteress sin no more, or did she, like the rest of us, try to avoid sin, and when she failed, did she return to the compassionate Jesus and seek forgiveness again?  We need not be discouraged by this pattern, but rather be strengthened to continue our pursuit of "the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus." (Phil 3:24).
Bro. Rene

Jesus Is The Solution

A quick look at Yahoo news items that appear when we attempt to read our e-mail convinces us that things are a mess:  our world, our shrinking set of values, the future.  Worse, when we look at ourselves, we find a mess as well. St. Paul summed it up in his famous verse from Romans: "I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do." (Rm 7:19).  Try as we might to find excuses for our behavior, fatigue, social pressures, or too much TV, it doesn't work.  The real reason, is our wounded nature that gravitates toward the easy, reachable pleasures that are rooted in sin:  the opposite of what God's will and good order demand.  Our sinfulness is the cause of our mess. What is the solution?  Or better, WHO is the solution?  Jesus. 
We have been attempting to learn more about him, spend more time with him, give ourselves over to him during Lent.  All the more reason for seeing him as the solution:  He took upon himself our bruises and by his bruises we are healed. (Is 53:5). He died on the cross for our sins and rose to assure us there is hope, there is salvation.  There is no other way to undo the mess than to allow Jesus full reign in our lives, to follow him as closely as we can, to put our trust and love into his hands and heart and submit our weaknesses and our strengths to him.
Bro. Rene

Coming Back to Life

An early dose of warm temperatures in the North East has hastened the budding of trees and bushes and forced the appearance of daffodils, crocuses and tulips...so far only in leaf from, but soon to spread their color against last Fall's brown leaves and winter grass.  For sure, the signs of Spring are here with new life burgeoning everywhere.
We're over the hump of Lent as well and now are focusing on the tensions and events that lead to the arrest, condemnation and death of Jesus, the winter moment of his life.  However, as with the coming of Spring, an annual guarantee, we look forward in hope and anticipation of the resurrection of Jesus, and for many, the sacrament of baptism which brings new life to people whose winter, long or short, is coming to an end.
This yearly cycle enables us all to appreciate the gift of life, as we see in in the beauty of Spring flowers, so much more appreciated against the backdrop of barren tree branches and brown grass.  As we drink in the warmth and the colors, let us remember that these are signs of the beautiful life to which we are called over and over again: signs of the loving and beautiful God who has created these infinite numbers of plants and flower to show us his beauty.  And if the flowers can show us this beauty, how much more the beautiful men and women who surround us all the time, not just seasonally!  May we step back and take a good look at the life and beauty around us, and fully appreciate the gift of life in all forms.
Bro. Rene

Turning It All Over To Jesus

At the beginning of Lent we, I trust, made some choices that would help us over the next 40 days to put Jesus Christ at the center of our lives...or at least move him closer to that central point. No doubt we've had our ups and downs, but today's Gospel can give us another boost in the "up direction."  Jesus first points to John as the one  who bore testimony to him.  "He was a burning and shining lamp and you were willing to rejoice for awhile in his light." (Jn 5:35 )  It is the Father himself and the works that he gave Jesus to accomplish that bear the complete testimony to him.  There is no other person or place that will satisfy what we are seeking, longing for.  We hear this over and over, but the only way this idea will make sense is to act on it, to turn it all over to Jesus.  Pope Benedict XVI in his first homily as Pope sums it up succinctly and convincingly. "Christ takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ—and you will find true life.”  Let today be the day to open those doors.
Bro. Rene

Can the Lord Forsake Us?

At low points in our lives, we rationalize our depression by claiming that even God has abandoned us.  This is an ancient complaint; Isaiah heard it 7 centuries before Jesus was born. "The lord has forsaken me; my lord has forgotten me." (Is 49: 14).  The answer is given as a question: "Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb?" (Is 49:15) We know that can't happen, and so rightly Isaiah continues:  "Even should she forget, I will never forget you." (Is 49:15).  How reassuring, how consoling!   Jesus also speaks of his Father's fidelity as he speaks of the love he has experienced.  Wherever we are today, whatever our frame of mind, let us remember that even if our own mother forgets us, God never will.
Bro. Rene

Alone

The story of the sick man who waited in the porticos alongside the pool of Bethesda for 38 years for someone to help him, is bad enough...38 years is a long time to be waiting for a cure.  We complain when we have to wait 3 months for a doctor's appointment.  But in addition to his long wait, he was alone:  "I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up." (Jn 5: 6).   How many people are lonely like this?  A recent video gone viral shows a young boy praying over a homeless person.  Touching, but sad, too:  alone in the streets,  with someone he didn't even know praying over him...as was the case with the sick man.  He didn't even know who cured him. 
These incidents are a call to us to reach out and  BE there, even for the stranger, for who can measure the impact of our attention on someone "who has no one" ?
Bro. Rene

"That's What He Does"

In a telling line from one of the last scenes in RISEN, one of the apostles tell the still questioning Tribune, Clavius, that Jesus will cure the leper who is being driven away by a local family.  Clavius is still puzzled, but the Apostle answers, "That's what he does."  So this morning in our Gospel from John, 4:43-54, we read of the cure of the royal official's son; no surprise, that's what Jesus does.  He is moved by the faith of those making the request, as well as by the pitiable situations of those needing healing.
How encouraged should we be as we pray for the healing of the sick people we know and love, or the healing of those whose faith has worn thin, or of others who have turned their backs on God?  There is both physical and spiritual healing, and Jesus takes care of both because "that's what he does."  Pure and simple.  May our prayers be fortified by this truth and help us to pray with unbounded confidence.
Bro. Rene

The Older Brother

Laetare Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Lent might be called the "Hump Sunday" for with the rose colored vestments in anticipation of the joyful celebration of Easter, we find some relief at this half-way point.  We find great consolation in the image of the Forgiving, Merciful Father who welcomes his wayward son back into the family with new clothes, a ring and a great feast.  It is, the joy of Easter, for he who was lost has been found. We might easily put ourselves in his shoes as we see what our Lenten efforts have done to bring us closer to Jesus and the Father.  Yet, lurking on the edge of all this joy is the older brother who is furious at all the fuss being made over his prodigal brother.  Whereas the father's heart is filled to overflowing with love and joy, this brother has no love in his heart, but rather, jealousy, anger, self-pity and coldness.  As we see ourselves as the prodigal, can we also see ourselves in his older brother?  Are we forgiving, welcoming, truly loving of those whose way of living do not match ours?  Are we loving and really part of the family?  Do we share the father's patience, and ability to rejoice at the return of the lost? Lent is not over yet, and there's still time to examine our behavior and make the necessary changes.
Bro. Rene

On Prayer

When Jesus contrasts the prayer of the Pharisee with that of the tax collector (Publican, in some translations) (Lk 18: 9-14), he points out the need for humility.  "A humble and contrite heart, the Lord will not disdain." (Ps 51: 17).  When our conversations are inflated or centered on ourselves, we force a disconnect:  no one likes to hear someone bragging about his or her "greatness".  The Pharisee, while perhaps telling the truth, uses his story to degrade the rest of humanity.  The comparison is odious.  The tax collector, however, recognizing his lowliness and sinfulness, prays simply for mercy.  What a beautiful stance to take before God, what honesty and truth!  His prayer has been expanded a bit into the classic "Jesus Prayer":  Lord Jesus, Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.  This prayer acknowledges who Jesus is and who the person praying is.  Simple, to the point, humble, effective and so short, it can and should be repeated as often as we can during those moments in between tasks, or at least at the top of every hour.  It's a good one to add to our prayer life.
Bro. Rene

Seeking Further Understanding

When one of the scribes asked Jesus, "Which is the first of all the commandments?" (Mk 12:28) we might think he's trying to test Jesus, but judging from his response to Jesus and the compliment Jesus then gives him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God "( Mk 12:34), it seems he is sincerely seeking further understanding in order to lead a better life.  If Jesus could summarize and pinpoint what he considers the top commandment, it would help him in his quest for holiness.  Do we stop and think to ASK Jesus where we should be putting our priorities?  Do we agree that the two great commandments are love of God and love of neighbor?  How consistent are we in putting them into practice? How far or close are WE to the Kingdom of God?  Questions that again fit into the purpose of Lent, questions that can lead us to a better Christian life beyond Lent.
Bro. Rene

"By the Finger of God"

When accused by the crowds of driving out demons by the power of the prince of demons, Beelzebul, Jesus retorts:  "But if it is by the finger of God that I drive our demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you." (Lk 11:16)  The demons have prowled about the world seeking the ruin of souls since the Fall in the Garden.  Yet, the "finger of God" has also been at work to counterbalance the evils wrought by the devil.  St. Katherine Drexel, whose commemoration we observe today, spent her life and family fortune to address the evils of racism and neglect of Native  and Afro-Americans.  She founded schools, including Xavier University in New Orleans, to transform the lives of these very neglected peoples through education.  We too are called in some way, using whatever we have, within us, before us, all around us, to help bring the Kingdom of God to reality in our day.  We might not have millions to disperse, we most likely will not found a religious congregation, but there are many agencies who serve the poor and neglected to which we might donate our time.  The Kiwanis Club of Greater Lawrence sponsors reading programs in some of our local grade schools, where once a week adults read to first and second graders.  It's more than just reading, it turns out to be an opportunity to give love, which is the greatest means of bringing about the Kingdom of God.
Bro. Rene

What We Owe Our Children

Todays' passage from Deuteronomy (Dt 4: 5-9) reminds us of our obligation as elders, parents, teachers, to remember our own faith-histories with their many stories, as well to pass them on and the faith-stories of our tradition to the young.  This should be done in families, and not just left to the schools and parishes.  Conversations in the natural setting of the home,  beginning when children are young, help them to understand that what they will later learn in the classroom or CCD or the pulpit, has actually been lived.  The large issues of forgiveness, love, respect, honesty, compassion, kindness can and must be shown in action if they are to be accepted and adopted by the young.  We are aware that "kids don't miss a thing" when out of the blue a word we have said, a story we have told comes back to us out of their mouths.
Bro. Rene

Seventy-Seven Times

Forgiving someone who has offended us takes time and is not easy,  as most of us can attest.  So often we hear, "I can never forgive that, or so and so."  Or, I can forgive, but not forget." As realistic as this is, it  also prevents the wound for healing totally.  On top of this, Jesus tells us to forgive "seventy-seven times", translated:  "a limitless number of times".  What impossible thing is he asking us to do? (Mt 18:22).  The secret is in "forgiving from the heart" (Mt 18: 35).  We talk about a "change of heart" during Lent and this kind of total forgiveness becomes possible when our hearts are changed by the grace of God.  We look to Jesus for the example:  He forgives those who crucified him from a heart filled with love, even for them, recognizing their ignorance of the total picture.  "For they know not what they do." (Lk 23:34).  Are we ever sure that those who offend us are doing so out of total malice, or because of so many unspoken, even unknown factors?  And who are we to hold back forgiveness when Jesus as taught us to ask the Father to forgive our trespasses (debts) as we forgive those who trespass against us." (Mt 6:12) ?  This is the time for us to pray for the grace to live these words and move toward the "seventy-seven times" gradually and with God's help.
Bro. Rene