"All in All"

St. Paul teaches us today,  that Christ is all in all.  In him there is no room for immorality of any kind, division, or exclusion; our hearts are to be open to receive him.  Indeed, Jesus teaches that material wealth as well cannot stand in the way, for it is subject to the whims of the wind. No, our security, our true contentment, is found only in him.  Easy words to write, but a different story to live. To foster this Christ-centered life, we need to listen carefully to what our life situations, our ups and downs, our worries and fears are telling us.  Where do we find our peace?  In what or who do we invest our energy...and why?  A daily, or periodic examination (examen) of our priorities and preoccupations will give us an indication of how close we are to living the words of Paul and Jesus. A prayer for guidance to the Holy Spirit will lead to the answer of how we can refocus, redirect, and replace what's in our barns with the Christ who is All in All.  Come, Holy Spirit, fill us with the fullness of Jesus.
Bro. Rene

Is My Heart Ready?

It's Saturday again...another Saturday dedicated to Our Blessed Mother. Let us pray these words from Psalm 57: 8-12 which might be considered precursors to Mary's Magnificat:
My heart is ready, O God,
my heart is ready.
I will sing, I will sing your praise.
Awake, my soul,
awake, lyre and harp,
I will awake the dawn.

I will thank you, Lord, among the peoples,
among the nations, I will praise you
for your love reaches to the heavens
and your truth to the skies.

O Lord, arise above the heavens;
may your glory shine on earth.!     

May we make this our morning prayer, not only today, but as often as we can, everyday if possible.  Availability, readiness, praise, thanksgiving, focus on God, not self: truly Marian attitudes, Marist attitudes, that will help us be the face of Mary in our daily interactions and prayer.
Bro. Rene

"Do You Believe This?"

The Memorial of St. Martha, sister of Mary and Lazarus, presents us with an important question.  Jesus responds to Martha with the amazing declaration and promise, "I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will love, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?" (Jn 11: 25).  She says "yes."
What do we answer?  Can we say yes, when we are thrown into mourning with the sudden death of a loved one?  When a son or daughter is paralyzed in an accident?  When a fire causes us to lose everything?  When we daily fight unrealistic fantasies and temptations for power or sexual pleasure?
When we are exhausted and feel no strength for the next step?  We know not the depth of our faith unless it be tested.  We grow in our faith through our trials and temptations when we realize that God will not test us beyond our strength, and indeed, gives us the strength to do all things in Christ who strengthens us. (cf. Phil 4:13).  Do you believe this?
Bro. Rene

Molding the Disciple

The first reading for today's Mass from Jeremiah 18: 1-6 and the Gospel from Matthew 13:47-53 complement each other in providing a challenging as well as a consoling pattern for those who are seeking a deeper relationship with God, or, as we discussed yesterday, the "pearl of great price." (Mt 13:46).  Jeremiah likens the disciple to a lump of clay on the potter's wheel.  The potter works with the clay to create an object, but sometimes, he fails and has to start over again.  He works at it diligently until his creation matches his expectation. 
Jesus says that "every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven...etc .(Mt 13: 52). He uses the word "instructed" but the real meaning is "discipled"  i.e. made into a disciple, a process like the clay on the wheel takes time, effort, and several attempts to achieve. 
We, the disciples of today, are on that wheel, turning out below expectations time and time again, but the consoling news is that the potter NEVER stops trying to bring about "the perfect version" of what he is trying to mold. We thus can relax and be at peace with our faults, inadequacies, deficiencies, for we are not the potter we are IN THE HANDS OF THE POTTER!  May we let go and let him do his work, confident that in HIS time, we will turn out as he intends.
Bro. Rene

Finding the Pearl

God has given us the magnificent gift of free will...free choice, but sometimes he puts things in our paths that trigger that choice in surprising ways.  In today's Gospel, (Mt 13: 44-46), the farmer stumbles across a buried treasure...was not searching for it...just popped up.  He could have left it there, just taken it, or, as he did, sells all he has to buy the field with its hidden treasure.  The merchant, on the other hand, is systematically searching for fine pearls, he's deliberately looking for something special, but when he finds it, he too sells all to buy it.  Thus both gain the prize, the Kingdom of heaven. 
In our lives we might be doing some conscious shopping, planning, and working to find the kingdom of God.  Our search might come by way of losing something we value...a family member, our job, friends, our car or home.  The void might be just what we need to see the treasure or pearl God is offering to replace these things:  peace of soul, a change from a self-centered to other-centered outlook on life, a deeper prayer life, or a realization that simply our Presence is our role in this Kingdom. Will we have hearts open and generous enough to accept and move on what turns up in today's plowing or shopping?
Bro. Rene

Saints Anne and Joachim

The annual Memorial of the grandparents of Jesus brings to mind the importance of family.  We easily think of the Holy Family, but rarely associate the larger extended family, so important in  Mediterranean and countless other cultures. It's the grandparents and the great grandparents who set the tone for the family and keep the traditions alive.  In Western culture, where family is taking a hit, it becomes more difficult to maintain these traditions, and even the legacy of the faith.  Many families for one reason or another are divided, the faith is not passed down in its rich fullness and the children and grandchildren grow up in a faith vacuum.  Usually the grandparents step in but even that is becoming more and more rare.  Prayer and reflection on the parents of Mary are in order today as well as gratitude for the presence, support and love that only grandparents can give from their treasury of experience and wisdom.
This is  also a special day in American Marist culture, for it was for many years the day on which young postulants received the habit of the Marist Brothers and novices pronounced their first vows.
St. Anne and St. Joachim, pray for us.
Bro. Rene

Paying the Ransom

Today's Feast of St. James, brother of John, bishop of Jerusalem and martyr, gives us the familiar Gospel in which their mother, Salome, asks Jesus to place them at his right and left when he establishes his kingdom. (cf. Mt 20:20-21).  Patiently, Jesus tells her she doesn't know what she's asking and goes into an explanation of leadership that requires suffering, service, and the giving of one's life as a "ransom for many." (Mt 20: 28).  Indeed the chalice of leadership is demanding and bittersweet. If sought for power alone, it will end in pain and failure. If sought for the sake of helping others, its never-ending self-emptying service will result in a satisfaction and glory like that of Jesus.
Humility, acceptance, hope and optimism flowing from a focus on the path Jesus took will help us gladly pay the ransom, so that others might live.
Bro. Rene

Living The Lord's Prayer

As often as we pray the OUR FATHER, there always seems to be the opportunity to delve more deeply into it.  We have further insight into this beloved prayer from Robin  Ryan, CP,  a professor at  Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and Pope Benedict XVI:
The Lord's Prayer is much more than just a prayer that we say; it is also meant to be a prayer that we live. Cyprian of Carthage, a third century bishop and martyr wrote, "My dear friends, the Lord's Prayer contains many great mysteries of our faith. In these few words there is great spiritual strength, for this summary of divine teaching contains all of our prayers and petitions." In the twentieth century, Pope Benedict XVI observed, "The meaning of the Our Father goes much further than the mere provision of a prayer text. It aims to form our being, to train us in the inner attitude of Jesus." When we pray the Lord's Prayer we enter into the world of Jesus and into the depths of his relationships with God and with others. We begin to view life, God, others and ourselves through his eyes. Praying these words with attention entails a training in vision.
May we not only pray these words from our hearts, but strive to put them into practice in our lives. They will help us see the world and others in a different way.
Bro. Rene

Birth of the Society of Mary

Today marks the 200th anniversary of a pledge made after Mass in front of the statue of Our Lady of Fourviere in the chapel dedicated her on a hill overlooking the city of Lyon, France. Twelve men, 8 ordained just the day before and 4 seminarians made up the even dozen who pledged to begin a Society of Mary, akin to the Society of Jesus, to work toward the initiation of a "Marian Church", a Church of mercy and compassion (as called for by Pope Francis), in which Mary, Mother of the Church, would be the model.  The Society of Mary was to be composed of priests, brothers, sisters and laity under one superior, but Rome rejected this progressive idea, declaring it to be too cumbersome.  Today there are four separate congregations and a growing group of laity who embrace the same mission as declared by the original Twelve:  the Marist Fathers, the Marist Brothers of the Schools, the Maris Sisters, the Marist Missionary Sisters and the Third Order of Mary, now evolving into the Marist Family Movement or simply, Lay Marists.
The Fourviere Conference at Long Beach, New Jersey earlier this week resurrected the original spirit of the pledge and today at the very same chapel of Our Lady of Fourviere, 450 Marist Youth attended an anniversary Mass and renewed the pledge.
There is a huge supply of energy and thrust being generated to propel all Marists into their third century with creative zeal and determination.  May Mary, our Good Mother continue to nurture and guide us into furthering the creation of a Marian Church. All are welcome to join.  Hop on board!
Bro. Rene

Christ's Burning Love

Traditionally, Fridays are dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but today we celebrate the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene.  What a happy blend!  The heart of Jesus burns with a love more intense and faithful than the red hot scorching sun that rose again today over the horizon at Long Branch, New Jersey.  Mary's heart was deeply longing to locate the missing body of Jesus; her weeping was audible, her search, desperate. Seeing a man she thought to be the gardener, her first words demanded to know where he might have laid him. She had nothing else on her mind than to find Jesus. One word, her name, pronounced lovingly, enabled her to recognize him and she threw her arms around him, holding him as tight as possible. Love bound them together.  Jesus would not, could not, allow her heart to remain empty. 
This is the love we are called to trust, even in the most distressing circumstances...an unexpected accident that paralyzes or kills, the loss of a job, an argument with a loved one or the shocking news of stage four cancer. The natural question is, "Where is Jesus in this?"  The answer: He's there as loving as the faithful rising sun, or as the Rabbouni in the arms of Mary. He will call our name.
Bro. Rene

Hearing And Seeing Through Parables

Jesus explained to his disciples why he spoke in parables:  "I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see, and hear but do not listen or understand." (Mt 13:13).  Do we fall into this category?  Do we choose to close our eyes and ears to the truth, to the needs of others?  The daily papers, mail, pleas on the internet keep us abreast of drought in South Africa, terrorist attacks, accidents and other atrocities.  It's so easy to ignore them and delete them from our consciousness. We can as easily miss the message of a beautiful sunrise or a full moon, the attentive care of a nurse or lifeguard, even the in the Word of God itself.  God has given us the freedom to chose.  The parables invite us to question, to probe, to seek a deeper meaning.  The parables of creation, the beauty of flowers, the endless flow of waves on the seashore, all have lessons for us.  Gently do the Word and Work of God present themselves to us; may we not ignore these overtures of God, for they are meant not only for our instruction, but for our healing.  Lord, let me not miss what is right in front of me today.
Bro. Rene

Fertile Ground

As the Marists around the world are bringing the Year of Fourviere to a close and preparing for the LaValla Year, the final stage commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Marist Brothers, today's Gospel fits perfectly.  Here at Long Branch, New Jersey, delegates from the four branches of the Society of Mary, the Marist Fathers, the Marist Sisters, the Marist Missionary Sisters, the Marist Brothers and the growing number of Lay Marists of all ages, we are seeing the enormous results of the seeds that were sown two centuries ago.  Indeed, those seeds have fallen on fertile ground.  Struggle, determination, FAITH, TRUST, HOPE and LOVE as vast as the ocean have been part of the cultivation of these seeds resulting in making Jesus known and loved to millions of people.  And hope springs eternal as the vitality of the Young Marist Adults touches the souls of the "Elder Marists" and assures them that the seeds will continue to mature, grow and spread even further than where they are now.  In one sense, our Marist Work and Mission are just beginning.  There is rocky soil, there are thorns and thistles, there are challenges and needs that impel us to find the same energy and motivations of the giants who walked before us and brought us to this point.  Our growth from dreams, visions, and hard work is a miracle and an assurance that this is not simply the work of humans, but truly Mary's way of nurturing and healing, and of making the ground fertile for the blossoming of the Kingdom of God.  Stay with us, Mary, continue to be our Mother and Gentle Guide. We will do whatever you tell us.
Bro .Rene

Being Jesus's Mother

"Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother."  (Mt 12:50).  Consoling and challenging words...Much needed in our time, and much in line with our Marist Call to be the face of a nurturing, tender, merciful and mothering Church.   We have Mary as our model ad guide.  She noticed important details, as "they have no wine," and quietly made sure they were addressed:  "Do whatever he tells you."  (cf. Jn 2:5)
How many people are discouraged these days by the sights and sounds of violence, abroad and at home.  Appalling, scary, upsetting.   It seems that every day there's another shooting or explosion killing hundreds.  One can pose all kinds of questions...why, who's to blame, etc...  Investigations might give some answers but don't seem to STOP the escalating attacks on the innocent.  Is this not an important "detail" that needs attention?  It's time for the merciful face of Mary to look lovingly at our neighbor, to encourage the downhearted not to lose faith, but to find renewed energy, hope and strength, as did the 12 men who signed a pledge 200 years ago at the chapel of Our lady of Fourviere in Lyon, France to found the Society of Mary. Europe was reeling from the effects of the French Revolution and Napoleon's attempted conquests.  A time for despair, but also a time for hope and challenge under the protection of Mary. Millions have since been positively affected as a result of this pledge...so a renewal of the zeal of these men and under the protection of Mary our Good Mother is the order of the day.  Can we do it?
Bro. Rene

Finding Signs

Because our human nature thrives on skepticism, it is common for people to ask for a "sign" to assure them that what they see or hear is true. Mary most often appears to children or teenagers, and every time they report the apparitions to authorities, they are confronted with the demand:  "Show is a sign." It was no different for Jesus.  In today's Gospel, some of the Scribes and Pharisees asked him for a sign, but he refused, saying that "no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah the prophet...three days in the belly of the whale, and Jesus in the tomb for three days.  It was only in retrospect that these words made sense.
And so, with us, when we look for a sign (and they still appear), they might be something simple, right under our noses.  Isn't the wonder of each day, the wonder of the universe, the human body, the uncountable number of species (some still being discovered) enough?  Lucky for us we have an all-patient God who bears with our unnecessary wishes for "confirmations" and signs...How about going about today saying, I believe. I trust.  Enough!
Bro. Rene

Service With A Smile

We live in an culture of increasing RAGE:  road rage, computer rage (one man shot his computer 8 times in frustration), police rage and now "air rage"....small seats, first class vs coach.  Inconvenience is "not acceptable" these days, yet, ascetics over the centuries willingly not only inconvenienced themselves, but went overboard in causing themselves pain and deprivation of even the most normal things, like sleeping on a mattress.  Somewhere in the middle, lies the solution.
Today's Gospel might shed some light on this dilemma.  Martha is busy preparing a meal for Jesus, while her sister, Mary, sits quietly at his feet, enjoying his presence...yes, finding JOY in just being with him. Martha feels the burden of the necessary work and complains to Jesus, who reminds her that Mary has chosen "the better part."  In union with Jesus, we find the joy deep within that will help us prepare the meal, or sit cramped in that dreaded "middle seat" on a plane with a smile.  We are not entitled to convenience; if it's there, fine, but if not, can we say "fine" as well and continue with a smile?  No doubt the reply of Jesus to Martha reminded her that what she was doing would be worth even more if she did it with joy, with a smile!
Bro. Rene

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Overlooking the city of Haifa and the blue Mediterranean Sea, the fabled Mount Carmel is a holy place, the home of prophets and hermits, and the inspiration for the Carmelites who imitate Mary's contemplative life, and like her, nourish her "children" through the service of prayer
In 1251 Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock, Minister General of the Carmelites who changed the Order from hermits to mendicants,  and gave him the scapular...a cloth which fits over the front and back of the religious habit of some Orders.  It has been modified to two pieces of square brown or green cloth connected with a thin "shoe-lace".  It symbolizes a pledge on the part or the bearers to entrust themselves totally to her protection and remain faithful to the spiritual life and the need for prayer.
When Jesus entrusted Mary to John's care at the foot of the cross...he also entrusted all of us to her care.  She has been faithful to her role as our Mother over the centuries, and her title, Our Lady of Mount Carmel is another reminder of her motherly presence, for she watches unceasingly with a mother's loving care over the brethren of her Son, and lights us along our pilgrim way to the Mount of God's glory, our beacon of comfort, and the embodiment of all our hope as members of the Church. (Preface of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.)  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Bro. Rene

The Foolishness of God

St. Paul reminds us of a truth we might overlook in the aftermath of the latest terror attack, again in
France, but this time in Nice along the Riviera and on Bastille Day, France's equivalent to our 4th of July:  "Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.  for the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength." (1 Cor 1: 24-25).  It is Christ who helps us make sense of this gross act of violence, this slaughter of over 80 innocent people. When Jesus tells us to forgive, to love, it seems foolish in light of this atrocity.  Authorities will investigate; the perpetrator is already dead; the pain, the mourning will go on, for the deed was done and cannot be undone.  Jesus does not ask us to condone such violence, but to see beyond it to the anger, trouble and Godlessness in our world which has opened the door to the power of hell. Can we see this as a warning, an invitation to return to God and the Word he has so painstakingly delivered to us, or do we continue to ignore it and watch aghast at the next act of terror?  It will take  change of heart, a change of our hearts, to ask for God's mercy not only on terrorists, but on each one of us. Let us begin now to pray for that transformation and for deeper trust in "the foolishness of God."
Bro. Rene

"Come To Me"

Today's Gospel is the familiar, beloved, consoling and encouraging:  "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened...." (Mt 11:28-30).  It always seems to appear somewhere at a time when we need to hear these words, for, as it seems, as soon as one burden is lifted, another takes its place.  The invitation from Jesus to come to him never grows old or cold.
Fittingly this Gospel is read today on the Memorial of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native Amrican saint, who lived in upstate New York and then near Montreal.  She converted to Catholicism at the age of 17, and despite the many burdens she carried, a scarred face and poor vision from smallpox, "exile" for choosing virginity over marriage, and certainly for being a Catholic, her heart glowed with love of Jesus, especially in the Eucharist.  She would walk for miles and wait at the door of the church for the priest to arrive.  She was devoted to helping the elderly and sickly and died at the young age of 24 (like St. Therese of Lisieux) in 1680. She embraced this invitation and learned that Jesus indeed lifts burdens and gives needed rest from our labors. St. Kateri, help us to learn as you did to come to Jesus often during the day.
Bro. Rene

Revealed to the Childlike

Again the image of the child as a model for adults surfaces in this morning's Gospel from Matthew, 11:25-27.  "' I give you praise, Father Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned, you have revealed them to the childlike." (Mt 11: 25).  Jesus is not talking about the "childish" but the childlike...those who see with pure hearts, trust unswervingly, and maintain a sense of wonder and optimism.  These are the "visionaries" who see beyond the mundane and mediocre, doubts and fears that creep into our adult minds and paralyze them. They can have a healing influence on the most jaded for in their innocence they radiate hope, joy and confidence. They are rooted in Jesus and see in him the key that unlocks the gate which imprisons the soul.  We might examine our outlook on life and see if we have any childlike qualities, ask that they might grow stronger, and, if we don't find any, pray that God lift the tarp that is hiding them.
Bro. Rene

What's Important?

As  we look for nourishment to start our day, let us remember the birds of the air and the flowers of the field...God's faithful and loving care of them...and of us!  Worrying will block out the beauty around us, and cause us to WASTE this precious day.  God wants us to concentrate on the important truth that he loves and cares for us and is always with us.  So why worry?  Why frown?  Why NOT be free to smile, joke, make funny faces, allow the joy of being free to shine in our smiles and faces?  What good does an ounce of worry accomplish?  What infinite good does a smile or kind word do?  It cannot be measured. Let's be smiles and flowers for others and help them dump their burdens and worries and find their JOY in God.
Bro. Rene

Expect Persecution

Jesus told his Apostles directly, "Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple a doves." (Mt 10: 16).  Nor long after Pentecost, because the Apostles became very public about their mission, the fireworks began...stonings, jailings, beheadings, crucifixions, fodder for beasts. From our perspective 2,000 years later, we marvel at the fortitude, gutsiness and total dedication of these early Christians. But lately, it has become apparent that these atrocities continue around the globe, and have never really stopped as a look at history will show. In the United States where constitutionally we are free to practice our religion, there are jabs, and stabs at those who profess their Christian faith.  If we as a Christian Catholic power were more vocal and public, perhaps there would be even greater jabs and stabs.  Rather than provoke them by direct confrontation, we might become more public in expressing who we are and what we believe in conversation in our families, at gatherings, at restaurants.  We might pray before a meal at home, bur rarely do we see a prayer being said in a restaurant...Sort of the unwritten law (whose?) that we don't pray in public.  But when we do see some family making the sign of the cross, or bowing in silent prayer, aren't we edified, and perhaps even moved to do the same?  One person, one family, by a simple gesture can witness to the faith, and yes, expect criticism or ridicule. but we are still far from the persecutions and attacks that Jesus predicted.
Bro. Rene
Note:  I'll be attending a 45th class reunion in Wheeling, WV on Saturday...an early flight and a closed library, where I usually send Bro. Rene's Daily Bread, will be closed on Sunday.  I'll return Monday and serve up a slice on Tuesday.   Have a great weekend.

Strength for the Mission

Our Gospel continues chapter 10:  the missioning of the Apostles (and us), repeating what we heard on Sunday.  A question might arise:  "Where do we get the strength to perform and sustain our mission?"  Our daily "peaceful sitting with Jesus...a time to be in his presence, in silence and in listening mode, helps calm us and put our day and the days ahead in perspective.  Again and again we are assured that HE is with us, and will help us do what HE considers the priorities (not always ours), and eventually we are delighted to see that in HIS time, all that we wanted to do gets done.  So, not fretting allows God's efficiency to work through us. 
And further, we have the availability of daily Eucharist, and the most intimate contact with Jesus, indeed, the Blessed Trinity, we can have. The choirs of angels, Mary, our Good mother, and the communion of saints are all with us.  Is there any other greater source of strength?  Makes what we want to do seem like child's play for the Creator of the universe.
Dear God, help me to get out of the way and let you give me the strength to carry out YOUR mission for today.
Bro. Rene

Startling Our World

When Jesus called his Twelve, he sent them to do one simple thing:  to proclaim that the kingdom of God is at hand. (cf. Mt 10:7).  A simple but starling message.  How did they feel with this commission?  How would they begin?  Evidently they found a way and it worked.. A few weeks later, they came back rejoicing at what had happened during their first missionary trek.
2,000 years later, Jesus calls us to the same mission.  How do we proclaim today that the Kingdom of God is at hand?  How do we startle the people around us so that they stop and take notice?  It was said of the first Christians, "See how they love on another."  St. Marcellin's dying wish was that Marists be known by their love for one another...extended to ALL.  Showing love and welcome to everyone we meet and  displaying a spirit of hope and optimism in an atmosphere of skepticism, confusion and un-rootedness, will make heads turn.  A warm, sincere smile can change the hardest of hearts.  We can all do this.  Let's see how many people we can startle today!
Bro. Rene

Sheep in Need

Even Jesus faced the dilemma of being overwhelmed by the enormous number of people needing his healing and help.  He was moved to pity because they were like sheep without a shepherd.  He asked the disciples to pray for laborers to help with the "harvest." (Cf. Mt 9: 34-38).
We all know the feeling of being overwhelmed with "things to do" on our endless "lists" as well as the limited amount of time available to do them.  Perhaps it's not a bad idea to ask for help, as Jesus did...pray for other shepherds to come and help with the flock.  It's surprising how willingly and generously people respond when they become aware of the needs of others.  Let's try praying for helpers and asking for help today.
Bro. Rene

Using Our Freedom Wisely

Fireworks, concerts, flags, barbecues, vacations, sales....marks of the "fabulous 4th of July" in America.  Below these externals, is the reason why we celebrate:  on July 4, 1776, 240 years ago, a group of men representing the 13 colonies declared their independence from the Crown of England, a bold move which paved the way for a revolutionary war and the birth of our country.  The risks entailed in this courageous move were many, but the benefits outweighed them and today we enjoy freedoms shared by no other nation, as well as the responsibility to use them wisely.  "Be free, yet without using freedom as a pretext for evil, but as slaves of God. (1 Pt 2:16).  Freedom, we might think, is an achievement, something for which people fought and won, but it is more precisely a GIFT, God's gift to us. How blessed we are and how obliged we are not to use freedom as license to do whatever we want, but to use it to live God's liberating law of love and to help others who are bound by social or economic injustice or self-imposed pressures to be released from their bondage..
When we sing "God bless America," we are praying for the good of all and expressing our love and gratitude for our country.  May we sing it or listen to it at least once today (I highly recommend You Tube...Kate Smith singing it for the first time), and then in our own words express our gratitude and determination to use our freedom wisely.
Bro. Rene

Our Mission

We hear this morning the Gospel of "Mission":  Jesus sends the 72 to bring peace, healing and the good news that the kingdom of God is at hand.  These disciples might have been skeptical about their ability to carry out this mission, but when they returned to Jesus, they had the joyful news that even demons obeyed them because of the name of Jesus.
This too is our mission:  we are SENT by Jesus to befriend those who have never heard the "Good News", and to those who might have heard it, but never paid much attention to it or did not fully understand it.  We are not to come on like bulldozers, but gently, peacefully, meeting people where they are, healing their wounds, spiritual or psychological, by our listening, but our acceptance, by our patience.  We remember that it is God's work that we are doing, so we must fall into the pattern he has set for each person and just help things fall into place.  They will.  St. Marcellin said over and over again that to be effective teachers, we must first love the students and love them all equally. This is the key to fulfilling our mission; this is the Marist contribution to the Church; this is presenting the Marian Face of the Church.  May we offer ourselves again today with the 72 to carry out our mission with confidence and joy.
Bro. Rene

Surrendering to God

50 years ago on this date, July 2, 1966, at the Jesuit retreat house then known as Innisfada in Manhasset, Long Island, I pronounced my perpetual vows as a Marist Brother on the feast of the Visitation. Needless to say a lot has happened since then: the retreat house is gone and the Visitation has been moved to May 31, to mention a couple. It was a moment of total surrender in the way of Mary and has led to countless graces for me and others on all the continents. It is indeed humbling to reflect on the impact of that surrender.
All followers of Jesus are called to some level of surrender, of "thy will, not mine". It is the one thing we can give to God, and when we do so with deepest sincerity, the Mother of God will be there to help us carry out the consequences of our gift of self, for, indeed, there will be consequences. We will find that God's plan is demanding, surprising, and challenging. We will also find that he gives the strength for every step of the way. I have taken many steps in these fifty years, and have found that God was there with each one. I wouldn't have taken a different path and joyfully begin each day with a simple prayer of surrender. "I'm yours today, Lord, do with me what ever you want."
Bro. Rene

Siempre Adelante!

As we celebrate the memorial of St. Junipero Serra, we recall his motto, Siempre Adelante, Keep moving forward! A command that is as appropriate today as it was when he trekked up the coast of California, establishing missions to address the material and spiritual poverty he encountered among the native peoples. Today, materialism dominates our way of thinking and living,but when the glitter wears off, a depressing gap remains. Working in this impoverished area of Maine, we are seeing what happens when the bottom falls out of a culture based on material gain: empty stores, deteriorating houses, closing schools and churches, shifting populations, arrival of gangs and drugs. Not a pretty sight. But in the midst of this stands a little man with huge faith and courage who shouts out to us, Siempre Adelante! This is the world that Jesus died to redeem; the victory has been won; we can't let discouragement overwhelm us.
Bro. Rene