Getting Off The Fence

Jesus up-raids the towns of Chorazin and Bethsaida for ignoring the deeds he did in front of them and refusing to change their lives. (cr. Lk 10:13-14).  We too can be blinded by our own vision of how things should be, how others should live their lives, and what would be best for everyone if they followed our suggestions, and miss the point of what God is trying to tell us.  At best, we see-saw between accepting or rejecting God's plan.  Perhaps the following prayer by Fr. Herb Yost, C.S.C. might help us "get off the fence."
Lord Jesus, thank you for your patience with us. We are so slow—or maybe even unwilling—to believe that your way is the only way to peace and wholeness, both for ourselves and for our world. We’ve heard the Gospel so many times; we are aware of all our blessings, mostly undeserved; we are aware of how you protect us and care for us. Still we dither. Jesus, please give us the grace of actually wanting to follow you.   
Bro. Rene

God's Messengers

The Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael have played prominent roles in the history of our salvation:  Michael cast Satan into hell, Gabriel announced the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus, and Raphael brought healing to Tobit, his son Tobias and Sara, the wife of Tobias.  These archangels make it clear as God's messengers, that God is deeply involved in our human history and our individual stories. They act as guides and protectors for us as they faithfully carry out God's will. They are the patron saints of those who protect us, such as the military and the police force, paramedics, doctors and health care workers, vital areas of human life. As we honor them, let us also express our gratitude to them, for their work continues to our day. The prayer to St. Michael continues to be a favorite and each time we say the Hail Mary, we repeat the words of Gabriel.

"I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
In the presence o the angels, I will sing your praise;
and give thanks to your name."   (Ps 138: 1-2)

Following Unreservedly

When we offer ourselves to follow Jesus unreservedly, we most likely have in mind doing anything, even walking to the ends of the earth, for him, but most of the time, the "unreservedly" means that we have to follow a path we did not have in mind, or that did not match our ambition or expectation. We hope for job interviews to get us where we want to be, or a healing prayer service to cure us or a friend immediately, but the job goes to someone else, and no apparent healing takes place.  Are we still willing to "follow unreservedly"?   We have to adjust our prayer, our hopes, our dreams to mean, whatever YOU want, Lord, not what I want.  Disappointment is a teacher and leads us to a deeper level if we can put aside our expectations and follow without any conditions, and hidden agendas, any reserve.  Jesus, teach me to follow you unreservedly as you followed the will of your Father.
Bro. Rene

Journeying With Jesus

Jesus "resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem" (Lk 9:51), but as most of us discover, our goals are not always as easily met as when we first formulated them.  The Samaritan village where he stopped would not welcome him, so he went on toward another.
We honor St. Vincent de Paul today whose journey took many turns not anticipated at his ordination and plan to be a chaplain to the wealthy.  One encounter after another with the poor, especially his years as chaplain to galley slaves changed his mission from the wealthy to the poor. However, he used his connections with the wealthy to influence them to help the destitute.  Indeed, the example of "Monsieur Vincent" still influences us today and reminds us that journeying with Jesus can often lead to "the path less traveled by."
Bro. Rene

Faith and Healing

Cosmas and Damian: two names listed in the First Eucharistic prayer, but who were they?  They were brothers who were physicians in third century Syria.  Called "the money-less ones" because they ministered to the health of their clients without taking any compensation and  uniting their skill with their faith, they succeeded in bringing healing to many before their martyrdom and after.  They are the patrons of physicians, surgeons, pharmacists, chemists, and the blind.
Good health is on the minds of everyone, it seems, especially Senior Citizens who fill doctors offices around the world.  Medicine is a billion dollar "industry" as the pursuit of bodily health keeps its wheels turning.  More and more it is being demonstrated that faith plays a bigger role in healing than was previously admitted, though Cosmas and Damian were very aware of it 17 centuries ago and based their health care on it.  May they help us as well as those in the medical field, give it its proper place in our "scientific world."
Bro. Rene

Faith and Healing

Cosmas and Damian: two names listed in the Fist Eucharistic prayer, but who were they?  They were brothers who were physicians in third century Syria.  Called "the money-less ones" because they ministered to the health of their clients without taking any compensation and  uniting their skill with their faith, they succeeded in bringing healing to many before their martyrdom and after.  They are the patrons of physicians, surgeons, pharmacists, chemists, and the blind.
Good health is on the minds of everyone, it seems, especially Senior Citizens who fill doctors offices around the world.  Medicine is a billion dollar "industry" as the pursuit of bodily health keeps its wheels turning.  More and more it is being demonstrated that faith plays a bigger role in healing than was previously admitted, though Cosmas and Damian were very aware of it 17 centuries ago and based their health care on it.  May they help us as well as those in the medical field, give it its proper place in our "scientific world."
Bro. Rene

Reversal of Fortune

We read today the story of two contrasting characters, the nameless rich man dressed in purple and the poor man, named Lazarus, which means, "God is my help."  As the story ends, that name is verified and could become a mantra for us. The rich man lives in luxury, never having any question about what to eat or what to wear, but in the next life, becomes the destitute beggar, while Lazarus luxuriates in the bosom of Abraham: a reversal of fortune for sure. (cf. Lk 16: 19-31)
The question posed to us by this story of contrasts is: Where am I in this picture?  Ther.e are an increasing number of Lazaruses standing on the streets with their "HOMELESS VETETRAN" signs.  What can we do to really help them?  I want to stop and encourage them to seek work or help from organizations established to help them, but, of course, the flow of traffic most often prevents a stop.  They have a story which begs to be heard before we ignore them.  We need to seek guidance ourselves on the best way to treat them as fellow human beings... Guide us, O Lord..
Bro. Rene

Pay Attention

Before he announced his "being handed over" (arrested), Jesus urged the disciples to "pay attention" (cf. Lk 9:43b).  How often do people say things and we are thinking of something else and don't hear them?  How many times have you said something and people turn and say, "What was that?"  or repeat something totally different from what you said?  Our minds are not always fully focused and we MISS a lot, to say the least.  Jesus tries to get our attention as a parent or teacher would with the directive, "Pay attention."  .."Listen up".   This might perk our ears enough and open our minds to absorb the spoken word, but it is also an invitation to read signs that call to us from events, the body language of other people, and the beauty and sounds of nature.  God is calling for our attention constantly in a variety of ways; sadly, we are not always paying attention and miss the message. The pace at which we live, the numerous "irons in the fire" the amount of things on our "to do" list, these distract, keep us from the present moment, and deafen us to the daily contacts God tries to make with us.  Lord, help me to pay better attention to you, starting NOW!
Bro. Rene

Padre Pio and St. Thecla

Today we observe the memorials of two saints, one very popular and contemporary, the other, the first woman martyr and a contemporary of St. Paul.
For a man who rarely left his priory, St. Pius of Pietrelcino, still affectionately called Padre Pio, he drew great crowds to the Friary where he resided so much so that he was not allowed to offer Mass publicly.  His reputation grew even wider after his death and his beatification and later canonization brought vast crowds to Rome, as his heart is doing these days in Boston (and in Lowell, last  Wednesday).  He is noted for his many miracles, for his gift of reading hearts in the confessional, and for the stigmata which caused him great suffering.  He accepted his suffering in union with the suffering of Jesus and leaves us a model in dealing with our own suffering.
Legends surround the life of St. Thecla...promised in marriage, but then refused to marry after becoming a disciple of St. Paul.  When she was escaping from Lebanon to Syria, she came across a series of mountains which made it impossible for her to continue, but an angel opened a pass for her...today it's still called St. Thelca's Pass.   Another story has her being burned at the stake, but a thunderstorm arose and quenched the flames. Eventually she was martyred.
What do these two have in common?  They both put JESUS as the center of their lives to the point of suffering for and with him.  May we follow their examples as best as possible.
Bro. Rene

Vanity of Vanities

Today we begin the Book of Ecclesiastes. a mouthful for many lectors, and are hit from the first word from the pen of Qoheleth's  (another mouthful!):  Vanity.  He goes on to explain: " All things are vanity!" (Eccl1:2) and the rest of his book expands this notion, leaving us with an empty feeling from his negative view of life until the final words of the Epilogue:  "Fear God and keep his commandments for this is man's all; because God will bring to judgment every work, with all its hidden qualities, whether good or bad." (Eccl  12:  13b-14).  Whew, there is hope, there is an invitation to look for the good side of life (even if it be hidden at first).
We need to take a realistic view of life, even if it might lean toward the pessimistic, but at the same time, looking for the good behind all is a valid approach too, and more life-giving.  As St. Paul tells us in Romans 8:28, "We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." Through prayer, faith, and conversation with people we trust, we can come to see that good and not be saddled by the vanity and the pursuit of that which fails to satisfy we experience in the world around us.
Bro. Rene

Matthew's Call--Our Call

The moment the gaze of Jesus fell upon Matthew sitting at his tax collector's post and the simple invitation, "Come, follow me." hit his ears, his life changed forever. He left his desk and post, and, indeed followed Jesus.  He began with a banquet to which he invited Jesus and his disciples as well as the Pharisees, wrote the beautiful Gospel we cherish, and preached the kingdom as commanded by Jesus. No doubt he recalled and pondered this turning point in his life over and over, ever gaining energy and motivation from it.
St. Paul tells the Ephesians to "live in a manner worthy of the call they had received, "with humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserved the unit of the Spirit through the bond of peace: one Body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Eph 4: 2-6).  While we most likely will not write a Gospel, preach in foreign lands or suffer martyrdom, we ARE CALLED to live in this manner and we can do it if we look to the gaze of Jesus and open our ears and hearts to the invitations he presents daily, even minute by minute.  Let us ponder the calls we have received and there find the same energy that spurred us into action then.
Bro. Rene

God's Family

When told his mother and family had come to see him, Jesus, responded that those who hear the word of God and act on it are his mother, brothers and sister. (Cf. Lk 8:21). This is a wonderful opening for us to join his family, but a challenging one as well. The Gospel is not all peaches and cream, sweet though it is; the cross always finds a place on the dish.
Today we honor Sts. Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Ha-sang and their companions, a group of 101, who were tortured and martyred in 19th century Korea for hearing the word and acting on it. Their steadfast adherence to the faith remains a model for us, as we witness Christian martyrdom in our own time, and as we struggle personally against enormous forces in our ever-increasing secular world.  Finding a supportive Christian community these days, conducting a Catholic school, standing up for our beliefs in the face of criticism or ridicule is not easy; the temptation to "cave" stands on our threshold awaiting the moment of weakness that is sometimes nearer than we like to admit.
The love and welcome that Jesus offers us to become his family and the grace that goes with it are sufficient for us.  St. Paul faced the same "enemies" as we, and could declare in no uncertain terms:
: I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loos of all things and consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him."  (Phil 38-9a).  May we join Paul and the other family members who have chosen to hear the word of God and act on it.
Bro. Rene

Excuses

The number of panhandlers around the USA seems to be in the rise, not to mention the number of requests for help that come through the mail or on the internet. We are suspicious because of the SCAM artists who are just as prevalent, it seems.  So we look for excuses: "Why doesn't he or she look for a job instead of standing there all day?"  "I'm busy now, maybe tomorrow."  "These mailings go to millions of people, why do they need my little contribution?"  This attitude is universal, and is addressed in the Book of Proverbs:  "Say not to your neighbor, 'Go and come again,/ tomorrow I will give,' when you can give at once." (Prv 3: 28). Proverbs 3: 27 gives us a "safety valve":  "when it is in your power to do it."  Whew.  There is a limit, so let prudence guide and let us do the best we can.  Fr. Hespburg said he always gave something, knowing that at times he would be "the loser", so that the person with the legitimate need would not be denied the help he or she needed.  Something to think about.
Bro. Rene

God and Mammon

Often translated as just "money", mammon indicates "ill-begotten money", or money obtained unjustly, "dishonest wealth".  Jesus is telling us that certainly, service to money in that sense can only lead to perdition.  He is calling for us to prioritize our "wealth", even if not in terms of  money, putting God and the things of God first, and then using our money or our gifts in service to those who have less.  He is also reminding us that an undivided heart does not work:  No servant can serve two masters.  He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. " (Lk 16:12).  The questions for our Sunday reflection are, Where are MY priorities? Whom am I serving?
Quiet reflection on this whole Gospel passage, Lk 16: 1-13, might help put us on track for the rest of the day and the weeks ahead.
Bro. Rene

Bearing Fruit Through Perseverance

A significant verse in the well-known parable of the Sower and the Seed, reads: "But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance." (Lk 8:15).
So many times in "conversion experiences", the initial fervor reveals energy and excitement that seem unending, but, can fade unless cultivated and nourished by prayer, reflection, reading, conversation, action and perseverance.  Ah...to keep on going even when the "feeling" is low or gone; to remain steady and steadfast through the routine of daily living, of plodding through the mundane tasks of sweeping floors, keeping up with e-mail, driving to and from work, etc. What can motivate us?  A daily dose of disciplined time with Jesus and Mary, like the gardener who waters and weeds day after day, and only in the end harvests the fruit...It's not always "exciting", but by embracing our daily lives with generous and good hearts, and living in the presence of Mother and Son, we will bear lasting fruit.
Bro. Rene

Marists Are Soothers

There is a beautiful icon entitled, Mother of God, Soothe My Sorrows.  It was a fitting audio-visual for a reflection on Our Lady of Sorrows at a gathering of young adults last evening at St.Clement's Shrine in Boston.  The group, called Pure In Heart, meets there weekly for adoration, Mass, (when possible), the Rosary, and a talk. Mary's YES at the annunciation opened the way for the coming of Jesus, the Man of Sorrows, the God of the Resurrection, the ultimate consolation for believers. Mary's role, making Jesus present, has been one of calming peace by her own motherly, nurturing and compassionate presence. 
As Mary-ists  our role is the same.  What good do we do if we are frenzied, harried, and stressed?  Mary had every reason to fall into that category, but, no, he quiet calm always brought peace...at the Cana wedding, and even in pain at the foot of the Cross.  Her presence in the upper room with the gathered disciples must have brought peace as they patiently  (or impatiently) awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit.  Her many apparitions over the centuries have focused on the healing of soul and body, and have been a source of peace to pilgrims, enabling them to give themselves over to the will of the Father as she did.  Mary, soothe my soul today.
Bro. Rene

Soothing our Sorrows

Note:  Yesterday, Yahoo was "down" all morning, hence no slice of daily bread.

Following on the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, comes today's Memorial:  Our Lady of Sorrows.  Standing at the foot of the cross, watching Jesus bleed and suffer his excruciating death, the words of Simeon must have again pierced Mary's heart and soul "that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." (Lk 2:35). The words of Lamentations fit well:
 "Come, all you who pass by the way,
look and see
Whether there is any suffering like my suffering"  (Lam 1:12)
As the Mother of Sorrows, Mary has the understanding and compassion to help soothe our sorrows.  The world is sorrowing, is sorrowful, and each one of us bears some burden which causes us pain, be it the death of someone close, an illness, the waywardness of the young, the persecution (subtle or direct) of those who try to live their faith, or the aches and pains of age. We look to Mary for comfort at the foot of the cross, in Pieta form, when the pain was most likely the acutest. Just knowing she understands and is holding us too, brings a peace that cannot be measured.
 Let us pray with our Lady of Sorrows: O God of ancient and abundant mercy, help us listen to the voices of the weary and isolated with courage and hope. Through the intercession of Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, keep us vigilant in our efforts to serve all people most in need of forgiveness and peace. Receive the many sorrows of your people and help us stand patiently next to all human suffering with heartfelt hope in your Son, Jesus the Christ, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

Bro. Rene

Comforting Widows

Jesus recognized grief and acted as only he could when he came into the village of Nain and saw the funeral procession for the only son of a widow. (Lk 7: 11-17).  More than just listen with compassion, he, with deep compassion, raised the young man to life and gave him back to his mother.  With the same compassion, wouldn't we like to perform such an act of mercy?  Even to healing sick children, or re-directing wayward sons and daughters back to their family roots. What joy this would bring to the sorrowing. 
We have our presence, our prayers, our compassionate ears, a comforting touch or hug, our faith; these we can share and bring some comfort. 
Such is the case in the recent death of a Central Catholic alumnus whose father was killed years ago in a fatal automobile accident.  We can't bring them back, but knowing the prayers of our Marist World and the Daily Bread Readers can give them strength to carry on.  Lord, show your love and compassion to the Naraganes family and heal their grief.
Bro. Rene 

The Holy Name of Mary

September is "Mary Month", no, not like the month of May traditionally dedicated to Mary, but the month of three Marial Feasts: the Nativity of Mary, the Holy Name of Mary and Our Lady of Sorrow's on Thursday. Today we focus on her name, one that must cross our lips dozens of times in the course of a day if we pray the Rosary, the Memorare, the Angelus, or the Hail Holy Queen...so often that it can become a victim of rote.  To make this day different, we might make a conscious effort to say the name slowly, with reverence and reflection on what it signifies:  the union of God with the human race, the woman whose face and attitude before God we attempt to assume as our own:  our model in faith and discipleship.  And as Marists, the name we too proudly bear.  Indeed, the Marist Missionary Sisters celebrate this as their patronal feast.  Happy feast day, Sisters, and happy feast day to all who aspire to follow Marist Spirituality and bring all to Jesus through Mary.
Bro. Rene.

Welcoming Sinners

St. Paul tells us directly, "Christ came into the world to save sinners" and readily admits:  "Of these I am the foremost." (1 Tm 1:15)  He was treated with mercy and patience, the kind we see in the parable of "The Prodigal Son," (or perhaps more accurately, "The Forgiving Father.") (Lk 15:1-32).  In this familiar, and for many, favorite story, the father's love and patience knows no bounds, as he daily goes out to the road to be there in case the son shows up. His instincts are right and one day he sees him coming in the distance and runs out to greet him, hugging and kissing him.  He barely heasr the lad's apology and confession of guilt, and immediately sends orders for a huge party to welcome the young man home.  He dresses him in a fine garment, puts a ring on his finger, and orders the slaughter of the fatted calf.  Lavish love, unbounded forgiveness.
How fitting it is that this Gospel falls on the 15th anniversary of 9/11, when commemorative memorial ceremonies are stirring our memories and feelings. Can we add forgiveness to the mix?
A tough call except when we look closely and honestly into our souls and realize how much, like Paul, we need God's mercy and forgiveness.
Bro. Rene

A House Built on Rock

A solid foundation is essential to the future stability to the structure built upon it. Certainly in these days of recent hurricane winds and floods this has been more than evident.
So too with the growth of our faith: a solid foundation in the home is essential if the on-going growth fostered in parishes and Catholic schools is to continue over the years.  Yesterday, at Camp Marist, Central Catholic's class of 2020 experienced at the hands of Juniors and Seniors the foundation stones of what it means to be a student in a Marist School, in particular at CCHS.  It was heartening and enlightening to hear these upper classmen and women pass on the heritage they have come to cherish. The love the school and all it stands for and conveyed that love convincingly to these new students.   We pray that when all these students become parents that they will pass on the faith with such passion and conviction.
Bro. Rene

Peace in our Communities

The Bishops of the United States have designated this day as a day of prayer for peace in our communities.  Let us join with the rest of the nation in praying for this peace we need so desperately

The Lord Jesus Christ, who are called the Prince of Peace, who are yourself our peace and reconciliation, who so often said, "Peace to you," grant us peace. Make all men and women witnesses of truth, justice, and brotherly love. Banish from their hearts whatever might endanger peace.

Enlighten our rulers that they may guarantee and defend the great gift of peace. May all peoples of the earth become as brothers and sisters. May longed-for peace blossom forth and reign always over us all. —Pope St. John XXIII

Bro. Rene

Miracles Do Happen

As we celebrate the Feast of Mary's Birth (Nativity) nine months after the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th, a string of miracles becomes apparent.  Yes, Mary being conceived without Original Sin, her birth to the elderly Joachim and Anne, her own miraculous conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit, the angel's appearance to Joseph to explain the mysterious pregnancy and his then willingness to take Mary as his wife, the birth of Jesus and on and on to his death and resurrection.  These are not fables, these are facts upon which our faith is built.
Translated to our Marist World, an unlikely country boy becomes a priest and poorly educated as he was, founds a congregation of educators which is now approaching it's 200th birthday. The on-going growth of  this man's vision in a world of contradictory beliefs and values is a further testimony that miracles continue to happen.  Let us rejoice in this feast of Mary, this very Marist Feast, and take to heart the words of the angel to Joseph, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid..." (Mt 1: 20).

Blessings and Woes

St. Luke gives us four beatitudes and four woes as opposed to St. Matthew's eight beatitudes with which we are more familiar.  Each Evangelist reverses a situation:  the hungry will be satisfied...or those who are full will go hungry. We are hit with an arrow between the eyes....a startling wake-up call to see life the way God sees it rather than the way we see it.  It's a shock to see the opposites side by side, if we take these words seriously.  And that's what we should do.  Read Luke 6:20-26 and sit with this passage; let it sink in and move us to a deeper faith, trust and change of attitude and behavior.
Bro. Rene

Chosen For Mission

When Jesus named the Twelve as his chosen group, little did they understand what that mission would entail.  They simply followed at first, but later, he sent them out on their own to teach, preach and heal.  They found out they could do both but probably learned a lot about themselves...dealing with impatience, fatigue, self-doubt, failure, and perhaps even rejection.  Missioning is not all Hollywood success.  It is hard and humbling.  One's weaknesses surface and cause consternation.
All Marists are called to such a mission, some directly in the classroom, some overseas in different lands and cultures, some as head of families or workers in the market place.  The classroom is a mission, and for some, today is when that mission begins.  May we pray for one another and for those put in our care, but above all, remember that as Jesus prayed before choosing his Twelve, he has prayed over today's "missionaries", teachers, and support staff, and remains with us as we go about our mission.
Bro. Rene

The Right to Work

Today is Labor Day, a holiday, yet  no work for most, but a time to reflect on the gift of work...the ability to work, the opportunity to work, for the most part to choose the work we do, and the right for all of us to work.  What a great corollary to the gift of freedom we so cherish in these United States of America!  St. Joseph the Worker remains the patron of work...conscientious, consistent, content.  Work was not abundant in the region of Galilee...for fishermen, yes, but for craftsmen, no, so he along with Jesus had to travel to find work; no welfare, so they had to do the best they could to keep food on the table and as such are models for us.  May we take time today to give thanks for being able to work, being able at the end of our careers to retire and enjoy the fruit of our labors.  May we find joy in our work; may we help others with their work, or to find work;  may God give us the physical and mental health to continue to work and may we make time to perform the works of mercy, corporal and spiritual, as a way of "paying forward" the blessings we have received.
Bro. Rene

"Come, Be My Light"

Mother Teresa's call to a special type of work came to here while she was a Sister of Loreto and had worked for twenty years in Calcutta as teacher.  Jesus said to her, "I'm sending you into the dark holes of the poor.  Come be my light."  And so it was that she left the Sisters of Loreto and began her work in the slums and streets of Calcutta, caring especially for the dying and helping them to die clean, at peace and with dignity.  Others joined her and the Missionaries of Charity began, eventually staffing orphanages, medical centers and houses for the dying.  Now her work extends far from Calcutta and today, this simply, tiny woman was canonized.  Despite her own "inner darkness" she shines as a light of hope and an example of selfless charity to a world sinking deeper and deeper into darkness.  May she inspire us to become Christ, attentive to the needs of our neighbors, and a light to our families and communities.
Bro. Rene

Labor Day Weekend

For citizens of the United States of America, Labor Day weekend represents "the last weekend of summer"....vacations for the most part, are over, schools are reopening, the weather is cooler and new opportunities lie ahead.  It is a "long weekend" with a holiday on Monday, and a last fling at relaxation, time with family, or the completion of long-overdue chores, if people so choose.  Might it also be a time to look back in gratitude for the gift of the summer months...the flowers, the warmth, the abundance of sun, vacations, service experiences, or whatever else God has seen fit to give us?  During this "long weekend", might we find some moments to sit quietly in gratitude and soak in the memories of what we did over the summer and give God the thanks and credit due to him, for all comes from him?  Lord, in humility, I thank you for the countless blessings of the past three months and acknowledge that what you gave was better than I had anticipated. Let me learn more and more how you are with me and constantly invite me to rest in you and find my purpose in you. Amen.
Bro. Rene

The Psalmist Knew

We often wonder what the best way to relate to God is.  These verses from Psalm 37 show us that its author knew and could speak from experience:

Trust in the Lord and do good...
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will grant you your heart's requests.

Commit to the Lord your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;

Turn from evil and do good,
For the Lord loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.

The salvation of the just is from the Lord;
he is their refuge in time of distress,
And the Lord helps them and delivers them
because they take refuge in him.

Last night at a healing Mass, I was graced with the healing of my knees and back, something doctors over the last three years have not been able to do.  I want to shout this good news from the mountain tops and say with Mary, Yes..."the Lord has done marvels for me...and holy is his name."  And with the Psalmist...Yes "trust in him and he will act."
Bro. Rene

Lowering the Nets

AS we begin a new month, we join the fishermen on the Lake of Gennesaret, who were frustrated after a long night of no catches.  At the behest of Jesus, they cast their nets again, and fill the boat to the brim.
We come from the summer months of heat, rest, vacation, or simply nothing different.  Jesus invites us now to take a chance with him, cast our nets again, and let him provide.  A good way to start the month, and for teachers, to begin another academic year.  What Jesus can do and what he has in mind is far better and beyond what we can imagine.  Let us set out with a prayer for deeper trust and lower our nets with confidence.
Bro. Rene