Be Vigilant

It's kind of shocking to read this Gospel passage, "Stay awake!. For you do not know the hour your Lord will come," (Mt 23:42) on this lovely last day of August.  We might be mourning the winding down of summer, but we are not thinking about the unexpected end of our lives, yet the reality is that "at an hour we do not expect, the Son of Man will come." (Mt 24: 44).
Such was the case on August 31, 1982, when John Leary a 24-year old recent Harvard graduate dropped dead while jogging on the streets of Cambridge. Totally unexpected.  A man in apparent good health, a regular jogger, not even at the prime of his life.  But it was a life of faith, service to the causes of peace and justice, and care of the poor...he even housed street people in his own apartment. He was a man "whose goodness was so powerful and honesty unlike anyone I've ever met," said Sister Evelyn Ronan, a chaplain at Harvard at the time.  According to Reverend Peter Gomes of Harvard, "The difference with John was that he discovered that life had no purpose, no meaning, no direction, and no focus apart from the purpose and focus of God...He became in his short life the complete and total man for others, and those who knew him and loved him testify to the love of Christ that shone in and through him." (All Saints, Robert Ellsberg, p. 376).  Evidently John was READY for the coming of Jesus.  May we discover what he did and live accordingly so that we too might be READY.
Bro. Rene

Beware Hypocrisy

Simplicity, just being who we are, no masks, no false faces, has always been a virtue highly emphasized in Marist spirituality.  St. Marcellin lived simplicity and, in addition to his example, exhorted his followers to develop this virtue as characteristically Marist.
In today's Gospel, Jesus lances two more "Woe's" against the Scribes and  Pharisees (cf. Mt 23:27-32) aimed at their blatant hypocrisy.  It's easy to side with Jesus against these "bad guys", but a look into our own hearts might reveal a similar if, perhaps a milder, more subtle form of hypocrisy, for it's easy to fall into and hides itself in the disguise of virtue.  Our outward behavior can cover up a heart that is far from honest, sincere and genuine.  Our self-examination demands verification at the hands of others, and above all, should drive us to beg for mercy and the grace to match our hearts to our "good behavior."  St. Marcellin, help me to grow in simplicity; make me aware of my hypocrisy and help me to correct it.
Bro. Rene

John's Passion

John the Baptist was given a mission when he received his name:  Zechariah, his father, proclaimed:  "You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins." (Lk 1:72)
John devoted his life to this mission; it was his passion.
Today we celebrate his passion in another sense, as in the Passion of Jesus...suffering and death.
He who was to bear witness to the LIGHT was cast into a dark, damp, smelly prison, and he who came to prepare the way for, Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, was beheaded for proclaiming the truth, giving his life for it.
Here again is the mystery of paradox and apparent contradiction that we often see in our own lives.  When things don't go according to our plans, we fret, lose heart and become depressed.  We fail to see that God works in HIS way, not ours, and that what we deem "bad" can actually be for our good; that good can come out of distress, disaster, illness or disappointment.  When we feel like there's been a "mistake" in God's plan, or when we ourselves make "mistakes", may we remember John's passion and mission to reveal Jesus to us, and find our hope renewed in HIM.
Bro. Rene

Seeking God

"Let hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.....constantly seek his face." (Ps 104:3,4).  St. Augustine, whose Memorial we observe today spent thirty-two years seeking the Lord, but did not find him until he set aside the creatures he allowed to distract him from the Creator.  He was athirst for Truth and Beauty but did not learn till later that God was the Truth and Beauty he was looking for.
We admire the beauty of God's creation, the mountains, the sky, people...whose intellectual, physical and soul-beauty cannot be matched, but it takes the God who is seeking US to open our eyes to see HIM and to allow him to flood us with his Beauty and Truth.  May we take one step today through gratitude to come to acknowledge and receive this gift which God so desires to share with us.
Bro. Rene

Sunday, A Day Of Rest and Joy

We pause at the beginning of our week to STOP our hectic pace to take TIME to acknowledge and worship our God, our Creator, our Love.  Ideally, we prepare for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and spend the day in a prayer of thanksgiving, reflection and sacred reading to nourish our spiritual lives.  Ideally, yes, but not always the case.  God is patient with us and knows with whom he is working, as he did with the Peter how jumped in to declare that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, and yet a year or two later, would deny him three times to a servant girl.  This was the ROCK upon which Jesus chose to build his Church.   A good lesson for us, that despite our "good" but fruitless intentions, God sticks with us and gives us chance after chance to make good on our promises and our potential.  Perhaps this thought alone can motivate us to make this Sunday a day of rest and joy, different from our usual Sundays and the days of our work week.
Bro. Rene

Mary the Mother of God

Note...Technological difficulty and resolution used up all my time...

Ponder the great mystery and reality that Mary housed the Creator of this magnificent universe in her womb for nine months...Do we acknowledge this great privilege enough?
Bro. Rene

The Commandment To Love

When asked by a Pharisee what the greatest commandment in the law, Jesus gave him the answer he expected, "to love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." Then, he surprised him with the "second" commandment, "You shall love your neighbor a yourself." (Cf. Mt 22: 34-40). Loving God simply because he is God, is the ideal...no strings attached, no element of fear, just pure, unadulterated love.  Then this is underscored by the pure love of others, which puts what might be an abstract concept of love into concrete tangible reality.  Our little acts of kindness and consideration for the needy, the infirm, the elderly in nursing homes put our love in perspective.  We might even be called someday to follow in the footsteps of the great saints, like St Louis of France, whose memorial we celebrate today.  He fed the poor daily, opened a hospital for the blind, implemented just laws, led two crusades, suffered imprisonment during the first, and died of typhus while on the second.  He gave totally of himself...The North American Martyrs suffered enormously from physical beatings, mutilation, rejection and ultimately, death...All for LOVE of God and LOVE of others and a desire to share that love with all.  What can I do today to share the love I have received?
Bro. Rene

Guileless Hearts

On this Feast of St. Bartholomew, we hear the Gospel story where Philip introduces his friend, Nathanael to Jesus. It has been assumed for centuries that Nathanael and Bartholomew are one and the same person.  Before meeting, him, Nathanael had questioned Philip, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" (Jn 1: 46), but upon seeing him, Jesus exclaimed:  "Here is a true child of Israel. Thee is no duplicity in him." Nathanael was surprised at this comment, since he had never seen Jesus before.  When Jesus said he had seen him sitting under a fig tree, he quickly changed his tune and declared Jesus "the Son of God, the King of Israel." (Jn 1:;49). Took a guileless heart to see clearly without distortion of blur.
This is the kind of heart we need:  to see Jesus, others, clearly for who they are inside, and in so recognizing and acknowledging them, we help them to see themselves and move them to becoming the "best version of thenselves."  St. Bartholomew, help us to have clean hearts and clear vision.
Bro. Rene

What Really Matters

The Parable o the Laborers in today's Gospel (Mt 20: 1-16 ) teaches us that what  really matters is serving God, no matter what the work or when we come upon the scene.  Comparing our "wages" or "hours"  to those of others is not what God is asking of us, but rather a recognition of his goodness and generosity.  His example should inspire us to treat others similarly. Help us O God, to be as open and generous as you.
Bro. Rene

Salve, Regina

When the Gregorian chants, solemn and simple, of the Salve Regina are sung, both singers and listeners are moved by the dignity and power of the music, even if they can't follow the Latin.  It is, of course, the familiar "Hail, Holy Queen', but we don't even have to advert to it to be caught up in its beauty. It was composed in the 11th century, and as some legends go, in the city of LePuy in France where the First Crusade began.  It was meant to inspire the knights by placing them under Mary as their queen.  Later, it was incorporated into the "Night Prayer", Compline, of the Breviary as the final hymn of the day. St. Marcellin included it in the morning prayer of the Marist Brothers in 1830, to ask Mary's protection during the Revolution of  1830.  It remains part of the Marist Morning Prayer to this day.
Pope Pius XII instated today's Memorial, the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary,  as a follow-up to his proclamation of the Dogma of the Assumption in 1950. It is not a sentimental title, but recalls the Warrior notion of the Old Testament, the bravery and gumption of Queen Esther, the and patroness of the Crusades.  Blessed John Henry Newman balances the warrior image with her beauty:
And now your face and form, dear Mother, speak to us of the eternal; not like earthly beauty, dangerous to look upon, but like the morning star, which is your emblem, bright and musical, breathing purity, telling of heaven, and infusing peace.  O harbinger of day! O hope of the pilgrim! Lead us still as you have led; in the dark night, across the bleak wilderness, guide us on to our Lord Jesus, guide us home.  
Bro. Rene

Building God's House

Today we remember St. Pius X, the pope of the Eucharist, and the humble man who came for poverty to head the Church from 1903-1914. It was another tumultuous time, with changes and transitions in society, biblical studies, theology and social issues.  He labored to address he issues of his day with courage and conviction and with special interest in awakening the hearts of the faithful to the legacy of Jesus's teachings and the power of faith. He promoted the religious education of adults and children, the formation of priests as representatives of Jesus and frequent reception of Holy Communion.  He lowered the  age of First Communion from 12 to 7, a practice still adhered to.
A holy, man, miracles were attributed to him even during his lifetime.
Again we see the frequent and ever-repetitive theme of how God can raise the lowly to achieve great things.  As God chose and molded Guiseppe Sarto into a pope and saint, so too can he achieve in us accomplishments beyond our imagination. This is how God's house is built, one stone at a time, one person at a time:  You and I.
Bro Rene

Don't Quit

A familiar poem from another generation, Don't Quit continues to have relevance today.  Our Gospel reading for today features the Canaanite woman, whom we saw not long ago who would not give up, would not quit, trying to convince Jesus to heal her daughter.  She eventually "won."   Jesus too, didn't quit on her.  He could have ignored or resisted her, as the disciples suggested, but no, his patience, his desire to be of service, to heal overcame their impulsive reaction to her.
St. Marcellin was faced with challenges all is life, but didn't quit.  He stands as model even today of a "toughness" that must abound if forward progress is to be made.  Confirming his persistence yesterday was the reception of  young man, Luis Ramos who came from a long history of  determination to achieve his dream of becoming a Marist Brother...On the other side of the globe, our formation houses are filling with Postulants and Novices who have so far refused to quit.  May our own lives be filled with such "toughness."
Bro. Rene

Mary's Love

On this day 100 years ago, Mary appeared to the three Fatima children who had been detained in jail on August 13th, making it impossible for them to go to the Cova where she ordinarily appeared.  The children did their best to keep their promise to available to be with her and she kept hers, such was the love of this Good Mother.  Her major requests centered around praying the rosary daily, praying often during the day, and doing little "penances" and sacrifices for the conversion of sinners (always starting with "home"...ourselves...100 years later, her message is even more pertinent, demanding more of an effort on our part.  She will not give up on us; may we not give up on her!
On this day, the Province of the United States welcomes Luis Ramos as a novice; the many members of the province will gather for his reception this afternoon at 2:00 pm in the Chapel at Mount St. Michael Academy.  Please pray for this wonderful young man and pray that he will be joined by several others who are discerning their vocations...Mary will take care of him and us, as always.
Bro. Rene

Marriage Is A Sacrament

Trending today more and more is the "destination wedding", and the "outdoor" wedding....this morning a story hit the news of a couple being "remarried" on a Southwest Airlines flight.  We can't judge, but it seems as in the time of St. Marcellin, a generation has arisen which is, through no fault of their own, ignorant of the basic truths of the Catholic Faith.
God's gift of love (a gift of himself who is LOVE) is given to a couple attracted to each other on several levels:  physical, emotional, common interests, etc. Eventually, they decide to "tie the knot" in a public ceremony and unite "till death do them part." However, over 50% of marriages do not make it to that point.  Forgotten, it seems is the reality that marriage mirrors the love of Father, Son and Holy Spirit...the eternal and unbreakable bond of love within the Trinity. And moreover, human marriage is a visible "sign" of the unbreakable bond between Jesus Christ and the Church.  These are much deeper levels that need to be explained to young Catholics as they are being educated in their faith so that they will play an essential role in their eventual marriage plans and in the rest of their years together as husband and wife.  Dear God, please guide young couples in the true understanding of the commitment they are making; help them understand that they are a sacrament (an outward sign) of your love and of your love and commitment to the Church. Amen.
Bro. Rene

The Key To Forgiving

"Family Spirit" is one of the characteristic Hallmarks of Marist life and mission. We aim to live as much in harmony and mutual love as we can, but our "wounded" human nature often emerges to impede smooth and flawless relationships. Such is the human condition, such is the challenge Jesus throws at us when he tells us we must forgive without limit or measure: "seventy-seven times".  (Mt 18:21). Not an easy task to carry out, rather, the work of a lifetime, yet this ideal remains.
The key to unlocking this "impossible" goal is to remember how many times we have been generously and undeservedly forgiven ourselves.  When we realize that we are the humble recipients of God's mercy "seventy-seven times", we  will not be able to withhold that same mercy towards others. We pray daily, "forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us." May we MEAN what we say and put it into practice today.
Bro. Rene

Reconciliation

Reconciling opposing parties is difficult, as we see daily in our headlines. Factions, countries, neighbors seem to be constantly slinging it out without an progress toward a peaceful settlement In our own lives, there are smaller versions of this scenario.  In today's Gospel, Jesus directs us to speak directly to the person who has faulted us, or, if necessary, to gather others to help. If none of this works, then leave the situation.  Sounds easy on paper, but not so easy to do.  Praying over the matter leads to surprising results....Would it help if Jesus were present?  No question.  Then ask him.
Bro. Rene

The Assumption of the Blessed VirginMary

The oldest feast in honor of Mary, dating back 1600 years, and celebrated this day around the world, and with great solemnity in the Eastern Church, is also a very special feast for Marists, for many Brothers took the Marist Habit and later pronounced their first vows on this day.
As Marists we look to Mary for her obedience and compliance with the Will of God to bring forth his Son into the World. We look to Mary for her humility,  "for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant." (Lk 1:48). With Mary, we look to God for his mercy and power to scatter the proud and conceited and lift up the lowly.  With Mary we look to God to fill us with the food we need for both body and soul. (cf. Lk 1:53)  Mary shows us the way and invites us to join her in the mission of bringing Jesus to the world. May we remain as solidly faithful as she was and may we spend the day pondering her place in our lives and all the good the Father has done for us.  May our lives,like Mary's "Proclaim (magnify) his greatness."( Lk 1: 46)
Bro. Rene

Laying Down One's Life For Others

When he was a young boy (10 or 12), Maximilian Kolbe was blessed with a vision from Mary who offered him two crowns, a white one for purity, and a red one for martyrdom; he accepted both, He became a Franciscan and worked hard to spread devotion to Mary in Poland and as a missionary in Japan.  Because of ill health, he returned to Poland, wrote and spoke extensively against Nazism, for which he was arrested and sent to Auschwitz.  There he offered to replace a young husband and father who had been selected for the starvation chamber.  Maximilian outlived the others in the bunker, and was finally put to death by lethal injection.  The man he saved was present at his canonization.
St. Maximilian stands as an example of one who not only accepted to be a "martyr of charity" but of one, who accepted, as did Mary, a life of total service to God and the well-being of others, without counting the cost to himself. When we feel "blah" or have grown lukewarm in our prayer or Mass attendance, let St Maximilian come to mind to give us incentive and perspective. Because of his great love of God and Mary, he found the motivation and power to do the extraordinary.  He invites us to do the same.
Bro. Rene

A Cheerful Giver

In begging the church of Corinth for financial aid, St. Paul in his second letter reminds them and us that to sow bountifully is to reap bountifully and that God loves a cheerful giver. (Cf 2 Cor 9: 6-7)  Even when not talking in terms of money but of time, talent, and life itself, giving is the basic formula to happiness.  St.Lawrence, Rome's famous Deacon, saw to it that the city poor were cared for and when challenged to turn over the Church's treasures to Roman authorities, he gathered these poor and presented them as the real treasures of the Church.  His view of them challenges us to see the poor in the same light, and his cheerfulness while being roasted on the gridiron challenges us to be cheerful when giving our last ounce of energy, our last ounce of self.  St. Lawrence, teach us to give bountifully and cheerfully.
Bro. Rene
NOTE;   I WILL NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET UNTIL MONDAY MORNING...NO SLICES OF DAILY BREAD UNTIL THEN.  PRAYING FOR YOU....

Persistence Prevails

The bothersome Canaanite woman was a thorn both in the sides of the disciples and of Jesus, at first.  The disciples urged him to  "send her away" and he simply did not say a word to her. As she persisted, he explained that he had come to the house of Israel, and it was not right to take their food and give it to the dogs.  Could be taken as an insult, but she continued with the line that convinced Jesus to answer her request as well as to give a marvelous example to the disciples, that even the "bothersome" deserve their attention and compassion:   Yes, even those "dogs" who eat the scrap that fall from their master's table can have the faith that causes Jesus to work miracles.  (Cf. Mt 15: 21-28).  
As Marists, and disciples of St. Marcellin, our "territory" is with the "dogs" of society, those on the fringes, those in the poverty of ignorance, especially of their faith.  We need to be as persistent with them as the Canaanite woman was with Jesus.  As she eventually convinced him, so by our presence, example, and word, we will convince them and bring them  'round to the table to eat as members of the family.
Bro. Rene

Walking on Water

What would be our reaction if we heard Jesus tell us to jump out of the boat and walk on water?  And if we did take a few steps without sinking, how would we feel?  Would we lose confidence and begin to fear as Peter did?  We might chide him and say, "You were already walking on the water, why did you succumb to the fear that  you might sink?"  And as you lost faith, lo, you did begin to sink.  Yet, as we wonder at Peter's doubt, how much like him would we be?  Or are we?
When things are going well, and "all the ducks" are in order, doesn't the question arise, "How long will this last?" We are Peter, and like him, we need JESUS!  At least in our doubts and breaches of confidence, let us turn to him...Eventually we will learn and become rock solid in our faith and trust.
We look to St. Dominic, whose Memorial we celebrate, and see how he leaped out of the boat to confront the Albigensian heretics, which eventually meant leaving the Canons of St. Augustine and founding a new religious Order based on prayer and study, whose mission would be preaching, the Order of Preachers or Dominicans. He had plenty of reasons to doubt his ability to walk on these waters, but his faith kept him afloat.  It can do so for us too.
Bro /Rene

Giving In Abundance Always

When Jesus heard the news of his cousin, John the Baptist's brutal death, it was the final straw, it seemed, in a bad week. He had been rejected by the people of Nazareth and had to leave to save his skin.  To ease his sorrow, he sought a place of solitude so he could regain his focus on his Father and his mission,   But that was not to be; the crowds found him; they were hungry for his teaching and healing, and to boot, were also hungry for food, so he fed them.  The numbers are astounding:  5 loaves, two fishes, 12 baskets of fragmented left-overs and 5,000 men (not counting women and children) fed.  Is there no limit to the goodness of Jesus, of his abundant giving?  No, certainly not.
It is this image, and fact about Jesus that should spur us on when we think people are asking too much of us and we feel the need for a break. When it doesn't come, or is interrupted, it's time to pray over Jesus and the 5,000, or to St. Cajetan, whose Memorial is today.  He was a lawyer turned priest, a reformer, a founder of a hospital for the incurable and the founder of a group of fellow priests who worked to reform a corrupt clergy and church. Like Jesus, he gave entirely of himself for others, and when dying asked to be placed on a bed of planks because Jesus died on the wood of the cross.
When we feel tired, spent or in a "poor me" mode, these examples might give us to give limitlessly and in abundance.
Bro. Rene

Living Out The Transfiguration

In today's Gospel we see Jesus in garments shining like the sun and conversing very naturally with Moses and Elijah, an awesome trio and scene. Then the VOICE"  "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; listen to him." (Mt 17:5). Dumbfounded, Peter, James and John  fell prostrate; yes it was good for them to be there, and yes, perhaps setting up three tents would make sense. But it was not the sense Jesus had in mind, and as they came down from the mountain, he told them to keep this a secret until he had risen from the dead.  No doubt they did not "get" this last part; it became clear only later, but this would be a boost to them when they saw their world torn apart by the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus.  Tabor perhaps helped soothe their bruises, but it was only on the Third Day that the "rising from the dead" clicked.  He meant it; he certainly was God!

We sometimes have Tabor moments but it is the living out of them through life's surprises, disappointments, challenges and pain that we fully experience our transformation.  Do we handle these with faith, trust and steadfast love of the ONE who brought us to the Mountain?   We need to nurture our Tabor moments by recalling them daily, by spending time in a "tent" with Jesus, and gazing upon his awesome, powerful, shining,loving Presence.
Bro. Rene

St. Mary Major

One of the four major basilicas in Rome, St. Mary Major is the oldest church dedicated to Mary and the oldest site of pilgrimage in her honor.  Today we celebrate the dedication of the basilica in 435 by Pope Sixtus III, in honor of the title of Theotokos, (Mother of God) declared by the Council of Ephesus in 432....
The original structure was an existing large home...palace, basilica...renovated into a church by Pope Liberius in the 3rd century.
Legend has it that Mary appeared in a dream to a man named John asking that a church be built in her honor.  The location of the church was to be marked by snow.  John reported the dream to the Pope, who also had the same dream.  They went to the hill, and sure enough, it was covered with snow.  The Pope marked out the dimensions of the church in the snow, giving Mary the title, "Our Lady of the Snow."  St. Mary Major is also known today as Maria ad Nives,' "Mary of the Snow."
Today's memorial is one of three Marial feasts in August, the Assumption on the 15th and the Queenship on the 22nd, reminders again of Mary's prominent place in our faith and our need to ask her to "pray for us now and at the hour of our death."
Bro. Rene

Rejection

Np one likes to be ignored or worse, rejected.  Jesus, who was acclaimed by the crowds after the Sermon on the Mount, was rejected by his hometown people in Nazareth.  It's a fact of life, that heroes, saints, are often misjudged and rejected.
John Marie Vianney, whose Memorial we observe today was nearly rejected by authorities in the seminary because he was such a poor student.  His education had been fragmented and inadequate on top of his slowness to learn, making him an unacceptable candidate for the priesthood.  Yet, when it came time for ordination, the bishop said, "We do not need learned priests, but holy ones."
With this obstacle overcome,, there began a 40 year term as pastor of the little church in Ars, a small town whose residents had drifted away from the faith.  When they saw his zeal, determination and austere lifestyle, they began to turn their lives around in imitation of him.  "We are no different from other people," they said, " but we live with a saint."  Rather than rejection, for him now it was recognition, reverence and acclamation as his reputation as a confessor spread throughout France.  In the summers he would spend 16 hours a day in the confessional, hearing over 300 confessions a day.
Even on his deathbed, he heard the confessions of penitents.
Being rejected might be a good sign that God is using the "weak, the unlearned, the humble," to do work that becomes seen as unmistakably his.
Bro. Rene

Old and New

"Then every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old." (Mt 13: 51). Have you ever tried to clean out the attic, basement, garage, or a closet and found yourself making decisions as to what to keep and what to "pitch"?  For some, it's easy: " Everything must go."  For others, nostalgia and that ever- haunting, "I might need or use this someday" make us hesitate, and yes, keep, perhaps, more than we should...At least we put a little more "order" into our possessions, and down the line "the old" might be just what we are looking for.
On the spiritual level, it's more of a case of keeping what traditionally has worked for centuries, and adapting to something new, "outside the box" which has also proved amazingly helpful:  Religious Orders of Sisters outside of the cloister, the Jesuits and their 4th vow of obedience to the Pope. St. Marcellin and the mission of education to the "least favored." have added new and vibrant dimensions to the Kingdom of God.  In our own lives, morning, midday and evening prayer. weekly (or daily) Mass should be sturdy pillars.  The return of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is countering the "noise" of cell phones and i-phones and giving people, even the young a sense of peace and Presence that has been buried by technology.  May we exercise prudence as well as daring as we seek the best means to allow Jesus to build his Kingdom within us and around us.
Bro. Rene

St. Peter Julian Eymard

Noted for his love of the Eucharist and of Mary, Julian Eymard was once a member of the Marist Fathers, but his contemplative inclinations made it evident that he was not fully at home with them.. He left the Marist Fathers and, encouraged by St. John Mary Vianney, the Cure of Ars, he founded two congregations dedicated to Adoration of and promotion of the Blessed Sacrament:  The Blessed Sacrament Fathers and Sisters.  He had found "the pearl of great price" again referred to in today's Gospel, and was willing to "sell all" to purchase it.  (Cf. Mt 13: 45).  “We believe in the love of God for us,” he wrote. “To believe in love is everything. It is not enough to believe in the truth. We must believe in love and love is our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. That is the faith that makes our Lord loved. Ask for this pure and simple faith in the Eucharist. Men will teach you, but only Jesus will give you the grace to believe in him. You have the Eucharist. What more do you want? ”
St. Peter Julian, please help us to develop such a love of the Eucharist that it might become the center of our spiritual lives.
Bro rene

Our Own Wheat and Weeds

It's easy to look at the world and pick out who are the wheat and weeds.  "God will get 'em in the end", we think, but further reflection reveals that within our own hearts grow these two contrary plants forces, tendencies.  Do we have to wait for the "end" to weed them out or can we begin now, one by one?  Any gardener knows that as clean as a garden bed might appear after a "thorough weeding", it isn't long before the weeds start to appear again, and the weeding must be repeated.  So with us, it makes sense to try to eliminate the weeds as best we can and be ready to face them again and again...truly a life-long process. Where to begin?  God, guide me and help me to cultivate a fruitful and weedless garden as best I can with your help.
Bro. Rene