Keeping The Word

"Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our swelling with him." (Jn 14:24) "Whoever has my commandsments and observes them is the one who loves me.  Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love im and reveal myself to him." (Jn 14: 21).  Our lives must be centered on God, who is LOVE, whose Son is the revelation of that love...so we see it encapsuled in a human being and thus the model for us human beings to integrate it and put it into practice in our lives.  All the rest will flow from this...As St. John responded to the question regarding the essence of the Christian Message, he said, "Love, love, love."
Bro. Rene

Am I Willing To Bear Fruit?

We love the image of the vine and the branches.  We love to think of receiving our life-fluid from the vine, Jesus; we love being united closely to him.  However, with this union, comes a responsibility, as Pope Francis has written:  "We are people chosen for the truth, and our call has to be in truth.  There can be no place for deceit, hypocrisy, or small-mindedness if we are branches of that vine, if our vocation is grafted onto Jesus. We must be careful that every branch fulfills its purpose: to bear fruit. Am I willing to bear fruit? (cf. Magnificat, April, 2018, pp. 422-423) 
Bro. Rene

Where Are We?

As we approach the end of April this week and move closer toward the Ascension on May 10th, and Pentecost on May 29th, we might stop and ask where are in the midst of the Ester Season?  Is our life any different after the good works and resolutions of Lent?  It's easy after five weeks to slip back into our "old" ways...busyness, distractions, fading will power.  Not time for another Lent already is it?  We might examine our daily routines, and tighten up where we've loosened up.  If we can't clone the good self we were during Lent, we might at least ask ourselves if we are enjoying "where we are now". and if not, then try to put a little more "alleluia" into what we must do in our "move on.com" world.
Bro. Rene

To The Father Through Jesus

When Thomas asked Jesus, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" (Jn 14: 5). Jesus answered with the familiar and beloved words: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."  (Jn 14:6). We need to hear this and reflect on it daily, for we can become so wrapped up in ourselves or the "self-help" attitude that prevails so strongly in our culture, that we think we "can do it all on our own."  Humility is needed here, and for those who follow our Marist Way, the Way of Mary, we find our way to Jesus through Mary, as our motto states clearly and succinctly:  ALL TO JESUS THROUGH MARY.  We not only offer our prayers, our good works and our day to Jesus through Mary, but we follow her WAY to him through the practice of the "little virtues" of humility, simplicity and modesty along with a huge component of faith and trust. In so imitating her, we become more "Christ-like" and hence, are able to know and approach the Father through him. It's the direction for our lifetime and, yes, it does work.
 Try it.
Bro. Rene

Born and Baptized For The Mission

We don't often put it this way any more, but in truth, we were created, as the Baltimore Catechism put it, "to know, love and serve God in this world, and be happy with him in the next." Those of us of "that" generation recited that answer throughout grammar school, but the generations after us have not been given that simple formula. As a result, there's wondering and wandering going on, especially among our teens and even young adults.  Much searching and drifting....all good...vindicating the reality that without a basic foundation, growth in the faith, in life, even, is stymied. But, indeed, we were created with the mission to enjoy a deep relationship with our Creator, a love relationship, and to act on it by sharing that knowledge and love of God with others.  This is one major act of "service" that we cannot neglect nor deny, for it comes "with the territory" of birth and baptism.
Bro. Rene

Go, Proclaim

Go, Proclaim.  Short but powerful words. This is Mark's message to us today as we celebrate his feast and read the final verses of his Gospel, chapter 16, verses 15-20.  Mark writes succinctly with action words and vivid, crisp detail.  A right-to-the-point man. He startles and shocks, moving us from complacency to ACTION.  The question for us is how we can incorporate his sense of urgency into our own lives, already filled with prayer and good deeds. Our regimen of weekly Mass, daily prayer and service might lull us into thinking that we are doing our part, and we are, but is there something more?  Is there passion in our prayer-lives and joy in our service?  Is it "Service With A Smile" or just routine?  Are we sharing the joy and peace in our hearts with love, care and sincere interest in those with whom we live, work, or serve? Is our happiness contagious?  Does it make others say "I want to be like that"? Or, "I want to know and love Jesus the way he or she does"?  The quality of our "proclaiming" is what is effective...Let's see how well we can GO and PROCLAIM today.
Bro. Rene

Hearing His Voice

As innocent and cuddly as sheep appear, they can be stubborn and obstinate, "dumb", fickle and loyal simultaneously. When Jesus said,  "My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me," (Jn 10:27)  he knew what he was talking about...Sheep will not answer to a stranger's voice, and yes, a shepherd knows each one of his sheep as an individual, even though they all look alike.
Similarly, despite our stubbornness, obstinacy, stupidity and fickleness, he knows us, loves us, and remains more loyal to us than we to him. We are the sheep of his flock; he tends us with loving care even when we run from him or hide from him. When we think of what we make him put up with, of how we ignore his voice,  it is humbling, making us cringe with shame at times, and certainly aware or our need for his mercy as well as our need for gratitude.
We might want to Google a picture of the Good Shepherd, if we don't have one, and just look at it and let it speak to us.  We might hear his voice for a change, and might open a helpful conversation.
Bro. Rene

Hitting the Fence

As we continue with the rich and fertile theme of the Good Shepherd, we hear Jesus refer to himself as "the gate" (Jn 10: 7). In the time of Jesus, sheep had to be fenced in to protect them from other animals and thieves, and there was one gate watched over carefully by the shepherd.  Jesus takes this a step further...HE is the gate! All come to him and from him, through him.  When we try to get to him or away from him, we hit the fence and eventually learn we can go not further except through him.  We have a whole lifetime to learn this lesson.  There may be many bounces off the fence, but eventually the WAY becomes clear.  Jesus is the gate to what is missing, to that for which we hunger and thirst. We can save ourselves time, bounces and bruises, if we acknowledge him and commit to him now as the gate to the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Bro. Rene

To Whom Shall We Go?

Note:  Because of Early Travels tomorrow, and late events tonight, there will be no slice of bread tomorrow...Good Shepherd Sunday...May he guide us through the day and through our lives.

In a time when people are searching for something to fill the void they are experiencing when alcohol, drugs and illicit sexual encounters fail to give the promised bliss, to whom, to what shall they turn?  When followers of Jesus heard him talk about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, they turned away.  Jesus asked his own disciples if they would do the same and Peter spoke up saying, "To whom shall we go, you have the words of everlasting life." (Jn 6: 69)  That answer is as true today as it was when Peter spoke.  Let us pray and act so that others will come to accept and believe it.
Bro. Rene

God's Choice

As we read today of Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus,  we are reminded that it is God's choice, not ours, that makes the difference.  "This man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings and children of Israel...." (Act 9: 16).  Saul, a persecutor of believers in Jesus, would have been the most unlikely candidate in their eyes to be the "chosen instrument", but not in the eyes of the all-seeing and all-knowing God.  It is in this God that we are to trust...and, if we find ourselves "chosen" for a mission totally "outside our box",  to respond with the submission, obedience and zeal of Saul.  It defies human logic, but that's what makes it so REAL!
Bro. Rene 

Jesus and Mary Will Call

It's not uncommon for all families to see some members drift away from active practice of the faith in which they were raised.  It's painful and distressing to see this happen, but it's not the end of the world.  It's the path they have chosen, but they are still in the hands of a loving God who sent his Son especially for them.Our prayers, offered in trust to to Jesus and Mary will eventually bear fruit.  It's amazing to hear of the power of the Rosary in such cases...Jesus wishes for the salvation of all, and Mary, as Mother of us all, will be unrelenting in her loving and nourishing way to lead them "home" in God's good time, not ours.  May we not give up, as God does not give up on us...
Bro. Rene

A Taste of Eternal Life

Chapter Six of John' Gospel is a long explanation on the gift of the Eucharist.  If we remember that it was written sixty or so years after the Last Supper, we can appreciate the years of reflection on this sacrament that have enabled John to explain it so well.. It is the bread of life and gives us a foretaste of eternal life, for it allows us to taste love, be fed on love, and be filled with love.  It is heaven on earth, it is nourishment for our daily journey of love-giving to all who walk with us. It is not something to receive out of rote, but with love and gratitude, as if for the first and last time.  Dear Jesus, thank you for this precious, life-sustaining gift and help me to grow in appreciation of it.  Amen.
Bro. Rene

More Than Bargained For

(Note:  I will be in West Virginia and later in Pittsburgh until Sunday...Not sure of my access to the internet.  But God always provides)

Looking for a sign (and a handout) the crowd asked Jesus, "What sign can you do that we may see and believe in you?  What can you do?" (Jn 6:30)....Hoping for daily bread, as their ancestors had received in the desert, Jesus offers them the "true bread" from heaven..which he eventually reveals is HIMSELF.  They asked for it, but expected some miraculous earthly bread that we replenish itself day after day....Not so.  The true Bread from Heaven is much more than that: his Body and Blood....Too much for some to swallow (sorry!), but indeed the bread that gives eternal life. How blessed are we to have it daily on our altars...How it pleases God when we receive it as often as we can.  "I am the bread f life; whoever comes o me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst." (Jn 6:45).  What is keeping us from coming to the table daily, or even a bit more than once a week?
Bro. Rene

Food That Endures

It's so easy to get side-tracked.  Jesus confronts the people who sought him by telling them that they were looking for him because they "ate the loves and were filled." (Jn 6: 26). He then tells them to work for "the food that endures for eternal life." (Jn 6: 27).  Later on in Chapter six, he speaks of the Bread of Life, the Eucharist, which, indeed is the food for eternal life.
This conversation reminds us to place Jesus as our main objective and motive for our actions, not those which make us feel "warm and fuzzy", but  fail the test of time and endurance.  Even in the service we might undertake must be for Jesus and with Jesus, not for the sake of "looking good" in the eyes of others and winning their commendation.  No humbly, quietly, FOR JESUS. This is the food that endures to eternal life. Dear Jesus, help me to believe in you, live in you and serve you in serving others and thus partake of the food that endures.
Bro. Rene

Opening Our Minds

This Third Sunday of Easter calls us again to open our minds to the reality of a Rise Jesus, and the possibility of resurrection, transformation in our own lives. The Gospel recounts the appearance of Jesus to the Disciples on the evening of his resurrection.  The two disciples had just returned from Emmaus with the story of their encounter with the risen Jesus, however, doubt still persisted when Jesus appeared to them. He understood their doubt, let them touch him, ate with them and opened their minds to understand who he was and why he had to suffer and rise from the dead.  He was as persistent with them as they were persistent in their doubt, and with gentleness and patience convinced them to believe,  or perhaps simply BEGIN to believe  He allowed them time to absorb this reality, which when we think of it, is far-fetched,  a first in human experience.
When doubts, fears and anxieties bind us into inaction behind "locked doors", this passage from Luke 24: 48 has the power to free us and set us straight.  Jesus rose from the dead, everything is possible.  Why worry?
Bro. Rene

Rough Waters

Off and on, the waters of our life rise and fall from calmness to tempest, and as many times as we have weathered the storm, fear, even panic at times, keep coming back, forcing us to look for help.In doubt, anxiety, and confusion we need to hear the reassuring voice of Jesus say, "It is I,  Do not be afraid." (Jn 6:20).  He the Divine One, the Son of God, is with us always and will not allow the fears we create in our imaginations overpower us when we think the worst is about to happen. At the right moment, HIS moment, he will come and resolve the problem, and calm the storm.  He is God.  He can do and does all things.
Bro .Rene

Marist Service

Today's Sophomore Service Retreat at Central Catholic raises the question: "Why is service such an important component in Marist Spirituality?"  It is not, for one thing, exclusively a Marist trait or requirement, but one for ALL Christians, for it flows from the actions and words of Jesus.  At the Last Supper, he took a bowl of water and washed the feet of the disciples, telling them that as he has done this to them, so should they do to others. (cf. Jn 13). Following this, he reminds them that loving one another as he has loved them, is the basis of his life and message. (cf. Jn 14).  It is a given, being a Christian demands that we serve one another in love.
Marists look at the "Servant-hood" of Mary, who answered Gabriel with, "Behold the servant of the Lord, Be it done to me according to your word." (Lk l:38).  And, our Founder, St. Marcellin, showed by his own life how much he put himself at the disposal of others and made service (in the form of education)  to those in need the reason for the existence of the Marist Brothers. We extend this service today in many forms, but always in the context of what Jesus and Mary did.
Bro. Rene

Speaking God Language

In this age of materialism, secularism, relativism, and technology, "God Language" is as much needed now as it was in the days of the early Church, when the Disciples of the Risen Jesus found themselves trying to articulate the experience that had changed their lives, and explain by word and deed how others might latch on to this new "Way." They spoke a language that did not "fit" into the concepts of the day: forgiveness of sins, rising from the dead, conversion, change of life, eternal life, as we face terminology from the "Techies" such as "artificial intelligence".
Jesus told the people, "The one whom God sent speaks the words of God." (Jn 3:34).  As baptized believers, we are "the ones who are sent", the ones who need no be ashamed to mention God, Faith,  Mass attendance, Church involvement, prayer. fasting and service to neighbor. Talk about these things raises awareness in the minds of our hearers, and perhaps, can even inspire them to talk about their own sacred things and, in time, change the climate of conversation at home or in the workplace.
Bro. Rene

The Call To Holiness

Very recently Pope Francis published an apostolic exhortation, entitled, GAUDETE ET EXSULTATE, "Rejoice and be glad." Jesus spoke these words when he warned that persecution and humiliation would be the lot of his followers in return for the true life and happiness for which we were created. Not an easy message, but one based in reality, for indeed if he suffered for the truth, a suffering which led to death but ultimately, resurrection, so too would we.  Stephen the first among thousands of martyrs to come bore witness to this.  They are the models from who we receive encouragement and hope.  They have chosen "the better part" preferring light to darkness, and attaining union with God, which is the holiness to which we are called.  We usually think of holiness as something only for an exclusive few, but the call goes to each one of us, where we are, and who we are.  It is a matter of listening and putting into practice what we hear. Jesus said, "whoever lives the taught comes to the light,." (Jn 3:21).  This is a starting point for a long journey that will lead to God.
Bro .Rene

Born From Above

At an evening meeting with Nicodemus, Jesus told him, "You must be born from above."  (Jn 3:7b)
In these intervening days between Easter and Pentecost, the Gospels, besides telling the Resurrection story from the experiences of different disciples, also do "prep work" for the coming of the promised Holy Spirit, the Advocate.  Nicodemus takes Jesus literally, trying to imagine some sort of heavenly rebirth.  Jesus is talking, rather, of a birth, an entrance into new life in the Holy Spirit...meaning that the Spirit actually dwells within us, filling us with God's love and power that lift us to a level of existence above that of the purely human.  We sense God's care and presence in our lives that make the impossible possible, and the ordinary, inexplicably miraculous, was we see things turn out far better than we ever could have anticipated of planned ourselves. It's a new level of living in faith and trust that are beyond human explanation or calculation. "The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (Jn 3: 8)
Bro. Rene

Saying "Yes" With Mary

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, ordinarily observed on the March 25th, but this year, because that was Palm Sunday, it has been moved to this first day after the Octave of Easter.  It was the YES of this young girl from Nazareth which launched the entrance of God directly into our human existence and changed the course of history. God became man, one of us, to show his love for us, his desire for us to be united with him eternally-- the purpose of creation in the first place-- and to save us from sin and death. Without that three-letter acceptance, none of this would have happened.
This is a day to honor Mary for her generous willingness to give up control of her life, and allow God to take it over completely, and a day to thank God for the precious gift of his Son, the God-man. We might also pray that as Mary bore Jesus to the world, we might bear him to others by turning control of our lives over to God, and allowing him to use us as his instruments as humbly and as willingly as Mary did.
Bro. Rene

Touching The Wounds

Pope St. John Paul II established the Second Sunday of Easter as "Mercy Sunday" following the inspiration of St. Faustina Kowalska. This devotion has spread throughout the world because it addresses the undeniable need we all have for God's mercy.  Pope Francis has made mercy one of the key pillars of his pontificate.  Holy hours, pilgrimages, private and communal recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet will mark the day.  Pilgrims will gather in large numbers at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and in Ruhango, Rwanda, 45,000 or more have spent last night and will spend today in prayer, reaching out  for mercy. 
Today's Gospel recounts the meeting of "Doubting Thomas" and Jesus who invited him to reach out and touch his wounds to heal his disbelief.  That simple gesture brought Thomas to his knees with the exclamation, "My Lord and My God".(Jn 20:28)  He was touched by God's mercy as he touched the wounds of Jesus...In his great mercy, Jesus continues to touch us with his mercy daily, and especially on such a day as this and asks us to show mercy with our words, hands and feet
Bro. Rene 

Disbelief

We have been considering the Resurrection for almost a full week; the disciples and companions of Jesus heard about it from Mary Magdalene, and the Emmaus duo, but as Mark tells us twice this morning (cf. Mk 16: 9-15) "they did not believe." Jesus appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, but, demonstrating his faith in them,  entrusted  them with the mission to proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
As we come to the end of the Octave of Easter, we might examine our own faith to see if it is real and deep enough to go on proclaiming the Gospel by our lives and deeds, or if we too stand to be rebuked for our disbelief.  Lord, I do believe; help my unbelief.
Bro. Rene

Wonder Time

Note:  Not sure when the deadline for posting is...Seems to have changed...Find two slices of bread today...yesterday's and today's thin one.

Are we filled with wonder as we ponder the Resurrection?  Are we willing to jump out of the boat as Peter did to greet Christ in our neighbor?
Bro. Rene

Embracing The Risen Jesus

Dedicated to a prolonged meditation on the Resurrection of Jesus, this week makes it clear how astounded the Disciples were at seeing Jesus alive, and how frequent explanations were necessary until they finally "got it."  In today's account of the appearance of Jesus to the gathered group who had just heard the tale related by the Emmaus walkers, Luke tell us that the disciples were "startled and terrified, thinking they were seeing a ghost." (cf. Lk 24:37 ). He had greeted them with Peace, but still they were troubled.   Jesus reverts to "show and tell", hanging his wounded hands before them, then, eating with them and explaining how all of this had been foretold about him from the time of Moses. However, it was only at Pentecost did they really understand what had happened and who Jesus was.
If we are not "startled, terrified or troubled, maybe we don't fully comprehend the magnitude of the Resurrection.  May our reflections help us to fully understand and embrace the Risen Jesus.
Bro. Rene

Joyful Searching

Psalm 105, used as today's Responsorial Psalm, encourages us to "rejoice, look to the Lord in his strength and seek to serve him constantly." (Ps 105:3-4). It is fittingly tied in with the Emmaus story and sets the tone for our own journey.  The two disciples were dejected and disappointed by the turn of events on the previous Friday and certainly confused by the rumors that Jesus had risen from the dead. They were far from rejoicing when "the stranger" joined them, yet in listening to him and breaking bread with him, they realized how their hearts had been "burning" within them.
We have moments when senseless acts of violence, like the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 50 years ago, confuse, disappoint, and anger us, yet, if we take time to LISTEN; if we RECOGNIZE the presence of Jesus in one another and if we receive him in Holy Communion,  our hearts will again burn with joy, for we will again realize that he is Risen, he is Alive and active with us.
Bro. Rene

Recognition

We look at the Resurrection today through the eyes and ears of Mary Magdalene.  At a loss in the garden where the empty tomb of Jesus causes even more pain, she weeps and begs the "gardener" to give her some clue to where she might find the body of Jesus.  Suddenly, all is changed by a word, her name, a voice that she recognizes and addresses as Rabboni.  In that moment of recognition, she experienced the Resurrection, and, understandably, threw her arms around Jesus.
He called her by name...he calls us each by name.  He knows us and invites us over and over again to come to know him.  In so doing, we will experience the joy that Mary experienced, and throw ourselves into him and our brothers and sisters with the force of Mary's love.
Bro. Rene

The Easter Octave

We will be reading accounts of the Resurrection all week, as if it were still Easter Sunday.  The impact of the Resurrection is so extensive, so mighty, that it cannot be limited to one day.  Jesus rose bodily from the tomb, never more to die, far beyond the restoration to life of the widow of Nain's son, or his friend, Lazarus. They came back to life, but eventually died.  Not so, Jesus, and not so us who have been baptized into his death and Resurrection. The ultimate play-out of this scenario is our own bodily reunion with our souls and an eternity of life with God.  Really, all beyond our comprehension.  We join with the Apostles and disciples who struggled to accept this unique experience.  It took awhile to sink in for them, it takes a lifetime to sink in for us. That;s why this week is set aside to examine it, ponder it, and appreciate it.
Bro. Rene

He Is Risen

We will hear it, we will sing it, will say it and see it on banners, it will be all around us today and for the next 50- days.  How do we digest this great mystery?  Jesus conquered Death once and for all.  Jesus conquered sin and evil.  The victory, this extraordinary victory is won. We need to repeat it over and over, pound it into our heads and hearts, believe, believe, believe it and LIVE IT!  We have the Easter Season to ponder just what all this means and HOW our lives are changed, and MUST CONTINUE to change because of it.  Alleluia, Jesus is risen  Let us rejoice and be glad.  Let it shine from our faces,  color our words and influence our interactions with others.  This is the day the Lord has made...let everyone know it.
A Happy and Joyous Easter to all...
Bro. Rene