The Power of Visitation

Today's Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary highlights the power of her presence and her visit to her cousin, Elizabeth. Mary went with haste to see her elderly cousin, so unexpectedly with child, in order to BE there for her and help in any way she could.  All of this disregarding her own precarious position of being with child before being married. Mary's total selflessness is apparent in this visitation, a visit with a purpose, as when superiors make their annual visitations to the communities under their jurisdiction to insure that the spirit of the congregation is still being honored and enhanced.  When Elizabeth addressed Mary as the mother of her Lord, Mary immediately redirected her attention to that Lord and away from herself, his "lowly servant.".  The baby in Elizabeth's womb leapt for joy in the presence his is Lord and his gentle, humble, compassionate and faith-filled mother.  A simple gesture of kindness and concern, a penetrating presence... a powerful  model for all Christians, and particularly, us Marists.
Bro. Rene

Expect the Unexpected

 Note:  There was no slice of bread yesterday because of a meeting and a fire drill! We survived both.

We all like to make plans, but often these are thwarted by some unexpected intervention that surprises us, aggravates us and challenges us. When asked to put aside our plans for the "new plan", we range from refusal or puzzlement to compliance. When it becomes clear that this :new plan is truly the one God wanted for us, we accept it and find that it far outweighed the value of "my plan" or my expectations.  God tries to show us that he, indeed, knows us and cares for us better than we ever imagined..  This is a lesson that must be repeated over and over again, for we are such slow learners.  God will not stop teaching, showing, leading and proving that his way is the best, even when it's so outlandishly unexpected
Bro .Rene.

What Is Important

The United States remembers its deceased veterans and their families, as well as those who currently serve in the military.on this Memorial Day. Prayers, parades, speeches, the laying of wreaths and flowers on graves will honor these men and women who gave and are giving their lives that others might live, as Jesus did.
Today's Gospel speaks of the need to relinquish material goods or whatever stands in the way of total love of God and dedication to him and the great commandment to love.  May we remember as we observe this day, the we are saved not in poverty or wealth, but in God, in the commitment to serve him and one another above all else.
Bro. Rene

Union With God

Today's Solemnity of the Holy Trinity focuses on the incomprehensible mystery of the Holy Trinity, One God in three divine persons, each unique and distinct from the other. It's simpler to say that God is Love.  St. John repeats that many times and urges us to love one another in imitation of the love these three Persons have for one another (and for us).  The Catholic Catechism, in similar fashion puts it this way:  "God himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and he has destined us to share in that exchange." (CCC 221),  God's grace lifts our ordinary life to a new level of divine life, giving meaning and purpose to our existence.  We were created to live in union with God and can do so here on earth by living the Great commandment of loving God and neighbor.  It is a union that implies action, a lively, loving, caring exchange with all.
Bro. Rene

Learning From Children

Children are noted for their innocent spontaneity, often blurting out family "secrets" without any embarrassment; they let you know what's on their mind, and they can be lavish in their display of affection. Jesus gives them top priority in today's brief Gospel text, Mk 10: 13-16, and chiding the Apostles for shooing them away, he embraces them and places his hands affectionately on them.  He warns the Apostles, and us,  to accept the Kingdom of God in a simple, childlike manner, or be rejected from it.  Age tends to dampen our enthusiasm and sense of childlike wonder, and crustiness,  even self-inflicted boredom, can cloud our vision, hope, and behavior. If that's the case, may God wake up that little child locked within and let it play again.
Bro. Rene.

Hardness of Heart

We all have a strain of stubbornness that runs deep down within us, yet we look down on the Hebrews for their hardness of heart.  Yes, even the Scriptures quote Moses and the Prophets for chiding them on this innate trait, but before pointing the finger at them, we might look at our own attitudes and behaviors and discover how much like them we are. The antidote is the Spirit, who can loosen the fibers of this hardened heart of ours, relax it, and set it free into the world of flexibility.
Lord, let your good Spirit lead me in the right way. (Ps 143:10).
Bro. Rene

A Cup of Cold Water

With the abundance of bottled water everywhere, what's the big deal today about giving a cup of cold water, being a disciple of Christ and receiving a reward for it?  It's not the water, or whatever simple token, but the interior motive.  It's the attitude with which we give, an attitude based on the truth that God is love, gives lavishly  prolifically  and totally gratuitously of that love.  We are thus signs of God's love to people, and bring it to  them in these very tangible ways.  As we go about our routine interactions today, may we be bearers of that love and bear witness to God's love, even through a bottle or cup of water.
Bro. Rene

Working For Jesus

Note: Hope you saw all three slices of bread yesterday.  We should be on track for a single slice today.      

In this morning's brief passage from the Gospel of Mark, 9:38-40, Jesus expands the thinking of the complaining disciples to include the person who was driving out demons in his name, but who was not "one of us."  Jesus defends him by saying that if he is using his name, he cannot be against Jesus, therefore must be for him. As followers of Jesus, we might think, in somewhat elitist terms, that we might have an edge on people or groups who are not part of ours.  The important question, is, however, for whom are we working, for whom are they working?  Let's hope and pray that we are all working for Jesus.
Bro. Rene

The Servant of All

Note:  Due to some technological aberration, there should be three slices of bread today.  For some reason, the Pentecost slice and yesterday's were not posted.  Rather than overwhelm you, today's slice will be thin, but nevertheless nourishing.

When Jesus heard his disciples arguing among themselves who was the greatest, he reminded them that anyone who wishes to be first, would have to seek the last place as the servant of all.  Moreover, he placed a little child in the midst of them, and putting his arms around it, told them that receiving such a one, received him, and not only him, but the One who sent him. (cf. Mk 9:35-37). As Marists of Champagnat, we embrace servant leadership and the simplicity of a child, for this is part of our charism. Yet, we can lose sight of it with our busyness, or the distractions that bombard us.  Rather than be discouraged, let us refocus from time to time during the day, picturing this scene and hearing these words.  Do we want to be a bickering disciple or a loving, trusting child?
Bro. Rene

The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church

February 11, 2018, Pope Francis established the Monday after Pentecost as the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church as a fixed celebration in the liturgical calendar.  There has been a long standing tradition of devotion to Mary under this title; prominent saints like St. Augustine and St. Leo the Great referred to Mary under it, declaring that her presence at the foot of the cross and the words of Jesus to St. John as her son and she as his mother include us as members of his Body.  When the Second Vatican Council Fathers deliberated over promulgating at document on Mary, the discussion let to including her in a chapter at the end of the Document, Lumen Gentium,  entitled Mary, Mother of the Church.  Blessed Pope Paul VI officially recognized this as a fitting and appropriate title. As Mary nurtured, guided,  taught and stood by Jesus, she continues to do so with us today. She is our Mother for we are the Church, the Body of Christ.
May we honor her in a special way today by nourishing, guiding, teaching and standing with others.
Bro. Rene

The Outpouring of the Spirit

From a hesitant, perhaps even frightened group huddled in an upper room for safety and anticipation of the promise of the Spirit Jesus had given them, to a band of courageous missionaries, who spoke boldly and excitedly about the Good News which they had finally come to understand, traveling to distant countries and suffering martyrdom for their zeal. What a transformation!  The coming of the Holy Spirit, symbolized by tongues of fire and a loud wind, inflamed the hearts of those gathered in that upper room and enabled them to do what Jesus had commanded, what to that point had seemed impossible, to "preach the good news to the whole world." (cf. Mat 28:18-20).
That outpouring continues today and can transform us from hesitant, perhaps even reluctant disciples, into enthusiastic, fearless disciples who can indeed set the world on fire. This is the day to commit ourselves to openness to the Spirit, to put the person who has been mediating on the mystery of the Redemption since Ash Wednesday, and experiencing the Risen Jesus since Easter Sunday, to WORK now as the Spirit directs, as a vessel of hope, peace, love, justice, mercy and forgiveness.  Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, enkindle within us the Fire of your LOVE!
Bro. Rene

Fortitude

Of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, FORTITUDE seems an appropriate gift on which to focus as we prepare for Pentecost and the conclusion of the Easter Season tomorrow.. Like other gifts and virtues, we don't really know if we possess them, or if they are really part of our being, until they are tested.  If everything comes easy for us, how can we say we have fortitude, a gift which, as it were, demands opposition, or just plain old boredom, through which we must plow ahead.  Fortitude gives us strength to persevere, and to do so with joy and confidence. Through it, we "stick to our guns" and remain trusting and faithful when it seems that we are standing alone. It gives us the confidence that no matter what, God will not abandon us, no matter how long we may have to endure the situation in which we find ourselves.  It is based on the assurance that God knows and loves us, and will never let us be tested beyond our strength. Needless to say a glimpse at the headlines or the state of our families and parishes, or our own spiritual journey, makes FORTITUDE a must.  Fear not, this gift is already in our hearts; we might just have to dust it off.
Bro. Rene

Do You Love Me?

This is not a question we usually pose flippantly.  It takes courage to reach out to someone we love with this intimate question; there may be fear or hesitancy that the answer might be "No".  Ouch...that would hurt.  We read this morning that Jesus posed that question three times to the three-time denying Peter.  Did Jesus expect a "No"?  Most likely not, for he knew Peter and his tears, but he wanted to drive home to him, perhaps for his own sake, the need to be firm and committed in his love for him if he were indeed to be the Rock upon which the Church would be built.
What if Jesus posed that question to us?  What would be our answer? If it were "Yes", would it be obvious in our behavior as well as our words?  Something to chew on today.
Bro. Rene

That They May Be One

Pope John XXIII, the " Interim Pope", turned out to put that epithet to rest.  He called for a General Council,  the Second Vatican Council, wrote several moving Encyclicals, one of the most notable being Pacem In Terris, (Peace on Earth) and repeated over and over again as he lingered with cancer, UT UNUM SINT:  that they may be one. (Cf. Jn 17: 20).  He longed for the unity of all peoples, of all churches, of all religions, being fully aware that the Holy Spirit can more clearly heard in unity rather than in division.  His wish, his dream, has not come true yet. Now Saint John XXIII, his body lies incorrupt in St. Peter's, his legacy to the Church and world continues to unfold,  and no doubt his prayer in heaven is still "that they may be one", echoing the prayer of Jesus at the Last Supper.
As Pentecost approaches on Sunday, we might make this our prayer and intention, that the Holy Spirit pour forth his grace to beat down the walls that separate us, and allow his gift of love to flow freely into our hearts and overflow into the hearts of others.  Unity begins with me and you. If we can come together in love, it will spread from us to others.  Let us pray and act that we may be one.
Bro. Rene

The Last Days

The Last Days, no, not the end of time, but for Eastertide.  Sunday will be Pentecost, the conclusion of the 50 day Easter Season.  From Ash Wednesday on February 14th, we have been reflecting on the Mystery of our Redemption, a potentially fruitful, even life-changing time, but as it comes to an end, there is a twinge of nostalgia, perhaps even sadness, as the people of Miletus experienced when Paul gave his last talk to them and told them that most likely they would not see him again.  With weeping and embracing they bid him farewell, but continue to grow in the faith he had implanted in them.
Seniors in colleges and high schools are living their last days before commencing to live what they have learned.  There is a mixture of fear and confidence as the unknown opens before them.
Year after year we live this cycle, and though not as dramatically as graduates or the citizens Miletus and Ephesus. yet the challenge is there:  Are we better now than we were on February 13th?  Has this Lent/ Easter Season deepened our faith, enlivened our practice, made us better followers of Jesus?
The Holy Spirit will come on Pentecost with what we need  to continue "the job".  Come, Holy Spirit, fill us with your grace, love and confidence.  Remove all fear and hesitation. Make us strong in our faith. Radiate to the "world" through us.  Amen.
Bro. Rene

Eternal Life

"Now this is eternal life, that they should know you the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ." (Jn 17:3). Eternal life begins right here and now, we don't have to wait till death takes us to the "Great Bye and Bye."  The New Testament tell us plenty about Jesus, so that reflecting on the Gospels and the explanations given by Paul (written before the Gospels!) we can come to know Jesus, and in knowing him, know the Father. It's not by these words alone do we meet him, but through our personal prayer, our experience of him in community with other believers, and in service to the poor and excluded.  Daily quiet prayer allows Jesus to come to us, and speak to us in our hearts. It's amazing what we can hear and learn in these quiet moments, during the Liturgy, or in service.  Let us make time for these things, not shortchange ourselves and come to experience eternal  life today and every day.
Bro. Rene

Why Do We Do What We Do?

Deliberate and random acts of kindness, of helping others, showing our love for others often provoke the question, "Why do you do what you do?...especially if it's for someone we've never seen. The reason is obvious in today's Gospel passage, an intense description of the love Jesus has for all. Pick up your New Testament, read and pray over Jn 15: 9-17.  The real test will be when you get a call from the Firefighters, the United Veterans Fund, or some cancer research organization asking for a donation (always more that you can afford).  This passage will help us to appreciate why we give.
Bro. Rene

Our Father's Motherly Love

Americans are celebrating the Ascension of the Lord (except for those who celebrated it on Thursday) and Mother's Day. It is estimated that they will spend 3 billion dollars to show their love and gratitude for these wives and mothers who are the glue and inspiration of the family.  Even that cannot adequately match the selfless love they give day in and day out.  Surely, this motherly love is a reflection of the love our heavenly Father gives us without counting the cost, without demanding recompense.  How can our hearts not be moved to respond in some way to this powerful gift of love? Jesus told us, commanded us, to love one another as he is loved by the Father and indeed as he loves us.  We see that love in our mothers daily;  while we attempt to love in that manner, we rightly take this one day to show it in a special way...Happy Mother's Day!
Bro. Rene

Ask In My Name

"Jesus said to his disciples: 'Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you as the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.'" (Jn 16:23). Strong, consoling, challenging words that make us wonder when we ask and don't receive (immediately) if we have really prayed with the faith that God will answer, or that what we have asked for is silly or selfish. Yet, the words of Jesus stand...ask in his name....wait for God's answer, not ours.
Bro. Rene  

I Will See You Again

The Lakota language has an optimistic phrase for "good-bye", Ake waciyankint yelo, I'll see you again", leaving a sense of hope and expectation of meeting again to the departing individuals. A smile on the face or in the heart always accompanies these parting words. In today's Gospel passage, Jesus uses the same phrase and then some, "But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy away from you." (Jn 16: 22).  Jesus, knowing human nature, is aware that without his physical presence, the Apostles might be saddened, but he takes the edge off this grieving with these consoling words. We need to hear them too, for our busyness or distractions with non-essentials can distance us without our noticing it at first, until a feeling of being alone hits us.  These periods of "desolation", as St. Ignatius calls them, are meant to stir our hunger and thirst to hear Jesus say, "Don't give up, I'll see you again."
Bro.































 Rene

Gone Where?

Note:  All-School Mass, lingering with soon departing seniors and a 10 minute boot up including updates prevented the posting of today's slice of Bread for the Ascension.  It will appear with Friday's slice.

We might feel a tinge of sadness as we celebrate the physical departure of Jesus, his ascension to his Father's right hand, but this is not a day of sadness over permanent separation.  Where has Jesus gone?  To the Father, yes, but into our tabernacles, into our hearts as well.  He remains present and through his Spirit works through our tongues, hands and feet.  After three years of "training", he sent the Apostles to continue his work; he sends us to carry it out in our day and is by our side to help us do it.  No need for tears, rather all the reason to rejoice.  We have been chosen to follow in his footsteps and bring his Good News to others.  Alleluia!
Bro. Rene

Not Always Successful

Today's first reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 17: 22-18:1) recounting Paul's brilliant presentation at the Areopagus in Athens, reminds us that even the best of us sometimes leave our audiences flat. Paul was met with blasé, if not smug, indifference as the majority walked away unmoved or offering a token..."Perhaps we can hear you again, another time", which never came. A few believed and accepted his teaching.  This was not like his other much more successful receptions.
If fear of not being well-received holds us back from saying anything, we might recall this incident, take a chance, and, yes, perhaps be ignored, but at least know that we are not the first, and are in the company of one of the most reputable speakers and  missionaries of all time.
Bro .Rene

When The Spirit Comes

It must have been hard for the Apostles to ready for the permanent departure of Jesus from his earthly presence among them. Neither do we relish a friend's leaving, even if only temporarily. Jesus told them and tell us: "...it is better for you that I go.  For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you." (Jn 16: 7).  What is it like when the Spirit comes?  Could be tongues of fire and a howling wind as on Pentecost, or a gentle breeze, as Elijah experienced, (1 Kgs 19:13), or a chain-loosening earthquake that freed Paul and Silas (Acts 16: 25-34), or in the strength to bear the doctor's diagnosis of cancer or some other debilitating disease.  We will know the presence of the Spirit in the peace that fills us when we face impossible challenges, forgive hurtful slander or offenses,  or when we turn our lives totally over to the hands of the Father. In a word, when humanly speaking we should be crushed, and are not. This is when the Spirit comes.
Bro. Rene

Why Fret Over Loose Ends?

Life is full of loose ends.  When we think we have tied them together, things always seem to unravel somewhere else.  The secret is to find peace living with the loose ends, to accept them as part of the package of our earthly existence. We have an Advocate, the Holy Spirit who can both tie up the loose ends and help us to find peace with them. At the end of the day, we look back and see how the Spirit worked in our day, with better results that we could have planned or executed, and we fall asleep asking why we fretted in the morning.  The Creator of the universe provides for our needs beyond our wildest imagination.  Fool the "fretting bug" by thanking God in advance for resolving the day's "impossible" loose ends.
Bro. Rene

"Remain in My Love."

As we prepare for the Solemnity of the Ascension on the traditional Thursday of this week, or next Sunday in most dioceses of the United Sates, our readings prepare us for the return of Jesus to his Father and "separation" from us.  If we were the Disciples who had spent three years with Jesus, preparation would indeed have been necessary, especially after the trauma of losing Jesus on Good Friday and his happy return on Easter. Losing him for good, and setting about the task of spreading the Good News without him must have caused some fear and anxiety.  The coming of the Holy Spirit was the key to making the launch possible, but as with all things with God, time, turning over ALL to him, and responding to the daily call and grace he gives makes all things possible.
In today's Gospel passage, Jn 15: 9-17, Jesus give us his "last will and testament",  his pledge of love, friendship, presence and assurance that he has chosen us to bear lasting fruit. Mediating on this, hearing it with our hearts, digesting it, believing it, will help us confidently forge ahead with the mission God has given us. Let remain in his love and fear not.
Bro. Rene

Not Belonging To The World

Jesus said, "If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because yo do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you." (Jn 15: 18).  What world is Jesus talking about, for surely there is a world of beauty in creation and goodness in the hearts of all people?  It is not this world that hates us, but the world that has detached itself from its Creator, the prevailing world of wealth, prestige, power, success at any cost, anything goes, license to do all to feel good without responsibility to the common good, the natural law or God's law.  A pretty rough place, but one that promises immediate gratification and no consequences to choices, even bad choices.  No wonder it hates those who stand against it.  This is the "world" in which we live, the world that hungers. even without knowing it, for redemption..the world Jesus came to save and asks for our help in so doing.  May we not be absorbed into this world, but in deed be in it to help it to find it's true purpose and place in God's plan.
Bro. Rene.

Loving With God's Love

Loving with God's love, seems to be a tall order...too tall?  Yet, the commandment from Jesus is:  "love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." (Jn 15:12)  What he ordered, he did, laying down his life on the cross for all of us.  Most of us won't be crucified, but we might be asked to give up our plans, give up a job, or even a kidney, (as many family members and friends have one), for a greater good.  Self melts away (dies) in such an act and we have a taste of what Jesus meant.  What will Jesus ask of me today as I go about my work, my interaction with others?  How many inches will he ask me to extend myself beyond what I thought were my limits for today?  Jesus not only set the example, but will give us the power.  Jesus, help me to love as you do. Amen.
Bro. Rene

James the Lesser and Philip

Our long meditation on the Resurrection continues as we celebrate the Feast of Saints Philip and James (the Lesser, i.e.younger)  Thanks to their questions and lives, we have a better picture of Jesus, his relationship to the Father, and the assurance that full understanding come over time an with on-going reflection. Philip said, "Show us the Father, and that will be enough." (Jn 14:8). Jesus retorts that seeing him is seeing the Father. (Jn 14:9).  James goes on after the Resurrection to be the Bishop of Jerusalem, one of the early pillars of the Church, and later a martyr, being clubbed to death and having his body dismembered with a saw. Who said discipleship wasn't costly?!
Do our questions bring us closer to Jesus and cement our relationship with him so firmly that we might be unflinching witnesses who are willing to die for him, both to self and even physically?
Bro. Rene

Steadfast In The Faith

One of the greatest champions of the Catholic Faith, St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, was banished five times from his See and spent a total of 17 years in exile. He faced opposition on every side in his defense of the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ against the Arian heresy which denied the formula accepted at the Council of Nicea that Jesus is two persons in one divine nature. It took a strong personality and a strong faith to continue to stand up for the truth.
In our day where relativism is rampant, the example of St. Athanasius shines as a beacon to inspire and goad us to live and stand up for our beliefs.  Cardinal Newman described him as "a principal instrument after the Apostles by which the sacred truths or Christianity have been conveyed and secured to the world."  He is remembered for his succinct but powerful statement of our vocation as Christians:  "The Son of God became man so that we might become God."
Bro. Rene

International Religious Brothers Day

For the second year, we celebrate, appropriately, Religious Brothers Day, now gone international, on the Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker.  Joseph, a trustworthy man of faith, humility, obedience, devotion to family, teacher, guardian, and laborer,  is a model not only for all men, but especially for Religious Brothers who, like him, work quietly, without fanfare, to make sure that the Person and Message of Jesus is brought to our world, and for Marists, especially to YOUTH.  We pray to him that we may be bridges between God and his people, bringing his mercy, love, compassion and joy to all.
Bro. Re