Gratitude

A week ago we celebrated the renowned climax of the Triduum, the Easter Vigil. In all solemnity and beauty, light overcame darkness as the Light of Christ illumined our darkened churches. The elegant praise of the Risen King, the EXULTET, was sung as clouds of incense lingered and gave a mystical ambience as well as a sweet odor to the church. It is difficult to maintain that level of joy and beauty for the 50 days of Easter, but in subtle and subdued ways, we can sustain it. A beautiful day yesterday, and another promised for today and tomorrow give us visual pause to give thanks to God for effacing the memories of a harsh winter and delayed spring. Psalm 118 puts it rightly:
"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,/ for his mercy endures forever./ My strength and my courage is the Lord,/ and he has been my savior./ The joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just." (Ps 118: 1, 14-15). No matter what engages us today, we can echo these verses to keep the sun of Easter shining. Gratitude awakens feelings of elation, for it showcases the GIVER and in the light of his goodness, we see ourselves as the recipients of love unbounded and eternal. Let us bless and thank the Lord, remembering and keeping his gifts before us as we go about our Saturday routine, simply, effectively.
Bro. Rene

My Heart Is Ready, O God

Psalm 57 begins with this bold assertion, "My heart is ready," (Ps 57: 8), and repeats it a second time to affirm this perfect Easter Octave prayer. Jesus has suffered, died and risen; love has given its ultimate expression; God has shown us visibly that his love "reaches to the heavens, and his truth to the skies." (Ps 57:11). Two billion people today have watched the Royal Wedding in a magnificent setting of pomp and tradition, yet at root, it is the same simple exchange of vows and expression of the permanency of love in marital union that couples worldwide make in a much less splendid setting. In any case, our expression of love for another carries with it an openness of heart, a readiness to adapt, be flexible, and to put ourselves at the disposal of the other. Jesus alive and risen gives us assurance of what God's love for us is like, and evokes a similar assurance that our love for him is similar and daily looks for ways to express it concretely. As we go through this day with its unexpected turns, treats, and challenges, let us sing with the Psalmist, "My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready." (Ps 57: 8), and show it by our words and actions.
Bro. Rene

A Man of Peace and Love

When the young Pierre Louis Marie Chanel was ordained in France in 1827, he had no idea he would become the first Marist saint, and a martyr, St. Peter Chanel. Such are the surprises that remind us that our lives are not our own. Having desired to be a missionary from a young age, Pierre entered the seminary in France, but instead of going directly to "the missions" after ordination, , he was assigned to a poor parish where the faithful had drifted from the Church in those tumultous years of the Revolution. In a short time, however, he won the hearts of the parishoners and built up a strong community of faith. Still desiring to be a missionary, he joined the Society of Mary, then still in the process of being formally approved. He taught in the seminary for several years, and finally, right after the Society was approved in 1836, he sailed for the South Pacific with other priests and a Marist brother, Br. Marie-Nizier Delorme. After brief periods on various islands, he settled on the island of Futuna, whose king was uneasy with his presence, and became unnerved when his own son sought baptism. He sent his henchmen to "take care of the situation", and one man, Musumusu, feigning wounds sought medical help from Fr. Chanel, and clubbed him to death while the good priest treated him. The man of peace, was thus martyred while performing an act of kindness, so typical of him. More priests and Br. Marie-Nizier returned to Futuna, having left for safety after the martyrdom, and over time were instrumental in the conversion of most of the population, including Musumusu, who asked for baptism on his deathbed and burial on the path to the church where pilgrims would come to venerate Fr. Peter Chanel. As Jesus assured us, his peace will prevail, and love cannot be vanquished. Witness the Resurrection, after apparent failure and defeat; witness this miraculous turn of events on Futuna. Mind boggling, faith building.
Bro. Rene

Time for Jesus

The glow of the resurrection continues, but like Mary Magdalene in the garden, our eyes might be blinded and we might not recognize him. Our life goes on after the respite of the Holy Days and work, especially, gets in the way. When we are tired or over-worked, we become ineffective, even in carrying out our jobs. We can't think, we just go by rote or instinct, plowing away to meet another deadline, only to be confronted with another after that, and after that. On it goes till we succumb to the law of "diminishing returns". If it's that way with "job efficiency" how much more does our spiritual life suffer? Centuries ago, a "day of rest", the 7th day, the sabbath, was inserted into the lives of the Hebrews...by command of God. Is it true to say that we have lost appreciation for the sabbath? If we are to keep the gains made during Lent, then it behooves us to take the "Mary stance" and be with the Rabouni. We will find that periodic withdrawl from our frenetic routine will enhance our effectiveness and precede fresh "miracle working." Jesus taught that lesson to the Twelve and his disciples; St. Marcellin strongly insisted on it as part of Marist Spirituality. It is part of the Marist Way. Let us make an effort as we did in Lent to insert this necessary "time for Jesus" into our day.
Bro. Rene

Proclaiming the Risen Christ

Easter is such a major solemnity that a full week is given to celebrating it as if were a long day, eight days compressed into one. The hope that Christ's resurrecction gives us is boundless; his rising from the dead assures us that our sins are forgiven and that we too, through our baptisms, have risen and are candidates for eternal life. Many people were baptized and/or confirmed at the Easter Vigil, others will be next Sunday. There is new life in Jesus all around us. Loclally, one of our students was confirmed and made her first Holy Communiotn. The students who made the Marist Youth Encounter Christ, now have a deeper understanding of their relationship with him, and the 15 students who worked on Project Rebuild in Newburgh, New York, had a life-changing experience through service to the poor, which gave them a hands-on experience of our Marist Mission of making Jesus known and loved to the least favored. As one student wrote: "We were all touched by the Holy Spirit in Newburgh, NY and our lives were transformed by the compassion and love we witnessed among some of the worst poverty in the nation. I will never view my life or other people the same way. We pushed ourselves beyond our limits in order to carry out Jesus' mission of love, dignity, an humility. Together, we left our fingerpirnt on Newburgh that will never be forgotten." We proclaim the Resurrection by pushing ourselves beyond our limits to carry out the mission of Jesus: love, dignity, humlity, compassion. Could it be said any better?
Bro. Rene

Easter Joy

We in New England are awaking to sunshine after a cold, gloomy, rainy Holy Saturday, which lent itself to silence and a chance to slow down. Now, even the weather "has risen"! I had the grace to attend two Easter Vigils last night...each with a strong sense of joy flowing from the resurection of Jesus, and the renewal of our baptismal promises. Yet each had its own flavor and were distinctly different from each other. One was exuberant and almost "over the top" with excitement as two people were baptized right in front of us, and a dozen were confirmed and made their First Holy Communion; the other was dignified and solemn, where the joy was contained and filtered gradually to the climactic and awsome truth that Jesus was risen, and we who have been baptized with him in his death, have also risen. It was clear that there are many approaches to acknowledging and celebrating this truth. I thought of my friend Anthony and his men in Afgahnistan, and how their celebration, perhaps just a barebones, simple liturgy, must have been full of faith and love in that dangerous spot, as they clung with all their might to what is essential. Each one of us sees Easter in his or her own way, yet it is the same truth. Before we go to Easter Sunday Mass, perhaps an egg hunt with children, and share jelly beans or a chocolate bunny, we might take a moment to reflect on one of the opening prayers to be offered at Mass:
God our Father, creator of all, today is the day of Easter Joy. This is the morning on which the Lord appeared to men who had begun to lose hope and opened their eyes to what the Scriptures foretold: that first he must die, and then he would rise and ascend into his Father's glorious presence. May the risen Lord breathe on our minds and open our eyes that we may know him in the breaking of bread and follow him in his risen life. Amen--Alternative Opening Prayer for Easter Sunday.
Happy Easter!

Keeping Vigil

Holy Saturday is an in-between day, a vigil day, as we keep watch at the tomb in anticipation of the resurrection. The Lord has been placed in the tomb, the tabernacles of our churches are empty, there remains a sense of desolation, but already, the hope of a new dawn brings to fulfillment the promises made by Jesus that "on the third day" he would rise, and bring to fruition the prophecy of Isaiah: ""When you make his life an offering for sin/ he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days;/through him the will of the Lord shall prosper./ Out of his anguish he shall see light;/ he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge,/ the righteious one, my servant, shall make many righteous,/ and he shall bear their iniquities. /Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great,/ and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;/ because he poured out himself to death,/ and was numbered with the transgressors;/ yet he bore the sin of many, / and made intercession for the transgressors." (Is 53: 10-12.) The grain of wheat has been planted and died, and later this evening, at the Easter Vigil, the glorious shoot shall sprout in everlasting life. Quiet reflection on the events of Good Friday during the morning and afternoon of this day, will help in the appreciation of the most dramatic of all liturgies tonight, with the lighting of the new fire and the Pascal Candle, the reading of the history of our salvation, the blessing of water, the baptisms of new members of the Church and our own renewal of our baptismal promises. This is the climax of our Lenten Journey, this is why the bells ring and the Alleluia is sung with such gusto. May we rise with Christ!