Counting Our Blessings

This last day of the year is usually full of "Best Memories" of the year: news stories, people, deaths of celebrities, as well as hopes  and predictions for the New Year.  Not a bad idea to look back in our own lives to count the blessings we have received...even to remember them, for they tend to fade unless we work at calling them to mind...and to give thanks for them.  Our prayer today could be just that:  a long, and sincere thankyou for all that has brought us to this moment.  As we look ahead, we might fall into the "New Year's Resolution Trap", one that causes more frustration than progress.  But we are creaturs of hope and optimism, so it might be good to set a few goals...manageable ones...as a start.  Diet, exercise, sleep, elusive as they may be, always seem to be on the list.  Perhaps more realistically, we could put prayer as a priority, a state of mind and commitment to be open to God's daily invitation to receive his love and to give love to others in simple and small ways.  This evening's New Years Eve celebration might take on more meaning if we prepare for it during the day by this "looking back", "looking forward" and putting all in God's loving hands.
Happy New Year.
Bro. Rene

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Family Spirit is an essential characteristic of Marist Spirituality and it springs from the model of the Holy Family of Nazareth, a simple, hard-working and religious family, living in the milieu of a poor economy and according to the Law of Moses. Yet, we see that it is not just the immediate family that we as Marists focus on, but the world family.  When Jesus strays from Mary and Joseph and is found three days later in the temple, his reply indicates the larger mission for which he came from his Father to become one of us.  "Why were you looking for me?  Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"  (Lk 2: 49).  His family was more that just Mary and Joseph, but all of us. 
While we relish the time to be with our own families, especially at Christmas, when even when there is not a religious dimension for some to Christmas and the treasure of family becomes sacred, there is a larger picture that must be looked at.  Are our families centered solely centered on themselves, or are families the schools where the faith is learned and put into practice?  Are we teaching our children to be concerned for those who have less, to share their time, their talents, and even their "things" with them?  Do we shy them away from greed and inculcate in them the truth that it is much better to give than to receive?  That justice means compassion and faireness in dealing with others? That is the Marist Family Spirit we herald as one of our hallmarks.  May the Holy Family help us to be true to it.
Bro. Rene

The Crib, the Cross and the Altar

One of St. Marcellin's favorite meditations focused on the crib, the cross and the altar; he frequently advised the young brothers in formation as well as those teaching to place themselves at these three places:  the crib, because of the awesome mystery of the incarnation:  God becoming human to show his love, a joy tempered by the shadow of the cross, where suffering, and even martyrdom, if not a daily dying to self, were foretold;  and the altar which renews the sacrifice of the cross but also feeds us with the nourishment needed along the way.  It can be a powerful meditation, sobering, humbling, challenging.  As we have noted, the Octave of Christmas has its complement of martyrs, St. Stephen, the Holy Innocents and today, St. Thomas Beckett
In the Gospel for today, Simeon rejoices that he has seen "the salvation which you [God] prepared in the sight of every people, a light to reveal you to the naitons and the glory of your people Israel. (Lk 2:30-32 ) but also warns that this child is "destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, will be a sign that will be contradicted" and that Mary herself will be pierced with a sword of sorrow. (cf. Lk 2:34-35 ).  Indeed, all of this proved to be true and continues to be so in our own day. Our consolation, our strength comes from the final point of our reflection on the cross:  the resurrection.  The martyrs received their crowns, the persecuted have endured, and even the "little trials" have not overcome us.  May our faith be real and gutsy, allowing room for joy and suffering but always fortified with hope and the guarantee of victory.
Bro. Rene

Slaughtering the Innocent

Three days after the joyous birth of Jesus, our Christmas Octave meditation takes us to the murder of the innocent children of Bethlehem and its surroundings ordered by the jealous and paranoid King Herod.  St. Stephen's martyrdom was rattling enough the very day after Christmas, but here is a tale charged with even greater emotion.  The recent slaughter of innocent children in Newtown, Connecticut certainly gives us a taste of what must have been felt in Bethlehem.  Yet, the adult abuse of children, which seems to go on constantly, the use of children as soldiers across the globe, children forced by drug lords to sell drugs or act as couriers, the abandonment of children, not to mention aborting them, and the bullying of children in schools or neighborhoods make us painfully aware that the slaughering of the Innocent is not an isolated event 2000 years ago, but one that is very contemporary, sad to say. Still, the birth of Jesus, the coming of Light into the darkness which cannot comprehend it, assures us that such darkness and evil shall not prevail. The outrage over this evil will lead to action which will reverse it.  Starting with families where the greatest gifts to children can be prayer, love, faith in God and the goal of holiness, that is for each child to be encouraged to be the best possible version of him or herself, a reverse ripple effect will emerge.  Let us begin today by sharing these gifts not only with our children, but with one another.
Bro. Rene

The Word Made Flesh

As we continue our week-long meditation on the Incarnation, the Church presents to us St. John, the Beloved Disciple who in the Prologue to his lofty gospel, presents Jesus to us in the philosphical term of Logos,  the Word, spoken by the Father, loved by the Spirit and one with us in the flesh.  That means he not only had a human body, but experienced all that we go through as humans, save sin.  So he suffered malignment and constant attacks as does one of his popular and sincerest followers, Tim Tebow, who seems to be hated by some for his genuine goodness, thought to be impossible in today's world where mediocrity is held as the norm.  There were no cars to break down, but in the poor economy of 1st century Judea, Jesus knew poverty as does one of my former students in Rwanda whose car totally broke down forcing him to have to buy another (second hand), but in April, for I've taught him to save and not buy on credit, or borrow from others (especially me).  He has to WAIT, as most of us do. No doubt the Holy Family had "to go without" until they could pay in cash or had something to barter.  And Jesus knew death, as does every family.  A dear friend of mine this morning reported the sudden death of his youngest brother, a priest, a age 61...just before he was going to celebrate Holy Mass. Joseph's death was not easy to accept, so close was the Holy Family. 
This is the Jesus we know and love, truly one of us.  Let us not fear to approach him with our big or, what we might consider petty,  problems.  He knows them well.
Bro. Rene

Christmas Continues

In the Church's wisdom, the celebration of Christmas continues as an "octave" that is, 8 days considered as ONE DAY...the Nativity of the Lord....for there are so many dimensions to the Mystery of God Becoming Man and so much joy that the festivities cannot just be confined to one day...Many of us will continue with family gatherings today since we couldn't see everyone yesterday. And wasn't yesterday a grand day? The Mass of the Nativity either at a Vigil celebration on Christmas Eve, or at Midnight, or on Christmas Day itself, the endless family, food and gifts.  What a way to acknowledge and celebrate the human birth of God, an event more awesome and astounding that the whole of this vast seemingly endless universe.  May our hearts continue to be warmed by the love of God, family, neighbors and friends.  May we continue to wear our Christmas smiles and share them with all...even as we attempt to return or exchange misfitted Christmas gifts.  A necessary good sense humor will spring from a heart fired by God's love.  And, in case you need a little boost, here is the link I inteneded to send yesterday, but due again to my technological ineptitude and the expiration of time (this slice of bread must be posted before 9 am) I did not succeed in giving you access to it. Perhaps some have already seen it...it's worth another look to keep the Christmas Spirit in high gear.
Bro. Rene

https://www.centralcatholic.net/podium/default.aspx?t=52562&a=148919&rc=1&bl=%2fpodium%2fpush%2fdefault.aspx%3fs%3d533%26i%3d32143%26snd%3dcee5b28a-f34d-4ede-ad76-839a8a7ad17a

Merry Christmas

May this put you in the Christmas Spirit all day long!
Br. Rene

...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18lHMKU_9xw&feature=youtu.be