St. Maximilian and generosity

The Greatest Commandments

When I hear this gospel, I think of one saint. A man who truly exemplifies what it means to love God and to love thy neighbor. This saint is Maximilian Kolbe. Maximilian Kolbe was ordained a priest in Rome. He had a deep devotion to Mary and through this devotion he established a sodality called “The Militia of Mary Immaculate”. He promoted this sodality throughout Poland. A little while after that, Maximilian Kolbe, under the Patronage of Mary, continued to spread his faith in Japan. This was a hard task because WWII was just beginning. He then returned back to Poland, and because of his faith, he became imprisoned in Auschwitz. While he was there he offered up his life for another prisoner (who had children). Truly being compassionate towards thy neighbor.

But how can we live like Kolbe did? Generosity is another way that we can express our love toward our neighbors. Today at Queen of Peace residence, one of the sisters was having car troubles. I was already running a bit late to the event and I was about to walk right past her. But as I approached the sister I thought, about Kolbe and loving thy neighbor. So I offered my help. It’s in these little things we do, that we show love for our neighbors.

Maximilian Kolbe truly exemplifies what it means to be Christian and to love God and to love thy neighbor. Maximilian Kolbe was a man who not only learned about his faith, but also lived it. We are all called to live this way. For this how Jesus lived His life, and we are ultimately called to live like Him.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Pray for Us!

(Contributed by a student at one of our Marianist high schools)

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

 

"What ought not to be our confidence in Mary knowing, as we do, that she is all-powerful; not of herself, it is true, but because of her influence with her divine Son; knowing, that she is our Mother, our true Mother, nor merely by adoption, since she has adopted us at the foot of the cross, but furthermore because she has given birth to us by grace, through her divine Son! Oh! How blessed is the man who places his trust in Mary! "

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

Saint Jeanne, pray for us!

Today we celebrate the feastday of Saint Jeanne Jugan, Foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor.

To commemorate St. Jeanne Jugan we visited the Little Sisters at Queen of Peace Residence in Queens Village on Sunday. We were there to videotape a play on the life of Jeanne Jugan. The play had a marvellous spirit about it with a cast of characters. Residents, volunteers, children, Associates, and friends all shared the joyful spirit of Jeanne Jugan.

The music of the Glenn Mohr Chorale just added to the overall beautiful production created by Little Sister of the Poor, Sister Rose, lsp.

 PRAYER TO JEANNE JUGAN

Jesus, you rejoiced and praised your Father

for having revealed to little ones

the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven.

We thank you for the graces

granted to your humble servant, Jeanne Jugan,

to whom we confide our petitions and needs.

Father of the poor,

you have never refused the prayer of the lowly.

We ask you, therefore,

to hear the petitions that she presents to you on our behalf.

Jesus, through Mary, your Mother and ours,

we ask this of you,

who live and reign with the Father

and the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"The attainment of perfection and of the salvation of souls is possible only by the special help of the Blessed Virgin. This is the maxim of our Institute."

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

God's Invitations

One of our Brothers shared his  ideas and these quotes at a recent reflection in the Community Liturgy:

“The consolation is that, no matter how many of God’s invitations we ignore, there will always be an infinite number of others. When we’ve gone through 39 days of Lent without changing our lives, there’s still a 40th day to respond. When we’ve ignored a thousand invitations, there’s still another one waiting. God is prodigal; so are the chances God gives us.

Sister Margaret Halaska once captured this wonderfully in a poem she entitled “Covenant”:

The Father knocks at my door, seeking a home for His Son:
“Rent is cheap,” I say.
“I don’t want to rent. I want to buy,” says God.
“I’m not sure I want to sell,
But you might come in to look around.”
“I think I will,” says God.
“I might let you have a room or two.”
“I like it,” says God. “I’ll take the two.
You might decide to give me more some day.
I can wait,” says God.
“I’d like to give you more,
but it’s a bit difficult. I need some space for me.”
“I know,” says God, “but I’ll wait. I like what I see.”
“Hmm. Maybe I can let you have another room.
I really don’t need that much.”
“Thanks,” says God. “I’ll take it. I like what I see.”
“I’d like to give you the whole house,
but I’m not sure.”
“Think on it,” says God. “I wouldn’t put you out.
Your house would be mine, and my Son would live in it.
You’d have more space than you’d ever had before.”
“I don’t understand at all.”
“I know,” says God, “but I can’t tell you about that.
You’ll have to discover it for yourself.
And that can only happen if you let my Son have the whole house.”
“A bit risky,” I say.
“Yes,” says God, “but try me.”
“I’m not so sure –
I’ll let you know.”
“I can wait,” says God. “I like what I see.”

If we look back on our lives and are truly honest, we have to admit that, of all the invitations that God has sent us, we’ve probably accepted and acted on only a fraction of them. Still, no matter how many of God’s invitations we ignore, there will always be an infinite number of others.”

You see, no matter how much we fear taking a risk on God, He loves taking a risk on us. How else could we take the deadly risk of approaching God? Just as He did with Peter, He is stretching out His hand to save us, to help us walk on water.

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"What can we not do under the auspices of our august Mother and Patroness? What eminence of virtue may we not attain!"

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Augustine. He is one of the most influential persons in the history of Christendom. His influence on theology and Church life is great.

Augustine was not always a great saint - far from it. His loose living saddened his mother, St. Monica, and she prayed for a long time for St. Augustine's conversion. Augustine was about 33 years old when he came to faith in Christ and asked to be baptized, along with his 11 year old son whom he had fathered out of wedlock and whom he named Adeodatus which means gift of God.

 

 PRAYERS OF ST. AUGUSTINE

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.

Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.

Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.

Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.

Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy.

EVER ANCIENT, EVER NEW

From The Confessions

Too late, have I loved you,

O Beauty ever ancient, ever new,

too late have I loved you!

You were with me, and I was not with you;

I was away, running after beautiful things which you created;

things which could have no existence except for you,

and yet they kept me from you.

Then you called, you cried out, and you pierced my deafness.

You enlightened, you shone forth,

and now y blindness has vanished.

I have tasted you; now I hunger and thirst for you.

You breathed your fragrance upon me;

I drew in breath and now I long for you.

You have touched me,

and I am on fire with the desire of your embrace.

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"What can we not do under the auspices of our august Mother and Patroness? What eminence of virtue may we not attain!"

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

St. Monica - Patron Saint of Worried Mothers

Here's a Prayer to St. Monica for mothers to pray for their children:

Dear Saint Monica, patron of all mothers,

please take my children under your protection,

especially those who have turned away

from the path of Christ and his Church.

Help them be faithful to the grace

of their Baptism and Confirmation

and bring them home to the Altar of the Eucharist.

Despite the temptations and difficulties

that face them,

help them find the wisdom and strength

to walk always with the Lord.

Dear St. Monica, pray for my children

that they may share with you and all the saints

the peace and joy of life forever with Christ.

Amen.

Service not recognition

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta - Pray for us!

"Keep the joy of loving God in your heart and share this joy with all you meet especially your family. Be holy – let us pray."

 "I once picked up a woman from a garbage dump and she was burning with fever; she was in her last days and her only lament was: ‘My son did this to me.’ I begged her: You must forgive your son. In a moment of madness, when he was not himself, he did a thing he regrets. Be a mother to him, forgive him. It took me a long time to make her say: ‘I forgive my son.’ Just before she died in my arms, she was able to say that with a real forgiveness. She was not concerned that she was dying. The breaking of the heart was that her son did not want her. This is something you and I can understand."

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin."

"Like Jesus we belong to the world living not for ourselves but for others. The joy of the Lord is our strength."

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"What does it mean to love God with one’s whole mind? It means to walk in his presence, and to think often of him; it means to exercise our zeal, and to put forth our best endeavors so as to make him loved; it is to do what pleases him, and to avoid what displeases him, and to conform all our thoughts to his divine wisdom."

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

Saint of the Gutters

Today starts of a yearlong centenary celebration marking the life of Blessed Teresa -- Mother Teresa -- born a hundred years ago .

Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Albania, the "Saint of the Gutters" received the Nobel Peace Prize. Her words in Oslow, Norway in 1979 express her passion for Christ and the poor,

“Today there is so much suffering - and I feel that the passion of Christ is being relived all over again - are we there to share that passion, to share that suffering of people?

Around the world, not only in the poor countries, but I found the poverty of the West so much more difficult to remove. When I pick up a person from the street, hungry, I give him a plate of rice, a piece of bread, I have satisfied. I have removed that hunger. But a person that is shut out, that feels unwanted, unloved, terrified, the person that has been thrown out from society - that poverty is so hurtable and so much, and I find that very difficult....

You must come to know the poor, maybe our people here have material things, everything, but I think that if we all look into our own homes, how difficult we find it sometimes to smile at each, other, and that the smile is the beginning of love. And so let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love, and once we begin to love each other naturally we want to do something....

This is something that you and I - it is a gift of God to us to be able to share our love with others. And let it be as it was for Jesus. Let us love one another as he loved us. Let us love Him with undivided love. And the joy of loving Him and each other - let us give now... Let us keep that joy of loving Jesus in our hearts. And share that joy with all that we come in touch with. And that radiating joy is real, for we have no reason not to be happy because we have Christ with us. Christ in our hearts, Christ in the poor that we meet, Christ in the smile that we give and the smile that we receive. Let us make that one point: That no child will be unwanted, and also that we meet each other always with a smile, especially when it is difficult to smile.”

And so we humbly pray,  

O God,

who called blessed Teresa, virgin

to respond to the love of your Son thirsting on the cross
with outstanding charity to the poorest of the poor,

grant us, we beseech you, by her intercession,

to minister to Christ in his suffering brothers.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Sunday's Word

August 29, 2010

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sir 3:17-18, 20, 28-29
Heb 12:18-19, 22-24a
Lk 14:1, 7-14

The summer days are coming to a halt as we approach the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. It's time to prepare to hear this Sunday's Word!

Both the first reading and the Gospel teach us about humility. The second reading is different, showing us the glory of what we approach in faith, in Christ.

Humility...

Who among us wants to be humble?
Do any of us desire to be humbled?

Humility...It's the longest chapter in St. Benedict’s Rule. Of all the words that Saint Benedict uses to describe the proper posture for a life that becomes the gospel, humility is the one word, the one trait that he comes back to again and again. St. Benedict bases his writings on the words of Jesus who said,“For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” The root of humility is the Latin word humus, which means “soil” or “earth.” To be humble is to be down-to-earth. It is an acknowledgment of our connectedness to the earth.

In Von Hildebrand's Transformation in Christ, humility is synonymous with Christlikeness. Jesus calls us to learn of him for he is gentle and humble of heart. The more we desire to become like Christ, the more we grow in humility. Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like Yours.
 

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"The time that we devote to mental prayer is the most precious time of our lives."

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

Bless Him

It is not unusual to use the words “bless” and “blessing” with some degree of frequency. Most of the time, we actually mean it.

“Blessed” and “blessing” are spiritual words. The world may try to hijack those words, but they really have no idea of what they are. That is because true blessings are something that only the child of God can truly experience.

Now if we look at Jesus' ministry we notics that He began and concluded His earthly ministry blessing people.

The two downhearted disciples on the road to Emmaus, He blessed them.
The children came to Him, He took them in His arms and blessed them.
He lifted His hands and blessed them and ascended into heaven.
In a nutshell, Jesus loved to bless people.

So, what does it mean to be blessed?

The word “blessed” can also be translated as “blissful and happy.”
So, what does that mean to us?

God wants us to be blessed and happy
This blessedness or true happiness is independent of circumstances.
This happiness is independent of what is happening to you.
Things may be going well for you. Then that’s great, you are blessed.
But when things are not going well at all, you are still blessed.

As Paul said, “I have found in whatever state I’m in to be content.”

So God bless you!

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"Mary’s rank is that of Mother of God. If there is no one above the Mother of God but God himself, the worship we render to Mary must so far surpass every other worship as the dignity of Mother of God surpasses all others; it is inferior but to that due to God alone."

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

Forgive Him

I am still reading Dietrich von Hildebrand's Transformation in Christ,  a book that gives a solid analysis of the Christian virtues. What fascinates me most about the work is its keen insight into the Gospels and how they are to be lived.

Chapter 13 explores the topics of forgiveness and mercy. The good news of the Gospel is that we are sinners and not merely victims. We are not just helpless people where everything we do is a "mistake." The Gospel tells us, shockingly, that some things are excusable and everything is forgivable.

God's mercy is uncompromising. Just as we have been given forgiveness and loved when we were distant from God, so we must extend forgiveness and love our enemies. This is not because God works on some system that says, "Forgiveness is a freebie the first time, but after that you have to earn it." Rather, it's because God's love is always freely given. Our unforgiveness enslaves, hardens, and blinds us. The clenched fist in unforgiveness cannot receive the mercy of God.

The command to forgive is given because God has been laboring to open us to His mercy since the day we were born. He will go on doing it till the day we die and beyond. His command of mercy – and the blessing He places on it – is a promise of an eternity of peace and love, if we will abide in it.

The promise is as stark as the warning is strong: If we give no mercy, we can expect none. If we choose to show mercy, we shall – absolutely shall – obtain mercy.

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"Christ has so ordained all concerns of religion that Mary participated and cooperated in all of them. If other proof were wanted, would we need aught else but to mention that Mary is the Mother of Jesus and of all those that are born of Jesus? All the graces that we receive from Jesus pass through the hands of Mary and are at her disposal: and does not Jesus, by the very fact, furnish us an additional proof of his incomparable love for mankind? "

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

Marianists celebrate Religious Commitment

This past Saturday, August 21, the Province of Meribah in union with the Marianist Family gathered to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Religious Profession of Brother Richard Hartz and the 25th Anniversay of Ordination of Father Thomas Cardone. Over 600 hundred gathered to celebrate the Eucharist and witness their religious commitment.

Above, Brother Richard renews his vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and stability which he professed 50 years ago. Brother Thomas Cleary, Provincial Superior, congratulates Brother Richard.

Above, Father Thomas Cardone commits himself after 25 years of priestly ministry. Brother Thomas congratulates Father Thomas as Brother Richard looks on.

Brother Thomas offers a blessing over Brother Richard and Father Thomas.

Brother Thomas presents a papal blessing to Brother Richard at the conclusion of the presentations.

On Sunday, August 22nd , the feast of the Queenship of Mary, the Marianists of the Province of Meribah also celebrated the Anniversary of the Profession of Vows of the following Brothers:

Father Albert  - 1961 - 49 years professed

Brother George Richard - 1962 - 48 years professed

Father Garrett  - 1963 - 47 years professed

Brother Joseph Anthony - 1963 - 47 years professed

Brother Mark  - 1963 - 46 years professed

Brother Gary  - 1965 - 45 years professed 

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May the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit be glorified in all places through the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Amen.

How will you use your gifts?

In May, Jeff Bezos addressed the 2010 graduating class at Princeton University. Bezos offers a thoughtful anecdote about what matters more than talents and concludes his speech by exhorting the students to go "build yourself a great story." Whatever our stage of life, we have the opportunity to create our own lasting story. It simply takes heeding Bezos' advice to remember that "we are our choices." The entire commencement address is in the video above. If you have the time it is well worth it!

How will you use these gifts? And will you take pride in your gifts or pride in your choices?


I got the idea to start Amazon 16 years ago. I came across the fact that Web usage was growing at 2,300 percent per year. I'd never seen or heard of anything that grew that fast, and the idea of building an online bookstore with millions of titles -- something that simply couldn't exist in the physical world -- was very exciting to me. I had just turned 30 years old, and I'd been married for a year. I told my wife MacKenzie that I wanted to quit my job and go do this crazy thing that probably wouldn't work since most startups don't, and I wasn't sure what would happen after that. MacKenzie (also a Princeton grad and sitting here in the second row) told me I should go for it. As a young boy, I'd been a garage inventor. I'd invented an automatic gate closer out of cement-filled tires, a solar cooker that didn't work very well out of an umbrella and tinfoil, baking-pan alarms to entrap my siblings. I'd always wanted to be an inventor, and she wanted me to follow my passion.

I was working at a financial firm in New York City with a bunch of very smart people, and I had a brilliant boss that I much admired. I went to my boss and told him I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet. He took me on a long walk in Central Park, listened carefully to me, and finally said, "That sounds like a really good idea, but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn't already have a good job." That logic made some sense to me, and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision. Seen in that light, it really was a difficult choice, but ultimately, I decided I had to give it a shot. I didn't think I'd regret trying and failing. And I suspected I would always be haunted by a decision to not try at all. After much consideration, I took the less safe path to follow my passion, and I'm proud of that choice.

Tomorrow, in a very real sense, your life -- the life you author from scratch on your own -- begins.

How will you use your gifts? What choices will you make?

Will inertia be your guide, or will you follow your passions?

Will you follow dogma, or will you be original?

Will you choose a life of ease, or a life of service and adventure?

Will you wilt under criticism, or will you follow your convictions?

Will you bluff it out when you're wrong, or will you apologize?

Will you guard your heart against rejection, or will you act when you fall in love?

Will you play it safe, or will you be a little bit swashbuckling?

When it's tough, will you give up, or will you be relentless?
Will you be a cynic, or will you be a builder?

Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind?

I will hazard a prediction. When you are 80 years old, and in a quiet moment of reflection narrating for only yourself the most personal version of your life story, the telling that will be most compact and meaningful will be the series of choices you have made. In the end, we are our choices. Build yourself a great story.

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"The ardent love which Mary has for us is in proportion to our conformity with her Firstborn . . . "

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

When God Calls You

WHEN GOD CALLS YOU

Sermonspice.com

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Do you have a purpose or calling in life?
Have you ever thought about it?
Are you putting things in the path to avoid your calling?
Are you just living or breathing?

So, what is your major purpose in life?

If God is calling, it is with the assistance of the Holy Spirit that everyone must work.

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"What does it mean to love God with one’s whole strength? It means to observe all his laws, to conform to his will, to employ in his service, without reserve, all that we possess, and to be devoted to his service with all the fervor and all the intensity of which our nature is capable."

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

Fasten your Seat belts, please!

This is as beautiful and graceful video.
It is clear and powerful.
It will draw you in so that you will want to watch it more than once.

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"The knowledge of Jesus Christ, we know, is of absolute necessity for attaining salvation, for he is our Mediator with God the Father, and his words are “the words of eternal life.” Without, however, detracting from this fundamental principle, it is our firm belief that the intimate knowledge of Mary is most useful for the attainment of our salvation, for she is, in the beautiful words of St. Bernard, “our hope, our sweetness, and our life”

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

The Sunday Word

Is 66:18-21
Heb 12:5-7, 11-13
Lk 13:22-30

When we stop to visit our Sunday Scriptures we see that the Gospel focuses on the narrow gate. What is the narrow gate that Jesus refers to in the Gospel? And why must we enter the gate before it’s too late? For me the narrow gate is the pathway that will lead us to Jesus. Jesus is always calling us to renew our lives and follow Him before our lives in this world is over.

We all know that there’s no absolutes in this world. All that we possess can be taken away anytime of the day, even our lives can abruptly end at any moment. But before all this happens, Jesus wants us to live our lives worthy in His eyes so that if our lives ends we can pass through that narrow door to be permanently with Him in heaven.

Our Lord did not leave us these words to satisfy our curiosities. What He taught demands decision. His Word points out the narrow gate as the way of salvation. It also exposes false guides who would lead us astray. Finally, it provides us with a sure foundation on which to build our lives.

Have you passed through that narrow gate? Have you trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as the door of salvation?

Someday we must all stand before the One who uttered these words and give an account to Him as the God and Judge of the universe. May it be that He shall say, “Well done, good and faithful servant enter into the joy of your Master.”

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"What does it mean to love God with one’s whole soul? It means to love him as long as we live; it means to be ready to sacrifice one’s life in his service, rather than to disobey; it means to bring the sacrifice of all the passions."

Blesssed William Joseph Chaminade

Foundation Day

The Marianists of the Province of Meribah give thanks to God today as we celebrate Foundation Day! Our Province began in 1976 with our founding fathers, Fr. Francis Keenan, S.M. and Fr. Philip Eichner, S.M.

The Brothers' motto, Servire Quam Sentire, captures well the spirit which animates the members of the Province. We seek to put our own fears and reservations aside, and to serve the Lord with gladness and with joy.

The works of the Province have expanded since its initial foundation. Under the Meribah banner are: Chaminade High School, Kellenberg Memorial High School (including the Bro. Joseph C. Fox Latin School Division, for sixth, seventh and eight-graders); and St. Martin de Porres Marianist School (pre-k though eighth grade). The Province also runs three retreat houses which are: Meribah, Emmanuel, and Founder's Hollow.

The Province of Meribah was created, it has maintained the common life of prayer, the common dress of the religious habit, and the common apostolates of education.

(Brother George and Brother John pause in the Millennium Room.)

(Brother Timothy and Brother Thomas share their joy)

(Brother Michael, Brother Daniel and Brother Daniel during Profession Day)

(The Province of Meribah gather for a photo in the Chapel of the Assumption)

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"Our is a magnificent work."

Move towards Christ

I am still coasting along reading the spiritual classic Transformation in Christ by Dietrich Von Hildebrand. He gives an in-depth analysis of the path of holiness for those who love Christ and desire to change. Von Hildebrand devotes a chapter to each spiritual attitude for those who strive for Christian perfection.

Von Hildebrand puts before us the stark choice we are given: do we really want to be transformed in Christ - all of us who seek to answer this question know that there are all sorts of resistances we put up. We fight against the inflow of God's grace. He urges us to be like wax ready to receive the stamp of Christ.

But, God does not wish to annihilate our personality and freedom. The paradox is that we only become our true selves so that our unique personality shines when we become transformed in Christ. And this is where Von Hildebrand brilliantly shows us true personality versus the kind of conventional personality into which we have grown. Readiness to change and be moved towards Christ: this is the key.

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"We must belong entirely to God just as the saints belong entirely to him, to think only of him, to love him alone, to live for him only ."

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

Dead and Gone!

Through Christ, the old me is dead and gone!

I have started to re-read once again a great spiritual classic that I read years ago in the novitiate, Transformation in Christ by Dietrich Von Hildebrand. Von Hildebrand was a philosopher whose work was a favorite of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. His work  is very easy to understand. Transformation in Christ is about exactly that; bringing ourselves to a way of life that fosters sanctity and helps us to attain heaven.

In the very first pages," Von Hildebrand says:

In the unconditional readiness to change, a salutary distrust of one's own self-knowledge is implied. If I am really intent on becoming "another man" I will not claim the right to determine the limit between what can , and what cannot, be justified in my nature if confronted with Christ. It is He who is to determine them though religious authority. The readiness must be present, on our part, to be changed and shaped to an indefinite degree at the hands of God, wherever He chooses to intervene by the agency of our spiritual director or of our religious superior. We are not ourselves able or entitled to determine the measure of our transformation.

Von Hildebrand explains that I can't trust myself as my own highest authority. Even more importantly, I need to find an authority that Christ had clearly chosen to work through. Von Hilebrand is dealing with that reality on a personal level, but it takes you back to the same place. A spiritual director or superior is invested to some degree with the authority given by Christ by the Church, and a good one will have a deep understand of Her teachings; it's the only thing that makes him fit to direct.

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"You no longer belong to yourself, but to God, to the Blessed Virgin and to religion. Follow without fear; follow with joy, what such masters ask of you."

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

The Assumption of the Holy Mother of God

Thanks to Mike Hayes over at at Busted Halo for this great post with Fr. Jack Collins, CSP

Father in heaven,
all creation rightly gives you praise,
for all life and all holiness come from you.
In the plan of your wisdom
she who bore the Christ in her womb
was raised body and soul in glory to be with him in heaven.
May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness
and join in her hymn of endless love and praise.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"The King of heaven enrolls you forever in the bodyguard of the Queen. Henceforth you will serve him by serving her whom he associated in his crown and in his glory, and you shall be in a special manner a soldier and missionary of Mary Immaculate for the people of God."

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

Miracles through mysterious ways!

When the Feast of the Assumption rolled by each year, it announced that summer was almost at its end. It was August and the summer was coming to a close. On the shores of Long Island some summer rituals would also occur on this great feast. Annually, people would wade out into the water and fill bottles with it, and apparently use it like regular holy water.

I have always wondered where this tradition came from and how it made its way to the Long Island shores. When I was growing up, the Feast of the Assumption was always a time for relatives to visit at the beach. Everyone wanted to get themselves into the ocean for a good dip into the sea on Mary’s day. I never realized that the celebration was so widespread…I honestly thought that the notion was just one of Catholic voodoo that had developed in my family. I never quite understood from which side of the family it came. At first, it appeared to be an Italian Catholic ritual, but the other side of the family participated as well. It just shows how various cultures and traditions really do spread their beliefs just about everywhere.

When people visited on the Feast of the Assumption they indeed did fill bottles with salt water and took it home for use like holy water. What I could never understand was this…if water on that day was blessed…why people didn’t sprinkle water from streams or rivers around town. Why did they travel to the beach for Atlantic Ocean water?

Regardless of place, traditions like the annual plunge into the ocean are good reminders of our ethnic and cultural roots as Catholics. Today in the 21st century there is little time dedicated to devotional aspects of our Catholic faith. August 15th is a great example of a devotional practice that not only brings us closer to our Catholic heritage, but it gives us a time to step back, relax and spend time with our brothers and sisters in faith.

I guess the reality of the gesture really isn’t about the aquatic plunge into the sea, miraculous powers associated with water, or even celebrating the Assumption of Mary…it is ultimately about Catholic fellowship and sharing of our common beliefs in the Divine Mystery.

However, we choose to celebrate Mary on August 15, the notion of water will always make me remember summers at the beach, Mass in the morning of August 15, and a people running to the beach to partake in the benefits of the water, made holy by not only Mary, the Mother of God, but by our common Catholic desire to share our faith in any way possible among ourselves and to the world.

God does indeed work miracles through mysterious ways!

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"The august Mary, you may be sure, will derive great glory from your generous sacrifice. God had predestined you for the service of his divine Son, under the banner of his Most Holy Mother. To Mary Jesus presents you as his faithful minister and valiant soldier."

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

The Sunday Word

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Readings:

Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab

1 Cor 15:20-27

Lk 1:39-56

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God my Savior; for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant.

The Church, sings forth these words of praise of the Mother of God every evening of every day during Evening Prayer - the Magnificat, Our Lady’s canticle of praise to God, which we hear proclaimed in our Gospel this Sunday, when she gave all the praise and glory to God for the marvels He had done for her in calling her to be the Mother of His only-begotten Son, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Yet, on an occasion such as this, we must reflect for a few moments on the events of last week. We saw one of our Marianist Brothers profess his perpetual vows. I suspect that some might be a bit overwhelmed at the enormity of what we witnessed in that Mass of Religious Profession. For the parents and family and friends of our Brother Daniel, perhaps that was the first time that anyone whom you know and love personally has ever done such a thing; and in this day and age, such an act of radical abandonment might even appear incomprehensible. Why would any young man, as gifted and blessed, voluntarily choose to live in chastity, in poverty, and under obedience in this world of ours?

So how can we begin to comprehend, begin to understand what all the Brothers of Mary have done, through their profession of the evangelical counsels, as they are called, the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience?

We have to begin with gratitude, with thanksgiving. Gratitude and thanksgiving for what? For the love we have come to know in Christ Jesus our Lord. The sum of our lives as Christians, as followers of Christ, is a response of gratitude for what God has done for us in the life, death and resurrection of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you want to begin to understand why men would dedicate their entire lives, and why they do what they do, then know this: they are men who have been grasped by Christ, by the love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So what do we celebrate in the Mystery of the Assumption of our Blessed Mother into Heaven? For some insight, let us look at the words of our Holy Father, in speaking about the obedience of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our Holy Father spoke of the obedience of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the will of God, and he used an interesting expression to describe the relation of her will to God’s will. He said: “At Nazareth (from the moment of the Annunciation, Mary) gave over her will, immersing it in the will of God: ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to Your Word’ And this continues to be her fundamental attitude. This is how she teaches us to pray: not by seeking to assert before God our own will and our own desires, however important they may be, however reasonable they might appear to us, but rather to bring them before Him and to let Him decide what He intends to do. From Mary we learn graciousness and readiness to help, but we also learn humility and generosity in accepting God’s will, in the confident conviction that, whatever it may be, it will be our, and my own, true good.”

And this act of immersing our own human will in the will of God is at the heart of the act of religious profession. We all remember: Grace perfects nature; it does not destroy it. The action of God’s grace in our lives does not make us into some thing, someone we were not; no, the action of God’s grace in our lives elevates and purifies and sanctifies all that we are as human beings made in the image and likeness of God. The mystery we celebrate, the Assumption of Mary, body and soul, into Heaven, is, in a certain sense, the goal, the end for which we are striving.

Listen to the words of our Holy Father again: “Mary was taken up body and soul into Heaven: there is even room in God for the body. Heaven is no longer a very remote sphere unknown to us. We have a mother in Heaven. And the Mother of God, the Mother of the Son of God, is our Mother. He himself has said so. He made her our Mother when he said to the disciple and to all of us: ‘Behold, your Mother!’ We have a Mother in Heaven. Heaven is open, Heaven has a heart.” 

And so, on this summer Feast of the Assumption, everyone devoted to Mary holds fast to the promise that we will one day be gathered and say, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant."

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"The imitation of Jesus Christ consists in forming Jesus Christ within us . . . Blessed is he who bears the character and livery of Jesus Christ!"

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

Marianist Perpetual Profession

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"Fervor consists: 1) In fulfilling all our duties well; 2) In performing supererogatory works; 3) In turning to advantage every opportunity for good, as a skillful merchant does for profit; 4) In employing our time well; 5) In performing our actions in the right spirit, and as well as we can. Since fervor is much more an interior than an exterior quality, we must particularly try to produce in the depth of our hearts most ardent acts of the love of God."

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

God loves taking risks on us!

(Brother Stephen and Brother Timothy pause during the Profession Celebration)

“The consolation is that, no matter how many of God’s invitations we ignore, there will always be an infinite number of others. When we’ve gone through 39 days of Lent without changing our lives, there’s still a 40th day to respond. When we’ve ignored a thousand invitations, there’s still another one waiting. God is prodigal; so are the chances God gives us.

Sister Margaret Halaska once captured this wonderfully in a poem she entitled “Covenant”:

The Father knocks at my door, seeking a home for His Son:

“Rent is cheap,” I say.

“I don’t want to rent. I want to buy,” says God.

“I’m not sure I want to sell,

But you might come in to look around.”

“I think I will,” says God.

“I might let you have a room or two.”

“I like it,” says God. “I’ll take the two.

You might decide to give me more some day.

I can wait,” says God.

“I’d like to give you more,but it’s a bit difficult. I need some space for me.”

“I know,” says God, “but I’ll wait. I like what I see.”
“Hmm. Maybe I can let you have another room.
I really don’t need that much.”

“Thanks,” says God. “I’ll take it. I like what I see.”

“I’d like to give you the whole house,but I’m not sure.”
“Think on it,” says God. “I wouldn’t put you out.
Your house would be mine, and my Son would live in it.

You’d have more space than you’d ever had before.”

“I don’t understand at all.”

“I know,” says God, “but I can’t tell you about that.
You’ll have to discover it for yourself.

And that can only happen if you let my Son have the whole house.”

“A bit risky,” I say.

“Yes,” says God, “but try me.”

“I’m not so sure –

I’ll let you know.”

“I can wait,” says God. “I like what I see.”

If we look back on our lives and are truly honest, we have to admit that, of all the invitations that God has sent us, we’ve probably accepted and acted on only a fraction of them. Still, no matter how many of God’s invitations we ignore, there will always be an infinite number of others.”

You see, no matter how much we fear taking a risk on God, He loves taking a risk on us. How else could we take the deadly risk of approaching God? Just as He did with Peter, He is stretching out His hand to save us, to help us walk on water.

-Used as a reflection by one of our Marianist Brothers

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"To perform all our actions well we must be exact, fervent, and persevering."

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

Vocations - Regina Laudis

Dolores Hart made her Hollywood debut alongside Elvis Presley in "Loving You." Since 1963, she has inhabited a very different kind of world. She caused a sensation when she became a cloistered nun at the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut. Mother Dolores became prioress there in May, 2001. She is still a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

God calls all kinds! Go ahead tell Him your plans. He has a great sense of humor. He is a God of surprises! Perhaps He is calling you?

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Pray for the Canonization of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

"Our perfection, as God understands it, does not consist in doing many, or extraordinary things; the perfection to which God calls us depends on the care with which we perform our most ordinary actions."

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade