Marianists - The Cross

I learned a good lesson one year from an African Marianist in the scholasticate. We would have a Marianist studies class every Friday evening. One night, we were talking about this Calvary scene. He made the observation that, for him, this experience of Mary at the foot of the cross was a far greater act of faith than was the Annunciation. At that point, for Mary, it must have all looked so futile and so definitive. Was she wrong? Had she been duped? Was this what God’s promises lead to? It was shortly after that night when I had my experience at the Guelph retreat house, experiencing Mary’s “waterfall of grace and gratitude.”

The power of this scene can touch us deeply as we reflect upon our relationship with Mary, the Mother of Jesus and our Mother. This is an important dimension of our vow of stability, but it also says something to us about our vow of chastity. Our religious lives must be passionate, far more passionate than we often allow them to be. That can only happen if we are engaged in a love that is so great, so overwhelming, so captivating that the powers of our mind and heart and body and psyche get focused on the one thing necessary. Over the portal at the Abbey of Gethsemane are two words carved in stone: “God Alone.” Christ must be the center, and Mary helps us to keep him there.

[Editor’s Note: Father Martin Solma, SM, the Provincial for the Society of Mary’s Province of the United States, delivered the following talk as part of the 2011 summer retreat series for the Province.]

Marianists - Family

For Father Chaminade, the image of the Holy Family held special pride of place as a model for the Marianist Community. The unity and intimacy, the centrality of Jesus, the complementarity of roles all reflected something of his hope for our life together.

 Today, however, perhaps a more compelling image is that of the Apostles with Mary, awaiting the gift of the Spirit in the Cenacle. It captures something of the apostolic dynamism that should characterize our communities. At the end of Luke’s Gospel, when Jesus withdraws from the disciples and is taken up to heaven, he promises to return and tells them to stay in Jerusalem until the gift of the Spirit is given. What kind of community is this: savoring the presence of the risen Jesus for 40 days, assured of Jesus’ return, hopeful that what is coming is more than they can hope for, and Mary there in their midst? Talk about a vibrant community! Perhaps they spent those days also reflecting upon their giftedness and looking with respect and appreciation on the giftedness of each of the other members of that tiny apostolic group. And then, of course, the explosion of Pentecost in wind and fire sends them out with zeal and with apostolic boldness. Our vow of stability emphasizes the essentially communitarian dimension of the Marianist charism.


[Editor’s Note: Father Martin Solma, SM, the Provincial for the Society of Mary’s Province of the United States, delivered the following talk as part of the 2011 summer retreat series for the Province.]

Marianist "Yes"

Like Mary, we also have said “yes,” first of all in our Baptism, then in our religious profession, capped by the vow of stability. I was struck recently by a letter I received from a member of the Province. He had been asked to do an important and challenging job within the Province. In accepting, he said, “this is how I understand my religious profession and the vow of stability.” This availability, this yes-saying, this freedom to give oneself away . . . much good food for thought and prayer during this retreat. I will leave a copy of a very fine article, dated now but excellent nonetheless, by Charles Davis. It is entitled “Empty and Poor for Christ.” Maybe you’ll find it helpful for your prayer today.

Perhaps no biblical image expresses most deeply the charism and gift of the Marianist life as the Calvary scene in the Gospel of John. The original sculpture at the General Administration in Rome has been reproduced in so many ways and has found its way into the iconography of most Marianist units. It represents what Father Johann Roten, SM, calls “our deep Marianist memory.” As you know, the mother of Jesus makes just two appearances in this Gospel: at Cana in chapter 2 and at the foot of the cross in chapter 19. The hour that was anticipated with the superabundance of wine at the wedding finds full and final expression as Jesus completes his mission from the throne of the cross.


[Editor’s Note: Father Martin Solma, SM, the Provincial for the Society of Mary’s Province of the United States, delivered the following talk as part of the 2011 summer retreat series for the Province.]

Marianist Stability

Our vow of stability expresses our alliance, our covenant, our love for Mary. With her as mother, we become brothers of Jesus whose Spirit fills us and invites us to live a life of superabundance. We might spend some time today, speaking with Mary, asking her to form us more into the likeness of Jesus. We might beg the Lord to become such a deep and loving part of our lives that the abundant life Jesus promised might be real and tangible—the grounding for us.


For Father Chaminade, the image of the Holy Family held special pride of place as a model for the Marianist Community. The unity and intimacy, the centrality of Jesus, the complementarity of roles all reflected something of his hope for our life together. Today, however, perhaps a more compelling image is that of the Apostles with Mary, awaiting the gift of the Spirit in the Cenacle. It captures something of the apostolic dynamism that should characterize our communities. At the end of Luke’s Gospel, when Jesus withdraws from the disciples and is taken up to heaven, he promises to return and tells them to stay in Jerusalem until the gift of the Spirit is given. What kind of community is this: savoring the presence of the risen Jesus for 40 days, assured of Jesus’ return, hopeful that what is coming is more than they can hope for, and Mary there in their midst? Talk about a vibrant community! Perhaps they spent those days also reflecting upon their giftedness and looking with respect and appreciation on the giftedness of each of the other members of that tiny apostolic group. And then, of course, the explosion of Pentecost in wind and fire sends them out with zeal and with apostolic boldness. Our vow of stability emphasizes the essentially communitarian dimension of the Marianist charism.


[Editor’s Note: Father Martin Solma, SM, the Provincial for the Society of Mary’s Province of the United States, delivered the following talk as part of the 2011 summer retreat series for the Province.]

Marianist Monday

From Family Online

HONORING OUR BICENTENNIALS – A PAGE FROM THE FAMILY ALBUM

To celebrate the bicentennials of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate and the Society of Mary, FamilyOnline is featuring occasional peeks into the past.

It would be interesting to know the story behind this 1911 photo of Chaminade College Preparatory in St. Louis. Note the drummer who’s second in line. Founded in 1910, Chaminade was the first school in the United States to bear the name of Marianist founder, Blessed William Joseph Chaminade. Today, the school has an enrollment of 830 boys in grades six to 12.

Lent - God-centered life

Today's responsorial psalm for the Fourth Sunday of Lent gives us a vision of a radically God-centered life. And, in this case, radical does not meet revolutionary or abrasive or extreme. No, the word radical comes from the Latin word radix, which means "root." To center our lives on the God who is our shepherd is to go back to the very root of life, to the one who gives us everything we need.

And we can be grateful that God repeats this pattern throughout all of creation. Green pastures are naturally going to be balanced by dark valleys, but, in both joy and sorrow, the Lord provides for us and walks beside us.

Lent - Share Jesus

Lent - Spiritual Training

Hear, O Israel!

The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

Today our Gospel from Saint Mark explains how we train ourselves in godliness?

He tells us what we need to do first.

Jesus recites the training mantra of the Shema. As an observant Jew, Jesus recited this combination of confession and prayer to God twice a day. Both during his morning and evening prayers. While sticking to this twice-daily ritual was itself a training regime, it is the message of the Shema that Jesus embodied so perfectly and which offers all of us a way toward complete and genuine godliness.

The Shema builds up the heart, soul, mind and strength. No element of human existence is excluded from this training in faith. The exercises of the Shema allow no parts of our being to remain flabby or unattended.

-- Does love of God overwhelm and overcome your heart, making every heartbeat keep pace with God's love for you?

-- Does love of God inform your mind, making love the mainspring of all your thoughts?

-- Does love of God penetrate your soul, making your every prayer a plea not for yourself and your own desires, but an offering formed and normed by love?

-- Does love of God flow through the strength of your body, making your every step a step toward love in action?

Lenten - Forgiveness

The only path to peace is forgiveness. Forgiveness given and received enables a new kind of relationship among people, breaking the spiral of hatred and revenge and shattering the chains of evil which bind the hearts of those in conflict with one another. For nations in search of reconciliation and for those who hope for peaceful co-existence between individuals and peoples, there is no other way than this: forgiveness given and received.

How full of salutary lessons are the words of the Lord: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust" (Mt 5:44-45)! To love those who have offended us is to disarm them and to turn even a battle-field into an arena of mutual support and cooperation.

From Pope John Paul II Lenten Message of 2001.

Cardinal Dolan - Benefit of School Choice

Lent - Share Jesus

Marianist Monday

A MOMENT WITH VENERABLE ADÈLE

“Look at the smallest blade of grass. Is there a human being skillful enough to make its like? Is there anyone else endowed with the power and authority to cause a grain of seed to multiply, as God does? Everything in nature sings the grandeur of God.”

St. Joseph - Hidden Life

Lent - Share Jesus

That we come to God

Did you know that the welcome given the prodigal son
is the welcome that awaits every one of us!

Only one thing is required: that we come to God.
However imperfect or self-serving the young son’s contrition,
it was enough to bring him home.

No matter how strong the elder son’s indignant pique,
the father came out to urge him to come in.

Only one thing is required: that we come to God.

Such is the mercy of God for each of us – without exception.
Like the father in the story,
God waits for us to come home and be reconciled.

And when we can’t find what we need to reach out for God’s forgiveness,
then God comes out to draw us into his loving arms.

At the end of the parable there’s a great banquet
and at the end of our lives, a banquet is waiting for us, too.

Will we confess and leave our sins behind and come home to God,
asking for mercy and pardon?

Will we bow to God’s mercy when we see how he draws near
to draw us into his love?

Lent is a season to consider questions just like these
and to understand that God’s greatest desire is to forgive us
and hold us in his healing love.

The altar before us is a sign of the table that waits us in the kingdom.
It’s a mercy table where the Lord invites all of us to join him.
The way to the table is path of contrition and forgiveness.

Pray with me, this Lent, that all of us will, as did the younger son,
“come to our senses” and come home to receive the gift of God’s mercy.

Mother Teresa’s List of Humility

Below  Mother Teresa  gives her blessing to a child at the Gift of Love Home on October 20, 1993, in Singapore.

Saint Teresa of Calcutta, who experienced decades of spiritual darkness while working among the poorest of the poor, also had a practical and down-to-earth (and very memorable) way of speaking and teaching what she knew. Here is how she advised us to cultivate humility in our lives. “

These are the few ways we can practice humility:

To speak as little as possible of one’s self. 

To mind one’s own business. 

Not to want to manage other people’s affairs. 

To avoid curiosity. 

To accept contradictions and correction cheerfully. 

To pass over the mistakes of others. 

To accept insults and injuries. 

To accept being slighted, forgotten and disliked. 

To be kind and gentle even under provocation. 

Never to stand on one’s dignity. 

To choose always the hardest.”

Lent - Share Jesus

Tuesday Tunes

Marianist Monday

Pope Francis - Lent 3

And finishing with Pope's final recommendation for Lent:

WELCOME THE MISSIONARIES OF MERCY

During Lent, Pope Francis has sent out thousands of trained Missionaries of Mercy. These are priests to whom the Pope has granted the authority to pardon even those sins normally reserved to the Holy See, so that the breadth of their mandate as confessors will be even clearer:

"They will be a sign of the Church’s maternal solicitude for the People of God, enabling them to enter the profound richness of this mystery so fundamental to the faith. They will be, above all, living signs of the Father’s readiness to welcome those in search of his pardon. They will be missionaries of mercy because they will be facilitators of a truly human encounter, a source of liberation, rich with responsibility for overcoming obstacles and taking up the new life of Baptism again. They will be led in their mission by the words of the Apostle: 'For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all' (Rom 11:32). Everyone, in fact, without exception, is called to embrace the call to mercy. May these Missionaries live this call with the assurance that they can fix their eyes on Jesus, 'the merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God' (Heb 2:17)."

Lent - Share Jesus

Pope Francis - Lent 2

Here is another of Pope Francis' recommendations for Lent:

RETURN TO CONFESSION

For Lent, Pope Francis has created an initiative called “24 Hours for the Lord.” He wants it celebrated on the Friday and Saturday preceding the Fourth Week of Lent in every diocese around the world, and it involves - as the name suggest - an uninterrupted 24 hours of open confessionals:

"So many people, including young people, are returning to the Sacrament of Reconciliation; through this experience they are rediscovering a path back to the Lord, living a moment of intense prayer and finding meaning in their lives. Let us place the Sacrament of Reconciliation at the centre once more in such a way that it will enable people to touch the grandeur of God’s mercy with their own hands. For every penitent, it will be a source of true interior peace."

Pope Francis - Lent

When Pope Francis announced the Year of Mercy, he specifically highlighted three specific ways to celebrate Lent. Here is one of his recommendations:

MEDITATE ON SCRIPTURE

The Pope noted, "How many pages of Sacred Scripture are appropriate for meditation during the weeks of Lent to help us rediscover the merciful face of the Father!"

He especially recommends reading the books of Micah and Isaiah. He says of Micah, "We can repeat the words of the prophet Micah and make them our own: 'You, O Lord, are a God who takes away iniquity and pardons sin, who does not hold your anger forever, but are pleased to show mercy. You, Lord, will return to us and have pity on your people. You will trample down our sins and toss them into the depths of the sea' (cf. 7:18-19)."
He also encourages we reflect on Isaiah:

"The pages of the prophet Isaiah can also be meditated upon concretely during this season of prayer, fasting, and works of charity: 'Is not this the fast that I choose: to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, here I am. If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire with good things, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters fail not' (58:6-11)."

Preparation - Lent

Lent - I Will Follow

Marianist Monday

March, 2017 

Mary, Our Lady of Lent 

Dear friends, 

The season of Lent in the Church’s calendar is a widely practiced, though often misunderstood, time. Many believe Lent calls for sacrifice and for “doom and gloom” -- forty days during which we deprive ourselves of joy until the celebration of the Easter Vigil. 

Traditionally, Lent has at its core three main practices: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (charity). I'd like to propose a different view of Lent, one that still involves those three practices but that is guided by the example given to us by Mary. Mary has been venerated by many titles, and one that I'd like to focus on for this reflection is “Our Lady, Undoer of Knots.” This title comes from St. Irenaeus: “Eve, by her disobedience, tied the knot of disgrace for the human race; whereas Mary, by her obedience, undid it.” In a painting created in the 1700s, Mary is depicted with a rope in her hand. On one side of Mary, the rope is straight and clean, but on the other, it is knotted and tangled. Meanwhile, Mary has one of the knots in her hands, and you can see her at work untying it. The knots allude to the obstacles, temptations, habits, and behaviors that keep us from fully embracing the love and mercy of God. 

It is by Mary’s intercession, love, and example -- and, most of all, her help -- that the problems we face are undone and removed so that we are able to come to God and meet with Jesus without obstacles. Veneration of Mary as the Undoer of Knots has steadily been increasing in popularity, especially thanks to Pope Francis and his particular devotion to her. 

If you saw the short video message that Pope Francis delivered before the Super Bowl, you might have noticed that the painting hanging behind him was Our Lady, Undoer of Knots. So the question remains: How does Our Lady, Undoer of Knots fit with the Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving? 

The first focus of Lent is prayer. Prayer is at the heart of all we do. Prayer is an integral part of our daily lives, and one that must be stressed during Lent in order for us to further our relationship with Jesus, especially as we come to understand our redemption through His Passion. We find prayer difficult, though, and even religious Brothers and Sisters who have structured prayers throughout the day find prayer challenging. Thus, we look to Mary for help. Mary is a woman of prayer, and there is nothing that she would rather do than help us to communicate our desires, needs, fears, and joys to her and her Son. At the wedding of Cana, Mary shows us how to pray when she appeals to Jesus for help, trusting completely that God only wills the good for us. Mary’s prayer is a prayer we all have said and will say again, “Help us, for we have no wine” Or, “help me, for I have no patience.” “Help me, for I have no more will strength left.” “Help me, for I have no more tears.” “Help me, for I have no hope.” Whatever our need, Mary comes to our aid. Our Lady, Undoer of Knots takes our knotted prayer life and undoes it, helping us clear away the busyness and distractions that so often interrupt our communication with her Son. 

The second focus of Lent is fasting. Many people will chose a fast for the season of Lent, but the motivation behind these fasts can be confusing. Fasting is not meant to be a matter focused towards one's health, nor is it solely about denying yourself a good for the sake of penance. Mary shows us that fasting signifies humble obedience more than anything else. Rather than trying to prove how strong we are by giving something up, what if we saw our fasting as a chance to ignore those desires that are bad for us and listen for the plan of great love and joy God has for us? For this we have a great model, Mary, and her role as handmaiden of the Lord, when she said, “Be it done unto me.” At the Annunciation, Mary “fasted” from her plans, her ambitions, and the life she might have planned out for herself as she says “yes” to the motherhood of Jesus. We can take Lent as a time to “fast from ourselves” and let God speak to us. Hopefully, we can say, “Be it done unto me” and “Father, your will be done.” The feast of the Annunciation is March 25th, which occurs during Lent this year. This Annunciation, remember Our Lady, Undoer of Knots and offer her your knots of pride, anxiety, fear, and confusion about what to do with your life. By undoing these knots, Mary will help you to hear the voice of God, and with humility we can respond “yes” to what the Father asks of us. 

 The last focus of Lent is almsgiving. A common act of almsgiving during Lent is to offer money in the parish “rice bowl” collection or, here at Chaminade, to participate in the Baby Bottle Drive. Mary, however, gives us a different idea of what it means to give alms. She shows us that service and building relationships are acts of charity that can impact those around us far more than just a monetary donation. Immediately after the Annunciation, Mary goes “in haste” (Lk 1:39) to visit Elizabeth her cousin and helps Elizabeth in her pregnancy. Mary abandons herself to the will of God through her participation in the Please continue to the next page. → Incarnation, which opens up the floodgates of love for her to pour forth on us all. Elizabeth was the first to benefit from Mary’s radical self-abnegation as she helps Elizabeth in her final months of pregnancy. When Mary arrives at Elizabeth’s house, she not only offers herself but has brought Jesus in her womb with her. Indeed, this is Mary’s role with all of us. She brings Jesus to us! Elizabeth knew it when her baby, John the Baptist, leapt in her womb at the sound of Mary’s greeting. We can experience this joy of having Jesus brought to us by Mary, and it is our joyful response to pass this gift along to another. 

Mary is our model for almsgiving, not in monetary ways, but in relationships. She makes herself present to us, and with her is always Jesus. We can be like that with our friends, with the stranger, and with those suffering and who need us most. Be present to those who need you this Lent, and know that Jesus will be there with you. Turn to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, and ask her to undo the knots of selfishness, self-satisfaction, and comfort so that you can give everything you have for God and for each other, just as Mary did. 

So, as Lent begins this year, let us remember prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Keep Mary in your heart this year and watch for the ways in which she undoes the knots in your life to bring you closer to Jesus. We here at Chaminade and Kellenberg will be praying for you all this Lent, and I hope you see the Mother of God always ready to embrace you as you journey through this life. 

On behalf of all my Marianist Brothers, 

Bro. Peter Francis Sennert, n. S.M.

Lent - Fast from indifference

If we're going to fast from anything this Lent, Pope Francis suggests that even more than candy or alcohol, we fast from indifference towards others.

In his annual Lenten message, the pope writes, "Indifference to our neighbor and to God also represents a real temptation for us Christians. Each year during Lent we need to hear once more the voice of the prophets who cry out and trouble our conscience."

Describing this phenomenon he calls the globalization of indifference, Francis writes that "whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God's voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades." He continues that, "We end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people's pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though all this were someone else's responsibility and not our own."

Lent - Share Jesus

Lent - Fast

Perhaps the most notable Lenten practice is the act of fasting. While Catholics fast on Ash Wednesday and on Fridays during the Lenten season, many people—religious or not—take up this increasingly popular discipline during the year.

But Pope Francis has asked us to reconsider the heart of this activity this Lenten season. According to Francis, fasting must never become superficial. He often quotes the early Christian mystic John Chrysostom who said: "No act of virtue can be great if it is not followed by advantage for others. So, no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sigh continually, if you do no good to others, you do nothing great."

Lent - conversion

Conversion is not easy work since it may bring about new realizations that require a person to change, humble herself, and seek reconciliation with God and others.

This work of conversion renews in our own hearts the knowledge of who we - and God - want us to be in this life. We see the life of peace, goodness, and holiness that is offered to us. The realigning of our life to this purpose gives new direction to our decisions and to the relationships we hold dear.

While an end does not justify the means, it does give direction to them and provides a clear map on how they can safely arrive at the desired end. This is the role and help of Ash Wednesday.

Our Friends - The Little Sisters

Ash Wednesday

Today begins the forty days of Lent and the preparation for the celebration of Easter, so it also highlights the person we are meant to be, the end for which we were made, and it emphasizes the more excellent way of love by which we are to get there.

As Pope Francis wrote his annual Lenten Message: “Lent is a new beginning, a path leading to the certain goal of Easter, Christ’s victory over death. This season urgently calls us to conversion. Christians are asked to return to God ‘with all their hearts,’ to refuse to settle for mediocrity and to grow in friendship with the Lord.”