St. John Bosco

Saint John Bosco’s system of education could well be used in today’s schools. It was a preventive system, rejecting corporal punishment and placing students in very positive surroundings. He advocated frequent reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion. He combined catechetical training and fatherly guidance, seeking to unite the spiritual life with one’s work, study and play.

Encouraged during his youth to become a priest so he could work with young boys, John was ordained in 1841. His service to young people started when he met a poor orphan and instructed him in preparation for receiving Holy Communion. He then gathered young apprentices and taught them catechism.

After serving as chaplain in a hospice for working girls, John opened the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales for boys. Several wealthy and powerful patrons contributed money, enabling him to provide two workshops for the boys, shoemaking and tailoring.

By 1856, the institution had grown to 150 boys and had added a printing press for publication of religious and catechetical pamphlets. His interest in vocational education and publishing justify him as patron of young apprentices and Catholic publishers.

John’s preaching fame spread and by 1850 he had trained his own helpers because of difficulties in retaining young priests. In 1854, he and his followers informally banded together, inspired by Saint Francis de Sales.

With Pope Pius IX’s encouragement, John gathered 17 men and founded the Salesians in 1859. Their activity concentrated on education and mission work. Later, he organized a group of Salesian Sisters to assist girls.

Tuesday Tunes

Marianist Monday

For Blessed Chaminade, faith is the basis of everything in our life.

Our call to live Marianist spirituality is first of all a call to live by faith.

But what does it mean in practice?

Faith makes real for us things which before were not real.
This takes place in one way in our mind and in another way in our heart.

First, faith means we accept with our mind something as true or as fact which we cannot prove.

It means accepting with our mind
something which we cannot demonstrate by reason
and which our senses cannot directly experience.

There is a second dimension to our faith.
For Blessed Chaminade, an act of faith meant,
not only accepting something is true with our mind,
but likewise embracing it with our feelings.

That is what he called "faith of heart."
He taught that acts of faith should
not only shape our thinking,
but should also affect our feelings.

As he said,  "our faith should include...
attitudes of the heart.
It is faith of the heart that justifies:
by believing from the heart you are made righteous.
Faith of mind alone does not sanctify."

The Sunday Word

Our Gospel today has Jesus reprimanding and rebuking the demon, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, convulsing the man and crying with a loud voice, comes popping out like a fumbled football.    

Jesus exudes such authority that even demons obey instantly.  

Jesus possesses such poise that even evil forces know that he is the Holy One of God. 

Jesus is pumped up with such power that even unclean spirits know his arrival.   

Jesus, in another words, takes control of the chaos.

Celebrate William Joseph Chaminade

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade - Feast Day - January 22

Celebrate William Joseph Chaminade

Marianist spirituality deeply shapes the work of those educators formed through it. The spirit of faith, for example, helps a teacher to be truly present to students not only to teach them but also to love and respect them, created as they are in the image of God. When an educator is truly present to students, students are changed. An educator personally transformed through a faith of the heart teaches students to be not only competent and capable, but also faithful and compassionate. For Marianist educators, a solid grasp of subject matter and effective, creative pedagogical techniques are congruent with and necessarily complemented by a living awareness of the inescapably moral and spiritual dimensions of education.

Blessed Chaminade intended the educational works he founded to be not merely functional and temporary communities, but enduring communities of faith. To bring and hold these communities together, Chaminade held up the ideal of “family spirit” of religious and lay persons, faculty and students, working together to achieve lasting relationships of friendship and trust, supporting and challenging each other in developing their mutual gifts. If a school is to be a community of faith, Chaminade saw clearly that its leaders, religious and lay, must see their work not merely as a job but as a ministry of love and service.

Finally, Marianist spirituality calls for communities of faith to exist not simply for the sake of their members, but to share in the Marianist deep commitment to mission. Marianist schools, therefore, not only commit themselves to effective education and mutual support, but encourage teachers and students alike to emulate Jesus in love of and service to others. Virtue is impossible without some knowledge; but, unfortunately, even a great deal of knowledge can exist without virtue. Marianist educators aim to combine both valuable knowledge and genuine virtue.

Therefore, Marianist educators define success distinctively—rejoicing when their students are faithful to the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, exemplify joy and courage in witnessing to that gospel, form communities of faith resonant with the vibrancy of early Christianity, and use their knowledge and competence to serve and transform society. In countries where Marianist educators serve in a predominantly non-Christian context, we present the same ideal though in an appropriate manner that respects and promotes faith and truth wherever they are found, rejoicing when they are lived courageously and in a spirit of service.

Celebrate William Joseph Chaminade

Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

April 8, 1761 - January 22, 1850

O Lord, You bestowed your Spirit on

William Joseph Chaminade

a faithful Servant of Mary,

to found the Marianists

dedicated to the work of education.

We pray through his intercession

that you us signs

of your grace in this world.

May the Father, the Son

and the Holy Spirit

be glorified in all places

through the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Amen.

Celebrate William Joseph Chaminade

From the origins in France, Marianist education spread to Switzerland (1839), Austria (1857), and Italy (1888). In 1849, a year before Blessed Chaminade’s death, Marianists came to the United States. Today, the Society of Mary serves in thirty countries on five continents. They minister in over 100 schools in the world, including twenty-four secondary and middle schools and three universities (the University of Dayton, St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, and Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawaii) in the United States. Marianists also conduct parishes, retreat centers, and works in developing nations.

Locally, the Marianists operate three schools and retreat houses in the New York area. The schools are: Chaminade High School (Mineola), Kellenberg Memorial High School (Uniondale), and St. Martin DePorres Marianist School (Uniondale). The retreat houses are: Meribah (Muttontown), Emmanuel (Uniondale) and Founder's Hollow (Accord).

As with the first ministry of Blessed Chaminade, Marianists continue the vision of their founder by carrying out Mary’s mission of bringing persons to Christ, her son.

The Feast day of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade is Friday, January 22nd.

Pray for Vocations!

The Calling

“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel”. This is not the message anyone wants to hear, but it is the truth that we need to hear. Jesus called the first four disciples, Simon and Andrew, James and John. They immediately dropped their nets to follow Jesus. They did not know where this call would lead them, but they trusted Jesus. He told them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Just like Jonah, Simon, Andrew, James and John, Jesus is calling you and me by name. He invites us to follow Him. He calls us to repent from our sins and change our lives. He invites us into a deep, personal relationship with Him. At some point, He will send us out to share the same message with others. The Good News is not meant to end with us; but it is meant to be shared. “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Happy Feast Day!

TODAY WE CELEBRATE
THE FEAST DAY OF
BLESSED WILLIAM JOSEPH CHAMINADE

HE TEACHES US TO LIVE IN COMMUNITY.

When we celebrate a birthday, we don't just remember the day when someone was born. We celebrate the person.

Today we celebrate the feast day of Blessed William Joseph's birthday because his life and vision continue to inspire people from all walks of life to work together to create change that makes a real difference in our world.

Chaminade founded the Society of Mary and the larger Marianist family. Blessed Chaminade wanted to create faith communities that made the Gospel alive in every age. He believed that people should not only believe in the kingdom of God — a kingdom of justice, love, and peace — but also live the Gospel message so that it is visible to people of every age.

Chaminade's vision will always inspire us!

The Sunday Word

Today's initial reading comes from the book of the prophet Jonah. We all know that Jonah was called by God to be His prophet, but Jonah’s first response was to run away. Similar to Jonah, God calls each one of us to do His will. And like Jonah, we often run from this calling because God may require us to change or do things we are not comfortable doing. We may not be received well by the people to whom we give the message.

However, as we develop our relationship with the Lord and we become convinced that He is the Son of God, and we are His beloved children, we come to a point in which we are willing to do anything for Him. Obedience to God’s will is the key to true happiness in life. Jonah went to Nineveh “according to the Lord’s bidding”. This was out of Jonah’s comfort zone, but God had made it clear to Jonah this was the divine will.

What was Jonah’s message? He asked them to repent from their sins because time was running short.

Celebrate William Joseph Chaminade

Marianist Community!

As a consequence of our religious profession, we enter a new family, our religious community. In this religious community, we assume new relationships and responsibilities toward God, our Brothers in community, and the People of God.

By our profession in the Society of Mary, we commit ourselves to grow in holiness and to help our confreres become more Christ-like.

Because we profess public vows in the Church, we understand that we have the responsibility for 

giving public witness to God's saving presence in the world and to the aspiration of Blessed Chaminade that man will realize that the Gospel is just as practicable as it was in the early Church.

As a result of our membership in a religious congregation of the active life, we devote ourselves with energy and enthusiasm to the apostolic work of our communities. We devote ourselves, fully convinced that Jesus addresses us just as He commanded the Apostles to go forth and teach all nations.

Listen

Listening to God requires a deliberate choice to shut out the chaos around you and focus your thoughts. Is God someone you can hear? The Bible says He is, and the Bible is one of the main tools through which He speaks.

We live in a world of noise. Almost everywhere we go, we find sounds competing with our minds, keeping us from letting our thoughts get below the surface level. Hearing God's voice means not listening to the noise of the world around us. It's not easy, but it can be done. Do you desire God's will for your life above every other desire? If you do, you can trust that He will direct your path. Listen to His message, and be quick to obey.

When you listen to God and obey Him, you will discover a life that is full and rich with purpose, confident you are following the Lord's plan.

iStand4Life

The 2018 Annual March for Life was held today and the Marianist schools were well represented.

One of Marianist high schools travelled down to D.C. a day early and toured the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

A few years ago, a youth Mass was initiated for the day of the march. This youth Mass has been held at the Capitol One Arena, which is a large convention center in Washington. 

The Center holds about 20,000. It is an extraordinary venue because they traditionally put all the seminarians down on the main arena and the young people are sitting on the benches around them. Many bishops and priests concelebrate at the Mass. It is an extraordinary event with young people. I call it tantamount to a mini World Youth Day because the young people are exposed to the witness of thousands and thousands of their peers.

More than 27,000 young people secured tickets for the morning concert, pep rally and Mass, according to the Archdiocese of Washington.

The Capitol One Arena event was part pep rally, part rock concert, with entire sections of worshipers standing up to cheer wildly for their local leaders as the names of bishops and archbishops on the platform were announced.

For Life.

Special thanks to everyone who joined us in praying for life at the 2018 March for Life in Washington, DC. Together our Marianist high schools had over 200 students in attendance representing their classmates.

We spent our two days in prayer, touring and fun throughout our stay in the nation's Capitol. For several hours we walked the Basilica together in awe. Chapel after chapel was explained in detail and symbols now understood. But the real purpose for our visit to Washington DC was to exercise our freedoms of speech and petition. Roe v. Wade was a Supreme Court decision decided in 1973 making abortion legal in the United States. The issue of abortion and a woman’s right to choose has remained controversial and politically charged ever since. We were witnesses. Witnessed for life.

Hold Us Together

We travel to Washington, DC tomorrow to begin our witness to life. Many will follow us tomorrow to witness with us. May God bless our efforts as we pray together,

Our Lady of Guadalupe,

we turn to you who are the protectress of unborn children and ask that you intercede for us,
so that we may more firmly resolve to join you in protecting all human life.
Let our prayers be united to your perpetual motherly intercession on behalf of those whose lives are threatened, be they in the womb of their mother, on the bed of infirmity, or in the latter years of their life.

May our prayers also be coupled with peaceful action which witnesses to the goodness and dignity of all human life, so that our firmness of purpose may give courage to those who are fearful and bring light to those who are blinded by sin.

Encourage those who will be involved in the March for Life;
help them to walk closely with God and to give voice to the cry of the oppressed,
in order to remind out nation of its commitment to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all people.

O Virgin Mother of God, present our petitions to your Son and ask Him to bless us with abundant life. 

Amen.

Dependence on God

Yesterday during the Marianist Community liturgy we reflected on the abundance of the Beatitudes. While we see the beatitudes leaving people powerless and dependent on God, not everyone feels that they have to depend on God. 

During our reflection, we remembered our childhood days when we often would gather with our families on Sundays. One Brother recalled the regular family sing-a-longs at the end of the meal. Cousin Joe would often entertain us on the piano and we would all join around the keyboard. One of our favorites was Frank Sinatra's signature tune. Together we would sing, "I planned each chartered course, each careful step along the way, but more, much more than this, I did it my way." This is not the theme that is reflected in the beatitudes in Sunday's liturgy. It just does not seem to resonate poverty of spirit. Rather it shouts of personal autonomy and self sufficiency.

We recall the emergence of the Superman and the other superheroes to put things in perspective. When these superheroes appeared on the planet we saw a new approach. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man all carried with them an alter ego. The proud superhero's alter ego was humble. Superman was mild-mannerd Clark Kent, Batman was Bruce Wayne, Wonder Woman was a prim secretary, Spider-Man was insecure Peter Parker. Interestingly, we actually hold that deep down inside us there is a superhero. But there needs to be a sense of humility and poverty of spirit.

The Beatitudes we explore happen to us when we realize that we are helpless and hopeless without God.

Marianist Monday - Your Call

It's your call. You are chosen material, though you might not know it.

Most of us spend quite a bit of time shopping around before we finally find, or fall into, a profession that seems to suit our personality. The most popular childhood careers of firefighter, football player, doctor and astronaut are not reflected in the numbers of adults actually involved in those pursuits. Instead we "settle" for jobs that need to be done or are the most available. When's the last time you heard a kid dreaming about growing up to be an office manager or a banker or an electrical line repairer. But all those jobs must be done and done well by someone, if we are to keep our businesses, our banks, our communities and our homes running smoothly.

One author put it this way: God often calls us when we are running errands, doing the mundane, thankless chores of life. When we least expect it, we are elected. Moses, hiding out on the back side of the Midian desert, was running an errand when a bush started burning that would not be consumed until he faced Pharaoh. Isaiah was somewhere in the temple, performing his regular priestly duties, when the heavens came down and the Holy commissioned him to go to the valley. Ezekiel, performing his pastoral tasks in the Exile, was transported by divine limousine service to a valley filled with dry bones. Amos was out herding sheep and keeping sycamore trees when the voice came and compelled him to go to the valley. And, Andrew and Peter were fishing out on the Sea of Galilee when the Master called them from fishing to the valley.

God is calling you right now. Are you going to respond?

It's your call whether or not to accept your "call."

REJOICE! - Marianist Diaconate Ordination

The Province of Meribah of the Society of Mary rejoices

at the diaconate ordination of

Our Brother Daniel Griffin, S.M.

Yesterday,  January 13, four Marianist Brothers were ordained as Deacons. This is the final step before being ordained as a priest. As Deacons, they are called to be servants - particularly to be servants of the Word of God, to be servants at the Eucharistic Table, and to be servants to the poor.

The following is offered from the beautiful celebration in Our Lady of the Pillar Chapel at the Marianist Generalate in Rome. Of course, afterwards, there was a Festa! Ciao!

Come, follow me

Viktor Frankl has written that peace means freedom in the face of three things: our instincts or "lower nature," our inherited traits or disposition and our surroundings .... Few of us, Dr. Frankl goes on, make important life choices with any degree of decisiveness. Backtracking here and compromising  here, we often lack the backbone to stand by our own decisions. Because of this, we remain in a continual state of angst. At times we hold a planless, day-to-day attitude toward whatever comes our way. At others we are fatalistic, defeatist. 

One day we exhibit spinelessness and have no clearly defined opinion at all; the next we cling so strongly and stubbornly to an idea we become fanatical. Ultimately, Frankl says, all these symptoms can be traced back to our fear of responsibility, and the indecision which is its fruit. 

--Johann Arnold, Seeking Peace 

(Pennsylvania: The Plough Publishing 

House, 1998), 140.

The Last ditch effort

Mark today describes an incident where some friends go to extraordinary lengths to get help for a friend. They were even willing to risk embarrassment and (if this were America) a possible lawsuit.

The passage opens with Jesus “at home” in Capernaum in a house that suggests was either his or that of a close friend. Word gets out that he’s back in town and the neighbors begin to bang on the door, wanting to get close to him. Suddenly, the house is full of uninvited guests wanting to hear a word — so many that “there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door.” 

Standing on the fringes of the crowd were some men who had brought with them a “paralyzed man,” carrying him on some mat or stretcher. We don’t know anything else about these men, other than their objective was to get their disabled friend in front of Jesus in what may have been a last-ditch rescue mission to save him from a life of begging in the streets or worse.

The crowd being too thick, the rescuers move immediately to Plan B. They dig a hole through the flat roof of the house and go deep in order to help, lowering their comrade right in front of Jesus regardless of embarrassment, cost or the perception of the others around them.

Here’s the main point: The helpless man on the mat is not too proud to ask for help, he accepts help, and if he had refused their help, he would have made it impossible for his friends to use their gifts.

Significant turning

Today’s reading from Mark gives us an opportunity to think about conversion. Call it the Divine Touch. It is the turning-point moment when Jesus touched a man with leprosy and everything in that man’s life changed. He who had been separated from his family, community, temple and friends by disease, who was considered unclean and made an outcast because of the wasting away of his flesh, now was made whole and enabled to join the mainstream again. He went from outcast to cast in, from sickness to health, from unclean to clean, from brokenness to wholeness.
Nothing stopped this man from broadcasting what Jesus had done for him. He “proclaimed it freely” and “spread the word,” the Scripture says.

The Scripture reading does not say that this man experienced conversion in the religious sense of the word, which is how we often use it. 

But in some ways, that makes this a good text from which to think about religious conversion, for it has more in common with other types of conversion than we might at first think. In the Bible, the Hebrew word for conversion is shub, which means “to turn” or “to return,” and the Greek word is metanoia, which means “to turn around.” In the case of this man Jesus healed, there was clearly a return, in that he could now go back to his family and community, but there was also a turning around. And that’s exactly what happened to this man. He stepped off the “woe is me” path and onto the “Jesus is great” road.

The conversions we usually hear about, whether of a religious nature or of some other type, are often accompanied, at least initially, by excitement, zest, intensity, an eagerness to tell others about it and efforts to make significant changes in one’s life. And often, the converted person looks back at the time of the conversion as a significant turning point.

It's Back

We have returned to Ordinary Time since we have completed Christmastide.

Nothing can seem extraordinary until you have discovered what is ordinary. 

- C. S. Lewis

While we have put away all the decorations and have put an end to the countless Christmas carols, 

we now focus on Ordinary Time.

Our music for this season is wide and varied. There is an almost endless variety of songs to choose for the liturgy.

Our songs can be celebratory or even more somber.

Lent is a time of inner reflection. Easter is a time for rejoicing in the Resurrection of Our Lord and the promises He brings. Advent is anticipation. Christmas we rejoice in the birth of Our Lord.

It is in Ordinary Time that we celebrate the seemingly mundane and the ho-hum of every day life.

Jesus shows us the inestimable value of ordinary time. As the Jesuit theologian John Haughey comments, during Jesus’s time in Nazareth God fashioned him into “the instrument God needed for the salvation of the world.” In Nazareth, Jesus speaks to the meaning and worth of our ordinary lives. 

- James Martin, S.J. from his book, Jesus: A Pilgrimage

Home By Another Way

Check out the video above to hear James Taylor's Home By Another Way. A great Epiphany song. The lyrics are posted below.

Those magic men the Magi
Some people call them wise
Or Oriental, even kings
Well anyway, those guys
They visited with Jesus
They sure enjoyed their stay
Then warned in a dream of King Herod's scheme
They went home by another way

Yes they went home by another way
Home by another way
Maybe me and you can be wise guys too
And go home by another way
We can make it another way
Safe home as they used to say
Keep a weather eye to the chart on high
And go home another way

Steer clear of royal welcomes
Avoid a big to-do
A king who would slaughter the innocents
Will not cut a deal for you
He really, really wants those presents
He'll comb your camel's fur
Until his boys announce they've found trace amounts
Of your frankincense, gold and myrrh

Time to go home by another way
Home by another way
You have to figure the Gods saying play the odds
and go home by another way
We can make it another way
Safe home as they used to say
Keep a weather eye to the chart on high

And go home another way
Home is where they want you now
You can more or less assume that you'll be welcome in the end
Mustn't let King Herod haunt you so
Or fantasize his features when you're looking at a friend

Well it pleasures me to be here
And to sing this song tonight
They tell me that life is a miracle
And I figured that they're right
But Herod's always out there
He's got our cards on file
It's a lead pipe cinch, if we give an inch
Old Herod likes to take a mile

It's best to go home by another way
Home by another way
We got this far to a lucky star
But tomorrow is another day
We can make it another way
Safe home as they used to say
Keep a weather eye to the chart on high
And go home another way


TUESDAY PRAYER INTENTION:
Pray for those on the Collegiate Retreat at Founder's Hollow.

Marianist Monday

January, 2018

My dear graduates of Chaminade, Kellenberg Memorial, and St. Martin de Porres Marianist School,

Emmanuel certainly ranks way up there as one of my favorite Christmastide words – and a favorite Advent word as well. Emmanuel. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Emmanuel. Originally a Hebrew name, it translates “God is with us.” As St. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, “If God is with us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)


Every so often, we are privileged to encounter people who remind us that God is indeed with us. Typically, they do so more by their deeds than by their words. By the holiness of their lives, they become a kind of human stained-glass window, through which the light of Christ, in all its radiance, shines. Pope Francis serves as such a reminder to me. In his welcoming smile and compassionate attitude towards others, I see a living embodiment of Christ among us. Emmanuel. Mother Teresa of Calcutta is another such reminder of God with us. Her prayerful connection to God and her tireless outreach to the poor show us all the face of God. Emmanuel. We are grateful that she lived among us.

We Marianists were privileged to have one such Emanuel figure living among us as well. His name was Father Paul Landolfi, S.M. He entered eternal life exactly one week before Thanksgiving, and all of us in the Province of Meribah are profoundly thankful for having him in our lives. His time living in the Chaminade-Mineola Community was brief – only five years – but in those five years, Fr. Paul made an enormous impact on everyone he met.

Paul Joseph Landolfi was born on December 17, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York. The young Paul Landolfi’s mother died when he was only five years old. Six years later, his dad passed away. For the better part of his early life, Paul Landolfi lived at St. John’s Home in Rockaway, an orphanage for boys run by the Marianists. Later, Fr. Paul became a Marianist himself, teaching in Covington, Kentucky; Hamilton, Ohio; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Twice he returned to his boyhood residence of St. John’s Home, serving as chaplain, counselor, member of the Board of Trustees, and director of the Marianist Community at the facility there. Fr. Paul spent the last five years of his life at Chaminade High School, where he said Mass, heard confessions, served as a spiritual director to many faculty members and students, and held classes in Marianist history and spirituality for our three Novices and our Aspirant.

To know Fr. Paul was to experience a little bit of God with us. He was widely known, for example, as a kind and compassionate confessor. Hearing the news of Fr. Paul’s passing, one faculty member wrote to me that he had “never had a better confession” than when he first went to confession with Fr. Paul. A Marianist now studying for the priesthood in Rome emailed to recount that it was after going to confession with Fr. Paul that he finally had the courage, confidence, and the clarity of vision to request entrance into the Society of Mary. Once this young Marianist is ordained, he plans on wearing the confessional stole that Fr. Paul used during the Sacrament of Penance.

Despite his age and his medical history (He had a total of twelve stents!), Fr. Paul was forever young. He delighted in playing poker with the younger members of the Community – and beating them. If a movie were being shown after dinner, Fr. Paul would join us in the rec room to watch the film – whether it was a lighthearted comedy or a rather serious drama that touched the human soul. Fr. Paul was born one year before the world’s first electronic television was created by a 21-year-old inventor named Philo Taylor Farnsworth, and since that time, he stayed on top of all the latest technology. In recent years, he had an Apple computer in his bedroom, a laptop in the office across from the Chaminade chapel, two iPads, and an iPhone 6. He was a master with Google drive, storing hundreds of homilies he composed and articles that he wrote about Marianist spirituality. Fr. Paul never stopped learning.

Fr. Paul saved everything. Everything. He saved used batteries; cards and letters that had been sent to him; and file cabinets upon file cabinets of Marianist notes, booklets, worship aids, and mementos. At his computer, Fr. Paul composed a script for a Fatima 100th Anniversary Prayer Service that he conducted this past October 12. It was based on the old manual-typewriter, mimeographed script that he had composed – and saved – for the 50th Anniversary. As I said, Fr. Paul kept everything – four separate rooms of storage – because he knew that, eventually, it would all came in handy.

Fr. Paul lived to make the Blessed Virgin Mary known, loved, and served. After he was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (a rare form of leukemia that prevents the bone marrow from manufacturing sufficient platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells) this past August, Fr. Paul sent me his proposal for that prayer service to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the apparitions at Fatima. When I suggested to Fr. Paul that he might be too weak to conduct such a prayer service, he replied simply, “Well, if it is Our Lady’s will, then I know it will be done.” Needless to say, we had the prayer service. Over 100 people attended the evening event. Fr. Paul’s voice was loud, clear, and strong for the prayer service. Fr. Paul mustered every bit of his strength to be present at that prayer service. At true Marianist and a devoted son on Mary, he never tired of drawing everyone he met closer to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Fr. Paul also lived to pray, and he communed about as deeply with God as anyone I have ever met. Except for the last two days of his days at Chaminade, Fr. Paul


would have made his way to chapel long before most of us arrived. Even when his body was wracked with pain and his mobility severely limited, Fr. Paul would set his alarm for 4:30 a.m. so that he could arrive in chapel with plenty of time to spare before the beginning of Morning Prayer and Mass at 6:00 a.m. And when it became impossible for him to get to chapel, even in a wheelchair, Fr. Paul asked several of us to come to his bedroom and pray the Liturgy of the Hours with him, and, of course, to bring him Holy Communion.


Because he cared so deeply about the Lord, Fr. Paul cared immensely for God’s people. He compiled a list of birthdays for every adult who works at Chaminade – teachers; coaches; secretaries; the cafeteria, maintenance, and custodial staffs. On the occasion of each person’s birthday, he would pray for them during the Prayer of the Faithful at our Community Mass. He would also write each faculty and staff member a personalized email, wishing each a happy birthday. At Queen of Peace Residence, the health-care facility where he spent the last three-and-a half days of his life, he was already making it one of his priorities to learn the names of every Sister, every nurse, and every auxiliary staff member on the premises. After only three-and-a-half days, he already had a many names down pat – a point of personal pride for him.


Fr. Paul delighted in young people. Whenever he was physically able, he came over to school to attend our monthly Faustino Club (i.e. Vocation Club) meeting. He had a special love for our young Brothers, and they for him! Even when he was admitted to Queen of Peace, Fr. Paul was busy formulating plans to continue teaching the Novices and our Aspirant. He explained to me the next couple of lessons that he planned to conduct, and he inquired about having a table set up in his room at Queen of Peace so that he could hold class there. Fr. Paul had Bro. Peter Francis, n.S.M., bring over his binder of notes so that he could continue his class in Marianist history and spirituality. It was one of the items I found when we collected Fr. Paul’s belongings after his passing at Queen of Peace.

From your days at Kellenberg Memorial or at Chaminade, you may remember the book and the film Tuesdays with Morrie. At one point, Morrie Schwartz, author Mitch Albom’s old sociology professor who is now dying of ALS, remarks to Mitch, “The truth is, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.” Fr. Paul knew well that his death was imminent. He didn’t feel sorry for himself, he didn’t dwell on that fact, and he certainly didn’t let his mortality intimidate him or stop him from living. Fr. Paul was reconciled to the fact that he was going to die, and in Christian hope he looked forward to meeting his maker. In the interim, he lived his life to the full, right down to his very last days!

As I mentioned, for the final three-and-a-half days of his life, Fr. Paul was under the care of the Little Sisters of the Poor at Queen of Peace Residence in Queens Village, NY. Several of the Marianists and the Little Sisters of the Poor were at Fr. Paul’s bedside when he passed away. One of the priests of our Community administered the Last Rites. We prayed the Rosary, sang the Salve Regina, and the recited the Memorare. Moments after the Memorare, Fr. Paul passed away peacefully and entered eternal life.

“The truth is, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.” And what a life Fr. Paul lived! As one alumni parent put it, “Fr. Paul never missed a step, or a moment to share with those he encountered. His bursting-with-life attitude was infectious, engaging people into action, thought, and prayer. He was a most gentle, genuine, generous, God-loving, Marianist holy soul.”

Yes, some people do indeed remind us what it means to have God with us. Father Paul Joseph Landolfi, S.M. was one such embodiment of holiness and Godliness. We are forever grateful for his presence among us, for everything that he taught us, and for all that he inspires us to be.

On behalf of all my Marianist Brothers,


Bro. Stephen


P.S. We look forward to seeing you at Midnight Mass. Also, we hope you will consider attending our annual College-Age Retreat at Meribah. This year’s theme is “It’s Not How You Planned It,” and it will take place on Tuesday, January 2 and Wednesday, January 3, 2018. Arrive 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday; the retreat concludes at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. You can register for the retreat by visiting www.provinceofmeribah.com/register, or by emailing Brother Stephen Balletta at SBalletta@chaminade-hs.org.

Epiphany - May Christ bless the house

It is traditional to bless your house for the Epiphany.

Over the doorway to the home would be written the Epiphany Inscription:
20 + C + M + B + 10

The letters have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the Three Magi: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. They also abbreviate the Latin words Christus mansionem benedicat. May Christ bless the house.

The letters recall the day on which the inscription is made, as well as the purpose of blessing.
The crosses represent the protection of the Blood of Christ, whose Name we invoke, and also the holiness of the Three Magi sanctified by their adoration of the Infant Christ.

The inscription is made above the front door, so that all who enter and depart this year may enjoy God's blessing.

The inscription is made of chalk, a product of clay, which recalls the human nature taken by the Word of God in the womb of the Virgin Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Marianist Founder's Vision

Our founder Blessed William Joseph Chaminade (1761-1850) lived during the years of the French Revolution. In his ministry following the upheavals of the revolution, he encountered an ignorance of religious faith, indifference, abandonment of Christian life, and the structural ruin of the Church. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit he realized that new institutions and new methods were necessary to revive the religious spirit of his native France.

Blessed Chaminade always sought inspiration in Mary, at whose sanctuary of Our Lady of the Pillar in Saragossa, Spain, he prayed while in exile during the Revolution. He saw Mary as the one who received the word of the Lord and pondered it in her heart, the woman who gave Christ to the world, the Mother who cooperates with the Holy Spirit in the formation of believers. Mary embodied all the attitudes of the Gospel. Chaminade committed himself to assisting Mary in the mission of bringing persons to become more like her son Jesus. With this vision of Mary’s role, he sought to re-Christianize France.

. . . the development of community life in the spirit of the Gospel

Central to Chaminade’s means was the development of community life in the spirit of the Gospel and the practice of the early Church. Such a community could be a witness of a people of saints, showing that the Gospel still could be lived in all times and places. A Christian community could attract others to follow Christ. Thus, Chaminade founded communities of lay men and women as a means of re-Christianizing France.

Prayer of Dedication to Mary

Together with our Blessed Founder
and the many holy Marianists who have gone before us,
let us renew our dedication to Mary and her Mission.

Mary,
we embrace the religious life in your name.
All that we have, all that we are,
we dedicate to continuing your mission
of bringing Jesus into our world.
Holy Mother,
stay with us this day
and teach us to
“Do whatever he tells us.” Amen.

Live more purely

"They [religious] live more purely, they fall more rarely, they rise more speedily, they are aided more powerfully, they live more peacefully, they die more securely, and they are rewarded more abundantly."

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

Lord Jesus,
please grant to me the grace to know my true vocation.
In Baptism I was signed in your name
and have grown to share in the work of bringing the Father's love to our world.
May I respond to the special life's work to which You are calling me.

I ask that many will hear the particular call to serve in the Church
as priests, religious and consecrated lay people.
To whatever You ask of me,
may I freely, courageously and lovingly respond.
Amen.

Christmas Joy

To Know One's Vocation

Lord, my God and my loving Father,
You have made me to know You, to love You, to serve You,
and thereby to find and to fulfill myself.
I know that You are in all things,
and that every path can lead me to You.
But of them all, there is one especially
by which You want me to come to You.
Since I will do what You want of me,
I pray You, send your Holy Spirit to me: into my mind,
to show me what You want of me; into my heart,
to give me the determination to do it,
and to do it with all my love, with all my mind,
and with all my strength right to the end.
Amen.

Pray for vocations!

I wish heartily to encourage this kind of profound friendship with the Lord, above all for the sake of imploring from on high new vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life. The People of God need to be guided by pastors whose lives are spent in service to the Gospel. I ask parish communities, associations and the many prayer groups present in the Church, not to yield to discouragement but to continue praying that the Lord will send workers to his harvest. May he give us priests enamored of the Gospel, close to all their brothers and sisters, living signs of God’s merciful love.

Pope Francis