trinitarian times

God delegates!

2011-10-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today’s Gospel contains St. Luke’s version of the Our Father. In this version we hear, “Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come…” St. Matthew says, “your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, reminding us that the Kingdom is not totally other worldly. The kingdom begins here and now. A priest once shared that while on a plane the person next to him told him he was an atheist. He said he couldn’t believe in a God, who with all the suffering and sorrow in this world would leave his work to human beings. But, yet, isn’t it wonderful that God would trust us so much that he would leave the building up of the kingdom to us. He did, after all, leave us the example of his Son. We get into trouble when we don’t follow that example!

Jesus said, “You have not chosen me, I have chosen you to go and bear fruit that will last.” (John 15,16) Of course in John 15, 5 he says, “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

A friend of mine who is an avid NCIS fan said she noticed that when they answer the phone they identify themselves as “Special Agent…” What if we all thought of ourselves as God’s Special Agents, entrusted with the building up of God’s Kingdom here on earth NOW? We don’t have to do it alone!

What are you going to do today to build up the Kingdom?

Feast of Feasts!

2011-09-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

It seems we are in the midst of a “feast of feasts”. Tuesday was the feast of St. Vincent dePaul, a very important part of our spirituality because our Founder, Father Thomas Judge, CM, was a Vincentian priest. We call the Vincentian priests and Brothers and the Daughters of Charity our “cousins”.
Yesterday was the feast of the Archangels, Gabriel, Raphael and Michael. Today is the feast of St. Jerome.
St. Jerome has become a favorite of mine. My first mission in Mexico was in a town called San Jeronimito. St. Jerome was the church’s patron and a large image of him hung in the front of the Church. The patronal feasts are celebrated with gusto in Mexico. Our arrival on the mission coincided with the feast. The people of San Jeronimito had never had Religious in their parish, which consisted of well over 50 chapels spread out over a large area. We received a grand welcome from them and the pastor. The Bishop even drove from Acapulco to celebrate and also welcome the new Sisters. This feast always brings back the memory of that wonderful day.
San Jeronimito, in the state of Guerrero, was a place in peril in many ways. It was touched by drug trafficking. While the town is on the coast, nearby mountainous areas were the scene of marijuana crops. I often heard the cry, “grow marijuana or starve to death”. I met many people who made courageous choices; the ones who chose not to grow marijuana as well as those who spoke out against the trafficking and ensuing violence. Some outspoken priests and religious as well as others lost their lives. All this happened close to 20 years before today’s drug-related terror and publicity.
San Jeronimito was in peril also because there was another war going on, the war against Catholicism. This may sound like a dramatic statement; however, San Jeronimito and the surrounding areas were dominated by religious sects. Catholics were a minority and were bombarded by visits from proselytizers holding Bibles and pointing to verses to prove that Catholics were wrong about just about everything. I might add that some of these groups had their own bibles. The verses in these bibles were and are changed regularly to accommodate their teachings.
The people were bewildered and would approach us asking us to teach them about the bible. I felt so inadequate with my very limited biblical knowledge. Around the same time I had been invited to study theology and wasn’t sure which area to choose. That quickly became a no-brainer. My desire to know more about the bible was fueled by these people so poor they had to scrimp and save to purchase one, but did so with such love and desire for the Word of God.
Returning to school was not easy after being away so many years. But, I became a highly highly motivated learner. Besides, I had my patron! In my first semester when I became acquainted with the New Jerome Biblical Commentary, I saw the quote: “Love the holy Scriptures, and wisdom will love you. Love wisdom, and she will keep you safe. Honor wisdom and she will embrace you.” (St. Jerome) St. Jerome also said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” An assiduous scholar, he is known for his translations of the Bible, particularly translating the Old Testament from the original Hebrew to Latin as well as for his work correcting some of the Latin in the New Testament. He is also known for his sometimes irascible nature and even had the chutzpah to take on St. Augustine when he didn’t agree with him. That didn’t diminish Augustine’s respect for him. He said, "What Jerome is ignorant of, no mortal has ever known."
He was also a great supporter of women in their desire for knowledge and holiness. His own quest for holiness is also inspiring.

St. Jerome is called the Father of Biblical Science. He is the patron of biblical scholars, researchers, translators, librarians, and probably more, including those of us who have occasional grumpy days! I’m really grateful he was the patron of San Jeronimito.

New Beginnings

2011-09-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

It is incredulous, almost overwhelming, to think that we are in a new month. It’s not just a new month, but for many a new year as they return to school. September 1 also says summer is just about over.

Summer is a time for refreshment and renewal, a time when supposedly things slow down a little. It’s an opportunity to reflect on how we are living our lives. Things were anything but slowing down for us. Among many other things I was getting set to return to Mexico for a mission week with young women interested in our Community as well as other vocation promotion work. Then suddenly my life came to what seemed like a screeching halt. I needed several tests and ultimately a biopsy, I soon learned how interminable a week can be when you are waiting for results realizing that your life could change dramatically.

I didn’t get to go on vacation or retreat this summer. That will have to wait. But I did get some time for reflection. Health crises can remind us of how much we take for granted.

I have always been grateful for my good health, but will now be even more so. I also had a chance while waiting in hospitals and doctors offices to think about how many people don’t always get good results. Their lives do change dramatically. Not only theirs, but their loved ones as well. I also thought of how many people have neither adequate health care nor the insurance to pay for it.

In some ways I begin the Fall with a sense of newness. Thank God my biopsy was negative, and I have a whole new sense of gratitude for my health and for the support I received.

I’m also beginning this new month by having been able to return to Mexico. This weekend we’ll have a discernment retreat with our ST brothers at their novitiate in Huitzila, possibly a new beginning for the young men and women who will be attending as they discover their calling in life. Please keep them and the Team in your prayers.

There’s so much to be grateful for.

Sixty Years of Fidelity!

2011-08-05T10:46:00.000-07:00

August 5 is very special day for many Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity. It’s the anniversary of the day they entered the Congregation, or as we say their “entrance day”.
Today I was privileged to celebrate with one of our Sisters who is a dear friend. Sister Catherine Francis, MSBT celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of her entrance to the Community.
Sister is now missioned to St. Patrick’s Parish in Wareham, Massachussetts where she is responsible for ministry to the homebound parishioners.
As you know, part of our charism or gift to the Church is encouraging an apostolic spirit in the laity. Sister Catherine has spent many years doing precisely this. One of her assignments was working with several of our priests and Brothers as they went about the various missions assisting members of both congregations with practical means for carrying out this aspect of our charism.
Sister also worked in several dioceses in Parish Social Ministry travelling from parish to parish enabling all to live out their baptismal call to holiness and ministry, particularly the social dimension, service to the poor and abandoned.
Today the pastor asked Sr. Catherine to be a Eucharist Minister in the Mass. In accord with her strong belief in lay ministry, she would have preferred that one of the parishioners do this. Frankly, I was pleased that he asked her. The Eucharist is such tangible sign of Christ’s love for us. Sister Catherine Francis has spent the last sixty years inviting so many, laity, religious and clergy to live out and be Christ’s love and presence in the world. The Eucharist is the “sun and center of our apostolic life”, and this has certainly been the case with her.
Congratulations and thank you, Catherine, for being a “wisdom figure”, an example par excellence of faithfulness and a wonderful mentor. May God gift you with many more years of love and service. It was a joy and a privilege for me to receive the Blood of Christ from you today.
It is no small coincidence that Sr. Olivia and I were here in Wareham to begin a discernment weekend for young women who might be considering religious life. Please pray for this and that there may be many more “Sister Catherines” in the future.

St. Mary Magdalene

2011-07-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

Today is the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, one of the more prominent women of the New Testament. Many hear her name and immediately think she was quite the sinful woman before she met Jesus, but not all scripture scholars agree that she was that infamous woman. Part of the problem is that the name Mary is mentioned a number of times in the Gospels. Perhaps Mary was as common a name in Jewish families first century Palestine as it had been in Irish (and other) Catholic families. In my own family we have had more than a few women by the name of Mary!
In the Gospels we meet Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Some have said she and Mary Magdalene are the same person. There are times when we meet her and her name is quite obvious: in the Gospel of St. Luke (8,2), she is the woman “from whom seven demons had gone out”. We meet her at the cross (Mt 27,56; Mk 15,40; John 19,25); at Jesus’ burial (Mt 27,61; Mk 15,47); at the Resurrection (Mt 28,1-10, Mk16, 1-9; Lk 24,1-12). Then there is that beautiful encounter between her and Jesus in St. John’s Gospel(Jn 20,1-18) where after the Resurrection she is weeping because the tomb is empty, and she fears “they have taken my Lord away”(20,13).
Mary saw Jesus but didn’t recognize him until he spoke her name. I have pondered this passage frequently. Very often those we love have special names for us, or even a certain way of saying our name. Most people who have lost parents and other loved ones say they really miss their hearing that person’s voice. I can agree with that. So, we can imagine what joy it must have been for Mary to hear Jesus say her name one more time. Have you every thought how Jesus might call you, how he might say your name?
Whatever we don’t know about this great saint, we do know that she was a loyal disciple of Jesus. She was one of the women who left everything to follow him. She was one of his supporters. St. Luke (8,3) tells us she was one of the women who provided for Jesus and “the twelve” out of their resources. She was courageous. She stood by Jesus at the foot of the cross when many others hid. She was fearless and caring, especially shown when she went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body. She was a trusted disciple. Jesus revealed his Resurrection and entrusted to her the mission of giving that news to the Apostles.
Mary Magdalene is truly one “who found him whom my soul loves” (Song of Solomon 3,4). What a wonderful example for all of us.

Discerning Your Call

2011-07-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

As you know my present work is to help people discern their calling in life. You might notice I didn't just say young people. I receive mail from people of all ages who are are trying discern where God is leading them. Some are in their 40's, 50's and 60's. I recently received an email from a woman who is 70. You might say they are responding to a "mid-life crisis" or they are wondering what to do now that they are retired. I am convinced it is more than that. Whether you are at the point in life that you can make a major decision or if you are at the point where a major shift in your life style would be difficult for you as well as for those around you, you have a call.
Each day of our lives God is inviting us to something more, whether it's responding to God's invitation to a deeper life with Him, or being more attentive to the needs of those around us, or perhaps living more wholeheartedly the vocation and career we have. Life is an adventure, and a sure way to enjoy it even more is to take a few quiet moments each day and ask God to reveal to you His ideas of how you might best live out the day.
Perhaps you could share some ways you've felt "called" recently, whether it involved a major life change or another that has truly affected your life.
Sr. Olivia, my coworker, recently pointed this video out to me which I think is so well done, and shows us that "vocation" is not an either/or. No, it is much more inclusive. I hope you enjoy it.

Pentecost

2011-06-12T13:16:00.001-07:00

Happy Feast of Pentecost! In our Community we have been preparing for this feast for the past nine days by praying the Novena to the Holy Spirit. The time of the Pentecost Novena has always been a rather solemn occasion in our Motherhouse. Until several years ago when we had more young Sisters in Formation we had Eucharistic Adoration 24/7 for the nine days preceding the Feast of Pentecost. Young and not always so young Sisters took those after midnight hours. This year was very special, too. We invited people from the neighborhood to join us in our prayer. It was a very edifying experience for all.

We do have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament every day from around 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. During the Novena the time was extended until 9:00 p.m. As we took our turns in Chapel we remembered our families, friends and benefactors in a special way.

Our Founder, Father Thomas Augustine Judge, CM, had great devotion to the Holy Spirit. This is an important part of our spiritual heritage. Article 11 of our Rule of Life says, "We are to make the Holy Spirit better known and loved. By steadfast prayer in our Cenacles we seek to attract the Holy Spirit so that our own hearts may be enkindled with God's love and that we may spread this fire to others. We ask to be filled with the gifts of the Spirit, wisdom and fortitude especially."

There is so much that could be said about the Holy Spirit, but anyone that I know who has this devotion has had powerful experiences of his presence. Let us pray that Holy Spirit continue to lead, guide and enlighten us in all that we are about so that we may attain the holiness to which we have been called.

Holy Spirit Novena Day 9

2011-06-11T17:47:00.000-07:00

Day Nine
The fruit of the Spirit is Self-Control.

Scripture
Finally, we beg you in Jesus Christ, that as you learned from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are now doing, you will do so more and more. (1 Thes 4:1)

Missionary Cenacle Meditations
What is the big thing you are going to do for your Savior? Choose some specific work of self-control, self-renunciation, or detachment: an act that is contrary to the spirit of the world. Do something which will mark off for you another chapter of progress in the spiritual life. In all things let it be a closer following of Him, a more cheerful taking up of His cross. (p. 21)

For reflection
In baptism, I received the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is already mine. How have I grown spiritually over the years? How is my behavior a witness to my commitment to follow Jesus?

Holy Spirit Novena Day 8

2011-06-09T18:03:00.000-07:00

Day Eight
The fruit of the Spirit is Gentleness.

Scripture
But a Samaritan came by, and when he saw the man, he had compassion, and went to him, and bound his wounds, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. (Lk 10:33-34)

Missionary Cenacle Meditations
The love of Christ urges us. In other words, we are doing it for Him. We see Him in them—in their souls created to His Image and likeness. We minister to Him. Surely, that was a soiled face that Veronica ministered to. It was blood-stained and dirty. But it was the face of Christ. (p. 9)

For reflection
In baptism, I received the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is already mine. Today, where am I being called to respond with gentleness?

Holy Spirit Novena Day 7

2011-06-09T18:01:00.000-07:00

Day Seven
The fruit of the Spirit is Faithfulness.

Scripture
If God is for us, who is against us?...Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? (Rom 8:31,35)

Missionary Cenacle Meditations
We should be like a rock in the midst of an angry sea. The waves beat against it and over it, but when the waters have subsided and the calm comes, the rock is still there. And so it should be with our will. No matter how our mind seems divided, no matter how distracted we are, no matter whether we be in the clouds or in the shadows of darkness, this we should know: that we love God and we want Him. If you feel that, you are as that rock in the midst of the waters. (p. 200)

For reflection
In baptism, I received the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is already mine. When have I felt like a rock beaten by the waves? What trials has my faith already survived?

Holy Spirit Novena Day 6

2011-06-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

Day Six
The fruit of the Spirit is Goodness.

Scripture
“You are the light of the world.... Let your light shine before all, so that when they see your good works, they give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Mt 5:14,16)

Missionary Cenacle Meditations
Live more in the Presence of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Realize more and more that every human being whom you meet is the living image of the Blessed Trinity. Respect and honor all as a consequence. (p. 3)

For reflection
In baptism, I received the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is already mine. Do I truly believe I am good? Is there someone I know who needs to see his or her own goodness?

Holy Spirit Novena Day 5

2011-06-09T17:52:00.000-07:00

Day Five
The fruit of the Spirit is Kindness.

Scripture
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, in whom you are sealed for redemption. Let all bitterness and anger and slander be put away from you, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving as God in Christ forgave you. (Eph 4: 30-32)

Missionary Cenacle Meditations
We want kindness, we want love. We should learn from the Heart of our Divine Lord to be kind. What is your nature? Are your thoughts kindly? If your thoughts are not kindly your words will not be kindly. A kind person makes allowance, a kind person is considerate, a kind person isn’t looking to get something out of others. (p. 231)

For reflection
In baptism, I received the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is already mine. When have I received true kindness? When have I been kind to someone who I knew really needed it?

Fourth Day of Holy Spirit Novena

2011-06-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

Day Four
The fruit of the Spirit is patience.

Scripture
Be patient until the comin of the Lord. Look how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it receives the fall and the spring rains. So you should be patient and not lose heart, for the Lord's coming is near. (Mt. 5:43)

Missionary Cenacle Meditations
A patient person is a delight - like an anchor, like a solid rock. You always find patient people the same way. Their judgement is good because they think out of a calm tranquil mind. They take their time in judging things and analyzing things. (p. 306)

For reflection
In Baptism I received the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is already mine. When do I feel calm and tranquil? How does it affect my actions?

Third Day of Holy Spirit Novena

2011-06-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

Day Three
The Fruit of the Spirit is Peace.

Scripture
The disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them, "Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you." And after saying this, he breathed on them. (Jn 20:20-22)

Missionary Cenacle Meditations
Recently, our Brothers on the farm were waiting for high winds to calm down so they might plands seeds in well prepared fields. One of them said, "If we sow this seed now it will be all blown away." That evening a calm came, the seed was sown and remained safe. So our souls must be calm if we are to receive the inspiration of the HOly Spirit. (p.323)

For reflection
In baptism, I received the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is already mine. What does the peace of God feel like? How does it ssend me forth?

Second Day of Holy Spirit Novena

2011-06-05T04:16:00.000-07:00

Day Two
The fruit of the Spirit is Joy.

Scripture
When I look at the sky, the work of your hands, the moon and stars which you made–what are we, that you think about us, mere mortals, that you care about us? Yet you made us little lower than angels, and crowned us with glory and honor. (Ps 8:3-5)

Missionary Cenacle Meditations
As the sun gives life to the earth and enables plants to produce beautiful flowers of endless variety of color, form and fragrance, and fruits of a thousand different tastes, so the Holy Spirit, by the warmth and light He infuses into our souls, enables us to bring forth the celestial flowers and fruits of every virtue. (p. 83)

For reflection
In baptism, I received the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is already mine. When in my life have I felt joy? How can I share this fruit?

Novena to the Holy Spirit

2011-06-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

Day One
The Fruit of the Spirit is Love.

Scripture
"...but I say to you, love your enemies,
and pray for those who persecute you.” (Mt 5:43)

Missionary Cenacle Meditations
During this novena I call your attention to the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, charity. Charity is the love of God, the love of our neighbor. The love of God demands us to do much for Him. How ardently I pray the Holy Spirit to infuse more into us the love of God. Pray often that you may have an abundance of this Fruit of holy Charity. Truly loving God you will surely love your neighbor. God’s love will make the burdens of life easy to bear. (p. 157)

For reflection
In baptism, I received the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is already mine. When in my life have I felt charity or compassion for someone who hurt or angered me?

A Great Tradition

2011-06-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

Since 1913 our Community has maintained a perpetual novena to the Holy Spirit. Even though most of our Sisters pray this daily, missions are given an assigned time to pray the novena. This means almost one hundred years of an unbroken tradition!

During the nine days before Pentecost the enter Missionary Cenacle Family (Sisters, the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate, the lay branch, as well as our Brothers, and the Blessed Trinity Missionary Institute) prays a novena to the Holy Spirit.

Will you join us in this tradition?

I am afraid I am starting a day late, but if we begin today, we can finish on the actual Feast of Pentecost, next Sunday.

Our Sisters in Trinta have prepared a novena that provides a brief reflection from Sacred Scripture, a meditation from our Founder, Fr. Thomas Judge, CM and a we as a personal reflection.

I believe this novena is a wonderful tool for spiritual growth.

A Disappointment in 2010

2010-12-29T12:06:00.000-08:00

One of my biggest disappointments in 2010 was the failure of Congress to pass the Dream Act. Hundreds of thousands of young adults who arrived in the United States with their parents as small children will continue to live in a state of limbo.
They are culturally USA. Their accent is American. I can think of so many who speak with a Southern drawl. They are forced to live in the shadows because of a decision their parents made many years ago. A decision that was supposedly for their benefit!
Many of these young adults have completed college, but cannot practice the career they prepared for because they don’t have the proper documents. Many are working at menial jobs and paying income tax. Yes, paying income tax. If one does not have the proper immigration documents he or she can apply to the Internal Revenue Service for a tax ID number and pay taxes. Many of these young people and their parents and other undocumented persons are also paying into Social Security, keeping it afloat, and presently have no possibility of ever receiving the benefits.
During these days when we read of Mary and Joseph’s flight into Egypt with their newborn, protecting him from Herod’s slaughter, let’s pray for the parents and children who have had to flee their countries for political, economic or other reasons. I hope that you will encourage people you know to learn more about this bill and encourage your representatives in Congress to support it.
For more information please click to read Archbishop Gomez’s statement on the Dream Act as well as the Justice for Immigrants website.

The Digital Story of the Nativity

2010-12-16T07:53:00.000-08:00

This video was created by a Portuguese company called Excentric. What a great, creative way to tell the Good News today! Any other ideas?
To see the full screen, click on the word HERE.

Meet Sister Sara

2010-11-30T14:44:00.000-08:00

Perhaps our most famous Missionary Servant of the Most Blessed Trinity is Sister Sara Butler. Sister Sara is a theologian and holds the Paluch Chair of Theology at the University of St. Mary of the Lake Mundelein Seminary in the Archdiocese of Chicago. She is a member of the International Theological Commission and was an Expert appointed by Pope Benedict at the Synod on the Word of God in 2008. This past summer Sr. Sara was interviewed by Father Thomas Rosica, CSB on Salt and Light TV. In this interview she shares how she met the Missionary Servants, and what attracted her as well as her journey through life as a Missionary Servant of the Most Blessed Trinity.

I think you'll find this interview most interesting.

Another Year

2010-11-30T13:00:00.000-08:00

On Sunday the Church entered into the Advent Season. It is also the beginning of a new Liturgical Year.

Advent is known as the season of waiting. Perhaps some of you have been waiting to see if I would ever resume this blog! I do apologize for the delay. I think I can count on my two hands the days I’ve been home in the last two months. I’m looking forward to a long stretch at home this time (well, sort of!)

On Sunday the Pope in his Angelus address gave some interesting points on Advent that I’d like to share with you.

He said he wanted “to reflect on the theme of ‘waiting’ because it involves a profoundly human reality in which the faith becomes, so to say, completely one with our flesh and our heart.

Our whole personal, familial and social existence passes through this dimension of waiting. Waiting is something that is present in a thousand situations, from the smallest and most banal to the most important, which draw us in completely and in the deepest way. Among these, we think of a husband and wife waiting for a child; of waiting for a relative or friend who is coming from far away to visit us; …of waiting for a letter, or of receiving forgiveness.

Every one of us, therefore, especially in this season in which we prepare for Christmas can ask himself or herself: What am I waiting for? For what in this moment of my life, does my heart long? And this same question can be posed at the level of the family, of the community, of the nation. What are we waiting for, together? What unifies our aspirations, what do they have in common? In the time before Jesus’ birth the expectation of the Messiah—that is, of an Anointed one, a descendent of King David, who would have finally liberated the people from every moral and political slavery and have founded the Kingdom of God—was very strong in Israel. But no one could have imagined that the Messiah would be born from a humble girl like Mary, the betrothed of the just man Joseph. Not even she could have thought of it, and yet in her heart the longing for the Savior was so great, her faith and hope were so ardent that he was able to find in her a worthy mother. After all, God himself had prepared her before all time. There is a mysterious correspondence between the waiting for God and the waiting for Mary, the creature “full of grace,” totally transparent to the plan of love of the Most High. Let us learn from her, the woman of Advent, to live with a new spirit in our daily gestures, with the sentiment of a profound expectation that only the coming of God can fulfill.”

What are you waiting for, what are you longing for this Advent?

VIVA MEXICO

2010-09-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the people of Mexico as they celebrate their Bicentennial, the 200th anniversary of their independence from Spain.

These Saints Deserve Our Attention

2010-09-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian. I must admit these are saints to whom I have not given a lot thought. Today at Mass the priest mentioned that St. Cornelius became pope after a fourteen month vacancy in the papacy because of the Roman persecutions. He mentioned how many Christians were martyred because of their refusal to worship the Roman idols.
As a student of the Old Testament my ears perked up when I heard the word idol. Throughout the prophetic literature we hear about the Israelites' constant struggle with idols, their forgetting who was their God.
In the Book of Jeremiah we hear, "goldsmiths are all put to shame by their idols; for their images are false, and there is no breath in them. They are worthless, a work of delusion (Jer 19, 14b-15a).
Each age has its idols. Each one of us has his or her own idols, works of delusion, things that satisfy only temporarily. These are constant struggles, perhaps our addictions. For some it's money, for others consumerism, and then, of course, there's food, alcohol, television, computer, and for some, perfection, a true delusion.
Today we are invited to ask ourselves, "who or what is number one in my life?". We might also ask "who or what has my energy"?
What do you think are the most common idols in 2010?
Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian were longtime friends. Both agreed that those who had denied their faith and out of their fear worshipped idols should be forgiven; however, all in the Church were not of the same mind. Perhaps there was resentment among the families of those of those died for their faith, that others should deny the faith and then be readmitted. Pope St. Cornelius held a Synod in Rome in 252 and ordered the relapsed to be restored to the faith with the usual "medicines of repentance."
Idols and forgiveness. Two issues in the 3rd century. Two issues in the 21st century!
I think I'll be paying more attention to these two saints!

Where Does the Time Go?

2010-09-13T18:21:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the feast of the Triumph of the Cross. It is also the anniversary of my entrance to the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity. My classmates and I often wondered what God had in store for us, giving us a feast of the Cross for our entrance day. Our Novice Director later reminded us that is the TRIUMPH of the Cross. This is a big one, since I entered in 1980, it is 30 years. In many ways it seems like yesterday. I ask myself where the time has gone, then I remember all the places I've lived as a Missionary Sister!
I have been conscious of this anniversary all year. Perhaps I mentioned to a friend that this would be my thirtieth year in the Community. Before I knew it in January Kathy was gathering together our mutual friends in her home for a celebration and reunion. Most of us were medical technologists who had worked together. Because of all the moving it has been difficult to keep in touch, but we were able to pick up as if we had seen each other just yesterday. Those are good friends! That was a great way to begin the thirtieth year in the Congregation.
One doesn't persevere on her own! It takes God, of course, and many others. I am truly grateful for the support of my Community. As a Vocation and Formation Director, I am most grateful to my Formators and Vocation Director who put up with me in the moments of doubt and the early years of adjustment to Religious Life. My family, my sisters Margaret and Fran have stood by me through it all. God has placed many "companions on the journey" in my path who continue to remind me of His love and care.
Even though my "job" these days is to encourage women to enter Religious Life and to walk with them as they begin, some people ask me if I would do it again or even if I feel Religious Life has a future. This puzzles me, especially when I think of how in this way of life I've seen God's love revealed to me and to others in the most profound ways. I think apostolic religious life is a marvelous way to grow in the love of God and offers us the ability to express this love in diverse ways, and to invite others to the same regardless of their "calling".
I continue to be inspired by the Sisters in my Community in their commitment to prayer, their missionary spirit, their dedication and their care for one another.
In these past several years I've had the opportunity and privilege to work with Religious of other Congregations in Vocation and Formation projects and programs, and have come to appreciate all we share in common, as well as the great respect for one another's Charisms. Frankly, I just can't understand why people aren't knocking down our doors to join us in this great adventure!

Evangelization Retreat

2010-09-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

Another interruption was preparing for the Evangelization Retreat this past weekend. Approximately fifty Hispanic women came to Mother Boniface Spirituality Center for a weekend in which they encountered, as they said, the Living Christ, and themselves.
This retreat was developed by Frs. Vincent Finnerty, CM and Jesus Guadarrama, CM. when the three of us worked in Hispanic Ministry in the Diocese of Charlotte. Father Finnerty was the Diocesan Director and Fr. Jesus was a layman on the team at the time. I had just arrived from almost eight years in Mexico and was soon made responsible for the women's retreats.
Last year through a stroke of Providence, Fr. Jesus and I were both in Philadelphia, so we were asked to begin the women's retreats here. We had our first retreat last September.
Our own Sister Maria Lauren who is part of the Archdiocesan (Phila) Hispanic Ministry Team and I worked with the women on the Team before the Retreat and were Spiritual Guides during the retreat. We were fortunate to have four priests for Confessions and two who also accompanied us throughout the retreat.
For me one of the joys was seeing the fruits of Sister Maria Lauren's missionary labors during her time in South Philadelphia in the women on the retreat. It was obvious how deeply she has touched their lives.
The theme of the retreat was the Woman at the Well (John 4). She was a model for the women to see that no matter what has happened in our lives Our Lord will never reject us. He forgives us, sets us free, and having experienced this love and forgiveness, he calls us to be missionairies, inviting others to experience the same.
Some of the women on the Team have had little formal education, yet they and the conferences they gave were powerful witnesses to the action of God in their lives. They invited the retreatants to experience this same power in their lives.
When the retreat was finished the women got on a bus and headed to South Philadelphia where many of them live and were received by their families who were anxiously waiting to receive these New and Renewed Women.

A Few Interruptions

2010-09-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Please for forgive the interruption in blog posting. One interruption I had was the privilege of accompanying my friend, Sister Sara to her new mission. Going to a new mission is a highlight in a missionary's life. So I was especially privileged to be with Sister Sara as she experienced the bittersweetness, the tears and sad expressions of those bidding her farewell. You could tell she had really left footprints on the hearts of all there. This sadness was compensated for by the warm and joyful reception that greeted her in her new mission.
Sister Sara is just one of several Sisters in the Congregation beginning new missions. The same scene has been repeated with Sisters Susanne, Marie and Jane and Mary Ann. Please keep them and all the other Religious Sisters who are experiencing new beginnings at this time of the year in your prayers.

A Glimpse of Chimalhuacan

2010-08-06T08:06:00.001-07:00

The big highlight of my time in Mexico was our Mission Week. Sisters Grace and Maria spent considerable time preparing for this event. Sister Grace worked with two teams. One was the "morning team", because the mornings were spent with adolescents. The "evening team" worked with families. I enjoyed being with both teams and was deeply impressed with their leadership capabilities, especially the young people who worked with the adolescents. Some of them were almost the same age as the people with whom they were working. More about these teams later.

I just thought I'd give a little background on Chimalhuacan. It is in the State of Mexcio, but considered to be part of Metropolitan Area of Mexico City. In fact, when I was returning by metro and bus to Chimalhuacan from Mexico City, I followed the signs that said "autobuses suburbanos" (suburban buses). Let me tell you the word suburban took on a whole new meaning for me! When I think suburb, I tend to think tree-lined streets, front lawns, you get the picture. Chimalhuacan would shatter any preconceived notions of the word suburb. It is an area of close to one million people. It is built on what was once a lake. It has become heavily populated in recent years as people left rural areas of Mexico seeking jobs and better educational opportunities for their children. In fact, one encounters a similar population in Chimalhuacan to what I found in southeast Alabama, people from the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca and Puebla. As families settled in Chimalhuacan, the government provided the land and the people constructed the houses. Since there was little money to begin with, the houses as you will see are very humble and simple. Chimalhuacan is very close to the "basureros", the garbage dumps. One of the saddest sights you will see are shacks made out of carton which house people who make their livelihood going through the dumps. What we consider garbage is a big industry in Chimalhuacan. Nothing is so deteriorated that it can't be repaired!
I'm attaching a power point presentation with photos of Chimalhuacan. I'm sorry I didn't get the very busy business districts with modern stores, and that the weather didn't cooperate either. On the outskirts of Chimalhuacan, you'll see globalization in action with many stores that you'd find in a U.S. mall. (That's a story for another day!) My intention with these photos is not to paint a bleak picture, but in order you might capture the resilience of a people for whom hope gushes through their veins, not a plastic or dreamy hope, but one that enables them, in spite of many adverse conditions, to get up every day and forge ahead for a better life for themselves and their children, and even for people they don't really know. Chimalhuacan is a place that is fertile ground for drugs and violence among those who haven't learned to hope. I am very proud of our Church and my religious community, the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity. Both serve as beacons of hope for this strong and beautiful people. Please click here

A Few Good Women

2010-07-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

In most religious communities it is the practice to have young women who are in Temporary Vows have some annual input regarding spirituality, religious life, etc. This summer Sister Janet returned to the Motherhouse from her mission in Hispanic Ministry in Alabama for a workshop with Brother Loughlan Sofield, ST on Conflict in Community. "Conflict in a Religious Community"? you might ask. Well just in case it happens! The truth is wherever two or more are gathered, sooner or later there's bound to be some conflict. That's part of the human condition. Brother Loughlan, from our Brother Community is a world famous presenter on issues regarding Community Life, and has written books on the topic as well as others on collaboration in ministry. He provided these young women with skills they need not only within their community life but in their ministry and other dealings as well.

Sister Janet was joined by our own Sister Christine who recently professed final vows as well as several Sisters of the Holy Redeemer. They are some of the "few good women" who have listened to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in their lives and know that religious life in community is a wonderful way of living out the gift of one's life, growing in holiness and serving God's people.

Pardon my silence

2010-07-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

Please forgive my silence. Unfortunately, when I returned from Mexico I brought back a respiratory infection. I thought it was just an allergy and tried to fight it as we had some young women in formation with us for several days. I finally capitulated and called the doctor who prescribed some heavy duty antibiotics which zapped my energy. Now that I am moving along the road to recovery I hope to finally share the highlights and some more photos of this adventure.

All Good Things Must Come to an End!

2010-07-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that my time in Mexico has ended. In some ways it feels like three months rather than almost three weeks since I left our Cenacle in Philadelphia. The time was so full with many memorable experiences. I'll spend the next few days sharing some of them as well as some of the many photos I took.
I left a bit exhausted, well, more than a bit, but truly blest and exhilarated by the experience and so proud of the beautiful work our Sisters are doing in this mission. Sister Maria has more than 1500 children in her religious education program and works with at least 75 catechists, and that's only part of her work! Sister Grace directs the many aspects of the social ministry of the mission. Both Sisters are involved in Evangelization efforts and leadership development, and both generously found time to work in these "extra" programs this past week and accompanied the young women and myself in the Mission Week, eating, praying, reflecting and working (not necessarily in that order!). Who could ask for more??!!
(I just couldn't get these photos in order. The first one is from the air looking down at Mexico City. You get an idea of how densely populated this City is.)

You Haven't Been to See My Mother!

2010-07-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

Last week Sister Maria informed me that she was surprised that I had been here in Mexico more than a week, and still hadn't been to see her mother. Sister Maria's mother lives in California, but she was referring to the woman many Mexican people affectionately refer to as "Mama Lupita", Our Lady of Guadalupe. Usually, one of the first things that I do when I arrive in Mexico is to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

This shrine is not known for major miracles like Our Lady of Lourdes in France, but I believe that most people who go there do experience the tenderness of a mother who cares for them. In fact, one of the phrases written on the walls inside and outside of the Basilica contains the words of Mary when she appeared to Juan Diego, "Am I not here as your mother?" The building seats about ten thousand people, and is generally full. One of the miracles for me is that you can be in the midst of so many people and still experience a deep sense of peace. Of course, the other miracle is the authenticity. The tilma on which Our Lady of Guadalupe left her image has survived bombings, scientific investigations, the supression of Catholicism and almost 500 years!

And so it is that after the birth of a child, parents take him or her to the "Villa" as it is known here, for their "Mother" to see. People are often seen approaching the entrance on their knees to complete a "promesa", a promise they have made for a favor received. While there may or may not be many major miracles, perhaps the miracle is that people living in very difficult circumstances find the strength to carry on. Maybe that's what mothers do best, give their children hope and encouragement to continue believing in themselves in spite of many difficulties and obstacles in their lives.

Please know I remembered all of you, family, friends, Community, women discerning their vocation and especially our benefactors who make possible all we do, in this holy place.

The first photo is a view from path pilgrims' walk. The building in the back is the previous shrine. It became too small to hold the crowds and also was sinking from earthquake damage.

The second is the new Basilica (cir 1970). The third is the inside of the Basilica.

5000 Jovenes

2010-07-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday night it was back to Chimalhuacan for the Sunday gathering of 5000 adolescents and young adults. Needless to say it was a very lively day. Sister Grace and Brother Jaime from our Brother community accompanied me and we were available to answer questions about our Communities and share our publicity with all interested. I had my "five minutes of fame" as I got to share with the crowd a little about what being a Missionary Sister has meant for me.

I was very struck by the content of the speakers' presentations. It made me realize how the entire world is filled

with violence. One of the presenters spoke about a young man from Morelia in Michoacan, which is one of the most beautiful and traditional cities in Mexico. On Independence Day in Mexico, September 16, two years ago, this young man set off a grenade during the parade. A number of people were killed. When asked what he was doing five minutes before this action, he said he was eating a hamburger. An unbelievable immunity to violence and its consequences.

The issue of suicide was also addressed. These are not happening in situations of extreme poverty, quite the

contrary, more so among middle and upper class families. I realize that the roots of this violence and sense of hopelessness are multiple and complex, but I hope that many, especially in our Churches will reach out, as the Church of Chimalhuacan did on Sunday, to our youth and help them realize what a precious gift is life, especially theirs, and somehow they will realize that each one of them has a future full of hope.

First picture, youth gatherine in groups. Second picture, Sister Grace Ramond with Brother Jaime, from our Brother Community. Sister Grace is from Brooklyn, NY, and is in her first year in Chimalhuacan. Third, me in my "five minutes of fame".

More on the Weekend

2010-07-08T06:54:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday three young women traveled Temascalapa to "Meet the Trinitarians". Each one is already serving as a catechist in Sister Maria Rincon's religious education program in Chimalhuacan. They truly enjoyed being in the "campo" where is there is so much green and it is very tranquil, quite different from Chimalhuacan! In spite of our small number we had a great day. Besides, any Vocation Director is very happy when several people put aside a day to learn more about religious life, and their Community. The photos will have to wait until later. I thought all camera USB connectors were the same. Not so!!! We have a great picture of ourselves in the gazebo of the plaza in Temascalapa in the rain!

A Kind of Home Coming

2010-07-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been quite full. Friday night the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate and I were also accompanied by six soon to be novices in our brother community. Five of them are from Columbia and one from Central America. They are receiving an orientation to Novitiate as well as getting acquainted with the country in which they'll be living for at least the next year.

We had a wonderful conversation on Mission, and especially how Mission for us in the Cenacle is lived out in the providence of our everyday life. This was such a wonderful insight of Father Judge. He noticed early on his priesthood that when people returned to the Church or to a deeper life with God, it was generally not through a priest or a religious, but through a neighbor, a coworker, or perhaps a friend. He said, What is meant by the providence of his everyday life? You meet certain people, you have contact with certain persons or places, your life has a certain circumscription, God overshadowing and intervening in all. This is called your daily providence. It is yours indeed; it does not belong to anybody else. Like the skin on your face it is yours personally, nobody else ever had it, nobody else ever will have it. Everyone of us is a center of a particular bit of Divine Providence.

It is so true, when we arise in the morning, we don't know what awaits us, or whom we'll encounter during the day. One thing is almost certain, no two of us will have the same interactions during the day.

There was much discussion about all the opportunities each one of us has to be a missionary in our everyday life.. Being with our lay branch, the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate always inspires me, and it was great to be back in Temascalapa, a kind of coming home for me.

On the Road...in the air...again!

2010-06-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

At 6 a m. yesterday I left our Cenacle in Philadelphia to head for Mexico. Sr. Beth graciously took me to the airport. I was met at the airport in Mexico City by Don Baltazar, one of the workers at the parish in Chimalhuacan. Baltazar is more than a worker, he’s the backbone of many of the movements in the parish, and is also a member of the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate, the lay branch of our religious family. A long-time resident of Chimalhuacan, he is so valuable in helping the staff understand this region. We had an interesting conversation on Mexico's War on Drugs as we braved the Mexico City traffic. When I arrived at our Cenacle here, it was after 6 p.m., almost twelve hours door to door. I’m grateful to my two “chauffeurs” for braving the traffic.

As I was heading South, Sr. Olivia was heading North. She was returning to Philadelphia from a couple of weeks in the South where among other things, she worked with our Sisters and some volunteers and did the Trinita Family Weekend. She stayed in Philadelphia only long enough to get a short night’s sleep and pick up her already packed suitcase and head to Trinita in New Hartford, CT, where she will be assisting with the summer program there for several weeks. You’ll be hearing more about the Trinita Summer Program later.

As for myself, I’m looking forward to several exciting weeks here in Mexico. On Friday evening I’ll be in Temascalapa where I worked for more than five years, with our lay group for an evening of reflection. Saturday, hopefully, will be with several young women for a “Come and Meet the Trinitarians” day. On Sunday, back in Chimalhuacan, where I’m told I will be with approximately 5,000 young adults for a retreat. The official title of the day is “A New Missionary Generation”. That should be something!! I’ve been asked to give a brief talk. Please pray for that. Next week the Sisters and I will be getting ready for the Mission Week the following week. Several young women will be joining us for a week that consists of a Bible School for children in the mornings and, you guessed it, the Trinita Family Program in the evenings. You must be thinking that Trinita Program is everywhere! Well, not quite, but it is a wonderful program, and once people know about it, they want it where they are. I’ll be sharing about that and the other programs and activities with you in the coming weeks.

It's never too soon.... It's never too late...to love like crazy!

2010-06-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday I had the privilege to be with about 50 girls from various parishes in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, several Vocation Directors and a number of parents and volunteers. We were at the St. Joseph in the Hills Retreat House in Malvern, PA for the Goretti Girls Vocation Conference. Sisters Genevieve and Christine also accompanied us.

St. Maria Goretti is the patron of adolescent girls and vocations. She was the victim of an attempted sexual assault. She resisted her attacker and he began stabbing her with a knife, but what is truly important is that she forgave him, even beyond her death! Alexander rejected her forgiveness until one night he had a dream that he was in a garden and she gave him flowers. When he awoke, he was a changed man. He repented of his crime and reformed his life. Twenty seven years later he was released from prison, and was in the crowd at St. Peter's to celebrate her canonization. Maria Goretti truly mirrored the love and forgiveness of Jesus. Crazy by this world's standards, but our ideal as Christians. That's the reason "love like crazy" is on the T-shirts we received.
The girls were in the sixth through eighth grades and made a deep impression on all the adults with their great spirit, their devotion and their interest and enthusiasm for all the activities of the day.
They had opportunities for Mass, Confession, arts and crafts, outdoor games and, of course, several conferences. They also had time to ask the Sisters anything they wanted to know about us and our Communities. The questions ranged from, "how long does it take to become a Sister?" or "how did you know this life was for you?" to "what's your favorite TV program?".
You could tell that as young as they are these girls are already thinking about life choices. It's never too soon to do that! My hope is that each one will continue to think, pray and reflect on how she is going to spend the great treasure that is her life so that she can serve God and God's people in the way that is best for her. One Sister put it so well when she said, "I believe this is where I can be the best me".
And isn't all of life like this to some extent? We need to continue to ask ourselves every day, "where and how I can best serve God and God's people today and in the days and months and years ahead". That's part of "loving like crazy". It's never too late to do that!

No Ordinary Time; No Ordinary People

2010-06-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

On the Monday after the Feast of Pentecost (May 23) the Church returned to the liturgical season called Ordinary Time. The other seasons are Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week and Easter. As we can see from the image, the greater part of the Church Year is spent in Ordinary Time. Isn't that true for life in general? Most of us don't have a lot of "major feasts" or "high points" in our lives. However, the way we respond to the everyday tasks of life and our responsibilities to God, our families, Communities, friends, employers, etc. as well as the way we treat the people with whom we come in contact, that is what defines us, not the 'high points" of our lives.

It is so appropriate that as we reenter Ordinary Time, the daily Gospel readings are from the Sermon on the Mount. On Monday we heard the Beatitudes in which Jesus tells us what makes us truly happy. Yesterday we heard that we are the "salt of the earth", that we should "let our light shine and not place it under a bushel basket". Some of the people whose light has shone for me in my life have been people who are unknown to most of the world, and truly have very little, but have lived their ordinary lives in such an extraordinary way that they absolutely radiate joy. They are the "salt of the earth"; they live out the Sermon on the Mount; they are no Ordinary People.

Sister Christine's Journey to Final Profession

2010-06-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

As promised, I'll continue to work backwards! A big highlight for me this year was Sister Christine Ma's Final Profession. The following is an account of her journey to this special day.

On March 25, 2010, Sister Christine Ma, MSBT professed Perpetual Vows as a Missionary Servant of the Most Blessed Trinity at the Community's Motherhouse in Northeast Philadelphia.
Sister Christine was born in Hong Kong, and is the youngest of five children. She came to the United States with her mother and sister when she was ten years old. They were soon joined by her father and brothers.
Sister Christine's parents were originally from mainland China. Not allowed to have a Bible in China, Sister Christine's mother, Sun Tai, said that when she arrived in Hong Kong the first thing she would do would be to obtain a Bible, and then she would choose a religion. Sun Tai was drawn toward the Catholic
Church. Eventually, Sister Christine's father, Yim Kwai, and other family members also embraced the Catholic Faith.
After about twelve years in Hong Kong, in order to have a better future for their children, Yim Kwai and Sun Tai decided to immigrate to New York.
Sister Christine received a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Pace University in New York. Before entering the Missionary Servants she worked as an accountant for the City of New York.
Sister Thomasmari Gore, MSBT, a Trinitarian Sister who was a campus minister at New York University, regularly met with a group of women, one of whom was a friend of the future Sister Christine and invited her to join the group. Sister Thomasmari later invited Christine to meet the Sisters who lived with her on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The Sisters were also involved with the Trinita Summer Family Life Program at the Congregation's mission in Connecticut. They invited her to be a volunteer the following summer. This program offers inner city families an opportunity to be away together in a joyful atmosphere and to explore ways to improve their family relationships. Having enjoyed this experience so much, she then volunteered for a year at St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral in Camden, N.J. where she worked as a computer lab teacher. At a mid-year retreat for volunteers one of the Sisters asked her if she had ever considered Religious Life. That Sister's question sparked something in Christine which led her to explore religious life, and especially the Missionary Servants.
To pursue her new vocation, Sister Christine spent a year of discernment in Pensacola, FL where she lived and worked with the Sisters in Catholic Social Services. Other years of her Formation included parish ministry in Rock Hill, SC, prison and nursing home ministry in Mobile, AL as well as parish and school ministry in Kingston, Jamaica.
Sister Christine just completed a program for Clinical Pastoral Education at Albert Einstein and Holy Redeemer Hospitals in Philadelphia.
Sister Christine is grateful to be called to live her entire life glorifying the Triune God as a Missionary Servant of the Most Blessed Trinity. Sister Christine with her family

(Portrait photo by Carl Casella, Phila, PA)

A Labor of Love

2010-05-27T18:51:00.001-07:00

You are probably wondering if the "silence" has really ended! I have spent several days trying to work out some kinks in the blog with You Tube. Sometimes the selected You Tube channel does not show, and in its place some rather grotesque looking images have appeared. I think it is okay now, but if not, please forgive me. You should be seeing a video of our recent retreat in Mexico as well as the Vatican You Tube.

We had a surprise visit from Sister Audrey, our Motherhouse Coordinator, the other day. Sister Audrey is responsible for the Sisters who live in the building that we call the Motherhouse. Our infirmary is in that building. Many of the Sisters who are no longer in active ministry, but are assigned to the Ministry of Prayer also live there. It is where we who live in the Mother Boniface building attend Mass and have some of our meals. It is a hub of activity, and Sister Audrey, a registered nurse, has a lot of responsibility and is a very busy woman.

So, what a surprise to see her walk in to our Cenacle with this gorgeous fruit basked which she had made herself, starting with spray painting the basket. The green is kale. The leaves are from the pineapples. Some of the fruit was held in place with peanut butter! Sr. Audrey's creativity knows no bounds.
The reason for this delectable delight? In January Sister Olivia and I gave a presentation on our Vocation/Formation Program to the Sisters in the Motherhouse. Sr. Audrey had been looking for a way to express their gratitude. A great cook and baker, she was told that "they are always on diets, but they do like fruit"! Imagine! It didn't take too long for us to demolish this basket. Thanks a million, Audrey for this "labor of love"!

The Silence is Over

2010-05-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

As they say in Mexico, "mil disculpas" or a thousand apologies for the silence. The good news is that life has been full; the downside is that there hasn't always been time to write about all that is happening.
Rather than "start at the very beginning" like Maria in the Sound of Music, I think I'll work backwards beginning with last week's vocation discernment retreat in Chimalhuacan, Mexico.
We were a small group of four retreatants and myself. Sisters Maria and Grace Raymond joined us when they were able. Weekends are a very busy time in parishes, and Sister Maria had several First Communion and Confirmation retreats that weekend. However, what seemed to missing in numbers was more than compensated for in enthusiasm.
We talked about decision making and discernment in general. All were in agreement that each day is full of decisions to be made and no decision is inconsequential.
We also talked about how to maintain our spiritual lives. Two great tools are Lectio Divina and the evening Examen. We reviewed and practiced both of these wonderful spiritual exercises.
Please pray for these wonderful young women who made this retreat that Lord bring to completion what He has begun in them.
The video sidebar contains pictures of this weekend.

The Other St. Francis, a Missionary's Missionary

2009-12-03T10:39:00.000-08:00

Today the Church celebrates the life of St. Francis Xavier, one of the co-founders with St. Ignatius Loyola, of the Jesuits.

Many know of the Jesuits great contribution to the academic world, but not all are familiar with their great missionary work, and yet, St. Francis Xavier is considered the greatest Christian missionary since St. Paul.

He was born in Spain into an aristocratic family in 1506. While studying at the University of Paris he met Ignatius of Loyola. Francis seemed destined for a life of academic success, but Ignatius convinced him of the importance of missionary work. Francis was quickly consumed by a fiery passion for spreading the Gospel in the East Indies, India, China and Japan.

Just as St. Paul's missionary journeys are so impressive, especially when one considers the more primitive forms of transportation, so are St. Francis'. You can just imagine these voyages on 16th Century vessels! Here is a map of his journeys.

St. Francis had to deal with all the adjustments and challenges missionaries face. Learning Japanese was a struggle for him, but that didn't stop him. He used icons and other artwork for his evangelization efforts.

While these missionary efforts are to be greatly admired, it is good to know that we don't have to step on a plane or an ocean voyager or even a car to be a missionary. Only some are called to that, but we are all called to be missionaries in the providence of our everyday lives. Our Founder, Fr. Thomas Augustine Judge, used those words. He said, "you meet certain people, you have contact with certain persons or places, your life has a certain circumscription, God overshadowing and intervening in all. This is called your daily providence. It is yours indeed; it does not belong to anybody else. Like the skin on your face it is yours personally, nobody else ever had it, nobody else ever will have it. Everyone of us is a center of a particular bit of Divine Providence. " This is precisely the place where all baptized persons are called to spread a knowledge and love of God, to remind those around us that God loves each one of us very deeply and is yearning for our response to this love.

Let us pray today for missionaries: that's all of us!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-11-30T11:08:00.000-08:00

The first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of a new liturgical year. It also signals our preparation for Christmas. In the Missionary Cenacle we say that preparation for the next Christmas begins on Christmas Day! Our founder, Father Judge, had such an appreciation for the mystery of the Incarnation, God taking on our human nature, that he felt this mystery should never be far from our minds and hearts.

I remember my first Advent in Mexico. It was on the coastal area of the State of Guerrero. The average temperature was 115F. This was quite a shock for a missionary who grew up in mountain area of Pennsylvania where you could count on the first snowfall by the end of October! One of the young priests was giving an Advent Day of Reflection for the priests, religious and pastoral workers of the area. He talked about our preparation for Christmas and how we might want to "clean up" the stable of our heart. This became a very real image for Advent. One of our chapels which also served as a catechetical center was perhaps a tropical version of a stable. Donkeys and other animals congregated there on a regular basis. When we arrived for our meetings with catechists or children or to prepare for Mass, the donkeys had to be whisked away and "brooms" which were made for this type of cleanup were put to work. If a Mass were going to be celebrated, people brought flowers and hung plants, the altar was scoured and cleaned, and freshly starched linens were placed on it. Gradually, people who were so deeply faith filled arrived with all the reverence you might see in a cathedral laden with stain glass windows. At the Consecration people knelt on the sometimes muddy ground. Only the best welcome for their Lord and Savior.

Father Pedro urged us to prepare the stable of our hearts which sometimes contains things far more unpleasant than we found in our tropical "stable" turned into chapel, etc. Things like resentments, bitterness, jealousy, acedia, a letting go of our enthusiasm and joy that can lead us down a slippery slope to sloth and despair, need to be swept away and replaced with things that fill a heart with a royal welcome. If we don't know what needs to be swept out of the stable of our hearts, and what needs to placed there, a prayerful, vigilant Advent will do this. Actually, it is the only way.

I pray for each one of us hearts transformed into cathedrals of welcome this Christmas.

Happy New Year. Happy and blessed Advent.

A Perhaps Misunderstood Feast

2009-11-22T13:41:00.000-08:00

Today is the Feast of Christ the King. It is one of our big Feasts in the Missionary Cenacle Family.

There are some who seem to be put off by the title of this feast. They say the idea of “king”, royalty is passé, and therefore find it difficult to relate to this title of Jesus.

Perhaps today’s expression of royalty is different. Some political families have been referred to as dynasties. Every movement of certain entertainers is watched. In a way they “dictate” the latest fashion. Athletes, while they might not be referred to as royalty, seem to command salaries fit for royalty! And, people walk around in clothing with their favorite athlete’s name on it. So in a way there is a modern day royalty and, sadly, many in this modern day royalty have “fallen from their thrones”, caused disappointment and sadness to their “followers”.

As Christians we know there is only one King worth following. “His throne will last forever” and, He will never cause us sadness or disappointment.

Pope Pius XI universally instituted The Feast of Christ the King in 1925 in his encyclical Quas Primas. Pope Pius XI noted that many Christians, even Catholics, were doubting Christ's authority, as well as the Church's, and even doubting Christ's existence. Pius XI, and the rest of the Christian world, witnessed the rise of dictatorships in Europe, and, most unfortunately, saw Catholics being taken in by these earthly leaders.

Jesus knew the oppressive nature of secular kings, and in contrast to them, he connected his role as king to humble service, and commanded his followers to be servants as well. In other passages of Scripture, his kingdom is tied to his suffering and death.

When we celebrate Christ as King, we are not celebrating an oppressive ruler, but one willing to die for humanity and whose "loving-kindness endures forever." Christ is the king that gives us true freedom, freedom in Him. Thus we must never forget that Christ radically redefined and transformed the concept of kingship. (churchyear.net)

The more we can make Christ the King and Center of our hearts, the more we can be assured that the kingdom of God dwells within us. This Kingdom is one of “…righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Righteousness, peace and joy, qualities lacking in the pre-World War II world of the 1920’s! Not exactly abounding today either. Let’s strive together to make “God’s Kingdom Come” in our hearts and in our world.

What Richer Life

2009-11-13T13:36:00.001-08:00

Many years ago somebody made a movie about our Religious Community. It was entitled What Richer Life. As I begin this blog I'd like to share with you about a woman whose life brought to my mind the title of that film, Sister Constance Norick, MSBT. Sister Connie, as she was known, died earlier this week. She was 97 years of age. We'll miss Sister Connie very much, but she gave us much to celebrate. How can that be? Sister Connie was one of the pioneers of our Community. At 14 years of age (no typo!), she left her home and family in Rockford, Illinois for what must have seemed at that time the "middle of nowhere", Holy Trinity, Alabama. There were no jets, and there was certainly no sophisticated interstate highway system. In fact, much of the very young Connie Norick's journey to Alabama was on dirt roads.

Connie was young and so was the Community. Enthusiasm, joy and spirits were high. Our Founders' love for God, great zeal and missionary spirit were contagious. Connie left home and family with one desire, to be a missionary. The missionary spark in Connie's heart was ignited to a brilliant flame that would endure for 83 years, and be passed on to so many.

At our wakes we have the tradition to tell stories about our deceased Sisters. We were reminded about Sr. Connie's and the Community's early days. While spirits were high and joy and enthusiasm in abundance, economic resources were not. Comfort was not part of the pioneers' vocabulary. Sacrifice was the order of the day. Sacrifice is part of a missionary's life.

So many things were said about Sr. Connie. She was very intelligent. She was practical and so creative. Her organizational skills are legend! In the midst of it all, several things stood out. One was that she practiced spontaneous generosity and she encouraged others to do the same. Nothing seemed to be a bother for her. One Sister shared how in her early awkward postulant (first step) days, she was told to mop the floor. She didn't even know where to find the mops. She encountered Sister Connie, and not knowing who she was asked her where she could find one. Sister Connie not only stopped to show this "newbie" where the mop was, but proceded to show her to how to mop a Motherhouse floor! And all in a very patient manner. What a surprise for this young woman to learn later that day that Sister Connie was a member of the General Council (one of the leaders/superiors) of the Community!

We heard how nothing stopped Sister Connie. She felt that she or the Sisters could do anything if they put their minds to it. And besides, Sister Connie had the conviction that the Holy Spirit is leading and guiding us! If the Holy Spirit wants something done and we cooperate, it's going to happen!

It seemed that Sister Connie did do almost anything and everything. She was a nurse. She later pursued university studies and taught nursing and became the Director of the School of Nursing at what was our hospital, Holy Name of Jesus Hospital, in Gadsdon, AL. She obtained a Masters Degree in Biology and ran the Blood Bank in the same hospital.

She was the Dean of Formation in the Juniorate Program. She was responsible for the formation of many Missionary Servants. She later went to Puerto Rico and did pastoral ministry there. She also ministered with the Hispanic immigrants in Lorain, Ohio.

But most of all she was noted for her love for God, for her religious family, her prayer life and great charity expressed in spontaneous generosity.

Sister Connie probably heard the words in our Rule of Life directly from our Founder's lips, "... What more beautiful legacy can you leave than that of an example and life rich in the Cenacle traditions? This mean that even after your death you will be continuing your apostleship through others whom your virtue has attracted to the service of God."

And that is what we celebrate, a life rich in the Cenacle traditions. Thank you, Sister Connie, for the example of a life well lived. Well done good and faithful servant, good and faithful Missionary Servant.

As I listened to stories about Sister Connie's life, I asked myself who are the Sister Connies of the future. I prayed that many young women will be inspired to live this life rich in Cenacle traditions, a missionary life, a life of sacrifice that leads to a great legacy.

And so, Sister Connie, I dedicate this blog to you.