Thursday, March 31, 2022
Poem: "Lament" by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Listen, children:
Your father is dead.From his old coats
I'll make you little jackets;
I'll make you little trousers
From his old pants.
There'll be in his pockets
Things he used to put there,
Keys and pennies
Covered with tobacco;
Dan shall have the pennies
To save in his bank;
Anne shall have the keys
To make a pretty noise with.
Life must go on,
And the dead be forgotten;
Life must go on,
Though good men die;
Anne, eat your breakfast;
Dan, take your medicine;
Life must go on;
I forget just why
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
Our Shared Pain The Fifth Sunday in Lent
Our Shared Pain
The Fifth Sunday in Lent
April 3, 2022
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Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:8-14; John 8:1-11
This story of the woman who was brought before Jesus at the Temple teaches us that we are not to make definite, condemnatory judgments about the behavior of others and that we must learn what mercy means. This is a hard task for us when we consider the recent history of sexual abuse within the church in Boston these past twenty years. This weekend marks the anniversary of the Dallas Charter in which Bishops legislated punishments and sanctions against priests who violate the charter. The message is clear. The protection of minors and vulnerable adults is sacrosanct to the church and reforms in the church’s customary way of proceeding needs constant examination. Cardinal O’Malley, one of the chief architects of the Vatican’s task of safeguarding children, is preaching this weekend in Hull, where incidences of priestly abuse is a part of their history. Cardinal O’Malley continues to work to make the worldwide church safer for all people and is deserving of our gratitude.
The church’s history with sexual abuse in Boston and across the world is shameful, and it is tragic that so much harm was done to far too many people through once-trusted leaders in the faith. There are many victims who are no longer with us and for whom no reconciliation may take place. There are people who have abandoned the church, and it is our hope that their faith is still engaged in some way. It is an invisible wound that many victims and their families carry silently, and there are many survivors who are still reconciling the sins that were done to them. If we could only further along the process of healing, we would be on the right track, but the church first must show integrity, clean up its house, raise its standards, and give the people a reason to trust with wisdom, prudence, and maturity. We all must examine our thoughts and consider who do we want to be as church – compassionate, full of mercy, contrite, sorrowful? We need to adopt an attitude of Christ who weeps for Jerusalem and whose heart is moved whenever anyone suffers and is in pain.
In recent years, some areas of the church have moved in the direction of increased clericalism, rigorism, fascination with the documents and authority, devotion to liturgical peculiarities, or elitism. These conditions lead to an increase of abuse of all types. We have to stop, to reflect, and then to pivot in order to become a church to one where its ordained members are servant-leaders who are responsive to the people’s pastoral needs. We must accept the maturity of Vatican II and move past the fascination with the medieval church practices and models of the Scholastics and the Council of Trent. We must speak up when a relationship does not seem right, and we cannot allow church leaders to dismiss us or to allow ourselves to be patronized as if we do not matter or have any value. As the People of God, we must end the cycles of authoritarian rule so that church leaders see themselves as servants of the people who are entrusted with a sacred duty to provide us the sacraments – and for our care. The Church exists to share the Word of God, the Good News, with people who are ready to hear it, and to build a community based upon mutual concern for the common good and for one’s well-being. It is a community of forgiveness, tolerance, and understanding because we know life is hard and we have to depend upon the goodness of others to get us through the day and to show us the way to God. The church has to be God’s love in action.
We are entering later Lent and Holy Week starts a week from now with Palm Sunday. This is a good time for us to pray for the conversion of our own hearts that we hold anyone who is carrying pain for abuses from the church with tenderness and gentleness, and we must try to understand a person’s struggles. As Jesus moves towards his trial, betrayal, denial, Passion and Death, let us learn from him how he accompanies people in their sorrow. Then let us treat others likewise. Let us stand in solidarity with God who lives with an eternally broken heart. We have to be vulnerable enough to let our hearts be broken by honoring the stories of others – and of ourselves. Let us learn to lift one another up and stand in solidarity with each person just as Jesus did with the woman who was sinned against by society and the elders. Let us offer each other mercy and help each other hold our heads high because no one can ever take away from us the inherent dignity we have as a child of God. No one. Know and believe in your hearts that God holds you in great dignity and esteem. May our church learn to do the same.
May God bless you on your Lenten journey, and may the Spirit guide the church to become a community of justice and peace, of harmony and reconciliation, a people of healing and liberation.
Scripture for Daily Mass
Monday: (Daniel 13) Daniel’s sharp advocacy skills spare the life of Susannah who has been unjustly accused of immoral sexual relationships.
Tuesday: (Numbers 21) As the wandering Israelites passed through the desert near the Red Sea, many are bitten by seraph serpents, but Moses erected a bronze serpent that he lifted up for those bitten to gaze upon the image and be cured.
Wednesday: (Isaiah 7) Annunciation: Ahaz is tempted by the Lord to ask for a sign but he will not. The Lord gives it anyways: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son named Emmanuel.
Thursday: (Genesis 17) The Lord said to Abraham: You are to become the father of a host of nations. You will become fertile; kings will stem from you.
Friday: (Jeremiah 20) Terror on every side. Let us denounce him. The Lord is with me like a mighty champion.
Saturday: (Ezekiel 37) My dwelling shall be with my people. I will be their God and they shall be my people.
Gospel:
Monday: (John 8) A woman caught in adultery is brought to Jesus for a verdict, but he does not answer as he calls upon those who are without sin to cast the first stone.
Tuesday: (John 8) Jesus tells the Pharisees that they will lift up the Son of Man and will then realizes that I AM.
Wednesday: (Luke 1) Gabriel was sent to Mary of Nazareth to inform her that she has been chosen by the Lord to bear a son who will be called holy, the Son of God.
Thursday: (John 8) Whoever keeps my words will never see death. Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.
Friday: (John 10) The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus, but he wanted to know for which of the works he was condemned. He went back across the Jordan and remained there.
Saturday: (John 11) Many came to believe in Jesus. Caiaphas asked, “do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people?”
Saints of the Week
There are no saints celebrated in the Roman calendar this week.
This Week in Jesuit History
- April 3, 1583. The death of Jeronimo Nadal, one of the original companions of Ignatius who later entrusted him with publishing and distributing the Jesuit Constitutions to the various regions of the early Society.
- April 4, 1534. Peter Faber (Pierre Favre) ordained a deacon in Paris.
- April 5, 1635. The death of Louis Lallemant, writer and spiritual teacher.
- April 6, 1850. The first edition of La Civilta Cattolica appeared. It was the first journal of the restored Society.
- April 7, 1541. Ignatius was unanimously elected general, but he declined to accept the results.
- April 8, 1762. The French Parliament issued a decree of expulsion of the Jesuits from all their colleges and houses.
- April 9, 1615. The death of William Weston, minister to persecuted Catholics in England and later an author who wrote about his interior life during that period.
Nuestro dolor compartido El Quinto Domingo de Cuaresma
Nuestro dolor compartido
El Quinto Domingo de Cuaresma
3 de abril de 2022
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Isaías 43:16-21; Salmo 126; Filipenses 3:8-14; Juan 8:1-11
Esta historia de la mujer que fue traída ante Jesús en el Templo nos enseña que no debemos hacer juicios definitivos y condenatorios sobre el comportamiento de los demás y que debemos aprender lo que significa misericordia. Esta es una tarea difícil para nosotros cuando consideramos la historia reciente de abuso sexual dentro de la iglesia en Boston durante los últimos veinte años. Este fin de semana marca el aniversario de la Carta de Dallas en la que los obispos legislaron castigos y sanciones contra los sacerdotes que violan la carta. El mensaje es claro. La protección de menores y adultos vulnerables es sacrosanta para la iglesia y las reformas en la forma acostumbrada de proceder de la iglesia necesitan un examen constante. El cardenal O'Malley, uno de los principales artífices de la tarea del Vaticano de salvaguardar a los niños, predicará este fin de semana en Hull, donde los incidentes de abuso sacerdotal son parte de su historia. El Cardenal O'Malley continúa trabajando para hacer que la iglesia mundial sea más segura para todas las personas y merece nuestra gratitud.
La historia de la iglesia con el abuso sexual en Boston y en todo el mundo es vergonzosa y es bastante desafortunado que se haya hecho tanto daño a demasiadas personas a través de líderes confiables en la fe. Hay muchas víctimas que ya no están con nosotros y para las que no puede haber reconciliación. Hay personas que han abandonado la iglesia, y esperamos que su fe todavía esté comprometida de alguna manera. Es una herida invisible que muchas víctimas y sus familias llevan en silencio, y hay muchos sobrevivientes que todavía están reconciliando los pecados que les hicieron. Si tan solo pudiéramos avanzar en el proceso de sanidad, estaríamos en el camino correcto, pero la iglesia primero debe mostrar integridad, limpiar su casa y darle a la gente una razón para confiar con sabiduría, prudencia y madurez. Todos debemos examinar nuestros pensamientos y considerar quiénes queremos ser como iglesia: compasivos, llenos de misericordia, contritos, afligidos. Necesitamos adoptar una actitud de Cristo que llora por Jerusalén y cuyo corazón se conmueve cuando alguien sufre y sufre.
No podemos permitir que nuestra iglesia esté plagada de clericalismo, rigorismo, fascinación por las leyes y la autoridad o peculiaridades litúrgicas, o elitismo. Estas condiciones conducen a un aumento de los abusos de todo tipo. Debemos aceptar la madurez del Vaticano II y dejar atrás la fascinación por las prácticas y modelos de la iglesia medieval de los escolásticos y el Concilio de Trento. Debemos alzar la voz cuando una relación no parece estar bien, y no podemos permitir que los líderes de la iglesia nos traten con desdén o que nos traten con condescendencia como si no importáramos o no tuviéramos ningún valor. Como Pueblo de Dios, debemos poner fin a los ciclos de gobierno autoritario para que los líderes de la iglesia se vean a sí mismos como servidores de las personas a quienes se les ha confiado el deber sagrado de proporcionarnos los sacramentos, y para nuestro cuidado. La Iglesia existe para compartir la Palabra de Dios, la Buena Nueva, con personas que estén dispuestas a escucharla, y para construir una comunidad basada en la preocupación mutua por el bien común y por el propio bienestar. Es una comunidad de perdón, tolerancia y comprensión porque sabemos que la vida es dura y tenemos que depender de la bondad de los demás para pasar el día y mostrarnos el camino a Dios. La iglesia tiene que ser el amor de Dios en acción.
Estamos entrando más tarde en Cuaresma y la Semana Santa comienza dentro de una semana con el Domingo de Ramos. Este es un buen momento para que oremos por la conversión de nuestro propio corazón, que sostengamos con ternura y mansedumbre a todo aquel que está cargando su dolor por los abusos de la iglesia, y debemos tratar de entender por lo que uno está pasando. Mientras Jesús avanza hacia su prueba, traición, negación, Pasión y Muerte, aprendamos de él cómo acompaña a las personas en su dolor. Entonces tratemos a los demás de la misma manera. Pongámonos de pie en solidaridad con Dios que vive con un corazón eternamente quebrantado. Tenemos que ser lo suficientemente vulnerables como para dejar que nuestros corazones se rompan al honrar las historias de los demás y de nosotros mismos. Aprendamos a levantarnos los unos a los otros y ser solidarios con cada persona así como lo hizo Jesús con la mujer contra la cual la sociedad y los ancianos pecaron. Ofrezcámonos misericordia unos a otros y ayudémonos unos a otros con la frente en alto porque nadie podrá quitarnos jamás la dignidad inherente que tenemos como hijos de Dios. Ninguno. Sepan y crean en sus corazones que Dios los tiene en gran dignidad y estima. Que nuestra iglesia aprenda a hacer lo mismo.
Que Dios los bendiga en su camino de Cuaresma, y que el Espíritu guíe a la iglesia para que se convierta en una comunidad de justicia y paz, de armonía y reconciliación, un pueblo de sanación y liberación.
Escritura para la misa diaria
Lunes: (Daniel 13) Las agudas habilidades de defensa de Daniel salvan la vida de Susannah, quien ha sido acusada injustamente de relaciones sexuales inmorales.
Martes: (Números 21) Mientras los israelitas errantes pasaban por el desierto cerca del Mar Rojo, muchos son mordidos por serpientes serafín, pero Moisés erigió una serpiente de bronce que levantó para que los mordidos miraran la imagen y se curaran.
Miércoles: (Isaías 7) Anunciación: Acaz es tentado por el Señor para pedir una señal pero no lo hace. El Señor lo da de todos modos: la virgen concebirá y dará a luz un hijo llamado Emanuel.
Jueves: (Génesis 17) El Señor le dijo a Abraham: Serás padre de una multitud de naciones. Te volverás fértil; reyes brotarán de ti.
Viernes: (Jeremías 20) Terror por todos lados. Denunciémoslo. El Señor está conmigo como un poderoso campeón.
Sábado: (Ezequiel 37) Mi morada estará con mi pueblo. Yo seré su Dios y ellos serán mi pueblo.
Evangelio:
Lunes: (Juan 8) Una mujer sorprendida en adulterio es traída a Jesús para un veredicto, pero él no responde y llama a los que están libres de pecado a que tiren la primera piedra.
Martes: (Juan 8) Jesús les dice a los fariseos que levantarán al Hijo del Hombre y entonces se darán cuenta de que YO SOY.
Miércoles: (Lucas 1) Gabriel fue enviado a María de Nazaret para informarle que ella ha sido escogida por el Señor para dar a luz un hijo que será llamado santo, el Hijo de Dios.
Jueves: (Juan 8) El que guarda mis palabras, nunca verá muerte. Abraham se regocijó al ver mi día; él lo vio y se alegró.
Viernes: (Juan 10) Los judíos tomaron rocas para apedrear a Jesús, pero él quería saber por cuál de las obras estaba condenado. Volvió a cruzar el Jordán y se quedó allí.
Sábado: (Juan 11) Muchos llegaron a creer en Jesús. Caifás preguntó: “¿Consideras que es mejor para ti que muera un hombre en lugar del pueblo?”
santos de la semana
No hay santos celebrados en el calendario romano esta semana.
Esta semana en la historia jesuita
- 3 de abril de 1583. Muerte de Jerónimo Nadal, uno de los primeros compañeros de Ignacio, quien más tarde le encomendó la publicación y distribución de las Constituciones jesuitas a las diversas regiones de la primera Compañía.
- 4 de abril de 1534. Peter Faber ( Pierre Favre) es ordenado diácono en París.
- 5 de abril de 1635. Muere Louis Lallemant , escritor y maestro espiritual.
- 6 de abril de 1850. Aparece la primera edición de La Civilta Cattolica . Fue la primera revista de la Sociedad restaurada.
- abril de 1541. Ignacio es elegido general por unanimidad, pero se niega a aceptar los resultados.
- 8 de abril de 1762. El parlamento francés emite un decreto de expulsión de los jesuitas de todos sus colegios y casas.
- 9 de abril de 1615. Muerte de William Weston, ministro de los católicos perseguidos en Inglaterra y más tarde autor que escribió sobre su vida interior durante ese período.
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
Poem: "That One Star" by Rainer Maria Rilke
Everything is farand long gone by.
I think that the star
glittering above me
has been dead for a million years.
I think there were tears
in the car I heard pass
and something terrible was said.
A clock has stopped striking in the house
across the road...
When did it start?...
I would like to step out of my heart
and go walking beneath the enormous sky.
I would like to pray.
And surely of all the stars that perished
long ago,
one still exists.
I think that I know
which one it is--
which one, at the end of its beam in the sky,
I think that the star
glittering above me
has been dead for a million years.
I think there were tears
in the car I heard pass
and something terrible was said.
A clock has stopped striking in the house
across the road...
When did it start?...
I would like to step out of my heart
and go walking beneath the enormous sky.
I would like to pray.
And surely of all the stars that perished
long ago,
one still exists.
I think that I know
which one it is--
which one, at the end of its beam in the sky,
stands like a white city...
Monday, March 28, 2022
Poem: "Lament" by Ann Weems
O God, will this night never end?
Give me sleep, O God!
Give me rest!
Erase from my memory
the moments of his death.
Blot out the terror
and the ever-present fear
and let me sleep.
I lie upon this bed
tortured by thoughts
that come unbidden.
The night is full of demons.
They stand upon my heart
until I cannot breathe.
There is nothing in my world
this night except his death.
O God, bring the morning light.
That there is nothing
I can do
to change what is?
O my God, you are hope.
You take the bonds of death
and break them
into pieces of life.
You alone can banish the night
and create the sweet stream
of morning’s light.
There is none who can stop you,
for you are the God of light
and the light of my soul.
Give me sleep, O God!
Give me rest!
Erase from my memory
the moments of his death.
Blot out the terror
and the ever-present fear
and let me sleep.
I lie upon this bed
tortured by thoughts
that come unbidden.
The night is full of demons.
They stand upon my heart
until I cannot breathe.
There is nothing in my world
this night except his death.
O God, bring the morning light.
That there is nothing
I can do
to change what is?
O my God, you are hope.
You take the bonds of death
and break them
into pieces of life.
You alone can banish the night
and create the sweet stream
of morning’s light.
There is none who can stop you,
for you are the God of light
and the light of my soul.
Sunday, March 27, 2022
Join us for Trivia
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Saturday, March 26, 2022
Poem: “Forgive” by Maya Angelou
Take me, Virginia,
bind me close
with Jamestown memories
of camptown races and
ships pregnant
with certain cargo
and Richmond riding high on greed
and low on tedious tides
of guilt.
But take me on, Virginia,
loose your turban of flowers
that peach petals and
dogwood bloom may
form epaulettes of white
tenderness on my shoulders
and round my head ringlets
of forgiveness, poignant
as rolled eyes, sad as summer
parasols in a hurricane.
Friday, March 25, 2022
Poem: "Peace" Thich Nhat Hahn
They woke me this morning
to tell me my brother had been killed in battle.
Yet in the garden, uncurling moist petals,
a new rose blooms on the bush.
And I am alive,
can still breathe the fragrance of roses
and dung, eat, pray, and sleep.
But when can I break my long silence?
When can I speak the unuttered words that are choking me?
Thursday, March 24, 2022
Spirituality: Julian of Norwich
If there is anywhere on earth a lover of God who is always kept safe, I know nothing of it, for it was not shown to me. But this was shown: that in falling and rising again we are always kept in that same precious love.
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Our most noble Calling: The Fourth Sunday in Lent
Our most noble Calling
The Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 27, 2022
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Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 34; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
This parable of the generous father with his two sons retains eternal difficulties that we have to wrestle with for the rest of our lives. I don’t think we ever get it figured out or settled. Much of our work in life is to reconcile the broken relationships we have, and for various reasons, we don’t want to do it or we encounter major stumbling blocks. We often look at the experiences of the two brothers and we might identify with one more than the other, but we are likewise asked to look at the father’s gift of openness and welcome that defies common sense and our human system of judiciousness, and it is the type of disposition we need in order to show our God that we understand divine love and forgiveness.
In ministry, I hear the continued of heartache when parents and children have not spoken for decades or siblings cannot get over a childhood incident that one party does not remember or once-loving partners retain only the memory of hurt and pain in a now distanced relationship. Many times one person is ready to do what it takes to reconcile and welcome a restored friendship and the other person is held in one’s own prison. Even though we may come from the same family, we are unique individuals who grow because of our distinct experiences in life. The yearning is that somehow something miraculous will come along and will make each person understand that both people want the same goal. It is so hard to get there. Often we think that everything will be figured out before death, and yet we carry this pained separation to our graves. We need a savior who can help us discern how to restore what once was lost.
Let’s not give up. Ever, please. What was lost can be found once again. This is our hope. This is our faith. The hope that I found was in the first reading in which the Lord told Joshua to celebrate the Passover on Gilgal on the Jericho plains. Once the meal was celebrated, God stopped providing the manna that sustained the people for so long in the wilderness, and it was replaced by the hard work of tilling the soil and grooming the land for rich fruits and vegetables and the animals provide the meats. As the people settled, God continued to provide in a spiritual way.
Our Passover, our Eucharist, is what we need in order to discern the Lord’s presence among us, and Christ’s presence in the Eucharist will work to restore our relationships. During the Paschal Christ event, God set about the work of reconciling the world to God’s own heart, and Christ called us to work for our salvation through this ministry of reconciling. It is the hardest work we can do, and the most important work because we will restore what was once lost and we will rejoice just as the Father did in the parable. We cannot lose hope. Along the way, the Eucharist will give us the courage and strength to persevere, and the Spirit will help us discern how Christ wants us to achieve our reconciliation goals, and we will end up, like the Father, rejoicing that our love will be mending, our broken hearts will be healed, our souls will be whole, because our God is one of unconditional mercy and compassion, and we will learn, that above all other things in life, this is what matters most. Then, we will understand this parable. We will understand a bit more just how much God cares for us and rejoices when we get along once again.
Scripture for Daily Mass
Monday: (Isaiah 65) The Lord is about to create new heavens and a new earth; the things of the past shall not be remembered; there will always be rejoicing and happiness.
Tuesday: (Ezekiel 47) The angel brought the prophet to the entrance of the temple where life-giving water flowed forth and bringing life to all.
Wednesday: (Isaiah 49) The Lord finds favor with Israel and promises help on the day of salvation. The Lord will help Israel keep the commandments because He cannot forget her beauty.
Thursday: (2 Samuel 7) The Lord said to David: Your house shall endure forever; your throne shall stand firm forever.
Friday: (Wisdom 2) The wicked said, “Let us beset the just one because he is obnoxious to us. Let us revile him and condemn him to a shameful death.”
Saturday: (Jeremiah 11) Jeremiah knew their plot, but like a trusting lamb led to slaughter, had not realized they were hatching plots against him.
Gospel:
Monday: (John 4) Jesus returned to Galilee where he performed his first miracle. Some believed in him. A royal official approached him as his child lay dying, but at the hour Jesus spoke to him, his son recovered.
Tuesday: (John 5) Jesus encountered an ill man lying next to a healing pool, but when the water is stirred up, no one is around to put him in. Jesus heals him and he walks away. The Jews protest that Jesus cured on the Sabbath. The Jews began to persecute Jesus.
Wednesday: (John 5) Jesus explains that he is the unique revealer of God and cannot do anything on his own. He judges as he hears and his judgment is just because he does not seek his own will.
Thursday: (Matthew 1) The birth of Jesus came about through Mary, betrothed to Joseph. In his dream, the angel tells Joseph to take the pregnant Mary as his wife.
Friday: (John 7) Jesus did not wish to travel around Judea because the Jews were trying to kill him, but he went up during the feast of Tabernacles where he was spotted. He cried up in the streets, “You know me and you know where I am from.”
Saturday: (John 7) Some in the crowd said, “This is the prophet.” Some said, “This is the Christ.” A division occurred because of him because they could not settled how he fit into Scripture. Nicodemus interjected, “Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” The crowd dispersed to their homes.
Saints of the Week
There are no saints celebrated in the Roman calendar this week.
This Week in Jesuit History
- March 27, 1587: At Messina died Fr. Thomas Evans, an Englishman at 29. He had suffered imprisonment for his defense of the Catholic faith in England.
- March 28, 1606: At the Guildhall, London, the trial of Fr. Henry Garnet, falsely accused of complicity in the Gunpowder Plot.
- March 29, 1523: Ignatius' first visit to Rome on his way from Manresa to Palestine.
- March 30, 1545: At Meliapore, Francis Xavier came on pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle.
- March 31, 1548: Fr. Anthony Corduba, rector of the College of Salamanca, begged Ignatius to admit him into the Society so as to escape the cardinalate which Charles V intended to procure for him.
- April 1, 1941. The death of Hippolyte Delehaye in Brussels. He was an eminent hagiographer and in charge of the Bollandists from 1912 to 1941.
- April 2, 1767. Charles III ordered the arrest of all the Jesuits in Spain and the confiscation of all their property.