October 4, 2009
At a time when the emotionally-charged same-sex marriage referendum is on November’s ballot in Maine, parishioners will be hearing about the “unity” that is intended by God for us so that God’s love may be manifest. For this reflection, I will stick to scriptural analysis. The second creation story in Genesis tells us that the woman was created to be an aid in man’s work; the woman is designed to stand alongside the man as an equal, not as a lesser than partner, but as a helper who relates to the other in mutuality and partnership. Therefore, humans come together in unity to show our love for one another and God is there to bless the union as it reveals God’s love for all of us.
Marriage becomes a means by which we mutually commit to the ongoing creation of each other as God intends. Divorce is the sad realization that this union does not reveal God’s love in its fullness in the long haul. While Moses allows that a man may divorce his wife, this separation often puts the woman’s social standing and welfare at risk, raising the probability of a greater social injustice. Jesus attacks the hardness of heart that results in closing down one’s openness to God’s intent for humanity. When the novelty of marriage has worn off, we sometimes realize the person we married is not the ideal person we expected or hoped him or her to be.
Mark’s Gospel passage is paired with this Genesis account because it highlights the fact that we are not meant to be alone and that we are created to have a harmonious relationship with all creatures. In our faith, we have sacramentalized marriage to show that unity is a sign and symbol of God’s abiding presence and continued work in creating us. Civil marriage is distinct from, but may share qualities with sacramental marriage. We are created in God’s image and likeness and when we celebrate our covenantal commitment to another in companionship, we will find Jesus Christ at the center of our friendship. Let us help one another achieve this harmonious relationship with the world in our ongoing creation – in mutuality and partnership - as God intends. God wants to reveal God’s love for us to others.
Quote for the Week
Since the powerful effects of the Rosary are recalled on Wednesday, I include the Latin and English translations of the “Hail Mary.”
Avē Marīa, grātia plēna, Dominus tēcum. Benedicta tū in mulieribus, et benedictus frūctus ventris tuī, Iēsus. Sancta Marīa, Māter Deī, ōrā prō nōbīs peccātōribus, nunc et in hōrā mortis nostrae. Āmēn.
In English:
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Themes for this Week’s Masses
We read about Jonah’s story in his attempts to fulfill his mission to the Ninevites. First, in order to save the sailors on the tempestuous ocean storm, Jonah is tossed overboard as the cause of the storm. He next treks across Ninevah to tell them to repent from their ways and turn back to the Lord. The prophet Malachi brings a similar message to Israel to remind them of the ways of the Lord with regards to the proud and haughty. Joel likewise forecasts that gloom and doom that accompany the impending Day of the Lord, but to those who are attentive that harvest is ready.
Luke poses the question, “Who is my neighbor?” as he writes about the mercy we are to extend to one another, and then he shows Martha and Mary’s hospitality toward Jesus as a sign of that mercy. Jesus then teaches the disciples to pray and encourages them to prayerfully ask the Father for what they need, which is especially important in a time of spiritual warfare. Happy are those who realize God’s kingdom is at hand.
Saints of the Week
Tuesday is Bruno’s memorial as he is honored as a “brilliant defender of the church” because he aided Gregory VII and succeeding popes push for ecclesiastical reform. He attended the Council of Clermont that gave approval for the First Crusade in 1095.
On Wednesday, we commemorate Our Lady of the Rosary to remember the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 for the success of the mission of the Holy League to hold back the approaching Muslim forces intent upon overtaking Europe. A Rosary procession at St. Peter’s in Rome is attributed for their successful intercessory prayers.
Friday is the day to remember Denis and companions who were martyred outside of Paris around 250 AD. Denis was the first bishop of Paris. In the 1570’s, John Leonardi, in the Counter-Reformation, began CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) classes for the youth of Tuscany. Later, he was the cofounder of the Propagation of the Faith.
This Week in Jesuit History
· Oct 4, 1820. In Rome, great troubles arose before and during the Twentieth General Congregation, caused by Fr Petrucci's intrigues. He sought to wreck the Society and was deposed from his office as Vicar General, though supported by Cardinal della Genga (afterwards Leo XII).
· Oct 5, 1981. In a letter to Father General Arrupe, Pope John Paul II appointed Paolo Dezza as his personal delegate to govern the Society of Jesus, with Fr Pittau as coadjutor.
· Oct 6, 1773. In London, Dr James Talbot, the Vicar Apostolic, promulgated the Brief of Suppression and sent copies to Maryland and Pennsylvania.
· Oct 7, 1819. The death of Charles Emmanuel IV. He had been King of Sardinia and Piedmont. He abdicated in 1802 and entered the Jesuits as a brother in 1815. He is buried in San Andrea Quirinale in Rome.
· Oct 8, 1871. The Great Chicago Fire. Most of the city was destroyed, but it missed Holy Family, the Jesuit parish, as the fire turned north thanks to the prayers of Fr Arnold Damen. The fire lasted three days; 250 were killed.
· Oct 9, 1627. Jansenius left Louvain for Salamanca to foment antipathy against the Jesuits and thus prevent Philip IV from giving the Society a large college in Madrid. The theological faculty at Salamanca was hostile to the Society.
· October 10, 1806: The first novitiate of the Maryland Mission opened as ten novices began their Long Retreat under the direction of Fr. Francis Neale (himself a novice who had entered the Jesuits that day.)
Prayers
At Cheverus we give thanks to the Lord for another successful KAIROS retreat. This 16th retreat had 29 students and four adult leaders go through the first retreat of the year. The closing ceremony was abundantly filled with these sentiments, “Mom, Dad, I love you,” and “Thank you for sending me to Cheverus.” Deo Gratias!
May the Lord bless the Capuchin Friars at St. Joseph Church in Portland who celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the parish. A Mass of celebration will be said on October 4th, which is traditionally St. Francis of Assisi’s Feast Day.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Sp. Exx.: Suscipe - An Offering of Oneself
Take, Lord, receive
all my liberty,
my memory,
my understanding
and my entire will,
all that I have and possess.
You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.
All is yours.
Dispose of it wholly
according to your will.
Give me your love and your grace.
That is sufficient for me.
St. Ignatius of Loyola
all my liberty,
my memory,
my understanding
and my entire will,
all that I have and possess.
You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.
All is yours.
Dispose of it wholly
according to your will.
Give me your love and your grace.
That is sufficient for me.
St. Ignatius of Loyola
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Prayer: Patient Trust by Teilhard de Chardin
Above all, trust in the slow work of God.We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.
We would like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.
And yet, it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability - and that it may take a very long time.
And so I think it is with you; your ideas mature gradually - let them grow, let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don't try to force them on, as though you could be today what time, (that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will) will make of you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming in you will be.
Give our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.
We would like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.
And yet, it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability - and that it may take a very long time.
And so I think it is with you; your ideas mature gradually - let them grow, let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don't try to force them on, as though you could be today what time, (that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will) will make of you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming in you will be.
Give our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Poem: The Guest House by Rumi
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival,
a joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing your out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and welcome them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
Every morning a new arrival,
a joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing your out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and welcome them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Sp. Exx.: Formula of the Institute
September 27, 1540 is the date in which Ignatius and his early companions received formal approval by the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, to be instituted as a new religious Order called the Society of Jesus.
The Formula of the Institute is the basic original expression of the way of life envisioned for the Society by Ignatius and his companions. It laid down the fundamental structure of the new Jesuit religious order, providing for its general to write, with the advice of his companions, the fuller statutes which became known as the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus. The Formula captures the fundamental, original inspiration of the Society.
The Formula arose out of the deliberations of Ignatius of Loyola and his companions in 1539 as a ‘First Sketch of the Institute of the Society of Jesus.’ That sketch consisted of five ‘chapters,’ or paragraphs, which, with some minor revisions, became the substance of the two papal documents which formally approved the Society Regimini militantis (1540) of Pope Paul III and Exposcit debitum (1550) of Pope Julius III.
The Formula of the Institute
"Whoever desires to serve as a soldier of God beneath the banner of the cross in our society,
which we desire to be designated by the name of Jesus, and to serve the Lord alone and the Church, his spouse, under the Roman pontiff, the vicar of Christ on earth, should, after a solemn vow of perpetual chastity, poverty and obedience, keep what follows in mind. He is a member of a Society founded chiefly for this purpose:
to strive especially for the defense and propagation of the faith and for the progress of souls in Christian life and doctrine, by means of public preaching, lectures, and any other ministration whatsoever of the word of God and further by means of the Spiritual Exercises, the education of children and unlettered persons in Christianity and the spiritual consolation of Christ's faithful through hearing confessions and administering the other sacraments.
Moreover, he should show himself ready to reconcile the estranged, compassionately assist and serve those who are in prisons or hospitals and, indeed, to perform any other works of charity, according to what will seem expedient for the glory of God and the common good."
So if you run into a Jesuit on September 27th, wish him a Happy Birthday!
The Formula of the Institute is the basic original expression of the way of life envisioned for the Society by Ignatius and his companions. It laid down the fundamental structure of the new Jesuit religious order, providing for its general to write, with the advice of his companions, the fuller statutes which became known as the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus. The Formula captures the fundamental, original inspiration of the Society.
The Formula arose out of the deliberations of Ignatius of Loyola and his companions in 1539 as a ‘First Sketch of the Institute of the Society of Jesus.’ That sketch consisted of five ‘chapters,’ or paragraphs, which, with some minor revisions, became the substance of the two papal documents which formally approved the Society Regimini militantis (1540) of Pope Paul III and Exposcit debitum (1550) of Pope Julius III.
The Formula of the Institute
"Whoever desires to serve as a soldier of God beneath the banner of the cross in our society,
which we desire to be designated by the name of Jesus, and to serve the Lord alone and the Church, his spouse, under the Roman pontiff, the vicar of Christ on earth, should, after a solemn vow of perpetual chastity, poverty and obedience, keep what follows in mind. He is a member of a Society founded chiefly for this purpose:
to strive especially for the defense and propagation of the faith and for the progress of souls in Christian life and doctrine, by means of public preaching, lectures, and any other ministration whatsoever of the word of God and further by means of the Spiritual Exercises, the education of children and unlettered persons in Christianity and the spiritual consolation of Christ's faithful through hearing confessions and administering the other sacraments.
Moreover, he should show himself ready to reconcile the estranged, compassionately assist and serve those who are in prisons or hospitals and, indeed, to perform any other works of charity, according to what will seem expedient for the glory of God and the common good."
So if you run into a Jesuit on September 27th, wish him a Happy Birthday!
Birth anniversary of the Jesuit Order
On September 27, 1540, at the Palazzo San Marco in Rome, Pope Paul III signed the Bull Regimini militantis ecclesiae that established the Society of Jesus as a new religious order of the Catholic Church.
Ignatius of Loyola and his companions had made their way to Rome in October 1538, to offer their priestly services to the Pope. As they were about to be dispersed by the various missions given them by the Pope, the question arose as to whether they wished to remain spiritually "one." After prayer and discussion they decided positively, as Christ had brought them together, they felt it was His will they remain united. A charter was proposed to the Pope, which was received favourably and ultimately given solemn approval in this Regimini Militantis Ecclesiae of 1540. The final approval, with the removal of the restriction on the membership number, came in the bull Exposcit debitum of July 21, 1550 issued by Pope Julius III.
Ignatius of Loyola and his companions had made their way to Rome in October 1538, to offer their priestly services to the Pope. As they were about to be dispersed by the various missions given them by the Pope, the question arose as to whether they wished to remain spiritually "one." After prayer and discussion they decided positively, as Christ had brought them together, they felt it was His will they remain united. A charter was proposed to the Pope, which was received favourably and ultimately given solemn approval in this Regimini Militantis Ecclesiae of 1540. The final approval, with the removal of the restriction on the membership number, came in the bull Exposcit debitum of July 21, 1550 issued by Pope Julius III.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Twenty-Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2009
September 27, 2009
September 27th is the date of the first papal confirmation of the Society of Jesus in 1540. Pope Paul III signed the Bull, Regimini Militantis Ecclesiae, which established the new religious institute.
We do get very territorial with our ministries in the Church. Understandably, the church is going to conserve and preserve the message of Jesus’ life and resurrection, but we sometimes take it too far. Yes, it is good to have boundaries that limit and protect the various official functions and roles, but we have to be cognizant that we might unintentionally limit the workings of the Spirit of Christ that blows where it will.
Joshua is distressed that Eldad and Medad receive the Spirit of God and are prophesying alongside those who gathered to receive the Spirit. After all, Moses is feeling the weight of ministry and has asked for reinforcements, but when the Spirit selects the chosen people, two who are not present in the tent receive the same blessing from the Spirit. The same event happens in the Gospel when an unexpected exorcist is ministering in the name of Jesus. Jesus, like Moses, reassures his friends that it is indeed a blessing to have others doing the Lord’s work. In no way does it diminish the authority or pose a threat to the ones who are officially chosen by the community. Jesus and Moses are delighted to have the help and the Spirit is in ultimate control. As James tells us, we are rich when we receive the Lord’s blessings – it matters how judiciously we use these riches.
These readings pose interesting challenges to our assumptions. Yes, we need and demand validly, properly trained ministers, and we also can use all the help we can in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus. In fact, as Christians we all are commanded to go to the ends of the earth to preach the Gospel. We want to tell the world about God’s deep love for us; we are all called to be prophets. Let’s not get in the way of the Spirit for Jesus has stern words for those who become obstacles to another’s faith.
Quote for the Week
"See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared. Be attentive to him and heed his voice. Do not rebel against him, for he will not forgive your sin. My authority resides in him. If you heed his voice and carry out all I tell you, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.”
Exodus 23:20-22 on the Feast of the Guardian Angels
Themes for this Week’s Masses
In the Old Testament readings we continue to see how Israel rebuilds itself and its temple in an effort to become the type of people that God has called them to be. God wants to dwell within Jerusalem surrounded by a faithful, just people. The kind king Artaxerxes grants Ezra’s request to rebuild Judah and helps him achieve safe passage. Ezra, the priest, opens the book of the law of Moses at the Water Gate and reads from daybreak to midday in the presence of all who could understand. It is a day of rejoicing. Baruch reminds people that in their anger, God handed them over to their foes, but this same God wants to bring enduring joy back to the people
Luke continues to reveal to us the instructions of Jesus to his disciples. Hospitality to vulnerable ones is essential; proclaiming God’s kingdom is the task of everyone; leaving behind one’s attachments to follow Jesus is healthy; and proclaiming peace and good news is consistent with bearing his message. Those sent out by Jesus in pairs return with marvelous stories ripe with meaning about the work that Jesus is doing through God’s power. They return rejoicing for their names are written in heaven.
Saints of the Week
Monday is the feast of Wenceslaus, ruler of Bohemia, introduced strict reforms and political actions that became the cause of his martyrdom by the forces of his brother, Boleslaus. The Filipino Lawrence Ruiz and companion martyrs are also celebrated this day for their martyrdom in Nagasaki, Japan as missionaries trained by Dominicans.
Tuesday is the Feast of the Archangels – Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, who usher in a triduum (three days) of celebration for the angels. The archangels have names that represent their function: Michael – “Who is like the Lord?” fights against evil, Gabriel – “God is mighty” announces to Mary the Messiah’s conception, and Raphael – “God heals” guards Tobit on his journey.
On Wednesday, we honor Jerome, priest and Doctor, for his work in scripture scholarship and for translating the Bible into Latin for use by the common people. Ironically, Latin was at one time the vulgate.
Therese of the Child Jesus is honored on Thursday as a Doctor of the Church for her Autobiography of a Soul. At age 15, Therese, called the Little Flower, applied for entrance to the Carmelite monastery
Friday is the Feast of the Guardian Angels that completes the three days of prayer in honor of the angels. Popular piety tells us that each of the faithful ones in Christ has a guardian angel to protect one and to aid that person in the spiritual life while on earth.
Jesuit saint Francis Borgia is celebrated on Saturday for his leadership as the 3rd Superior General of the Society of Jesus. Francis was noble trained, but his passion for Christ led him to the Jesuits after his wife died. As General, he founded the Gregorian University, sent missionaries to the ends of the earth, advised kings and popes, and oversaw the growth of the rapidly expanding order.
This Week in Jesuit History
Sep 27, 1540. Pope Paul III signed the Bull, Regimini Militantis Ecclesiae, which established the Society of Jesus.
Sep 28, 1572. Fifteen Jesuits arrived in Mexico to establish the Mexican Province. They soon opened a college.
Sep 29, 1558. In the Gesu, Rome, and elsewhere, the Jesuits began to keep choir, in obedience to an order from Paul IV. This practice lasted less than a year until the pope's death in August, 1559.
Sep 30, 1911. President William Howard Taft visited Saint Louis University and declared the football season open.
Oct 1, 1546. Isabel Roser was released from her Jesuit vows by St Ignatius after eight months.
Oct 2, 1964. Fr General Janssens suffered a stroke and died three days later. During his generalate, the Society grew from 53 to 85 provinces, and from 28,839 to 35,968 members.
Oct 3, 1901. In France, religious persecution broke out afresh with the passing of Waldeck Rousseau's Loi d'Association.
Prayer
Creator God, may we love you in all things and above all things and reach the joy you have prepared for us beyond all our imagining. May the angels and those who serve you constantly in heaven keep our lives safe from all harm on earth. Guide us as we learn of your will for us. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
September 27th is the date of the first papal confirmation of the Society of Jesus in 1540. Pope Paul III signed the Bull, Regimini Militantis Ecclesiae, which established the new religious institute.
We do get very territorial with our ministries in the Church. Understandably, the church is going to conserve and preserve the message of Jesus’ life and resurrection, but we sometimes take it too far. Yes, it is good to have boundaries that limit and protect the various official functions and roles, but we have to be cognizant that we might unintentionally limit the workings of the Spirit of Christ that blows where it will.
Joshua is distressed that Eldad and Medad receive the Spirit of God and are prophesying alongside those who gathered to receive the Spirit. After all, Moses is feeling the weight of ministry and has asked for reinforcements, but when the Spirit selects the chosen people, two who are not present in the tent receive the same blessing from the Spirit. The same event happens in the Gospel when an unexpected exorcist is ministering in the name of Jesus. Jesus, like Moses, reassures his friends that it is indeed a blessing to have others doing the Lord’s work. In no way does it diminish the authority or pose a threat to the ones who are officially chosen by the community. Jesus and Moses are delighted to have the help and the Spirit is in ultimate control. As James tells us, we are rich when we receive the Lord’s blessings – it matters how judiciously we use these riches.
These readings pose interesting challenges to our assumptions. Yes, we need and demand validly, properly trained ministers, and we also can use all the help we can in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus. In fact, as Christians we all are commanded to go to the ends of the earth to preach the Gospel. We want to tell the world about God’s deep love for us; we are all called to be prophets. Let’s not get in the way of the Spirit for Jesus has stern words for those who become obstacles to another’s faith.
Quote for the Week
"See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared. Be attentive to him and heed his voice. Do not rebel against him, for he will not forgive your sin. My authority resides in him. If you heed his voice and carry out all I tell you, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.”
Exodus 23:20-22 on the Feast of the Guardian Angels
Themes for this Week’s Masses
In the Old Testament readings we continue to see how Israel rebuilds itself and its temple in an effort to become the type of people that God has called them to be. God wants to dwell within Jerusalem surrounded by a faithful, just people. The kind king Artaxerxes grants Ezra’s request to rebuild Judah and helps him achieve safe passage. Ezra, the priest, opens the book of the law of Moses at the Water Gate and reads from daybreak to midday in the presence of all who could understand. It is a day of rejoicing. Baruch reminds people that in their anger, God handed them over to their foes, but this same God wants to bring enduring joy back to the people
Luke continues to reveal to us the instructions of Jesus to his disciples. Hospitality to vulnerable ones is essential; proclaiming God’s kingdom is the task of everyone; leaving behind one’s attachments to follow Jesus is healthy; and proclaiming peace and good news is consistent with bearing his message. Those sent out by Jesus in pairs return with marvelous stories ripe with meaning about the work that Jesus is doing through God’s power. They return rejoicing for their names are written in heaven.
Saints of the Week
Monday is the feast of Wenceslaus, ruler of Bohemia, introduced strict reforms and political actions that became the cause of his martyrdom by the forces of his brother, Boleslaus. The Filipino Lawrence Ruiz and companion martyrs are also celebrated this day for their martyrdom in Nagasaki, Japan as missionaries trained by Dominicans.
Tuesday is the Feast of the Archangels – Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, who usher in a triduum (three days) of celebration for the angels. The archangels have names that represent their function: Michael – “Who is like the Lord?” fights against evil, Gabriel – “God is mighty” announces to Mary the Messiah’s conception, and Raphael – “God heals” guards Tobit on his journey.
On Wednesday, we honor Jerome, priest and Doctor, for his work in scripture scholarship and for translating the Bible into Latin for use by the common people. Ironically, Latin was at one time the vulgate.
Therese of the Child Jesus is honored on Thursday as a Doctor of the Church for her Autobiography of a Soul. At age 15, Therese, called the Little Flower, applied for entrance to the Carmelite monastery
Friday is the Feast of the Guardian Angels that completes the three days of prayer in honor of the angels. Popular piety tells us that each of the faithful ones in Christ has a guardian angel to protect one and to aid that person in the spiritual life while on earth.
Jesuit saint Francis Borgia is celebrated on Saturday for his leadership as the 3rd Superior General of the Society of Jesus. Francis was noble trained, but his passion for Christ led him to the Jesuits after his wife died. As General, he founded the Gregorian University, sent missionaries to the ends of the earth, advised kings and popes, and oversaw the growth of the rapidly expanding order.
This Week in Jesuit History
Sep 27, 1540. Pope Paul III signed the Bull, Regimini Militantis Ecclesiae, which established the Society of Jesus.
Sep 28, 1572. Fifteen Jesuits arrived in Mexico to establish the Mexican Province. They soon opened a college.
Sep 29, 1558. In the Gesu, Rome, and elsewhere, the Jesuits began to keep choir, in obedience to an order from Paul IV. This practice lasted less than a year until the pope's death in August, 1559.
Sep 30, 1911. President William Howard Taft visited Saint Louis University and declared the football season open.
Oct 1, 1546. Isabel Roser was released from her Jesuit vows by St Ignatius after eight months.
Oct 2, 1964. Fr General Janssens suffered a stroke and died three days later. During his generalate, the Society grew from 53 to 85 provinces, and from 28,839 to 35,968 members.
Oct 3, 1901. In France, religious persecution broke out afresh with the passing of Waldeck Rousseau's Loi d'Association.
Prayer
Creator God, may we love you in all things and above all things and reach the joy you have prepared for us beyond all our imagining. May the angels and those who serve you constantly in heaven keep our lives safe from all harm on earth. Guide us as we learn of your will for us. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Prayer: The Prayer of Oscar Romero
It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the church's mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own. Amen.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the church's mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own. Amen.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Spirituality: Beginning Prayer
Present your genuine authentic self to God
Invitation from God
We simply respond to this invitation.
You have simply been invited. Simply relax now.
What is going on here?
You are developing your relationship with God
And we need to do things with God as we would a friend
What do we do when we make new friends?
We spend time together, call them on the phone, share a meal,
Reveal some parts of our life and listen as the other reveals to us.
There is excitement, intrigue, fascination and perhaps fear and insecurity.
What if the other doesn’t like me enough?
What is my history with relationships?
What are my joys and disappointments?
What is my spiritual history of relationship with God?
How do I pray?
Just show up. If you tell God you will come to the chapel to be with God at 9:30, show up.
Don’t stand God up. It is always nice to be courteous.
When you get there, don’t do that much.
As we have heard before, prayer is at God’s initiative.
This isn’t something we can control or achieve
Recall that you are in God’s presence.
Perhaps read Scripture to ground you and then you have to trust God.
Let God work in your imagination.
Let God be in your thoughts.
The difficult thing to do is to embrace those thoughts.
Trust that God wants you to consider certain things.
They may be the stuff of your dreams, or fears, or troubling behaviors, or bad relationship. It could be a call to flourish in new ways. It could be to give you peace and comfort.
Maybe God just wants you to be still in God’s presence.
Crunch and munch – John’s Gospel
Enter fully into your experience of God
When you come to the Eucharist – chew and drink
When you come to prayer – savor, search for the flavors, swirl it around, don’t analyze it, but notice and detect.
See in new ways – Discover
Senses – application
Composition of place
Notice that’s you might take for granted – the color of Jesus’ eyes, the quality of Mary’s voice, the attire of the disciples. Is it the 21st century or the 1st century?
Own the scriptures. Make it your own
Taste, see, touch, hear and smell Avoid making judgments.
Then notice the energy. What words or phrases charge your or bring you tension.
This is grist for the mill. This is the food of your prayers.
All the other stuff was done in preparation for you.
Conversation with God, with Christ, with Mary or any other person you have met in your imagination in SS.
Maybe a question you have has nothing to do with SS. Fine. Ask the question.
If Jesus wants you to ask another question, he can speak for himself.
He will eventually get you to the questions you want to ask.
Distractions
If a good person is moving toward greater good, the evil spirit will be there to derail you.
Your soul is the battleground for the evil and Good spirits.
Our immediate reaction is to push away bad thoughts.
Maybe what we think is bad is God’s way of getting us to look at something painful.
I’d like to invite you to do the following:
Embrace the distraction
Pick it up, hold it, examine it, look at its power and then gently place it aside.
If you are to look at it more deeply, God will tell you that.
If you own the distraction, its power over you is broken
You can decide with God when it is good and right to talk about the distraction.
Listen for God’s voice; you will hear many others
Identify them if you can, but go back to God’s voice.
Lastly, enjoy your experience. Be yourself..
People come on retreat thinking they need to solve problems or overcome something that holds one down.
We come with objectives and agendas.
Let your objective be “finding delight with God.” Enjoy
Anthony de Mello had a quote “Behold God beholding you and smiling.”
Not bad, huh? Peace be with you on your retreat.
Invitation from God
We simply respond to this invitation.
You have simply been invited. Simply relax now.
What is going on here?
You are developing your relationship with God
And we need to do things with God as we would a friend
What do we do when we make new friends?
We spend time together, call them on the phone, share a meal,
Reveal some parts of our life and listen as the other reveals to us.
There is excitement, intrigue, fascination and perhaps fear and insecurity.
What if the other doesn’t like me enough?
What is my history with relationships?
What are my joys and disappointments?
What is my spiritual history of relationship with God?
How do I pray?
Just show up. If you tell God you will come to the chapel to be with God at 9:30, show up.
Don’t stand God up. It is always nice to be courteous.
When you get there, don’t do that much.
As we have heard before, prayer is at God’s initiative.
This isn’t something we can control or achieve
Recall that you are in God’s presence.
Perhaps read Scripture to ground you and then you have to trust God.
Let God work in your imagination.
Let God be in your thoughts.
The difficult thing to do is to embrace those thoughts.
Trust that God wants you to consider certain things.
They may be the stuff of your dreams, or fears, or troubling behaviors, or bad relationship. It could be a call to flourish in new ways. It could be to give you peace and comfort.
Maybe God just wants you to be still in God’s presence.
Crunch and munch – John’s Gospel
Enter fully into your experience of God
When you come to the Eucharist – chew and drink
When you come to prayer – savor, search for the flavors, swirl it around, don’t analyze it, but notice and detect.
See in new ways – Discover
Senses – application
Composition of place
Notice that’s you might take for granted – the color of Jesus’ eyes, the quality of Mary’s voice, the attire of the disciples. Is it the 21st century or the 1st century?
Own the scriptures. Make it your own
Taste, see, touch, hear and smell Avoid making judgments.
Then notice the energy. What words or phrases charge your or bring you tension.
This is grist for the mill. This is the food of your prayers.
All the other stuff was done in preparation for you.
Conversation with God, with Christ, with Mary or any other person you have met in your imagination in SS.
Maybe a question you have has nothing to do with SS. Fine. Ask the question.
If Jesus wants you to ask another question, he can speak for himself.
He will eventually get you to the questions you want to ask.
Distractions
If a good person is moving toward greater good, the evil spirit will be there to derail you.
Your soul is the battleground for the evil and Good spirits.
Our immediate reaction is to push away bad thoughts.
Maybe what we think is bad is God’s way of getting us to look at something painful.
I’d like to invite you to do the following:
Embrace the distraction
Pick it up, hold it, examine it, look at its power and then gently place it aside.
If you are to look at it more deeply, God will tell you that.
If you own the distraction, its power over you is broken
You can decide with God when it is good and right to talk about the distraction.
Listen for God’s voice; you will hear many others
Identify them if you can, but go back to God’s voice.
Lastly, enjoy your experience. Be yourself..
People come on retreat thinking they need to solve problems or overcome something that holds one down.
We come with objectives and agendas.
Let your objective be “finding delight with God.” Enjoy
Anthony de Mello had a quote “Behold God beholding you and smiling.”
Not bad, huh? Peace be with you on your retreat.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sp. Exx.: Further Set of Guidelines for Discernment
As we progress in our relationship with Jesus, we are often called to a generosity of heart that embraces as many of God’s people as we can hold. The hallmarks of Jesus’ mission are spiritual poverty (detachment), powerlessness, and humility.
As we move deeper into prayer, we can expect the Evil Spirit to try more strongly, more skillfully and seductively to entice us away from commitment and generosity. Ignatius inserts a prayer into his Spiritual Exercises where he indicates the powerful strategy of the Evil Spirit (Lucifer) to use riches, (attachments) reputation, (power) and pride (self-importance) to separate us from, or at least to make us lukewarm in our commitment. Notice that these are the same temptations that Jesus faced in the desert.
Ignatius responds to this strategy of the Evil Spirit:
With the Good Spirit, the inner movements go toward true gladness and spiritual joy.
With the Evil Spirit, the inner movements fight against true gladness and spiritual joy.
The Good Spirit “touches the soul gently, lightly, and smoothly, like a drop of water into a sponge.” The Evil Spirit “touches the soul sharply with a noise and disturbance like a drop of water on stone.” (Spir. Ex. #335.7)
With the Good Spirit, we are making, or begin to make, choices, great or small, which lead to greater inner joy and deeper peace. However, we need to pay attention to the beginning, middle and end of any decision made in a time of consolation because the Evil Spirit can appear as an “angel of light.” Hence, we stress the need for a Spiritual Director to discuss what is happening within us.
Times for making a Decision
These are not ordinary decisions and choices of daily life. These are decisions at a deeper level, which concern our growing love-relationship with God and our desire to express that love in service to others. How do we choose rightly?
A strong movement and attraction from God which leaves no doubt. Paul on road to Damascus.
Sufficient light and knowledge are received through experience of consolation and desolation. Pay attention to those inner movements.
A tranquil weighing of pros and cons in prayer until one is drawn to a certain conclusion.
When the decision is difficult, Ignatius gives us three suggestions.
What would you advise another person?
On your death bed, what decision would you have wanted to have made?
Imagine yourself talking to Christ after death: What choice would give you joy in presenting it to Christ?
Never make a decision in desolation.
Adapted by Fr. Ken Hughes, S.J.
As we move deeper into prayer, we can expect the Evil Spirit to try more strongly, more skillfully and seductively to entice us away from commitment and generosity. Ignatius inserts a prayer into his Spiritual Exercises where he indicates the powerful strategy of the Evil Spirit (Lucifer) to use riches, (attachments) reputation, (power) and pride (self-importance) to separate us from, or at least to make us lukewarm in our commitment. Notice that these are the same temptations that Jesus faced in the desert.
Ignatius responds to this strategy of the Evil Spirit:
With the Good Spirit, the inner movements go toward true gladness and spiritual joy.
With the Evil Spirit, the inner movements fight against true gladness and spiritual joy.
The Good Spirit “touches the soul gently, lightly, and smoothly, like a drop of water into a sponge.” The Evil Spirit “touches the soul sharply with a noise and disturbance like a drop of water on stone.” (Spir. Ex. #335.7)
With the Good Spirit, we are making, or begin to make, choices, great or small, which lead to greater inner joy and deeper peace. However, we need to pay attention to the beginning, middle and end of any decision made in a time of consolation because the Evil Spirit can appear as an “angel of light.” Hence, we stress the need for a Spiritual Director to discuss what is happening within us.
Times for making a Decision
These are not ordinary decisions and choices of daily life. These are decisions at a deeper level, which concern our growing love-relationship with God and our desire to express that love in service to others. How do we choose rightly?
A strong movement and attraction from God which leaves no doubt. Paul on road to Damascus.
Sufficient light and knowledge are received through experience of consolation and desolation. Pay attention to those inner movements.
A tranquil weighing of pros and cons in prayer until one is drawn to a certain conclusion.
When the decision is difficult, Ignatius gives us three suggestions.
What would you advise another person?
On your death bed, what decision would you have wanted to have made?
Imagine yourself talking to Christ after death: What choice would give you joy in presenting it to Christ?
Never make a decision in desolation.
Adapted by Fr. Ken Hughes, S.J.
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