Holiest Week

Today we began the most holy week of the Christian year. Palm Sunday commemorates the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem astride a colt of a donkey. People shouted Hosannas to the King. Others spread their cloaks on the road as Jesus passed by. In earlier preaching, Jesus had warned people not to call him the Messiah. People expecting a warrior-savior king would not recognize this preacher seated on a donkey. Now instead Jesus accepted the Hosannas and praise. At last many people recognized him as their long-awaited Messiah. Before the end of a week, cries of "Crucify him! We have no king but Caesar," came from another crowd in Jerusalem. That crowd denied Jesus' claim to oneness with the Lord, to be king of the Jews. Most of us know the story of a mock trial, an unjust sentence by a Roman judge, the horrible scourging, mistreatment, crown of thorns, bearing of a heavy cross, and the torture of being nailed to a cross. Jesus bore all that pain, humiliation and scorn to atone for the sins of all mankind. Love kept him on that cross when as God, he could have spared himself all that agony. During this week, slow down and pray about the Passion of Jesus. Take a penetrating look at a crucifix. If you see a street person with an unkempt beard, or one who shuffles in ill-fitting shoes, don't say "What a mess that man has made of himself." Instead think of how Christ lives in that man too. Once I heard a bishop say how his mother had scolded him as his dad drove them through a tough Los Angeles neighborhood. As they passed a very inebriated street person, both the bishop and his dad said, "What a bum!" Instead of agreeing with her husband and son, the mother turned on them and said, "That is a mother's son! Don't call him a bum!" The bishop never forgot his mother's rebuke. She could see what he had forgotten. In Matthew chapter 25, Jesus describes the final judgement as depending on our treatment of others: "I was hungry and you clothed me, thirsty and you gave me to drink...". People asked, "When did we see you hungry, thirsty, naked, imprisoned...", Jesus answered, "you did it to me." Two weeks ago I heard from a postal worker friend who frequents an area with many homeless. "When we know we are going to pass through those streets my wife and I, we pack a lot of sandwiches. When we see a homeless person, we make sure we give them something to eat." Their son Jay noticed that one of his classmates always ate by himself in the school cafeteria. Instead of asking him why he was alone, Jay decided to sit with him. He noticed that his new friend's lunch was very sparse. After that Jay asked his mom to please pack another big sandwich for his lunch. Jay's mom didn't question why he was asking for a bigger lunch. "He must use a lot of energy in track or whatever else he does," she thought. He never told his mom that he was giving the second sandwich away. "We found out that he was giving money to his new friend, not just food." We told him, "You don't need to give him your money. We'll take care of that." "No, I want to do this myself. I want to give what I can," their son answered. Jay learned from Matthew 25, Jesus was hungry and poor in his classmate. Jay is doing what he can to feed Jesus in his fellow teenager. I ask myself, "What am I doing to help Jesus in the Sister next to me, in the person who asks my advice, in the person whom I call or speak with this week?" May your Holy Week be truly a focusing on Jesus, a time of prayer, and serving Jesus in people I live and work with. Let us pray too for all those Christians who suffer their own passion week because of outright persecution. Pray for refugees who have fled persecution that they may be housed, fed and protected. Pray too for a group of young women who will spend the latter part of this Holy Week making a retreat to discern their call in life. Thank you for praying with us and for us. Have a grace-filled Holy Week.

Lessons From a Football Game

Last Sunday I was praying in certain intense moments during the Super Bowl. For much of my life I held a certain antipathy toward the very rough and ready sport f football. I traced this ill will to a 7th grade gym class test. The lady who was our teacher handed out sheets of paper filled with symbols used by football referees. since I had never yet even watched a football game, I tossed the paper aside. to my horror, at the next class we were to name all those referee calls! That was the rub: the only "F" i remember getting in all my school years. Last Sunday's Super Bowl was a sort of epiphany for me. I had often brought to our Pauline book displays copies of a book called "The Spiritual Lessons of Football." On a weekend in Mained, the pastor allowed me to give a presentation after Communion about our mission and the books. As I finished, the priest said, "What Sister said was fine. However she forgot something." My mind raced: "What did I forget?" Father continued. "For you men who become couch potatoes watching football games,, there is a book downstairs for you, "The Spiritual Lessons of Football." Needless to say, the book published by our Father of St. Paul became a best seller at that parish. Last week's Super Bowl taught me many points that apply to my spiritual life, as well as to any one who is trying to "walk the walk" of a Christian today. Lesson one is perseverance, don't quit! The winning quarter back threw the ball at least 50 times in the 60 minutes of play. He was sacked once and got up right away. He was not alone in persevering, so were all of his teammates. Each yard counts in football. It can be tedious, but keeping at it with your eye on the ball brings victory.

The second lesson I learned was obedience to the coach, the captain and the game plan as well as to the rules of the game. Always be attentive is the third lesson. Be ever watchful is a Biblical phrase too. With only 20 seconds til the clock ran out, a watchful virtually unknown player stepped in and won the game. Both teams used every second. The losing team scored with only 6 seconds to go. Every second of life is a gift from God. Profit from all the time I have. In our family, in our communities, in our work, teamwork is essential. For the winning team especially this was a characteristic. Each member credited the win to the whole team. Unity is another name for teamwork. As Tom Brady said, "We never doubted each other." Related to teamwork is humility, one more lesson from the football game. A willingness to share with many members of the team, to utilize their strengths made it a great game. One example, the winning Quarterback threw the ball to four different men who caught the ball and ran with it. Big egos seem to hold their teams back. The monotony and sacrifice of practice paid off tremendously. Allied with practice is patience. Mistakes were made, but the coach, the captain and the whole team learned patience and practiced again and again.

I have to admit that during the playoff game I was able to watched another program and go back to see our team win. However during the Super Bowl, for once I was anchored to the TV and glad of it. Of course I did pray the Hail Mary several times as well as the prayer to the Guardian Angel to protect all the players from injury. Now of course I have to forgive that dear lady who gave me that awful test on football signals. Now my heart is more inclined to forgive her, since I see a lot of good in a sport I once scorned. Have a blessed week, our last full week before Lent!

January's Almost Gone...

This apparently is my first blog post for 2015. Last Sunday the young priest who celebrated Mass in our chapel strongly suggested that all of us in the congregation should blog about the Faith. I made a mental resolve, "today I will take up my blog." However as you see, I did not keep the resolve. Thanks for your patience in waiting for my posts in this new year. I wrote a blog entry for our Pauline website. Just glancing at the daily newspaper can be cause for sorrow. Looking at the paper actually makes me pause and pray for people involved in sad and tragic situations. In our Pauline communities, we have a custom which involves "Praying the News." We watch at least a segment of an evening news broadcast. Then we pray for the people or the situations which we watched. In one of our convents, the nightly news is on during our supper. We record the news and watch it later. When it is Praying the News Night, we use the pre-recorded edition which enables us to pause after each incident and bring it to prayer. Some of you may have already read the blog post which appeared this past weekend on our My Discover Hope on-line newsletter/blog. Because of space limitations, part of the blog was edited to fit into the dimensions of the blog site. I do not want this blog to be a "downer", something to bow your heads and lament over. However, when I meet individuals face-to-face or listen to them on the telephone, or see their appeals on Facebook, I feel for them, and I pray. Since some of you may not have read the Pauline blog, I am including the first draft of my article for you now.

In this first month of the New Year, I have been touched by the readings from the Letter to the Hebrews. Jesus our High Priest is the center piece of this masterful work. The writer tells us that Jesus learned “obedience from what he suffered” for us. He purchased our souls for God. Because of what Jesus did we have hope. In our coastal New England area it is easy to visualize an anchor holding a ship fast, no matter the high winds and waves. Jesus is the anchor that gives us hope. No matter how much we may mess up, we can reach onto that anchor. The author of Hebrews says, “Hold fast to the hope that lies before us. This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, which reaches into the interior, behind the veil where Jesus has entered on our behalf…”.What we don’t see, he does see. He beckons us to trust, not to fear, but to “hold fast.” When we read the newspapers and Internet news, some days the news is close to apocalyptic: terrorists killing, maiming, raping, kidnapping—downright scary stuff. On other days tales of greed and thievery and scandalous behavior seem to be the media soup d’jour for our souls starving for hope. Pope Francis travels to bring hope. We are commissioned too as bearers of hope. During this month while serving at our Pauline Book & Media Center, I was able to speak about hope, and about the infinite mercy of him who is our hope, Jesus Christ. When I am able to serve at our Pauline Book and Media Center, often I am privileged to share with families their joys, and lately with their sorrows. This saying holds true: “When we share our joys, we multiply them. When we share another’s sorrow, we divide them.” A couple of weeks ago, it was my turn to care for a Dad in his 50’s and his youngest daughter about 12. They were searching for something appropriate to memorialize Brendan, their son and brother. In his mid-twenties, Brendan died of a heroin overdose. Hearing Brendan’s story, I thought of another family who had lost their son and brother also named Brendan. Only days after being released from prison, police found his lifeless body in an abandoned building surrounded by drug paraphernalia. Now both Brendan’s have gone to eternity. As I prayed for the souls of both of these young men, I also asked God to console the families they left behind. My next trip to our Center found me assisting a young woman who came for a rosary for her brother, Jamie. He, a 27 year old father, died as did both Brendan’s. Later that afternoon, a very devout middle aged man asked for a book about Father Vincent Capodanno. He was a Maryknoll Missioner and US Navy chaplain who died in Vietnam in 1964. Father died shielding a wounded medic from machine gun fire with his own body. Father Capodanno’s cause for sanctity is underway. Since I had read the book “The Grunt Padre” and had seen the movie with the same title, I was able to locate a copy for the man. (A friend of mine is the widow of Father’s commanding officer, Marine Corp Col. Richard Alger.) The book was intended as a gift to the man’s brother, a Vietnam vet with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and an addiction to alcohol. I promised I would pray for the intercession of Father Capodanno that his story would help release the veteran from his inner wounds. The gentleman had one more request: Would I pray for his nephew Bryan? In his mid-twenties, Bryan lay in a hospice facility preparing for a holy death surrounded by family. The other three drug victims died away from their homes. When I glance at the death notices in the newspaper sometimes I see write-ups about young adults with no cause of death noted. Were they also part of the huge toll exacted by drug trafficking in our country? Blessed Paul VI assured us that it’s Okay to multiply intentions when we pray. I can offer an Our Father for the souls of those who died from violence or drugs; I can pray for more young men and women to answer the call to follow Jesus as priests, brothers and religious sisters; I can pray to change the hearts of the abortion providers; of the drug pushers; of the people who traffic in human slavery. I offer prayers for my family, my Sisters in my community, for our chaplains, our bishops, and the list goes on. Yet I trust that God does hear my prayers and yours for the countless intentions we offer. Pope Francis wants us not to be glum, super serious believers. As Francis has told us religious, all of us Christians, have “to wake up the world” with our joy rooted in Jesus! Last week I accompanied one of our senior Sisters to a very busy Boston hospital. The weather was overcast and fiercely cold. A young man, a Coptic Christian, was beaming. For him it was Christmas Eve and he was brimming with joy. The stream of people jamming into the revolving door to escape the cold and meet their appointments was no problem. He was happy about Jesus’ birthday and he was determined to share his joy with us. Hundreds of thousands of Americans marched for life on January 22nd. May their sacrifice and their joy at the gift of life be another anchor of hope reaching further and further into the hearts of the grim, the sad, those intent on sin because they do not know the reason for our joy. On January 25th, it is usually the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, the Apostle. May Paul’s Damascus event where he met Jesus face-to-face help us all to turn ever closer to Christ and to deepen our hope in Jesus Christ. As Paul said to the Galatians and he says to us about Jesus: “He loved me and gave himself for me.” Because of that we all have hope in this life for the life to come.

This is Catholic Schools week in the USA. We celebrate two great Saints who were teachers: St. Thomas Aquinas and St. John Bosco serve as bookends for this week that celebrates the gift of Catholic Schools. I am a product of Catholic schools, I was taught mainly by Ursuline nuns whose Foundress sought to teach and form young Christian women. St. Angela Merici started the Ursuline nuns in the 1500's. Her work continues throughout the world by Ursulines in many parts of the world. St. Angela's feast day is January 27th. She is another Catholic educator to celebrate in this Catholic Schools Week. I pray for you all. and, I promise to be more faithful to blogging than in the past. God bless you!http://ncea.org/our-services/csw15-infographic

Three Days

It struck me this morning that there are only three days left until Christmas. Most of my Christmas cards are already mailed. I actually found some moments to breathe and reflect. What can I do to celebrate the best Christmas ever, to make sure that I welcome Jesus better than I ever have before? My mission as a Daughter of St. Paul is to evangelize through the media. Through our book fairs at parish weekend Masses, through our website and digital newsletters, in our book center, and through our phone calls the message of Jesus is touching many hearts this Christmas. At our morning Mass, and during our daily Eucharistic adoration, we Sisters pray for everyone who is touched by a Pauline edition be it a broadcast on TV or radio, a book, lyrics of our music, a DVD, or even a religious gift item such as a Miraculous Medal or a crucifix, or a handmade rosary. In our book centers and at book displays, people confide their needs to us so that we may pray for them. At our Dedham, Massachusetts Pauline Book and Media Center on Saturday a grieving father confided his sorrow to me. His son Brendan died of a heroin overdose. I was touched because I knew of another Brendan, who died last year from heroin addiction. Both of these young men left parents and brothers and sisters who loved them dearly. I pray for the victims of heroin, as well as for the families who in their lose experience deep suffering and grief. When I meet people face-to-face in our Centers, or when I speak with them on the phone, then suffering has a face, or at least a voice. It is hard not to be moved to compassion when I learn of their sorrows. May Jesus who came to take all the sins of the world on his shoulders, console these families. May Christmas bring them hope in the mercy of our God who came to save each one of us. May they experience the peace that comes from being rooted in faith, hope and love of God and of their neighbor. I pray for a friend named Mary Ann in her early 60's, who died yesterday morning from a brain tumor. She had been a career Navy officer. In her retirement she was very active in her parish in Alexandria, Virginia. She attended Mass every day that she was able to drive. When she was in remission, she often visited our Pauline Book & Media Center in Old Town Alexandria. Her passing saddens us who knew her and enjoyed her cheerful company. Yet, I am happy that her Advent, her time of waiting for the Lord's arrival, is now over. The Lord came to bring her into the eternal banquet, the eternal celebration of everlasting life. As St. Paul said in Romans 8:28, "For those who love God, all things work together for the good." Only God can bring good out of evil. May those suffering from armed conflicts be delivered soon from danger. May those who perpetrate violence, hatred and war turn from evil and do good. In case you have young people in your family (kinder to about 3rd grade), you may want to get a copy of our newest DVD, "From Saint to Santa", the Story of St. Nicholas. It is a delightful presentation with kids from the Boston area. For more information visit our website: www.pauline.org. Good reading, especially the Bible, the writings of the Saints, and the words of our Holy Father Pope Francis help us to "put on the mind of Christ." May you find time in this Christmas season to withdraw from the noise and let God speak to your mind and heart through a good book or an inspirational movie. Have a blessed Christmas!

The 4th Candle

Today we who use the Advent Wreath light all four candles to usher in the Fourth Week of Advent. Today is the first day of Winter in our northern hemisphere. As I write the sky is gray as little fits of snow flurry about. The fourth light of the Advent Wreath adds needed light to our world. Yet, we Christians have hope as we await the coming of the True Light of the World, Jesus Christ, born in a Bethlehem stable. One of our Mass hymns today was "People Look East" the time is near of the coming of the Lord. I remember the sense of heightened expectation I felt as a little girl waiting for Baby Jesus as well as Santa to come. Now as a religious Sister, I feel an even greater sense of expectation, waiting for Christmas to arrive. I look forward to the Mass on Christmas Eve night with its telling in word and song of the Christmas story. Then I love Christmas morning Mass which is such a joyful way to begin the day of celebration and gift giving and receiving. Jesus is "the" Gift par excellence sent by the Father to save us, to teach us, to give us a Way to follow, and to enliven us with his grace. This past week I was struck by the huge difference that believing in the coming of Jesus as God makes for us Christians. I wrote about that in our on-line newsletter/blog published on Saturday. I invite you to read the article http://www.pauline.org/blog. Winter offers a respite from noise which helps us reflect more deeply on Christmas. Snow usually falls without making a sound. It is pervasive and covers all in its path, sometimes just leaving a dusting, at other times smothering and reshaping all in its path. All the while the frozen flakes land every where in perfect silence. So the coming of the Savior was silent. Christ, our God, came as a Baby--silent and cueing little sounds that any baby would utter. The Angels provided the choir voices. "Gloria", Glory to God in the highest. This week can mean a crush of stress, rushing to get things done: presents wrapped and delivered, cooking, calling, and so much else. Take some time, if possible before the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, to be silent before him, to ask him to calm you, to center you, to recall the Love who lies in a manger.

As a media Sister, I welcome this season with its lights, its cheer and its message of real hope. I promise you my reader my prayers for you as you make room in your life for the One who is our Light, and our Life, the Reason for this season of peace and joy. Merry Christmas!

Mary's Immaculate Conception

Today the Church around the world celebrates Mary's Immaculate Conception. For us Americans this day holds more meaning, since Mary, the Immaculate Conception, is the special Patroness of these United States of America. The Church teaches that Mary was conceived by her parents, Joachim and Anna, without original sin. So the first moment of her existence, Mary's souls was spotless, free of any sin. In view of her coming role as Mother of the Savior, God preserved Mary from the effects of original sin. The gospel which the Church offers us today is from St. Luke's narrative. The Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary with the good news that she was to be the Mother of the Messiah, the Redeemer of Israel--and of all humanity.

Sister Marianne Lorraine, fsp led our morning prayer earlier today. As a special addition sister read an excerpt from a homily of Pope Benedict XVI especially for today. I was touched by the warmth of Pope Benedict's words about Mary. Here is an excerpt that you may enjoy:

In her [Mary], God has impressed his own image, the image of the One who follows the lost sheep even up into the mountains and among the briars and thornbushes of the sins of this world, letting himself be spiked by the crown of thorns of these sins in order to take the sheep on his shoulders and bring it home. ...[Mary's] heart was enlarged by being and feeling together with God. In her, God's goodness came very close to us. Mary thus stands before us as a sign of comfort, encouragement and hope. She turns to us, saying: "Have the courage to dare with God! Try it! Do not be afraid of him! Have the courage to risk with faith! Have the courage to risk with goodness! Have the courage to risk with a pure heart! Commit yourselves to God, then you will see it is precisely by doing so that your life will become broad and light, not boring but filled with infinite surprises, for God's infinite goodness is never depleted!

On this Feast Day, let us thank the Lord for the great sign of his goodness which he has given us in Mary, his Mother and Mother of the Church. Let us pray to him to put Mary on our path like a light that also helps us become a light to carry this light into the nights of history. Amen.

Advent Week Two

The first week of Advent flew by. I was able to go to Staten Island, New York on Thursday with 17 other Sisters. We traveled on a small bus to be present at our 20th Annual Daughters of St. Paul Benefit Dinner and Concert. Our singing choir Sisters offered 18 numbers selected from very upbeat Christmas-centered songs. Over 900 people were present. Our guest of honor was Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York. He received a great welcome. It took him a long time to reach his place at table because of the folks who went to greet him and stopped to pose for selfies with the Cardinal. We Sisters are very grateful to Richard and Lois Nicotra and their hard working staff who host and manage this dinner/concert every year. The venue is their Hilton Garden Inn on Staten Island. In his opening remarks, Cardinal Dolan said that the New Testament story of the First Christmas gives inn keepers a bad name. They had said "no room" to Joseph and Mary. The Nicotras have restored the image of a good inn keeper! This morning I attended the 7:30 Mass at a nearby parish. For the following Mass, I stayed at the side entrance which is a large circular, glass encased room. There we had ample space for many tables and display units for our books and media which we were offering the parishioners this morning. During the second Mass, while Sister Susan attended the liturgy, I stayed in the entrance area. A young mother with a 2 year old and a 4 year old boy was trying to pay attention to the Mass, even though her boys were too young to keep still. Much later on a middle aged couple came in with a perky two-year old girl, a child in a cradle-car seat, and two boys all under two years old. The couple were white and three of the children were African American. Only the child in the car seat was still. All three wanted to see everything, inspect all our books and DVD's, run up and down the handicapped ramp, and socialize with the first two boys. When I told the little girl that behind the tables was "Only for big girls," she responded firmly: "I am a big girl!" She was a miniature "big girl" in her bright pink winter outfit, white flower headband, and lamb's wool vest. In Advent we await the coming of Christ at the end of time, and we commemorate Jesus' birthday in Bethlehem of Judea. Jesus was a real baby, who, if he were born in our day, would ride in a car seat rather than a donkey, wear jeans and not a robe, and still keep landing on his bottom as he made baby steps to catch up with the older boys. I was edified when I asked "Mom" and "Dad" if the children were foster children or adopted. The children were both: two, a boy and girl, were already their adopted son and daughter; the other two were still in their care as foster children. I reflected that these parents were nearing retirement age. They could look forward to a restful sunset of life. Yet they had taken on the care of four children who otherwise might be on the street or in a shelter, if not in worse conditions. I thought of Matthew Chapter 25 where Jesus describes the final judgement: "I was hungery and you gave me to eat; naked and you clothed me; sick and you visited me...". What a Christmas gift those two are with their lives. May we learn from them, and pray that those who can do the same will emulate their example and give more children a loving, warm home. Have a blessed second week of Advent.

Advent Ushers in a New Year

Happy Advent! This morning I was with two other Daughters of St. Paul at a parish north of Boston. We had a beautiful display of books, DVD's and CD's. People were eager to bring home books, especially a new title by Sister Mary Lea Hill, who uses the subtitle "Reflections of a Crabby Mystic" on her new book, "Prayer and You." There were many who purchased a brand new DVD for children called "From Saint to Santa", the true story of St. Nicholas. Contrary to the naysayers, "Yes, there is a real Santa. He is Saint Nicholas." The person behind the Saint and Santa outfits is Father Joseph Marquis a Byzantine priest who is pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Livonia, Michigan. With a cheerful, husky voice, Father Joseph transposes himself into a believable Santa. See more about "From Saint to Santa" on our website: www.pauline.org. This morning I felt invited to spend Advent, the liturgical season which starts today in the company of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Her's was the first Advent--a nine month waiting--as she prepared for the arrival of Jesus' birthday. For Mary, there must have been long stretches of silence as she readied meals, fashioned baby clothes, walked the road to Ain Karim to help her older cousin Elizabeth. Then she and Joseph journeyed to Bethlehem in her final stages of pregnancy. Mary was a walking tabernacle hosting Emmanuel, God with us. As Luke's gospel tells us "she pondered in her heart" the events that she experienced. Advent is an invitation for me and you to ponder in our hearts the wonder of the Incarnation: the truth that God took on a real body, "born of a woman", Mary. Today someone told me, "He (Jesus) was just pretending, borrowing a human appearance, right? When he became man?" I gently responded that Jesus was not pretending, not putting on a costume as an actor would, and then discarding it. Jesus Christ is true God and true man. He had a DNA, he became a real member of our race; "Like us in all but sin." It is a wonder, something to ponder. Yes, beyond our deepest imagining. Yet, so very true. Once a spiritual director told me to meditate on the Baptism of Jesus. When he waited in line to be baptized by John the Baptist, no one, not even John at first, recognized him as being set apart from the other men in line. A traditional prayer in the Church recalls the mystery of the Incarnation, we call it The Angelus, from the Latin opening words: Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae. At least once a day, why not pray the Angelus as an Advent practice: The Angel spoke God's message to Mary. And, she conceived of the Holy Spirit. I am the lowly servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word. And the Word became flesh. And lived among us. Let us pray: Lord, pour your grace into our hearts. We to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by his passion and cross be brought to the glory of his resurrection. Through the same Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Christ the King

Today we pledge allegiance to Christ our King. The Church celebrates Christ's sovereignty over us. His rule is not one of subjugation, but one of love. As one priest pointed out today, before any political election propaganda or advertising is all over the media. The candidates make a lot of promises, yet how many deliver? Christ does not do propaganda. In fact, his invitation: "Take up your cross and follow me," may be puzzling to any who have never heard the gospels. "Narrow is the way" that leads to salvation. It's hard to put a spin on a message like this. Despite the hard truths of his message, Jesus Christ does not say, "Hey, come back here. If you want a styrofoam cross, let me help you pick one out." Rather than promise a financial reward in this present world, Christ promises us the hereafter. St. Paul was granted a glimpse of the "other side". He wrote, "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard what God has ready for those who love him."

Does Christ reign in my mind? How do I plan out my day, my week, the month? If I am married, do I factor in my wife's or my husband's need and our need to be praying Christians. Do I reflect that if I was aware of Christ's presence when I am at work, would I still continue to act as I do, talk as I do, work as I do? Is money my only bottom line? If I am dealing with the public, am I showing a Christ-like attitude? Or, am I nice to the public, but grumpy with my family or co-workers? Does Christ the King reign in my speech? Am I kind with everyone? Have certain terms or figures of speech crept into my vocabulary that can be hurtful when aimed at a co-worker or a family member? I recently heard of a young woman who left a job because of "a hostile environment." By that term she meant older employees who did not train her, yet used profanities if she made a mistake. There was a dearth of kindness and patience. Like many young people, this girl has a learning disability which requires repetition of instructions given in a clear and kind way. She learned her former job well. Hopefully she will find a new work place where Christ reigns in the hearts of her bosses and co-workers.

Is it the love of God or only the thought of my paycheck that gets me out of bed in the morning? When I feel in need, who do I turn to? Do I offer my day to Christ? I once heard of a little boy whose teacher asked him if his family prayed. "Oh yes," he answered. "My Dad always says 'Jesus Christ' when he hits his fingers with the hammer!" Of course the teacher had to refrain from bursting out with laughter and dismay at the boy's dramatic inflection as he said the Holy Name of Jesus. At the end of our day, after we switch off the TV or radio, do we make a brief examination of conscience after we thank Jesus for all the gifts of the day? Do we count health, food, shelter, job, family and so much more as gifts? On Facebook I saw a notice that went like this: "Put the Christ back in Christians!" Yesterday when I read the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25 that formed most of today's gospel reading, I was struck by Jesus affirming that "What you did to them, you did to me." I thought of St. Paul who was stunned when Jesus stopped him on the outskirts of Damascus and said, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Jesus ranks that oneness of himself with his followers as weighty criteria for the final judgement: "What you did to them...or did not do for them" counts forever. Right after Thanksgiving the Church will begin a new year of praise and worship--a new liturgical year. Advent, the liturgy's preparation for the feast of Christ's birth is our way too of preparing our minds and hearts to allow the Baby King Jesus to reign in us. Have a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope to reach you before November 26 to tell you more about the importance of this day for us Paulines. God bless you!

Veterans' Day and St. Martin of Tours

Today Americans celebrate Veterans Day. Many years ago, we called it Armistice Day, in remembrance of the day when World War I ended. My Dad was several years older than my Mother. He was a veteran of the War to End All Wars. My uncles on my mother's side of the family all were in the World War II military service. Only the oldest was given duties states side. Uncle Fran served in the under belly of an aircraft carrier--making sure the boilers kept that ship moving. Uncle Bill served in the Aleutian Island, and then was sent to the steamy jungles of the Philippines. For years Uncle Bill spoke hardly a word about his experiences. Something triggered his memories. He began telling stories of his experiences. When the Navy ship carrying his army division landed in the Aleutian Island, none of the soldiers had winter clothing. They had boarded their transport ship in the balmy weather of San Diego. As each soldier headed onto the cold island climate, a sailor stepped up to donate something warm for his army counterpart. "I'll never forget Jim, whoever he is," Uncle Bill remarked. "He gave me a warm leather jacket with Jim on the front." From the frozen North Pacific to the heat of the Philippines, Uncle Bill and his comrades were faithful to their duties. Cold, faulty equipment, sweat, and jungle rot were some of the memories our uncle talked about. He never complained. He only related the facts. He was a faithful veteran. A few years ago, two of my siblings were driving near his house on an election day. They noticed a tall man on a gravel pathway. He was using a walker close to a very busy road. They stopped and gave him a ride. It was Uncle Bill on his way to vote. His valor was part of the reason we all have the right to vote. Today we say "thank you" to all our veterans, both living and deceased. It is appropriate that this day set aside for veterans falls on the feast of Saint Martin of Tours. Born in what is now Hungary, and brought up in Italy, Martin was a soldier of the Roman Empire. Art depicts him astride a white horse. He wields a sword which he used to slice his red cloak in two. A beggar is lying on the ground where he awaits Martin's gift of a generous half of his cloak. Later in a vision, Martin learned that the beggar was really Jesus. The Spanish-speaking world calls him "Martin Caballero" (Martin the horseman.) After he left the military, Martin became a monk, then a missionary. He is credited for evangelizing folks in the countryside especially in France. Earlier evangelization was aimed at the masses in the cities. After the Edict of Milan, people were given the OK to be openly Catholic. Martin was the first -- or at least--the foremost in promoting the Faith throughout Gaul, in its villages as well as its large cities. He was elected Bishop of Tours, France. Much was written about him. Although he died around 352 AD, his life story is still with us to teach us how to follow Christ. May the Saint on Horseback help us to honor our veterans, and to be mindful of our Faith and its lasting impact at every stage of our life.

All Hallows Eve

Our Halloween in Boston looks like it will be a beautiful day. Boston's people were saddened to learn of the death of their former Mayor Menino yesterday. Mr. Menino endeared himself to the public because of his attitude of acceptance of all peoples, his fidelity to his faith, and his hard work for the people of Boston. When the Boston Marathon bombing ripped at the heart of his city last year, he checked himself out of a hospital to be of assistance to his people. The Mayor left office only a few months ago. We pray for the repose of his soul. We rejoice in the many good things he did for the city as a whole, and for the many individual lives he enriched by his efforts. Tom Menino was a humble man, because humility is truth. One of the Sisters of our community said this morning, "I met him at the funeral of the mother of a priest. He was in the line." He did not seek first place because he was the Mayor. May his successors learn from we all learn from his example. Tomorrow is the Feast of All Saints. Happy Feast Day to all my readers. God bless you!

Daily Grace

Today was one of those serendepedus days (I apologize for my not knowing the spelling of this made-up word) when a few things actually went very well. I had a chance to get something done well and fast. Our chaplain came for the sacrament of reconciliation as I was passing by. There were moments of grace. There is a prayer which the Jesuit or Ignatian spirituality recommends. It is called The Awareness Prayer. Since for me it is rather late at night (we have morning prayers very early at 6:40, I will just touch briefly on this prayer. It takes a bit of time, but it helps us become aware of what God is about in our lives. It also lets us slow down long enough to stop for a few minutes; to look at what God has done to me, for me through events and other people and other ways; to listen to my heart, that is my feelings, my desires. Am I happy? Sad? Stressed? Why, why not? How did I respond to the circumstances I was in? Or did I "react" instead? How were my words, my actions? I become aware of my own actions, words, attitudes.... For what is good, I give thanks. For what is wanting in me, for my failures, I ask pardon, I pray an act of contrition. For the grace to do and to be better tomorrow, I pray an act of trust and confidence in our Master's unfailing help. I remain in peace with God. Some of you may already be praying and practicing this kind of prayer exercise. It is very helpful to do this every day. Until tomorrow I say God bless you. For those of us who celebrate the secular feast of Halloween (All Hallows Eve) have a good and safe celebration.

A Feast for Jesus Master

Today in our Boston chapel and in Pauline Family chapels throughout the world, we celebrated Mass in honor of Jesus Christ, the Divine Master, Way, Truth and life. The Founder of the Pauline Family, Blessed James Alberione, had petitioned the Vatican for permission to celebrate this feast on a Sunday. Permission was granted in 1958, a few years prior to the Vatican Council II.

The gospel for today's Mass is from John which narrates Jesus' washing of the feet at the last supper. The first reading was from the prophet Isaiah where the writer personifies Jesus' own experience: "I was given a well trained tongue...I gave my back to those who beat me..." yet God was with me. The second reading focused on the Word of God. We are told to keep our focus on it, as on the morning star which breaks through the dark of night.

The readings direct us to Jesus who said: "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." That is, he is our Way, or our road to travel; he is the Truth of our life. He gives meaning to our existence. He is our Life. His life is not only our moral support. His grace sustains us at each moment. In the Eucharist Jesus sustains us with his own body and blood. May Jesus, Master be our sure Way to follow. May Jesus Truth's gospel enlighten our decisions. May Jesus Life sustain us and "give us each day our daily bread" not only material bread, but bread for our souls. During this week, we Daughters of St. Paul are holding our 2nd annual Webathon, a fund-raiser to help support the many costs of proclaiming the gospel with the media. God to our web site at www.pauline.org to find out more. There are lots of videos to watch to focus in on our mission. Thanks ahead of time for your generosity. I assure you that I pray for all of my reader, and especially for those who make a sacrifice to help us.

A Novena to Jesus Master

Blessed James Alberione founded the world-wide Pauline Family and gave it three underlying devotions: Jesus Master, Way, Truth and Life; Mary, Queen of the Apsotles; and St. Paul, the Apsotle. We celebrate the feast of Jesus Master on the last Sunday of october. In preparation, we Sisters usually sing a Novena found in the prayers of the Pauline Family. Our Digital Team formed by Sisters of various countries offers you a chance to pray this Novena with us. Here are the prayers for today: I hope that you can join us. God bless you! Sister Mary Peter

The Good We Do

Yesterday I wrote about Blessed Timothy Giaccardo, a holy man who died in 1948. World news media recently focused on the tragic deaths of four men who were killed by ISIS members. The first was the American photo journalist James Foley. He had been imprisoned by terrorists at another time and released. We know that he prayed the rosary on his knuckles during that time. He was known for his generosity to the poor and his goodness to all his co-workers. Our retired Pope Benedict once wrote that “Only God can bring good out of evil.” This morning I read an article which appeared earlier this week in the Washington Post’s on-line opinion section. The author highlights four victims of ISIS brutality and how their public executions shed light on their lives of self sacrifice and goodness. Had they died in bed back in their homelands, others would have mourned surely. Their public demise brought out their lives of goodness for the whole world to see.

As autumn leaves fall in our part of the world, they reveal more of the landscape. When people leave this life, we often remember the good they did. May we too be remembered for our lives spent for love of God and neighbor.

Timothy Giaccardo

Yesterday was the 19th Sunday in Ordinary time. Had it been a weekday, we Paulines would have celebrated the Mass for the Feast of blessed timothy Giaccardo. [The "Gia" is pronounced as the "ja" is pronounced in the word jaw.]Father Timothy was the first young man to be ordained as a member of the society of St. Paul in Alba Italy. In the Acts of the Apostles we read of how St. Paul took the young disciple timothy as his companion on the mission of evangelizing the world of St. Paul's time. Father Giaccardo was baptized Joseph in the parish of St. Bernard in the town of Narzole in the Piedmont area of Northern Italy. When the young Giaccardo made his first vows as a Pauline priest, he chose to change his name to Timothy. As Timothy was a faithful "son of St, Paul in the Faith," so the young Father Joseph Giaccardo desired to learn from Father Alberione and allow his "father in the spiritual lie" lead him to become a Pauline saint. A totally opposite character type fromn the founder, Giaccardo became a faithful confidant and vicar to blessed James Alberione. Giaccardo loved beautiful liturgical celebrations, music and tasteful decor. Alberione was satified with simple vestments, brief songs, and so on. In one sense, the founder was a minimalist. His vicar instead liked to maximize certain aspects of liturgy and celebrations. Giaccardo accepted the reality of their differences. He learned to open himself to Alberione's guidance especially in his spiritual life.

When blessed Alberione founded his second feminine order, The sister Disciples of the Divine Master, Giaccardo was instrumental in grasping the Founder's intuition regarding these Sisters. While sharing in the spirituality of the Fathers of the Society of St. Paul and of the Daughters of St. Paul, this new branch of the Family would need its own particular direction. In addition to the daily Hour of Eucharistic Adoration assigned to the Daughters of St. Paul, these Sisters were given an additional hour of Eucharistic adoration. They were to serve as a prayer "powerhouse" for the brothers and sisters of the first two Pauline Foundations. Later they were to pray too for the new foundations to come in the expanding Pauline Family.

The year 1947--1948 was one of a spiritual desert for the Sister disciples as certain authorities questioned their very existence. Father Giaccardo not only prayed that the fledgling order be approved, but that it would soon grow in numbers. He offered his life for their success. Father Giaccardo died in the clinic of San Fre, near the city of Alba in Italy on November 24th, 1948. Soon after, the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master were recognized by the Church as a truly unique congregation within the Pauline Family. Their work of promoting the sacred liturgy, Eucharistic adoration and help to the priesthood would soon flourish throughout the world. Father Giaccardo had completed his mission on earth as a helper to Blessed Alberione. Timothy giaccardo was recognized as "Blessed" on October 22nd, 1989.

Apologies to all my readers for taking so long to re-blog! I must confess that Facebook has robbed a lot of my on-line time. The other day I wrote something to post for today. Here it is, and I hope it is clear to all my fellow relative or close aquaintenses. Last weekend I was on a retreat. This time I was the one giving the conferences. The setting was lovely—nestled in North Carolina's mountains with a lake shimmering with autumn colors, a lovely chapel and comfortable quarters, good meals, and good people.

This weekend we Sisters in our Boston community are hosting two Sisters who are members of our General Council. The six councilors form part of the team that governs our international Congregation. We Daughters of St. Paul are an international religious family present in 52 nations. Our habits do not always look alike because in many nations all religious sisters are asked to wear local attire. This is true in parts of Africa, in India, in Malaysia and Pakistan, and other areas.

No matter the dress, our Sisters all wear the emblem that identifies them as consecrated Pauline Sisters. What unites us is our faith, our common Baptism and our call to proclaim Christ and his message through whatever media of communication available to us. The theme of our last general chapter—a meeting with Sisters representing the various nations where we are—was “We believe and therefore we speak.” Our speaking is done through radio, television and the written word, in book or printed form, or on the various means of digital communication: apps; emails, digital newsletters; digital programming, etc. Our Founder said we Paulines “must be St. Paul living today.” We are convinced that were St. Paul with us now, he would delight in getting the Good News of Christ out to as many as possible with the many digital means of social media today. Around the world we Pauline Sisters are praying a Novena to Jesus Master, Way, Truth and Life. Please join us in this nine day preparation for the Feast of Jesus Master. We Pauline Family members celebrate this Feast each year on the last Sunday of October. Here is link to use to follow the Novena.

As I mentioned above we are an international family of Sisters. This Novena reflects thoughts of Sisters in a variety of English-speaking nations. May you enjoy a blessed end of the weekend and blessed Monday. For us in the northern reaches lead us to praise God for his beauty as he flashes golden, brown and red hues all around us. Here is a link to our Divine Master Novena on-line. http://visit.pauline.org/ifollowlight/tag/divine-master/ .

Maximilian Kolbe

When he was ten years old, Maximilian Kolbe had a dream or a vision. He saw the Blessed Virgin Mary holding out two crows for him to choose. One was white for purity, the other red was for martyrdom. Instead of choosing only one, the boy chose both. He went on to enter a Franciscan monastery in Poland. Then he started the Knights of the Immaculata: men devoted to Mary Immaculate. He began a magazine which reached thousands of people with the message of the gospel. He went from Poland to Japan where he began the same work--using the press to spread devotion to Mary Immaculate. Due to health issues he returned to Poland, just as the Nazi regime was taking over his home country. He seen became a target of the Nazi occupiers. They arrested him. Eventually he was sent to Auschwitz concentration camp. There he fulfilled his dream of becoming a martyr. He became a martyr of charity when a prisoner escaped and ten men were rounded up to be sent to a starvation bunker as punishment. Kolbe stepped out of the line of prisoners and offered to replace a man who had cried out that he was married with children. Kolbe's offer was accepted. After 14 days in the bunker where he had prayed and encouraged his fellow prisoners, Kolbe was injected with poison. May he intercede for all of us as the world faces new and brutal forces intent on wiping out Christianity and other religions.

Reconciliation Between Saints

Today the Church celebrates the feast of two saints who suffered martyrdom almost at the same time. One was the lawful Pope at the time. His name was Pontian. The other was upset that the Pope--in his opinion--was too lenient in accepting once lapsed Christians back into the fold. The dissenter Hippolytus declared himself Pope and a brief schism occurred. Not long after the Roman Emperor decided to arrest, imprison and eliminate Christians, especially their leaders. The two Popes ended up in the same prison. A reconciliation took place. Soon both died for the one faith they professed in Christ. We can learn from early Christian history that the saints were authentically human. They had their disagreements. They did not always see eye to eye. Yet they all loved Jesus and despite their opinions, loved one another. Their Christian love involved reconciliation, saying "I am sorry," embracing the other, loving from the heart. None of this behavior is easy all the time. With the grace of God, we can behave the same way. We just need to ask. A consoling line in the the gospel of Matthew read today is this: "Wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst."

Peace and Persecution

As I write the news media report destruction in the Holy Land, kidnapping in Africa, Christians fleeing Iraq and Syria. Innocent children are being killed, maimed, orphaned, and robbed of their childhood joys. On Facebook images of mass executions and other horrible scenes show up. It is easy to skip by them, keep scrolling down until a peaceful scene appears. News of violence and war makes me appreciate some of the lighter jokes and pictures of cats and dogs. On Facebook a few days ago there were pictures of a Christian young man, perhaps in his early 30's who was tried and condemned for a "crime" for which he was innocent. The scene was either in Iran or Iraq. The faces of those who were leading him to a makeshift gallows were grim and determined. The Christian was taller than his accusers. He stood out, not so much for his height, but for the glow on his face. He radiated a peaceful, joyous look of expectation. In a few minutes the man would breathe his last. Yet, there was no indication that he was fearful or angry. Instead he seemed fearless and happy. That same night I opened a book on the Fathers of the Church. I had turned to the page describing the martyrdom of St. Polycarp. He was already an old man of 86 years. Dragged before a Roman official, he was ordered to worship the Emperor who had proclaimed himself a god. Someone suggested that he pretend to worship the god. All he had to do was sprinkle a few grains of incense on the hot coals before Emperor's image. He did not have to really intend to worship, just pretend. Polycarp knew that behaving like that would be caving in to paganism. How could he, a bishop, and an elderly man give such bad example? The proconsul tried to persuade Polycarp: "Take the oath (to deny Christianity and declare Caesar a god) and I will release you. Revile Christ!" Polycarp would not deny Christ. Exasperated, the Roman proconsul said, "I have wild beasts and I will cast you to them if you do not repent!" Polycarp stood his ground: "Call them! It is impossible for us to repent from better to worse; it is good, though, to change from what is wicked to what is right." "Let him be devoured by the lions," came the sentence. However the animal keeper denied the judge's order, since his animals had done enough work for the day. A pyre was set up around the steadfast old man. The Christians who witnessed the event noted that Polycarp showed no fear. The chronicle of his last day says, "He was filled with courage and joy, and his face was full of grace...". A tradition says that the flames formed a circle around the martyr and did not scorch him. An executioner was ordered to dispatch the saintly old man. Instead of wiping out Christianity, Polycarp's death remains a tribute to the courage of the first Christians and an example for today's persecuted Christians. (Direct quotes are from the Martyrdom of St. Polycarp printed in Volume I of "The Apostolic Fathers, Bart D. Ehrman, Harvard University Press, reprint 2005). An ancient saying assures us that "God gives the grace of the moment." When we need the grace to be brave and to remain faithful in the face of persecution, grace and strength come. Let us lift up in prayer all those Christian men, women and young people who at this moment are suffering for their faith in Jesus Christ.