tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30012112924282953582024-02-06T19:36:19.903-08:00Confraternity of Penitents' BlogCONFRATERNITY OF PENITENTS BLOG -- Follow the Confraternity of Penitents, a Catholic Association of the Faithful for people who want to live at home a religious Rule of Life, originally given by Saint Francis of Assisi to the penitents of his time.Confraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.comBlogger222125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-38696689416592500182018-05-10T12:10:00.000-07:002018-05-10T12:10:05.468-07:00The Forgiveness of Jesus<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x4 pg-1h1 pg-1y5 pg-1ff1 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0">
What a mess we would be in were it not for the forgiveness of Jesus. What a m<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>ess the disciples </div>
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would have been in after Easter if Jesus did not forgive them for abandoning him during his </div>
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Passion. On Easter Sunday evening, Jesus appears to two disciples who meet him on the road to Emmaus and recognize him only after he has broken bread with them<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>. These two return to Jerusalem to tell the others. After they have shared<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> their account of seeing Jesus, he now appears to the entire group gathered together. </div>
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Imagine the sense of<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> shame the disciples must now feel for having abandoned Jesus during his Passion. We too feel a sense of<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> shame when we abandon Jesus when we sin. That is really what happens when we sin;<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> we abandon Jesus. We choose something else above Jesus. We put Jesus in second<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> place. Sin is always abandoning Jesus for something or someone else. So it is good when we are sensitive enough to recognize that we have abandoned Jesus and we feel a sense<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> of shame and guilt. I say it is good because when we have a sense of shame or guilt we can turn to Jesus for healing. If we did not<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> have a sense of shame or guilt we would remain in our sorry state of having abandoned Jesus.</div>
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But Jesus does not want us to remain in shame or guilt. He did not want his disciples<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> to remain </div>
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in shame or guilt and so his first words to them as we hear in our Gospel were, “Peace<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> be with </div>
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you.” (Luke 24:35) His meeting with his disciples is really one in which he forgives<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> them for </div>
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having abandoned him. He comes to them again as<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> the same familiar person and so he shows </div>
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them the wounds in his hands and feet (Luke 24:39). Naturally they would have wondered </div>
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about the wounds. </div>
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He had eaten many meals with them<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> and now once again he eats a meal with them -- whatever piece of fish they had was good enough for him (Luke 24:41-43). This gentle meeting did so much to ease the tension and<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> calm nerves. Emotions were beginning to return to normal again. “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise i<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>n your hearts?” he asks to reassure them that everything is okay (Luke 24:38). Jesus is accepting<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> his disciples as his disciples again and not chastising them for having abandoned<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> him. </div>
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After we sin Jesus wants us to return to him quickly also. </div>
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Now that the disciples have received the forgiveness<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> of Jesus he gives them a mission to preach his forgiveness to others. When we sin Jesus does not want us to remain in shame<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> or guilt. He wants to heal the broken relationship, broken by our abandoning him in sin. Therefore after sin we always want to r<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>eturn to Jesus in repentance and sorrow. He says to us, “Peace<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> be with you.” (Luke 24:35) From his wounds we receive forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span> as the priest in the name of God absolves us of our sins. Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the thir<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span>d day and that <span class="pg-1ff2">repentance, for the forgiveness of sins<span class="_ pg-1_0"></span></span>, would be preached in his name to all the nations…(Luke 24:46-47)</div>
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--Deacon Joseph Pasquella </div>
Confraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-68468898205245498062017-06-29T17:31:00.001-07:002017-06-29T17:31:43.348-07:00John 3:16
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><sup>16</sup>For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3"16)</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="X-NONE" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="X-NONE" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve
watched too many football games with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“John
3:16”</i> cards held aloft — so often that the passage is beginning to lose
meaning . </span></span></div>
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<span lang="X-NONE" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To bring it back to
life, today try focusing on just <u>one</u> “key” word: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gave</i></b>.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>God loved the world so much that he didn’t
just “send” his Son; he <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gave</i></b> his Son!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He was given as a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gift</i></b> to us.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This gift is so incredible and wonderful that
all we need to do is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">accept</i> the gift,
which means to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">believe</i> in him.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is more.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>That precious gift of Jesus Christ has a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">purpose</i></b>.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If we truly believe in him, then the
consequence of that gift is our <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">salvation</i></b>.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If we refuse to believe in him, we have
chosen to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">reject</i> this gift.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Such a choice, to reject Jesus, is to condemn
ourselves.</span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How can this possibly be, you ask?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>How can we condemn ourselves?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Again, we need to look at the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">consequences</i> of our choices.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>To ‘believe’ in Jesus is to follow him, to
become his disciple, and to live the moral life of unselfish love that he
exemplified.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Our good deeds flow from
our discipleship, which in turn flows from “believing.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The Most Holy Trinity comes to dwell within
us and strengthen us through the Sacraments instituted by Christ.</span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One who chooses to ‘reject’ Jesus, on the
other hand, will not have the benefit of the indwelling Spirit to help him, and
may not be challenged to live a morally sound life.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Thus, by choosing independence from Jesus he
has chosen a path strewn with obstacles that might become insurmountable.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>A life that begins with sanctifying grace
(baptism) is not an option for such an individual because of his fundamental
choice to be a disciple of some thing or someone other than Jesus.</span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">God <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gave</i></b>; will you <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">accept</i></b> the gift and
follow the example of Jesus?</span></span></div>
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<span style="display: none; margin: 0px;">eH</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The most precious gift that God could give to
us is his only Son.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Jesus came so that
the world might know God’s love for us.</span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;">--Rev. Deacon Joseph Pasquella</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>Confraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-15528649992417185082017-06-29T17:25:00.000-07:002017-06-29T17:25:32.715-07:00The Missionary Discourse<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;"><i><sup>1</sup>Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. <sup>2</sup>These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; <sup>3</sup>Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; <sup>4</sup>Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. <sup>5</sup>These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. <sup>6</sup>Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. <sup>7</sup>As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' <sup>8</sup>Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. <sup>9</sup>"Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts- <sup>10</sup>no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. <sup>11</sup>Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. <sup>12</sup>As you enter the home, give it your greeting. <sup>13</sup>If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. <sup>14</sup>If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. <sup>15</sup>Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. <sup>16</sup>"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. <sup>17</sup>Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. <sup>18</sup>On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. <sup>19</sup>But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, <sup>20</sup>for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. <sup>21</sup>"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. <sup>22</sup>You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. <sup>23</sup>When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. <sup>24</sup>"The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. <sup>25</sup>It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! <sup>26</sup>"So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. <sup>27</sup>What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. <sup>28</sup>Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. <sup>29</sup>Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. <sup>30</sup>And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. <sup>31</sup>So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. <sup>32</sup>"Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. <sup>33</sup>But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. <sup>34</sup>"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. <sup>35</sup>For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law- <sup>36</sup>a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' <sup>37</sup>"Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. <sup>38</sup>Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. <sup>39</sup>Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. <sup>40</sup>"Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. <sup>41</sup>Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. <sup>42</sup>And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward." (Matthew 10:1-32)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;">This, th</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;">e second major discourse of Matthew’s Gospel (Mt 10:1–42), is often referred to as the “Missionary Discourse.” It contains instructions
from Jesus to his Twelve Apostles. The special focus of the current passage
sets forth some of the difficulties the apostles can expect to encounter in
their missionary endeavors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>1) Divisions and sufferings. Jesus warns his
apostles that the kind of commitment required for a person to follow him can
easily lead to divisions that reach even into one’s family members. Suffering
is also part of the life of an apostle. Thus, an apostle of Jesus must be
willing to “take up the cross” and follow him. This reference to “taking up the
cross” implies embracing cruel and often unjust suffering. Crucifixion was a
harsh punishment that was in existence at least 300 years before the time of
Jesus. Of course, there is also a connection here to the way Jesus himself
suffered and died. Real life is following Jesus authentically. This might cost
one his or her physical life, but it will lead to a greater life than the one
lost. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;">2)
The grace of receiving. Many Theologians think that the reference to receiving
Jesus as being equal to receiving God who sent him is the key point of this
whole passage. Certainly, it is the Christological high point. An apostle, by
being commissioned by Jesus, carries with him a presence of Jesus. Jesus is the
earthly revelation of God. Therefore, to receive an apostle is, in effect,
receiving God made manifest in and through Jesus. This interrelationship
between apostle, Jesus, and God is sometimes referred to as “divine mutuality.”
It is a favorite theme in John’s Gospel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;">3)
Rewards. Matthew clearly believes that God bestows rewards on those who believe
the Gospel message and put it into practice. The final section of today’s
Gospel combines receiving with rewards. There is no logical connection between
a prophet, a righteous person, and one in need of a cup of cold water. These
describe activities carried out by the apostles. The cost of being called by
Jesus, and of being sent by him to engage in apostolic activity, is high. While
it will involve suffering and divisions, it will also reap great rewards for
the apostles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;">We
are called by the Lord to do great things in our lives. Let us resolve to
follow Jesus no matter the personal cost. While we will have sufferings and
persecutions Jesus will always be with us to loving guide us. Let us build our
faith by studying Holy Scriptures, prayer and receiving the Eucharist most of
all. If we remain faithful, we will become like the master of our souls and
spread the gospel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><div align="center" style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">By Rev. Dcn. Joe Pasquella</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Confraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-70063949627533475872017-01-26T02:48:00.000-08:002017-01-26T02:48:12.015-08:00Called to Imitate God's Mercy The apostles faced some probing questions, just like we all do. Peter and Paul grapple with the
question: what must we believe? The apostles grapple with how they were to pray. We know that God loved the world
enough to sacrifice His beloved Son. We also know that in the Son, we
have been made sons and daughters of the Eternal Father. There seems to
be an on-going tension between faith content and devotional expression. I
am reminded of a statement attributed to Saint Augustine: “In
essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”
The immediacy of these words were underscored by Pope Francis during his meeting with Patriarch Ilia II in Georgia: “Notwithstanding our
limitations, we are called to be “one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28) and to
avoid putting first disharmony and divisions between the baptized”. It
is impossible to proclaim the mercy of God if we cannot show mercy to
one another.<br />
<br />
We need to stop justifying the great divide keeping
the members of the Body of Christ separated one from another. God is
not glorified by our rejection of one another. It is sad to say, but
true, that we give lip service to the Lord of Mercy and the Mercy of the
Lord, but we keep beating-up and condemning others. I was brought to
tears as I read a comment made by Pope Francis: “Ah! Brothers and
Sisters, God's face is the face of a merciful father who is always
patient. Have you thought about God's patience, the patience He has with
each one of us? That is His mercy. He always has patience, patience
with us, He understands us, He waits for us, He does not tire of
forgiving us if we are willing to return to Him with a contrite heart"
(Angelus on March 17, 2013).<br />
<br />
The challenge of Christianity is to
present and defend the Truth in love, or perhaps mercy is a better
word, for our purposes. It is mercy that allows us to look beyond
division and disharmony. It is mercy that can change the world. Cardinal
Kasper, in his book of mercy wrote: “[Mercy] is the best thing we can
feel: it changes the world. A little mercy makes the world less cold and
more just” (The Essence of the Gospel and the Key to Christian Life).
Mercy means that we do not have to remain in exile. We can come home
again and share the banquet of life. Mercy is the infinite love of God
revealed to us in concrete deeds – the death and resurrection of the
Son. So mercy becomes not only the central attribute of God, but also
the central attribute of Christian life. We are called to imitate God’s
mercy towards us.<br />
<br />
I will close with a few words from Pope
Francis: “Let us be renewed by God's mercy, let us be loved by Jesus,
let us enable the power of his love to transform our lives too; and let
us become agents of this mercy, channels through which God can water the
earth, protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish”
(Easter Urbi et Orbi message on March 31, 2013).<br />
<br />
--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO Confraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-87912003322931204102017-01-26T02:42:00.003-08:002017-01-26T02:42:37.191-08:00God of Risks<i>These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.
And if anyone wants to harm them, fire pours from their mouth and
consumes their foes; anyone who wants to harm them must be killed in
this manner.
They have authority to shut the sky, so that no rain may fall during the
days of their prophesying, and they have authority over the waters to
turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague,
as often as they desire. </i><br />
<br />
<i>When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up
from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill
them,
and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that is prophetically called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
For three and a half days members of the peoples and tribes and
languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let
them be placed in a tomb;
and the inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and celebrate and
exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to the
inhabitants of the earth. </i><br />
<br />
<i>But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and those who saw them were terrified.
Then they
heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here!’ And they
went up to heaven in a cloud while their enemies watched them. </i><br />
<i>(Revelation 11: 4-12) </i><br />
<br />
Today let's ponder the words of the Book of Revelation. If we are to be the
“Light of the World”, we must expect to be persecuted. Ours is a God of
risks. Remember, the Author of Life Himself was crucified. However,
death could not hold Him captive. Similarly, the witnesses of Revelation
were raised up and taken into their Heavenly Homeland.<br />
<br />
The two
olive trees and two lampstands brings to mind how Jesus sent out the
disciples “two by two and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits”
(Mk. 6:7). Living a gospel life requires the help and support of a
brother, of a sister. We cannot live the Gospel in isolation. We need
one another. That being said, while we are called to be one in Christ,
we are not called to look nor to act identically. The strength of the
Church is in its diversity of gifts. The two witnesses testified to the
paschal victory of Christ, sealing their testimony with their deaths.<br />
<br />
If we listen to Pope Francis, we hear him saying that Christians are
called to bear witness to the work of God in the world. As witnesses of
Christ, we are raised up to speak against the neglect of human dignity
and to defend the truth. As witnesses of Christ we are commissioned to
speak against indifference to the poor and abuse of the earth, our
common Mother. As witnesses of Christ, we are challenged to be burning
and shining lights in a world that is wrapped in darkness. In Christ’s
faithful witnesses is found the manifestation of God’s love and mercy
for the world. God’s witnesses must not grow weary of giving service nor
should they flee suffering. In their weakness, they manifest God’s
strength. In their apparent defeat, they testify to God’s ultimate
victory.<br />
<br />
God has not given us the spirit of timidity or fear.
Rather, He has poured into our hearts the Spirit of power, courage and
endurance so as to meet the challenges that confront us. With the help
of the Spirit we will be able to bear afflictions so as to proclaim the
Glory of Grace. It is in Him that we live, and move and have our being.
When He comes to reveal Himself as the One Who conquered death, may He
bring us all together into everlasting life.<br />
<br />
--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO Confraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-6958819554038268982017-01-26T02:37:00.001-08:002017-01-26T02:37:48.009-08:00Pile of Rubble or Seedbed of a New Creation? A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse,<br /> and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
<br class="ii" /> The spirit of the <span class="sc">Lord</span> shall rest on him,<br /> the spirit of wisdom and understanding,<br /> the spirit of counsel and might,<br /> the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the <span class="sc">Lord</span>.
<br class="ii" /> His delight shall be in the fear of the <span class="sc">Lord</span>. <br />
<br class="kk" />He shall not judge by what his eyes see,<br /> or decide by what his ears hear;
<br class="ii" /> but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,<br /> and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;<br class="kk" />he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,<br /> and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
<br class="ii" /> Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,<br /> and faithfulness the belt around his loins. <br />
<br class="ii" /> The wolf shall live with the lamb,<br /> the leopard shall lie down with the kid,<br class="kk" />the calf and the lion and the fatling together,<br /> and a little child shall lead them.
<br class="ii" /> The cow and the bear shall graze,<br /> their young shall lie down together;<br /> and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
<br class="ii" /> The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,<br /> and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
<br class="ii" /> They will not hurt or destroy<br /> on all my holy mountain;<br class="kk" />for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the <span class="sc">Lord</span><br /> as the waters cover the sea.<br />
<br />
On
that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the
nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.<br />
<br />
(Isaiah 11: 1-10)<br />
<br />
This passage from the Prophet Isaiah is among the
better known texts of the Old Testament. It speaks of hope and newness
of life that flows from the loving kindness and tender mercy of God.
Remember, God knows disaster and loss. The glory of Israel had been
reduced to ruins. The Tree of Jesse had been cut down and only a stump
remained of that noble house. To passersby, the glory of Israel was just
a pile of rubble. To God, it was the seedbed of a new creation. To the
passerby, the once mighty tree was a lifeless stump. To God, the stump
was guardian of ancient roots that would again put forth a tender shoot.
No matter how bad things have become in the world, they are the stuff
from which God creates a new beginning.<br />
<br />
The hope of the world
sprang from rubble and destruction. The hope of the world comes in
meekness and humility -- a tender shoot sprouting from the lifeless
stump. The hope of the world is the firstborn of the new creation.
Although the old is passing away, the hope of the world comes to make
all things new. The hope of the world took flesh of the Ever-Virgin
Mary. He Who created mankind Himself became a man in order to restore
mankind to its former glory. He in Whom the fullness of the Godhead
dwells Himself came to dwell among us so that we might have a resting
place in Him for all eternity. In the Word Made Flesh, our sinful human
nature is transformed and in our flesh we are enabled to radiate the
grandeur of God the Creator and the Sustainer of our lives.<br />
<br />
Looking at the remnant of Israel, God sees the beginnings of a new
kingdom. All that has been shattered finds restoration in the hands of
God. The stump is all that is left of a magnificent tree. By the grace
of God it puts for a fresh shoot, a new growth that will one day shelter
the People of God. For a time, the Son of God pitched His tent in our
midst so that we might have an eternal dwelling place in heaven. Through
Christ, we who were dead in our sins have been brought to the newness
of life. How blessed are those who see and acknowledge this gift. May we
be awake and watching when He returns in Glory.<br />
<br />
--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO Confraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-13243638475673655692017-01-26T02:33:00.000-08:002017-01-26T02:33:19.514-08:00Be Not Afraid of Questions and Doubts Our world is longing for a Savior. We long for the coming of the
Kingdom with weak hands and wobbly knees. Can we see ourselves as
the ones who need the help of a divine physician? If there was one
take-away from the year of mercy, it is was that God is not ashamed of
our feeble and fainthearted efforts. Throughout the Year of Mercy, Pope
Francis kept reminding us that God never tires of lifting us up by His
saving grace. It is this boundless mercy that manifests the power of God
working through our weakness. We have reason to rejoice.<br />
<br />
It
seems safe to say that, for many of us, the walk in faith has not been
marked with joy and singing. More often than not, we can identify with
John the Baptist: “Are you really the One?” Sitting in his prison cell,
John must have been wracked with the question: “Is this all there is?”
While he did not doubt the fidelity of God, you might say, his faith
needed a boost. The mercy of God reached out to him and the light of
grace shined on his darkness, giving him reason to rejoice. Under the
loving gaze of God, the wilderness of his captivity began to blossom
abundantly. In the life and ministry of Christ, his feeble and faint
heart was encouraged.<br />
<br />
I hope you found reassurance in John the
Baptist’s question. Think of it this way, if the forerunner of Christ
struggled with doubt, we are in good company. There is nothing to be
ashamed of when we see our faith getting shaky. Like John the Baptist,
we need to utter the questions that trouble our hearts, not avoid them.
This theme was taken up by Pope Francis during a recent audience with
young people: “We do not need to be afraid of questions and doubts
because they are the beginning of a path of knowledge and going deeper;
one who does not ask questions cannot progress either in knowledge or in
faith.”<br />
<br />
It might be good to
admit our doubts and try to sit with the ambiguity of faith. Ponder the Shoot that sprouted
from the root of Jesse. Ponder the Bread that came down from Heaven. Ponder the Gift that was wrapped in
swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. In the midst of darkness and
gloom, it is good to ponder the star that led men of old to the Light of
the World. The birth of Christ takes faith out of the realms of theory and moves us to perform
acts of loving-kindness for others. Using our weak hands and wobbly
knees we come into the presence of God and find Him in the faces of
those we encounter.<br />
<br />
As we deal with our weak hands and wobbly
knees of faith, we need to look around and see the signs that the
Kingdom is erupting in our midst. Jesus’ words to the disciples of John
underscore this. If you look around, you will see the signs of God’s
loving-kindness: ´The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers
are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the
good news proclaimed to them” (Mat. 11:5). Though our hands be weak and
our knees wobbly, we can lean on Christ.<br />
<br />
He will accompany us.
The journey may not be elegant, but the destination is sure – our
heavenly homeland. All that God requires from us is that we depend on
Him and place our weak hands and wobbly knees at His service. Into a
world enveloped in darkness and uncertainty, a light shall shine, the
Light of Christ, the Light of the World.<br />
<br />
In that light we shall
look at each other’s face and see the Face of Christ. In that light, we
can lift up our hands and make a joyful noise. In that Light we shall
stand up on our wobbly knees and dance. In that Light we can show forth
the goodness of our God by showing love and compassion for one another.
Let us standup on our wobbly knees and raise our weak hands and prepare
the way for our God. We need only ask the Lord to use us as we are, to
open the door for His coming. I hope you find this prayer of Thomas
Merton an appropriate ending to these reflections. <br /><br />
<br />
“My
Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead
of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know
myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does
not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to
please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all
that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that
desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road
though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not
fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my
perils alone.”<br />
<br />
--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO Confraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-59892362125011885462017-01-25T17:34:00.004-08:002017-01-25T17:34:59.256-08:00God So Loved the World That He Did Not Leave It to Its Own Destructive Designs.“O Emmanuel, you are our king and judge, the One whom the peoples
await and their Savior. O come and save us, Lord, our God.”<br />
<br />
Daily
headlines report the tumult and chaos all around us. Out of fear, we
tend to strike out violently even before we have all the facts. Thanks
to instant communication, events are reported before people can verify
that they actually happened. We prefer to think the worst. Undoubtedly,
we need someone to make us sane again. Jesus Christ, the Son of Mary and
the Beloved Son of God is the One Whose coming we await.<br />
<br />
The
Advent season reminds us that God so loved the world that He did not
leave it to its own destructive designs. He promised that He would be
the Light for the People dwelling in darkness and chaos. If only the
people who are trapped in darkness and gloom would look to the East,
they would see the dawning of a New Day. God has already looked at them
and has been moved with compassion for them because they are so confused
and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Cf. Matt. 9: 36).<br />
<br />
The
peace we long for cannot be bought neither can it be gift-wrapped. The
peace we most long for is not a thing to be horded. The peace we desire
is a relationship reestablished by Christ and confirmed by the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Advent calls us to focus on the fact that
Jesus, the Son of Mary and the Only-begotten of the Father is the
anchor of our soul. If we truly follow the longing of our heart, God who
is faithful will come to our aid and raise us up. It is God’s goodness,
and not ours; it is God’s mercy, and not our merit, that is the basis
for our joy.<br />
<br />
Responding to the longing of our heart, we cry out:
“Come Lord Jesus, Come and save us!” We join our voices to that of the
Psalmist: “O Shepherd of Israel, listen to our cry!” (Ps. 80:1) There is
no salvation without God’s saving grace. Only when we acknowledge our
total dependence on God, can we hope to find peace. Trusting God to
stretch out His steady and guiding hand, let us make the plea of the
Spirit and the Bride our own: “Come, Lord Jesus” (CF. Rev. 22: 17, 20).<br />
<br />
--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO Confraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-20714860647540208302017-01-25T17:01:00.002-08:002017-01-25T17:01:24.604-08:00The Family, Reminder of the Trinity The celebration of Christmas reminds us of God’s infinite love for
the human race and of His tenacious fidelity to His promise of mercy.
Once you remove the Angels, shepherds, star and magi, you are left with
the three principal characters of the story: Jesus, Mary and Joseph –
the Holy Family. The Only-begotten
Son of the Eternal Father not only came into the world to show us how to
live as Children of God, but also how to live as members of a human
family, united in a bond of love. One lesson we learn throughout the Christmas days: family life is a work in progress that unfolds one day at a time.<br />
<br />
The life of the infant is entrusted to the authority and care
of His parents. The child is to be the joy and delight of His parents.
The spouses are to be the companions and support of each other. Within
the circle of the family, no one is to face the challenges of life
alone. The family is intended to be the training ground where we learn
to love and support one another. God is Love and it is in Him that we
live and move and have our being.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The author of Genesis wrote:
“God created man in His own image. In His own image God created him”
(Gen. 1:27). By extension, you might say, “a community of love He made
them.” The family serves as a sacrament of this fact: the Father as the
giver and sustainer of life, the Mother as the nurturer of life and the
Child as the product and reflection of their love. Through the family,
God manifests Himself as Love and loving. In the embrace of the family,
mankind encounters God. Out of His powerful goodness, God brought forth
the world, out of the goodness that dwells in our hearts, we can work to
establish a society that is just and humane.<br />
<br />
Jesus is the power
of God, stripped of all glory and entrusted to the care of Mary and
Joseph. In the context of the family, we experience the dynamic love of
the Trinity. Each person of the community of the Trinity serving and
being served by the others. It is within this atmosphere of loving care
that each member of the family lives and thrives. Matthew tells us that
Mary and Joseph worked together to protect their child from the threats
of Herod. In the face of a culture of death, they did all they could to
save the life of their child. The bond of love is the seedbed of life
for all the members of the family.<br />
<br />
The family was created in the
image and likeness of Trinity. The Word, the Only-begotten Son proceeds
from the heart of the Father and manifests the Love of the Spirit that
binds the Godhead together in one. The Son is not diminished by doing
the will of the Father but rather brings about the transformation of all
who have been created in His image and likeness. The Son of God became
the Son of Mary to show us the Father’s love. It is not flesh and blood
that leads us to the truth. It is God With Us who moves us to share His
secret thoughts. Through the intercession of the Holy Family, may we draw
near to the Eternal Three-In-One. Following the example of the Holy
Family, may we be instruments of peace and conduits of mercy so that all
people may come to newness of life in Christ.<br />
<br />
--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO<br />
Confraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-77179487575802967632017-01-24T10:52:00.002-08:002017-01-24T10:52:45.754-08:00We Only Have to Be Needy<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What
do we celebrate during the Christmas season? We tend to get all caught up in
meals, gifts and greeting card that we overlook the fact that God so loved the
world that he sent us His Beloved Son. This Son was the Word through Whom
everything was created. This Son was the Word Made Flesh through Whom the world
was recreated. He was one with the Father for all eternity, and He chose to be
born in time to be one with us. The Light of the World has, in fact, shone on
the people who lived in darkness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Christmas Season tells us that
God is a promise keeper. At the dawn of creation, when darkness had worked its
way into the human heart, God made a promise. “I will put enmity between you
and the woman, and between your offspring and hers” (Gen. 3:15). It takes time
for eternal plans to unfold. When the People of Israel were in deepest darkness
and beyond hope, God spoke through the Prophet Isaiah. “The Lord Himself will
give you a sign. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call
him Immanuel” (Is. 7:14). Then, in the cold of winter, when the night was half
spent, the almighty Word leaped down from heaven and entered human history. The
Angel Choir spoke to the shepherds: “This is the sign for you; you will find a
baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Lk. 2:12). As an
adult, the Lamb of God presented Himself to be baptized by John at the Jordan.
As He came up from the washing (CF. Song 4: 2), water dripping from His hair
and His body glistening in the sunlight, the Father confirmed all that He had promised:
“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Mk. 1:11).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Throughout the Christmas season, we
have been celebrate the fidelity of God presented to us in the form of a frail
and vulnerable infant. Gazing upon the child of Mary, we hear the invitation to
become frail and vulnerable ourselves that He, the Lord of Life, might manifest
His power and majesty in us. Just think of it. For Jesus, we do not have to be
strong, we only have to be needy! Perhaps this is the lesson Jesus wanted to
teach us when He said, “Learn from Me for I am humble and gentle of heart”
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO </span></div>
Confraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-16488047797595434582017-01-24T10:20:00.000-08:002017-01-24T10:20:45.271-08:00Let the Fun Begin! -- Walk in the Light of Christ<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Lord said through the Prophet Isaiah, “You are my servant, through
whom I show my glory… I will make you a light to the nations.” Through the
mystery of the Incarnation, my brothers and sisters, the Light of Christ has
come into the world. It is in His light that we truly see light. Through our
baptism we have been conformed to this Light and been called to be light to the
nations. As ambassadors of hope we make the Light of Christ tangible to people
who are dwelling in darkness and despair. God enlightens all people and brings us,
one and all, to the fullness of life in Christ.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Pondering the words of the Isaiah, it
is important to keep in mind that the Lord trusts us even though we doubt
ourselves. God is strong enough to help the weakest of us and gracious enough
to reconcile the wayward. Our weaknesses become the opportunity for God to
reveal his mercy and loving-kindness through us. The Lord has a task for each
of us. Are we willing to place ourselves at His disposal? After all, we pray
with the Psalmist, “Here I am Lord, I am willing to do your will.” Did we mean
it? OR -- Have we allowed the Scriptures to become lifeless and irrelevant words?
Have we become so traumatized by the pessimistic judgment of the world that we
have lost all hope of ever being made whole again?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At some point, when we get sick and
tired of being ground down by our own efforts and failures, we need to make a
decision to let God transform us into the people we were created to be. This is
where the fun begins, because despite what the world thinks of us, God loves us
and has sought us out to be His very own. In Christ, God manifested His love
for the human race, as we read in the Letter to the Romans: “God shows His love
for us in that while we were yet sinners, He send Christ to die for us” (Rom.
5:8). Having made us sons and daughters in the Son, God sees in us the image of
His beloved Son. He sees what we do not see, and tells us so! “I have redeemed
you. I have called you by name. You are mine” (Is. 43:1). Because of His infinite
love for us, God has called us to be heirs of the kingdom and purchased us to
be His own through the self-sacrificing love of his Son. Because we have been
purchased at such a great price, we are precious in God’s sight. This grace is
not personal possession to be kept safe and hidden. Having been brought to life
in Christ, we are called to bring the Good News of saved humanity to the world.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Because the world is wrapped in
darkness and noise, we who are members of the household of God need to call
attention to the Light of Christ that shines upon us. Christ came into our
darkness, not to sympathize with us, but to bring us to the Light. In His
victory over darkness is our hope and the anchor for our souls. Jesus Christ is
the Lamb of God, the lamb without spot or stain of sin, who takes away the sin
of the world. Jesus takes away the sin that clouds our vision, the sin that plugs
our ears and impedes our hearing, the sin that silences our tongue. By so
doing, Jesus becomes our Vision, our Word and our Message. God shows His love
for the world through us. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Remembering that we have been
created in the image of the Beloved Son, our lives should radiate the love of
God for the world. Belief in the gospel message draws us into newness of life.
The more Jesus Christ becomes our all-in-all, He uses us as his messengers of the
Father’s infinite love and mercy. I would like to close with a prayer many of
my friends in AA say:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">God,
I offer myself to You –</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">to
build with me</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">and
to do with me as You will.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Relieve
me of the bondage of self,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">that
I may better do Your will.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Take
away my difficulties,</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">that
victory over them may bear witness</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">to
those I would help</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">of
Your Power,</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Your
Love,</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">and
Your Way of life.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">May
I do Your will always!</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">(A.A.
Third Step Prayer)</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Father Jerome Machar, OSCO </span></div>
Confraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-4096457133007977622016-12-24T08:34:00.000-08:002016-12-24T08:34:17.832-08:00Graces at Christmas and in the New Year, from St. Anthony of PaduaMay God bless all of you who support the <a href="http://www.penitents.org/">Confraternity of Penitents</a> with your prayers and in other ways. As a thanks to you, we share this reflection from St. Anthony of Padula. May you have a blessed Christmas and a joyful new year.<i><br /> </i><br />
<br />
<i>This shall be a sign unto you: You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. [Lk 2.12]</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX30Dp6pJxliqs5UEcUGTgEWkAJrHyiOeWK0FQf5xRh7Djb_iDIMAr3JHfy_bntXrSHpN8mZJBAa2p7rvBuriAP3em0XH9e60-m4khwhmqGDXbDI1gTGkr6AfI9VU5stx1e5QPHBzuoJY3/s1600/baby-jesus1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX30Dp6pJxliqs5UEcUGTgEWkAJrHyiOeWK0FQf5xRh7Djb_iDIMAr3JHfy_bntXrSHpN8mZJBAa2p7rvBuriAP3em0XH9e60-m4khwhmqGDXbDI1gTGkr6AfI9VU5stx1e5QPHBzuoJY3/s320/baby-jesus1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>This shall be a sign unto you: You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. [Lk 2.12]</i><br />
<br />
Notice these two things: humility and poverty. Happy the man who receives this sign on his forehead and in his hand (that is, in word and deed). What do the words, <i>You shall find the infant</i>, mean, if not: You will find wisdom babbling, power made week, majesty laid low, the immense made small, the rich made poor, the Lord of angels lying in a stable, and the Food of angels made like the fodder of animals, the unlimited confined to a narrow manger? This, then, will be sign to you, so that you do not perish like the Egyptians or the people of Jericho.<br />
<br />And so, <i>glory be to God the Father on high, and in earth peace to men of good will</i>, for the Word Incarnate, for the Virgin giving birth, and for the Savior being born. Maybe he who is blessed forever deign to bestow that same glory on us. Amen.<i></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>--St. Anthony of Padua, Sermons for Sundays and Festivals, trans. Paul Spilsbury. Padova, Italia: Messaggero di Sant' Antonio Editrice, 2010. vol. iv, pp. 8-9</i><br />
Confraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-68990196851454081132016-11-15T14:05:00.002-08:002016-11-15T14:05:48.608-08:00Pharisee vs Publican<div class="MsoNormal">
Was the Pharisee, in the gospel of the Pharisee and
the publican, all that bad? After all, he prayed regularly; he fasted;
he tithed. Isn’t that
what we are all called to do?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think we can take this Pharisee at his own words, and
believe him when he says that he fasted, tithed, was not dishonest, nor greedy,
nor adulterous. Those things are good and virtuous practices, and
we are pleased that he hasn’t chosen the opposite way of life. But the
most important thing of all was missing in his daily existence,
and that was a heart that is humble before God. A perfect example of that
was not only his vanity, but also his judgmental attitude toward the tax
collector, who</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
was also in the temple to pray.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Right about this time in the gospel reading, everyone nods
their heads, knowing that this Pharisee is going to get his come-uppance
(a negative term for his deserved “reward”). Sure enough, Jesus says that
the Pharisee was not in a right relationship with God. On the
other hand, the tax collector, who had humbled himself, was deemed by Jesus
to be in right relationship to God.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yeah. Jesus! Perhaps we might be inclined to say
that today. Then
we remember that we are called in every parable to put ourselves
into the story. Do I live like that Pharisee – things like counting
up my rosaries, faithful Mass attendance, using the church envelopes,
volunteering
for church activities… And thank God I’m not like those other so-called
Catholics who don’t go to Mass regularly, or who dissent with
Church teachings, or who party too much, or… they are well on their
way to hell...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
UTOH! Do I regularly fall into this trap of self-deception, becoming
the judge of the salvation of others (and thereby implying that
I surely am not like them)? Do I realize that this is a confessable sin? Recognizing
and acknowledging our own sinfulness is an act of humility that
puts us back in</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
right relationship to God.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Humility is the core foundation of our relationship with
God. God calls us to always preach the Word and to at times call others to
repentance, which is a spiritual work of mercy. We must always carefully
distinguish between judging the actions and judging the person. There are indeed
actions</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
that are objectively and intrinsically good or evil, but we
must not take the next step of determining the guilt (i.e.,
salvation) of the person. That is a responsibility that lies only with God. Leaning this
balance correctly is what we call wisdom, a gift from the Holy
Spirit and the right application of revealed knowledge.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
--Deacon Joseph Pasquella </div>
Confraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-39188376410191305862016-09-26T05:53:00.000-07:002016-09-26T05:53:09.009-07:00In the Presence of GodThe image that Job presents of God is awe-inspiring: “He alone
stretches out the heavens and treads upon the crests of the sea”
(Jb.9:8).<br />
<br />
We are in the presence of the Master of the Universe even though we
do not see Him. Unable to grasp the awesome grandeur, we worship and
adore Him. As we bow down before the Divine Majesty, He stoops down from
His cherubic Throne and raises us up.<br />
<br />
Job reminds us that in the
presence of the All-Holy One, no one is holy or pure. If we are
permitted to stand upright before Him, it is because of His mercy and
loving-kindness. God acts with power, which we know not. His love is
everlasting. Like Job, we choose to believe in Him, even though
everything we touch turns to dust.<br />
<br />
The self-revelation of God to
us is totally a gift. “By natural reason man can know God with
certainty, on the basis of his works. But there is another order of
knowledge, which man cannot possibly arrive at by his own powers: the
order of divine Revelation. Through an utterly free decision, God has
revealed himself and given himself to man. This he does by revealing the
mystery, his plan of loving goodness, formed from all eternity in
Christ, for the benefit of all men. God has fully revealed this plan by
sending us his beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit”
(C.C.C. #50).<br />
<br />
Trust in the living God is the anchor of our souls.
For this reason, we should seek the Presence of God in all things, good
and bad; in all circumstances, favorable or painful; and in all people,
likeable or distressing. We have been loved without measure, and we are
to love without measure.<br />
<br />
Only those who totally empty themselves in
service of others, as Christ emptied Himself for us can enter the
Kingdom. To follow the Lord is not to find earthly glory. To follow the
Lord is to embrace the Cross, where the emperor has no clothes and the
king has no place to rest His head. Only He Who is powerless and
rejected by all has the power to win all of humanity for the sake of the
Kingdom, making them Children of God. By being nailed fast to the wood
of the Cross, Christ freed us to surrender to the Father’s will for us.<br />
<br />
How awesome to think that we are loved, even though we do not deserve
it. When asked to explain the mystery of redemption, all we know is that
we have heard the call and responded to the promptings of the Spirit.
The rest in in God’s hands.<br />
<br />
--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO Confraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-25738455250733292892016-09-16T17:26:00.000-07:002016-09-16T17:26:05.128-07:00Gentle, Still Passages of Life<span class="vv">11</span> He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the <span class="sc">Lord</span>, for the <span class="sc">Lord</span>
is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was
splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the <span class="sc">Lord</span>, but the <span class="sc">Lord</span> was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the <span class="sc">Lord</span> was not in the earthquake;
<sup class="ww">12</sup>and after the earthquake a fire, but the <span class="sc">Lord</span> was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.
<sup class="ww">13</sup>When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his
mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there
came a voice to him that said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ (1 Kings 19: 11-13)<br />
<br />
Elijah the prophet's vision is awe inspiring to
say the least: a howling wind, a tremendous earthquake and a raging
fire. These phenomena bring to mind previous manifestations of God’s
presence on Mount Horeb. When God visited His people, loud thunder and
fierce flashes of lightning filled the sky and fire prepared His path. A
trembling shook the ground and filled the people with fear and terror.<br />
<br />
God
is not a play thing or a toy. He is the creator and master of the
universe.<br />
<br />
Recall the words penned by the psalmist: “The heavens declare
the grandeur of God and the firmament declares the work of His hands”
(Ps. 19:1).<br />
<br />
All these manifestations demand that we acknowledge God’s
power and majesty. Because of His greatness we have reason to hope, even
in the face of severe trials. At the presence of the Lord, all of
creation trembles.<br />
<br />
But the people He has called into His presence have
nothing to fear because He is their Rock, their redeemer. No matter what
threats we must face, the Lord of Hosts is with us. <br />
<br />
Over the
tumult, one can imagine hearing the voice of the redeemer: “Calm down
and don’t be afraid. It’s me” (Mat. 14:27).<br />
<br />
When we encounter storms
while responding to the call of the Lord, He manifests Himself and
clothes us in His abiding grace. Our confidence rests in the belief that
Christ is near to guard and protect us.<br />
<br />
We are allowed to face our own
weaknesses so that we would learn to depend on Christ’s redeeming power.
It is when we call out to Him for help that He stretches out His
powerful right arm to save us. Recall the words taken from the Gospel of
Mark: “Jesus rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Hush! Be still!’
Suddenly the wind lulled and there was a great calm” (Mk.4:39).<br />
<br />
Even on
stormy days, when we seem to be tossed about in every direction, the
Lord is present to be our peace and rock of refuge. <br />
<br />
In the lull,
there is a hush and a gentle breeze carries the words: “Rise up, my
love, my beautiful one! Come away with me. The winter is past, the
storms are over and gone” (Song 2:10-11).<br />
<br />
The voice of God’s Love
Incarnate has the power to take possession of our hearts. The object of
our life’s journey calls us to himself. We are invited to come away from
the tumult of the world and enter into fellowship with Christ and to
live the freedom of the Children of God. When the Beloved Son comes to
us in those gentle and still passages of life, may we go out and stand
before Him.<br />
<br />
--Fr. Jerome Machar, OSCOConfraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-33219611774646285952016-09-16T17:19:00.000-07:002016-09-16T17:19:37.528-07:00The Lion of Israel A passage taken from the Book of the Prophet Amos brought to mind
images of Aslan and Narnia. The profession of faith recounted in
Deuteronomy is very straightforward. “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our
God. The Lord is One” (Deut. 6:4). The one God is the Lion of Israel.
When His roars, who will not be afraid?<br />
<br />
Despite our egalitarian approach
to life, we are not God’s equals and we cannot domesticate the Lion of
Israel. We live in His kingdom by His grace and benevolent will. This
can prove disconcerting in a “feel good” society.<br />
<br />
Some of us may
remember Mr. Beaver telling Lucy “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course
he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King I tell you”<br />
<br />
The Lion of
Israel is ferocious, not safe, but at the same time He is good, because
as Saint John wrote, “God is love” (1 Jn. 4:8). “Let us love one another
for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and
knows God” (1 JN. 4:7). To love God is to be willing to take risks,
because love is not safe. Divine love does not ignore sin, but allows
for mercy. Love isn’t safe, but it is good and seeks the truth.<br />
<br />
“The lion roars – who will not be afraid?” The Psalmist wrote, “The
fool says in his heart, there is no God” (Ps. 14:1). Since there is no
God, the individual considers himself free to do whatever he or she
wills.<br />
<br />
We seem to keep forgetting that God does not need our belief in
Him for Him to exist. The ancients knew this and celebrated it in their
liturgical songs. “Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered. May
His foes flee before Him. May He blow them away like smoke – as wax
melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God” (Ps. 68: 1-2).<br />
<br />
With all His might, God protects all that is His own. As we read in the
Gospel of Saint John, “I give them eternal life, and they will never be
lost; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given
them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my
Father’s hand” (Jn. 10: 28-29). God not only speaks words of love, but He also has the power to save all those He has made His own. <br />
<br />
“It is a
dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31).<br />
<br />
When the Lion of Israel roars we have no reason to fear. While He may
not be safe, He is good and loving. Certainly the Prophet Isaiah
understood this. “The right arm of the Lord is not too weak to save, not
His ear deaf to hear” (Is. 59:1).<br />
<br />
The Lion of Israel is on the prowl,
looking for someone He can free from slavery to the world and claim as
His very own. The Lion of Israel is not tame, nor can He be
domesticated, yet He roars with the inexpressible fullness of Love.<br />
<br />
While the circumstances may differ, each of us is called to have faith
and trust in the Lord. When we hear the roar of the Lion of Israel, let
us kneel before Him in humble adoration. True life begins when we stop
living for safety and start risking self-sacrificing love.<br />
<br />
--Fr. Jerome Machar, OSCOConfraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-46956579602606814852016-09-16T17:14:00.001-07:002016-09-16T17:14:55.492-07:00Purified by Divine LoveWe gathered at Mass to hear the Word of the Lord and
partake of the Bread of Life.<br />
<br />
Like the prophet Isaiah, we find
ourselves in the presence of the heavenly host, that cloud of witnesses
that stands where the Most High dwells. With the prophet, we are given a
glimpse of the divine majesty and forced to acknowledge our sinful
unworthiness to be there.<br />
<br />
The author of the Letter to the Hebrews put it
quite clearly: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the
living God” (Heb. 10:31). “For our God is a consuming fire” (Heb.
12:29).<br />
<br />
It takes my breath away to think that we take the living God
into our hands. Think about it. The fire of divine love places Himself
in our grasp. <br />
<br />
The zealot Paul had a similar experience of God’s
overwhelming presence. While on his way to Damascus, he was wrapped in a
light that blinded him and brought him to his knees. Like the prophet, I
can imagine his saying, “I’m doomed!” (Is 6:5).<br />
<br />
Both Paul and Isaiah found themselves confronted by the Holy One of Israel. In the light of that
vision, each had to grapple with his unworthiness.<br />
<br />
We find a parallel
story in the Book of Genesis. “Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a
man there until the breaking of the day. And when the stranger saw that
he was unable to overpower him, he struck his hip joint and dislocated it”
(Gen. 32: 24-25).<br />
<br />
Having been purified in the crucible of divine love,
these men are all set aside for a special ministry to the people of God.<br />
<br />
God’s
Word is a live coal and the Holy Spirit is its fire. We are cast in to
the crucible of divine love each time we receive the Bread of the Word
and the Bread of Life.<br />
<br />
Like the patriarch Jacob, we mindlessly
wander into the presence of God. “Surely the Lord in in this place, and I
didn’t even realize it” (Gen. 28:16).<br />
<br />
We cannot always be focused on
the Presence of the Holy One in our lives, but when we are granted a
glimpse of His presence we must acknowledge that He is holy and we are
not.<br />
<br />
By the freely given grace of God we, each time we hear the Word and
receive the Sacred Body of the Lord, are conformed to the person of the
Beloved Son and made new. God is the only one who can purify our lives
and empower us to serve the Gospel.<br />
<br />
Like those who have gone before us,
may we see the Holy One and repent of our sins. When the Sacrament of
Divine Love touches our lips, may it take away our iniquities and
cleanse of us our sins. Having been purified by Love, may we be used as
ministers of love, forgiveness and reconciliation. <br />
<br />
--Fr. Jerome Machar, OSCOConfraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-45246446321952064172016-09-16T17:08:00.001-07:002016-09-16T17:08:53.172-07:00Objects of God's Ferocious LoveSeveral times, I have mentioned Aslan in a homily. Some people were taken
aback that I should present such a ferocious image of God as this lion from the Tales of Narnia.<br />
<br />
At the risk
of repeating myself, God is not a household pet. He cannot be caged or
domesticated. He is the God of glory and majesty and He loves us.<br />
<br />
We
read in the Gospel of John: “For God so loved the world that He gave His
one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish
but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to
condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” (Jn. 3: 16-17).<br />
<br />
It
takes strength of will and self-mastery to forgive. Only a God of power
and might can take our deformed nature and reshape it in the grandeur
He intended from the beginning of time.<br />
<br />
It takes great love to recreate
us in His image and likeness without destroying us. It takes child-like
trust to place ourselves in the powerful hands of the Potter Who desires
to shape us into vessels capable of containing His Spirit.<br />
<br />
The purpose
of the image is not to frighten us but to remind us that we are the
objects of God’s undying and ferocious love. <br />
<br />
It is with this
ferocious lover that Abraham is haggling for the lives of the people in the condemned city of Sodom. Remember that. Knowing that we
are loved we can take to risk of making demands of the One who loves
us.<br />
<br />
Abraham is imposing upon one who accepted his hospitality.<br />
<br />
Abraham
is haggling with one who allowed him to wash his feet.<br />
<br />
Abraham is
seeking clarity from one who accompanied him on his journey.<br />
<br />
That is not
a bad context for heartfelt prayer.<br />
<br />
The story of Abraham mirrors ours
in many ways. God comes into our lives, uninvited. He is willing to
accept whatever we are willing to offer in the way of hospitality. Then
He takes us with Him as moves on. The ferocious and infinite love of God
allows us to connect with members of the Blessed Trinity, for to grow is
love of all whom He loves and to pour ourselves out in serve of those He
sends our way. <br />
<br />
Having grown up in an old ethnic neighborhood, I find it easier than some to imagine the passage of time. When I was growing up, someone was always running to a neighbor
to get a cup of sugar. There was always someone ready to offer a helping
hand when you were in need and you never imagined being sent away
empty-handed.<br />
<br />
No doubt, this is what Jesus had in mind when he told the parable. “Imagine going to a friend at midnight because a surprise
visitor has come from out of town and your cupboard is bare. Hospitality
demands that the visitor has to be fed." Breaking bread with a guest is a
sign of sharing life. As Jesus is telling the story, you can almost
hear the pounding on the door and the grumbling from inside the house.
Yet Jesus keeps building the dramatic tension. This request goes beyond
self-respect; it goes to the heart honor and community identity. Anyone
who could was expected to help. Being refused in a time of need would be
unthinkable. <br />
<br />
On one side of the door is pounding and loud cries
for help. On the other, growls of protest and threats of reprisal. The
parable seems to be a long drawn out question: Would you expect a friend
to refuse you in your time of need? Of course, the answer is NO! And so
the pounding and begging gets louder and louder, until the door opens.<br />
<br />
As to a trusted friend, we turn to the Lion of Israel in our times of
need. Because He has a ferocious love for us, we can be confident
that God will give us whatever we need. Through the parable, Jesus is
encouraging us to express our trust in God’s ferocious love. Like the
neighbor in need, we should not get discouraged or give up. We need to
remember Jesus’ words: “Ask and you will receive, seek and you will
find, knock and the door will be opened to you” (Lk 11:9).<br />
<br />
--Fr. Jerome Machar, OSCOConfraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-50959018845290759282016-09-16T17:01:00.001-07:002016-09-16T17:01:59.561-07:00I Will Place My Law within Them“I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I
will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jer. 31:33). So the Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah.<br />
<br />
God is speaking to His
people, assuring them that He Himself is their teacher. All of us who
are taught by God are taught to love one another by the mere fact that
God is writing His Word upon our hearts. By means of this implanted
Word, we discover the path to newness of life.<br />
<br />
As God promised to His
Chosen People, He now speaks intimately to each of us, calling us by
name; not just any name, but a name known only between us as intimate
friends. <br />
<br />
The life of faith is not a recital of rules and
regulations. The life of faith is entering into an embrace of love that
brings us into communion with the Persons of the Trinity. In that
embrace, we come to know that we are loved and forgiven.<br />
<br />
In this
knowledge, we will become Ambassadors of healing and reconciliation for a
world scarred with violence and sin. This pardoning mercy flows from
the pierced heart of Christ and is freely given to us to be shared with
all who are in need of forgiveness. <br />
<br />
Having been conformed to
Christ in baptism, it is not out job to condemn sinners but to call them
back to fullness of life and grace.<br />
<br />
The mystery of grace is not that we
seek to know God, but rather that we come to realize that we are known
by Him.<br />
<br />
Acknowledging this love, we can love others with the same
all-consuming love. In a world that continues to seek retribution and to
fan the flames of hatred, such love is absolutely revolutionary.<br />
<br />
The
message will not be written on banners or placards, but shall be etched
upon the tablets of our hearts. When God pours forth His Spirit upon us,
we will not burn the cities of man, but will be consumed by the fire of
divine love. <br />
<br />
I will close with a few words of Pope Francis,
spoken at the prayer vigil in Krakow: “This is no time for denouncing
anyone or fighting. We do not want to tear down, we do not want to give
insult. We have no desire to conquer hatred with more hatred, violence
with more violence, terror with more terror. We are here today because
the Lord has called us together. Our response to a world at war has a
name: its name is fraternity, its name is brotherhood, its name is
communion, and its name is family... Let our best word, our best
argument, be our unity in prayer.”<br />
<br />
--Father Jerome Machar, OSCOConfraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-67784819714323735122016-09-16T16:57:00.000-07:002016-09-16T16:57:10.008-07:00Saint Lawrence, Deacon and MartyrSt. Lawrence was put to death
simply because he was a deacon.<br />
<br />
According to tradition, Lawrence had
been assisting Pope Sixtus at the altar when both were arrested. After
Sixtus was beheaded, Lawrence was given three day to collect and hand
over the treasure of the church. During this time, he sold all the
vessels of the church and gave the proceeds to the poor of Rome.
According to the traditional accounts, Lawrence led a procession of
poor, crippled, blind and suffering people into the emperor’s present
and boldly declared: “These are the true treasures of the Church.” <br />
<br />
It is shocking at times to think some people are more concerned about
the sacred vessels of the altar than about human beings who are sacred
to God.<br />
<br />
Viewed in the context of St. Lawrence, we can say that a church
that has a large endowment and a beautifully appointed sanctuary cannot
consider itself rich as long as there are poor and destitute people
sitting outside its door unattended to.<br />
<br />
Money bestowed in charity is the
seed sown with a prodigal hand. Help should be given freely and
cheerfully, not grudgingly.<br />
<br />
If we truly believed that God has a homeland
prepared for us, we would waste less on ourselves and sow more in hope
of a bountiful harvest. God is able to make grace abound in and around
us. He can and does provide us with our daily bread, giving us enough to
supply for the needs of others. We must never forget the unspoken
answer to Cain’s question. We are our brother’s keeper! <br />
<br />
The
great desire of our souls should be to see Jesus in the poor and to
recognize Him in the Breaking of the Bread. As we are fed by the Living
Bread, we should pledge ourselves to become bread to feed the world.<br />
<br />
A
loaf of bread cannot be made unless the wheat grain is sown into the
earth where it casts off its outer shell and releases the abundant life
it contains. The salvation of the world depends upon the self-emptying
of the wheat grain.<br />
<br />
In the church, everything is oriented and
consummated by values that begin with charity and with realities that
are destined to remain, even after this world passes away. Like Saint
Lawrence, may we desire to be a sacrifice worthy of the Master so as to
bring about the transformation of the world.<br />
<br />
--Fr. Jerome Machar, OSCOConfraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-43593455346971187682016-09-16T16:51:00.001-07:002016-09-16T16:51:57.711-07:00Self-Made Man? No Way!You may recall the words spoken by the Prophet Micah that echo sentiments from Ezekiel: “He has shown you, O man,
what is good, and what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love
mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Mic. 6:8).<br />
<br />
These words are
hard to take, living in as society that stresses self-realization and
self-assertion.<br />
<br />
Only if we acknowledge ourselves as sinners in need of
God’s mercy can we begin to live a life of mercy and humility in the
presence of the Holy One who created us.<br />
<br />
When we are reduced to our
littleness can we find the freedom we need to think, to pray and to
meditate. When I acknowledge that of myself, I am nothing, then I can
allow God to be everything. <br />
<br />
It is so tempting to identify
ourselves with what we have accomplished and to forget that there is
nothing we have that we have not received from the hand of God. I wonder
if Saint Paul had this in mind when wrote
the church in Corinth: “What makes you makes you superior to anyone
else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive
it, why do you boast as though it were not a gift?” (1 Cor. 4:7)<br />
<br />
My
brothers and sisters, we are not self-made!<br />
<br />
God made us and empowered us
to work for His greater glory. We have no reason to be cocky and
self-sufficient. All we have, all we do that is good, has been made
possible by the grace of God working in us.<br />
<br />
God who is the same
yesterday, today and forever will provide for our needs and merely asks
us to depend on Him and not on ourselves. All we need to do is reach out
our empty hands and find the breadth of life. <br />
<br />
Jesus promised
the apostles that when He returns at the end of time, He will make all
things new.<br />
<br />
Only those who are willing to forsake the old things will
find entrance into the New and Heavenly Jerusalem.<br />
<br />
May God give us faith
to rest our hope on His promise. Embracing the Master who emptied
himself of all glory to redeem us, may we be ready to become poor with
the poor Christ. Hearing the voice of the Father may we be ready for
every service and sacrifice. He will guide us as we journey home and
shine His light on our path. Blessed be God who is ready to give
everlasting life to the humble of heart. <br />
<br />
--Father Jerome Macher, OSCOConfraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-49579775518494077402016-09-16T16:47:00.000-07:002016-09-16T16:47:01.652-07:00The Worst That Can Happen Has Already Happened There is nothing like a little bad news in the media to make people
start talking about the end of the world. When we read the Apostle Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians, we can only guess Paul’s
times were not too different from ours.<br />
<br />
We always think we are living in
the worst of times and that the Lord must be planning to fix things by
bringing the world to an end. Just when you think things can’t get any
worse, guess what? They do!!!<br />
<br />
And when they do, the trick is to keep our
focus on God and His faithfulness to the covenant. It is by clinging
steadfastly to faith in God that we will find shelter from the
distressing times we live in. By remaining centered on the Word of God,
we will find the guidance we need to run along the path of God’s
commandments and discover that our hearts have been expanded with the
unspeakable sweetness of love. Our security in times of adversity
depends on the provident care of God who is in control of everything
that happens to us. <br />
<br />
Our faith tells us that the worst that can
happen has already happened. God was impaled on a tree. The event was so
outrageous that the sun refused to shine that day.<br />
<br />
But the story does
not end there. On the third day, Christ rose from the dead. Speaking to
His disciples, Jesus said: “Take heart! I have overcome the world” (Jn.
16:33).<br />
<br />
Through the paschal mystery we have peace with God and in Christ
we find a peace that the world as we know it cannot give. Jesus gives
us the reason for our confidence. “Take courage! I am with you always,
even to the end of the age” (Mat. 28:20).<br />
<br />
This means that the Lord is in
charge, no matter who else says otherwise.<br />
<br />
Only by holding fast to the
Gospel, can we hope to find courage and strength when facing adversity.
When the Lord returns in glory, may He bring us all into everlasting
life. <br />
<br />
--Fr. Jerome Macher, OSCOConfraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-232670319530188102016-09-11T18:18:00.002-07:002016-09-11T18:18:46.046-07:00Fools for ChristSaint Paul wrote to the Church in
Corinth: “We are fools on Christ’s account” (1 Cor. 4:10).<br />
<br />
We who have
been called to follow in the footsteps of Christ have no cause to be
proud. All we have, all we are, all we do that is good and praiseworthy,
is a gift of God’s grace. In a world that is self-asserting, we are
called to be Christ-asserting. If we believe that all we have is gift,
we cannot be other than Christ-asserting. In the eyes of image-builders,
such talk is foolishness. Even though we are fools for Christ, if we
follow the call of the Good Shepherd, we will be granted moments of
light and insight.<br />
<br />
In the late 70’s, a miniseries entitled Jesus
of Nazareth was aired on prime-time television. As I was preparing
these reflections, I recalled a scene from that series. Some of you may
remember it: Jesus is inside Matthew’s house, telling the parable of the
prodigal son. All the while, Peter is standing outside the open door,
refusing to go. During the narration, Peter is granted a moment of light
and insight: Jesus is the all-loving and all-forgiving Father, Matthew
the prodigal and he (Peter) the older dutiful son. Overwhelmed by this
insight, Peter enters the house and walks directly to the Lord. With
tears streaming down his face, he slowly and deliberately declares:
“Forgive me, Master. I’m just … a stupid man.” Recalling this moment, I
am reminded that Jesus is the Savior of mankind and even though I am
less than nothing in his sight, He loves me. In a success driven
society, such talk is foolishness.<br />
<br />
We may be fools, but God uses
us to bring about the building up of His kingdom. Though cast off and
rejected as worthless by power-driven secular society, we are precious
to God. Though poor in the sight of the world, we are rich in grace
because of Him who became poor for our sakes. As fools on account of
Christ, we walk in conformity to His will and bear His cross with which
we can overcome the world and contribute to the building up of the
heavenly kingdom. As companions of the Lord of the Sabbath, we are
called to celebrate God’s provident care for us. We need to listen to
the voice of the creator of the Universe as He calls out to us: “My
house is your house. Come right in! Come in and feast upon the Meal I
have prepared for you.” Gathered around the Table of the Lord, may we
lift up our hearts and offer Him praise, honor and glory forever and
ever. Amen.<br />
<br />
--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO Confraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-82949061145314231752016-09-10T17:14:00.002-07:002016-09-10T17:14:33.914-07:00911--Fifteen Years -- 2001 -- 2016Fifteen years ago, the world was shocked at the sight of planes
flying into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York.
Later, clouds of smoke billowed from the Pentagon and from a field in
Shanksville, Pa. The reality of these attacks cut through our petty
narcissism and opened our hearts to the needs of others. For a moment,
we saw the true greatness that America stands for. As we recall the acts
of terrorism, we must never forget the acts of valor and generosity
they evoked. I am reminded of a line in Alan Jay Lerner’s musical
Camelot, “Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one
brief shining moment that was known as Camelot.”<br />
<br />
Unfortunately,
we have forgotten.<br />
<br />
Once the dust cleared, we forgot about the needs of
others and sought to make our personal worlds secure. We seem to have
lost sight of the fact that the path to true peace requires each of us
to lay or lives in the service of others. Despite the fact that we have
built monuments to 9/11 we have not been able to build bridges of peace
and brotherhood. <br />
<br />
In this setting, the conversation between God
and His Servant Moses is very instructive. Certainly, you recall how God
pointed out to Moses that the people had forsaken Him and as a result
He intended to wipe them out and start all over again. Seeing how
corrupt the people had become in such a short time, God pronounced a
verdict of total destruction. Standing in the breech, Moses speaks up.
Forgive me for what I am about to do. “O Lord, you seem to have forgot
that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was known
as Camelot.” Moses reminded God of His covenant with the patriarchs
Abraham, Isaac and Israel. If the Lord would be forgiving in this
instance, He would see that there would be a faithful remnant. <br />
<br />
Paul seems to have taken up this theme as he wrote to his co-worker
Timothy. “I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost,
Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who
would come to believe in him for everlasting life” (1 Tim. 1:16). The
apostle knew well that had God not been merciful to him, he would have
perished. God is not ignorant of the reality of sin. He also knows that
love is stronger than hate; and that the Cross is the Tree of Life.<br />
<br />
The
Son of God who died on the cross has risen from the dead and reigns upon
the throne of Glory. We must never let it be forgot that once there was
a spot where the Lord of Life conquered death and brought us all into
the kingdom of light and life. Recall these words written by the apostle
John: “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because
the Spirit who is in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the
world” (1 Jn. 4:4). <br />
<br />
In the the Gospel of
Luke, we have heard about God’s desire to seek out, to find, to welcome.
The philosopher Maimonides seems to have understood the power of God’s
mercy. He wrote: "let not a penitent man imagine that he is far from the
Excellency, because of the sins he has committed, the thing is not so.
Rather, he is beloved and desired before the Creator, as if he had never
sinned; for his reward is great; for lo, he has tasted the taste of
sin, and hath separated from it.”<br />
<br />
We must never let it be forgot, that
the Gospel presents mercy as an excess of God’s love for a fallen
and broken world. The mercy of God expands our souls. It makes us think
of that spot that was Camelot, for us. God, in His mercy, draws us to
himself, purifies us of our sins and then sends us forth to bring mercy
to all.<br />
<br />
Because we have received mercy upon mercy, we can seek to pour
out our lives in service to others and as agents of peace and
reconciliation. Our ability to live as Children of the Kingdom springs
from the fact that we are at one and the same time sinners pardoned and
sinners restored to dignity. The mercy of God brings knowledge and
compassion. The one who shows us mercy conforms us to the image of His
Beloved Son. As we receive the mercy of the Loving Father, we are
empowered to share it with others.<br />
<br />
For a moment, the events
September 11, 2001, brought us into contact with our own fragility and
vulnerability. For a moment we remembered that we needed one another.<br />
<br />
The scriptures remind us that we are the objects of God’s delight. “God
saw everything that He had made, and indeed, it was very good” (Gen. 1:
31). The reason we believe in a kind and merciful God is because Jesus
not only told us, but acted mercifully. Like the God who repeatedly
forgave the erring Israelites, Jesus always acted mercifully towards
those who came to him. We are invited to embrace the truth that we are
Beloved of God and cause of His joy.<br />
<br />
When we return to the Father and
repent, do we get what we deserve? No. When we return to the Father, we
get what He offers us --- Forgiveness. My brothers and sisters, don’t
let it be forgot that once there was a spot… that was known as Calvary.<br />
<br />
--Father Jerome Machar, OSCOConfraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3001211292428295358.post-38203402482820397692016-05-24T19:01:00.000-07:002016-05-24T19:01:08.378-07:00The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ: Corpus Christi<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX34684398" style="direction: ltr;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX34684398" style="background-color: white; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">”O sacred banquet in which Christ is received, the heart replenished with grace, and the pledge of eternal life bestowed!” </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">As</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> we celebrat</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">e</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> t</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">he Solemnity of Corpus Christi, w</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">e are focusing our attention on the sacrament that is </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">source and summit </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">of
our Catholic faith. It is in the Eucharist that Christ, who took flesh
in Mary’s virginal womb, offers Himself to each one of us as the source
of divine life and fountain of grace (CF. Tertio Millennio Adveniente,
55). In the Eucharist we encounter the Risen Lord and are drawn into
communion with the life-creating </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">Trinity.
The Catechism puts it this way: “The Eucharist is the efficacious sign
and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of
the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the
culmination both of God’s action sanctifying the world in Christ and of
the worship men offer to Christ and through Him to the Father in the
Holy Spirit” (CCC #1325).</span></span><span class="EOP SCX34684398" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">When
we say that the Eucharist is the "source and summit of Christian
spirituality" we mean, that Christian spirituality flows from the
Eucharist as its source, the way light streams from the sun. And that </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">Catholic</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> spirituality is realized in and ordered to the Eucharist as the summit to which all our actions are ultimately directed.</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">
Through the Eucharist God and man are brought together in a bond of
love. Through the Eucharist we are drawn into the life of the Trinity,
who is Love itself. Simultaneously, this deepened love of God leads us
to a greater love of neighbor. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">The
priest Melchizedek offered bread and wine to celebrate God’s blessing
and the Lamb of God felt pity for the people that followed him into the
wilderness and fed them with bread from heaven.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX34684398" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">The one who </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">showed his love for those who followed Him and fed</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> the multitude</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> in the wilderness has become our living bread so that we </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">might</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> come to fullness of life in Him.</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> This Bread is blessed and broken as food for our journey because of God’s</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> loving kindness</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">. Remember what Jesus said to Nicodemus: “God so loved the world that</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">
he gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not
parish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16). We ponder the mystery
whereby perishable bread is transformed into Christ’s</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> glorious and</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> life-giving Body by the power of the Holy Spirit.</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">
By entering into communion with Christ’s sacramental Presence, we
corruptible human beings are given a foretaste of future
incorruptibility. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">“God
is love.” His is not a sentimental, emotional kind of love but the love
of the Father who is the origin of all life, the love of the Son who
dies on the Cross and is raised, the love of the Spirit who renews human
beings and the world. Thinking that God is love does us so much good,
because it teaches us to love, to give ourselves to others as Jesus gave
himself to us and walks with us. Jesus walks beside us on the road
through life” (Pope Francis, Angelus, May 26, 2013)</span></span><span class="EOP SCX34684398" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX34684398" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">“O sacred banquet in which Christ is received!” </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">It takes my breath away to think that Jesus Christ who </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">emptied himself of</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">the grandeur that was </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">His </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">as </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">God</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">
and made himself nothing by taking the nature of a slave (Cf. Phil 2:
6-7), emptied bread of its substance to make it His living and
life-giving Body. And then to think, we who enter into communion through
the Bread of Life are filled with the grandeur of God</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">’s only-begotten Son</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">.</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> Through the </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">Eucharist</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">,
Jesus is fulfilling the promise he made to the apostles before his
ascension. ”Behold I am with you always, to the very end of the age”
(Mat. 28:20). The Feast of Corpus Christi reminds us that we need to be present to Him
who has promised to be present to us.</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> In gratitude to Him who gave Himself to us entirely, we should </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">respond</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> by giving ourselves to Him entirely.</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">
Through the celebration of the Eucharist, the re-creation is signified.
Corruptible bread becomes the incorruptible Body of Christ and
individual members of the human race are brought into communion with the
Trinity.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX34684398" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX34684398" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 48px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">In the celebration of the Eucharist we are given a foretaste of the heavenly liturgy that is celebrated in the </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">New Jerusalem, our heavenly homeland</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">What we eat becomes part of us; but when we take the Eucharist we become part of Jesus and enter into his life. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">By the vision of faith, we come to recognize the risen and glorified Lord in</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> the breaking of the bread. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">Through
our participation in the paschal sacrament we are conformed to Christ.
This bond with Christ sets us on fire with love of all our brothers and
sisters. In order for this bond of love to be established, it is
essential we are aware of what we are doing whenever we gather around
the table of the Lord so as to be actively engaged in the sacred rite
and enriched by its effects.</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> Our daily lives need to reflect the communion we receive and the Eucharist we celebrate. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">Having partaken of the </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">bread </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">that was </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">blessed and broken, we </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">commissioned to</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> give ourselves, pour out ourselves in the service of others and in the love of God. </span></span><span class="EOP SCX34684398" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">This is</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> why we celebrate a feast in honor of the </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">Body and Blood of Christ</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">. With grateful hearts, we bless the bread and pour out the wine, recalling how God has fed </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">the </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">hungers of our hearts and healed </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">the </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">wounds </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">of</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> our lives. The Eucharist reminds us that we are loved by God and redeemed by the blood of Christ who died on the Cross </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">because of our sins</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> and rose from the death for our justification. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">Not only today, but every time we partake of the Blessed Eucharist, </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">we must be willing to </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">pour out</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> our own blood, sweat and tears to build up the fraternity, the brotherhood and sisterhood of human kind, and </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">strive to build up</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">a nation that stands in fraternity with the other nations of the world. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">“</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">May
your Sacrament, O Jesus, be a light to the mind, strength to the will,
and attraction to the heart; may it be a support to the weak, comfort to
the suffering, viaticum of salvation to the dying, and for all may it
be a pledge of future glory. Amen</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">”</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;"> (St. John XXIII, Jesus, </span></span><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: underline;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">King of Nations</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="TextRun SCX34684398" lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX34684398" style="background-color: inherit;">--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO </span></span>Confraternity of Penitentshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774241031423854838noreply@blogger.com0