Pentecost 2010

Fr. Bob Struzynski, OFM, and Paul Kline offer their thoughts about Pentecost. You're invited to share your thoughts and reflections.

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READINGS

Acts 2: 1-11

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.

Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”

1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13

Brothers and sisters:

No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.

As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

John 20: 19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

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By Bob Struzynski, OFM

I have been a prison chaplain for 16 years now and one thing that has impressed me is the number of men who have had genuine religious conversions in prison. This is not the “jailhouse religion” often spoken about in a pejorative sense, but a real, deep experience of God as a much needed “higher power.” There is first an experience of powerlessness over some addiction and an experience of an absolute need for a power greater than oneself, followed by a surrendering to a Higher Power. The result is a relationship with God now that is real, personal and meaningful, often for the first time in one's life.

It seems to me we all need such a conversion today without going to prison to find it. We need a fresh experience of our need for the “Power on High” - the Advocate who will be with us always, teach us all we need to know and remind us of all that Jesus taught us. We need to realize that we cannot do it on our own. When the test comes we fail without the help of the Holy Spirit.

Pope Benedict while flying to Portugal for his recent visit to the shrine at Fatima, told reporters that the church has always been tormented by “problems of its own making, a tendency that is being witnessed today in a truly terrifying way.” The prosecution of the church today connected with the clerical sex abuse scandal the Pontiff said is “born from the sins within the church” and the church needs to “profoundly relearn penitence, accept purification, learn forgiveness, but, also, justice.”

I think that means that, above all, we need to realize our need for our higher power, the Holy Spirit, in order to meet the challenges of our day. We simply cannot do it on our own, yet if we live on the surface level of our culture that is the message we “absorb.” That, perhaps coupled with a tendency toward arrogance in us, can cause a terrible fall when the challenge comes our way. You don't need to be a Bishop to know that!

Nor do you need to be a priest, but recently this priest has been led by the Spirit to pray more fervently than ever the last part of the prayer that Jesus left us. I still say it as we did in Jamaica with a few additional words: “do not bring us to the test we cannot pass but deliver us out of the clutches of our own created evil”.

Come Holy Spirit. Come!

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By Paul Kline

Reflecting on the readings for Pentecost, my imagination has been captured by the images of "each" and "together". The story of Pentecost paints a picture of Jesus’ friends and family “all in one place together”. Jesus speaks to all of them, shows his hands and his side to all of them, and blesses all of them with his peace. Through the intimate sharing of his very breath, they all receive his spirit.

At the same time, the readings also note that the Spirit “came to rest on each one of them”. Paul’s message to the Corinthians offers a beautiful, almost rhythmic movement from “all” to “each”, from “different” to “same”, and from “many” to “one”. I am reminded that individuality and collectivism are not in competition and need not be experienced as opposites. We gather together, pray together, sing together, grieve together, and suffer together. At the very same time, we listen and respond to God who whispers to each one of us a private message of love and mercy, inviting us into a personal relationship of love, calling us to realize our “true self” – a self unlike any other.

For me (and I think for so many of us) the mountain offers an experience of Church that powerfully expresses this dimension of the Pentecost experience. We may arrive as “outsiders” but, through the grace of warm hospitality, we are transformed into “one who belongs”. We “lose ourselves” as we burrow deeper into the peace of the mountain community, yet, at the same time, we are “seen”, “heard” and cherished by that community for our uniqueness.

What a joyful paradox!

Palm Sunday and Holy Week Reflection

Mt. Irenaeus Reflections for Palm Sunday and Holy Week 2010:

Voices from the Mountain and from the Valley

This year, Palm Sunday arrives at a time when many friends of Mt. Irenaeus feel the acute stab of grief at the passing of our beloved brother and friend, Dan Hurley, ofm. Perhaps it is a special blessing that we have the opportunity to grieve our loss during these prayerful days of Holy Week.

We invite you to join us in our remembering and in our contemplation. Let us pray together and teach one another as we walk the journey that leads to the cross and to the exquisite sweetness of Easter morning. Father Lou begins with a reflection rooted in the readings from the Palm Sunday liturgy. Having listened to Father Lou’s gentle teaching, several members of mountain Sojourners offer responses.

Reflections for Palm Sunday, 2010

Lou McCormack, ofm

The readings for Palm Sunday this year are from Isaiah (50:4-7), Paul’s letter to the Phillipians (2: 6-11), and from Luke’s account of the Passion of Jesus (22: 14 – 23: 56).

Palm Sunday (or Passion Sunday since the Gospel is the reading of the passion of Jesus) brings us to the end of our Lenten journey. It is also the threshold of the holiest week in the year for Christians.

Part of our share in the passion of Jesus this year is the absence of our brother Dan Hurley,ofm who died on March 13^th. Dan loved the meaning and memory of Holy Week; he will be with us in a powerful way this Holy Week.

Paul in the letter to the Phillipians encourages us to have the same mind in us that was in Jesus. That mind of Jesus is total self-giving as He became one of us for our salvation. Jesus is the love of God the Father poured out on the earth for all time.

In an attempt to help us enter into the mind of Christ, the evangelists - Luke this year - have told His story. It was their hope that believers could move beyond logic to understand the love that moved Jesus. It was the desire of the evangelists that readers put aside their objections and allow themselves to be taught by this great mystery.

In narrating Jesus’ passion, Luke brings his own insight by repeatedly affirming the Lord’s innocence. Only in Luke does the centurion declare that Jesus was an innocent man, does Pilate issue a triple verdict of “innocent” upon the falsely accused Jesus, and does the trial before Herod get mentioned when Jesus is again declared innocent. Luke shows us through these declarations of innocence that Jesus is the suffering servant of Isaiah who willingly suffered and died, but in the end was vindicated by God in the resurrection.

The passion of Jesus continues today in so many ways and people. We do not open ourselves again to hear the word to mainly engage in some form of sympathetic catharsis. We open ourselves to this living message of love and sacrifice and pain and dying and sin and unjustice so as to be changed by it, graced by it and moved by it to ease the ongoing suffering of the Body of Christ.

Let’s not just weep for Jesus on the way, but give ourselves over to those whose lives continue to be painful. We are called, like Simon of Cyrene, to help alleviate suffering by shouldering some of another person’s cross. Following Jesus means seeking solidarity with the suffering of others and working for their liberation.

Peace and Joy!

Sojourner Reflection for Palm Sunday, 2010

Mike Fenn offers the following memory of Father Dan Hurley:

“I had the great blessing of spending a good amount of time with Father Dan over the past twenty years and I carry many vivid memories in my heart. The one I recall most powerfully now, during our time of grieving, is from this past January when I was sharing evening prayer with him and the rest of the Friar community. Fr. Dan's eyesight had become very poor, yet his desire to open himself to God's word never diminished. There he sat with his glasses on, using a large magnifying glass and holding a psalm book as close to his face as he could. It was as if he was reading for the first time, not wanting to miss a word. Fr. Dan lived his life, as Fr Lou speaks above, listening to Gods message, constantly being changed by it, graced by it, and moved by it.”

Kate Nolan Clemens reflects on the power of service:

Lou's reflections help to focus my thinking and perspective around keeping others in mind and under our care. Jesus sacrificed His life for us... what can we do for others in our daily lives that might lessen the suffering of others? What can we do on a human level that might make even the smallest impact, possibly multiplied by doing it every day? Yesterday was Bona Responds Day. I spent a few hours with one of our sons at a soup kitchen/shelter. We had the humbling experience of witnessing - first-hand - the suffering of our fellow neighbors, the innocent -- so close, yet so very far away from what we know in our own lives. I'm thankful today for so much and glad for the inspiration of the Gospel and Lou's words that help to re-focus us.

Paul Kline responds:

Kate’s story teaches me that service, rooted in humility, can open my eyes and heart to God’s presence in those we are privileged to feed, clothe, and comfort. We are reminded by Father Lou that, as we approach the Gospel with an open heart, we experience a deeper awareness of Jesus’ love for us. Mike’s simple and beautiful story helps us to remember Father Dan Hurley as a man whose hunger to hear God’s voice could not be restrained by the limitations of age or infirmity. We see the humility of our friar-friend at evening prayer and, encouraged by his example and by Father Lou’s teaching, we open ourselves to the simple beauty and power of the stories of Palm Sunday and Holy Week. We see Jesus entering Jerusalem riding a colt - an itinerant preacher with no home, no wealth, and no earthly power. We see Jesus bending low in love for his friends, tenderly washing their feet. We hear the voice of Jesus on the cross offering forgiveness to the criminal who dies next to him. Perhaps we, too, ache with hunger to hear God speak tender words of love and mercy to us? I pray that I am open to hear God’s voice in the words and actions of those I meet this week – and in those moments of silence and contemplation that Holy Week offers to me.

We welcome your voice!

(To share your thoughts, post a comment below on the Mountain's blog or on the Mountain's Facebook Page.)

(Mt. Irenaeus Web Site)

Christmas Reflection

Fr. Lou McCormick, OFM, and Christine Cusick-Prellwitz offer their thoughts about Christmas. You're invited to share your thoughts and reflections.

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READINGS

Is 9:1-6
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
For every boot that tramped in battle,
every cloak rolled in blood,
will be burned as fuel for flames.
For a child is born to us, a son is given us;
upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
His dominion is vast
and forever peaceful,
from David’s throne, and over his kingdom,
which he confirms and sustains
by judgment and justice,
both now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!


Ti 2:11-14
Beloved:
The grace of God has appeared, saving all
and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires
and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age,
as we await the blessed hope,
the appearance of the glory of our great God
and savior Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness
and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good.

Lk 2:1-14
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that the whole world should be enrolled.
This was the first enrollment,
when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.
And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth
to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and family of David,
to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there,
the time came for her to have her child,
and she gave birth to her firstborn son.
She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear.
The angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

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REFLECTIONS

By Fr. Lou McCormick, OFM

“She wrapped him is swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger.” The infant Jesus was wrapped in the long narrow strips of cloth wound around his limbs and body which made freedom of movement impossible. It was the custom of the time. It seems unbelievable that the Savior, on whose freedom and power we all depend, should be bound to lie helpless on the straw.

Paul tells us that Jesus emptied himself to come among us; not empty of his divinity but of his glory. “He took the form of a servant” (Phillipians 2). Jesus makes himself vulnerable. Paul says that we should have the same mind that Jesus has – obedience to the Father’s will and vulnerable – in order to manifest the great power of God.

Francis of Assisi was overwhelmed b y the humility of God, especially as expressed in the Incarnation and the crucifixion. Francis wanted to relive that first night of Jesus’ birth so long ago by gathering people and animals together on the hillside of Greccio to celebrate the wonder of Jesus’ birth.

As well as being wrapped in bands of cloth at birth, bodies were wrapped the same way for burial. When Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb, his first instructions were “unbind him.” Jesus became vulnerable so that all of us could become unbound. How many things there are that bind us, not allowing us to grow and develop as God intends.

Life in Jesus helps us to stay free. Our rejoicing at Christmas comes from knowing that our unbinding is possible and very real. When we enter into the life of God in Jesus we become more free and help others to come to that freedom.

The Incarnation challenges us to acknowledge the values of Jesus and to assert that love is stronger than force. We should rejoice in our vulnerability because then God’s power comes forth more strongly because we are less in the way.

I pray that your Christmas is filled with peace and the love of God that comes to us in Jesus.


By Christine Cusick-Prellwitz

Amidst the advertisements, tips on holiday shopping, recipe exchanges, and travel warnings, if we really listen, in sometimes hushed voices, we can hear people talk about the “true meaning” of Christmas. Sometimes these conversations surround fundraising efforts, other times they are stories about communities reaching out to their neighbors in need, and sometimes they are captured in small moments when we turn and see a child’s awestruck gaze into the sky, anticipating the implausible.

When I hear these stories of good works, see these gazes of wonder, the Gift that we celebrate on this day seems so simple, so unencumbered. Fr. Lou’s wise words remind us not just of what happened on the still dark night in Bethlehem, but perhaps more importantly, how it happened. Amidst the lavish celebrations, the ornate gifts, all of the things that sometimes keep us “bound,” how far do I fall away from the deep humility, the profound simplicity, of what God made possible, through the faith of Mary and of Joseph, in the birth of their young son, Jesus, Love, Emmanuel, “God is with us.”

When I think of the power that St. Francis heard in the materiality of this “how” I understand with more clarity why Mt. Irenaeus, and all the lives and spirit it embodies, remains, even through physical distance, such a force for so many of us. This tenor of the Gospel message, the emphasis on not just what we are called to do, but the spirit in which we are called to act: the prayer, the embraces, the laughter, the honesty, the conversations, the silence, the nourishment—the Mountain, molded through the example of the Friars, has shown me this “how,” as Fr. Lou reminds us, “love” is “stronger than force,” a love that relies on a beautiful, powerful vulnerability, the truth that we cannot realize Christ’s teachings unless we unfold our sometimes stubborn selves into the arms of community.

As I look up into the depths of this Christmas night sky, I think of St. Francis’s first crèche, the humble lives of a woman called Mary, of a carpenter named Joseph, of tired shepherds, of blessed oxen ass, and sheep, all surrounding a seemingly helpless infant, and I pray that the hope that ties us to one another, in body and spirit, might give stronger voice to the hushed stories of a radiant, lived Christmas Love.

(To share your thoughts, post a comment below on the Mountain's blog or on the Mountain's Facebook Page.)

(Mt. Irenaeus Web Site)

Feast of St. Francis

Brother Joe Kotula, OFM, and Paul Kline offer their thoughts about the Feast of St. Francis. You're invited to share your thoughts and reflections.

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READINGS

Sirach 50:1, 3-4, 6-7
The greatest among his brethren, the glory of his people, was SIMON the priest, son of Jochanan, in whose time the house of God was renovated, in whose days the temple was reinforced. In his time the reservoir was dug, the pool with a vastness like the sea's. He protected his people against brigands and strengthened his city against the enemy. Like a star shining among the clouds, like the full moon at the holyday season; Like the sun shining upon the temple, like the rainbow appearing in the cloudy sky.

Galatians 6:14-18
But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision, but only a new creation. Peace and mercy be to all who follow this rule and to the Israel of God. From now on, let no one make troubles for me; for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Matthew 11:25-30
At that time Jesus said in reply, "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

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REFLECTIONS

By Brother Joe Kotula, OFM
St. Francis was a man who kept his eyes on the cross of Jesus Christ. The holy Bible was his road map and he had a strong desire to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and his life reflects that desire. When Francis was approaching his last days he said to his brothers: “I have done what was mine to do; may Christ teach you what you are to do.”

I feel confident that God teaches each of us what we are to do. However, we need to listen deeply to hear God’s call. St. Paul writes to the Galatians: “ All that matters is that one is created anew.” The Mountain mission statement is, “To join with Jesus Christ in making all things new!” How do you and I experience these bold statements? Are we created anew as we live and experience the Mountain culture? St. Francis was created anew as he journeyed through life focused on the cross of Jesus. I would suggest that being created anew is coming to understand that all of life is in God. When we recognize that, we, like Francis, will relate to everything as brothers and sister.

Imagine that!

The first reading beckons us to imagine the pool with the vastness of the sea, a star shining among the clouds, a full moon on a holyday season, the sun shining upon the temple, and a rainbow in the cloudy sky. St. Francis could imagine God’s total presence and so he knew that everything had the same creator as himself. Scripture call us to imagine the wonders of a loving creator.

Finally, Matthew's Gospel tells us “no one knows the Son, but the Father and no one knows the Father but the Son- and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” I would suggest that St. Francis knew the Father through Jesus and we, too, know God through Jesus.

Imagine that!

Can you accept that? Praise God! Seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened. Francis is a model who showed us how loving Jesus reveals God and affects our daily walk. So, as we celebrate the feast of St. Francis may we, too, hear his words ring in our hearts: “I have done what was mine to do; may Christ teach you what you are to do.”

Trust and be not afraid for God has promised so much and God keeps his/her promises.

By Paul Kline
My favorite experiences at the Mountain are morning and evening prayer in Holy Peace Chapel. The serenity of praying with others while, at the same time, being drawn deeper into my own, interior conversation with God helps me to lower my guard and open my heart. During our Franciscan Sojourner weekends, in that most peaceful place, Gospel stories, stories connected with the Franciscan tradition, and stories from our own travels have come alive offering new discoveries about who God is calling us to become as His sons and daughters and how, as a community travelling together, can best serve others.

The feast of Francis provides an opportunity to wonder how we might learn from the remarkable story of his spiritual journey. For me, it is a journey that brought Francis deeper and deeper into radical humility. His journey reveals the freedom and grace that await us when we let go of our attachments to familiar ways of thinking and patterns of living that fail to bring us closer to God’s heart.

Ilia Delio writes that Bonaventure understood humility to be "a self-knowledge grounded in truth, patience with others, simplicity of life, attentive listening to others, courage to overcome temptations, and a compassionate heart." Through humility, we celebrate the holiness of all creation and open ourselves to be shaped by the wisdom and grace present in the insignificant moments of our day. Through humility, the least among us become our greatest teachers.

Humility, I think, helps us to re-focus our eyes and attune our ears to quiet sources of grace where wisdom speaks in a gentle whisper. Francis’ encounters with others and with the world around him powerfully reveal to me a passionate wish, even longing, to meet Jesus in every twist and turn in the road he travelled. He enjoyed, I think, an authentic zeal for experiencing the specialness of each living creature. Falling in love with every unique expression of God’s creation – people, animals, and nature - was also a way of falling in love with God, over and over and over again.

As each new day dawns, we, too, are invited, again and again, to enter into this love story.

(To share your thoughts, post a comment below on the Mountain's blog or on the Mountain's Facebook Page.)

(Mt. Irenaeus Web Site)

Easter Reflection

Br. Kevin Kriso, OFM, and Bridget Walsh share their thoughts about Easter. Please share your reflections below.

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Easter Sunday Readings


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By Br. Kevin Kriso, OFM

A few weeks ago the SBU campus had a three hour “lockdown” drill. A simulated gunman took a class “hostage” in Plassmann Hall. The whole campus had to stay behind locked doors in darkened rooms listening to updates over speaker phones. No traffic was allowed in or out of campus. Emergency service personnel, including a SWAT team walked through their protocol, resolved the situation over a three hour period and afterward deemed the drill “a success.”

Most of us felt very uneasy and creeped out by the “realness” of the drill. While it is important to know what to do in such situations, there was a sick feeling that even here a gunman could take over the campus and a sadness that this is the world in which we live. In a macabre coincidence, just a week and a half later a gunman killed 13 and himself at an immigration service center in Binghamton, NY and other shootings happened in several other locations. That sick feeling and sadness returned again.

Like many people, I had to think to myself, “Why this sudden spate of violence?” The newspapers report that many Americans are “on the edge” in this poor economy. Countries around the world are taking America to task for its poor leadership of the world economy. Many, many people are finding that the identity they cultivated as a home owner and in a good field of employment has vanished. How many more will find themselves in this same situation before until we hit the economic bottom? Are we in for another Great Depression? If so, will people be able to adjust to a new status or will there be ever increasing despair, anger, and violence?

In the Gospel reading for Easter Sunday (Luke 24:13-35), two of Jesus’ very confused disciples are walking along to Emmaus trying to figure out what is going on in the world. They have seen the bottom drop out. As they walked along, they meet up with the risen Jesus but fail to recognize him. Jesus asks them what sort of things they are talking about. They reply “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel…”

The whole point of the story is that they have misplaced their hopes. They had hoped that through mighty deeds Jesus would “redeem” Israel (a word we use to take things out of hock, or pay a fine to have set free). Perhaps they wanted Israel to become the premier nation in the world and replace Rome as the Imperial power. The true answer is that power and wealth are not the road to salvation. Unfortunately, in our country this is where many have placed our hope and have found an identity. However, when the expectations and feelings of entitlement for power and wealth wane, people are left frightened, angry and in despair. Violence easily erupts.

The question the two Emmaus-bound disciples had to answer is the same question we have to answer. Where do we find our power and identity? In a God who puts us in power and control or in a God allows himself to suffer, be abused and killed. Naturally we would like the first God. However, that is not God’s plan. God’s plan is that by putting our hands in God’s and facing things such as abuse, suffering and death and not running from them, we overcome these situations. New life comes when the bottom falls out and this new life may not be what we hoped for, but is what we need.

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By Bridget Walsh

My mother always put her family first and opened her caring heart to everyone she met. She went to mass regularly, volunteered when she could at the local Catholic School and was a Eucharistic Minister. Twelve years ago, she was diagnosed with cancer and it metastasized three years later. Multiple treatments were required for most of the time she had cancer. She had some good days and some really bad ones. There were days that she spent bent over in pain. All she would ask for was her cross to wear around her neck (the cross she received in Lourdes, France) and sit quietly until the pain subsided. On good days, I would ask how she was doing. Her reply would be, “today is a good day.” She always let the good moments carry her through the painful ones. My mother had such a faith in God and it remained with her even through her final days. I see how faith gave her strength and peace in her life; allowing her to really live each day she was given.

As Easter approaches, I think of my mother and how she endured the pain of cancer for so many years. Putting her faith in God, she chose not to be bitter about her life circumstances. She has helped me to understand why Jesus died on the cross not only to save us but to be our example. No matter what happens in life, God will help us to carry our pain. He will give us the strength to not only endure life, but to live with peace and hope. I feel grateful to be left with such an extraordinary example in my life. I have tried to live by her example and have found times of peace with the pain of loss. May this Easter mark a time of hope and closer relationship with God.


(Post a comment below to share your thoughts.)

(Mt. Irenaeus Web Site)

Feast of St. Francis

Fr. Dan Riley, OFM, and Mike Fenn offer their thoughts about the Feast of St. Francis. Please share your thoughts and reflections.

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Matthew 11: 25-30

At that time Jesus said in reply, "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.

Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light”

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By Dan Riley, OFM

Reflecting with Mike Fenn I think of how so many of us might consider ourselves clever and well educated. Francis did not see himself that way, but he certainly understood himself as a “child of God.”

Occasionally we might hear someone speak of hoping for or espousing “a new world order,” “a new consciousness.” We roll our eyes, don’t we sometimes not in wonderment, but I would suggest in judgment. Ironically … tragically, the judgment is actually on ourselves.

Jesus, the Christ, is the new consciousness and he has ushered in a whole new world order … truly a wonderment to behold. It is only as a child, “child like,” that we are able to see that we wonder more than worry and behold rather than shut down or close out this most amazing “new.” With all that is going on and the pain within our families and our country, this promise is at our door, invites us to open up the eyes of our hearts.

As Jesus says, “All things have been handed over to me by my Father.” He also instructs us to say, “OUR FATHER!” All of us are children and we have a new life for us to live as we choose not to roll our eyes, but open our eyes to this new order, this new reign, this Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Even as we might be gripped by a sense of powerlessness or with tragedy in the midst of ourselves, a new hope wants to blossom, a hope only a child could see, a hope we are invited to see as children of the same God. A whole new order wants to break out on the place and the feeling of powerlessness. It is the power of God’s reign which only comes to children, to the child like. I dare say that it is the “plenty” that we only sense when we feel empty. It is the hopelessness that carves at our hearts at times that opens us space for the light to break in.

The reflection of Mike recalls for us now, as brothers and sisters, the risk of believing that there is One who calls us from our labor and our burdens to find rest, the arms of a loving God and in a family of faith. Especially when we feel we carry the burden of the world, Christ asks us “to take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” The One who is “meek and humble” is also the One who empowers us in the conversion of our hearts and the change in our world.

Let us risk, then, seeing as children on this Feast of our little brother Francis and work for it as grown-ups, brother and sisters, who share this re-newed consciousness. Let us step up and step out risking, as a child, to believe that Jesus means each of us when he says, “Come to me … my yoke is easy … my burden light.”

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By Mike Fenn

As I reflected over this reading and what is going on in the world today, I thought about the uncertainty our country faces, and the anxiety that coincides with this. Seemingly the past two national elections couldn’t have been more divisive, yet once again we face polarizing alternatives, with partisans on either side perceiving doom and gloom if their choice doesn’t get elected. In the personal finance sector, there’s been a jolt to the fundamental structure of our economy that my generation has never experienced before. In times like these, I find it impossible not to think about the worst case scenarios, and how I will support my family if those circumstances arise.

It is easy to withdraw and want to insulate ourselves from the risk of the world, taking care of only those we care for the most, while we try to make sense of all this from “the wise and the learned” on Fox News, or CNBC.

Opportunities such as these shared reflections help me break away from this cocooning instinct, and to ask how Francis would behave in such times. We know the world Francis lived in was a time of turmoil as well. The middle class was slowly forming, with the world predominantly made up from the wealthy and the poor.

Yet while Francis chose to turn away from a life of riches, he did not focus on two classes of haves and have-nots, or party affiliations of Democrats and Republicans. Francis followed the words of Christ that taught we all called to be brothers and sisters with one another and nothing more.

If our political and business leaders behaved in this manner, I wonder how much worse off we would be?

In these times of volatility and confusion I find great joy from a God Who implores me that revelation comes from behaving like a child, and great solace from my troubles when Jesus reminds me that “All who labor or are burdened, I will give you rest.”

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(Mt. Irenaeus Web Site)

Feast of St. Irenaeus

Paul Kline and Fr. Dan Riley, OFM, offer us the gift of their reflections for the Feast of St. Irenaeus.

 

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By Paul Kline



I felt just a little anxiety when I was asked to offer a reflection marking the memorial of St. Irenaeus. Truthfully, I know very little about the life and good works of Irenaeus. I thought I might carry out some quick research in order to sound smarter and, perhaps, fool everyone! In the end, however, I decided to put my anxiety aside and wait and listen for where the invitation might lead me.





As a boy, I remember that I loved reading books written for children about the lives of the saints. They seemed very much like the people in my family and in my neighborhood. To me, they were men and women who could be funny, angry, and even silly. They were sometimes smart, sometimes foolish, and often seemed dedicated to shooting themselves in the foot! Many did not seem to be looking for sainthood. They argued with God even as they longed for wisdom and grace.





The stories of their lives were told in such a way that I felt that sainthood was not so far out of reach. It seemed to me that a common feature of their stories was the experience of a moment in their lives – a turning point - when their eyes and hearts were opened and they experienced an overpowering awareness of the miracle they were truly meant to be.





Over the years I have sometimes lost contact with the power and beauty of this lesson from childhood. We are all called to sainthood and to discovering and re-discovering our true self. Grace waits for us in the great and small moments of our lives; each moment offering a window into the miracle of whom we are in the eyes of a loving and merciful God.





Thomas Merton writes:

“The eyes of the saint make all beauty holy and the hands of the saint consecrate everything they touch to the glory of God…the saint is never offended by anything and judges no man’s sin … (the saint)…knows the mercy of God… (and)… brings that mercy to all….”

And so, on the feast of St. Irenaeus, I pray that I might always see, touch, and hold family and friends with the tenderness and love that respects and reveals their holiness. I pray that I may know God’s mercy ever more deeply and be generous in sharing the grace of forgiveness with others. 

 



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By Dan Riley, OFM

The tender, homey truthfulness of Paul's reflection invites me to say more about this early Christian saint, Irenaeus, Bishop and martyr. Irenaeus’ faith grew about a generation after the evangelist St. John and his Gospel of light and peace. The unity, beauty and community unfolding from God through Christ to all creation is amazingly illuminated by Irenaeus in his writings. The harmony he longed for and believed in, we long for and work for today.



Irenaeus defended the Christian faith. As well he is often quoted as saying, “The glory of God is a human person fully alive.” He opened reflections on God's goodness and love, seeing each of us “in Christ” in whom all creation and everyone began and comes to their final beauty and fullness of life.



We chose St. Irenaeus as a patron for our Franciscan Mountain Retreat because of the holy, gentle friar, Fr. Irenaeus, a long time friend of Thomas Merton's and the beloved St. Bonaventure University librarian.



Though many of us have come to say and think of "Old and New Testaments" and sacred scripture, Irenaeus saw and taught a flow of history formed by God as an unfolding covenant over and over again with human kind and all creation. From the prophets to the "Good News" to carrying "News" out to the world there is an out flowing and unfolding God ever creating and holding us ... holding us to love one another.



Let me only add now a little more - from St. Irenaeus - as a close to our sharing here and opening to your own reflection.



In our House of Peace at Mt. Irenaeus, on the wall of our entrance over jackets and sweaters, sneakers and flip flops, we have these lovely words of St. Irenaeus framed. As you reflect on them, my prayer is that all of us may be touched, as Paul Kline prays, “we are all called to sainthood and to discovery and rediscovery of our true self." We are called to be like "soft clay" in the loving hands of our God who holds and shapes us all.

"It is not you that shapes God, it is God that shapes you. If then you

are the work of God, await the hand of the artist who does all things in

due season. Offer God your heart, soft and tractable and keep the form

in which the artist has fashioned you. Let your clay be moist, lest you

grow hard and lose the imprint of God's own fingers!"



- St. Irenaeus of Lyon

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(Mt. Irenaeus Web Site)