Blessed are the Peacemakers ...

Pope Francis continues in the third chapter of Gaudete et Exsultate with the Beatitude "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."

87. This Beatitude makes us think of the many endless situations of war in our world. Yet we ourselves are often a cause of conflict or at least of misunderstanding....

88. Peacemakers truly "make" peace; they build peace and friendship in society. To those who sow peace Jesus makes this magnificent promise: "They will be called children of God."...

89. It is not easy to "make" this evangelical peace, which excludes no one but embraces even those who are a bit odd, troublesome or difficult, demanding, different, beaten down by life or simply uninterested. It is hard work; it calls for great openness of mind and heart, since it is not about creating "a consensus on paper or a transient peace for a contented minority", or a project "by a few for a few." Nor can it attempt to ignore or disregard conflict; instead, it must "face conflict head on, resolve it and make it a link in the chain of a new process. We need to be artisans of peace, for building peace is a craft that demands serenity, creativity, sensitivity and skill.

Sowing peace all around us, that is holiness.

5th Sunday of Easter

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. 
Remain in me, as I remain in you...."

I love this Gospel and hope you will read all of it: Jn 15:1-8

Blessed are the Pure in heart...continued

We continue to reflect on this great beatitude of the pure in heart with Pope Francis:

84. “Guard your heart with all vigilance” (Prov 4:23). Nothing stained by falsehood has any real worth in the Lord’s eyes. He “flees from deceit, and rises and departs from foolish thoughts” (Wis 1:5). The Father, “who sees in secret” (Mt 6:6), recognizes what is impure and insincere, mere display or appearance, as does the Son, who knows “what is in man” (cf. Jn 2:25).

85. Certainly there can be no love without works of love, but this Beatitude reminds us that the Lord expects a commitment to our brothers and sisters that comes from the heart. For “if I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have no love, I gain nothing” (1 Cor 13:3). In Matthew’s Gospel too, we see that what proceeds from the heart is what defiles a person (cf. 15:18), for from the heart come murder, theft, false witness, and other evil deeds (cf. 15:19). From the heart’s intentions come the desires and the deepest decisions that determine our actions.

86. A heart that loves God and neighbour (cf. Mt 22:36-40), genuinely and not merely in words, is a pure heart; it can see God. In his hymn to charity, Saint Paul says that “now we see in a mirror, dimly” (1 Cor 13:12), but to the extent that truth and love prevail, we will then be able to see “face to face”. Jesus promises that those who are pure in heart “will see God”.

Keeping a heart free of all that tarnishes love: that is holiness.

Blessed are the pure in heart....

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”

83. This Beatitude speaks of those whose hearts are simple, pure and undefiled, for a heart capable of love admits nothing that might harm, weaken or endanger that love. The Bible uses the heart to describe our real intentions, the things we truly seek and desire, apart from all appearances. “Man sees the appearance, but the Lord looks into the heart” (1Sam 16:7). God wants to speak to our hearts (cf. Hos 2:16); there he desires to write his law (cf. Jer 31:33). In a word, he wants to give us a new heart (cf. Ezek 36:26). “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy”

80. Mercy has two aspects. It involves giving, helping and serving others, but it also includes forgiveness and understanding. Matthew sums it up in one golden rule: “In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you” (7:12). The Catechism reminds us that this law is to be applied “in every case”,[71]especially when we are “confronted by situations that make moral judgments less assured and decision difficult”.[72]

Blessed are the Pure of Heart for they will see God

Pope Francis tells us now as we continue reflecting on the Third Chapter of the Exhortation


“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”
83. This Beatitude speaks of those whose hearts are simple, pure and undefiled, for a heart capable of love admits nothing that might harm, weaken or endanger that love. The Bible uses the heart to describe our real intentions, the things we truly seek and desire, apart from all appearances. “Man sees the appearance, but the Lord looks into the heart” (1Sam 16:7). God wants to speak to our hearts (cf. Hos 2:16); there he desires to write his law (cf. Jer 31:33). In a word, he wants to give us a new heart (cf. Ezek 36:26).
84. “Guard your heart with all vigilance” (Prov 4:23). Nothing stained by falsehood has any real worth in the Lord’s eyes. He “flees from deceit, and rises and departs from foolish thoughts” (Wis 1:5). The Father, “who sees in secret” (Mt 6:6), recognizes what is impure and insincere, mere display or appearance, as does the Son, who knows “what is in man” (cf. Jn 2:25).
85. Certainly there can be no love without works of love, but this Beatitude reminds us that the Lord expects a commitment to our brothers and sisters that comes from the heart. For “if I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have no love, I gain nothing” (1 Cor 13:3). In Matthew’s Gospel too, we see that what proceeds from the heart is what defiles a person (cf. 15:18), for from the heart come murder, theft, false witness, and other evil deeds (cf. 15:19). From the heart’s intentions come the desires and the deepest decisions that determine our actions.
86. A heart that loves God and neighbour (cf. Mt 22:36-40), genuinely and not merely in words, is a pure heart; it can see God. In his hymn to charity, Saint Paul says that “now we see in a mirror, dimly” (1 Cor 13:12), but to the extent that truth and love prevail, we will then be able to see “face to face”. Jesus promises that those who are pure in heart “will see God”.

Keeping a heart free of all that tarnishes love: that is holiness.

Blessed are the merciful...continued

We continue with what the Holy Father says about being merciful in his Exhortation to Holiness:


82. Jesus does not say, “Blessed are those who plot revenge”. He calls “blessed” those who forgive and do so “seventy times seven” (Mt 18:22). We need to think of ourselves as an army of the forgiven. All of us have been looked upon with divine compassion. If we approach the Lord with sincerity and listen carefully, there may well be times when we hear his reproach: “Should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” (Mt 18:33).

Seeing and acting with mercy: that is holiness. 

Blessed are the Merciful

We learn so much from this Exhortation to Holiness:

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy”

80. Mercy has two aspects. It involves giving, helping and serving others, but it also includes forgiveness and understanding. Matthew sums it up in one golden rule: “In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you” (7:12). The Catechism reminds us that this law is to be applied “in every case”,[71]especially when we are “confronted by situations that make moral judgments less assured and decision difficult”.[72]

81. Giving and forgiving means reproducing in our lives some small measure of God’s perfection, which gives and forgives superabundantly. For this reason, in the Gospel of Luke we do not hear the words, “Be perfect” (Mt 5:48), but rather, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you” (6:36-38). Luke then adds something not to be overlooked: “The measure you give will be the measure you get back” (6:38). The yardstick we use for understanding and forgiving others will measure the forgiveness we receive. The yardstick we use for giving will measure what we receive. We should never forget this.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, ...

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled”
77. Hunger and thirst are intense experiences, since they involve basic needs and our instinct for survival. There are those who desire justice and yearn for righteousness with similar intensity. Jesus says that they will be satisfied, for sooner or later justice will come. We can cooperate to make that possible, even if we may not always see the fruit of our efforts.
78. Jesus offers a justice other than that of the world, so often marred by petty interests and manipulated in various ways. Experience shows how easy it is to become mired in corruption, ensnared in the daily politics of quid pro quo, where everything becomes business. How many people suffer injustice, standing by powerlessly while others divvy up the good things of this life. Some give up fighting for real justice and opt to follow in the train of the winners. This has nothing to do with the hunger and thirst for justice that Jesus praises.
79. True justice comes about in people’s lives when they themselves are just in their decisions; it is expressed in their pursuit of justice for the poor and the weak. While it is true that the word “justice” can be a synonym for faithfulness to God’s will in every aspect of our life, if we give the word too general a meaning, we forget that it is shown especially in justice towards those who are most vulnerable: “Seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow” (Is 1:17).
Hungering and thirsting for righteousness: that is holiness.

Good Shepherd Sunday

Good Shepherd Sunday's Collect: 
Almighty ever-living God,
lead us to share in the joys of heaven,
so that the humble flock may reach
where the brave Shepherd has gone before.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

John's Gospel for this fourth Sunday after Easter,  begins with  Jesus saying: "I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." .....
He also says: "I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd...

You can do your own reflection on what it means for us to have Jesus as our Good Shepherd.

Blessed are those who mourn...

The Pope's Exhortation continued.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”

75. The world tells us exactly the opposite: entertainment, pleasure, diversion and escape make for the good life. The worldly person ignores problems of sickness or sorrow in the family or all around him; he averts his gaze. The world has no desire to mourn; it would rather disregard painful situations, cover them up or hide them. Much energy is expended on fleeing from situations of suffering in the belief that reality can be concealed. But the cross can never be absent.

76. A person who sees things as they truly are and sympathizes with pain and sorrow is capable of touching life’s depths and finding authentic happiness.[70] He or she is consoled, not by the world but by Jesus. Such persons are unafraid to share in the suffering of others; they do not flee from painful situations. They discover the meaning of life by coming to the aid of those who suffer, understanding their anguish and bringing relief. They sense that the other is flesh of our flesh, and are not afraid to draw near, even to touch their wounds. They feel compassion for others in such a way that all distance vanishes. In this way they can embrace Saint Paul’s exhortation: “Weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15).

Knowing how to mourn with others: that is holiness. 

I would rather be consoled by Jesus but I need to really try to do what Pope Francis says and be not afraid to draw near to those who anguish, even to touching their wounds. 

Call to Holiness

The Beatitudes give joy. They also are the way to holiness. Let us continue to reflect on the Third Chapter of the Pope's new Apostolic Exhortation: Gaudete et Exsultate.


“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”
71. These are strong words in a world that from the beginning has been a place of conflict, disputes and enmity on all sides, where we constantly pigeonhole others on the basis of their ideas, their customs and even their way of speaking or dressing. Ultimately, it is the reign of pride and vanity, where each person thinks he or she has the right to dominate others. Nonetheless, impossible as it may seem, Jesus proposes a different way of doing things: the way of meekness. This is what we see him doing with his disciples. It is what we contemplate on his entrance to Jerusalem: “Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey” (Mt 21:5; Zech 9:9).
72. Christ says: “Learn from me; for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:29). If we are constantly upset and impatient with others, we will end up drained and weary. But if we regard the faults and limitations of others with tenderness and meekness, without an air of superiority, we can actually help them and stop wasting our energy on useless complaining. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux tells us that “perfect charity consists in putting up with others’ mistakes, and not being scandalized by their faults”.[69]
73. Paul speaks of meekness as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal 5:23). He suggests that, if a wrongful action of one of our brothers or sisters troubles us, we should try to correct them, but “with a spirit of meekness”, since “you too could be tempted” (Gal 6:1). Even when we defend our faith and convictions, we are to do so “with meekness” (cf. 1 Pet 3:16). Our enemies too are to be treated “with meekness” (2 Tim 2:25). In the Church we have often erred by not embracing this demand of God’s word.
74. Meekness is yet another expression of the interior poverty of those who put their trust in God alone. Indeed, in the Bible the same word – anawim – usually refers both to the poor and to the meek. Someone might object: “If I am that meek, they will think that I am an idiot, a fool or a weakling”. At times they may, but so be it. It is always better to be meek, for then our deepest desires will be fulfilled. The meek “shall inherit the earth”, for they will see God’s promises accomplished in their lives. In every situation, the meek put their hope in the Lord, and those who hope for him shall possess the land… and enjoy the fullness of peace (cf. Ps 37:9.11). For his part, the Lord trusts in them: “This is the one to whom I will look, to the humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at my word” (Is 66:2).

Reacting with meekness and humility: that is holiness. 

Can you pray for "holy indifference"?

We now will move on in the Apostolic Exhortation: Gaudete et Exsultate of Pope Francis on the Call to Holiness. I am just going to take some of the passages that seem to me worth reflecting on and I will try to put in bold (darker) the parts I do hope will be fruitful for pondering. The Second Chapter begins with a mention of two false forms of holiness. I have decided to skip this chapter for now to get to the Third Chapter which seems more fruitful for our daily reflections.

CHAPTER THREE

IN THE LIGHT OF THE MASTER

63. There can be any number of theories about what constitutes holiness, with various explanations and distinctions. Such reflection may be useful, but nothing is more enlightening than turning to Jesus’ words and seeing his way of teaching the truth. Jesus explained with great simplicity what it means to be holy when he gave us the Beatitudes (cf. Mt 5:3-12; Lk 6:20-23). The Beatitudes are like a Christian’s identity card. So if anyone asks: “What must one do to be a good Christian?”, the answer is clear. We have to do, each in our own way, what Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount.[66] In the Beatitudes, we find a portrait of the Master, which we are called to reflect in our daily lives.

64. The word “happy” or “blessed” thus becomes a synonym for “holy”. It expresses the fact that those faithful to God and his word, by their self-giving, gain true happiness. 

GOING AGAINST THE FLOW
65. Although Jesus’ words may strike us as poetic, they clearly run counter to the way things are usually done in our world. Even if we find Jesus’ message attractive, the world pushes us towards another way of living. The Beatitudes are in no way trite or undemanding, quite the opposite. We can only practise them if the Holy Spirit fills us with his power and frees us from our weakness, our selfishness, our complacency and our pride.
66. Let us listen once more to Jesus, with all the love and respect that the Master deserves. Let us allow his words to unsettle us, to challenge us and to demand a real change in the way we live. Otherwise, holiness will remain no more than an empty word. We turn now to the individual Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew (cf. Mt 5:3-12).[67]
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
67. The Gospel invites us to peer into the depths of our heart, to see where we find our security in life. Usually the rich feel secure in their wealth, and think that, if that wealth is threatened, the whole meaning of their earthly life can collapse. Jesus himself tells us this in the parable of the rich fool: he speaks of a man who was sure of himself, yet foolish, for it did not dawn on him that he might die that very day (cf. Lk 12:16-21).
68. Wealth ensures nothing. Indeed, once we think we are rich, we can become so self-satisfied that we leave no room for God’s word, for the love of our brothers and sisters, or for the enjoyment of the most important things in life. In this way, we miss out on the greatest treasure of all. That is why Jesus calls blessed those who are poor in spirit, those who have a poor heart, for there the Lord can enter with his perennial newness.
69. This spiritual poverty is closely linked to what Saint Ignatius of Loyola calls “holy indifference”, which brings us to a radiant interior freedom: “We need to train ourselves to be indifferent in our attitude to all created things, in all that is permitted to our free will and not forbidden; so that on our part, we do not set our hearts on good health rather than bad, riches rather than poverty, honour rather than dishonour, a long life rather than a short one, and so in all the rest”.[68]
70. Luke does not speak of poverty “of spirit” but simply of those who are “poor” (cf. Lk 6:20). In this way, he too invites us to live a plain and austere life. He calls us to share in the life of those most in need, the life lived by the Apostles, and ultimately to configure ourselves to Jesus who, though rich, “made himself poor” (2 Cor 8:9).

Being poor of heart: that is holiness. 

Now, this is a hard saying for some, but we need to reflect on it and pray for the grace to be indifferent as St. Ignatius spells it out for us for then we will have interior freedom.

More Alive, More Human

The end of the First Chapter of the Exhortation of Pope Francis gives us much to reflect on - please remember that the bold is my way of highlighting thoughts worth pondering.

MORE ALIVE, MORE HUMAN
32. Do not be afraid of holiness. It will take away none of your energy, vitality or joy. On the contrary, you will become what the Father had in mind when he created you, and you will be faithful to your deepest self. To depend on God sets us free from every form of enslavement and leads us to recognize our great dignity. We see this in Saint Josephine Bakhita: “Abducted and sold into slavery at the tender age of seven, she suffered much at the hands of cruel masters. But she came to understand the profound truth that God, and not man, is the true Master of every human being, of every human life. This experience became a source of great wisdom for this humble daughter of Africa”.[30]
33. To the extent that each Christian grows in holiness, he or she will bear greater fruit for our world. The bishops of West Africa have observed that “we are being called in the spirit of the New Evangelization to be evangelized and to evangelize through the empowering of all you, the baptized, to take up your roles as salt of the earth and light of the world wherever you find yourselves”.[31]
34. Do not be afraid to set your sights higher, to allow yourself to be loved and liberated by God. Do not be afraid to let yourself be guided by the Holy Spirit. Holiness does not make you less human, since it is an encounter between your weakness and the power of God’s grace. For in the words of León Bloy, when all is said and done, “the only great tragedy in life, is not to become a saint”.[32]

Balance needed

Let us continue reflecting on the Pope's Exhortation:

28. Needless to say, anything done out of anxiety, pride or the need to impress others will not lead to holiness. We are challenged to show our commitment in such a way that everything we do has evangelical meaning and identifies us all the more with Jesus Christ. We often speak, for example, of the spirituality of the catechist, the spirituality of the diocesan priesthood, the spirituality of work. For the same reason, in Evangelii Gaudium I concluded by speaking of a spirituality of mission, in Laudato Si’ of an ecological spirituality, and in Amoris Laetitia of a spirituality of family life.

29. This does not mean ignoring the need for moments of quiet, solitude and silence before God. Quite the contrary. The presence of constantly new gadgets, the excitement of travel and an endless array of consumer goods at times leave no room for God’s voice to be heard. We are overwhelmed by words, by superficial pleasures and by an increasing din, filled not by joy but rather by the discontent of those whose lives have lost meaning. How can we fail to realize the need to stop this rat race and to recover the personal space needed to carry on a heartfelt dialogue with God? Finding that space may prove painful but it is always fruitful. Sooner or later, we have to face our true selves and let the Lord enter. This may not happen unless “we see ourselves staring into the abyss of a frightful temptation, or have the dizzying sensation of standing on the precipice of utter despair, or find ourselves completely alone and abandoned”.[28] In such situations, we find the deepest motivation for living fully our commitment to our work.
30. The same distractions that are omnipresent in today’s world also make us tend to absolutize our free time, so that we can give ourselves over completely to the devices that provide us with entertainment or ephemeral pleasures.[29] As a result, we come to resent our mission, our commitment grows slack, and our generous and ready spirit of service begins to flag. This denatures our spiritual experience. Can any spiritual fervour be sound when it dwells alongside sloth in evangelization or in service to others?
31. We need a spirit of holiness capable of filling both our solitude and our service, our personal life and our evangelizing efforts, so that every moment can be an expression of self-sacrificing love in the Lord’s eyes. In this way, every minute of our lives can be a step along the path to growth in holiness.

Your personal mission

From the Pope's Exhortation: (the bold is mine)

25. Just as you cannot understand Christ apart from the kingdom he came to bring, so too your personal mission is inseparable from the building of that kingdom: “Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Mt 6:33). Your identification with Christ and his will involves a commitment to build with him that kingdom of love, justice and universal peace. Christ himself wants to experience this with you, in all the efforts and sacrifices that it entails, but also in all the joy and enrichment it brings. You cannot grow in holiness without committing yourself, body and soul, to giving your best to this endeavour.
26. It is not healthy to love silence while fleeing interaction with others, to want peace and quiet while avoiding activity, to seek prayer while disdaining service. Everything can be accepted and integrated into our life in this world, and become a part of our path to holiness. We are called to be contemplatives even in the midst of action, and to grow in holiness by responsibly and generously carrying out our proper mission.
27. Could the Holy Spirit urge us to carry out a mission and then ask us to abandon it, or not fully engage in it, so as to preserve our inner peace? Yet there are times when we are tempted to relegate pastoral engagement or commitment in the world to second place, as if these were “distractions” along the path to growth in holiness and interior peace. We can forget that “life does not have a mission, but is a mission”.[27]

Third Sunday of Easter

Today's Entrance Antiphon: "Cry our with joy to God, all the earth; O sing to the glory of his name. O render him glorious praise, alleluia."

We are still full of Easter joy. The Gospel is Luke's account of the first Easter. He begins with the two disciples who had been on the road with Jesus. They recount what had taken place on the way, and how "Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of the bread." 
Then, while they were still speaking, Jesus stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." We read the same last Sunday in John's account of this Easter night appearance. Imagine what the apostles felt when they heard those words. Jesus does not rebuke them for leaving him alone. He just comes and says, "Peace be with you." And then Jesus asks why they are still troubled. He tells them to look at his hands and feet; to touch him and see that he is not a ghost "because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have." Then Luke tells us they were incredulous for joy and were amazed. Jesus then asks them for something to eat and he took the left-over fish and ate it before them.
After that, Luke tells us that he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
Let us put ourselves there in the room with Jesus and feel the joy His Presence brings. Remember, Jesus spends time going around to give consolation to others and still does this. Let us thank Him and contemplate His now glorious wounds. 

Some sharing today

Before I share some more from Pope Francis, I want to share a bit from my own life. On Thursday, we had an outing that was really special. We went whale-watching in a boat that set out from Santa Cruz. We first saw lots of sea lions probably of several generations but the young ones were frolicking in the Pacific and then trying to climb back to the marker where the older ones lay in the sun. Next, I saw a huge animal that must have been a whale or a dolphin but did not see it again so think it was a whale. Later we did see a humpback whale and the boat turned to follow it. We really did not see any more, but the ride through the waves was quite thrilling as I kept imagining how Philippine must have felt. It was a real Rebecca moment for me.
Next, I want to share my delight in learning that we now have an international Dream- Catcher Team and they are going to help us prepare for the next Chapter. I think this is marvelous as I am convinced that the imagination does help us and we need to be creative about the future.
Now, for at least something to reflect on from the Pope's Exhortation:
That mission has its fullest meaning in Christ, and can only be understood through him. At its core, holiness is experiencing, in union with Christ, the mysteries of his life. It consists in uniting ourselves to the Lord’s death and resurrection in a unique and personal way, constantly dying and rising anew with him. But it can also entail reproducing in our own lives various aspects of Jesus’ earthly life: his hidden life, his life in community, his closeness to the outcast, his poverty and other ways in which he showed his self-sacrificing love. The contemplation of these mysteries, as Saint Ignatius of Loyola pointed out, leads us to incarnate them in our choices and attitudes.[18] Because “everything in Jesus’ life was a sign of his mystery”,[19] “Christ’s whole life is a revelation of the Father”,[20] “Christ’s whole life is a mystery of redemption”,[21] “Christ’s whole life is a mystery of recapitulation”.[22] “Christ enables us to live in him all that he himself lived, and he lives it in us”
  

The call to holiness

We continue to reflect on the Pope's Exhortation and what this means for each of us now in our own lives - how am I being called to holiness today? The bold is my own highlighting.

10. All this is important. Yet with this Exhortation I would like to insist primarily on the call to holiness that the Lord addresses to each of us, the call that he also addresses, personally, to you: “Be holy, for I am holy” (Lev 11:44; cf. 1 Pet 1:16). The Second Vatican Council stated this clearly: “Strengthened by so many and such great means of salvation, all the faithful, whatever their condition or state, are called by the Lord – each in his or her own way – to that perfect holiness by which the Father himself is perfect”.[10]
11. “Each in his or her own way” the Council says. We should not grow discouraged before examples of holiness that appear unattainable. There are some testimonies that may prove helpful and inspiring, but that we are not meant to copy, for that could even lead us astray from the one specific path that the Lord has in mind for us. The important thing is that each believer discern his or her own path, that they bring out the very best of themselves, the most personal gifts that God has placed in their hearts (cf. 1 Cor 12:7), rather than hopelessly trying to imitate something not meant for them. We are all called to be witnesses, but there are many actual ways of bearing witness.[11] Indeed, when the great mystic, Saint John of the Cross, wrote his Spiritual Canticle, he preferred to avoid hard and fast rules for all. He explained that his verses were composed so that everyone could benefit from them “in his or her own way”.[12] For God’s life is communicated “to some in one way and to others in another”.[13]
12. Within these various forms, I would stress too that the “genius of woman” is seen in feminine styles of holiness, which are an essential means of reflecting God’s holiness in this world. Indeed, in times when women tended to be most ignored or overlooked, the Holy Spirit raised up saints whose attractiveness produced new spiritual vigour and important reforms in the Church. We can mention Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Saint Bridget, Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. But I think too of all those unknown or forgotten women who, each in her own way, sustained and transformed families and communities by the power of their witness.
13. This should excite and encourage us to give our all and to embrace that unique plan that God willed for each of us from eternity: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you” (Jer 1:5). 

No one is saved alone

THE SAINTS “NEXT DOOR”
6. Nor need we think only of those already beatified and canonized. The Holy Spirit bestows holiness in abundance among God’s holy and faithful people, for “it has pleased God to make men and women holy and to save them, not as individuals without any bond between them, but rather as a people who might acknowledge him in truth and serve him in holiness”.[3] In salvation history, the Lord saved one people. We are never completely ourselves unless we belong to a people. That is why no one is saved alone, as an isolated individual. Rather, God draws us to himself, taking into account the complex fabric of interpersonal relationships present in a human community. God wanted to enter into the life and history of a people.
7. I like to contemplate the holiness present in the patience of God’s people: in those parents who raise their children with immense love, in those men and women who work hard to support their families, in the sick, in elderly religious who never lose their smile. In their daily perseverance I see the holiness of the Church militant. Very often it is a holiness found in our next-door neighbours, those who, living in our midst, reflect God’s presence. We might call them “the middle class of holiness”.[4]
8. Let us be spurred on by the signs of holiness that the Lord shows us through the humblest members of that people which “shares also in Christ’s prophetic office, spreading abroad a living witness to him, especially by means of a life of faith and charity”.[5] We should consider the fact that, as Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross suggests, real history is made by so many of them. As she writes: “The greatest figures of prophecy and sanctity step forth out of the darkest night. But for the most part, the formative stream of the mystical life remains invisible. Certainly the most decisive turning points in world history are substantially co-determined by souls whom no history book ever mentions. And we will only find out about those souls to whom we owe the decisive turning points in our personal lives on the day when all that is hidden is revealed”.[6]
9. Holiness is the most attractive face of the Church. But even outside the Catholic Church and in very different contexts, the Holy Spirit raises up “signs of his presence which help Christ’s followers”.[7] Saint John Paul II reminded us that “the witness to Christ borne even to the shedding of blood has become a common inheritance of Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans and Protestants”.[8] In the moving ecumenical commemoration held in the Colosseum during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, he stated that the martyrs are “a heritage which speaks more powerfully than all the causes of division”.[9]

Call to Holiness

The Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis continued. The larger print in bold is to help you concentrate and reflect...

CHAPTER ONE

THE CALL TO HOLINESS

THE SAINTS WHO ENCOURAGE AND ACCOMPANY US

3.       The Letter to the Hebrews presents a number of testimonies that encourage us to “run with perseverance the race that is set before us” (12:1). It speaks of Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Gideon and others (cf. 11:1-12:3). Above all, it invites us to realize that “a great cloud of witnesses” (12:1) impels us to advance constantly towards the goal. These witnesses may include our own mothers, grandmothers or other loved ones (cf. 2 Tim 1:5). Their lives may not always have been perfect, yet even amid their faults and failings they kept moving forward and proved pleasing to the Lord.

4.       The saints now in God’s presence preserve their bonds of love and communion with us. The Book of Revelation attests to this when it speaks of the intercession of the martyrs: “I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne; they cried out with a loud voice, ‘O sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge?’” (6:9-10). Each of us can say: “Surrounded, led and guided by the friends of God… I do not have to carry alone what, in truth, I could never carry alone. All the saints of God are there to protect me, to sustain me and to carry me”.1

The Communion of Saints has become very real for me and the latest experience was having them appear at the Consecration of the Mass here in the Oakwood Chapel. I feel their presence and hope you do, too. We do have all the saints of God with us...

Rejoice and Be Glad

. “REJOICE AND BE GLAD” (Mt 5:12), Jesus tells those persecuted or humiliated for his sake. The Lord asks everything of us, and in return he offers us true life, the happiness for which we were created. He wants us to be saints and not to settle for a bland and mediocre existence. The call to holiness is present in various ways from the very first pages of the Bible. We see it expressed in the Lord’s words to Abraham: “Walk before me, and be blameless” (Gen 17:1).
2. What follows is not meant to be a treatise on holiness, containing definitions and distinctions helpful for understanding this important subject, or a discussion of the various means of sanctification. My modest goal is to repropose the call to holiness in a practical way for our own time, with all its risks, challenges and opportunities. For the Lord has chosen each one of us “to be holy and blameless before him in love."(Eph 1:4)

I am going to be sharing bits of this wonderful exhortation that was released yesterday on the Feast of the Annunciation. It is 98 pages but Pope Francis has really made the call to holiness understandable and necessary for all of us to both ponder and put into practice. I am sorry that I am late today with this. You can find the entire text at vatican.va

Listening to God

God speaks to us in many ways. I find the pictures with water often help create a stillness in me and that allows me to hear God. I also think God speaks to me through others and through events and circumstances. Today, the Pope is releasing a new exhortation on holiness. I am looking forward to hearing it. I suspect God is going to speak to me in the words of the Pope. 

I am also thanking God for the gift of imagination. Mine is a very active one and I am grateful for it, but sometimes wish I could curb it but lately I have come to really value this gift.
God uses our imaginations to speak to us, too. 

How does God speak to you? When is it easiest to listen to God?
Sometimes I think I am like the disciples who Jesus approached as they were walking away from Jerusalem. They did not recognize Jesus even as he walked with them. It was only in the breaking of the bread at their simple Sunday night supper that they realized that Jesus was with them and had been with them explaining the Scriptures. How grateful they must have been for not only inviting him to stay with them, but urging him as the day was far spent!

Divine Mercy Sunday

John's Gospel tells us in detail how it was that Jesus came to his disciples on Easter Sunday evening. They had locked the doors, but Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." Then he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. He said 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."
This Easter gift became the Sacrament of Reconciliation and we have the grace to encounter the Divine Mercy each time we receive it. It is a real encounter with Christ and gives us such peace. Let us thank for this gift.

The Good News

Today's Gospel is from Mark and gives us three of the apparitions of Jesus in a more abbreviated form. He tells us that Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene and she went and told the others that Jesus was alive and had been seen by her, but they did not believe her. 
Then Mark tells us how Jesus had appeared to the two disciples walking away from Jerusalem and they returned to tell the others but they were not believed either.
But then Jesus came and appeared to the others at table and rebuked them for their unbelief. Then Jesus told them: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature." 
That is the message that Jesus wants us all to receive. He is truly risen and we are to go forth and proclaim the Good News!

It is the Lord

Today is First Friday and the Gospel is that of John telling how Peter decided to go fishing and six of the disciples joined him. They toiled all night without success. At dawn, Jesus was on the shore and called to them. When they said that they had caught nothing, Jesus told them to cast the net over the right side of the boat; they did it and could not pull the net up because it was so full. The disciple whom Jesus loved said, "It is the Lord." Peter immediately jumped into the sea to go to Jesus. Jesus had made a charcoal fire and had fish on it and bread, but Jesus asked for some of the fish they had just caught and then invited them to come and have breakfast.
I just love this story and can picture Jesus standing on the shore waiting for dawn to hail his friends who have worked so hard and have nothing to show for their labors. Then, Jesus not only gives them fish in abundance, but has a fire going and serves them breakfast. He must have come prepared with charcoal and bread and then caught the fish he had ready for them. I guess I like to think that Jesus is still rewarding us when we toil and do not seem to have accomplished much but He waits for us and has prepared some consolation for us.

I had a wonderful day yesterday. Right after Mass, seven of us left in the new bus that holds a wheel chair and two rows of three seats behind the driver and the front seat which was for our "Life Enrichment Director" and who really enriched my life be taking us to one of my very favorite places: the Villa Maria del Mar retreat house in Santa Cruz. The ocean was gorgeous and we had some sun before it became cloudy. We had lunch there and another half hour to enjoy the ocean and then drove home, but it was a wonderful day and very relaxing. I am also signed up for the whale watching outing next Thursday so the Lord is giving me great consolation in many ways. 

Peace be with you

Luke tells us that while the two disciples that had recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread while at supper in Emmaus were still telling the apostles what had taken place, Jesus stood in their midst. "Peace be with you." But they were terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Jesus then asks them: "Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have."
The disciples are still incredulous for joy so then Jesus asks them if they have anything to eat and they give him a piece of baked fish and he eats it in front of them.  Then he opens their minds to understand the Scriptures.
Other accounts of the Easter apparition to the disciples have Jesus giving them the Holy Spirit and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Let us thank Jesus for both!

"Stay with us, ...

Today we have the wonderful and consoling appearance of Jesus to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus. These disciples had left Jerusalem discouraged because this is the third day since their hopes had been destroyed by the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth whom they had seen as a prophet before God and all the people. They had even been there when the women reported that the tomb was empty and maybe they had even been there themselves as the Gospel tells us "some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women described, but him they did not see."
Then Jesus says: "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! ..." And then Jesus began to interpret the scriptures to them. As they approach the village to which they were going, Jesus gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, "Stay with us for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So Jesus goes in with them and "he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them." With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. However, they had new energy and set out to return to Jerusalem to tell the others how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

The whole story gives us so much to reflect on as Jesus still comes to us and perhaps we do not recognize him until we break bread with Him in the Eucharist and realize that He is truly with us.

"I have seen the Lord"

John's Gospel today describes how Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping because the Lord is not there and she does not know where they have taken him. Then, when Jesus comes and asks her why she is weeping, she still does not recognize him. He says her name and immediately she responds, but Jesus sends her to tell the others, "I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." Mary went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord", and then reported what he had told her. 

Of course, they had trouble believing her and Peter and John run to the tomb to see for themselves. Still, it is a woman who first receives and gives the good news that Jesus is truly risen.

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it."

Easter Monday

This day is a holiday in many countries or at least it is a day to continue the joy of Easter. No school here all week! I love the forty days after Easter because I think the Lord wants us to share His joy and He goes around consoling us in different ways. It is a time to enjoy the gifts He has given us: the people around us, the sunshine, the flowers, the April showers (hope we have many as California still needs more rainfall), and the longer days. 

We had a beautiful Easter Liturgy yesterday followed by a festive dinner. I think one feels the joy of the Risen Lord here and I am just grateful to be in such a wonderful place. Our patio outside my window is blooming with lovely flowers; the tulips just seem to appear as soon as the trees turn green. I am still thinking of the Liturgy yesterday and the Easter vigil. I was struck by a line in one of the readings that said we are blessed because we know what is pleasing to God.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia

This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice!
Jesus is risen, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! 
Imagine the joy of all - the Trinity, the angels, all who have died and are now resurrected with Christ! It is a day to spend in gratitude and joy with the Risen Lord! Alleluia, Alleluia!

We had a beautiful Holy Week. On Holy Saturday we do six of the reading in the morning and then only one before the Epistle and Gospel during the late afternoon Mass. This is a line that struck me: "Blessed are we for what pleases God is known to us." The trick is to always choose what is pleasing to God.
Happy Easter!