We Are Family.

On Sunday evening, history was made. If you had been a fly on the wall, it wouldn’t have seemed like much. But, in the hearts of those of us present, a song of hope and promise was sung. For the first time, Father Kolbe Missionary priests celebrated Mass in our chapel in West Covina, California. For the first time, Father Kolbe Missionary men and women and Father Kolbe Volunteers united in the heart of our home, the chapel. The family was together.

Four young priests, three newly ordained, celebrated Mass. Father Eduardo is from a large, Brazilian favela.  Father Alex is from a small town that cultivates sugar cane. Father Ryan is from Dana Point, California, a small suburb of Orange County. Father Maximiliano is from a small (larger than Fr. Alex’s), traditional town also in Brazil.

Not quite everyone....
(Left to Right: Fr. Maximiliano, Fr. Ryan,
Fr. Alex, and Fr. Eduardo)

Joining our prayers with theirs, on this historic evening, was the local Fr. Kolbe Missionary and Volunteer family. We are widows, separated, married couples, consecrated women, clerics, laity, and single. We work nights to support the family, are retired, live on two-incomes, give of our excess, and struggle to make ends meet. We have no children and ten children, old and young. We are immigrants from Colombia, Italy, Sri Lanka, Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, Philippines, as well as fourth and fifth generation citizens. Still, there is no mistaking the family resemblance. 

There was a higher level of palpable joy (than usual!) on Sunday night as the children and the grandparents alike realized that our big family was all together. The challenge to never be afraid of God’s call, given by Father Ryan, piqued the interest of a 19-year-old. At the same time, a teenage boy felt free to talk about his many troubles to the young priest who witnessed first-hand the heavy-hand of violence. The young girls were excited to learn a Brazilian song, perhaps equally as thrilled to play a game of “futbol” with the missionary men and women.

As one Fr. Kolbe Volunteer stated, 

“We have nothing – and everything – in common. They have the same mission, the same dream, as I do. They love the same things I love. They love the Immaculata like I do, or the way that I want to!”

Another person noted, 

“Some of us don’t even speak the same language… but we understand each other. We understand, because we know what we want out of life and how to get it. We want heaven, to glorify God, and the Immaculata is our way.”

We are a family: The Father Kolbe Missionaries and Volunteers of the Immaculata.

To get to know us better, please visit: www.kolbemission.org/en/home

A Change of Perspective: Father and Son

By Julie Dinise, in formation with the

Fr. Kolbe Missionaries of the Immaculata

“How has being a dad changed your understanding of God, the Father?” I recently asked a good friend who is married, and has two beautiful children with his wife.  Without words, he gently leaned his forehead against the forehead of his 2-year-old daughter, and they looked in each other’s eyes and smiled.  There they remained for quite some time, happy and joyful in the gaze of the father’s love.

This beautiful answer reminded me of a similar event.

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.  On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.  And a voice came from the heavens, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’ (Mark 1:9-11)

At Jesus’ baptism, Sacred Scripture reveals to us a most intimate moment between the Father and His beloved Son.  It is a gaze of love, encouragement, and joy shared by both Father and Son. While humans can only see the outer appearance, the Father looks beyond into the heart and soul to see Jesus’s true identity: Son of the Father.  In revealing this true identity, the Father also loves Him in it.  He loves Jesus simply for who he is.

Many people ask themselves the question, “How does God see me?”  It seems that so many people believe God is disappointed, angry, or upset with them - because they feel this way about themselves.  But not as humans see does God see.  

This Father’s Day, let us ask God our Father for a change of perspective, to help us see ourselves as he sees us: his beloved son, his beloved daughter.  May we praise the Father for loving us each simply for who we are as his sons and daughters, bearers of his glorious image and likeness.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, may we see our earthly fathers as God sees them.  May they be blessed as we offer thanksgiving for the gift of life they gave to us.  May we adore and bless the Father who never abandons us, but consoles us with his presence, within us, along the journeys of life.  May the gaze of love between the Father and us bring joy, peace, and life to the whole world.

The Gift of Womanhood

By Father Luigi Faccenda, OFM Conv
Originally published for Spes Nostra, September-October 1995: 3. Print

According to God's plan, men and women have the same dignity and are completmentary to each other. The woman Eve "was taken out" of the man Adam. The biblical account, beyond its imaginative language, signifies that men and women have the same nature and the same origin. In this way one can understand their mutual attraction and the profound union between them. In the beginning men and women were created equal. The one human being exists in two distinct complimentary forms: male and female.

While in Genesis 2:18-25 complementarity may seem to be one-sided (the woman created for the man), Genesis 1:26-28 removes any doubt. The help is anything but unilateral: the woman is a helper for the man, just as the man is a helper for the woman!

They are not identical one to the other, but both are created in the image and likeness of God, and together they are a manifestation of Him. Men and women are equal for what they have in common: intelligence, love, and personhood. They are complementary being, called to be the image of God in reciprocal self-giving and communion.

There is also another statement, dependent on the first one, but even richer in innovation and consequence: the man Adam and the woman Eve meet in order to overcome solitude. This statement surely comes from experience. Humans cannot achieve self-realization in solitude. This experience is seen here in a spiritual way, because God does not abandon man to solitude, but rather calls him to interpersonal communion. The interpersaonl relation is indispensable for humasn in order to attain salvation and self-realization. Solitude is poverty and powerlessness, humans are not self-sufficient beings.

It is God who brings the woman to the man. Man's reaction is one of joyful surprise in discovering in her those aspects of equality, reciprocity, and complementarity which he desired and could not find elsewhere. Adam and Eve are in dialogue, are images of God, and are called to subdue the earth. (Yet), there is clear awareness that this plan is now present in a historical situation marked by sin which contradicts it by causing division, domination, and self-centeredness.

In Genesis, original sin is described as humans' attempt to find fulfillment apart from God and his plan. The effect of this attempt is a self-centeredness which leads to division and domination. Man and woman become divided, although created to be complementary and united to each other.  The man seeks to dominate the woman as a result of self-seeking, and competition for supremacy replaces a mutual striving for unity. God intended dialogue, not domination.

Let us ask the Blessed Virgin to help all men and women of our time to be aware of the beauty of God's plan and to lean from her the joy of being fully themselves, establishing mutual relations of respectful and genuine love.

A Family Re-United

by Mike Conger (MI)*

In spite of a rich Catholic upbringing, early in my education at university, I decided to leave the Church as an

atheist. This would last for nearly 20 years. I finally answered the call to return, receiving the gift of faith in February of 2011.

Six months later, my beautiful brother, Matthew Conger, passed away due to liver cancer. After his diagnosis, he was only with us for one month’s time. He was 42 and too young to die, but my renewed faith had prepared me to accept God’s will.

In the short month from diagnosis to death, our family experienced many Graces and even miracles. Admittedly, it is seldom easy to see God’s plan in the death of loved ones, but this time it was clear. Matt himself had said he wanted his death to reunite the family. We had been without another brother, his wife and my two nephews for 17 years. But our entire family united again around our love for my sick brother.

Matt was a lapsed Catholic, but expressed some interest in coming back to the faith. Through God’s Grace, he soon found himself with an opportunity for reconciliation. There was a parish priest in his hospital room. That day Matt felt stressed and somewhat blindsided, so I asked for a chance to speak to him alone. I asked him to simply listen to father, telling him he didn’t have do anything he did not wish to do.

Some time later, father emerged having heard Matt’s confession. My brother also received the Holy Eucharist as well as the Anointing of the Sick. I can hear my mother’s voice on that early afternoon crying, “In six months, 2 of my babies have come back to The Lord.” My parents have a devotion to the Blessed Mother, praying the rosary every night, praying for our conversion. They live the spirit of bringing souls to Jesus through Mary.

One of many of the pieces of art work
produced by Mike.

My brother died on the morning of September 8, 2011, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I am so thankful for this special connection to Our Lady’s Feast Day. Around 6:00 am, the day after his funeral mass, I decided to walk to my parent’s church. There I found a beautiful garden dedicated to the Blessed Mother. I knelt down to pray to her, and open my heart. I felt a comfort I had not felt before. I expressed a sorrow for never having cultivated a real relationship with her.

Over the next several months, my relationship with Mary grew, and I was called to discover The Militia of the Immaculata (MI). Here I learned of Total Consecration to Mary, the Immaculata. Through this act, we entrust ourselves to the heart of Our Lady, pledging to listen to Mary’s will, which is in unison with God’s will. This is all so we can become closer to her Son and help to bring others to Christ.

I will forever have the connection of my brother’s death coinciding with Our Lady’s Feast Day. After every mass I attend, I thank her for praying for Matt’s soul. Each morning I ask her to guide me and wrap me in her mantle of protection. She will never let us down. I love the Blessed Virgin, and I am so grateful to be Consecrated to Our Lady. 

*Mike was born and raised in Southern California. A man of many talents, Mike is an elementary school teacher, gifted artist, and collaborator with the Fr. Kolbe Missionaries. 

Stop Tweeting when God is Speaking

By Jillian Cooke, MTh, MAPM
Fr. Kolbe Missionary 

It is all too common.

You are talking to someone and they keep looking at their phone. You are in the car with someone and they have wires dangling from their ears. You are telling a story, and the other person is staring at the TV. You are annoyed and frustrated, because you want their attention, you want to BE WITH THEM --- not a connected corpse. People of every age and generation can be so rude. Honestly, you'd like to throw their phone out the window.

Not so fast.

You may be no better. The Lord is with us 100% of the time. Chances are, we are not really WITH HIM. We are more like those "connected corpse" we so disdain. We might not have an ipod in our pocket or a iphone in our hand, but our minds and hearts are elsewhere. We give him lipservice, go through the motions (like a teen sweeping in front of the TV), but we're only there 75%, 85%, 90% of the time. Distractions abound, worries multiply, stuff gets in the way, and next thing we know, we might as well be tweeting when the Lord is talking to us.

When the Good Shepherd had 99%, he did not settle, but he went after the lost 1%.  He is truly a jealous God, not out of some sort of mythical greed, but out of undying love. Out of this same love, he will pursue us, but only we can turn over our lives. Only we, by His grace and with the help of the Immaculata, can "unplug" and give him our full attention. As when a phone beeps, or blinks, or buzzes - we may have distractions or lapses of attention - but we just keep right on moving and address those things in their proper time, we will find that God really is talking to us ---- we just weren't listening.

Don't settle. Life is not just about passing, even with 99%, but about loving and living 100% of the time.

Everyone Needs a Mom

by Robyn Mattson

http://cradleforsaints.blogspot.com/

As a new mom I see more and more clearly how much everyone needs a mother. As adults we may overlook the importance of our mothers because we seem to think we don't really need them anymore. But stop for a moment and reflect on how necessary they really are. To begin with, mothers obviously give us life. They give us our first place of safety, the womb, and then one day they endure incredible pain to bring us to the outside world. From there we depend on our mothers for every need. Our food comes right from their body. Every single day a mother literally gives a part of herself so her baby can live. Much of a moms energy and nutrients are given to the baby through her milk. A mother sacrifices her own body to nourish the body of her little one.

 I am convinced that mom's also have a superpower made just for their babies. Any time my daughter is upset we know one thing will comfort her: my arms. I am constantly amazed at how I can calm her. It really is like a superpower. If she is tired she will fall asleep in the comfort of my arms. If she is hurt she will feel better once she is snuggled up to me. When she is bored my dances make her smile and laugh (finally someone thinks I'm funny!). It seems that no matter what is ailing her, it can be fixed by mommy. Sometime she fusses just because she wants mommy (those times secretly are my favorite).

As children grow and gain independence they slowly depend less on mommy. As toddlers they will venture off on their own at a park. As teenagers they will begin to question and form their own opinions. As adults they will insist that they can figure it all out on their own. Time and time again, though, they will rush back to mommy when in need. The toddler who falls down runs to his mother for a kiss on the boo boo. The teenager might be embarrassed to admit it, but they secretly want mom there for every big moment. The adult will eventually realize that they still need mom's guidance. You see, we all need our mom.

I find as a new mom that I put a lot of pressure on myself to be a great mother. I want to give my daughter everything she needs and always do what is best for her. I don't mean materially, I mean physically and spiritually. The reality is, though, that moms aren't perfect. I am going to make mistakes and look back wishing I did things differently. Even though I try to be the best mommy I can be I accept that I am capable of falling and not being perfect. All moms will at some point make a mistake...all but one that is. There is one woman who is the perfect mother. She is the definition of motherhood and as mothers we should look to her for guidance. But this reflection isn't really about mothers, it's about us kids. We need our mommy and we need this perfect mother the most. This mother I am referring to is the blessed mother, the mother of our Lord.

Just like our earthly mother gives us life, so to does our Blessed Mother. When Mary said yes to bringing Jesus to the world to save us, she opened the door to new life. Her fiat was the way that led to our savior's sacrifice that gives us true life. Just as earthly mothers nourish us from their bodies so too does Mary. Jesus came from the body of Mary and in the Eucharist which is Jesus truly present (body, blood, soul, and divinity), we are fed and nourished. What an intense sacrifice of self was involved for Mary as she watched her son suffer and died so that we may live. Mary was willing to
sacrifice and suffer for us because we too are her children.

As we grow older we may think that we don't need Mary and we may even wander off like the toddler at the park but when we are in need she is a sure source of comfort. When we have fallen in our faith life and need help getting back up she will lift us up and wrap her mantle around us showing us that a mothers love never ends. She will lead up to the source of true happiness which is her son. When we experience intense pain weather physical or spiritual, it is often the embrace of our mother that consoles us. During my pregnancy I experienced a lot of sickness and a good friend once told me to let mother Mary care for me the way she cared for Saint Elizabeth. What beautiful and true advice that was. In my sickest moments, reaching out to the Blessed Mother brought me the greatest 
strength. I knew that she was caring for me from heaven and with her arms around me I knew I could endure.

As we prepare to celebrate the coming of our Lord, let us not forget that even Jesus Christ himself needed a mother. God chose to come as a little baby who was dependent on his mother. Mary's womb was the first tabernacle and her breast was His first source of food for His precious body. It was Mary who taught Him how to walk and it was she who was their when He fell and needed a kiss on His boo boo. It was also the Blessed Mother who met Him on that painful road to Calvary. When He fell under the weight of the cross it was an encounter with His mother that encouraged Him as He pushed forward. And at the end of His life while He hung on a cross, Jesus led us to see the great power of His mother by giving her to us as our mother. Let us use this time of Advent to draw closer to the woman who brought life to our Savior and who constantly seeks to help guide us to everlasting life in Him. Never forget how much you need your mother because she will certainly never forget you! The love I feel for my daughter is so intense that I can only imagine the love that the Blessed Mother must have for each of us her children.

Present for Jesus

"The Baby Jesus Jar"

 

Supplies:

Any old jar (I chose one with a lid so my young babes won't be able to access the $$)

Construction paper

glue

ribbon

 

 

I started by measuring out what size green paper we needed. Than we cut out four candles and all the little flames! The kids are super into gluing things right now, so they glued all the candles themselves! Then, they colored them with pink and purple crayons. My girl wanted ribbon so that it would looked pretty (I must say, it worked!). 

Then, we talked about what types of things they could do to make Jesus happy. Z is three, she said, "listening to mom, eating all dinner, being good, not moving at church, and being a big helper!" ALL VERY GOOD in my opinion! G, he's 2, said, "Eat food. Watch a show." hmmmm interesting........

Either way works for me. We talked about how important it is to share with others, including our money! In exchange for any good deed or behavior, we will put some coins in the   On Christmas you get to bring your jar to church and put it by Baby Jesus! Z you are SUPER excited by this! 

So far we have 85 cents....  More to come!

www.justaroundthebenz.blogspot.com

Mary Benz, MI, wife, and mother of three

Preparing for Christ with Your Little Ones: Advent Calendar

A simple Advent Calendar my three little ones love! 

Supplies:

Paper

scissors

different color construction paper

rick rack (whatever extra decoration you want)

tape

 

I cut a Christmas tree out, free hand. My kids wanted a BIG tree so I made it 3ft tall. We taped it to our dining room wall. Than we draped the red sparkly rick rack on the tree for decoration.  My precious (and feisty) three year old  is still a little confused. She kept saying how she really wanted a real tree, but it was just to big for our apartment...... ! Can't quite get her to understand we will still get a real one to decorate.

It is wonderful to hear and see her express what she "really" wants, and still rejoice in our simple celebration preparing for the Lord. It makes me remember (and pray to never forget) what Advent is all about!

My oldest is three years old. Together we cut out 24 construction paper ornaments. I helped her draw the numbers on them and my two year old  decorated them! We're going for fun, family time here - not a work of art. Though, I must say, I'm always impressed by my kids. We made a big "Happy Birthday Jesus" star for the top of the tree!

In addition to talking about baby Jesus' birthday, we learned about numbers, shapes, and colors! All of this made them very excited for Sunday, when they can start putting up the daily numbered ornaments to get to the big star!

Mary Benz (MI)

Wife and Mother of 3

Author www.justaroundthebenz.blogspot.com 

Man of the House

If you know the Fr. Kolbe Missionaries, you can probably guess who I mean by “the man of the house.”  We live with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, present in our chapel, the heart of our home. He is quite literally the man of the house. 

                I discovered this particular role of Jesus in the missionaries’ lives before I began formation.  The more I visited the missionaries’ home, the more I understood that their lives center around the head of their consecrated family.  My experience of this truth has increased since moving into the community.

Today we celebrate 27 years of Jesus’ presence in our chapel.  This is an immense blessing and also a challenge!  We can sometimes take the great gift of the Eucharistic presence for granted, it is similar to taking for granted the gift of our families when living together day after day.  What a challenging but worthy work to value and treasure every day the gift of our families, and especially the gift of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.

As human beings (I’m pretty sure he calls the weakest to himself), we don’t always act and think as we should, but one thing is for sure: we strive to be worthy of the grace of being his and living with him. Jesus is the unseen guest of honor at every meal, and the underlying subject of every conversation in the House of the Immaculata.  His laughter is heard when all in the house enjoy quality time together.  His sacred heartbeat provides the rhythm for communal and personal prayer.  When we fall in sin or give in to weakness, we can approach him and make amends, be strengthened, and move on. And, perhaps best of all, we can be company for his sacred, thirsting heart.

As a good husband and father, he provides for the needs of ALL in our spiritual family. The gift of his presence in our chapel is a gift not only for our consecrated family, but for all families and people, because from there we pray for all and are strengthened to continue our mission of “bringing the strength of the faith and the love of Mary to youth and families.” You are invited to unite with us in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and… Behold the gift. 

Julie Dinise

member in formation with the Father Kolbe Missionaries

If you are unable to visit the Blessed Sacrament in a church, you can always make a spiritual visit. This link leads to a live camera in Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, belonging to the Conventual Franciscan Friars at Marytown, Illinois. http://www.justin.tv/marytown#/w/7236673168/82    

* Editor's Note: Can’t put aside an hour of silent prayer, because you’ve got your hands full of chores, toddlers, school books, and 12 hour shifts? Give an hour of your labor of love to Our Lord through Mary. Sign up here: http://www.kolbemission.org/en

What to get mom for her birthday?

Every year when my mom’s birthday is around the corner, my siblings and I ask, “What do you want for your birthday, Mom?”   After a thoughtful pause, her answer is always, “I don’t want any gifts.  I just want my family to be around me, having a good time together.”  

Traditionally, on September 8th the Church celebrates the birthday of Our Heavenly Mother, Mary.  Since it falls on a Sunday, the Liturgy celebrated will be the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary time.  However, we can still celebrate the grand gift that God gave to us in the Immaculate Conception, birth, and life of Mama Mary.  The question still remains: what to get Mama for her birthday?

I propose five simple gifts that Mama Mary will love!

1. Mom loves a clean room.  Make an effort to go to Confession to clean out the “room” of your soul.  She is a tender Mother, drawing us to the fount of Mercy at her Son’s crucified side.  Be not afraid.
2. Mom loves to brag about her Son.  She loves when we share His great love with others.  Tell someone how much Jesus loves them; that He loves them so much that He gave us His Mother.
3. Mom loves when you ask her for things you want.  Really.  She won’t turn you down, unless it goes against her Son’s will.  You just need to ask.
4. Mom loves when you get along with your brothers and sisters.  Do a kind deed for someone.  Maybe you need to forgive someone, or to spend some time with someone who is in need.  It is worth it for the sake of love.
5. Mom loves when the whole family is at home for dinner.  Total consecration is the surest way to the family table in the banquet hall of Heaven.  You can read more about consecration here: www.consecration.com.  If you are already consecrated, renew your consecration with filial trust, and invite someone else to be consecrated.

Let’s give our heavenly Mother the best gift: ourselves. Worried you’re not good enough? Don’t. In this case, it REALLY is the thought that counts! St. Maximilian reminded us that that she knows how to use “rusty instruments” to paint masterpieces, so don’t be afraid. Let Mary paint a masterpiece with your life. NOTHING could make her happier.  Happy Birthday, Mama Mary!

Day 3: Boys Program

Yesterday was the first day to welcome an injury. Not a bad track record. Often during my time overseeing the program, there is at least one boy who is drawn to the "mom figure" in the crowd. By this I simply mean that there is usually one kid that needs a drink of water at the most inconvenient times, an aspirin, or an answer to a perfectly random question at an imperfect hour.... and not from their leaders, but from me. These are the kids who miss mom, I'm convinced, and who usually aren't as comfortable with the strong male leader. Its a good sign that yesterday was the first band-aid, the first Tylenol...

And, on that note, we have the mystery of the kitchen. The girls flock to the kitchen as if it were magnetized with neon signs flashing, "PLEASE COME IN!" Of course, this is advantageous in a way. After all, when they are in the confines of the kitchen they can be put to work --- often singing while they lend a hand. The boys, on the other hand, seem to avoid it like the plague. The only thing that entices them in is the food that needs to be carried out, the punch that is actually off-limits, and the dishes they are required to clean. They are in no hurry to please anyone in the kitchen, and they seem to know all too well what entrance in that domain means. What the girls see as a social space the guys see as a work zone. 

Last week, the girls tried to outsmart you with intelligence, while the guys try to outsmart you with what they consider wit (sometimes, quite frankly hysterical, sometimes worthy of the corner). Not all of them, I generalize of course. Last week the girls that wished to shine by opening their mouths usually did so with a pat and sophisticated response, as if to say I know already - must you keep talking? The guys, much to the director's frustration, diverged from the topic and diverted the attention of the group through truly absurd questions or responses. "Do you have any questions about the talk on Baptism?" Response: "What's your name?" "What's Holy Orders?" "Can I have a piece of chicken?"

Watching this, I can't help but smile thinking of my own mother, in the kitchen area, with three boys surrounding her. She'll never win, their reasons, reasoning, and bizarre questions reveal the inner struggle of the boy-man for order, dominance, and productive labor. For my mom, who just wants to be appreciated and have a clean house, it can be a painful ordeal. 

Sigh. Its a beautiful thing when the biggest "problem" is self-asserting teens demanding reasons and giving their own ad obnoxium. If they didn't, I'd have to worry about the future... but as it is, it seems that we can promise southern California at least 20 young men in the very near future. Girls: they are out there.... just wait awhile. OK?

All Rights Reserved. Fr. Kolbe Missionaries

Gift for Dad

Dads at the MI Family Picnic.
All Rights Reserved.

Tomorrow is Father's Day in the United States. A day to celebrate fathers - individually and as a whole.
Most of us will think of our own dads, for better or for worse, and many of us will reach out this man one way or another. We'll send cards, make phone calls, visit, or have them over. We'll think about them, say a prayer to them, and a few for them.

While praying to the Father of all for the safety and holiness, the conversion and guidance, the health and happiness of our dads here on earth.... do we stop to thank and praise Our Father? Its a beautiful day because we are celebrating the men whom God has chosen to reflect Himself in this world. Whatever lack our dads bring reminds us of the fullness of God, and whatever good they carry reminds us of the awesome goodness of God.

Tomorrow at Mass, when likely many parishes will honor our dads, take a family moment - or an individual moment - and thank God for being Our Father. If the idea is catching, you might think of a gift you can offer to Our Father in honor of Father's Day. Perhaps something you really like that someone else would enjoy? Perhaps a few extra dollars to a special charity? Perhaps a long overdue apology or thank you? Who knows...... you do, and God.

He's our dad after all. He knows us better than we care to admit, and better than he lets on. He's silent and seemingly harsh at times, gentle and merciful with hands of steel and a heart of fire. Look at a baby cuddled peacefully in the arms of its parent, and know that you too rest -if you will only relax-in the arms of your Father.

God Bless, and Happy Fathers Day!

She Desired the Eucharist

It was really cold that day.  I was visiting families in Tandil (Argentina), but no one was home.

microsoft.clipart

I came to a door that I had already tried: Should I try again? I rang the bell, and was welcomed by a young woman. She had a big smile, was full of life, and had polio from the time she was a newborn.  This was the primary concern of her life. Her difficulty walking presented problems caring for her three year old daughter.  We talked a long time about faith and hope...

When the conversation was ending (or so I thought), her sister entered the room, ready to go run errands. I greeted her and asked how she was doing. Her dry response: "In a few days I will be married." I showed more enthusiasm, "I'm so happy for you! The sacrament of marriage is such a beautiful gift of the Lord. It strengthens our weak human love with his Divine Love, the Love most excellent and source of all love."

She looked me square in the eye. "No, you know, I'm not practicing. I'm marrying in the Church only because my parents want it that way. Go figure, my cousin suggests that in a few months we marry in the evangelical church. I began reading the Bible, but I didn't understand a thing and lost it."

"How long has it been since you went to confession?" I asked.

"I've never been to confession! Mama sent me to religious ed, but I learned nothing and so I never received the Sacraments.... every once and awhile I want to receive the Eucharist, but I know I can't."

We began to talk about the faith, the Church, the Sacraments as a means of grace - the very life of God. We read the Gospel of John, where Jesus commanded his apostles to forgive sins. She listened intently, discussed it all, and wanted to believe the words. Many doubts stopped her.

"And, if the priest is a sinner... if he doesn't forgive me.... if......" She hesitated.

"Don't get lost in so many fears... TRY!  Why not go to talk to a priest?"

She burst into tears and left.

In a matter of minutes the mother of the girls entered.  Knowing that only grace can open the hearts of men and women, I proposed that we pray. Together, with faith, we prayed the Rosary. We  hadn't even finished, when the sister returned and with a firm voice said to me: "Let's go!"

"Where?" I asked. To my joy she responded with another question, "To the priest, right?"....

We said goodbye to the family, and quickly headed for the church. The priest, a good pastor, welcomed her and in the Sacrament of reconciliation she was immersed in the love and mercy of God.

In silence I waited in front of the Tabernacle and adored the Lord for his marvelous ways! 

Kidnapped!

My husband is a business man. We have many factories throughout Italy and we export goods as well. I, not having any children, help in the office. I always considered the location dangerous for him, even though he extended favors to those in the Region without work. More than once I asked him to go about accompanied by a bodyguard. Understand that he is very well known, and money makes many envious. He listened calmly, because he had a lot of faith in the people, and did not consider himself so important!

One evening, a few men blocked his car, let the bookkeeper who was with him go free. Instead, they put a sack over my husband's head, perhaps drugged him, and kidnapped him.

When I learned of the event I was at home, because I was expected him for dinner. What can I say about that time? We immediately notified the police. The news spread rapidly throughout the city. Even to convents, from which certain religious sisters assured me of their prayers and comfort, and left me this statue. I prayed, I suffered.... a thousand thought crowded my mind. But, I couldn't do anything. I had to wait for the request of the kidnappers, so that we could orient in some direction.

The phone rang: "For the life of your husband, you must give us 15 billion lire." (about $10,023,646)

An exorbitant, incomprehensible sum!

I knew very little about him during those long seven months. I went up and down Italy, desperately in search of someone or something that spoke of him and his situation. I knew from the kidnappers that "He was well," but that was little consolation!

Only after he was free did I know that he was hooded, in a tent where he could sit, kneel, or lie on a tiny bed. He had a container for a bathroom. He was incarcerated like this for seven months. He never saw or touched a face, a hand. In fact, when they would bring him food they first singled to put the hood on, then they would extend the food wrapped in cellophane, and leave him alone again in his canvas prison.

The first two months he suffered a l
ot. The precariousness, nothingness, poverty of existence was felt, but also the great need for life. He wanted to live, to be free, but how? Any attempt to run away would be a suicide. His life was in the hands of money and a gun. Desperation, hope, hatred and anguish escalated like waves on an agitated sea.

Then, something strange happened.  

...to be continued.

Dying Like Joseph, in the Arms of Mary

The flight seemed like it would never end. Of course it did. My brother picked me up and brought me to the hospital, to the bedside of my dad, who was living his final hours. A cancer had devastated his strong body in just days.

When I arrived, he recognized me immediately, but was unable to talk. I remained at his bedside praying silently, while various friends and family came by to make a visit.

Before leaving the hospital that night, I proposed to pray the Hail Mary together. He intoned the prayer with the thread of voice that remained; then he serenely said goodnight.

The next day his condition was worse. According to his desire, we asked the doctors to transport him home, because he wanted to end his life where he had always lived it.

He would be there only a few hours.

At a certain point I asked him if he wanted to pray the Rosary, and he signaled that this would make him happy. I made the sign of the cross, calmly and clearly, and we began: "Hail Mary...pray for us now and at the hour of our death."

"Now and at the hour of our death!!!"

These words gave us great comfort, and dad was even more serene knowing that the hour of death had arrived. After a little while I was afraid that the noise was bothering him, but he wanted us to continue to repeat: "Pray for us now, and at the hour of our death."

At the end of the Rosary, he kissed the crucifix on the end of the rosary, called us to himself, looked at us knowingly for a few minutes, and peacefully died.

He had already received the Sacraments, and now died in the comfort of the Mother he had so often called upon.

Same-Sex Adoption: Discrimination Against Children

Question from the mission-field: "I don't get it. Why is this discrimination? They have two parents."

We leave aside here the awful corrosion
of the word "discrimination" in today's culture, and get straight to the point.

Merriam-Webster gives the third definition of "discrimination" as "a : the act, practice, or an instance of discriminating categorically rather than individually, b : prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment."

Anytime I make a generalized decision that is harmful to a whole group (category) of people, this is discrimination in the negative sense. In the case of same-sex couples adopting, we are not discerning for the good of the child, but rather making a broad (and fallacious) decision that every two people who say they want a child can have one. In a sense the child is objectified. 


In the picture to the right, same-sex couples and supporters are grouped together in a circle, and the child is left out.... of consideration, an authentic, natural family, and the consciousness of the general population. 

Therefore, this is discrimination against children. 

"Celibate too Long"

Virgin + Mother = Woman

Last year I was sitting at a table with abused, addicted women. They had been beat, had beaten, and felt emotionally destroyed. These women were searching vainly for meaning and an identity outside of highs and bruises. They had been used, and had used, and they knew no other life.... barely. Below is a powerful conversation I had with them.

"You have a boyfriend?"
"No. Not really."
"What do you mean not really? You don't have a girlfriend. That's obvious."
"Well, that's good. I mean that my heart belongs to God, and so I don't date or anything like that."
"Anything like that? You mean you don't sleep with anyone either?"
"No. Never have."
"NEVER HAVE. Aren't you, like, twenty-nine or something?"
"Yes."
"NEVER?"
"No. Never."
"Well, when are you gonna?"
"Probably never."
The looks were stunningly incredulous.
"You mean, you might not?"
"No. I mean that I made a promise to God to belong only to him - body and all. That promise is good for a few more years, but I plan to make it forever."
"You sayin' that you never did it, drunk or anything, and you never will?"
"Yes. That's it."
"But, WHY? I mean, you're a VIRGIN?! I haven't been for years (she was 21). Don't you WANT to? You're a woman! Besides... where's the fun in that?"
Smile.
"First of all. 'Fun' has only gotten you into trouble. You know that's just an empty promise, right?"
"Yeah. Its so not worth it. I've had fun and woke up in the morning in a gutter."
"We've all done dumb things just to have fun. The point is that 'fun' is not 'happy.' Besides, its not about what we want.... its about being the person we are created to be. We are women, we are created to receive the GIFT and to BE A GIFT. I make the promise I make in order to show you that you are a gift just the way you are. You can accept God into your life and be a gift for him, your children, and the world."
Tears were flowing.
"You are not the sum of your botched and broken encounters and relationships. You are not the sum of your sex-life. You are the image of God. You are his spouse. You are beautiful just the way you are... Right now you and me have a lot in common. I pray only for you to be as happy and free as I - and so much more!"

Celibate too long? I think not.

Unnoticed Loss in the Decline of Imagination

Wow. This title is full of generalizations, which I do not at all condone. But, sometimes generalizations are very near the truth. I'm convinced this is the case. After all, how many people really notice the decline in the USE of imagination among young people (and therefore grown up kids)? Who knows. But how many of these people notice the effect this has on prayer? I venture to guess: not too many. Furthermore, I dare to suggest that this effect is a negative one. That's right. The misuse, abuse, and lack of use of the imagination negatively impacts our prayer life.

First off, what is imagination? It is, basically, our ability to form mental images and concepts about something that is not present to us. It takes all sorts of things we have experienced, and combines them in to fantastic images.  From there new ideas can be formed, and brought into reality through expression and creative arts.  Without imagination we find ourselves confusing reality with fantasy, and the experience of the unseen is - well - unimaginable.

One beautiful and essential form of prayer is meditation. According to Father Hardon's Catholic Dictionary meditation is "that form of mental prayer in which the mind, in God's presence, thinks about God and divine things." Thinking about God and divine things requires imagination: the piecing together of all we hear and experience about God. Meditation is principally concerned with the mysteries of the faith. Again, imagination is essential. 

I wonder what would happen if young children, in addition to (or at times even instead of) memorized vocal prayer were encouraged to write a story about Jesus as prayer? Or listen to a story and share what they felt, what they saw, what they think... Begin and end with the sign of the cross and a prayer to the Holy Spirit.  Nourish their imagination at all levels, and a vital aspect of prayer will be strengthened. 

Then, it is only left for us big kids ....  

Blessed are they who are attentive to the requests* of others without feeling indispensable

they will spread joy!

   Father Faccenda, Volume VII, 1986

*Another translation for this might be "demands" of others.  This word, in English at least, carries with it a rather negative connotation. The reality, however, is that everyday we face the "demands" of everyday life. Perhaps this is the key. We are not to see our duties as demands, something we have no choice to fulfill. Rather, we ought to see every moment as a request, an invitation, from the good God to meet the needs of His children.  In this way, we know very well He could ask someone else, and we begin to rejoice to be at His service. Such an outlook in life is bound to spread JOY! 

What do you think? 

Blessed John Paul II to the United States: Strengthening the American Family

This excerpt is taken from an address given in Brooklyn on October 6, 1996.

"There are two immediate things which the Catholic families of America can do to strengthen the home-life. The first is prayer: both personal and family prayer. Prayer raises our minds an hearts to God to thank him for his blessings, to ask him for his help.  It brings the saving power of Jesus Christ into the decisions and actions of everyday life. One prayer in particular I recommend to families is the Rosary. And especially the Joyful Mysteries, which help us to meditate on the Holy Family of Nazareth.

The second suggestion I make to families is to use the Catechism of the Catholic Church to learn about the faith and to answer questions that come up, especiallythe moral questions which confront everyone today. Dear Parents, you are educators because you are parents."

Taken from "Spes Nostra" Volume 4, Number 1 (1996)