Good Shepherd Sunday

 

Good Shepherd Sunday. Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

This Sunday we are reminded once again that our Lord’s love for each one of us is truly great and we are blessed. Our Lord and Good Shepherd is truly the One that we should be rejoicing about because by His love, He has shown us the sure path to eternal life.

That was why He, as our Good Shepherd, chose to come into our midst, so that we will not end up being lost forever. He has called us all by name, calling on all of us to embrace His love, mercy, and forgiveness. Our Lord and Good Shepherd wanted to show us that we are truly precious to Him. Through Him, we have been brought to the assurance of this new life and existence, reconciliation, and reunion with God.

This Sunday, we also celebrate Vocation Sunday, as we remember and especially pray for all those people who had answered God’s call to be priests, religious brothers, and sisters. However, we must not forget that each one of us as Christians also have our own unique vocations in life. Vocation in the Church is not just the vocation to priesthood or religious life only, as people who build up faithful Christian families, as well as all those who also give themselves into consecrated life to God, all in the service of God. Each one of these vocations are truly important, and we are hence reminded that as Christians we must be active in always living our Christian faith and life.

As Christians, we too should also be good role models and inspirations for one another, that we can truly live our lives and faith being just like Our Lord, the Good Shepherd. As Christians, we should help one another to come ever closer to God, and hence, we should live our lives worthily and in accordance with God’s will.  We should be the beacons of Christ’s light, hope, and truth to the whole world, in all of our actions and deeds, so that more and more people may come to believe in God through us. Let us all go forth in faith, and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to serve the Lord, now and always.

Third Sunday of Easter

 

Life is full of interruptions. It is full of beginnings and endings, successes, and failures. Jesus interrupts the life of the disciples today when He appeared and said, “Peace be with you!” In today's Gospel, the risen Jesus appears to His eleven disciples. He does not appear as a Platonic soul, a ghost, or a hallucination. Instead, He can be touched and seen, has flesh and bones, and can consume baked fish. Jesus appears and the disciples are once again changed.

Have you ever felt Jesus’ presence? Have you ever heard His voice speaking to your heart? Have you ever been changed because of an encounter with Jesus? Just as Jesus spoke the words of peace to His disciples, He does the same for us each and every day. Jesus desires for us to recognize Him in the breaking of the bread. Each day Jesus invites us to be people of peace, people of hope, people of love.

As we begin our day, we are busy focusing on many different ordinary tasks. Jesus invites us to refocus or thinking and embrace the gift that He promises us each day. Peace is what Jesus continually brings to us. God loved us so much that He sent His Son to bring us peace.

Right now, our world is anything but peaceful.  Let us listen to Jesus and embrace His invitation to start each day in peace. Let it infuse our hearts, our families, our homes, our workplaces. May we embrace Jesus’ invitation of peace and allow it to embody all that we do.

Divine Mercy Sunday

 

How many times have we said, “I will believe it when I see it!” Our gospel today reminds us of this statement as Thomas was not present when Jesus appeared to the disciples. Upon his return they tell him of Jesus’ appearance. Thomas is not able to believe at this time the truth of Jesus’ visit to the disciples. He needs to see and touch Jesus to have his faith restored.

Today’s gospel provides us with three images -- it is Easter Sunday night when Jesus comes into the midst of his friends offers them peace, forgiveness, divine mercy. The second is a week later when Jesus appears again and offers them peace and enables Thomas to believe. The third image is the divine mercy that Jesus gave the disciples after they had betrayed and denied Him.

The gospel author states that he, “Wrote it all down in hope that you would believe Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.”

Let us continue to live in the light and hope of this Easter Season. May we hear Jesus say to us, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

Easter Blessings

 This morning I went to the sunrise service with Sr. Jeannie at a local park in New Rochelle.  It was a most moving and beautiful service. The Easter Sunrise Service is sponsored by the Inter-Religious Coalition of New Rochelle and all are welcome. Being at the service this morning reminded me of the women who went early in the morning to anoint Jesus' body properly.  The were astounded to discover that he indeed wasn't there and had risen as he promised. In our prayer this morning we prayed for all the faithful that they may know the love of their God and respond out of  that profound love for all.

When I was praying after the service I came across this Happy Easter call from Pope Francis. May we live in the light of this resurrection message always.  Happy and Blessed Easter to all.

Palm Sunday

 

Palm Sunday commemorates when Jesus entered Jerusalem and was greeted by people waving palm branches. This event serves as a reminder for Christians to welcome Jesus into their hearts and be ready to follow Him.

Palm Sunday occurs on the Sunday before Easter. This celebration celebrates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, mentioned in each of the four Gospels. Jesus entered the city knowing He would be tried and crucified and welcomed His fate to rise from the grave and save us from sin! Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the remembrance of Jesus' last days.

Holy Week stands at the head of our calendar, the holiest week of the entire liturgical year. Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday and continues until Easter Sunday. It celebrates the Paschal Mystery, the passion and death of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and his victorious resurrection, his triumph over sin and death and his glorification by his Father. As we enter into this holiest week of the year may we take time to reflect on the scriptures of each of the days.  May we prepare our hearts to welcome the risen Christ on Easter.

 

Today we celebrate St. Patrick's Day. St. Patrick’s Breastplate is one of the great hymns of the church, sung especially for Saint Patrick’s Day. It is an Old Irish prayer of protection called a lorica, and the text is attributed to St. Patrick or his followers in early Celtic monasticism. Literally, lorica is the Latin term for body armor, thus the title “Saint Patrick’s Breastplate.” Cecil Alexander translated the prayer into an English hymn in 1889, and since then, it has also been known by its first line: “I bind unto myself today.”

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.
I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.
I arise today, through
God's strength to pilot me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.
I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

An Incredible Story

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go to the movies.  I went to see Cabrini with one of our sisters. It was a truly moving experience. I remember as a young child learning about her life and visiting her body in the shrine. The timing of the release of the film was on International Women's Day and at the very beginning of National Catholic Sisters Week.

Her story is one that many immigrants faced in her day and still face today. Arriving in New York City in 1889, Italian immigrant Francesca Cabrini is greeted by disease, crime and impoverished children. She soon sets off on a daring mission to convince the mayor to secure housing and health care for society's most vulnerable. With broken English and poor health, Cabrini uses her entrepreneurial mind to build an empire of hope unlike anything the world has ever seen. 

Cabrini had a tenacity that was unyielding.  She stood up to Church authorities, hostile civil authorities and anyone who stood in her way. Born prematurely, Cabrini suffered from compromised lungs and was always frail. Her health never thwarted her determination to help others.  She was the voice of the voiceless and challenged authorities to help her.  Facing obstacles was a reflection of her strong will.  Nothing would stand in the way of her achieving her goal of serving. Her dream was to go to the east but she was sent to the west.  She made the best of the situation and helped many to survive.

If you have the opportunity and the desire for an uplifting yet challenging film go see Cabrini - you won't be disappointed.

Transforming Grace

 

The LCWR (Leadership Conference of Women Religious) have been encouraging their membership to participate in a program of Transforming Grace.  Each week they provide a reflection for the journey.

Fasting from Words that Divide

This week, try fasting from spoken and unspoken words that divide. Be attentive to words which create ‘Either | Or’ instead of ‘Both | And’ thinking. Notice the way you think and speak of those who are “other.”

Lenten Fasting for Feast of Transforming Grace



Fast from Words that Divide

Feast on words that invite

Fast from ‘Either | Or’ thinking

Feast on ‘Both | And’ living

Fast from convincing certitude

Feast on space for uncertainty

Fast from anger

Feast on space for serenity

Fast from algorithms

Feast on discernment

Fast from fear

Feast on being willing to speak

Fast from isolation

Feast on connection.

 

Second Sunday of Lent

 

A friend of mine shared this quote of Pope Francis with me. As I reflected on it this week I found it to be rather challenging.

Pope Francis spoke again:

“Eat what you want at Easter, the sacrifice is not in the stomach, but in the heart.

They refrain from eating meat, but they do not talk to their brothers or relatives. 

They do not visit their parents or burden them with care.

They do not share their food with the needy.

They do not allow their children to see their father.

They do not forbid grandparents to see their grandchildren.

They criticize other people’s lives, beat their wives, etc.

A good roast or meat stew won’t make you a bad person.

Nor a fish fillet will make you a saint.

Better to try to have a deeper relationship with God through better treatment of others.

We are less superficial and more humble of heart.” 

Pope Francis

In today’s gospel we hear the familiar story of the Transfiguration.  We go to the mountain with Jesus, Peter, James, and John where they experience Jesus in a glorified state. Jesus is transfigured before them and the voice of God instructs them, “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him. They have heard Jesus speak before, but have they fully understood what Jesus was saying? The Lenten journey is meant to waken us up to the reality that we have all we need in Jesus. Let us continue to walk the path of the death and resurrection of Jesus. May we always hear and understand Jesus’ call and invitations to us.

First Sunday of Lent

 

The prayer below was written by Sr. Dorothea Gooud, an Australian Ursuline sister. As we journey through these forty days may we reflect and pray using it during this Lenten Season.

Enlighten, O Lord, the darkness of my heart,

the gateways to my spirit open wide;

My eyes, my ears, my pow’r to feel and love,

O Divine Majesty, pour in your radiant light

So strong, so clear that I would rather die

than lose that radiance shining from your Face.

Let me not betray the trust you place in me

Within that secret room which is my heart

I lay before you, Lord, my weakness and my sin

Blind, lame, bent down, I can’t look to you.

But night and day, at work and rest, I pray

My Healer, lay your gentle hand on me.

 

Your mercy is my hope; forgive me, Lord, restore

The crystal clearness of Baptismal grace

And thus I pray, O Lord, for those you give to me

With all in this vast world, Jesus, you died to save.

And by your passion, by your blood outpoured –

In pity grant us time for change of heart.

 

I give to you, my Lord, my only life and hope,

Your dear-bought treasures I have called my own.

Within, without, they are your gifts to me.

Oh cast your fire of love upon my dried-up heart.

Consume its dead wood like the wild bush fire,

Then touch to green new growth of love and peace.

 

How long I’ve made you wait for my poor service, Lord.

Life’s hurts are hard to bear when love is small.

Yet I can truly say my greatest sorrow, Lord,

Is watching human beings turn from love.

I’d gladly give my life to cure their blindness.

Take all I am and have! Blessed be your name!

Ash Wednesday and Valentines Day

 

For the first time since 2018, Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day fall on the same day. This year, Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day coincide: a day about joy, love, and celebration alongside a day about sacrifice, remembering our mortality, and recalling our utter dependence on God. As we prepare to commemorate these two realities let us remember that it may be the perfect time to invite our loving God into all of our life experiences and remember that love heals. It may just be the perfect way for us to enter Lent, remembering God is the one love that was here at the beginning of our lives and will be here long after our inevitable end.

In his 2024 Lenten message, Pope Francis reminds us of a question that God asked Adam and Eve after they had eaten of the fruit, “Where are you?” (Gen 3:9) God was looking for them not to judge them, but rather to enter into a dialogue. Notice that God made the first move to search out where Adam and Eve were hiding, and God reached out. Lent reminds us that God continues to reach out to us. He does not want any of us to be lost. He knows our limitations; thus, He comes to tell us that He understands us and loves us. That is what Lent is about. It is a time to respond to the call. Let us not allow our fears, our notion of unworthiness hide us from God. Lent invites us to open our ears and our hearts and listen to the voice of the Lover. And we can do that by practicing the three disciplines of Lent: Listen in prayer. Fast from the noises, activities, attitudes that inhibit us from hearing His voice. Give alms, which is to be good to others and to ourselves. In doing so, we rediscover that God absolutely loves us.

This year as we celebrate Valentine’s Day let us remember to invite God in for the joys as well as the sorrows, the excitements as well as the frustrations, and the healthy moments as well as the sick ones. Ash Wednesday and Lent are both encounters of love.  Let us allow our hearts to be filled with love and at the same time be open to the ultimate gift of love that our God continually showers us with.

Bridges of Hope/Puentes De Esperanza

From Thursday, January 25th to Sunday, January 28th, Jeannie and Pat attended Bridges of Hope/Puentes De Esperanza sponsored by the Leadership Collaborative for women religious under 65.Jeannie participated in person in Chicago and Pat participated via Zoom. There were 150 women religious under the age of 65 gathered in person, with more than 100 others joining them virtually from 108 Congregations and 28 Countries, to discuss, discern and embrace the future of religious life. Discussion and prayer time was lively, deep and meaningful. Connections were strengthened and built as simultaneous translation was provided.

Some of the questions discussed were:

·What are you willing to challenge and be challenged about in this life? 

·Can we be fearless? What does that mean? What would it look like? 

·How can we live without anxiety and with hope in this in between time of what was and what     will be? 

·How you have been an agent of hope and a co-creator with God in your life/ministry?

Some of the shared thoughts were:

·Mission is what we are about-not just ourselves and our own ministries.

·A healthy balanced life of ministry, relationships, wellness activities, contemplation, reading,   recreation, and prayer are needed and desired. 

·We are proud to be women religious and enjoy the connections we have with one another.  

·Our willingness to be vulnerable is not a sign of weakness but an embrace of strength and authenticity.

·As Pope Francis, says ‘We will never be disillusioned or lose our way if we are guided by God”. 

They both enjoyed the gathering tremendously and look forward to continuing the connections made.

 

Hope

On Saturday we celebrate the Feast of St. Angela.  Angela founded the Company of St. Ursula in 1535.  St. Angela was a woman of hope, and her words continue to encourage and support our efforts to “have hope and firm faith in God who will help us everything” (Prologue to the Counsels). Our January Heart to Heart selection was  an invitation to respond to the following questions: 

What are you hopeful for in the new year?

How might you nurture hope in yourself and others?

How/where do you find invitations to hope in your daily life?

Jeannie was one of the seven who responded to the invitation.  Her refelction is below:

A way I can nurture hope is by being more of a listening presence to hear people’s stories and then trying to acknowledge their pain and reaffirm the goodness in them. So many I know are being asked to make changes within their lives and I need to help them see that, no matter what, God is present. As I write this response, it is Epiphany Sunday, and I am struck by how the magi had to go home another way. What is the other way that I might be? How can I be creative when faced with challenges? How can I exist in the grey and uncertainty? I need to remember and remind others that no one is exempt from the human condition and experience of pain and disappointment, but how we deal, live life and treat others is what matters. I always think of hope as “Hold Onto Positive Energy” and “Hang On Peace Emerges,” and these are messages I find myself thinking and praying with each day and sharing with others.

—Jeannie Humphries, OSU

Second Sunday in Ordinary TIme

In our first reading today, we hear the familiar story of Samuel in the Temple.  Samuel is in the Temple when he hears the word of God for the first time.  In Samuel’s time the word of God was scarce, and Eli helps him to listen to God. Eli in his wisdom tells Samuel to respond when he hears the voice of God with, “Speak Lord your servant is listening.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites his first disciples to come and stay with him. John the Baptist introduces the disciples to Jesus, and they are invited to have their own experience of God. Much like Samuel they are invited to say, “Speak Lord your servant is listening.”  They are called to leave all and follow Jesus in uncharted ways.  They are called to leave all that was familiar and embrace what was not.  The disciples were challenged to have tremendous faith, courage, and trust in someone who they had just met.

One of my favorite songs is The Servant Song by Richard Gillard.

Will you let me be your servant let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace to let you be my servant too

We are pilgrims on the journey we are travelers on the road
We are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load

I will hold the Christ light for you in the nighttime of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping when you laugh, I'll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow till we've seen this journey through

Will you let me be your servant let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace to let you be my servant too

May we have the grace, like the first disciples, to be servants of Jesus and all those we encounter on our life’s journey.

Solemnity of the Epiphany

 

Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord.  This is the day long ago when the Magi followed the star to Bethlehem and found the child Jesus who had been born in a stable.    The hymn that is most famous for this day was written by John Henry Hopkins, Jr. in 1857.    It recalls for us the events in Matthew’s gospel.

We Three Kings

	We Three Kings of Orient are, Bearing gifts we traverse afar, Field and fountain, Moor and mountain, following yonder Star.
	O Star of Wonder, Star of Night, Star with Royal Beauty bright, Westward leading, Still proceeding, guide us to Thy perfect Light.
	Born a King on Bethlehem, Gold I bring to crown Him again, King forever, Ceasing never Over us all to reign.
	Frankincense to offer have I, Incense owns a Deityty nigh: Prayer and praising All men raising, Worship God on High.
	Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume Breathes a life of gathering gloom; — Sorrowing, sighing, Bleeding, dying, Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
	Glorious now behold Him arise, King, and God, and Sacrifice; Heav’n sings Hallelujah. Hallelujah the earth replies. The Magi were seekers.  May we always remember to be seekers of the truth and live lives focused on the gospel and following Jesus in all we do.