Pro Sanctity Spirituality Center, Fullerton, California -- May 10, 2008

Br. Joel Lechner, OSM and Renee Jareski, AO

preparing for the Celebration.

A Covenant of Love Renewed in Southern California!

On May 10, 2008, Br. Joel Lechner, O.S.M. led us in a beautiful experience of prayer and in the renewal of our covenant of love with God and our Institute. Members of the Institute of the Apostolic Oblates renewed their vows and promises and Pro Sanctity Family and Friends were present in prayerful support of our journey. Br. Joel inspired us and encouraged us in a reflection on the Covenant during the prayer service where he often quoted our Founder and we would like to repeat a passage he presented for your consideration and meditation here below:

Today, the Lord renews His covenant with us. We experience, all at the same time our nothingness and His power, our sinfulness and His mercy, our mediocrity and His fidelity, our lack of faith and the abundance of grace that not only saves us, but saves others through us. We are aware of the dire inadequacy of our response to His love, but at the same time we perceive that the covenant, in consecration, is a strong and exciting experience. The covenant in consecration is “a vital, not momentary, but constant conclusive….and irreversible response to God” (Bishop Giaquinta – Retreat, The Covenant)

Teresa Monaghen, National Moderator of the Apostolic Oblates

Pro Sanctity Spirituality Center, Fullerton, California -- May 10, 2008

Spe Salvi - Days 20-24, 2008 Reflections on Hope by Pope Benedict

Day 20. #31 Let us say it once again: the capacity to suffer for the sake of the truth is the measure of humanity. Yet this capacity to suffer depends on the type and extent of the hope that we bear within us and build upon. The saints were able to make the great journey of human existence in the way that Christ had done before them, because they were brimming with great hope.

Reflection by Teresa Monaghen
Brimming with Great Hope! This is the goal of the encyclical to inspire to such a hope that it spills out of us. Hope like this is rarely found, but I have found it in families who have made a choices for life, couples who have made choices for fidelity, professional’s who have made choices for integrity, consecrated who have made choices for faithfulness… the list goes on and each one represents a success story. It is possible and I thank you lord for the everyday saints who have witnessed this to me. I pray to be among them. Amen.

Day 21 #41 Judgement as a setting for learning and practising hope. …"he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead". From the earliest times, the prospect of the Judgement has influenced Christians in their daily living as a criterion by which to order their present life, as a summons to their conscience, and at the same time as hope in God's justice. Faith in Christ has never looked merely backwards or merely upwards, but always also forwards to the hour of justice that the Lord repeatedly proclaimed.

Reflection by Msgr. Vaccari
In "A Man for All Seasons", King Henry threatens St. Thomas More, warning him to fear his justice. St. Thomas More replies that if it is true justice, he has nothing to fear. The saints show us the greatness of humanity, living with their feet in this world but their eyes and hearts on the next. The judgement of Christ has been promised to us, to help us live a holy life. Everything Christ does is for our holiness and the glory of the Father. We can truly hope in the justice of the Lord, not because we take his mercy for granted, but because he makes all things work together for the good of those he has called.

Day 22. #48 When we ask such a question, we should recall that no man is an island, entire of itself. Our lives are involved with one another, through innumerable interactions they are linked together. No one lives alone. No one sins alone. No one is saved alone. The lives of others continually spill over into mine: in what I think, say, do and achieve. And conversely, my life spills over into that of others: for better and for worse.

Reflection by Teresa Monaghen
Spilling over is a good theme for me, because I am always spilling over something! The Holy Father is not actually referring to my klutzy actions when I actually spill a liquid all over someone I am serving at the table, nor is he referring to the spilling of my thoughts, emotions and even, yes even, complaints over an innocent bystander who is in the wrong place, wrong time. No he is referring to the action of being connected, and how we touch each other, influence each other and most of all encourage each other in hope. I pray that my spilling move away from accidents and move more towards conscious awareness that all that I do has an effect on others, and may it be a good an holy effect and not a negative, whiny hurtful one. Amen.


Day 23. #48 So my prayer for another is not something extraneous to that person, something external, not even after death. In the interconnectedness of Being, my gratitude to the other-my prayer for him-can play a small part in his purification.

Reflection by Msgr. Vaccari
When the paralytic could not reach Jesus, his friends made a hole in the roof of the house and lowered him down. They brought him to Jesus physically, while we can bring one another spiritually in our prayers. In my prayer of petition I bring other people to the Lord, with my own prayers. My heart touches them as well as touches the heart of Christ. Others do this for me, too, by their prayers for me. This brings me new hope every day. I count on the prayer of others, looking forward to their concern and to bringing me to the Lord as I try to bring them.

Day 24. #48 And for that there is no need to convert earthly time into God's time: in the communion of souls simple terrestrial time is superseded. It is never too late to touch the heart of another, nor is it ever in vain. In this way we further clarify an important element of the Christian concept of hope. Our hope is always essentially also hope for others; only thus is it truly hope for me too.

Reflection by Teresa Monaghen
Another Saint in the making that could be added to the Holy Father’s list found in this encyclical is Blessed Damien of Molokai – whose feast day we celebrate, May 9, 2008 – Damien intended to go to the Leper colony on Molokai for a three month term of service but when he arrived and saw the terrible conditions that people lived in he understood the Lord’s call in his life, “I am bent on devoting my life to the lepers. It is absolutely necessary for a priest to live here. The afflicted are coming here by the boatloads.” Damien set to work and did not stop for 16 years. He cleaned, healed, buried, absolved, built homes, set up food supplies and a system for clean water. He was their “father” caring for the needs of the whole person in the fullest sense of the word. He stopped working 3 weeks before he died, afflicted with leprosy. He had become one of them and he gave all for them. Damien allowed the Holy Spirit to form in him the image of Christ. He became Christ for them and in the end, he left them peacefully having great hope that from heaven he could still help, “Leave you without help? Oh, No, if I have any credit with God, I’ll intercede for everyone.” Thank you Damien, you certainly have, and even as recent as last week a second miracle was recognized so that your canonization will go ahead now in a timely fashion. Intercede for all of us Damien, that we too may give of ourselves to those we are called to serve and like you and like Mary, whose heart you were dedicated to, may we find the trust we need to hold nothing back. We say with you to Mary, “Give us trust to become saints for our brothers and sisters”. Amen.

Spe Salvi - Days 20-24, 2008 Reflections on Hope by Pope Benedict

A covenant of love is made...

FIRST VOWS MADE

Diocese of Wichita, Kansas
By Teresa Pauls, A.O.

At a formal Mass on Saturday, May 3, 2008, Teresa Pauls, Parishioner of The Church of the Blessed Sacrament, professed her first formal vows in the Secular Institute of The Institute of Apostolic Oblates for women, which is part of the Pro Sanctity Family (which includes the Pro Sanctity Movement open to all, the Apostolic Sodales for priests and the Social Animators for men). At the Mary, First Disciple Chapel, in the Spiritual Life Center, Teresa answered the call to promote Holiness in everyday life. Mass was con-celebrated by Fr. John Lanzrath, Fr. Dan Lorimer, and Father Pat Malone.

Teresa welcomed the opportunity to make her first profession of vows, including poverty, chastity and obedience and the promise of the Apostolate to The Institute of Apostolic Oblates, a part of the Pro Sanctity Family, which embraces a mission to live and promote the universal call to holiness in everyday life. After four years of formation, and prayerful consideration, Teresa was unanimously and joyously approved to enter into the Institute.

During the celebration of the Mass, Teresa Pauls was invited forward by Teresa Monaghen, the Moderator of Pro Sanctity, to commit to her vows. She was asked, “What is your desire?’” and she responded, “To enter into The Institute of the Apostolic Oblates. Her First profession of vows was made in the presence of Teresa Monaghen, National Moderator, and other members of the Pro Sanctity Family, who traveled from Omaha, NE., as well as Teresa’s father, Gerald Pauls, her brothers and other family members. \

Teresa will continue her Master’s degree studies at Ave Maria University in Pastoral Theology and complete a chaplain residency the following year. Now that she is fully accepted into The Institute, her mission as an External Oblate is to live in her own home, to promote holiness in everyday life. She will renew her vows annually for the next five years, and at the completion of ten years she will profess her final vows.

Her journey towards a vocation began at the age of seventeen, but did not fully mature until she reached the age of thirty eight, when she finally decided to answer the call. In her words, “I discovered that God was bigger then me and no matter how hard I tried to ignore the call, God was ever vigilant in pursuing His desire for my vocation, so I finally decided to fulfill it and have come to discover the meaning of true joy.”

If you feel an interest in promoting the mission of The Pro Sanctity Family, please visit the web site at http://www.prosanctity.org/.

Notes from Fr. John Lanzrath’s Homily

A disciple is a follower who listens, trusts, lives, is called. Recall the example of Mary, the First Disciple, pondering the Word of God and Mary’s “yes” to God’s plan. Remember when Mary visited Elizabeth who said, “Blessed are you who trusted that the Lord’s words to you would be fulfilled.” Trust that where God has led you, to this point, and that He will continue to lead you. St. Augustine said, “Trust the past to God’s mercy, trust the present to God’s love, and trust the future to God’s providence.” Live in the present moment. The vows you have made for this year are in the present moment.

Teresa, you are consecrated even when you don’t feel like it; day after day, time after time. Remember what Elizabeth said to Mary: “Blessed are you who trusted that the Lord’s words to you would be fulfilled.” Let this be a beautiful reflection for you the whole year. Do you trust in God? Do we in our country or do we trust in what we have? Mary trusted. We gather that Teresa and all of us will place our trust in God. Mary trusted and followed and we honor her, Holy Mary, Our Blessed Mother.

As the First Disciple, recall her last recorded words: “Do whatever He tells you.” She led more by example than by words. This is the call to discipleship and gives us hope. Let us pray that we, like Mary, will believe that the Lord’s words to us will be fulfilled.

A covenant of love is made...

Spe Salvi - Days 18 &19, 2008 Reflections on Hope by Pope Benedict

II. Action and suffering as settings for learning hope

Day 18. The Kingdom of God is a gift, and precisely because of this, it is great and beautiful, and constitutes the response to our hope. And we cannot-to use the classical expression-"merit" Heaven through our works. Heaven is always more than we could merit, just as being loved is never something "merited", but always a gift. However, even when we are fully aware that Heaven far exceeds what we can merit, it will always be true that our behaviour is not indifferent before God and therefore is not indifferent for the unfolding of history. We can open ourselves and the world and allow God to enter: we can open ourselves to truth, to love, to what is good. This is what the saints did, those who, as "God's fellow workers", contributed to the world's salvation (cf. 1 Cor 3:9; 1 Th 3:2).

Reflection by Msgr. Vaccari
Our Holy Father reminds us of the importance of everything we do before God. God watches and sees our actions, and using them to advance his divine plan. How wonderful it is that we can open ourselves to truth, love and goodness, even after we have failed to do so in the past. It is remarkable that we have so many choices, and that we always have the chance to start again, to try to do better than we did in the past. We can always put ourselves, with God's help, on the road to heaven and move further along on the road than we have been before. In this, there is great hope!Goodness is better than comfort!

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Day 19. But in truly great trials, where I must make a definitive decision to place the truth before my own welfare, career and possessions, I need the certitude of that true, great hope of which we have spoken here. For this too we need witnesses—martyrs—who have given themselves totally, so as to show us the way—day after day. We need them if we are to prefer goodness to comfort, even in the little choices we face each day—knowing that this is how we live life to the full.

Reflection by Teresa Monaghen
This is a great and pertinent passage from the encyclical. We need to be able to make the little choices before the big ones will ever come.-goodness over comfort in a world where comfort is a god – at all costs we need comfort says our culture. Oh Lord, show me how to so love goodness that I cannot imagine compromising it! I am a product of our culture too, and have become soft. Amen.

Spe Salvi - Days 18 &19, 2008 Reflections on Hope by Pope Benedict

Pope Benedict Spe Salvi - Reflections on Hope - Day 17

Day 17. #34 Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan, in his book of spiritual exercises, tells us that during his life there were long periods when he was unable to pray and that he would hold fast to the texts of the Church's prayer: the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the prayers of the liturgy. Praying must always involve this intermingling of public and personal prayer. This is how we can speak to God and how God speaks to us. In this way we undergo those purifications by which we become open to God and are prepared for the service of our fellow human beings. We become capable of the great hope, and thus we become ministers of hope for others.

Reflection by Msgr. Vaccari
Cardinal Van Thuan was able to pray the prayers of the Church during the most difficult moments of his life. He was able to make his own the prayer of the whole community of believers, who were praying with him, even if he did not know it. When we pray for others, especially those who are suffering, we really support them and help them with our prayers. And when we ourselves are suffering, we can count on the spiritual strength that comes from others in the Church who are praying for us, even if we do not know them by name. Some of the ones who pray for us are in heaven, remembering the difficulties they themselves had while in this world. They are our brothers and sisters in the Lord. The communion of saints is a source of great hope to us, since it is based on Christ and on all of us belonging to Christ.


Reflection by Teresa Monaghen
When we organize Confirmation Retreats we have the young people go through a trust walk, where they are blindfolded and holding hands with about 8 to 10 fellow students. The Leader is God’s representative and takes them on a little walk in the dark. Over the years this exercise has taught me that prayer is a trust walk. We talk to God and listen to Him, but don’t see Him – yet He is really there and He is a real person. He leads and guides us but we most often do not feel Him. Sometimes we are so deeply in the dark that the only thing we can feel is the hand of the person in front of us and behind us and that is what keeps us going.

Oh Lord, Cardinal Van Thuan was on a real trust walk during which the prayer of the community and his blind trust in you kept him going. I pray in thanksgiving for this witness which teaches me that you never abandon us – even when at times it might feel like it. Lord, we trust in you. Amen.

Pope Benedict Spe Salvi - Reflections on Hope - Day 17

Pope Benedict Spe Salvi - Reflections on Hope - Day 16

A Pro Sanctity "MUST READ" Book!

“Settings” for learning and practicing hope
Prayer as a school of hope

Day 16. # 32 The late Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan, a prisoner for thirteen years, nine of them spent in solitary confinement, has left us a precious little book: Prayers of Hope. During thirteen years in jail, in a situation of seemingly utter hopelessness, the fact that he could listen and speak to God became for him an increasing power of hope, which enabled him, after his release, to become for people all over the world a witness to hope—to that great hope which does not wane even in the nights of solitude.

Reflection by Msgr. Vaccari
In prayer we find the hope that otherwise eludes us. Turning to the Lord in prayer, we place ourselves in contact with the one who is always watchful of us. There is the grace we find which will overcome discouragement, give us strength to turn again in penance for our sins, the inner resources to forgive the offenses of another and to seek forgiveness for our own offenses. As Cardinal Van Thuan experienced in the darkness of solitary prison, we can listen to God and hear his voice, even if we are in the surroundings of our world that are sometimes noisy and unruly. In prayer we learn to be more and more realistic in our hope since we become more attuned to God's presence in our lives.

Reflection by Teresa Monaghen

It is amazing that Cardinal Van Tuan from the desperate situation of solitary confinement, physical and physiological deprivation and absolutely no certainty that he would ever see the light of day could find hope and survive. We who are ready to jump ship and give in at the slightest distress or disappointment have no idea of the courage and strength that the Lord will give us in our darkest moments. The Lord has lifted up Cardinal Van Thuan to tell us not to give in or give up. There is hope, God is always with us, and He does not leave us in the darkness but comes to us in the secret places of our inner life. Hope can be learned in the school of suffering and in fact it is a primary place of learning that God never abandons us. Cardinal Thuan did incredible things in his so called hopeless situation; he thought of others and was able to give a word of hope and joy to all in the midst of tragedy! The psalmist says it so well “Happy those whose help is Jacob's God, whose hope is in the LORD, their God’ (Psa 146:5).

Pope Benedict Spe Salvi - Reflections on Hope - Day 16

Spe Salvi - April 26, 2008 Reflections on Hope by Pope Benedict Day 13

13. There is no doubt, therefore, that a "Kingdom of God" accomplished without God-a kingdom therefore of man alone-inevitably ends up as the "perverse end" of all things as described by Kant: we have seen it, and we see it over and over again. Yet neither is there any doubt that God truly enters into human affairs only when, rather than being present merely in our thinking, he himself comes towards us and speaks to us. Reason therefore needs faith if it is to be completely itself: reason and faith need one another in order to fulfil their true nature and their mission.


Faith and Reason go hand in hand!
Reflection by Msgr. Vaccari
When Pope John Paul II wrote of Faith and Reason, he was offering us an opportunity to reflect deeply on how these two interact with each other and help each other. The danger for a religious person may be to overlook reason, while a danger for an intellectually gifted person may be to overlook faith. Faith and reason challenge each other and support each other. When we as disciples try to follow the Lord, we do not have to let go of any of the gifts he has given to us. All we have to do it use them in the right direction, directing our energy to the Lord who gave them to us and in whom they find their real meaning and fulfillment. One without the other distorts our lives and our search for truth. Together, they help us come to a deeper knowledge and love of the Lord who became one with us!

Spe Salvi - April 26, 2008 Reflections on Hope by Pope Benedict Day 13

Spe Salvi - Reflections on Hope by Pope Benedict Day 11

Pro Sanctity Members going to World Youth Day with Pope Benedict XVI...Together they actually made it!

Is Christian hope individualistic?
11. Indeed, the Letter to the Hebrews speaks of a “city” (cf. 11:10, 16; 12:22; 13:14) and therefore of communal salvation. Consistently with this view, sin is understood by the Fathers as the destruction of the unity of the human race, as fragmentation and division. Babel, the place where languages were confused, the place of separation, is seen to be an expression of what sin fundamentally is. Hence “redemption” appears as the reestablishment of unity, in which we come together once more in a union that begins to take shape in the world community of believers.
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"I believe because you believe!"

by Teresa Monaghen
The Pope is saying we have hope together; we have a hope that flows from the one risen Christ to His diverse members. In a homily the other day the pastor mentioned a story about a young man he had had as a student. Several years out of college the young man asked the priest if he would be the celebrant at his wedding. The priest was delighted and on the day before the wedding the young man asked his priest friend to go for a walk, it was primarily to visit but became a deep discussion on the meaning of life. At a certain point the young man says to his priest friend, “You know father, I am confused about many things, but one thing I am sure of, the reason I believe is because you believe. Your faith and hope keep me going.” Wow, what a humbling statement, but it is true, because of our unity in the body of Christ, we sustain each other in hope. We are so connected because of God’s saving action that just by our very act of faith, we help another to believe and have hope in the future.
Oh Lord, I do believe, thank you for the believers who help my unbelief. Amen.

Spe Salvi - Reflections on Hope by Pope Benedict Day 11

Pope Benedict Spe Salvi - Reflections on Hope - Days 8 and 9

Eternal life - what is it?
9. But to live always, without end-this, all things considered, can only be monotonous and ultimately unbearable. This is precisely the point made, for example, by Saint Ambrose, one of the Church Fathers, in the funeral discourse for his deceased brother Satyrus: "Death was not part of nature; it became part of nature. God did not decree death from the beginning; he prescribed it as a remedy. Human life, because of sin ... began to experience the burden of wretchedness in unremitting labour and unbearable sorrow.

Reflection by Msgr. Vaccari
Healthy people do not want to die. And when death comes, living forever seems to be the way around it. Who hasn't tried in some way to turn back the clock, to recapture an earlier, healthier, younger day in life? An older athlete tries to accomplish one more heroic feat, and maybe for a moment or two, escape the inevitable effect of aging. The media advertise all kinds of illusions to make it seem as though time stands still. As a Christian, I see aging not as something negative but as moving closer toward the goal of life, the hope I have in Christ. Only then does the direction of my life and of my heart find its real meaning. Without a fixed goal, life would be more and more difficult. How hard it would be if we aged and grew weaker, but had no ending point! No real transition to what is eternal and lasts forever in joy in the peace of Christ.

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Seeking the Good and True Shepherd
8. The true shepherd is one who knows even the path that passes through the valley of death;
one who walks with me even on the path of final solitude, where no one can accompany me, guiding me through: he himself has walked this path, he has descended into the kingdom of death, he has conquered death, and he has returned to accompany us now and to give us the certainty that, together with him, we can find a way through. The realization that there is One who even in death accompanies me, and with his "rod and his staff comforts me", so that "I fear no evil" (cf. Ps 23 [22]:4)-this was the new "hope" that arose over the life of believers.I do believe Lord, help my unbelief.

Reflection by Teresa Monaghen:
I am very aware that a good shepherd is hard to find. No one seems ready for leadership. Everyone wants to be in charge, but a true leader guides and strengthens those he attends to and the sheep know the shepherd as GOOD! This week was different, we did have a very clear glimpse of what a good shepherd could look like. We saw the example in our holy Father who gently but firmly walked among us, guided us, tenderly but firmly encouraged us and deeply prayed for us. What an amazing experiences. And just think, that the Holy Father is a reflection of the good and Eternal Father, who is all of this and MORE! How grateful I am for our Holy Father and how much more for my Father in heaven. He always seeks me out and invites me to the good and nutritious pastures. He will lift me up in his arms when I am lost. He is my shepherd for eternity.

Thank you, Lord, I trust in you!

Pope Benedict Spe Salvi - Reflections on Hope - Days 8 and 9

DAY SEVEN: Spe Salvi April 20, 2007

The concept of faith-based hope in the New Testament and the early Church. When the Letter to the Hebrews says that Christians here on earth do not have a permanent homeland, but seek one which lies in the future (cf. Heb 11:13-16; Phil 3:20), this does not mean for one moment that they live only for the future: present society is recognized by Christians as an exile; they belong to a new society which is the goal of their common pilgrimage and which is anticipated in the course of that pilgrimage (#4 Spe Salvi).

Reflection by Msgr. Andrew Vaccari
"Preparation Heaven!":
Our citizenship is in heaven, the Scriptures tell us. That is our true homeland, the goal and destination of our lives. For all the efforts we make to improve the life of this world, and to help the neediest and most defenseless among us, our ultimate goal is in heaven with the Father. And for all the effort we make to reach that heavenly homeland, it does not reduce our Christian effort to improve the conditions of this world. This is what it means to work for the Kingdom of God while we are here on earth - to usher it in, to make it as real as possible in this life, so we will be more prepared to enter it in the life to come!

Reflection by Teresa Monaghen,
"A GPS in our SOUL":
When the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI was asked to give a lecture in the USA a few years before he became Pope, he responded "I am getting older now and my days of travel are over." Huh! Little did he realize that his traveling days had just begun and that the Holy Spirit had a whole other plan for his life. Yes, the Holy Spirit has a whole other plan for each of us. We are not here for ourselves we are here for God and he leads us through life and shows us the path if we pay attention to the "inner mapping" system that he gave us called "affective movements - consolation, desolation, interior peace..."

Being attentive to these rich mechanisms of the inner life is like having a GPS in our soul; it guides us on our sojourn though this life to the next. We can receive the Lord's messages in our heart and allow him to lead us if we will just pay attention. The Holy Father had a complete change of plans that he never would have anticipated, but even more important the Holy Spirit gave him peace to accept the change and that has made all the difference. What a tremendous example of docility and hope he has been for us these past few days. May we learn from him to follow our inner GPS system! Amen.

DAY SEVEN: Spe Salvi April 20, 2007

Pope Benedict XVI Reflection April 17, 2008

Faith is Hope

3. Hope”, in fact, is a key word in Biblical faith—so much so that in several passages the words “faith” and “hope” seem interchangeable. Thus the Letter to the Hebrews closely links the “fullness of faith” (10:22) to “the confession of our hope without wavering (10:23). Likewise, when the First Letter of Peter exhorts Christians to be always ready to give an answer concerning the logos—the meaning and the reason—of their hope (cf. 3:15), “hope” is equivalent to “faith” (Spe Salvi #3).

REFLECTION:

What the Pope and the First Letter of Peter mean is: Be always be ready to give reason for your faith...no sitting on your laurels, be attentive at all times to the gift given and give the gift! How? ...

Listen, keep silent, we will find the reason! We are in Christ through baptism, renewed in him through the sacraments, and grow to full stature being nourished by him. We are so filled with Christ we should be sloshing! We have REASON for our hope because Christ is risen and dwells in us; he is one with us and we with Him.

Give reason for your hope? Give Christ! Amen.

Teresa Monaghen, National Pro Sanctity Director

Photo: Getty - from Whispers

Pope Benedict XVI Reflection April 17, 2008

Happy Birthday Holy Father!

from spe salvi

2. According to the Christian faith, "redemption"-salvation-is not simply a given. Redemption is offered to us in the sense that we have been given hope, trustworthy hope, by virtue of which we can face our present: the present, even if it is arduous, can be lived and accepted if it leads towards a goal, if we can be sure of this goal, and if this goal is great enough to justify the effort of the journey. Now the question immediately arises: what sort of hope could ever justify the statement that, on the basis of that hope and simply because it exists, we are redeemed? And what sort of certainty is involved here?

from our National Spiritual Advisor:
Without the hope of our redemption, the future direction of our lives is missed. I think the Holy Father is teaching us not to rely on ourselves but to recognize that we are redeemed and that we needed to be redeemed. We cannot save ourselves. But it is not enough to recognize that we cannot save ourselves. That might lead us to despair. Our hope lies in something more - that the Lord has come to us to offer salvation. This changes the way we look at the present, no matter how difficult it may be, and the future, not matter how far off it may seem. Msgr. Andrew Vaccari

Pro Sanctity welcomes the Holy Father! We love you!

"And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church" (Mt. 16:18)

The world does not belong to those who limit themselves to sitting on the sidelines, but to those who work to conquer it (Servant of God, Guglielmo Giaquinta).

At midday today, the Holy Father departed from Rome’s Fiumicino airport. Following a flight of more than 7,000 kilometres, his plane is due to land at 4 p.m. local time (10 p.m. in Rome) at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington D.C. This is the Benedict XVI’s eighth apostolic trip outside Italy and his first to the U.S.A. as Pope.

U.S. President George W. Bush and his wife Nancy will welcome the Pope as he descends from his aircraft. No speeches are scheduled for this first meeting and the welcome ceremony proper will take place tomorrow at 10.30 a.m. local time (4.30 p.m. in Rome) at the White House, official residence of the U.S. president.

After landing, Benedict XVI will travel by car to the apostolic nunciature in Washington D.C where he will spend the rest of the day.

Tomorrow, 16 April, is the Pope’s 81st birthday, and Saturday 19 April, will mark the third anniversary of his election to the pontifical throne. (VIS)

Pro Sanctity welcomes the Holy Father! We love you!

The Pope is almost here! April 13, 2008

Ring the bells to herald the arrival of

Benedict XVI at 4:00 pm EST tomorrow. He is coming to our land, may our Lady intercede for him!

If you don't have any bells, SING Alleluia!

1. "SPE SALVI facti sumus"-in hope we were saved, says Saint Paul to the Romans, and likewise to us (Rom 8:24).

At the beginning of this series of reflections, we are getting ready to welcome Pope Benedict XVI to the United States. He brings to us a message of hope, the hope that is to be found in Christ alone. It is not just hope but hope in Christ who gave everything for us. His heart was not discouraged by our sins, failings and weaknesses. Neither should ours. Each one of us I can look at all the Lord Jesus has done for us and remember that we are valuable in the eyes of God, so valuable that he gave his only son, so whoever would believe in him would have eternal life. It is in this hope that we are saved!

**** National Spiritual Advisor, Msgr. Andrew Vaccari

It is springtime in the USA - The Pope is here - he is, and will be sowing seeds of hope in our land. We join him in spirit for this is our vocationt oo! We are excited and praying for him as he arrives and feel extremely blessed to listen to him and open our hearts to all that he has to say tous.

****National Director of the Pro Sanctity Movement, Teresa Monaghen, A.O.

The Pope is almost here! April 13, 2008

12th, 13th and 14th Easter Station!

12. Jesus ascends into heaven;
I often spend time meditating on Jesus leaving us to go to His Father; I ponder Jesus with His Father; I hear Jesus inviting us to trust His promise: I will send you a paraclete, an advocate, a consoler... I will send you my Spirit, you will not be alone. When one is far away from a loved one, the promise of love is a cherished treasure. The Holy Spirit will be and is our gift, the Holy Spirit enlivens and leads us into the heart of the beloved and into the heart of each other. Thank Jesus, you promised to be with us always and you are. Amen.

13. Mary and the Disciples Await the Coming of the Holy Spirit
Waiting together made the waiting more bearable. This was another kind of Holy Saturday, when Jesus was gone from them. They were expecting something and they were fearful at the same time. They might have remembered what Jesus had said about sending the Holy Spirit to them but they probably did not understand what it meant As with so much of what Jesus taught them, it took the coming of the Holy Spirit to really understand and to absorb what he meant. And while they were waiting, they were comforted with the presence of Mary who knew Jesus so well. They all could speak to each other from the heart of their personal knowledge of Jesus. May each of us always try to deepen our personal relationship with Jesus, for ourselves and so we can speak about him to others.

14. Jesus Sends the Spirit Promised by the Father to His Disciples
The long period of waiting is finally ended when the Spirit of the Lord comes to the disciples and Mary, who are gathered together. The Spirit transforms them, taking away their fears and hesitations, giving them the grace to do what they could never do on their own. We also have received the same Holy Spirit, the Spirit who comes and makes us courageous disciples of the Lord. Unless the Spirit is living within us, driving us outward, we would be lacking in the missionary spirit. It is that Spirit who drives our Holy Father, with so much energy and zeal, even at his age, to bring the message of hope that comes only from the Gospel. He is coming in just a few days now, and it will be like another outpouring of the Spirit on our country. How blessed we are to share in this Spirit, who gives life and love to us all!

Msgr. Vaccari and Teresa Monaghen

12th, 13th and 14th Easter Station!

11th Easter Station

Jesus Entrusts His Disciples with a Universal Mission
Teresa Monaghen
What an assignment! Four corners of the world. Lord, you have got to be kidding! And just when one corner is covered another corner falls apart! I know Lord, you promised to be with us too, until the end of time. You promised not to leave us orphaned and you promised you would never give us more than we can handle. We love you Lord; we DESIRE to go and go and go until everyone knows you and your love for them. EVERYONE, EVERY PLACE, UNTIL ALL CORNERS ARE COVERED.We BELIEVE it will be you working through us; we will not be alone, you will be working us bring all into ONE.

We trust you Lord and we love you. Thank you for trusting us and loving us. AMEN!

Msgr. Vaccari
The great commandment came from the Lord was to make disciples, to teach and to baptize. He was not content to let people remain in ignorance of the truth he came to give up. He brought the message of the Father, the word of truth that is divine revelation, the truth we could not have known on our own. His disciples have received the command to bring the same truth to others, to be eager to spread the good news that Christ brought to us. The teachings of the Lord were to be turned into actions, since he wants us all to obey the commandments he gave. Faith and action -the two parts of the same command of Christ to bring others to him!

11th Easter Station

9th and 10th Easter Stations

9th Station: Jesus Appears to His Disciples on the Shores of Lake Galilee

Msgr. Vaccari
How many times did the disciples eat breakfast with Jesus during his ministry? Yet it is this occasion after his resurrection that we remember. It is a great grace for them to share yet another meal with them and even though the disciples had fled from Jesus when he needed them most, he still wants to sit with them, to eat with them and to be with them. "Come, have breakfast" is an invitation for each of us to start our day with the Lord, to remain with him throughout the day and to enjoy his precious company through the evening.

From Teresa Monaghen
How many times did those disciples eat with the Lord, before during and after his passion? Every time we turn a page in the Gospels Jesus is serving them, and even after the resurrection in his glorified state. Does this not underline the dignity of service, the holiness of work, the greatness of labor? Did not Jesus say, do what I have done for you? Well then, we need to get out there and make breakfast for our family, our friends, our neighbors, and our enemies! Practically speaking, we must be ready to serve and give everything in the service of others. There is no greater joy than this, than to lay down one’s life in service for the others. Why are we not happy? We are eating breakfast alone, instead of making it for our brothers and sisters.

Oh Lord, I am not very good at serving, let alone making breakfast, but I understand the point: to be ready to give to the others first rather than waiting for them. I must call them to the table, and give what is really important. YOU! May it be so. Amen.

10th Station:Jesus Confers Primacy on Peter

Msgr. Vaccari
Jesus speaks to Peter and gives him the charge of feeding his flock. Three times Peter had denied him and now three times the Lord asked him about his love. Peter was hurt, and, if we did not know better, we might think Jesus was being petty. I can see myself and others asking three times for that reason. But Jesus is giving Peter the chance to address each of the denials. Even though he was hurt when Jesus asked him for the third time, Jesus was leading Peter forward, to a new and more profound declaration of his love, and giving him the grace and opportunity to say aloud and before the others, the opposite of what he had said in the courtyard that dreadful night. And with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI coming soon to the United States, we pray even more intently for the successor of Peter, and renew our love for him and the Lord he represents!



From Teresa Monaghen
Oh Peter! How embarrassing. You know your unworthiness but the Lord insists on forgiving you, loving you and making you the center of His attention. I am sure you would rather have sunk through the floor first before being set up as HEAD OF HE CHURCH FOR ALL TO SEE! Oh well, God’s ways are not our ways, thank God! Now it will always be known that the Lord really does love the sinner. He really meant what he said, that he came for the sick not the healthy. He loves you and he loves us all by making us Children of the Father and you, dear Peter, are head of this family of sinners! Peter, we believe in you just as Jesus did. Amen!

9th and 10th Easter Stations

8th Easter Station 2008

Jesus Confirms Thomas in Faith
Thomas wanted to be sure the Jesus who stood before him was truly the Jesus who had died a few days earlier. He wanted no pretend Jesus, no impostor. He wanted to see the wounds, to touch them and feel how they left a void in the flesh of Christ. It was a very intimate gesture between Jesus and Thomas, one that Jesus allowed even though Thomas had not believed the other disciples when they said Jesus had appeared to them. Thomas spoke from his heart, and the prayer has echoed in my heart and in the hearts of countless other disciples since then: "My Lord and my God." Let us ask Thomas during our moments of greatest doubt to take strength from his faith. Even if we do not see, we will still believe!
(Msgr. Vaccari)

Jesus confirms Thomas in his faith

Today I received a lovely note from a young person who several years ago felt her heart move to grow in her relationship with God. She made the commitment to do so, but backed out! She has since changed her life around and wants to make amends for those times she did not follow through and she wants to thank those who showed her Jesus through their witness.

What more do I need to know about how effective our little witness to others can be and that by our very desire to love the Lord, we witness the living Christ to others. We help one another to say YES to the Lord when we are faithful and it follows that we need one another to strengthen our doubts and fears.

Thank you, Lord for appearing to Thomas who then appeared to many others. It is an amazing domino effect of how you Lord shine through us so that others may believe and be strengthened! Amen.
(Teresa Monaghen)

8th Easter Station 2008

Seventh Easter Station

Jesus Confers on His Disciples the Power to Forgive Sins

I was blessed in my life in not being fearful of the sacrament of penance. Even as a child, when the confessionals were dark, I was not fearful. Yes, I was nervous at times, anxious, but not fearful of what was going to happen. I knew it was the way to receive God's forgiveness for my sins. Some people complain that the Catholic Church has placed a barrier in the spiritual lives of people by requiring that they confess sins to a priest, a fellow human being, rather than confess directly to God. But really, Jesus gave to the Church the gift of giving forgiveness in order to make it easier for us. The lack of human contact, the isolation from others that many people feel, is not part of the sacrament of penance. In confession, we receive the human assurance of a divine gift. God forgives us. And another human person, a priest, speaks to us with his human voice about the Word of mercy that comes from God. May we use this sacrament frequently, with confidence in the mercy and love of Christ.
(Msgr. Vaccari)


Jesus Confers on His Disciples the Power to Forgive Sins

The image that comes to me over and over again is that we the faithful are like sheep without the shepherd and that instead of the shepherd looking for the lost sheep, the sheep are looking for their lost shepherds. Our hearts are hurting, our spirits are drooping, our souls are waning and we so need the grace that comes from the Sacrament that only a shepherd can give.

I pray in this Easter Station that we the laity will look for and invite our shepherds to come back to the sacrament of reconciliation, come back and share the great gift to forgive sins that Jesus conferred upon them the first Easter season. May they take every opportunity to cure the spiritual anemia that so many of us experience. We beg their help not only to avoid sin, but grow in love for Christ our Savior and develop great virtue in our daily lives.

Dear Divine Shepherd, call your disciple shepherds back to their flocks again. We need them and we promise to reverence them and make use of the great sacrament of reconciliation again, and again and again! Amen.
(Teresa Monaghen)

Seventh Easter Station

Fifth and Sixth Easter Station

Fifth Station: The Risen Lord is Recognized in the Breaking of the Bread
'Were not our hearts burning within us while He spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us'" (Luke 24: 29-32).

It seems to me that the Lord is walking along side us all the time, pointing out things along the way, explaining, describing and informing of the real meaning of things. Truth is a gift we already possess, one that stirs in our hearts when see and experience it.

Oh Lord, since I was a little girl you have spoken to me in so many simple but real ways. The world is a bible and in reality, I am reading it all the time. You are never silent; I on the other hand am often deaf. Forgive me Lord when I do not pour out to you my sorrows and hurts, so that you can lift them and consecrate them at the breaking of the bread. I love you and trust in you. Amen.
(T. Monaghen)

Sixth Station: Jesus Reveals Himself in the Breaking of the Bread

As he hung on the cross, everyone could see where the precious body of Jesus had been torn and his flesh broken. The did not break his bones, to fulfill the Scriptures, but his mission appeared broken and so did his good name. They hung him on the cross in shame, to punish and make an example of him. But he revealed himself to us in another broken sign, the sign of the breaking of the bread. What seemed to be broken was really God's way of reversing the ways of the world. It was something that Mary knew when she cried from her heart that the Almighty had filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. And in the breaking of the bread her son fills the hungry with the bread from his own hands, broken out of love but raised up in glory. We want to be broken for others, too, so we can give of ourselves and reveal him to others.
(Msgr. Vaccari)

Fifth and Sixth Easter Station

Fourth Easter Station

4. Jesus walks with the disciples to Emmaus;

I am convinced that the Lord walks with us all the time, everyday, in every place. If we pay attention He speaks to us, touches our hearts with His Word and His presence throughout and within our reality. St. Paul said that "truth is written in our hearts." If this is true then we have always his Word to read within us. We may be troubled but the answers are in ; God speaks to us in the quiet of our heart. We live and move and have our being in God (Acts 17), therefore we have access to God at all times! Oh why are we so troubled?

Pope John Paul II gives us the witness that during the busiest and difficult times of his papacy, when everyone needed answers, when the world awaited his every move, when crisis was around the corners, the Pope always got his answers and his peace from prayer. Cardinal Stanislaus in his book, "A Life with Karol" writes:

"He got everything from, from the encounter with the Lord. And because he followed the Gospel, he also knew which road to take and which direction to lead the church, and forged straight ahead, without looking either to the right or to the left. He always imitated Christ and tried to be the good shepherd of the flock. He was a free man. He was interiorly free, and that gave him serenity. "

Pope John Paul II, Santo Subito! Pray for us, to recognize you on our walk and at our table. Amen.
(Teresa Monaghen)

Fourth Easter Station

Third Easter Station - Via Lucis

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

The first night might have brought a kind of numbness, after seeing all the agony and suffering that Jesus went through, and after watching him hang there on the cross. The morning of the Sabbath was perhaps the first Sabbath in a long time on which they did not see Him. They had become so used to praying with him and hearing him explain the Scriptures, that it might not have even seemed like the Sabbath to them, except that they observed the laws, as he would have wanted them to do. And on that Sunday morning, when the reality of his death and departure was sinking in more and more, Mary went to the tomb expecting to find his body there. What a shock to find he was missing and then what joy to hear him call her name, and to recognize him and his voice! Her heart was filled with great delight because the Lord spoke personally and tenderly to her. As for Mary, if we seek him we will find him. And our hearts are filled with joy too, knowing that he speaks personally and tenderly to each one of us, calling us by name with great love!
(Msgr. Andrew Vaccari)

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
Many times I have gone to the garden with Mary Magdalene in my prayerful imagination. I have cried with her over loss of a loved one and mourned with her in deep regret for my sins that may have caused hurt in someone else. Every time I pray this way, Mary and I discover the Lord. He is there in our loss and in our sorrow. He comes forward surprises the heck out of us and then holds us in a brief embrace. Our hearts speak loudly, “Here is our Lord, Savior and friend! He is risen!” He reminds us both, “Did I not tell you that my joy will be yours and your joy will be full? Let go of me now and go tell the others you have seen me, your Lord, Savior and friend.”

Oh Lord, my heart is filled to overflowing with love and gratitude for this scene that lives in my heart. Amen.
(Teresa Monaghen)

Third Easter Station - Via Lucis

Saturday, April 26, 2008
Pro Sanctity Day of Prayer
on a Bus
Intention: Preparation for the Feast of the
Ascension of Our Lord in Heaven
Teresa Monaghen, A.O. will lead our Day of Prayer on the Bus to….

--8:30 a.m. Mass at St. Margaret Mary (61st and Dodge)
We will board our deluxe motor coach following Mass. Throughout the ride, we'll have the opportunity for shared prayer and the rosary.

--Morning Stop: Museum of Religious Arts in Logan IA,
This is a place of WONDER; renowned for its Judeo/Christian art.

--Afternoon Stop: Trinity Heights Shrine in Sioux City IA,
Finally we reach our destination and ascend to the lovely grounds of the famous 33 foot high Jesus and Mary. Here we where we will enjoy a hot catered lunch, walk the beautiful grounds, visit the gift shop, and pray the Way of the Cross.

--5:30 p.m. estimated return to Omaha

--Please make your reservations by April 11th!

HURRY! Space is limited!

The total cost is $50.00 per person and includes transportation by deluxe motor coach; hot, catered lunch; tips; and admission
Non-refundable checks should be made out to Pro Sanctity.

Please send registration to Kay Parlor,
19810 Elkhorn Ridge Dr., Elkhorn, NE 68022.
For more information, call Kay at 315-9436.

Please return this form with payment for Pro Sanctity Pilgrimage

Name(s):______________________________Number Attending___________
Address:_________________________________________________________
Phone:_________________Email for confirmation:______________________


Let us go forth in peace, in the name of Christ! Amen!

Second Easter Station -Two submissions

Via Lucis 2008

The Disciples Find the Empty Tomb

No one in the Gospel accounts actually saw Jesus in the act of rising from the dead. When the disciples came to the tomb, he was already risen. The tomb was empty and the wrappings were still there where he had been buried. If someone had come to steal the body and somehow managed to get past the sleeping guards, it hardly seems likely that they would have gone to the trouble of unwrapping the body before taking it away. The time needed to do undo the burial cloths would increase the chance of their being found out by the guards still nearby. No, the body was not stolen. The tomb was empty because Jesus had risen and is alive!
(Msgr. Vaccari)

The Disciples Discover the Empty Tomb
Reading: "Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed" (John 20: 8).

On Good Friday, one of our members came out to pray with us. We had the tabernacle in the large room with the Blessed Sacrament. She was sitting before the tabernacle in a kind of a state of awe. In fact, when I walked into the room she said, "Where do they put Jesus on Good Friday? I went to my parish Church and it felt so empty."

Our Churches, our homes and our lives are empty without the Eucharist. Without Hi real presence it is not an exaggeration to declare that we are empty tombs. We are a place where Jesus was, a distant memory, a faint hope of something to come, but we are EMPTY. When we receive Him, the Eucharistic Jesus, our whole interior world changes and it is indeed a noticeable, discernable, unseeing, but a real difference. When we stand before the risen Christ in his Eucharistic presence we know with deep conviction, "Our Savior lives!" We see him lifted on the altar and we say with Thomas, "My Lord and My God."

Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of faith and for eyes that can discern your face in the bread and wine on the altar. We see and we believe. Amen.
(Teresa Monaghen)

Second Easter Station -Two submissions

Via Lucis - The First Station! (two submissions)

Jesus Rises from the Dead

Here is the center of it all, the center of all the mysteries and of all of life. Without Jesus rising from the dead, faith in him is in vain. The Lord suffered and died and rose again. How simple and how mysterious! No sin, no pain, no suffering could hold him bound. At this first station of light, I pray to be overtaken by the joy in the resurrection, overwhelmed with the power and mystery of it all because even if I don't understand it all, in faith I believe and I accept. (Msgr. Andrew Vaccari)


Jesus Rises from the Dead
We believe in Love even though facing an empty tomb (Giuliana 1998).

In the spiritual life we are reminded to embrace the darkness. Darkness is evil but it has much to teach us. Darkness with God’s grace reveals our brokenness, our wounds, our hurts, our pride and our emptiness without Him. Facing the darkness we are forced to turn towards the light and there we find hope, we find meaning, we see the patterns that lead us to look up and see that our God is alive! He has risen and our spirits cannot be kept down but rise with Him! He promised and he kept His word! He is raised! Amen!
(Teresa Monaghen)

Via Lucis - The First Station! (two submissions)

Via Lucis - Easter Stations!

Join us in reflecting on the Stations of Light or Via Lucis started by Pope John Paul II.

Write your reflections and submit them to the Blog: comment, share and exchange. psm@prosanctity.org

We offer these reflections in honor of our late Holy Father and in thanksgiving for his life and legacy. We commemorate his death on April 2, 2008

Following is one of many suggestions for Via Lucis stations.
1. Jesus rises from the dead;
2. The disciples find the empty tomb;
3. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalen;
4. Jesus walks with the disciples to Emmaus;
5. Jesus reveals himself in the breaking of bread;
6. Jesus appears to the disciples;
7. Jesus confers on his disciples the power to forgive sins;
8. Jesus confirms Thomas in faith;
9. Jesus appears to his disciples on the shore of Lake Galilee;
10. Jesus confers primacy on Peter;
11. Jesus entrusts his disciples with a universal mission;
12. Jesus ascends into heaven;
13. Mary and the disciples await the Holy Spirit's Pentecost;
14. Jesus sends the Spirit promised by the Father to his disciples.

Via Lucis - Easter Stations!

It's the Octave!

Easter in Elkhorn, Ne

Urbi Et Orbi Message
of His Holiness Benedict XVI Easter 2008

Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum– I have risen, I am still with you, for ever. These words, taken from an ancient version of Psalm 138 (v. 18b), were sung at the beginning of today’s Mass. In them, at the rising of the Easter sun, the Church recognizes the voice of Jesus himself who, on rising from death, turns to the Father filled with gladness and love, and exclaims: My Father, here I am! I have risen, I am still with you, and so I shall be for ever; your Spirit never abandoned me.

In this way we enter the depths of the Paschal mystery. The astonishing event of the resurrection of Jesus is essentially an event of love: the Father’s love in handing over his Son for the salvation of the world; the Son’s love in abandoning himself to the Father’s will for us all; the Spirit’s love in raising Jesus from the dead in his transfigured body. And there is more: the Father’s love which “newly embraces” the Son, enfolding him in glory; the Son’s love returning to the Father in the power of the Spirit, robed in our transfigured humanity. From today’s solemnity, in which we relive the absolute, once-and-for-all experience of Jesus’s resurrection, we receive an appeal to be converted to Love; we receive an invitation to live by rejecting hatred and selfishness, and to follow with docility in the footsteps of the Lamb that was slain for our salvation, to imitate the Redeemer who is “gentle and lowly in heart”, who is “rest for our souls” (cf. Mt 11:29).

Dear brothers and sisters! Let us allow the light that streams forth from this solemn day to enlighten us; let us open ourselves in sincere trust to the risen Christ, so that his victory over evil and death may also triumph in each one of us, in our families, in our cities and in our nations. Let it shine forth in every part of the world.

Urbi Et Orbi Message of Benedict XVI Easter 2008

It's the Octave!

EASTER SUNDAY

"I Have Seen the Lord"

by Jackie Logue,

Aspiriant Cooperative

"But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping. Then as she wept, she stooped to look inside..."

John 20: 11-18

I imagine Mary this morning, her thoughts racing, her pulse elevating as she finds the stone rolled from the entrance of the tomb. Immediately, she reacts. In her panic, she decides she knows what the problem is: Someone has taken his body. And she’s going to do everything in her power to fix it.

Her anguish, which causes her to see the empty tomb as a problem that she needs to fix, threatens to block her receptivity of the gift of the Resurrection, her identity as well as her mission. If she stays within her grief and never empties herself of it, she will receive her identity from that grief and be forever know as the angry, bitter woman at the empty tomb wailing, “They have taken my Lord away!”

Fortunately, this is not how the story ends!

But how does Mary move out of this false responsibility? How does Mary come to RECEIVE her identity in the love of our Resurrected Lord and RESPOND in mission?

I think the answer is in her weeping. She empties her heart out to God. Can you imagine how each and every molecule in each and every tear carried with it the complicated contents of her heart? As she empties herself of anguish I imagine that the Holy Spirit infuses her soul with an awareness of her identity, the one she received the day she first turned to the Lord. She belongs to Jesus. She is His. As this awareness breaks through the waves of grief, freedom returns.

Then, with the courage of a bride in search of her bridegroom, she moves into the dark tomb where she expects to have her suspicions confirmed. He is gone. But it is precisely in what she thinks will be an abyss of loneliness that she discovers that she is not alone. Exactly where she expects to find nothing she finds everything. All her assumptions are up-ended. She receives the gift of the Resurrection, and in it, her deepened call to mission, personally and particularly. It all happens there in the darkness of the grave in the presence of her beloved Jesus.

Jesus, in my anguish I have no capacity for imagining the awe of your plan, to dispel all evil, wash guilt away, restore lost innocence, and bring mourners joy. But when you speak my name, my heart harkens back to the first time I heard your voice and received my identity as your bride. I remember the love you stirred in me back then, and in gratitude, I am filled with desire to receive more of you, to RECEIVE my identity once again and RESPOND in mission as Mary did.

“Go to the brothers, Mary. Tell them I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and to your God.” With her identity deepened and mission reiterated, her anguish transformed, she runs to her brothers and sisters saying more compellingly than ever, “I have seen the Lord!”

EASTER SUNDAY

Good Friday a call to embrace holiness...Jesus, truth!

Good Friday

by Teresa Monaghen

"Over his head they hung the accusation: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."Mt. 27:37

"Where is he who has been born King of the Jews, for we have see his star in the East and have come to worship him." Mt. 2:2


The Jews and the Romans did not recognize the King, but the foreigners did! All the signs were there, but so few had their eyes and their hearts open. I am touched by those who did, those who were able to see Jesus for who he truly was: the centurion, the good thief, the women...they knew, but most, however were blind. The fact that they tormented him excessively reveals they did believe; Jesus was King of the Jews and Son of God. Their hearts were deeply bothered by this awareness because truth challenges us, antagonizes and troubles us. Just being in the presence of the truth can stir us to reaction.

I pray that this Good Friday Night, this most holy night when we spend many long hours before the Cross, contemplating the cross, and confronted by the cross that the eyes of our inner life will be opened and strengthened to see and follow truth: to know who is the King of the Jews, the Gentiles and of our lives and embrace HIM

Who is He? He is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords; He is King of our lives, come let us adore Him. Amen.

Lord, I know that you have loved me from eternity. You love me and long to make my relationship of love with you stronger and stronger throughout the years. Grant that this knowledge be the light that leads my every step, the norm that guides my every action, and especially the flame that burns in my heart instilling renewed strength for my journey.
(G. Giaquinta)

Good Friday a call to embrace holiness...Jesus, truth!

Holy Thursday: The Way of Holiness

The Way of Holiness
by Kris McGregor (Spirit Catholic Radio KVSS 88.9)

The Church in her great wisdom gives us the Gospel of John on this celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. Instead of repeating the institution narrative, which we hear with every Eucharistic prayer, we are given a teaching that offers us the deeper meaning of the Eucharist.

The washing of the feet is not a miracle. (Or is it?) But it is one of Jesus’ supreme signs. It sums up His whole life and teaching. This action is so compelling that if we don't undergo it on some level, we will never really understand Him. We will never truly appreciate what is given to us in the sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist. It is to encounter the overwhelming nature of divine love; a love that is given, received and poured out for the sake of all. Without this encounter, we will never truly know the way to respond to our universal call to holiness.

In this passage, Jesus was once again turning his culture upside down. Feet-washing was normally done by slaves, children or wives. By washing the pollution of the day from the feet of men, Jesus humbles himself even more completely. In this humility, He loves His friends and betrayers with the same love that He shares with His Father. Peter rejects the invitation to have his feet washed by the Master because he doesn't understand it. He resists and rejects an act of supreme love. Peter feels shame, insecurity and unworthiness (perhaps not unlike Adam after the fall in the Garden?). Jesus persists and forces him to confront the darkest and deepest part of himself and calls him, along with all of us, to a new way of receiving love. At the same time, Jesus insists that this same act of love be shared with others. Through this washing, pollution is replaced by cleanliness. Through the persistence of divine love, Peter’s humiliation, and ours as well, is replaced by humility. Jesus says to all who follow Him “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” The light on the path of holiness now shows us the way.

Reflecting on the great mystery of this action St. Ambrose said:

“ I, then, wish also myself to wash the feet of my brethren, I wish to fulfil the commandment of my Lord, I will not be ashamed in myself, nor disdain what He Himself did first. Good is the mystery of humility, because while washing the pollutions of others I wash away my own. “

The Lord loves each of us unconditionally. His love has power to set us free to serve others with Christ-like compassion and humility. All the saints understood this mystery of self-giving love. It is the great response of Mary’s “fiat”. Does the love of Christ rule in your heart, thoughts, intentions and actions?

"Lord Jesus, your love conquers all and never fails. Help us to love others freely, with heart-felt compassion, kindness and goodness. Continue to help us in responding to our call to holiness"

The Gospel for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper:
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/032008b.shtml#gospel

Holy Thursday: The Way of Holiness

Special Guest Blogger: Fr. Bert Buby, S.M. Scripture Scholar

Passion Sunday: What does the death of Jesus mean to me today?

Scripture: Isaiah 50:4-7. Philippians 2:6-11. Psalm 22:8-9.17-20.23-24. Matthew's Passion Narrative: Matthew 26:14-27,66.27:11-54. Lectionary # 38

Passion Sunday will be celebrated with a procession with palms and the reading of Matthew's Passion Narrative. The Synoptic Gospels take their turn in the A.B.and C cycles of the liturgical calendar. Since we follow the traditional western order, Matthew (A), Mark (B), Luke (C) we are to listen to Matthew.

A good way of paying attention to this is first to read all of the last two chapters of Matthew which are the full Passion, Death, and Resurrection narratives that also contain the Last Supper. By asking ourselves what does this death of Jesus mean to me as I read the perspective of it given to me by Matthew this year?

The other readings and Psalm 22 are a way of looking at the Passion Narrative in order to deepen our motivation in answering the question what does Jesus' death mean for me today. We are aware that the Passion Narrative of Mark is closest to the happenings of the Jesus who lived in the first third of the first century.

His last two days occupy more space than the other days in these narratives of the evangelists. We can learn more about Matthew through reflecting upon his chief source that of Mark's Gospel. He changes very little but where he does we find the perspective of Matthew. This theological point of view is important for us on this Sunday when we concentrate on Matthew' account of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. We will help ourselves to ponder over what Matthew is telling us about these last forty-eight hours of Jesus life by carefully taking note of the many explicit as well as implicit referencees to the Old Testament. He crafts his detailed story by using the fulfillment citations throughout his Gospel and now in the Passion of the Christ they are more prevalent. Some are implicit others quite explicit. We,like Matthew, are rereading the prophets especially Isaiah II and Zechariah with the viewpoint of Matthew, probably a converted Jewish scholar or tax-collector as suggested in the tradition about this author. He probably has written this some ten to fifteen years after Mark's Gospel.

As we read the fulfillment texts through the footnotes in our Bible or the parallels to the Old Testament we see that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings (Psalms). We realize how much Matthew relied on these divinely inspired writings and brought them to bear on Jesus life and death and resurrection. The innocence of Jesus is seen in the shedding of his blood as in a sacrifice made willingly to the God of love, his Father. When the chalice or cup is prayed over Matthew adds that this is done for the forgiveness of sins. Here is where our question about how does the death of Jesus affect me can be more deeply pondered over with our hearts, our minds, and our whole being. We see that Judas himself who betrayed Jesus is the one who contrasts with him but struggles with the innocence of Jesus' blood.

We take up the Psalm that most closely resembles what Jesus is going through and make it our prayer. This urgent plea to God not to forsake us helps us to identify with Jesus' death. We can also use the beautiful liturgical hymn that Paul gives us about the meaning of Jesus who was equal to God but took on our limited human nature so that through his total surrender in suffering and death he could return to his Father and have the name above all other names in his glorified state as Son of God.

Matthew will remind us throughout the Passion Narrative to meditate on Jesus as the Son of God. Since we are for the most part Gentiles who will be listening to this Passion Narrative on this Sunday we can join in the final expression of faith in the Roman soldiers who confirms Jesus is dead but proclaims, Truly this man was God's Son! Amen.

(Fr. Bert Buby, SM, Professor at the International Marian Research Institute, Dayton and good friend of Teresa Monaghen. Fr. Bert writes a daily reflection on the scriptures of the day. Go to http://scripmed.blogspot.com/)

Special Guest Blogger: Fr. Bert Buby, S.M. Scripture Scholar

March 15, 2008, Solemnity of St Joseph

Today we honor Joseph, the husband of Mary and the earthly father of Jesus. Just as we know that Mary was chosen by God from all women to be the mother of Jesus, so to we should be aware that Joseph was chosen by God to be his earthly father—both because of his lineage being from the line of David, and also because of his strong and honorable character.

We also know that Joseph listened and did as the angel of the Lord instructed both in the instance in the gospel prior to Jesus’ birth and several instances thereafter. In reflecting on this quality, we must ask ourselves how attentive we are to the still small voice within us to do as the Lord asks us both in the big and little decisions of our lives

When we think of our own fathers, we see them as men of honor who work hard to provide for us materially but also to set an example of selflessness and compassion. We can emulate these qualities as well by doing what we can to respond to the material and spiritual needs around us.

We also cannot forget that we too are in the lineage of Christ, his brothers and sisters, adopted sons and daughters of God Himself. In Romans 8:15-16 we read: For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption through which we cry “abba, Father”.

Let us strive to live fully this high calling as we continue to journey closer to Easter

March 15, 2008, Solemnity of St Joseph

The Gospel Maximum of Love and Holiness

Fifth Sunday of Lent

By Joan Patten

“Master, the one you love is ill.” This was the urgent message that Mary and Martha sent to Jesus. There are three positions to examine in this short line: the one who spoke the message, the one the message is about, and the one whom the message is addressed.

What is first striking is the intimacy of the relationship that Martha and Mary have with Jesus. They freely and confidently ask Jesus for His help, His gifts, and His presence. Both Martha and Mary believe in His love for them. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” This line should make us pause and ask ourselves, is our relationship with Jesus like this? Do we confidently bring our needs to Him and let Him love us? In the Gospel it says, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” See how much Jesus loves the family of Bethany: He calls Lazarus His friend and He cries with Mary. There is an exchange of love between them and Jesus, a mutual attending of one another’s hearts. They profess their belief and trust in Him and He gives them the gifts of His love and presence. So deep is this relationship, that Martha and Mary recognize Jesus as the Son of God. Do we know who Jesus is and who we are as a result of our relationship with Him? Sharing the same sentiment, Bishop Giaquinta’s prayer exclaims: “Tell me my Lord that you love me, speak to my heart once again, cry out to me ever stronger, I am breathless when faced with your love.” Yes, tell us how much you love us, Lord, and then we will know who we are: the one you love.

The second position in the passage: “Master, the one you love is ill” is the one loved by Jesus, the one who is sick. This is me, this is you, this is our brothers and sisters. Bishop Giaquinta always had an eye on “the others”. Do we notice the needs of my brothers and sisters; do we see them and love then as the ones Jesus loves? Like Jesus, we must look at others with compassion, especially those who have forgotten that they are loved by Jesus or do not know that they are loved. As Pro Sanctity members we have been entrusted to announce the Universal Call to Holiness. Do we believe that all of our brothers and sisters are beloved sons and daughters of the Father and do our attitudes reflect this belief? We have often heard that sanctity is s community project; no one should go to Heaven alone! Giuliana Spigone wrote a beautiful letter on the resurrection of Lazarus in 2002. In it she reminded us that we must first reach out to those immediately around us. “Many times we feel compassion toward people who are far from the Lord and make intercessions for them, yet we find it difficult to recognize our own internal and mutual need for the Lord’s presence. All too often we do not notice the need that our [family has] for the Lord, need for my help to meet the Lord, and to love - my [family’s] truest illness.” Do we love each other enough that we pull each other up, closer to the tabernacle, closer to the Heart of Jesus?

The third position is the Lord’s, for this plea: “Master, the one you love is ill” is made to Him. He is the God who loves us and keeps His promises. In the first reading from Ezekiel, we read, “I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land; thus you shall know that I am the Lord. I have promised, and I will do it, says the Lord.” As you read today’s readings, look for His promises. They are promises made to us today, not promises of yesterday. Underline these promises as they come up, because it is a sign of His love for us. Today, Jesus made the promise to us, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Can we answer with Martha, “Yes, Lord.” Treasure the promises that He has made to us like His faithful presence in the Eucharist and His assurance to be with His Church. Simply rest in knowing you are loved by the King and Creator of the Universe and He desires to dwell in you. In Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical, Spe Salvi, he states: “it is the great hope based upon God's promises that gives us courage and directs our action in good times and bad.” Mary, our Mother did not let hope die, even under the tragedy of the cross. We too, must pray for the trust to turn to God in all areas in our lives and those of our brothers and sisters. We pray that our hope will never die, but grow stronger as we look ahead towards the promise of our Heavenly home.

For today's readings from the USCCB web site

http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/030908.shtml

Fr. Cantalamessa wrote a commentary on today’s Gospel: Resurrection of the Heart

http://www.zenit.org/article-21995?l=english

For Giuliana Spigone’s letter The Resurrection of Lazarus

http://www.prosanctity.org/library/general/giulianasconclusion2002.htm

The Gospel Maximum of Love and Holiness

The Gospel Maximum of Love and Holiness

Fourth Sunday of Lent
Sunday Readings
by Jessi Kary

Born blind from birth, the man in this Gospel likely had a heightened sense of hearing. Without the ability to see, his other senses would have developed more fully in an attempt to compensate for his lack of sight. Perhaps we can consider this a particular way the Father cultivated his heart to receive the Good New and profess faith in Jesus Christ. The blind man was disposed to listening. He listened not only to the external world with a profound acuteness, but also the whisperings he found within his own heart. Thus, when he heard the voice of Christ, he spoke to Jesus of the desires of his heart.

Do I take time to pause and listen to the thoughts, feelings, and desires in my heart?
Do I bring them to Jesus without reservation?

The blind man is also an example to us because he allowed Jesus to use his poverty to glorify the Father. He boldly professed faith in Jesus – both to Christ and to the Scribes. He offered not only the poverty of his blindness to be transformed by Christ but also the poverty of his status. The teachers of the law ridiculed him for trying to teach them. Yet, touched and transformed by Christ, the man said, “He is a prophet.”

Do I offer Jesus my poverty, my weakness, my inability, my insufficiencies, trusting in God’s strength rather than my own?
Or do I ignore my poverty or try to overcome it, trusting in my own strength.

Giuliana invites us into the apostolic silence that transforms the world. The blind man surely pondered in silence and responded with courage to the invitation of Christ and became a powerful witness of Jesus. We are invited into apostolic silence as well.

“I would like only to remind us of the times when the Virgin Mary was silent, ‘Pondering in her heart all the wonders of the Almighty.’ Mary’s silence is full of meaning; it is filled with the Word. It is almost like an Easter Vigil, preparing Mary for other silences; the silence under the Cross, in order to accept with fortitude the death of her Son; the silence of the Cenacle, in order to bring forth her sons, courageous witnesses of the Resurrection.

Mary’s silence becomes our silence, a heroic silence about self and every thing in order to treasure the wonders which the Lord does in and through us. May we accept silence in reparation for the weaknesses and failures that fill our days. May our silence, like suffering accepted in love, produce Redemption. May the Virgin Mary teach us apostolic silence and help us speak only one phrase, ‘Here I am.’” (Giuliana Spigone).

Am I afraid or unwilling to say, “Here I am” – just as I am?
Am I honest as I speak to the Lord – presenting myself just as I am?

“May the Virgin Mary teach us apostolic silence and help us speak only one phrase, ‘Here I am.’”

The Gospel Maximum of Love and Holiness