Fifth week of Lent 2014

This Lenten season has truly been a blessing, as every Lent truly is, but I guess that Pope Francis' and our Superior General's Fr. Greg Gay's Lenten letters really helped to deepen the meaning of the season. 

     How can I, and we, as followers of Jesus evangelizer of the poor continue to become poor and to receive the riches that God has in store for us all? That's not an easy task at times, not only because we may desire to have more, but the call to let go of what we possess and even more so what possesses us, when there's no reason for us to have it, the unnecessary and the excess in our lives.  

Then there's a call made to look at own poverty, the ugly, the brokenness, the things that we may want to hide from ourselves. How can I let God and neighbor see that part of me that I don't want to see or acknowledge? That takes courage and confidence in our Lord, to let him truly see us, to let Him touch our wounds. That's an ouch moment, but it's the only way to heal. 

The beautiful part of being a Catholic, a Christian is that we live in the presence of a loving and merciful God, who calls us forth. One who invites us to come into the light, so that we may see and experience the warmth and his healing power, so that we may chase away those clouds that darken our souls, our lives and the path we're called to follow. We have to remember the many gospel parables that demonstrate that even if there is sin, God's grace and love are greater. They're an invitation for us to regain our dignity and then start anew. 

What an important word, invitation, not an obligation. We're invited to come to live, to participate in life, in the banquet and we're called by our name. 

Our call widens then when we recognize that we're called to be a community. A community of believers, people scarred but blessed who continue to walk the path set before them. One of the greatest things as Vincentians is that constant reminder to see Christ in our neighbor, especially in those who are poor and experience marginalization;  to see our own poverty, their poverty and then share the blessings. True blessings, that are never too small, none to immense, but enough before the Lord and neighbor. 

In this world where we try to label all, especially people, are we able to take a leap and reach out to all? No matter how different the world may want to make it seem. No matter what they've been through, or going through. They, like we us, are created in the image of God. Could it be that we lose sight of this, because it's hard to see God in our beings? Could it be that our blinders don't let us see past our wants? There's so much to think about, to pray about, to act upon. 

Lent is a special time, as we know and experience year after year, and as we almost finish, this is the last week before Holy Week, I hope we live this last sprint with simplicity and intensity. Two words we don't always place together, but here it reflects a desire to make each moment count and that it may leave its imprint upon us and in our desire to be for the other. 

May Vincent, Louise, Rosalie, Frederick and so many others in our extensive Vincentian family continue to animate us to answer our daily call.

May Christ evangelizer of those who are poor, continue to help is accomplish the mission entrusted us. 

LENTEN soup for the soul

 

 

When are bodies are aching, when they're suffering any malady, we usually take whatever measure is needed to get better. Aspirin, pain killers, flu shots, Vick's vapor rub, orange juice, vitamins, etc. Other the hand, sometimes I wonder if they even invent medicines before there is actually a sickness. RLS - restless leg sickness - I never stood still as a child. Of course, I don't want offend anyone who suffers this illness.

My whole desire is to see what we are really doing when our soul is ill? What measures can we take to bring our souls back to tip top shape? The Church suggests three tools: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. But even before that I think it is important to recognize and claim the need, or to admit that all is not well. Something is wrong with our compass, and we can't find our way home without (great) difficulty. This doesn't  mean that we're truly lost, that there's no hope. It simply means that we have to do whatever possible to get back on track.

There are moments when by just taking a moment to breathe, retrace the steps, it might just be enough. But there are times that more is needed. Each one of us has to see and decide where we stand and what is needed, and even decide to bring in a good soul to help us.

The three tools that we can use are just that, utensils to help us recognize God's love for us and help us carry out our mission for others and ourselves. All together.

Prayer: a sincere offering, a dialogue with the the Almighty. Confident, transparent, lovingly, never afraid to bring what we are and aren't. Knowing that it is a blessed moment to be in.

Sacrifice: not for others to see, but in truth for others to feel. We give up not to burden others or ourselves, and certainly not to stop our growing faith process. It should be life giving to whole being.

Almsgiving: let us offer not just what we possess and what is left over, scraps from the table. Let us give of what truly makes us, the greatest thing we could give is ourselves.

Well I didn't want to give a discourse, we're entering our third week of Lent, I just wanted to share where my thoughts have taken me this year. I hope that it may be a journey of life for all us followers of Christ. For as we continue to deepen the living of our treasure, we can also bring others to see, live and discover the Greatness of God.

 

"It is not enough to love God if my neighbour does not love Him" 

Saint Vincent de Paul



Living our Adventure

This season which started over a week ago is such a blessed time. It's a shame that with the passing of the years, it seems to be reduced to only Sunday celebrations in our churches, and less and less a time to prepare joyfully for the coming of our Lord in our personal lives, as well as the community.

If we look at the lives of biblical figures, they all lived in great expectation for the Messiah. Their lives were greatly affected by the desire to experience the coming of the King. He who would bring salvation to all. No more would they be a people awaiting the promise, but of the promise fulfilled. Awesome!

When we hear these days the readings from Isaiah, and other prophets, when we touch upon the persons of Mary, Joseph, John the Baptist and others, we see people who were deeply connected with their belief. Faith was something that was felt and it oozed from their pores, made them tick, and pumped their hearts.

When each one encountered God there lives were changed forever. They were able to respond to God, to their personal calling, because they were a faith filled people. Before their own insecurities, doubts, and faults, was the invitation from the God of their ancestors, and now present in their lives. They were alive, truly alive. That great anticipation moved them, nourished them and helped them do all they could to carry out what they had been entrusted with true love and faith.

When we await for someones' coming, someone whom we love, enjoy and whose presence we desire, our lives change. We do all we can to prepare: clean our homes, make plans, buy gifts; but it's in the deepest part of our being where we do the most prep. It's in our own being where the connection happens, and it's from there that we're motivated to do what can do.

When we start decorating our homes, buying presents and sending cards (emails, tweets, facebook updates, etc), let's remember the why of this season If we want to communicate life, love, and the greatness of being in God, let's stay connected to the source of life. Let's pray, celebrate, meditate, do what we have to do, but let's do it. It's all emptiness when we there is no renewal, but if there's renewal then we're able to truly communicate what this is all about.

Our Advent, is truly an Adventure. As we prepare for His coming, let's truly be open to it, because it will truly exceed our expectations and take us on a journey where we never thought we would be.  

"The solemnity of Christmas is almost upon us. I ask Our Lord to grant you the grace of entering fully into the love and practice of the virtues resplendent in His birth and to be more than ever the life of your life." Saint Vincent de Paul

Year of Faith - Year of Love Vincentian Style

We just started the year of faith a few weeks ago, and this leads us to many thoughts and also many different ways to commemorate and live this special year. I worry that like many things it becomes a mere celebration of a new theme and not what it is intended to be. Which is a renewal of our living out our faith, not just a mere profession of our faith. I guess for the english speaking of the Church, this can be somewhat easier, because of the liturgical text changes recently made has forced to take a closer look at the words we say each time we come together for our eucharistic celebrations and try not to fumble as we say words like "consubstancial". All this aside I have tried to infuse our gatherings with a desire to deepen not just liturgical celebrations, but the effect all this has in our lives.

 

Vincent always invites us to do our best, to carry out what we have been entrusted with a deep sense of purpose, deep sense of mission. "To see Christ in the other" and that in turn that they may see "Christ in us", and our communion increases. This year I tried to look as an invitation to live this year of Faith, as a year of Love. Truly those words we hear: "for God so loved the world that he sent us his only son..." always resonate in our daily living. God's love, Father - Son - Holy Spirit, overflowing created us, calls us, and maintains us continuously. In our profession and living out that believe, is an invitation to acknowledge that relationship of love. The inmensity of that love is always present in our lives, and is continously infusing life that helps us truly Be.

 

I see in this Year of Faith, a chance to renew and in  which we can accomplish three goals: How we can enter to a deeper relationship with God creator, souce of all love and life. How we can deepen our love for ourselves, a truer picture of our graces and wrinkles, and living our personal vocations as a gift. And finally, How we can deepen our relationship with the other, as we are called to be Church and have the capacity to see other as a sibling, and equally entrusted in the mission. This requires time, I have to admit it gets hard to find long moments, but it is necessary. We don't want to becomes people who just do things, without it having a true connection that any of us. Words that are just said, help us to become politicians, but not practitioners of God's goodness.

 

So I guess its all about that moment, short or long, but deep a one. If a prayer is a simple word like "Abba", but it is full of meaning, recognizing that Father who loves, hears and never forgets us, then it is enough. For not for saying more, do we mean more. So I invite you, and remind myself,  to Love. My Faith invites me enter continuously in this dynamic of love and enjoy it. Knowing and Trusting that it will sustain us for all eternity. Remember what Vincent said "Do not overburden yourself with rules of devotion, but persist in doing well those you have, your daily actions, your work; in a word, let everything revolve around doing well what you are doing.." Au revoir mon amis.

Integrity

As you may already see there is a certain theme in my postings: music, movies, social problems and God all around us touching our lives.

There's a new television series that has recently debuted on HBO called “The Newsroom” , from the producer and creator of “West Wing” Aaron Sorkin.  That means something to me, because the West Wing really touched on, and brought to the forefront, themes that reflected the sign and times of that day. Whatever our political view, it really was a mirror of what went on in the West Wing.

Now here we have a show that talks about News, such a difficult subject. What is truly news? What is important? What is relevant? What is the truth? These are certainly tough questions to answer. As I visit friends’ houses, community houses, or catch the news all by myself I see that we all tend to look for the news that fits our persons, our needs or our political views. Seldom do we want to hear the news without that tinted color we have gotten used to. Even though we know there is always going to be some slant, left or right. I quest for some centeredness.

In episode 3 of “The Newsroom” they start with a transmission where the main correspondent asks forgiveness for not giving news with Integrity. It mentioned a few newspersons who we have felt were persons who had integrity, Walter Conkrite for example, who always finished he news with the phrase: "And that’s the way it is."

According to the Oxford dictionary, Integrity means:

·                     1, the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles: a gentleman of complete integrity

·                     2, the state of being whole and undivided: upholding territorial integrity and national sovereignty

·                     3, the condition of being unified or sound in construction: the structural integrity of the novel

·                     internal consistency or lack of corruption in electronic data: [as modifier]:

So I read few things here: persons with Integrity have strong moral principles, have a wholeness about them, there is a sense of honesty that is perceived in them. I think it's something we have lost in what we want and we desire, or look for. There is a sense of compliance, where even though we may know and see that there is a lack of Integrity, we have stopped looking for or expecting this quality, not only in the news and the person that brings it to us; I honestly think we have lost this scope in many other ways and levels. This worries me, because we can say this person is not whatever, but we´re not able to have that measure placed upon all and even ourselves. What do we lose?, what do I lose? We lose ourselves, and our ability to siphon the things that are our offered us.

Can we say I have this value and that I am going to keep that value across the line. Now this does not mean I do not accept others point of view, but it doesn´t have to be mine, even if that person is my friend, my family, my political party etc. All because I want to be faithful to whom I am and what is important to my being. Time can only tell if we can accomplish this. One man came over thousand years ago and showed us what it meant to be a person of integrity, of values, of being coherent on all levels. The model is there, or here, but do we want to see?

For Greater Glory

As you may know by now I am an avid moviegoer. I like to be entertained and I'm always looking for something to catch not only my eye, but to move my heart. This is not what we experience frequently nowadays. I have been wanting to catch "For Greater Glory" for a few weeks now and finally did so with some of our men in our seminary formation.

Even though I had heard in passing of the "Cristeros", those who fought for Catholic Freedom in Mexico during the early part of the Twentieth Century. I didn't know the intensity of it all. That is a sad reality of many of the world situations, past and present. They become a passing comment or a light chapter with no real weight in our lives, that is if no one takes a moment to bring new light upon it.

Again I went with no real expectations to see this film, but I must confess that I was a little apprehensive when I heard some of the cast involved. Just because when we get more well known actors involved, it can get a little Hollywoodesque. More colorful, but not more content. I was greatly surprised. 

The story was violent and real, it reflected a piece of history that has been swept under a rug. Religious persecution is something that continues to happen this very day and age. Many times not making any news, because faith seems not to matter or sell. Here is a testimony of that faith.

I don't condone war, I always chose the pacifist route. I don't want more lives destroyed and people left scarred in any way. This movie reflects that. But I think the deeper meaning is to stand up in one way or another for what you believe in. We talk about freedom, but many times our freedom is suppressed. In the name of respecting others views and ideas, we forget that we have something to say or to offer. It is also important.

We stand up for many things, but our faith, that which truly makes us and moves, is something we frequently suppress.

This was a good cast, I was really touched in many instances by the simplicity and profoundness of many of the dialogues. But I would like to center on two characters especially Fr. Christopher (played by Peter O'Toole) and the young boy Jose (played by Mauricio Kuri). Both excellent in their roles.  Fr. Christopher reflected that old school faith with a deep compassion for life, mercy and love.  He really knew how turn around situations with great care for the people, especially God's children. Giving love until the end. 

Jose, who becomes his young protege is compelling. This young boy tugs at your heart with his sincerity, courage and ultimately his faith. His ability to leave all that he knew and possessed, at such a young age, showed conviction. And even though we may think many times that a child has a lot to learn, here we have an example of how a child can lead and move others to greater places by his example. 

I was moved to tears many times. I saw many scenes that reminded me of Christ's life. I saw people who were a faithful people, that truly believed and were willing to stand up for what was wrong. Many ultimately offering their lives for the great cause. We need people like that in this day and age. People who are beacons of light and not destruction or darkness. People of God who a truly convinced of the Greatness of God. People who are not afraid to say we have a treasure to offer. Viva Cristo Rey!

Feast of Joseph the Worker - May 1, 2012

It's funny how fast this year is going. Since I've moved to St. John's University in  Jamaica , NY, my schedule is always flying. My personal calendar, the community's, the university's...we feed off each other, in good way.

Today is the feast of Joseph the Worker, all around the world it is May Day. Usually you would find me at Union Square, there present with all the laborers, mostly immigrants. A rally for justice and reform, even though the media might portray this day as just a manifestation in one sense or another. Do we really think people just want to protest for no reason at all or is it because there is a true need? People's right are being violated, lack of jobs, unjust situations at the workplace, unjust wages and so much other factors that are easily swept under the rug for some political reasons. This is the plight of our brothers and sisters. I pray we don't forget.

As I think of Joseph, his person is not mentioned so much, but his desire to follow God's will and carry out his mission in such an unpretentious way is a model for all of us. We see and feel that a job well intentioned is dignifying and has it's effect on all around us. Nothing is small, unless we let it be.

As a member of a community, we have superiors, superior generals, treasurer's, counselors, advisors, etc... we have brothers, we have fathers...and even though each of us carry out a different functions, all are important and so significant for the life and mission of the congregation and our faithfulness in our little parcel in the vineyard of the Lord. In the world we live in, this might not always be seen, but I don't lose hope that we may wake up to see that all play a beautiful and important role in the world's evolution.

Finally I would like to share a life with you, José one of the gardener's at the University. I met Jose eight month's ago, when I first moved here. He was planting mums then and now he's replacing the tulips with something else, always working. He is a gentle man, from Colombia. He is joyful, caring and has such a gift. When I stop to say hello, usually in the mornings when our path cross, I am always amazed at his spirit of gratitude. He is so happy in what he does, he finds purpose in what he does, he loves what he does, he loves his family...he takes pleasure in the simplicity and profound moments of everyday life. I wonder if the President is just as happy and content. I wonder if all of us can acquire some of that spirit, knowing that all can be a blessing,because it is a blessing, it all depends on the eyes with which we look and experience things. I know José has his problems, his cross, his pain..we have shared that at moments, but I also know he is a man of faith, of commitment, of trust in God. José speaks to me of God and his love. He may not know that, but his transparency, simplicity and humility...speak to me about how Great is our God.

I pray for all the José´s and Josefina's, the workers in our lives, Joseph's and Josephine's. I pray that in following the example of St. Joseph the worker, we can carry out our own work with love and dignity. Let our deeds be God's deeds and reflect God's love for all of his creation. Starting with ourselves, and not forgetting our neighbor.

In Christ and  St.Vincent,