He is counting on us

After Jesus returned to heaven, he and the Archangel Gabriel were talking.  Even in heaven Jesus bore the marks of the crucifixion.  Gabriel commented on the pain Jesus must have suffered and asked,

‘Do people know and appreciate how you love them and what you did for them?’  Jesus replied,

‘Oh no, not yet, right now only a few people in Palestine know.’  Gabriel was perplexed.

‘Then what have you done to let everyone know about your love?’  Jesus answered,

‘I have asked Peter, Andrew, James, John and a few more friends to tell others about me.  Those who are told will tell others about me, and yet others still until the last man and woman in the farthest corner of the world will have heard the story of how I gave my life because I love them so much.’  Gabriel frowned and looked skeptical.

‘Yes, but what if Peter and the others grow weary?  What if people who come after them forget?  Surely, you have made other plans?’  Jesus said,

‘Gabriel, I haven’t made any other plans.  I’m counting on them.’”

OK, that’s quite a responsibility!  Jesus is counting on us, each of us—to preach his Gospel, to let others know of his love for each of us.  So, what am I doing about it?

-Sr. Marie Paul Grech, SND

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The Saint of Molokai

” Heroes are those who kindle a great light in the world, who set up blazing torches
in the dark streets of life for people to see. Saints are those who walk through the dark paths of the world, themselves a light.”  Felix Adler

This week the Church celebrated the feast of St. Damien de Veuster. Our dear Sister Mary Damien, who was novice directress to most of the California province and served in this position for 25 years, inspired us often with stories of her patron saint. On the feast itself novices composed countless skits and songs to celebrate the day.
Father Damien was a member of the Congregation of the Fathers of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. In 1873, at the age of 33, Damien offered to spend the rest of his life ministering to the lepers who, at that time, were banished to the Hawaiian island of Molokai. St. Damien wrote, “Holy Communion keeps me full of joy. Without the constant presence of our divine Master in my humble chapel, I should never have been able to continue to link my life with the lepers ofMolakai.”
Although she died before Damien was canonized in 2009, Sister Mary Damien predicted he would be declared a saint, and challenged all of us to become saints, too.

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All Saints Day!

This morning in prayer I came upon a favorite passage of mine in the book of Jeremiah. The passage (Jr 20:7-9) speaks perfectly of the fire within the Saints, that burning urgency to serve the Lord, and a passionate love that compels one to action.

“You have seduced me, Lord, and I have let myself be seduced; You have overpowered me: You were the stronger… ”

“For me the Lords’ word has been the cause of insult and derision all day long. I would say to myself, “I will not think about Him, I will not speak in His name any more”, but then there seemed to be a fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones. The effort to restrain it wearied me, I could not do it.”

Let us pray with our companions in Heaven that we too might cultivate a fire so bright as to be unable to suppress its light.

All Gods’ Angels and Saints, pray for us.

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Heavenly Heroes: The Saints

“The saints know that God is never strange, other. God is, when he calls me, closer to me than I am myself. Spurred on by God’s love, the saints attempt things which which those who remain tied to their own resources could never have dreamed of. The saints are proof that Christians can become holy. The saint burns with an absolute fire; he is selfless and yet is made whole. He does what others plan to or deliberately forget. The saints are true realists; they take seriously the hopelessness of man as it is and do not seek refuge from the present in the future. They are clever but not calculating; they live out of a desire to squander themselves which stems from God’s Eucharistic love.

The saints are humble, that is to say the mediocrity of the Church does not deter them from joining themselves to her once and for all, For they know well enough that without the Church they would not find their way to God. They do not fight mediocrity in a spirit of contestation, but by spurring on those who have quality, by inspiring them, by igniting them… And if they are genuine, they never point to themselves; they themselves are only a reflection; it is the Master of the flame who is all important. ”

Father Hans Urs von Balthasar (+1988)

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