Poem: “The opening of eyes” by David Whyte

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Mar

31

That day I saw myself underneath dark light of step of cloudsthe on waterand heard the voice of the world speak towards outside, I then knew, because she had beforelife I am not no memory of passage of what she has beennor the remaining pages in great bookwaiting that will be read. It is the opening of the closed eyes of length. It is the vision by far extinguished thingsseen for silence that carries out. Conversingspeaking towards outside noisily in the air is the heart after the secret of yearsof clearly. It is Moses in desertfallen to its knees before the ignited shrub. He is the man who sends his shoesas far if to in the last incorporate heavenand that is astonished, open, fallen in love with the solid Earth.

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Photo: Early samples of the means

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Mar

30

Continued here:

The fourth given Sunday in

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Mar

30

April 3, 2011 1 Samuel 16; Psalm23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41 The healing of theman born blind story in John gives an example of the challenges of witnessingto Jesus during hostile times. The onlookers to the miracle learned that Jesusmust be ‘of God,’ not the sinner that the Jewish teachers claim he is. Afterthe healed man is expelled from the synagogue, Jesus reveals that he is the”Son of Man” and the blind man comes to worship him. The man comes totrue faith in Jesus, who is represented as the Light. The man born blindshares in the experiences of the Johannine community. As Jewish-Christians,they are kicked out of the synagogue by the Jewish brethren and they have noplace to worship. They are despondent as they cannot worship their God in theircustomary way. They grieve because “the Jews,” their closest allies,are hostile to them. “The Jews” forbid the Christians from being partof their customs. Jesus, as he does with all the great Jewish liturgical feastsin John, declares the liturgical feasts and all worship is done through him.Therefore, no synagogue, Temple, or other place of worship can compare to theperson of Jesus as the place of worship. When John writesabout “the Jews,” he is writing about a particular group of Jews inGreece that share much in common with the Johannine Christians. The followersof Jesus considered themselves to be Jews themselves so in no way is thisremark an anti-Semitic slight. This particular group was choosing to follow therabbinic tradition that was developing and they were separating themselves fromthe Jewish-Christians. They, too, experienced deep loss in the destruction ofthe Temple in 70 A.D. and they were refining their own liturgical practices andcustoms. Thus, they were hostile to the group of Christians who saw John astheir interpreter of the life of Jesus. God’s work is madevisible through the man born blind and some will come to faith in Jesus becauseof him; others will harden their hearts, but they can’t deny that somethingextraordinary has happened. The once-blind man is the one who comes to truebelief because he is able to see more fully with his heart. He gains greaterunderstanding of who Jesus is and he incrementally sees his as a prophet, a manof God, the Son of Man, and finally as Lord. Faith is a process that deepens withour understanding and trust and our greater attentiveness to Jesus. The once-blind manis set in contrast to his hostile adversaries. They come to see Jesus as asinner because he healed on the Sabbath – a violation of their Mosaic Law. Theylook at the evidence and refuse to see. They are the ones who have become blind.They cannot construct any coherent explanation using their human logic and theyrevert to their rigid assertion about a technicality. They close their mindsdown and stay in the darkness while the once-blind man opens his mind and walksin the light. This story is anexample of the ways we are to remain open to the possibilities that God has forus. When we close our minds, rigidly hold onto positions we cannot explain, andconserve what we know, we become like the religious leaders whose logical argumentscannot explain reality. We close our minds to light and knowledge. When westrive to know, search for answers, and open our hearts and minds to theinfinite possibilities, we become like the once-blind man who lives in thefreedom of the light. He silences his objections and learns to see with hisheart so that his world is transformed. He comes to sight. He choose the light.He comes to true belief. Themes for this Week’s Masses First Reading: ?In Isaiah, theLord is excited to tell about the new creation that will take place when hepeople are happy and rejoicing once again. In Ezekiel, an angel brought theprophet to the temple where life-giving water flowed from every direction. InIsaiah, the Lord has not forsaken his people. He will provide favor on the dayof salvation. In Exodus, Moses is commanded to go down to the people todemolish the molten calf and bring the people back to the Lord. In Wisdom, theveracity of the just one is tested by heaping upon him all kinds of diversity.In Jeremiah, the prophet realizes plots are being hatched against him becauseof his righteousness. Gospel: ? After his firstmiracle, Jesus travels to Galilee and heals the near-death son of a royalofficial. In Jerusalem, Jesus heals the 38-year stricken paralyzed man near thepool at the Sheep Gate. As Jesus is questioned for healing on the Sabbath andcalling God his own father, he testifies that God is at work in him now. Hedoes not accept human praise, but only that of the Father, and the one who willaccuse them is Moses, the one in whom they place their hope. Jesus spent timein Galilee because he knew the Jews were trying to kill him. As the TabernacleFeast neared, he goes back to Jerusalem to hear the dialogue about him. Hereveals himself again, but escapes from their attempts to arrest him. Many arecoming to believe in Jesus. Even the guards feared arresting him because no oneelse has even spoken like him. Nicodemus steps in and disperses the crowds withhis evocative questioning. Saints of the Week Monday – Isidore, bishop and Doctor (560-636), wasa Spanish nobleman who served as Archbishop of Seville for almost 40 years. Asan educated man, he was known for a teaching style that served the country’sprogressive interests. Among his accomplishments was a compilation of anextensive encyclopedia, a dictionary, theological treatises, and a historicalwork on the Goths and Visigoths. Tuesday – Vincent Ferrer, priest (1350-1419), wasa Spanish Dominican who became a professor of philosophy at age 21. He latertaught theology and Hebrew. Despite this conservative interpretations of theChristian message, his preaching was successful in bringing converts tobaptism. He helped settle the Western Schism. Thursday – John Baptist de la Salle, priest(1651-1719), was a French nobleman who helped establish charity schoolsafter his ordination. He trained the teachers for these schools hands-on.Because the schools were popular, he formed the Brothers of Christian Schoolsfor the poor and the privileged. He set up teacher training colleges to educatepotential teachers. This Week in Jesuit History · ???????? Apr3, 1583. The death of Jeronimo Nadal, one of the original companions ofIgnatius who later entrusted him with publishing and distributing the JesuitConstitutions to the various regions of the early Society. · ???????? Apr4, 1534. Peter Faber was ordained a deacon in Paris. · ???????? Apr5, 1635. The death of Louis Lallemant, writer and spiritual teacher. · ???????? Apr6, 1850. The first edition of La CiviltaCattolica was issued. It was the first journal of the restored Society. · ???????? Apr7, 1541. Ignatius was unanimously elected general, but he declined to acceptthe results. · ???????? Apr8, 1762. The French Parliament issued a decree of expulsion of the Jesuits fromall their colleges and houses. · ???????? Apr9, 1615. The death of William Weston, minister to persecuted Catholics inEngland and later an author who wrote about his interior life during thatperiod. LentenScrutinies Candidates (baptized) and catechumen (unbaptized) who have been preparing this past yearfor their sacraments during the Easter season will be scrutinized by theirchurch and their community of faith. This second of the three scrutinies isconducted this week. In Cycle A, the second scrutiny is from John 9: The man bornblind; the third is from John 11: Raising Lazarus from the dead.

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Sermon for the 18:21 of Matthew – 35 (in the reconciliation)

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Mar

29

We treat forgiveness much too simplistically and this passagefrom Matthew doesn’t provide helpful insight because at the end Jesus tells usthat the heavenly Father will treat us like the master who will hand us over tothe torturers unless each of us forgives our brother or sister from our heart.Somehow, it doesn’t seem like the Father is forgiving seventy-seven times. O.K.We know not to take the words of this parable literally because Jesus is tryingto uphold the crucial virtue forgiveness in the life of a disciple. He knowsthat if we forgive others, we live a reconciled life with them and with God. O urChristian traditions give us un-clarified information about how and when we areto forgive. Notice what we are instructed to do in the Catholic confessional or,in contemporary terms, the ? reconciliation room. We are to confess oursins and our sins of omission. The focus is upon how we have failed to do theright thing. Peter, however, asks a very different question and it isenlightening for the shift it brings. He asks, “If my brother sins againstme, how often must I forgive him?” We are to look at the unjust actionthat was done to us rather than our wrongness or badness. We first have to dealwith the wrong done to us first. Before we can ever get to forgiveness, it isbest if we look at healing. What about reconciliation? This is an altogetherdifferent concept and that comes further down the road. Christhas to reconcile us to ourselves before we can forgive another. When someonehas wronged us, the last thing we want to do is say, “I forgive you.” The firstthing we want to say is, “Stop it. Don’t do that. I’m angry with you. You haveno right to treat me like that. I don’t deserve to have you transgress myboundaries.” How many of us actually say this? If we did this more often andimmediately, we would stop many people from treating us as we don’t deserve. Wewould help the person to see the healthy proper ways to respect boundaries. Instead,we want to be kind. We are told to be a good boy or good girl and not to getmad. We want to keep the peace and avoid conflict. Damn it! Conflict is good ifit is done respectfully. It is because of conflict that we grow and we begin tohold another’s desires with greater respect. We have to work to achieve amutually beneficial result. It is only when people in conflict are able toexpress their desires and needs in a way that we can be heard that we getenough information to make an informed decision or a loving choice. Wearrive at a problem though. We don’t respect our emotions and desires. When notdealt with in good health, we stew with emotions afterwards. It tears us up andit sets us off into an emotional whirlwind. Why? Our emotions need anappropriate outlet. If we don’t deal with our emotions forthrightly andimmediately, we deal with them afterwards – often alone, silently, sometimes ina tormenting way – and they come out of us sideways. They come out in ways thatwe do not intend, and these ways are not healthy for us or for the otherperson. How many times has a person been labeled by his or her emotions? “He’san angry man; She’s a witch; He’s a sarcastic, cynical man; Don’t trust her.She is a gossip.” We are identified with our feelings. Wouldn’t you rather hearabout yourself? “He’s a kind man. I’d like to know him” or “She is always sohappy. I wish I knew her secret?” or “You have a beautiful smile.” JesusChrist wants you to let him into your feelings and desires. He wants to be ableto say to you, “I want to help you. Will you tell me what is going on with you?Please? I don’t want you to do this alone? Please?” How do we respond? We say, “Heknows what I’m going through. I’ve told him hundreds of times before.” Well. Haveyou really allowed a conversation with him to develop? We recycle things in ourmind and we feel the veracity of our emotions, but sitting down and telling himabout the swirling turbulence in our lives so that he can hear it and respondto it is a different matter. We think things like, “I feel alone. No one canknow what I am going through; I don’t believe he really has something personal tosay to me; I’ve been over this with him before; Jesus is God and all, a really niceman, but he really doesn’t care about what is happening to me. If he did, hewould have done something long ago; Yes, Jesus is God, but he doesn’t have timeto bother with my small insignificant problems.” We simply don’t believethat what he thinks really matters. If we did, we might give him a chance tospeak, or better yet, a chance to show us compassion and care and concern. Weexperience a moment of healing when we physically feel his hand placed on ourheart, or he takes our hand into his, or he births something new is us, or welean back and fall asleep to realize we were in his arms, or he simply smilesand looks at us tenderly, or he strokes our cheek with the brush of his hand.At this we realize he was always there, and we know that he heard us, and thatseems to be enough. He might not have to speak; his actions speak what wordscan’t communicate. This is the point we know he is healing us and reconcilingus to ourselves. Being loved first means that we can love another. Being healedfirst means we can reach out to our brother and sister who sinned against usand forgive them for their actions. Only the deeper love, the deeper affectionof Christ, can redeem us. Peterasks, “How often must I forgive?” Seventy-seven times is the answer. It meansthat we have to learn to love ourselves seventy-seven times a day. Ifforgiveness is a daily choice, and the first step of forgiveness is lovingourselves, then we have to first love ourselves seventy-seven times a day.Respect your boundaries. Fight for them. Own your feelings and desires. Speakabout them as often as you can. Let your heart have ascendancy over your head. Tellthem to Christ several times a day and discover where and when he is present toyou. Letothers do their own work and speak of their desires. You are only responsiblefor your own feelings. You will find Christ affirming you and giving youstrength – through courage and energy. You will begin to live again in the wayGod intended from the very beginning. Your desires are good. They are verygood. As your honor and respect them, Christ will honor and respect you. Yourbrother and sister will honor and respect you as well. When you demand they respectyour boundaries, fewer and fewer people – maybe only unhealthy ones – willtransgress them. You will find liberation in claiming who you are and you willact out of love that begets deeper love. Forgivenessis a lengthy patient process in which God’s glory will be revealed as you livewith integrity and validation. This is to what Christ calls you. Isn’t it whatwe want? Step forth on the marvelous journey of healing, love, and forgiveness.In fact, let us run to the heart God who loves us more than we can ever imagine- to a place where nothingness, resignation, and despair are over and donewith. Let us enter the brand new world made brighter by Christ’s liberation ofyour unredeemed messiness. Let us share in Christ’s victory over chaos.

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Literature: “The fall” by Albert Camus

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Mar

29

It was in the facility in everything to be safe, but at the same time satisfied with nothing. Each joy did that it wishes another one. I went of festival to the festival. In the occasion I danced per nights in the end, never blond on people and life. Occasionally, behind schedule in those nights when dancing, the slight poisoning, my wild enthusiasm, each unrestraint violent would fill to me of tiring and crushed ecstasy, would seem – that one in the last that it understood the secret of the creatures of the world. But my fatigue would disappear next day, and with him the secret… because I wished eternal life, I went to the bed with harlots and drank per nights in end.

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Prayer: “Wanted” by Toni Morrison

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Mar

28

There is a solitude that can be oscillated. The arms crossed, the made knees; maintaining itself, maintaining itself ignited, this movement, desemejante of a ship, smooths and contains the balance beam axis. It is a class of the interior – tightened surrounded like skin. Then there is a solitude that vague. No oscillation can celebrate it to swallow. She is alive, in his the own one. A dry thing and of extension that does that the sound of his feet seems to come from a remote place.

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Const.: GASEOUS CHROMATOGRAPHY 34, decree 4: “Our mission and culture”, equality. 9

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Mar

27

Our ministry of the culture that evangeliza will be a ministry of the consolation when it is directed by the ways that bring to the light the character of the God activity in those cultures, and that consolidate our sense of the divine mystery. But our efforts will be mistaken, and even destructive, when our activity works contrary to the grain of its presence in the cultures that the church tries, or when we demanded to exercise the unique protective rights on the God subjects.

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The first scrutiny

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Mar

26

Sir, you call these chosen ones to the glory of a new birth in Christ, second Adam. Ayúdeles to grow in the wisdom and the love as they are prepared to profess his faith in you. Grant this through Christ our gentleman.

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The means are coming!

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Mar

26

The means are coming!

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Prayer: Elizabeth Johnson – it considers Jesus P. 123

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Mar

26

There is the excessive suffering of innocent, the unmerited suffering of million people in the hands of the other people who secure advantage of this. The suffering is like an irrational in history. It does not have sense; it ruins each constructed theory to explain it. This one is the deep mystery of the evil in the work in the world.

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Notes of a recent reprocessing

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Mar

26

These are notes I used recently in a retreat talk. Reconciliation • What is reconciliation? It is to accept ourselves as we were made, to acknowledge our choices, and to allow God’s glory within us to be held by Christ. Reconciliation is integrating who we are with what we have done and allowing Christ to befriend us and make us the creation that God intended. We establish right relations. • Fruit: peace, comfort, feeling settled, confident that you’ve done your best. • Christ wants to help you love yourself. 1. Re-imagine Jesus Christ • Learn to behold Christ. Contemplate him. Is he flat and one-dimensional? Is he the only one in prayer? I guarantee you that you will be satisfied. Ask that you come to a deeper, more intimate knowledge of the man. • Our starting point is to behold the man. It is a good practice for us to separate Jesus of Nazareth from our Christ of faith. We model our lives after Jesus, the man, the one who was like us in our humanity. It is because he was a man that makes him so extraordinary. • We really do have to get to know him and the best way for that to happen is to challenge our assumptions. Challenge what you know about Christ. We have to learn how to meet Jesus again as if for the first time. • Personally intimate; If the heart of Jesus isn’t there, then think of another image. • Read the Gospels and pay attention to the feelings of Jesus or of the disciples. When you come to an emotion, just linger. Wonder about it. Align your feelings to theirs. Ask Jesus to share his feelings – even if they are dark or negative. 2. Rehabilitate our image of God. • God has to be accessible. Ponder over the characteristics of God and God’s abiding presence throughout salvation history. Focus on what God desires. • To whom do we pray? We often don’t know and blur the distinctions. We know that when we pray to one we pray to all, but it is helpful to develop our friendship with each unit of the Trinity. 3. Cherish your Friendship with God. • And so we behold the man. Just as we gaze upon a painting in a museum, we gaze upon Jesus and appreciate who he is. We notice the tiny details of his life that reveal and hide something special. It is in these distinctions that we find God’s glory. • Beholding is like falling in love. You see new details and you become fascinated. You find something distinctively personal. Your heart has to fall in love with Jesus. • When we pray, we look into his eyes so one day we can see through his eyes. Facial expressions, tone of voice, body language and posture. Is he relaxed? Glancing away? Does he look at your with love and compassion? • Know what he is feeling. Ask him. Remember that we relate to God as we relate to other. If we have patterns of communicating that are problematic with others, we will replicate the same tendencies with God. • You will become what you behold. When we contemplate his humanity, we see his divinity. It is being transfixed. Our senses and understanding are transported to a new realm where we cannot go one our own. 4. Be Gentle • For God’s sake, be gentle with yourself. You are not perfect. You can’t achieve much in prayer, so take the pressure off yourself. Many people think they are responsible for their own progress. • Love yourself enough to let Christ love you. In prayer, after you have beheld Christ, let him behold you. Let him tell you how beautiful you are to him, that he misses you and wants to spend more time with you. Let him caress your face with his hands or massage an aching or hurt part of your body. Give him the opportunity to actually speak tender, caring words to you. • God does not act through force. God acts in the gentlest of ways (1 Kings 19). God will not appear with trumpets sounding, but in that small sweet voice or the appearance of a tiny bird or butterfly. You will notice God’s message, but it is not going to bang you over the head. 5. Heart over Head; Feelings and Desires • Prayer is effective when your heart wins out over head. You need both, but we suppressed our heart so much that it distrusts that we want it to do its job. We have to find ways to open it up once again. It yearns to be free, and our head bullies it and dominates. • Name your desires; know your feelings; this is very difficult to do. We have so many feelings at one time, we get too confused and we cannot begin to isolate our strongest feelings and needs. Refrain from judging them. • Culture, movies, books. 6. Let Christ Act and Speak First • What do we want? ?? o To be cared for. To matter. To have meaning. ?? o We want our voices heard. ?? o To belong, to feel honored, and to be respected ?? o To have an intimate touch by someone who loves us ?? o We crave intimacy 7. Distractions in Prayer • When we gaze upon Ignatius of Loyola tells us that true contemplation is when you gaze upon Christ and all the stuff of March 2011 rushes to the foreground. And we all need the consoling, reconciling presence of our Christ of faith. These are not distractions, but the core of our prayer. These are areas Christ wants you to let him into. • Experience of forgiving parents; I cannot achieve it on my own; Christ has to give it to me; and it only comes through a deeper love, a deeper affection. Reason won’t do it. 8. Memories • How does Christ see me? How does Christ feel about me? Where was he present in my life’s events? • Some memories are too painful to touch. Our will is too strong. • Environmental project: pruning the vines. 9. Our Bodies; Our Selves • Bring sexual self into prayer. Intimacy is found here. Free yourself from the constraints you put on yourselves. See yourselves as lovable sexual beings – glorified by God. • You won’t be free until you accept your humanity. Jesus had it too. Desires are good and life-giving. 10. Beg • Beg for what you want; at each prayer, ask for a grace. At the end of the prayer, we check to see if we received the grace. Get over your timidity. Christ wants to tell you that you are worth it. Let Christ spoil you with his generosity. 11. Healing and Reconciliation of Sins • Know what Jesus Christ thinks of our sins. They often are not what we expect them to be. What do we normally think of sin? Anger, masturbation, impure thoughts, speaking a bad word. All sin has to deal with relationships, with transgressing boundaries. • We also have to look at the ways our boundaries are transgressed. This is where we need healing and to receive forgiveness from others. We need to know that what happened to us should not rightly have happened. The problem is that we develop. • Often what happened to us is not our fault. We confess our sins when in fact we were sinned against. • Give him a chance. We are not God. Christ is God. This is not an easy lesson, but we put ourselves in the place of God when we control and judge our actions and those of others. Let go of your need to be in control. • Don’t try to change another person. Respect a person’s free will. 12. Be Open (The Last, and a very important one) • Be opened to the possibilities. • Daydream. Often. Notice them. • Look at all the ways we say no to invitations. Be opened. I have come across this as the most significant part of our spiritual formation. We are unaware of how many times we stop ourselves from receiving grace. Know that we are in this for the long haul. We may not change overnight. We can have the joy of coming to know Christ again for the first time if we only behold him and let him behold us. We spend our time in fascination.

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Song: The shout of the red deer

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Mar

25

The shout of the red deer incorporates the words San Patricio in the song. It can be played chascando the shout of the connection of the red deer of belowThe in Youtube.

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Prayer: Dietrich Bonhoeffer

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Mar

25

A blessing is the visible, perceivable, effective proximity of God. A blessing demands to be passed ignition – it communicates the other people. To be blessed it is to be itself a blessing.

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Poem: The announcement of Edmundo Muir, 1956

By Admin

Mar

24

They find the angel and to the girl. The Earth was the unique place of meeting. For never incorporated yetTravelled beyond the border of the space. The eternal spirited drinks in the freedom go. It sees, they they have come together, they see, whereas the minutes of destruction, each reflected the other sky of faceTill in his and the Earth in hisShine flow constantly there. They much more come it to herFrom there from the most distant star, emplumada in time. The strangest surprise of ImmediacyOf is blissThat of its members all the takings of the movement. Yet bringsSo increasing of the great ecstasy a wonder that pen of makesEach shakes in its wings. Outside fallInto of the passages of the window dayAnd ordinary with the sun throughout wallPursue its way unreturning. roundaboutRolls perpetual of the sound his outAnd numbered of eighth hoarsely grinds their spoiled harmony. But with it afternoonThese endless neither speaks nor the movement does, but it fixedly watches in his tranceAs of deepening if its glance never would be broken.

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The third given Sunday of

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Mar

23

March 27, 2011 Exodus 17:3-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-2, 5-8; John 4:5-42 We see the transformation life-giving water can bring when we pit the first reading from Exodus against John’s fourth chapter. In the desert the ancient Hebrews search for water after their exodus from Egypt. Dissatisfied with their fate, they test Yahweh to see if he is present or not. Meribah means ‘to quarrel’ and Massah means ‘to test.’ As Moses follows Yahweh’s command to strike the stone, water flows forth. Yahweh does not rebuke. Yahweh gives bread from heaven and water from the rock and thereby proves his mastery over hostile environments. ? ???????? In John’s Gospel, Jesus has retreated from a hostile place into Samaria and will provide an insight to the Samaritans that he is the “Savior of the world.” It is an unusual encounter for Jesus and the woman at noontime at Jacob’s well. The strained relationships between the Jews and Samaritans are evident. The woman is speaking at a literal level which shows how she progresses from ignorance and lack of belief to full faith. Jesus tells her that he is a “gift from God” and the source of “living water” to show he is superior to Jacob. The imperative of Jesus to “call your husband” sets us a honest response from the nameless woman. When she confesses her past, Jesus is not preoccupied with her sinfulness (living with a man after having five husbands.) She calls him a prophet, but the Samaritan tradition expects a prophet to uncover the lost Temple vessels and to vindicate the tradition of worship on Mt. Gerizim in place of Jerusalem. Jesus counters by telling her that all believers will worship God in spirit and truth. For John, Jesus is the truth since he is the revelation of God. When the woman suggests he might be the messianic prophet, Jesus answers, “I am,” which indicates the divine being. Jesus is greater than Abraham, their common father in the faith. Jesus is equal to God. The theme of mission arises as Jesus’ disciples arrive as the woman goes into town to bring others to him, the Messiah. They want Jesus to eat nutritious food. For Jesus, doing the will of the one who sent him is his “food.” He needs nothing else. The disciples will have to take up his ministry, which is to complete his work of bringing others to God. This completion happens at the time of his death on the cross. The Samaritans come to belief first on the basis of the woman’s word and then through their own experience of Jesus’ words. The Samaritans have transcended their own messianic expectations. Through their discourse they come to see Jesus as Savior of the world. The power of conversation is immense. Entering into dialogue with generosity of heart and with a desire for enrichment will help others in their pursuit of the truth. The way Jesus discussed and unfolded the truth about himself is an attractive model for us. Conversation is progressive. When both our head and heart are engaged in dialogue, many opportunities for finding God’s truth comes about more easily. We can benefit from the model of discourse shown to us by Jesus in this passage. Many in the world will set up their camps in the war of words. We need to tear down those walls and build new ones built upon seeking the truth through understanding and compassion. Themes for this Week’s Masses First Reading: ?In 2 Kings, Naaman, the leper, seeks out Elisha, the prophet, who tells him to wash in the Jordan River seven times to cure his malady. Naaman was expecting something miraculous and doubted the ordinariness of the healing routine. However, his servant-daughter convinced him to follow Elisha’s commands that healed him. In Daniel, Azariah feels forsaken and abandoned by God, but continues to offer sacrifices with a contrite heart in hopes of God’s deliverance. In Deuteronomy, Moses gives the law that promises life when the people move into the Promised Land of milk and honey. In Jeremiah, the prophet commands the people to listen to his words that come from God, but they did not obey or heed his words. Faithfulness has disappeared. The Lord in Hosea beckons the people to return with all their heart because the Lord is the only one who can love them freely. The Lord continues to beckon until Ephraim and Judah return home. Gospel: ? Jesus explains that a prophet is not accepted in his native place. Take, for instance, Elijah’s efforts to sustain the widow of Zarephath or Elisha’s cure of Naaman, the Syrian leper. Jesus tells a parable about forgiveness by describing the unjust actions of a man who received incredible mercy from the man who owned his debt. The wicked servant, whose debt was forgiven, could not forgive his fellow servant. Jesus says God will judge us on the mercy and forgiveness we meter out to others. Jesus warns people that the laws of Moses are strictly in place. He doesn’t abolish the law, but becomes the perfection of it. As Jesus cures a deaf mute, the religious leaders wonder about the source of his power. They wonder if it comes from Beelzebul. Jesus explains that a house divided against itself cannot stand. When asked about the greatest of all commandments, a scribe answers in a way that shows Jesus he is not far from the kingdom of heaven. Jesus tells a parable of the Pharisee and tax collector who go to the Temple to pray. The one who humbly prays for God’s mercy is justified. Saints of the Week No major saints are celebrated on the calendar this week. This week on the calendar is usually a time taken up by Holy Week. This Week in Jesuit History ·? March 27, 1587: At Messina died Fr. Thomas Evans, an Englishman at 29. He had suffered imprisonment for his defense of the Catholic faith in England. ·? March 28, 1606: At the Guildhall, London, the trial of Fr. Henry Garnet, falsely accused of complicity in the Gunpowder Plot. ·? March 29, 1523: Ignatius’ first visit to Rome on his way from Manresa to Palestine. ·? March 30, 1545: At Meliapore, Francis Xavier came on pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle. ·? March 31, 1548: Fr. Anthony Corduba, rector of the College of Salamanca, begged Ignatius to admit him into the Society so as to escape the Cardinalate which Charles V intended to procure for him. ·? Apr 1, 1941. The death of Hippolyte Delehaye in Brussels. He was an eminent hagiographer and in charge of the Bollandists from 1912 to 1941. ·? Apr 2, 1767. Charles III ordered the arrest of all the Jesuits in Spain and the confiscation of all their property. Lenten Scrutinies Candidates and catechumen who have been preparing this past year for their sacraments during the Easter season will be scrutinized by their church and their community of faith. This first of the three scrutinies begins this week. The year (Cycle A), the first scrutiny is taken from John 4: The woman at the well; the second is from John 9: The man born blind; the third is from John 11: Raising Lazarus from the dead. We continue to pray for the ‘Elect’ of our church. Japan Perhaps you can find time this week to offer silent prayer for the devastated people of Japan.

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Miserable them

By Admin

Mar

22

PBS is running a 25th anniversary special about the Broadway musical Les Miserables. As I watched it, I relived many memories that tugged at my heart. It made me feel once again. I felt for: – poor Eponine who captures everyone’s unrequited love heartache, – the freshness of Marius and Cossette’s love for each other and the new hope love brings the world, – Fatine’s desperate struggle to provide wholeheartedly for her daughter, Cossette, even giving up her own life. – the repeated treacherous choices made by the Thenardiers, – the inherent conflict Javert feels for wanting to make the world right again by adhering strictly to the law’s judgments, – the eternal hope brought about my peasants and schoolboys who strive for a world filled with justice and care for its neighbor, – Valjean’s noble quest to be a good man. It is the classic tale of redemption by Victor Hugo that begins with one act of kindness and continues with the struggle to always make the loving and right choices. It is a story of the power of good to become victorious over the virulent forces of evil, even in the most miserable of conditions. It is a story of a wasted soul being bought for God, whose mercy transforms a broken man into a righteous one. Every person who has read the book or seen the musical comes away from the experience radically moved to reflect on the good that is possible with God’s grace. Here is a briefest of summaries for the beginning of the story: In 1815 Napoleonic France, Jean Valjean is caught stealing a loaf of bread for his sister’s starving children and is imprisoned for 19 years. He is stripped of all dignity, including his name, and given a number, 24601, instead. When released from prison, he is shunned by society and resorts to a life of crime because his heart is hardened. The mercy of a kindly bishop, Myriel, treats him with dignity and gives him back his life. Valjean, stupefied that the bishop sees good in him, promises to reform his life. The bishop sees a higher plan. He has bought Valjean’s sould for God and now Valjean must choose. Will he stay on his path of darkness or become an honest man though the cards in the deck of life is stacked against him? This is only the beginning of a long, noble story. The power within one act of kindness can fundamentally change a person’s life forever. We can never know the effects of our mercy upon others. It is good for us to reflect upon the times in our life when we asked for forgiveness and it was granted to us. We might not remember our offenses, but we might have a memory of someone who released us from the sins we committed. The good we do is remembered more than any other of our activities. Think for instance about our favorite high school teacher. We don’t remember the subtrahends or dangling participles he or she taught us. We remember the kindness done for our benefit. Or take, for instance, the way your children or nieces and nephews respond to you when you give them a present. They simply want to be with you, and yet, they feel special when you do something nice for them – even if they don’t deserve it. Who among us deserves the goodness we get from others? Who among us deserves the goodness we get from Christ? His work is to reconcile us, first of all, to ourselves, and then to others. It is staggering to behold the glory worked through the life of Jean ValJean by God. A man, who thought he was wretched, was esteemed and beloved by the many. In the end, he comes to a point of recognition that he has loved well and can finally receive love. At the very end as he lay dying, his deceased friends, Fatine and Epopine return to him, declaring, “to love another person is to see the face of God.” Christ is always with us, abiding by us, and wanting to be in a love relationship with us.

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Spirituality: Faithful to `the faith’

By Admin

Mar

22

Maintaining itself quickly is, in the first place, an important strategy of the survival – a way that requests resistance of principles against attack. It is also a way to give testimony to the value that a community of the faith puts in its own convictions, its way of life and in hoarded articles of the inheritance for its symbolic value. In situations of the important threat, he is wise person who the leaders between believers to carry out expansionarios check impulses, to put thought speculative in grasping and give priority to maintain the essential. There is test more than sufficient in the gospel of the mark, the pastoral letters and the letters of Paul, of the fortified Christian communities that are driven to puntear their defenses and to formalize their belief. The majority that could be hoped by at those moments of crisis was to maintain the faith true and to reject to be deceived by novelty.? Adrian Lyons, S.J of imagines believing

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Prayer: Rose de Viterbo

By Admin

Mar

21

The prayer reveals to the souls the vanity of earthly merchandise and pleasures. The flood of the light, the force, and the consolation, and gives an advance payment them of the calm happiness of our divine home.

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Photo: A white elephant and a sentry

By Admin

Mar

20

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Poem: Both sides now (seasonal verse of A)

By Admin

Mar

19

The snowflakes that fell all the `tuna of aroundSo until they touch groundThat when they begin to fill above for highI’ve kissed my car goodbye. It loved it, now I sighwhen the snowflakes beginning to float ignition by the cause everything what means is traspalando outAnd that is a pain, no doubt of `. I have watched the snow of both grudges of nowThe of the sides enough, the sleet we plowAnd that as soon as it wanted that outside springI “SEES had it with this thing of traspaleo.

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Photo: Blue skies

By Admin

Mar

18

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Song: Lorica of San Patricio

By Admin

Mar

18

The Lorica of San Patricio can be played chascando belowSt of the connection. Lorica de Patrick in Youtube.

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Espiritualidad: Axioms for the life

By Admin

Mar

18

1. The life is what is happening to him when you are planning his life.2. Work always suffered interruptions to me until it realised that those true interruptions were my work.3. Who is my neighbor? My neighbor is the person who is really in my life whereas I am drawing up how to be in some other life.4. The love is what you are experimenting whereas you are looking for vain for him beyond his own circles – and is taking the circles around you for granted.5. The joy is what takes to him by surprise, of a source that is absolutely except where are persecuting you it.

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Prayer: Benedicto

By Admin

Mar

17

We think that the divine presence is throughout andthat that the eyes of the gentleman are watching in the good and the evil in each place. Butwe must especially certainly believe this when we are attending in the work of God.

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Secondly given Sunday in

By Admin

Mar

16

March 20, 2011 Genesis 12:1-4; Psalm 33; 2 Timothy 1:8-10; Matthew 17:1-9 The Transfiguration of Jesus is common to the Gospels. Matthew, speaking to his Jewish audience, sets Jesus up to be the new Moses. He makes references to two significant Jewish events. In Exodus 24, God reveals himself to Moses after six days. This brings to mind the creation narrative where God rested on the seventh day to behold his glorious creation. It also brings forth Deuteronomy 16, which is the last day of the Festival of Booths. Hence, Peter’s desire to make three booths or tents to honor Jesus. In each Transfiguration narrative, Jesus brings his friends up a mountain, which is a symbol of God’s revelation. The clouds also stand for the divine presence as a place where God is met and heard. To Matthew, Jesus is plainly the new Moses – but with even greater significance and authority. The transfiguration account depicts Jesus as one who becomes a being of light. His nature is luminous. He is transparent to disciples’ gaze. They can see clearly who he is and he is greater than any historical figure in their sacred scripture. This is Matthew’s central point. Jesus is seen with Moses and Elijah who are the preeminent seers of God in the Old Testament. Jesus is above and beyond the Law, the prophets, and Wisdom figures. Jesus is the one who remains as the others fade. A voice from God declares, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” From this point on, the disciples are certain of the identity of Jesus. All that he taught, and all of scripture for that matter, authenticates him. Jesus is the unique revealer of God and the kingdom. The fuller revelation no longer is present in the law and the prophets. It is found perfectly in the person of Jesus. The proximate actions of Jesus are often overlooked. The first thing he does is qualms the disciples’ fears. God tells them to listen to Jesus, but their fear prohibits them from speaking about this event to others. They weren’t merely afraid. They were very much afraid. We don’t grasp the ways this event shook the disciples. It is overwhelming for them to be in the presence of Moses, Elijah, and now the Son of God. Jesus comes to them and touches them asking them to rise up. They realize that it is God who is touching them. God is gentle with them. God comes to them concerned for their well-being. This compassionate touch allows them to overcome their fears Have you examined your reaction to a time when God touched your life? Fear and disbelief grips us and we try to intellectualize the encounter. We don’t want to trust our feelings and we hide ourselves. Even a little bit of God is too much for some. Many of us will divert our eyes and will stop praying because of the consequences of this encounter. We deprive ourselves of the chance of having God reach out to us again to calm us and reassure us. God wants us to rise up and go forth on our new way. Abram and Sarai are examples of this in the first reading when they are called to set forth towards a new land where blessings will abound. God sets forth reminders of his presence along the way to guide them. This very same God continues to place reminders in our paths to guide us to a place of many blessings. The way of Jesus is our way. We are to walk confident in God’s desires to bless us and call us specially beloved as well. Themes for this Week’s Masses First Reading: Daniel comes clean and recognizes God as Lord over all. On behalf of the people, he confesses their sins and asks for help to live by the law given to them by God. Isaiah implores the people to listen to God’s instructions, to cease doing evil, and to make justice their aim. Jeremiah writes about the wicked plot of the people of Judah to destroy him. He called upon the Lord to remember that he stood by the Lord and spoke on his behalf. Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings; blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord. The Lord alone probes the mind and heart of each. Micah appeals to God to shepherd the people in a kindly way. No one else is as benevolent and as steadfast as God. Gospel: Jesus tells us that God is merciful and we ought to likewise be merciful. We are to model our life after God. We can’t even trust the Pharisees who have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. We are to do as they say, but not to follow their example. Jesus tells the Twelve of his impending Passion. James and John respond by asking if they can sit at his right and left while drinking the cup he drinks. Jesus then tells the story of Lazarus who gains eternal reward in contrast to the wealthy man who would not listen to the cries of poor. The wealthy man was excluded from heaven and would not heed divine wisdom even if someone was raised from the dead. While Jesus was eating with tax collectors and sinners he told them about the character of God as father who welcomes not only the dutiful son but also the wayward son back into the family. God’s generosity is immense. Saints of the Week Wednesday: Toribio of Mogrovejo, bishop (1538-1606) was a Spanish law professor in Salamanca who became the president of the Inquisition in Granada. He was made the Archbishop of Lima, Peru and became quickly disturbed at the treatment of the native populations by the European conquerors. He condemned abuses and founded schools to educate the natives. He opened the first seminary in Latin America. Friday: The Annunciation of the Lord celebrates the announcement that God chose to unite divinity with humanity. God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary to inform her of God’s intentions to have her conceive the future Messiah. The boy’s name was to be Jesus – meaning “God saves.” This date falls nine months before Christmas Day. This Week in Jesuit History • Mar 20, 1602. The first “Disputatio de Auxiliis” was held before Clement VIII. The disputants were Fr. Gregory de Valentia SJ and Fr. Diego Alvarez OP. • Mar 21, 1768. In Spain, at a special meeting of the Council of State in the presence of King Charles III, the Suppression of the Society was urged on the pretense that it was independent of the bishops, that it plotted against the State, and that it was lax in its teaching. • March 22, 1585: In Rome, the three Japanese ambassadors were received by Fr. General with great solemnity in the Society’s Church of the Gesu. • March 23, 1772: At Rome, Cardinal Marefoschi held a visitation of the Irish College and accused the Jesuits of mismanagement. They were removed by him from the direction of that establishment. • March 24, 1578: At Lisbon Rudolf Acquaviva and 13 companions embarked for India. Among the companions were Matthew Ricci and Michael Ruggieri. • March 25, 1563: The first Sodality of Our Lady, Prima Primaria, was begun in the Roman College by a young Belgian Jesuit named John Leonius. • March 26, 1553: Ignatius of Loyola’s letter on obedience was sent to the Jesuits of Portugal. Lenten Environment To create a solemn atmosphere, the church environment is stripped bare of its decorative luxuries. Flowers are seldom brought into churches, except during funerals. Music is simplified. The tone for the solemn season is simplicity and sparseness. In a sense, the liturgical environment fasts in preparation for its great season of feasts. New Book “Changed Heart, Changed World” by William Barry, S.J. Developing a friendship with God may be the starting point for the spiritual journey, but how can that important internal relationship move us to make an impact on—and even transform—the world around us? In Changed Heart, Changed World , renowned spiritual director William A. Barry, SJ, delves into such topics as how friendship with God impacts our role in society, how to see forgiveness as a way of life, and how compassion can make its mark on the world. Throughout the book, Fr. Barry provides many practical ways to integrate the inner life, where we experience a relationship with God, with the outer life, where we live in relationship with our world. Above all else, Changed Heart, Changed World reminds us that God has a dream for his creation here and now—a dream that can only be realized by our becoming “other Christs in this world.” Order at Loyola Press: http://www.loyolapress.com/changed-heart-changed-world.htm Japan’s Earthquake and Tsunami You have seen many images and newsreels of the tragedy that struck Japan this past week. The photos and videos are haunting. I have tried this week to spend time in prayer to feel the pain and suffering of the people, and as much as I try, I can insufficiently do it. May many blessings be upon you as you reach into your pocketbooks to provide needed financial funds for their relief. The needs are enormous.

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