As I mentioned in previous blogs celebrating Br. André Bessette’s canonization, a Salt + Light crew traveled to the United States in July for the documentary on Br. André.  Our last stop was… Manchester, New Hampshire!  We wanted to stop by New England because Br. André spent time working in the mills there, and he frequently visited that area after becoming a Brother.  There we visited with the Congregation of the Sisters of Holy Cross.

It was a real pleasure to have interviewed Sr. Carol Descoteaux CSC and Sr. Cecile Charette CSC.  I couldn’t believe how much of an influence Br. André has had and continues to have on the French-speaking communities in New England and beyond.  It was like spending time with his family members – that’s how well-loved he is there.

Sr. Carol and Sr. Cecile weren’t the only ones with personal stories and testimonies about Br. André.  I was so moved by the other Sisters who wanted to share what Br. André has done for them.  They met with me, gave me a hug, and shared their joy of knowing him.

Here are excerpts from their own accounts.

From Sr. Louise Audette CSC:

Sr. Louise Audette shares that her father, who was born in Farnum, PQ, personally knew Brother André Bessette CSC.  He considered Br. André as a brother and a friend.

After my father Ovila Audette and his family moved to North Grosvenor Dale, Connecticut, they received yearly visits from Br. André when he passed through town after visiting relatives in Sterling, Massachusetts, which was close by, right above the Connecticut border from us.  At age two, I developed a serious case of swollen/infected glands, and my parents called for the local physician. The doctor made an incision on each side of my neck and said, ‘I’ve done all I can; if these glands don’t burst and drain, your daughter will surely die’.  I was told that my dad, a man of great faith in God, began rubbing the oil of St. Joseph on my glands daily while, at the same time, pleading with Br. André to intercede before God for my healing. These prayers were answered.  The infected glands did burst and I have been blessed with a long, healthy life. To this day, I offer prayers of gratitude to both Br. Andre and St. Joseph for this miraculous cure…

From Sr. Carol Descoteaux CSC:

Brother André Bessette CSC holds a place of great honour in my family!  I grew up in New Hampshire. My parents and grandparents, on both sides, were of French-Canadian descent. My mother had an unwavering devotion to St. Joseph and greatly admired Br. André for spreading the devotion to St. Joseph throughout our New England states and beyond.  As a young child, I witnessed a ‘miraculous healing’ as a result of many prayers and petitions to both Br. André and St. Joseph…  When my maternal grandmother was diagnosed with a ‘ruptured disk’ in the early 1950s, prior to the sophisticated surgical procedures of today, she was told by doctors that she likely would never walk again.  My grandmother held firm in her faith and decided to undergo the surgery which, at that time, was quite risky. She had complete trust that her prayers to Br. André, the Miracle Worker of Mount Royal, would ensure a positive outcome.  She also made a promise that, if she could walk again, she would make a pilgrimage to St. Joseph’s Oratory every single year for as long as her health would allow it.  She kept this promise faithfully.  Once she was back on her feet and able to travel, my grandmother went to Montreal to place her steel brace at St. Joseph’s Oratory as testimony to what she experienced as a ‘miraculous healing’!  To this day, I can still picture her waiting with the many other pilgrims to board the bus leaving our parish parking lot for the yearly trip to Montreal… How filled with awe, wonder and gratitude I was when, as a young postulant in the Congregation of the Sisters of Holy Cross, I went on my very first trip to St. Joseph’s Oratory! Though I have visited many times since then, the powerful impact of that ‘very first visit’ is close to my heart to this day!

From Sr. Jeannette LeHouillier CSC:

Sr. Jeannette LeHouillier testifies to her brother Raymond’s extraordinary faith in Brother André Bessette CSC, Miracle Worker of Mount Royal.

At six weeks of age, Raymond’s grandson, Toby-Jo Stone, was diagnosed with Congenital Toxoplasmosis Spastic Cerebral Palsy with developmental delay, hearing loss and impaired vision.  Physicians indicated to Ray and his wife that Toby would likely have a very short lifespan.  When Toby-Jo was four years old, Ray and his family made a pilgrimage to St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal.  Ray climbed the Scala Sancta with Toby in his arms, then placed Toby on Brother André’s tomb as he prayed for healing.  Though Toby-Jo did not experience a physical cure, it is considered a miracle that Toby-Jo Stone is still alive today at age 31 and, in his own way, brings joy to all those who meet him, know him and care for him.

From Sr. Rena Gagnon CSC:

It’s through my mother Marianne Bourgeois Gagnon that I developed a lifelong devotion to Brother André Bessette CSC.  My family lived in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where Br. André visited relatives every year during the summer months.  Br. André was very familiar with the area because, as a young man, he had worked in the cotton/woolen mills of Fall River, Massachusetts, just north of New Bedford, as did thousands of French-Canadian immigrants in the early part of the 20th century.

My mother knew Br. André personally and spread the devotion to both Br. André and St. Joseph in the area of southeastern Massachusetts, going on many pilgrimages to St. Joseph’s Oratory during her lifetime.

When my mother was dying, she kept a photo of Br. André in her hand.  She died looking at that picture, with the sure conviction that she would soon see her dear Mom and Br. André in heaven.

About (not from) Sr. Cecile Charette CSC:

I had to write this one for Sr. Cecile myself.  She is so humble that she doesn’t want to talk too much about herself.  For Sr. Cecile:

…the greatest miracle of Br. André is the existence of St. Joseph’s Oratory.  People who go there still believe in miracles…  there are Eucharistic Celebrations going on all day and people still come…

Sr. Cecile can go on and on about Br. André and his influence today.  I can’t reveal too much of her connection with Br. André because that will come out in our Salt + Light documentary.  But I will reveal that she would see him around as a high school student, and she got the “scoop” from the nurse who held the dying Br. André in her arms!

Stay tuned…

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I was reminded of my first job in Canada: I was a counsellor at Camp Wahanowin in Orillia.  Camp Wahanowin is a Jewish camp and before every meal we used to say the blessing of the bread: Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam, ha-motzi lechem min ha-aretz. That was some of the first Hebrew I learned. The reason why I was reminded of Camp Wahanowin was not because it was camp, but because this camp that I just participated in is a camp that brings Jews, Muslims and Christians from Israel and Palestine together with Jews, Muslims and Christians in Canada – and all the kids are 11/12-years-old.

Kids for Peace was founded by the Episcopal (Anglican) Church of Jerusalem, at St. George’s College, when, during the last intifada, the college was empty. The administration decided to use their time and space to bring whole families together: Jews, Muslims and Christians, so that they would get to know each other. In Israel, even though there are “mixed” cities and towns, there aren’t many opportunities for Jews to meet Arabs.

I was reminded of another experience. When I was 16, I had the wonderful opportunity to come to Canada to attend Lester. B. Pearson College of the Pacific, a school that promotes peace and international understanding by bringing young people from around the world together. It was our Nobel Peace Laureate Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson who said “how can there be peace in the world if people don’t understand each other? And how can this be if they don’t know each other?” It’s a simple formula: bring young people from different countries together so they can live, study and work together, make friends and when they grow up, they won’t have silly prejudices, but can help bring peace to the world. And I believe it works.

There were 200 students, ages 16-19, living together for two years – learning about each other, getting to know about each other.  Politics and international affairs for us would never be the same. We had students from Ireland and from Northern Ireland; Pakistanis and Indians, refugee students from Iran, Iraq and Ethiopia; South Africans and Swazis, Latin Americans, Europeans, Africans, Asians and yes, Israelis and Palestinians.

I remember countless nights that I stayed up listening to the Israelis and the Palestinians talking – they all spoke both Hebrew and Arabic – and they didn’t always agree, but they had a forum where they could speak and be friends. More importantly, they could get to know each other and see that we are all more alike than different. Jews and Arabs are the same and even in the differences… sometimes it’s those differences that bring us closer together.

Several years later I became involved with another organization: the Children’s International Summer Villages. The goal of CISV is to promote cross-cultural understanding by bringing young people together through camps and interchanges. CISV has existed for over 60 years and every Summer there are hundreds of programs worldwide. They start with Villages for 11-year-olds, because at that age, kids are still quite impressionable and they haven’t quite formed prejudices and biases. Sometimes the kids don’t even speak the same language, but no matter – you don’t need to speak the same language to kick a soccer ball around.

And at Kids for Peace, there was a lot of soccer ball kicking. Twelve kids came from the Galilee: four Jews, four Muslims and four Christians. The program is a faith-based program and so the goal is specifically for the kids to learn about each other’s faiths, so they travelled with three adults: A Muslim advisor, a Christian advisor and a Jewish advisor. The camp director, Fr. Samuel Barhoum, also travelled from Palestine. They were welcomed here by 12 Canadians, also a mix of Christians, Jews and Muslims. They spent 10 days at Cedar Glenn YMCA Camp north of Toronto learning about each other, playing games, participating in cooperative and team-building activities,  learning about the three Abrahamic faiths and playing soccer. Part of the program included a trip to a Mosque, a Synagogue and a Catholic Church, for prayer services and Mass, a trip to Niagara Falls and the CN Tower.

Israel is a land in desperate need for peace, but how can there be peace if Jews and Arabs don’t get to know each other? How can there be peace if people continue to hold onto silly prejudices? Now, in its fifth year, Kids for Peace has allowed sixty kids to have the opportunity to break that cycle – and through the kids, their families too. And sixty Canadian kids are part of the movement too.

Kids for Peace is a wonderful initiative that was completely free to the participants. In Toronto there are a group of directors who tirelessly raise the funds necessary for this experience to happen. And they are always looking for kids – if your son or daughter is going to be eleven next Summer, check out www.kids4peace.ca and find out how you can participate – but they need Jewish and Muslim kids too, so pass it on to your Muslim and Jewish friends. And to inspire you, you can also visit our facebook page to see some of the photos from the camp.

Be sure to tune in on Friday, September 9th, for an all-new Perspectives: The Weekly Edition, as we ask the question, what would you do to bring about peace?  I speak with Fr. Samuel Barhoum and his wife Susan — two Christians living in the Galilee.  They share their own experience of living in Israel and helping bring about peace.

And keep your eyes and ears open for a new documentary, Abraham’s Tent, which tells the story of this wonderful camp experience, coming in soon (you don’t think I was just at the camp having fun, do you?)

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In the last couple of weeks, I’ve come across heartbreaking photo after heartbreaking photo coming out of Pakistan, where flooding has devastated the region.

At least four millions people have been left homeless — that’s nearly the combined population of Toronto and Montreal!

Aid has been slow coming to those affected, and unsanitary conditions are leading to the spread of disease.  Disease is not the only problem though, but unrest is also growing in the region and selfish acts as well.

Pope Benedict has appealed that the international community reach out to Pakistan.  Speaking a couple of weeks ago at his Wednesday General Audience:

May these brothers of ours, so harshly tested, not lack our solidarity and the concrete aid of international solidarity.

Here in Canada, Development in Peace,  the Canadian member of Caritas Internationalis, is raising money for flood victims.

Vatican Radio offers this recent conversation with a Caritas Austria aid worker who has been in Pakistan for ten days.  She says though the floods are beginning to subside, the country remains in a state of emergency.  Listen to that interview HERE.

Zenit has also published an interview with a Caritas Pakistan aid worker.   In recalling the primitive living conditions as a result of the flooding, he noted: “Although food and clothing continue to be a great need, the world must think of ways to help them live with dignity.”  You can read the full interview HERE.

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Photos: CNS

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For one Toronto-area neighbourhood, though, the status quo became intolerable. The compromised safety of their children jolted residents into action.

Bordered by two highways and Toronto’s major airport, Malton feels distinct from the neighbouring cities of Mississauga and Brampton. Though its problems may have been exaggerated in the media, the community of 40,000 developed an unenviable reputation for gang violence. Malton endured four homicides in 2009, slightly down six the year before.

So far this year, there has been one. And according to residents interviewed by the Toronto Star, Malton feels safer, too.

How did Malton do it? A city councillor credits municipal investment, such as new pools in the community centre and refurbished parks and fire stations. But some of the facilities she cites, like the new youth drop-in centre, have yet to open.

There is another more significant factor that Salt + Light documented in Changing Course, airing tonight at 8pm ET (repeating Thursday at 11:30am ET). To address gang and bullying problems in Malton, the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board enacted an innovative strategy to support at-risk youth. The schools’ visionary principals developed programs encompassing academics, sports, the arts, faith and even nutrition. Community partners like the Knights of Columbus and the police eagerly signed on to help. Changing Course follows students of these schools for one school year, revealing their challenges, victories, and the limitless potential of Catholic education.

Tonight’s presentation coincides with a special screening in Minsk, Belarus. Changing Course is an official entry in the Magnificat International Catholic Festival of Christian Documentary and TV Programs. Earlier this year, the film also participated in the Niepokalanow Festival in Poland.

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General Intention: The Word of God as Incentive for Social Development
That the proclamation of the Word of God may renew people’s hearts, encouraging them to work toward authentic social progress.

Mission Intention: End of War
That by opening our hearts to love we may put an end to the wars and conflicts which continue to bloody our world.

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CNS photo/Alessia Giuliani, Catholic Press Photo

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They focus on the total dedication necessary for disciples of Jesus. No attachment to family (26) or possessions (33) can stand in the way of the total commitment demanded of the disciple. Acceptance of the call to be a disciple demands readiness to accept persecution and suffering (27) and a realistic assessment of the hardships and costs (28-32).

The two parables embedded in today’s Gospel passage say in their own way what Jesus is saying in the preceding verses: Are you sure you wish to follow me? Is the price more than you are willing to pay? The first parable involves building a tower in a vineyard from which the farmer can stand watch against thieves and foraging animals. The second pictures the royal house where great political issues are settled. But rich and poor, royalty and peasants, have essentially the same decision to make when faced with a major expenditure of time, property, and life itself: Is this cost more than I am able or willing to pay? The decision is no different when one is facing the call to discipleship: The enthusiasm for beginning is there, but do I possess the resources to persevere to completion?

Both parables highlight the need to use wisdom in assessing the cost of discipleship. Both the tower builder and the warring king must calculate the costs and study the risks before making a final decision. The disciple must know that following Christ requires an allegiance that will always be the highest priority. To accept the person of Christ is to accept his cross as well.

The source of our happiness

The author of today’s first reading from the book of Wisdom (9:13-18) is not dealing with the age-old distinction between what is of the body and what is of the soul (known often as dualism). The view of human nature in the Hebrew Scriptures is not dualistic, even though it is clearly recognized that the limitations of human nature make it impossible for us to fully comprehend the mysteries of God.

As Christians we need not oppose human progress nor reject comforts and pleasures. The believer must assess these within the delicate balance of wisdom and life. Today’s first reading challenges us: Does our happiness come from the mere acquisition of possessions or from sharing and interacting with God and neighbor?

Choosing Christ above all else

In the midst of the many voices clamoring for our time, money, allegiance and attention, we are called to choose Christ to the complete dispossession of all else. This is a great challenge for each of us, especially in our day. We so often define choice not as the freedom to choose one action over another, but as the freedom to choose everything at once. Freedom of choice has come to mean keeping our options open. The tragedy of this condition is that it is literally impossible to “keep our options open” and live lives of any significance.

I have found this to be one of the most difficult aspects of my teaching and pastoral ministry with many young people over the past 20 years: their unwillingness to commit to anything, to take risks, or to follow through on commitments already made. The obvious problem is that it is impossible to make any choice without consequences that rule out other options. Every choice we make automatically excludes other choices. This choosing is essential and even desirable for a meaningful life.

One mission or 1,000 options

One of the clearest teachings of this point was made by Australian Cardinal George Pell during his outstanding homily at the Opening Mass for World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, on July 15, 2008.

Cardinal Pell spoke to the throng of over 150,000 young people from throughout the world about their mission in life:

Don’t spend your life sitting on the fence, keeping your options open, because only commitments bring fulfillment. Happiness comes from meeting our obligations, doing our duty, especially in small matters and regularly, so we can rise to meet the harder challenges. Many have found their life’s calling at World Youth Days.

Cardinal Pell’s stirring words still ring in my ears two years later: “One mission is better than a thousand options.”

True wisdom and freedom

In the midst of our chaotic lives Jesus stops and says, “You have to choose.” In his call to authentic discipleship, Christ challenges our most precious loyalties. As there can be no other gods before the God of Israel, there can be no other loves before Christ. Thus, there is a cost to following Jesus, and the curious and half-hearted should take notice. Discipleship may cost us everything, but will gain for us all that will ever matter. Only then will we be truly wise and truly free.

The claim of Christ and the Gospel

Luke emphasizes that Jesus does not like compromises and requires a commitment of the whole person, a decisive detachment from any nostalgia for the past, from family demands, from material possessions (cf. Luke 9:57-62; 14:26-33). To the call to cross bearing, already issued in 9:23, is joined the almost frightening demand to hate one’s family and one’s own life (26).

To hate is a Semitic expression meaning to turn away from, to detach oneself from someone or something. There is nothing of that emotion we experience in the expression “I hate you.” Were that the case, then Verse 26 alone would cancel all the calls to love, to care, to nourish, especially one’s own family found throughout the New Testament.

And to hate one’s own life is not a call for self-loathing and self-destruction. What is demanded of disciples, however, is that in the network of many loyalties in which all of us live, the claim of Christ and the Gospel not only takes precedence but also, in fact, redefines the others. This can and will necessarily involve some detaching, some turning away.

To be a Christian for Luke means to follow Jesus on the path that he takes (9:57; 10:38; 13:22; 14:25). It is Jesus himself who takes the initiative and calls us to follow him, and he does it decisively, unmistakably, thus showing his extraordinary identity, his mystery of being the Son who knows the Father and reveals him (10:22). Jesus speaks to all those who walked with him at that moment in history, and to those of us who walk with him today: “Think about what you are doing and decide if you are willing to stay with me all the way.”

Human beings will always be tempted to lessen the radical demands of the Gospel and to adapt them to our own weaknesses, or to give up the path undertaken. But the authenticity and quality of the Christian community’s life depends precisely on this. A Church that lives by compromise would be like salt that has lost its taste (14:34-35).

A compassionate portrayal of the disciples

To be called does not require perfection on our behalf, only fidelity and holy listening. Samuel and the prophets of Israel, Martha, Mary and Lazarus of Bethany, the fishermen of Galilee and even the tax collectors that Jesus called were certainly not called because of their qualifications or achievements. Paul says that Jesus calls “the foolish,” so that the wise will be shamed. The Gospel portrayal of the disciples is compassionate because it makes a place for people who struggle to reach their dreams, for people who at times forget their call to greatness. We will never be the same because Jesus has called us, loved us, changed us and made us into his image. Because he has called us, we have no choice but to call others to accept the Gospel and follow him.

Cardinal Newman’s cost of discipleship

On September 19th, 2010, in Birmingham, England, the long awaited beatification ceremony will take place for the great Victorian Catholic theologian, John Henry Cardinal Newman, one of the most influential English Catholics of the 19th century. He journeyed from Anglicanism to Catholicism and used his great intellect and masterful writing ability to win over thousands of people to Christ and the Roman Catholic Church.

In becoming Catholic, Newman had to make many sacrifices. Many of his friends broke off relations with him after his conversion, and his family kept him at a distance. He had to resign his teaching fellowship and lost his only source of income. He lived the terrible pain of misunderstanding from his own family, from Church leaders, and those closest to him. Newman said that the one thing that sustained him during this trying period was Christ’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

As a tribute to his extraordinary work and devotion, Pope Leo XIII named Father John Henry Newman a Cardinal in 1879. After a life of trials, Newman received the news with joy and declared, “The cloud is lifted forever.”

Cardinal Newman died at the age of 89 at the Oratory House in Edgbaston on August 11th, 1890. He was declared Venerable in 1991 by Pope John Paul II. On September 19th, 2010, Benedict XVI, himself, will honor Cardinal John Henry Newman, a good and faithful servant who paid the price for the cost of discipleship of Jesus.

Fr. Thomas Rosica CSB,
CEO, Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation

The readings for this Sunday are Wisdom 9:13-18; Philemon 9-10, 12-17; Luke 14:25-33

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I came upon the event in my research for my Catholic Focus on the Northern Ireland Conflict. It was a perfect coincidence that it coincided with the filming for the episode. I spent a wonderful day of filming and meeting Irish Canadians at the Irish Peace Garden. It was a moving and significant ceremony that celebrated the Irish culture and their history in Canada. Speakers talked about their Irish heritage and the importance of praying for peace and their loved ones who have passed. They continue to pray for peace in Ireland and that there isn’t a return to violence. They also pray for other places throughout the world where political and religious conflicts still persist.

Bishop Peter Hundt gave a blessing in the Peace Garden before presiding over Mass with those gathered. Bishop Hunt is the vicar general and regional bishop of the northern and eastern pastoral regions for the Archdiocese of Toronto.

The strong Catholic faith of the Irish people has left such a great impression on me. I have met many individuals of exemplary faith and conviction both here in Canada and in Ireland. The story of the Irish Catholics has always been an important one to tell and I am honored to be able to be doing that. If you visit Martyrs’ Shrine, be sure to stop by the Irish Peace Garden. It’s a beautiful tribute to the legacy of the Irish in Canada. Keep an eye out for news on my Catholic Focus. I’ll be keeping you updated on its screening this fall.

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The UCMVA was founded with the aim of bringing together Catholic presenters from around the world who celebrate their faith through various forms of media, including music, art, radio and television.

This year it’s the first time that the event took place outside of the United States and the first time that the event included a conference. Anyone can be a member of the UCMVA and their membership is increasing yearly. There is excitement among the Catholic industry that finally our Catholic presenters have a unity that gives them hope and encouragement in the ministry work that the Lord has called them to do.

The Awards are not so much of an “awards” ceremony that encourages competition or jealousy. The goal is to celebrate the achievements and to encourage a higher standard of work. There are no winners, but “recepients” and they are not the ones who are “better,” but rather the ones whom their peers judge to have been the most effective in their goals in a particular category that year.

And so, Saturday night we gathered to celebrate our gifts and to recognize the wonderful work that many are doing. The ceremony included performances of every single musical style, from Gospel to Classical, from Praise and Worship to Heavy Rock, from Rap to Country. Performances included Ceili Rain, Jerry Aull, Critical Mass, Denis Grady and the Stone Rejected Band, Tom Booth, MashetiMoses, Chris Bray and Tony Melendez. It was an inspipred evening.

There were many Canadian (and S+L friends) nominated in many categories and congratulations to our Canadian recipients: David MacDonald for Music Video/DVD of the Year, Love is the Only Choice, and Chris Bray for New Artist of the Year-2010 and Praise and Worship Album of the Year, for The Worship Album.

Visit the photo section on our Facebook page for more pics from the Awards show.

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Seven years ago I worked in campus ministry in Ottawa, and so sometimes I had the opportunity to hear Fr. Bob preach. I recall fuming at one politically-tinged homily, the conclusions of which I didn’t share. Back then, I wasn’t very comfortable with the charismatic spirituality of the Companions, either. (Passion and conviction can intimidate those of us who are lacking.)

But one could not help but be taken in by his priestly heart. Though Fr. Bob was the founder of a growing community of forty priests serving in five cities, he enthusiastically agreed to help with our small events at Carleton University. I distinctly remember one reconciliation service where Fr. Bob spent hours listening to students pour out their souls in confession.

Heaven knows how many confessions he’s heard in his half-century as a priest. Yet to each student, he listened with rapt attention. His counsel was reflective and personal, God’s absolution assuredly pronounced, as if each sacrament was the most important he would ever administer. Because each one was.

Years later I spotted Fr. Bob at a conference in Toronto. I was about to reintroduce myself, since it had been so long. Instead, he called me by name and pulled me in for his trademark hug. (Someone once told me that a Fr. Bob hug would result in a priestly vocation, though this hasn’t yet taken effect on me.)

One month later, I learned that he was hospitalized in grave condition. A combination of cognitive, respiratory and heart problems left him unconscious. Fr. Scott McCaig, the moderator and superior general of the Companions, warned that death could be imminent. He later regained consciousness, but was diagnosed with dementia and, cruelly, was further struck by pneumonia and a stroke.

According to the most recent update on the Companions website, Fr. Bob “has defied the odds again and rallied amazingly”. He is presently at a long-term care facility. “It seems the Lord has more for Fr. Bob to do yet,” wrote Fr. McCaig.

His ministry never really stopped. Talks by Fr. Bob, filmed before his health crisis, can still be seen on Food for Life, which S+L airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 8 am.

Now there’s new material from Fr. Bob that reveals insights into his remarkable life. The Companions of the Cross have published Give God Permission: The Memoirs of Fr. Bob Bedard. Written over the course of several years, the book will be released tonight at the community’s 25^th anniversary dinner. The event also commemorates the ordination anniversaries of 13 priests, including Fr. Scott McCaig’s 15^th and Fr. Bob’s 55^th.

Archbishop Terrence Prendergast of Ottawa endorses the memoir as “a testament to his profound openness to the Holy Spirit”. Those who miss Fr. Bob’s presence—his countless friends, former students and parishioners do so achingly, myself included—will find solace in ‘hearing’ his voice again through his writing.

UPDATE: Give God Permission: The Memoirs of Fr. Bob Bedard can be now ordered by calling the Companions of the Cross at 1-866-885-8824. The book can also be purchased from their online store.

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October 9th.

That was the day of the Cardinal’s conversion to Catholicism in 1845.

And Pope Benedict XVI is set to announce it as his feast day when he officially declares the English scholar beatified on September 19th of this year.

That’s according to a special edition of Magnificat, published specifically for the liturgies and events of next month’s Papal Visit to the United Kingdom.

One million copies of the booklet will be distributed to parishes across England, Scotland and Wales.

The London-based Catholic Herald has more HERE.

The Beatification Mass of Cardinal Newman will highlight the Holy Father’s September 16th-19th visit to the United Kingdom. Salt + Light Television will bring you full coverage of the Mass, as well as all the other liturgies and events during the Apostolic Journey. Keep an eye on our blog in the coming days for a posting of broadcast details.

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There are some 30 categories and among the Canadian (and S+L Radio guest) nominees are, Critical Mass, for group of the year, their song Tantum Ergo, for Devotional Song of the Year, and their song Devotion, for Liturgical/Sacramental Song of the Year; Janelle for Female Vocalist of the Year, and her song What I Gotta Say, for Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year; Chris Bray for New Artist of the Year, his album The Worship Album for Praise and Worship Album of the Year, and his song Called, for Praise and Worship Song of the Year; Critical Mass’ album Body Language and David MacDonald’s album He Rose Again for Modern Rock/Alternative Album of the Year; David MacDonald’s song Oui Je le Veux for International Song of the Year and his music videos Life is the Only Choice and Holy of Holies for Music Video/DVD of the Year. Good luck to all the nominees!

For more information on the Unity Awards conference and Gala, go to www.ucmva.com and I promise a full report when I return- the days will be jam-packed with concerts, workshops and networking. For-sure-highlights are to be Tony Melendez, Ceili Rain, Jerry and Cricket Aull, Fr. Bob Mitchell, OFM, and the Priests Panel.

And look for me, if you’re planning on attending. Would love to say hello.

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Today’s table talk takes place in the context of the journey up to Jerusalem begun at 9:51. Nothing can be more serious for Luke than a dining table. Both the Eucharist and the revelations of the Risen Christ occur there (24:28-32). It was while eating together that Christ gave his disciples the promise of the Holy Spirit and their commission (Acts 1:8), and it was by table fellowship that Jews and Gentiles were able to be the Church (Acts 10:9-16; 11:1-18).

Table fellowship laden with meaning

Today’s banquet scene found only in Luke (14:1; 7-14), provides the opportunity for Jesus’ teachings on humility and presents a setting to display Luke’s interest in Jesus’ attitude toward the rich and the poor. For Judaism, for Jesus and for the early church, table fellowship was laden with very important religious, social and economic meanings.

Chapter 14:1 sets the stage for Verses 7-11. Jesus is at dinner in the home of a Pharisee and, while there, observes the social behavior of both guests and their host. Jesus’ attention to and observation of everyday activity provided him not only insights into the true character of his listeners. but also opportunities to reveal the way life is in the Kingdom of God. The frequent and familiar are not to be overlooked in defining life in God’s presence.

God exalts, not humans

What is the central point of today’s Gospel story? Our human egos are quite clever, and upon hearing that taking a low seat may not only avoid embarrassment but lead to elevation to the head table, may convert the instruction about humility into a new strategy for self-exaltation. Taking the low seat because one is humble is one thing; taking the low seat as a way to move up is another! This entire message can also be ridiculous if there is a mad dash for the lowest place, with ears cocked toward the host, waiting for the call to ascend.

Those who lift themselves up over others will be brought down; those who regard themselves as among the “lowly” — as human as anyone else — will be raised up. Raising up and exaltation belong to God; recognition of one’s lowliness is the proper stance for human beings. The act of humbling oneself is not something for its own sake, but for the sake either of God or of Christ.

Today’s first reading from the book of Sirach (3:17-18, 20, 28-29) speaks about authentic humility that gives a true estimate of self (7-19). Through it a man performs duty, avoids what is beyond his understanding and strength (20-22). Pride, however, begets false greatness, misjudgment, stubbornness, sorrow, affliction and perdition (3:23-27).

The only real security

The rich, the powerful, and the ‘just’ find it very difficult to be humbly open to God; they are full of confidence in their own treasures and securities. The only real security is the one based on friendship with God and service of God: to be a servant of human beings and of God after the example of Jesus of Nazareth. Exalting oneself is a form of self-reliance as opposed to reliance on God. This makes clear why being rich, prosperous, satisfied almost naturally imply being arrogant, proud, godless.

The second lesson of today’s Gospel goes against the accepted, normal practice of inviting only those who can be expected to return the favor in one form or another. Jesus reverses this norm: Do not invite to share a meal with you those who will some day reciprocate and even outdo you; instead, invite those who are never invited out — the poor, those who live on the fringes of society, and those from whom no favors can be expected.

Etiquette “chez” Luke

Being a host carries with it many pleasant and positive connotations: friendliness, generosity, graciousness and concern for the comfort of others. However Jesus also observes (Luke 14:12-14) that hosting can be distorted and terribly misused when the host does his/her work with strings attached! A host who expects a return on his or her behavior will not offer service or food to those who cannot repay, and so guest lists consist only of persons who are able to return the favor.

Jesus calls for “kingdom behavior”: inviting those with neither property nor place in society. God is our ultimate host, and we, as hosts are really behaving as guests, making no claims, setting no conditions, expecting no return. Luke’s fourfold list of the poor, the maimed, the lame and blind (13) is no surprise to the reader. We knew about these people since Mary sang about them in her Magnificat at the beginning of this Gospel (Luke 1:46-55) and Jesus addressed them in his inaugural sermon in the Nazareth synagogue (Luke 4:16-30).

Jesus’ impropriety and lax mercy

As with so many things he did, Jesus’ befriending such types of people and eating with them angered his opponents. They murmured against him: “He has gone in to be a guest of a man who is a sinner,” or “Look at him who eats with tax-collectors and prostitutes!” But where others saw only sinners, people on the fringe, public pariahs to be hated and isolated, Jesus saw something else. He saw human beings, perhaps people trapped in their own failure, desperately trying to be something better, awkwardly trying to make amends for a life of injustice. Jesus of Nazareth would exclaim: “Today salvation has come to this house, since this man also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

To seek and save the lost, to exalt the poor and the lowly, to humble the rich, godless, haughty and arrogant, this was Jesus’ ministry. His opponents took offense at all this impropriety and lax mercy. All of those who Jesus recommends to be on our invitation lists are those who will receive the places of honor in the banquet of the kingdom: the poor, those who are maimed, lame, blind, gentiles, those who cannot repay us, who because of their status had not been allowed entrance into the center of the old Temple. But the walls of the new temple were to exclude no one.

Assemblies of the Old and New Covenants

In today’s second reading from Hebrews (12:18-19, 22-24a), the two covenants, of Moses and of Christ, are compared. This remarkably beautiful passage contrasts two great assemblies of people: that of the Israelites gathered at Mount Sinai for the sealing of the old covenant and the promulgation of the Mosaic law, and that of the followers of Jesus gathered at Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the assembly of the new covenant. This latter scene, marked by the presence of countless angels and of Jesus with his redeeming blood, is reminiscent of the celestial liturgies of the Book of Revelation.

The Mosaic covenant is shown to have originated in fear of God and threats of divine punishment (12:18-21). The covenant in Christ gives us direct access to God (22), makes us members of the Christian community, God’s children, a sanctified people (23), who have Jesus as mediator to speak for us (12:24). Not to heed the voice of the risen Christ is a graver sin than the rejection of the word of Moses (12:25-26). Though Christians fall away, God’s kingdom in Christ will remain and his justice will punish those guilty of deserting it (12:28-29).

Cardinal Newman’s weapons of saints

It is good to reflect on the words of the Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman in one of his memorable sermons on today’s Gospel entitled: The Weapons of Saints. He writes:

There is a mysterious connexion between real advancement and self-abasement. If you minister to the humble and despised, if you feed the hungry, tend the sick, succour the distressed; if you bear with the froward, submit to insult, endure ingratitude, render good for evil, you are, as by a divine charm, getting power over the world and rising among the creatures. God has established this law. Thus He does His wonderful works. His instruments are poor and despised; the world hardly knows their names, or not at all. They are busied about what the world thinks petty actions, and no one minds them. They are apparently set on no great works; nothing is seen to come of what they do: they seem to fail. Nay, even as regards religious objects which they themselves profess to desire, there is no natural and visible connexion between their doings and sufferings and these desirable ends; but there is an unseen connexion in the kingdom of God. They rise by falling. Plainly so, for no condescension can be so great as that of our Lord Himself. Now the more they abase themselves the more like they are to Him; and the more like they are to Him, the greater must be their power with Him.

Mother Teresa’s etiquette

As we remember Blessed Teresa of Calcutta on her 100th birthday (August 26th), and the 13th anniversary of her death on September 5th, let the words of The Paradoxical Commandments, often attributed to her, ring in our ears and in our communities this week.  When Mother Teresa first heard these words written by Dr. Kent M. Keith, she was moved to put them up on the wall of one of her children’s homes in Calcutta.  They are powerful guidelines for finding personal meaning in the face of adversity and they transcend all creeds and cultures.  More than anything, Dr. Keith’s “creed” describes so well Blessed Teresa’s way of dealing with so many people during her life time.  She understood well the table talk and etiquette of Luke and of Jesus.

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

Fr. Thomas Rosica CSB,
CEO, Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation

The readings for this Sunday are Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29; Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24; Luke 14:1, 7-14.

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Pictures: Top — Christ at Simon the Pharisee by Pieter Pauwel Rubens 1618-20. Bottom — CNS/KNA

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How well I remember those days… my own father died on August 27 that year. On the night I returned to Toronto from his funeral, the Princess was killed in the horrible car crash in Paris . One week later, Mother Teresa was called home to God. I commentated her funeral for several national television networks in Canada . The pomp, precision and somber majesty of Princess Diana’s London farewell one week earlier were hardly visible in the chaotic scenes of Mother Teresa’s simple wooden casket riding on a gun carriage through the mobbed and chaotic streets of Calcutta for her State funeral.

Mother Teresa’s life was not a sound byte, but rather a metaphor for selfless devotion and holiness. Her most famous work began in 1950 with the opening of the first Nirmal Hriday (Tender Heart) home for the dying and destitute in Calcutta . Mother’s words remain inscribed on the walls of that home: “Nowadays the most horrible disease is not leprosy or tuberculosis. It is the feeling to be undesirable, rejected, abandoned by all.”

There are critics in the Church, and not a few religious women and men, who say that Mother Teresa personified a “pre-Vatican-Council” view of faith and did not address systemic evils. They criticize her and her followers for their relentless condemnation of abortion. Some have said that in Mother Teresa, there was no element of prophetic criticism in her teachings and her lifestyle. Instead of acting sensibly by applying for government grants to create programs to eliminate poverty, Mother Teresa and her sisters moved into neighborhoods and befriended people. Their houses often become oases of hope and peace, like the ones in Canada , and especially the convent in downtown Toronto . When Mother Teresa speaks of ’sharing poverty,’ she defies the logic of institutions that prefer agendas for the poor, not communion with individual poor people. Agents and instruments of communion are often called irrelevant by the world.

Though she left this world scene thirteen years ago, this tiny nun made the news big time several years ago with the publication of her letters. Many journalists, magazine editors, television newscasters and bloggers got the story all wrong with their sensational headlines: “Mother Teresa’s secret life: crisis and darkness,” or ” Calcutta ’s Saint was an atheist,” or even “Mother and the Absent One.” Some commentators wrote: “She lost her faith and the Church rewards her for it.” These people seem unaware that those who prepared Mother’s Beatification in 2003 cited the letters as proof of her exceptional faith and not the absence of it.

Mother Teresa tells us in those deeply personal messages that she once felt God’s powerful presence and heard Jesus speak to her. Then God withdrew and Jesus was silent. What Mother Teresa experienced thereafter was faith devoid of any emotional consolation. In the end Mother Teresa had to rely on raw faith, hope and charity. These are the virtues of all Christians, not just the spiritual elite. She was one of us after all.

Years ago, during my graduate studies in Rome , I met Mother Teresa of Calcutta several times while I was teaching her sisters in a slum neighborhood on the outskirts of the Eternal City . At the end of our first visit, she blessed my forehead before placing into my hands one of her famous business cards unlike any I had ever seen.

On one side of the card were these words: “The fruit of silence is PRAYER. The fruit of prayer is FAITH. The fruit of faith is LOVE. The fruit of love is SERVICE. The fruit of service is PEACE. God bless you. –Mother Teresa.

There were no e-mail address, phone number or website on the card. Mother didn’t need an address back then. And Blessed Teresa of Calcutta certainly doesn’t need contact information today. Everyone now knows where she is and how to reach her.

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us.

Fr. Thomas Rosica CSB,
CEO, Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation

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A recent convert to Catholicism and a New York City suburb native, Audrey told us about her vision for Catholic music and about how we should not be afraid to set the bar high.

As mentioned in a previous post, her newest album, The House You’re Building, is proof of her strong convictions.

The album has been eagerly received by Catholic and non-Catholic fans alike (the album’s first single received one of iTunes strongest debuts on the Christian/Gospel Singles chart) and having toured already with the likes of Matt Maher and Chris Tomlin, it appears that Audrey will be sticking around for a while.

“A lot of new artists come and go in this business,” says Charlie Lowell of Jars of Clay, “Audrey Assad will not be one of those- she’s a refreshing artist- a voice comforting and challenging together. Her melodic sensibilities are infectious and she communicates God’s caring and creative hear in a way that cuts through the day-to-day mess of life. It will be a privilege to share the stage with Audrey, and to watch her grow as an artist over the years.”

Last week, I had the opportunity to speak with Audrey about her art as vocation, about her convictions on the nature of “Catholic” music and about her dreams for the future.

Below is a complete transcript of our discussion.

S+L: Audrey, thanks so much for agreeing to speak with me today. This is a really big deal; your first Nashville-produced CD especially given that your producer actually works with Marc Broussard, Natasha Beddingfield and Brooke Fraser to name a few…and the album’s first single did so well on iTunes when it first debuted. I can imagine it must feel kind of surreal for you. Can you tell us a little bit about the path that led you to where you are now and how you feel about making the journey?

AA: I’ve been a musician my whole life but I’ve always kind of had it as a hobby until I was 19 which was 8 years ago because I’m 27 now. And I had this sort of awakening at 19 to many things particularly in a spiritual way to Jesus. But also, I think I figured out that music was sort of my gifting and not just something to do on the side. So since then, I’ve literally for 8 years just been writing and singing and plugging away kind of with no strategy per se. The only think I knew was that eventually I needed to make a record which I ended up doing independently in 2008 .That was the beginning of the process with all the record label stuff and that was what got the attention of the people I work with now (that 5 song EP that we put out independently with some friends of mine that worked on it with me). That whole project cost about $7000 and then a week later, Sparrow records was on the phone and two years after that, here we are.

S+L: Well you’re definitely meant to be doing what you’re doing. Your lyrics Audrey they’re so alive. If I could say one word, I would just say that: they are alive. They are obviously the fruit of a lot of prayer and spiritual insights and I just wanted to know, could you tell us a little bit about your writing process and how these songs are born. I was wondering as I was listening it must feel a bit like your journal is being played on iPods all across North America! It must kind of feel weird!

AA: It does feel like that, actually! And I sometimes curse myself for doing that! Because I think man, in a good way, it robs me of the opportunity to be inauthentic with people because, you know, I’ve put it out there in so many ways that a lot of people maybe wouldn’t do. For me, I wouldn’t say that I start with lyrics first as a rule, but they are the part that I spend the most time on. A lot of them do come as a result of a lot of contemplation and prayer but also, like you said, journaling. That’s something I’ve been doing since I was 11 and I’ve probably got about 30 or 35 full books just full of nonsense from my adolescence (laughs). But nowadays, my journals are more spiritual in nature and so I will, a lot of times pull topically from that and then I often pull lyrically in terms of vocabulary and phrasing from things I’m reading.

S+L: I was reading a bit about your past and obviously I came across that fact that you’re a recent convert to Catholicism which I found kind of neat and I was wondering if in your spiritual journey, have you noticed a shift in the way your music comes to spring up within you. Do you notice that as you mature the music comes to you differently?

AA: I would say so. I think probably Catholicism has something to do with that but you know, in general maturing as a person just in all areas has something to do with that as well. But I guess what I see the biggest difference in is obviously theology. I think, not that it’s a total shift now, really, it’s not. I’m taking things to their farthest conclusion now. Whereas before it might have been a little more elementary or, that’s not even the right word just sort of in an anti-chamber, just outside looking in kind of thing. But now I’d say with the Eucharist there, not even speaking intellectually but from an emotional and spiritual standpoint, I’m accessing parts of not only myself but of the Lord that I never did. So it’s definitely affected my song-writing, for sure, and I’m not sure how much it is directly co-related but I’m sure it has something to do with it.

S+L: I definitely see work as an artist or a musician as a sub-vocation almost…to create, to be a co-creator… How would you describe your duties as a musician as basically a guardian of God’s Beauty? It’s a very privileged view.

AA: Wow, I’ve never heard it put that way. That’s a lovely way to put it. I think there are obviously unique joys and burdens that come with it like anything. I think for me, probably deepest joy that it brings is when there are these moments and they don’t happen every moment, not even every show per se, but there are these moments where I lose myself completely in the singing and in the telling of these things or in the writing. Sometimes that happens too. When this happens, I feel like a transaction has taken place between myself and the Divine something kind of exchanged between us; that I have this unbelievable privilege and burden of sharing with the world. I couldn’t put that into words if I tried but I think the best way I can simplify it is to say that I think my job is to you know, is to bloom where I’m planted and do what I’m gifted to do, but all to open hearts to God even if it’s only a little bit farther, a little bit of an opening. Even if I never see the fruit of that encounter with them, whether or not I ever hear of it…that is my life’s work.

S+L: Audrey if I could ask you, do you have a particular vision for Catholic music? There is definitely a profundity that is present in your music and I was wondering if you could have your say, what would be your vision for Catholic music be?

AA: Well, I’d say it’s pretty similar to my vision for Christian music in general. My vision quite honestly is that all religious music would be either church music, meaning sacred for use in liturgy or just music and not have a religious label at all. Meaning that if I had my perfect way, meaning what I could see a s a perfect way for music to be is that all music is music and that when Christians and Catholics in particular would make music that it would be artistically competitive with what the world was doing but not in the sense that we are beating them at their own game but rather that we’re setting the bar, the way it used to be, you know. I think that the only way that is possible is if we get out of the sub-genre that we’re in. Because, quite honestly I think that getting rid of the labels of Christian and Catholic in front of the word music would help that come to pass because you can’t set a precedent when no one is listening to you. And when you have a sub-genre like that, people aren’t accessing what you’re doing because they already think “I don’t want to listen to that”. The best example I can think of right now is a band called Mumford and Sons from the UK. I don’t particularly know for sure that they are Christians but I can’t imagine that they’re not after reading their lyrics. But they are at the top of their game in England and people are buying their records because their music is so good. And they speak about love in a way that is so compelling that it can’t help but inspire a person who’s really listening to ask questions and I think that’s how music should be. But when we have this sub-niche that we’re kind of stuck in, you know, the world is passing us over because they see the world Catholic or Christian in front of it and they say “it’s not for me”.

S+L: Very well put. That’s wonderful. I’m just wondering if you had a dream project or a dream collaboration; do you have anything in mind for what’s up next for you?

AA: Oh man, a dream project! I’d love to do a lullaby record and I’d love to…and I’d love to do …this sounds ambitious…but I’d love to sing in French. I grew up with French in my house. I know a few French songs, but I think it would be lovely to do a few songs, maybe for a lullaby record even, in another language. So who knows, we’ll see how it goes I have a lot of ideas.

S+L: We’ll be watching closely for that! And finally, I’m wondering, when are you coming to Canada? You have lots of fans up here!

AA: I would love to come back to Canada! The last time I played in Canada was a few months back I think in April I was in Halifax for a concert there. It’s the first time I’ve ever been there and I fell completely in love with it. I mean I’ve always wanted to go because I’m a huge fan of Lucy Maud Montgomery of course. I’ve never been to PEI yet but that’s next on my list.

S+L: What does your tour schedule looking like? Do you have an idea of that yet? Does it look like a pretty gruelling next few years for you?

AA: well the fall is you know, actually kind of a patch-work quilt at this point. Some mini-tours and a lot of just individuals shows that I’ve booked but I have Christmas and spring tours in the works and then next summer Matt Maher and I are hoping to do some European travel with this music stuff so, I don’t know, it’s all in the conception phase. So this year is looking rather busy and I’m getting married in the spring.

S+L: Oh congratulations on that!

AA: Thank you!

S+L: So we can be expecting more collaborations between you and Matt Maher, then?

AA: Oh yeah!

S+L: Audrey, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me.[…] it’s been a pleasure

AA: Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.

S+L: The more people who hear you, the better off we’ll be, it’s a treasure.

AA: Thank you very much!

FIN.

To hear tracks from Audrey’s new album, visit her myspace here .

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But Father Luke Strand dismisses that description.

The priest from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has been asked by Best Buy to remove a God Squad logo from his black Volkswagen Beetle.

The electronic retailer says the logo is a copyright infringement on its logo for the Geek Squad, the company’s technical customer service division.

Father Strand, pictured with seminary classmates shortly after being ordained deacons in 2008, complied with the request and, along with Best Buy’s assistance, is working on redesigning his God Squad logo.  After all, he doesn’t want to completely abandon the opportunity to bring the Gospel message to the streets.

“I just found it to be a phenomenal opportunity to really spark those conversations with people who might be questioning their life, want to talk a little about where they are in their relationship with God.” says Fr. Strand.

And logo or not, you will still be able to identify his car from his personalized license plate: GODLVYA.

Read the full CNS article on Fr. Strand HERE.

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CNS photo/courtesy St. Francis Seminary/Emerald Isle Marketing

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This is the second of a series of blogs on the legacy of Brother André.

AN ORDINARY, BUT GREAT, LOVE
By Fr. Andrew Gawrych, CSC

At the time I met Brother Donald Kuchenmeister, CSC, I had not yet heard of Blessed Brother André.  Brother Donald was the Holy Cross brother who ran the orphanage and foster home in Santiago, Chile, where I lived and worked as an exchange student back in 2000.  The orphanage, named Hogar Santa Cruz, was home to 30 children from as young as 3 or 4 to as old as 18.  Like all children the world over, they were easy to love.  But like all children who had lived through such suffering and pain in their young lives, they struggled to love.

Brother Donald loved each and every one of those children as if they were his own, and he helped them learn, little by little, how to love and be loved.  It was amazing to see how the children were transformed through his love and care.  And it was not as if he had discovered any big secret in terms of reaching out to at-risk children.  Instead, he simply loved them in all the little moments, day in and day out – like making meals for them, cutting their hair, playing bingo with them, or asking how their days at school had gone.  But it was through his fidelity to those little things that the depths of his love shone forth to those children.

As I came to know more about Blessed Brother André, I was reminded of Brother Donald.  With Blessed Brother André, it is tempting to get caught up in all the miraculous healings or in the construction of the magnificent oratory and believe they are the definite marks of the depths of his love.  Over the course of his life as a religious brother, however, Blessed Brother André, much like Brother Donald, spent as much time, if not more, showing his love for others through his fidelity in the little things.  After all, Blessed Brother André spent many of his years in Holy Cross, even the years including the miraculous healings, serving as barber, janitor, porter, driver, repairman, carpenter, and handyman extraordinaire.

His fellow blessed, Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, “In this life we cannot do great things.  We can only do small things with great love.”  Blessed Brother André did just that; he did the small things with great love, and that is why he is such a great and inspiring saint.  And yet, he certainly is not alone in that regard.  Countless others, including many of his fellow Holy Cross brothers like Brother Donald, continue to show forth the great love of our God through the little things they do.  That is not to say they don’t have great responsibilities or important missions.  Yet the mark of what they do – and the mark of what we all do – is more often than not our faithfulness in doing the little things with great love.

That is greatness.  That is saintliness.

Starting August 29th, seven Holy Cross priests and brothers from around the world will be telling their personal stories in relation to Brother André.  The site is:  www.cscpriestsandbrothers.blogspot.com.

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If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you may be interested to know that today the Church celebrates St. Bernard of Clairvaux . Among other things (as you saw), St. Bernard is renowned for his deep devotion to the Blessed Mother (he is credited with having penned the Memorare prayer) and for his commitment to the austerity of the Cistercian life.

Born in 1090 at Fontaines near Dijon, France, St. Bernard was one of 7 children; 6 of which were boys. St Bernard’s family was ranked among Burgundy’s most affluent nobles. Having drank from the cup of wealth and affluence in high French society, Bernard understood that his thirst could not be quenched by the pursuit of earthly pleasures.

After losing his mother when he was 19, St. Bernard resolved to enter the Cistercian monastery. His piety, quick wit and his spirit of recollection led him to be chosen among 13 other monks to found a new monastery in Clair Vallée which Bernard later called “Clairvaux”.

Soon thereafter, Bernard was nominated abbot of the monastery. This nomination led him to be one of the most conspicuous figures of the 12th century. In the years to follow, Bernard’s name and Clairvaux became interchangeable as pilgrims came in droves to hear the abbot preach.

The following is an excerpt from the homily In Praise of the Virgin Mother by St. Bernard (Hom. 4, 8-9: Opera omnia, Edit. Cisterc. 4 [1966], 53-54):

You have heard, O Virgin that you will conceive and bear a son; you have heard that it will not be by man but by the Holy Spirit. The angel awaits an answer; it is time for him to return to God who sent him. We too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion; the sentence of condemnation weighs heavily upon us.

The price of our salvation is offered to you. We shall be set free at once if you consent. In the eternal Word of God we all came to be, and behold, we die. In your brief response we are to be remade in order to be recalled to life.

Tearful Adam with his sorrowing family begs this of you, O loving Virgin, in their exile from Paradise. Abraham begs it, David begs it. All the other holy patriarchs, your ancestors, ask it of you, as they dwell in the country of the shadow of death. This is what the whole earth waits for, prostrate at your feet. It is right in doing so, for on your word depends comfort for the wretched, ransom for the captive, freedom for the condemned, indeed, salvation for all the sons of Adam, the whole of your race.

Answer quickly, O Virgin. Reply in haste to the angel, or rather through the angel to the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the eternal Word.

Why do you delay, why are you afraid? Believe, give praise, and receive. Let humility be bold, let modesty be confident. This is no time for virginal simplicity to forget prudence. In this matter alone, O prudent Virgin, do not fear to be presumptuous. Though modest silence is pleasing, dutiful speech is now more necessary. Open your heart to faith, O blessed Virgin, your lips to praise, your womb to the Creator. See, the desired of all nations is at your door, knocking to enter. If he should pass by because of your delay, in sorrow you would begin to seek him afresh, the One whom your soul loves. Arise, hasten, open. Arise in faith, hasten in devotion, open in praise and thanksgiving. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, she says, be it done to me according to your word.

[This excerpt is used in the Roman Office of Readings on December 20, in the fourth week of Advent, but it is also a great reading for the Solemnity (Feast) of the Annunciation of the Lord on March 25. Bernard dramatically celebrates Mary's Fiat, or statement of consent in response to the announcement by the archangel Gabriel, behold the handmaiden of the Lord; "let it me done to me according to your word."]

At the request of the Pope, Bernard was asked to mediate in the holy wars and so, in the name of obedience, he undertook many arduous journeys.

Throughout his life, St. Bernard was held responsible for the founding of over 163 monasteries throughout France. At the time of his death however, this number expanded to 343. At this point, monasteries were bursting at the seams with vocations and it seemed that buildings were not going up quickly enough to house all of St. Bernard’s sons. Eventually, every one of his blood brothers and even his birth father entered the religious life leaving only his sister remaining in the world and she, with her husband’s permission, took the veil in the Benedictine Convent of Jully.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux is a unique fusion of contemplative meets active. During his highly sought-after (yet rare) times of solitude in the silence of the cloister, St. Bernard produced a number of timeless spiritual works. These works led to his designation as “Doctor of the Church”. One such testament to the timelessness of his writings is found in his compilation of sermons on the Song of Songs.

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The Archbishop of Québec gave a more intimate farewell on Sunday at the shrine of Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré. There he reflected on his experience at the helm of Canada’s first diocese. He summarized his nearly eight-year episcopal ministry in Quebec City as “a call reprised one thousand-times on the same theme: the Resurrection of Christ and the faith of the Church lived perfectly by Mary, the Servant of the Lord.”

The Cardinal reaffirmed that the cultural identity of Quebec has been formed by the mysteries of faith. Known for his candour in confronting his province’s challenges, he also asked for forgiveness for any hurt his words or decisions may have caused.

If you missed S+L’s rebroadcast of the celebration this past Tuesday, you can watch it at ECDQ.tv, the media portal of the Archdiocese of Québec. Published below is Salt + Light’s unofficial translation of Cardinal Ouellet’s farewell homily.

THE ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY

Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,

On November 15, 2002, I welcomed, in the Spirit of the Lord, the mission of pastoral service in the Archdiocese of Québec.

On this day, August 15th, 2010, I leave our country to respond to the call of the Holy Father, our Pope Benedict XVI, who appointed me to direct the Congregation for Bishops and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. It is again in this same Spirit of the Lord that I would like to share my thanksgiving to God and my gratitude towards you for these blessed years that He has given us to live together.

During these eight years, bonds have been formed between us: I have experienced profound joys, numerous consolations even amidst challenges, and also moments that have marked my ministry as Archbishop of Québec and Primate of Canada. I am convinced that these bonds formed by the Lord will survive and I pray to God to render fruitful the sacrifice of this departure by accepting, both you and me, His will for our lives. His will is nothing but Love, I experienced it at the heart of this large diocesan family, which I have loved and will miss.

It is a particular joy to live this “goodbye” during the liturgical framework of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Most Holy Virgin. It is a feast that is dear to the Christian tradition of France to which we owe so much. Many of you have come to this gathering. I once again thank my brother bishops, priests and deacons, civil dignitaries, consecrated religious, and all you brothers and sisters who honor me with your presence here in this magnificent shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. Thank you for being part of this gathering, which symbolizes all the groups of people I have encountered since I began my ministry in Québec and in Canada. Last Sunday, I experienced a beautiful celebration at the Cathedral of Amos with my fellow Abitibians. As well as at Chapel Island in Nova-Scotia where, as special envoy of Pope Benedict XVI, I presided over the 400th anniversary of the baptism of Henri Membertou of the Mi’kmaq Nation, the first aboriginal grand chief in North America to embrace the Catholic faith in 1610. I welcome here in a special way the First Nations of Canada and I hope that their ancestral rights would be recognized and that their developmental projects would be further supported by the entire Canadian population.

The readings of the liturgy of the Word have immersed us in the mystery of the Assumption. “A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birthpangs, in the agony of giving birth.” This apocalyptic scene describes the spiritual motherhood of Mary who participates in the suffering of Christ at the foot of the cross. “Another portent appeared in heaven: an enormous fire-red dragon that looked to devour the woman’s child as soon as it was born.” The dragon was defeated by this Child, the Sheppard of all nations, who knew death yet conquered it, through love. He is the first Resurrected. Mary is the second because her Assumption into heaven made her participate in the glory of the Resurrection. The dogma of faith defined by the Church in 1950 affirms that the Immaculate Virgin was brought up into heaven in her body and soul. It is there that she sings with the whole Church her Magnificat for the marvelous things God has done in the history of salvation. It is there, crowned by God, that she intercedes for us, poor sinners, in order to support our walk with Christ. In suffering she kept full confidence. All of her power she has obtained in her fruitful communion with her Son. That is why she became the universal Mother in the power of the Spirit.

My episcopal ministry in Québec was, in effect, a call reprised one thousand-times on the same theme: the resurrection of Christ and the faith of the Church lived perfectly by Mary, the Servant of the Lord. To our society in search of values, I wanted to proclaim the good news of the victory of Love over hatred, the victory of grace over sin, and the victory of Life over death. I have often invited people to cultivate a faith illuminated by the Word of God, which calls us continuously to conversion. I have also been reminded of the grace of the Eucharist, which nourishes the Christian commitment to the most deprived and the hope of our blessed immortality. Our Québecois cultural identity, has it not been formed for the past four centuries by these mysteries of faith? Let us keep this momentum and a dynamism directed towards the future.

It is with profound gratitude that I thank the Lord for these past eight years in which I have been privileged to serve the People of God in the Archdiocese of Québec. My episcopal ministry here has given me the opportunity to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel and share the journey of faith. The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother is a very appropriate one that invites us all to contemplate the Paschal Mystery and to renew our faith in the Resurrection of Christ in the hope of eternal life.

The life of the Church is an ongoing journey. As I am called to serve the Universal Church in Rome, I pray for the people of the Archdiocese of Québec, for the Church and the people of Canada, that we may all continue our pilgrimage of faith, always striving for a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and a greater faithfulness to His Gospel.

I thank the auxiliary bishops and priests for their concern for collaboration and unity. This has allowed us to face the challenges posed to the Christian conscience by our secular society. Despite the recurring tensions, though all have been fruitful, we have walked in fidelity to the Lord and His Church. I have received a lot from you, my dear confrères, and I appreciate your obedience to decisions that have signaled turning points and have occasionally demanded certain renunciations. It is to arouse a renewal in the priesthood that I have spent much effort, because I have a profound respect for you and for the irreplaceable ministry that you exercise. I also recognize the precious help of deacons and pastoral associates. Your vocation is of service and sharing, in fidelity to the Word, to join the people of God through pastoral and spiritual animation.

During certain public debates or in pastoral decisions, I am conscious that a number of people may have been hurt or pained: the message of the truth is not always welcome; it causes suffering for the one who hears and sometimes for the minister who proclaims it. But God Himself showed us that suffering can be a source of life. However, conscious of my own weaknesses, I ask forgiveness from God and my brothers and sisters for all that may have harmed them. That the merciful Father would allow us to say goodbye in peace and reconciliation!

Confident that the bonds formed would continue to unite us in the love of the Church, I commend myself to your prayers that you would obtain for me the gift of spiritual discernment and the wisdom necessary to accomplish my new ministry in full uprightness of conscience. And that my daily collaboration with the Holy Father Benedict XVI would be selfless, prudent, effective and loving. That nobody would ignore the importance of the ministry of bishops at the service of which I will henceforth dedicate all my energies. That the Holy Spirit and the prayer of all the faithful would come to my aid.

Conscious that the bonds of love formed by the Spirit will never die and will always keep us united together, I promise you, dear friends, to carry your intentions daily to the altar of the Lord. I carry with me the beauty of growing families, emerging vocations, and the networks of the Church in synergy. I keep in my heart the poor, the sick, the afflicted, the elderly, and also immigrants who ask for hospitality in our country. That the Immaculate Virgin and St. Louis, patrons of the diocese, would obtain for you the ability to always better witness the joy of the faith and the active charity that gives our human activities their fullness of meaning.

As a sign of my gratitude towards God and you, I address to you a final pastoral letter with the title: Always together on the Way. This letter also contains three texts, which I wrote over the past several months for the universal Church. I desire to leave them for you to meditate on. For certain passages that may require a second reading, I ask the Holy Spirit to facilitate your comprehension and to excuse my loftiness…in the end I want to say what is more dogmatically precise! I dedicate these texts in a special way and with full affection to the youth, to families, and to priests.

Dear friends, I thank you for the support you have shown me in thousands of ways in these final months and particularly since my recent nomination.

Let us thank God for profoundly uniting us on the road of the Gospel for His greater glory and for our salvation. And that Our Lady of the Assumption and of the Immaculate Conception would continue, in the Holy Spirit, her spiritual motherhood towards us, by making her Son increase within each of us more each day.

Let us continue to walk together
with Him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life! (Jn 14:6)

Marc Cardinal Ouellet
Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops

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No, we’re confident the Holy Father will not be quoting portions of Lord of the Rings in any homilies or addresses.

However, the legendary author’s great nephew, Tim Tolkien, will be sculpting a life-size statue of Cardinal John Henry Newman for Birmingham’s Cofton Park.

That’s where the Pontiff will celebrate an open-air Beatification Mass for the holy scholar on September 19th.

The steel, bronze-sprayed statue will likely be placed next to the stage, and the accomplished sculptor is hopeful the Holy Father will bless it.

“It’s a great privilege,” said the 47-year old, “The Pope doesn’t come often and it’s happening in this city.”

Read the full article about the sculpture at the Birmingham Mail HERE.

Of course, this isn’t the first Tolkien-Newman connection.  The Cardinal founded the English Oratory (the Oratory of St. Philip Neri is a congregation of priests and brothers founded by St. Philip in Rome in the 16th century).  He later lived, and was buried, at the Birmingham Oratory.

When his mother died, a 12-year old Tolkien was entrusted to a priest at the Birmingham Oratory (his father had died years earlier, and the family had separated themselves from them after Tolkien’s mother converted to Catholicism).  For a period Tolkien lived and attended an Oratorian run school.  In fact, there’s an amusing legend that Tolkien took great pleasure placing the house’s cat in the refectory’s lazy Susan (or dumbwaiter) – offering a bit of a surprise for servers at meals!

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Check back regularly to the Salt + Light blog for further updates on the trip and our broadcast details.
CNS photo/courtesy Fathers of the Birmingham Oratory

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Pope Benedict’s visit will be pastoral, but since he accepted a formal invitation by the UK government it is also considered a State visit. He will not only make a courtesy visit to Her Magesty Queen Elizabeth at her Scottish summer palace, he will also meet with Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, and the leader of the opposition.

Pope Benedict will also meet with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, at Lambeth Palace. No doubt observers will be watching that meeting closely. After the meeting with Williams, the Holy Father will proceed to Westminster Hall. There, in the same hall where St. Thomas More was tried and convicted, Pope Benedict will deliver an address to British academic and religious leaders as well as members of the cultural and business world.

The highlight of the papal visit, however, is meant to be the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman. On the evening September 18th the Holy Father will lead a prayer vigil in London’s Hyde Park in preparation for the beatification. The next morning he will fly to Birmingham’s Cofton Park to celebrate the beatification Mass for Cardinal Newman.  (as an aside, but related to the Holy Father’s celebration of Mass during this trip: CNS is reporting that the Papal Masses will feature some of the new English translation, specifically parts of the Mass usually set to music, such as the Gloria.)

Access to Papal Events on this trip is tightly controlled to ensure that those who attend papal Masses and prayer services are there out of genuine spiritual desire. People who want to attend an event must register through their parish. They are then assigned a pilgrim group, complete with a group leader and they must travel with that group on the day of the event. On the upside, they will get “pilgrim packs” along with their tickets, a pack of memorabilia, missals, maps, and other materials to make attending an event a spiritual event as much as possible. Of course the Pope will be traveling through the city by car and Pope mobile and people will be able to catch a glimpse of him as he passes.

Salt + Light will be bringing you full live coverage of the visit, airing the events which are televised by the host broadcaster in the UK.  Stay tuned to our website in the coming weeks for a detailed broadcast schedule.  In the meantime, here is the schedule of the trip that the Vatican released today. Times are local with Eastern Standard Time in parenthesis:

Thursday, September 16th (Rome, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London)

• 8:10 am (2:10 am) Departure from Rome’s Ciampino airport,
• 10:30 am (5:30 am) Arrival at Edinburgh Airport. Official welcome.
• 11 a.m. (6 am) Welcoming ceremony at the Royal Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. Visit with Queen Elizabeth II.
• 11:40 am (6:40 am) Meeting with authorities in the park of Holyroodhouse. Speech by Pope.
• 1 pm (8 am) Lunch with members of the papal entourage in the archbishop’s residence in Edinburgh.
• 5:15 pm (12:15 pm) Mass in Bellahouston Park in Glasgow. Homily by Pope.
• 8 pm (3 pm) Departure from Glasgow Airport for London.
• 9:25 pm (4:25 pm) Arrival at London’s Heathrow Airport.

Friday, September 17th (London)

• 8 am (3 am) Private Mass in the chapel of the Apostolic Nunciature in Wimbledon.
• 10 am (5 am) Meeting with staff and students of Catholic schools in the chapel and on the sports field of St. Mary’s University College in Twickenham. Greeting and speech by Pope.
• 11:30 am (6:30 am) Meeting with leaders of other religions in the Waldegrave Drawing Room of St. Mary’s University College. Speech by Pope.
• 4 p.m. (11 am) Courtesy visit with the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace. Speech by Pope.
• 5:10 pm (12:10 pm) Meeting with representatives of British society, the academic, cultural and business spheres, members of the diplomatic corps and religious leaders in Westminster Hall. Speech by Pope.
• 6:15 pm (1:15 pm) Ecumenical celebration in Westminster Abbey. Speech by Pope.

Saturday, September 18th (London)

• 9 am (4 am) Meeting with the Prime Minister in the residence of the Archbishop of Westminster.
• 9:20 am (4:20 am) Meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister in the Archbishop’s residence.
• 9:30 am (4:30 am) Meeting with leaders of the opposition in the Archbishop’s residence.
• 10 am (5 am) Mass in Westminster Cathedral. Homily by Pope.
• 5 pm (Noon) Visit to St. Peter’s Residence, a home for the elderly. Speech by Pope.
• 6:15 pm (1:15 pm) Prayer vigil for the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman in Hyde Park. Speech by Pope.

Sunday, September 19th (London, Birmingham, Rome)

• 8 am (3 am) Departure from the Apostolic Nunciature in Wimbledon.
• 8:45 am (3:45 am) Departure by helicopter from Wimbledon Park to Birmingham.
• 9:30 am (4:30 am) Arrival at the heliport near Cofton Park in Birmingham.
• 10 am (5 am) Mass and the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman in Cofton Park. Homily by Pope Benedict. Recitation of the Angelus prayer. Remarks by Pope.
• 1:10 pm (8:10 am) Private visit to the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Birmingham.
• 1:45 pm (8:45 am) Lunch with the bishops of England, Wales and Scotland and with members of the papal entourage in the refectory of Francis Martyn House at Oscott College in Birmingham.
• 4:45 pm (11:45 am) Meeting with the Bishops of England, Wales and Scotland in the chapel of Francis Martyn House.
• 6:15 pm (1:15 pm) Farewell ceremony at Birmingham International Airport. Speech by Pope.
• 6:45 pm (1:45 pm) Departure from Birmingham International Airport.
• 10:30 pm (4:30 pm) Arrival at Rome’s Ciampino airport.

On the release of the schedule, Vatican Press Office director Fr. Lombardi spoke with Vatican Radio.  Visit HERE for his  thoughts on the trip.

For more on the Pope’s visit, check out the official website www.thepapalvisit.org.uk.

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Photos: Top — CNS photo/Paul Haring; Bottom — CNS photo/Marcin Mazur, courtesy of Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

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Lord, who will be saved?

The question to Jesus really is: “Will only a few be saved?”  Jesus answers by saying that the initiation is open but the way into the kingdom is narrow and demands more than casual interest.  In fact, the “door of opportunity” will not remain forever open.  God’s purpose moves toward the eschaton, and when the door is closed, it is closed.  This door will certainly not be reopened for persons who only claim is that Jesus once visited their towns and villages or preached in their streets or that they once saw Jesus and a crowd or encountered members of his family.  Such appeals are not only futile but also self-incriminating because their opportunities carried obligations.  Added to the pain of sitting before a closed door will be the sight of large numbers who are admitted, not only the expected ones among Israel’s ancient faithful but also the unexpected Gentiles who heard and believed.  It provides Israel and us opportunity to assess where we stand in relation to the Kingdom of God.

What does it mean to be saved?

To be saved as Christians, we must acknowledge Jesus now as master.  From today’s Gospel we learn that Jesus may not recognize everyone who bears the name “Christian”, but he will recognize immediately all those whose lives bear the stamp of “Christian”.  Each of us must re-think whatever notions we have of the kingdom of God, of who will be saved.  Those we think least likely to enter may be the first to do so, and vice-versa. Salvation is a life-long journey and along the way we are found and chosen by God.  On the journey we become friends with God and with one another, and enter more deeply into the holy mystery of God.  Furthermore, the whole transformative journey is made in love.

Salvation through Jesus Christ

The difficulties that sometimes accompany our efforts of evangelization revolve around the problem of the salvation of those who do not visibly belong to the Church.  In his brilliant Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio, Pope John Paul II wrote that the gift of salvation cannot be limited “to those who explicitly believe in Christ and have entered the Church. Since salvation is offered to all, it must be made concretely available to all.” And, in admitting that it is concretely impossible for many people to have access to the Gospel message, the Pope stated: “Many people do not have the opportunity to come to know or accept the Gospel revelation or to enter the Church. The social and cultural conditions in which they live do not permit this, and frequently they have been brought up in other religious traditions” [RM 10].

We must never justify the relativistic position of many today who maintain that a way of salvation can be found in any religion, even independently of faith in Christ the Redeemer, and that interreligious dialogue must be based on this ambiguous idea. That solution to the problem of the salvation of those who do not profess the Christian creed is not in conformity with the Gospel. Rather, we must maintain that the way of salvation always passes through Christ, and therefore the Church and her missionaries have the task of making him known and loved in every time, place and culture. Apart from Christ “there is no salvation.”

As Peter proclaimed before the Sanhedrin at the very start of the apostolic preaching: “There is no other name in the whole world given to men by which we are to be saved” [Acts 4:12].

Are you saved?

Has anyone ever asked you if you have been saved?  Several years ago, I was walking in downtown Toronto to an evening event, dressed in my clerical suit and engrossed in thought when a small group of street people met me and struck up a conversation.  “Hey, Reverend, have you been saved?”  It was the last thing I needed to hear that evening!   I told them that I wasn’t able to answer their question.  My mind was on the talk I was to deliver later that evening to Catholic business leaders at a dinner function.  One of them replied: “You Catholics aren’t saved, and you don’t know what it means!”

That whole encounter got me thinking.  Such questions about being saved are never put to me in theological faculties or Church meetings.  I am often asked if I have been saved at downtown street corners, or at the entrance to a large shopping mall in downtown Toronto.  I say to myself: “Are they not simply poorly educated, unsophisticated street folks or fundamentalists who rudely break into my quiet space with their impertinent questions?  Nevertheless their question is one that must be dealt with, especially for us Catholics who aren’t often versed in the biblical language of salvation and who are not used to providing an answer to such an essential question.  The next time we are asked if we have been saved, we might do well to ponder the idea a bit, and we may be pleasantly surprised at the results of our reflections.

The architect of the Christian faith

In today’s second reading from the letter to the Hebrews, [12:5-7, 11-13] Christian life is to be inspired not only by the Old Testament men and women of faith [12:1] but above all by Jesus. As the architect of Christian faith, he had himself to endure the cross before receiving the glory of his triumph [12:2]. Reflection on his sufferings should give us courage to continue the struggle, if necessary even to the shedding of blood [12:3-4]. Christians should regard their own sufferings as the affectionate correction of the Lord, who loves them as a father loves his children.

Praying for the salvation of others

On August 28, the Church remembers St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine.  If anyone every prayed for the salvation of a loved one, it was Monica.  I have met many parents who confided in me their concerns and worries for their children.  I speak of Monica to each of them, reminding them that she is a great intercessor for parents, and children, in distress.  Monica undoubtedly often asked herself the question: “When and how will my son be saved?” as she waited with great perseverance and patience for her son Augustine’s conversion.

Monica had many reasons to worry about her son.  At eighteen Augustine had a mistress and a child. Then, Augustine joined the religious cult of the Manichees.  Preaching to Augustine didn’t work and disowning him only drove him away.  When she asked a bishop to intervene, he gave her a different answer than she expected: “Let him be. Simply pray for him.”  So she prayed– even when God seemed to ignore her.  Augustine sailed for Rome though she had begged God to stop him. But God knew her real prayer – and in Rome Augustine learned enough to reject the Manichees, but he still was not a Christian.

Patience, fidelity and hope

Monica was a popular saint in whom we see several important characteristics: patience– first with her husband and then with her son who exhibited quite dysfunctional behavior as we would call it today!  It was only in the last year of her life that Augustine converted to Christianity.  Monica was a model of fidelity– she trusted in Providence and lived with so much obscurity and ambiguity.  She was also a model of hope– in a moving conversation in Ostia with her son, they both gazed out over the sea and reflected on the real questions of life and death.  Read Augustine’s words from his Confessions about his mother’s persevering faith:

The day was now approaching when my mother Monica would depart from this life; you knew that day, Lord, though we did not…  My mother said: “Son, as far as I am concerned, nothing in this life now gives me any pleasure.  I do not know why I am still here, since I have no further hopes in this world.  I did have one reason for wanting to live a little longer: to see you become a Catholic Christian before I died.  God has lavished his gifts on me in respect, for I know that you have even renounced earthly happiness to be his servant.

Monica’s prayers and her quiet, consistent and loving witness bore fruit for all the church: Augustine was baptized in 387 and became bishop of Hippo in North Africa less than ten years later.  It was only in the last year of her life that Augustine converted to Christianity. It had taken thirty-three years but God answered her prayers in a way she never expected – Augustine became a Saint and a Doctor of the Church.

As we remember and celebrate the life of this holy mother, let us give thanks for the ordinary faith of our parents and friends, who have been for us models of great faith, fidelity, patience and hope.  Such people help us to desire and taste salvation here and now.

Father Thomas Rosica, CSB
CEO Salt + Light Catholic Television Network

[The readings for this Sunday are Isaiah 66:18-21; Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13; Luke 13:22-30]

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That’s the amount of prayer that benefactors of the charity Aid to the Church in Need have pledged to Pope Benedict XVI.

For those of you keeping count, that prayer total works out to more than six months of continuous prayer.

And that doesn’t include the eleven thousand Masses that will be offered for the Holy Father!

ACN organized the “prayer-action” for the Pontiff in anticipation of his visit to the United Kingdom, September 16th-19th.

Those who participated will have their name added to a book that will presented to the Holy Father during his Apostolic journey.

Aid to the Church in Need is an international Catholic charity that helps suffering and persecuted faithful worldwide.  You may have even seen some of their television programs on Salt + Light. Some of their projects include training for seminarians and aid for Iraqi Christian refugees (as a side note:  though not related to ACN, Toronto’s Archbishop Thomas Collins has recently encouraged Canadians to support the latter group).

Visit Vatican Radio HERE to learn more about ACN’s “Prayer-Action” for the Pope and the Papal visit to the UK.

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CNS photo/Paul Haring

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First there was the celebration of Mass at the Church of St. Thomas, located just across from the summer Papal residence.  Later in the day, the Holy Father welcomed the faithful to Castel Gandolfo for his Angelus address.

Of course, his address and homily focused on our Blessed Mother, and the significance of her assumption “body and soul into heavenly glory”. (Munificentissimus Deus 44)

In his homily the Pontiff stressed Mary’s great faith.  The Pope said faith is the root of the victory over death that we see anticipated in the Assumption.  Her faith is “obedience to the Word of God and a total abandon to divine initiative and action as announced to her by the Archangel.”

The Pope also offered a meditation on Heaven during his homily.  He says when the Church teaches that Mary was taken “body and soul into heaven,” heaven is not a reference “to some place in the universe, a star or something similar.”  He explained:

With the word “Heaven’, we affirm that God, the God who made himself close to us, will never abandon us, not even in death or beyond it, but has a place for us and grants us eternity. We are saying that in God, there is a place for us.

… It is his love that triumphs over death and that gives us eternity, and it is this love that we call ‘heaven’. God is so great that he has room for all of us. …

And God welcomes to his eternity that which now, in this life made up of suffering and love, of hope, of joy and sadness, grows and ‘becomes’. All of man, all of human life, is taken in by God and, purified in him, receives eternity.

Dear friends, I think this is a reality that should fill us with profound joy. Christianity does not just announce some generic salvation of the soul in an imprecise afterlife, in which everything that was precious and dear to us in life would be annulled – but it promises eternal life, ‘the life of the world to come’. Nothing of that which is precious and dear to us will end in ruin but will rather find their fullness in God.

You can find the full text of the homily HERE.

At the Angelus, the Holy Father’s focus shifted from faith to joy.

Framing his address in Sunday’s Gospel of the Visitation, Pope Benedict noted that Mary went in haste to Elizabeth to bring her the Savior of the world.

When she arrived, the infant in Elizabeth’s womb leaped with joy:

The two women, who were awaiting the fulfillment of divine promises, had a foretaste of the joy of the coming of the Kingdom of God, the joy of salvation.

Quoting Servant of God Paul VI, the Pope says though Mary was assumed in to heaven, she did not give up her mission of intercession and salvation.  He encouraged the faithful to invoke her to accompany us now so that she may one day welcome us alongside her Son Jesus in heaven.

To read the Angelus text, visit HERE.
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CNS photo/Alessia Giuliani, Catholic Press Photo

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That’s where, as of August 24th, he’ll take up his new role as the prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

He asked for the prayers yesterday at the St. Anne de Beaupre Basilica, where he celebrated his last official Mass as Archbishop of Quebec.

The Cardinal says he is grateful for the eight years he spent as Archbishop and says he will continue to pray for the Church in Quebec.

The prelate has also asked for forgiveness for any hurt he may have caused in his time among the people.

He says that the message of truth often causes suffering for both the giver and receiver of the message. But, added “God himself shows us that suffering can be a source of life.”

You can catch a presentation of the farewell Mass, in French, on Salt + Light Television Tuesday August 17th at 3:30pm ET.

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Photo: Cardinal Ouellet celebrates Mass at St. Paul’s Basilica in Toronto in 2008.  CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec

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A cruel prank was pulled on over 30,000 pilgrims gathered yesterday in Lourdes, located in southwest France. Police received an anonymous phone call about a bomb threat to the Shrine. The call came in as thousands of worshippers, priests and nuns were congregating for midday Mass. Officials soon began evacuating pilgrims.  It is disheartening to think about the thousands of sick and disabled that had to be ushered out in such a hurried and frightening manner.

After thoroughly sweeping the grounds and surrounding areas, army bomb disposal experts found there to be no sign of explosives. A Lourdes spokesman told the press that they have no idea who is behind the threat. “Bomb scares are not something you associate with Lourdes” he added. This is not a solitary incident however. Lourdes was evacuated in 2002 for the exact same reason, another bomb scare.

I am deeply relieved and thankful that there was in fact no real threat and that no one was harmed. At the same time, I am saddened by the monumental inconvenience suffered by the pilgrims. Over 900 seriously ill pilgrims were kept in a secure area for five hours, unsure of what would happen to them. Lourdes is meant to be a place of healing, to provide sanctuary and solace to those who visit.

There’s a time and place for a funny prank or hoax, this was most definitely not one of them. By what can be called luck or Divine Providence, the Eucharistic procession still started on schedule. Thanks be to God.

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CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec

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For one week, we marveled at the Maritime culture, wildlife and dramatic landscape of Gros Morne National Park. As we prepared to head home, I came across a familiar sight from my work in Toronto.

It was our final day in Newfoundland. My friend Lee, a campus lay missionary, suggested we go to evening mass before we boarded the ferry. An internet search found no daily masses in the area apart from the little town of Lourdes.

Lourdes is located on the triangular Port au Port Peninsula, which reaches into the Gulf of St. Lawrence from the south-west corner of Newfoundland. Our guidebook described the peninsula’s main road as the French Ancestor’s Route, owing to the area’s early settlers.

Despite the lovely name, it quickly became apparent that this wasn’t a regular tourist destination. A pair of bored-looking teens manned a quiet information centre. They listed off the peninsula’s three restaurants, none of which offered a seafood meal, much less French cuisine. Whereas the towns along Newfoundland’s north-western arm were saturated with bed & breakfasts, here, it seemed, the locals could keep the rugged shoreline to themselves.

Sizing up the village, I was skeptical about our chances of finding a Mass. Was the website information up-to-date? If there was a priest to be found at the church, would we find other worshipers?

I ought to have known better than to doubt the Catholics of Newfoundland. At the local parish (Our Lady of Lourdes, naturally) we were met by a healthy assembly of the faithful. They participated in the Mass with reverence and enthusiasm, afterwards conversing with the pastor about points of the liturgy. Fr. Terry Boland eschewed the stereotype of an isolated rural priest. He spoke glowingly of the care shown to him by the community, who would lovingly drop off an abundance of home-cooked food at the rectory.

As I exited the Church, I noticed a small stack of Salt + Light newsletters. Though I knew the lampstand was being mailed to every parish in Canada, I was encouraged to see the results first-hand. Here, 2400 kilometres from our studio — and likewise in communities big and small in every corner of the country — Catholics are doing their part to spread the word about S+L. It’s likely because of a congregation like Our Lady of Lourdes that you found out about S+L, too.

If there aren’t any copies left in your parish, you can read the most recent lampstand here. If you have received your copy, why not share it with a friend who doesn’t know about S+L? And if you’ve spotted the lampstand in a remarkable place, let us know.

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Thankfully, I had received a few lessons in hospitality just a few weeks prior. For my summer vacation, I had signed up to live at Madonna House, a Catholic farm community in the rural village of Combermere, Ontario. Here, dozens of lay women and men have committed their lives to prayer and service to one another.

The foundress of Madonna House, Catherine Doherty, described it as “a house of hospitality.”

“It is a place where people are received, not on their education, not on how wonderful they are as painters, or whatever they have to do,” she said. “They are received simply as people. They are loved.”

Their legendary hospitality draws guests from around the world, each invited to participate in the life of the community, without cost, for as long as they please.

“When I encounter a stranger,” said one long-time Madonna House member, “I wish to greet them with the same joy that I would for an old friend at the airport.”

This enthusiastic receptivity is even sculpted in the image of their patron. Our Lady of Combermere runs “in haste” (Luke 1:39) to reunite with her cousin Elizabeth. She bounds with arms wide open, Madonna House teaches, with the same intense desire to embrace each of us, her “wounded children”.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux exhibited this same welcoming spirit in her response to interruption. In Interior Freedom, Fr. Jacques Philippe writes that some of the “Little Flower’s” responsibilities in the convent required great concentration, but she would often be pulled away to assist with other tasks. She learned to graciously receive her fellow sisters — almost as if she was choosing to be disrupted — as a means of embracing God’s will.

This brings me back to the forest.

Two weeks after my time in Madonna House, I gleefully packed my hiking bag for Algonquin Park, disregarding the rainy forecast. I planned a four-day, 55-km backpacking trip along the Western Uplands trail—my most challenging hike to date. It was early on my second day when I came across the frightful sight of Claude (not his real name). Even before he said a word, I was filled with concern…and disappointment. Selfishly, my heart sunk at the realization that my plans were about to be derailed.

Claude, a Quebecer who appeared to be around 50 years old, told me that he was finishing the longer 88 km loop of the same trail, traveling in the opposite direction. This was his eight day. Incredibly, he said he ran out of food on day three. I later learned that he had no tent to shelter him from the rain. His claims seemed unbelievable, yet they squared with his ghastly physical state.

He was only 12 km from the finish, but, lacking a map, he was confused about his location. Worse, he recounted stories that sounded delusional. He either had a pre-existing mental health condition or was suffering severe exhaustion – or likely both.

He accepted my food and water, but he maintained that he was fit to continue hiking alone. He clearly wasn’t, so, quelling my frustration, I told him that I was planning to turn back anyhow and insisted that we walk together.

I pleaded for Mary’s intercession to return us to the highway by dusk. We had several hours to do so, but Claude would trip and collapse with a heavy thud once per kilometer. He would then need to rest for at least 15 minutes before he allowed me to help him to his feet.

While he was discouraged by his falls and increasing physical agony, he seemed unconcerned about his situation. Perhaps he felt comforted by the other people on the trail. These weren’t real people, mind you, but hallucinations. I awkwardly told him that, no, I didn’t see the police officer, or telecommunications worker spying on us from a radio tower.

As evening fell, I was worried that, in his mental state, he might turn back along the trail, or decide to stop and spend another night in the woods. Surely God knew that sharing my tent with this stranger was beyond my threshold of fear.

With great relief, I saw the trail marker indicating that we had made it back to the road. Claude collapsed on a picnic table. Yet he seemed emotionless — no joy in escaping the forest or for accomplishing his 88 km feat.

Soon we were joined by the paramedics that I had called on my cell phone. They were accompanied by park wardens and police officers, concerned that Claude would start driving back to Quebec in his condition, as he told me he planned to do. After answering several of their questions, he seemed understanding as the paramedics strapped him onto a stretcher.

We bade farewell as he was loaded into an ambulance, bound for the hospital in nearby Huntsville. I checked into a hostel outside the park, and planned my next hike.

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You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. (Matthew 5:13-15)

When I began my summer internship at Salt + Light Television in April, I prayed that my time here would be a constructive learning experience applicable to my future ministry as a Basilian religious, seminarian, and eventual priest, and that I would be able to contribute in such a crucial area of ministry as Catholic media. I knew not at the time in what ways my understanding of media would grow, or what my role would be among so many gifted and kind people with whom I have worked this summer.

Salt + Light Television draws its name from the above-quoted passage from the Gospel of Matthew. That passage has long inspired me, because it begins not as a request by Jesus of His disciples to be “salt of the earth” and “light of the world,” but with a statement of fact: “You are the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.”

Matthew 5:13-15 was also the theme of the seventeenth World Youth Day in 2002. In his final homily of World Youth Day on July 28, 2002 at Downsview Park in Toronto, Pope John Paul II followed his reflection on the words of this Gospel with this emphatic declaration: “You are our hope, the young are our hope.” The late Pope then exhorted the pilgrims: “Do not let that hope die! Stake your lives on it! We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father’s love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his Son.”

During the same World Youth Day, John Paul II had previously taken up a theme of Vatican II and applied it to Catholic youth today: “You are the future of the Church. You are the Church.” Thus, it is in our very nature as Church to be the image of Christ in our world, to be hope for the world, to be salt of the earth and light of the world. However, to live up to our nature, given by God for the good of all, is not easy. Jesus warns us of the danger of salt losing its taste, or of the light being hidden. For many the Gospel has become insipid, its values seen as foolishness or its proclamation seen as ineffective. The Biblical Greek word for the salt losing its taste is moranthe, the same root that gives us “moron” in English, while the modern Italian equivalent is insipido.

Therein lies the challenge of proclaiming the Gospel in word and especially in deed. Such has been the example of Salt + Light Television, where I have had the privilege of working for the past four months. Here, the Gospel is lived; it is anything but insipid or foolish, but is announced with clarity, with intelligence, with joy, and with charity. Therefore, my colleagues at Salt + Light give me great hope for the future of our Church.

My internship at Salt + Light began and ended with the intense and almost constant onslaught of stories over the news wires of clergy alleged to have abused or failed to protect minors. Such examples present in such a horrific manner are to be deeply lamented. As Church we must seek repentance for these grave crimes. Yet as John Paul II, in the same World Youth Day 2002 Homily I cited above, reminded us eight years ago:

Even a tiny flame lifts the heavy lid of night. How much more light will you make, all together, if you bond as one in the communion of the Church! If you love Jesus, love the Church!

At Salt + Light, I have worked among people who have been more than a “tiny flame,” but indeed an undying fire of love. That flame of the Holy Spirit present at Salt and Light, a vibrant example of love of Jesus and of the communion that is Church, made it a joy to come to work every day.

Over the last four months, I was able to help in the preparations that this television network is making for the beatification of John Henry Cardinal Newman on September 19 and for the canonization of Brother Andre Bessette of Montreal on October 17. Many days of writing, of research, of transcription, and of translation of documents and of interviews gave me a chance to apply my linguistic abilities in French and in English to the ministry that is Catholic media, but a greater language exists yet: the language of love. St. Paul once wrote to the Corinthian Church: “The love of Christ urges us on.” (2 Cor 5:14)

That language of the love of Christ resonates from the very heart of Salt + Light and in all those involved in its project of evangelization. It is that energetic love — God’s heart in dialogue with the heart of humanity — that John Henry Cardinal Newman acknowledged in his episcopal motto, Cor ad cor loquitur — Heart speaks to heart. That same inspiring love is at work at Salt + Light. For that reason I am profoundly thankful for my experience and my co-workers over the past four months. I am convinced that at Salt + Light there are many saints of the caliber of Brother Andre and of John Henry Newman. For the past four months I have been a part of a work abounding from hearts united to the heart of God. I pray for God’s continued blessing upon the staff of Salt + Light and upon their work.

To all at Salt + Light Television: Thank you for your joyful example of faith. You have been a source of immense hope for me and for our Church. Together, let us be hope. Let us be Church. Let us be salt of the earth and light of the world.

Warren Schmidt, CSB

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WYD Photo: CNS/Nancy Wiechec

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Immaculate Conception

For Catholic Christians, the belief in the Assumption of Mary flows from our belief in and understanding of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. We believe that if Mary was preserved from sin by the free gift of God, she would not be bound to experience the consequences of sin and death in the same way that we do. We believe that because of the obedience and fidelity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the end of her earthly life, she was assumed both body and soul into heavenly glory.

History

For several centuries in the early Church, there is no mention by the Church Fathers of the bodily Assumption of Mary. Irenaeus, Jerome, Augustine, Ambrose and the others Church Fathers said nothing about it. Writing in 377 A.D., Church Father Epiphanius states that no one knows Mary’s end.

As early as the 5th century, the feast of the Assumption of Mary was celebrated in Syria. In the 5th and 6th centuries, the Apocryphal Books were testimony of the unwillingness of the Church to accept the fact that the body of the Mother of God should lie in a grave. In the 6th century, the feast of the Assumption was celebrated in Jerusalem and perhaps even in Alexandria.

The first “genuine” written references to the Assumption come from authors who lived in the sixth to the eighth centuries. It is mentioned in the sermons of St. Andrew of Crete, St. John Damascene, St. Modestus of Jerusalem and others. In the West, St. Gregory of Tours mentions it first. St. Gregory lived in the sixth century, while St John Damascene belongs to the eighth century.

In the 9th century, the feast of the Assumption was celebrated in Spain. From the 10th to the 12th centuries, there was no dispute over the celebration of the feast in the Western Church. In the 12th century, the feast of was celebrated in the city of Rome and in France.

From the 13th century to the present, there is certain and undisputed faith in the Assumption of Mary in the universal Church. In 1950, Pope Pius XII taught infallibly (Munificentissimus Deus): “Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul to heavenly glory.”

Assumption or Dormition?

The Catholic feast of the Assumption is celebrated on August 15, and Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics celebrate the Dormition of the Theotokos (the falling asleep of the Mother of God) on or around the same date. Eastern Orthodox Christians believe that Mary died a natural death, that her soul was received by Christ upon death, and that her body was resurrected on the third day after her death and that she was taken up into heaven bodily in anticipation of the general resurrection. Her tomb was found empty on the third day. (One can visit the Orthodox tomb of the Virgin Mary in Jerusalem. It is located near the Church of All Nations and the Garden of Gethsemane.)

Sign of the Kingdom

In presenting the “great sign” of the “woman clothed with the sun,” the first reading from the Book of Revelation (11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10) says that she “was with child and … cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery” (12:2). Just as the risen Christ who has ascended into heaven forever bears the wounds of his redemptive death within his glorious body, so his Mother brings to eternity “the pangs” and “anguish for delivery” (12:2). We could say that Mary, as the new Eve, continues from generation to generation to give birth to the new man, “created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). This is the Church’s eschatological image, which is present and active in the Virgin Mary.

Unless Christ is risen

In the second reading for today’s feast (1 Corinthians 15:20-27), St. Paul addresses a problem among the Corinthians: their denial of the resurrection of the dead (12) apparently because of their inability to imagine how any kind of bodily existence could be possible after death (35). Paul affirms both the essential corporeity of the resurrection and its future orientation. His response moves through three steps: a recall of the basic “kerygma” about Jesus’ resurrection (15:1-11), an assertion of the logical inconsistencies involved in denial of the resurrection (12-34), and an attempt to perceive theologically what the properties of the resurrected body must be (35-58).

Denial of the resurrection (15:12) involves logical inconsistencies. The basic one, stated twice (15:13, 16), is that if there is no such thing as (bodily) resurrection, then it has not taken place even in Christ’s case. The consequences for the Corinthians are grave: both forgiveness of sins and salvation are an illusion, despite their strong convictions about both. Unless Christ is risen, their faith does not save.

Christ’s definitive victory over death, which came into the world because of Adam’s sin, shines out in Mary, assumed into Heaven at the end of her earthly life. It was Christ, the “new” Adam, who conquered death, offering himself as a sacrifice on Calvary in loving obedience to the Father. In this way he redeemed us from the slavery of sin and evil. In Mary’s triumph, the Church contemplates her whom the Father chose as the true Mother of his Only-begotten Son, closely associating her with the saving plan of Redemption.

Life from barren wombs and empty tombs

The Gospel for today’s feast (Luke 1:39-56) invites us into the extraordinary story of two women sharing their faith, hope, and happiness as they prepare for motherhood. It is an occasion for celebration between Elizabeth, who is old and barren, and Mary, a young betrothed virgin — a story of God’s ability to both give and sustain life. Our God causes life to surge forth from barren wombs and empty tombs. Mary’s trip to the hill country of Judah is also a manifestation of the coming kingdom.

Mary is a model for each of us, and her Assumption into heaven reminds us that there is hope for you and me. What happens to the Virgin daughter of Nazareth at the end of her earthly pilgrimage will happen to each of us if we are faithful and obedient as she was.

Taken up into heaven, Mary shows us the way to God, the way to heaven, the way to life. She shows it to her children baptized in Christ and to all people of good will. She opens this way especially to the little ones and to the poor, those who are open to divine mercy. The Queen of the world reveals to individuals and to nations the power of the love of God whose plan upsets that of the proud, pulls down the mighty from their thrones and exalts the humble, fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty (Luke 1:51-53).

Marian triptych

We celebrate three great moments of Mary’s life knowing that they represent all of our lives. When Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 with the Bull Ineffabilis Deus, he referred explicitly to the biblical story of the Annunciation in Luke’s Gospel. The angel Gabriel’s salutation, “Hail, full of grace,” is understood as recognizing that Mary must always have been free from sin. God was present and moving in Mary’s life from the earliest moments. God’s grace is greater than sin; it overpowers sin and death. Through her Immaculate Conception, Mary was called for a special mission.

The second moment of Mary’s life is the Incarnation. Through the virginal birth of Jesus we are reminded that God moves powerfully in our lives too. Our response to that movement must be one of recognition, gratitude, humility, openness and welcome. Through the Incarnation, Mary was gifted with the Word made Flesh.

The Church celebrates Mary’s final journey into the fullness of God’s Kingdom with the dogma of the Assumption promulgated by Pius XII in 1950. As with her beginnings, so too, with the end of her life, God fulfilled in her all of the promises that he has given to us. We, too, shall be raised up into heaven as she was. In Mary we have an image of humanity and divinity at home. God is indeed comfortable in our presence and we in God’s. Through her Assumption, Mary was chosen to have a special place of honor in the Godhead.

Mary follows our footsteps

Let me conclude these reflections on Mary’s Assumption with the moving words of Benedict XVI, spoken at his weekly General Audience at Castel Gandolfo on Aug. 16, 2006.  He said:

By contemplating Mary in heavenly glory, we understand that the earth is not the definitive homeland for us either, and that if we live with our gaze fixed on eternal goods we will one day share in this same glory and the earth will become more beautiful. Consequently, we must not lose our serenity and peace even amid the thousands of daily difficulties. The luminous sign of Our Lady taken up into Heaven shines out even more brightly when sad shadows of suffering and violence seem to loom on the horizon.

We may be sure of it: from on high, Mary follows our footsteps with gentle concern, dispels the gloom in moments of darkness and distress, reassures us with her motherly hand. Supported by awareness of this, let us continue confidently on our path of Christian commitment wherever Providence may lead us. Let us forge ahead in our lives under Mary’s guidance.

Father Thomas Rosica, CSB
CEO Salt + Light Catholic Television Network

[The readings for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary are Revelation 11:19, 12:1-6, 10; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26; Luke 1:39-56]

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Photo: CNS/Nancy Wiechec, Assumption of Mary from Baltimore Basilica

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University of Toronto Researchers Micahel Inzlicht and Alexa Tullet found that those who believe in and reflect on God, deal with stress and anxiety more easily in strenuous situations.

The study tested individuals to determine if thinking about religion would reduce their reaction to making mistakes.  Test subjects were first asked to think about religion by writing about God. They then had to complete a word scramble with religiously themed words. After this they were given a tricky computerized test. The researchers monitored the subjects’ brain reactions when they made mistakes on the test.

The test found that believers experienced less distress when making an error. It also found that it didn’t matter what religious denomination the person belonged to. All that mattered was that they were reflecting on their belief and religion while taking the test. One researcher said that these small differences in brain pattern can lead to a calmer lifestyle. And God doesn’t even have to be the first thing on your mind, the result is achieved as long as you have experienced some form of reflection on your faith and spirituality. The researchers use the example of a person walking by a Church on the way to their bus stop. Dr. Inzlicht says:

Admiring (the) church en route could prime the religious thoughts that will take the sting out of noticing the bus has passed by.

Interestingly enough, the test found the result was the opposite for subjects who did not believe in God or practice a form of organized religion. Non-believers demonstrated a heightened form of neural distress when they were made to contemplate God and then take the tricky test. The distress reactions only last mere milliseconds after making an error, but researchers say that they can add up over the course of a lifetime.

While avoiding stress may be a positive thing, the researchers say it is also important to remember that a little anxiety is a good thing. The anxiety we experience after making a mistake will in theory, help prevent us from making it again in the future. While I’m relieved that my anxiety is teaching me something, I will be giving this test a try before my mad dash to the train this evening. Try it too and see what happens.

If you’d like to learn more; the article on this study can be found in the latest edition of Psychological Science.

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Photo: CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec

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