News, Resources, Women's Communities

Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Host Liturgy of the Hours Workshop

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Called to Pray the Liturgy of the Hours

On February 26, 2022, the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, Manitowoc, offered a workshop on the Liturgy of the Hours to discerning women interested in learning to pray or to pray with more depth this beautiful daily prayer of the Church. The Zoom conferences commenced at 10 AM, 2 and 4 PM. They offered a variety of topics, presenters, and experiences. Each session began with the following prayer and the ritual of crossing the forehead, lips, and heart:

Lord, open our + minds that we may learn and understand this great prayer of your Church.

Lord, open our + lips that we may speak your Word and pray with zeal and attention.

Lord, open our + hearts that we may not only understand and speak but may integrate this prayer into our day-to-day life. We ask you to guide every thought, word, and action of this day to your greater honor and glory.

Amen.

Sister Anne Marie Lom explained the use of imagery and anthropomorphism in the Psalms and examples were given. Then, Sister Pamela Biehl traced the origins and development of the Liturgy of the Hours from early Christian times to the more recent format used after Vatican II. Some comments from the participants were:

“It was very helpful to understand the background and development of Liturgy of the Hours and recognize how we can incorporate some earlier elements of this prayer while we pray it today (i.e. lighting a candle)” and “having more background knowledge to the Liturgy of the Hours helped to create better appreciation for it.”

For simplicity, brevity, and clarity, a website was used to show examples of Lauds, Vespers, and Night Prayer. Participants offered their favorite sites/apps for praying Liturgy of the Hours.

A YouTube video explaining step by step the use of the ribbons and sections of the book Christian Prayer was shared.

https://aleteia.org/2017/06/08/a-beginners-guide-to-the-liturgy-of-the-hours/

At 2 PM, Novice Sister Mary Jane Schwartz and Temporary Professed Sisters Maria Guadalupe Martinez, and Cecilia Joy Kugel joined the group. They responded to each of these questions:

  1. Did you pray the Liturgy of the Hours before you entered? If yes, how did that happen?
  2. What struggles did you have learning to pray the Liturgy of Hours?
  3. What do you remember from the course on the Liturgy of the Hours that we shared last year?
  4. Any advice for those beginning to pray the Liturgy of the Hours?

Judging from the comments in the evaluations, this session was very helpful. Comments included: “It was so nice and helpful to get the newest sisters’ advice and learn about their struggles with the Liturgy of the Hours” and “I liked the multiple age viewpoints all the different Sisters provided.”

Another positive feature of the day was the attendance of Postulant Kathrine Logan and future Postulant, Michelle Ozuna.

The 4 PM conference included in-depth exploration of the daily Canticles of Simeon, Zachariah, and the Magnificat. Another valuable site was shared that connects the reader to commentaries of the Psalms and Canticles for all four weeks of the Liturgy of the Hours. These commentaries were begun by Saint John Paul II and completed by Pope Benedict XVI.

http://ch.catholic.or.kr/pundang/4/psalter/jp2_b16_commentaries.htm

This session concluded with Vespers for the eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time led by Sister Pamela Biehl. Sister’s explanation of the rubrics for our prayer together, the artwork that drew our attention to the prayer and her prayerful layout of Vespers helped us to end with a true reverence for praying the Liturgy of the Hours.

All were grateful for a day full of learning and grace.

Speaker credentials:

Sister Pamela Biehl holds a MA in Liturgy from the University of Notre Dame and Sister Anne Marie Lom holds a MA in Applied Spirituality from the University of San Francisco. Visit the Community website:
fscc-calledtobe.org/

News, Women's Communities

Double Jubilee Year for the Order of the Visitation

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Live + Jesus!

The year 2022 is very special for the Sisters of the Order of the Visitation, as they are celebrating the 450th anniversary of the birth of their Holy Foundress, St. Jane de Chantal, as well as the 400th anniversary of the death of their Holy Founder St. Francis de Sales.

The Holy See has decreed that the Visitation Order can celebrate a Jubilee Year for their Founder, St. Francis de Sales, in their Monastery Chapels throughout the world, and that all may come to receive a plenary indulgence by coming to their Chapel with that intention. The Jubilee began on January 24th, the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, and will end on the anniversary of his death on December 28, 2022.

St. Francis de Sales has been a great light in the Church. He was born in Savoy on August 21, 1567.Before his birth, his mother prayed before the exposed Shroud of Turin for a son to be a Priest. His father had plans for him to be a lawyer with a brilliant future. Francis from early age longed to belong to the Church. He obeyed his father by studying both law and theology, and obtained a doctorate in both Canon and Civil Law, having studied in Paris and Padua.

At the age of 26, through arrangements his friends and unknown to him, he was named Provost of the Cathedral in Annecy, an eminent position. This made it possible for him to ask his father’s permission to belong to the Church, It was difficult for his father; yet he saw that God was calling his son, and he gave him his blessing, not without tears. He was ordained a Priest.

Shortly after his ordination, the Duke of Savoy asked the Bishop de Granier to send zealous Priests into the region of the Chablais, which had returned into his possession. Seventy years before, it had been forced into Calvinism by force of arms;  only 100 Catholics were remaining.

In 1594, with his cousin Louis de Sales, Francis volunteered, working tirelessly for 4 years, endeavoring to touch the hearts of the people,. His life was in constant danger, with Protestant ministers hiring assassins to kill him. The ministers had forbidden their flock from attending his sermons with threats, so Francis wrote small tracks, and had them printed on the truths of the Catholic Church, and slipped them under the doors, so that they could read them without fear. This is why he is patron of journalists. He was a zealous missionary!

Since he could not say Mass until permission came from the Duke, he would crawl on a tree trunk over a torrent to where he could celebrate it, even crawling on it covered with ice! Finally, after 4 years of arduous and discouraging efforts, he won the hearts of the people, and 70,000 Calvinists returned to the Church! To this day, the people of the Chablais are faithful to the Church and St. Francis de Sales.

He was asked by the  Pope to take on the delicate mission of visiting the successor of Calvin, Beza in Geneva, to invite him back to the Church, as there seemed to be a possibility, but it came to nothing.

It is a recorded fact that when he said Mass, his face was seen to shine, even as a young Priest, This was remarked by many, as recorded by St. Jane de Chantal in the process for his canonization, for she herself observed it several times.

When his bishop died, he was consecrated Bishop of Geneva, spending long hours on horseback or on foot, traveling for months visiting all his flock in the mountains. He cared for his Priests, and gave them instructions for preaching well, and he would not permit unworthy candidates to be ordained no matter how much money was offered to him, or families insisted.

He was a friend to the poor. He had his confessional placed at the entrance of the church, so that the poor and the crippled, and even those with repulsive sores, would not be embarrassed to come to confession. “He was most approachable, never turned anyone away; he always listened with unhurried calmness for as long as people felt they needed to talk. He was so patient and attentive that you would have thought this was all he had to do…all left him happy and satisfied” (St. Chantal’s Deposition for his canonization).

He was an eminent spiritual director, and wrote the classic Introduction to the Devout Life which even today is beloved for its simple and practical teaching. He said that devotion is for everyone, the shopkeeper as well as the Priest and Religious, and that it was wrong to keep devotion out of the Court or the marketplace. He was a man ahead of his time. Vatican II was very much according to his teaching. When the Church declared at Vatican I on Papal Infallibility, it was to those very papers of his, written in the Chablais, that were quoted to prove the doctrine (these are now called The Controversies and published by Tan.)

His good friend, St. Vincent de Paul said of him, “there is no one more like the Son of God on earth, than the Bishop of Geneva.” And this he said with tears in his eyes. Yes, St. Francis de Sales had learned from Jesus to be meek and humble of heart, like His Master. It is the constant experience of those who study his life and his virtues, that the more one knows St. Francis de Sales, the more one knows Jesus; so much was his heart like Jesus. He had great respect for the human person, no matter how poor or how despicable. All could come to him with their troubles. “His whole manner of speaking had great dignity and discretion but was at the same time humble, quiet and candid; he never posed, he was completely unaffected and lacked any stiffness” (St. Chantal).

“His incomparable kindness opened the most firmly locked hearts, and he took out what was evil and put solid resolutions and desires there instead. He was extraordinarily decisive and encouraging; he cleared up doubts and scruples on the spot, there and then inspiring perfect reassurance and peace” (St. Chantal’s Deposition).

In 1610, he founded a new Religious Congregation that would accept those of weak or frail health, as well as those who were older, even the crippled and the blind were admitted, as long as they could live the life. He said he wanted to “give God souls of prayer, souls who would adore God in spirit and truth.” He said he wanted his daughters to be “well shod, but have their hearts bare.” This was a great innovation in his day.

He wrote a Treatise on the Love of God, a masterpiece on the ways of God in the soul. He was declared a Doctor of the Church, and named “Doctor of Divine Love.” He taught about God’s goodness and Fatherly care of His children, and to trust in the Providence of God..

He had dealings with the great names of his day, King Henri IV, who admired him and called him “a rare bird.” When he was in Paris, he was a member of Madam Acarie’s Circle, whose members were the spiritual giants of the day; he was influential in bringing the Carmelites into France. He advised Cardinal Richelieu that he should devote himself to his diocese, rather that the Court of France. Had he heeded his advice, there would not have been such a scandal.

Because of his knowledge of law, and because everyone trusted him, he was often asked to bring peace between warring families, and persons of nobility. He was a great peacemaker.

He is also Patron saint of the deaf because a young man of 25 who had been deaf and dumb since childhood was left without help. St. Francis felt such compassion for him that he worked out a sign language for him, and prepared him for his 1st Holy Communion. He remained in Francis service, because of his great love for him.

St. Francis reformed or tried to reform several lax Religious Communities. In his preaching, he never accused the Protestant Reformers, he spoke of the beauty of the Faith, of the Sacraments, particularly of the Real Presence in the Eucharist. Many were converted by listening to his sermons. When Protestant ministers challenged him to a public debate, he always accepted, and was so convincing, that they hesitated to do so again, and would not appear when scheduled. He had read all their works, and knew their tactics. He was always simple and polite, and the people who listened were charmed by his gracious words of truth. How he loved the Church, and knew the heart and mind of the Church! He had a deep understanding of what the Church really teaches.

Even during his life, there were miracles, even bringing a little girl back to life. He also delivered persons who were attacked by the devil, even possessed. After his death, many miracles happened at his tomb. He is beloved by all who know him, and to read his writings, his letters and sermons give the heart the joy of confidence in God and liberty of spirit. Here was a man who truly loved God, and knew the Heart of God

God be praised!

This article was written by the Visitation Nuns in Snellville, Georgia.

Men's communities, Reflection

Reverence, Awe and Respect in the Rule of St. Benedict by Brother Daniel Sokol, OSB

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St. Benedict has a lot to say regarding our attitude of reverential awe and charitable respect shown to God and towards our fellow human beings.

For example, he begins Chapter 4, on “Good Works” with “First of all, love the Lord God with your whole heart, your whole soul and all your strength,  and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:37; Mk 12:30; Lk 10:27).

Loving God is the starting point of all that we do and all whom we meet in our Christian walk.  Even strangers, the poor and pilgrims are to be “welcomed as Christ” (RB 53:1).  As the late Abbot Georg Holzherr, OSB, of our grandmother house put it: “Genuine hospitality especially towards the poor and pilgrims, is a hallmark of a truly humane culture in dealing with others, and it is certainly a theme that stands out in the Bible.”  This is especially true for monastics, and by way of extension, the Oblates: “They should each try to show respect to the other (Rom 12:10) (in RB 63:17).

Reverence at the Divine Office, the Work of God, merits an especially important place in the chapters on Prayer: “As soon as the cantor begins to sing ‘Glory be to the Father,’ let all the monks rise from their seats in honor and reverence for the Holy Trinity” (RB 9:7).

Liturgical reading is to be “done with humility, seriousness and reverence” (RB 47:4).  “After the Work of God, all should leave in complete silence and with reverence for God,  so that a brother who may wish to pray alone will not be disturbed by the insensitivity of another” (RB 52:2,3).   Even monks traveling on mission “are to perform the Work of God where they are, and kneel out of reverence for God” (RB 50:3).

Essentially, all aspects of monastic life are to be done with a spirit of cheerful humility towards each other.  “The younger monks, then, must respect their seniors, and the seniors must love their juniors” (RB 63:10).  When praying the Liturgy and addressing God, they do
so with fearful but loving awe, as when the Abbot “reads from the Gospels while all the monks stand with respect and awe.  (RB 11:9).

St. Benedict had an excellent grasp of the Holy Scriptures, and therefore he was able to craft his rule, sentence by sentence, with the goal of forming holy monks into cohesive groups of twelve monastics.  Many of his disciples were illiterate rustics who became trained by the Holy Rule until they were ready to go out to evangelize their parts of the world by founding more and more monasteries.  Eventually there were about 1,400 monasteries scattered all over Europe.

With attention to detail, the reference to pure prayer speaks to the whole person—body and soul.  “ Let us consider, then, how we ought to behave in the presence of God and his angels,  and let us stand to sing the psalms in such a way that our minds are in harmony with our voices” (RB 19:6-7).  With keen awareness of human behavior, he writes, “ Whenever we want to ask some favor of a powerful man, we do it humbly and respectfully, for fear of presumption.   How much more important, then, to lay our petitions before the Lord God of all things with the utmost humility and sincere devotion.   We must know that God regards our purity of heart and tears of compunction, not our many words” (RB 20:1-3).

This kind of respectful harmony flows out to our contact with holy superiors and confreres in such appealing phrases as “…the disciples’ obedience must be given gladly, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7) (RB 5:16).

Respecting human frailties, he gently advises his followers with such phrases as,   “This, then, is the good zeal which monks must foster with fervent love: They should each try to be the first to show respect to the other (Rom 12:10), supporting with the greatest patience one another’s weaknesses of body or behavior” (RB 72:3-5).

Brother Daniel Sokol, OSB, is a Benedictine monk at Prince of Peace Abbey in Oceanside, California.

Men's communities, News

Fr. Regis Scanlon, O.F.M. Cap., Dies after Long Illness

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Fr. Regis Scanlan, OFM Cap., was a close friend of Servant of God Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ., founder of the IRL. In fact, when Mother Teresa asked Father Hardon for a priest who could give her sisters intensive Eucharistic Formation, he said that Father Regis was the obvious choice.

Below is the press release that announced Father Scanlon’s death. It really was a remarkable life!

NEWS RELEASE

from Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Communications Office, 3613 Wyandot St., Denver 80211
Fr. Blaine Burkey, O.F.M.Cap., 303-204-1924

Fr. Regis Paul Scanlon, O.F.M.Cap., 78, internationally-known defender of the Catholic faith and locally-loved defender of the poor and marginalized, died at Porter Adventist Hospice, Centennial, Colo., on Nov. 6.

Death came for Fr. Regis only after a long procession of life-threatening illnesses begun already at age 17.

Born the son of the late Jerome Francis and Dorothy Mary (Meyer) Scanlon in Pittsburgh on Feb. 17, 1943, Regis Scanlon attended Pittsburgh’s St. Athanasius Grade School and North Catholic High School before graduating from North Hills High School in 1961. He began studies at Pennsylvania state colleges in Slippery Rock and Mansfield for becoming a math teacher, but decided to study for the priesthood instead.

After taking Latin and Greek courses at Loyola University, Chicago, and Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, he entered St. Fidelis College Seminary, run by the Capuchins at Herman Pa. in 1965, graduating in 1969 with a BA in philosophy. He then earned an MA in systematic theology from the Washington (D.C.) Theological Union in 1974.

Meanwhile he made a year’s novitiate as a Capuchin Franciscan at Annapolis, Md. He took first vows in the Order in 1967, and permanent vows in 1970, and was ordained to the priesthood at Herman on Aug. 26, 1972.

For the next six years, Father served as associate pastor at Capuchin parishes in Hays, Kans.; Thornton, Colo.; Dover, Ohio; Herman, Pa.; Victoria and Walker, Kan.

He took mathematics and education courses at Fort Hays (Kan.) State University, and spent the next decade at Thomas More Prep-Marian High School in Hays, teaching math courses and serving as associate dean of resident students.

Father then moved to St. Louis and served for a year as associate chaplain at the Newman Chapel at Washington University; after which she served for six years as chaplain of the Catholic Campus Center at Auraria Higher Education Center in Denver. During these years he was also an instructor in the archdiocesan diaconate program and adjunct professor at St. Thomas Seminary.

He appeared several times with Mother Angelica on EWTN in the late 1980s, and became widely known as a defender of the faith, contributing frequently to Homiletics and Pastoral Review, Pastoral Life, The Priest, Soul Magazine, The Catholic Faith, New Oxford Review, Catholic Insight, Crisis Magazine, and his own blog at frregisscanlon.com  Thinking that many had gone astray by misreading the council documents, he produced a series of videos for EWTN on What Vatican II Really Taught. Many people disagreed with his strong views, but the vast majority found him to be a respectful and friendly adversary; and he was regularly the center of much good-natured fun in the community.

In 1990 Father began working with St. Teresa of Calcutta’s Missionaries of Charity, serving as chaplain at Seton House AIDs hospice and later at their Gift of Mary shelter for homeless women.  Mother Teresa personally recruited him to help in the formation of her sisters, and he spent much of the last years of the second millennium conducting retreats for her sisters gathered in South Africa, Madagascar and Tijuana. Father was also for many years the official confessor of the Carmelite nuns in Littleton and the Benedictine nuns in Boulder.

Fr. Regis served as archdiocesan director of prison ministry from 1998 till 2010. He first concentrated on obtaining and training co-workers, and eventually, assisted by six deacons and three priests, and 70 trained lay volunteers, he directed the Church’s ministry to more than 9,500 inmates of 17 prisons and jails in the Denver area. About 850 prisoners were attending Catholic services weekly. After his years as director, he continued to visit some of the jails regularly.

The crown of Fr. Regis’s life’s work was his founding of the Julia Greeley Home in Metro Denver. While working in the jails, Father learned how dangerous it is for single, unattached, homeless women to live on the streets, and he worked hard to start a program to help them rebuild their lives into the dignity of productive and independent living.  Now in its eighth year, Julia Greeley Home (juliagreeleyhome.org) has already served more than 75 women, over half of whom have gone on to rebuild their lives by finding meaningful work, independence housing, and reconciliation with their families.

Besides his religious brothers in the Capuchin Province of St. Conrad, Fr. Regis is survived by a brother Jerome Francis Scanlon (and wife Connie) of The Villages, Fla.; a nephew Jerry Michael Scanlon (and wife Jane) of Mt. Airy, Md.; a niece Jacqueline Derosiers (and husband Rene) of Mt. Pleasant, S.Car.; and grandniece Lauren Derosiers of Mt. Pleasant.

Funeral services will be at St. Jude’s Catholic Church, 9405 W. Florida Ave., Lakewood, with viewing beginning at 6 p.m. on Sunday Nov. 14, followed by a vigil service at 7 p.m. The funeral Mass will be on Monday, Nov. 15th at 10 a.m., followed by interment in the Friars Plot at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Wheat Ridge.

Memorials are suggested to Julia Greeley Home Inc., and the Capuchin Province of St. Conrad, Inc.

 

Men's communities

Cistercian Monastery – Our Lady of Calvary in New Brunswick

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A gentleman wrote recently about his visit to Our Lady of Calvary Abbey, a Trappist/Cistercian monastery in Rogersville, New Brunswick, that he called  “a spiritually powerful place with lovely property and facilities.” Prayer, liturgical and personal, manual work, and spiritual reading (lectio divina) are the characteristic activities of their daily life at Calvary abbey from  their beginnings 1902 till the present.

There are two trappist monasteries at Rogersville in the heart of New Brunswick, Canada – one of monks and one of nuns. It is a place dedicated to prayer, and the lifestyle of the monks and nuns is entirely orientated towards the search for God and union with Him in continuous prayer.

In a world given over to the frenetic pursuit of diversions and distractions, evasions and pretension, the Cistercian monastery tries to be an oasis of truth. Here, the soul, longing to live,  learns patiently through a whole lifetime, the secret way of the heart. The monks try to follow a trusty guide in the Rule of Saint Benedict.

They are also a monastery that has maintained the tradition of farming.  While their dairy closed a few years ago, they still raise poultry. Here is an interesting write-up from their website:

Farming is by no means the easiest or most economically viable way of making a living nowadays.  But the local community in the Rogersville rural area still tries and the monks are happy to be part of this community.   Mankind will always need farmers because farmers produce food.  We believe that the smaller farmer will soon come back into his own as consumers become more insistent on knowing where their food comes from and grow more interested in locally produced foods.  The new sensitivity to the environment will also favour the smaller farmer over the giant mass-producer.  So we believe that any farmer who can manage to hang on in there may see his fortunes turn around.   The monastery was founded with a specific view to monks who would engage in agriculture.  There is certainly something to be said for those who are trying to live a life of prayer focused on God the Creator being in touch with the land and with animals.  Few monasteries remain that are still farming.   Our Lady of Calvary remains committed to this style of life and tries to husband its forestland and make its modest contribution to the local agricultural scene.

Guests are welcome to come on retreat. And guided tours can be arranged as well.

506-775-2331
calvary1902@gmail.com
www.calvaryabbey.com

 

 

 

Blessed Virgin Mary, Reflection, Saints

St. Joseph and His Appearance at Fatima

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The icon of St. Joseph: The Greatest Consoler of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (c) was commissioned for the World Apostolate of Fatima USA by Vivian Imbruglia

A reflection by Mother Mary Christina Murray, S.J.W.
of the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker in Walton, KY

Many people are aware of the Apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima to Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia.  But how many realize that the children also saw St. Joseph? While apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary are generally well known, the apparition of St. Joseph is often overlooked. Scripture does not record anything that St. Joseph said, so he is said to be the “quiet” one.  But sometimes actions speak louder than words.  In the case of Fatima, St. Joseph’s action gives us a lot to ponder.

The three children, ages 7, 9 and 10, were tending their families’ sheep when the Blessed Virgin Mary first appeared to them on May 13, 1917.  She asked the children to come back to that same spot on the 13th of every month.  The sixth and final apparition of the Lady of Fatima to all three children on October 13th is when the famous miracle of the sun occurred.  A massive crowd witnessed the sun spinning in the sky, changing colors and “dancing.” Then the sun seemed to fall towards the earth leading many of the witnesses to think that the world was coming to an end.  But the three children did not see the miracle of the Sun, they saw something entirely different.

While the miracle of the sun was occurring, Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia saw Our Lady dressed in white with St. Joseph holding the child Jesus.  St. Joseph and Jesus traced the sign of the cross with their hands blessing the earth.  St. Joseph was the provider for the Holy Family at Nazareth and his appearance at Fatima is an important reminder during difficult times that St. Joseph, the protector of His family, will help our families.

It is in the family that children learn about God, learn to pray and learn to do good works.   Parents, through their example, show their children what it means to live the faith.  The Holy Family, especially St. Joseph, can help families to grow in their faith.  During this past year when families have tried to cope with the consequences of the lockdown due to COVID, St. Joseph can be a powerful guide and spiritual support.   Pope Francis declared the Year of St. Joseph 103 years after his appearance at Fatima.  During this year of St. Joseph, let us all develop a deeper appreciate and dedication to our spiritual father and protector.

For more information about the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker, please visit:  SSJW.org.

Men's communities, Saints

St. Juan Macias OP – A Lay Brother of the Order of Preachers…but Did He Preach?

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Who was Saint Juan Macias OP?

St. Juan Macias lived from 1585 to 1645 and is often associated with two other more well-known Dominican saints. He lived at the same time as St. Martin de Porres and only 5 years after the death of St. Rose of Lima.  Originally from Spain, he later traveled to the New World, and at the age of 37, he entered the Dominican convent of St. Mary Magdalene in Lima Peru as a lay brother. Lay brother is the term traditionally given by the Church to male religious in consecrated life. Since the 1950s, the Dominican Order now calls its non-ordained, or lay brothers, cooperator brothers. Based on canonization documents and Pope Paul VI’s homily celebrating his canonization, Juan was well known for two things.  First, he was a man of prayer, a deep contemplative. He loved the Rosary, which he began to pray as a child in Spain and prayed consistently throughout his observant and penitential life as a Dominican. His deep prayer and ascetical life freed many souls from purgatory. Secondly, he was known for being poor, living out his vow of poverty as a consecrated religious and by his generosity to the poor, often serving 200 people a day while ministering as a porter for his Dominican community. St. Juan Macias was beatified with St. Martin de Porres in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI and was canonized in 1975 by Pope Paul VI.

Asking, “did he preach?” Why is this such a crucial question?

Father Gerard Timoner III OP, the current Master General of the Order of Preachers, emphasizes that preaching is both the identity for Dominicans and their mission; it is simultaneously who they are and what they do. Cooperator brothers, as non-ordained members of the Order of Preachers, are not sanctioned by ordination to preach from the liturgical pulpit during the sacred confines of the Catholic Mass. Determining how lay members of the Order, like St. Juan Macias, fulfill the preaching mission of the Order and how they live out the very essence of being a preacher, is a crucial distinction. It speaks to the very heart of what it means to be a Dominican, a preacher. Juan Macias, as a declared Dominican saint, is assumed to have lived out the fullness of his Order’s charism of preaching. Understanding how a non-ordained brother, who did not preach from the pulpit within the sacred confines of the Mass, can become a saint in the Order of Preachers, challenges the Church to re-imagine what it means by the term preaching. Is preaching a term to refer to only a few minutes of a homily given by the ordained minister during the mass? It must be more than this. Is preaching the external reach of living our lives as Christians, as a witness? It must be more narrow and specific than this.

How do the Dominicans Understand Preaching?

The Order of Preachers “was established, from the beginning, for preaching and the salvation of souls.” St. Dominic wanted his friars to be educated preachers so they might effectively refute the errors of heresy prevalent in his time. Dominicans embrace a life of study at the service of what is called the “Holy Preaching.” The Holy Preaching is not a discrete experience confined to a few minutes from the pulpit; rather for Dominicans, it is an expression of life shared in community. As a community, Dominicans seek to make a comprehensive and dynamic response to God’s presence in their lives and the world, going forth to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ in word and deed. By their religious profession, Dominicans become “fully committed to preaching the Word of God in its totality” so that they live “an apostolic life in the full sense of the word, from which preaching and teaching ought to issue from an abundance of contemplation.” For Dominicans, all of what they do—their living of the vows, their observances of religious life, their study, their life of prayer and contemplation, their life in common, prepare them for the Holy Preaching and produce fruit in the Holy Preaching.

Juan was a member of the Order of Preachers, but as a lay brother, was he a preacher?

Juan preached. He preached using words and deeds. He did not preach homilies, he did not write famous spiritual books, and he did not teach in a formal academic setting. Juan, per his role as a porter, bridged the gap between the cloistered religious community and the external world. A porter serves as a doorkeeper to a religious convent or monastery and is often the first point of contact for those seeking assistance. The porter regulated the flow of traffic between the interior life of the religious convent and the external public who regularly came to the convent needing help with a wide variety of needs. These needs spanned the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Specific to his function of preaching, Juan prayed with those who came to the door of the convent before serving them. When the Dominican convent ran out of supplies to give to the poor, he asked generous neighbors to share what they had with those in need. He offered spiritual advice to those seeking spiritual consolation. He taught the faith to those seeking answers. He did all of these long before the terms fundraiser, community organizer, spiritual director, catechist, and social worker, were invented to describe those types of ministry.

How was St Juan Macias’ preaching particularly Dominican?

Dominican preaching can be characterized by its source, its method, and its relationship to the vow of poverty. The source for Dominican preaching is contemplation and Juan’s preaching drew from this source. His preaching resulted from an overflow of his robust prayer life. Juan, based on numerous examples from his canonization documents, was a man of prayer who led a deeply contemplative life. His preaching to the many who knocked on the convent door each day was drawn from his deep love of the rosary and remarkable penitential life. This was the source of grace that made his preaching effective and sustaining.

St. Juan Macias’ method of preaching was particularly Dominican. Dominicans preach on the move in a wide variety of settings to diverse audiences. It is a way of preaching that is flexible, adaptable, and versatile. Juan preached to a wide variety of visitors who came to the monastery. His preaching began with listening, with encountering people right where they are. It was not a pre-determined exhortation; it was not top-down. Juan preached in a milieu where a diverse range of people came to the convent with a variety of needs. Juan, as a lay brother, preached to the community daily with his versatile preaching.

Juan’s preaching was enhanced by his poverty. From the founding of the Order by St Dominic, Dominicans have forged strong links between poverty and preaching. Dominicans have embraced the vow of, the practice of, and the spirit of poverty. For Dominicans, living out poverty enlivens the preaching. Dominicans have embraced poverty in order to free themselves for the mission and to authenticate what is said in their preaching. Dominicans seek to combine the spiritual movement of abandonment with a unity between the preacher and his ministry to the poor. In order to save souls and evangelize people in light of the Gospel, Dominicans must practice what they preach. And, by their movement of poverty, their life of simplicity and mission inspired others to live the Gospel message and reach out to those in need. A lay brother, by his very vocation, is poor and is one with the poor. Brothers, as non-ordained members of the Church, relinquish all trappings and privileges of the clerical life to remain simply a brother. St Juan Macias’ practice of poverty and his vocation as a lay brother helped him to preach to the poor and outcast who knocked on the door of the convent.

As a Saint of the Order of Preachers, Juan Macias was a holy preacher. He lived out the fullness of his Order’s charism, preaching to those who came to the convent seeking various physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs regardless of his nonclerical status. He was a man of prayer who lived a rigorous and penitential life as a Dominican lay brother. Juan was deeply contemplative and was extremely observant of his religious rule. He lived out his mission as a preacher by encountering hundreds of people every day while fulfilling his duties as the porter for the convent, feeding, instructing, evangelizing, and healing. He is a saint who speaks to the heart of the Dominican preaching life.

St Juan Macias, intercede for us. Help our Church to re-discover the vocation of the religious brother.

By: Br. John Steilberg, OP
Province of St Albert the Great
(Central USA)
September 2021

Brother John serves currently as the Executive Director of Operations at Aquinas Institute of Theology, a Catholic graduate school of theology in the Dominican tradition, located in Saint Louis, Missouri.

General interest

“Taking the ‘Sin’ Out of Sincerity: Overcoming Scrupulosity in Religious Life” by Trent Beattie

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If there is one thing aspirants to religious life are today, it is sincere. Gone are the days of “automatic vocations” that every large Catholic family was expected to provide. Now we have young people who want to live totally for Christ and give up things commonly seen as necessities, oftentimes despite confusion or even derision from family.

This desire for Christian perfection is obviously a good thing. If only more people had it, the world would be a much better place. Yet this desire, in itself very laudable, can be turned into something it was not intended to be.

Martin Luther did just that with his Augustinian Rule, seeing in it traps where others saw supports. He piled up imaginary obligations that left him agitatedly wondering whether he had offended God. This is scrupulosity, or the overestimation of evil and the underestimation of grace. Put another way, it is seeing sin where there is no sin, and where there may in fact be virtue.

Satan’s best-known temptations are to make evil appear good in order to entice souls to commit acts (sins) for the sake of the apparent good. A lesser-known temptation is to frame good as evil, or something to be avoided.

This temptation is especially acute for souls striving for perfection. Instead of trying to convince them directly that they should do what is actually wrong, Satan attempts to convince them that they have already done wrong or that the good they plan on doing is wrong. Discouragement can ensue, and, if not remedied, wholesale abandonment of the hunt for holiness might take happen.

Luther became so distraught that he left his community and the Church. He went from scrupulosity to Lutherosity, making his own quirks and anxieties the foundation of a novel code of conduct that even he lamented later because of its destructive effect on cultural cohesion.

This underscores the importance of not inventing obligations or holding oneself to an impossible standard. Doing so will cause distress, resentment, and even despair. Instead of giving up on holiness due to unmet imaginary claims on behavior, the better route is that of humble adherence to Church teachings, the (real) rule of one’s community, and the decision of superiors and directors.

Access or Excess?

Without even realizing it, personal obligations that are found nowhere in Scripture, Tradition, or even the rule of an order, can be held onto as being highly important. Even though this can be done in a sincere effort to please God, it actually pushes the soul from the path of holiness and happiness. In order to gain greater access to God, unreasonable expectations must be released.

Benedictine Father Hubert van Zeller wrote this simple and profound reflection in How to Find God: “Although the desire for God can never be excessive, the desire for the realization of this desire, can be.” On a theoretical level, the soul can never get enough of God, but on a practical level, there must be n acceptance of the soul’s capacity for God.

A peaceful and even amused dissatisfaction with what we’ve done for God, all the while trusting in His constant help for us to do better, is a good thing. However, an agitated dissatisfaction with what we’ve done, based on the implicit demand of being immediately free from any faults, is a bad thing.

This is what Saint Alphonsus Liguori taught in his masterpiece, The True Spouse of Jesus Christ. He first states that “An ardent desire of perfection is the first means that a religious should adopt in order to acquire sanctity and to consecrate her whole being to God.” The founder of the Redemptorists then adds that “in the way of God, a Christian must either go forward and advance in virtue, or go backward and rush headlong into vice.”

To those intimidated by such a challenge, Saint Alphonsus later states the following: “To be discouraged by the imperfections which you desire to correct, would be to yield to a great illusion of the devil.” He then asserts that “though, on our part, we ought to aspire to the highest sanctity that we can attain, we should be content with that degree of perfection which God gives us.”

It’s a matter of balance. Diligently striving for perfection is the mainstay of religious life, but inevitable challenges and setbacks should not be the occasion of discouragement. In fact, Saint Therese of Lisieux even said that the closer the soul gets to perfection, the further away it seems to be.

This might seem strange, but it makes sense. A proud man, because of his distance from God, thinks he has no need of improvement, while a humble man, because of his nearness to God, sees how imperfect he is compared to Absolute Perfection.

Booking a Flight to Clarity

Maintaining reasonable expectations of self is key to overcoming scrupulosity. Despite grand designs and goals that might be entertained, there is only so much that one can actually do. Theoretically, life’s possibilities are endless, but in reality, every person has limitations.

Limited people with limited resources and limited opportunities should be able to take their own active sincerity and be at peace with it. Achieving Peace of Heart by Father Narciso Irala, S.J., is a great help for making this happen. Other helpful books include The True Spouse of Jesus Christ by Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Story of a Soul by Saint Therese, Introduction to the Devout Life by Saint Francis de Sales, and volume 2 of Ven. Louis of Granada’s Summa of the Christian Life.

While these books include sections directed toward the scrupulous, there are not many entire books on the topic. My own Scruples and Sainthood is a more recent installment meant to fill this void.

Like people’s achievements in life, there is only so much a book can do, but this limited good should not be overlooked for the sake of impossible perfection. Real perfection in a soul is comprised of continual efforts for perfection, despite glitches and miscues that take place.

The biggest aid to real perfection is the guidance, not of a book, but of a director. Following the advice of another is prescribed as the great remedy for overcoming nagging doubts about one’s soul. An outside assessment of the situation by someone familiar with scrupulosity should yield a more accurate, purposeful, and joyful state of mind.

It is even possible that one’s director will assign the enjoyment of life as a penance. Along those lines, here’s a short list that can be preceded by the words “You might be scrupulous if…”

You’ve been told the “sins” you confessed were actually virtues.

You’ve uttered these words: “Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It’s been twenty minutes since my last confession.”

You’ve been so concerned about taking the Lord’s name in vain that all the references to God in your prayer books have been scratched out and “Gosh” has been written in.

Humor is a great aid to holiness, and can even be an indication of it. Someone who has a sense of humor is not caught up in unreasonable expectations, but is able to see how things really are. He recognizes the contrast between how things ought to be and how they have actually played out.

Let us, by all means, be sincere, but not so sincere that we see sin in our sincerity. Simple sincerity is brought about by obedience to Church teaching, the rule and one’s director, while “sinful sincerity” is brought about by overestimating the negatives, underestimating the positives, and trying to improve the situation alone.
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Trent Beattie is the author of Scruples and Sainthood: Accepting and Overcoming Scrupulosity with the Help of the Saints, from Loreto Publications (LoretoPubs.org).

Reflection, Saints

The imitation of Saint Joseph in the Interior Life – St. Joseph Sebastian Pelczar

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St. Joseph Sebastian Pelczar: Meditation 48

The imitation of Saint Joseph in the Interior Life

Imagine that you see Saint Joseph in the home at Nazareth, at the stable in Bethlehem and in exile in Egypt.

Point 1. With what virtues did the interior life of Saint Joseph radiate?

Consider that the entire life of Saint Joseph was interior and hidden in God; so little known to the world that but a few holy writers mention him in some few places; and of his death give no information.

This was a life of prayer, quiet work, and constant sacrifice, and at the same time, a life shining with the splendor of all virtues. Ponder only that by having married the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph renounced the dignity of fatherhood — so dear to the Israelites, and voluntarily lived in lifelong virginity so that he could belong totally to God.

This was a life of mortification and chastity. While a descendant of the royal family, he worked every day for a living in the craftsman’s workshop – Jesus being all his wealth. Behold his life of self-denial and poverty. Saint Joseph, as the highest of the patriarchs and a witness to the mysteries of God, could convert the world, and yet he enclosed himself in a small town, being completely devoted to Jesus.

This was a life of humility and prayer. Saint Joseph was such a great lover of God, but was afflicted by much suffering which he endured with a wonderful fortitude. This was a life of love for the cross and submission to the will of God.

Do you have similar virtues? If you want to know the faith of Saint Joseph, observe in the stable of Bethlehem his worshiping of the Incarnate Word, venerating in him his Lord and God. If you want to know Saint Joseph’s love for Jesus and Mary, behold how he devoted every moment of his life to them. If you want to know Saint Joseph’s obedience, look at how he rose at night at the angel’s voice and, giving no care to hunger, hardships or cold, went to Egypt where he led a hard life until the next command of God. Do you have similar virtues?

Consider that God demanded much of Saint Joseph, but he also generously rewarded him on earth and highly exalted him. For his purity, God made Saint Joseph the spouse, companion and guardian of the Blessed Mother of God. For his self-denial, He gave him the sweet consolation that with his own eyes he could gaze upon the Savior of the world and take Him up in his arms. For his obedience, He elevated St. Joseph to such an ineffable dignity that He made him guardian and foster father of His Son, Jesus. For his love for Jesus and Mary, He endowed St. Joseph with the great grace that after his holy life he died peacefully in their arms. And God demands much from you, but He will favor you generously on this earth, and will exalt you, if you will but imitate Saint Joseph in his virtues. Do you sincerely desire this?


Point 2. Why and how to strive for an interior life.

Consider that yours is a duty to so live in Jesus, according to Jesus, and for Jesus,¹ that you could at least repeat the words of St. Paul, yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me (Gal 2:20). Only this does God want, and to this end He gives His graces.

As once at Bethlehem so also now, Jesus still walks with Mary and Joseph — that is, with the treasures of His Heart— from home to home, from soul to soul, knocking, and asking to take Him in: ‘Open to me, my soul, my sister and my bride (cf. Song of Songs 5:2): open to let Me live in you, and bestow on you My light and My love. Behold, I have circled the whole world and knocked at many souls, but they have mercilessly pushed me away; you then, at least, open, and give Me shelter within you.’ If the soul opens at once and invites the Lord Jesus in by faithfully keeping His commandments, or if a religious, by fidelity also to the vows, the Lord Jesus showers His graces upon this soul, and sanctifies the soul’s inner and exterior life.

Have you never rejected Jesus and do you strive to sanctify your inner and exterior life? It is necessary to do so, since the degree of our exterior life depends upon our interior, that is, upon our virtues and motives, as the prophet has said, All the glory of the king’s daughter [namely, the soul] is within (cf. Vulgate Ps 44:14). The wisdom, greatness and happiness of the soul come from this inner life. And there is nothing strange in this, for such is the life with Jesus and in Jesus; and Jesus is real wisdom, true good, eternal consolation – Jesus is heaven itself.

Whoever has found Jesus, Blessed Henry Suso rightly says, has found the source of joy and happiness. Have you never experienced this? If you desire that the Lord Jesus would live in you and you live in Jesus, strive to grow constantly in love; therefore guard not only against mortal sins, but also against voluntary venial ones; purify your soul of vices, weaknesses and harmful attachments or desires. Do everything out of pure and supernatural motives, so that the Lord Jesus may Himself work in you and through you, and you may resemble His Heart in everything. Do you promise this?

Examination of conscience. Act of contrition. Resolutions. Today after Holy Communion I will ask fervently: Jesus, live and act in me. Mary and Saint Joseph, teach me the interior life. Spiritual communion.

Joseph Sebastian Pelczar was born on January 17, 1842 in Korczyna in the diocese of Przemysl, Poland. Raised in a religious atmosphere, he entered the Seminary and in 1864 was ordained to the holy priesthood. After his studies in Rome, he was a professor at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. As a priest and a professor he was marked by his zeal and a special devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament, the Heart of God, and the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, which he expressed in his works and prolific writing. Concerned by the need for care for girls in moral danger, and for the sick and poor, he founded the Congregation of the Servants of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Krakow on April 15, 1894, the day formerly observed as the feast of the Patronage of St. Joseph. In 1899 he became Auxiliary Bishop and, in 1900, Ordinary of his diocese of Przemysl, Poland. After twenty-five years of exemplary service as a bishop he died in the odor of sanctity on March 28, 1924. In 1991, Pope St. John Paul II counted him among the glory of the Blessed, and in Rome on May 18, 2003, proclaimed him a Saint of the universal Church.

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1 Cf. Meditation 17, Life of the Lord Jesus in Mary and in a soul devoted to him.

 

News, Women's Communities

St. Joseph’s Carmelite Home – Rebuilding After the Fire

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On Sunday, May 16, 2021, St. Joseph’s Carmelite Home in East Chicago, Indiana, suffered a devastating fire.  Home to the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus, it also is home to children needing emergency shelter or longer term care, and expectant teen mothers. Their mission is the opening their hearts & homes to children in crisis from birth to 18. What a beautiful work of mercy!

Thankfully, everyone was safely evacuated, and no harm came to any of the residents.

As a result of the fire, the entire main building (built in 1920) was completely destroyed, and the interiors of their north and south building are also unable to be salvaged.   Due to limited space now,  the numbers of youth and children they can help has dwindled considerably. Many have been sent to other facilities or to foster homes.

“Grasselli Avenue has turned into a zone of massive reconstruction with huge trucks and equipment covering the entire street,” says Sister Maria Giuseppe. “At the present time, we have a construction crew in the Tauscher Center remodeling the entire area to be more user-friendly and in compliance with DCS codes.  This work is going smoothly and hopefully will be completed within a few months so that our doors may be re-opened to accept new children.  Our nuns are living in our Casa Maria in quite small quarters, with our chapel, dining and living area all blended into one. ”

“The sisters are grateful “beyond words to the many people who have poured forth upon us their love and interest in our Carmelite Home and have showered us with blessings of donations both monetary and material.  We are tremendously  grateful for each one and for the indescribable kindness of each donor – may our merciful Lord Jesus bless them in every way!”

The sisters ask only for prayers to deal prudently and successfully with the many decisions that have to be made so that they can continue on with their ministry among God’s children and youth.

But we also noticed on their GoFundMe page that they are only $5,000 short of their fundraising goal.  Go here if you would like to help!

“We are inviting the Holy Spirit to be present continuously in our Carmelite Home,” says Sr. Maria Giuseppe.  “We hold HIM to be responsible since the whole thing was made for Him and belongs to Him anyway!”

St. Joseph’s Carmelite Home
4840 Grasselli Ave.
East Chicago, IN 46312