“We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,” the opening words of today’s second reading (Heb 12:1-4), describe the presence of many holy people in the Church.  You and I, while we are both holy and sinful ourselves, belong to this community of Jesus’ disciples.  What a great privilege!  We are constantly inspired by the example of our fellow-disciples to be faithful Christians in all life’s circumstances.

Favorite Saints.  All of us have our special saints.  Allow me to tell you some details about one of my own favorites, Jozef Damien de Veuster, popularly known as “Damien the Leper.”  Certainly, he belongs to that “great cloud of witnesses” for us.  Damien’s poignant story offers each of us hope and inspiration.

The seventh of eight children, Joseph was born in 1840 on a small farm near Louvain in Belgium.  He chose the name Damien when, at the age of 19, he entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.  In 1863, Damien’s own brother—an ordained priest—was assigned to the Hawaii mission, but fell ill when a typhus epidemic broke out in Louvain.  Damien, still a seminarian, petitioned his superiors to take his brother’s place.  He left for Hawaii in 1863 and arrived six months later; he was ordained in Honolulu in May 1864.

Compassionate Service.  Damien served for nine years on the Island of Hawaii.  In early 1873, he was among the priest volunteers who offered themselves to serve the lepers who were segregated on the island of Molokai, since there was no known cure for the dreaded disease which was ravaging the island archipelago.  Damien’s assignment letter from Father Modeste, his religious superior, read: “You may stay as long as your devotion dictates….”  Damien read that letter over and over again—until his death sixteen years later at age 49.

From the outset, Damien aimed to restore a sense of personal worth and dignity in all 8,000 lepers.  He ministered to the gravely ill, bringing the sacraments of confession and Holy Communion and anointing bedridden lepers.  He encouraged people to assist him.  He taught his people to farm, to raise animals, to play musical instruments and sing.  He did not surrender to destructive self-pity.  His cheerful disposition and desire to serve touched the lepers’ hearts.  In all things, his lepers came first.

Fidelity amidst Trials.  Damien faced challenges and misunderstandings, particularly from some who attacked his moral life, even asserting his leprosy was contracted through sexual contact.  As a sensitive, compassionate pastor, Damien knew that close contact and touch are necessary to communicate love and concern.  Thus, leprosy ultimately claimed him.

Damien strove to configure himself to Christ.  He died on April 15, 1889; it was Holy Week.  His example of service of the poor inspires us not to forget the poor right in our midst.  We all rejoice to belong to the “great cloud of witnesses.”  Saint Damien, pray for us!

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

20^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

My dearest Lord Jesus

thank you for filling our world

and enlightening human history

with a glorious cloud of witnesses

to encourage and inspire us

with their lives of faithful service and who

intercede for us who struggle here below.

Like stars that brighten the night sky

your saints and holy ones shatter

the darkness, sorrow and hopelessness

that overshadows our world and

fills those who long for a better life

with hope for a better tomorrow.

Raise up new saints for our time

that together we might overcome

all sadness and despair

and enter that new creation for which

all the saints and prophets longed

and for which Christ and all saints longed.

By Fr. Joseph Veneroso. M.M.

Our Gospel today from Saint Luke centers around the theme of possessions—both earthly and heavenly.  Twice Jesus gives some clear, focused advice: “One’s life does not consist of possessions.”  “Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.”  Jesus is clearly speaking about how the material things of this world are to be properly used to enhance our own lives and the lives of others.

Perspective of Jesus.  A perusal of the New Testament reveals multiple passages where Jesus expresses his views.  “Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and termites destroy and thieves break in and steal.  But store up treasures for yourself in heaven….  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also….  You cannot be the slave of both God and money” (Mt 6:19-21, 24; cf. Lk 12:33-34).

To the rich young man who asked how he could possess eternal life, Jesus responded: “If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then, come, follow me” (Mt 19:21).  Similarly, Jesus tells us: “When you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right hand is doing” (Mt 6:3).  Admittedly, these are some of Jesus’ “hard statements”!

Additional Biblical Insights.  The Book of Ecclesiastes (5:9) notes: “He who loves money, never has money enough; he who loves wealth, never has enough profit.”  The Psalmist advises (62:10): “Put no trust in extortion, no empty hope in plunder; though riches may increase, keep your heart detached.”  Proverbs (23:4) asserts: “Do not weary yourself with getting rich.” 

Saint Paul writes to his beloved disciple Timothy: “As long as we have food and clothing, let us be content with that.  People who long to be rich are a prey to temptation; they get trapped into all sorts of foolish and dangerous ambitions….  The love of money is the root of all evils” (1Tim 6:8-10).

Deeper Reflection.  Carefully note that Jesus and the Bible are not asserting that money and material goods are evil.  We all need a variety of material goods (food, clothing, shelter) to live a dignified human life.  There is absolutely nothing wrong in wanting to secure the physical well-being of your own self and your family; actually, it is demanded of us as responsible adults.  Our loving God requires it!

Contemporary Challenges.  Probably one of the most serious challenges facing many Christians today is “rampant consumerism.”   Pope Francis (Evangelli Gaudium 53) has warned against such consumerism; it creates “an economy of exclusion and inequality” among the poor and marginalized.  We have created a “throw-away culture” which continues to spread (cf. LS 34).  We all must name for ourselves some obstacles in our modern society and life-style that harm us personally and as a people—hampering our entry into the Kingdom of God.

James H. Kroeger, M.M.        

18^TH Sunday in Ordinary Time

You have blessed me, Lord,

with life and love, faith and hope,

things the world and money

neither know nor can they buy.

May I be content, Jesus, with what

food, clothing and possessions I have.

Grant that these may never own

nor possess me but may I always

be ever mindful of and generous toward

those I meet who have less than I do.

Let me be as generous toward

the poor and less fortunate

as you, Lord God, have been toward me.

May I never be envious of those

who appear to have more than I

for I do not know what crosses or burdens

they bear in secret or what hardships

they endure or wounds they carry.

Lord, I come before you with open hands

that I might receive blessings from you

and through me you might bless others.

Help me Lord to use all I have and am

to advance your kingdom on earth

by lightening the burden of all I meet

that together we might walk toward

the fulfillment of your promises forever.

In your name I pray.

Amen.

By Fr. Joseph Veneroso. M.M.

Knowing God as Compassionate Father

Christian creeds address God as “the Father, the almighty.”  Calling God “Our Father” is a personal address, asserting his care for all creation, especially for all humanity.  God is called “Father” 170 times in the Gospels [Mark (4); Luke (15); Matthew (42); John (109)].

Prayer to the Father.  God’s fatherhood is a clear hallmark of Jesus’ life and prayer.  Frequently, Jesus prays to his Abba.  He calls God “my Father” (Mt 11:26; Lk 10:21).  His mission is from the Father (Jn 11:41-42).  During the last supper he addresses his Father (Jn 17:1, 5, 11, 21, 24, 25).  Jesus turned to his Abba in the crisis moments of his life: Gethsemane (Mk 14:36; Mt 26:42), Calvary (Lk 23:34).  His dying words are: “Father, into your hands I commend by spirit” (Lk 23:46).

Expressing Our Faith.  Addressing God as “Our Father” is already an act of faith; it reflects both our relationship to God and to others.  Jesus taught his disciples this prayer on different occasions.  The New Testament preserves two versions: Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4.  Because Jesus the Lord taught this prayer to his disciples, it is known as the “Lord’s Prayer.”  Tertullian called it “the summary of the whole Gospel,” and Saint Thomas Aquinas said it is “the most perfect of all prayers.”

Structure of the Our Father.  The first half of the “Our Father” expresses our faith by praising God, asking that “your kingdom come.”  The second half of the “Lord’s Prayer” consists of petitions.  For example, praying for our daily bread means doing our part and sharing in the Church’s mission to relieve hunger and deprivation.   

Our Petitions.  We ask forgiveness with the sincere promise to forgive others.  We also ask that we would not be led into temptation, though we accept that, in fact, God allows testing as a way of determining the depth and genuineness of our faith. As we plead for this grace, we also commit ourselves to “bear each other’s burdens” (Gal 6:2); we are manifesting our commitment to readily serve our neighbors.      

Pope of Mercy.  Francis, the “pope of mercy,” has focused the Church’s attention on the theme of mercy.  Recall his 2015 document, Misericordiae Vultus (The Face of Mercy), wherein he proclaimed an entire year of mercy.  Pope Francis affirms that Jesus’ entire life and “his person is nothing but love, a love given gratuitously.”  Jesus is moved with

mercy/pity/compassion when he sees people in need.  Jesus spoke many parables devoted to mercy: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the father with two sons (Lk 15:4-7, 8-10, 11-32).

Church, Community of Mercy.  For Pope Francis, God’s mercy is the very foundation of the Church’s life and mission.  “All of her pastoral activity should be caught up in the tenderness she makes present to believers; nothing in her preaching and in her witness to the world can be lacking in mercy.”  “Wherever there are Christians, everyone should find an oasis of mercy” (MV 12).    

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

17^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Father in heaven hear our prayer

on behalf of all your children

hungry, suffering and crying

here below.

Not just for want of food,

but also for want of love;

not just from wounds and scars

but also from broken hearts

and shattered dreams,

not just from losing family and friends,

but from losing their way to you.

Heavenly Father, you who hear

the cry of the poor,

open our ears to hear them as well.

Open our eyes to see their pain

and open our hands to help them up.

You who forgive our sins

give us the strength to forgive others.

You who give us our daily bread

give us strength to give up everything

that holds us back

from loving you with all our hearts,

all our minds and all our lives.

In Jesus’ name we pray

Amen.

By Fr. Joseph Veneroso. M.M.

Today’s Gospel from Saint Luke, also used for the feast of Saint Martha, probably reflects a typical scene from the life of Jesus.  He had a very close friendship relationship with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, often going to their home in Bethany to relax, enjoy their company, share some of Martha’s good cooking, and simply rest from his demanding ministry activities.

Saint Luke presents Mary seated near Jesus and listening to him.  Martha, being a good host, is busy with all the demands of hospitality.  Understandably, she becomes upset that Mary seems to be taking it easy and leaving all the work to her.  Jesus lovingly cautions Martha not to be overly concerned about all the details of serving.

Exploring Jesus’ Message.  Is Jesus rebuking Martha, even disregarding her concerns, when he says that Mary “has chosen the better part”?  Certainly not!  He is gently reminding Martha to keep everything in balance, to fulfill one’s daily duties (work, cook, wash, clean) and still remain centered on Christ (time for prayer and reflection).  This is captured well in the Benedictine motto: ora et labora, prayer and work.

Whatever our state in life (married, single, or religious), we need both prayer and work in order to fully live the Christian life, to accomplish our mission.  If we as active evangelizers were to embrace prayer without also performing the tasks inherent in our Christian calling, we would stagnate.  When guided by God’s will, our labors bring us closer to him.

Likewise, our daily mission work loses its meaning if it is not grounded in prayer, meditation, and reflection.  Everything in our lives is not under our control; we cannot do anything except through the grace of God.  Before we begin our daily tasks and missionary service, we must first turn to God in prayer.  Then, rooted in God’s love, we can more effectively carry out our mission in life.

Seeking Genuine Integration.  Personally, I have experienced the need for being both “active and contemplative” in my overseas mission experience.  In addition, I have found that Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta spoke insightfully about the prayer-work dynamic.  She would say that we must see the inseparable twofold presence of Jesus, in the Bread of Life (Eucharist) and in the distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor.

Mother Teresa continues: “Just as Jesus allows himself to be broken, to be given to us as food, we too must break, we must share ourselves with others.”  According to Mother Teresa, our spiritual life, especially the Eucharist, keeps us zealous, fervent, and enthusiastic in our daily duties.  In a word, the love of Jesus will shine through our lives of service.

Contemplatives in Action.  This simple phrase which we all have heard expresses our calling to an integrated Christian life, combining the spirit of both Martha and Mary in our daily lives.  We seek to rise to this beautiful challenge!

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

16^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus, teacher and redeemer,

sitting at your feet may I always

learn to love and serve you

no less in the poor, sick and oppressed

than in my neighbor and in everyone

I meet along the way.

Like incense let my prayer rise unceasingly

to your throne in heaven as much in my silences

as in my words that my every thought, word and deed,

might redound to your glory and may my service

speak as much of your praises as do my supplications.

Merciful master, whether I serve or pray

may I do it out of love for you and gratitude

for all you have done and given to me.

I offer you my thoughts, my prayers,

my service and my suffering

to do with as you will.

Honored to play even the smallest part

in announcing and building your Reign

here on earth. In your Name.

Amen.

By Fr. Joseph Veneroso. M.M.

Two of Jesus’ parables are known worldwide by people of all faiths and traditions; they are the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son.  Both narratives speak of the universal value of mercy.  The good Samaritan treated the wounded stranger with mercy and compassion.  The merciful father welcomes his wayward son home with open arms.

Identifying the Samaritans.  In Jesus’ time the Samaritans were greatly despised by the Jews; they were considered infidels, foreigners, and half-breeds.  In particular, the Pharisees looked down upon the Samaritans as “second-class,” having a “false religion,” and “lacking faith in the true God.”  Why?  Samaritans were of mixed blood; they intermarried with the Assyrians who conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 732 BC.  They did not go to the temple in Jerusalem to worship; they prayed at Mount Gerazim.  They were not “pure” Jews.

Surprising Models of Virtue.  A careful look at the Gospels shows us that three times Jesus made Samaritans “models of virtue.”  Jesus’ words would shock the ears of many Jews.  When Jesus cured the ten lepers of their dreaded disease, only one came back to thank Jesus.  The “grateful leper” was a Samaritan (Lk 17:15-19).  Jesus engaged the “Samaritan woman at the well” (Jn 4:1-42); he praised her journey of faith.

The “good Samaritan” in today’s gospel (Lk 10:25-37) saw the wounded stranger on the roadside; he stopped, dressed his wounds, took him to an inn, and paid for the expenses.  Concluding the narrative story, Jesus asks: “Who proved himself to be neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”  The Jewish scholar of the law, not even wishing to say the word Samaritan, says: “The one who treated him with mercy.”  Jesus’ conclusion is simple and direct: “Go and do likewise.”

Insights from Pope Francis.  In 2015 Francis authored Misericordiae Vultus (The Face of Mercy) and proclaimed a “Year of Mercy” to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the conclusion of Vatican II (1965-2015).  Francis says: “We need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy.  It is a wellspring of joy, serenity, and peace….  Mercy [is] the bridge that connects God and man” (2).

Pope Francis continues: “In Jesus of Nazareth, mercy has become living and visible….  The signs he works, especially in the face of sinners, the poor, the marginalized, the sick, and the suffering, are all meant to teach mercy” (8).  “The Church is commissioned to announce the mercy of God, the beating heart of the Gospel….  Wherever there are Christians, everyone should find an oasis of mercy” (12).

A Foundational Mission Value.  Succinctly stated, mission means “living-in-mercy.”  A missioner’s life is replete with experiences of mercy—both given and received.  Mercy addresses various kinds of human suffering.  Practicing mercy is challenging; its demands are often inconvenient and unpredictable.  Living a merciful life means not only giving things, but giving ourselves.  We prayer for the merciful heart and eyes of Jesus and his mother Mary.

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

Prayer for the 15^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God of mercy, who entered into human chaos

to be with us in our misery, hear us

especially in our darkest hour and greatest need.

You deigned to become one of us

with us and like us that we in turn

might become one with and like you.

Your mercy reaches into the deepest

darkness of the human heart

and scatters the gloom of mind and

memories that keep us from living

life to the full.

We kneel at the throne of your mercy

Lord God and most merciful Savior.

Lift the yoke laying heavily on our hearts

and let rays of your irrepressible grace

flow from your wounds borne out of love

for us wayward sinners and wash clean

our souls that we in turn might be merciful to all we meet.

Amen.

By Fr. Joseph Veneroso. M.M.

Mission permeates the entire New Testament.  Today’s Gospel from chapter ten of Luke narrates a key event, where Jesus chooses seventy-two additional followers and sends them out on mission.  We should conclude that mission is for all of Jesus’ disciples—all baptized Christians, not just the special twelve apostles.  Jesus then gives them clear and specific instructions.  I see at least ten “mission principles” emerging from today’s Gospel.

(1) All mission and evangelization begin with God’s initiative, with Jesus’ choice.  We do not engage in mission based on our decision.  Recall Jesus’ words: “You did not choose me, no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last” (Jn 15:16).  (2) Mission is not a personal or individual project.  Jesus sends his messengers out in pairs.  We understand that as followers of Jesus “we’re in this together” for a more effective witnessing.

(3) Recall that “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”  This was true in Jesus’ time and remains true today.  We must recognize the great task that faces us; we turn to the Lord in prayer, asking for additional harvesters.  (4) Next, Jesus gives a brief, yet direct instruction: “Be on your way.”  Do not delay!  Don’t wait to start until all the details are in place and the perfect mission plan has been formulated.  Go, and go now! 

(5) Remember that you will face many challenges; you will be like lambs in the midst of wolves.  Recognize that some people will welcome your message, while others will reject both you and your very mission.  Always be ready to move on; persecution for the faith is nothing new in Christianity.  (6) Jesus advises his missionaries to “travel light.”  Don’t let material “stuff” weigh you down and get in the way of your ministry of preaching Jesus’ Good News.

(7) The missioner is to extend Christ’s “mercy and compassion” to all.  Find like-minded people of peace; work closely with them.  (8) Be humble and accept what is offered in terms of food and accommodations; do not go searching for a more comfortable situation.  Be content with the hospitality extended to you. 

(9) Reach out to the sick and needy you encounter.  Recall Pope Francis’ advice to go to the margins, the peripheries, to the excluded in society.  (10) Make the announcement of Jesus’ Kingdom message your central emphasis; proclaim that “the reign of God near.”

Indeed, as Christians we all carry on the mission ministry that Jesus gave us.  We can be inspired by the well-known saying of Saint Teresa of Avila: “Christ has no body on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours.  Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ looks out to the world.  Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good.  Yours are the hands with which he is to bless others now.”

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

14^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lord Jesus, my Savior and my God,

I offer you my hands to heal,

my voice to sing your praises,

my mind to contemplate your truth,

my tongue to announce your good news,

my ears to hear the cry of the poor, and

my heart to love others as you love me.

I offer you my past, with all its pain,

my present, with its faults and failures

but also with faith in you who call me.

I offer you my future, be it a day or

many decades to help build

your kingdom here on earth.

Be with me Lord, as I follow you

to the cross and through the cross

to a fuller, more abundant life

that I might love you all the more.

Grant that I seek and find you

in everyone I meet today

and fill me with the joy of knowing

you remain with me always.

Amen.

By Fr. Joseph Veneroso. M.M.

In today’s Gospel, Saint Luke presents Jesus “resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.”  As Jesus proceeds on his missionary path, he invites others to follow him.  Then we hear of many excuses for either delaying or even rejecting the call.  Honestly, we are often reluctant to fully follow Jesus as his missionary disciples. 

From my more than five decades of mission in Asia (Philippines and Bangladesh) I have often searched for the “Why” of mission.  I am sure you have also sincerely asked yourself: What is my mission and how do I fulfill it; what does Jesus want of me?

I have discovered a creative, comprehensive expression of the reasons for engaging in mission in the documents of the Asian bishops (FABC) during their Fifth Plenary Assembly in 1990.  They enunciated five core motives that can respond to the question: “Why evangelize?” 

1. “We evangelize, first of all from a deep sense of gratitude to God, the Father ‘who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing’ (Eph 1:3)….  Mission is above all else an overflow of this life from grateful hearts transformed by the grace of God.  That is why it is so important for us Christians to have a deep faith-experience of the love of God in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:39)….  Without a personal experience of this love received as gift and mercy, no sense of mission can flourish.”

2. “But mission is also a mandate.  We evangelize because we are sent into the whole world to make disciples of all nations.  The one who sends us is Jesus….  He sends us on a mission which is part of the epiphany of God’s plan to bring all things together under Christ as head (Eph 1:9-10).  We cannot fulfill this mission apart from him (Jn 15:4-5).”  All Christians strive to take Christ’s mission command to heart!

3. “We evangelize also because we believe in the Lord Jesus.  We have received the gift of faith.  We have become Christians….  Unfortunately for many Catholics, faith is only something to be received and celebrated.  They do not feel it is something to be shared.  The missionary nature of the gift of faith must be inculcated in all Christians.”

4. “We evangelize also because we have been incorporated by baptism into the Church, which is missionary by its very nature….  The Church exists in order to evangelize….  Each member, by virtue of the sacraments of baptism and confirmation has received the right and duty to the apostolate from the Lord himself.”

5. “And, finally, we evangelize because the Gospel is leaven for liberation and for the transformation of society.”  Our world “needs the values of the Kingdom and of Christ in order to bring about human development, justice, peace and harmony with God, among peoples and with all creation.”

Let us frequently reflect on these “core motives” of our call to mission, responding to Jesus’ words: “Follow me.”

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

Prayer for 4^th Sunday

Is it not enough, Lord, for me to follow you?

must I also leave so much

and so many behind?

I would follow you, Lord,

to the ends of the earth

except I know where you are heading:

to Jerusalem, to Calvary and to the Cross.

I would follow you, Lord, but let me first say goodbye

to my past and to the people I hold dear.

Help me, Lord, to come before you

with open hands, heart and mind

that I might receive your grace

and love your presence and

contemplate your teachings

that I might also feed the multitudes

with fragments of your wisdom

and truth.

Let me follow in your Way, Lord Jesus,

mindful of the Cross yet knowing

though I stumble and fall many times

you will raise me up again,

and after my mission on earth has ended

you will lead me to the fullness of life

in your kingdom with all the saints

and all my family and friends

together with you in glory Forever.

Amen

By Fr. Joseph Veneroso. M.M.

Special names are often given to significant feasts within the Church’s liturgical year.  Following Easter we have Divine Mercy Sunday, Good Shepherd Sunday; last week we celebrated Trinity Sunday.  Today is the feast of Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ.  I believe we could also appropriately give today a new title: “Remembering Sunday.”

In today’s second reading from First Corinthians, Saint Paul recalls how Jesus established the Eucharist and twice repeats: “Do this in remembrance of me.”  Paul continues, saying: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.”  Indeed, each celebration of the Eucharist is a beautiful act of remembering what Jesus has done for us, for our salvation.

Humanly speaking, remembering is very important; it is a special gift, involving our entire person (mind, heart, will, emotions).  Yes, we can recall specific details of the past; however, if we recall them with our hearts and affections, those events and people will continue to shape and transform us, making us new.  Remembering always links past events into our lives and they become present, operative realities.  This is what is happening in the Eucharist!

When we hear about someone who has lost his memory, we are saddened.  Amnesia or dementia are life situations that are difficult to bear.  This fact points out how we must treasure our memory, both individually and as a community.  Memory allows us to tell our story, to live our lives, both as individuals and as a Christian people.  Today, on “Remembering Sunday,” our collective memory as a Christian people gets special emphasis through the celebration and reception of the Body and Blood of Christ.

As Christians, we continue to sacrament Christ’s presence to one another through our service, just as Christ feeds the people in today’s Gospel.  In this way, the Christian community grows and is reconciled.  As we recall and imitate what Jesus has done for us, we build up (re-member) his body, the Church.  The gift of the Holy Spirit helps and guides us to remember—and to serve others.

The Eucharist is our daily bread, and Jesus reminds us to “Do this in remembrance of me.” He says it, not once, but twice.  Assembled as a community, we remember, we celebrate, we believe. As we fulfill Jesus’ command, we grow in faith, filled with energy, dynamism and enthusiasm for mission, for authentic service.  When we recognize Christ in the Eucharist, broken and given for us, we can more readily recognize Christ in the broken lives and bodies of sick, poor, lonely and needy people. 

We Christians believe in the “true presence” of Christ in the Eucharist; likewise, we must become the “true presence” of Christ to the poor and suffering.  Try to spend some personal time today “remembering.”  Open your heart to God’s love and grace.  Make today Remembering Sunday!                            

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

Corpus Christi

We remember your words, O Lord,

to remember your love for us

and your mercy toward us

and your life with us.

We remember your death, Lord Jesus,

and how you died to save us

from our sins and from ourselves.

We remember your rising from the dead

and sending us your Holy Spirit

so we never forget to remember you.

Most of all, when we eat the holy bread

and drink from the sacred chalice,

we remember you are always in our midst

to help us on our way through life

till at last we go home to you

to remain with you forever.

May our partaking of each Eucharist

help us always to remember

to seek and find you among your people

calling them together to pray

praise and remember you

who will never forget us.

Amen.

By Fr. Joseph Veneroso. M.M.

Today, as the Church celebrates Trinity Sunday, we are invited to reflect upon a great truth of the Christian faith: we believe in a Trinitarian God: one God in three persons.  God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, living a life of communion and perfect mutual love.

We can look to the Gospel of John the Evangelist to hear what Jesus says about the Trinity.  “No one can come to the Father, except through me.  If you know me, you know my Father” (14:6-7).  “You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (14:11).  “I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth” (14:16-17).  “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you” (14:26).  “When the Advocate comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father, he will be my witness.  And you too will be witnesses” (15:26-27).

Throughout history the Church has consistently affirmed and proclaimed its belief in the Trinity. Yes, it is a profound mystery of our faith.  This doctrine leads us to the profound truth that our God is fundamentally a communion of love.  Again, turning to Saint John, we hear: “God is love, and anyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him” (1Jn 4:16).  “We can know that we are living in him and he is living in us, because he lets us share his Spirit” (1Jn 4:13).

You may ask: How does one come to know our Trinitarian God of love?  The answer is actually quite simple: live in love. A person who loves others for the joy of loving is a reflection of the Trinity.  A family in which each person respects and helps the others reflects Trinitarian love.  A parish in which people love and share their spiritual and material gifts is also a reflection of the Trinity.  In fact, Vatican Council II, quoting Saint Cyprian, asserted: “The Church is seen as ‘a people made one with the unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit’” (LG 4).

Various writers have given us analogies and illustrations of the Trinity, although all have limitations.  Jacqueline (an internet source) tries to illustrate the Trinity for children, noting that the Trinity is like an egg (having shell, white, and yoke); like an apple (it has skin, flesh, and seeds); like water (liquid, solid [ice], and steam); like a shamrock (three-leaved clover).  Such images engage our mind and imagination.

Finally, I can even see myself as a “Trinitarian missionary,” combining my native American culture with values and insights from the cultures of the Philippines and Bangladesh where I have served in mission.  Whatever images may attract us, let us celebrate God’s great love given to us through the three persons of our Trinitarian God.

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

Pentecost Prayer

We bow before you
O most sacred mystery:
so pure, so holy, so powerful
is the love of the Father for the Son
and the Son for the Father
that you generate the Holy Spirit
eternally.

O Triune God, you dwell in a loving
community of blessed relationships.
You who created us in your image
and became one of us in Christ
and fill us with your Holy Spirit
call us to live your divine life
of love with one another.

A mystery to be lived
a mystery to be worshiped
a mystery to be loved
all the days of our life
till at length you draw each of us
to yourself and become one with you.

Hear, O Israel, the Lord is One
God in Three Divine Persons:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
May we live your mystery here on earth
till that endless day when we join
with all the angels and saints in saying:
“Holy, Holy, Holy!”

By Fr. Joseph Veneroso. M.M.

Today, Pentecost Sunday, is an opportune moment to deepen our appreciation of the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church.  We can be guided by the profound thought of our Spirit-filled Pope Francis.

Early in his pontificate, Pope Francis gave a three-part catechesis on the Holy Spirit, in conjunction with the feast of Pentecost.  Among the Pope’s many insights, he emphasized that the Holy Spirit is the “Giver of Life” (Vivificantem).  Christians accept that “the Holy Spirit is the inexhaustible source of God’s life in us.  People of every time and place desire a full and beautiful life, just and good, a life that is not threatened by death, but can still mature and grow to fullness.”  To attain this quality of life, we need “God’s gift” of the Holy Spirit!

The dynamic presence of the Holy Spirit radically transforms the entire Christian Church, beginning on the first Pentecost.  The life-giving, powerful, personal presence of the Spirit is dynamically present and active today; missionaries have countless stories to tell of how the Holy Spirit has worked in their lives.  God’s Spirit continually transforms individuals and communities, teaching us “to see with the eyes of Christ, to live life as Christ lived it, to understand life as Christ understood it.” 

Pope Francis asks: “Are we open to the Holy Spirit; do I pray to him to enlighten me, to make me more sensitive to the things of God?  And this is a prayer we need to pray every day, every day: Holy Spirit, may my heart be open to the Word of God, may my heart be open to good, may my heart be open to the beauty of God, every day.”

Pope Francis continues: “Let us ask ourselves: what steps are we taking so that the faith directs our whole existence?  Do not be a ‘part-time’ Christian, at certain moments, in certain circumstances, in certain choices; be Christian at all times!  The truth of Christ, that the Holy Spirit teaches us and gives us, always and forever, involves our daily lives.  Let us invoke him more often, to guide us on the path of Christ’s disciples.”  Undoubtedly, the Holy Spirit is the “Giver-of-Life,” Christ’s life within us!

We pray: Come, Holy Spirit, you bring rest and relief in the midst of toil, in the midst of the work of human hands and the labor of the mind.  Come, Holy Spirit, you bring rest and ease in the midst of the heat of the day, in the midst of the anxieties, struggles and perils of every age.  Come, Holy Spirit, you bring consolation when the human heart grieves and is tempted to despair.  Come, Holy Spirit, what is hard, you soften; what is frozen, you warm; what is wayward, you set anew on paths of salvation and mission.

Enjoy a Blessed Pentecost, the Feast of the Giver-of-Life, God’s Holy Spirit!    

     James H. Kroeger, MM

Pentecost Prayer

O Holy Spirit of the living God,

who filled the Temple with radiant glory

and overshadowed the Virgin Mary

with the Word-Made-Flesh and

set the Apostles ablaze with the flame of Truth,

come set our hearts on fire

with the life-giving love of God.

You, who hovered over the chaotic

Waters of Creation, come renew

our war-weary world with that peace

only Christ can give.

You, who change bread and wine

into the Body and Blood of Christ,

come and transform us into

that image of God in which all people

are created.

May the fire of divine love

purge all sin and evil from our hearts.

Lead us to Christ that Christ might bring

us at length into the life of the

Most Holy Trinity, to whom be all worship,

power, and glory now and forever.

Amen.

By Fr. Joseph Veneroso. M.M.