Hearts That Beat as One

The pairing of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary reflected clearly in the love that Pauline von Mallinckrodt lived. In her care and concern for those entrusted to her care, whether for the Sisters or for her family or for her companions or for the children, the hearts of Jesus and Mary beat in unison with Pauline's own heart. Today let us consider the hearts of Jesus and Mary beating in unison with our own hearts, reflecting the immensity of that great love through all we are and do.

As we approach the Feast of the Queen of Apostles and the Great Feast of Pentecost, it is fitting to pause and consider these two feasts in relation to our Blessed Pauline.Like Mary, Pauline sought to carry God to the world by reflecting God's heart to each and every person whom she encountered. Like the Queen of Apostles, Pauline led by example demonstrating the humility and surrender of one who truly has given her life to and for God through tireless service to God's people. Pauline's heart was on fire with love. The flame of that love continues to stir the flame of Christian Charity (Christlichen Liebe) today. Pauline had a real relationship with each of the three persons of the Blessed Trinity. The Holy Spirit was not an abstract entity in her life but rather a living breathing dimension of God in her life. She relied totally and completely on the Spirit to guide, direct, and inspire her. As we join in the Feast of Pentecost, let us consider the presence, power, and gift of the Holy Spirit in our own life and seek to live the Spirit's grace abundantly in the example of Mary, Queen of Apostles, and our Blessed Pauline.

Bless you, my Sister, bless you on your way...

In Loving Memory of

Sister Mary Alan Barszczewski, cssf

In Grateful Memory: Natasha Richardson (1963-2009)

In grateful memory of Natasha Richardson.

She was a gift to her family and friends

but also to all of us

through her theatrical and film work and her charitable endeavors.

She graced the earth only for a little while

but the footprints she leaves mark an indelible trail of goodness.

If the theater and film world have a Camelot couple today,

Natasha and Liam is our Camelot couple.

Natasha blended the best of Grace Kelly and Princess Diana.

She was another "Candle in the Wind."

Sincerest condolences to her family and friends,

especially to her beloved Liam and sons.

Third Sunday of Lent 2009

The Lenten Journey With (rather than to)Jesus ...

It's not quite the mid-point of Lent yet, but clearly the journey towards Easter so far has been moving quickly. It's not too late though, I tell myself, to make sure that I am making the most of Lent and the opportunity it presents to focus on the inward journey through my outward relationship to God, Church, family, friends, co-workers, and the world.

This first piece of Lent has been a time of finding my Lenten space. It's been a bit of challenge to hold the focus that I think Lent deserves yet each day I try as I can to be deliberate about observing Lent. My goal this week is to be more deliberate not for the sake of practicing but for the sake of perfecting. It's not a matter of rehearsing but of consciously and conscientiously using the time of this special season to keep the internal gaze on Jesus as the One who leads us to Easter. It's not just a question of following him but of being led by Him along the road He chooses for us this Lent/Easter journey. Sometimes we set forth a map that we believe is the way for us to reach the Sacred Triduum yet in fact God has a better way to lead us to the Easter moment. As I have been reminded before, the grace is also in the journey and not just in the destiny. In fact, we may have missed out abundantly if we only look to the graces and blessings of the destination. The journey, too, may be a moving destination to be opportunized.

As we approach this third week of Lent and look towards the Laetare moment of next Sunday, let us be open to experiencing the rich graces of journeying with Jesus in the present moment. In each face of Christ we see this week -- whether it be the homeless man at the traffic light, the domestic violence victim, the single mother struggling to make ends meet, the friend in prison, the simple everyday people in our lives, may we also see the woman at the well, the Samaritan woman, the women of the Gospel who also walk with Jesus. In these encounters may we find the Lenten journey God has mapped for us individually so that we can arrive at the Paschal feast of Easter to celebrate together the joy of Jesus' resurrection.

History in the Making

"Rosa sat so Martin could walk.

Martin walked so Barack could run.

Barack ran so our children will fly."

Source: Unknown (Overheard during the 2008 Presidential Campaign)

The Invitation Still Awaits You...

As I recently posted, the Sisters of Christian Charity (U.S. Eastern Province) are hosting a Discernment Retreat the weekend of January 9-11, 2009. To help foster a broader understanding of the charism, ministry, prayer life, and community of the Sisters of Christian Charity, check out this brief online video. For more information about the Discernment Retreat or other vocation-oriented events, click here or visit the Province's website.

Social Justice Matter: Congo

In case you are not already aware, I want to bring to your attention a pressing social justice/global human rights issue, the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

YouTube has a brief informational video, entitled "Congo Emergency."

The video, "Congo Emergency," is located here and includes the following description:

In November 2008 representatives of missionary Congregations working in North Kivu and its outlying zones met at the headquarters of the International Union of Superiors General in Rome, Italy to discuss what could be done about the situation. About 100 men and women religious, as well as representatives of other non-governmental organizations working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, participated in the meeting which set up an intercongregational committee entitled, Congo Emergency. The committee has been asked to gather and centralize information, requests for aid, news and initiatives pertaining to the Kivu
crisis and above all to draw up a unified strategy that will enable the missionary institutes present in the area to work together to help alleviate the desperate situation of the people.

Click here to access both the video and related information. The situation there is quite bad. According to reports from a number of diverse sources, women and girl children are being subject to rape as a "strategy of war" and doctors who treat rape victims are subject to persecution and violence.