There is a Longing

When God told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he was acting as a good Father. What happens when you eat something? You take it, you break it down, you appropriate it, and you make it yours. You “own” it. In the inspired, poetic style of Genesis, God is telling us that to “eat” something is to have mastery over it. And if God’s creatures eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it means they are appropriating for themselves the right to determine what is good and what is evil. We can’t do that. Only God can do that. - Fr. John Riccardo, Rescued: The Unexpected and Extraordinary Good News of the Gospel

Most of this reflection was written while my daughter and I were visiting the Carmelite Monastery in Loretto, PA.  Like the disciples in the Gospel, these sisters are locked away, although not in fear, but by choice.   The disciples were a diverse group of men from various walks of life answering a vocational call – fishermen, an accountant, a zealot, etc.   So too are these sisters a diverse group of women of various ages and life experiences. Despite their differences, they have been joined together, “...baptized into one body…” as the second reading says.  Filled with the Holy Spirit, they raise their voices together in contemplative prayer throughout their days.  They’re not active in the sense of the disciples, traveling from town to town, yet they fulfill their vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience in prayer and work – “...a gift of the Spirit to the Church.” (as stated in their Carmelite Constitutions, #21) No matter your vocation in life, The ...

     St. Dymphna was born to a devout Catholic mother and a pagan chieftain father in Ireland during the seventh century. She made a vow of chastity when she was fourteen and consecrated her life to God. Her mother’s death followed not long after, causing great grief to her father, Damon. Upon the advice of his councilors, he sought to remarry, on the condition that the woman look as beautiful as his beloved deceased. With little success, Damon’s councilors began to direct his attention to his daughter. Influenced by his grief and their wicked ideas, he consented. Upon discovering her father’s plan, Dymphna fled to Belgium with her confessor and close friend, St. Gerebernus. However, her father found out their location and followed them. On one occasion, an innkeeper refused to take his money, stating that foreign currency was difficult to exchange. Damon realized that his daughter was near, guessing that the innkeeper had encountered her money. Guessing correctly, he fo...

On Pentecost: "'And my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.' My friends, consider the greatness of this solemn feast that commemorates God's coming as a guest into our hearts! If some rich and influential friend were to come to your home, you would promptly put it all in order for fear something there might offend your friend's eyes when he came in. Let all of us then who are preparing our inner homes for God cleanse them of anything our wrongdoing has brought into them." St. Gregory Dialogos

In our family, we often have long goodbyes.  We announce we’ll be leaving shortly, talk for a bit, announce our departure again, continue talking, get in our van yet keep the conversation going longer, and so on.  Even though His public ministry was only three years, Jesus also had a series of long goodbyes for His disciples.  He let them know on numerous occasions throughout their time together that He would not always be physically present to them.  In the daily Gospel not long ago (May 10), Jesus told His disciples, "Remain in me, as I remain in you." (John 15:4). As we will see at Pentecost next weekend, He will send the Holy Spirit to guide them in continuing His work on Earth, while He went on ahead to prepare dwelling places in Heaven.  The Feast of the Ascension celebrates Jesus being swept up in a cloud and taken to Heaven, but not before giving the disciples their mission.  He sent them out to all nations, to make disciples, baptize and teach, a...

In the midst of the political and anti-Catholic turmoil in Mexico during the early twentieth century, thousands of faithful Catholics, both religious and lay, gave their lives in opposition to the government’s oppression. Among these, we celebrate St. Christopher Magallanes and his twenty-four companion martyrs on May 21.  Cristobal Magallanes Jara came from a devout family of farmers from Jalisco, Mexico. At the age of nineteen he entered seminary and began his priestly ministry eleven years later as a teacher. He was later appointed parish priest, serving in his hometown for over twenty years.  In 1915, when the seminary in Guadalajara was forced closed by the government, Fr. Magallanes secretly opened one in his own home, quickly attracting seventeen seminarians.  Despite his disapproval of the armed rebellion, Fr. Magallanes was falsely accused of having assisted the Cristeros. He was arrested on May 21, 1927. Arrested on that same day was Fr. Agustin Caloca Cortes, w...

This weekend, I would like to deviate from the normal Gospel reflection and instead, focus on the second reading. St. Peter is encouraging his followers (and us, as well) to be ready with a gentle, yet reverent and firm reason when questioned about our hope in Christ. When we live our faith, we become living witnesses to that hope in Christ. I have often wondered how those who have no faith can face the difficulties life throws at them. I can attest that my hope in Christ is what has gotten me through many struggles. When my son was going through the diagnosis and treatment for a brain tumor, including surgery, chemo, and radiation, we relied on the prayers of family, friends, and strangers from all over the world…and we truly felt those prayers working. (Thank you, COOL parishioners!) At one of his appointments, his doctor commented that she and the neurosurgeon were amazed at how calm we were. I told her that it was our faith holding us together. We chose to have hope &...

John 14:1-12 “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” As a child, my bedroom was a collection of girly things – dolls, toys, and lots of pink stuff.  When I reached my teen years, my room consisted of various collectible items & souvenirs, books, & a wall plastered with New Kids on the Block posters.  Prior to the births of our children, my husband and I spent time preparing their rooms by putting the crib together, hanging or folding clothes and blankets, & making a space for those late night feedings.  Our home of six people is now an eclectic mix of each of our personalities – a dining room with antique photos decorating the walls, an entertainment themed family room, Lego collections, and many sacramentals and objects of our Faith.  Our decorating styles change with each stage of our lives.  The things we collect and display are a reflection of our interests and personalities during those times.  Jesus tells us in today’s Gosp...

Vincenzo Peis was born in 1701 to a poor family of farmers. He was the second son of seven children. He worked in his family's fields until the age of 17, when he was struck with a serious illness. Vincenzo vowed that if he were healed, he would become a Fransican and consecrate his life to God. When he was cured however, he waited to fulfill his vow at his father’s command. A few years later, Vincenzo made a similar vow when in another dangerous circumstance. He had lost control of his horse, but when he made his vow, the creature stopped. Certain that he could no longer put off his word, Vincenzo sought admission into the convent in Cagliari, making his profession in 1722 & taking the name Ignatius de Laconi. Despite his fragile health, Brother Ignatius observed both the spiritual exercises of the rule of the order with perfection. He was apt to quiet and an unrelenting kindness, especially towards the poor and sick. Ignatius never held any office of importance within his ord...

“The Holy Hour is not a devotion; it is a sharing in the work of redemption. Our Blessed Lord used the words "hour" and "day" in two totally different connotations in the Gospel of John. "Day" belongs to God; the "hour" belongs to evil. Seven times in the Gospel of John, the word "hour" is used, and in each instance it refers to the demonic, and to the moments when Christ is no longer in the Father's Hands, but in the hands of men. In the Garden, our Lord contrasted two "hours" - one was the evil hour "this is your hour" - with which Judas could turn out the lights of the world. In contrast, our Lord asked: "Could you not watch one hour with Me?". In other words, he asked for an hour of reparation to combat the hour of evil; an hour of victimal union with the Cross to overcome the anti-love of sin. The only time Our Lord asked the Apostles for anything was the night he went into his agony. Then he did n...