Everything Pertains to Love

Those who follow and seek to immerse themselves in the spirituality of Saint Francis de Sales received a gift from Pope Francis on December 28, 2022.  On that date, Pope Francis published the Apostolic Letter, Totum Amoris Est, (Everything Pertains to Love) on the fourth centenary of the death of Saint Francis de Sales. 

In sending this Letter to the Oblates around the world, our Superior General, Father Barry Strong, OSFS, wrote:

“At his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Francis reflected on the mystery of Christ’s birth and continually drew inspiration from Saint Francis de Sales. During this period of catechesis, he noted that the manger teaches us ‘the perfect renunciation of all goods’ since such a rustic crib combines ‘tenderness and austerity, love and sorrow, sweetness and harshness.’”

Within this context, he (Pope Francis) announced the Apostolic Letter. He remarked, “It is entitled, ‘Everything Pertains to Love,’ taking up a characteristic expression of the holy bishop of Geneva.  In fact, this is how he wrote in the Treatise on the Love of God, ‘In the holy Church everything belongs to love, lives in love, is made by love and comes from love.’ And may we all go down this road of love, so beautiful.”

Having read the document, I know I will have to review it many times to reap the fullness of what Saint Francis de Sales and Pope Francis wrote.  I found the Letter both inspirational and practical in that the insights of Saint Francis de Sales can lead every soul into a healthy, nourishing relationship with God, allowing them to become living expressions of the Love of God in the world. 

A learned Oblate finished reading the Letter and commented, “I have a favorite section from the Letter.  It is, ‘For him, (Saint Francis), Christianity was not to be confused with a facile escapism or self-absorption, much less a dull and dreary obedience…Indeed, ‘there are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter’, and while we can understand the grief of people who have to endure great suffering, ‘slowly but surely we all have to let the joy of faith begin to revive as a quiet yet firm trust, even amid the greatest distress.’”

A friend from Denver, a liturgist, musician and author, wrote me stating, “My favorite line of the document is this, attributed to Saint Francis de Sales, ‘Nothing sways the human heart as much as love.’ That’s a meditation all in itself.”

There is so much to reflect upon in the Pope’s Letter that I’m sure others will share their reflections in the coming months.  If you’re interested in reading it, you can find it here.

I read the entire document in one sitting.  Now I’m going to return to it one section at a time.  I’m sure it will inspire future reflections from me in this newsletter.  I’d love to read yours. 

Father Jack Loughran, OSFS

Provincial

Toledo-Detroit Province

The Holy Family and My Family

Tomorrow, as our Christmas celebrations continue, the liturgy observes the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  This is a day to remember the special role the Holy Family had in God’s plan for salvation.  It is also a time to reflect on our own family life.  It’s a day on which we can think about how we can strengthen communication between all family members, how to heal family wounds and walk with one another in daily life.

In my office in Wilmington, I have pictures of my family.   I have my parents, sisters, nieces and nephews.   I also have an image of my religious family - St. Francis, St. Jane, Blessed Louis Brisson and our Oblate founders.  There is one picture of a nun who is not a member of the Salesian family or of the Visitation Order.   That photograph is of my great aunt, Sister Rosalette Szamburska, CSFN (a member of the Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth).   The Sisters of the Holy Family are called to extend the Kingdom of God’s love by imitating the spirit of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. They do this in many ways, but their primary mission is to care for families.  

The picture of Sr. Rosalette reminds me that I am part of many families.  I have my family of origin and my religious family.   Even though the Oblates have a unique charism, I realize that all religious families learn from one another.  St. Bernard of Clairvoux, a Cisterian monk, often said: “I admire all religious orders.  I belong to one of them by observance but to all of them by charity. We all need one another.  The spiritual good which I do not own and possess, I receive from the others.” The life and prayer of all religious communities lift up the entire church.

I have learned from the Sisters of the Holy Family since I was a child.  Sister Rosalette would visit my home when she was back in Philadelphia and she was a visible witness that women and men could dedicate their lives to serving God and the Church and still be a part of their original family. 

After high school, I attended Holy Family College, was taught by the sisters, and saw first-hand the value they placed on education, family and faith. Today I continue my relationship with many members of the CSFN community. They remind me that our common way of life is a way that we can connect with families and with one another.  

As we celebrate the Christmas season, a season of family and faith, let us take time to focus on our own vocation.   Christianity is all about connections and relationships. Saint Francis de Sales reminds us that we all have a vocation, we are all called to do God’s will and to put the Gospel into practice.  My hope is that we can see in our religious communities, our parishes and our families the ways we can do this each day. By living, loving and learning from one another, we can make Jesus present on the earth again. We can make the world holy.   We can make our family holy.

Repetition for Mastery

In an address to the early Oblates, on December 12, 1894, Oblate Founder Blessed Louis Brisson shared his dismay at the news that several seminarians from the Diocese of Troyes who had chosen to go to Paris for ordination spent more time organizing and celebrating their post-ordination dinner and visiting places of interest in the capital city than they did in properly preparing for and celebrating their ordination itself.

In light of that, Father Brisson then directed that once a year the Ritual for Ordination was to be read aloud in the refectory during the meal.

Author Samuel Rodenhizer says, “If you want to remember something permanently, you must engage in lots of repetition…If you want to become accomplished at a skill, then you must devote yourself to repeating the activity over and over until you master it…If you want to make an activity so familiar that it becomes a habit requiring little further thought - then commit yourself to the repetition that yields retention.”

Oblates and Visitation Nuns around the world rejoice on the day of their Profession of Vows by publicly, aloud, pronouncing them again on the Feast of the Presentation of Mary on November 21.  The Oblates are also encouraged to renew their vows silently at Communion time on the first day of every month.  Every Easter Sunday all of us are invited to renew our baptismal vows aloud after the homily.

As wonderful as the day of Profession of Vows or Ordination or Marriage is, the emotion of the moment can cover the importance of the event.  My parents lived long enough to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary with a simple but loving public renewal of vows at Mass.  After the Mass, my mother said to me how much she appreciated the renewal.  She said, “You know the day your father and I were married I had so much going through my head I don’t even remember exactly what I said!”

While we draw up a final list of resolutions for the New Year you may want to check the dates and put on your new calendar the date of your Baptism, your First Holy Communion, your Wedding, Profession of Vows or Consecration anniversary and similar very special days in your life. And, on that day renew again for the year to come the commitment made through these very special events in your life. That way, regardless of the “external” celebrations, or lack thereof that may take place, the true nature of these special moments in your life may never be forgotten or misplaced.    

Father David Whalen, OSFS

St. Pius X Parish

Toledo, OH

Christmas

Many things make me smile during the holidays.  One is a memory of a nephew when he was about 6 years old.  A few days before Christmas, I was visiting his family with my parents.  My nephew was sitting in a chair in the living room corner, obviously pondering something.  He was naturally one of those  kids who never stopped moving, so his posture and mood were out of character.  I was looking at him, wondering what was going on in his head, when suddenly he popped out of the chair and announced to the room, “I hate Christmas!”  Asked why he hated Christmas, he stated, “Because it’s never gonna get here!”  His Advent “patient waiting” had reached its limit but he certainly brought a smile to my face.  

In 2012, Father Louis Fiorelli, OSFS, published a short booklet, “Inspired Common Sense: Seven Fundamental Themes of Salesian Spirituality.”  In this booklet, he states, “Saint  Francis de Sales understood the Incarnation as ‘God’s kiss to creation,’ the moment in salvation history when the divine and human hearts, at last, find one another.”

This image is a beautiful one to consider as we celebrate the birth of Christ this Sunday.  The moment of Christ’s birth, marked by dreams, angels, sheep, shepherds and a child in a manger, joins the miraculous with the mundane.  We should all smile at this thought and we do so with lights everywhere.  We light things up to celebrate this fantastic moment - trees, homes, bridges, skyscrapers, zoos, churches and more.  Local and national competitions reward the country’s most elaborate light displays.  Even the Oblate pastor I live with has set up seven Christmas trees in our home.  Why?  It seems a bit excessive but then again, maybe not! 

God is part of our history through the Incarnation in a new way.  We are moving toward the full reign of God.  It may take a few eons, but that is where we are headed, so we light things up to proclaim our hope and joy with this gift and smile.  I hope my nephew, now grown and with a child of his own, can instill this hope and joy in his son.  

So we gather at Christmas trees, parties and Christmas dinner tables and smile.  Smile at the world that says no to peace, happiness or justice.  We smile and say, Christ’s birth is the fulfillment of a promise – a promise God made to be with us always and to bring us glory.  And we pledge to live in a way that proclaims this wondrous and beautiful truth.  We pledge to live in love, to work for peace and to seek justice for all of God’s people!

That’s a Merry Christmas! May God bless us all with this gift! Smile!

Father Jack Loughran, OSFS

Provincial

Toledo-Detroit Province

Rome Conference Celebrating the Salesian Jubilee

Salesian Pontifical University (SPU) in Rome.

To commemorate the 400th Anniversary of the death of Saint Francis de Sales, the Salesians of Don Bosco hosted the international conference “Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622): Posterity – Spirituality – Pedagogy” at the Salesian Pontifical University (SPU) in Rome on November 18-20, 2022.  Organized by the Institute of Spiritual Theology of the Faculty of Theology at the SPU, this gathering included more than 150 in-person participants and numerous people who attended virtually.  As indicated by its title, the convention’s aim was to highlight both the spirituality of Saint Francis de Sales, as evidenced in his vision of the Church and his pedagogical action, and the posterity of the saint, embodied in the various congregations, associations and institutions founded under his patronage.  

Dr. Wendy Wright presenting virtually at the international conference.

With regard to “posterity,” 13 religious institutions under the patronage of Saint Francis de Sales (from among more than thirty such institutes) were invited to give a brief presentation on how the bishop-saint inspired their respective founders and continues to sustain current-day ministries.  Included among these groups, in addition to the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, were the Visitation of Holy Mary, the Oblate Sisters of St. Francis de Sales, the Salesians of Don Bosco, the Daughters of St. Francis de Sales, and the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales.  This was certainly a historic moment to have so many religious institutes who draw their charisms from the holy Bishop of Geneva gathered together in one place.  

At the request of the Superior General, Father Barry Strong, OSFS, Father Joe Chorpenning, OSFS, represented the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and organized his talk around the components of the first article of the Oblate Constitutions which describes the origins and defining characteristics of the congregation.  In particular, he shared with the audience two signature themes for the Oblate Fathers and Brothers as articulated by our founder Blessed Louis Brisson and the “Good Mother” Mary de Sales Chappuis: re-imprinting the Gospel and the sacredness of work.  The various accounts given during this part of the symposium demonstrated many similarities of how the ministry and writings of Saint Francis de Sales motivated the foundation of so many new religious communities, especially during the nineteenth-century “Salesian Pentecost.” 

Salesian Exhibit in the atrium of SPU.

The remainder of the conference included academic papers presented by scholars from around the world on a variety of topics and themes, such as Salesian pedagogy, the preaching of the Savoyard saint, Mariology, and an examination of the bishop’s correspondence with his friend Antoine Favre.  Of note, presenting virtually across a nine-hour time difference, Dr. Wendy Wright spoke on “Francis de Sales and Women,” highlighting the historical context and unique aspects of the saint’s ministry to women.  Accompanying the international conference was an exhibition in the atrium of the SPU which featured rare Salesian books and artwork portraying Saint Francis de Sales, as well as posters displaying information about the founders/foundresses of the twelve religious institutions encountered during the program. 

The event concluded with Solemn Mass for the Feast of Christ the King celebrated by Father Ivo Coelho, SDB, General Councilor of the Salesians of Don Bosco, with Father Barry Strong, OSFS, as one of two principal concelebrants.  Following the liturgy, a festive luncheon with the rector of the SPU and other guests was attended by the Oblates at the symposium which, in addition to Father Joe and Father Barry, were Brother Dan Wisniewski, OSFS, and Father Michael Murray, OSFS. 

Information about the conference, including the schedule, a list of speakers, and English translations of the papers given, can be found at the link here.

Brother Dan Wisniewski, OSFS

Director of Oblate Education

Advent Love

When thinking about joy, I distinguish it from happiness.  Here, too, I want to distinguish love from like.   Because of my own human frailty and temperament, there are some people who I struggle to like.  The situation usually has more to do with me than the other person.  A dear friend once told me that if I like someone, that person can do anything, and it would be fine with me.  But, if I dislike someone, the smallest thing she/he did that I find unacceptable would be catastrophic.  I want to believe that I have improved upon this significantly.  It has often been said that we don’t have to like everyone, but we are called to love everyone.  I think this has something to do with the fact that “love is of God.”

In his remarkable 10-DVD series Catholicism, Robert Barron defines love as “willing the good of the other as other.”  That is wanting what is best for another simple because they are other and not for what it could do for me.  The “good” that I will for him would be to know God more fully, so that his heart would change and the violence cease.  Whether we can see the image and likeness of God in others does not take away this presence within another.  Perhaps our love for another can make this clearer, more recognizable.

We must love because it has been mandated by Jesus.  Further, he takes this love to the highest level, “Love one another as I have loved you.”  This is a love that is total, complete, infinite, without merit, always on display, non-judgmental and a free gift.   We get a clear glimpse of this in spousal love, in parental love, and in the love shared between the best of friends.  Perhaps the best manifestation of this love is in prayer where we sit in total acceptance of the One who smiles on us, seeing us as so deserving of God’s infinite love even when this utterly amazes us.   Richard Rohr wrote, “Most of us were taught that God would love us if and when we change.  In fact, God loves you so that you can change.  What empowers change, what makes you desirous of change is the experience of love.  It is that inherent experience of love that becomes the engine of change.”  We must love because love is of God.  To love as God loves is indeed a very tall order.  We need great patience in this task for we are of God but not God.  So, our love is a process and somewhat imperfect.  Thus, Saint Francis de Sales often reminded people that perfection consists not in being perfect but in trying to be perfect.  It’s all in the trying.  What makes this doable speaks to Rohr’s point by letting God love us first.   For de Sales, this was a no-brainer, especially recognizing his favorite scripture was the Song of Songs, one great love song where the lover woos the beloved.  God takes the initiative because God wants to be with us, embracing us, holding and kissing us, the beloved.  We read in scripture, “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God.  Yet so we are.  The reason the world does not recognize us is that it did not know Him.  Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed.  We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3: 1-2).

Advent love reminds us of this promise yearly that we may fortify our efforts to love others as Christ has loved us.  It enables us to be loved fully and completely, warts and all.  It grounds us in a place of humility before God, so that in Salesian thought, we may be gentle toward others.  We are loved infinitely, so that we may, in turn, wish this for all others.  To love another is to will the good of the other as other.  “To love another person is to see the face of God,” as proclaimed in the epilogue of Les Misérables.

Advent love is a beautiful baby, born homeless in a manger, who shepherds and kings traveled to worship in awe but selected a different way home.  So too, our lives must change direction once we have met the Savior, the Prince of Peace, the author and sustainer of love.  It’s now a life of love.

Father John Fisher, OSFS

Pastor

Our Mother of Consolation Parish

Philadelphia, PA

God’s Presence

I was a surgical intern in 1977 when one of my Oblate first profession classmates from the Battle Creek Novitiate came to visit my wife and me in Philadelphia.  Now a young priest, Father Richard Yost, OSFS, was going to spend the day with me in inner-city Philadelphia.  I had been assigned to an amazing Spanish surgeon whose sons were educated by Oblates, so Jose was excited to have Father Richard along.  The climate in those days was different so the only credential Father Richard needed to scrub into surgery with us was his Roman collar and our assurance he would keep his hands out of harm’s way.

During a break between cases, Father Richard asked how we were able to keep the complicated surgeries orderly and organized.  We asked if he realized we talked over the surgery while we scrubbed our hands but were quiet the last minute or so.  The end of the scrub was for prayer, for the Direction of Intention, and time before surgery to place ourselves in the Presence of the Lord as de Sales calls it.

For lunch we had Philly Cheesesteaks at Pat’s, standing at tables outside with two firemen, dirty and still in their fire gear.  It was just the kind of company Saint Francis would appreciate.  Father Richard talked about how amazed he had been with what we did that morning and the three of us talked about how we were equally amazed at the courage firemen show on a daily basis.  They told us they didn’t feel comfortable entering a burning building without a prayer asking for God’s guidance.  They were not the least bit reticent about telling us their need to be in the Presence of the Lord before fighting a fire.

After lunch Father Richard (in his Roman collar) and I went to make rounds at a couple of hospitals and Jose went to see office patients, the plan being to meet for dinner.  At one of the city hospitals, we saw a patient who had a terrible malignancy on the bottom of her foot.  Although she was Catholic (Agape was her name) she was also a Voodoo priestess, or so we were told by the people who had literally dropped her off when she lost consciousness.  Her tumors had metastasized and surgery prolonged her life but the quality had diminished over the last weeks.  She was in and out of consciousness but was able to communicate to Father Richard that she wanted absolution.  We left the room and went to the nurses’ station to write the progress note.  Not thirty seconds later, Agape’s EKG went flat line and she passed away.  No Code.  Father Richard looked at me and said, “She needed permission to die.”  Once Father Richard gave her absolution and put her comfortably in the Presence of the Lord, her soul was at peace. This was the same comfort the firemen and the surgeons felt that day before doing their jobs.

At dinner, the three of us unashamedly talked about how God really is everywhere, and like de Sales says, all we have to do is put ourselves in His presence by asking for such and how it doesn’t matter what our station in life is. He will help us be who we are and be that well.  Priest, fireman or surgeon, people depend on us to be in God’s Presence and share ourselves with them if we are spiritually fit.  That day there were five people who were happy to share that.

Rod Tomczak, MD, EdD

Retired, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

The Ohio State University

Final Preparations

Immaculate Conception Church, Wilmington, NC. Photo by Justine Deitz, 2021.

This week many students are wrapping up their semester with projects, papers, and final exams. There are websites and media posts dedicated to helping students successfully “cram” for the final weeks of school.  The internet offers various ways to help a student navigate these stressful final days before Christmas Break.

As a faith community, we are moving into the final week of the Advent season and our preparations for the fullness of the Christmas season.  Like a student in December, we may feel worried, stressed, and overwhelmed that Christmas is almost here.  We may feel that we have not done enough on our Advent journey to prepare our homes and our hearts for the season of the Nativity.   

Perhaps we have not prayed as much as we had hoped. Maybe we did not light our Advent wreath as faithfully as we had wanted or maybe we did not get to Church as frequently as we had desired.  Our inaction may lead us to believe that it is too late to ignite the spirit of the Advent season or we may be tempted to “cram” the final week of Advent with extra prayers, devotions and services to somehow “make-up” for our late start of the Christmas cycle.  This does not always turn out well.  We wind up replacing the stress of shopping and decorating with the stress of praying and spiritually preparing. Either way, we are overwhelmed. 

A core message of the Christian faith is that it is never too late.  At the birth of His Son, God gave the world a second chance.  The Nativity of Our Lord is a new beginning for all of creation.  In his message at the Angelus in early December, Pope Francis reminded us, “Let us remember one thing:  with Jesus, there is always the possibility of beginning again.  It is never too late.  And let us not let this Advent go by like days on the calendar, because this is a moment of grace, a grace for us too, here and now.  There is always the possibility to begin again.  Be courageous.  Jesus is near to us.” 

Since Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year, the Fourth Week of Advent gives us a full seven days to prepare our homes and our hearts.  Saint Francis de Sales tells us that “God will lead us to perfection one step at a time.”   During these final days of Advent, we are aware of how much we still must do to welcome Christ more completely into our lives.  We are acutely aware of our struggles, our stresses and our lack of perfection.  Let us follow the advice of Saint Francis and take things one day at a time, one step at a time.  

Christmas comes, ready or not.  The celebration of the birth of Jesus comes, no matter the season or state of our hearts, even when we are not always ready to receive him.  The Christmas song “O Little Town of Bethlehem” reminds us that, “No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.”  Christmas comes amid the darkness, the grief and the sins of this life. Christ is born for all of us. Christ is reborn in all of us.  May our preparations, no matter how much or how little, lead us to open our hearts and let the Lord enter into our lives.

Reverend Jack Kolodziej, OSFS

Provincial

Wilmington-Philadelphia Providence

Francis & Me: Lindagale Dube

Lindagale Dube: Parishioner at St. John Neumann Parish, Reston, VA; Former librarian at Bishop Ireton High School, Alexandria, VA; Member of a Live Jesus! Community in Virgina.

Lindagale Dube

When did I first meet Saint Francis de Sales? Years ago, I interviewed for a librarian position at Bishop Ireton High School.  Saint Francis’ statue greeted me in the Bishop Ireton foyer; his picture was in the principal’s office.  Father Metzger, OSFS, the principal, took me to see the school library, and there was Francis, a large picture of him, on the front wall of the library.  I met Saint Francis de Sales when I interviewed at the school that June day but I came to love him during my twenty-three years working at the school. 

I learned many facts about Saint Francis’ life as a student, priest, bishop, and co-founder with Saint Jane de Chantal of the Sisters of the Visitation.  Most memorably, I learned about Saint Francis’ beliefs and devotion to God.  Saint Francis was a master of sayings that conveyed truths and guidance.  Students or staff members read one of these sayings of Saint Francis de Sales over the PA every school day.  Now, during many major and minor occurrences, an applicable saying of Saint Francis comes to mind.  Discouraged?  “Be patient with everyone but above all with yourself.” Judging harshly?  “The measure of our love is to love without measure.”

Two of Saint Francis’ beliefs significantly changed my outlook.  The first was his teaching that we are all called to be holy.  As a daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, teacher and librarian, I have tried to do my best. However, that is not the same as viewing these roles as callings that provide paths to holiness.  This shift in thinking drew me closer to God.

The second, another related de Sales’ teaching is, “Nothing is small in the service of God.”  Our lives provide many opportunities to do good, “Great occasions for serving God come seldom, but little ones surround us daily” and “God takes pleasure to see you take your little steps.” 

The first year I worked at Bishop Ireton, ten Oblates of St. Francis de Sales were working at the school.  I met many others at the school and at my parish.  The Oblates enhanced my understanding of who Saint Francis was through instruction and my observation of their behavior.   They, like Francis, try to live holy lives, and favor optimism, gentleness, openness and hospitality.   As Saint Francis stated, “It is wonderful how attractive a gentle, pleasant manner is and how much it wins hearts.”

I am genuinely grateful and wonderfully enriched that I met Saint Francis de Sales and many Oblates of St. Francis de Sales.  Saint Francis’ life and his beliefs, passed on through Salesian Spirituality, are embedded in the culture of the school where I worked, my parish and in my heart. 

Live Jesus!

Advent Joy

I do not know a person who does not want to be happy.  After all, who wants to be sad or miserable? At the same time, we recognize that we cannot always be happy.  Happiness is a feeling that can easily be fleeting.  It can also be taken away by another person or situation.

Joy is entirely different.  Joy is that deep-seated conviction that you are in a profound relationship with the Other and all others.  It is that assurance that you are not alone, that you are deeply cared for, accepted and loved.  It is liberating in that there is no proving to do, just a dwelling in being valued and cherished.  Joy centers, guides and grounds another regardless of the situation.  

Joy is always reachable and equally enjoyable alone or in the company of those who are the source of this joy.  Philly fans were greatly surprised and pleased that the Phillies surpassed all expectations in making it to the World Series.  Whether you were one of the 43,000 watching them win the National League pennant at Citizens Bank Park, gathered with others at Xfinity Live or another venue, or watched the game alone from home, the same joy was shared by those watching the Fightins.  From the diehard fan to the recent bandwagon enthusiast, joy connected us, brought us together and resonated within that everything else can be exciting and enjoyable when shared with others.  Joy connected us, gave us a sense of belonging, and another reason to believe that life is good, and we must work together to get along, heal the ills of society and help to build that Kingdom of God such as God envisions it.  

Many things awaken the joy within us whether it be the beautiful smile of a little baby, the innocence of kids playing and enjoying each other running from here to there, your child hitting the buzzer beater in double overtime or the enjoyment realized when lovers silently gaze in the eyes of the other sensing complete acceptance and oneness.  The most difficult aria sung so perfectly, the enjoyment of the most spectacular performance on stage, the full moon lighting up the ocean for miles silently bringing home peace and beauty, the evening sunset complete with hues of many colors that spark thanksgiving for another day in the presence of God, loved ones and friends all bring joy to the fore.  

My heart is alive and full when in the company of nephews and nieces celebrating the holidays, a family wedding and the annual vacation down the shore.  Joy is on display in an unbreakable intimacy that is gifted by God who is the source of all this goodness.  That same joy is profoundly present when alone reflecting on God’s presence especially as it is wonderfully manifested in family, friends and any other relationship we have membership.

Such joy wants to be shared and realized with sisters and brothers we don’t know: those lost on the streets or through addiction, those fleeing family and home for a better life, those displaced by war, our brothers and sisters not recognized for who they are, those denied freedom or what justice demands they should possess.

Advent Joy visits us yearly to remind us that we must work to achieve the peaceable kingdom, beat swords and spears into instruments of productivity, fill in the valleys of poverty and need, make straight the paths for those struggling, look for the desert and parched land exulting, and welcome the God who removes our guilt, comes with recompense, to give sight to the blind, hearing to those deaf, tremendous mobility to the lame who journey to the mountain singing for joy and then to a stable to adore and give homage to the Prince of Peace.

Joy readily sustains us in prayer where we are alone with the Lone to the point we desire more readily the time when this will be forever in heaven.  Likewise, joy empowers us during sadness and sorrow to persevere for we go to that Center who can only love, guide and protect us, who assures us of His presence, that He will never abandon us, and that His will for the world will come to fruition.  

Sitting in that realization, letting it take over, we contemplate the Divine within us and resolve to see that in others, all others and the world.  From that Center, we reinvigorate ourselves that the world has a purpose and our humanity has such tremendous dignity in being co-creators to bring forth the Reign of God until that final consummation, where symphonies are all finished, and when hearts are no longer restless for they are all resting in eternity where our awe will be beyond imagination or comprehension for we see the face of God that always looked upon us with approval, understanding, satisfaction and incomparable JOY.

Father John Fisher, OSFS

Pastor

Our Mother of Consolation Parish

Philadelphia, PA

The Immaculate Conception

“Every ‘yes’ is God’s coming into the world.”

My dad retired from the grocery store Kroger’s about 10 years ago after spending almost 45 years working there in the grocery and dairy departments.  After he retired he got bored so he decided to volunteer at our local parish in Toledo, OH. Not long after, the church secretary called him and said, “We have a parishioner in his 40s who has a wife and children.  And he just became a quadriplegic.  He can’t move his arms or legs.  Could you please go visit him once a week, take communion to him, and pray with him?”

My dad asked for some time to think about it.  He talked to my mom about it.  He prayed about it.

And he said, “I knew in my heart that I had to help others.”  And so he said, “yes” and he went to visit this man, and he still visits him to this very day.

As we celebrate the Immaculate Conception today and hear the Gospel of the Annunciation, I keep thinking about the “yes” that my dad said a few years ago and the “yes” that Mary said over 2000 years ago to the angel Gabriel in Nazareth.  Just like Mary, when my dad said “yes” to visiting this man, Christ came into the world.  Every “yes” to God’s call is an incarnation of Jesus Christ.

He takes on flesh (that’s what incarnation means) in our lives through love and service. Saint Francis de Sales called this “Living Jesus.”

Mother Marie de Sales Chappuis, VHM, who taught Salesian Spirituality to Blessed Louis Brisson, OSFS, called it “the Way.”  She said that, when we say “yes” to God’s call, then God re-incarnates Himself into the world in and through us.  Our feet become God’s feet.  Our hands become God’s hands.  We become what Mary is, a “God-bearer” for when we say “yes” to what God asks of us. Christ comes into the world again and again through us.

Today we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of Mary and that she was conceived without Original Sin.  Mary had a privileged role in bringing Jesus into the world. Through our baptism, we too are freed from Original Sin and have a privileged role in bringing Jesus into the world.

And what does Mary do throughout her life? She leads us to Jesus. She says “yes” to the call to welcome Christ into her life and bring him to those who need him in this world.

We, like Mary and my dad, are called to do the same.

May God be praised!

Father Michael Newman, OSFS

Pastor

Holy Family Parish

Adrian, MI

Gentleness

Recently I read the Encyclical of Pope Pius XI on Saint Francis de Sales presented following the 300th anniversary of his death on January 26, 1923.  Pope Francis is to issue a letter to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis on December 28.  

In his encyclical, Pope Pius XI declared Saint Francis the Patron Saint of all Writers.  Pius XI began this work by stating, “The great need of our day is to curb the unmeasured desires of humankind, desires which are the fundamental cause of wars and dissensions, which act, too, as a dissolving force in social life and international relations.”

Don't you find these words strikingly relevant for our world in our day? I won't provide a grocery list of all that makes our world seem at least mildly crazy.  For many of us, finding a way to cope with our world's situation is overwhelming, leaving many with a sense of helplessness and even hopelessness.  

Pius XI identifies a remedy to this heavy burden in the beauty and grace found in the writings and life of Saint Francis de Sales.  The remedy is the virtue of meekness (gentleness), which Francis held as essential for imitating Christ.  By his admission, Francis found this virtue challenging, especially since he admits to a quick temper and ready anger.  Turning our hearts from anger, frustration and annoyance, to gentleness toward our neighbor and ourselves is a tough road.   

Pope Pius XI writes:

“The meekness (gentleness) of Saint Francis should be held up to the faithful in a very special way for their imitation, for this virtue recalls to our minds so well and expresses so truly the kindness of Jesus Christ.  It possesses, too, in a remarkable degree, the power to bind souls one to another.  This virtue, wherever it is practiced among men, tends primarily to settle the differences, both public and private, which so often separate us.  Likewise, can we not hope that, through the practice of this virtue which we rightly call the external sign of the inner possession of divine love, there will result in perfect peace and concord both in family life and among nations?”

Advent leads us to consider the meekness (gentleness) of the Holy Family, so well reflected in every manger scene this season.  Lowly animals, simple shepherds, a manger, and the Prince of Peace can lead us to rest in the gentleness of Christ and bring to our world the hope expressed by Pius XI in promoting the spirit of Saint Francis de Sales.

Here are some maxims from Francis de Sales that may help us model the gentleness of Christ and the Gentleman Saint.                                                                                 

“Nothing is so strong as gentleness— nothing so loving and gentle as strength.”  The Spirit of Saint  François de Sales, IV, 9

“It takes more oil than vinegar to make a good salad.”  The Spirit of Saint François de Sales, II, 13

“When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time.”  Letters to Persons in Religion, I, 6

“He who can preserve gentleness amid pains, and peace amid the worry and multitude of affairs, is almost perfect.”  Letters to Persons in Religion, II, 25

Father Jack Loughran, OSFS

Provincial

Toledo-Detroit Province

Francis & Me: Miranda Clark-Binder

Miranda Clark-Binder: Art & Art History Educator, Our Mother of Consolation Parish School, Philadelphia, PA

Miranda Clark-Binder

“Be who you are and be that well.” - Saint Francis de Sales

As an artist, educator and mother, this quote from Saint Francis de Sales resonates with me in every fiber of my being.  I try to live this mantra and instill it in my daughter and young students every day.  I even had it engraved on a bracelet so I will always keep it with me.  To me this idea that God only wants us to be our best selves, and that is enough, is life-changing.  It has taken me a long time to reach this place of personal acceptance and I honestly feel like I have only gotten here through the guidance of my Salesian parish and the humble, honest and loving teachings of Saint Francis de Sales. 

Some background about me – fully embracing my place in the Catholic Church has been a very long journey and continues each day. I was baptized Catholic as a baby and made my communion only after begging my parents to allow me to attend CCD in middle school.  I always felt a pull toward God and the church but I didn’t recognize my place until I began to attend Our Mother of Consolation Parish (OMC). 

To be honest, we first joined the church because I heard the parish school was very good and I wanted to get on the waiting list.  However, once we began attending OMC I was overwhelmed by the welcoming, loving acceptance of the Pastor and congregation.  The community made me and my family feel like we had always been here (not like we had been out of the church for most of our lives).  After a time, I felt so accepted and called to be more involved that I decided to make my confirmation as an adult.  This was a very important spiritual growing experience for me.  With gentle guidance, I was able to engage with God and grow in my Catholic faith as an adult. 

Learning about the gentle and loving teachings of Saint Francis de Sales played a pivotal role in my knowing that I was in the right place and was making the right choice.  His teachings really spoke to me (and still do).  I was able to come to God as myself and through Spiritual Guidance learn that I am enough.  God loves me.  I can’t “do it wrong” or “pray the wrong way” and don’t need to worry about judgment as an impediment to being loved as myself.   If I am present in God’s love, have patience with myself and others, and just be myself and be that well – I too am worthy to receive God’s love. 

We all are worthy of God’s love.  I pray every day that, as a mother and educator, I can help those I love and guide find the same calming, loving presence in Saint Francis de Sales that I have.

Live Jesus! Delaware Event Coverage

On Saturday, December 3rd, the Oblates hosted the first Live Jesus! Delaware at St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Newark.

“All through love, nothing through fear,” was the theme for Live Jesus! Delaware. Attendees enjoyed reflections from Father Joe Newman, OSFS, and Mrs. Diane Casey, a lifelong Salesian educator who worked at Northeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia until it closed in 2010. We were also pleased to be joined by the Oblate Sisters of St. Francis de Sales from Mt. Aviat Academy.

It was beautiful to come together to share in the Salesian Spirit!  Thank you to all those who attended and volunteered!

Let us all Live Jesus!

Father Joe Newman, OSFS

Mrs. Diane Casey

Photos of Live Jesus! Delaware

Live Jesus! Delaware was held as a special Spirituality Day in honor of the Double Jubilee.

Francis & Me: Dr. Olga Rasmussen

Dr. Olga Rasmussen: Parishioner of St. John Neumann Catholic Community, Reston, VA

Dr. Olga Rasmussen

I have been privileged to teach at two Visitation high schools – Visitation School and Convent in Mendota Heights in Minnesota and Georgetown Visitation in Washington DC –  spending nearly twenty-two years in both places and twenty of those as the Religion Department Chair.

I ended up at Visitation almost by accident, having not initially applied there, because it was listed in a directory of schools as a “Special School.”  But the moment I stepped onto its beautiful campus and into its buildings, and met the sisters and administrators there, I just knew I had come home.

I was a product of Adrian Dominican and Jesuit education and not familiar with the Visitation Sisters or Saint Francis or Saint Jane.  Early in my teaching career at Visitation in St. Paul, MN, one of the sisters lent me her personal copy of Introduction to the Devout Life which moved me profoundly.  So much so, that I decided to do a general confession as Saint Francis de Sales suggested in this classic work.  I was about 26 at the time, 41 years ago!

What I especially loved about the Introduction to the Devout Life, was its emphasis on the importance of nurturing a spiritual life for lay people, most particularly for women.

I grew to love Salesian Spirituality in the writings of Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Jane de Chantal, and how it was embodied in the lives of the Sisters.  I explored Salesian Spirituality more fully in later years when I pursued a doctorate in Salesian Spirituality and education.  These were some of the aspects and themes of this spirituality that I grew to treasure:

1. The Love of God: In Salesian Spirituality, God is in everyone and everything, and we are called to mirror that love to one another.

2. Prayer and Interiority: Prayer is key to spiritual growth and our words and actions should reflect the fruits of our prayer.

3. The Call to Holiness: Saint Francis foresaw a key teaching of the Second Vatican Council by recognizing the universal call to holiness that every vocation invites us to in our daily lives.

4. The Cultivation of the Little Virtues: Charity, humility, gentleness and simplicity are just a few of the virtues characteristic of a Salesian lifestyle. They are simple yet challenging and can have a profound effect on our spiritual development.

To say that my life has been enriched by my first encounter with Visitation would be an understatement.  I was again blessed in 2019 to join members of the three Visitation schools – including former colleagues and students - on a pilgrimage to Annecy, France which felt like a homecoming of sorts as well as a lifelong dream.  My journey with Visitation is far from over and I look forward to whatever the future may bring.

Advent Hope

Hope is the sense that what we desire or long for is possible.  It’s an ardent feeling that things will turn out for the best.  With this in mind, hope is the great motivator that keeps us going in difficult and stressful times.  I consume as little news as possible these days as I cannot tolerate the fighting and the hostility that is prevalent in our world.  It gets sadder to realize that this has overflowed into our church in some respects.  My hope is that if we keep doing what we believe to be God’s will for the world each day, this can become contagious and others may do likewise. 

This is not to assume a position of self-righteousness, for humility grounds us always to know that whatever we do comes from God and that we rely on God’s grace, mercy and presence at all times. Instead, it is a mindset that comes from a relationship with the Creator to whom we belong, who wills us to make a difference in some way.  So, in the midst of so much negativity, we aim to do our part to make the world a bit kinder and gentler.  Hope seems to demand an idea of what we lost, of what we would like to see restored or of what God has in mind.  It is the desire to persevere to where we see ourselves putting God as the center of our very being and all that we do.  It’s knowing that we cannot think of living, loving and doing apart from God.  

Hope is that day when all people will have what justice demands, be accepted and loved for who they are, and be free to worship, love and live without fear, rejection or ostracization.  It is living until we see that there is no one outside our circle of intimacy but all enjoying being embraced by God. 

Personally, hope is fidelity to the present moment.  It is a recognition that God has given me another day, another chance, another opportunity to allow him to take hold of me where I will not let go.  Tenui nec dimittam was Saint Francis de Sales’ motto, “I have taken hold and will not let go.”  Each day’s hope is that we will let go a bit more, trust in God a whole lot more and better imagine Him today than we did yesterday.  But as I write that, I am reminded that it’s not about our accomplishment, our proving to God, but rather our emptying ourselves and allowing God to do for us, to love us where and how we are.  

It’s a confidence that God will not give up (has taken hold and won’t let go) and we grow daily in embracing, living and sharing this incredible and infinite love God has for us.  Knowing this in a humble way, leads us to wish this and to work for this for others. Gradually, the world becomes more loving as we continue to go out to those in need, recognizing they belong to us as brother and sister, and we belong to them.  Most importantly, we all belong to God. Hope brings us to a bond of belonging and kinship.  Hope is recognizing God in others rather than what separates us from one another.

Hope is not wishful thinking.  It has some evidence that propels us to want more completion, consummation and fulfillment.  It may not be realized fully until our God calls us home to be with Him for eternity.  But that invitation finds acceptance in the here and now.  

Hope is seen in one’s charity to another.  It is a prayer uttered for those whom we do not know personally but realize they are hurting, suffering, alone or forgotten.  It’s seeing a parent not giving up on their child.  It’s a little kid donating his piggy bank to an elderly couple who risk being evicted.  It’s crying when we know things should be different, better and then resolving to do whatever we can to see this happens.  It is “staying” with another, with our Church, with our sinful self, accepting continuously God’s presence, mercy and unmerited, unconditional love. Hope is “seeing the one beholding us and smiling” (Anthony de Mello, SJ).  

A little hope goes a long way.  Some days it is all we need to get by.  Let us hope in God, in God’s plan for us and the world, and in our ability to do our part.  Hope is “thy will be done” implying “our will be gone.”  Hope is “taking hold and not letting go.”

Father John Fisher, OSFS

Pastor

Our Mother of Consolation Parish

Philadelphia, PA

Christmas Moments, Stories & Carols

No other season quite brings as much excitement and anticipation as Christmas does.  No other season seems to be as busy as the Christmas season.  Even though many of us have been shopping, decorating and planning for weeks, once the calendar turns to the last page, the pressure to enjoy “the most wonderful time of the year” is even more intense.  With the arrival of December, the countdown to holiday shopping, decorating, baking and entertaining takes on a new urgency.

Despite the cheerful songs and Hallmark movies, for many people, this season can turn into “the most stressful time of the year.”  The added anxiety and pressure to plan the “perfect holiday” can actually cause us to miss the real meaning and beauty of the season.

Many of us are familiar with the forty-year-old classic film A Christmas Story.  Throughout the movie, Ralphie and his family are so concerned about the trappings and details of Christmas, that the setbacks and struggles they encounter during the days of December almost ruin their celebrations.  It is only on Christmas night, with the children in bed and Mom and Dad finally relaxing in the glow of the tree lights, that they seem to really appreciate the moment. 

Saint Francis de Sales was not thinking of department stores or dogs ruining Christmas dinner when he preached about dealing with the circumstances of life.  However, he certainly understood the challenges of living in the world and dealing with the ups and downs of relationships.  His emphasis on the present moment was something he suggested we follow all year long, in season and out of season, not just during the weeks of December. 

The holiday season is a time when we usually connect with family, friends and neighbors.  This is something many of us cherish and enjoy.  However, it is also a time to be aware of everyone around us – especially the poor, the lonely, the outcast and those that others ignore.  The Scriptures last weekend reminded us to “stay awake.”  If we focus on the here and now, if we are attentive to the needs of our neighbor, we can appreciate and help all of God’s children.  We can recognize the light of Christ in each person and see the amazing opportunities that surround us each day. 

In the novel, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.  Each spirit helps Scrooge to appreciate life and inspires him to be transformed into a generous and caring man, a true man for all seasons, a man for others.  The story ends with Scrooge declaring: “I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.  I will live in the past, present and future.  The spirts of all three shall live within me.” 

During these weeks of December, if we look around us and live in the present, we will not only honor Christmas, but we will enjoy it.

Reverend Jack Kolodziej, OSFS

Provincial

Wilmington-Philadelphia Providence

Advent Little Virtues

The practice of the Little Virtues is a large part of the reason I became a Daughter of St. Francis de Sales.  Focusing on these virtues freed me from the need for absolute perfection and allowed me to shift my attention to the small things I could do from day to day to move me closer to a life of devotion. 

The season of Advent is a good time to review where we stand in relation to the little Salesian virtues.  In particular, it is good to consider those virtues which seemed to be lacking in Bethlehem when a young woman, heavy with her first child, sought shelter with her husband after a long and dusty journey: kindness, hospitality, generosity and thoughtful concern for others.

The baby, who was then born in a manger, later gave an unambiguous teaching about kindness, hospitality, generosity and compassion in Matthew 25 when he said, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

It is easy to become overwhelmed with the needs of the world when we follow the news.  As individuals, we have little impact on big problems like world hunger or violence.  But Saint Francis de Sales offers us wise guidance when he says, “Great occasions for serving God come seldom, but little ones surround us daily.”  Another great saint, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, said, “Spread love everywhere you go, first of all in your house.  Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next-door neighbor.  Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.”

What are some of the ways to practice the Little Virtues during this Advent season?  Offer to cuddle a young mother’s baby for an hour so she can take a nap or go for a walk.  Compliment the harried cashier at the grocery store.  Check on someone you haven’t seen at Mass recently.  Make a batch of cookies and take them to the police department.  Walk across the street and visit the lonely old lady who lives there.  Call a friend or family member you haven’t spoken to for a while.  Switch lanes so another driver can safely merge into traffic.  Offer to shop for groceries or bring a meal to someone recovering from illness or surgery.  Gather a few friends to sing Christmas carols at a nursing home.

Who knows?  You may actually be ministering to Jesus himself as you put the Little Virtues into practice.

Sue Roth

Daughter of St. Francis de Sales

Consecrated 4/10/2011

Thanksgiving Prayer

“Marvel at God’s goodness: how good God has been to you, on your behalf! Lord, how rich is your heart in mercy and how generous is your good will. My soul, let us always recall the many graces he has shown to us” Saint Francis de Sales (Introduction to the Devout Life, 1.11).

Saint Francis de Sales also states that gratitude is the beginning of humility because it recognizes all that we have and all that we are are gifts from a loving and generous God. Today the people of the United States celebrate Thanksgiving from sea to shining sea. It is a day we come together with those closest to us, family and friends. It is an opportunity for each one of us to step back and reflect on the blessings we know are from God, and, if given the chance, share them with those who are important in our life.

This edited prayer of thanksgiving is based on of the writings of Saint Francis de Sales. It comes from a prayer book on Salesian Spirituality by John Kirvan. As we pray it, may we thank God for all the gifts He has given us.

Lord,

Thank you for the many gifts you’ve bestowed on me,

especially for those times when you took me by the hand

and led me through them.

Thank you for all the good things of the world that

you have put within my reach.

Thank you for blessing my efforts

and not caring if they were great or small, done well or poorly.

It mattered only that I tried to do your will.

It was enough. It always is.

Thank you for making me the person I am.

Thank you for the garden in which you placed me,

and where I alone will find you.

Yes Lord, thank you for all you have given me,

for all those moments when you took me by the hand,

walked with me, chatted with me,

mourned with me, and laughed with me.

Now, lead me gently but firmly into what is to come. Amen.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving,

Fr. Jack

Father Jack Loughran, OSFS

Provincial

Toledo-Detroit Province

Advent Begins

An Advent song by Father John Foley, SJ, has this refrain: “Patience, people, till the Lord is come.”  Patience is one of the Little Virtues of Saint Francis de Sales, the other virtues include gentleness, humility, patience, simplicity, good-naturedness, tenderness towards our neighbor, bearing their imperfections, etc.  

We need patience because Advent is a time of waiting: to celebrate Christmas, to give birth to Christ this year by the way we live, and to deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ.  Many of us have a hard time waiting.  I lived with a priest who prayed, “Lord, give me patience and give it to me now.”  His prayer defeated its purpose because patience is defined as “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset” (Oxford Languages online).  There was no tolerance for delay in my confrère’s prayer.

Our Liturgy gives us Advent to prepare to celebrate Christmas.  It is a time of anticipation, a time to wait to celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ in time many years ago.  Advent readings offer images of what will happen when the Christ, the Messiah, comes: valleys filled, hills made low, rough ways made smooth, the blind given sight, the deaf given hearing, the ill, mute and lame given healing, prisoners freed, debts forgiven, enemies made friends, and all peoples dwelling together on God’s holy mountain.  What a vision!  Especially when we consider the times in which we live where what divides and separates us seems more the focus than what unites us as God’s people.  And so Advent is counter-cultural.  We’re already celebrating Christmas with our trees, decorations, lights, music, shopping and more, but we’re called to wait with patience.  

Blessed Louis Brisson, OSFS, tells us that, “Advent means ‘coming.’  This time is set aside to prepare for Christmas,” which is the first great Advent when Christ became a human being to reconcile us with God.  He goes on to say, “The second advent of Our Lord is made in our hearts.  Every time that we have a good thought, every time that we take the Good God with us…” (Cor ad Cor, p.  11).  In other words, Advent is also about making Christ known today in clear and tangible ways.  So our songs, decorations, shopping and partying need not take away from Advent waiting and patience.

While these things are expressions of our love and care for those in our lives, when Christ comes, we are able to express our oneness as children of God on God’s holy mountain.  When we practice the love that God is and Christ made visible for us, we take the Good God with us and make God known today.  When we gather to celebrate the goodness of life, faith and love-made-flesh, we make the “Little Virtues” known and they can make a big difference in how we view ourselves and others as precious in the sight of God.  When we take time to be with those in need or take to give gifts of clothing, food, money, and presence to our sisters and brothers, we imitate Jesus’ care for all people.  When we visit family, friends, neighbors, and strangers, Christ is with them because we take the Good God with us.  And, in my experience, Christ comes to us in clear ways because of this welcome and gratitude.  When we work for systemic change so that injustice and oppression are less and inclusivity and egalitarianism are more, we challenge ourselves and our world to live the promises we hear in our Advent readings and we make God’s ways known in practical and clear ways.

Living the second Advent which Blessed Louis speaks about requires that we take time out to pray, to be with the Lord whose coming we celebrate.  We need to stop, be quiet, listen for God’s voice, share our hearts and minds with God in prayer, and wait for the response that will empower us to “Live Jesus” every Advent day and beyond.  

So I invite you to consider this prayer exercise each Advent day.  Make it your own 5-10 minute Advent calendar where you open the door of your mind and heart to discover how Christ can be known through you:

• First, close your eyes and quiet yourself.  

• Second, breathe deeply and let your breath and God’s breath unite.  

• Third, ask Jesus “How can I make you known today?” Review your day and look for opportunities to do just that.  

• Fourth, choose one of those activities and do it.  Take the Good God with you or pledge to see Jesus Christ in someone else.  

• Fifth, take a deep breath and say, “Thank you for being with me.  Give me the patience to do your will.” 

Then, not only will you see Advent as the time to celebrate Christ’s first coming years ago.  You will also see Christ coming to you and through you each day until Christmas and beyond.

Father Paul Colloton, OSFS

Superior, De Sales Centre Oblate Residence

Childs, MD