Christmas Continues Across the Provinces
Christmas Salesian Service
Many Oblate parishes across the provinces take part in Christmas donations and service. Here we highlight some of our parishes:
Inside Look: St. Rita’s Church, Clarklake, MI
At St. Rita’s, Pastor Thomas Helfrich, OSFS, and the parish community have been partaking in St. Vincent de Paul Christmas program since 2014 when their conference was established. The conference continues to grow spiritually, membership and programs.
The Christmas program is one of four large annual events, the others are Easter, Head to Toe Back to School, Thanksgiving. With over 65 volunteers sharing their time and talents at various times to make all of this possible. Parishioners, their families, and community continuously provide financial support to the organization for these programs. A St. Vincent De Paul goal, while volunteering is to always see the face of Christ while serving our Friends in Need.
For 2021, t. Rita’s was able to help 114 families (242 adults and 273 children) within their community. Family names are provided to St. Rita’s by local school districts within the area, by the Brooklyn Area Council on Aging, and the Cary House. The event pictured here was hosted on Saturday, December 18th, in the St. Rita parking lot, and all distribution areas were outside for safety.
Volunteer drivers delivered to each family:
3 boxes of nonperishable food items
Breads & Sweets
A ham and various meat, produce & dairy products
A family bag including referrals for additional assistance, a parish calendar, a religious item, a Christmas prayer
Every family member received a hat and a pair of gloves provided by a community group of women
A crochet blanket made by a group within our parish, all yarn was donated by parishioners
Each child received a gift
Each teenager received a gift card
Any family in need with a baby was offered various baby items; diapers, clothing, furniture, etc. by one of the parish ministries: Baby Love program
Premade bags of food were available to anyone in need who drove by and asked for assistance
At the end of each of big donation event, administrators find other agencies that could use items that are leftover. For Christmas, items were shared with Catholic Charities, Birth Rite Foster Care, the Brooklyn Food Pantry, and the Brooklyn Presbyterian Church.
Thank you St. Rita’s and all parishes and volunteers who partake in donations during the Christmas Season and throughout the year!
Live Jesus! 2022 Salesian Shop
As you prepare for Live Jesus! 2022, there are many Salesian books available at the Salesian Shop.
You’ll see on the Salesian Shop’s webpage there is a special Live Jesus page with a selection of products just for this year’s Live Jesus’ theme of Healing Relationships….Let It Begin With Me is available.
In his talk, our featured speaker, Fr. Tom Dailey, OSFS, will be referencing the books: “Roses among Thorns” and “Thy Will Be Done!” These are both available on the online shop and at the event.
You’ll also find other Salesian books, artwork, cards, and gifts! Ship to your home or order ahead for pick up at Live Jesus! 2022 Events.
TO PICK UP YOUR ORDER at the event: Order online at Salesian Shop using coupon code Live Jesus. The items will be available at the event Merchandise table under your name.
TO PURCHASE BOOKS at the event: Visit the event Merchandise table. Supplies may be limited.
CLICK HERE FOR SALESIAN SHOP
Mary and the New Year
Majestic fireworks light up the night sky; a huge and brilliant crystal ball drops in Times Square; horns sound and strangers embrace one another- all this in welcoming another New Year and the promise it brings.
The Church adds its own touch in welcoming the New Year by honoring Mary as Mother of God. Eight days earlier, at Christmas, we welcomed the birth of her Son, the Prince of Peace. Today, the first day of a new year, we honor the Mother of that Son. He is no ordinary child and she is no ordinary mother. Jesus is God’s Son and Mary is the Mother of God.
Thus, the Church welcomes every New Year by honoring a mother. Everything a mother is and everything a mother stands for is what, in Mary, the Church wishes to bless us with during all the years of our life.
By definition, a mother brings forth new life with all its promise and possibility. The new life that Mary brings forth is Jesus, Emmanuel, God-with-us-and-God-for-us. It’s almost as if a smiling and proud mother holds out to us her own dear son, inviting each of us to take her son into our arms and into our lives and, from this day forward, to live as he lived, to love as he loved, and to serve as he served.
Every mother hopes that her child will be a blessing to the world, bettering it by the manner of life lived. In giving us Jesus, Mary gives us a model to admire and a life to imitate.
I am especially fond of Mary under the title of “Our Lady of Good Counsel.” Her counsel at the wedding of Cana, “Do whatever he tells you,” is the core of both Gospel and Salesian spirituality. Throughout her entire life, Mary did whatever God asked of her and accepted whatever God permitted: “Let it be done to me according to your word.” On the human level, she and Joseph taught their son to be just as responsive to the divine will as they always were: “I do always the will of the One who sent me.” As our mother, she counsels that very same openness, that very same generous responsiveness, to the divine will.
St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal made such ready responsiveness to whatever God asks or sends the core of their spiritual legacy to us and to our world and, this, in both happy and challenging matters, large and small.
Most of us begin every new year with resolutions. Let’s resolve to honor Mary, the Mother of God and our mother, and to live Jesus, her Son, by imitating in the nooks and crannies of our own lives their ready responsiveness to God’s will for us. Let our resolution be: “May your will be done on earth –in the very earth of my own life--as it is in heaven!”
Now, that’s one resolution we ought to keep!
Rev. Lewis S. Fiorelli, OSFS
Provincial
Wilmington-Philadelphia Province
Christmas Across the Provinces
Oblates across the Provinces celebrate Christmas around the country.
A Christmas Prayer
Dear Friend,
Many years ago, when I was the pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Denver, CO, a good friend, songwriter, and fellow priest, Joe Raffa, wrote the following poem on the feast of Christmas. It has always been a source of spiritual nourishment for me and a reminder of who I am in the heart of God and in the church. Joe graciously gave me permission to share this with whomever I wish.
Re-Member
Long ago and so far away
When time began in stillness stood.
The Word leapt forth from God to Shine
And re-member stony hearts
like yours and mine.
Long ago and so far away
In memory of God our names were known,
Now bonded with the Word
We journey day and night
In hopes to trace our way back home.
To loose our bonds of fear
and re-member our hearts of light.
And still today the Word is heard
Is seen and felt and still leaps forth
In lights that shine in humankind
And strikes the note in the memory of God
of names like yours and mine.
And so we wait this day -
We in cold and stillness stood
With glimmers of the Word - it is heard -
Who once came and
spoke the memory of God.
Will come again
And re-member each of us by our name.
By Joe Raffa
My Christmas prayer for you and your family is one of hope and peace. I pray that the light of the Christ, born in each of our hearts again on this feast of Christmas, will leap forth and be a beacon of hope, compassion and love in your family, your community, and in our world.
Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!
Fr. Jack Loughran, OSFS
Provincial
Toledo-Detroit Province
Live Jesus! 2022 FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need to register in advance?
There is no charge for the event thanks to the generosity of individual sponsors. By registering you make it possible for us to be good stewards of these generous gifts. At registration, you may choose to make a contribution but this is not required.
How do I learn more about Salesian Spirituality?
Visit www.oblates.org and click on the Spirituality tab. You can also watch videos by clicking on the Live Jesus! Use the link HERE.
Can I attend both Live Jesus retreats - in VA & PA?
Yes! You may register for both but note the keynote speakers are essentially the same.
Who can attend Live Jesus?
Everyone – high school student through adult.
Where are the Live Jesus retreats held?
VIRGINIA - St. John Neumann Catholic Community, 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston VA, 20191
PENNSYLVANIA - St. Thomas the Apostle, 430 Valleybrook Road, Glen Mills, PA 19342 | (610) 459-2224
Will the event be live on Zoom?
Live Jesus! is an in-person event that will be videotaped as is done every year. At this time there is no plan to offer an option for ZOOM or live online viewing of the retreat. Should COVID conditions necessitate a change, you will be notified. As has been our practice, videos of all presenters and the mass will be available online after the event.
What time does the event program?
Doors open at 8am. Enjoy continental breakfast, shop Salesian products and enjoy fellowship with other believers. The program begins at 9:00 with Welcome/Opening Prayer 9:15 Keyote 11:30 Holy Eucharist
What is the dress code?
Come as you are! Most arrive dressed in business casual.
What if I have more questions?
Call the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales at 410-398-3057 or email info@oblates.org
Live Jesus! 2022 Registration
VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON LIVE JESUS! REGISTRATION!
If you have issues registering or you don’t get a confirmation email please contact info@oblates.org
Registration - Are being processed by a secure, third-party registration system called Eventbrite.com. You do not need to set up an account/password on Eventbrite.
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Day of Event - You do not need to bring any confirmation with you to Live Jesus, simply stop at the registration table to pick up your event badge.
Live Jesus! 2022 Speakers
Fr. Tom Dailey, OSFS, was ordained in 1987. He currently serves as The John Cardinal Foley Chair of Homiletics & Social Communications and Professor of Theology at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, PA.
He previously served on the faculty of DeSales University in Center Valley, PA for 29 years. A tenured professor of Theology, Fr. Dailey was the inaugural Fr. Louis Brisson Chair in Salesian Spirituality and the founding director of the Salesian Center for Faith & Culture.
In the life of our patron saint, in his formation, faith, friendship, and foundation, Francis de Sales’ experience gives rise to his profound and perennial teaching. Fr. Dailey will reflect on the four key principles Francis offers us for maintaining healthy relationships in our world today.
Sister Anne Elizabeth Eder, OSFS will explore how the Oblate founders Blessed Louis Brisson and Saint Leonie Aviat dealt with the challenges of building a vibrant community. She will illustrate how the bonds of love create unity and strength in our communities today.
She is an administrator and teacher at Mt. Aviat Academy in Childs, MD.
Only at Live Jesus! 2022 Virginia
Brother Dan Wisniewski, OSFS, Ph.D., is the Provost of DeSales University and an associate professor of mathematics. Brother Dan earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from Bryn Mawr College, an M.A. in mathematics from Villanova University, an M.A. in Christian Spirituality from The Washington Theological Union, an M.Ed. in Academic Standards & Reform from DeSales University, and a B.S. in mathematics from The Catholic University of America.. He will address the benefits and challenges of friendships in difficult, divisive times. He will draw upon the teachings of Saint Francis de Sales on friendship.
Paula M. Riley, M.S., is a communications consultant and adjunct professor at Saint Joseph’s University. Paula earned her Master of Organization Science with a concentration in Human Resouces from Villanova Univesity and a Bachelor of English from the University at Albany, State University of New York. She fills the role of professional, mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, and volunteer. Paula will explore the conflicts and complexities of her vocations in these roles and the challenges of healing relationships, all through the lens of Salesian Spirituality.
Chaplain Ministry: Inside Look
As Chaplain supporting the Philadelphia Lodge #5, Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), Fr. Steven Wetzel, OSFS, serves all the current officers, retirees, and their families. “There are Catholics, agnostics, atheists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, and Christians. I claim them all for me and treat each one accordingly.”
He equates the collection of FOP officers, retirees, and families from multiple faiths as his “parishioners” who he must always be ready to serve. Fr. Steve describes his work as “Cor Ad Cor;” this means heart-to-heart in Latin and is the basis of St. Francis’ teaching that people should be approached individually by talking on their level, heart to heart.
“I have to be ready to respond not necessarily as a Catholic priest but whatever is in front of me,” he said in describing his work at the Ministry of Michael the Archangel Ministry Program. Known as the Catholic patron of police officers, Michael the Archangel is also recognized in the Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, and Jehovah's Witness faiths, thus the program was intentionally named. Theirs is not a non-denominal ministry but rather multiple denominal ones.
Through Fr. Steve, and a volunteer chaplain at each police district, the Ministry of Michael the Archangel Ministry Program provides pastoral care and counseling, spiritual direction, crisis ministry, and bereavement support. Fr. Steve also says hears confessions, performs baptisms, witnesses marriages, anoints the sick, and celebrates monthly Eucharist (after roll call) with the Catholic police officers who make up 68% of the current police force.
Much of his time is with families of current, retired, and deceased family members. “We never forget,” he says as he describes the FOP Mass for families who have lost a loved one. Another large amount of time is spent at crime scenes, in the hospital with injured officers, across the table after a discipline, or on ride-alongs where he joins officers on patrol. The ride-alongs offer Fr. Steve the best insight on the challenges and struggles officers face on the street.
Rev. Robert Mulligan, OSFS, gains much insight and perspective from the college students he ministers as chaplain at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. Working as both chaplain and education professor teaching graduate and undergraduate students, he interacts with students in a variety of encounters and finds each one has a uniquely special experience.
Daily mass, held each day at noon, offers him an opportunity to minister to students alongside faculty and staff, all joined together in prayer. The Sunday 9PM mass often begins with a volunteer taking a quick photo to post on social media, inviting classmates to come on down to mass. Many students arrive in sweats and slippers, as mass is held just floors below their dorm rooms.
Social media is the main way students learn about mass, prayer, services, and retreat opportunities at the college. Graduate assistants post on Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat from mass, yoga reflections, retreats, homeless shelters, soup kitchens or wherever the campus minister team leads them.
Being part of the college’s four-person campus ministry team is most rewarding for Fr. Mulligan who describes his team, “I work with three super people on the team. They are very dynamic and organized.”
He also collaborates with volunteer sports team chaplains. Faculty and staff are assigned as the team chaplain for many of the Chestnut Hill Griffin teams. These individuals are trained by Fr. Mulligan and attend all team games and serve as prayer leaders.
Many students are Catholic but his ministry is open to all. Muslim students especially appreciate the Interfaith prayer room which is available for prayer throughout the day. At its dedication, representatives from five faith communities joined together to bless the special space.
In addition to interacting with students of different faiths, Fr. Mulligan works with individuals who have drifted away from the church. Commonly referred to as the ‘unchurched,’ Fr. Mulligan loves engaging with those who seek to reconnect to the church of their birth. This year, Fr. Mulligan is the spiritual director for two students engaged in the RCIA program. Journeying with these individuals is an important element of Fr. Mulligan’s role as campus chaplain.
Fr. Michael Murray, OSFS, Assistant Provincial, takes journeys in his roles as well. As chaplain to the Wilmington Fire Department (WFD), Fr. Michael has walked, stood, and ridden alongside “Wilmington’s bravest” and committed firefighters for the past three years.
With the Oblates, Fr. Murray is known as the Assistant Provincial, but with the firefighters, he is “Deputy Chief 5,” and reflective of firehouse structure, is saluted by his men and women. In this leadership role, Fr. Murray offers spiritual guidance, moral support, companionship, and ministers mostly by being present.
“With firefighters, there is much time spent just waiting {for a call}. During this time is when I minister by being present. I listen to their stories and I try to create an atmosphere where they can be who they are.” Fr. Murray treasures this time where stories and conversations bounce from locker room banter, tales of wives and children to more spiritual conversations about things we all value as human beings.
All of these topics offer ways for Fr. Murray to share Salesian spirituality, “I package the teachings of St. Francis whenever we interact. They (firefighters) have human concerns. These concerns are ultimately, spiritual concerns. I think they relate to me because they know I’m not trying to take them on a spiritual journey but rather, walk with them on their human journey.”
This journey, at times, can be quite treacherous. It had only been seven months after three Wilmington firefighters had died in the Canby Park fire of 2016 when Fr. Murray joined as chaplain. The men and women of the fire department were still in great pain from this loss. He learned quickly that being a firefighter is draining not just after such incredible loss but each and every day as they wait uncertain of what the next call will bring.
When the alarm sounds, Fr. Murray gets notified as well. He responds with a similar speed and arrives at fire scenes to support the firefighters to the extent he can. The dedicated chaplain passes out water or snacks and comforts family members but mostly he ministers by being present.
“The most important thing I do is show up,” Fr. Murray says. “In these moments is when I can do the most just by being there.” He never knows when a conversation will be needed, or a prayer requested. Donned in his fire jacket, heavy helmet with his chief logo, he kneels on the wet pavement or ashy grass behind the men often still holding water-filled hoses or heavy equipment.
Fr. Steve explains, “Oblates have always had a special vision for the role of chaplain. Perhaps it is our commitment to listen carefully and respond to the needs of each individual that lead us to the chaplaincy.”
Fr. Murray adds, “We go with the action is. We are asked because we (Oblates) are generally down-to-earth people who follow Brisson’s direction to ‘enter the world as it is’.”
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A particular facet of Oblates is seen in the armed forces. Through the years, either before becoming a priest or as an Oblate, these men have served in the armed services, many of them as chaplains.
Oblate Chaplaincy
Many Oblates serve in chaplaincy roles across the country.
Fr. Steve Wetzel, OSFS, is chaplain for the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Michael the Archangel Ministry Program.
Fr. Michael Murray, OSFS, is chaplain for the Wilmington Fire Department in Delaware where he is Deputy Chief #5.
Fr. Robert Mulligan, OSFS, serves as chaplain at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia.
Please pray for all those who are ministered by Oblate chaplains.
Above: photos of the Philadelphia Police Officers and friends at a retreat held the week before Christmas. Photos include a gathering of priests with Most Rev. Archbishop Nelson J. Perez, FOP members, and even a special visit from Santa!
Above: photos of Fr. Michael Murray, OSFS and Fr. Robert Mulligan, OSFS, serving as Chaplains of their respective duties.
To learn more about Chaplin ministry and read about our Chaplains, please click HERE.
Live Jesus! 2022 - In the Words of Past Attendees
“This is my favorite day of the year. I feel so blessed to be part of an Oblate community.”
“Beautiful presentation with a practical approach to gentleness and simplicity.”
“Both speakers were spiritually maturing gifts. My hope and prayer is that the essence of their messages are tattooed on my heart and I act on them in true love.”
“Simple but profound definitions of gentleness, patience,and simplicity.”
“I always come away with concrete actions to expand my faith and intellect.”
A Christmas Tradition comes to Glen Mills, PA
Last year, when Fr. Stephen Shott, OSFS, became pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle Church he brought with him a Christmas tradition. Like many special traditions, this one has been years in the making. Fr. Shott shares his Fontanini Nativity with the parish community in Glen Mills, PA and now we share an article from his time in North Carolina that highlights this collection and the story behind this cherished custom.
Read more: “Christmas comes to St. Ann”
Our Lady of Guadalupe- Devotion and Traditions
Fr. Michael Newman with Janice Cabrera, and other parishioners celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Every year for as long as I can remember on December 12th, as a church we unite to celebrate during the time of advent, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This celebration commemorates the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego in 1531 on the hill of Tepeyac in Mexico. She had appeared as a pregnant Aztec woman before Juan Diego asking him to request the local bishop to build a temple in her honor where she could receive and console her suffering children. Juan Diego relayed the story to the bishop, and the bishop wanted a sign or her apparitions in order to proceed with the request. Juan Diego returned to the hill of Tepeyac and our Lady had him gather roses in his tilma. When he returned to the bishop, he opened the tilma and when he dropped the roses before the bishop, the inside of his tilma had the image of our Lady of Guadalupe.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is a powerful symbol of Mexican identity as well as a representation of faith, strength, and protection. She is the one who supports us, helps us, and protects us. She serves as a mother figure- forgiving and all-loving. Nonetheless, Our Lady symbolizes the consolation of the poor and powerless. Our Lady is sent to us during hardships and appears before us to remind us during these hard times to have no fear.
Omar Garcia as Juan Diego
To prepare for Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration, a small alter is put up for our Lady at our St Mary campus. Several in the congregation gather on a nightly basis for la novena beginning December 3rd. As the Feast Day approaches, a larger temporary alter is put together inside our St Mary campus. The main celebration begins the night prior on December 11th at 10pm. The celebration takes place with the lights off for the majority of the night as we await her appearance. The evening consists of the retelling of the story of our Lady’s appearance before Juan Diego. As the night continues there are tributes made to Our Lady in forms of testimonies, poems, and singing. Shortly after 11pm we begin la novena. La novena is proceeded by las mañanitas- the Mexican happy birthday song- at midnight. During this time, the lights are turned on and those present proceed in a procession to place roses at the alter.
On December 12th the day begins with a parade and procession by those that are joining us in mass where they place roses at the altar. Many of those attending mass are in costumes, dressed as Juan Diego, Our Lady, and so forth. During the preparation of the gifts, a member of our church is dressed as Juan Diego and he drops a dozen roses before our priest with the image of Our Lady on his tilma. Near the end of the mass, religious items with our Lady’s image on them are blessed. This mass is heavily attended and I personally feel overjoyed and overwhelmed with happiness as I experience and witness such a strong devotion alongside other members of our church as we celebrate Our lady of Guadalupe. Mass is followed by a reception with food, music, and Aztec-style dances and performances from young children and adults.
As we celebrate the feast of our Lady of Guadalupe, we are reminded that we share the same vocation as our Lady and Juan Diego- and that is bringing Jesus Christ into this world and serving as missionaries and messengers of hope in this seemingly hopeless world.
Long Live Our Lady of Guadalupe!
Janice Cabrera
Parishioner
Holy Family Parish, Adrian, MI
The Parents of Jesus: Promise and Anxiety
We are approaching the 4th Sunday of Advent, which means Christmas, the celebration of the Birth of Jesus, is just days away.
For just about every person reading this reflection, there is something about Christmas that moves and touches us in ways that no other holiday or holy day does. For someone like me who grew up just a few miles from the village that is thought to be the real-life setting for Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Christmas has always been very special indeed, even a bit magical.
But I wonder how Mary and Joseph felt as the first Christmas neared? Like any first parents, they were no doubt a bit anxious about the whole thing. In light of the paschal mystery and our faith in the person, message, and meaning of Jesus, we have the tendency to romanticize their experience and his birth. But I doubt that that was the actual situation for them.
After all, Mary was near term and yet they had to journey from the familiar comfort of their home in Nazareth to the tiny hamlet of Bethlehem, traveling on a donkey over rough and dangerous roads. Once there, they found no suitable lodging, especially for the birthing that was imminent. Thus, their joy as expectant parents must surely have been tempered by the fears and anxiety of an imminent birth in an unfamiliar and unusual setting, as well as the uncertainty that lay immediately before them as new parents.
And all this was just on the human level! What about how all this fit with an angel announcing his birth nine months earlier and with a perplexed Joseph counseled by angels during fitful dreams? How were they to align such miraculous beginnings with the birth of their son in a strange town and in an animal’s stable?
As we approach Christmas, let the adults among us (children are excused) reflect at bit on the anxieties, perplexities, hopes and promises of Joseph and Mary. All of us, but especially parents, can relate to the unsettling mix of anxiety and promise that this couple experienced at this very special but most challenging moment in their young marriage.
For just a bit, then, let’s let go of the wonder of the approaching Christmas and sit in prayerful reflection with all that is implied by the nitty-gritty reality of one of the foundational truths of our faith: the Word became flesh!
Rev. Lewis S. Fiorelli, OSFS
Provincial
Wilmington-Philadelphia Province
The Nature of Joy
Last Saturday, I went to visit someone at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in a congested and busy part of Philly where parking is always problematic. I saw a sign that read “no valet,” but it seemed pushed to the side as if to suggest that it would be used for off-hours. So, I drove up the ramp leading to the front doors. (My friend tells me that I always expect things to be open when I need them, especially bakeries!) An employee greeted me, gently instructing me that there has not been valet service since the pandemic. Duh! Stupid me! He went on in the gentlest and kind way to give clear and simple directions that guided me safely to the parking garage, repeating them twice, sensing I was geographically challenged. He even inquired if I was going to the new Penn hospital. He was compassionate and courteous. Leaving the garage, I checked my phone and saw that I indeed needed the new hospital, so I went back to my friend. On my short walk there, I found my hands upward in a praying position, giving thanks to God for being alive, for putting this wonderful man in my presence today, for this unseasonably warm December day, for my vocation, for being alive. Totally unexpected, fully spontaneous. Simply put, I found joy. That’s the nature of joy; it discovers us, surprises us. It finds us in the ordinary and the extraordinary, in good times and really difficult ones, in the boring and mundane, and in the hilarious and exceptional. It keeps showing up, assuring us of God’s presence, love and protection in our lives confirming for us how awesome it is to be in relationship with this generous God and the image of himself in others in our lives.
Joy appears in the midst of destruction and devastation such as the recent tornado in Kentucky with survivors noting that “it could have been worse, these things can be replaced, and we have our faith and each other.” I sense it makes itself felt eventually among the relatives of those who died in the sadness that comes from the loss of a loved one mixed with comfort knowing that God will care for the person and for them especially in an outpouring of compassion and generosity with prayers and blessings. It is discovered in a quiet snowfall on a moonlit night, a child smiling while playing in the dirt, in an older couple walking the beach and holding hands, the homeless person giving you the only thing s/he can, a “God bless you.” It’s in the memory of your brother hugging tightly one of his sons both shouting and smiling when the Hail Mary pass from Tom Brady failed giving the Eagles their first Super Bowl victory. Joy sneaks up on you in a heartfelt story and in silence when you think about someone you love who loves you back always and forever. I find joy in places that I never used to look for it such as being alone with the lone, just being present, not needing to say or feel anything, being embraced and cared for. I find joy in thanksgiving. Who am I to be so blessed? God responds, “Who are you not to be blessed, loved, cared for, one of my own?” Such joyful experiences sustain and motivate us to forge the Reign of God in our own little ways like the Penn employee who graced me with his joy. Joy impels us in the midst of negativity, hostility, doubt, and fear. Joy makes sense of the exhortation, “Do not be afraid.” Joy allows us to see that God is at work but wants us to participate in creating a world richly filled with understanding, acceptance, forgiveness, justice, and charity, such as God intends with a place for everyone.
I have always struggled with defining joy: feeling of intense pleasure? An inward happiness? A sense of well-being that resonates in being cared for, being fortunate. I was not looking forward to explaining joy in this essay until now.
Advent defines joy perfectly in its readings especially Gaudete Sunday. Joy is “God with us, God in our midst.” Prophets proclaimed it to those displaced and held in captivity. God has removed our sin and guilt. Be joy-filled! God is in our midst. Never leaving. Always by our side, showing up, and comfortable being there…where we are. Joy is Emmanuel, God with us! Joy allows us to join Mary’s Magnificat and sing, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Let this joy find you! It’s all around. Then, pass it on!
Fr. John J. Fisher, OSFS
Rector
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Camden, NJ
The Gift of Giving
Give a special gift this Epiphany!
Make a donation in someone’s name to the Oblates. These funds will support the Oblates’ commitment to spreading optimistic Salesian Spirituality through their many ministries. You will receive a card announcing this donation that you can send to your friend.
Give this meaningful, unique gift. This gift gives back to the Oblates.
Thank you for your support.
You will receive this special card to give to the gift recipient explaining a donation has been made in their name.
The Practice of Patience
Isn't it ironic that the season of Advent, which calls us to patience, creates such impatience in so many? I remember one of my nephews, who at that time was five or six years old, plopping down in a chair and announcing to the room that he hated Christmas. A bit surprised, I asked him why. He said, "I hate it because it's never going to get here!" I think it was just a day or two before the holiday. I had to chuckle but realized his impatience led him to frustration, anger, and hopelessness, albeit it was short-lived.
I remember this incident every year as I reflect on the season. Advent invites us to patience, to vigilance. In the words of Advent scriptures, "stay awake." After many years of waiting, Christians realized the second coming of Christ was not likely to occur in their lifetime. So, the Church moved from expecting the second coming imminently to understanding the vigilance expected focuses more on the moment we leave this world. Advent invites us to prepare for the moment of our death, which is unknown and yet will come to each one of us.
More profoundly, the invitation to vigilance is an invitation to enter the fullness of life right now, to resist distractions that block us from being attentive to God's grace and presence in the present moment. The invitation calls us to be patient and to know that whatever "will come" is not as important as "the now.”
And so, my posture this Advent is to try to rest in the present moment. St. Francis de Sales wrote, "The practice of patience leads us to accomplish the will of God into which our soul should melt and be dissolved." This practice leads us to gratitude for the love of those around us. It helps us appreciate the opportunities for reconciliation and forgiveness. It grants us the opportunity to see lives as Christ sees them. It leads us to a deeper awareness of the joy that touches and forms our lives through the grace of family, friendships, and the embrace of God.
Have a blessed Advent!
Fr. Jack Loughran, OSFS
Provincial
Toledo-Detroit Province
God’s “Kiss to Humanity"
No doubt you have seen shirts or art with words containing Blessed and/or Grateful. For many of us, they can summarize our lives especially in the way we have been embraced, welcomed and loved. I don’t ever remember a time when I haven’t felt love. It started “before we were knitted in our mothers’ wombs” when God knew us, and this love has been nurtured ever since. One of my most profound manifestations of love emanates from the relationship shared with my siblings and their children. If I spend a minute or two reflecting on this blessing, tears fill my eyes. To end a phone conversation with an exchange of “love you” with my 12 nephews and nieces is nurturing, life-giving, life-sustaining and too powerful to fully explain. It speaks of connection, relationship, being cared for and safeguarded.
It is through spiritual direction and the sacrament of reconciliation where I discover in an ongoing way God’s love for me. After each celebration of forgiveness and acceptance of who I am and God’s delight in this, I was growing convinced I understood God’s infinite love, until the next experience of it when I realized that I was only beginning to scratch the surface of understanding how marvelously God loves us. In his most recent book, Greg Boyle, SJ writes, “we are all born into the world wanting the same things, and we are all naked under our clothes. We start from this place, then, of our own unshakable goodness, so we jettison blame and embrace understanding. We see God’s light in everything and thereby choose mysticism over morality. We choose connection, not perfection. We explore the things that help us feel beloved rather than on probation. We want to know the God of love, which is more than knowing the love of God. We long to see the wholeness of things and find our wholeness in Christ.” I have stopped trying “to know the love of God” opting to “know the God of love” in family, self, others, the rejected, forgotten, despised, and pushed to the periphery.
Daily, I try to recall that God loves us “no matter what” without judgment and only with “extravagant tenderness.” This God loves us before we sin after we sin, and yes, even while we are sinning for this is who God is…love. We cannot limit or contain what is limitless and overflowing. Boyle often claims that it is not in God’s DNA to look at us with shame and disappointment but only love. We are who God wants us to be. We are loved. From that starting point, we resonate in this love, find ourselves overpowered by it that we must share this with others. While we may be saddened at the lack of love in our world, church or self (constant fighting, violence, hatred, discord), love eventually frees us from this temporary paralysis to forge a world that Christ wants.
In a recent Advent retreat, a few powerful statements concerning love were shared that were either new to me or expressed before but cherished. St. John of the Cross noted, “in the evening of life we will be judged on love alone.” Another comment recalled something I read and have never forgotten that we are not going to be asked by God how faithful we were to prayer, how considerate to others, generous to those in need, loving to spouse and children, though the answer to these may help answer the only question God is going to ask us: have you ever tried to love? It’s all about love. The Beatles had it right, “love is all you need.” No wonder Francis de Sales quoted from Song of Songs, “we have no bond, but the bond of love which is the bond of perfection.”
Advent provides us the opportunity to welcome the love of God into our hearts daily, so God may make low the mountains of hatred and discontent, fill in the valleys of greed, sin, or whatever keeps us from God and one another. Advent love makes straight crooked paths or winding roads taken by desiring our will rather than God’s. In the faculty dining room of St. Augustine Prep, where our retreat took place, the wisdom of Augustine graces one wall, “love belongs in the relationship of teacher and pupil. Love is necessary to awaken love. It educates the heart. Love seals the work of the teacher.” Love is necessary to awaken love. God is necessary to awaken us and who we are called to be. The hope, peace, and love we celebrate every Advent recalls the first Advent that led to that morning when the world experienced the fulness of God’s love, giving us his only Son, God’s “kiss to humanity” as St. Francis de Sales describes the Incarnation. God sharing his very nature, Emmanuel, God with us, to show us how to love and how to live. The Incarnation continues when this love is manifested in our interactions with one another. May love continue to “educate your heart and seal your work.”
Fr. John J. Fisher, OSFS
Rector
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Camden, NJ
Guerin Memorial Dinner Dance Logistics
The Union League Liberty Hill
Lafayette Ballroom
800 Ridge Pike, Lafayette Hill, PA 19444
Driving Directions:
Click HERE
Drive past the golf house on the left, continue straight, and follow signs all the way to the Lafayette Parking Lot
The event is held in the Lafayette Ballroom
Parking:
Parking is FREE
Follow signs to the Lafayette Ballroom and Lafayette Parking
Event Logistics
Cocktail Hour 7:00PM to 8:00PM in a climate-controlled, enclosed deck and open-air patio
Program: There will be a very brief program including a prayer and welcome from DeSales Network
Dinner: Dinner is full-service. If you require a vegan/vegetarian option please contact Nancy at 302-656-8529 ext. 21
Dancing: The Heartbeats is a 12-piece party band, recently voted Philadelphia’s Best Cover Band. They will keep the dance floor rocking until 12:00AM.
Accommodations:
The Ballroom is accessible via a ramp from the parking lot.
If you would like a wheelchair for the event, please contact Nancy at 302-656-8529 ext. 21.
For any needs during the event, please contact Paula at 215-284-1914.
Hotel Accommodations:
Rooms are available for Dinner Dance guests at the reduced rate of $190
Room rate includes full breakfast for two
Call 610-825-8000 or email lodge@unionleague.org for reservations - mention Guerin Dinner Dance
If you have any problems with reserving rooms contact Katie Schultz 484-532-5303
If you are staying overnight, check-in at the Summit Entrance (follow signs to Summit Lot)
Sunday Mass at Union League
Sunday Mass will be held on Sunday, May 22nd at the Union League at 9:00AM
Join us in the American Ballroom where Fr. Jack Kolodziej, OSFS, will be the celebrant
May 23rd would have been Fr. Guerin’s, OSFS, 93rd birthday so he will be remembered in a special way at Mass.
Mass dress code is smart casual, consistent with Union League weekend dress code
