Be the Light of Christ

Today is World Day for Consecrated Life, and US parishes will mark it this weekend. Begun in 1997 by Pope John Paul II, the commemoration is intended “to help the entire Church to esteem ever more greatly the witness of those persons who has chosen to follow Christ by means of the evangelical counsels” - poverty, chastity, obedience - and “to be a suitable occasion for consecrated persons to renew their commitment and rekindle the fervor which should inspire their offering of themselves to the Lord” (John Paul, 1997).

The pope selected the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord for this event. This feast is known as Candlemas Day, when the church blesses all of the candles to be used in the year in parishes, homes, and places of worship. All disciples, by virtue of our baptism, are called to be the light of Christ. Our tradition teaches us that vowed religious life is an intensification of the baptismal call to live Jesus.

As the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales profess these vows, we look forward to this day which coincides with the anniversary of the death of our founder, Blessed Louis Brisson, OSFS. His exhortation that we “reprint the Gospel” with our lives is an appropriate reminder for all of us, whether in religious, married, or the single life. Just as a small candle is lighted from the large paschal candle at every baptism, our lives are meant to be a flame of faith, hope and love to join with all the flames flickering throughout the world to set it ablaze with the love, peace and joy of Jesus.

Yes, this weekend we will have an opportunity to pray for those sisters, brothers and priests whose poverty, chastity and obedience inspired, taught, or animated us to be stronger and more faith-filled disciples. We also pray that each of us cooperates with the grace to deepen our commitment and renew the fervor of our own baptism for a world in great need of our light, which is the light of Christ.

Prayer for Consecrated Life

O God, throughout the ages you have called women and men to pursue lives of perfect charity through the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. We give you thanks for these courageous witnesses of Faith and models of inspiration. Their pursuit of holy lives teaches us to make a more perfect offering of ourselves to you. Continue to enrich your Church by calling forth sons and daughters who, having found the pearl of great price, treasure the Kingdom of Heaven above all things. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Father Michael Murray, OSFS

Provincial Councilor, Wilmington-Philadelphia Province

Parochial Vicar, St. John Neumann Parish, Reston, VA

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

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