Items filtered by date: September 2021

Redemptive Suffering

(29th Ordinary Sunday: Isaiah 53:10-11; Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45)

Selfish people are usually willing to make certain sacrifices to achieve their goals. Along the way some may abandon relationships and values in their pursuit of personal advantage.

If you could distill all your prayer requests down to one, what would it be?

We know that our prayer, even when we ask for what we need, must not be purely self-centered. In today’s Gospel, we understand the reaction of the other Apostles when James and John made their not-so-virtuous request to Jesus. He in turn, criticized the ten for their jealousy. Then he taught all of them the lessons of service and redemptive suffering.

The Beautiful Lady, who shared in her Son’s work of salvation on Calvary, described the painful situation in which she found herself. “How long a time I have suffered for you!” She was caught, as it were, between her beloved but offended Son and her beloved but offending people.

We have all read the account of her words and manner at La Salette. What about her interaction with Jesus before the Apparition? Hers was no ordinary prayer. In Joel 2:17 we read, “Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep, and say, ‘Spare, O Lord, your people.’” Mary’s prayer was surely even more intense. Try to imagine the scene.

We can join her in that prayer, as we cry, “Lord, have mercy! Christ, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!” We recite this at every Mass, as part of the ritual; but the more aware we are of our need for forgiveness, for God’s help in troubled times, the deeper will be the meaning that we give to those words, as we implore the Lord never to abandon us.

We can also offer to do our part, uniting all of our daily aches and pains, whether physical, psychological or spiritual, to the redemptive suffering of Jesus. As the author of the Letter to the Hebrews writes in today’s second reading, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses.”

Jesus has already paid the price of our redemption. What Mary asks of us at La Salette seems a small price to pay if we want to share in the great mercy that is waiting for us.

Wayne Vanasse, and Fr. René Butler, M.S.

Published in MISSION (EN)

More Thoughts on Prayer

(28th Ordinary Sunday: Wisdom 7:7-11; Hebrews 4:12-13; Mark 10:17-30)

Very often in these reflections we allude to Mary’s question, “Do you say your prayers well, my children?” She concluded this part of her discourse with, “When you have time, say more.” But prayer is not just words.

We all know how important communication is. Human relationships cannot long survive without it. It includes speech and body language. It contains information, concern, questions, requests, etc. All of these are part of the La Salette event.

Communication with God is essential to the Christian life. It allows us to ask for what we need, and to open ourselves to the gifts he wishes to give us. “Do you say your prayers well?” is another way of asking, “Are you willing to let God transform your heart?” Reciting prayers is a good thing, of course; they bring us into the Lord’s presence and set the stage for his action.

The author of the Book of Wisdom understood this. “I prayed, and prudence was given me.” Prudence, according to Catechism of the Catholic Church, is more than being careful. It is “the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it.”

So, we cannot exercise prudence without wanting to know God’s will, and to obey it. We ought to prefer it over gold, precious gems, health and or beauty.

Which brings us to the Gospel and the rich man who came to Jesus with a prayer in the form of a question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered with a question of his own, and was so pleased with the man’s response that Mark tells us, “Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, ‘You are lacking in one thing.’”

Putting ourselves in the man’s place, what one thing is lacking? When we enter into prayer and learn to pray well, God is indeed there and can penetrate our hearts with his “living and effective” word (second reading). The man “went away sad, for he had many possessions.” Will we do the same, for other reasons?

In prayer we are not alone. Our Weeping Mother intercedes powerfully for us. Let us be thankful, too, that Jesus looks at us and loves us and directs us as to what we need to do to follow him.

Wayne Vanasse, and Fr. René Butler, M.S.

Published in MISSION (EN)
Sunday, 19 September 2021 07:54

General's Letter

Letter to download...

Published in LAY ASSOCIATES (EN)
Friday, 17 September 2021 16:53

General's Letter

Letter to download...

Published in INFO (EN)

Never Alone

(27th Ordinary Sunday: Genesis 2:18-24; Hebrews 2:9-11; Mark 10:2-16)

God created man in his own image and likeness. In today’s reading from Genesis, the man’s words, “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh,” carry the same meaning. A deep inner connection is the foundation of healthy intimacy.

God lives in the mysterious union we call Trinity. In the Prologue to John’s Gospel, we read: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Therefore he knew, “It is not good for the man to be alone,” and created the best possible companion for him.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says that the Law allowed divorce “because of the hardness of your hearts.” It was not at all what God had in mind in Genesis.

The Beautiful Lady at La Salette came weeping, because her people had hardened their hearts. By their words and actions they had created such a separation between themselves and Jesus, that we may call it a divorce! And yet, as we see in the second reading, he wants a relationship with us, so much so that he was willing to lower himself and even die for our sake.

It is not good for us to separate ourselves from the love of God. This truth is at the core of the La Salette message. And as La Salette we might add, “If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is brought to perfection in us” (Gospel Acclamation). With Mary as our guide, we can have loving relationships with everyone around us, as we live out our Catholic faith and try to be an example of the message of conversion and reconciliation.

In the first reading, the man gave names to all the creatures that God made as possible companions for him. This implies a certain power over them. When we name a child, or even a pet, we acknowledge it as ours. At the same time, however, we establish a relationship with it, and accept responsibility for it. So, too, with all of God’s creation.

At the end of today’s Gospel, Jesus welcomed the children. “He embraced them and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.” May we always experience his loving touch and allow him to place his nail-pierced hands on us as we seek to perfect a loving relationship with him, never to be separated.

Wayne Vanasse, and Fr. René Butler, M.S.

Published in MISSION (EN)
Friday, 10 September 2021 08:46

Argentina... - New Council

Argentina-Bolivia - New Regional Council

Fr. David Cardozo Ruiloba MS - Superior of the Region

Fr. Diego A. Diaz MS - Vicar of the Region

Br. Pedro S. Battistini - Assistant of the Region

May the Holy Spirit enlighten the new Council in the service to the Region.

Published in INFO (EN)

Prophets All

(26th Ordinary Sunday: Numbers 11:25-29; James 5:1-6; Mark 9:38-48)

In the rite of baptism we are anointed with chrism, a perfumed oil which symbolizes that we are one with Christ who was anointed Priest, Prophet and King.

The priesthood of the faithful means that we have been made worthy to offer true worship. But how are we prophets? Can you see yourself as a prophet today? Are you eager, like Isaiah, or, like Jonah, will you run away?

In the first reading we are told, “Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses, the Lord bestowed it on the seventy elders; and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.” What exactly did they do? We do not know; but whatever it was, it was the work of the same spirit that God had given to Moses.

If they spoke, it was surely a message for the benefit of others, proclaiming God’s will or his wonders. Mary, full of grace from the moment of her conception, was present with the Apostles at Pentecost. Who could have been more open than she to the indwelling of the Spirit?

She was prompted by the Spirit—can we doubt it?—to come to La Salette in a prophetic role. She gave a share of her spirit to two children unsuited to the mission she entrusted to them, so that they could make known her challenging and encouraging message of reconciliation and conversion, and all her people could turn back to her Crucified Son.

In the Gospel, Jesus does not claim an exclusive patent on his powers. His attitude, “Whoever is not against us is for us,” is similar to that of Moses in the first reading: “Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!”

The Psalmist prays, “From wanton sin especially, restrain your servant; let it not rule over me.” In baptism we renounced Satan and all his works. But, for a prophet, it is not enough to be blameless. We have to live the message we proclaim. We must be faithful to the share of the spirit that is given to us.

As La Salette Laity, Sisters and Missionaries, we have received the spirit of the Beautiful Lady. We prophesy in a great variety of ways. May we be so bold as to suggest that the writing of these humble weekly reflections might have a share in that mission?

Wayne Vanasse, and Fr. René Butler, M.S.

Published in MISSION (EN)
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