7th Week of Easter 2024 - Wednesday - Unity through loving and joyful obedience

We have been reading for two weeks from Jesus’ Farewell Speech at the Last Supper, chapters 14-17 of the Gospel of John. 

Throughout the discourse, the Lord emphasizes the relationship between love and obedience. He repeatedly calls on his disciples to demonstrate their love for him by obediently keeping his commandments. 

We seek to faithfully observe the commandments of God out of love, for faithfulness is pleasing to God. And so we zealously seek to rid ourselves of infidelity, to muzzle our unfaithful tongues, discipline our willful spirits, and restrain our disordered appetites. And the Christian does so zealously, happily, and enthusiastically. Again because loving fidelity is pleasing to our Father. We show our love and practice love by keeping God’s commandments. 

A devotion to keeping God’s commandments—to following the rules of our Father’s household—is not pharisaical religion. Rather, it is a participation in the salvific sacrifice of Christ—who obediently accepted death, death on a cross—out of love for His Father.

In his rule, St. Benedict writes, “The first degree of humility is prompt obedience” To be poor in spirit like Christ, to hunger and thirst for righteousness, means to desire a practice obedience.

The great doctor St. Francis de Sales writes, “Obedience is a virtue of so excellent a nature, that Our Lord was pleased to mark its observance upon the whole course of His life; thus He often says, He did not come to do His own will, but that of His Heavenly Father.” 

Obedience is the means of aligning one's will with God's will, which is central to Christian discipleship. For we are to follow in the footsteps of the obedient Son of God. We are to surrender personal preferences and desires to fulfill a higher purpose—God’s Holy Will. “Not my will, but Thy will be done”. 

Obedience to God is the glue that unites Christians. At the conclusion of his Farewell speech, the Lord prays that his disciples be one, just as he is one with the Father—a oneness that is manifest in the Son’s obedience to the Father. 

Thomas Aquinas writes, “Obedience unites us so closely to God that in a way transforms us into Him, so that we have no other will but His. If obedience is lacking, even prayer cannot be pleasing to God.”

Faithfulness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. If faithfulness is not evident in our decisions, our connection to the Holy Spirit is damaged and compromised. Joylessness in the Christian life is almost always a sign that disobedience has taken root. For sinful disobedience causes the other spiritual fruits, like joy, peace, patience, and self-control to wither.

May the Holy Spirit, whose descent upon the Church we prepare to celebrate at Pentecost, draw us into ever deeper unity with the Father and with one another, through a sharing in the loving obedience of the Son, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That the ordained and all members of the Church throughout the world may be a more visible sign of the love of God for humanity, calling all people to new life and communion with Him; and that our parish may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ and his tender love for sinners and for the poor

For those who do not believe in God and for those who have fallen away from the Church.

For an increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit among all Christians, and for all who are persecuted for the faith.

That during this month of May, all people may turn their hearts to the Blessed Virgin Mary, seeking her aid and imploring her intercession with increased and fervent devotion, imitating her example of Faith, Hope, and Love. 

For the sick, the suffering, those in nursing homes, hospitals, and hospice care, for the underemployed and unemployed, for the imprisoned, those with addictions, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, that the Spirit of Consolation may comfort them.

For the deceased members of our families, friends and parish, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all those who fought and died for our freedom.

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

First Friday Holy Hour - January 2024 - Discerning our purpose

This morning, I shared a quote from Bishop John Nepomocene Neumann, the one and only American bishop canonized by the church, whose liturgical feast is today. 

In a sermon on the work God has for us, bishop Neumann said, “Everyone who breathes, high and low, educated and ignorant, young and old, man and woman, has a mission, has a work. We are not sent into this world for nothing; we are not born at random; we are not here, that we may go to bed at night, and get up in the morning, toil for our bread, eat and drink, laugh and joke, sin when we have a mind, and reform when we are tired of sinning, rear a family and die. God sees every one of us; He creates every soul, . . . for a purpose. He needs, He deigns to need, every one of us. He has an end for each of us; we are all equal in His sight, and we are placed in our different ranks and stations, not to get what we can out of them for ourselves, but to labor in them for Him. As Christ has His work, we too have ours; as He rejoiced to do His work, we must rejoice in ours also.”  

Each one of us is created by God with a purpose. What an important reminder! And yet, where do we discover that purpose? How do we discern it among the many confusing choices we have in life?

Here. Right here. Kneeling in front of God incarnate, made present in the Holy Eucharist. This is the place the saints have gone for clarity, guidance, and strength. To the Eucharistic presence of Christ.

Here is the silence we need in order to hear him speaking. Here we assume the posture of kneeling—which is at both a posture of humility, and readiness for service. Here we separate ourselves from all the things we could be doing, in order to focus on the one thing, the unum necessarium, the one thing necessary, the will of God.

Lord show us your will for us—your will for us to serve you by cultivating our interior life, which is your presence in our souls, through prayerful adoration. Help us to rejoice in the work you have for us—to not seek selfish gain, but that which profits the mission of the Gospel. What are the gifts, what are the talents you are urging us to cultivate? What are the comfort zones you are urging us to leave? Who are the strangers you are urging us to speak to? What vices are you urging me to give up? What unknown roads are your urging me to walk? What modes of service are you urging me to take up? Give us strength in our trials, and a sincere hope of attaining eternal reward through obedience to your Holy Will, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

January 6 2021 - St. Andre Bessette - Abandoned to the Divine Will

Holy Cross Brother Andre Bessette was just canonized in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. Here is a wonderful Saint who shows us that we do not have to do big things in order to become holy, but that we are to make every moment of our life, every act, every deed of our day, an act of love for God. 

 For forty years, Brother Andre was the doorkeeper, the porter, for Notre Dame College in Montreal run by the Community of the Holy cross.  He once joked, “When I joined this community my superiors showed me the door, and I stayed there for forty years.”  In that job he answered the phone and greeted the parents of the young people and all those who visited the college seeking material help.  Brother Andre made time for everyone and treated everyone as if they were the only person in the world, as if they were Jesus. 

 At his canonization, Pope Benedict said, “Brother Andre showed boundless charity and did everything possible to soothe the despair of those who confided in him. With little instruction, he nevertheless understood what was essential to his faith. For him, to believe meant to submit freely and lovingly to Divine Will. Everything existed through the mystery of Jesus, he lived the beatitude of the pure of heart, that of personal rectitude. It is thanks to this simplicity, he showed many God.”

Brother Andre had a deep devotion to St. Joseph, who he saw as an icon of a masculinity, courage, and love for the son of God, of a man deeply surrendered to the Divine Will, as he wished to be. Andre convinced his congregation to have a small chapel built in honor of St. Joseph, and it is there, that over the years, thousands of people would come to venerate St. Joseph and to pray with Brother Andre, through whom there have been countless miraculous healings. Thousands experienced emotional and physical healing at that small chapel to St. Joseph. 

Whatever the trial, Brother Andre urged people to pray with confidence and perseverance while remaining open, like St. Joseph, to God’s will.

 Openness to the will of God is the foundation for any healing, any change, any spiritual growth we should hope to experience. Yes, God hears our prayers for healing. As Brother Andre said, “There is so little distance between heaven and earth that God always hears us. Nothing but a thin veil separates us from God.” Yet, it is often a greater good that God gives us the grace and strength to bear our sufferings with trust and abandon to the Divine Will. 

 “Do not try to have your trials taken away from you”, he said, “rather, ask for the grace to endure them well”.

 Brother allowed himself to be fully present to the sadness of others while always retaining a joyful nature and good humor.  In the words of Pope Benedict,  “For him, everything spoke of God and His presence.”  Through his intercession may we receive the healing God wishes for us and follow his example of prayer and love for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That like St. Andre, Christians may grow in attentiveness to all those in need.

 That during this year of St. Joseph, all those in need of healing may be filled with new hope and strength.

That those dedicated to the care of the sick may be instruments of God’s healing.

In thanksgiving for all healing received through the mercy of God.

That those who suffer may experience the peace of Christ.

For the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all those who have fought and died for our freedom, and for x.

July 23 2019 - St. Bridget of Sweden - Holiness in all walks of life

The Opening Prayer mentions how God guided Saint Bridget of Sweden “along different paths of life.”  Bridget was a wife, a mother, a lady-in-waiting in the royal court, a mystic, a third Order Franciscan, and finally a foundress of a religious order.

Throughout the stages of her life, Bridget exemplified considerable holiness. At the age of ten, Bridget had a vision; she saw Our Lord as He was on the Cross. She meditated constantly on the mysteries of the Passion even in her youth. Throughout her marriage a Prince of Sweden, she was dedicated to the works of mercy. She even had a monastery built for the good sisters which she later joined after the death of her husband, when she renounced her wealth in order to live as the ascetical life as a Third Order Franciscan.

She went on to found the Religious Order of the Precious Blood, which is known familiarly as the Bridgettines, which still exist to this day. I would often see them in Rome. You can tell them by their very unique head guard to their religious habit. Her daughter joined the Bridgettines as well, and went on to become a saint. Saint Catherine of Sweden.

Pope John Paul II declared St. Bridget co-patroness of Europe. And In his declaration the Pope said, “In naming her a Co-Patroness of Europe”, she is not just a model for those in consecrated religious life, but especially for married people—that those who have “the high and demanding vocation of forming a Christian family will feel that she is close to them.”  The Pope emphasized how “she and her husband enjoyed a married life in which conjugal love was joined to intense prayer, the study of Sacred Scripture, mortification and charitable works. Together they founded a small hospital, where they often attended the sick. Bridget was in the habit of serving the poor personally. At the same time, she was appreciated for her gifts as a teacher”

“Who is my mother, who are my brothers and sisters?” Asks the Lord in the Gospel today. “Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father” St. Bridget sought to do the will of God, and is a model for us all. Like St. Bridget, we are each to seek opportunities within our individual vocations to grow in holiness, opportunities to build the kingdom.

We see in the Saints what life is supposed to look like.  The Lord guides us along many different paths and desires to teach us, like St. Bridget, the wisdom of the cross: that fulfillment in this life and happiness in the life to come is found, not in wealth and possessions and making a name for ourselves but seeking the Lord’s will in all things, particularly in accepting the cross for the sake of the kingdom, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That members of the Church, priests, religious, married, and single, may seek the kingdom of God His and righteousness and the Divine Will above all.

For an increase in vocations to the religious life, for the spiritual good of the Bridgettine Order, for third Order Franciscans, that our consecrated religious may continue to bless the Church by their faithful living of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Through the intercession of St. Bridget, co-patroness of Europe, for the conversion of the people of Europe from all that keeps them from following Christ.

That the sick, suffering, and sorrowful may know the consolation and peace of the living God.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for N. for whom this mass is offered.

15th Week in OT 2019 - Wednesday - Who am I?

"Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

I think every saint in history has asked that question, in all humility, “who am I?”

I think of St. Francis Xavier: “Who am I to travel to Japan, to India, to the headhunters and cannibals, to preach the Gospel?”

Or Mother Cabrini: “Who am I to leave my native Italy to come to the New World to work with the poor immigrants?”

Or St. Catherine of Sienna: “Who am I to correct the Pope who had abandoned Rome to live in the papal palace at Avignon?”

Or St. Francis of Assisi: “Who am I to rebuild the Church through radical poverty?”

Or St. John Paul II: “Who am I to condemn the communists who bring atheism and ruin to my native land?”

Or St. Maximillian Kolbe: “Who am I to take the place of one condemned to die?”

The saints no doubt each had their own “burning bush moment” where they heard the Lord calling them to something great: to something difficult, to something scary and our of their comfort zone, something requiring the radical trust of a child, as directed by Our Lord in the Gospel.

The Lord contrasts the Wise and the Learned of the World with the Childlike. The Wise and the Learned claim to know what’s best in life, how to succeed, how to get ahead, how to become powerful. But the Lord calls his disciples to become childlike, to approach the burning bush with fascination, wonder, curiosity, openness, and radical trust.

The Lord calls each of us, too, to lives of radical holiness that requires radical trust. For most of us, our vocation in life is set, but within that vocation, within marriage or priesthood or the single life, are opportunities to serve the Lord, to allow ourselves to be sent into the unknown.

And when we do, when we trust, when we follow where the Lord leads, there may be some suffering, but we allow Christ to work within us, we become instruments of God’s providence unfolding in history, we become heirs to great treasure in heaven, we discover the great destiny for which we were created, we join the company of the saints, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may respond generously and courageously to the divine call to holiness.

That young people may be hear God’s call to priesthood and consecrated religious life, to turn away from the empty promises of the world to follow the Lord in holiness.

That those engaged in missionary work will be preserved from evil and reach the most hardened of hearts.

For the sick, suffering, and sorrowful, for miracles for hopeless causes.

For the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered.

O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all devotion, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

3rd Week in OT 2019 - Tuesday - The family of Jesus

At the end of chapter 3 of Mark’s Gospel, we hear of Jesus’ relatives coming to Capernaum. Have they traveled from Nazareth to become his disciples? Not exactly. Mark tells us, they came “to seize him”.

For the ancient Jews, as for many non-Western cultures today, an individual existed only as part of an extended family unit, whose authority-structure, obligations, and customs governed every aspect of life. Any action by an individual was a reflection on the whole family, and any breach of family-honor could be met with severe discipline. Since Jesus’ foster-father, Joseph, was presumably no longer alive at this point, Jesus’ uncles and senior cousins would have considered him under their charge and answerable to them for his conduct.

And so, Jesus’ relatives come to Capernaum to bring him home. From their perspective, Jesus should be back in Nazareth making tables and chairs, not associating with throngs of sick and demon-possessed people, not to mention arousing the hostility of the religious leaders. Their action was probably motivated by a desire to protect him. They probably thought he was out of his mind, maybe even possessed by some evil spirit.

Pointing out his disciples and saying, “here are my mother and my brothers” would have been shocking in the cultural context of first-century Judaism. But it is an early indication in Mark’s Gospel of a principle that becomes clearer and clearer as the Gospel progresses: all earthly ties take second place to the kingdom of God.

Jesus isn’t rejecting his biological family, here. But, if they wish to claim membership in the kingdom of God, they will have to accept His Gospel, they will have to accept Him as Lord and Savior in order to be included in the family of the Church. And many of them do. Jesus’ “adelphoi” the Greek word for cousins and relatives, are mentioned in the book of Acts, gathered in prayer with Mary at Pentecost.

We who believe in Jesus and are baptized are not merely his followers, we are his family. For he has established the new covenant family of God—whose members are united in a bond of love and faith and loyalty and grace that is stronger than any blood relationship. The bonds of this new family are not severed, but endure, even death.

“Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother” The absolute priority in the heart of Jesus is to do his Father’s will. May at be ours as well, for the Glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That Catholics may live out their baptismal call with ever greater conviction, faithfulness and joy.

That those in civic authority may submit their minds and hearts to the rule of Christ, the Prince of Peace and Hope of the nations.

 That our parish families and the families of all of our school children will be places where the Christian faith is believed, followed, taught, and cherished.

For the students, teachers, staff, and alumni of St. Ignatius School and all of our Catholic Schools.
For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

31st Week in OT 2018 - Tuesday - The self-emptying of Christ

Today’s reading from Paul’s letter to the Philippians is one of the most beloved passages in the entire New Testament—Paul’s Christological hymn also known as the Philippians Hymn.  Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians in the late 50s, yet scholars believe that the Philippians hymn predated the letter, a hymn that Paul may have encountered during an earlier missionary journey. So it is perhaps one of the oldest expressions of Christian faith dating back to the 40s or even possibly the 30s just years after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Our Lord.

This hymn encapsulates the humility of Jesus, which Paul is exhorting the Philippians to practice, especially in their conduct toward one another. Harmony and unity amongst Christians is predicated on each member of the community seeking to imitate, having the same attitude of, the humble Christ.
The hymn points out the Lord’s humility in his self-emptying, leaving his exalted status in heaven at the behest of his Father, to become a slave for our redemption. Obedience to the Holy Will of the Father is one mark of humility. Willingness to embrace suffering for the good of others is another.

Pope Benedict XVI, commenting on this passage wrote: “Christ, incarnated and humiliated in the most infamous death, that of crucifixion, is proposed as a vital model for the Christian…not content with gazing on us with a benign look from his throne of glory, [God] enters personally in human history, becoming "flesh," namely, fragile reality, conditioned by time and space…To penetrate into Jesus' sentiments means not to consider power, wealth and prestige as the highest values in life, as in the end, they do not respond to the deepest thirst of our spirit, but to open our heart to the Other, to bear with the Other the burden of life and to open ourselves to the Heavenly Father with a sense of obedience and trust, knowing, precisely, that if we are obedient to the Father, we will be free”

In Holy Communion today, we approach the one who empties himself that we may be full of life. May we pour ourselves out in humble Christian service for the unity of our Church and the good of those most in need, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That bishops, priests, and all ministers of the Gospel may seek to imitate Jesus in his charity, compassion, self-sacrifice, and witness to the Truth.

On this Election Day, we pray that all those seeking political office will use their political influence selflessly to serve Christ’s kingdom of justice and peace.

That all Christians may seek to imitate the Lord Jesus ever-more deeply in his humble obedience to the Father’s Will.

For the impoverished and sick and those experiencing any sort of trial: that they may know the goodness of God and the charity of the Church.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for whom we pray especially during this month of November, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

July 16 2018 - Our Lady of Mt. Carmel - Model of the Interior Life

Today we have the joy of celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Mt Carmel.

Our Lady is venerated under this title by the Carmelite Order who looks to her as their special patroness and protector.

The Scapular of the Carmelite Order, the Brown Scapular, is a devotion that reminds us of Our Lady’s protection of the Church. Today would be a wonderful day to wear your brown scapular if you’ve fallen out of the habit.

Our Lady is venerated by this title not only for her role as protector, but as a model of the interior life, which has a long history on Mt. Carmel.

It is said that after his victory over the false prophets of Baal, the prophet Elijah withdrew to Mt. Carmel to prayerfully await the fulfillment of God’s promises. In that tradition, Mt Carmel became home to hermits and contemplatives who sought to deepen their connection with God through a life of quiet prayer.

The first Carmelite monks looked to our Lady as a model for this life of quiet and prayer. For, Scripture tells us that Mary through contemplation and prayerful listening to God, kept and pondered in her heart the words of God.

In many paintings of the Annunciation, Mary is depicted with the scriptures open on her lap, to show that she had made her mind, her body, her heart a sanctuary for the Eternal Word to dwell, prior to him becoming incarnate in her womb. St. Augustine put it this way, he said, "Mary, full of grace, first conceived Jesus in her heart before she conceived him in her womb."

So too every Christian is to follow Our Lady’s example, in making our hearts a sanctuary for God. There she be a point every day, where we could be found with the scriptures upon our lap, pondering the promises of God and the mysteries of God, a point every day where we become quiet enough to hear the tiny whisper of God’s voice in the silence of our hearts.

Our Lady’s example certainly serves as a remedy to the noise and distractions of our modern era, and protects us from its errors and seductions. As we prayed in the Collect, “fortified by her protection, may we reach the mountain which is Christ” by following her example of prayer, contemplation, purity, and the perfection of charity, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may grow in prayerfulness and fidelity to the Divine Will through the intercession and example of Our Lady.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, for blessings upon the Carmelite Order as it works and prays for the good of the Church.

That our young people on summer vacation may be protected from all physical and spiritual harm, shielded from the errors and perversions of the world, and kept in closeness to God through prayer and virtue.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of July: That priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, for all those recovering from or undergoing surgery today, and for the consolation of the dying.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

August 1, 2017 - St. Alphonsus Ligouri - Nurturing the virtues

“All holiness and perfection of soul lies in our love for Jesus Christ, who is our Redeemer and our supreme good. It is part of the love of God to acquire and to nurture all the virtues which make a man perfect.” Thus writes St. Alphonsus Ligouri.

What does it mean that Jesus Christ is our supreme good? He is the abundant fountain of everything good; nothing in the universe can be said to be good, unless He is its wellspring. Though in Sin, we turn away from that wellspring, God's desire is that man, the gem of His creation, turn back, and seek the perfection for which He is made.

Jesus teaches us to seek goodness, not just by his words, but by his example.

The devout soul who wishes to become a saint—the person God made him to be—must seek God’s will and desire all that God desires. “Teach me to do your will” the Psalmist cries out. That is to be our cry as well.

For St. Alphonus “putting on Christ”, seeking our supreme good, means striving to practice the virtues. He even recommended practicing a particular virtue each month: January: faith; February: Hope; March: Love of God; April: Love of Neighbor; May: Poverty; June: Purity of Heart; July: Obedience; August: Meekness and Humility of Heart; September: Mortification; October: Reconciliation and Silence; November: Prayer; and December: Self-Abnegation and Love of the Cross.”

This intentional practicing of a particular virtue is more effective than the general, vague, and unintentional desire to become more virtuous. St. Alphonsus even recommended keeping a notebook or journal—an account of your failures and successes in practicing those virtues. For example, we begin the month of August. Every day we should be conscious and intentional about making acts of meekness and humility.

Jesus himself is the model of meekness: he bears wrongs patiently and readily forgives sinners. In order to imitate Our Lord’s meekness and grow in the virtue of meekness we must forgive readily, avoid quarrels, harsh or hurtful words and actions, refrain from speaking while in an angry mood, be pleasant toward all who approach us, even if it causes us fatigue or boredom.

May St. Alphonsus help us to practice the virtues, to put on Christ, to seek the goodness and perfection for which we are made, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For an increase in virtue for the clergy and all members of the Church. We pray to the Lord.

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of August: “That artists of our time, through their ingenuity, may help everyone discover the beauty of creation.” We pray to the Lord.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the Redemptorist Order, founded by St. Alphonsus, and for the sanctification of all marriages. We pray to the Lord.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster, war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families. We pray to the Lord.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

Homily: Jan 6 2017 - St. Andre Bessette - Faith and Spiritual Healing

Holy Cross Brother Andre Bessette was just canonized in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. Here is a wonderful Saint who shows us that we do not have to do big things in order to become holy, but that we are to make every moment of our life, every act, every deed of our day, an act of love for God. 

For forty years, Brother Andre was the doorkeeper, the porter, for Notre Dame College in Montreal run by the Community of the Holy cross.  He once joked, “When I joined this community my superiors showed me the door, and I stayed there for forty years.”  In that job he answered the phone and greeted the parents of the young people and all those who visited the college seeking material help.  Brother Andre made time for everyone and treated everyone as if they were the only person in the world, as if they were Jesus. 

At his canonization, Pope Benedict said, “Brother Andre showed boundless charity and did everything possible to soothe the despair of those who confided in him. With little instruction, he nevertheless understood what was essential to his faith. For him, to believe meant to submit freely and lovingly to Divine Will. Everything existed through the mystery of Jesus, he lived the beatitude of the pure of heart, that of personal rectitude. It is thanks to this simplicity, he showed many God.”

Brother Andre is remembered most for his great ministry of healing prayer. Many would experience emotional and physical healing through his intercession. 

Yet, whatever the trial, he urged people to pray with confidence and perseverance while remaining open to God’s will.

Openness to the will of God is the foundation for any healing, any change, any spiritual growth we should hope to experience. Yes, God hears our prayers for healing. As Brother Andre said, “There is so little distance between heaven and earth that God always hears us. Nothing but a thin veil separates us from God.” Yet, it is often a greater good that God gives us the grace and strength to bear our sufferings with trust and abandon to the Divine Will. 

“Do not try to have your trials taken away from you”, he said, “rather, ask for the grace to endure them well”.

Brother allowed himself to be fully present to the sadness of others while always retaining a joyful nature and good humor.  In the words of Pope Benedict,  “For him, everything spoke of God and His presence.”  Through his intercession may we receive the healing God wishes for us and follow his example of openness to the will of God for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

That the Church may be attentive to all those in need.

That all those in need of healing may be filled with new hope and strength.

That those dedicated to the care of the sick may be instruments of God’s healing.

In thanksgiving for all healing received through the mercy of God.

That those who suffer may experience the peace of Christ.

For the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all those who have fought and died for our freedom.