News
April 2021

From 2021-04-25 to 2021-05-04

Fourth Easter Sunday

Nudge inquirers and motivate discerners to learn more about monastic life, apostolic life, missionaries, cloistered contemplative life, and evangelical Franciscan life.

Ignite our Church with the confident humility that there is an urgent need for religious sisters, brothers, deacons, and priests to live in solidarity with those who are poor, neglected, and marginalized.

Disrupt our comfortable lives and complacent attitudes with new ideas to respond courageously and creatively with a daily 'YES!'  Amen.

From 2021-04-18 to 2021-05-01

Thrid Easter Sunday

 

From 2021-04-17 to 2021-04-24

SO THAT HIS JOY MIGHT BE IN US

THE EFFECTS OF VICTORY

I realize that such joy is given to me whenever I get involved in an environment that corresponds specifically to what I am, in a world that stimulates my desire for life, a world in which life that has been struck down struggles to free itself. Like sap in springtime, this joy rises and transforms the tree I am from desire to reality, from the bud to the leaf, from the vision to its concrete manifestation… partial undoubtedly, but real nonetheless. It magnifies me and gives me direction. It confirms me. This joy is the effect of the victory of Life. Over time, these joys have come to endear me to others and have led me to give an important place to whatever produces them, even though they could never dispense me from life’s struggles. They have greatly contributed to my being struck by these words of Jesus of Nazareth, I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. (Jn 15:11)

 

A WORD FOR JOY

What does Jesus mean when He says, ‘So that my joy may be in you’ ? What is this world he can talk about with joy? With the Vatican II Council, we can affirm that it is Man considered in his unity and totality, Man, body and soul, heart and conscience, mind and will, that constitutes the core of the life of the Nazarene; and the Council has taken the time to define in detail that the poor and all those who suffer deserve particular affection. (The Church in the World of its Time, par.1).The words that Jesus addresses to “his” world have their roots deep in the history of his suffering people, On that day the deaf shall hear… the eyes of the blind shall see… the lowly will ever find joy. (Is 29:18-19) Or, They shall not hunger or thirst… the LORD comforts his people and shows mercy to his afflicted. (Is. 49:8-13) Or, He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the broken hearted… to proclaim liberty to the captives… to announce a year of favour from the LORD” (Is. 61:1-3). Looking out over the crowds from a hilltop, surrounded by his disciples, he adopts as his own these words from Isaiah that announce certain happiness even while he underscores that Man has an ever greater responsibility to turn them into reality, Yes, hold fast, you, the poor, the humble, those whose suffering is great, for the promised land will be given to you. And you, those who hunger for justice, who ardently seek reconciliation, you, the artisans of peace, the pure of heart, continue as you are; you are on the way, and partake in my joy, for you are building my Father’s Kingdom. Yes, may your joy be great even when your involvement tears you apart, for it couldn’t be any other way. Happy are you! (Mt 5:1.11)

HERE IS FLESH OF MY FLESH!

When he saw Eve, Adam said, Here is flesh of my flesh (Gen 2:23), she who is my joy! Would it be so terrible and disgraceful to think that on the hilltop that allowed him to “commune” with Humanity and to speak with his disciples, Jesus might have said to himself, ‘Here is flesh of my flesh, those whose happiness I desire!’? In daily life, Jesus found his joy by giving hope, refreshing the weary, reconciling and liberating, restoring the dignity to the excluded, by “giving bread to the hungry and hunger to those who have bread” (Abbé Pierre)1, by inviting people to share and recognize the equality of all before their Father. The joy he found there he gives in abundance to all those who humanize the immense family made up of all the peoples of the world. To his disciples who do it in His commemoration, and also to the men and women of good will who do it out of solidarity with the human race for, “whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt. 25:40) _

 

By André Gadbois