Celebrating joyfully the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God

On New Year’s Day, we celebrate the Feast of Mary, Mother of God. It is also the World Day of Peace.

The shepherds whose openness to the unknown and whose eagerness to act upon the word of angels led them to the manger to see and meet Jesus and his mother Mary, Mother of God. Their "Let us go and see" was followed by their glorifying and praising God, just as Mary had done earlier in her Magnificat.

Mary, for her part, pondered and treasured all that had happened as she and Joseph welcomed their wonderful Emmanuel, "God with us." Her YES to Gabriel's message brought her through every phase of her divine Son's life: childhood, ministry, the Cross, Resurrection, Ascension and her role as mother-figure to the apostles. As Mother of God, she rejoiced even despite the "sword" predicted by Simeon, which would pierce her loving heart.

In this New Year, let us again take as our model Mary, Mother of God, who pondered, treasured and acted upon God's word.

We ask the intercession of Mary, Mother of God, to pray for us in this New Year 2014. On this World Day of Peace, we pray for this gift in our lives and in our world!

Happy New Year to all!

Pope Francis calls for peace in Christmas message

Pope Francis used his first Christmas message to call for peace in the world's strife-torn places, acceptance for migrants and assistance for victims of natural disasters.

The pope began by telling the thousands of people who gathered in St. Peter's Square for his Urbi et Orbi message - Latin for "To the City and to the World" - "Dear brothers and sisters in Rome and throughout the whole world, Greetings and Happy Christmas!"

"True peace - we know this well - is not a balance of opposing forces. It is not a lovely 'façade' which conceals conflicts and divisions. Peace calls for daily commitment, but making peace is an art, starting from God's gift, from the grace which he has given us in Jesus Christ," the pope said.

Francis told the approximately 70,000 people, according to Vatican estimates, gathered in St. Peter's Square that at Christmas "our thoughts turn to those children who are the most vulnerable victims of wars, but we think too of the elderly, to battered women, to the sick."

"Too many lives have been shattered in recent times by the conflict in Syria, fueling hatred and vengeance. Let us continue to ask the Lord to spare the beloved Syrian people further suffering, and to enable the parties in conflict to put an end to all violence and guarantee access to humanitarian aid," Pope Francis said.

The pope also prayed for peace in the Central African Republic, Nigeria, the Holy Land, Iraq, the Horn of Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The pope also prayed for victims of natural disasters.

"Lord of heaven and earth, look upon our planet, frequently exploited by human greed and rapacity. Help and protect all the victims of natural disasters, especially the beloved people of the Philippines, gravely affected by the recent typhoon," Francis said.

Year of Faith: an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord

As the Year of Faith comes to a close on the Feast of Christ the King, November 24, 2013,  our faith has surely been deepened profoundly for many of us.

This Year of Faith is not so much a series of events but, rather, a beginning of living out in a more intentional way, our relationship with Jesus Christ and inviting others to know Him. During this year, we have heard about reaching out to our marginalized brothers and sisters in the faith: those who have been hurt by the Church, those who have lost a living sense of faith, those who no longer consider themselves members of the Church, and those who live far removed from Christ and His Gospel.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI told us in the beginning that  the Year of Faith was to provide us with a unique opportunity for "an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the One Savior of the world” (Porta Fidei 6), and into a deeper, healthier, more committed relationship with Him.  

As the official Year of Faith is about to end, we can say that the work of the New Evangelization has just begun and so, too, our initiative to turn our hearts to Christ every day of our lives. We hope this Year has been for all of us an invitation and a challenge to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28:19).

The Way to Holiness

But to know what is the way to holiness, we must go with the Apostles up the mount of the Beatitudes to draw near to Jesus and listen to the words of life that come from his lips. Today too he says to us again: 

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven! The divine Teacher proclaims "blessed" and, we could say, "canonizes" first of all the poor in spirit, that is, those whose heart is free of prejudices and conditionings, and who are therefore totally disposed to the divine will. Their total and trusting fidelity to God presupposes renunciation and consistent self-detachment. 

Blessed are those who mourn! This is the blessedness not only of those who suffer from the many misfortunes that belong to the mortal human condition, but also those who courageously accept the sufferings that result from the sincere profession of Gospel morality. 

Blessed are the pure in heart! He proclaims blessed those who are not content with outward or ritual purity, but seek that absolute inner rectitude which excludes all deceit and duplicity. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness! Human righteousness is already a very lofty goal, which ennobles the heart of whoever pursues it, but Jesus is thinking of that greater righteousness which lies in seeking God's saving will: blessed above all are those who hunger and thirst for this righteousness. For Jesus says: "He who does the will of my Father who is in heaven shall enter the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 7: 21). 

Blessed are the merciful! Happy are those who overcome their hardness of heart and indifference, to recognize in practice the primacy of compassionate love, following the example of the Good Samaritan and, in the last analysis, of the Father "rich in mercy" (Eph 2: 4). 

Blessed are the peacemakers! Peace, the sum of all messianic blessings, is a demanding task. In a world marked by tremendous antagonisms and barriers, fratern

al harmony inspired by love and sharing must be promoted by overcoming hostilities and conflicts. Blessed are those who dedicate themselves to this most noble endeavor! 

The saints took these words of Jesus seriously. They believed that they would find "happiness" by putting them into practice in their lives. And they realized their truth in everyday experience: despite their trials, moments of darkness and failures, they already tasted here below the deep joy of communion with Christ. In him they discovered the initial seed, already present in time, of the future glory of God's kingdom. 

(Blessed John Paul II)

Jesus is the Way

The Pauline Family, sons and daughters of Blessed James Alberione, ssp, will be celebrating the feast of Jesus, our Divine Master, Way, Truth and Life on October 27. Let us reflect together this truth so that we can go deeper into the life of Jesus who loves us all without conditions.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6). Jesus did not say He was a way” to God; He did not say He “knew the way” to God; He did not say, “He had the way” to God; He did not say He was “the best way” to God. Jesus said, “I am the Way.”

There is no need to look for a way to find the Way. He is the one-way, the straightway, the narrow way, the uncluttered and unhindered way—without crooked places, U-turns, or dead-ends. Every other way is the broad way, the perilous way, and the rough way. All other ways lead in the wrong direction.

Jesus is the right way, the true way, and the only way to God. His way is the highway of holiness, the roadway of righteousness, and the pathway of peace. He is the way to everything good, right, just, and holy. His is the way to love and He is the way of love.

Because He is the Way, we can seek Him, receive Him, follow Him, walk with Him— full of faith, full of hope, full of joy, full of purpose, full of light.

"Communication at the service of an authentic culture of encounter"

We share with you the theme for 2014 World Communications Day Message by our Holy Father Pope Francis.

The capacity to communicate is at the heart of what it means to be human. It is in and through our communication that we are able to meet and encounter at a meaningful level other people, express who we are, what we think and believe, how we wish to live and, perhaps more importantly, to come to know those with whom we are called to live. Such communication calls for honesty, mutual respect and a commitment to learn from each other.

It requires a capacity to know how to dialogue respectfully with the truth of others. It is often what might be perceived initially as ‘difference’ in the other that reveals the richness of our humanity. It is the discovery of the other that enables us to learn the truth of who we are ourselves.

In our modern era, a new culture is developing advanced by technology, and communication is in a sense “amplified” and “continuous”. We are called to “rediscover, through the means of social communication as well as by personal contact, the beauty that is at the heart of our existence and journey, the beauty of faith and of the beauty of the encounter with Christ.” (Address of Pope Francis to participants at the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, 21 September 2013). In this context, each one of us should accept the challenge to be authentic by witnessing to values, Christian identity, cultural experiences, expressed with a new language and shared with others.

Our ability to communicate, reflected in our participation in the creative, communicative and unifying Trinitarian Love, is a gift which allows us to grow in personal relationships, which are a blessing in our lives, and to find in dialogue a response to those divisions that create tensions within communities and between nations.

The age of globalization is making communication possible even in the most remote parts of the world, but it is also important “to use modern technologies and social networks in such a way as to reveal a presence that listens, converses and encourages.” (Address of Pope Francis to participants at the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, 21 September 2013), so that nobody is excluded.

The Message for World Communications Day 2014 will explore the potential of communication, especially in a networked and connected world, to bring people closer to each other and to co-operate in the task of building a more just world.

Blessed John Paul II: his special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary

The fact that it has recently been announced that Bl. Pope John Paul II could be canonized soon, it’s a great time to talk about his special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

When Pope John Paul II was nearly fatally shot during his papacy, he credited the intercession of the Virgin Mary, specifically Our Lady of Fatima, with the miraculous saving of his life.  And he gleaned his devotion to Mary largely through the writings of one saint: Louis de Montfort.

Blessed Pope John Paul II was well known during his papacy for having a deep and abiding love for the Blessed Virgin Mary. His devotion to Mary was evident in all that he did: his words, his prayer life, his motto and even his coat of arms, were all dedicated to the Blessed Mother.

He credits his home parish and the nearby Carmelites for their early influence. However, as he matured in his faith, he singles out one overwhelming influence which changed his life:

“At one point I began to question my devotion to Mary, believing that, if it became too great, it might end up compromising the supremacy of the worship owed to Christ.  At that time, I was greatly helped by a book by Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort…

There I found the answers to my questions, Yes, Mary does bring us closer to Christ; she does lead us to him, provided that we live her mystery in Christ…”

There is no better way to advance quickly in holiness, no better way to please God, and no better way to guarantee one’s present sanctity and eternal salvation than with true devotion to Mary.

Let peace begin with me

Where does "peace" begin?  Peace begins with each individual and one’s own self-examination of what that means in our lives.  The word "peace" is referred to in the Bible many times.  Peace is something that from the beginning, generations have been searching for... fighting for... seeking for.  Peace must be united with faith, hope and love. 

Peace is such a gift from God and so often we take it for granted, or sometimes miss its blessing as we live our lives each day.  We find "peace" in the good things in our everyday lives. 

Jesus Christ, before he was crucified, spoke of peace to his disciples (John 14:25-27) when he said: “I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you. I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn't like the peace that this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid.”

The Holy Spirit reminds us that we are always connected to God. It also reminds us that Christ left information that the Holy Spirit is active. He said: "He will teach you all things," and "He will cause you to recall everything I have told you."

The Apostle Paul in his writings also shared instructions on peace. In Philippians 4, he wrote to encourage Christ's followers: “Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don't ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. You know the teachings I gave you, and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. So follow my example. And God, who gives peace, will be with you.”

In Paul's writings to the Philippians, he encouraged the people to make every effort to agree and ask that they not argue. This is an indication that there will be differences of opinion in our lives, but it should not stop progress toward peace. Therefore, let peace begin with me.

The Virgin Mother: Model of Purity Supreme

On August 15, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Here, we wish to share with you an excerpt of this reflection about the Mother of Jesus whom we would like to imitate as our model of purity supreme.

Those who desire to receive the crown of purity from our Lord should not hesitate to fly to the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, whose tender love and concerned intercessory help is never withheld from her children. It is our Virgin Mother who will take us into her worthy hands, guide us toward her Son, and lower the glorious crown upon our heads.

If we should state that the Virgin Mary is the greatest Christian who ever lived, we would be correct; yet such a statement does little to relate the indescribable beauty of her dedication to her Son, her eagerness to suffer for the will of God, her complete trust, and her total purity of heart which far surpasses our present understanding. There is simply no better model of human purity than our sweet Virgin Mother, who exists as Queen of Heaven, raised in heavenly glory above all the angels and saints.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux writes of the Virgin Mother, "Let us honor Mary for the purity of her body, the holiness of her life.”

Jesus is Mary's only son, but her spiritual motherhood extends to all men whom indeed he came to save: The Son whom she brought forth is he whom God placed as the first-born among many brethren, that is, the faithful in whose generation and formation she cooperates with a mother's love.

Indeed, we truly have a Mother whose love is unwaveringly pure, and who unceasingly cares for all of us in our every time of need. Let us place our trust in her powerful intercession believing that she will grant us the specific graces we need especially in our families and in our society today!

(Source: Catholic online)

Thank God for the World Youth Days! (Blessed John Paul II)

Here is an excerpt of the message of Blessed John Paul II as he thanked God for the gift of young people in the WYD celebrations.

Thank God for the World Youth Days! Thanks be to God for all the young people who have been involved in these past years! Many of them are now adults who continue to live their faith in their homes and work-places. I am sure, dear friends, that you too will be as good as those who preceded you. You will carry the proclamation of Christ into the new millennium.

When you return home, do not grow lax. Reinforce and deepen your bond with the Christian communities to which you belong. I look with confidence to this new humanity which you are now helping to prepare. I look to this Church which in every age is made youthful by the Spirit of Christ and today is made happy by your intentions and commitment. I look to the future and make my own the words of an ancient prayer, which sings the praise of the one gift of Jesus, the Eucharist and the Church:

"I give thanks to you, Father of us all, for the life and the knowledge which you revealed to us through Jesus your servant. To you be glory in every age! Just as this bread now broken was wheat scattered far and wide upon the hills and, when harvested, became one bread, so too let your Church be gathered into your kingdom from the far ends of the earth. You, O Lord almighty, have created the universe to the glory of your name; you have given people food and drink for their comfort, so that they may give you thanks, but to us you have given a spiritual food and drink and eternal life through your Son. Glory be to you forever! Amen.”

Theme for the WYD 2013: "Go and make disciples of all nations"

An excerpt of the theme for World Youth Day (WYD) 2013 in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil by Benedict XVI

Before all else, I invite you once more to take part in this important event. The celebrated statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooking that beautiful Brazilian city will be an eloquent symbol for us. Christ’s open arms are a sign of his willingness to embrace all those who come to him, and his heart represents his immense love for everyone and for each of you. Let yourselves be drawn to Christ! Experience this encounter along with all the other young people who will converge on Rio for the next World Youth Day! Accept Christ’s love and you will be the witnesses so needed by our world.

I invite you to prepare for World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro by meditating even now on the theme of the meeting: “Go and make disciples of all nations!” (cf. Mt 28:19). This is the great missionary mandate that Christ gave the whole Church, and today, two thousand years later, it remains as urgent as ever. This mandate should resound powerfully in your hearts. The year of preparation for the gathering in Rio coincides with the Year of Faith, which began with the Synod of Bishops devoted to “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith”. I am happy that you too, dear young people, are involved in this missionary outreach on the part of the whole Church. To make Christ known is the most precious gift that you can give to others […]

What does it mean to be a missionary? Above all, it means being a disciple of Christ. It means listening ever anew to the invitation to follow him and look to him: “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart” (Mt 11:29). A disciple is a person attentive to Jesus’ word (cf. Lk10:39), someone who acknowledges that Jesus is the Teacher who has loved us so much that he gave his life for us. Each one of you, therefore, should let yourself be shaped by God’s word every day. This will make you friends of the Lord Jesus and enable you to lead other young people to friendship with him […]

May Our Lady, Star of the New Evangelization, whom we also invoke under the titles of Our Lady of Guadalupe, accompany each of you in your mission as a witness to God’s love!

Remembering St. Peter and St. Paul in their distinct missionary work

June the 29th  marks the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul. This joint celebration of these great saints honors two that we can easily relate and identify with. Both were very different people from different backgrounds. Both are united, not only in their distinct missions, but also in their deaths as martyrs.

Peter, the leader, from a fishing background, was considered impetuous and unreliable, yet he was big enough to come back and accept Jesus’ second invitation, this time as leader rather than follower. Peter, “the rock”, stands for solidity, steadfastness and strength.

Paul, a latecomer to Christian belief, was the greatest missionary and a most influential theologian. Considered the dynamic one, he had the courage to move out into the gentile world and he fearlessly gave witness while never giving up the "race".

Both Peter and Paul were deeply concerned with freedom, true freedom. "For freedom Christ has set us free" (Gal 5:1). Both experienced the good news as bringing freedom to their lives. Paul had been a zealot for the law until his meeting with Christ set him free from the letter of the law.

Peter’s liberation from prison was a dramatic sign of the inner freedom he had experienced. Having denied Christ three times, Jesus set him free from his guilt and shame and entrusted him with leadership.

Christ recognized in both Peter and Paul their gifts and their limitations - their humanity.

Let us ask the Lord, that through the intercession of Saints Peter and Paul, we may be faithful witnesses of the love of God in our lives. 

Pope Francis on the Feast of Corpus Christi

An excerpt of his homily

Let us strive to follow Jesus to listen to him, to enter into communion with Him in the Eucharist, to accompany Him and in order that He will accompany us. Let us ask ourselves: how do I follow Jesus? Jesus speaks in silence in the Mystery of the Eucharist and every time reminds us that to follow Him means to come out of ourselves and make of our own lives, not a possession, but a gift to Him and to others [...]

We too are gathered around the Lord’s table, the table of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, in which He gives us once again His body, makes present the one sacrifice of the Cross. It is in listening to his Word, in nourishing ourselves with his Body and his Blood, that He makes us go from being a multitude to being a community, from [being strangers] to being [in] communion.

Jesus gives Himself to us in the Eucharist, shares our same journey – indeed, He becomes food, real food that sustains our life even at times when the going is rough, when obstacles slow down our steps. The Lord in the Eucharist makes us follow His path, that of service, of sharing, of giving – and what little we have, what little we are, if shared, becomes wealth, because the power of God, which is that of love, descends into our poverty to transform it. [...]

Let us ask ourselves, adoring the Christ truly present in the Eucharist: do I let myself be transformed by Him? Do I let the Lord who gives Himself to me, guide me to come out more and more from my little fence to get out and be not afraid to give, to share, to love Him and others?

Discipleship, communion and sharing. Let us pray that participation in the Eucharist move us always to follow the Lord every day, to be instruments of communion, to share with Him and with our neighbor who we are. Then our lives will be truly fruitful.

Missionary reflection: the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth

This event which we celebrate yearly on May 31 brings us hope for the future as missionary sisters of the Daughters of Saint Paul. The joy of creation and the love of these mothers give us the optimism we need in the society where we live in today and in the specific country where we do the mission be it in Africa, in Europe, in Australia, in North America, in South America, in Antarctica or in Asia. The faith and anticipation of both Mary and her cousin Elizabeth is really what our world needs now.

Reflecting on them holding each other in this sacred moment, we can be hopeful to be the vessel that God wants us to be. Mary’s faith and obedience made her a chosen one to carry the child Jesus and bring Him into our lives to save us. Jesus, after His sacrifice and mission, wants us to hold Him inside of us.

Let us have that same joy on the faces of Mary and Elizabeth as they shared the good news on the day of the Visitation. Let us feel Jesus with us right now, in each moment of the day, in each action that we do, in each word that we utter and in the deed that we do.

Celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity with Sister Thecla Merlo

Venerable Thecla Merlo, co-foundress of the Daughters of Saint Paul, as early as 1931, had resolved to seek only the glory of God and peace of all people. On the feast of the Blessed Trinity in 1961, she made an offering of her life for the entire Congregation of the Daughters of Saint Paul so that everyone may become saints. 

On Christmas day of this same year, she made her gift known to her sisters when she said: “I write these things to you not only with the pen, but also with my heart. I wish you all to be saints: for this I have offered my life—for everyone, that we may achieve the holiness God wants of us.” She died on February 5, 1964, leaving her daughters this rich spiritual heritage and the sure road in the Church.

We wish to highlight a few of her writings which could help every person live well his/her life in sanctity especially during this Year of Faith that we are celebrating.

Her inspiring words:

 “All our life must be spent for God.”

“Everything passes, except paradise”.

“Let us do everything with the Blessed Virgin Mary. With her, everything becomes easy...”

Prayer for her Beatification:

Most holy Trinity, we thank you for the singular gifts of light,

grace and virtue which you granted to Sister Thecla Merlo,

and we thank you for having chosen and constituted her

the wise mother and sure guide of the Daughters of St. Paul.

  

Through her intercession, grant that we may live of her great loves:

Jesus Master in the Holy Eucharist,

the Church, the Gospel and souls souls sought and served through evangelization

with the instruments of social communication to the point of total sacrifice.

O Lord, if it be in the design of your divine wisdom,

carry out even on this earth, for this very devoted Daughter of St. Paul,

your divine promise: “If anyone serves me, my father will honor him.”

Exalt this faithful servant to the joy of the Church

and the good of many souls and grant us, through her intercession,

the favor we ask of you.

Amen.