Archive for May, 2011

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Acts of the Apostles 8: 5-8, 14-16 1         Peter 3: 15-18         John 14: 15-21

In the gospel of John, Jesus speaks of his intimate relationship with his father and with us. “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

As I think of my own relationship with my father, I reflect on how it has grown through the years. As a child, there were the rules to follow which I did out of respect and obedience. Then I went through a period in which I tested those rules and I had to accept the consequences of my choices. As I grew into adulthood, my relationship with my dad grew as well. I t was no longer one in which I was simply following rules. I began to get to know my dad as a real person. In knowing him, I discovered his gentleness and compassion. I realized that our bond was based on love. When I began to raise my own family, I began to understand my father even more. He and I have spent a great deal of time together. As we have revealed more of ourselves to each other, our relationship has matured into an adult relationship. He knows me and I know him

In the gospel reading for this week, it speaks of this type of relationship between Jesus and his Father and Jesus and us. When we were young, we learned to follow the commandments (rules). If we kept the commandments, observed them, we showed our love for God. Hopefully as we matured in our faith through prayer, reading, meditation, Mass, and in living in community with each other, we have moved beyond just following the rules and we have developed an intimate relationship with God (Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit). As we get to know more about Jesus, who lived among us, we get a glimpse of the father. We get to know Him as well. It’s very personal. But as in any relationship, we may fail God through our sinfulness. We may feel distant from Him. This will require asking for forgiveness. Building human relationships is not easy and requires a lot of hard work. And so it is with God. Relationship building takes time and devotion.

Jesus says, “I will not leave you orphan; I will come to you.” He does come to us through his Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is probably the least understood person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is present in grace-filled moments. He comes to us through the many people we meet in our lives. We are guided along by those encounters. When we rise above tragedies and difficult times, it because the Holy Spirit is with us to lift us up.

As I continue to work here at d’Youville, I am in awe at the strength and courage of some people who face adversity time and again and their faith sustains them. They don’t lose courage or hope. When I ask them to talk to me about that, they say everyone faces challenges. It’s what we do with those challenges that define us. God is there to help us if we are willing to open up and be in relationship with Him and trust in Him. Let us all take some time and reflect on our personal relationship with God. Is it a relationship that growing and deepening?

Dan Doyon
Pastoral Care

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Dan Doyon, The Scribes | No Comments »

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Thursday, May 19th, 2011

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Acts 2:14a, 36-41     1 Peter 2:20b-25     John 10:1-10

The first two readings describe the early preaching of the Christian Church.

We hear Peter proclaiming with conviction, strength, and gusto as an eyewitness

to who Jesus is, what Jesus did, and how he died. He speaks of Jesus as the One sent by God to Israel, the Christ who died for the forgiveness of sins. Peter calls the people to repentance and to Baptism to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. He must have been quite convincing because a great number were moved to conversion. How effective are we when we share our faith in Jesus Christ? Are those who hear us and see us live convinced that we know and love Jesus and that we follow his way?

Peter also describes the suffering of Jesus as an example to us that we might walk in his footsteps. Jesus did not retaliate with insult when he was insulted; Jesus did not threaten others when he was threatened. We might look at this as an example of non-violence, which indeed is the Christian way. It was through his non-violence and his acceptance of death that Jesus saved us all from sin. We have experienced the effects of non-violence in our own country during the Civil Rights movement led by Martin Luther King, Jr. We have recently seen a successful non-violent rebellion in Egypt. Non-violence works to make change but it is also necessary to change our hearts if we are true followers of the Christ.

The Gospel today offers a metaphor. Jesus compares himself to a shepherd, the one who gets through the gate and is known by the sheep. They follow him and trust him because they know his voice, his care, and his kindness. Our society and culture are not that familiar with shepherds and sheep. (Maybe we don’t like to think of ourselves as sheep. I know that I don’t.) But let’s ponder the characteristics that Jesus gives of the Good Shepherd and ask ourselves some serious questions.

Do we ever take time to examine God’s love and tenderness towards us?

Are we aware of the merciful care and watchful concern God has for each of us?

Do we count our personal and family blessings?

Do we listen to the voice of Jesus within our heart and in Scripture?

Do we follow Jesus where he wants to lead us?

These are very personal questions that those of us who call ourselves Christian might need to ponder if we want our relationship with Jesus to intensify.

The last sentence of the Gospel is so important. Jesus says, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” Jesus wants us to be happy and be full of life.

In our work in St. Mary’s Health System, where we are called to care for the sick, the elderly, and the poor, do we demonstrate the tender, loving, caring qualities of Jesus, the Good Shepherd? Do we live out the mission of compassion and respect as Jesus would in our place? Let us ask Jesus to lead us and companion us in our work and on our personal journey.

Sr. Suzanne Beaudoin
Director of Pastoral Care

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Sr. Suzanne Beaudoin, SSCh | No Comments »

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Acts 2:14a, 36-41          1 Peter 2:20b-25         John 10:1-10

The first two readings describe the early preaching of the Christian Church.

We hear Peter proclaiming with conviction, strength, and gusto as an eyewitness

to who Jesus is, what Jesus did, and how he died. He speaks of Jesus as the One sent by God to Israel, the Christ who died for the forgiveness of sins. Peter calls the people to repentance and to Baptism to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. He must have been quite convincing because a great number were moved to conversion. How effective are we when we share our faith in Jesus Christ? Are those who hear us and see us live convinced that we know and love Jesus and that we follow his way?

Peter also describes the suffering of Jesus as an example to us that we might walk in his footsteps. Jesus did not retaliate with insult when he was insulted; Jesus did not threaten others when he was threatened. We might look at this as an example of non-violence, which indeed is the Christian way. It was through his non-violence and his acceptance of death that Jesus saved us all from sin. We have experienced the effects of non-violence in our own country during the Civil Rights movement led by Martin Luther King, Jr. We have recently seen a successful non-violent rebellion in Egypt. Non-violence works to make change but it is also necessary to change our hearts if we are true followers of the Christ.

The Gospel today offers a metaphor. Jesus compares himself to a shepherd, the one who gets through the gate and is known by the sheep. They follow him and trust him because they know his voice, his care, and his kindness. Our society and culture are not that familiar with shepherds and sheep. (Maybe we don’t like to think of ourselves as sheep. I know that I don’t.) But let’s ponder the characteristics that Jesus gives of the Good Shepherd and ask ourselves some serious questions.

Do we ever take time to examine God’s love and tenderness towards us?

Are we aware of the merciful care and watchful concern God has for each of us?

Do we count our personal and family blessings?

Do we listen to the voice of Jesus within our heart and in Scripture?

Do we follow Jesus where he wants to lead us?

These are very personal questions that those of us who call ourselves Christian might need to ponder if we want our relationship with Jesus to intensify.

The last sentence of the Gospel is so important. Jesus says, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” Jesus wants us to be happy and be full of life.

In our work in St. Mary’s Health System, where we are called to care for the sick, the elderly, and the poor, do we demonstrate the tender, loving, caring qualities of Jesus, the Good Shepherd? Do we live out the mission of compassion and respect as Jesus would in our place? Let us ask Jesus to lead us and companion us in our work and on our personal journey.

Sr. Suzanne Beaudoin
Director of Pastoral Care

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Sr. Suzanne Beaudoin, SSCh | No Comments »

Third Sunday of Easter

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Sunday, May 8, 2011                 

Acts of the Apostles 2:14, 22-33                   Luke 24:13-35

The event of Emmaus is full of wonderful details we need to notice.  On the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ followers were going to a village, seven miles from Jerusalem, called Emmaus.  They were conversing about the things that had occurred.  While they were debating, Jesus drew near and walked with them.

He said: “What are you guys discussing?”  They replied: “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place in these days?”  Jesus said: “What sort of things?”  And the two friends went on to describe how let down they were . . .   “We were hoping that He would be the one to redeem Israel.”  In response, Jesus, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, interpreted to them what referred to Him in all the scriptures.

It was getting dark and the two friends begged the “visitor” to stay with them that night and to continue His journey in the morning.  While He was at table with them, He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.  It was then that the two friends recognized Him, and as soon as they did Jesus vanished from their sight.  (In His newly risen body, Jesus just loved to appear and disappear that way . . . going through locked doors and leaving abruptly by vanishing.)

Why didn’t the two friends recognize Jesus when He joined up with them walking?  First, Jesus had just been executed and they didn’t expect to see Him alive.  Second, as an ordinary traveler, Jesus had to be dusty and He wanted to know how He was perceived by others.  The two friends were sympathetic but depressed that Jesus had met such an end.

At the breaking of bread they had recognized Him and, as expected, Jesus pulled the disappearing act.  The two friends hurried back to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven apostles.  The two friends recounted what had taken place on their way home and that they had recognized Jesus at the breaking of the bread.

This Emmaus encounter seems to have taken place on Easter afternoon.  Jesus was just getting use to His newly resurrected body.  I suggest that’s why He “played around with it.”  After the resurrection, Jesus remained human.  We know that not long after that Sunday He crashed in where the eleven were gathered, went through locked doors and interacted with His disciples.  The message of this story is that the risen Jesus maintains His humanity and reacts like the man that He is.  He’s curious about what others are thinking about him.  He visits His friends and lets them see Him and touch Him to show how real He is!

During one of His sudden visits, He asks for some fish to eat, “I’m not a ghost. I’m me!  Ghosts do not eat fish.”  His followers had to get use to seeing Him risen and alive.

Another time, Jesus is on the shore while His disciples are out fishing.  When they land their boat, Jesus has already prepared for them a “fish fry.”  Even a risen Jesus eats and cooks.

Now that’s a Jesus I can relate to.  He is the Son of God and He tells me that I too am a child of God.  “When you pray, say Abba – holy be your name, etc.”  Only a child can call his father Abba!  That I can relate to!  I believe that what happened to Jesus in His resurrection is suppose to happen to me and to you, too.  I’m not sure how this will happen, but I believe it will.  I trust that Jesus is the first born of many and we are the many.

When I meet patients in the hospital who are down on themselves, I remind them that they too can pray the “Our Father” by starting with Abba!  We can screw up, but we are not screw-ups.  We can have illnesses, but we are not a disease.  No matter how we feel, we always remain Abba’s child.  Now that feels good.  Our Abba’s love for us does not depend on the good or the bad we have done.  God’s love for us started with God.  And no matter what, we are loved by Abba. Why? Just Because! 

Kenn Rancourt
Pastoral Care

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Kenn Rancourt | No Comments »

Second Sunday of Easter

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

John 9:19-31

In this familiar Gospel of the second Sunday of Easter, Jesus appears to the disciples who are hidden behind locked doors because they were afraid (not a great start for the beginning of a religion that will change human history).  Jesus offers them a greeting of peace, breathes on them, and invites them to receive the Holy Spirit.  Unfortunately one of the disciples, Thomas, is not there; when he returns later, he refuses to believe that Jesus appeared to them.  He even states, “Until I see marks of nails in his hands, I will not believe.”  The next week Jesus appears again and allows Thomas the opportunity to touch the nail marks and challenges him, “Do not be unbelieving, but believe.”

This is one of the few Gospel readings that we hear every year in all three of the cycle of readings so it must be really important that we understand it.  It is “good news” (the meaning of the word “gospel”) for us.  Scripture scholars now feel that a more accurate translation of Thomas’ experience is disbelief, rather than the phrase “doubting Thomas” with which he has been named.  The opposite of faith is not doubt, but disbelief.  Doubt can be a healthy part of faith; questions can lead us to a deeper faith and a stronger relationship with God. Beyond this, homilist Rev. James Liggett offers this perspective, “Jesus didn’t wait for the disciples to figure out that they didn’t need to be afraid anymore and unlock the doors themselves.  Jesus didn’t wait for Thomas to stop doubting.  He didn’t wait for any of them to do anything different or to be anyone different.  He showed up. And loved them…That’s what the resurrected Lord does.”

It’s not that everything becomes perfect when the resurrected Lord appears (a week later when Jesus reappears the disciples were still behind locked doors.)  But eventually this fearful band of disciples does find the courage to go beyond the locked doors and does change the history of the world.  How did they find this courage?  Jesus offers a peace-filled presence, gives the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide them, and calls them to service (mission.) They also had each other–a community of believers–for support. 

Are you living behind locked doors?  It might be fears, insecurities, illness, past hurts, or broken relationships that keep us locked in.  Jesus offers us the same good news (“You don’t have to be anyone different.  You are loved.”), the same gift of peace, and the Holy Spirit.  We too have been called to serve in the healing ministry–to show up for others who are locked behind doors of fear, illness, and hurt–and let them know they are loved.  Plus, we have a community of dedicated, compassionate healthcare professionals to support us along the way.  Alleluia!

Elizabeth Keene
Mission Effectiveness

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Elizabeth Keene | No Comments »