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Feast of Mary, the Holy Mother of God and New Year’s Day

Sunday, January 1st, 2012

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Numbers 6:22-27         Galatians 4:4-7          Luke 2:16-21

All three of these readings have a message for us. The first one is a Hebrew Blessing from the Old Testament. It is my wish for each of us this New Year.

The Lord bless you and keep you!
The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!

In the reading from Galatians we hear that God sent the Spirit of the Son into our hearts, so that we can cry out to God: Abba, Father! Abba really means Daddy… Do we turn to God the way a child can turn to his/her Daddy knowing how beloved we are, how cherished we are by this Father-God? It’s worth pondering because we might realize just how constant God’s care, love and guidance are at all times, in good times and in hard times.

The Gospel reminds us of the part of the Christmas story where the shepherds, after hearing the angels sing and getting the message about the newborn Babe, come to the stable and find the baby in the manger. They kneel in amazement… The Scripture says that Mary kept all these things in her heart and pondered them. What an example to us of what it means to pray, to reflect and to savor the mysteries of God and the mysteries of life! Sometimes we rush through life and take no time at all to reflect and to ponder. We have here an invitation to do so, to live life mindfully, with attention and meaning…

Mary is a great woman because she believed, she trusted, she pondered and reflected. She is truly the Mother of Jesus and hence the Mother of God. We, however, certainly cannot be that. But we can try to imitate her faith, her trust and her ability to reflect and be mindful. We can do that here in our health care work and in our private lives. Our faith and trust will be sensed by our patients, residents, colleagues and loved ones whenever we are with them. We will be more positive and hopeful people. If we ponder and reflect and live with mindfulness, we may be less likely to make mistakes or say something rude or hurtful.

These attitudes could be great New Year’s resolutions… Something to ponder..?
Happy New Year…

Sr. Suzanne Beaudoin, SSCh
Director of Pastoral Care

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Second Sunday of Advent

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011

Sunday, December 3, 2011

Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11      2Peter 3:8-14       Mark 1:1-8

We are into the second week of Advent and in this week’s Scripture we meet two Advent people and we hear about several advent themes: the Prophet Isaiah from the Old Testament with his message of hope and John the Baptist in the New Testament with the message of repentance. In the second reading Peter’s theme is readiness.

How does all this pertain to real life, to us who work in healthcare, to us who are preparing to celebrate Christmas? Because we work in healthcare we see much suffering and anxiety. Because we have private lives as well, we know about difficulties in families, in relationships, in making ends meet financially and otherwise. We all need Isaiah’s message of hope, reminding us of God’s words of comfort to God’s people and of his words “Fear not.” Hope is in our heart as we await the fulfillment of all God’s promises of mercy, justice, peace and his constant presence with each one of us. It is a message to be shared with our patients, our co-workers and our families. Our hope is in our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has come and given us Good News and whose birth we will soon commemorate.

John the Baptist may seem a bit weird to us, living in the desert, dressed in camel hair, eating locust and wild honey. His call from God, however, was genuine. It was to prepare the way for the Messiah, to invite people to conversion, to a change of heart, so they would be ready to hear the words of Jesus. His was a Baptism of Penance, while the Christian Baptism would be a Baptism of the Spirit. Soon it will be Christmas. Even if some people are not regular churchgoers, they may go to church with their families at Christmas. It is an occasion for conversion, for turning away from sin, from apathy, from selfishness, from resentment and grudges, in order to celebrate Christmas with a peaceful and happy heart. So John’s call to conversion and to a change of heart is quite relevant at this time of year for every one of us.

The topic of readiness in Peter’s reading is meant to be ready especially for God’s calling us to himself at the moment of our death. Will we be ready to meet God face to face? It could also have to do with being internally ready to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas, the birthday of the Savior, and not the commercial aspects of decorating, gift giving and partying. To be ready in that internal way would take some silence and some reflection. As to being ready for the decorating and gift-giving side of Christmas, the key word might be simplicity. “Little can be more” if it is beautiful and/or meaningful. In décor, beauty is in elegance and simplicity. In gift giving, hand made items, the gift of one’s own time or carefully selected items make for meaningful gifts, not their monetary cost. So the question is how are we preparing for this Christmas? Will we be ready internally and externally?

During this second week of Advent, may we prepare our hearts with hope and with conversion to be better human beings with our patients, residents, colleagues and families. My wish for each of us is also constant readiness to meet our God, internal readiness to celebrate the “reason for the season” and readiness for the external celebration by aiming for simplicity and beauty.

Sr. Suzanne Beaudoin, SSCh
Director of Pastoral Care

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31st Sunday of Ordinary Time

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Malachi 1:14-2;2, 8-10       1 Thes. 2:7-9, 13       Matt. 23:1-12

The reading from the Prophet Malachi was certainly chosen to go along with the Gospel reading today. It is not very inspiring but it is a clear message to the religious leaders of the time. They had been remiss in their duties as religious leaders and they had violated the Covenant with God and with the people. The Prophet calls them “contemptible and base.” No mincing of words here!

On the other hand, in the second reading, Paul says how he has treated the people with gentleness and affection, sharing himself and the Gospel of Jesus with them. He has worked hard and not been a burden to them. He thanks God for their receiving the Word of God with such great faith. This passage reminds me that loving and gentle ways most often produce kindness and goodness and a return of love from others. “What goes around comes around” in positive ways as well as it does when negativity is sown.

This passage from Matthew’s Gospel can be a difficult one so I did a bit of research in William Barclay’s commentary. Jesus is not commending the Scribes and Pharisees for all their rules and regulations that burden the people. He is saying that in so far as they are teaching the great principles of the Law that came to us through Moses, they must be obeyed. The Ten Commandments are about reverence for God and respect for our others, their life, possessions, and good name. But as far as the hundreds and thousands of other miniscule rules and regulations imposed by the religious leaders of Israel, these are an intolerable burden for the people. The commentator says that “whenever religion becomes a depressing affair of burdens and prohibitions, it ceases to be true religion.” Interesting statement…

The second part of this reading has to do with being ostentatious, being “show offs.” Jesus says the Scribes and Pharisees are doing that by the way they dress, their taking the best seats and places, and demanding titles. Let this be a reminder to us. Let us do the right and the good because it is the right and the good, not to be seen, not to be appreciated or commended. Let us take the last places and be humble and more concerned with others than with ourselves.

Let us remember that Jesus is our teacher and a reflection of our heavenly Father who loves us tenderly. In our work, service, and healing ministry here in St. Mary’s Health System, we are invited to do the best we can, to give distinguished service for the good and well being of the people we serve. Let us do so in the name of Jesus who is the divine Healer and in whose steps we follow, just as St. Marguerite d’Youville did in her day.

Sr. Suzanne Beaudoin, SSCh
Director of Pastoral Care

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Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Ezekiel 18:25-28    Philippians 2:1-11    Matthew 21:28-32

The reading from St. Paul to the Philippians is a powerful one.  It invites us to be of one mind and one heart.  This means to get along with one another and to try to put others first. It invites us to true humility.  All this sounds like compassion, mercy and love which are actually what Jesus taught us by the way he lived. St. Paul encourages us to be selfless as Jesus was selfless. You may say to yourself that these are all very nice words and beautiful virtues, but it is not easy to live this way. That is very true! That’s why we need to turn to Jesus for help to be like him in our dealings with others.  We need to be mindful, that is, attentive to how we treat others and how we work at living in peace and love with our family, friends and colleagues.  Not easy, but certainly something to consider and to live out.

The Gospel presents a parable about two sons.  The father tells the first son to go out and work in the vineyard.  The son says “I will not” but reconsiders and does go.  The father tells the other son to go work in the vineyard.  This second son says “Yes, sir” but he never does go. The meaning of the parable was crystal clear at the time. The religious leaders of the Jews were the people who say they will obey God but then do not.  The tax collectors and the prostitutes are those who were going their own way, but then began to follow God’s way by getting to know Jesus.

Which group is better?  Neither set of people is great.  But surely one is better than the other.  The point to be made is there are two kinds of people.  There are people whose profession is much better than their practice.  They say they believe, love and follow God and maybe even go to church services, but their practice of God’s ways is very mediocre and even very poor.  The second
group of people would be those who claim to be tough, hard-hearted materialists, but somehow they do kind and generous things, almost in secret sometimes. They might or might not show interest in church or religion, yet in some ways they seem to be living more Christian lives than many professing Christianity.  Neither group really has it together…  The really good person is the one whose profession and Christian practice meet and match.

I might ask myself in which group I belong?  We need to note that promises can never take the place of performance, and fine words are never a substitute for fine deeds.  Here in St. Mary’s Health System, hopefully our promises and our deeds match up.  We say we give quality service and that patients and families come first.  Let us do our utmost to make it so in practice, in deeds of compassion and excellence.

Sr. Suzanne Beaudoin, SSCh
Director of Pastoral Care

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Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Matthew 16:13-20

This is an interesting Gospel reading. Though it is not long I will divide my reflection into two parts. Jesus asks the disciples two questions: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” and “But who do you say that I am?” As a human being, I believe that Jesus needed some affirmation and some encouragement just as we do. The extroverted Peter was always ready with an answer. He tells Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Quite an answer! Jesus is impressed, saying that this couldn’t have come only from Peter, but from a revelation from God his Father to Peter’s mind and heart.

I also believe that Jesus continues to ask each one of us that very same question about who he is for each of us. As post Resurrection Christians, we might have many different answers. Some might answer that Jesus is the Christ, Savior of the world. We may be feeling saved by his mercy and by his death and resurrection, from our sins and from fear of death since he overpowered death. Others who read the Scriptures often, may answer that Jesus is the Master Teacher. He teaches us how to live, how to love and serve others and even how to die. Other persons who have a very close relationship with Jesus might see him as their Friend or Brother, always there with loving support and constant companionship. People who have dealt with a lot of illness among their loved ones, in their own life or in their work might see Jesus as the Healer. We realize that Jesus heals minds, hearts and/or bodies and can use the instruments of modern medicine to do so. Jesus is all of these and much more…

In the second part of the reading today we hear Jesus giving the keys of the kingdom to Peter, making him the visible head of the Church on earth, the first Pope. Too often we think of the Pope and other Church leaders as being the ones in authority. It is in fact true. However, Jesus called them above all to be shepherds of his people. In the Gospel of John after the resurrection Jesus says to Peter: “Feed my sheep.” Elsewhere in the Gospel, Jesus reminds the apostles not to lord it over others but to be servants. In fact at the Last Supper when Jesus said “Do this in memory of me,” it was about giving us the Eucharist but also about service. Jesus had just given the Apostles the example by washing their feet, the work characteristic of servants at that time.

Often some people are put out and even scandalized by the ceremonial regalia of gold and red worn by the hierarchy, by the riches of the Vatican or by the numerous rules and regulations that come from authority. At those times, let us remember that the true mission of the Church is to teach the commandment to love one another as Jesus loves us. Its mission is to manifest the tender love of God for each human being. Since we are the Church, the people of God, it is our mission as well. Let us not be afraid to kneel and “wash feet.” As healthcare workers in St. Mary’s Health System we have daily opportunities to show respect, compassion and kindness and to serve others in so many ways as signs of God’s tenderness and love for every human being.

Sr. Suzanne Beaudoin, SSCh
Director of Pastoral Care

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Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Wisdom 12:13, 16-19        Romans 8:26-27       Matthew 12:24-43

In the first passage from Wisdom, we hear of God’s power and justice with the reminder that these are tempered by clemency and kindness. This is another way of naming God’s mercy. God gives us reason for hope in spite of our weakness and God asks us to be kind and forgiving as well.

The second reading from Romans is very brief but is one of my favorite passages about the Holy Spirit. “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit intercedes with inexpressible groanings.” So often I hear people say they don’t know how to pray and sometimes I feel that way myself. This passage is consoling. We need only let the Spirit within us pray. We don’t necessarily need words, just a thought or a desire can be a prayer. The “groanings” may be our call for help, a struggle for clarity, a hope for forgiveness, a yearning for faith and love or a desire for healing for ourselves or for a loved one. Allowing the Holy Spirit to pray within us is the key and a very powerful grace.

The Gospel this week speaks about the Kingdom of God, Kingdom of faith and love. Jesus makes three interesting comparisons to get our attention. He compares the Kingdom to a mustard seed, something extremely small that can grow into a huge bush. He compares it also to yeast that a woman puts into a mixture of flour, again something rather small but with the power to make the bread rise. That is what faith in God and love of God can do in our life if we welcome them. They can empower us for a life worth living and fill our hearts with hope and gratitude.

The third comparison is about a farmer sowing seeds in his field, but weeds begin to grow side by side with the wheat. What to do? Wait it out until harvest time. It’s an image of our world, I think. There are both plenty of good and lots of evil in the world. God in due time will sort it all out with justice and with mercy. We can be sure of that.

As we do our work and ministry in St. Mary’s Health system, let us be like the yeast and the mustard seed and the wheat. Let us be elements of faith, of love and of good, always trusting that God is present and will touch people’s lives through our efforts to be compassionate and kind.

Sr. Suzanne Beaudoin, SSCh
Director of Pastoral Care

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Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16        1Cor. 10:16-17         John 6:51-58

This feast is a celebration of God’s love for us in that God not only cares for us but actually nourishes us with food for body and soul.  The Old Testament reading reminds us of the manna God provided for the people in the desert when they had nothing to eat. Like a mother and like a father God provides food for his children, all the while guiding them on the journey of life.

In the second reading we are reminded of Jesus giving us his body and blood as food and drink the night before he gave his life for our salvation. He also gave us the example of service and love by washing his disciples’ feet, the work of a servant. To both of these he said:  “Do this in memory of me.”

In the Gospel reading, Jesus proclaims that he is the Bread of Life and that whoever eats this bread will live forever.  What a thought and what a promise! He promises closeness, life and intimacy with God the Father and with Jesus himself. It is a promise and an assurance of food for the soul, of nourishment on the journey of life here on earth that will lead to everlasting life.

It’s hard to believe that many of us pass this up every week.  We are invited every Sunday to worship: to be nourished by the Word of God and by the Body and Blood of Jesus.  We do all sorts of things all week to support our families, to nourish our bodies and to stay healthy.  Yet when the weekend comes, many ignore the invitation to come together in a prayerful community to worship and to be nourished spiritually.  People have all kinds of excuses: time, boredom, sports, apathy, laziness, negative attitudes toward the church, etc.

When I did parish ministry in Skowhegan years ago, I used to encourage families to come and worship on the weekend in gratitude, if for no other reason, for all the blessings of the week. God provides us with shelter, food, a job and so much more.  How can we not give one hour to hear the Word, to find strength in a prayerful community and to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus as food for the journey? The word Eucharist means thanksgiving… Do we not recognize God’s gifts to us every day?  Do we not recognize God’s desire to feed us, his children?

In the Catholic tradition there are some people who have a great devotion to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  It is a good thing for they spend time in quiet prayer connecting to God.  The primary purpose of having the Blessed Sacrament in our churches, however, is to bring this Bread of Life to the sick and the dying. We do that almost daily, bringing the Body of Christ to our sick and elderly here at the hospital and at d’Youville Pavilion. I thank all those Eucharistic Ministers who assist us in that service. 

My hope is that all of us will revisit our need to be grateful and to be nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ.  May that lead us back to our worshiping communities, no matter which denomination or which church we call our own.

Sr. Suzanne Beaudoin, SSCh
Director of Pastoral Care

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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

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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

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Fourth Sunday of Lent

Monday, April 4th, 2011

Sunday, April 3, 2011

1 Samuel 1b, 6-7, 10-13        Ephesians 5:8-14       John 9:1-41

The theme could be light, sight and insight.  In the first reading, we hear about God leading Samuel to select the young David to be anointed king of Israel.  God says: “Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart.”  What a poignant thought that is, to deter us from judging self or others by appearances. What is important is what is in the heart and God sees into our heart and the heart of others.

The second reading calls us to leave the darkness and live in the light of God.

Jesus himself said: “I am the light of the world” and calls us to live in his light which will produce every kind of goodness, righteousness and truth. That is so much better than evil, malice and lies.  During Lent we are called anew to pursue the light and follow the Way of Jesus.

The Gospel is a long story about a man born blind whom Jesus cures from his blindness.  Rather than rejoice with him, his neighbors and the Pharisees want to know if the reason for his blindness is his sin or the sin of his parents.  That is an Old Testament theme of illness as punishment for sin that some people still believe today.  We still hear people ask “What did I do to God to deserve this?” The truth is that illness comes because our bodies are mortal and eventually will die.  There are not often clear explanations for illness. We need to learn to live with mystery sometimes and with our questions.  We are called to do our best to lead healthy lives, but our bodies will still become sick and will wear out at some point. It is important for us to know that God is with us always and even especially through our time of need and hardship.

After his encounter with Jesus, we see the man who had been born blind enjoying his sight and accepting Jesus as Prophet, Healer and Light of the world.  After all the questioning, the hassling and the cruel judgments he undergoes in this story, he knows who healed him and he does believe!  He not only has sight but insight into who Jesus really is.

As we ponder these readings in the middle of Lent it could be an occasion for us to be less judgmental of others, remembering that appearances do not tell the whole story. In our healthcare ministry let us ask God for insight and compassion so as to look beyond appearances to the goodness in people’s hearts. It will make a difference on how we treat our patients, our family, our neighbors and one another.  Only with the Light of Christ do we see the world as it truly is and people as they truly are.

Sr. Suzanne Beaudoin, SSCh
Director of Pastoral Care

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