Vocation Essay

Priests, deacons, and religious brothers and sisters help me to answer God’s call in many ways. One way is that they teach us to “Serve and witness to the God that calls each of us by name. “- Fr. Eric Johnson. One other way is my religion teacher, she is a vocation director. Nuns teach us the most depending on what area they are teaching us in.

The first way they teach us to listen. The way they teach us to listen is by taking us to Adoration to talk only to God. This can help you to only talk to God and in this way He might give you your vocation, if you ask Him. God talks to us each time we go to Adoration and we deepen our relationship with Jesus. Sisters also teach us to listen by opening our hearts to God so He can tell us what He wants us to do. We have to be open to anything that God has given us to love and serve His people and accept that that’s what He wants us to do in our life.

I have to love and serve God’s people with the gifts and talents He has given me. That is the number one thing on God’s list for me. My religion teacher tells me that everyday, and that reminds me to do that. My priest does the same. When we are informed on something over and over it helps us get better at listening to God and answering His call. The person that helps me out the most with my vocation is my religion teacher. She is a vocation director at her community, she is also a nun. She has taught me so much about my calling. Every since she started teaching my class, I listen more than I ever have. Even though I have not heard what I am called to be, I still listen and hope it will come soon. I don’t think one day has gone by that she hasn’t inspired me with her love of God and vocations. She reminds me every day to answer God's call. She has a saying that she says, “ Love and serve Gods’ people.”

In conclusion, many people help me to love and serve God's people, but the most I have learned about it was in school, through Sr. Nicolette . I still pray and listen very carefully to find what I am called to do.

Shelby C. 8th Grade

St. Therese of Lisieux’s First Communion by Sr. Kathy Smolik, OSB

“Ah! How sweet was that first kiss of Jesus! It was a kiss of love; I felt that I was loved, and I said: “I love You, and I give myself to You forever!” There were no demands made, no struggles, no sacrifices; for a long time now Jesus and poor little Therese looked at and understood each other. That day, it was no longer simply a look, it was a fusion; they were no longer two, Therese had vanished as a drop of water is lost in the immensity of the ocean. Jesus alone remained; He was the Master, the King” (Story of a Soul, p. 77).

Isn’t that the most beautiful account of the experience of a First Communion? Jesus gave Himself to Therese and Therese gave herself to Jesus - forever.

Perhaps we have had our own experience of Jesus in this most profound Sacrament of Love. But, even if we haven’t felt the joy and consolation Therese experienced we can still learn something from her. What can we learn? We can trust that the Jesus that came to Therese comes to us and is waiting for us every day and every moment of our ordinary life. He is waiting, too, to give Himself to us in the Eucharist. Even if we can’t sense Him, He is there. Our faith tells us this is true. Our faith brings us back time and again to the Table of the Eucharist and feeds us on our journey.

Our faith is paramount. At the end of her life Therese, too, could not see or feel Jesus. All was dark for her. She had offered herself to Jesus…to sit in darkness with her brothers and sisters who had lost faith through the abuse of grace. She wanted to suffer this terrible darkness in order that these souls who had lost their way would return to Jesus. With love burning deep in her heart she laid down her life for others.

Weak as we are we can ask Therese for her help. Do we need to return to Jesus? Let us pray most earnestly for forgiveness. He will take us back time and time again until the end of time. Do we desire Him with all our heart? Let us thank Him for this grace.

At this moment, Sr. Meg, another nun from this monastery is teaching in Ireland. She was given the great gift of being able to visit the relics of St. Therese. Sr. Meg writes, “She left not only her life as told by others and shared in her writings, but there’s a scent in the spring air that is “as if” she is still here. I sense her presence, not as a star or a celebrity but as a profound teacher. Her “Little Way” is a gift to suffer graciously for the benefit of others” (http://megfunk.com/entry.php?id=185).

Therese told her sisters as she was dying that she would return. She has kept her promise! Her “Little Way” is available for souls desiring to learn the science of Love. And may the dear little children who have just received their first Communion be our teachers of childlike simplicity and happiness.

Fr. Matthias Neuman's Homily for the 5th Sunday in Easter

Last Sunday we explored how the Resurrection was a complete vindication of the life, ministry and death of Jesus Today’s deep meaning of the Paschal Mystery follows right from that. For if an individual---who to ordinary ways of looking at things ended as a completely shamed and failed life—if this individual was blessed and raised by God, then nothing, NOTHING could be looked at in the same way anymore. We have to always be suspicious of our ordinary human ways of looking at things. Evidently God sees things differently than we do. The Paschal Mystery calls us to be suspicious of our first and usual ways of looking at things, of looking at everything.

It’s funny when you think about it for a moment. We usually consider the realm of religion as being the realm of certainty. Our faith calls us to be absolutely sure about what we believe. The Catechism of the Catholic Church names "doubt" as the first way of sinning against the Faith (#2088). But you have to wonder if the Catechism’s simple account does justice to the Second Vatican Council’s reflection on human questioning: "...every human being remains a question to himself or herself, one that is dimly perceived and left unanswered. There are times, especially in the major events of life, when no one can altogether escape from such self-questioning. God calls us to deeper thought and more humble probing...." (G & S, #21). The Council document, I think, better captures the sense of suspicion about our ordinary judgments that the Paschal Mystery calls us to

Indeed, the early followers of Jesus began to act on that principle of suspicion very early. One of the first places it showed was in their acceptance of Gentiles into their group. That went totally against what they had learned from their Jewish background. I just love that passage from the book of Acts that we heard last Monday evening about Peter’s testimony that the Holy Spirit had come upon Gentiles in his presence. The response then of those objecting to the admission of Gentiles was this: "When they heard this, they stopped objecting and glorified God, saying ‘God has then granted life-giving repentance to the Gentiles as well.’" (Acts 11:18) The principle of suspicion had scored its first major gain. There would be many more.

I dare say that the whole world would be better off today if more faiths used that principle of suspicion in their religious judgments. More than one contemporary observer has noted how absolute religious certainty has led to so much human catastrophe, death and suffering—the radical Muslims, the Zionist Jews, the fundamentalist Christians. The list goes on and on and includes Catholics as well. There would be much better chances for world peace if those rabid believers were a little more suspicious about their certainty of God’s ways.

How do we, as individuals, use this Paschal meaning of suspicion? I think, first of all, by recognizing that while our faith in God can be certain and strong, we have to say that we are less sure about God’s ways and wants in our world. We should always be open to saying, as that quote from the Book of Acts said (to paraphrase it): "Evidently God can do what we didn’t expect or count on." OK. Let’s say we are religiously suspicious, but we still need some guidelines to move forward. And the Paschal Mystery has them. But those points must wait until next Sunday.

Fr. Matthias Neuman's Homily for the 4th Sunday in Easter

As we continue to explore some of the deep meanings of the Paschal Mystery, today's topic is probably one of the least considered aspects of that Mystery by most ordinary believers. It is this: that the Resurrection was a complete vindication of the life, ministry and death of Jesus. I don't think today we realize how much the public crucifixion of Jesus was such an occasion of shame and scandal for anyone associated with him, especially his family and his disciples. There is no doubt that the first disciples of Jesus were bothered greatly by that crucifixion. It was probably that worry which led to the eventual formation of the Passion accounts in the gospels. We should never lose sight of what a burden that was for those who survived Jesus.

The act of crucifixion was a particularly horrible way to die. In the ancient world it was considered the cruelest and most shameful form of execution. The Romans reserved it for slaves who had committed grave offenses. One who was crucified shamed his entire family and range of acquaintances, a shame they carried for the rest of their lives. There was an inkling of that in the news recently. April 20th was the ten year anniversary of the Columbine school massacre in Colorado. There were a lot of news pieces associated with that tragic event. One that I found particularly moving (and sad) concerned a Lutheran pastor whose ministry was basically destroyed because he tried to offer some consolation and help to the parents and family of one of the teen-age shooters. The parents of the teenager were devastated by what their son had done. Still they were treated cruelly by almost everyone else in the community. The pastor just tried to support them and the people turned on him as well. He finally had to move away from that area. In that episode we might touch a little of what the family and followers of Jesus felt after his crucifixion.

It should give us a new appreciation of the depth of faith that lay behind the words of the first reading that we heard today: "All the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarean whom you crucified, whom God raised..." What's implicit in that affirmation is that the family and disciples of Jesus had to first accept the shame and then turn it into an occasion of grace. The Resurrection vindicates the life, ministry and death of Jesus. But that could happen in the disciples' faith only if they first accepted the shame. Accepting shame is never easy It's said that every family has a black sheep or skeletons in the closet, and some people will go to great lengths to keep that quiet. Some individuals will act the same with their own life. There are some topics they just never want to bring up.

Nevertheless, one of the essential meanings of the Paschal Mystery lies in this: accepting shame can often become an occasion of grace. It seems that the early Christians did just that. It's often said that early Christianity was primarily a faith of the poor and slaves. Today we would probably say that with pride. However we often sugarcoat it in the process. Being a slave in the ancient Roman empire was a hard and humiliating life for many. Slaves, esp. female slaves, had to regularly endure some pretty shameful things. Try to imagine what those slaves must have felt hearing the words, "this Jesus, who was shamed, God raised up." Then you can better appreciate how the Resurrection was not only a vindication of the life, ministry and death of Jesus, but also a powerful healing message for those early Christians.

Vocation Essay

Hearing God's Call

How do priests, deacons, and other religious brothers and sisters help us hear God’s call in our lives? Men all over the world answer it and become priests, monks, bishops, deacons, permanent deacons, and married. Women answer it by becoming nuns, married, and sisters. They are great examples. They go to Adoration, church, and confession regularly. I know because my religion teacher is a sister and we go to Adoration during class. People need to realize that they should help more, pray more, and go to church more.

You can also help around the parish. I serve and sing in the choir at mass. All this will make God closer to you. You can find your vocation easily when you have a strong relationship with God. If you are an adult you could go on a mission retreat. When you need help with your vocation pray and ask a religious person such as a nun or a priest at your parish.

Remember the Ten Commandments are Gods rules.

1. Thou shall have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor thy father and thy mother.
6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10. Thou shall not covet.

These are the rules you should also try to follow but, we are not perfect so you may break one or two of these. It is also important to remember Jesus’ New Commandment, “Love one another as I have loved you.” God will make your vocation clear in time!

Ben #1 7th Grade

St. Therese of Lisieux: The Little Bird, by Sr. Kathy Smolik, OSB

“I look upon myself as a weak little bird, with only a light down as covering.”

St. Therese of Lisieux, declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II, called herself a “weak little bird.” I find this a great mark of her humility. Therese did not put herself down but she did understand and accept her weakness. Her personal weakness was due largely to her emotional immaturity. However, Therese’ understanding went much deeper than that. She knew herself as a child of God, a creature before the Creator. She was not God and she knew that without God she was powerless to do absolutely anything on her own, let alone exist.

“What then will become of it (the weak little bird)? Will it die of sorrow at seeing itself so weak? Oh no! The little bird will not even be troubled.” (p.198-9).

Her weakness did not concern her! She knew with St. Paul that, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10). Let me give a few examples from her life.

• Because of her emotional neediness she had a great desire to get attention from her Mother Superior in the Carmel. But Therese didn’t want her heart to become more attached to a human being than to Jesus. She had to walk past Mother Marie’s door to get to her own cell, and would “walk rapidly by (her) door and to cling firmly to the banister of the staircase in order not to turn back.” Therese wanted to please her nature by getting attention from her Superior but instead she deprived herself of this attention (p. 237).
• An elderly nun, Sister St. Pierre, needed help walking from the choir to the refectory. Therese wanted to help this poor crippled nun with an act of charity. Every day she would guide the sister to the refectory all the while listening to the nun’s constant complaints. Then Therese would roll back Sister’s sleeves, cut up her meat for her, and then give Sister St. Pierre her biggest smile. This small act of love cost Therese very much she admitted, but she “gained (Sister’s) entire good graces” (p. 247-9).
• In choir, one sister who sat next to Therese would come in and begin making strange noises through their silent prayer time. Therese became soaked in sweat in her attempt to be charitable and not glare at this nun. Instead she tried to find a way to suffer this annoyance in peace (p. 249).

“O Jesus, Your little bird is happy to be weak and little. What would become of it if it were big?”

Besides all her emotional trials she also fell asleep during her thanksgiving after Communion due to exhaustion from lack of sleep. Does she feel desolate or sink into depression from her inability to stay awake at prayer? No! She offers all this up as a little flower. Each pain, each pinprick, each disappointment in herself, each raging storm, and each emotion is offered up to Jesus. Even her joys are offered up to Him.

Nothing is kept for herself. All is offered up to Jesus that souls may turn back to Him. Also, no suffering or pain is ever wasted. No matter how trifling an annoyance or how overwhelming a major crisis she experienced, she offered it all up to Jesus as a flower.

Therese’ lesson to us is: watch your emotions, watch your thoughts about these emotions and lift them up. We are not our thoughts, and we are not our emotions (Funk). If we freely offer ourselves up moment by moment, day after day, we can participate with Jesus in His redemption of souls.

And what is the key to Therese practice? Confidence in the great Mercy of God…more on this next time.

Bibliography:

Lisieux, Therese of. Story of a Soul: the autobiography of St Therese of Lisieux. A new translation by John Clark. ICS Publications, Washington, D.C.: Third Edition Published, 1996.

Funk, Sr. Mary Margaret. Thoughts Matter for Practicing the Spiritual Life. New York: Continuum, revised edition 2005.

Funk, Sr. Mary Margaret. Tools Matter for Practicing the Spiritual Life. New York: Continuum, 2001, 102-107.

Jesus' May Message

Each month, Anne, a lay apostle, receives a message from Jesus. This is the message for May. To read more about the locutions Anne receives from Jesus and His Blessed Mother click on this link: Direction For Our Times.

How often have I called you ‘My little apostles’? Have I ever called you ‘My big apostles’? Why do you think it is that I call you ‘little’? I will tell you. It is because each apostle, by his desire to serve, becomes little. He becomes little so that God can be glorified. If a person is serving Me, that person desires only My glory. If a person is serving Me, he desires to be seen as a servant of men, not as a master of men. In the case of leaders, this desire for humility must be even more pronounced lest the leader begin to believe that he himself is leading, as opposed to My great hope which is that I, Jesus, am leading through the man. I intend to send leaders during this time. You will know them by their spirit of service. You will know them by their humility. You will know them because they will help you to think of Me and what I need from you. No man is entitled to the glory reserved for God. No man is worthy of this glory. I only speak in this way today so that each man will consider his call to service as a call to holiness. I want each man to give credit to Me for the good that I allow to come through him into the world. Do you understand, little apostles? I am reminding you that all good comes from Me so that you will not be tempted to pride by the great fruits I send through your service and your commitment to Me. It is important that every apostle examine himself for signs and symptoms of pride. I ask this of you in a serious way today. We, together, are ushering in a time of grace, and graces will be apparent, not through your power but through Mine. Little apostles, do not believe that Jesus is scolding you. I am not. I am helping you to examine yourself to prevent difficulties, both for your holiness and for My plan. I will help you in this each day if you ask Me. Ask Me to send an outpouring of the Spirit to you whenever you are afraid that pride is troubling you. I will do this for you because I love you and because pride makes you so terribly sad. Pride is the great devourer of joy. You, My beautiful apostles, are entitled to joy and I send My joy to you today. All is well. We work together to perfect your soul.