Opportunities for Visitation

In your relations with one another, clothe yourselves with humility, because God “is stern with the arrogant but to the humble he shows kindness.”  Bow humbly under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time he may lift you high.  Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:5b-7

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Eternal Father,

You inspired the Virgin Mary, mother of your Son,
to visit Elizabeth and assist her in her need.
Keep us open to the working of your Spirit,
and with Mary may we praise you for ever.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

From the Liturgy of the Hours

 

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View of Ain Karem from the Church of the Visitation

 

Today we celebrate the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  The familiar story found in Luke’s Gospel Chapter 1 Verses 39-56 tells how Blessed Mother Mary set out in haste and traveled to the hill country to visit the expectant Elizabeth, and the words of praise to God which ensued as they greeted each other.  It is easy to place ourselves into this scene as two women reach out in faith, hope and love.  The Lord gives us opportunities to do the same every day of our lives.  What is most important is that we see God in each person we greet, share Christ’s love and peace, and be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to “travel” - sometimes beyond our comfort zone - in order to be a faith-filled presence to another.

 

On my first trip to the village of Ain Karem, I had the privilege to “visit” the Saint Vincent Home for Children with Special Needs.  It was founded in 1964, as a non-profit institution by the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, and works in coordination with the Israeli Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.  The staff members are Jewish, Arab, Muslim and Christian lay people working and living together with four religious sisters. They are physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, social workers, caregivers, a dietician and a speech therapist. In addition, there is the office, kitchen, laundry and garden staff. Also, volunteers from around the world generously help and support their amazing work. 

 

Saint Vincent Ain Karem cares for 60 Jewish and Arab children. They range from one year old to their early twenties, and they come from all parts of Israel. They are children with special needs: this means that their motor skills (sitting, walking, eating, control of movements…) as well as their cognitive skills (talking, recognizing people and objects, understanding situations…) have been delayed or is very slow. For most of the children, the disabilities are the consequence of brain damage (before or after birth), others present with genetic problems, and there are some for whom the cause is unknown.

 

The children are lovingly cared for. Each child’s disability is taken into account. The caregivers feel that they receive from the children even more than they give. This is not easy to understand, it really has to be experienced, and once it is, this feeling remains with you for the rest of your life. Seeing that a child is free of pain or discomfort and that he/she can develop to his/her full potential is an immense reward.

 

It is a blessing to experience how the sisters and staff care for these special children of God in a joy-filled, peaceful setting.  At the end of our visit we gathered in the sisters’ chapel to pray with them and give thanks to God for the great things still being done in this village in the hill country.  I will always believe that I received so much more than I was able to give through this humbling visit.

 

For more information on Saint Vincent Ain Karem, please visit:

http://svaka.org/

 

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Mosaic detail of olive branch, floor of the Church of the Visitation, Ain Karem

 

For more reflections on the Visitation, please visit:

http://theapostoliclady.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html

 

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Newness, Harmony and Mission

His Holiness Pope Francis, in his homily for the Feast of Pentecost, said, “I would like to reflect on three words linked to the working of the Holy Spirit: newness, harmony and mission.

1. Newness always makes us a bit fearful, because we feel more secure if we have everything under control, if we are the ones who build, programme and plan our lives in accordance with our own ideas, our own comfort, our own preferences. This is also the case when it comes to God. Often we follow him, we accept him, but only up to a certain point. It is hard to abandon ourselves to him with complete trust, allowing the Holy Spirit to be the soul and guide of our lives in our every decision…. The newness which God brings into our life is something that actually brings fulfilment, that gives true joy, true serenity, because God loves us and desires only our good. Let us ask ourselves: Are we open to “God’s surprises”? Or are we closed and fearful before the newness of the Holy Spirit? Do we have the courage to strike out along the new paths which God’s newness sets before us, or do we resist…?

2. A second thought: the Holy Spirit would appear to create disorder in the Church, since he brings the diversity of charisms and gifts; yet all this, by his working, is a great source of wealth, for the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of unity, which does not mean uniformity, but which leads everything back to harmony. In the Church, it is the Holy Spirit who creates harmony…. Having a sense of the Church is something fundamental for every Christian, every community and every movement. It is the Church which brings Christ to me, and me to Christ…. So let us ask ourselves: Am I open to the harmony of the Holy Spirit, overcoming every form of exclusivity? Do I let myself be guided by him, living in the Church and with the Church?

3. A final point. The older theologians used to say that the soul is a kind of sailboat, the Holy Spirit is the wind which fills its sails and drives it forward, and the gusts of wind are the gifts of the Spirit. Lacking his impulse and his grace, we do not go forward….  The Holy Spirit is the soul of mission….  The Holy Spirit is the supreme gift of the risen Christ to his apostles, yet he wants that gift to reach everyone. As we heard in the Gospel, Jesus says: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to remain with you forever” (John 14:16). It is the Paraclete Spirit, the “Comforter”, who grants us the courage to take to the streets of the world, bringing the Gospel! The Holy Spirit makes us look to the horizon and drive us to the very outskirts of existence in order to proclaim life in Jesus Christ. Let us ask ourselves: do we tend to stay closed in on ourselves, on our group, or do we let the Holy Spirit open us to mission?

Today’s liturgy is a great prayer which the Church, in union with Jesus, raises up to the Father, asking him to renew the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. May each of us, and every group and movement, in the harmony of the Church, cry out to the Father and implore this gift. Today too, as at her origins, the Church, in union with Mary, cries out: “Veni, Sancte Spiritus! Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love!” Amen.”

For the complete English translation, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-at-pentecost-newness-harmony-and-mission

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Our Holy Father has given us much to reflect upon as we celebrate a fresh outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit this Pentecost! 

Each and every day may we rejoice in the “newness” which God gives to us for our own good and the good of the world.  Let’s try to be aware of and trust in the movement of the Holy Spirit so that we may be open to the creation of “harmony” that is God’s plan for the Church.  May we strive to grow in faith, hope and love, so that we can share these gifts with others and, with hearts on fire, live our “mission” to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

Blessed Mother Mary is at our side, ready to help us say "yes" to challenges to our comfort-level as well as grace-filled opportunities to abandon ourselves to God's will. 

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Pray That I May Do God's Will

Dear Friends in Christ,

I was informed that I have been selected by the National Council of Catholic Women Nominating Committee to run for the position of President-Elect serving a two-year term, 2013 - 2015. 

 

I offer my God-given gifts to "unite Catholic women of the USA, to develop their spiritual growth and leadership potential, and to motivate and assist them to act upon current issues in the Church and society" (NCCW Bylaws II.I(a)).

 

Empowered by the Holy Spirit and guided by Our Mother of Good Counsel, may we grow in faith, share with others our hope, and be witnesses of Jesus' love as an apostolate of the laity.   Together, with the grace of God, we can secure the future of NCCW as a vital service to women and the Church.

Please pray that I may always do God's will.  Thank you for your support and encouragement.  God bless you!

In Christ Jesus,
Karen

Blessed Mother Mary Helps Us

 

“Mary is a mother and a mother worries above all about the health of her children … What does this mean that the Madonna safeguards our health? I am thinking mainly of three aspects: … she helps us to grow, she helps us to face life, and she helps us to be free.

 

Mary Helps Us to Grow

…A mother takes care that her children grow always more, that they grow strong and capable of taking on responsibility, of committing themselves in their lives, and of holding high ideals. … This is exactly what the Madonna does in us. She helps us to grow humanely and in faith, to be strong and not to yield to the temptation of being superficial persons and Christians, but to live responsibly, always reaching higher.

 

Mary Helps Us to Face Life

... A mother helps her children to look realistically at life's problems and to not get lost in them but to tackle them with courage; not to be weak and to know how to overcome them with the healthy balance that a mother “feels” between the limits of safety and the areas of risk.... Mary lived many difficult times in her life, from the birth of Jesus ... until Calvary. And like a good mother she is close to us so that we never lose courage in the face of life's adversities, in the face of our own weakness, in the face of our sins. She gives us strength, pointing us to the path of her Son….

 

Mary Helps Us to Be Free

One last aspect … a good mother also helps to make important decisions with freedom. ... But what does freedom mean? Certainly not doing whatever you want ... Freedom is given to us so that we might know how to make good choices in life! Like a good mother, Mary teaches us to be, like her, capable of making ... important decisions…. And she helps us to make definitive choices with that full freedom with which she answered 'yes' to God’s plan for her life.”

 

…Long live the Madonna. She is our Mother. Let us entrust ourselves to her so that she might safeguard us like a good mother. I pray for you but I ask that you pray for me because I need it. Three 'Hail Marys' for me….”

 

His Holiness Pope Francis

Homily, Basilica of Saint Mary Major, Rome

4 May 2013

 

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-at-liberian-basilica-mary-helps-us-face-life

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-mary-give-us-the-grace-to-be-signs-an

 

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Let’s pray three “Hail Marys” for Pope Francis, as he asked us to do.  Let’s also pray three “Hail Marys” for each other so that we may grow in faith and strength, be courageous in the face of the adversities of life, and experience the true freedom of doing God’s will.

Our Mother of Good Counsel, pray for us to Jesus your Son!

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Spirituality, Leadership and Service

Bishop Joseph McFadden concelebrating Mass of Installation
 with Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio, August 18, 2010
(John C. Whitehead, The Patriot News)

 

Most Reverend Joseph P. McFadden, tenth Bishop of Harrisburg, died suddenly and unexpectedly on May 2, 2013, at the age of 65, just a few months from what would have been the third anniversary of his installation.

As happens at times like these, I have been re-living several of my most recent encounters with Bishop McFadden, never considering that my opportunities to speak with him would be ending all too soon.   I am now even more grateful to God for our brief exchanges.   

It was a privilege to attend the Mass and hear the Homily which “my” Bishop preached at the Harrisburg Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (HDCCW) Convention on April 15, 2013.  Without a text, Bishop delivered a dynamic message relating to the Council of Catholic Women’s mission of spirituality, leadership and service.  At the time I thought it should have been recorded for a motivational CCW video.  I even took notes in my program booklet (no, I do not usually take notes during homilies)!   He tied in the themes with those from His Holiness Pope Francis’ Homily for the first Mass he celebrated with the Cardinals, including:

• We need to “walk with the Lord, build His Church, confess Jesus Christ with our words and actions.” 
• We must “build our lives based on the Truth.” 
• Remember that the work of God is to “believe in the One He sent.” 

The inspiring homily made me--and more than 380 convention participants--feel renewed in our Catholic Faith and invigorated as members of the Council of Catholic Women.  Later in the day I was able to thank Bishop McFadden for the wonderful homily as well as his help with some paperwork I needed for the National Council of Catholic Women.  His parting words to me became more powerful today, “Always:  God’s will.” 

May God grant Joseph, our Bishop, the eternal rewards of his faithful witness to the Gospel.  May our Risen Lord grant consolation and peace to the priests and people of the Diocese of Harrisburg, and especially to Bishop McFadden’s family and friends who mourn his loss.

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Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.  Let the perpetual light shine upon him.  May he rest in peace.  May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen.

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For more information, please visit:
http://www.hbgdiocese.org/
http://www.hbgdiocese.org/2013/05/02/death-of-bishop-mcfadden/
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/05/bishop_mcfaddens_funeral_slate.html#incart_river

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Lord, Grant Success to the Work of Our Hands

“Dear Brothers and Sisters: On this first day of May, Mary’s month, we celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker. Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth, reminds us of the dignity and importance of labour. Work is part of God’s plan for the world; by responsibly cultivating the goods of creation, we grow in dignity as men and women made in God’s image. For this reason, the problem of unemployment urgently demands greater social solidarity and wise and just policies. I also encourage the many young people present to look to the future with hope, and to invest themselves fully in their studies, their work and their relationships with others. Saint Joseph, as a model of quiet prayer and closeness to Jesus, also invites us to think about the time we devote to prayer each day. In this month of May, the Rosary naturally comes to mind as a way to contemplate the mysteries of Christ’s life. May Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary help us to be faithful in our daily work and to lift up our minds and hearts to Jesus in prayer.”

His Holiness Pope Francis

1 May 2013 General Audience, English Summary

 

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/audience-on-may-1st-an-appeal-against-slave-labor

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O God, Creator of all things, who laid down for the human race the law of work, graciously grant that by the example of Saint Joseph and under his patronage we may complete the works you set us to do and attain the rewards you promise.

 

Memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker

Collect 

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Over a year ago I suddenly and expectedly experienced being unemployed after more than twenty-one (21) years of doing work that I loved and which helped to provide for our family.  During this time I have been blessed to be able to prayerfully and continually discern what is God’s will for my life.  This process has been aided in no small way by the gracious support of family, friends, and sometimes strangers, perhaps angels in disguise.  Some doors have opened, other doors have closed, but ultimately it seems that God is showing me a range of possibilities for new and different “work” which I would have not previously considered.  God is certainly revealing His plan for me, and though I am not always patient with His unhurried timing, I am excited and energized with the opportunities He has placed before me.

 

God bless you for your prayerful support and encouragement!  Please join me in prayer today especially for all those who are unemployed or underemployed.  May Saint Joseph help all of us to do the work which God entrusts specifically to us.

 

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