“Do The Work of an Evangelist.”

Karen with Cardinal Keeler
Saint Peter's Square, 1996

On March 23, 2017 God called home Cardinal William Keeler, a “wise and gentle pastor.”

Our Holy Father Pope Francis wrote beautiful words of condolence to those who mourn the late Cardinal.  Countless eloquent words of tribute are posted on the Archdiocese of Baltimore website.  I hope you will indulge me in some simple but heartfelt words in memory of a dear friend.

My first interactions were with then Bishop Keeler of the Diocese of Harrisburg.  He certainly lived the words of his episcopal motto, “Do The Work of an Evangelist.”  I cannot remember ever seeing him eat dinner at large diocesan gatherings as he spent the entire meal time going around the room to every table and greeting each person, usually by name.  He had an enviable gift for remembering names (without needing a name tag!) and other details about those whom he met.  He was a great correspondent, especially good at keeping in touch after he became Archbishop of Baltimore, testified by a large collection of hand-written notes in my possession.  He appreciated updates on the health of friends as he promised his prayers for them.

 

Karen and Terry with Cardinal Keeler
Cardinal's Residence Chapel, celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary

Cardinal Keeler was generous in his support and encouragement of my service to the Church, whether in the National Council of Catholic Women, World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations, or in the parish and diocese.  One day Cardinal Keeler took me by the hand to introduce me to another Cardinal, whom he also took by the hand and, referring to an upcoming Vatican event, said, “You need Karen at that meeting.”   Not long afterwards the official invitation arrived from the Vatican: I did attend and speak.

 

Cardinal Keeler welcoming WUCWO Executive Committee Members
Santa Maria degli Angeli, Rome

Cardinal Keeler graciously interceded for me to meet Pope John Paul II on multiple occasions.  A humble man who never forgot his simple roots he once told me about having dinner with His Holiness and thinking to himself, “What is a boy from Lebanon (PA) doing at the Vatican eating with the Pope?”  He proudly shared a photo he took with his own camera of Pope John Paul II looking out a helicopter window at stadium overflowing with faithful awaiting his arrival during a visit to the USA. 

I will always give thanks to God for the gift of the ministry and friendship of Cardinal Keeler.  The witness of his faith and his care for others drew people to him and, most of all, to the Lord.  During my last visit with His Eminence, a mutual friend and I shared our memories of many special times with the Cardinal.  At that point he was not able to speak to us, though he tried valiantly.  We knew he was pleased with our presence and remembrances.    

The Cardinal will be greatly missed by many, but the Lord has surely said, “Well done, good and faithful servant…”

May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.  Amen.

  

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The following is the full text of the telegram of condolences following the death yesterday, 23 March 2017, of His Eminence Cardinal William Henry Keeler, of the title of Santa Maria degli Angeli, archbishop emeritus of Baltimore, United States of America. sent by the Holy Father Francis to His Excellency William Edward Lori, archbishop of Baltimore.

Telegram from the Holy Father

To the Most Reverend William E. Lori

Archbishop of Baltimore

Deeply saddened to learn of the death of Cardinal William H. Keeler, I offer heartfelt condolences to you and to the clergy, religious and lay faithful of the Archdiocese. With gratitude for Cardinal Keeler’s years of devoted episcopal ministry in the local Churches of Harrisburg and Baltimore, his years of leadership within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and his long-standing commitment to ecumenical and interreligious understanding, I join you in commending the soul of this wise and gentle pastor to the merciful love of God our heavenly Father. To all who mourn the late Cardinal in the sure hope of the Resurrection, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of consolation and peace in the Lord.

FRANCISCUS PP.

For more information please visit: 

http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2017/03/24/170324c.html

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-mourns-death-of-wise-and-gentle-pastor

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For more information about Cardinal Keeler please visit the Archdiocese of Baltimore website:  http://cardinalwilliamkeeler.com/

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.

For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
"Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight."

A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Psalm 51:  3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17

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Lent is a new beginning, a path leading to the certain goal of Easter, Christ’s victory over death. This season urgently calls us to conversion. Christians are asked to return to God “with all their hearts” (Joel 2:12), to refuse to settle for mediocrity and to grow in friendship with the Lord. Jesus is the faithful friend who never abandons us. Even when we sin, he patiently awaits our return; by that patient expectation, he shows us his readiness to forgive (cf. Homily, 8 January 2016).

Lent is a favorable season for deepening our spiritual life through the means of sanctification offered us by the Church: fasting, prayer and almsgiving. At the basis of everything is the word of God, which during this season we are invited to hear and ponder more deeply….

Lent is the favorable season for renewing our encounter with Christ, living in his word, in the sacraments and in our neighbor. The Lord, who overcame the deceptions of the Tempter during the forty days in the desert, shows us the path we must take. May the Holy Spirit lead us on a true journey of conversion, so that we can rediscover the gift of God’s word, be purified of the sin that blinds us, and serve Christ present in our brothers and sisters in need.

Message of His Holiness Pope Francis 
For Lent 2017

For the complete text please visit:  http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/lent/documents/papa-francesco_20161018_messaggio-quaresima2017.html

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Grant, almighty God,

through the yearly observances of holy Lent,

that we may grow in understanding

of the riches hidden in Christ

and by worthy conduct pursue their effects.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity

of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Collect

First Sunday of Lent

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You are especially in my thoughts and prayers as we travel this Lenten journey.  Each year we are given a new opportunity to turn away from sinfulness, follow Jesus more closely, and share with others the gift of our faith.  Let’s pray for each other to receive with open arms the blessings which the Lord has chosen just for us.

What is the Lord calling you to do differently this Lent to more fully experience the mercy and compassion found in His Sacred Heart?

Can we more joyfully and patiently conform our will to God’s will?

How is the Holy Spirit inspiring you to renew your own prayer life as well as to encourage others on their spiritual journey?

Thanks be to God for the witness of your faith-filled journey!

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The Gift of Life

God our Creator,

we give thanks to you, who alone have the power

to impart the breath of life

as you form each of us in our mother’s womb;

grant, we pray,

that we, whom you have made stewards of creation,

may remain faithful to this sacred trust

and constant in safeguarding the dignity of every human life…

Collect

Day of Pray for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

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All are created equal, they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. 

Declaration of Independence

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The acceptance of abortion in the popular mind, in behaviour and even in law itself, is a telling sign of an extremely dangerous crisis of the moral sense, which is becoming more and more incapable of distinguishing between good and evil, even when the fundamental right to life is at stake. Given such a grave situation, we need now more than ever to have the courage to look the truth in the eye and to call things by their proper name, without yielding to convenient compromises or to the temptation of self-deception. In this regard the reproach of the Prophet is extremely straightforward: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness" (Is 5:20).

Pope John Paul II

Evangelium Vitae, 58

http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031995_evangelium-vitae.html

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Among the vulnerable for whom the Church wishes to care with particular love and concern are unborn children, the most defenseless and innocent among us. Nowadays efforts are made to deny them their human dignity and to do with them whatever one pleases, taking their lives and passing laws preventing anyone from standing in the way of this. Frequently, as a way of ridiculing the Church’s effort to defend their lives, attempts are made to present her position as ideological, obscurantist and conservative. Yet this defense of unborn life is closely linked to the defense of each and every other human right. It involves the conviction that a human being is always sacred and inviolable, in any situation and at every stage of development.

Pope Francis

Evangelii Gaudium, 213

http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html

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Not just on this Day of Prayer, but each and every day, we give thanks to Our Creator for the unalienable right to life.

Have you, like me, been bothered to hear recent angry chants of “women’s rights are human rights”… thinking that the chanters were blatantly ignoring the fundamental right to life?   Are you saddened by those promoting self-serving destruction?  How can we put an end to the duplicity of demands for inclusivity and tolerance to the exclusion and detriment of persons who aspire to moral values?

I am reminded of the peer pressure of my distant teenage years.  I can still hear my parents saying, “if ‘everyone’ is doing something (fill in the blank), it doesn’t make it right and it doesn’t mean that you have to do it also.”  You and I need to be the voices of wise, loving parents guiding and praying others away from the pressures of the evil one which are rampant in today’s world.  Acts of loving kindness can conquer anger and selfishness, by the grace of God.

People of faith, hope and love… all people of good will:   Be steadfast in your belief that human rights and dignity are bestowed on each and every person from conception to natural death.   Celebrate that we are all created in the image and likeness of God.  We will find peace and joy when we embrace God’s will.

Thanks be to God for the gift of His love!

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And We Saw His Glory

And the Word became flesh 

and made his dwelling among us,

and we saw his glory, 

the glory as of the Father’s only Son,

full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

May our newborn Saviour grant you

the gift of Love,

the blessing of Hope,

and the fullness of Peace.

May our lives proclaim His glory.

Blessed Christmas

Joyeux Noël

Feliz Navidad

Fröhliche Weihnachten

  

                                                 In Christ Jesus,

                                                 Karen

A Bud Shall Blossom

His Holiness Pope Francis, on Wednesday, December 21, 2016 at the General Audience, urged the faithful to open their hearts to the Good News of the Saviour’s birth.

Pope Francis recalled the words of the prophet Isaiah, “the Lord himself will give you a sign: the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel” and also “a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.”

He said that the sense of Christmas transpires in both of these verses: “God fulfills his promise by coming in the flesh, (…) and He gives his people a new hope for humanity: eternal life”.
Christ, by coming in the flesh, has opened the way for us to ascend to the Father.

“When we prepare the Christmas crib in our homes and churches let us be attentive to the message of hope it embodies”.   With our gaze on the nativity scene that takes us to the little town of Bethlehem, the Pope said we can see revealed God’s love for each of us, however small or lowly:

We see it in Mary, who trusted in God’s word: “She is the Mother of Hope”.

Next to Mary is Joseph, the man of hope, who gave Jesus his name, which means “God saves”.  

In the crib we see the joy of the shepherds who represent the humble and the poor who were awaiting the Messiah.  They were the ones, he said, to receive with joy the peace proclaimed by the angels.

“Dear brothers and sisters: every time we say ‘yes’ to Jesus a bud blossoms into hope.  May we trust in this bud of hope” and open our hearts to the Good News of the birth of Jesus who came to save us”.

For more information please visit:  http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-open-your-hearts-to-the-good-news-of-christma

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We Give Thanks to God

And now, bless the God of all,
who has done wondrous things on earth;
Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb,
and fashions them according to his will!
May he grant you joy of heart
and may peace abide among you…

Sirach 50: 22-23

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Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.

Psalm 145:  10-11

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Thanksgiving and Praise to the Father

1359 The Eucharist, the sacrament of our salvation accomplished by Christ on the cross, is also a sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for the work of creation. In the Eucharistic sacrifice the whole of creation loved by God is presented to the Father through the death and the Resurrection of Christ. Through Christ the Church can offer the sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for all that God has made good, beautiful, and just in creation and in humanity.

1360 The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father, a blessing by which the Church expresses her gratitude to God for all his benefits, for all that he has accomplished through creation, redemption, and sanctification. Eucharist means first of all "thanksgiving."

1361 The Eucharist is also the sacrifice of praise by which the Church sings the glory of God in the name of all creation. This sacrifice of praise is possible only through Christ: he unites the faithful to his person, to his praise, and to his intercession, so that the sacrifice of praise to the Father is offered through Christ and with him, to be accepted in him.

For more information from the Catechism of the Catholic Church please visit http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P41.HTM

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We give thanks to God for all the countless blessings bestowed upon us. 

I would like to thank you for the gifts of your friendship and faith, prayers and encouragement, ideas and inspiration.  I thank God for bringing us together on this journey.

Whether nearby, miles away, or across the globe, let us be united in Spirit as we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, the ultimate sacrifice of Thanksgiving.  All glory, honor and praise to our loving and gracious God!

Prayerful best wishes for a blessed Thanksgiving Day to you and your loved ones!

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All Saints: Blessed Are You

Sea of Galilee viewed from Mount of Beatitudes

  

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,

and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.

He began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,

for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you

and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.

Rejoice and be glad,

for your reward will be great in heaven.”

Matthew 5:  1-12a

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“If there is one thing typical of the saints, it is that they are genuinely happy.  They found the secret of authentic happiness, which lies deep within the soul and has its source in the love of God.  That is why we call the saints blessed.  The Beatitudes are their path, their goal, their native land.  The Beatitudes are the way of life that the Lord teaches us, so that we can follow in his footsteps.  In the Gospel of today’s Mass, we heard how Jesus proclaimed the Beatitudes before a great crowd on the hill by the Sea of Galilee.”

Pope Francis

Homily, 1 November 2016

For more information please visit:  http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-celebrates-mass-at-malmo

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“As Catholics, we are part of a great family and are sustained in the same communion.  I encourage you to express your faith in prayer, in the sacraments, and in generous service to those who are suffering and in need.  I urge you to be salt and light, wherever you find yourselves, through the way you live and act as followers of Jesus, and to show great respect and solidarity with our brothers and sisters of other churches and Christian communities, and with all people of good will.

In our life, we are not alone; we have the constant help and companionship of the Virgin Mary.  Today she stands before us as first among the saints, the first disciple of the Lord.  We flee to her protection and to her we present our sorrows and our joys, our fears and our aspirations.  We put everything under her protection, in the sure knowledge that she watches over us and cares for us with a mother’s love.”

Pope Francis

Angelus, 1 November 2016

For more information, please visit:  http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-angelus-be-salt-and-light

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