OLFF Maine

Closer to Christ

2012-01-03T10:08:00.002-05:00

I’ve always wanted to do good work for God. To labor in His vineyard, busy with the task of evangelization, helping others know the Lord. It is a great blessing that I have employment in the field of evangelization, a job in the Office of Lifelong Faith Formation, where I can daily put my hands to tasks that advance the Kingdom and provide opportunities for God to move in peoples’ hearts and minds.

On the occasion of the new year I’ve had some time to reflect on what work the Lord truly asks me to do. Above all else I hear Him asking me to be closer to Him, to spend time and energy working on my relationship with God, helping myself know the Lord more. This is fitting because God loves me for me, not for what I do for Him. My own holiness, my own relationship with Christ, is a top priority for God. All the “work” I do for the Lord flows from and is made efficacious by my closeness with Christ.

By Joseph Mailhot

Joy to the World!

2011-12-21T18:26:00.001-05:00

As we draw closer to the celebration of Christ's birth I have witnessed my children grow more excited each day - full of joy-filled anticipation for all that will happen and certainly for what they will receive under the tree on Christmas morning! My reflection, as I watched my children, led me to this question: Are we filled with this same child-like anticipation as we approach Christmas this year?

Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that, "In the birth of Jesus, God comes to us and asks us to receive Him, so that He can be born in our lives and transform them, and our world, by the power of His love." (General Audience, December 21, 2012) This is the Good News the angels proclaimed to the shepherds. This is the Good News that should permeate our entire beings as Baptized children of God. This is the Good News that so many around us desperately need to hear and see witnessed by those of us who call ourselves disciples of Christ!

This Christmas offers us another opportunity to receive anew Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, that we might be His instruments of light to our families, friends, neighbors, co-workers and the strangers in our midst. The joy of the season reminds us of our true identity as followers of the Risen Christ, who defeated sin and death that we might have life and have it abundantly.

As we gather with our loved ones, especially at the Eucharistic table, let us ask the Lord of all life, to enkindle in the mangers of our hearts, a profound joy - that most beautiful fruit of the Holy Spirit. And may that joy, seen so beautifully in the eyes of the little ones during these graced days, move us throughout the New Year as instruments of the New Evangelization.

Merry Christmas!

By Michael Lavigne

A Child is Born

2011-12-21T18:25:00.006-05:00

Great news! We have a brand new granddaughter. Maryn was born November 27 and weighed in at 7 lbs. 6.7oz. I know that her parents are so proud they could bust. I know, too, that they are filled with hopes and dreams for Maryn and her future. And this brings me to my point.

We are very soon going to celebrate the day of Jesus’ birth. Although a birth of humble beginnings, I have no doubt that Mary and Joseph were filled with hopes and dreams for Jesus’ future, not unlike new parents of today. We bring our babies to the church for baptism and have done so for hundreds of years. Mary and Joseph “brought the child Jesus into the Temple to do for him what the Law required. . . “(Luke 2:27). Both rituals are cause for celebration.

Yet how much celebrating would we do if we heard the words that Simeon said to Mary: “This child is chosen by God for the destruction and the salvation of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God which many people will speak against and so reveal their secret thoughts. And sorrow, like a sharp sword will break your own heart.” (Luke 2: 34, 35)

We celebrate Christmas with food and gifts. We spend time with friends and loved ones and rightly so. We celebrate the birth of the One who would later sacrifice his life. Let us keep is mind that this Child became the hope for our future and the future of many generations. A Child is born. Jesus, the greatest gift of all, is with us!

By Judy Michaud

A Hidden Gift

2011-12-13T10:14:00.002-05:00

This season of Advent is really so epic. All the readings lately (mostly from the prophet Isaiah) speak of this great thing that God is about to do. It’s like all of creation lies in wait. The nation has been waiting and longing and you can almost feel the anticipation. Something huge is about to happen! And we know that something huge indeed does happen. But it is hidden – a tiny baby, born in a lowly stable, to two young and inexperienced parents. Many people missed it. They didn’t see. They failed to recognize. They expected something different. And yet, this hidden, humble child is God. He comes down to the earth he created and is the answer that all of creation was waiting for, longing for!

On my recent trip to the Holy Lands, I found myself reflecting on this great mystery of the Incarnation. Of course, in preparing for the trip, I expected I would ponder such things in Bethlehem – the site of the manger and the shepherd’s fields, the place where God became man. But I was surprised to find myself awestruck a bit earlier in the trip during our visit to Nazareth. While celebrating Mass at the site of Mary’s home in Nazareth in the crypt of the huge Basilica of the Annunciation, I was struck by the profound reality that it is not in fact at Bethlehem where God touches down to earth. It is in Nazareth. We think of the circumstances of the birth of the Christ-child and we are struck by the humility, by the poverty, by the hidden way in which he chooses to come. But the Incarnation actually happened in Nazareth – in an even more hidden, more humble way. God touched down to earth in the womb of the Virgin Mary and no one else even knew! God became man and there was no visible change. No one could see the tiny baby growing in Mary’s womb. No one – not even a shepherd or a magi – bowed down to give him the homage he was due.

God could have chosen to come to earth in power and might, displaying his majesty for all the world to see. And yet he didn’t. He chose to come as a baby, first veiled in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and then born in the little town of Bethlehem. He comes in weakness, in vulnerability. And this same God who came hidden in the womb of Mary comes to us each and every day in the hidden, humble gift of the Eucharist. In the Eucharist we have truly present the Body, Blood, Soul, & Divinity of our God! He humbles himself that we might physically hold him within us! The humility and vulnerability of our God is astounding! And yet, so often we go before him clothed with whatever it is we feel we must cover ourselves with – our pride, acts of piety, sense of self-sufficiency. Our God comes to us in the most vulnerable of ways and yet we refuse to be vulnerable before him. Let us in these final weeks of Advent allow ourselves to be stripped of the clothing we hold so dear and appear before our God in humility, in poverty, in complete vulnerability that He might love us as we are!

By Sarah Houde

18 Days and Counting

2011-11-17T14:10:00.001-05:00

As I write this, my son and daughter-in-law are anticipating the birth of their first child, a girl. Naturally they’re excited, as am I. I’ve crocheted 2 blankets for the baby and I’ve done plenty of shopping. We touch base regularly after she visits the doctor. “How’s the baby? How much does the doctor think she weighs? How are you feeling?” The baby is due November 26 but the doctor said the baby will probably come sooner. I keep checking the calendar: 18 days and counting. . . I’ve reminded my son at least twice in the past week or so: Make sure you call me when you leave for the hospital. Don’t forget.

The first Sunday of Advent is right around the corner. We are all aware that it is a time of waiting and preparation for the birth of Jesus. But how many of us get really excited about this brief season of the liturgical calendar? How many of us feel the excitement that I’m feeling over the impending birth of my first granddaughter? Granted, the birth of a baby generates excitement for most people. Shouldn’t the birth of our Lord and Savior also generate excitement and anticipation? I know we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of shopping, decorating, baking and the busy-ness of the season. Yet in the midst of our preparations are we feeling an element of joy and excitement as we think about the coming birth of Jesus or are we simply going through the paces so we can get it over and done with?

This Advent, let’s take a deep breath and relax. Christmas will come and go whether we bake 10 kinds of cookies or 2 kinds. Christ’s birth will be celebrated regardless of how many gifts we can afford. Take the time to gather with family and friends and celebrate the real reason for the season. The King is coming!

By Judy Michaud

Breaking into the Ordinary

2011-11-15T11:33:00.001-05:00

I just returned from ten amazing days in the Holy Land. What an incredible blessing to walk in the places where Jesus Himself walked and pray in the places where He and his apostles prayed and kneel at the site where Redemption was won for the entire world. It certainly makes the mysteries of our faith such as the Incarnation, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection come to life in a whole new way! I’m overwhelmed with gratitude when I reflect upon all that I was blessed to experience. A verse from the Gospel of Matthew has continued to resonate in the few weeks I’ve been back. “Many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it and hear what you hear but did not hear it” (Matthew 13:17). My life will never be the same because of all that I was blessed to see, hear, and experience in those ten days.

I was struck by so many things during my time in Israel that I think it’s going to take my whole life to contemplate and process all that I saw and experienced, but one of the very first things that struck me most was the ordinary-ness of the region of Galilee. During the first half of our trip we stayed in Tiberias, literally right on western shore of the Sea of Galilee. As I gazed across the sea in the days we were there, I was so struck by the fact that God entered human time and history in a very real, very tangible, very ordinary place. There’s really nothing too astounding about the region of Galilee in Israel. The Sea is certainly beautiful and surrounded by very unique desert-like mountains, but it is a very real place. Standing there, I could just see Peter and the other apostles going about their daily work. Seeing the physical places where Jesus worked miracles and called his disciples to follow him caused me to imagine what that would have been like for them. What was it about Jesus that drew them to him? What caused them to abandon all else to follow him? How was it that he rocked their world? Did they recognize that something was different about him? Did they know that God was walking in their midst?

There’s something so beautiful about this reality that God chose to enter time and history in a very simple, ordinary place. It certainly shows the humility of our God and the simplicity with which he comes. But it doesn’t stop there. It points to the intimacy of the relationship he desires to have with each one of us. Just as God touched down to human history in the womb of a virgin in a little place called Nazareth in the region of Galilee, so too does he desire to touch down into our lives in the ordinary circumstances we find ourselves in day after day. He wants to break into human history each and every day by breaking into our hearts, by breaking into our lives. And He often does so in very real, very ordinary ways. I’m sure that there were many people living in Galilee at the time who did not let Jesus affect their lives, many who were either too busy to notice, or too cautious to care. And some who simply did not recognize that God was walking in their midst. How often do we fail to recognize the very simple, very ordinary ways that God comes to us, that he touches down to earth, hoping to break into our lives and into our hearts? Let us not be like those who failed to notice, but rather let us be like the apostles whose lives became radically different when God broke into their lives, who in the midst of their ordinary lives were so drawn to him and to his presence in their midst that they abandoned all to follow him!

By Sarah Houde

Fraught with Danger?

2011-11-10T15:01:00.001-05:00

In a couple of weeks, on the First Sunday of Advent, Catholic Churches in English-speaking countries will begin to use the New Roman Missal. This impending change in the translation of the prayers at Mass has received much attention and the efforts to prepare the faithful have been fairly comprehensive. Websites, articles, books and trainings have been numerous and easily available to priests, lay leaders and the laity alike.

Last spring I attended one such training outside of my diocese. It was, overall, fairly informative and hope-filled....until one speaker offered some concern about the new words that would be recited by the faithful. The presenter opined that phrases like “through my fault, through my fault, through my own grievous fault” and the words “incarnation” and “consubstantial” were, and I quote, “fraught with danger.”

I am certain that this individual was well-intentioned and concerned that all those who are responsible for teaching the faith consider the importance of catechizing our children properly about the changes, but I still found the choice of words to be inconsistent with what should be seen as a blessed opportunity to teach or re-teach about the Mass and the Eucharist. In fact this is a hope-filled opportunity to move into a new chapter of teaching about the beauty of the Mass and the Eucharist - “the source and summit of the Christian life.”

In many ways our children and youth will be models of embracing these changes and appreciating the beauty of the words that will be heard, recited and sung. At a recent retreat my office facilitated the nearly 300 youth and young adults who were gathered gave a standing ovation after two of our diocesan priests chanted the new “Gloria.” Rather than be worried about the “danger” that is supposedly lurking behind the “new” words we should focus on simply getting our children and young people to Mass so that they can experience the richness of our faith and be nourished by the Word of God and Jesus’ Body and Blood.

It is my hope that parishes (and parents) will embrace this opportunity with passion and conviction. It is my hope that they offer ample opportunities in the months and years ahead, for all age groups, to help them grow in their knowledge and experience of the Mass. It is my hope that through these efforts a new generation of saints will fall in love with the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Because in the end not teaching about the Mass and Eucharist is what is truly “fraught with danger.”

By Michael Lavigne

P.S. Our office has created a page at our website to highlight programs, videos, and other resources which can be used to supplement a parish’s catechetical efforts in teaching about the Mass and the Eucharist. You can access this page at www.olffmaine.com/newromanmissalcatechesis

UPDATE: Another Miracle of Life

2011-11-10T14:57:00.001-05:00

Back in September I wrote a post about my soon to be born daughter and the world in which she would grow up. I am happy announce that our latest miracle of life, Julia Rose, was born on October 27. Both mother and daughter are doing well and being enjoyed by the rest of the family!

Welcome to our world Julia.

By Michael Lavigne

On Being Judgemental

2011-10-25T16:16:00.001-04:00

Recently I was having a conversation with a friend who was questioning my belief in moral absolutes. I quickly realized that he was confusing the judgment of a person with the judgment of an action. Upon further reaction, I thought of the many times I’ve been accused of being judgmental for my moral beliefs. However, people often fail to realize that a person can view certain actions to be wrong while still having compassion for people who choose these actions. As a canon lawyer, I frequently take calls from people angry about the Church because they feel the Church has no right to make moral judgments.

For example, the Church’s position against abortion is well known. What is unknown is the Church’s compassion and care for women who have undergone abortion. Think about it: Abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood do not offer support services for women who are struggling with the often devastating after effects of an abortion, which are extremely common (see this recent study: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.abstract). Yet the Catholic Church offers caring and compassionate services to women who have had abortions such as counseling, retreats, and the Project Rachel program, not to mention the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Why? Because the Church recognizes the difference between the objective wrong that is abortion and the women who undergo abortions, and realizes the need to help women who have been through such an ordeal. Instead of punishing people who have taken an action we judge as wrong, the Church strives to help these women heal.

The same is true for another controversial issue: same-sex marriage. Recently Governor Cuomo of New York said that the only argument opponents of same-sex marriage have is “I want to discriminate against gay people,” and called opponents “anti-American.” This represents the same line of thinking: people who are opposed to same-sex marriage must judge and hate people who are gay. It completely overlooks the repeated message of the Catholic Church (along with many other faiths) that all people are made in the image of God, and as such, have an inestimable worth and dignity.

We live in a society where no one wants to be labeled “judgmental” and people are afraid of pushing their morality on another. I believe the only way to proceed in this culture is to hold fast to our beliefs, and let our actions toward people speak the truth of our deep respect for all people. For all the angry calls I receive in my work for the Tribunal, I occasionally am blessed to receive one from someone crying with gratitude at the healing, reconciliation, and grace they have received as a result of our work. These people were able to realize that the Church was not looking to place judgment or blame on them, but rather seeking to heal them of past wounds and move forward secure in the knowledge that the Church is merciful.

By Shannon Fossett, J.C.L.

Shannon is a Canonist for the Diocese of Portland.

It's the Little Things

2011-10-20T10:53:00.001-04:00

We can easily say “I am a Christian” and sometimes it’s even easy to behave as a Christian: when we team or attend a retreat when we attend Mass, when we volunteer in the parish, etc. These are times and places when it is easy to put on the mind of Christ. But this is not the where we live and where we live is where the challenge is. We live in and are exposed to places and situations that constantly bombard us with messages and behaviors that are contrary to Christ’s teachings. Without pausing to think about it, I’m sure we can all name a couple of people who claim to be Christians but whose lives do not reflect that. However, I want to challenge you to think about YOU and the areas in your life that may not exemplify Christ.

Immediately our minds turn to the BIG things: I’m faithful to my spouse; I go to Church once a week, sometimes more; I don’t swear; I volunteer; I haven’t committed murder; I’m not a thief, etc. Great! That’s all great, no doubt about it. But let’s look at the details, the little things of our lives that may speak loudest. After all that is what St. Therese of the Child Jesus did. She worked on the details of the picture more than the big picture itself.

Do we give our spouse and children the same courtesy and respect that we would give others such as please/thank-you or excuse me? We would do that much for strangers, why not our family? What about our language? Do we clean up our language when we’re in public but resort to more colorful words with close friends/family? As Christians, we should not have one behavior at home and one out in the world. We need to do our best to be Christian in our thoughts/words/actions all the time, everywhere.

Are we good stewards of what God has given us? Do we waste food? Do we recycle? Do we hoard the clothes that we no longer wear or worse yet, do we throw them out? Are we respectful of our property and the property of others? You’re getting a new set of dishes. What do you do with the old one? Do you throw it away, store it, or do you donate it to the battered women’s shelter, the food kitchen, Good Will? Do we spend our money wisely? Are we honest in our treatment of others, even when no one else would know? You have a second job (or your wife or teenager) but are paid under the table so it doesn’t have to be reported on your income tax. The clerk at the store gave you change for a twenty but you gave her a ten. We would be quick to point it out if she gave you too little change, but too much change? Would you even have to think about it before saying anything?

Do we place conditions on our commitment to Christ? I’ll work at the food kitchen/pantry if it rains; I’ll visit the sick if I can’t find a partner for golf; I clothe the naked if . . . I’ll be kind to my enemy if . . . I’ll pray more after I retire; after the garden is in; after the kids are older. First, I have to remodel this room; first I have to roof the garage . . . the kids are too young . . . after that I’ll get involved. We are not all called to become Mother Theresa. We can’t all be great evangelists. As St. Paul said in his first letter to the Corinthians, we are all parts of the same body and each part has its own function. Not every part is meant to be flamboyant. Not every part is going to be recognized for the work that it does but each part is required to do the best they can, right where they are, just as they are.

As with St. Therese, it’s the little things that made a difference and it’s the little things that will help to keep us on the path and allow us to follow Jesus as we should.

By Judy Michaud

Slow Down!

2011-10-11T12:50:00.003-04:00

The past several months I’ve found myself in a crazywhirlwind of activity. A summer oftransition, a big move for my family, a very blessed trip to World Youth Day, agreat evening of worship with Jackie Francois and Patrick Coffin, and now Ifind myself busily preparing for more wonderful upcoming retreats including Journey 2011,the first ever CatholicWomen’s Conference, and the annual March for LifeTrip as well as a personal pilgrimage to the Holy Lands and my collegeroommate’s wedding. It seems likethere’s just been so much going on in all dimensions of my life that I’vebarely had time to breathe, sleep, or even think! Don’t get me wrong…they’re all very goodthings – just a lot all at once.

I was recently sharing with a friend all the great thingsI’ve been up to lately and made a comment that I just need to slow down so Ican enjoy it! His response: “No, youneed to slow down so you can pray.” Touché. Without realizing it, in the midst of life’sbusyness, my life and mentality shifted to the very thing that Jesus rebukesMartha for in the passage we recently heard in the Gospel at Mass. “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worriedabout many things. Only one thing isneeded. Mary has chosen the betterpart.” Everything going on in my lifehad begun to become a burden and cause for anxiousness and worry rather than acause for rejoicing and celebration of the good things that God is doing in mylife and through my work. I had becomeso busy doing the works of the Lord that I forgot about the Lord of the works!

These words that Jesus speaks to Mary penetrated straightto my heart. “Mary has chosen the betterpart.” What is it that we find Marydoing? Sitting at the feet ofJesus. If we are to be effectiveevangelizers in and through the work that we do, whether we work directly inministry or answer the call to evangelize in the midst of our secular jobs andtemporal affairs, we absolutely must spend time sitting at the feet ofJesus! Soaking in His love, letting Hisgaze penetrate ours, and listening to His promptings so that the many things wefind ourselves anxious and worried about can become instead causes for joy andopportunities for love. Sitting at thefeet of Jesus reminds us what is truly important and gives us strength to continuedoing the work of bringing others to Him.

And so, if you find yourself like me, caught up in thecraziness of the fall and a new school year, I challenge you to take some timeto slow down…and pray.

By Sarah Houde

A Picture Can Say a Thousand Words

2011-10-06T18:15:00.001-04:00

The staff of the OLFF would like to officially unveil our new logo, which was finalized after months of prayer and consultation. As it is often said, “ a picture can say a thousand words” and the new logo is no different. Each of the elements that make up the image offer a specific insight regarding the mission of the office and all those who participate in the passing on of our Catholic faith:

Blue coloring: to remind us of Mary, the Mother of God, who is the model for all catechists and the patroness of our diocese.
Sunrise coloring: represents the dawning of a new springtime for evangelization in our diocese, which was proclaimed by Blessed John Paul II as the Church headed into the new millennium.
Mountains, pine trees, light house and ocean: represents the beauty of Maine.
Rays of light: to remind us of our mission, entrusted to us by Jesus - the Light of the World, to: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.* And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt 28:19-20)
Dove: represents the Holy Spirit and, by virtue of our Baptism, our responsibility to participate in the mission of the Church to evangelize and catechize the world.
Thin circle: symbolizes the lifelong process of conversion and faith formation.
Entire cross structure with circle image: symbolic of a monstrance and, therefore, the Eucharist - “the source and summit of the Christian life.”

As we continue to journey through October, a month dedicated to the Holy Rosary, let us entrust our prayers for guidance and strength - to participate in the mission of the Church and thereby continue to bring about a new springtime for our diocese - to our Blessed Mother and ask her to intercede on our behalf to her Son, Jesus Christ.

By Michael Lavigne

Another Miracle of Life

2011-09-30T15:56:00.001-04:00

Dear families, rejoice in fatherhood and motherhood! Openness to life is a sign of openness to the future, confidence in the future, just as respect for the natural moral law frees people, rather than demeaning them! The good of the family is also the good of the Church.

-Pope Benedict XVI, Homily, June 5, 2011

As we journey into the month of October, Respect Life Month, my family awaits the arrival of another miracle of life: Julia Rose. I find myself thinking about “life” as time draws near to meet my third daughter - I have embraced this exercise as I anticipated meeting all of my children.

Some of my reflection has focused on what will this world be like for Julia. Will she grow up in a world that reflects a culture of death or a world that brings forth a culture of life? Will she encounter a civilization of selfishness and a perverse understanding of freedom or a civilization of love, selfless love for the sake of the other? Will she witness a disdain for life, especially for the most vulnerable and innocent, or will she see the witness of those who have an “openness to life” and therefore an “openness to the future, confidence in the future?”

It seems to me, as I continue to be blessed to serve the Lord through my work in the Church, that so many people are unaware what or who they are created for. They lack an identity. Pope Benedict XVI, in his “Message for World Youth Day (2011), sums up our purpose, “Men and women were created for something great, for infinity. … The desire for a more meaningful life is a sign that God created us and that we bear His ‘imprint.’ God is life, and that is why every creature reaches out towards life. Because human beings are made in the image of God, we do this in a unique and special way. We reach out for love, joy and peace.”

There are too many lost souls who do not know their true identity and this lack of knowledge leads to so much of the pain, suffering and misguided attempts at happiness seen in our world today. Respect Life Month gives us an opportunity to refocus and become reenergized as Catholics to help the people who cross our paths to come to know their value - to come to know that the Creator of all is loving them into existence each and every moment of their lives. This “education,” rather, this epiphany will help them to grow in respect of all life, to bring forth a culture of life, to embrace a civilization of love and be witnesses to the openness to life.

This is the world that I pray my Julia Rose will grow up in during the years ahead. I pray that God will give me the grace to be an instrument in His hands to help build that world.

Will you?

By Michael Lavigne

A New Revival

2011-09-16T16:56:00.000-04:00

A 2008 Pew Forum study revealed that the fastest growing religious group in America is those who have no religion. One in six are not affiliated with any religious institution. Approximately 25% of cradle Catholics have left their faith (many studies have indicated that the second largest "denomination", behind Catholicism, is ex-Catholics). Of those who are Catholic only 20 to 30 percent attend Mass on a regular basis. The stats speak for themselves.

But they do not tell the whole story.

It would be convenient to hide behind such stats and adopt the mindset of some that there is no turning back. That the secular onslaught we witness today will simply erode away the Church. But to adopt such a thought process would be misguided to say the least. Do we really believe that God has given up on His Church in the year 2011?

Pope Benedict XVI (and his predecessors) have consistently said, "No" to such a hopeless mindset. They believed that there will be a new springtime of evangelization precisely because the world needs it in this post-modern era. At the closing Mass of World Youth Day Pope Benedict challenged the almost 2 million who were gathered to be God's instruments for this new evangelization: "Friendship with Jesus will also lead you to bear witness to the faith wherever you are, even when it meets with rejection or indifference. We cannot encounter Christ and not want to make him known to others. So do not keep Christ to yourselves! Share with others the joy of your faith. The world needs the witness of your faith, it surely needs God."

Recently our office hosted a special edition of the Hour of Power that offered participants an opportunity to gather for praise & worship (led by Jackie Francois), a testimony on the Eucharist (shared by Patrick Coffin), reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (thank you to the priests who offered their whole evening to hear the confessions of many who were present), and Eucharistic Adoration. On a beautiful late summer night over 175 people (of all ages) filled the Chapel at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception for this evening of adoring the Real Presence of Jesus Christ and celebrating our Catholic faith. To say that the evening was inspirational is an understatement.

I couldn't help but be moved in the very core of my being at hearing the words of one of the songs Jackie sung during Adoration. "I see a generation rising up to take their place. With selfless faith. With selfless faith. I see a new revival stirring as we pray and seek. We're on our knees. We're on our knees." (Hosanna by Hillsong - click to see and hear Jackie leading us that evening). All around me was a generation of young and old Catholics on their knees giving their lives over to the Risen Christ. A generation willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the Gospel message. A generation who want to "share with others the joy of their faith."

This weekend we celebrate Catechetical Sunday and ask God to bless all those who come forward to share their faith through the ministry of catechesis. Let us pray that God uses all of our catechists - all those who teach and witness our Catholic faith to all ages - to share His truth, goodness and beauty in a profound way. Let us trust that the God of life, who continues to nourish us through the Eucharist, will continue to guide all of us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to enkindle a new springtime of evangelization in our diocese and beyond.

By Michael Lavigne

Joined in Christ

2011-08-26T14:26:00.000-04:00

It was a warm April afternoon in Rhode Island; friends and family packed the small church of St. Agatha and watched as we exchanged our vows- the outward sign of our commitment to each other in the bond of marriage. In his book Love & Responsibility, Blessed John Paul II (then Karol Wjotyla) wrote of marriage as “an act of will that signifies and involves a mutual gift, which unites the spouses and binds them to their eventual souls, with whom they make up a sole family - a domestic Church.” We are firmly convinced, after our first seven years as a married couple, that it is due to the grace showered upon us by Christ, through the sacrament of marriage that we have grown as individuals, as a married couple, and thereby as parents of the six additional souls that make up our domestic Church.

God, the author of each of our lives, is ultimately the author of marriage. For us, our marriage was the culmination of years during which we learned to surrender our wills to the will of the Father. By doing so, we were able to enter into “the marriage covenant, by which a man and woman form with each other an intimate communion of life and love,” which the Catechism reminds us “has been founded and endowed with its own special laws by the Creator” (CCC, 1660).

This intimate communion of mind, body and soul between a husband and wife is expressed fully in the mutual gift, or self-donation, that takes place in the marriage bond. It is this gift of self, unique to the marriage act, which mirrors the sacrificial love of Christ and His Bride, the Church. Man and woman witness to this spousal love of Christ through their own selfless and sacrificial love for one another. The United States Catholic Catechism for Adults captures this beautifully, “the grace of this Sacrament perfects the love of husband and wife, binds them together in fidelity, and helps them welcome and care for children. Christ is the source of this grace and He dwells with the spouses to strengthen their covenant promises, to bear each other’s burdens with forgiveness and kindness, and to experience ahead of time the ‘wedding feast of the Lamb’ (Rev 19:9)” (USCCA, p. 285).

The Church in her wisdom articulates the two purposes of marriage: the unitive, as described above, and the procreative. As husband and wife, we have had the privilege of being co-creators with God, of six beautiful souls (Michael Jr., Mariana, John Paul, Therese, Julia, and Gabriel, who we trust is in heaven). The complete communion of the man and woman in Christ forms a bond that ultimately can bear fruit in the miracle of human life. “‘By its very nature, the institution of marriage and married love is ordered to the procreation and education of the offspring and it is in them that it finds crowning glory.’ (CCC, 1642: GS, 48)

The fruitfulness of married love includes the moral, spiritual, and faith life the parents hand on to their children. Parents, as principal educators of their children, are at the service of life” (USCCA, p. 283-84). In this beautiful vision of the Church, the parents seek holiness for each other, which as a result enables them, in “the service of life,” to seek holiness for their children. Likewise, this “domestic Church” becomes a beacon of light to the world around it encouraging others to desire sainthood in their own lives. The Church recognizes that “not all married couples are able to have children. ‘Spouses to whom God has not granted children can nevertheless have a conjugal life full of meaning.... [and] can radiate a fruitfulness of charity, of hospitality and of sacrifice’” (USCCA, p. 285).

With so many people not understanding the importance of sacramental marriage as an institution of Christ it is no wonder our society bears the scars of broken marriages begun on a secular foundation of sand. The Church, through Christ and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, offers a foundation of rock: “By their mutual fidelity, the spouses continue to make present to each other the love of Christ and lead each other to greater holiness through the grace they receive from the sacrament” (USCCA, p. 283). In April of 2004 we began such a journey together. It is our prayer and hope that many others, with faith in God, will do the same.

by Michael & Lori Lavigne
Michael is Director of the Diocese’s Office of Lifelong Faith Formation; Lori is Director of Faith Formation for Good Shepherd Parish, Saco. This article originally appeared in Harvest Magazine.

On Pilgrimage

2011-08-14T08:27:00.000-04:00

Continue to pray for our group of pilgrims as they make their way to Madrid to celebrate World Youth Day with Pope Benedict XVI.

Yearning for the Infinite

2011-08-10T14:48:00.000-04:00

By time you read this 68 youth, young adults and adults from the Diocese of Portland, Maine have begun their pilgrimage to Europe, which will take them through Fatima, Santiago de Compostela, and then to Madrid to join their peers in the celebration of World Youth Day with Pope Benedict XVI.

In his message for this World Youth Day Pope Benedict XVI writes, "I think that, to some extent, this urge to break out of the ordinary is present in every generation. Part of being young is desiring something beyond everyday life and a secure job, a yearning for something really truly greater. Is this simply an empty dream that fades away as we become older? No! Men and women were created for something great, for infinity. Nothing else will ever be enough. Saint Augustine was right when he said 'our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you'."

And yet our world seemingly strives to find so many things to replace the only One who can allow us to know who we are and to know the greatness for which we were created. Think about the people in your lives who yearn for something more than the mundane. Think about those you love who are restless and searching for infinity. What can help them shake free from the path of secularism that binds so many?

The answer: only Christ.

And those of us, who have been blessed to know and receive the gift of faith and who are in love with the Risen Lord. We are responsible for bearing the Good News of Christ to those who have not heard or seen. We are called to be evangelists in the modern world. Each of us must say yes to serving the Lord and one another in this way.

Our office is sponsoring many offerings in the fall, and beyond, that can help you to grow in faith and in effectiveness as a witness of Christ's truth and love. These events, retreats and trainings may also be part of the answer to the restlessness experienced by many you know in your daily walk of life.

It is our prayer that you will not only join us for many of these but spread the news to all those who will listen so that many will come together to celebrate throughout the coming months just as the young people of the world will be celebrating together over the next two weeks.

Please pray for the pilgrims of our diocese, including Bishop Malone, and be assured of our prayers as well. Lastly, check our Facebook, Twitter and Blog pages for daily WYD updates from our diocesan delegation!

By Michael Lavigne

You've Got a Friend in Me

2011-06-28T20:21:00.002-04:00

"There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship."

St. Thomas Aquinas

I came across the above quote on Twitter the other day. My first reaction was, "well, of course that is true." And I found that I was not alone in my reaction as I received some quick feedback from a few people when I re-posted the quote on Facebook.

Then it hit me. Per usual with St. Thomas there is more to this quote than meets the eye.

From a secular point of view a "true" friend would be someone who "has my back." Someone who would be on "my side" when needed. Someone who is loyal "to me." (I would often hear this from my students when asked to define "friend." They would also say that a "true" friend would "tell me what I want to hear," "not snitch on me," "not tell me if was doing something wrong," etc.) But true friendship from Aquinas' point of view, the Christian point of view, is different.

First and foremost a true friend would...well...stand for the truth in charity or love. St. Paul gives us the standard for this in 1 Corinthians: "Love is patent, love is kind.....it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth." (1 Cor 13: 4,6)

A true friend knows truth and, out of love, wants that truth to be manifested in my life as a friend. This is especially true when I might be wrong. A true friend would not "have my back" in such a situation, but, anchored in love, would tell me the truth in order that I might find my way back towards Truth.

A true friend sacrifices for the sake of the other. Such a person does not keep score for better or worse. Could you imagine if my best friend (that would be my wife) kept score in our marriage (for the record I would be not doing well I am sure)? Such score-keeping would undermine our relationship as each person would be waiting for the other to "catch up" and "even the score." St. Paul speaks to this as well, "It does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury." (1 Cor 13: 5). The true friend continues to give - to love - to call the other to the truth. In fact, the true friend forgives first and then challenges the other to right the wrong and helps them to do so (to often, in our "litigious" society we demand the apology and restitution before even considering the possibility of forgiveness - "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.").

A true friend "never fails." The problem with this piece is that all of us fail. We all sin at the expense of the others in our lives due to concupiscence. Hence, in the end there is only one "true" friend who is the standard for all friendships: Jesus Christ. "There is nothing on this earth more to be prized" than a true friendship with our Savior. Ultimately a friendship with Christ becomes the standard and the source of grace for all other friendships.

I am becoming more convinced every day that this is the fundamental problem with so many in our world today. They lack an authentic friendship with Jesus (please note that I am not referring to the caricature of Jesus that has been created over the years - I am speaking of the Savior of the world who is the Way, the Truth and Life; Who suffered and died for all of humanity for all time; Who pours Himself out to the world through the Sacraments - especially the Eucharist; Who called sin a sin, forgave and said "sin no more." That is the Jesus I am speaking of).

Those of us who strive to know, love and follow Jesus are obligated to befriend others as He befriends us. This is true friendship. And there is nothing on earth which is more prized.

by Michael Lavigne

Cata-Whatsit?

2011-06-06T15:56:00.000-04:00

Let’s face it: Catholicism isn’t always easy to understand. From Scripture to the Sacraments, and social teaching to doctrine, it sometimes seems like an impossibly daunting task to decipher the truths of even the most basic cornerstones of our faith. There are literally thousands of texts floating around about Catholicism, and figuring out whom and what to trust can be overwhelming. But for a true Catholic, apathy is not an option. The tools for understanding your faith are available to you – all you need to do is be willing to look. If you truly want to understand and embrace your faith, here are two places to start.

The Bible

In many homes, the Bible is known for being that large, ungainly book that sits on a corner table, doing an exceptional job of collecting dust. If you really mean to embrace your faith, however, the first step is to crack it open - regularly. Even if you feel like you remember most of the stories from Sunday school or your own reading, don’t let that fool you. There is always something more to be learned from God’s Word to us – don’t miss out!

The initial challenge is finding a Catholic translation of the Bible. There are literally dozens of translations on bookshelves – and a majority of them are not Catholic. Why is this important? To put it simply, other versions of the Bible are incomplete. The Catholic Bible contains 7 canonical books that other translations do not (they were removed after the Protestant Reformation). Catholic translations available are: the Revised Standard Version, the New Revised Standard Version, and the New American Bible.

Scripture is the bedrock of our Catholic faith - but as we all know, sometimes it can be more of a challenge than a joy to read and understand. That’s where a Catholic Study Bible comes in. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible is the most recent such text, and is considered by many to be the best available for Catholics. Study Bibles are designed to present and contextualize Scripture for us, making it that much easier to embrace God’s Word.

For a little more information on translations of the Bible.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Throughout its history, the Church has issued documents designed to present the doctrines of the faith to believers. Most well known among these in the past was the Baltimore Catechism, in use from 1885 until the early 1990’s. In 1992, Blessed Pope John Paul II approved the issuance of a new Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is still used today.

So where did this Catechism come from, and why should we rely on it? For starters, the new Catechism was nearly ten years in the making – it was no rush job. In 1985, Blessed Pope John Paul II convened a commission of Cardinals and Bishops to begin compiling a new document of Catholic doctrine (Incidentally, the head of that Commission was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger – now Pope Benedict XVI). In 1989, the Commission sent out the first draft of the document to every bishop in the Church for their feedback and suggestions. In 1992, the Pope approved the final version of the text, and by 1994 it was in worldwide circulation. It is literally a compendium of the universal faith of the Church, not just the opinions of a chosen few.

The Pope stated that the Catechism "is given to serve as a sure and authentic source book for the teaching of Catholic doctrine." It isn’t necessarily meant to be read from cover to cover, so don’t let the size daunt you. It is designed to concisely present every aspect of Catholic doctrine, in a format that is easy to break down and understand. It’s an invaluable resource for any Catholic.

By Matt Hurd

Matt Hurd is a summer intern for the Office of Lifelong Faith Formation in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. He is currently a junior theology major at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire and is interested in pursuing youth ministry work as a career.

Do Not Be Troubled - Follow Him

2011-05-27T12:58:00.000-04:00

With all the recent talk about the "end of the world" and "rapture" it was timely that we read these words of Jesus from the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, "“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.” (Jn 14:1-4) In Matthew's Gospel He reminds us that "only the Father knows the hour." (Mt 24:36) So why all the fuss about end-time predictions? Why the predictions at all?

All of us have the tendency to want to "control" our lives. We want to be in charge of what happens to us. If it is not in our time or in the way we planned then we want nothing to do with the situation. This attitude manifests itself more and more in our fast-paced and ever-changing society. The idea of abandonment to the will of another is foreign or out-right scorned. Even some Christians (among others) give in to this thinking when they attempt to predict the end of the world through formulas of their own creation - formulas that they control.

In this beautiful Easter season we celebrate Christ's victory over sin and death. We celebrate His complete love for all of humanity of all times. We celebrate His complete abandonment to the will of the Father, ultimately seen in His giving up His life on the Cross. Three days later He rises from the dead. He rises and gives us reason to "not let your hearts be troubled." We can only embrace this reality by surrendering ourselves, as Jesus did, to the will of the Father. This is how we are to prepare for our own "end-times" and for the ultimate end of the world. Jesus reminds us to be prepared at all times and we do so by staying united to Him, especially through the sacraments. He is the One who shows us how to live for He is "the way, the truth and the life."

Let this message of hope be the message that others can witness through our lives. Our world, which is so full of trouble these days, needs this witness...needs Christ.

by Michael Lavigne

God Thirsts for Us

2011-05-23T15:41:00.000-04:00

In preparing a recent presentation on prayer, I was struck by the Catechism’s definition of prayer. “Prayer is the encounter of God’s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him” (CCC 2560). I find that imagery of thirsting just so beautiful. Think about that for a minute – the living God thirsts for us to come to Him in prayer, to thirst for Him! Thirsting implies this sense of desperation and longing. David cries out with this longing for God numerous times in the Psalms. “My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1). “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:1-2). The reality is that just as water is the one thing which we physically can’t live without, God is the one thing our hearts cannot live without. Because they were created for Him! “The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for” (CCC 27). It is God alone who can fill the longings of our hearts, those things for which our heart thirsts! It’s similar to standing at the base of a waterfall. At the base of a waterfall, there is more water than you could ever drink. All your thirst is satisfied. This same thing happens in prayer, in relationship with God! All of our thirst is satisfied. Additionally, while standing at the base of that waterfall, the power of the water pouring over you washes off any dirt, any impurities, and you are completely cleansed. The same thing happens in prayer when we allow the power of God’s love and mercy to pour over us and cleanse us. He is thirsting for us to come to Him that he might satisfy all of our longings and desires.

What I find to be so profound about this whole notion is that it is God who first thirsts for us. “The wonder of prayer is revealed beside the well where we come seeking water: there, Christ comes to meet every human being. It is he who first seeks us and asks us for a drink. Jesus thirsts; his asking arises from the depths of God’s desires for us” (CCC 2560). Prayers itself is a gift because it is God who first thirsts for us to thirst for him! “God calls man first…the living and true God tirelessly calls each person to that mysterious encounter known as prayer…our own step is always a response” (CCC 2567). We see this clearly if we look at salvation history. It’s the story of God pursuing his people, extending himself in relationship and covenant with them, over and over again so that he can be with them. And what do we find at the culmination of salvation history? We find a God who thirsts for us so much that He sent His dearly beloved son, Jesus, to die for us. The crucifix is a reminder of God’s thirst for us. As He is hanging on the cross dying, Jesus cries out, “I thirst.” (John 19:28). He thirsts for our love in prayer. His thirst led him to the cross. Will our thirst lead us to prayer?

by Sarah Houde

The Fullness of Life

2011-05-07T16:00:00.000-04:00

“I have come that you might have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). These words of Jesus have always stirred something deep inside of me – a dissatisfaction with living a mediocre life, a desire to live radically, to have a full and abundant life. With the arrival of spring and new life all around us, I’ve found myself reflecting on these words more frequently once again. How often I find myself falling into the monotonous routine of life. A lot of days it certainly doesn’t feel like I’m living this “life to the full” that Jesus spoke about.

Our beloved Blessed Pope John Paul II who was just beatified this past weekend had something to say about living the fullness of life. “You are young and you want to live. But you have to live life to the fullest and with a specific goal. You have to live for God, for others. And no one can live his life for himself. The future is yours, but the future is above all a call and a challenge to find your life by surrendering it, losing it, sharing it through a loving surrender to others.” The fullness of life that Jesus promised comes in losing it, in laying it down for others. Living a radical and abundant life means that we will refuse to settle for mediocrity when it comes to love. St. Therese of Lisieux and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta lived such abundant lives because they lived each day doing small things with great love. We find purpose and meaning in our lives and break free from the dull monotony that limits our existence when we decide to make self-giving love our primary goal and motivation. In our society this is crazy! To think that living for someone else, not putting ourselves first, is what leads to a full and abundant life? That’s a radical thing. Is it easy? Certainly not. But is it worth it? Absolutely. Why? Because it is in doing so that we find the fullness of life. As we are reminded in this Easter season, the Resurrection is only possible after the Crucifixion. The new life that Jesus promises can only come after we die to our selves. We have as our model Christ Himself who showed the fullest extent of his love by his radical death on the cross. But who then proved the fullness of life that this brings by his powerful rising from the dead. Let us choose to live this fullness of life! Christ is Risen! Alleluia!

By Sarah Houde

The Triduum: A Pilgrimage of Love

2011-04-20T20:58:00.000-04:00

As we enter into the climatic season of the liturgical year for the Church, I pray that our Lenten journey has prepared us well. Pope Benedict reminds us that the Easter Triduum "invites us to ponder the loving obedience of Christ." These days give us a poignant and tangible opportunity to immerse ourselves into Christ's salvific actions. In a way, the commemoration of Jesus' passion, death and resurrection during these three days can become a pilgrimage during which we can "resolve to imitate Christ's loving obedience to the Father's saving plan, which is the source of authentic freedom and the path of eternal life."

I have distinct memories of the Triduum from when I was young and can vividly recall how much I learned about my Catholic faith through the liturgical movement of the Church. Bishop Malone often speaks about how he was “marinated in the faith as a child” and this was certainly the case for me during these most important of days.

On Holy Thursday I was always moved by the humble act of the washing of feet and processing with our Eucharistic Lord to the parish chapel where the faithful would “keep watch” with Christ until midnight. There was something special about spending time with Christ in Eucharistic Adoration as we commemorated the night before He died. Maybe it was the connection with that actual night two thousand years ago when the Apostles could not stay awake and how, in my sinfulness, I could be just like them often in my life. And yet, in His Presence, I knew I was loved.

Good Friday brought a time of silence, making the Lavigne home eerily quiet, from noon to 3 p.m. I remember many Good Friday afternoons when I was alone in my room reading about Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross in my children’s Bible. As we grew older my brother began a tradition of putting up crosses in our back yard as a sign of his faith and love of Christ (he still practices this tradition today as he now lives in our childhood home with his family – about 25 years later). And in the evening the community would gather to reflect intensely on Jesus’ redemptive act and we would “behold the wood of the Cross on which hung the Savior of the world.” As a young child I learned many lessons from the elders of our community who approached the Cross with such reverence, devotion and love for our Lord.

The climax of the Triduum is the Easter Vigil. I have often taught young people that if they want to learn and experience the richness and beauty of our Catholic faith then they should attend the Easter Vigil Mass. This celebration has it all – darkness and fire; silence and praise; the simplicity of water and the beauty of flowers; individuals coming into the Church and the community of believers embracing them. I was blessed to be an altar server for many years during this powerful liturgical expression of our faith.

There are many memories, too many to recount here, but one stands out after all these years. It was just as the Easter candle was placed into its stand in the sanctuary, the Church being lit up by the candles of all the faithful, and the Deacon would begin to chant: “Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing choirs of angels! Exult, all creation around God’s throne! Jesus Christ, our King is risen! Sound the trumpet of salvation!” As his voice rang out (our Deacon was – and he still is – a humble and compelling witness of our Catholic faith for me) my heart stirred with joy, hope and love. Every year my heart stirred at this moment. It still does.

Now that I have my own children I pray that they too will be “marinated” in the life-giving truths of our faith during the Easter Triduum. I hope they will be moved by the actions of humility; by silence; by a reverent kiss of the Cross; by darkness and light; by a servant’s chanting of Christ’s victory; by the truth of Christ’s saving action out of love for them.

I pray you take time to stop, listen and learn during these holy days. This journey of faith, over the next few days, ultimately culminates in the triumphant celebration of our identity as Christians. "We are an Easter people and hallelujah is our song," Pope John Paul II reminded us so often. Even in the midst of persecution, loss, suffering, loneliness, and death we remain hope-filled due to the reality of Christ's victory! May we, through the graces available to us in this holy season, be witnesses of such hope and joy. May our lives radiate Christ's obedient love!

by Michael Lavigne

Listen to the Creator

2011-04-15T07:46:00.000-04:00

I’m sitting here struggling with a topic for this blog. A couple of ideas came to mind but they didn’t seem to fit the bill. Why is it that I struggle with this so much? I don’t usually struggle with things to talk about, but blogging. . . It’s a lot like having a one sided conversation, the blogger is saying something but there’s no facial reaction, no body language, no verbal response to go by. I wonder if that’s the way God often feels . He communicates with us constantly in numerous ways but there’s no response. How many of us are so busy doing things: working, taking care of family, jogging, shopping, spending time on the internet, driving/riding from one point to another, busy, busy, busy. We take little time to talk to, much less listen to, the Father who created us. He sends us the beauty of nature and we complain about the snow, the heat, the rain, the weeds. He gives us the miracle of babies yet they are aborted and abused. He’s provided us with the Eucharist yet how often do we thank Him for the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus? Holy Week begins in a couple of days as we commemorate Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem and a few days after that we begin our own “high holy days”, the Triduum. I pray that during this holy time we really spend time listening to what our Creator, our Father is saying to us and that we strive to truly live as His children.

by Judy Michaud

Follow Jesus

2011-04-15T07:33:00.001-04:00

As we continue this journey towards Holy Week and the celebration of Christ's victory over death may we renew our commitment to follow Him.

Met in Our Weakness

2011-04-12T11:40:00.000-04:00

The fifth week of Lent is upon us. Already? Yep. Can you believe it? I feel like it was just a few days ago that I was gearing up for 40 days of prayer & penance. The beginning of Lent is always a great opportunity to take a good look at ourselves, examine the areas we need to change, and then go about making commitments to do so. And here we are 5 weeks later. Is anyone else finding themselves frustrated at the ways they’ve failed to remain faithful to the Lenten commitments made? Wishing the last four weeks of Lent had resulted in perfect sanctity rather than a reminder of our weakness? The perfectionist in me certainly is. But as I took a few minutes to reflect on this, I realized that this is in fact what Lent is all about. Recognizing that we cannot become holy on our own. Admitting that we need a Savior. And the good news is this: It is precisely in our weakness that Christ meets us!

How many times do we go to prayer attempting to have it all together? Trying to present ourselves to God as worthy and pious? This isn’t what He desires. He desires our honesty, our vulnerability. The reality is that we don’t deserve his love and we will never have it all together without his grace. Certainly we are called to strive for virtue and proactively receive grace into our lives. But we cannot achieve perfection on our own. The woman at the well couldn’t quench her own thirst. The man born blind couldn’t make himself see. Lazarus couldn’t raise himself from the dead. Neither can we make ourselves holy. As we enter into this last week of Lent and approach the Triduum, let us come before Christ stripped of everything and allow Him to meet us in our weakness.

By Sarah Houde

Seeking Mercy

2011-04-07T22:07:00.000-04:00

"In order to respond to the call of God and start on our journey, it is not necessary to be already perfect. We know that the prodigal son's awareness of his own sin allowed him to set out on his return journey and thus feel the joy of reconciliation with the Father. Weaknesses and human limitations do not present an obstacle, as long as they help make us more aware of the fact that we are in need of the redeeming grace of Christ."

Pope Benedict XVI

Message for the 43rd World Day of Prayers for Vocations
March 30, 2006

I am a sinner. I am broken. I fail to love my wife, my children, my family, friends, co-workers and enemies the way they deserve. I am aware of this reality.

Pope Benedict XVI’s words above remind us of the importance of recognizing, in humility, our fallen nature. This recognition is a wonderful starting point each and every day to drawing deeper into a relationship with our merciful Father in Heaven. It is precisely when we are vulnerable – empty if you will – that we are in a state ready to receive Christ’s “redeeming grace.”

The beautiful story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32) is meant to draw us into a more complete understanding of God as Love and His desire to shower mercy upon us. I gained a greater appreciation of this story when I read a little about Jewish customs at the time of Jesus. When the younger son asks for his “inheritance” he was in effect telling his father that he was dead to him. Imagine the pain that the father must have felt in the deepest core of his being. According to custom the father would give the son what was his share of the inheritance but there was a “condition.” The son could not come back. In fact, if he came back he could be treated as a vagabond or a thief coming to steal from the property and be killed.

The son would have known this reality, which makes his decision to go back to his father more compelling. In a way he would have known that he was going back to his own death. This understanding of the story greatly enhances the point that Jesus is trying to make about the love of God for his fallen away children.

Not only do we find the father looking out for his son (Jesus clearly wants us to know that the father was doing so every day after the son left), but also he runs to his lost son and lavishes upon him forgiveness, mercy and love. He runs to the son who had called him dead and exclaims, “This son of mine was dead, and has come to life again.” The “irony” is not meant to be lost upon the listener or reader. Can you imagine the crowd who was listening to Jesus tells this story the first time and how stunning this turn of events would have been to them? Yet the message is clear: God will always be looking to shower his lost children with His forgiveness, mercy and love. God always runs after us. No matter how sinful or broken we are.

“Weaknesses and human limitations do not present an obstacle, as long as they help make us more aware of the fact that we are in need of the redeeming grace of Christ." I am a sinner. I am broken. I fail to love. Yet I pray daily that the awareness of my shortcomings fuel my desire to be holy and my deepest longing to seek and receive the “redeeming grace of Christ.”

May this continuing season of Lent offer us more opportunities to grow in such consciousness and seek the healing love of Jesus Christ.

- Michael Lavigne

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland is promoting “The Light is On For You.” Every parish/cluster in the state will have at least one church site open every night from April 11-15 from 6-7p.m. for confession and time of quiet reflection.

We Are a Work in Progress

2011-03-25T20:37:00.000-04:00

We’re already in the second week of Lent. I’ve “kept” the “penances” I’ve taken but I’ve also been challenged in a number of other ways. Did you ever notice that? Regardless of what’s going on, regardless what penance you take, it seems that during Lent there is always something else that will rise up and challenge your way of thinking, of responding.

These incidents happen the year round, of course, but for some reason during Lent they seem to be more prominent. I think I’m a patient person. It’s an acquired virtue. You know “practice makes perfect” and I’ve had plenty of practice. But I ran into a situation recently that had me wanting to pull my hair out. Internally I had a knee-jerk reaction (and I would never say out loud what I was thinking) but beyond the immediate thoughts, I knew that I needed to take a deep breath and wait this out. I knew that in spite of what is happening, God would place His hand on it and resolve it in His way, in His time.

You know how people/companies dangle a carrot to make someone pay attention or buy into whatever is being sold? I think those little (and sometimes not so little) incidents, are the “carrots” that God is presenting to us. I think it’s His way of telling us that we are still a work in progress.

We still have several weeks of Lent. It is my prayer, for myself and for all of you, that these unexpected situations become moments of growth and purification during this time of prayer and penance.

Judy Michaud

The Feast of the Annunciation

2011-03-25T20:30:00.000-04:00

Today’s feast is my favorite feast day in the entire Church year! Today we celebrate the moment that God entered history, the moment that the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us, the moment that our salvation begun. What an awe-inspiring moment to contemplate! And while this certainly is grand and reason to rejoice, I’ve always loved the Feast of the Annunciation particularly because of the very real, very tangible role a lowly young woman played in the salvation of the world. Mary’s humble acceptance of what God was asking of her enabled salvation to be won for all mankind! Her simple “yes” caused her womb to become the very first tabernacle where God’s dearly beloved Son took up residence and was nurtured and protected. When I contemplate Mary and her role in the Incarnation, I am reminded of the irreplaceable role that God has called each and every one of us to in his plan of salvation. I, a lowly young woman, have an irreplaceable role to play in God’s plan. And I live this role by a simple, humble “yes” to him each day by waking up and being faithful to the duties he has called me to right here, right now. I’m sure Mary had no clue when she said “yes” to the angel Gabriel what the result of her “yes” would be. In a similar way, I’m sure that God uses each of us in many more ways than we can see as we humbly say “yes” to Him each day.

This year in particular I’ve been struck by the role of St. Joseph in all of this. Not only did God have an irreplaceable role for Mary to play; he also had an irreplaceable role for St. Joseph. St. Joseph’s humble “yes” to the role of Protector and Provider that God was asking of him enabled Mary to live the vocation God was asking of her. St. Joseph took a huge leap of faith when he embraced God’s will for him to take Mary as his wife into his home when he knew he was not the father of her child – a cause for utter public humiliation! And yet, his immediate and unquestioning obedience to God in all things is what ultimately protected this lowly virgin and her child. His role was so different than that of Mary’s, yet equally important! St. Joseph, pray for us that we might say “yes” to the Lord and live the irreplaceable role he has called us to!

Sarah Houde

An Encounter with the Lord

2011-03-19T15:21:00.000-04:00

The season of Lent offers us an opportunity, as Pope Benedict XVI reminds us, to have "a particularly intense encounter with the Lord, calling us to retrace the steps of Christian initiation." Of course this begins with embracing the Lenten practices of prayer, sacrifice and alms-giving, which requires the desire to "die to ourselves." This act of wild abandonment leads to a greater awareness of who we are as sons and daughters of God and prepares us to be witnesses of Christ to the world.

Our world needs such witnesses. Our world needs such hope. Our world needs the example of all of us who seek to be holy "as the Father is holy." Let this be our collective desire this Lent: that we might willingly empty ourselves in order to be vessels waiting to be filled and moved by God's grace.

Michael Lavigne

Lent: A Time to Remember Who You Are

2011-03-14T21:20:00.000-04:00

Bishop Malone reminds us in the video above that we "exist because God loved you into being because God is love and what does Love require? A beloved!" Lent certainly offers us an opportunity to daily "die to ourselves" through prayer, sacrifice, and alms-giving so that we can rest in this beautiful truth.

The evening prayer for today asks God to "bring us back to you and fill our minds with your wisdom." Let us ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with this wisdom, built upon the fundamental truth of our existence: that we are being loved into existence each and every moment of our loves!

Stop for a moment each day this Lent to reflect and pray about this wonderful truth. Allow this reality to conform you to God's will that you might allow Him to use you to share this message of hope to the many in our world who do not know or believe it. Amen.

Michael Lavigne

Joy is My Soul Armor!

2011-03-03T17:18:00.000-05:00

I recently gave a brief retreat reflection on joy in the life of a Christian. I just wanted to take a moment to share some thoughts about joy with you all. Joy is the indelible mark of the Holy Spirit. Christians of strong faith and trust in the Lord do not despair in the face of trials and temptations, but are full of joy (James 1:2).

I also believe that joy is spiritual armor. The devil is a prideful spirit who takes himself very, very seriously. Christian happiness, the joy that comes from trust in the Lord, is absolutely incomprehensible to Satan. Pray therefore for the gift of cheerfulness, even amongst life's difficulties. Joy is the language of heaven.

Laughter… real, authentic, makes your face hurt, lose your breath laughter…is never heard in hell.

Joe Mailhot

Be Her Gift This Valentine's Day

2011-02-11T13:09:00.005-05:00

In case all of you men have not heard Monday is Valentine’s Day. That’s right the pressure is on to make sure you get that special something to show your wife or fiancée that you love her (Note: I’m writing to men who are married or will be married, but the message should help out all men).

Now don’t worry because this has been resolved for you! Just buy her a dozen roses (with the free vase!) in her favorite color. If that doesn’t work, why not get her a pajamagram – what woman doesn’t like new pajamas while it is still cold out. Not enough, then really show her you love her by buying those diamond earrings she has been longing for (you can even trade them in next year for a larger pair and only pay the difference - imagine how big they will be in ten years!). If you are running out of time just go for the staples: a nice card with a box of chocolates – that will at least meet the standard of what she is expecting from you.

Truth is, while all of the above are nice and will surely bring a smile to her face, none of it is enough. None of the above meets the real standard for loving our wives or fiancées.

Jesus Christ has set the standard for the gift she deserves. If you want to show her you love her this Valentine’s Day do this:

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church and handed Himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the Church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So (also) husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (Eph. 5: 26-29)

This is the gift she truly desires and deserves from you. Drop everything that holds you back from loving your wife or fiancée like Christ loved his Church. Only you know what it is that prevents you from this type of love. Is it work, friends, sports, pornography, hobbies, selfishness, and on and on and on? Identify it, seek God’s healing from it (get to the Sacrament of Reconciliation) and drop it from your life.

Be a real man for her - a man of God. All of this requires a wild abandonment to Christ first and foremost. Go to Him, especially in the Eucharist, and learn from Him. Learn to love her as He loved the Church.

Be her gift this Valentine’s Day.

By Michael Lavigne

P.S. To my beloved wife Lori: I love you and desire to love you more and more each day as Christ loved His Church. Thank you for loving me and challenging me to grow as a husband and father – to grow as a man of God. Happy Valentine’s Day.

Man and Woman are Made for Each Other

2011-02-11T10:00:00.001-05:00

During this 5^th week of Ordinary Time, as we celebrate National Marriage Week, the Church’s liturgy focuses on the book of Genesis. In Thursday’s reading from Genesis 2:18-25, we find the biblical account of the original unity of man and woman. Earlier in Genesis we see how God enabled the first man to discover the beauty and wonder of creation, and He even entrusts him with the creative task of naming the animals. As fascinating as these creatures were, none of them could fulfill Adam’s deepest desires and needs. He was left alone.

“It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Gen. 2:18) The first man living alone is not yet fully human and complete in the mind and heart of God. The fashioning and creation of woman provides a unique complementarity that brings about the completion of his humanity and masculinity. This complementarity is reciprocal between them as they are made physically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually for one another. In effect, in leading the man to the woman and the woman to the man, God creates the first marriage.

The creation of humanity is not simply left to mere chance. God intentionally creates the woman for the man and vice-versa. In this divine act of love, God invites the first couple, and all succeeding couples to reflect on this mystery of life and love. It is fascinating to see that in the story of the creation of woman, God fashions woman from the man’s side, and she is created as his equal. God establishes men and women as equal co-partners. He takes one of the man’s ribs (from his side) to bring the woman into being – man and woman are created in the image and likeness of God…male and female…and they are made for one another!

The complementarity of the man and woman implies a shared dominion, and also a deep communion of life and love. The Hebrew words “ ‘ezer kenegdo” means “like as unto him,” “as one suitable to him,” a “help or support.” They are made as mutual companions and co-partners and are given to one another as gift. They relate to each other by participating in the life of one another and receiving the reciprocal gift of one another. They are enriched and blessed to be given a share in the creative capacity of bringing forth new life from the fruit of their love for one another and for God.

Marriage is unique for a reason, so that man and woman can share fully in the life of one another and participate in the plan of God for humanity. When man and woman open their heart and mind to God and each other, they can discover this great gift of reciprocal complementarity.

Fr. Kevin Martin is the Parochial Vicar for St. Michael's Parish, Augusta

Suffering in Marriage: An Opportunity

2011-02-09T14:04:00.001-05:00

Today’s culture runs away from suffering, marriage, commitment, children and any other attachment that might come with inconvenience, self-sacrifice or discomfort. Those who embrace the Sacrament and vocation of marriage are offering the world a sign of suffering that can bear fruit for the sake of others.

In a unique way, married couples by the fact of their entering a sacramental marriage are called to a special form of suffering. It’s not simply a matter of varying opinions on whether or not to roll the toothpaste tube from the bottom, or the annoyance of a snoring spouse. More profoundly, through their consent to marriage, the couple participates in the love between Christ and the Church.

Jesus Christ died for the Church, suffering for the sake of her salvation. In Familiaris Consortio, John Paul II wrote, “Spouses are therefore the permanent reminder to the Church of what happened on the Cross; they are for one another and for the children witnesses to the salvation in which the sacrament makes them sharers.” If a couple denies this privilege of marriage by cohabiting or “hooking up,” then they are simultaneously denying the world a sign of salvation. Without the permanent reminder of redemptive suffering presented in marriage, widespread narcissism is inevitable. On the contrary, when witnesses of self-giving love, received from God and not grasped for one’s own self-affirmation, abound in the culture, then a true culture of life and a civilization of love are able to bloom.

It seems paradoxical to say that our suffering culture needs suffering, yet this is precisely the case. The heartache caused by divorce, contraception, abortion, hooking-up and other common practices today can only be resolved by understanding suffering as a gift of offering to the world a witness of God’s love. Simultaneously, those who embrace this view are healed of a narcissistic tendency to focus on self-gain rather than self-gift. Consequently, one is freed to experience the words of Vatican II, often quoted by John Paul II: “[M]an, who is the only creature on earth which God willed for itself, cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself.” (Gaudium et Spes 24)

When the trials and sufferings of marriage seem particularly difficult to bear, couples may find some comfort in offering their suffering as part of their gift of self to God. The Lord is able to receive the couple’s suffering as fertilizer for the seeds He has already planted. In this way, the suffering of marriage is able to bear great fruit for the couple, for their family and for society at large.

By Emily Bissonnette, Theology of the Body Education Coordinator at Ruah Woods in Cincinnati, OH. She received her Masters in Theological Studies from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, DC, and her undergraduate degree in Theology and Communication Arts from Franciscan University of Steubenville. Emily is dedicated to sharing John Paul II's legacy through writing, blogging, speaking and media appearances, which she has done on three continents. She can be reached at emily.bissonnette@gmail.com.

Defending Marriage

2011-02-07T11:55:00.000-05:00

Over the last few years, the push for same-sex marriage has led opponents to surmise that “marriage is under attack” and that there is an urgent need to rally in “defense of marriage” as an institution. While this debate touches upon the deepest values of our society, every day I am reminded of the many other ways that marriage is threatened. Trained to navigate and understand the laws of the Catholic Church, I am a canon lawyer and serve the Diocese of Portland primarily in the Marriage Tribunal, which investigates whether divorced individuals can remarry in the Catholic Church. More than anything, I have learned through my work here that so many have suffered greatly through failed marriages. While this is no surprise given the high divorce rate in the United States, hearing the stories of divorce and meeting those in pain is very different from reading a statistic. Some wounds never quite heal in this life.

As I share in the experiences of others’ turmoil, abuse, abandonment, hopelessness, anguish, shame, and disappointment, I imagine Christ’s commandment to “love one another” almost, instead, as a plea: “Please, I beg you! Love one another.” Every one of us, whether married or not, faces the trap to love less or not at all, to give less or not at all. Marriages fade and die without love. The love that marriage needs, however, is not mere affection, emotion, or feeling. Love is a commitment, a selfless devotion to the happiness and well-being of another. Although men and women are made to love and be loved, it takes effort to live our lives according to love.

In our own marriages, the fate of marriage as an institution is at stake. If marriage is the bedrock of our society, let it first be the bedrock of our families. It is so important for our friends, relatives and, most of all, children, to recognize the love that thrives in marriage. Too many broken marriages repeat themselves over the generations. How can we as a Church uphold marriage as a sacred institution if so many of us struggle to keep our families together? Whether you are single, happily married, unhappily married, or divorced, my advice is the same: love those close to you, especially when it’s difficult, and pray that God will give you the strength to live as you ought.

By Stephen Garbitelli, Canonist, Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland

Rules, Regulations, and Weddings: Why the Church Cares

2011-02-07T11:53:00.001-05:00

During wedding season, one of the common questions I am asked by engaged couples is why they cannot have a non-traditional Catholic wedding. In an age where the average cost of an American wedding is $30,000, and numerous television shows highlight extravagant, personalized weddings, people are often bewildered by the Church placing restrictions and requirements on “their special day.”

When at least one of the spouses is Catholic, the Church has certain requirements for weddings. These requirements constitute what is called the canonical form of marriage. Canonical form includes elements such as who may witness a marriage, when a marriage may take place, what must be included in the ceremony, and where the ceremony is to take place. Canonical form has a long and colorful history in the Church. In the Middle Ages, weddings often involved only the couple exchanging their consent privately. However, these weddings produced disastrous results as the spouses, usually the wife, could not prove that they were really married. This led to social problems such as abandoned spouses, children, and confused property and inheritance rights.

While clandestine marriages may have been the catalyst for the introduction of canonical form, there are more pastoral and theological reasons underlying these requirements. At a practical and pastoral level, engaged couples must meet with a priest at some point before their wedding. This ensures that they are given the opportunity to receive assistance and preparation prior to marrying. Pope Benedict XVI, in his address to the Tribunal of the Roman Rota on January 23, 2011, spoke at length about the necessity of better marriage preparation as a means to counter the prevalence of divorce. This requirement affords ministers the opportunity to reach out to engaged couples. The second, more theological reason for canonical form is to ensure that the wedding ceremony corresponds to the liturgical and ecclesial components of a sacramental celebration in the Church.

Most people would never imagine requesting that any other sacrament take place outdoors, or to a form of their choosing. Marriages are not private events, but public ecclesial ones. The spouses are declaring their commitment publicly, and so it is fitting that the celebration takes place in a church, where the focus is on the Eucharist. Couples are sometimes upset that their wedding cannot take place on a tropical beach, with a friend who was recently “ordained” on the Internet presiding. Yet it is important for these couples to decide if what they truly desire is a marriage centered on Christ, and, if so, whether their wedding ceremony will be consistent with the true significance of the marriage covenant. The requirements of canonical form are not present to restrict the spouses. On the contrary, they exist to enable the couple to have the opportunity to receive assistance from the Church’s ministers, and to have a fruitful celebration worthy of the dignity of marriage.

By Shannon Fossett, Canonist, Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland

Singleness: A Grace-Filled Season

2011-02-07T11:51:00.001-05:00

For as long as I can remember, I’ve known that marriage is my vocation. It’s tough to explain – just a deep-rooted, heart knowledge that this is how God is calling me to love. So there are days (sometimes many days) when I ask myself: Why am I still single?!? My plan for my life was to go to college, meet a good Catholic man, fall in love, and marry upon graduating. Not only did that not happen, but here I find myself two years out of college, still not even dating, and yet still very much feeling called to marriage. So, why am I blogging about this in the midst of National Catholic Marriage Week? Allow me to explain.

Being a young adult, single Catholic can definitely be a challenge at times. But what I’ve come to see in the past few years is that this season of singleness is a grace-filled opportunity. If only I will open myself up to the graces available in it. The Lord has revealed a lot to me in my quest for an answer to the ever-pressing question, “God, if you’re calling me to marriage, then how come you haven’t provided the necessary components (a.k.a. a man to pursue me!)?” He has shown me that this season of singleness holds so much opportunity to enrich my life and the lives of those around me. When I decided to stop living in a state of longing for the future and the fulfillment of my vocation to marriage and instead began to focus on the place where God has me right now, my life became so much more life-giving and fulfilling. For whatever reason, this state of singleness is exactly where God has me, and as I began to seek His face in the midst of it rather than kick and scream through it, I found that this season of my life is not a cross to run from, but rather a gift to embrace.

It’s a gift for so many reasons. I have the ability to pour myself completely into serving God by serving His Church, right now in full-time ministry. I have the time to pursue hobbies and interests that I probably won’t have time for when raising a family. I can invest myself in rich and lasting friendships with other women who find themselves in a similar situation. The list goes on, but, I think perhaps the greatest aspect of this season of singleness is that it is a unique time to focus on my own personal formation so that I might have a more beautiful gift of self to offer my husband and children someday. Now is the time to allow God to form me into the woman He has created me to be. Now is the time to create habits of daily personal prayer and frequent reception of the sacraments that will strengthen me to live my vocation of marriage when the time comes. Now is the time to truly learn that Christ and Christ alone is the only One who will ever fulfill me. Now – this time of singleness – is truly a grace-filled time. And so, to all those of you out there who find yourself in a similar situation, let me challenge you to use this time of singleness to prepare for marriage through a deeper commitment to your own personal formation so that you might more fully live the abundant life Christ desires for each one of us.

By Sarah Houde

Wife, Mother, Catechist

2011-02-07T11:49:00.000-05:00

I’ve been a wife for almost 34 years. I’ve been a mother almost as long. Catechist? I was prepared to say 13-14 years but then I stopped because that wasn’t correct. I’ve been a catechist about as long as I’ve been a mother. With my first child and all the other beautiful babies that followed, I found it very important that they make a connection with Jesus as friend. Certainly, the Rites of Baptism tell us that parents are the primary educators of their child(ren). But was I paying attention to that during the baptism? Of course not! I was 24, had a wonderful husband and a beautiful baby boy. All I could do was gaze in awe at that four-week-old miracle. Yet for some reason (probably the example of my father and grandmothers) I knew those babies had to know about Jesus. I can’t honestly say that I taught them their prayers when they were very little but they did recognize Jesus: on the cross, in a picture, a statue, in the nativity scene at home and in the crèche in church and they knew who Mary was.

When my oldest was about four or so, a friend introduced me to music cassettes (no MP3s back then) of “Psalty, the Singing Songbook” (Psalty, Psalter songbook, get it?). There was a story that threaded through the whole cassette and the music was upbeat. The first song on the first cassette was titled “Time to Praise the Lord” or something like that. At least once a week one of the kids would ask me to “praise the Lord.” On went the cassette and off they went marching to the music and, for the most part, singing along with Psalty and the kids. I can still remember the refrain from that song. Then came school and religious education and formal prayers and later youth ministry. We spoke about that at home and my husband and I did our best to “practice what we preached.”

They’re all grown now and gone. Of the four, two of them go to church on a regular/semi-regular basis. But my work as mother and catechist is not finished. I still do my best to lead by example and when I can, I bring God into the topic of discussion. I have no illusions. As a wife, mother and catechist I have made many mistakes and on occasion, I have been an outright failure. However, God knows my heart and I pray often that He will take the lemons that have been created by my mistakes and failures and make lemonade. I pray too that with whatever mustard seed of faith that has been planted in my children and in-laws, God will take those seeds and make them grow into strong adult faith. So in the end, I assure my family of my love and prayers and do my best to emulate St. Francis to “preach the Gospel always [and] when necessary, use words.”

By Judy Michaud

We Are Better Than That

2011-01-23T22:37:00.001-05:00

On this eve of the annual March for Life I am sitting in my hotel room gazing upon my oldest child as he sleeps peacefully after a day of walking among the monuments and museums of Washington D.C. As I watch his precious face I am struck by the enormity of the statement that tens of thousands of pro-life citizens will make by their presence in our nation's capital tomorrow.

The message, in it's simplest form, is that we are better than that...we are capable of making decisions which protect the dignity of human life throughout the age spectrum. Abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, child abuse, and any other attack against life always exemplifies the lowest common denominator of human behavior not some lofty, idealistic principals (see some recent statements from prominent pro-abortion politicians for this disordered, nonsensical dribble).

As rational beings, we are able to seek and know truth, beauty, and goodness. Attacks against the most innocent among us are never based on such standards. Buzz words like freedom, privacy, and choice are used cleverly to mask the destruction such callous acts typically bring upon the victims. Show me the unborn baby, mother or father who believe they are free - truly free - (physically, emotionally, psychologically or spiritually) following the choice to have an abortion. We are better than that disordered decision and such victims, and yes, they are all victims, intuitively know this reality.

The Venerable (and soon to be Blessed) John Paul II reminded all of humanity throughout his papacy that, "We are all obligated to care for man." Caring for another person is not allowing them to settle for the worst of what humanity is capable of doing. Rather, caring for our fellow brothers and sisters is challenging them to know what is true, good and beautiful and to live life abundantly as children of God. As Christ exhorted, "The truth shall set you free."

As I wait to join the thousands who desire to care for their fellow humans in such a way, I will continue to gaze upon my child and remember what we, who are created in the image and likeness of God, are truly capable of in our lives.

Michael Lavigne

Magnanimity

2011-01-21T16:08:00.001-05:00

If the word magnanimity isn’t already a part of your regular vocabulary, consider adding it today. The Latin roots of the word “magn” and “anima” are translates as “great soul.” Other uses of the word include ‘the virtue of greatness’ and ‘striving for excellence.’ I remember a talk given by Fr. Peter Laird, the Vicar General for the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis, that focused on magnanimity. Fr. Laird presented the life of Holiness as a life striving for excellence in all things. God created each of us in a specific way, with individual talents and potentials, and we can cooperate with God’s Grace to achieve excellence in all areas of our life. Excellent spirituality, excellent discipline, to be physically and mentally excellent, and to live our vocation excellently!

God created us either male or female, and so too we must strive, with God’s guidance and Grace, to be excellent men and women. John Paul II’s great theological gift called the “Theology of the Body” examines the things that are essential to our masculinity and femininity and how the genders should relate to one another in holiness.

I am so excited that the Office of Lifelong Faith Formation will be offering men’s and women’s retreats to both Youth and Young Adults this year so that many Catholics in Maine can discover the truth and beauty of who they are as a son or daughter of God. I have the privilege of working on the men’s retreats which are titled ‘Fully Alive.’ Our Catholic Faith is full of examples of authentic manliness lived out in a life of holiness. Just take a look at the lives of the saints and you will find men who strived to imitate Christ and serve His Church.

I find it interesting then, that in our contemporary times, living an authentic Catholic life of virtue and prayer isn’t seen as a manly thing to do! Perhaps it is because modern men feel like a generation of men raised by women. The reality is that for a lot of guys, male role models are not present in everyday life. Could it be that when men get involved in their local Catholic Parish, they don’t find a spirituality relevant to their masculinity or a faith that challenges them as men?

What I think we need is a sort of renaissance. Men who imitate Christ, men who live sacrificial lives of service as priests, husbands, and fathers. Men who strive to be the most excellent man they can be and in doing so fulfill God’s plan for them as His son’s.

Joe Mailhot

Operation Epiphany

2011-01-06T15:05:00.001-05:00

Today, January 6, 2011, marks the official Feast of the Epiphany, which we (the Catholic Church in America along with several other countries) have come to celebrate on the second Sunday following Christmas. The 12 days of Christmas end on January 6th regardless. And to make things more complicated, liturgically, we are in the Christmas season until the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, which this year falls on Sunday, January 9th.

So, as we begin the seemingly confusing transition back into “Ordinary Time” – as we take down our Christmas trees, pack up the decorations and retire our poinsettias – the Office of Lifelong Faith Formation wants to remind you that there is nothing ordinary about Ordinary Time. This is especially true thanks to today’s launch of Operation Epiphany; we have officially opened up registration for a plethora of wonderfully Catholic opportunities in the coming months and YOU are invited.

I leave you with this quote from J.R.R. Tolkien, "The only cure for sagging of fainting faith is Communion. Though always Itself, perfect and complete and inviolate, the Blessed Sacrament does not operate completely and once for all in any of us. Like the act of Faith it must be continuous and grow by exercise…Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament... There you will find romance, glory, honour, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves on earth." Open your hearts in 2011 to an encounter with Love!

January

Hands Around the Capital Youth Rally – Open to youth groups and families – January 15, 2011. Join us and hundreds of other people of faith as we support a culture of life in our state’s capital. There will be mass at 10am with Bishop Malone at St. Michael’s in Augusta followed by an adult rally and a walk/demonstration over at the state building. Afterwards, enjoy a bite to eat in St. Michael’s gym followed by a Keynote, a presentation by the Catholic Youth Leadership Team, a skit by the Catholic Youth Leadership Team and ending with a Praise & Worship concert. The cost is $10 (to cover the cost of food). Please register your group/family ahead of time so that we know how much food to order.

February

Capture My Heart – A Retreat for Young Adult Women – February 11-13, 2011: Theme- “I am my Beloved’s & His desire is for me” – Song of Songs 7:10. Ladies, join us for a weekend-long get-away to help women fall more in love with Jesus Christ, their Beloved. This retreat approaches womanhood in a completely positive light; it is designed to be a celebration of who we are as women, to build women up by affirming their femininity. The focus is on the truth of who God has created us to be. More information and registration information is available at cyamme.org .

Fully Alive – A Retreat for Young Adult Men – February 25-27, 2011: Theme- “The glory of God is man fully alive” - St. Irenaeus. Gentleman, join us for a weekend of brotherhood and retreat from the daily duties of life to help men refocus on their relationship with Christ. This retreat is designed to call men forth to be self-sacrificing after the model of Christ and His ultimate sacrifice on the cross. It will focus on authentic manhood and elements intrinsic to the nature of men. More information and registration is available at cyamme.org.

March

New Evangelization Weekend (N.E.W.) – A Retreat Weekend Open to Adults – March 4-6, 2011: "I sense that the moment has come to commit all of the Church's energies to a new evangelization. No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples." -Redemptoris Missio 3. Join us for a weekend-long retreat opportunity for any adult age 18 or above looking for an opportunity to grow in their faith and have a weekend away to focus on their relationship with Christ. The focus is two-fold: Discipleship & Evangelization. The retreat is designed to deepen your own relationship with Christ (discipleship) and assist you in sharing that with others (evangelization). In addition to dynamic talks centered on these two themes, the weekend will consist of opportunities for prayer and the sacraments, small group sharing and times of fellowship. More information and registration is available at camome.org.

April

Catholic Youth Convention – A Retreat for Teens in Grades 8-12 – April 29-May 1, 2011: Theme – Extreme Makeover Soul Edition: Renovated, Rooted, Redeemed. “As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Col 2:7). More information and registration is available at cymme.org.

May

Capture My Heart – A Retreat for Teen Women – May 20-22, 2011: Theme- “I am my Beloved’s & His desire is for me” – Song of Songs 7:10. Ladies, join us for a weekend-long get-away to help women fall more in love with Jesus Christ, their Beloved. This retreat approaches womanhood in a completely positive light; it is designed to be a celebration of who we are as women, to build women up by affirming their femininity. The focus is on the truth of who God has created us to be. More information and registration information is available at cymme.org .

Fully Alive – A Retreat for Teen Men – May 13-15, 2011: Theme- “The glory of God is man fully alive” - St. Irenaeus. Gentleman, join us for a weekend of brotherhood and retreat from the daily duties of life to help men refocus on their relationship with Christ. This retreat is designed to call young men forth to be self-sacrificing after the model of Christ and His ultimate sacrifice on the cross. It will focus on authentic manhood and elements intrinsic to the nature of men. More information and registration is available at cymme.org.

July

New Evangelization Week (N.E.W.) – A Retreat Weekend Open to Teens – July 10-14, 2011: Join us for a 5-day retreat opportunity for students who will be in grades 9-12 in the fall. The focus is two-fold: Discipleship & Evangelization. The week is designed to deepen your own relationship with Christ (discipleship) and assist you in sharing that with others (evangelization). In addition to dynamic talks centered on these two themes, the event will consist of opportunities for prayer and the sacraments, small group sharing and times of fellowship. More information and registration is available at cymme.org.

Shaina Tanguay-Colucci

Seeking Peace

2011-01-01T17:18:00.003-05:00

In Alexandria, Egypt the New Year began with a suicide bombing against Christians leaving Mass with 21 being killed and almost 100 injured. This on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the same Mother who implores all people to seek out her Son, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Pope Benedict XVI in his Message for this World Day of Peace reminds us of the sad reality that Christians are the most persecuted people on the planet:

At present, Christians are the religious group which suffers most from persecution on account of its faith. Many Christians experience daily affronts and often live in fear because of their pursuit of truth, their faith in Jesus Christ and their heartfelt plea for respect for religious freedom. This situation is unacceptable, since it represents an insult to God and to human dignity; furthermore, it is a threat to security and peace, and an obstacle to the achievement of authentic and integral human development.

As I reflect on such a story in light of the beginning of 2011 I find myself pausing to think about peace in my own life: in my home, in my relationships, in my workplace. It is my fervent prayer that as this new year begins that I humble myself in seeking out God's grace to assist me in being an instrument of His peace in my life. It is my prayer that we will all embrace such a cause, which is the cause of all who are baptized and people of good-will everywhere.

Continued best wishes during this Christmas season and for a blessed 2011!

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

Michael

Embrace the Final Week of Advent

2010-12-18T16:33:00.002-05:00

Maybe I’m getting old…okay I am getting old. This struck me the other day as I was driving into work and saw multiple people working feverishly on their smart phones while they were driving.

That sight got me to thinking about my younger years. Back then the only way you received messages was via “snail” mail, an actual phone call (with phones that people used only in their homes), or a note that was folded into a triangle or square and passed around the classroom with great trepidation due to the chance of the teacher catching the contraband.

Generally speaking one had to wait for such communication, usually with some type of anticipation, which added to the importance of each message. Because of this heightened value we typically put thought into our messages – carefully crafting them in order to insure that our intended recipient received the proper message.

In our modern society we do not need to wait, as every method of communication is, for the most part, instantaneous. Every message seems fueled by the desire for instant gratification with no sense of wonder, no paused moments full of anticipation.

One can see this same mentality during the “shopping season” which leads into Christmas. How many Facebook statuses on Black Friday bragged “I went shopping…and bought things for myself?” In a season (especially for the Christian) that is supposed to be fueled by the desire to give to others, we find an antithetical message of taking care of me first. Again, no pausing and waiting with anticipation for what others may have sacrificed to buy or make for me…I’ll take care of it myself and allow the others to pile on that "holiday" at the end of the month.

Our faith, counter-culturally, challenges us to embrace the joy that can be found in anticipation. This is the message of the Advent season. Stop. Listen. Be aware of God’s presence. Wait expectantly for His coming among us again as we wait joyfully to celebrate the Incarnation when God “pulled back the curtain and revealed His love for the heart of man” (Chapman, Precious Promise).

It is not too late to embrace the spirit of this holy season. It is not too late to shed the shackles of entitlement and instant gratification for the “yoke” that Christ offers us, which leads to rest and peace. It is not too late to enter into Advent and wait with joy-filled anticipation for the gifts prepared for you, the most important of which is the gift of Jesus Christ, most powerfully manifested in the Eucharist, which is the Real Presence of Christ.

May this embracing of the final days of Advent bring a greater awareness of God's grace in all our lives and a spirit of selflessness which is the true spirit of the Christmas season which will soon be upon us.

P.S. By the way there is a practical reason for showing some restraint when it comes to the addiction of texting and instant messaging while driving. You will save your life and mine.

Michael Lavigne

Mission Minded

2010-12-17T12:59:00.000-05:00

Not many of you know this about me, but when I prepared to enter religious life as a young adult, it was with the intention of becoming a missionary. I had hoped to serve in Africa one day.

My dad traveled the world for his work and did not approve of this desire because of the great poverty he witnessed personally. However, he loved Quebec and enjoyed his business trips there. So, when I discovered the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary founded in Quebec, I enthusiastically showed him the booklet (making sure he did not see the pages about Africa and Haiti.)

After entering the community, which also embraced Brazil, I realized the Lord had something else in mind and I never served outside the country. However, it was my goal to meet someone from every country in the world and reached 28 before losing count. (I have many wonderful experiences and friends as a result!)

My other connection to the missions is my personal patron Saint, St Therese of Lisieux. When studying at Providence College, my spiritual director and professor told me to research her life for one of my assignments. As you know, St Therese of Lisieux is the patron Saint of missionaries yet she was a cloistered nun! So you see, you need not travel far to be "Mission Minded".

As the Director of Missions/CRS, I want to keep in touch with you because we are all called to be "Mission Minded" in our efforts to evangelize and catechize... I want to continue supporting you in your efforts and ask for your prayers and support as I begin my new position.

For those who know me well... let me say... my joy for creativity and change is beginning to simmer....

God's Blessings for Advent and Christmas!

Ruth Oakley

The Nativity Story in 2010

2010-12-15T14:47:00.003-05:00

The Spirit of Christmas

2010-12-13T11:23:00.001-05:00

Here is a surprising little fact you may not know about the real Santa Claus, St. Nicholas. St. Nick punched the heretic Arius in the face during the council of Nicea in 325 AD! Arius was asserting that Jesus was not God but only a prophet.

You can read about it in the following article…

http://cantuar.blogspot.com/2009/12/st-nicholas-he-who-punches-heretics-in.html

So why do I share this with you? To encourage you to act violently against heretics? No! While St. Nicholas himself would not be proud of his actions against Arius, it is his zeal for the truth about who Christ is that is admirable. Jesus Christ is God, and God came to earth as a human, a baby in fact from the womb of Mary. This is the great mystery we celebrate at Christmas!

Pray for the intercession of St Nicholas, pray that you will have the faith to believe Jesus is God and that our world will see past the superficiality that often masks the true meaning of Christmas, that all will come to know and believe that Jesus is Lord!

Joe Mailhot

Silent Beauty, Beautiful Silence

2010-12-13T10:20:00.000-05:00

That’s what I get to look at every single morning. Yep, pretty much amazing! Every morning when I wake up I am seriously blown away by the awesome-ness of a God who created such beauty. My life has been so full of peace since I moved here and I believe a lot of it has to do with the fact that I am surrounded by two things: beauty and silence. Living alone in such a beautiful place has really turned into a personal retreat for me. I wake up every morning to this breath-taking beauty and in the silence cannot help but enter into conversation with the God who made such beauty.

I’ve been reflecting on these two elements of silence and beauty. In our culture today, we are surrounded by so much noise that silence often makes us uncomfortable. We have developed an aversion to it. With ever-increasing technology where people can get a hold of us whenever and however they wish, we rarely take time to separate ourselves from the noise surrounding us. Interiorly, silence can be frightening because it is in the silence that we are often led to face those things inside of us that are not pretty to look at. John Paul II spoke of man “deafening himself with noise” and being “unable to be silent for fear of meeting himself, of feeling the emptiness that asks itself about meaning” (Orientale Lumen, 16). Compare this aversion to silence with the typical reaction we have to beauty. Beauty is attractive, draws us in, captivates us. We have a natural inclination to beauty. A gorgeous sunset, snow-capped mountain peak, Mozart concerto, or a baby’s smile all leave us longing for more.

I find the link between silence and beauty to be profound. Beauty calls for silence. A beautiful mountain vista leaves the viewer speechless. Speaking in the presence of great beauty somehow seems out of place. At the same time, silence is necessary to notice and truly appreciate beauty in the first place. Beauty is often bypassed because of a lack of silence. Silence allows us to truly immerse ourselves in beauty. I believe there is an integral connection between silence, beauty, and conversion. It is in silence that we are able to encounter God, who is Beauty itself, and that is where our hearts experience true and lasting conversion.

During this Advent season and what all too often becomes a hectic time of year, I encourage you to make time for silence in your life. Sit for awhile and in the silence contemplate the beauty of our God become man in the person of Baby Jesus. You may not have the vast expanse of ocean to look at out your front window, but if you take a moment to be silent, you’ll be able to see the greatest beauty of all: a loving God who humbled Himself and became man for us! Let your heart be captivated by that beauty!

Sarah Houde

Advent

2010-12-01T15:26:00.001-05:00

Inspirational video regarding our focus during Advent. Be challenged. Refocus. Remember that God is loving you into existence each and every moment. Be a conduit of God's love.

Being Present

2010-11-29T13:26:00.000-05:00

Advent, this powerful liturgical season that we are beginning, invites us to pause in silence to understand a presence. It is an invitation to understand that the individual events of the day are hints that God is giving us signs of the attention he has for each one of us. How often does God give us a glimpse of his love!

Pope Benedict XVI, Homily in Celebration of First Vespers of Advent, November 28, 2009

Pope Benedict XVI reminds us of the simple message of this season of Advent in challenging us to be aware of God's presence. To stop amidst the busyness and distractions of the "holiday season" and be mindful of the One who gives us life. Indeed this season is meant to be a time of waiting with joyful anticipation of Christ's second coming and the celebration of the Incarnation - the celebration of the coming of Emmanuel - God with us. How will you take time during this season to be aware of His presence?

As individuals we can take time each morning and evening by stopping and praying. Begin and end this time of prayer with silence allowing yourself to simply rest in God's holy presence. If possible spend some time with the Real Presence of Christ in Eucharistic Adoration.

As parents we can help our children to appreciate and experience the real beauty and joy of the season, which is Christ. Take time to light the candles of an Advent wreath and pray. Explain the many symbols of the season and their connection to our Catholic tradition. Allow them to wade into the richness of our faith during this Advent season.

As catechists we can teach those in our care about the importance of silence by reaching into Scripture and drawing inspiration from the lives of the saints. Additionally we can help them to experience silence by taking time during our sessions to be in silence.

In a world which never seems to be quiet - always wired to something or has something "on" - silence can be the way to begin learning the importance of being present and of spending time in the presence of the God who loved us enough to become man.

Michael Lavigne

Click here for Advent & Christmas with Pope Benedict XVI from the USCCB

Gift Received; Gift Given

2010-11-29T13:07:00.000-05:00

Gift Received; Gift Given

As Divine Providence would have it, my Chinese missionary friend, from the Philippines, and I were walking together on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City one warm and bright summer day. Our conversation was filled with youthful zeal as we explored our 'vocations' together; she moving to Taiwan, and I returning to Maine.

Sr. Nancy asked philosophically, "How does one "BE" a contemplative?" You see, we were lamenting our busy schedules and daydreaming of quieter surroundings. As we strolled along, I allowed my imagination to drift around the concept of contemplative living.

Over the years, I have come to understand the difference between my imagination and the Lord's promptings and I assure you, this gift I am sharing with you came from the Lord!

A contemplative is one who:

SEEs.... KNOWs whom they SEE.... LOVES who they KNOW.... and ENJOYS who they LOVE. (rho 1989)

I have prayed with this gift for many years now. To SEE means to become aware of God's movement within us, which is life giving! To KNOW this God who dwells within us is to feel secure even in the midst of trials. To LOVE the God we come to KNOW in the depths of our being is to find healing for all our wounds. And to ENJOY God whom we LOVE is to find peace, balance, belonging, affirmation, hope, and trust which assures us that nothing can separate us from Jesus. And our Lord comes to us each day most intimately in the Eucharist.

Want to live contemplatively? Then SEE our Lord in the Eucharist. KNOW it is the real Presence that comes to us so tenderly. LOVE the Lord in the Eucharist so you may find strength for your mission. And ENJOY the fruits of the grace that is ours each time we receive Him.

Who is a Contemplative? Anyone desiring to be.....

Ruth Oakley

In Thanksgiving

2010-11-20T14:48:00.000-05:00

This week most families in our country will pause on Thanksgiving Day to take stock of all that we have been blessed with in our lives. While it is important for us to express our gratefulness to God every single day, I am no different than most people in recognizing the significance of this cultural practice and using this occasion to spend a little more time reflecting on the blessings from the past months – a little more time to focus on the Giver of all good things – a chance to pour out my heart and say that I am thankful.

This year I am focused on being thankful for the gift of my wife, our marriage and fruits of our love – our children. I am humbled by my wife’s ability to love me selflessly day-in and day-out and her constant example of patience as she daily loves our children. Words cannot express the thanksgiving in my heart for the gift of our marriage – the ups and the downs, the struggles and the joys – all of it is part of this graced journey with our God. I thank the Creator of all life for the miracles of life (fruits of our sacramental love for one another) that He has given Lori and I in our children. There are so many directions that I could go in following such a thought, so let me simply focus on the thanksgiving I have in my heart each day when I gaze upon their faces – their innocence, their capacity to learn, their child-like faith, their reminding me each evening to stop and…play.

In the moments of peace (and play) I realize the enormity of their lives – the fact that God entrusted these young souls to my wife and I. That they are not objects for our amusement. They are not prizes or possessions. They are gifts and they belong to God. And in accepting these gifts we assume a great responsibility upon which we will be judged. Our vocation – our job if you will – is to model for our children our Catholic faith. We must be passionate in our desire to teach the truths of our faith, model a sacramental life and pass on an awareness of our baptismal call to be disciples of Jesus Christ here on earth.

As we celebrate Religious Education month (here in New England) it is easy to connect this thought process to our roles as catechists. In saying “yes,” we take on the awesome responsibility of teaching our Catholic faith to all the children, youth, young adults and adults who God places in our paths. We will be held accountable for our actions – for our words – for the teachings we pass on or fail to pass on. Every catechist has an obligation to represent the Magisterial teachings of our Catholic faith to the best of his or her abilities. It should be the very desire of our hearts.

Jesus, Himself, reminds us of this standard in the Gospel of Matthew when He warns, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6). Prior to these words Jesus speaks of how one needs to have the same humility seen in a child in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. When I gaze into the face of one of my children or think of the faces of the young people I have worked with throughout the years I am reminded to humble myself – to remember that it is not about me – and to teach the Truths of our faith with courage and integrity, thus remembering that the children, youth, young adults and adults we serve are ultimately children of God, who is the Way – the Truth – the Life.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day and may we all celebrate the many gifts that have been bestowed upon us from our Father in Heaven.

Michael Lavigne

Wherever You Send Me

2010-10-22T13:01:00.000-04:00

At the beginning of the Book of Jeremiah we read the beautiful, yet daunting, exchange between God and the namesake of the book. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you." (Jer. 1:5) Jeremiah, clearly awestruck and dumbfounded by the Lord's call, insists upon his unworthiness citing his young age. God objects and calls on Jeremiah to go wherever He sends him and to say whatever He tells him and to do so with "no fear before them, because I am with you to deliver you." (Jer. 1: 8) Jeremiah is called. And so are we.

Fr. Robert Barron, in his book The Strangest Way, describes the call in this way: "And friendship with God - not simply worship, discipleship, seeking, or ethical uprightness - but real intimacy with God entailed, I discovered, a giving of self that mirrored the radicality of God's own gift of self in Christ. The point of the Christian life is to be holy with the very holiness of God, and this means conformity with a love unto death." (Barron, The Strangest Way, p. 11) In the end the call is a complete abandonment to the will of the One in Whose image we are created.

This is the challenge of the Christian journey. Faced with obstacles, both from within and from the outside, each of us must daily "die to ourselves" for the sake of the call. Of course this can only be done through prayer, taking part in the sacramental life of the Church (especially the Eucharist), learning about our faith, and selfless giving. It can only be done through growing a true friendship with God.

I raise the above thoughts as a preface for my announcing a little project that I know God has placed in my heart. Quite frankly, God has been pounding away on this for almost a year and I have found lots of great excuses to ignore His promptings with the most used one being that "I am not worthy."

Beginning with my next blog I am going to begin to write a reflection for each of the Venerable Pope John Paul II's general audiences which make up his "Theology of the Body." Now there are many, more learned than I, who are better equipped to take on such a project. However, I take God at His word, "have no fear," as I embark on this journey. My thoughts on each audience will be brief - less a theological treatise and more an effort to prayerfully reflect on the little things that God will place in my heart and mind as I move through each audience.

This will be my contribution to the growing body of work which has been inspired by the late pope's masterpiece - the "theological time bomb (as George Weigel famously and prophetically described it)" that has begun to have a tremendous impact on the modern world.

"Wherever you send me, I will go. Send me Lord. Send me Lord. Whatever you tell me, I will say. Send me Lord. Send me Lord." (Franzak, "The Call")

Michael Lavigne

Preparing a Place

2010-10-21T15:51:00.000-04:00

I’ve recently moved into a seasonal rental right on the ocean and have been doing quite a bit of work to make this little beach cottage my own. Rearranging furniture,sewing new curtains, decorating with my own style, finding rugs I like, new couch pillows, bedding to match, etc. has been filling the bulk of my spare time. I want my home to be a place where people will feel welcome and comfortable upon entering. I’m finding it is a lot of work to prepare such a place! But knowing the purpose behind the work makes it totally worth it.

All of this house remodeling I’ve been doing got me thinking about the passage from John 14:1-3 where Jesus says to his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (italics mine) I started pondering this in light of my recent undertakings. What does it mean that Jesus is preparing a place for me in His Father’s house? It seems to me that He is preparing a place where my heart can be at rest in the heart of the Father, where I will enter and immediately know that this is where I belong, that I am home. So often I allow my heart to become troubled by the things of this world, by the daily obstacles that come my way, by unfulfilled desires and unanswered questions. I find great comfort and hope in knowing that Jesus has promised to prepare a place where my heart will rest in being home.

Sarah Houde

Humbled to be Catholic

2010-10-21T07:26:00.003-04:00

Every morning, I thank God for the day, for the life He has given me and most especially, for my Catholic faith. Often in our culture, faith is seen as something extrinsic, as part of our lives. I’m often accused of being too Catholic, of having no life outside of my Catholic faith. And I think to myself, why would I want to do anything outside of my Catholic faith? If I take the message of the Gospels and Scripture seriously, shouldn’t my faith inform my whole being, everything I am and everything I do (Gal 2:20)? Does this mean that I create a Catholic bubble for myself and shun the rest of the world…ok, occasionally I may be
guilty of this, but for the most part I think I am very much one of God’s workers in the world, just not of the world. Capisce?

Last weekend I attended Life Teen’s Core Member University in Boston. They made a very important distinction: for those of us who work for the Church, whether we are paid employees and/or we are volunteering our time, our work doesn’t make us exceptional Catholics. Ministry, evangelization and teaching the faith are the bare minimum of what is required of us. You may be familiar with this quote from G.K. Chesterton, "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried." I challenge all of you to rise above the bare minimum of your faith and to allow God to cast you out into the deep (Lk 5:4). Living out radical hospitality, striving to build up community and being good stewards of all that God has blessed us with (suffering included – never miss an opportunity to offer up your pains, fears and anxieties), answering those calls is what makes us different and in accordance with the dignity God has given us, exceptional.

At a youth rally mass a few years ago, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Apostolic Nuncio for the United States, remarked that we are not Catholic Americans, we are American Catholics. In other words, our Catholic faith is at the very core of our identity and as such, we very much should be viewing the world and all we do through Catholic-tinted glasses. I absolutely love being Catholic, and I’m humbled at the gift of our faith.

Shaina Tanguay-Colucci

Miner's Miracle

2010-10-19T13:46:00.000-04:00

October 15th is the feast of St. Teresa of Avila, doctor of the Church and famous for her analogy of our spiritual life being connected to the depths of the 'well within' from which we draw "life giving water" as Jesus promised the woman in John's gospel.

How appropriate that today I would want to focus my sharing on the Miracle in the Chile Mine! Because from St Teresa's 'well bucket' of spiritual graces from which we drink the love of God who dwells within... to the Miners in the depths of the earth 'drinking the grace of HOPE'... the same lessons can be applied.

Imagine, 17 days with limited food, you are in complete darkness not knowing if people have given up the search for you? Then suddenly the ceiling opens and you look up realizing that you will be rescued. "Mario Sepulveda, the one who brought rocks as souvenirs for fellow miners, gave this remarkable testimony: “I was with both God and the Devil. God won. I held His Hand and there was no doubt He would get me out.”

The Fenix descended 2,230 feet below the ground to 'scoop up' the miners one by one and hoist them to the surface where the whole world cheered, intoxicated with JOY! The chaplain to the President who organized a prayer chain said, “this miracle is a proof that there is a God." (taken from Dr. Florangel Rosario Braid, Manilla Bulletin Publishing Co.)

Both images (well bucket and Fenix capsule) make me grateful to the Lord that I'm Catholic! Because I know that Faith, Hope, and Love, with the greatest virtue being Love... certainly embraced each miner below and family members above, sustaining the HOPE that the miners would be found, would be alive, and would be brought to safety.

St Teresa speaks about the dark night of the soul as a feeling of abandonment by God, yet, she tells us, it is in this moment that we most need to be faithful to prayer which is our lifeline to the "Light" of God's loving embrace. Like the miners who held God's hand, trusting, refusing to collapse in fear, we too are challenged to trust with Faith, Hope, and Love, that our Lord will never abandon us in times of trouble.

My relationship with Jesus has taught me this truth. It is through prayer, reading God's Word, quiet times for listening in the depths of my being that enable me to discern between the devil of doubt and the God of Hope! Thank you Lord, for your steadfast love! Bless the Miners, family members, rescue workers, and all who choose to drink from the depths of your grace! Amen.

Ruth Oakley

Profound? Not so much.

2010-10-14T16:36:00.000-04:00

I’ve had a note on my desk for several weeks now with the word “BLOG” written in large red letters. It’s supposed to be a reminder that I have a Blog to write. It’s been all over my desk as I move it from one place to the other wondering, “What do I write about?” I would like to write something profound and moving. Something truly inspiring. Something worthy of all of you “out in the trenches” so to speak. Alas, it is not to be. Again this morning I saw the big red “BLOG” on my desk and said “Lord, what do you want me to write about?” Immediately, in my mind, I saw an image of my year old grandson laughing. In a heartbeat, I knew what this blog would be about.

His name is Emerson and I’ve only seen him twice in person because he lives in Alaska. However, I’ve been blessed to live in a time when we can use Skype and video footage can be sent via email. I was watching a clip of him the other day. He was toddling along laughing at the camera and he was so happy! My heart filled with joy & love for this wonderful baby boy. When that image came to mind this morning, I sensed that this is the same reaction our Heavenly Father has when we turn to Him. I know, it’s cliché. But for me, at that moment , it became a tangible experience of something that is intangible, incomprehensible really because much as I love Emerson, that love pales in comparison to God’s love for me, for us.

Judy Michaud

Go Green!

2010-09-27T15:37:00.001-04:00

Our culture embraces the “green” movement. Everywhere you go you hear about more ways of reducing, reusing, and recycling. Many people are very passionate about reducing their carbon footprint and they think that you should be doing the same and are not shy about telling you so. In school, being environmentally friendly is taught as a fact the way math and grammar are taught. Who can argue with the facts… Our earth has limited resources, humans are consumers of these resources, and in the process we pollute!

There are another set of facts that it seems our culture does not embrace. These facts are that God exists, He created the world good, He loves us, He wants us to be happy, He sent His son Jesus to save us from our sins. All Christians know this to be true but many are afraid to tell others about it. If you are convicted about “being green” you probably have no problem living green and encouraging others to do so. But if your convicted that Jesus is Lord are you living it out so that people know you are a Christian, and are you telling everyone you know about His awesome Love and Mercy!?

Be an Evangelist!

Joe Mailhot

Waiting on the Lord

2010-09-21T12:04:00.002-04:00

Let’s be honest…how many of us like waiting? Doctor’s visits where you sit in the waiting room for close to an hour before even being seen, DMV lines that run out the door, and those 5 minute red lights when you’re running late are some of the most frustrating times known to man! Then there are the bigger things we find ourselves waiting for: potential employers to call back, the healing of a loved one, children to return to the Church, a future spouse.

I’ve been apartment hunting lately and having a difficult time waiting for the Lord to provide in His timing and in His way. Last week, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, the first reading described my current state rather well, “With their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses” (Numbers 21:4). How easy it is for us to immediately start complaining when we are waiting for the Lord to provide something we feel we need! We get so worn out by the journey that we fail to recognize all the ways that He has provided and trust in His proven faithfulness that He will continue to provide. God had freed the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt, sent a pillar of fire to guide them by night and a cloud by day, provided the daily nourishment of manna, and so much more, yet their only response is to grumble and complain against Him! Did you know that the Israelites could have made the desert crossing in as short as a few months if they had gone straight across the desert from Egypt to Canaan? Yet, God allowed them to wander through the desert for 40 whole years! Why? Perhaps so they could learn to trust Him, so they could learn to rejoice in His provision for them, so they could learn the lesson of waiting on Him. Their choice to grumble and complain against God instead of trust Him caused more suffering and a longer journey through the desert. It certainly makes me think twice about complaining when waiting on God’s provision! Let’s resolve to stay focused on all that we have to be grateful for, especially in those tough times of waiting on the Lord!

Sarah Houde

Pause and Look Up

2010-09-21T12:03:00.000-04:00

Luke 9: 12-13,16-17

"Late in the afternoon the twelve came to Him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here." But He said to them, "You give them something to eat!" And they said, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people. Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets."

With the new catechetical year beginning, I imagine us all taking a deep breath as we launch our programs. This Scripture passage is one I pray with often because of the disciples' dilemma: "There are so many and we have so little." Maybe the disciples learned something that day that could help us all?

While reading between the lines, I had the impression that the disciples were becoming overwhelmed with the crowd and wanted to take a break by sending everyone home to regroup. They told Jesus, "Send the crowd away..." Instead, Jesus helped them realize two things. First, they don't work alone, it is Jesus who feeds people.... through their efforts. This can help us keep our ministries in perspective. Secondly, our efforts, however inadequate we may think they are as we begin this new catechetical year, are enough for the Lord to work miracles! We need to intentionally give the Lord all of ourselves: our minds, hearts, hands, and plans so that He can bless all of it and then, through us, feed His people with what they will need to draw closer to Him. When and where and how our ministry will touch the hearts of God's people is perhaps not for us to know. However, we can be certain of this: Jesus will take even the little we have to give and multiply the blessings to overflowing if we ask Him.

So, on those 'stressful' days of activity, let's pause, look up, and receive the blessing Jesus gives us to give to others. Because when we do this, I've discovered, we will always have enough... (energy, time, resources, etc.) to accomplish the tasks at hand with more left over for rejoicing!

Ruth Oakley

Taylor Swift & the Beauty of Being Female

2010-09-07T15:00:00.001-04:00

I don’t have a problem admitting that I really, really enjoy Taylor Swift’s music; it calls out to the desires of my feminine heart and helps me rejoice in being created female. This is a rare happening in today’s culture where so often the truly feminine is viewed as weak and immature instead of beautiful and a gift to the world in its own right. We are often too quick to forgo our darling dresses, penchant for pink and divine desires for motherhood for the sake of “equality” to men because in modern times – equality implies sameness. Perhaps this is why so many “feminists” attack Swift and particularly her latest song/music video in which, despite coming from a broken home, her desires for marriage and a family are fulfilled.

I am not saying that all women should be relegated to the kitchen, but I am saying that we have a unique gift to this world that men can’t offer and that we should quit trying to be something we are not. Taylor Swift seems to get this – she is both girlie girl and fully-capable woman. The fact that she likes sparkly dresses (that are much more modest than all of her pop culture rivals), that she writes about “fairytale” love (thus affirming that yes, we are all made for relationship and yes, love can and is in fact meant to last) and that she continues to break records – all tell me that we don’t have to be like men to be equal to them and, not only that, but that when we embrace our feminine hearts, we truly reflect the absolute dignity inscribed in our womanly beings – body and soul.

Shaina Tanguay-Colucci

Free to be Saints

2010-09-03T09:23:00.003-04:00

I want my children to be saints. Whew....there, I said it.

This does not rise out of some misguided pride for my children or some wishful desire.

My hope for them flows from my understanding of who they called to be by virtue of

their Baptism. They are destined for sainthood. As their parent, I, along with my wife,

am responsible for helping them to come to know that they have been loved into being

and therefore free to embrace the call to holiness throughout their lives.

In fact all of us who have accepted the call to teach our Catholic faith should have

this hope for all those who hear our words and see our actions. As catechists we are

obligated to teach the truths of our faith with passion, conviction and charity in order to spur an awareness of their dignity as children of God.

In the clip below, Fr. Robert Barron, S.T.D. eloquently speaks of how we, after knowing

our value as God's children, can be free to answer the call to holiness and be conduits

of God's love and truth for others:

The Saintly Way of Being from Office of Lifelong Faith Formati on Vimeo.

As we celebrate the "beginning" of the catechetical year over the next few weeks let

us all "relax" and abandon our lives to the One who loves us into being each and every

moment. Let us breathe and allow Christ to use us as instruments of His grace for the

many souls who will cross our paths in the evangelization and catechetical efforts of our

parishes and diocese. Let us strive for sainthood and hope for the same for our children

- for all our brothers and sisters, the young and the old, in Christ.

Wishing you a blessed Catechetical Sunday on September 19th!

Dare to embrace the call to holiness.

Michael Lavigne

Permission was received from Fr. Barron to post this clip from his DVD, Seven Deadly Sins-Seven Lively Virtues. This is an excellent video which would be perfect for individual or group enrichment!

Please visit WordonFire.org

Heating Up

2010-09-03T08:08:00.001-04:00

For some reason the brutal heat and humidity of last week got me
to thinking about sin. My train of thought was that my conscience is my
spiritual gauge and when I sin, it too heats up, like the thermometer.

Admittedly, I’m not a fan of all this heat and humidity. Never have
been. Anything over 80 degrees and I start looking for AC. There is no
AC when it comes to sin and I have to suffer the consequences of that.
I’m not talking about major stuff here, but rather the little things that are
easy to escape notice: the sarcastic remark; not taking time to help,
call, listen, console; failing to remain gracious and kind when I’m talking
to customer service. I’ve been trying to run interference with some of
these situations and I try to see Christ in each person. I often think of
what Jesus said, “That which you do to the least of these, you do to me.”

It’s not the black and white situations that get the best of me, it’s
the grey areas and if I’m not vigilante about what I say and do in these
situations my conscience will overheat. I have to remember that I am
first and foremost an emissary of Jesus Christ and I will be judged by the
standards which I proclaim. I have failed many times and will continue to
do so. Of that I am sure because I am, after all, a human being.

My goal however, is to have more successes (way more successes)
than failures and if that means my conscience has to “heat up” on a regular
basis then so be it.

Judy Michaud

Megachurch!

2010-09-03T08:03:00.004-04:00

Have you seen or heard about megachurches? The term megachurch generally refers to any Protestant congregation with a sustained average weekly attendance of 2000 persons or more in its worship services. Other characteristics of a megachurch include… a charismatic senior minister, a large paid staff, hundreds of weekly volunteers, membership that draws from a large geographic area, a multitude of programs and ministries, 7-day a week activities, contemporary worship, state of the art sound and video equipment, bookstores, coffee shops, multi-acre campuses, and huge parking lots.

I’ll be honest; some of the stuff on that list sounds awesome! I will also admit that I don’t see most of these things in the Catholic parishes local to me. None-the-less, I believe that the Catholic Church is a Mega-Church!

“A charismatic senior minister”
Even if your local priest isn’t a “charismatic leader,” every time that a priest consecrates the Eucharist he is acting “in persona Christi” (“in the person of Christ”). And so, in the Catholic Church we believe that Christ himself has called and equipped our priests and even is present to us in their ministry.

“Large geographic area, massive attendance, 7-day a week services”
Every single day Catholic mass is celebrated approximately 350,000 times! That means that for every second of the day, 4 priests are consecrating the Eucharist, recalling his saving passion , and making Christ truly present in the world. Hundreds of thousands of Catholics go to mass each day and every single one of them celebrates the same liturgy, hears the same readings, and receives the same Eucharistic Lord.

It doesn’t get anymore Mega than this!

Joe Mailhot

Changing of Seasons

2010-09-03T07:51:00.001-04:00

As the summer comes to a close and the new school year begins, I find myself reflecting on the changing of seasons. I’ve always loved living in Maine because, unlike other places in the country where the climate is less changing, we are blessed to experience the fullness of all four seasons (perhaps some to a greater extreme than others!) Summer allows for Maine’s beauty to shine in all its splendor with the sparkling harbors dotted with fishing vessels, the late night BBQs which permeate the whole neighborhood with the smell of summer, and the tranquil sunsets which cast a golden glow on everything. And yet, as all this comes to a close, there’s something just as exciting about the sounds and smells and sights of fall. I can’t wait for apple picking followed by the smells of freshly baked apple pie, the crisp, refreshing feel of a beautiful fall day, and the trees bursting with bold colors of orange, red, and yellow as the leaves rustle in the wind. Besides just the excitement of the new season, I can’t fail to mention another significant benefit of the season change: variety in my wardrobe once again as by summer’s end my warm weather clothes are becoming repetitive and boring!

While I love the carefree-ness of summer, by its end I find myself longing for the discipline of routine and a steady rhythm of life once again. Oftentimes my prayer life suffers in the summer due to my own laziness and lack of routine. You would think that the summer and vacation time would bring more time for prayer with less demands on my schedule, but somehow I always find myself struggling to remain faithful to prayer commitments and daily Mass due to the changing nature of each day in the summer. I find the season change an ideal time to check myself and re-establish daily prayer routines or make new prayer commitments to strengthen my spiritual life and relationship with God. It’s a chance to clean the slate and start over in a way, evaluating what changes I need to make in any areas of my life and then implementing them as I settle into the new routine this season change naturally provides.

Sarah Houde