Joined in Christ

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

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

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

"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?

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

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

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