We Are a Work in Progress

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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