Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I had the good fortune to attend the opening of the process of the beatification and canonization of Carmen Hernandez last weekend. She always had the desire to be a missionary in India, but God had something else in mind, as he usually does for all of us. Mother Cabrini whose relic we have in our main altar (along with Saints Pope John Paul II and Paul VI) wanted to announce the gospel in China and the Pope sent her here.
Carmen met Kiko Arguello in the shanty towns of Madrid in the 1960’s and was amazed at how these poor people changed when they heard the Scriptures. No one told them to send their kids to school rather than beg on the streets or not be involved in prostitution; they heard gospel and suddenly they changed their lives. When this charism was taken to the parishes it took more time for the people to convert because they were immunized; they thought they were already ‘pretty good’ Christians, as we can think also. In the shanty towns everyone knew who they were: drug addicts, prostitutes, beggars, etc.
The communities that are formed are part of the parish, as they are here. They are not a religious order or an association of lay people, they are regular people who realize their faith is weak or non-existent and doesn’t answer the challenges of life today. In Newark, for example, 120 priests have been ordained from these communities and almost half of them are helping other dioceses. We are already short of priests so you can imagine if there were 120 less here and in those other places where Newark priests are helping. Even in our own parish we have one young woman who has voiced her desire to go to a contemplative convent and live a life of prayer and humility and one young man who wants to enter a seminary, hopefully in a year or so. Please pray for them.
The second reading today from St. James says, be patient. The fruit doesn’t appear right away; it takes time to grow. Our soul is that way also; it doesn’t change overnight. Come and hear the Word of God every week and your life will be different.
The gospel has something very unusual. John the Baptist has his doubts about Jesus. Perhaps he is thinking if Jesus is really the messiah how can I be in jail? We often say something similar. Don’t hide your doubts, speak about them. They can lead you to a stronger faith. Jesus says to them, what did you go out to see, a person dressing in fine garments. Didn’t you realize he had to suffer. Are you scandalized by that? And what will you think when you see me on the cross?
The least in the kingdom of heaven, the new kingdom of Christ, will be greater than the old kingdom. He is not speaking badly of John; he is saying his kingdom will be so much better than the old. You cannot imagine it. But if there is suffering in this present age what is different from before? There is only one thing. Now we have Christ. He became man for us, a child for us. He is always with us. We can eat him today, and every day. That makes all the difference in the world.
Take advantage of these last two weeks to prepare for his coming. Get up early, spend some time in prayer, involve the kids who love to spend time with you.