Year III, Number 38

“Behold, your Mother!” (Jn 19:27)

Many signs indicate that still today the Blessed Virgin desires to exercise through this same prayer that maternal concern to which the dying Redeemer entrusted, in the person of the beloved disciple, all the sons and daughters of the Church: “Woman, behold your son!” (Jn 19:26). Well-known are the occasions in the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries on which the Mother of Christ made her presence felt and her voice heard, in order to exhort the People of God to this form of contemplative prayer. I would mention in particular, on account of their great influence on the lives of Christians and the authoritative recognition they have received from the Church, the apparitions of Lourdes and of Fatima; these shrines continue to be visited by great numbers of pilgrims seeking comfort and hope.

Following the Witnesses

It would be impossible to name all the many Saints who discovered in the Rosary a genuine path to growth in holiness. We need but mention Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, the author of an excellent work on the Rosary, and, closer to ourselves, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, whom I recently had the joy of canonizing. As a true apostle of the Rosary, Blessed Bartolo Longo had a special charism. His path to holiness rested on an inspiration heard in the depths of his heart: “Whoever spreads the Rosary is saved!”. As a result, he felt called to build a Church dedicated to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Pompei, against the background of the ruins of the ancient city, which scarcely heard the proclamation of Christ before being buried in 79 A.D. during an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, only to emerge centuries later from its ashes as a witness to the lights and shadows of classical civilization. By his whole life's work and especially by the practice of the “Fifteen Saturdays”, Bartolo Longo promoted the Christocentric and contemplative heart of the Rosary, and received great encouragement and support from Leo XIII, the “Pope of the Rosary”.

Q. Dear Father Bannon,

Recently I decided I won't be volunteering a year of my life for the service of the Church. I don't feel that God is calling me to that right now. I didn't have peace when I said I was going to do it. I felt like I had this huge storm cloud over me — the pressure was pretty high — and now since I'm not, I have a sense of peace and freedom, freedom to go where God leads. And I'm wondering where that is. Do you think I did the right thing? How can God ask you for something that takes your peace away?

Thank you, Alexandra

A. Dear Alexandra,

I am only going to attempt to give you a few guidelines that may help you, but you are the one who has to come to your conclusions as regards what God is asking of you, after seeking out advice.

Several things strike me about your message. In the first place you are interpreting everything that has happened only in terms of yourself and God, as if there were no other element at play in your decisions and feelings. It is good not to forget that we have an enemy who works against Christ and us, and he is going to try to confuse, tempt (at times towards what is wrong, at others it is enough for him that we do what is only second best), and discourage us.

The second thing I notice is your reference to freedom. That is very important. Our reply to God can only be a reply in love, and freedom is a gift God gave us so that we would be capable of love. Love is to give ourselves freely. Love makes us choose, and direct our freedom according to that choice (two people marry; by that fact they choose each other, and their choice is a commitment that directs the use they are going to make of their freedom in the future: they will choose freely everything that will strengthen their love and commitment, and they will reject anything that will weaken it and drive them apart). So the way we exercise our freedom once we have committed ourselves in love is not by feeling every day that we can turn our backs on our commitment, but in renewing it every day as if it were the first day of my commitment.

These reflections may help a little. Try to look at all God has done for you, what your possibilities are now of doing something for him, and do it out of love, whatever it is.

God bless.

- Fr Anthony

Q. Dear Fr. Anthony,

I am a 36-year-old female, and I feel God is calling me to the single life. Although I wanted to marry in my younger years, the right person never came along. Over the past few years I have accepted this and I now feel I can serve God better if I remain single. I can honestly say I have never felt the call to the religious life. I do serve in one of the third orders and plan to give a few years volunteering with the Legionaries of Christ. I feel my call may be to missionary work.

My question is: does God call you to the single life? Can you please give me some insight on this subject?

AMB

A. Dear AMB,

From the very beginnings of the Church there have been those who remained single 'for the Lord' as the beautiful phrase goes. There is a place in the Church for 'Consecrated Virgins', and this is what Canon Law says: "Similar to these forms of consecrated life (religious institutes, etc.) is the order of virgins who, expressing the holy resolution of following Christ more closely, are consecrated to God by the diocesan bishop according to the approved liturgical rite, are mystically betrothed to Christ, the Son of God, and are dedicated to the service of the Church. In order to observe their own resolution more faithfully and to perform by mutual assistance service to the Church in harmony with their proper state, virgins can be associated together" (Canon 604). Remaining single without a formal consecration like this may also be a call in life if that is the way God leads an individual.

- Fr Anthony

[W]e have the secret, the genuine solution to the problems afflicting the world. Hunger, misery, ignorance and injustice under their various forms, wars, terrorism... which claim so many innocent lives every day and cause us such deep worry and distress, all these have their ultimate cause in sin, which enslaves man's heart. For hatred, revenge, resentment, lack of solidarity, indifference...all issue from man's heart, as Christ says and our experience confirms (see Mt. 15:18-19). As a result the final answer to all these ills, the peace and lasting justice that man today so fervently desires, are to be found in love alone.

International and national alliances and agreements are all very useful for coordinating efforts; however, of themselves they lack the transforming power of love. Only Christ can heal, save and convert the hearts of men, families and peoples. He alone is the fountain of the peace that the world cannot give because it neither sees him nor knows him (see John 14:27). So it came about in beginnings of Christianity - it was the power of the first Christians' witness to charity that gradually transformed the Roman Empire's hostile, pagan society. And so it has come about down through history - the weakness of God, manifested in the silent and heroic witness to love in thousands of Christians, has proven stronger than the power of all the ideologies and empires that have arisen one after another.

Of course you can't change the world overnight; it is no easy task. It is costly to our human nature wounded by sin, our egotism and pride. Yet it is no pipe-dream. If we believe, if we persevere in the battle, if we live the Gospel message faithfully, the Church will eventually transform this world for Christ. Charity must be our main weapon for attack and defense; love makes us strong and fruitful in the apostolate.

Gospel passage: Mk 12:1-12

And he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a pit for the wine press, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. And they took him and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent to them another servant, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and him they killed; and so with many others, some they beat and some they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son; finally he sent him to them, saying, ´They will respect my son.' But those tenants said to one another, ´This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' And they took him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants, and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this scripture: ´The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord´s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?'" And they tried to arrest him, but feared the multitude, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them; so they left him and went away.

Introductory Prayer: Lord God, I thank you for this opportunity to be with you this day. Help me to approach you with heart-felt dispositions of faith, trust and a desire to love you above all things. I need this time of prayer, and I humbly ask you to change my heart according to your will. Make me more docile with you, Lord.

Petition: Help me Lord, to see the great investment of love, grace and divine power that you have placed in my life. Help me to see my life on earth as you see it and as it really is: a short time to produce fruits for eternal life. Do not allow me Lord, to lose sight of the most fundamental truths about my life.

1. God's big investment

Jesus describes the business venture of a landowner who leases out his land to tenant farmers. Christ's listeners would have understood the theme and context of this parable very well, since they lived in an agrarian society where these ventures were common. Centuries before, Isaiah had used the same image of the man who plants a vineyard to describe God's care and investment in his Chosen People.

The image is clear, and the truths are thinly veiled. This man is God. He did everything necessary so that the land would bear much fruit. He thought the plan through, worked hard to plant the vine, gave it a means of protection (the wall), and provided all that was necessary - including a press and lookout tower - so the land would be fruitful. All that was needed to bear much fruit was to let things take their course.

2. God's plan gone awry

Isaiah described that God's vineyard, in spite of all his care and attention, yielded only sour grapes. The landowner in Jesus' parable also is disappointed. The tenants not only withhold his rightful share; they go so far as to insult him and even kill the son whom he sends to the landowners. Jesus does not explain the causes for such a response. Why such injustice? We can only surmise and read between the lines: the tenants are greedy, they are selfish, they covet what is not theirs... in short, they relish their own plan, up and against the landlord's plan.

Through his parable, Jesus wants to wake the Pharisees up to what they are doing. They are the tenants; God is the landowner who has entrusted the well being of the people to them. But they have their own plans, and they are not accepting God's Son.

Through his parable, Jesus also gives us a lesson: be sure that in our lives, we are not pursuing our own plan. Or else, we will wind up rejecting the justice of God's plan, and doing God violence.

3. The justice of God

The tenants slow down the landowner's plan, but do not stop it. He comes and removes them, and gives his vineyard over to other tenants, who will give him his share of grapes in due season. In the end God will triumph. He is capable of making the rejected stone the cornerstone.

"God's will be done." It will be done in the end, with us or in spite of us. However, our attitude makes a big difference. It makes a big difference if in the end, we are striving to fulfill God's plan, which explains the real meaning and purpose of circumstances and situations, or my plan, a caricature and illusion of reality.

Dialogue with Christ: Help me Lord, never to let selfishness make me unjust toward you. I recognize that everything I have, including my very life, my very self, is "on loan." It is not my own. It is yours, and you give it to me, so that in due time, I can give back to you your due share. Help me to follow your will in all things.

Questionnaire:

1. Do I foster the attitude that all I have comes from God and really belongs to him? Do I ever consent to the prideful attitude that I am doing God a favor when I do things for him? Or am I humble, doing things for him because of my love for him and his Church?

2. Am I attentive to my conscience and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, God's messengers in my life?

My name is Jeffery Michael Jambon, born in New Orleans, LA, on August 21, 1971. My parents are Vickie Lynn and James Anthony Jambon, Sr. I am one of five children.

When I was two years old a car ran over me. It rolled completely over my chest. This happened as I wandered away from the watchful eye of my parents. The only thing I could remember was that I couldn´t breathe. I was rushed to the hospital, where I was in intensive care for a week; the doctors thought that I might have had a punctured organ or something of that sort. This is how I lived the second Easter of my life. On Easter Wednesday, the doctors concluded that all was OK - just eight broken ribs and a few scratches. A miracle? Certainly the providential hand of the Lord was present.

My childhood was very normal; sports, adventures, pranks, and other boyhood adventures, like unexpected meetings with bats, baseballs, beams, and even cement barrels.

At fifteen I made a pilgrimage to the Marian shrine in Medjugorje, and I promised Christ that I would go to Mass every day. I promised to receive daily Communion, pray on a daily basis the fifteen mysteries of the rosary, attend two hours of Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament Monday through Friday, fast frequently on bread and water (until my pastor wished that I would eat), take advantage weekly of the Sacrament of Penance, read the Holy Bible often, and visit once a week the old folks' home.

One day after Mass the parish priest exposed the Blessed Sacrament. I told myself that I would just pray a quick rosary and then go home to bacon and eggs. This particular rosary took me longer than usual. It was an unforgettable experience. It was a moment of grace where the light of Christ shone a little brighter than usual. In the sorrowful mysteries of our Lord I was able to perceive the reality of our Lord´s Passion and death as I adored the Eucharist and placed my faith in his love. I thought about the thorns, insults and blows. I thought at some length about how Christ suffers all of this because of the hate, indifference and sins of all of humanity. Within this intimacy, I asked our Lord, "Lord, what could I do to alleviate a tiny bit of so many sorrows?" I remember from the bottom of my heart I heard the answer, "Become my priest and follow me wherever I go." These words produced in my soul immediate and lasting peace. I was deeply convinced that Jesus was calling me. From that day on a mysterious confidence in God was growing within me, and also growing alongside this was a sense of duty.

Not much time passed when my pastor put me in contact with the Legion of Christ. At first sight, I told myself, "I will be a Legionary." The Legionaries invited me to visit their novitiate in Cheshire, CT. I visited them during Easter and there I firmly decided to join.

I entered the Legion of Christ in the summer of 1989. My first year of novitiate was in Cheshire, CT, and my second year in Dublin, Ireland. I then studied the classics for a year in Salamanca, Spain. When that year was up, I studied philosophy in Rome, Italy. After this beautiful period in Rome, I began my apostolic internship in the United States. When these brief years came to their end, I went back to Rome to study Sacred Theology and it was in this last period of studies that I also completed more apostolic internship in Poland and Germany.

These years of preparation were of deep joy, full of the Lord´s peace and love. They were years of peace because I was able to truly understand that my efforts were helping our Lord´s saving mission. I had a wide range of experiences, everything from being a student to seminary administrator, from a formator in kids´ clubs to leading parish missions. The best thing is that it all has been done out of love for Christ and his Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On December 22, 2001, I received the great gift of the priesthood of Jesus Christ in Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. It is a grace and privilege to be able every morning to bring down into my hands a new Bethlehem and a new Calvary. I give thanks to the Lord for this unmerited gift and I ask for the grace to persevere until death serving him and loving him with all of my strength in the Legion at the service of the Church.

Upcoming Events & Retreats

(( Listed here are retreats directed by the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi members. For a listing of diocesan activities and other events, click here to go to the vocation.com website ))

LEGIONARIES OF CHRIST

Cheshire, CT, November 27 - December 1, Test Your Call! retreat. Contact Br Branigan Sherman, (800) 420-5409. vocation@legionaries.org

REGNUM CHRISTI consecrated women

Los Angeles, CA, November 1-3. Young Women's Spiritual Growth Retreat. Ages 16-30. Contact Magdalena Faine, (562) 597-6351. mfaine@inteducators.org

Ottawa, Ontario, November 2. Young Women's Spiritual Growth Retreat. Ages 17-30. Contact Lourdes Cano, (401) 225-2314. lcano@inteducators.org

Atlanta, GA, November 4. Young Women's Spiritual Growth Retreat. Ages 17-30. Contact Dorrie Donahue, (770) 417-1045. ddonahue@inteducators.org

REGNUM CHRISTI consecrated men

Call Tony McDonnell for more information, (301) 365-3205. info@ytm.org

ShoreLines welcomes your questions and comments at questions@shorelines.org. If you do not specify otherwise, your question may be posted in the Vocations Q&A section.

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