Year IV, Number 8

"I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one" (1 Jn 2, 14). The mystery of the love of God, "hidden for ages and generations," (Col 1, 26) is now revealed to us in the "word of the Cross," (1 Cor 1, 18) which, abiding in you, dearest young people, will be your strength and your light, and will unveil to you the mystery of your personal call. I know your doubts and your efforts; I see you lost at times; I understand the fear that assails you about the future. Yet I have in my mind and in my heart the joyous image of the many encounters with you on my apostolic journeys, in the course of which I have been able to verify the sincere search for truth and love that abides in each one of you.

The Lord Jesus has pitched his tent among us, and from this, his Eucharistic dwelling, he repeats to each man and woman, "Come to me, all you who labor and are overburdened, and I shall give you rest" (Mt 11, 28).

Dear young people, go to meet Jesus the Savior! Love him and adore him in the Eucharist! He is present in the Holy Mass, which makes sacramentally present the sacrifice of the Cross. He comes into us in Holy Communion and remains in the tabernacles of our churches, because He is our friend, the friend of all, especially of you young people, who are so much in need of confidence and love. You are able to draw from him the courage to be his apostles in this particular period of time; the twenty-first century will be how you young people will want it to be and will make it. After so much violence and oppression, the world needs young people capable of "building bridges" to unite and reconcile; after the culture of man without vocation, men and women are needed who believe in life and accept it as a call that comes from Above, from the God who calls, since he loves; after the atmosphere of suspicion and distrust, which poisons human relationships, only courageous young people, with minds and hearts open to high and generous ideals, will be able to restore beauty and truth to life and to human relationships. Then this Jubilee time will truly be for all a "year of the Lord's grace," a Jubilee of vocation.

Q. Dear Fr Anthony,

I am struggling on when to enter the seminary. I am currently a junior in college and am having issues with apathy towards school in general this semester. I am pondering if this is because I really do think God is calling me to enter the seminary, maybe now. And I also have a father who wishes me to get a college degree before entering the seminary. So I am stuck with my apathy, my father's guidance, and confusion about when to go to the seminary. Some of my better friends keep asking me what I am waiting for. What would be your recommendation?

- Brian

A. Dear Brian,

The mentality that one should finish out college before entering the seminary is quite common. Frankly, I think if a young man perceives he has a vocation and there is no further reason to go to college other than "getting a degree" (there are cases in which a spiritual director may recommend college because the young person has something he needs to work on before being ready for the seminary; that is quite different) that it would be a mistake and waste of time, and can be the cause of apathy. If you think you have a vocation but have not been able to verify it, if you have the feeling of being neither fish nor fowl, then even the normal, wholesome campus activities can be upsetting since you don't know if you are risking your vocation or not.

Now, here are some variables. One, there may not be such a problem if you definitely know you have a vocation and have made up your mind that in all your choices of courses, friends, activities, prayer time, social life, etc, you are going to favor your vocation. Two, there are several good Catholic colleges that have pre-theologate programs designed to support young men who know they have a vocation; that is a good option. Three, there are also several good Catholic colleges and programs within larger institutions that foster an active Catholic life, stimulating intellectual and spiritual development. While most of these programs will give you a good foundation in the liberal arts, upon which you will build your priestly studies (they actually cover some of the same content), you will not be receiving specific training for the priesthood there, and the environment will be helpful even though the human heart will always be the same.

In your case, I think you need to speak to a priest, preferably one who knows you well or can get to know you well, to see if you are ready for seminary or not. If you are, you need to have a serious talk with your father.

God bless.

- Fr Anthony

Q. Dear Fr Anthony,

For quite a while now I have been discerning a call to the religious life. I had a plan to go to college for two years then enter the community as a candidate and go to the novitiate after college graduation. Suddenly, I want to join the military, and the order says that this throws off the plans. I was so sure before of what I wanted, but I now have no idea. What should I do besides pray?

- Military Priest Wannabe

A. Dear Military Priest Wannabe,

With some it's the military, with others a carreer opportunity, with still others a young man or woman they meet, but most young people who are seriously considering a vocation (and many who had made their decision), like has happened to you, run into a circumstance that knocks the wind out of their sails, at least temporarily.

The good thing about this is that it makes them reflect on what a vocation is, and allows them to make a more mature decision. It is something allowed by God for a greater good.

You ask what you should do besides pray to solve your dilemma. You should use your head, but letting it be guided by what your faith tells you. And then you should learn a lesson and make a decision.

You have to think like a Christian. Fortunately you are a person with a variety of interests, and with the ability to pursue them, so you are not going to be "cornered" into a vocation - it is going to be a choice of love: you are going to choose it above other good things that attract you and you are free to do. You are going to learn the difference between love and infatuation, and choose love. So ask yourself, "Which is more important: a career, a profession, or a vocation?" Being a Christian, you are going to be able to think in terms that put God and souls first, and then make your decision based on that, even if it means going against your feelings.

This is the important lesson to learn, and it is crucial because even after you begin the path of your vocation, and many years into it, it is always possible that something will come up that will want to distract you from the course you are committed to. The decision then is a love-decision: a gift of yourself without looking back.

- Fr Anthony

In calling you God gives you a mission. Perhaps we're used to hearing this and we repeat it by rote, never penetrating the love it implies and the eternal consequences it entails. Who is God? Who am I? And between the two, connecting us, his voice. Not now the voice of a command, as when he created all things - "let there be ..." - but a humble, insinuating voice, all love: "If you want ...." But let's not be naïve. This outwardly humble and respectful voice is the bearer of a God's will and wish. And if God gave us intelligence for a purpose we can't be at ease morally if we simply say no. As creatures our position before God is very different than before one of our friends. Or is it that we are unable to see what will make us happy? "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says 'give me a drink,' you would ask him and he would give you living water."

And that is how God's call is at the mercy of your will. God has expressed his will. What will be your answer?

Gospel: Mk 2:18-22

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old garment; if he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but new wine is for fresh skins.”

Introductory Prayer: All that I have I received from you, and all that I do will be done in your name, O Lord. Keep my intentions always pure, and help me to seek only your glory and the salvation of souls.

Petition: “Oh Lord, true glory and holy joy is to glory in thee and not in oneself; to rejoice in thy name and, not be delighted in ones own virtue, or in any creature, save only for thy sake. Let thy name be praised, not mine; let thy work be extolled, not mine; let thy holy name be blessed, but to me let nothing be attributed of the praises of men. Thou art my glory; thou art the joy of my heart” (The Imitation of Christ, Book III, 40).

1. Purity of intention: its importance

In the prologue to the Rule of St. Benedict we read this exhortation: "At all times we must serve God by means of those gifts which he himself has placed within us." Here arises the importance to recognize the gifts God has given to each of us. "If only you recognized the gift of God" (cf Jn 4:10): that all I have, I have received from the loving hand of my Father. I have received them to use them as talents, not for my glory but so that my Father is glorified by me in the way I use and develop them. In Matthew's gospel, Jesus speaks to us of the parable of the talents. Can we say that the one who buried the talent is the one who failed to recognize it as such? Or did he perhaps bury it for himself and not invest it for the Father? Every one of us will be praised at some moment in our lives by our peers for some quality or talent we possess. At these times we need to combat the thoughts that arise from our vanity. We need to purify them. Often a short, spontaneous prayer will help us: "Oh, Lord, they praise your gift" or "But you and I know, Lord, that what they see in me is yours and what honor they give me, I offer to you who gave me these talents."

In one of his epistles, St. John has this idea in mind when he writes: "If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater." If I am recognized for ability, a talent, or quality that others see, it is what God has given to me. All that I have I received from you, and all that I do will be done in your name, O Lord.

2. We need it

“Our people are to be select in purity of intention; there are many souls who are well-formed in tenacity, but who unfortunately lack this select formation in the purity of their intentions in all their work and actions. The absence of purity of intention robs Jesus Christ of the glory due only to him, and makes fruitless each and every work of the apostle. You, the men and women of the kingdom of Christ, must follow the example of your supreme leader step by step. He always sought the glory of his Father. Form yourselves selectively in this spirit, and always seek Christ’s interests. Don’t consider your own glory; that would be leprosy, devastation, the basis of discord, envy, divisions, and the sign of spiritual barrenness. The merit of your good works depends on the purity of intention and love with which you do them” (letter of Fr Marcial Maciel, LC, December 1, 1948).

3. Its model is our model

“I have glorified Him and will glorify Him again” (Jn 12:28). “The Father is greater than I… The words that I speak to you, I speak not of myself” (Jn 14:28,10). “And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that my Father may be glorified in the son” (Jn 14:14). “I have glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work you gave me to do…I revealed your name” (Jn 17:4,6). In the gospels, we often see Jesus working miracles and great signs for the people, and he always lifts his spirit to the Father in thanksgiving. We see this when he called Lazarus forth from the tomb: “And Jesus raised his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me, but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me” (Jn 11:41).

“The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me” (Jn 11:25). “So Jesus said [to them], ‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I Am, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me” (Jn 8:29). Jesus is the epiphany of the Father, the one sent as the ambassador of the Father, as Heaven’s pilgrim to reveal the mysteries of God, and even when people made an act of faith in Jesus, he still looked to the Father. “I thank you, Father, for you have revealed this to the little ones.” We can conclude with the words of St. Paul to the Colossians: “Whatever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Col 3:17).

Dialogue: Lord Jesus Christ, I know that you have given me infinitely more than I deserve. Help me see my complete dependence on you; without you I can do nothing, but with you I can do everything. Purify my heart, so that I long to please only you with all my words and actions, and cleanse it of all inordinate desire to be looked upon or admired by others. Grant me a profound humility, so that I live to fulfill your divine plan over my life and forget my own plans.

Questionnaire:

1. Is God the sole motive for all my actions, or do I do good just so that others praise me?

2. Do I enjoy being the center of attention? Under which circumstances do I seek it?

3. Am I disappointed when my actions go unnoticed? Why?

On February 24th, John Slyker, who was suffering from a degenerative eye ailment that was making him lose his vision, was brought by his parents to Fr. Solanus. After enrolling in the S.M.A. (Seraphic Mass Association - an organization which collects prayer intentions of the faithful) and a blessing from Fr. Solanus, the boy could soon read street signs, and gradually his vision was restored.

In March of 1925, the Detroit auto industry was struggling, and Chevrolet worker John McKenna enrolled the ailing company in the S.M.A. Fr. Solanus was hesitant at first, but he knew success meant aid for many workers and families. On the same day, the company received a large order for automobiles and soon after received an order for 45,000 automobiles.

Fr. Solanus began the devotion of St. Maurus’ blessing of the sick, an ancient devotion. Fr. Maurice, his brother, decided to become a Capuchin and was eventually accepted into the Third Order. As porter, Fr. Solanus continued answering the door day or night. His sister Ellie died on Christmas Eve of 1928, and almost a month later to the day he received a telegram that his brothers John and Tom had died in a car crash. Christ continued to work great miracles through his attitude of permanent gratitude to God.

Fr. Maurice died in 1949 after his long battle with mental illness, and in May another bout with eczema almost cost Fr. Solanus his legs. The battle continued into the fifties, evolving into “St. Anthony’s Fire,” or erysipelas, a fever-inducing skin disease triggered by streptococcus. In January of 1956, he was secretly sent back to Detroit and hospitalized, undergoing surgery to remove cancer from his legs. The news of his return to Detroit was leaked out, but his superiors keep all callers and visitors at bay to protect the failing friar.

In 1957 the skin disease turned terminal, with even the intravenous feeding tubes causing him excruciating pain. Finally, at 11 AM on July 31st, 1957, he gasped out, “I give my soul to Jesus Christ,” and passed into eternity. It was the 53rd anniversary, to the minute, of his first Mass.

Twenty thousand people passed by Fr. Solanus’ open casket in the days leading up to his funeral. The cause for his canonization began in 1972, and on July 11th, 1995, Pope John Paul II declared him Venerable, the first native-born American male to receive the honor. His cause for canonization continues, and perhaps someday he will be the first native-born American male to be declared a saint.

If we give advice to the souls entrusted to us that we do not live ourselves, our ministry is hollow. Venerable Solanus always lived outside himself, but also deep within himself in that inner place where only the Trinity can dwell, penetrating the deeper realities of man and transmitting them through prayer and the example of a holy life.

As Christians we must always abide in the true vine which comes from our prayer and union with Christ, and like Venerable Solanus Casey we must maintain an attitude of constant thanksgiving that lets us transmit an experience of Christ to everyone we meet through a reminder of all Christ has done for them.

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

Milan, IN, Feb 28 - Mar 3, 2003, Young Men's Retreat: for high school students. Skiing after retreat (on Monday). Contact Tom Weisbrod at millennm@nalu.net or (812) 623 2224.

Cheshire, CT Mar 7-9, 2003, Test Your Call Retreat. Ages 16-30. Contact Br Branigan Sherman at vocation@legionaries.org or (800) 420-5409. Price: none

Cornwall, ONT Mar 7-9, 2003, Test Your Call Retreat. Ages 16-30. Contact Fr William Slattery at wslattery@legionaries.org or (613) 931-1920. Price: none

Houston, TX Mar 14-16, 2003, Young Men's Spiritual Exercises. Ages 16-30. Contact Donna Rueby at dmrueby@hotmail.com or (281) 361-3708

April 13-22, 2003 - Youth Pilgrimage to Rome. Ages 11-15. Price: $1,495 (includes airfare). Contact Ray Arsenault at arsenaultacres@pei.sympatico.ca or (902) 854-2808.

REGNUM CHRISTI consecrated women

Chicago, Mar 4-6, 2003, Young Women's Spiritual Growth Retreat. High School/College Girls. Contact Rae Joyce Baguilet at raejoycebag@aol.com or (630) 759-2322.

Washington DC, Mar 4, 2003, Young Women's Lenten Retreat. Ages 17-30. Contact Lucy Honnor at lhonnor@inteducators.org or (301) 536-6031

Portland, OR, Mar 7-9, 2003, Spiritual Exercises. Ages 17-30. Contact Rebeca Barba at rbarba@inteducators.org or(206) 755-1121

Syracuse, NY, Mar 7-9, 2003, Young Women's Spiritual Growth Retreat. Ages 16-30. Contact Megan Fallon at mfallon@fallonlaw.com or (315) 727-6336.

Ottawa, Mar 9, 2003, Young Women's Spiritual Growth Retreat. Ages 17-30. Contact Lourdes Cano at lcano@inteducators.org or (401) 225-2314

Los Angeles, CA, Mar 16, 2003: Young Women's Spiritual Growth Retreat. Ages 16-30. Contact Magdalena Faine at mfaine@inteducators.org or (562) 597-6352.

REGNUM CHRISTI consecrated men

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

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