Video: Mary Did You Know


Another post for the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. Some graphic stuff in the video [the Passion of the Christ was Rated R. If you need to, get permission from your parents before viewing this]. You have been warned.


Also, check out this homily from Deacon Greg Kandra - Our Lady Of Martyrs. Beautiful stuff.







A Reflection on Suffering

On the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows 09.15.08
As many of you know, Rence's family, and my parents visited us in Oregon this past weekend. As part of our family excursion, we were given a private tour of The Grotto, a Shrine in Portland dedicated to the Sorrowful Mother. [courtesy of a seminarian friend's hookups =) it pays to be a seminarian]


It is the largest Marian Shrine on the West Coast, complete with a replica of Michelangelo's Pieta, as well as a bronze bust of Mary's head made from a cast of the original Pieta statue (similar to the one on the right, but bronze). Ever since elementary school, when I had the opportunity to do a research paper on Michelangelo, I have had this deep connection with that image; the image of our Mother, the Victim Christ in her arms, sorrowful, but strong.

So, being that today was the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, I took the opportunity to reflect on our response to suffering in this world, and more specifically how Mama Mary's response to suffering can be a steadfast example of how we can embrace the cross and unite our suffering with Christ.

Still, in my 9 years of active ministry, possibly the hardest question I ever have to answer is this:
If our God loves us, why do we suffer?

That question has come from a teen, with tears in their eyes, coping with the death of a loved one, or their parents divorce, or heartbreak. Sometimes, that question is launched from an Atheist friend, who tries to reason that a loving God's existence can not be justified given the daily headlines of war, poverty, and hate. Often, that question comes from within, wondering "why has this cross been put in front of me? Why has this cross been put in front of a friend? or in front of this youth I minister to? What have we done to deserve this? If you love us, why do we suffer?"

And God responds, "it is because I love you, that you suffer."

For many that is a tough answer to swallow. Suffering does not make sense. Our world would laugh at the notion of love and joy in suffering. The world says, if we suffer, than God must not love us. I submit, if suffering means that God, the Father, doesn't love you, then He must love Jesus the least. For Christ suffered the most horrible death, bearing with it the sins of every man, and the hatred that man spat on Him. To say that love and suffering can not coexist, empties the cross of its meaning. One only needs to look at Mama Mary in the Pieta, to truly understand that love is born through suffering, and that when suffering is before us, we do not run. We stand strong.

From AmericanCatholic.org:

"St. Ambrose in particular sees Mary as a sorrowful yet powerful figure at the cross. Mary stood fearlessly at the cross while others fled. Mary looked on her Son's wounds with pity, but saw in them the salvation of the world. As Jesus hung on the cross, Mary did not fear to be killed but offered herself to her persecutors."

Imagine Mama Mary. She watched as her son was beaten and humiliated. She stood at the foot of the cross as the blood of her son drained from him. Yet, she did not run. She gave her son, and in doing so, gave the world everything. She did not grumble or curse God. She stood as she herself was pierced by a sword.

At the cross her station keeping
stood the mournful Mother weeping,
close to Jesus to the last.

Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
all His bitter anguish bearing
now at length the sword had passed.
-- Stabat Mater

As St. Paul reminds us, we should not let our suffering be in vain. As he said to the Colossians, "Even now I find my joy in the suffering I endure for you. In my own flesh I fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of his body, the church. (Col 1:24)" Does that mean that Christ's death on the cross was insufficient - lacking? No. It means that our sufferings unite us to the suffering that Christ endured so that we all might have life. Suffering is an amazing grace, not because it is ours, but because it is His.

In his homily today, one of the priests here at Mt. Angel said (and I paraphrase), "It is a great joy to imagine those many souls flying out of purgatory, because we have united our sufferings to the Cross. Do not waste your suffering."

Brothers and Sisters, often I grieve over the many sufferings of this world. Sometimes all it takes is a phone call home, or to a friend to see that many of us suffer horrible tragedies and trials. I couldn't tell you why there are hurricanes, or why there is war, or why there is poverty. I couldn't tell you why you suffer the loss of a loved one at this point in your life. I couldn't tell you why you have become a victim of violence. I couldn't tell you why your parents are getting a divorce, or why your boyfriend cheated on you, or why you suffer the pains of loneliness and depression. I couldn't tell you, because I don't know.

He does.

And he loves you enough to let you unite your sufferings to the Cross.

As Mark Hart says,

"Because trials show that God is at work in our life. Every struggle in our lives is an opportunity; an opportunity to draw closer to, or stray further away from, God.


If God has allowed you to suffer in your life, consider it a blessing, that He believes in you enough to know that you can handle it, because by your keeping your eyes on Him through the pain, others will notice and see your enduring love for God.


God loves us more than we can comprehend…like any good father.


Look to God in times of trial…He BELIEVES in US.
The question during suffering, though, is do WE believe in HIM?

I end now with a prayer from the liturgy of the hours, that we might look upon our suffering and share them with Christ.

Father,
as your Son was raised on the cross,
his mother Mary stood by him, sharing his sufferings.
May your Church be united with Christ
in his suffering and death
and so come to share in his rising to new life,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

Be God's.


“Life Himself came down to be slain; Bread came down to suffer hunger; the Way came down to endure weariness on His journey; the Fountain came down to experience thirst. Do you, then, refuse to work and to suffer?” - St. Augustine
Hit the jump to continue the reflection.

The Discernment of a Teen: Part 2!!!





Answer the following questions in true or false:
1) I play sports.
2) I love kittens.
3) I hate my family.

Please click for the answers!


Believe it or not, those types of questions were more or less what my psychological tests consisted of. If you are ever given the opportunity to volunteer for a psych exam, I would suggest eating the paper instead. It was roughly a 3 to 4 hour test, consisting of of a 500 questionnaire, picture interpretations, and an interview. It was exhausting but necessary. Afterward, I spent the day in the city with the Perdi brothers and impulsively bought "Apples to Apples" and attempted to ride the carousel. Matt was too scared.

After the psych exam was a period of waiting. The only comfort I had at the time was what Sean told me when my exam was first scheduled. "They wouldn't waste my time if they didn't see potential." Before you know it, they called me and had a plane ticket from SFO to Oregon for my interview. And that day was an amazing day.

My flight left around 7, so thus i had to wake up at 430 ish....gah just thinking about it. It was the first time flying by myself, so that in of itself was an experience. I felt professional and grown up (acting like you're not a newb really helps too) Arrived around 9 oclock, where i waited for Brother Francis. The coolest thing was that Bro. Francis is Bishop Weigand's actual brother!! Before we could leave, we had to wait for two other potential seminarians from Montana. During the wait, Bro. Francis and I just chopped it up, talking about the Sacramento diocese and about his brother.

When the two potentials arrived, I was surprised by the age difference. One of them, named Luke was currently in college in his mid 20's, and the other was Doug, who is in his 60's. The ride to mount angel was not as nerve racking as I thought, but it was nice talking to Luke and Doug about the policies in the Montana diocese. The shortage of priests there is also a sad reality many dioceses are facing today.

When we drove up the hill, I was amazed by the fact that I was there. "Lord, I can't believe I'm really here!" When we got out of the car, I thought I was late for my meeting. I was scheduled to be (or I imagined) at 11. I ran around the campus not knowing where to go, in fears of making a bad impression, I got lost but Fr. Liem, a very kind Vietnamese Benedictine Priest monk pointed me in the right direction.

Well, ill have to cut this short too, i have 5 o clock mass soon!!! Until next time!

Peace and Love,
Rence



UPDATE:
RAJ's Addition: