Eucharistic Living

by Sr. Therese Maria Touma, MSCL

“Dear Jesus, help me to spread Your fragrance wherever I go. Flood my soul with Your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly, that my life may only be a radiance of Yours.” (Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman)

Cultivating an ongoing reverence and love for the Eucharist is key if we seek to be people of Eucharistic living. Attending Divine Liturgy on Sunday (or daily if your schedule permits) and spending quiet time in adoration before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament are two primary ways to encounter Jesus, the source of all love, healing and life. As God’s beloved sons and daughters, we have been given a tremendous gift in the Eucharist; Jesus’ precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. 

Recent polls have shown that close to 70% of Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. These statistics are alarming as the Eucharist is a central doctrine of our faith. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life (CCC #1324). If most people do not recognize or reverence Jesus in the Sacred Host, how will they recognize and reverence Jesus in their brothers and sisters? 

As Baptized Christian, we are called to be living hosts broken and shared for others. We are given a perfect example of this at the Last Supper, when Jesus gave us his Body and Blood and showed us how to humbly give of ourselves in service, and live the Eucharist. Jesus knelt down to wash the feet of His Apostles, and He told them to go and wash the feet of others. “I give you a new commandment: love one another; you must love one another just as I have loved you. It is by your love for one another, that everyone will recognize you as my disciples (John 13:34-45)

Eucharistic living is “going out of our comfort zones” to care for and be attentive to the needs of those suffering in our homes and parish communities; it is tangibly reaching out to the lonely, poor, sick, hopeless and the vulnerable. It is sowing words of peace, hope and forgiveness. It is carving out time to pray for those who need our prayers. It is seeking to love others and understand them with the compassionate heart of Christ. It is making a total gift of ourselves back to God so that our will can become one with His holy will. 

We ask you Mary “Mother of the Eucharist” to lead us closer to your Son Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. We entrust to you our hearts. Give us the courage and generosity to give of ourselves without counting the cost. Arrange our hearts as you see fit and help us to be Love and credible witnesses of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Are you a Rooster or a Compass?

Sunday, December 8, 2019 homily by 
Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th

Are you a rooster or a compass?
On top of some churches in Europe there is a rooster with a compass underneath it. The origins of the use of the rooster and compass go back to sometime between 590 and 604, when Pope Gregory I noted how the rooster is a good symbol on Churches because it reminds us that Saint Peter denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. This further developed in the ninth century when Pope Nicholas requested that all churches put a rooster on the top of their steeples.
Since Churches were usually at the center of village and city life, there was also a practical element of having a rooster and a compass on top of Church buildings. The rooster moved and was used to determine the direction of the wind while the compass showed direction that never changed. The rooster moved depending on which way the wind was blowing while the compass remained constant despite the day or the temperature.

When we look at our lives as Catholic Christians we need to ask ourselves whether we are like the rooster that changes direction with every wind and passing fad or are we like the compass that despite the weather, despite the location, and despite the time of day are always facing the right direction.

This imagery of the rooster becomes particularly important for us as we prepare for Christmas. We always combine a period of fasting prior to major feast days. The traditional Christmas fast started on November 15, but we can also start today. The Church term for Christmas is “The Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Our liturgical year therefore combines periods of fasting and feasting to remind us to prepare ourselves for special holy days in the year.

The word “Christmas” simply means the “Christ mass.” It is very odd that many Catholics prepare for Christmas by decorating their homes, getting a nice tree, buying gifts for everyone, but forget to prepare every day for the coming of Jesus Some even forget to come to Church on Christmas. We should never forget that Christ is the reason for this season.
 
Amidst the extra busy-ness that this time of year throws at us, this is a perfect time to think of whether we are more like the rooster or the compass. With all the emphasis on buying and eating are we like the rooster on top of a building that blows in every direction or are we like the compass that clearly sees the importance of the coming of Christ into the world and into our lives?

When we read the Gospels carefully we always see that Jesus was very purposeful and clear in His life mission. He did not follow the wind but was like the consistent focus of a compass. In today’s Gospel we see how focused Jesus was on teaching and healing. He was teaching in the synagogue on a Sabbath and no work was allowed to be done on that day. He then healed a woman who had been sick for 18 years despite knowing that he was going to be criticized for doing a miracle on a day when no work was supposed to be done. He saw the sick woman and immediately focused with the precision of a compass and was not intimidated to turn away and spin like a rooster because of what people may say about Him.

The entire life of Jesus was like a compass and never not like a rooster. He knew what He needed to do and remained focused throughout his life. Jesus’ life should always be a model for us. He calls each one of us to be his disciples today and to have that same focus that He had. If we are like the rooster that blows in every direction, we will end up denying Jesus more than the three times Peter denied him.

Let’s look at this in some more practical ways. Fasting forces us to be conscious of the decisions we make so that we don’t spin around with every wind that hits us. We need to be conscious every day that we are making our life decisions for Christ and with Christ. We can ask ourselves a simple question: “Is what we are doing influenced by the life of Christ or by what others will think about us?” If we are influenced by Christ then we are like the compass that has a clear direction, but if we are more influenced by changing opinions then we are like the rooster that changes direction with every passing hour.

We need to always make our faith practical for it to be real. We do this when we are specific about the things in our life that are drawing us closer to a life of faith in Jesus and the things in our life that need to be set aside. For example, I love music. I love the sounds, I love to listen to how instruments are used, I love poetic lyrics, I love the different kinds of voices, and so many other elements of music. Unfortunately, I am also aware that many popular songs contain lyrics that are inconsistent with my desire to dedicate my mind, my words, my thoughts, to Christ. While listening to a song on the radio I often think “I don’t agree with what these lyrics are saying.”

The choice I make in situations as these will determine if my faith is real or not. What I do when I listen or watch something inappropriate will determine if my faith is like a compass that is clearly directed towards Christ or whether my faith is so shallow to allow me to be influenced by what is on the radio or on TV.

Saint Paul tells us: “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil. 4:8). We keep our compass focused on Christ by committing ourselves to live by whatever is true, honorable, and just, not whatever is trendy, new, and entertaining.

Roosters and compasses were put on top of Churches to remind us that if the wind blows us in every direction we are denying the power of Christ in our life, however when we have a clear and consistent direction in our life, we are as stable as the compass.

As we get closer to the celebration of the birth of Christ there is no better time to check whether the wind is blowing us in every direction or whether our direction is towards our savior, the child who is about to be born in Bethlehem.

Preparation and Thanksgiving for the Eucharist

By Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh, Maronite Servant of Christ the Light

The greatest privilege and gift in our lives as Maronite Catholics is to receive the Lord of lords and King of kings, Jesus Christ, into our souls in the Eucharist.

Reflect on this just briefly, that He who made the stars, the oceans, the sky, the sun, the moon, and the entire universe comes down ever so lovingly at the words of His priests, and becomes our food and drink to nourish and sustain our souls. He is the One who loves us beyond all telling and measure, and longs to dwell within us and become one with us. 

This amazing gift of God becoming our food and drink requires from us some preparation before receiving Him and thanksgiving after. Many of us would come to a dinner invitation with an important dignitary prepared with something in hand, and looking respectable, and I am certain that we would not come late either. In a similar way, the Liturgy is the ultimate invitation for us to dine at the supper of the Lamb, which requires important preparation.  

Before Receiving the Eucharist

The Catholic Church sets out specific guidelines regarding how we should prepare ourselves to receive our Lord’s Body and Blood in the Eucharist. First, you must be in a state of grace, which means that you must be free of all mortal sin. To receive the Eucharist without being in a state of grace profanes the Holy Mysteries in the most grievous manner. If you are in mortal sin, the Church requires that you go to Confession before approaching to receive the Eucharist.

Also, you must believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. According to the most recent 2019 Pew Poll, only one third of Catholics believe that the Eucharist is the Real Body and Blood of Christ. We must remember that at the Last Supper, Jesus held what appeared to be bread and wine, yet said: “This is my body. . . . This is my blood” (Mark 14:22-24, cf. Luke 22:14-20).

Also, we must observe a Eucharistic fast. Canon law states, “One who is to receive the most Holy Eucharist is to abstain from any food or drink, with the exception only of water and medicine, for at least the period of one hour before Holy Communion” (CIC 919 §1). 

All of the above are minimum requirements established by the Church in preparing to receive the Eucharist. Here are a few tips to help you ready yourself before Divine Liturgy, and place yourself within a prayerful and reverent mindset for your awesome encounter with God.

·      Before Divine Liturgy, read the Sunday’s Epistle and Gospel readings in order to sharpen your focus on the feast that is about to be celebrated.  

·      Come a little early before Divine Liturgy begins. 

·      Bring your intentions before the Lord in prayer, He wants to hear them all. The most powerful time to offer these intentions is before Divine Liturgy begins, and this will keep you focused on the prayers, as you participate with purpose and meaning.

Thanksgiving After Receiving the Eucharist

There is nothing that delights the Lord more than a grateful heart. In all relationships, especially in marriages, one of the greatest dangers is to start to take the other for granted. In a similar way, we can become accustomed or used to the Liturgy and the Eucharist that we start to take the Lord for granted, and forget to thank Him for the gift of Himself.

On Sunday many are busy, rushing to get lunch prepared, gathering family and friends, greeting one another, and so forth, but I encourage you to spend a little time after Liturgy to offer intentional prayers of thanksgiving, which can be found in our Maronite Book of Offering, or online, or in any Catholic devotional.  

The Announcement to Zechariah Compared to the Announcement to Mary

A homily by Fr. Herbert Nicholls at the Mother of Light Convent, Saturday, November 23, 2019.

Today we end the week of reflection on the Announcement to Zechariah, but today I want to site the text in comparison to the Announcement to Mary, and her reaction to the message. 

 A 16^th century writer, John of Silence, suggests that we are so familiar with this story of Mary that we imagine that we are able to make sense of it. But sometimes we are blinded by what lies right before our eyes. Aristotle said: Our eyes are like those of an owl. The eyes of the owl are blinded by the brilliance of daylight, so too the intelligence of the soul is blind to what in itself, is most evident.

John calls attention to the response of Mary when she is asked to effectively abandon the future that she has planned for herself. She had never contemplated becoming a mother, but remaining a virgin, consecrated to God. But God’s mysterious plan calls for a leap of faith. She is being asked to believe something which is humanely impossible.

She will conceive without the presence of a man, that it will be the work of God, and why is it that God had chosen her as His humble handmaid? Yet, as extraordinary as the message is, Mary does not wrestle to understand it, but she believes it.

There is a similarity in the way the angel asks Zechariah and Mary, but the way in which they respond clarify the difference. Mary responds, “how can this be?” Zechariah responds, “how can I know this?” Mary’s thoughts are about this! She pondered and reflected upon it. Zechariah’s thoughts were about himself. Mary goes to the heart of the matter, concretely and soberly wondering: How shall I conduct myself in relationship to Joseph? Would he be willing to stand by her side when her reputation was tarnished? Would he be able to endure scornful remarks and disparaging glances? And if he did not stand by her, would she be stoned to death? Despite all these terrifying prospects, Mary had the strength to say, Be it done into me, according to your word (Lk 1:38).

Moreover, Mary put aside her day to day activity to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who was with child in her advanced years. It is there in the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth that the work of the Holy Spirit is manifest, in the womb of Mary, recognized by the child of Elizabeth, and by the burst of singing by the two women.

It is the two women who take center stage, there is no male voice to be heard. Zechariah is in no position to speak, much less to sing. Because he could not understand, he would not believe. His heart was not in it.

When Mary spoke her decisive word, Be it done into me, according to your word (Lk 1:38).

God’s word and Mary’s word became one for the first time since the Fall in the Garden. At that moment total agreement between God and man reigned in harmony. 

When God said, Let there be light and there was light, when God said through the angel, Let my Son be born in you, Mary answered, Let it be! And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. The greatest word that a human being has ever uttered is so simple.

Yet some will question: is that all? Yes, that is all. She said, “yes”, and she allowed God to be God! God cannot enter into a heart that is only half-way full. How much more blessed our life would be if we learned from Mary to be whole-hearted. If we learned like Mary to say, Be it done into me, according to your word (Lk 1:38). But too often we stand defiantly before God and say, I will not serve! And perhaps God will respond as He did to Zechariah, Be still and know that I AM God (Ps 46). 

Saturday of Consecration Week

A homily by Fr. Herbert Nichols

During this week we have focused on John 17; the prayer of Consecration by Jesus of His Church and of His children as a “temple of Christ.” Today we backtrack a bit to John 15, where Jesus instructs us how to live this consecration in a new covenant

“No longer do I call you my servants; but my friends.” Friends are invited into a deeper intimacy than employees. Though you are not my servants but my friends I have a commandment for you--

New, yet ever old—Love one another as I have loved you.” It is not you who have chosen Me-- It is I who have chosen you.” My children if you make every effort to get to know God well, you will share in the joy of His friendship.

 

Perhaps this message is no more ironically portrayed than in Charles Dickens’ character: Ebenezer Scrooge, who is such a curmudgeonly gruff and cruel person; that he is friendly to no one. He pushes away his pain; and takes it out on everyone around him.

Scrooge is a Victorian-era accountant who lived a miserly and solitary life; but he is capable of some emotional breaks… After the death of his business partner, Jacob Marley, introduces Ebenezer to a walk with three ghosts who will forever change his life; and make it whole again…

Focused on these messages brought by spectral visitors, Marley (Dickens) sees the opportunity to sew back together the health and welfare of an entire community.

These “spirits/ghosts/angels” certainly messengers read back to Scrooge some awful things that he has said and done. Not loving things of family or employees.

As you sit there for a moment, imagine someone reading back to you the things that you have said or done in a moment of anger. Perhaps the ties that you were short with a MYO teen or perhaps one of your own community members… you might begin to wonder about what you said or didn’t say or perhaps you chose to walk away and ignore someone. 

The character of Scrooge is based on the propositions of what if—what if I reacted cruelly? What if I let my anger get the best of me? All the characters in this play work together to help Scrooge to open his heart.

You and I can use this painful resume as a beginning move from the week of consecration to the week of repentance/ renewal. What a wonderful, opportune time that Mr. Dickens offers us to grow like Ebenezer—to grow through this glorious season of preparation for the birth of our Savior.

To come to the realization: God loves us, everyone.  

Sister, you don’t know how to pray!

Prayer and the Holy Spirit 

A Reflection by Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh, MSCL

As many would now be aware, we, the Maronite Servants, have a new Postulant joining us next month, on September 19. Praise God!  The young lady’s name is Emily Lattouf, from St. Theresa’s Church in Brockton, MA. Emily’s family came to visit the sisters here at our Convent in Dartmouth recently. 

Emily has a four old little sister, whose name is Angelina. She is quite the character! During the course of our conversation, I discovered that little Angie prays a decade of the Chaplet of the Sacred Heart every day. I was intrigued, and I asked her to teach me how to pray the Chaplet. I took out my Rosary so that she could tell me what prayers are said on which beads. Well, we fumbled our way through, and Angie was giving me a lot of repetition, so I finally said, “Ok, so after the Our Father and the Hail Mary, what comes next?” She replied, “You do not know how to pray!” Well, I laughed so hard and so did everybody else. I responded to Angie by saying, “You are absolutely right, I do not know how to pray”. Kids say the darndest (and yet most truthful) things, right?

Angie’s response had reminded me of what St. Paul said in his letter to the Romans, Chapter 8, verse 26:

        In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.

Angie’s response had reminded me that it’s not me who prays, but the Holy Spirit who prays in me. Her response prompted me afresh to implore the Holy Spirit to “teach me to pray, to pray in me”. 

In a couple of short weeks in the Maronite Church, the Season of Pentecost, often known as the Season of the Holy Spirit, will come to an end. In fact, the Season of Pentecost ends with the beginning of the next (and final) Liturgical Season of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14.

The Season of Pentecost is the longest season in the Maronite Church, sometimes lasting as long as three to four months, depending on where Easter falls in the year. After about the 4^thor 5^thSunday of Pentecost, the repetition of the same Liturgies and prayers can become somewhat tedious and monotonous. 

Angie reminded me through her candor and simplicity, that only a pure child possesses, that we are still in this powerful Season of the Holy Spirit. Let’s finish this Season strong. Let us implore the Holy Spirit to come and help us, and teach us weak human beings how to praise God, and how to love God as He desires to be loved. Only the presence of the Holy Spirit in us can do that!

B.U.S.Y., But Doing What?

                                                                                                           

Come, Holy Spirit!

A reflection by Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh, MSCL

The sisters were recently at a gathering of Maronite young adults and a discussion arose about the Holy Spirit. One young man very honestly said, “I don’t know the Holy Spirit. How do I meet the Holy Spirit?” I was touched by his candor and genuine thirst to know the Holy Spirit, the often forgotten Third Person of the Holy Trinity. 

This Sunday, June 9, the Church celebrates the Feast of Pentecost and we celebrate the coming down of the Holy Spirit upon Mary, and the disciples and apostles gathered in the upper room fifty days after the Resurrection. With the coming down of the Holy Spirit, we see once timid and fearful men set ablaze with the power of God and emboldened to proclaim the Gospel message and witness to all nations. What a perfect Feast for us to meet and get to know the Holy Spirit!

What is often not remembered is that the Holy Spirit is really, truly and personally present in our souls, by virtue of our Baptism. When we were Chrismated/Confirmed, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit and received in all fullness His seven Gifts – wisdom, understanding, knowledge, piety, fortitude, fear of the Lord and counsel. We have the fullness of God’s Spirit dwelling within us, so how is it that we don’t know Him?  Why is He not making Himself known to us? The simple answer is the Holy Spirit is not to blame, our sins are the real culprit. Sin seriously weakens and diminishes the action of the Holy Spirit within our souls and darkens our intellects. We can go to the Mystery of Penance and with a good confession turn our gaze back to God. 

So how do we get to know the Holy Spirit? Like we do with any new friend we make. We spend time with the person, talking to them, getting to know all about them. It’s the same with the Holy Spirit. We have to offer Him our daily prayers and open our hearts to him as candidly as we do with our friends. This is not a magic formula, it’s a relationship of love with Him who loves us best. Also, trying to live a morally good life is really the way to animate the Holy Spirit within us. The more we try to wipe out sin in our lives, this  will deepen our conversion and our response to the Holy Spirits’ inspiration.  

So let’s be bold this Sunday on the Feast of Pentecost and ask Him to descend upon us afresh with all His awesome Gifts and set us on fire with His great love! If you don’t know the Holy Spirit, then use this beautiful Feast to ask Him to give you the grace to really encounter Him in your life. He is longing for you to ask!

Come, Holy Spirit, and fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love! Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth!   

Feast of the Apostle, St. John the Beloved – May 8

A homily by Fr. Herbert Nicholls at the Mother of Light Convent on Wednesday, May 8, 2019.

Often when we think of the Apostle, John, the first thought which comes to mind is his love and loyalty for Jesus and Mary; surely fitting thoughts for this Easter Season.

Despite the years of age, John has lost none of the sharpness of memory, for like the Virgin Mary, he learned to treasure and reflect in his heart upon the mysteries of life, in order to make tangible the transcendent…”from the beginning”, we have seen…heard…touched, not mere appearance but real flesh and blood.

In his Gospel Prologue, John narrates the first encounter at the River Jordan. When he asks Jesus: “Where do you live?” Jesus invites to “come and see”. Whatever he saw and heard is kept secret, but it was so decisive that he carefully notes the very hour it took place, 4PM.

For three years he would share the deepest intimacy with Jesus and later with Mary. So intense was his sense of love that he was consumed with the desire to make others aware of the awesomeness of this love.

It is written that God has no favorite children. He is also free to choose whomever he pleases in his relationships. John was highly favored but surely it was not because John was without fault. He and his brother are called Boangeres, literally translated as ‘sons of thunder’, but more idiomatically as fanatics.

When they asked Jesus to call down the wrath of God as Elijah had done, the Lord rebuked them. (It is interesting that the old vulgate translation of St. Jerome had a line which is no longer in modern translations: “You know not of what spirit you are. For they had not yet received the Spirit that came, not to destroy but to save” (cf. John 3: 17)

Ancient tradition ascribes the Eagle as a symbol of the Evangelist, who with his piercing eye has discovered and communicates to us: “God is love. He who abides in love, abides in God and God abides in him”. So treasured is this discovery that John refers to himself as the “disciples whom Jesus loves”.

Delicacy would have prevented using this appellation during the lives of the other apostles. Perhaps it required the wisdom and reflection of advanced years to realize what is hidden from the learned and the clever is revealed to the merest children. Perhaps that is why he addresses his readers as little children. Love one another.

In a similar passage from the Gospel he writes: This is the commandment that has been given to you, that you love one another as I have loved you. It is not a new commandment but one that came from the beginning. Rooted in the prophets it is the reflection of the Father’s desire for His people through the ages.

It is not the first commandment, but inseparable from it. For if you say that you love God, but you do not love your neighbor, you are a liar (1 John 4:20). Love is first of all a gift from God. “It is not that you have first loved God, but that He has first loved you”, and made you loveable. This gift is first and foremost totally unmerited. It is a response to God. It is a yes to God. It is that place, that sanctuary where God reaches our deepest need. For John, that moment occurred as he gazed into the empty tomb and saw the wrappings, and his eyes were opened to the Truth.

Each of us has a sanctuary where God reaches out to us, to meet us in our deepest need. And until the contact is made, the sanctuary remains no more than an empty tomb. Only the touch of God can bring life and love. 

We should not despair if in our own early days, like John we are rebuked for failing to understand this love. Reach out in your search for Emmanuel. Ask for his grace. Lat at his feet all of your failed efforts and embrace His power in hope…is this not after all, the real miracle of Easter?

Simon, Son of John, Do you love me?

A homily  by Fr. Herbert Nicholls at the Mother of Light Convent on Wednesday, April 24, 2019

In today’s Gospel (Jn 21: 15 – 19), Peter is given a task suitable for him. He is to become a shepherd. Jesus knows him inside and out. He knows his contrition for the sin he committed. He has healed him of shame and cowardice. Now he is charged to protect his flock, his lambs, his shearlings, to feed them.

Could Jesus give greater trust in the reality of Peter’s love, Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you. Today, Francis is the Successor of Peter and bears this same responsibility. Repeatedly he has said that this responsibility does not come as a call to heroism, but is largely a matter of everyday courtesy and kindness. 

Why are we, members of Christ’s Body, His Church on earth so wrapped in smoke? Several days after the white smoke disappeared from the Sistine Chapel, the new Pope declared: Preachers should abstain from using the word ‘love’ in their homilies. Pope Francis explained: I do not have anything against the reality. It is the word itself that is so abused. 

In Australia in the 70s, there was a pet food called ‘Love’ with the sickening slogan: Give your pet ‘Love’.

We call all think of a dozen or more synonyms in as many seconds. Love is affection, friendship, service, intimacy, forgiveness, acceptance, listening, welcoming, embracing, empathy, recognition. All of these and more.

But above all, Love is the divine nature. What it is can best be described in poetry. Prose is limited to what love does. Remember the words of Elizabeth Barrett-Browning: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

God has chosen us for this tremendous destiny of love, and if the wonder and joy of it is ours, so too is the responsibility. The responsibility to prove to those who are still unaware that Christ is Risen from the dead, and at the same time, He is in the world now. 

To prove that Christ is in the world, we have to prove it by the example of our own lives. For thus will they know that you are my disciples, by the love you have for one another.

We cannot do this without prayerful imitation of Christ’s way with other people, without surrendering our lives so totally to Him that He may act through us, and gradually obliterate our selfishness and stupidity by his love and patience for us. Do you love?.....feed my sheep.

The Thirst of the Samaritan Woman

 Homily by Fr. Herbert Nicholls at the Mother of Light Convent on February 4, 2019.

Today there are growing concerns over the availability of fresh water, as the earth’s supply seems to be decreasing for any number of reasons. Water is one of the most basic necessities of life, so it seems natural that Jesus would use water to indicate entry into Christian life and grace.

It is noon, it is hot, it is a desert (cf. Jn 4: 1 – 26). Jesus was able to survive 40 days without food, but you can’t survive long without water. His simple request to the Samaritan woman opens up an honest, but delicate dialogue, which challengers the social norms of that time.

But He chose to reach out to her in order to open up the wellspring of her heart. Jesus knew all about her, her bad points, as well as her good. Certainly she must have been very nervous and reluctant to pursue any further conversation. But Jesus reached out to welcome her, enabling a conversation which broke down the barriers between genders and races. A conversation which leads to the discovery of some of the most basic truths. 

Why is it necessary to go to the Temple (or to Church) to worship? I can worship God anywhere. Jesus answers: ‘True worship is not found in a physical place. True worship comes from an inner spirit.’

This woman who had come searching for water to drink from the well now searches for the living water of which Jesus was speaking. Do we also thirst for that which we believe satisfies our deepest thirsts? Is that thirst for the One who created and saved us?

This woman, perhaps still a bit uncertain of what will come out of the mouth of this Rabbi asks: ‘Are you a prophet? They say that there is a Messiah coming, are you the One?’ To which Jesus answered directly and simply: ‘The One speaking to you now, I am He.’

I’m sure many think this Gospel is a long Gospel and an even longer homily, but it is necessary to highlight the process by which misunderstanding and enmity can be transformed into friendship by a willingness to reach out in conversation for a lengthy period of time, longer than a glass of water or a cup of coffee. This transformation requires a willingness to stay with each other even as you stumble over differences. 

The victory of this conversation is revealed in the woman’s impetus to ‘leave behind her water jar’, the symbol of all that she had formerly felt important and dependent. Now in the value of receiving love and acceptance she makes no effort to retrieve it.

Jesus had given her a love that would fill her and change her. He gave her a new source of life. This was the ultimate gift for the woman and for us. And the ultimate value was to share this faith with her neighbors. 

Surely the town’s people must have been somewhat intrigued, but they did not turn away or insult her, they chose to listen, just as she had chosen to listen to Jesus. In time they went to see and hear for themselves. Based on that encounter and the experience of what they heard, they came to believe for themselves that Jesus truly is the Savior of the world. 

Now, what about you? What have you heard? Has it begun to produce a new thirst in you? What is your water jar? What is in it that weighs you down? What is so important that you cannot part with it? Listen to Jesus! He is offering you living water that brings you closer to Him! I pray that you will be able to drink!   

World Youth Day Panama 2019: Fiat & Encounter

 by Sr. Therese Maria Touma, MSCL

“You, dear young people, are not the future 
but the now of God.”

— Pope Francis at WYD Closing Mass

On the flight back to Boston after a memorable week at World Youth Day (WYD) in Panama, I was recalling some of the special graces, encounters and transformations that took place in my heart and in the group of Maronite young adults I travelled with. WYD is a powerful reminder that we as “pilgrims” are all on a journey together to heaven. We each have a unique story to share. It was inspiring to see each person, with their diverse backgrounds and culture, celebrating their faith and being open to the other.

Our MYA group from the USA included young adults from across the country. 

The WYD theme centered on Mary’s fiat, “I am the Servant of the Lord let it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) As Mary said, “yes” to being the Mother of God, she was able to encounter and carry our Lord for nine months in her pure womb. In our personal “yes” to this WYD pilgrimage, we were making room in our lives to intimately encounter the goodness and beauty of Jesus in the Catholic Church: in each person, in the sacraments, catechesis, joyful fellowship, Liturgies, papal events, praise and worship, and in the bond of love we share. 

One of those precious “God moment” encounters for me was on our flight to Panama where I met a young pilgrim from Paris, Marie-Caroline, who was paralyzed and sitting in her electronic wheel chair as a result of her rare and debilitating disease. Despite her numerous health setbacks and dependency on others to eat, shower, work and travel to WYD, she exuded tremendous joy and a vibrant passion for the gift of life. Her calm presence and confidence in God’s love and providence in her life was a powerful testimony, which moved my heart to gratitude. In listening to her story of love, courage and struggle, I encountered the merciful face of Jesus. 

The graces of WYD are still being unpacked. During our pilgrimage there were so many opportunities to be connected with other pilgrims (and Maronites!) from across the world; to pray for and be in solidarity with those suffering especially during the Way of the Cross, to be nourished with the Word of God and the Eucharist; to be cleansed and renewed in the gift of confession; and to be spiritually fed especially in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and in unity with our Holy Father, Pope Francis, during the Vigil and Closing Mass. 

A view of the Opening Mass. 

There were a variety of awesome speakers and Bishops that came to Panama from across the globe to speak to the energetic youth. In the Catechesis sessions, two Bishops that spoke to my heart were Bishop Robert Barron and Bishop Edward Burns from the USA. In particular, I appreciated how Bishop Barron was encouraging us to allow Jesus into our “boats” (our hearts and lives) in order take us deeper, and not to just stay in the shallow. He invited us to dive into the deep like Mary, who trusted and said, “yes” to God’s will. 

The two ideas that I took from Bishop Burns were not to give up on Jesus because of Judas (this was in relation to the scandals the Church is facing), and the importance of silence and listening in trying to prayerfully understand and discern the Lord’s will. The proper disposition for a disciple should be “speak Lord, for your servant is listening” and not “listen Lord, for your servant is speaking.”

Joining with our Australian Maronites for Divine Liturgy.

It was a tremendous blessing for me to be part of this Panama WYD and to see our Maronite group from the USA bond so beautifully. My prayer is that we can keep this fire of love burning, and strive to be open to God’s will in each moment, by faithfully renewing our “yes” to him, in order for our lives to bear fruit like Mary. “I am the Servant of the Lord!” May our “yes” lead us to encounter and share the Hidden One with all those we meet along the way. 

The next WYD will be in Lisbon Portugal in January 2022. Who is in?