Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the many ways in which Your grace works in our lives.

On an Encounter with a Nun in a Hotel

"This is one of my favorite stories from the writings of Thomas Merton.

"In The Waters of Siloe, he tells the true story of a businessman checking into a hotel in Paris in the days following World War II and, inexplicably, passing a young nun in the lobby:

"'The nun is smiling…she is a young sister with a bright, intelligent French face, full of the candor of a child, full of good sense; and her smile is a smile of frank, undisguised friendship. The traveler instinctively brings his hand to his hat, then turns away and hastens to the desk, assuring himself that he does not know any nuns. As he is signing the register, he cannot help glancing back over his shoulder. The nun is gone.Putting down his pen, he asks the clerk, 'Who was that nun that just passed by?' . . .

"The clerk shrugs: 'Monsieur, you are the only person that has come in or gone out in the last half hour.'"

In a recent post, Deacon Greg Kandra reflects on this businessman's encounter.

To access his complete post, please visit:

The Deacon's Bench: The nun in the hotel lobby (1 OCT 14)

Reflection Starter from Pope Francis

"May we not resist the Holy Spirit but allow him to work in our lives, so that he can renew us, the Church and the world." - Pope Francis

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the special charisms You have guided the development of in the various religious orders.

Pope to the Clergy: Do Not Limit Yourselves to Merely Acting as Priests – “Be” Priests

Pope Francis recently received in audience the participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Clergy. “The vocation is truly a treasure that God places in the hearts of some men, chosen by Him and called to follow Him in this special state of life. This treasure, that must be discovered and brought to light, is not made to 'enrich' someone alone. He who is called to the ministry is not the 'master' of his vocation, but rather the administrator of a gift that God has entrusted to him for the good of all the people, or rather for all humanity, even those who have drifted away from religious practice or do not profess faith in Christ.” Pope Francis added that “at the same time, all the Christian community is the custodian of the treasure of these vocations, destined to its service, and must always be aware of its task of promoting, welcoming and accompanying them with affection”.

Similarly, the Pope reminded the clergy that they too must play their role in formation. “This involves protecting and nurturing vocations, so that they bear mature fruit.” He remarked that Jesus did not call his disciples by saying to them “come, I will explain to you,” or “follow me, I will teach you.” “The formation Christ offered his disciples instead took the form of 'come and follow me', 'do as I do', and this is the method that today, too, the Church must offer her ministers. . . . For this reason, it is a task that is never completed, because priests never stop being Jesus' disciples; they never stop following him.”

Pope Francis spoke about evangelization as the aim of vocation. “Every vocation is for the mission, and the mission of ordained ministers is evangelization,” he continued, adding that “the first form of evangelization is the witness of fraternity and of communion between priests and bishop.” He concluded by emphasizing that it is necessary for the clergy to “be priests . . . free of every spiritual worldliness, aware that it is their lives that evangelize rather than their works,” rather than to take a limited view of priesthood as a profession.” He also asked the bishops to think of the good of the people of God, to study the itinerary of vocations carefully, and not to accept priests simply because there is a lack of them in the diocese.

(from the Vatican Information Service)

Reflection Starter from St. Francis of Assisi

"I have been all things unholy. If God can work through me, he can work through anyone." - Saint Francis of Assisi, whose memory the Church celebrates today

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the beauty of the leaves as they turn colors in autumn.

Pope Francis: Pay Attention to Your Guardian Angel

"In his homily for the Feast of Holy Guardian Angels, Pope Francis told those gathered for daily Mass to be like children who pay attention to their 'traveling companion.'

"The doctrine of the angels, the Holy Father stressed, is not imaginary, but 'reality.' Citing what Jesus has said, 'I send an angel before you to protect you, to accompany you along the path, so that you do not make mistakes!'

"According to the tradition of the Church, each of us has a guardian angel who protects us and helps make us aware of things, the Pope said at the Santa Marta residence Oct. 2. Often times, we have the feeling that 'I should do this, this is not right, be careful.' This, he said, 'is the voice of' our guardian angel: our 'traveling companion.'

A recent Catholic News Agency report on the Holy Father's homily on the feast of the Guardian Angels.

To access the complete Catholic News Agency report, please visit:

Catholic News Agency: Be like children – believe in your guardian angel, Pope says (2 OCT 14)

Reflection Starter from Buckminster Fuller

"On personal integrity hangs humanity’s fate." - Buckminster Fuller

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the guardian angels You have assigned to us and for the many ways in which they take care of us.

Br. Patrick Mary Briscoe, O.P., on the Priests in Our Lives

"It may well be the case that your parish priest preaches homilies that are - how do we say it gently? - uninspiring. Maybe you’ve come to him to ask a serious question about the faith concerning a teaching or mystery you’ve really struggled with, and he’s failed to offer satisfying answers. Perhaps he lacks charm and charisma, or falls short when it comes to offering the parish visionary leadership. He may well be a little impersonal, excessively shy, obnoxiously gregarious, slavishly bound to rubrics, overly political, or simply unexceptional. These may be the human realities of your priest…and you don't have to like them.

"Catholics often feel guilty if they’re unable to relate personally to their priest.  Longing for their parish to incarnate the virtues of The Bells of St. Mary’s, people rightly have high expectations for their priests.  Notwithstanding the faults of their beloved clergy, something lingers.  For many faithful Catholics it’s hard to write off a priest.  For better or worse, his office (his role) makes it difficult to treat him as if he were one more set of footprints stepping into, then out of, a life."

In a commentary earlier this year, Brother Patrick Mary Briscoe, O.P., reflected on the role of priests in our lives - including that of shepherds, physicians, and fathers.

To access Br. Patrick Mary's complete post, please visit:

Dominicana: You Don’t Have to Like Your Priest (7 MAR 14)

Reflection Starter from Pope Paul VI

"While recognizing the autonomy of the reality of politics, Christians who are invited to take up political activity should try to make their choices consistent with the gospel and, in the framework of a legitimate plurality, to give both personal and collective witness to the seriousness of their faith by effective and disinterested service of men." - Pope Paul VI (in his Apostolic Letter "Octagesima Adveniens" [The Eightieth Anniversary Of "Rerum Novarum"] [also known as "A Call to Action"], 14 May 1971).