Casimir Cypher

 Casimir Cypher is a saint. Not only because of his suffering but also because of the life he led. It was a life of extreme poverty where he had very little to eat except rice and beans.  A life of service as he would travel by donkey and by foot to over 40 stations in the mountains and a life of mortification of washing in the cold river.  He sacrificed his life long before he was arrested, tortured and martyred as he gave up the comfort of home and family for strangers and a foreign land. 

     The process of Canonization therefore is not for Casimir but for us.   So that we might claim to have a saint as one of our own. Until we make him one of our own however we cannot claim him. He is one by name and vows but his life has had little impact upon our lives.   For numerous reasons, Such as the passage of time, not personally knowing him and the busyness and stress of our own personal lives and ministry.   We still have not come to understand the role of Kolbe in our life let alone Casimir. Although Casimir’s life has great potential to affect our lives and ministry because of the issues of immigration and culture and race that affect us currently. 

     The Canonization of Casimir cannot be the work of a few sitting in an office. If we want to declare him a saint then we must somehow make him a part of our personal and friary lives; make him relevant to us. 

     One friar being assigned to his cause checks off the box but is not enough to have an impact on the Canonization Process or making his presence felt among the friars.  

    I have full time ministry and am able to only occasionally work on the Cause for Casimir. I have met with Mike Gable, contacted Rome and Honduras and started a Facebook Page. But lack of time, distance and language has caused everything to move far too slowly. 

The Provincial Chapter needs to discuss how to proceed forward. 

The following are necessary if the Province desires to move forward with his Canonization. 

1. Visits to Rome and Honduras by the Provincial Delegate for his cause
2. Visits to Honduras by friars so that Casimir becomes a reality in their life 
3. One month a year to work on his Cause and Promotion.

Saturday 4th Week of Ordinary Time

 

Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Memorare 

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known
That anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided.
Inspired with this confidence,
I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother;
To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the word Incarnate, despise not my petitions,
But in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Friday 4th Week of Ordinary Time

King David Sirach 47:2-11

Sirach sings the praises of David

Who wrestled with lions,

Who Slew Goliath;

Defeated the Philistines

Who was anointed King of Israel. 

And sang God’s Praises in the Psalms. 

It was from his lineage;

From his town of Bethlehem 

That the King of Kings

And the Lord of Lords

The Messiah was to come. 

Feast of St. Blaise February 3

Blaise was a physician of the body who later became a physician of souls. 

When Blaise was arrested and before he was beaten and then beheaded, 

a mother, whose only child was choking on a fishbone, threw herself at his feet and implored his intercession. 

Through his prayers the child was cured.

 Ever since Blaise has been invoked for protection against injuries and illnesses of the throat.

May Blaise not only intercede for us with any ailments of the throat,

But most of all to sing God praises and give him thanks.  

The Presentation February 2

The Temple in Jerusalem was where the Holy of Holies dwelt.  

There was no holier place on earth!

The Most High who brought the Israelites out of slavery from Egypt. 

Who fed them with manna in the desert

And who led them to the Promised Land. 

Dwelt there. 

So that Israel would never forget all that God had done for them, He decreed that the first born whether man or beast should be consecrated to the Lord.  Ex. 13:1

Mary and Joseph therefore brought Jesus to the Temple to present Him to the Lord. 

The Temple however no longer exists. 

It was destroyed by the Romans in 70AD. 

So what does the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple mean for us today?

Is it just an historical event in the life Jesus that we remember every year ?

Rather we are the Temple of the Lord who by the Holy Spirit dwells in us. 1 Cor. 3:16. 

And while the Temple in Jerusalem was made by human hands. 

We, The New Temple of the Lord are made by God Himself, in His own image and likeness. 

And at every Mass, Jesus presents Himself to us in the Eucharist. 

The priest is the New Simeon who holds Christ in his hands and presents Him to the Father in us who are living Temples of the Most High.

With every Eucharist we receive, 

the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple is renewed; 

Not symbolically, but Actually!

Not historically, but Now!

For we are the Temple of the Lord and

The Eucharist is Christ Himself in His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity being presented in the Temple which is us!

Tuesday 4th Week of Ordinary Time

The tears of David

David’s  son Absalom was trying to kill David and take his crown and become king.

But instead Absalom was killed in battle.

When David heard of this he did not Rejoice but rather wept over the death of his son. 

True love Weeps over the death of a friend or enemy alike. 

God is Love

And therefore never rejoices at the death of a sinner. 

But longs instead for a change of heart 

Monday St. John Bosco

The early Franciscans were known as an Order of penitents. 

But what does it mean to do penance?

And what kind of Penance should we do?

St. John Bosco wrote,

“Your mortification should be your diligence in doing your duties and in putting up with the annoyances of others."

“There are plenty of ways to practice mortification! 

Just patiently endure cold, heat, sickness, troubles, people, happenings, and so forth."

We do not have to go in search of great Penance and Mortification. 

The opportunities are always right in front of us in our daily work and community life. 

And once we have learned how to do those daily mortifications,

Then we can move on to greater ones

But not until then. 

First things first. 

4th Sunday of Ordinary Time

 I Formed you

Think of how much time you spend planning your vacation.  

Especially if it is the vacation of a lifetime. 

Or think about a coach who plans for the big game. 

Or a husband and wife who plan for their first baby. 

Now think of God who planned the entire universe. 

How He thought of the stars and galaxies and planets. 

How he designed the soaring mountains, vast deserts and deep dark seas.  

How He filled the earth with life,

From great big dinosaurs to teeny tiny insects. 

How God planned to make a small seed grow into a giant redwoods. 

Like the greatest Architect or Artist

He planned it all before He created it. 

And before we were formed in the womb,

God had planned that each one of us would be born at this time and this place in the world. 

We were not accidents or unplanned. 

Each one of us;

Every child in the womb,

Is a twinkle in God’s eye. 

Conceived in God’s heart;

Before we were conceived in our mother’s womb. 

We truly are God’s children. 

And He created this world for us. 

Like a parent plans for the birth of their first born. 

God planned the universe

For us. 

To play in. 

And every Sunday, our Heavenly Father calls out to us and says,

“Its time to come home for dinner.”

Every Sunday is our time to come in from our work and our play. 

To our Heavenly Father’s house. 

To gather as one family around the table of the Lord

And be fed with the Bread of Life and the Chalice of Salvation.”

Saturday January 29

Prayer Before Mass by St. Ambrose

Lord Jesus Christ, I approach Thy banquet table in fear and trembling, for I am a sinner, and dare not rely on my own worth, but only on Thy goodness and mercy.   I am defiled by my many sins in body and soul, and by my unguarded thoughts and words. 

            Gracious God of majesty and awe, I seek Thy protection, I look for Thy healing. Poor troubled sinner that I am, I appeal to Thee, the fountain of all mercy. I cannot bear Thy judgment, but I trust in Thy salvation. Lord, I show my wounds to Thee and uncover my shame before Thee. I know my sins are many and great, and they fill me with fear, but I hope in Thy mercies, for they cannot be numbered.

     Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal King, God and man, crucified for mankind, look upon me with mercy and hear my prayer, for I trust in Thee. Have mercy on me, full of sorrow and sin, for the depth of Thy compassion never ends.

      Praise to Thee saving sacrifice, offered on the wood of the cross for me and for all mankind. Praise to the noble and precious Blood, flowing from the wounds of my crucified Lord Jesus Christ and washing away the sins of the whole world.

      Remember, Lord, Thy creature, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy blood; I repent my sins, and I long to put right what I have done. 

     Merciful Father, take away all my offenses and sins; purify me in body and soul, and make me worthy to taste the Holy of Holies. May Thy Body and Blood, which I intend to receive, although I am unworthy, be for me the remission of my sins, the washing away of my guilt, the end of my evil thoughts, and the rebirth of my better instincts. May it incite me to do the works pleasing to Thee, and a firm defense of body and soul against the wiles of my enemies. Amen.

Friday January 28

Thomas Aquinas

By our wounds we are known

One day while Thomas Aquinas was at his desk studying

He had a vision of a man

Dressed in white, light shining all about him

Looking glorious. 

And Thomas asked the man who he was. 

And the man said 

“I am your Lord”

And Thomas said,

“If you are my Lord, show me your wounds.”

And instantly the man disappeared. 

Because it was the devil disguising himself as Jesus. 

Jesus is known by His wounds. 

And so are we!

There are some Christians who outwardly look like Jesus,

But are only in disguise. 

It is By the wounds we bear. 

And the wounds we suffer

By forgiving and turning the other cheek. 

That We too will be known as True Christians. 

January 27 Thursday

Who am I?

The great King David, who was anointed King of Israel;

Who conquered the Philistines;

Sat before the Lord and asked;

“Who am I?”

Somewhere in our day or in our life we too must ask that question. 

“Who am I?”

Not in the eyes of the world;

But who am I in the eyes of God!

This is where our prayer should begin. 

For only understanding who we are 

Can we begin to grasp who God is!!

January 26 Wednesday

Feast of Timothy and Titus

When was the last time you wrote a spiritual letter to a friend. 

Telling them how you yearn to see them;

How Grateful you are for the Faith that they have shared with you;

Encouraging them to stir into flame the gifts God gave them;

This is exactly what St. Paul did for his friends Timothy and Titus. 

It is amazing what a word of encouragement and support can do. 

That no matter what hardship they may be facing,

They can bear it with the strength that comes from God. 

January 25 Conversion of St. Paul

The Conversion of St. Paul

St. Paul thought that he was living his Jewish Faith perfectly

God however, thought otherwise. 

It does not matter if we think that we are living our Faith perfectly or not.  

What matters is what God thinks!

The Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul is a good day to ask God,

" How am I living my Faith?"

"Do I need to change course?"

"Does God want something more from me?"

And then to be willing to accept the answer that God gives us. 

Even if it knocks us off our horse. 

As it did St. Paul. 

January 24. St. Francis de Sales

“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.”

“Have patience with all things, But, first of all with yourself.”

“Half an hour's meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed.”

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

What Part do we play? 1Cor. 12:12-30

Take a look around the church for a moment. 

Quite a mix of people!

And yet somehow we are all connected to each other. 

But How?

We are One Body;  One Spirit in Christ. 

Just as there are many parts in the body

So there are many parts in the Body of Christ!

And Each one of us has a part to play in this Church. 

But some may be saying I am not the Pastor. 

I am not rich, or strong, or have a lot of time to offer. 

“What can I do?”

Ask Aron Roger’s of the Green Bay Packers

Who fractured his little town

Ask him how important his little toe is!

No matter how big or small. 

Never underestimate the importance of what you do. 

When St. Therese of the LIttle Flower was hidden away in her convent,

She worried and wondered what part she was to play 

in the Body of Christ;  In her Convent?

She was not a scholar or a theologian. 

She was not a priest or bishop. 

She was not a teacher or missionary. 

So what was she?

What part did she have to play?

She came to realize that her role was to Love. 

She realized that Love was the Greatest Gift she could share. 

Each one of us is capable of loving. 

Love is patient and kind; 

love is not jealous or boastful;

 it is not arrogant or rude. 

Love does not insist on its own way; 

it is not irritable or resentful; 

It does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

In  a world divided by politics, race, culture and economics. 

The world doesn’t need another project or philosophy or program. 

What this parish and the world needs now is Love. 

And everyone has a part to play in that!