APOSTOLATE OF THE SUFFERING MARY FARM 1915 WARE ST. PALMER, MA 01069-9560 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE P AID CHICOPEE, MA 01021 Permit No. 56 ANCHOR to hold fast to the hope that lies before us. This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, (Heb 6:18,19) THE C H R I S T H A S R I S E N The Incredulity of St. Thomas, ca 1823, by François-Joseph Navez
P a ge 2 It is interesting that physical pain is widespread in the animal world, but it is only the suffering human who realizes they are suffering and worry over it. It is also interesting that even though it is from the world that suffering often comes into our lives, people will usually ask God why they are suffering. By this I mean that suffering is often the result of someone making the wrong choices, which in turn has affected us. Why then, if God is all loving and merciful, does He allow us to suffer? I believe the simplest and most basic answer to the question is, God created us with a will of our own. He could have created us like robots or puppets, always doing exactly what He wanted, but He gave us the freedom to make our own decisions. We have the gift of a free will, therefore we make choices. Do we love God and make choices which reflect our love for Him or do we turn our back to God and do our own thing? Our first parents also had the gift of a free will, so it was necessary they have something they could exercise their free will on. God told them they were not to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. We all know what happened. The serpent appeared and tricked Eve into wanting to eat of the forbidden fruit, Adam went along with her. Sin entered the world! Everything we do affects others. Every sin has its effect on someone else. When Adam and Eve committed the very first sin, in not obeying God, it affected the lives of each and every one of us, and so it is today. Someone commits an evil and it causes others to suffer because of it. I believe it is important to point out this applies to the good we do, as well as the bad. An example; When we pray for an individual, we all benefit from that prayer, not just that one person. Whatever we do, good or bad, has its effect on others. God is love. He did not create evil. He sometimes will intervene and save us from it, however, there are times when He allows it for a reason, and not always as a consequence for committing a wrong. Examples: It could serve for a conversion, when it will result in saving their soul or as a discipline, much as a loving parent disciplines their child, etc. God can always bring good from an evil. Br. Bob Letasz SODC
Page 3 While many think the Church is dying, or ought to be dead already, it continues on, held up by the hands of Christ, says Benedict XVI. "While, strictly speaking, she ought to be sinking, the Church sings the song of thanksgiving of the saved. She is standing on history s waters of death and yet she has already risen. Singing, she grasps at the Lord s hand, which holds her above the waters. "And she knows that she is thereby raised outside the force of gravity of death and evil -- a force from which otherwise there would be no way of escape -- raised and drawn into the new gravitational force of God, of truth and of love." "At present she is still between the two gravitational fields," Benedict XVI reflected. "But once Christ is risen, the gravitational pull of love is stronger than that of hatred; the force of gravity of life is stronger than that of death. Perhaps this is actually the situation of the Church in every age?" "It always seems as if she ought to be sinking, and yet she is always already saved," he said. "St. Paul illustrated this situation with the words: 'We are as dying, and behold we live.' The Lord s saving hand holds us up, and thus we can already sing the song of the saved, the new song of the risen ones: Alleluia!" Vatican April 12, 2009 An angel came down, and rolled back the stone. He rolled back the stone, not to provide a passageway for the Lord to go out, but to show the world that the Lord had already risen Pray, brothers, that the angel may descend now and roll away all hardness from our heart. Saint Peter Chrysologus
P a ge 4 Not everyone is a hero. But then, not every hero jumps on grenades, pulls terrified children from burning buildings, or wears an impressive uniform. Do you know a hero? I think perhaps you do. Heroes, you see, can be found in some of the most unexpected places. I knew a young mother who was slowly dying of cancer, yet she put aside her pain long enough every day to smile and laugh with her children. She tried hard every day to bring sunshine into the gloomy hospital room when her family was present. And I watched her husband fill the roles of single parent and financial provider, and still spend every remaining moment sitting at his mate's bedside, valiantly encouraging and offering whatever hope he could muster. I knew a talented teacher who could have worked at a far more lucrative profession, yet was determined to stay in a disadvantaged school in the hope she could make a difference in a difficult situation. She did it for her students. I've known other heroes, too. You may have noticed - many of the world's true heroes will never be confused with action figures. Most have never been to battle, competed athletically nor sung in a pop band. But they have faced nearly impossible challenges with unimaginable determination and courage. They found what it takes to bear the unbearable, forgive the unforgivable, love the unlovable, outlast the unendurable or defeat the undefeatable. And often they do it for the sake of others. Do you know a hero? Maybe one lives in your home. And perhaps one even looks back at you from the mirror. For it is in everyday battles of the spirit that true wars are fought and won. And it is those real-life heroes who give the rest of us hope and remind us that anything is possible. Do you know a hero? I think you do. By Steve Goodier GOD IS THE FRIEND OF SILENCE We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature, trees, flowers, grass grow in silence. See the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence We need silence to be able to touch souls. Mother Teresa
P a ge 5 Sharing in the Abandonment of St. Joseph By Saint Teresa of Avila (t1582) Doctor of the Church Since I saw myself so crippled and still so young and how helpless the doctors of earth were, I resolved to go for aid to the doctors of heaven that they might cure me. For I still desired my health, even though I bore the illness with much happiness. And I thought sometimes that if in being well I were to be condemned, I would be better off this way. But nonetheless I thought I would be able to serve God much better if I were in good health. This is our mistake: not abandoning ourselves entirely to what the Lord does, for He knows best what is fitting for us I took for my advocate and lord the glorious Saint Joseph and earnestly recommended myself to him. I saw clearly that as in this need so in other greater ones concerning honor and loss of soul this father and lord of mine came to my rescue in better ways than I knew how to ask for. I don t recall up to this day ever having petitioned him for anything that he failed to grant. It is an amazing thing the great many favors God has granted me through the mediation of this blessed saint, the dangers I was freed from both body and soul. For with other saints it seems the Lord has given them grace to be of help in one need, whereas with this saint I have experience that he helps in all our needs and what the Lord wants us to understand that just as he was subject to Saint Joseph on earth for since bearing the title of father, being the Lord s tutor, St Joseph could give the Child command so in heaven God does whatever he commands. This has been observed by other persons, also through experience, whom I have told to recommend themselves to him. And so there are many who in experiencing this truth renew their devotion to him.. A MOTHER S MORAL LESSON GONE ASTRAY? A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5 & Ryan 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw an opportunity for a moral lesson. If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait. Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, Ryan, you be Jesus!.
P a ge 6 Why is There Punishment for Sin? ( based upon writings of Fr. Paul Jerome Keller, Order of Preachers) Sin is its own punishment: In other words, since sin is the deliberate choosing of a lesser good over God, instead of eternal happiness, one gets exactly what one wanted. When we think of the consequences of sin in these terms, we begin to see that God does not need to punish us; we do that to ourselves. Every choice we make has consequences: An example: If a student chooses to play games rather than to learn from the home work assigned, the result will be ignorance. The teacher does not punish the student with a poor grade, rather, the poor grade was the choice of the student, even if at that time he or she did not immediately and directly choose the low grade. Likewise, abusive language or actions used against a loved one harms the relationship. There can be no healthy relationship in such a case. By harming another, the abusive person also harms him or herself. Thus we can see sin has built-in punishment. But there is more! Since every human being is made in the image and likeness of God, by God, every person, whether they realize it or not, is a child of God. In committing a sin, even the non-believer is still acting as a child of God and offends God. The offense is more or less great to the extent that the sin is more or less damaging to oneself or to others. Thus there is always another person being affected by every sin. It s never just a matter of a private sin, nor can it ever be just a matter of sin between another person and myself. Always and everywhere and at all times, God is present and therefore God is being offended. Since we are made for God, to be eternally happy with him, we should not damage our own potential for true and real happiness, the kind of happiness God intends for each one of us.
P a ge 7 The Virgin Mary is the Star that guides all journeys to Sainthood. The Virgin Mary is the Star that guides all journeys to sainthood. Her fiat is the model of perfect adherence to the divine will and her Magnificat expresses the hymn of perfect joy of the Church, which on earth already rejoices for the great works of God, and in heaven eternally praises His glory". Under the title: Star of the Sea comes the following twelfth-century prayer from St. Bernard of Clairvaux: If the winds of temptation arise; If you are driven upon the rocks of tribulation, look to the star, call on Mary; If you are tossed upon the waves of pride, of ambition, of envy, of rivalry, look to the star, call on Mary. APOSTOLATE The Medical Commission has given a favorable opinion for the miracle to be used for the beatification of our founder, Msgr. Novarese. Now we wait for it to be verified by theologians and approval of the Plenary of the Cardinals. A Community of Silent Workers of the Cross Brothers will take up residence at Mary Farm this summer, with the arrival Br. Livio from Rome, Italy and Br. Anibal from Columbia, South America. They are both familiar with Mary Farm, having been here in the past. Prayers for the success of our new community of brothers greatly appreciated.
Page 8 JESUS I TRUST IN YOU From the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska Words of Our Lord to Sr. Faustina on the Devotion to the Chaplet of Divine Mercy: Encourage souls to say the Chaplet I have given you Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death When they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as a just Judge but as the Merciful Savior...Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even were there a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy...i desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy... Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will.