Kolbe Mission USA

To be continued....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 00:19:00 +0000

This blog was first published a few years ago, when we did not have a website. Today, we believe that you will best be served via our new and improved site. Therefore, for the time being, we are halting this publication in order to focus on improved articles and content on our site. We'll see you there, where you can read, listen to, and see what we are doing in the world, find meditations, videos, resources, audio files, and so much more!

www.kolbemission.org/en/home

Now, That's Humbling

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 10:54:00 +0000

Life passes in a flurry of activity.

I've learned to appreciate the liturgical year. It gives rhythm to life, focuses prayer when I might otherwise not know where to turn my mind, and allows me to "feel" with the Church.

The liturgy of the hours, for example, puts psalms of sorrow and whoa on my lips. I know that I am praying for the persecuted throughout the world, for those whose hearts are crying out, ". I might not have sentiments of sorrow, but with the psalms I can pray for those much closer to Christ in his moment of agony, "My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?"

This morning, the Church prayed, "O God, you are my God, for you I long; for you my soul is thirsting." I recalled the many, many souls who are dying of thirst while trying to quench it with toxins. I think of those who have already tasted the sweetness of Christ, and now long to be totally immersed in this goodness. My own soul longs for God. Thanks to the Church, I prayed for all of these this morning, and so much more.

The liturgy is a humbling thing because it makes you an instrument for the prayer of the Church and simultaneously draws you more intimately into the Church, that is, Christ.

That's nothing new. Being humbled I mean. Today, I also thought of my vocation. As a Father Kolbe Missionary of the Immaculata, totally consecrated to God, my vocation is to consistently turn to God to satiate my thirst. My vocation is to bring others to this same everlasting source of water. My vocation is to pray without ceasing so that I can be a presence of Christ and Mary for thirsting souls.

Now, that's humbling.

Not worthy? Think Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 21:30:00 +0000

more pictures at instagram.com/kolbemission

One week ago, more or less, we participated at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ advent retreat for women in the consecrated life. We gathered, prayed, reflected and learned about Our Lady of Guadalupe, discussed, ate a very simple meal (brown bag casual), and then completed the evening with adoration. It was nothing spectacular, and yet the very fact that it was just a part of who we are, made it marvelous.

Each congregation or community present lives out their vocation according to a unique charism. Some are teachers, social workers, nurses, and any combination of the three. There were those running colleges, hospitals, and homes for the elderly. There were those in formation, those professed 40 years, and everyone in between. Our backgrounds were incredibly diverse and our collective or personal spiritualities even more so. Just as to the married life, the Lord calls from every walk of life and every neighborhood. In return, he calls us to live and be his presence to people in every walk of life and neighborhood.

That’s it: the basic qualification to following Christ in the consecrated life – follow him everywhere.

It is not a question of worth – he makes us worthy by grace.

The somewhat common “rationale” behind not entering the consecrated life (or priesthood) that amounts to “I’m not worthy,” may be a cop out. Since when are we worthy by our own design? Since when do we believe that the omnipotent God cannot transform our hearts? It is not a question of qualifications – he qualifies the called. It is his grace, his very life in us, that makes us worthy - because he is worthy. Love is so much more than a mere matter of sentiment – love lies in the will. Looking around the room, aware of our weaknesses and strengths, our crosses and our victories, I was reminded to pray for vocations. I prayed that young men and women do not sell God short by assuming he would never call them. God is bigger than that. Much bigger. So big, in fact, that our surrendered littleness MAGNIFIES the Lord.

The Advent of the Consecrated Life

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 17:37:00 +0000

It’s advent: the season of waiting.

There may be no time in the liturgical season that more powerfully stirs my heart (and the hearts of many consecrated persons) to yearn for the Lord. We are thrust into the awareness that, yes, the Son of God became Man for our salvation, but we have not yet fully entered into the Kingdom.

We are living in the permanent awareness that God is with us and coming for us. At times, we may be waiting in the dark, but we have the light of hope illuminating our vigil. There is nothing on this earth that can replace the joyful anticipation of the coming of the Christ. Besides, we do not wait alone. We wait together, with the Church, with our communities, and with the laity – who offer us a particular glimpse into the loving relationship of the Holy Trinity.

In this Advent of the consecrated life, healthy (though imperfect) families, are like the decorations and lights. They remind us that Christ so loved the world that he entered into a family, lived its dynamic, and then surrendered it all for the salvation of many. The family is the complement of the consecrated life, a visible, tangible sign of Christ among us. The family is a great gift of God that we are happy to surrender for the sake of waiting diligently for the coming of Christ.

It would be dishonest to imply that this patient waiting is never tiresome. Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical on the Dignity and Vocation of Women, reminded us that the surrender of the family is particularly courageous for some women. We can be tempted by the “grass is always greener” mentality, but we may also ache for the authentic goodness that is the family. In healthy relationships, the spouse alleviates some of the loneliness of this earthly pilgrimage, and the child fills the heart with a clear purpose. Both make room in the heart for a love that is indescribable. Who would not desire these things?

The consecrated replies: “Who would not desire God?” “Who would not be willing to offer them for the good of others?” “Who would not be willing to wait in the dark, lamps lit, for the coming of the Groom?” Yes, there is REAL JOY in the waiting. We are the virgins of the Gospel. Hearts afire with the love of God, bearing the light of Hope, as we wait joyfully – together – for the coming of our Love, our Groom, our Everything.

Discerning your vocation? Contact us: FKMissionaries@gmail.com
See our vocation and young adult webpage: www.kolbemission.org/en/home

Remembering the Goodness of God

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Nov 2014 04:28:00 +0000

The Fr. Kolbe Missionary community in West Covina, California wishes you all a very blessed Thanksgiving:

I am thankful to God for being a missionary, and for living day after day this marvelous adventure of spreading God's Word among the indigenous persons of Baja California and the many others I meet and serve day to day. I am thankful to God for being a member of an Institute guided by the spirituality of St. Maximilian Kolbe; I know that it will never grow old because of its capacity to adapt to the needs of every age. This is not an easy thing, but the heroic charity of Saint Maximilian makes it possible.- Maria del Rosario

My calling to consecrate myself to God is a total Gift, a mystery of his love. I will never fully understand it here. I thank him for this Gift which forms and challenges me each day to be more and more like Him. – Ann

Thanksgiving day finds me truly grateful for all the many blessings that fill my daily life, and for the people and situations that help me see these blessings, especially when they come in "disguise." The celebration of my 25th anniversary of consecrated life took me back in time. I revisited the amazing circumstances that providentially led me to say "Yes" to God's love and invitation to be His for life and eternity. Thank you to all whom I have prayed, walked, and worked with in any place I have been: you have made my heart and my horizons so much wider! – Ada

O Lord, my God, how great you are! You have called me from my nothingness into something so beautiful that by myself I would never have found. Thank you, Lord for giving me such a gift of love ------ to be yours forever! May I be always aware and open to follow your lead and may others be so blessed as to find You and your gift of vocation!! - Rumela

I give special thanks to God for his fidelity, manifest in the many good missionaries, married couples, priests, and religious I’ve come to know in my life. This eternal fidelity of God gives me great hope, and allows me to give a resounding “Yes” to the invitation to follow him forever in the consecrated life as a Father Kolbe Missionary! – Jillian

This Thanksgiving I feel overwhelmed with a sense of elated joy and satisfaction because of the abundant love of God I have received from .my sisters in community, and from our friends, benefactors, and collaborators. It is such a gift and privilege, as well as a life-giving challenge to live this missionary vocation. Thank you to all of you for your prayers, loving encouragement, and collaboration in our mission! Wishing you and your family a blessed and joyful Thanksgiving celebration! – Julie

The Call

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Nov 2014 15:28:00 +0000

Many of us have heard that the word vocation comes from the Latin word vocare, which means to call. I don’t know about you, but this idea of being “called” has often seemed strange to me. Is it just doing his will? Then, does taking out the trash become a vocation? Is it hearing and responding to a specific task? Then, isn’t every good work a vocation? Can I have two vocations then? Like being a mom and a nurse or a teacher and a priest?

The fact that there are “vocational schools” confuses the matter. I am easily confused.

I simply don’t get things unless I tear them down to their (sometimes stark) fundamental reality.

What does it mean to be called?

To be called means to be destined. What God “says” comes to be. In the beginning, God created the world through the Word. I, therefore, find it beautiful that we are not “told” by God what to do (as so many of us wish we would be). If he told us, it would be “poof” you’re a spouse, “poof” you’re a missionary. In his great mercy and goodness, he does not force this upon us. Instead, he calls – which means that we must answer – or it remains only a voice expanding throughout the atmosphere.

Second thing, if he calls us, it means that he has created us to be sanctified (made whole and happy) in a particular way. The Lord does not do things arbitrarily. Outside of time and space his love moves the universe toward the good for all creation. Therefore, no matter how thoroughly astounded someone might be that he is calling them to the priesthood or consecrated life, it is for not only their good, but the good of the whole world. We must trust that God wills our good.

Finally, if his word is creative, and his will is all good, then he will give us the necessary grace to live and flourish wherever he calls us. When the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, she was afraid. She did not understand the ins and outs of how it would happen and work out. She undoubtedly knew she was made worthy only by his grace. She trusted in the call of the Lord to transform and support, create and sanctify her entire person. Mary knew that a response was necessary. She also understood that this response was to grant the all-merciful God permission to fulfill his Word, his call in her.

“Let it be done unto me, according to your Word.”

At a certain point in your life, God will call. You may be tempted by 10,000 “what-ifs” that flood your mind, a million butterflies in your stomach, and the thumping of your heart. However, rest assured that this call is an infinitely powerful call, capable of transforming you into that very person you long to be and to which you are beckoned. It is the sound of a sweet challenge, a promised victory, and a guide for how to spend the rest of your life becoming the person you were destined to be from the moment love created you.

Don’t run away. Don’t close your ears. Just listen. Respond, and let the Divine dialogue begin.

For more information about the Father Kolbe Missionaries of the Immaculata: www.kolbemission.org/en/home We have a great page for youth and vocations.

For more information on vocations and taking the first step email us: communications@kolbemissionusa.com

We Are Family.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 15:13:00 +0000

On Sunday evening, history was made. If you had been a fly on the wall, it wouldn’t have seemed like much. But, in the hearts of those of us present, a song of hope and promise was sung. For the first time, Father Kolbe Missionary priests celebrated Mass in our chapel in West Covina, California. For the first time, Father Kolbe Missionary men and women and Father Kolbe Volunteers united in the heart of our home, the chapel. The family was together.

Four young priests, three newly ordained, celebrated Mass. Father Eduardo is from a large, Brazilian favela. Father Alex is from a small town that cultivates sugar cane. Father Ryan is from Dana Point, California, a small suburb of Orange County. Father Maximiliano is from a small (larger than Fr. Alex’s), traditional town also in Brazil.

Not quite everyone....
(Left to Right: Fr. Maximiliano, Fr. Ryan,
Fr. Alex, and Fr. Eduardo)

Joining our prayers with theirs, on this historic evening, was the local Fr. Kolbe Missionary and Volunteer family. We are widows, separated, married couples, consecrated women, clerics, laity, and single. We work nights to support the family, are retired, live on two-incomes, give of our excess, and struggle to make ends meet. We have no children and ten children, old and young. We are immigrants from Colombia, Italy, Sri Lanka, Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, Philippines, as well as fourth and fifth generation citizens. Still, there is no mistaking the family resemblance.

There was a higher level of palpable joy (than usual!) on Sunday night as the children and the grandparents alike realized that our big family was all together. The challenge to never be afraid of God’s call, given by Father Ryan, piqued the interest of a 19-year-old. At the same time, a teenage boy felt free to talk about his many troubles to the young priest who witnessed first-hand the heavy-hand of violence. The young girls were excited to learn a Brazilian song, perhaps equally as thrilled to play a game of “futbol” with the missionary men and women.

As one Fr. Kolbe Volunteer stated,

“We have nothing – and everything – in common. They have the same mission, the same dream, as I do. They love the same things I love. They love the Immaculata like I do, or the way that I want to!”

Another person noted,

“Some of us don’t even speak the same language… but we understand each other. We understand, because we know what we want out of life and how to get it. We want heaven, to glorify God, and the Immaculata is our way.”

We are a family: The Father Kolbe Missionaries and Volunteers of the Immaculata.

To get to know us better, please visit: www.kolbemission.org/en/home

Driven by a Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 22:03:00 +0000

Driven by a Dream. It's more than a slogan; it is a fact of life. It is a truth that is rooted in every single human person, as close to our hearts as our pursuit of happiness. We are driven by dreams. Our dreams range from eating healthy to dying holy. We are human; we can't help but dream.

Dreams are at the heart of what we really from life.
60 years ago, three young women (Paola, Anita, and Amelia) knew what they wanted. They wanted to be consecrated to God in an approved form of consecrated life, and they wanted to do so in the spirit - following the example and spirituality - of St. Maximilian Kolbe. It was only a dream, but it drove them to seek the guidance and support of Father Luigi Faccenda, OFM Conv, who was responsible for the MI in their region.

He was young, sickly, and relatively inexperienced. But, he too had a dream: to be a priest like Father Kolbe and belong unreservedly to the Immaculata. He dreamed of continuing the legacy of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, and weaving the golden thread of the Franciscans deeper into the fabric of Italy and beyond.

On October 11, 1954 - then the feast of the Mother of God - Father Luigi Faccenda. He received permission to begin the Institute of the Father Kolbe Missionaries of the Immaculata. The first dream of those young women had come true. 60 years later we are still driven by the same dream.

We have taken up the challenge of St. Maximilian - to consecrate the whole world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the happiness and holiness of all people. We have taken it up, watched the dream come true soul after soul, and continue to be compelled to reach as many people as possible, as soon as possible.

Dreams are powerful when they are rooted in truth. They can push you beyond your presumed limitations, break out of your comfort zones, and challenge the status quo. Anita, Paola, and Amelia's dream was rooted in the infinite mercy of God, the awesome gift of His Mother, and yearning that every human has to be happy and free. It's a powerful dream, and it keeps us going.

What's your dream?

Jillian Cooke, MTh, MAPM

Fr. Kolbe Missionary of the Immaculata

The Assumption and the Crematorium

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 21:23:00 +0000

by Jillian Cooke, MTh, MAPM
Fr. Kolbe Missionary of the Immaculata

It was a very cold September 30, 2013. It was a clear and brilliant day, with leaves tossed about on a chilly breeze. The place was nearly empty, as it was early in the morning on a weekday and after the summer rush. It was eerily gorgeous.

I was in Auschwitz concentration camp. I stood only feet away from the chimney where, 72 years ago, St. Maximilian's ashes would have escaped. I looked up to the blue sky and cringed thinking how the ashes would have blotted out the now luminous sun, and wrapped my jacket closer around me, as I imagined the ashes being caught up and tossed about by the breeze. To me, this was the ultimate mockery, the final hideous offense, the last place the Nazi regime would wield its temporary might over a precious soul. It was, however, also the final victory for St. Maximilian Kolbe.

As I sat near the crematorium, I marveled that on what would be the feast of the Assumption, August 15th, in the year 1941, St. Maximilian Kolbe was obliterated. There was nothing left of the man, as far as the Nazi regime and evil could tell. His friary was in a shambles, his printing presses stopped and stolen, his family dispersed, and his body no more. But, yet, I sat there near the crematorium as a testimony that the Nazi regime - evil - did not win and will not win. I sat there in great awe and with great love for a man that I never met and whose tomb I can never visit. I sat there burning with a faint glimmer of the very fire of love that burned in his own heart. St. Maximilian was not obliterated - this was for sure - but why not?

I remembered his words, not verbatim, but the spirit of them: "Even if they (evil) should destroy our friary and we should be scattered across the earth, even if we should be deprived of the most basic means of apostolate, if the Immaculata reigns in our heart then Niepokolanow will live on." The City of the Immaculata was not made of stone, but of zealous charity, obedience, suffering willed out of love, and prayer. It cannot be destroyed, because the Immaculata cannot be destroyed!

The Assumption came crashing into my meditation. The Immaculata can never be destroyed. In fact, when the decay of death should have begun its process on her earthly body, it was transformed to that of a glorified body and assumed into heaven. A heart so united and so absorbed by God could not know decay. A heart so dedicated to Her reign and so captivated by her beauty could not suffer the limits of death. Our Mother Mary, assumed into heaven, and our brother Fr. Maximilian Kolbe give us hope that is only surpassed by its source: the Resurrection. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the legacy of St. Maximilian Kolbe shine forth as reminders to us of the hope that is ours, and of the sheer unstoppable power of the goodness of God.

Novena to St. Maximilian, Day 9

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 19:04:00 +0000

Day Nine

9-Day download: www.kolbemission.org/en

«Put out into deep water...”

“…After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.’” (Lk 5:4)

From the teaching of the Holy Father:

Challenges exist to be overcome! Let us be realists, but without losing our joy, our boldness and our hope-filled commitment. Small yet strong in the love of God, like Saint Francis of Assisi, all of us, as Christians, are called to watch over and protect the fragile world in which we live, and all its peoples. (EG nn. 109 and 216)

“I would wish and desire to be reduced into ashes for the cause of the Immaculata, for God’s cause, and that my ashes were thrown to the wind and scattered all over the world, so that nothing may be left. Only then my dedication to the Immaculata would be perfectly fulfilled.” (Bar Joachim, The Martyrdom of St. Maximilian Kolbe)

Silence

St. Maximilian, you recognized a brother of yours in the prisoner Francis Gajowniczek. Help us to respond to God’s cry: Where is your brother?

“How I wish that all of us would hear God’s cry: “Where is your brother?” (Gen 4:9). The issue involves everyone! (EG n. 211)

Novena to St. Maximilian, Day 8

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 16:13:00 +0000

Day Eight

9-Day Download: www.kolbemission.org/en

Am I not here who am your Mother?

(Words of Our Lady to St. Juan Diego)

From the teaching of the Holy Father:

Whenever we look to Mary, we come to believe once again in the revolutionary nature of love and tenderness. In her we see that humility and tenderness are not virtues of the weak but of the strong who need not treat others poorly in order to feel important themselves.

She is the missionary who draws near to us and accompanies us throughout life, opening our hearts to faith by her maternal love. As a true mother, she walks at our side, she shares our struggles and she constantly surrounds us with God’s love. (EG nn. 288, 286)

From the Writings of St. Maximilian:

I want to hope that, with the Immaculata’s help, you will be able to fulfill what you started and persevere in your post till a glorious death. The truth is that deserting would not be worthy of a knight - for whatever reason. Life is so short; these few years we live on earth pass so fast. How would one deprive them of the dedication we made of ourselves to the Immaculata? I am fully aware that sometimes life in mission territory is hard; however, try to imagine how sweet the hour of death will be for one who, in that supreme hour, will be able to say that he offered much, very much in sacrifice to the Immaculata. Pray in the midst of difficulties; pray a lot and you will obtain the precious grace of perseverance. May the Immaculata bless you. (KW 813)

Silence

St. Maximilian, Mary made you like herself and nourished you with the milk of her grace. Help us simply to let ourselves be guided by her, to let her mold us ever more freely.

Novena to St. Maximilian, Day 7

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 14:42:00 +0000

Day Seven

9-Day Download: www.kolbemission.org/en

Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the joy of evangelization!

From the teaching of the Holy Father:

The joy of the Gospel is such that it cannot be taken away from us by anyone or anything (cf. Jn 16:22). The evils of our world – and those of the Church – must not be excuses for diminishing our commitment and our fervor. Let us look upon them as challenges which can help us to grow. With the eyes of faith, we can see the light which the Holy Spirit always radiates in the midst of darkness, never forgetting that “where sin increased, grace has abounded all the more” (Rom 5:20). Our faith is challenged to discern how wine can come from water and how wheat can grow in the midst of weeds. (EG n. 84)

Called to radiate light and communicate life, in the end they are caught up in things that generate only darkness and inner weariness, and slowly consume all zeal for the apostolate. (EG n. 83)

From the Writings of St. Maximilian:

You know that many people throughout the world do not know God and the Immaculata yet, and therefore sometimes ask themselves the reason for their existence. They do not possess happiness, especially in the midst of life difficulties and sufferings. They do not know that man’s goal is God and that every reality of this world is only a means for reaching God in eternity, in Paradise. They do not know that the Mediatrix of all graces, the spiritual Mother of all men is Mary Immaculate, and that by having recourse to her, by loving her, they would get closer to God in the easiest and fastest way. (W 758)

Silence

St. Maximilian, joyful missionary of the Gospel along the roads of the world, pray for us.

- Which is the source of true joy in my life?

Novena to St. Maximilian, Day 6

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 14:40:00 +0000

Day Six

9-Day Download: www.kolbemission.org/en

Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of missionary vigor!

From the teaching of the Holy Father:

Wherever there is life, fervor and a desire to bring Christ to others, genuine vocations will arise. Young people call us to renewed and expansive hope, for they represent new directions for humanity and open us up to the future, lest we cling to nostalgia for structures and customs which are no longer life-giving in today’s world. Challenges exist to be overcome! Let us be realists, but without losing our joy, our boldness and our hope-filled commitment. (Cf. EG nn. 107-108-109)

From the Writings of St. Maximilian:

Dear Children! I know you miss the ordinary atmosphere of the friary, but let us take comfort in the hope that the current emergency situation will not last forever. The hour will come when peace triumphs and eventually each of you will go back to his former work for the cause of the Immaculata in souls. As a matter of fact, this mission continues even now, albeit in different form and circumstances. How many souls will for all eternity thank the Immaculata (and… you), precisely because, as a result of the present dispersion, they have had the possibility to meet you and draw closer to the Immaculata, Mother of souls!

Let us therefore pray, bear small crosses, and love much the souls of all our neighbors, without exception, friends or enemies. Let us be confident and do all this for the sole aim that she may become the Queen of each and every individual soul as soon as possible, all over the earth. (KW 892)

Silence

St. Maximilian, pilgrim of love with hands outstretched, pray for us.

- Where do I draw strength to bring Jesus into every corner of the earth?

Novena to St. Maximilian, Day 5

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 14:04:00 +0000

Day Five

9 Day download @ www.kolbemission.org/en

Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of hope!

From the teaching of the Holy Father:

In some places a spiritual “desertification” has evidently come about, as the result of attempts by some societies to build without God or to eliminate their Christian roots. … Yet “it is starting from the experience of this desert, from this void, that we can again discover the joy of believing, its vital importance for us men and women. In the desert we rediscover the value of what is essential for living; thus in today’s world there are innumerable signs, often expressed implicitly or negatively, of the thirst for God, for the ultimate meaning of life. And in the desert people of faith are needed who, by the example of their own lives, point out the way to the Promised Land and keep hope alive”. In these situations we are called to be living sources of water from which others can drink. At times, this becomes a heavy cross, but it was from the cross, from his pierced side, that our Lord gave himself to us as a source of living water. (EG n. 86)

From the Writings of St. Maximilian:

The Immaculata leads us with strong and loving arm, in the midst of thorns, along impracticable paths, in the abysses, as well as in the thick of storms. The devil, for its part, makes every effort to cause us damage in every possible way. We, however, strive to cling to her always more, and thus we keep on going, or rather we fly at high speed. Glory to her for everything. (KW 497)

Silence

St. Maximilian, you reawakened hope in your heart and in others.

- How does hope grow in me and how do I kindle it in the people I meet?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 21:21:00 +0000

Day Four

9-Day Download at www.kolbemission.org/en

Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of community!

From the teaching of the Holy Father:

«…life is attained and matures in the measure that it is offered up in order to give life to others. This is

certainly what mission means».

Let us recover and deepen our enthusiasm, that “delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing, even when it is in tears that we must sow… And may the world of our time, which is searching, sometimes with anguish, sometimes with hope, be enabled to receive the good news not from evangelizers who are dejected, discouraged, impatient or anxious, but from ministers of the Gospel whose lives glow with fervor, who have first received the joy of Christ». (EG n 10)

From the Writings of St. Maximilian:

Mutual love does not consist in that no one ever causes us sorrow, but in that we strive not to cause pain to others and that we get used to forgive immediately and completely all that hurts. This mutual patience is the essence of mutual love. St. Therese writes: “You (Jesus) wish to love through me all those whom You commanded me to love.” The deeper will this love be, the more thriving will the missionary activity be. (KW 925)

Silence

St. Maximilian, humble and simple brother to all, inspire us.

- How do we care for one another? How do we encourage and sustain one another?

Novena to St. Maximilian Kolbe Day 3, 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 15:09:00 +0000

Day Three

9-Day Novena download: www.kolbemission.org/en

Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the ideal of fraternal love!

From the teaching of the Holy Father:

Let us ask the Lord to help us understand the law of love. How good it is to have this law! How much good it does us to love one another, in spite of everything. Yes, in spite of everything! (EG n. 101)

From the Writings of St. Maximilian:

And now we keep on carrying out the mission of love toward our neighbor, no matter who he is, in order to alleviate the suffering and thus kindle in their hearts a grateful love for the Immaculata, the Mother who loves all souls all over the globe. (KW 914)

Silence

St. Maximilian, you have been a luminous witness of fraternal communion.

- How do we help one another not to let ourselves be “robbed” of fraternal love?

What if your parish became Mt. Tabor?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 15:52:00 +0000

Jesus is transfigured, meaning that his glory is revealed, he appears differently to the apostles, but he is not transformed. Jesus doesn't change, because his glory is always with him. The apostles just need the reassurance and the kick in the pants to get them through the coming saga that will lead them from the upper room to their own Calvary. The apostles, on the other hand, are transformed - as is particularly evident in the person of St. Peter.

He is enthralled by the glory he sees. He is happy to pitch a few tents (not even one for himself) and just watch Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah. He is willing to settle and not be a part of the action, if it means no Calvary. His suggestion, however, doesn't even get a response from Jesus. Instead, the bright cloud overshadows them and the voice of God thunders: "Listen to him!"

Here is where I get hooked. The brightness of God causes a shadow; the apostles fall to their faces.

I imagine that if I were at Mass, and suddenly the spiritual became visible to me - I would do exactly the same thing. OH MY GOD, would reverently jolt through my mind and I'd hit the ground. The brightness and the majesty and the awe would instantly be so overwhelming that I would sense myself to be in a dark mire in comparison. The sun would be as a pitiful lamp, and I would be unable to see with my merely human eyes. I would breathlessly wait as a sweet terror filled my soul. In my heart would be the words, "take up your cross and follow me and you will be my disciple." The implied truth being that this glory will not overwhelm me, will not terrify, will only absorb and devour me as only true love can, if I can only do as he bids: Listen to him!

I can hardly breathe.

Listen to him are the last words spoken, and then...

Jesus touches them, and says, "BE NOT AFRAID."

The very first words that are spoken by the Lord, after the command to listen. Be not afraid.

When the apostles lifted their heads, there was no one there but Jesus.

Before me, raising my eyes sensing a mundane and relieving calm, I would see only the simple, beautiful, sweet presence of Christ in the blessed Sacrament.

The choice then is mine. Be transformed and go down the mountain into the valley of true discipleship, or pitch a tent and stay put. We know Christ went down. Will we follow?

Novena to St. Maximilian Kolbe, Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 14:35:00 +0000

Day Two

9-Day Novena download www.kolbemission.org/en

Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of missionary enthusiasm!

From the teaching of the Holy Father:

It is striking that even some who clearly have solid doctrinal and spiritual convictions frequently fall into a lifestyle which leads to an attachment to financial security, or to a desire for power or human glory at all cost, rather than giving their lives to others in mission. (EG n. 80)

From the Writings of St. Maximilian:

Dear Son, with your sickness you contribute very much to the winning of the whole world and of each soul to the Immaculata and, through her, to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Rejoice, therefore, for you have the possibility to do much for her. And prod also bro. Cyril to rejoice. May all those who are around you and in whatever way come in contact with you draw the serenity and joy of the spirit of the Immaculata from that encounter. She herself will teach you how to do so in individual situations. Rejoice, then, dear Child. May the awareness of belonging completely to the Immaculata fill us with boundless joy. (KW 834)

Silence

St. Maximilian Kolbe, your brothers were always won over by your missionary passion, and in Niepokalanów you kept alive enthusiasm for the proclamation of the Gospel.

- How do I keep alive missionary enthusiasm in my life and in my community?

Novena to St. Maximilian Kolbe 2014, Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 13:25:00 +0000

Day One

9-Days Downloadable at www.kolbemission.org/en

Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the Gospel!

From the teaching of the Holy Father (Evangelii Gaudium):

The word of God constantly shows us how God challenges those who believe in him “to go forth”… all of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the “peripheries” in need of the light of the Gospel. (EG n. 20)

God save us from a worldly Church with superficial spiritual and pastoral trappings! This stifling worldliness can only be healed by breathing in the pure air of the Holy Spirit who frees us from being self-centered - cloaked in an outward religiosity bereft of God. (EG n. 97)

From the Writings of St. Maximilian:

Jesus has been calling you with great love from the beginning of your life.

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” [Mt 16, 24]: this is the essential condition.

In following Jesus, you must stand out for your constant and ongoing self-denial. (KW 962)

Silence

St. Maximilian, in your life, nothing and no one ever robbed you of the Gospel.

- What is it that robs me of the Gospel in my life, in my community?

An Epidemic of Illusion: A Lost Sense of Beauty

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 14:51:00 +0000

By Jillian Cooke, MTh, MAPM
Fr. Kolbe Missionary of the Immaculata

Beauty may be simple.
photo: Jillian Cooke

There is an epidemic of illusion and, at times, delusion wreaking havoc on the United States and perhaps the western world, even the whole world: We have robbed beauty of its objective beauty!

We have watered down the term in order to say "everyone is beautiful." Unfortunately, in doing so, we essentially detract from its meaning and cheapen the gift of God given beauty. Everyone is not beautiful, and
some people are more beautiful than others. Of course, I'm being purposely blunt here, and I hope you will forgive me. You see, my mind reels when we unknowingly adopt the mentality that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. How can beauty be in the eye of the beholder, and at the same time, everyone be beautiful? To whom? The world responds: (*crickets chirp*).

The world has robbed the word of its meaning, as it has two other critical words: truth and goodness. The difference is that goodness and truth don't exist to the world, but because beauty is so very pleasing to the senses (by its very definition, a strange place where St. Thomas and Webster agree!) the world is still trying to claim it. On the one hand, "beauty" has come to mean "unique" in an attempt to falsely boon the self-esteems of young (and not so young) girls. You see, the world has insisted that you must be beautiful to be worthy, and so in an attempt for charity, which is impossible without God, it tells everyone they are beautiful.

Beauty may be incredibly complex/photo: wikipedia.org

This quandary is the fault of relativism. The world must deny objective reality of the good and the true, as well as the objective reality of the beautiful, in order to deny the objective reality of God. At the same time, as with that which is good and true, they cannot consistently deny it - because it is written in the very fibers of our hearts and woven in the fabric of being. Sometimes, as fallen human beings, we can be terribly wrong about what we see, such as when even perverse modern "art" is considered beautiful. Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder, rather, the beholder recognizes the God given beauty that lies within the admired creation.

The nearer we are to God, the more ordered our senses, and the more accurate our sense of beauty. The nearer we are to God, the more we are moved by beautiful music, awed by a beautiful sight, and inspired by beautiful scents. We fight "tooth and nail" for the good and the true, but is is equally ours to reclaim and defend the beautiful. St. Maximilian, lover of balance and order and the most beautiful of all creatures, will certainly intercede!

Portiuncula Indulgence (Small Portion)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 02 Aug 2014 14:27:00 +0000

From the Proper Offices of Franciscan Saints and Blesseds in the Liturgy of the Hours
Our Seraphic Father Francis in keeping with his special love for the Blessed Virgin was especially fond of the chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels known as the Portiuncula. It was here in the designs of Divine Providence that he started the Order of Friars Minor, inaugurated the Order of the Poor Clares and brought his sojourn on earth to its end. In this chapel according to tradition our Holy Father obtained the famous indulgence which the Supreme Pontiffs confirmed and extended to many other churches. On account of the many blessings conferred here the celebration of a liturgical feast was granted for this day which marks the anniversary of the dedication of this chapel.

In this church the Order of Friars Minor had its beginning and as their numbers increased a noble structure arose based so to speak on this solid foundation....

Although Francis realized that the kingdom of heaven is found in every dwelling on earth, and though he believed that heaven's graces are imparted everywhere to God's chosen ones, he had learned nevertheless that the church of Saint Mary at Portiuncula was filled with more abundant grace and frequented by heavenly spirits.

History of the Indulgence
In the beginning the indulgence could be gained only in the actual Portiuncula chapel between noon on August 1st and sunset on August 2nd. It evolved considerably through history, until the norms and grants of indulgence was completely reformed after the Second Vatican Council. When Pope Paul II wrote "Indulgentiarum Doctrina" (1967), the indulgence was confirmed and extended in application. The Catholic faithful may now gain the indulgence under the usual conditions:
1. Reconciliation
2. Holy Communion
3. Prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father
4. Devoutly visiting a parish church (any parish, mission parish, or cathedral!)
5. Reciting at least one Our Father and the Creed
6. Free from any attachment to sin renders this indulgence plenary. Otherwise, it is partial according to one's disposition (freedom of attachement).

ALSO, don't forget that this indulgence is applicable to the Souls in Purgatory!!!

Pray for me - I pray for you,
Jillian

Change the Channel. Goodbye, Zombie. Hello, Sunshine!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 16:14:00 +0000

By Jillian Cooke, MTh, MAPM
Fr. Kolbe Missionary of the Immaculata

In my world of practicality things are very easy. You do this and that happens; you don't do this and that is avoided. In my world, everything makes sense, the will commands the emotions, and bends agilely to the changing terrain. The problem is that my world only gets you so far across the landscape, and it cannot be forced onto other people. I know; I've tried. It doesn't work.

Nowhere, perhaps, is this more clear than in the inner-workings of my much cherished brain. As a kid, playing on the soccer pitch, my dad would yell "get your head in the game." Or, more lovingly "you are a head case like me." I was the poster-child for inconsistency... one game loving the intensity, scoring multiple goals, controlling the midfield - and the next, I was a dazed zombie. Dazed zombies are not good soccer players.

No matter how hard I tried, I could not get out of my head - or into it- or whatever. Telling me to stop thinking or start thinking, or to "just play" didn't do much either. As I grew, in height and width, I began to see this blessed pattern manifest in plenty of ways. My family still laughs at my going to the store for triple A batteries and coming home with triple Antibiotic ointment. So... what's the deal? How do we learn pay attention to our thoughts, and yet not get totally absorbed in them? This is far from an exhaustive list, but here are some tips for those days when - like St. Maximilian at one time - we begin to obsess, live in the clouds, turn off, or go into hyper-drive thinking speeds.

As always, I presuppose a life immersed in the sacraments!

5 TIPS.

1. Admit it and Adjust as necessary/able.
(I'm not going to try to do calculus when I know I can't, so why do we try to do so many other things without recognizing our limits. They are human and ok. Push them - I took pre-calculus and did ok - but I wasn't about to try and be a mathematician!)

2. Pray... however and wherever it helps...
(I like to dig ditches, walk, stop by the chapel, pray my rosary, breathe and keep going...)

3. Think positive, and when those negative thoughts come up just let them roll over you... there they go....
(I can't do this.... [thought rolls over].... Yes, I can. Totus Tuus.)

4. Stop talking about it. Talking is great to a certain point. It helps clarify things, order your thoughts, vent, etc. However, repetition builds those pathways even deeper into your thinking process. This is science, and it works.

(If I keep telling people that I'm scared or don't want to do something, it is going to burn into my brain that it is scary and not a good thing to do. I can say it once or twice to be open and honest, but then consider changing the topic. Stop the radio inside your head. Change the channel.)

5. Don't be your own Savior. Talk to someone; think it through with one person you trust. This may be a spiritual director, therapist, mentor, etc.

CHANGE IS POSSIBLE. But be patient, it won't happen overnight!

The Patriot

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 01:30:00 +0000

Father Kolbe, as a novice in the seminary, determined to leave the Franciscan Order and serve the Polish army. Divine Providence led him to remain in the seminary. After his novitiate he initially asked to remain in Poland, and not to be immersed in Italy's foreign culture. Divine Providence moved his heart, however, and he recanted his request.

He was tenaciously attached to his home and country, and yet he grew to be a great missionary and lover of the children of God - Italian, Japanese, German - it didn't matter. The different ways of living could be adapted, the language learned, and the people always loved. Suffering, charity, a deep life of prayer, and an obedient heart had moved him from potential nationalism to a fruitful patriotism.

A nationalist is strongly attached to his country through love and pride, with the belief that it is exulted above all other nations.* Patriotism, on the other hand, is love and devotion to one's country, because it is your "fatherland." Patriotism is linked to the fourth commandment.

It illuminates other relationships in society (not just parent to child). In our brothers and sisters we see the children of our parents; in our cousins, the descendants of our ancestors; in our fellow citizens, the children of our country; in the baptized, the children of our mother the Church; in every human person, a son or daughter of the One who wants to be called “our Father. (2212)*

Patriotism is hard to define, because the definition of country and love are not always so clear. In the case of Father Kolbe - what was his country? He knew it, though history gave it no boundary. After all, we do not love our borders, we love who we are....

How to be sure that our patriotism is truly virtuous and not merely nationalism?

First of all, a virtuous patriotism increases our love of every human person.

Secondly, a virtuous patriotism impels us to good citizenship - including care for the common good.

Third, a virtuous patriotism is not blind to the errors and defects of ones country - anymore than a son or daughter is blind to the imperfections of his/her parents - but out of love and devotion seeks to strengthen and better the country.

Finally, a virtuous patriotism serves ones country devotedly.

Virtuous patriotism, like obedience and love of one's family, is fundamental to a flourishing, rightly ordered society. Let us, then, pray to Our Father in heaven to protect and improve, strengthen and convert, our homeland, while giving to us virtuously patriotic hearts!

"Nationalism." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 29 June 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalism>.

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/epub/index.cfm#

Five Tips to Prepare for THE Kiss.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 13:46:00 +0000

By Jillian Cooke, MTh, MAPM
Fr. Kolbe Missionary of the Immaculata

The Body of Christ. Amen. In my estimation it is at this moment, as well as at the pinnacle of suffering, that we are closest to Our Lady. It is a daily moment in which we are thrown into the mystery of the Annunciation and placed in the role of the Blessed Mother. Before us stands a man (or woman), by all appearances no one special, but he holds before our eyes the Host. It looks like nothing we've seen before, but easily mistaken for a strange cracker. The man with no special appearance says "The Body of Christ."

Translation: "This is your Redeemer, Savior, Brother, Lord, Master, Teacher, Love, Creator, Sustainer, the Great I AM, the Breathe of God, Friend, Councilor, Spouse."

The reply: Amen. I believe. So be it.

The fact that we don't fall over dead is a great miracle - a testament to the infinite Humility of our God.

It all defies our original sin stained instinct. It all defies our senses. But, as St. Thomas reminds us, "when our human instincts fail," faith is enough to tell us the Truth. Our difficulty, then, is not so much in understanding this great miracle - somehow miracle seems too little a title - but in preparing ourselves way for the Marian event and nurturing this gift of faith that - I for one - take for granted far, far too often.

In no particular order:
1. Renew your consecration to Mary before Mass. Let Mary prepare you. If you don't have a consecration prayer memorized, a simple and genuine Totus Tuus, a Hail Mary... just ask her to prepare your heart for her Son!

2. Frequent Confession. I cannot emphasize the marvel of this sacrament enough. More than just a

"cleaner or stain remover," it strengthens against future sin, fortifies against temptations, assists the virtue of humility, and restores our relationship with the Lord. A most excellent preparation for receiving Our Lord, as it renders our soul more like the Immaculata's - perfect.

3. Just Be. How would you prepare for a kiss? Holy Communion is far more intimate, far more mysterious, and yet it has been called a holy kiss. I have literally no experience in this field (hah!), BUT I am quite sure that one does not prepare by giving a long, memorized monologue of affection or contrition or even praise. I am quite sure that the imperfections of one does not stand in the way of the other's love. I am quite sure that the more genuine and faithful the "better." What is a kiss worth if the life lived is not a faithful one? What power of union does it have if not intentional?

So it is with Holy Communion. Just be.... faithful, honest, pure... and your encounter with Christ in the Holy Kiss of the Eucharist will bear more fruit, more intimacy, more joy than you can scarcely (if at all) imagine!

Why does the Church exclude people from Holy Communion?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 14:33:00 +0000

By Jillian Cooke, MTh, MAPM

Fr. Kolbe Missionary of the Immaculata

I hear it often, and it becomes a very personal thing, Why can't I (my mom, my kid, my neighbor) go to Communion? In a typically Socratic (or perhaps just Jillian) way, I ask in return "I'm not sure of your specific situation, do you have any idea why not?" To which the inquirer generally gives me a long list - or rather a monologue - of reasons and lamentations and frustrations.

Many of them arouse a deep sympathy, and the sensitive side of me begins to dialogue with the rational, like the Church I begin to (at least figuratively) "weep over Jerusalem." It is a wonderful opportunity to remind myself of the beauty of the faith, and in turn to educate my dear brothers and sisters about the care of the Church. The Church cares deeply for her flock, but will not subjugate the truth, her Lord, to the whims of that flock.

The Church does not, technically, exclude anyone from Holy Communion. Our choices exclude us. Sometimes the consequences of these choices are long and painful, but they are still the consequences of of our poor use of free-will.

Truth #1
When we go up to receive Holy Communion, we are receiving the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ is one with the Father and the Spirit. It is the most intimate event of our lives. The Minister holds the host before our eyes and says, "Body (or Blood of Christ)," and we reply "Amen." An offense against the Holy Eucharist is an offense against the Almighty and All-Loving God.
Read more in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Therefore, non-believers...
We love you. The Church loves you. You may very well beat us all to heaven, but you cannot go up to communion and say you believe in something you don't. This is just a simple matter of dignity for you, the Sacrament, and above all Our Lord.

Truth #2
A sacrament is an "efficacious sign." It is a sign that makes present what it signifies. The water from baptism signifies, and makes actual, the cleansing from original sin. Holy Communion signifies and makes actual the communion in the Body of Christ, the Church. (This isn't all, of course, but we are sticking with this aspect for today.)

Therefore, Catholics in a state of mortal sin, unlawful marriage, non-practicing...
When I go to receive Holy Communion, I must be in communion with the Church. If not, I'm mocking the sacrament and essentially acting out a lie. I am signifying that I am in communion, while in fact not being so. Again, this is an insult to my dignity, and that of the Church, the sacrament, and Our Lord. Mortal sin, that is any serious sin committed intentionally with full awareness of the offense, separates us from communion, because it is the antithesis of charity.

Truth #3
The moment of Holy Communion is the "climax" of the Mass. Throughout the Mass we are led from the Confiteor to the Great Amen. We've prepared to receive Christ through the confession of our unworthiness, listening to his Word in Holy Scripture, seeking his aid through the intercessory prayer, offering ourselves with the Holy Sacrifice in the offertory, coming together as a Church to summarize it all in the Our Father, offering peace to one another as a final act of reconciliation, and THEN and only then going up to Our God to receive him.

Therefore late attendance, or downright-intentional distraction, must be prayerfully avoided....
Is there a moment that you consider unimportant for preparation? Do you run into Mass after the Gospel already with the Word of God on your heart and mind? The Mass is a prayer of poignant beauty. We would not pray the Rosary only muttering "now and at the hour of our death" over and over. What makes us think that we should pray only a fraction of this solemn prayer? Definitely, we should check ourselves before going to Mass if we have prepared to receive Our Lord... or are we taking this to much in stride? This response has more questions than answers. The fact of the matter is that - with right emphasis being given to the unity of the Mass - there is no hard and fast rule. One thing for certain: you've missed Mass if you aren't there for the consecration. Read more here.

Now, you may be wondering how to prepare for Holy Communion in a whirlwind of a world, or perhaps what to do if you cannot receive Holy Communion? Stay tuned....