February 2015 Reflection on Consecrated Life

February 2015                                                   Reflection on Consecrated Life

OPENING HYMN:  Sing a New Church ~Dolores Dufner, OSB

Leader: O God,Creator of all things, welcome us into your presence..                                      

All: Where we will sing your praise here and forever!

Leader:  Send you Spirit to free our hearts,                                                                                  

All: to take away all hesitation and fear in following your call.

Leader: Help us recognize the hunger you have created in us,                                                    

All: to be faithful to your call to mission and justice.

Antiphon:  My Soul is thirsting for you my God.

Psalm 63:

O God, you are my God; at dawn I seek you;
for you my soul is thirsting.
For you my flesh is pining,
like a dry, weary land without water.


 I have come before you in the sanctuary,
to behold your strength and your glory.                                                                                      
Your loving mercy is better than life;
my lips will speak your praise.
I will bless you all my life;                            
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet;
with joyful lips, my mouth shall praise you.

When I remember you upon my bed,

I muse on you through the watches of the night.                                                         
For you have been my strength; in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
your right hand upholds me.

My soul clings fast to you;

Glory to the Father...

SCRIPTURE READING:  Mt 9: 35-38 The harvest is rich but the laborers are few

³⁵ And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸ pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Hymn:  Come with me into the Fields  Dan Shutte

READINGS FOR REFLECTION: 

REJOICE! A letter to consecrated men and women; A message from the teachings of Pope Francis

5. Consecrated life is in fact a continuous call to follow Christ, and to be made like him. “Jesus’s whole life, his way of dealing with the poor, his actions, his integrity, his simple daily generosity, and finally his complete self-giving, all this is precious and relates to our personal lives.”

Starting afresh from Christ:A RENEWED COMMITMENT TO CONSECRATED LIFE IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM (2002)

36. Many traditional and new foundations bring consecrated men and women to places where others usually cannot go. In recent years consecrated persons were able to leave the security of the known to thrust themselves into unknown places and works. Thanks to their total consecration they are in fact free to step in wherever there are critical needs. This has been witnessed in the recent foundations in new countries which present unique challenges, involving many provinces at the same time and creating international communities. With discerning eyes and generous hearts121 they have responded to the call of many who suffer in a concrete service of charity. Wherever they are, they have constituted a link between the Church and marginal groups and those not reached by ordinary pastoral ministry.   VITA CONSECRATA                  APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION  VITA CONSECRATA (1996) 104. Many people today are puzzled and ask: What is the point of the consecrated life? Why embrace this kind of life, when there are so many urgent needs in the areas of charity and of evangelization itself, to which one can respond even without assuming the particular commitments of the consecrated life? These questions are asked more frequently in our day, as a consequence of a utilitarian and technocratic culture which is inclined to assess the importance of things and even of people in relation to their immediate "usefulness". But such questions have always existed, as is eloquently demonstrated by the Gospel episode of the anointing at Bethany: "Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment" (Jn 12:3). When Judas, using the needs of the poor as an excuse, complained about such waste, Jesus replied: "Let her alone!" (Jn 12:7).This is the perennially valid response to the question which many people, even in good faith, are asking about the relevance of the consecrated life: Could one not invest one's life in a more efficient and reasonable way for the betterment of society? This is how Jesus replies: "Let her alone!" Those who have been given the priceless gift of following the Lord Jesus more closely consider it obvious that he can and must be loved with an undivided heart, that one can devote to him one's whole life, and not merely certain actions or occasional moments or activities. The precious ointment poured out as a pure act of love, and thus transcending all "utilitarian" considerations, is a sign of unbounded generosity, as expressed in a life spent in loving and serving the Lord, in order to devote oneself to his person and his Mystical Body. From such a life "poured out" without reserve there spreads a fragrance which fills the whole house. The house of God, the Church, today no less than in the past, is adorned and enriched by the presence of the consecrated life. RULE OF LIFE: Article 1:  Our Lord had very much at heart the creating of a spirit, a missionary spirit, an Evangelical burning that would sweep over the whole world. He came to cast a fire on the earth, and he willed that it would be enkindled (Lk 12:49). The Holy Spirit has enkindled this fire in our hearts. This is our heritage: an apostolic spirit, a Gospel spirit, a Catholic spirit. The Missionary Cenacle Spirit is charity, charity aflame.

MISSIONARY CENACLE MEDITATIONS You must determine to do some big thing for Him. And that big thing must mean that more and more you are going to put on Christ; more and more you are going to show forth His spirit which will effect that your brothers will recognize in you more generosity, more devotion to your Missionary Cenacle and its duties, more forgetfulness of self, more detachment from worldly things, worldly ways; more self‑sacrifice P. 29 I wish that during this (meditation) you would, as it were, take your own temperature. How is that fire within me? Is it at white heat, is it intense, or is it a dull glow; or is it next to being extinguished? When the smith plunges the metal into the fire, if his fire be at its proper temperature, there is a fusion; but he might plunge that iron many times into the fire and it would be futile unless the fire was at white heat. P 183 Question posed by Pope Francis to consecrated men and women “ Look into the depths of your heart, look into your own inner depths and ask yourself: do you have a heart that desires something great, or a heart that has been lulled to sleep by things? Has your heart preserved the restlessness of seeking or have you let it be suffocated by things that end by hardening it? God awaits you, he seeks you; how do you respond to him? Are you aware of the situation of your soul? Or have you nodded off? Do you believe God is waiting for you or does this truth consist only of “words”? Faith Sharing:  Gather the fruits of your reflection …. Cenacle Doxology:   Blessed be God the Father who has created us,         Blessed be God the Son, who has redeemed us,                                            Blessed be God the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us.  Blessed be the Holy and undivided Trinity, now and forever. Amen

The Year of Consecrated Life Prayer Service

PRAYER SERVICE FOR THE OPENING OF

     THE YEAR OF CONSECRATED LIFE

“How would they have us live this Advent?...   This is the time for generous promising.”                 Fr. Thomas A. Judge p. 5 MCM

LEADER:  This Advent as we begin a year dedicated to Consecrated Life we offer prayerful thanks for the call we received to the Missionary Cenacle Family.  We ask God to help us to continue to grow in our vocation.

OPENING HYMN: Wake the World with Dawning Joy (Steven Warner)+ (see note at end)

1.      Wake the world with dawning Joy!  Wake it with your gladness! Work for Justice, live in peace, Claim the Word Courageous!  Let us sing to God this new day, see the world in a different way.   Let us wake the world, wake the world, with abiding words of faith.

2.      Though the world is locked in sleep,  Let us rise rejoicing!   One in Christ his light to keep,           Called to human kindness.  Let us sing to God this new day, walk the world in a holy way,          Let us wake the world, wake the world  with uplifting words of hope.

3.      Love the world with different eyes.  God’s own love incarnate! Leaving all to follow Christ:  Sweet and endless mercy!  Let us sing to God this new day, reach the world in miraculous ways,  Let us wake the world, wake the world, with prophetic words of love.

4.      Thunder now God’s song of praise, wake to harp and dancing.  Song to lift us all our days.  Song of love and triumph!  For the Bridegroom now awaits us, in the faces of all we meet.    Now awake the world! Wake the world with unending words of joy.                                                                  (Text of Hymn is based on Pope Francis’ words to Consecrated Religious of the World.)

OPENING PRAYER:  O God, your promise to come in glory will be a reality when our hearts are one, our hands extend to one another in peace and our earth is renewed. Be with us in this Advent moment as we come together to celebrate this season of waiting. We ask this in the name of Jesus who draws near, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

ANTIPHON:       By our lives,  we seek first to glorify the Triune God. 

PSALM 34

I will bless the Lord at all times;
    God’s praise shall be always in my mouth.
 My soul will glory in the Lord;
    let the poor hear and be glad.
 Magnify the Lord with me;
    and let us exalt his name together.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
    delivered me from all my fears.
 Look to him and be radiant,
    and your faces may not blush for shame.

This poor one cried out and the Lord heard,
    and from all his distress he saved him.
 The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him, and he saves them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the stalwart one who takes refuge in him.
 Fear the Lord, you his holy ones;
    nothing is lacking to those who fear him.

The rich grow poor and go hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.                                                                                          Come, children,  listen to me;
    I will teach you fear of the Lord.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted,
    saves those whose spirit is crushed.
 Many are the troubles of the righteous,
    but the Lord delivers him from them all.

The Lord is the redeemer of the souls of his servants;
    and none are condemned who take refuge in him.

Glory to the  Father……

    Antiphon:       By our lives,  we seek first to glorify the Triune God. 
                            
PRAYER:  O God,  may the news of the dawn of your coming pierce our hearts.  Open our hearts to prepare for the coming of Christ. Guide us in your ways of compassion so that we may extend your love and mercy to all people.

(The following readings may be read in silence or in common, as you chose.  The readings are from Scripture, our Rule of Life, Missionary Cenacle Meditations, and various documents on Religious Life, which can be found on the Vatican website.  See the references below.)

  READINGS:

1 THES 4:1  “we urge you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus to make more and more progress in the kind of life that you are meant to live: the life that God wants…”

REJOICE: …..Consecrated life is a call to incarnate the Good News, to follow Christ, the crucified and risen one, to take on “Jesus’s way of living and acting as the Incarnate Word in relation to the Father and in relation to the brothers and sisters”.(23) In practical terms, it is a call to take up his way of life, to adopt his interior attitude, to allow oneself to be invaded by his Spirit, to absorb his surprising logic and his scale of values, to share in his risks and his hopes. “Be guided by the humble yet joyful certainty of those who have been found, touched and transformed by the Truth who is Christ, ever to be proclaimed”.  Paragraph 5  Rejoice: Circular Letter to Consecrated Men and Women: a Message from the Teachings of Pope Francis

CONSECRATED LIFE VITA CONSECRATA… In every age there have been men and women who, obedient to the Father's call and to the prompting of the Spirit, have chosen this special way of following Christ, in order to devote themselves to him with an "undivided" heart (cf. 1 Cor 7:34). Like the Apostles, they too have left everything behind in order to be with Christ and to put themselves, as he did, at the service of God and their brothers and sisters. In this way, through the many charisms of spiritual and apostolic life bestowed on them by the Holy Spirit, they have helped to make the mystery and mission of the Church shine forth, and in doing so have contributed to the renewal of society. Paragraph 1 POST-SYNODAL  APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION  VITA CONSECRATA (1996)

STARTING AFRESH FROM CHRIST: . The call to follow Christ with a special consecration is a gift of the Trinity for God’s Chosen People. Paragraph 8 …….In imitation of Jesus, those whom God calls to follow him are consecrated and invited to continue his mission in the world. Indeed, consecrated life itself, guided by the action of the Holy Spirit, becomes a mission. The more consecrated persons allow themselves to be conformed to Christ, the more Christ is made present and active in history for the salvation of all.³²    ( Paragraph 9) STARTING AFRESH FROM CHRIST:A RENEWED COMMITMENT TO CONSECRATED LIFE IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM (2002)

            MSBT RULE of LIFE 3.  By our lives as Missionary Servants we seek first to glorify the Triune God. 

We follow in the footsteps of the apostles who, filled with the Holy Spirit, went forth from

the Cenacle to spread everywhere the knowledge and love of Jesus.  We live and work that

God's name may be hallowed, that his kingdom come, that his holy will be done

(Mt 6:9-10).

READING: “We have heard all through the Advent season that the valleys shall be filled and the mountains and hills shall be brought low and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough ways plain. What is there in us to tear down? What is there to fill up? What crooked thing is to be made straight? What rough thing to be made plain?”  Fr. Thomas A. Judge, S.M. MCM p/ 25

SILENT PRAYERFUL REFLECTION:

What attracted or inspired me in these readings?  What challenged me? What is my response to Father Judge’s questions?  What is there in us to tear down? What is there to fill up?, What crooked thing is to be made straight? What rough thing to be made plain? What is God calling me to in my Vocation as a Consecrated person during this coming year?

FAITH SHARING, if possible.
HYMN:  LET THE VALLEYS BE RAISED by Dan Schutte (or hymn of your choosing)
READING: Is 40:1-5, 9-11

Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.
 Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
 that her service has ended, that her guilt is expiated,
That she has received from the hand of the Lord  double for all her sins.

A voice proclaims: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! Every valley shall be lifted up,
every mountain and hill made low;
The rugged land shall be a plain, the rough country, a broad valley.                                                        Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Go up onto a high mountain,   Zion, herald of good news!^[
Cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Cry out, do not fear! Say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God!
 Here comes with power the Lord God, who rules by his strong arm;
Here is his reward with him, his recompense before him.
 Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom, leading the ewes with care.

Response:  Bringing God’s embrace (Rejoice, Circular Letter to Consecrated Men and Women Paragraph 8)

1.      “People today certainly need words, but most of all they need us to bear witness to the mercy and tenderness of the Lord which warms the heart, rekindles hope, and attracts people towards the good. What a joy it is to bring God’s consolation to others!”(45)

2.     Pope Francis entrusts this mission to consecrated men and women: to discover the Lord who comforts us like a mother, and to comfort the people of God.

1.     “Service in the Church arises out of the joy of meeting the Lord and from his call. This mission is to bring to the men and women of our time the consolation of God, to bear witness to his mercy”.

2.     “In Jesus’s view, consolation is a gift of the Spirit, the Paraclete, the Consoler who comforts us in our trials and awakes a hope that does not disappoint. ”

1.     Thus Christian consolation becomes comfort, encouragement, hope. It is the active presence of the Spirit (cf. Jn 14:16-17), the fruit of the Spirit. And the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22).

2.     “In a world of distrust, discouragement and depression, in a culture in which men and women are enveloped by fragility and weakness, individualism and self-interest, we are asked to introduce belief in the possibility of true happiness, in the feasibility of hope that does not depend solely on talent, superiority or knowledge, but on God.”      

1.   “All are given the possibility of encountering him, if they only seek him with sincere heart. The men and women of our time are waiting for words of consolation, the availability of forgiveness and true joy.”

2.  “We are called to bring to everyone the embrace of God, who bends with a mother’s tenderness over us – consecrated women and men, signs of the fullness of humanity, facilitators and not controllers of grace, stooped down in a gesture of consolation.”

(CONGREGATION FOR INSTITUTES OF CONSECRATED LIFE  AND SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE, YEAR OF CONSECRATED LIFE REJOICE! A letter to consecrated men and women A message from the teachings of Pope Francis ) (Paragraph 8)

INTENTIONS:

LEADER:  O Lord, as you draw near to us, we present our prayers to you who always hear us.

RESPONSE:  DRAW NEAR TO US, O GODa!

May the Advent season inspire us to prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Christ, let us pray to the Lord.

May the season of Advent be an occasion for a growing solidarity in our families, in our parishes, and in our communities, let us pray to the Lord.

May the message of Advent, that God’s grace is at work in the world, move us to be reflect God’s love in the activities of our everyday lives, let us pray to the Lord.

May our expectation of the coming of the Son who called us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the lonely strengthen our will to actively bring comfort and seek justice to those who are in need, let us pray to the Lord.

May those who are consecrated to God by the vows of chastity,  poverty and obedience, always reveal the love of Christ to those they encounter and continue to enrich our world by their dedicated lives of prayer and service. . Let us pray to the Lord..

May all those who are discerning their vocation in life, particularly those whom the Lord is calling to consecrated life be given the wisdom to hear God's call and the courage to respond generously. Let us pray to the Lord. 
May the dominant note ringing through the Cenacle, Inner and Outer, throughout the Advent season, be to please God in shadow as well as in sunshine, in irksome duty as well as in the hour of consolation. Let us cause charity to reign supreme and engender a great love of God and a greater spirit of forbearance with our neighbor. Go on! Go higher! Let us  pray to the Lord
(PLEASE ADD YOUR OWN PETITIONS)

CLOSING PRAYER:  Prayer for the Year of Consecrated Life
 O God, throughout the ages you have called women and men to pursue lives of perfect charity through the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience.  During this Year of Consecrated Life, we give you thanks for these courageous witnesses of faith and models of inspiration.  Their pursuit of holy lives teaches us to make a more perfect offering of ourselves to you.  Continue to enrich your Church by calling forth sons and daughters who, having found the pearl of great price, treasure the Kingdom of Heaven above all things.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.                                                             (USCCB)

CLOSING HYMN:  CHRIST BE OUR LIGHT (FARRELL) or a Hymn of your choosing.

Hymn Suggestions:  (chose from these or others)
Christ, Be our Light (Farrell)                                                                                                        
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (VENI, VENI, EMMANUEL)    
The Coming of Our God (OPTATUS VOTIS OMNIUM)                                                                          
+Wake the World with Dawning Joy (Warner)  We Long for you O Lord

+Wake the World with Dawning Joy http://www.vocationnetwork.org/articles/show/455 (for sheet music and audio)       (based on the words of Pope Francis to the Consecrated Religious of the world….Commissioned by the National Religious Vocation Conference and Vision Vocation Guide in honor of the year for Consecrated Life)

Websites for Documents on Consecrated Life on Vatican Website

STARTING AFRESH FROM CHRIST:A RENEWED COMMITMENT TO CONSECRATED LIFE IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM (2002) http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccscrlife/documents/rc_con_ccscrlife_doc_20020614_ripartire-da-cristo_en.html

POST-SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION     VITA CONSECRATA(1996) http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_25031996_vita-consecrata_en.html

Rejoice: Circular Letter to Consecrated Men and Women: a Message from the Teachings of Pope Francis https://www.google.com/#q=rejoice+a+letter+to+consecrated+men+and+women

Easter 2013

During past seasons of Lent I have always focused my attention on the sufferings of Jesus, on the Stations of the Cross. It never occurred to me what it was like for Mary the Mother of Jesus. We had a Lenten Series here and one of the themes was on our "Sorrowful Mother." I can't even begin to imagine what Jesus' suffering and death must have been like for Mary the Mother of God. As I began to imagine Mary walking the Stations of the Cross with her son my heart actually begin to ache for her.

During our short time of reflection my thoughts of Mary's suffering led me to think about those today who suffer in silence. Those who for whatever reason have tragedy within their lives they are suffering from. How alone they feel. How isolated they are within their agony. In her own way our Blessed Mother suffered alone on her journey to the cross with her son. Mary understands the unique suffering of others. Where did she get the courage and grace to trust in our Heavenly Father? How was Mary able to stand, at a slight distance, and watch her son Jesus in his agony walk to the hill of Calvary?

Mary's faith in God was incredible! Her being able to trust in the mystery of God's love is simply amazing and leaves me in awe! Oh to trust in the mystery of God's love for us...what a gift we have been given.

As I further reflected on the image of the "Pieta" (Mary holding her son Jesus in her arms and lap after he was taken down from the cross) once again I was left in awe at the depth of Mary's love, trust and faith. I realized even today Mary holds each of us as if we were her own child, in the midst of our struggles and heartache.

I imagined myself looking up at our Blessed Mother and peering deeply into her eyes and briefly sensing, experiencing a tiny glimpse of the sacred deep within Mary's being. A wow moment of sacred awareness that Mary's being carries each of us in her being. And at the same time and moment it was confusing and scary. My humanness could hardly comprehend this gift, this grace and yet my desire to love and know Mary, the mother of God better drew me into her sacred space.

As I continued to reflect on our Mother of Sorrows I wished and even longed for those I know, love and care about to have such a "Sacred Moment" with Mary. To imagine being held in the arms and lap of our Mother of Sorrows and know and experience her presence among us today. To know and experience the love she has for each of us individually and to experience her presence in the midst of our very-being. ...Experiencing a moment of Blessed Sacredness in the awareness that Our Blessed Mother holds you close to her heart. Indeed what a Blessed Easter this would be for each of us.

Thinking of you in this season of rebirth and renewal and wishing you God's blessings of peace, love and joy.

HAPPY EASTER!

Prayerfully yours God’s Struggling Servant,

Sr. Joan Louise Packer MSBT

The Missionary Cenacle Family and the New Evangelization :Ecclesial Base Communities

“The place where they gathered shook as they prayed. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God’s word with confidence. The community of believers were of one heart and one mind… With power, the Apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great respect was paid to them all” (Acts of the Apostles 4: 31-33).
This is the way in which the communities of faith gathered and prayed in the early Church. The Acts of the Apostles relates to us how these communities mutually attended to each other’s needs. They felt united in the same spirit and faith, as well as, in their shared task to announce the salvation and freedom that Jesus Himself gives to us through His own life.

An ecclesial base community (CEB) is a gathering of people who know each other and share interpersonal relationships. They are united in their conviction to follow Christ in imitation of His person and His saving and liberating actions which are to be incarnated whenever and wherever two or more gather in His name. The group is open to both receiving the Word and proclaiming the Word as a fruit of their participation in the life of the Church, allowing themselves to be transformed, and at the same time, transforming the reality in which they find themselves into the Kingdom of God, always in union with other base communities and in union
with the larger Church.

Just as every faith community that gathers to pray and do apostolic work can be considered Church, likewise, the purpose of the base community is to be “Church” as well. Given the fact that the Church has been given a specific way of existing and acting that is uniquely based on Jesus’ life, a base community should be about specific tasks which shake us from attitudes, as individuals and as a society, of selfishness and indifference, and in turn, place us at the heart of God’s love. This is done in response to each situation or reality in which the community finds
itself, being attentive to God’s Word, and in union with other base communities and the Church.

This is precisely what makes a base community Church. The base community should be much more than just a social gathering of like-minded and committed people, it should also be “Church”, otherwise, it ceases to be such. In other words, all the elements that make up part of the larger Church should also be found in the base community even though the entirety of the Church is not necessarily that base community. That which distinguishes it from the larger Church is merely its much smaller size and the specific reality in which the community exits.

In order to be faithful to its mission to be Church, the base
community should come together on various levels: Around the Word of God, the sacramental life of the Church, and be influenced by the reality in which it exists. For the sake of credibility, the base community must be rooted in its worldly reality, as well as, in the Kingdom of God.

Questions for Reflection:
1. In our Cenacles, which are a kind of base community, do we tend to live isolate in relationship to others, especially with those persons or groups in our surroundings, or are there structures that facilitate communication and outreach to other groups?
2. What are some of the elements found in the wider ecclesial community that can also be found in our cenacles (ie. Gathering regularly around the Word, making time to pray together, celebrating the sacramental life of the Church together, socializing and eating with each other and other forms of communal life, mutual collaboration in a pastoral plan, etc.?
3. What are some of the needs that exist around us or in our region that might demand a response on our part, but we are unsure as to how to respond or what do?

La Familia del Cenaculo Misionero y La Nueva Evangelizacion:
Comunidades Eclesiales de Base

“Al terminar su oración, el lugar en que estaban reunidos tembló; todos quedaron llenos del Espíritu Santo y se pusieron a anunciar la palabra de Dios con toda valentía. En el grupo de los creyentes todos pensaban y sentían lo mismo… Por su parte, los Apóstoles daban testimonio con mucha fortaleza de la resurrección de Jesús, el Señor, y todos gozaban de gran estima” (Hechos 4, 31-33).
Así se reunían y rezaban las primeras comunidades de fe en la Iglesia primitiva. El libro de los Hechos de los Apóstoles nos muestra como unas y otras comunidades se preocupaban mutuamente por su bienestar y se ayudaban. Se sentían unidas en la misma fe, en el mismo espíritu y en la misma labor de vivir y anunciar la salvación liberadora que Jesús mismo nos dio por medio de su propia vida.

Una comunidad eclesial de base (CEB) es un conjunto de personas conocidas con relaciones interpersonales fraternales. Están unidas por su convicción de seguirle a Jesús en su persona y en su acción salvadora y liberadora con el fin de encarnarlo en cada sitio y época donde dos o tres personas se reúnen en su nombre. La comunidad está abierta a recibir la Palabra y proclamarla como fruto de su participación activa en la vida de la Iglesia, tanto recibiendo como proclamando la Palabra de Dios, dejando que se transforme y, a la vez, transformar en el Reino de Dios la realidad que se vive en su entorno, en unión con las otras comunidades eclesiales, siempre en unión con la Iglesia universal.

En el sentido más amplio, toda comunidad que se reúna o haga alguna labor apostólica es Iglesia, también se puede decir lo mismo de una comunidad de base porque la finalidad de esa comunidad es ser Iglesia. De la misma manera en que la Iglesia tiene un modo de ser y actuar muy preciso que le dejó Jesús, también una comunidad de base debería cumplir una tarea muy precisa, es decir, una obra que nos saque, como personas y como sociedad, del egoísmo y de la indiferencia, y nos coloque integralmente en el amor de Dios. Esto lo hace, respondiendo y
encarnándose en cada situación, atento a la Palabra de Dios, en unión con las otras CEB y con la Iglesia.

Esto es lo que hace que la CEB sea Iglesia. Es decir, ese pequeño grupo de personas es mucho más que un grupo social de personas comprometidas que se reúnan, porque si no es así, entonces deja de ser Iglesia. En otras palabras, todos los elementos que se encuentran en la Iglesia más amplia, se deberían encontrar también en la Comunidad de Base, aunque todos los elementos de la Iglesia más amplia no se encuentren en esa CEB. Lo que se distingue la CEB de la Iglesia más amplia es solamente su dimensión más pequeña y algunos de los aspectos
concretos de la realidad en que se encuentre.
Para ser fiel a su misión de ser Iglesia, la CEB debe unirse en niveles eclesiales que son importantes, abarcando: La Palabra de Dios, la vida sacramental y la realidad en que se vive esa comunidad dentro de esa región. Para tener credibilidad la Comunidad de Base debe ser arraigado tanto en su realidad terrena como en el Reino de Dios.

Preguntas:
1. En nuestros cenáculos, que son un estilo de CEB, ¿Tendemos a vivir aislados y separados de las demás personas, especialmente de las personas o grupos a nuestro alrededor, o hay estructuras que facilitan lazos y comunicación los unos con los otros?
2. ¿Cuáles son algunos de los elementos esenciales de la comunidad eclesial más grande que también se encuentran en nuestro cenáculo (reunirse alrededor de la Palabra, tomar tiempo para rezar juntos, celebrar la vida sacramental juntos, apartar tiempo para convivir y comer juntos, tener una pastoral donde podemos colaborar juntos, etc? ¿En cuáles áreas fallamos?
3. ¿Cuáles son algunas de las necesidades a nuestro alrededor o en nuestra región que exigen una respuesta de parte de nosotros, pero no sabemos cómo responder o qué debemos hacer necesariamente?

By the Missionary Cenacle Family  Ad Hoc committee on the New Evangelization

Evangelization and the Preferential Option for the Poor

Testimony to Christ's charity, through works of justice, peace, and development, is part and parcel of evangelization... Benedict XVI - Caritas in Vertitate

Between evangelization and human advancement - development and liberation - there are in fact profound links. Paul VI - EvangeliiNuntiandi

" And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.' " Matthew 25:40

The necessary link between human advancement and evangelization spoken of by Paul VI is reiterated in Benedict XVFs latest encyclical. He reminds us that we are not only responsible for our own personal growth, but also for giving testimony to Christ in works of love and for helping others - family, friends, fellow parishioners, members of the Cenacle family, neighbors, fellow citizens of our country, and even people all around the globe. A particular emphasis of this love is the preferential option for the poor "which requires that the [needy], the marginalized and in all cases those whose living conditions interfere with their proper growth should be the focus of particular concern." (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church - 182). These deeds of charity, which show this special concern, are traditionally referred to as the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

Father Judge not only undertook these works of mercy in traditional ways, but looked for ways to do them in the particular circumstances of early 20th North America. To mention 2 such efforts: he led the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity to staff the settlement house which the Rev. Dr. White was developing in Brooklyn - Gold Street - to counteract the influence of the Protestant institutions and to care for recent Catholic immigrants. It was a center, not only of apostolate, but also of the social work outreach that was soon to grow in Catholic circles. Father also made it possible for members of the clergy who battled with alcoholism to serve as chaplains at various Cenacle missions, since before Alcoholics Anonymous, there was not suitable help for these men. And the Cenacle family has continued these works of mercy and many others, in institutional ways and particularly as individuals in the providence of everyday life.

It is a happy paradox that in helping others - giving of ourselves - we often receive a gift of developing latent talents and in turn being helped by those we aim to help. Each of us needs to think about what we are currently doing to care for the needs of others, how we can improve the service that we offer, and how we can get others involved in this work. It could be that we could volunteer with groups that manage soup kitchens and food pantries; perhaps it is to develop professional skills so that people in need have access to clean water or to instruct people who are illiterate, etc.; maybe, for the laity especially, it is to take an active role in civic affairs, and advocate for measures that meet the pressing needs in our local communities, home countries, and in international hotspots. However, we need to keep in mind, that no government structures can replace the personal contact and concern of individuals and local groups that are right on the ground in areas in want.

Perhaps it is time to question ourselves, knowing that each of us needs to personalize this examen:

How am I providing for the material and spiritual needs of those Our Lord has placed around me? What more could I be doing ?

Am I familiar with the Church's social doctrine and do I help others understand the power of these principles?

Is my prayer narrow and concerned only with my own and local needs? Or does it reach to global concerns?

Do stories of want in the media move me to pray for those involved? And to get involved myself in alleviating the sufferings of others?

Theresa Panzera Ad Hoc Committee for the New Evangelization 

Reflection for New Evangelization: Witness of Life

Missionary Cenacle Family - Reflection for New Evangelization:
#2 WITNESS OF LIFE

We know that the primary actor in the New Evangelization is the Holy Spirit, and that in the first place, we must pray for this intention. But we also know that although God could carry out the spread of His Kingdom directly, He has chosen to use each of us baptized faithful as His instruments to spread the Gospel.

Martyrdom is the supreme act of witness, and an old saying tells us that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. There are many stories of the onlookers to the sufferings of the early martyrs being converted. One such story took place in what is now Turkey. Forty Christian Roman soldiers were sentenced to death by exposure on a frozen lake. They prayed that as forty would suffer, there would be forty crowns of victory. As the ordeal dragged on, one of them weakened and went to offer pagan worship. Then one of the non-Christians guarding the group, moved by the courage of his Christian comrades, took the place of the one who left and 40 crowns were earned!

John Paul II reminded us that more Christians were martyred in the 20th century than in all the others combined. Even today there are Christians in many parts of the world being imprisoned, tortured, and even killed for their faith. It is unlikely that any of us will be martyred. But in a society which is growing ever more secular, we can seem old-fashioned and unenlightened, and perhaps suffer social and/or economic discrimination because of our beliefs.

Our Lord Himself told us that we are to be the light of the world (Mt.5:14) and to make sure that our good deeds are done with rectitude of intention. This is a moral obligation related to the 8th commandment. Our way of living, speaking, etc. must be in keeping with the fact that we profess to be Christians.

We do not only need to give witness; we have need to receive the witness of others. Many times we are edified by the virtues of those around us, Christians and even non-Christians. Religious families in the Church serve precisely this purpose: to provide mutual support and good example. We are helped by being a member of a parish, a prayer group, the MCF ...

At Baptism and Confirmation, we are given the name(s) of (a) member(s) of the heavenly "cloud of witnesses" to serve as examples and as intercessors for us. Fr. Judge, Mother Boniface, and Dr. Healy are special witnesses for us as to how we are to live the Spirit of the Cenacle, and the customs and practices we have grew out of the early experiences of Father Judge and the first members. Father Judge said:... Our communities have been trained to be neighborly, to go out of their way to do a service, ... and never to get into any kind of contention, to be peaceful even though they have to suffer a trespass ... Fr. Judge (Archives 12939)

The Catholic Catechism and recent papal documents describe the peculiar characteristics of the witness demanded by contemporary society: people follow witnesses more readily than teachers. In the history of the Church, there have always been situations were the apostolate of witness was the only one feasible. In the early days of the Cenacle in eastern Alabama, where anti-Catholicism was rampant, this was the case. Fr. Judge encouraged the first associates who went South to be involved with enterprises which would put them in contact with people in every day situations, and they even ran a dairy! In the flu pandemic at the end of World War I, the Cenacle members assisted the doctors in caring for the sick, preparing healthy meals, etc. The help extended to the Sisters by neighbors when their motherhouse burnt down, and they literally possessed only the clothes on their backs, shows that the witness of Sisters' charitable lives worked to combat the prejudice they faced.

Each of us has to give this witness in "the providence of one's everyday life". And Paul VI spoke of a situation that is part of the lives of many in the Cenacle family - the immigrant experience. He said that migrants need to be conscious of the witness they bear to their beliefs in their host countries. And we can add that people of host countries need to strive to bear witness by their hospitality, concern for justice for new comers, etc.

Our witness is not that of outsiders in our communities - we need to share in all that is good and noble in our cultures and strive to correct and elevate it when the standards of our societies are not truly Christian, nor even fully human.

As we continue to consider different aspects of the New Evangelization perhaps we can think about and consider in prayer the following questions:

Do I have a good grasp of Catholic doctrine and morals so that I can bear true witness in my own life?

Do I receive the Eucharist frequently and do I make regular use of the sacrament of Reconciliation so that I may have the grace necessary to live an authentically Catholic life?

Do I try to purify my intentions so that my thoughts, words, and actions truly glorify God and edify my neighbors?

As far as I am able, do I try to become familiar with the lives of the founders of the Cenacle family so that I may grow in understanding of the Cenacle spirit and can apply it in the "providence of my every day life"?

Am I familiar with the life/lives and virtues of the special patron(s) given me at Baptism/Confirmation and do I ask for their intercession?

Do I realize that I need the witness given by those around me (as well as ongoing formation), especially those in the MCF? Does this move me to be faithful to Cenacle meetings, retreats, days of reflections, etc.

Do I take an active part in civic, parish, family and cultural life in keeping with the time I have available, the talents, education and training that I have received, and the treasure that I have at my disposal so that I can bear witness - be the leaven - in the society where I live?

Theresa Panzera Ad Hoc Committee for the New Evangelization February 2012