Little was known of Gabriel's extraordinary spiritual gifts during his life. He was not singular, he conformed himself to the community life; he was only a fervent and exemplary Passionist novice and student hidden from the world in the cloister. "How much more soundly we would sleep, how much more cheerful we would be, in fact, how much more like heaven our life would be, if we left ourselves totally in her hands and said to her "Into your hands, O Lady, I place my cause."
Read More"The Spirit of the Lord God has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners....." When Jesus read this passage from Isaiah, he meant it to be both an introduction to and a table of contents for his ministry. St Paul of the Cross must have heard something similar when the Lord called him: Paul might well have said: This is the outline of my ministry too
Read MoreThe spiritual life for all of us involves these two dimensions: the horizontal - reaching out to those we encounter along the way. To be involved with our neighbors, near or far. The other dimension in our lives is the Vertical Dimension, the line that goes from our heart to the very heart of our God. Passionists would say that that vertical line to the Father passes directly through the pierced hearts of Mary, standing at the foot of the Cross, and of Jesus hanging on the Cross.
Read MoreEach one of us has heard the words of the Gospel, at least with our ears. Will we listen with our hearts? Will we trust Jesus to multiply whatever it is that we're willing to share with him? Jesus wants to feed and care for the many in our world who are hungry, who are lonely, who are weak, who feel frightened and weak of faith. Jesus says "You and I together can help. Let me know what you are willing to share with me, and I'll provide for their needs.
Read MoreWhen Mother Catherine asked that we pick a project for some research on St Paul of the Cross, I asked myself what might benefit me the most from studying St Paul, in my ministry as a diocesan priest, and as a Passionist Oblate. I decided to look at something of what St Paul teaches us about the priest, and the Holy Eucharist.
Read MoreIf we are not people who love, whatever our calling, we will have failed our life’s purpose, miserably. All of us will be asked or an account of how loving we are, how loving we have been with our faith lives. Of course, we’ll be tested on our hope, our faith, but especially on our loving.
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