Acts 29

This past Sunday we heard from Acts of the Apostles, chapter 5. Actually, the Easter season is when we hear from Acts of the Apostles each week. Acts of the Apostles is the account of the Apostles and their mission after the resurrection of Christ. In this book we hear the accounts of the martyrs, we hear Saul persecuting Christians, and we hear about the lives of the earliest Christians. 

It's a book that many people read as they start, say, a year of service. I can remember at the beginning of the year, Sam saying that her favorite chapter of Acts of the Apostles was chapter 29. I can remember sitting there and not thinking anything of it until one of the teens tried to find Acts 29 in the Bible. And guess what... it wasn't there. It literally doesn't exist. Acts of the Apostles ends at chapter 28. My mind was blown, because in that moment I realized that Acts 29 is the life of the modern day Christian, ie you and me. 

This little insight from Sam gave me a new appreciation for the Acts of the Apostles and for what we are doing this year. We are trying to live out this faith. So in turn, our chapter is still being written. We are Acts 29. 

In the lines following this weekends first reading, we learn that although the Apostles have been persecuted for preaching the Gospel, they continue to teach and proclaim the Gospel message that Jesus Christ is Lord. 

How can you and I live out this principle this week? To preach the Gospel always, with our words, with our actions, with our lives, even when it becomes difficult. 

Divine Mercy

This past Sunday, was the Second Sunday of Easter, more commonly known as Divine Mercy Sunday. The Church calls us to reflect on God's unfailing Mercy, his Divine Mercy. You may be familiar with this image:

Growing up, this image was in one of the side chapels at my parish. I never knew what it was or what it meant until I was a senior in High School and was introduced to the Divine Mercy chaplet and St. Faustina. This image was revealed to St. Faustina, a humble nun in the Convent of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Poland. The message of mercy is simple, the Divine Mercy website states:

The message of The Divine Mercy is simple. It is that God loves us – all of us. And, he wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy.  

What an incredible message? It's so simple, yet so profound, and looking back I can see why God chose to reveal it to the world. It's because our world so desperately needs it.

Pope Francis also recognizes this need, as he declared this year the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Anyone who has been to CYFM this year has been exposed to it in some way, as we have incorporated it into our programming. And what we have realized is how vital this message is to the Church and to our Ministry.

And so, this week, let us revel in God's love and his Divine Mercy. Let us always be reminded that he wants us to share in His joy this Easter season.

Jesus, I trust in you.

with love and gratitude,
Mary

The Easter Season

This past Sunday, the Church celebrated Easter! The Church is now in the season of Easter, and we are allowed to say the "A" word again! For the past forty days, we entered into the desert with Jesus. We have died with him on Good Friday, and rose with him on Easter Sunday.

How was your Lent? Was it fruitful? Did you take any of the suggestions that we put out on Ash Wednesday? How did you grow with the Lord? What are some of the things that you did during Lent that you would like to carry over into regular life? Maybe you set up a new prayer routine, or started volunteering in a new way. Lent is supposed to help us to become better Christians so that we can rise with Christ. 

Easter is the reason why we as Christians strive to live the way that we do. Check out the Resurrection accounts in each of the Gospels. Take some time and pray with these beautiful readings from scripture:

John

Matthew

Mark

Luke

Personally, my favorite account is from Luke. It's commonly referred to as "The Road to Emmaus," where two Disciples encounter the Risen Christ along the way. 

In this Gospel passage we hear about the two apostles who are walking away from Jerusalem to a place called Emmaus, about seven miles away. Mind you, this is right after the crucifixion. They don't know that Jesus has risen. The disciples are distraught, full of doubt and anger, and still Jesus comes into their midst. And the part of this Gospel that gets to me is that those two disciples have no idea that Jesus is the one who is walking with them. There have been so many times in my life where I have been distraught and did not feel Jesus with me. The Disciples go on this whole journey with a stranger who is bringing them comfort and friendship. It is only when he breaks bread that their eyes are opened, and they realize that it is Christ who has been with them all along. 

And what do they do when they realize they have encountered the risen Christ? They run back to Jerusalem to tell the others. 

"So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread."

The two Disciples were so filled with Joy when they returned to Jerusalem! That is how we as Christians today should be. We should be filled with Joy because we are the Easter people, as John Paul tells us. We have encountered the risen Christ and we are called to go back to Jerusalem, to spread this message of love with our lives. 

with love and gratitude,

Mary

Pizza and Praise

This past Friday, some members of the CYFM community celebrated National Catholic Sisters Week with the The Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

The Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary are a Roman Catholic Religious Congregation of Women who "carry out our mission of love and service through our many ministries with God’s people, especially poor women and children." 

The Sisters have a very interesting story that many don't know about:

"The Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary were founded in Ireland in 1775 by Nano Nagle. She felt she was called by God to bring the light of faith to the poor children of Cork.  The Penal Laws of the time forbade any form of Catholic instruction in Ireland, but Nano Nagle was willing to risk imprisonment and disgrace for the sake of the Gospel. Visiting the sick and homebound by night along Cork’s cobbled streets, she became known as the “Lady With the Lantern”. In time she gathered other women to form a new society of women religious dedicated to the service of the poor. Nano Nagle’s small band of women, originally named the Society of Charitable Instruction of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, later became known as the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary."

As many of you know, Sr. Mary and Sr. Mary Catherine are members of this community. So when CYFM was asked to partner in an event, we jumped at the opportunity! The event included Praise, Worship, and Adoration as well as Pizza and fellowship with the Sisters.

It's Who I Am

Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, Graymoor, at dusk.

Lately, I've been reflecting on that song by Chris Tomlin, "Good, good Father". It's a fairly popular song among Catholic and Christian circles right now. I first heard it at Catholic Underground in September, and it has been stalking me ever since. Since I'm doing a year of service, I see a spiritual director about once a month. And as we were talking about my past, and my struggle with a consistent prayer life, my love of this song came up. He asked me to reflect on this song and why it resonates with me.

As I've reflected, and listened, and prayed, I've realized something. And to be completely honest with you, I think it's because I have a hard time truly believing the lyrics. But I'm a sucker for repetitive prayer, this is something else I have learned about myself from SD. It makes me actually think about what I'm praying (taize or praise and worship), or think about what I'm meditating on (the rosary). This song is very repetitive and that's a big part of why I find myself wanting to sing it over and over again.

The chorus reads:

You're a good, good father, it's who you are, it's who you are. And I am loved by you, it's who I am, it's who I am. God, you are perfect in all of your ways. Because you're a good, good father.

Now you may be asking yourself, but Mary these are basic Christian principles. You know, God so loved us (John 3:16). Why is this hard for you to believe?

Well, dear reader. Think about how radical this Love is!

I had a wonderful experience at DDA, or Day by Day Agape, (a student led encounter retreat that CYFM runs). One of the things that I realized about my relationship with God is that I am often reluctant to accept God's love and the love of others. Often enough. I'd rather remain closed off. I would rather be completely independent.

And I am loved by you. It's who I am, it's who i am. You're a good good father.

But we are so loved by Him.

Often enough, I am reminded of how the world sees Love. And I begin to believe it. That I can't be loved. That no one can truly love me that much. That love is based on merit. That it can't be unconditional because we live in a broken world.

but He is Love, and this has become my prayer.

I recently finished reading Tattoos on the Heart by Fr. Gregory Boyle, SJ. In the last chapter he reflects on that song "O' Holy Night". Everyone has heard it. It's a Christmas classic. Fr. Greg reflects on this phrase:

Long lay the world in sin and error pining
'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth

Fr. Greg talks a lot about how once the homies (the gang members he works with) realize their worth, they turn their lives around. Now, I won't spoil the book for you, because you need to go out and read it because it's incredible, but this part resonated with me. Just like the Chris Tomlin song.

He is love. He loves us with a perfect love. Even if it's hard to comprehend in such a broken world. He appears and the soul feels its worth.

As we move to the end of the liturgical year, it is darker, and we become more aware of the new beginning that will be here this upcoming Sunday. Advent begins. It's easy to commit to something for 30 days. So, will you commit to deepening your faith? I am. It's kind of like homework because my SD will expect to talk about it in December when we meet. But, it's good homework. And I'll be sure to try because I'm being held accountable.

I've already started in a way. I've reflected on this song. I've read a wonderful spiritual book. And I've been trying to read the gospel of the day and do an examen with The Jesuit Prayer App, which I love. (It reminds me to pray twice a day!) It's funny how God works because each day, the examen opens with this prayer:

God, I believe that at this moment I am in your presence and you are loving me.

And I am loved by you, it's who I am, it's who I am.

with love and gratitude,

Mary

*this post originally appeared on the blog a lovely little flower on November 25, 2015*

A Reflection on College COP

“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

-Albert Schweitzer

I used the quote above to begin my talk on this past College Capuchin Outreach Program (College COP) in January. I used it because it rings true for me, some of the best and happiest moments of my life were spent serving others. I learned what true joy was through service, and through that new-found understanding of joy I was able to learn more about God and deepen my relationship with Jesus, the ideal model for servant leadership.

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend College COP last year as a participant, which was a really awesome experience itself, so leading as a CCV this year was like coming full circle. Last year my service site was St. Patrick’s Soup Kitchen and Newburgh Ministries. I really loved working with both organizations; I got to meet some genuine and inspiring people who are really passionate about their work and service. I was also privileged to have a fantastic team to serve with throughout the week which shared many great conversations and countless laughs. (Shout out to Kelley, Kim, and Shawna!) Through theological reflection in the evenings I got to unpack the day’s experiences; both my own and others’ through the lens of faith. I was able to recognize God in the people I encountered throughout the week, from the people I served, to the people I served with, and everyone on the retreat. Through attending CCOP I was able to grow in both my understanding of service and in my faith.

I expected this year’s College COP to be pretty similar to last year’s with the obvious exception that this time I would have the added responsibilities of helping run the retreat and lead a service group. However, this year I was challenged in ways that I never expected to be challenged. And in that sense I was also forced to grow.

My service site this year was Habitat for Humanity/ manual labor, which originally I was less than thrilled about. I must admit I didn’t want to do Habitat for a very selfish reason… I didn’t want to be out in the cold all week. But what is that saying about God laughing at your plans…? Also I know that often times I struggle finding God in the day during manual labor.  It’s so easy for me to get caught up in the repetition and monotony of the mostly physical work that I find myself not being present to God throughout the day. Anyway for the first two days of CCOP we worked at the Red House, the place where my community and I live together, our home. It was a definitely humbling experience! It was humbling because I was leading a group of college students who were going to be serving me (& my community and CYFM of course), and also because I was there to work and serve with them. Working in the Red House made me appreciate the work I was doing more and also appreciate our house more, even with all its cracks, drafty windows, that sticky and stained floor in the kitchen, and all its imperfections. It is a good house, full of friendship, laughter, and memories. My last day working at the Red House, I looked back to see a warm streak of sunlight coming in from the window illuminating the floor and freshly painted green walls in the chapel. I stood in the doorway and relished in the simple beauty of that moment, and I thought about all of the prayers that have been said in that chapel over the years. Prayers of our community and of past CCV’s. I thought about the all the prayers said in the mornings before work, at evening prayer before bed, and late into the night by restless souls. Prayers for all the teens and retreatants that have been ministered to throughout the years, prayers for discernment, for joy, courage, hope, and peace.  All those prayers were sure to fill up that little chapel.

Then the next two days were spent working with the Habitat for Humanity affiliate in Newburgh. That was also a challenging a humbling experience. I had worked with Habitat many time before, so I thought I knew what to expect. We arrived at the address we were given and found a house that was in complete disrepair. It was covered in filth. I felt dirty just standing there. At first I didn’t know what to think, I couldn’t even move, I was in shock by what I saw in front of my eyes. My next thoughts were of wanting to get out and run away from that place, but still I stayed, and as a group we slowly made countless trips in and out of the house clearing out dirt, trash, soiled clothes and furniture, broken drywall, and much more. As we kept working my thoughts turned to ones of questioning where God was in this situation. Where was God for the children who apparently lived in this house? Where was God among all the debris, mold, and stench? That answer didn’t come to me right away. When someone asked me in Theological Reflection where God was in all of that, I mumbled about God being in the hope that now Habitat is going to rehab the house for another well deserving family. Which is true, but what I realized later after much reflection with people much wiser and spiritually adept than I, that God was there. God was there in the people I was working with all week long, my service group and the Habitat workers, in their willingness to see hope and envision a better house and better life for another family. God was there in the midst of the filth, brokenness, and desolation that was that house, and even in the people who allowed that house to sink into such disrepair because God never abandons us. Even in our brokenness, even in our sin, and even in our shame, God never leaves us. He loves us through it all, and he forgives us. He wipes away all the filth and crud from our souls and washes them clean in the sacrament of Reconciliation. So God was in that house in Newburgh in the same way he was there in that small chapel in the Red House with the light streaming through the window.

So yes, College COP was just as great an experience for me this year as it was last year. This year I was put out of my comfort zone. This year I was challenged. This year I had to seek out where God was in my service, more so than last year. And I found Him.

This post was written by Amanda Bielat. 

Esopus

Last week the Cap Corps Volunteer community went on retreat to the Marist Brothers Center in Esopus, New York. A friar from the Province, Fr. Sam, gave the retreat to the five young adults.

The theme of this retreat was belonging. We explored contemplative prayer, poetry, and beauty. Our retreat began Tuesday evening and ended Friday afternoon. Each morning and night we had a "silent sit" or intentional quiet time. Our breakfasts and lunches were also had in silence. Each afternoon we had a couple of hours of free time, where we were allowed to relax, pray, or encounter Christ in reconciliation.  One of the most enjoyable parts of the retreat was our interaction with the full time volunteers at Esopus. During each of our meal times we were greeted with the same hospitality that we try to show our guests at CYFM. It was so nice to be on the receiving end of that grace though. The Marist volunteers have a blog too, you can check it out here.We had conversation at dinner, and some community time in the evening. We played games, had dessert, and tended to the fire in the living room.

Our introduction to contemplative prayer was through Thomas Keating and Centering Prayer. I found this practice particularly difficult. Although I am content with quiet, I often let my mind race and wander through parts of my day, my prayer life, and through past experiences. I usually end up taking one thing and thinking through it thoroughly, and not actually praying. This wasn't really what we were supposed to be doing. And for some reason, I couldn't actually focus on the point of centering prayer. Instead I thought about next year, and many other things.

To be honest, I probably should have taken the opportunity for "spiritual companionship" during free time. Rather, I took a shower, a brief nap, read for a bit, and took a walk down to the river.

As I approached the Hudson River, I couldn't get over the shards of ice that were floating along with the current, and getting left behind on the shore. It was kind of gloomy out. I say kind of because it was gray, but it was rather warm out, which made it bearable to walk around outside.

I couldn't get over how the ice resembled glass in appearance, but also in sound. The different pieces of ice clanked against each other, moving down the river, taking turns riding along with one another. It really was spectacular. On the way to dinner that night Fr. Sam and I spoke about how cool this was, but also serene and somewhat eerie. I think that this experience put me in a better place to reflect on beauty in the context of belonging.

We read poetry from Mary Oliver, Gerard Manley Hopkins, as well as others. I had never studied any of the poets that we read, but I was especially captivated by Hopkins use of language in As Kingfishers Catch Fire.

I say móre: the just man justices;

Keeps grace: thát keeps all his goings graces;

Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is —

Isn't it beautiful?! I never had the chance to study Hopkins, so I may be looking into some of his collected works in the near future... or when I have a chance to read (probably next year).

I think that the combination of contemplation, poetry, beauty, and a sprinkle of Laudato Si was beneficial for these Cap Corps. We spend so much time reflecting as a group throughout our normal (as normal as it can be) schedule. The quiet, although difficult for some, was nice. It was nice to spend that time with the Lord, in a more structured and relaxed way.

With love and gratitude,
Mary

Ash Wednesday and Lent

It's that time of year again!  This Wednesday, Christians all over the world are reminded of their sinfulness and of their dependence on the Grace of God. The video above explains Lent and Ash Wednesday in two minutes... only two minutes! Take a couple of minutes, watch, and learn. Often enough, we as Catholics feel that we need to do some extraordinary acts during Lent to show that we are indeed, devout Catholics. 

Don't let your pride get in the way of letting yourself grow spiritually. The Church calls us to pray, fast, and to give alms. What is one thing that you can do to make your relationship with God better this Lent? What is one thing that is keeping you from God? Maybe its netflix, instagram, or checking your phone too much. Fast from it. How can you give of yourself? Whether it's monetarily, or a giving of your gifts to someone else. Think about it. What would you like to do to share yourself with the world during these 40 days. 

Fr. Mike Schmitz has some great advice for what we can do for Lent in this video:

Still not sure what you should do? Check out these resources:

102 Things You Should Really Give Up For Lent- Lifeteen

The Lenten Sacrifice: How It Can Save Your Life- Lifeteen

100 Things to do for Lent- Held By His Pierced Hands

Fast & Abstinence- USCCB

37 Things To Give Up For Lent- Simple & Sweet

Daily Lent Reflections- Bishop Robert Barron and Word on Fire Ministries

Best Lent Ever- Dynamic Catholic

Become a Missionary of Mercy this Lent. 

As you know, Pope Francis declared this year a year of Mercy. The Capuchin Franciscans have been made special Missionaries of Mercy for this Jubilee Year. The Mass was Monday. Each Province sent a Friar to be present. Check out the pictures here!

Want more information on how to be a Missionary of Mercy? Check out these links:

Jubilee Year Of Mercy- USCCB

Year of Mercy Website

Misericordiae Vultus BULL OF INDICTION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF MERCY

Make this your best Lent yet. Prepare your heart for Easter, for the risen Christ by dying to self with Him for 40 days.

With Love and Gratitude,

Your CYFM Family

Restless

So I wasn’t really exposed to Christian music, praise and worship music, or whatever you want to call it until last year, but it has definitely been an interesting time. See, I grew up listening to a lot of Rap and Hip-Hop music my whole life. So you could say that I have done a total reversal of music interests. I went from listening to Kid Cudi, Jay-Z, and Kanye West on a daily basis; to listening to Matt Maher, David Crowder Band, and Hillsong United almost all the time. I didn’t go through this whole grand transformation of who I am, I just found listening to “Jesus Music” a lot more enjoyable than I used to.

So a song that kind of sparked that music change was the song “Restless” by Audrey Assad. I was first introduced to this song by my friend, Ana, on her “Happy” playlist. It is a popular song in the Catholic and Christian circles. So this song has done a lot for me recently. It was a song that I listened to in times of sadness, frustration, and joy. It was the song that really helped me strengthen my prayer life.

The chorus of the song goes:

            And I'm restless, I'm restless 'Til I rest in You, 'til I rest in You.  I am restless, I'm restless 'Til I rest in You, 'til I rest in You. Oh God, I wanna rest in You.

My prayer life has been pretty scattered in the past few months. You would think doing a volunteer year where you do a lot of prayer I would have it down to an art by now, but no, I haven’t. My mind has been restless. My heart has been restless. In result my prayer life has been restless as well. All of this has been frustrating me, but I guess that’s what happens when you are trying to figure out your life.

I was having a conversation with one of my friends one night and they say “But Paul, you seem like you have everything figured out in your life!” I respond to them saying, “ha. Haha.hahaha. lol.”

Recently I have been in this restless state of mind. See, I want to become a Campus Minister at Providence College one day. That is my goal in life and that is what I am striving to do. I am restless because of the uncertainty in the way I am going to get there. I am in the waiting stage of my grad school application process. Waiting to hear if it is a yes or a no. Waiting to hear if it is a maybe later. It is a state of unknown. I don’t like this stage at all, and me being me, I am naturally an impatient person and want to know right this instant what my future will or will not entail. I am restless because I want this to happen so badly. I want to go to Grad School, learn all that I can, and then finally become a great Campus Minister for someone. But maybe that this isn’t what God wants of me. Maybe there is something else God wants me to do. Maybe God wants me to go back to wanting to become a teacher.

I am restless because I want happiness, and a lot of things make me happy. All of the possibilities make me so happy and I want to do all of them. Teaching, ministry, all of it brings me joy. You can see the happiness in my face when I do/ talk about something I love. It radiates from me.

The bridge of the song goes:

Still my heart, hold me close. Let me hear, a still small voice. Let it grow, let it rise. Into a shout, into a cry

I just want to know. I just want to be pushed in a certain direction so I can just focus. I want to hear something. To just have a little guidance. So I can let it grow, let it rise, into a shout, into a cry. But that is not up to me. I will continue to be restless, until I can have that rest in Him. I guess I am just going to be restless for a while, but sometimes restlessness is a good thing.

- Paul

The Impala

RIP Impala

It is with heavy hearts that we inform the CYFM community that Genevieve the Impala made her final drive in early December when her transmission refused to cooperate for the last time. This Grey 2002 Chevy Impala, affectionately known as Genevieve, Impy, Mr. Impala, the OC, and probably a host of other, less affectionate names, faithfully served several years of Cap Corps Volunteers as their semi-reliable mode of transportation.

Life with Genevieve was always an adventure.  Besides conducting the CCVs’ daily commute along the stunningly scenic Route 9D as they admired God’s creation, drank coffee, and jammed out to Matt Maher, the Impala also travelled great distances to Boston, Middletown, CT, the far reaches of western upstate New York, and Long Island. To gain greater insight into the personality of life with this legendary car, past Cap Corps Volunteers have shared their memories of the Impala with us:

Lindsay recalls taking Mr. Impala to Long Island when a tsunami broke out and the speedometer stopped working.  

Lauretta looks back fondly on the times when the “gas gauge was straight up NOT working and it was basically Russian roulette” and how the Impala “always smelled of dead animals and fast food.”

Yes, the Impala’s generosity was limitless. At one point it apparently served as a mobile home for small animals. Courtney remembers discovering that it was a mouse’s nest that was causing flooding inside the car and frost build-up on the interiors of the windows!

Katie Rotterman enthusiastically remarks that the Impala housed one of the best CD collections known to CYFM.

The Impala has even made a cameo in a prayer service sketch called The Stranger’s Bargain. In the nearly deserted parking lot of a movie theater, the Impala’s engine “sputters, coughs, and then dies altogether,” leaving the main character vulnerable to an encounter with the devil. The history records are unclear as to which CCV wrote this script and how much of it is based on their personal experience…

One of the most thrilling tales involving the Impala has been recounted in many iterations by the 2014-15 CCVs.  They were stopped in traffic on the highway on their way to Interlaken, NY, when they realized the CD collection was in the trunk. Katie Cavazzini bravely volunteered to retrieve the CDs, only to find out that the trunk doesn’t open when the car is in drive. Katie experienced a deep sense of panic as she thought her community was going to drive away without her and leave her stranded on the highway.

                  Though our time with the Impala was short, this year’s group of CCVs can agree that Genevieve has left an indelible impression on our memories. We have seen her temperamental side since the time she shut off for no reason mid-drive only a week after our arrival. And in her final week, Paul, Amanda, and Val struggled to drive her the 0.6 miles to the Mobil on Main Street, creating a traffic jam and angering all the people behind us as she stubbornly shut off and had to be restarted every few feet.

The miraculous safety of all the Impala’s passengers can be attributed to the Sacred Heart medal kept in the compartment on the dashboard. Jesus, we trust in you!

Finally, we leave you with a few poems written for the Impala, in memoriam, by our very own Hollis:

Fit six CCVs

Left Katie on the highway

Transformed into boat

Check engine light on

Speedometer is broken

Let's go to Thrift King

If you wish to make a donation to CYFM in the Impala’s memory, please feel free to call Judi. We are currently accepting offers for a new community vehicle for the CCV’s. Thank you!