2017 Advent Calendar

The Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, NJ,  have provided this Advent Calendar to remind us of our commitment to nonviolence.  Each day contains a brief, simple action toward living a more peaceful life. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Whatever God does with me is well done. In every dispensation of Providence, whether it bring joy or sorrow, I will exclaim, 'Thanks be to God'" (Pauline von Mallinckrodt, 1845). 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pauline von Mallinckrodt
1817-1881

Praying for Vietnam

Click here to read the Global Sisters Report story of the efforts of Vietnamese Sisters to help people to recover from Typhoon Damrey.  Please pray for everyone involved -- those who lost their homes, those who lost their lives, and everyone assisting in the recovery efforts.

Thank God Ahead of Time: The Beatification of Solanus Casey

While preparing to commemorate the World Day of the Poor, we were also aware of the Beatification of Capuchin Father Solanus Casey in Detroit on Saturday.  The Rite of Beatification took place in the presence of over 75,000 people at the Eucharistic Liturgy at Detroit's Ford Field.  A video of the Rite of Beatification is available here and the worship aid for the liturgy is available here.  More information about Blessed Solanus Casey -- whose feast day will be celebrated on July 30 --  is available here.  More than observing the ceremonies, perhaps we could strive to remember a simple maxim attributed to Blessed Solanus:  "Thank God ahead of time."  In one of his letters, he wrote, "God knows best, and, while we'll still hope for a favorable surprise, we can hardly do better than not only being resigned to whatever God permits but even beforehand to thank Him for His mercifully loving designs."  What a great message to take with us this week as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving!

Blessed Solanus, pray for us!

P.S.  During the television coverage, it was nice to be reminded that the first beatification on U.S. soil was that of New Jersey's own Blessed Miriam Teresa, a Sister of Charity from Convent Station.

Action Alert: Haitians and TPS

The Department of Homeland Security is required to make a decision to terminate or extend Temporary Protected Statue (TPS) for Haiti by November 23, 2017

What is TPS?  TPS is a temporary, renewable, and statutorily authorized immigration status that allows individuals to remain and work lawfully in the U.S. during a period in which it is deemed unsafe for nationals of that country to return home.

Why should TPS be extended for Haiti?  From September 4-7, a delegation from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops/Migration and Refugee Services (USCCB/MRS) traveled to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to analyze the need for extension of TPS for Haitian nationals living in the United States.  (Currently, TPS is set to expire for them on January 22, 2018.)  The extensive report of their journey is available here.  The delgation's conclusion was:  "Haiti is in no position to accommodate the return of the estimated 50,000 Haitians who have received TPS. Doing so would potentially destabilize the small nation, derail its path to recovery, and possibly harm those returned, particularly the uprooted children.  In addition, terminating TPS would needless create a large unauthorized population in the U.S. and contribute to unauthorized re-migration."

What can we do?  The USCCB urges action prior to the November 23 decision.  "Justice for Immigrants" (part of the USCCB) has provided this petition to urge continued protection for Haitians while their country continues to recover.

Invest in Love

According to the Catholic News Service, between 6,000 and 7,000 people attended today's Mass in St. Peter's Basilica for the World Day of the Poor.  Most of them are now living in Europe, but they are migrants and refugees from around the world.  In his homily during the Mass, Pope Francis stressed, "What we invest in love remains, the rest vanishes."  The entire homily (available here) merits our reflection.  Here are a few excerpts:

• All too often, we have the idea that we haven't done anything wrong, so we rest content, presuming that we are good and just.  But in this way we risk acting like the unworthy servant [in today's Gospel] . . . But to do no wrong is not enough.  God is not an inspector looking for unstamped tickets; he is a Father looking for children to whom he can entrust his property and plans.  It is sad when the Father of love does not receive a generous response of love from his children, who do no more than keep the rules and follow the commandments.
• Omission is also the great sin where the poor are concerned.  Here is has a specific name: indifference.  It is when we say, "That doesn't regard me; it's not my business; it's society's problem." It is when we turn away from a brother or sister in need, when we change channels as soon as a disturbing question comes up, when we grow indignant at evil but do nothing about it.  God will not ask if we felt righteous indignation, but whether we did some good.
• Drawing near to the poor in our midst will touch our lives.  It will remind us of what really counts: to love God and our neighbor.  Only this lasts forever, everything else passes away.  What we invest in love remains, the rest vanishes. . . . This is the choice before us: to live in order to gain things on earth, or to give things away in order to gain heaven.  Where heaven is concerned, what matters most is not what we have, but what we give.

5 Ways to Observe the World Day of the Poor

Catholic Relief Services has prepared resources for the World Day of the Poor (available here).  These resources include "5 Ways to Observe the World Day of the Poor."  Each of these is explained more fully within the resource (available through the link above):

1.  Pray for the poor.
2.  Practice the Corporal Works of Mercy.
3.  Make caring for the poor part of your routine.
4.  Learn about the causes of poverty and work to change them.
5.  Support the church's outreach to the poor.