New Year's Message from Pope Benedict XVI

In the shadow of a year that has been marked with frustration and anxiety, Pope Benedict invites us to look to the New Year with an attitude of confident trust. In his 1 January 2012, World Day of Peace message, Pope Benedict emphasizes the importance of education: "Educating Young People in Justice and Peace, in the conviction that the young, with their enthusiasm and idealism, can offer new hope to the world". This is a primary duty of society as a whole, for the sake of building a future of justice and peace: "Peace is not a blessing already attained, but rather a goal to which each and all of us must aspire. Let us look with greater hope to the future; let us encourage one another on our journey; let us work together to give our world a more humane and fraternal face; and let us feel a common responsibility towards present and future generations, especially in the task of training them to be people of peace and builders of peace."

For the complete New Year's Message from Pope Benedict:

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/peace/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20111208_xlv-world-day-peace_en.html

Saint Vincent College Founders' Day

Vision for the Future

In celebrating the mission of Archabbot Boniface Wimmer and the founders of Saint Vincent, Archabbot Douglas noted: “Fidelity does not mean simply to repeat the past. While celebrating the past with gratitude, the primary focus of our celebration will be on the future. Our annual observance of the founding of Saint Vincent by Boniface Wimmer is an important milestone because of the creative and energetic community that makes Saint Vincent. It is a community which can join fidelity to our heritage and vision for the future to the reality of the present.”

From the Program for Founders’ Day Vespers – 11/17/2011

Vocation Awareness Day at St. Benedict's Prep

St. Benedict’s Prep School, established by the monks of Newark Abbey in 1868, a daughter house of St. Vincent Archabbey, recently hosted a Vocation Awareness Day. Click on the link below to view more pictures!

http://www.framingthelight.com/Vocation-Awareness-Day/2011-Vocation-Awareness-Day-at/19987387_JQqgsc#1574789329_hwsMX95

Remembering our deceased monks of 2011

Fr. Wilfred: Fr. Wilfred, who died on 23 September 2011, was unselfishly committed to his students at Saint Vincent Prep and then for several decades at the Benedictine Military School in Savannah. Although a Pennsylvanian, he easily became an exemplary embodiment of generous Southern hospitality.

Br. Fred: Br. Fred died on 17 April 2011. He was a gentle soul with a quiet humor marked by a sly twinkle in his eye and a soft chuckle. After helping in our priory in Brazil, he worked behind the scenes for many years as purchasing agent in the Facilities Management Office on campus and was always ready to assist monks with computer questions.

Fr. Omer: Fr. Omer died on 17 January 2011. He was Professor of Homiletics in the Seminary for decades as well as subprior and archivist in the monastery for over a quarter century. He was an historian and storyteller by nature who relished recounting the humorous dimension of common human foibles.

We pray today for our brothers who have passed from death to life in company with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,

and let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace.

Amen.

Alumni Day at St. Vincent Seminary

Cardinal Wuerl speaks about St. Vincent Seminary and the unchanging nature of the priesthood.

Alumni Day

Cardinal Wuerl speaks about St. Vincent Seminary and the unchanging nature of the priesthood.

Peace of Soul

The following selection comes from “Peace of Soul” by Fulton Sheen. This was the reading chosen by our own Br. Bruno as the second reading of our Morning Prayer Office on Monday, Oct. 3. It is a wonderful insight about why young men and women choose to serve God in a radical way through monastic lives and how their prayers and penance affects the world on an extremely profound level.

Why are there monasteries and convents? Why do so many young souls leave the lights and glamour of the world for the shades and shadows of the Cross where saints are made? The modern world so little understands their mission that, as soon as a newspaperman hears of a handsome young woman entering a cloister, he telephones the parents to ask, "Was she disappointed in love?" The answer, of course, is, "Yes, with the love of the world. She has fallen in love with God." These hidden dynamos of prayer, the cloistered men and women, are doing more for our country than all its politicians, its labor leaders, its army and navy put together; they are atoning for sins of us all. They are averting the just wrath of God, repairing the broken fences of those who sin and pray not, rebel and atone not. As ten just men would have saved Sodom and Gomorrah, so ten just saints can save a nation now. But so long as a citizenry is more impressed by what its cabinet does than by its chosen souls who are doing penance, the rebirth of the nation has not yet begun. The cloistered are the purest of patriots. They have not become less interested in the world since leaving it; indeed they have become more interested in the world than ever before. But they are not concerned with whether it will buy and sell more; they care-and desperately care-whether it will be more virtuous and love God more.

Fulton J. Sheen, Peace of Soul (New York: McGraw - Hill Book Co., 1949)

Saint Vincent Archabbey will host a "Come and See" discernment weekend for single Catholic men ages 21-40 on October 28-30, 2011. A "Come and See" weekend is a no-strings-attached chance to spend time learning about the life of Benedictine Monks of St. Vincent Archabbey. Come pray with us, talk with our junior monks, meet our older brethren, and most of all listen for the voice of Christ who continually calls men to a life of work and prayer in service to the Catholic Church. The next "Come and See" weekend is October 29 - October 31, 2011. For more information about the weekend, life as a Benedictine monk, or to schedule another time to visit the Abbey please contact Fr. Bonaventure Curtis, OSB at 724-532-6655

Cardinal Wuerl and John Marous to be honored at Seminary Alumni Day

Saint Vincent Seminary will honor two outstanding members of its Board of Regents at its forthcoming Alumni Day Mass and Banquet, scheduled for Monday September 19, 2011. Tribute will be paid to His Eminence Donald Cardinal Wuerl, a member of the Board of Regents for 24 years, and Dr. John C. Marous, Jr., retired chairman of the Seminary's Board of Regents and a member for 20 years. The Alumni Day Mass will begin at 4 p.m. in the Archabbey Basilica, with Cardinal Wuerl serving as Principal Celebrant and Homilist. The Mass is open to the general public.

From: http://www.saintvincentarchabbey.org

Br. Thomas Colucci's 9/11 Experience

From: cny.org

At about midnight on Sept. 12, 2001, an exhausted Lieutenant Thomas Colucci, FDNY Engine 3, found himself sitting on top of a colossal pile of smoldering rubble that had been, until about 14 hours earlier, one of the two twin towers of the World Trade Center.

Click here to read more: http://cny.org/stories/911-Experiences-Pointed-Three-Men-to-Priestly-Vocation-,6040

Saint Gregory the Great!

On September 3 we celebrated the feast of St. Gregory the Great, one of the greatest Fathers in the history of the Church, one of the four Doctors of the West who was an Benedictine monk and later Bishop of Rome from 590 to 604 and who earned the traditional title Magnus (the Great!).

St. Gregory was born in Rome around 540 into a wealthy family known for their adherence to the Christian faith. Gregory entered early into an administrative career which reached its climax in 572, when, during chaotic times, he became Prefect of the city. Yet this life could not satisfy him. He decided to leave every civil assignment in order to withdraw into monastic life and spend his time in dialogue with the Lord and listening to his Word.

Cloistered withdrawal did not last long, however. Gregory was universally respected for his civil administration, and his good reputation induced Pope Pelagius to ordain him and send him to Constantinople in order to help bring about a solution to the Lombard invasions. When the plague took the life of Pope Pelagius in 590, Gregory was the unanimous selection as his successor. He tried to resist, even attempting to flee, but to no avail. Recognizing the will of God, the new Pope immediately set to work, especially in regards to the Lombard invaders, dedicating all his energy to peaceful resolution. He saw the Lombard people with the eyes of a good pastor and was concerned with proclaiming the Word of salvation to them and establishing fraternal relationships based on mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.

St. Gregory’s desire for God was always alive in the depths of his soul, and precisely because of this he was always close to his neighbor, to the needy people of his time. Indeed, during a desperate period of havoc, he was able to create peace and give hope. This man of God shows us the true source of peace from which true hope comes. Thus, he becomes a guide also for us today.

From: Pope Benedict XVI General Audience on Wednesday, 28 May 2008

Fresh Campus Minister

Fr. Killian Loch, O.S.B. has been named director of campus ministry at Saint Vincent College, according to an announcement by Br. Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., president.

Fr. Killian joins the Saint Vincent staff after making his first vows as a Benedictine monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey. A native of Wilkes-Barre, he previously served in the Diocese of Scranton.

“I look forward to this assignment since a significant part of my background has been involvement in Catholic schools,” Fr. Killian said. “My assignments involved full and part time teaching and administration in diocesan high schools, and my parish assignments included parish elementary schools. I was also involved in several diocesan commissions and studies of the Catholic school system. I look forward to interacting with the students as campus minister. Saint Vincent has an outstanding campus ministry program of spiritual activities, service opportunities and social and educational activities. These already involve a large number of the students so I don’t anticipate making any immediate changes. As I become more familiar with the spiritual needs of the students, I may explore new programs and activities in the future.”

“Relationships are very important to college students,” Fr. Killian said. “I want them to have a good relationship with God, in which they will view him not as a distant deity, but as someone who desires a close relationship with them.”

Fr. Killian is very interested in the various lay ecclesial movements in the Church today, one form of associations of the faithful of the Catholic church. “The late Blessed John Paul II recognized the importance of ecclesial activity in the new millennium and encouraged the development of various ecclesial movements including Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Cursillo Movement, L’Arche, Worldwide Marriage Encounter, and others. He believed that the new evangelization will come through these movements. I will look for opportunities to connect our students with these on campus. After students graduate, I think it is important for them to be ready to be active in the broader Church.”

Fr. Killian joins current campus ministry staff including assistant directors Fr. Anthony Grossi, O.S.B., Fr. Jean-Luc Zadroga, and Dr. John Aupperle, secretary Jody Marsh, and music coordinator Mary Ellen Lang.

“I am very happy to be part of the Saint Vincent Benedictine Community,” Fr. Killian concluded. “For me, the community aspect is very important,” Fr. Killian noted. “The monks have a wonderful sense of community and it’s impressive to see this diverse group of men gather for prayer, meals and other interaction. It’s part of the broader Saint Vincent community which includes the Parish, Seminary and College, all of which have a great commitment to Saint Vincent. I have been so impressed with what people are willing to do for Saint Vincent.”

Fr. Killian earned a bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Scranton before completing a master of divinity degree at St. John School of Theology and a master of education degree at Boston College. He served in various pastoral assignments including director of religious formation and procurator at Bishop Neumann High School in Williamsport and later acting principal and principal of Bishop Hafey High School, Hazleton.

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Daughter House of Saint Vincent Makes Land Breaking Pro-Life Move

Image Copyright Douglas Johnson (http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolinadoug/3714061461/)

June 20: Room At The Inn Breaks Ground On The First College-Based Maternity And After-Care Residential Facility In The Nation

from bacroads.com

Land donated by the Benedictine Monks of Belmont Abbey

Room At The Inn, a safe haven and source of hope for pregnant mothers and their children since 1994, will break ground on January 20th on the first college-based maternity and after-care residential facility of its kind in the nation.

The facility will be built on four acres of land donated by the Benedictine Monks of Belmont Abbey and located adjacent to Belmont Abbey monastery and the campus of Belmont Abbey College. Confirmed attendees for the groundbreaking ceremony include Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, and President of the National Pro-Life Religious Council; Mr. David Bereit, National Campaign Director for 40 Days for Life; Ms. Serrin Foster, President of Feminists for Life; the Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte; and the Right Reverend Abbot Placid Solari, O.S.B., Abbot of Belmont Abbey and Chancellor of Belmont Abbey College.CLICK HERE to see the invitation.)

The 10,000-square-foot home will provide single pregnant college women the option of continuing their educations while having their babies in a caring and supportive environment before, during and after their pregnancies. The program will be free of charge for up to two years. Participants don’t have to be Catholic or Christian or students at Belmont Abbey College to be accepted. *It is the first college-based facility in the nation to provide this extensive array of services.

“Many young women in college facing unexpected pregnancies believe they have to give up everything to keep their babies – but they don’t,” said Room At The Inn Executive Director Jeannie Wray. “Room At The Inn can give these young women the opportunity to continue their educations, have their babies, make a positive impact on society and fulfill their hopes and dreams.”

The new facility will have two residential wings – one for maternity and one for after-care – that will be home to 15 mothers, 15 infants and 8 toddlers for up to two years. Each mother will have a private bedroom and bathroom and share the kitchen, dining room and laundry room with other residents. Administrative and counseling offices and quarters for residential managers also will be on site.

Expectant mothers interested in Room At The Inn must go through several months of counseling before being accepted into the free program, which Wray describes as “fairly stringent” and filled with classes and counseling to prepare young mothers with the skills they need to be successful in life.

Participants are required to be in school, adhere to a curfew, sign in and sign out, pass room inspections, submit goal sheets and take classes in life skills, parenting, cooking, meal planning, financial planning and non-denominational Bible study, among others. In exchange, they receive free room and board and counseling, as well as everything they need for their babies from car seats and playpens to clothes and nursery furniture.

“Many of the young women we see are beaten down, hopeless, abandoned and have no earthly idea how they are going to put one foot in front of the other – they’re just looking for the light,” said Wray. “Room At The Inn can offer them help, hope and possibilities, so by the time they leave, they are prepared for their lives, more mature and eligible to come to our outreach program for as long as they like.”

Scott Hahn Symposium 2011 Begins Today

Priests, deacons and seminarians from around the nation come to spend four days with Dr. Scott Hahn on the grounds of Saint Vincent Archabbey and Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania for the sixth consecutive year. The theme for this year's symposium is Proclaiming the Kingdom: The Gospel of Matthew. Renowned scripture scholar and evangelist Dr. Hahn will once again lead the symposium. He will be joined by other noted scholars, including Dr. Brant Pitre of Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans, the recent author of the highly acclaimed Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist and Dr. John Bergsma of Franciscan University of Steubenville. The days will be filled with prayer, in a leisurely, but stimulating environment. Please pray for the fire of the Holy Spirit to fall upon these priests, deacons, seminarians and speakers for the building up of the Kingdom!

Saturday Homily

FROM: www.saintvincentarchabbey.org

"Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands"

The missionary movement of the apostolic church is not just limited to the early days; it is essential to our identity as church, today. We too summon all you lands to sing joyfully to the LORD and Liberator of every human being and all human communities. In faith we recognize what the Psalmist knew that all people are God's people, the flock he tends. Indeed, the creator of every person is summoning all generations to the LORD, who is good and his kindness endures forever. Like our ancestors in the faith we too summon all the earth to the joy of complete liberation and true freedom. This universal call we inherit from Christ and his Apostles. The fulfillment of our missionary vocation today is subject to both the struggles of Saint Paul and the hatred about which Saint John writes.

Saint Timothy was born Jewish because his mother was Jewish. This ethnic background gave him an advantage in his missionary work. He was not excluded from fellowship with the Jews, but to make his ethnic identity clear circumcision was necessary. Perhaps, Saint Luke is trying to present Saint Paul as being all things to all people. In any case, Saint Paul is operating out of a genuine sensitivity to the audience. He is willing to use whatever is necessary to summon people to union with Jesus the Christ. Such apostolic zeal is tested and refined during his prayer. Twice the Holy Spirit from preaching the message in certain towns prevents him, and once in a vision he summoned to proclaim the good news -in Macedonia. Saint Paul is both sensitive to his audience and sensitive to divine guidance in prayer. Genuine listening to the needs of the people and the direction of the Holy Spirit enabled Saint Paul to fulfill his missionary vocation. We too need the same skills to fulfill our mission. We must be sensitive to others and listening in prayerful obedience.

Even though we have such a sensitive and obedient heart, we will encounter hatred. This is the promise of Christ to those who follow him. The reason we will be hated is simple; if the world hated the Lord Jesus then the world will hate those who follow Him. "They will harry you as they harried me. They will respect your words as much as they respected mine." This may appear to be bad news, but in fact it is good news. Indeed, persecution, rejection, hatred from the world is a sign that in our lifestyle and our witness we reveal the Lord Jesus, the faithful Son of the Father. Since the world knows nothing of the Father, they know nothing of the Son, so they will have nothing to do with those who follow the Son. Being sensitive to our audience does not necessarily mean buying into every agenda item of every group. Indeed, being sensitive may mean that we must challenge, question, and object to certain enslaving attitudes and values. Because we want our brothers and sisters in the world with us to live in true freedom and genuine liberation, then we will necessarily seem like an uncomfortable presence, at times, or share what seems to be a contradictory value, at times. However, it is the light of Christ and the warmth of the Spirit that reveals that obedience to the Father's will is our true delight. We, who daily struggle to become more faithful, cannot live without consuming Christ's flesh and being consumed by the fire of the Holy Spirit.

Easter Vigil Mass

Click here for a slideshow of the 2011 Easter Vigil at St. Vincent Archabbey Basilica

Monastic Tiduum Schedule (Feel free to join us)

THURSDAY, APRIL 21 (Mass of the Lord’s Supper) - 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, APRIL 22 (Commemoration of the Passion and Death of Our Lord) - 1:30 p.m.
Tenebrae - 8:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 23 (Easter Vigil) - 8:45 p.m.

SUNDAY, APRIL 24 (Easter) - 7:30 a.m.

Monday of Holy Week

From: www.saintvincentarchabbey.org

"My heart will not fear."

We spend this whole week gazing upon the cross of Christ. We look with love upon the Faithful Servant of the LORD about whom Isaiah the Prophet sings. We look with love upon Christ the Suffering Servant of the LORD and recall every detail of his last week before his execution and resurrection. The Psalm has us singing the song of trust that the Lord Jesus sang as he prayed these words throughout his life of temple worship. Can our hearts echo this trust? "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life's refuge; of whom should I be afraid?" We remember every detail described in the gospel. We remember the evildoers who surrounded him day in and day out; they were looking for details too, for details of his behavior or teaching that they could use to devour his flesh and consume him in their hate and jealousy. The Lord Jesus could not help notice his enemies stumbling and falling all around him. His heart was not fearful even as their numbers grew. Even though they took him on in public debate waging a war of words; even then did he trust the Father. Though meager the support from his followers, the Lord Jesus found bountiful support from the Father and he looked forward to again being in the glory of that eternal love. It is his absolute and total love and trust for the Father that gives us the courage to wait, to be stouthearted and wait for the LORD to accomplish his will in our lives. Even in the midst of the cross, even when we bear our share in the sufferings of Christ, we wait; we do not turn away; we do not fear.

Isaiah lived in a world of unspeakable violence. The Servant of the LORD, Jesus, lived in a world that did not respect gentleness. Yet, into this brutal and harsh world comes a faithful servant of the LORD upon whom the very Breath of God, the Holy Spirit hovers. This is the same Breath of the LORD that moved over the chaos of the early creation and brought order and growth. This Holy Spirit gives the Servant of the LORD justice for the nations. A justice that is established first in the human heart so the Servant need not cry out or shout or make his voice heard in the streets. All he needs to do is to tell the story of mercy and bounty. The hearts of his listeners are moved, as if on their own, to love justice and work for peace. This mighty servant of the LORD need not break a bruised and wounded soul to prove his power to influence the community. Even the smoldering wick is not quenched; rather he fans into flame the deepest hope and longing of the human heart for the justice and peace that only the LORD can provide. The wildest lands bordering on the dangerous oceans, the very coastlands have waited to hear the servant speak the truth. Above the roaring of the seas his voice is heard the very Breath of the LORD proclaims through his faithful servant the good news: "I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations." This Servant of the LORD is the Lord Jesus who has identified us with himself, with his relationship with the Father and with his mission to heal and save all the nations. As members of the Body of Christ we are to "open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness." Such is the full meaning of our dying and rising with Christ the Lord. Baptized into his cross and glory we have an unspeakable dignity and no one can take away our true life in Christ, no foe, no enemy, human or spiritual. We are so confident in Christ that we need not imitate the ways of our brutal and harsh world. We need not force the truth upon anyone. The truth of the Father's love for us in Christ is so attractive and so convincing because it is still spoken by the same Breath of the Lord that hovered over the Lord Jesus during his prayer and ministry. That Holy Spirit breaths through us and the Word we speak is truly liberation for every human heart.

Four friends of the Lord Jesus are featured in today's gospel account for the sixth day before the Passover. He is surrounded by three faithful friends, who become dangerous, and one dangerous friend, who becomes deadly. Martha, Mary and Lazarus provide fellowship and food for their dear friend Jesus. In their desire to honor the Lord who had brought Lazarus back to life, their feast attracted a large crowd of Jews from the chief priests. Their public scrutiny of the Lord Jesus continued and when they saw how many Jews had turned away and believed in Jesus because of miracle of Lazarus, they plotted to kill the Lord and his friend Lazarus. These faithful friends were dangerous to the Lord Jesus because they unwittingly played into the hands of his enemies and gave them the straw that broke the camel’s back. Martha and Mary's feast for their friend Jesus only made it more obvious that the seventh sign was powerful and threatening to the chief priests and those in power. Judas was a dangerous friend of the Lord Jesus because he was a zealot, and he was convinced that the only way to hasten the arrival of the Kingdom of God was to revolt against the oppressive Roman government. These political solutions to social and spiritual evil were completely inadequate and totally rejected by the Lord Jesus. Judas leaves the Passover Supper to prepare for the betrayal of the Lord. At this meal several days earlier we catch a glimpse of his conflicted heart. The motives of Judas are questioned in the gospel when he reprimands Mary for wasting "oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair." On the surface his concern is that the money used to buy this oil could have been used for charity. However, his concern for the poor is less than pure. He seems to be using the poor to keep the disciples purse full so that as the group treasurer he could use the money for whatever he wanted. Even today, seeming concern for the poor is used to hide greed and self-seeking. Judas hides his mixed motivation behind a public display of devotion to the needy. The Lord Jesus defends Mary’s behavior without at all diminishing the need for true concern and charity toward the economically deprived. However, the irony of this table dialogue reveals a false split between costly devotion and costly service. Both love of Christ and love of his deprived brothers and sisters are necessary for any true friend and disciple. Growing closer to the Lord Jesus through our Holy Week devotions only makes greater demands of our hearts to be compassionate with others as the Lord Jesus has been compassionate with us. To buy into the false dichotomy Judas is pushing is to use Christianity to hide our own efforts to save ourselves and ignore the demands of intimacy by pouring our love out upon the Christ, the Anointed One, who pours out his blood without restraint so that we could live an abundant life.

Palm Sunday 2011

Palm Sunday at St. Vincent College (Click Here)

Oblates

For those of you who may be interested in growing closer to Christ via the Benedictine way of life you may want to explore our Oblate program. Check out the following link to learn more. Click here

Monday of the Fifth Week in Lent

"Even though I walk through the valley of darkness"

In today's readings there are many who walk through the valley of darkness. Some are very comfortable there in the darkness. Others are comforted by the presence of the Good Shepherd. Sooner or later everyone walks through this valley. Those who walk by faith know that the Lord is at their side; they do not fear. Not only are they fearless, they want for nothing. Indeed the valley of darkness is not endless; eventually the LORD guides them to restful waters that refresh the soul. Just hearing those bubbling brooks and feeling those splashing waters flowing over the stones brings refreshment to the heart. This refreshment is completed only in the taste of living waters; all thirst is quenched. It is for his name's sake that the LORD guides and directs us all along the way for his we are his people and the sheep of his pastures. We are strengthen by his power to save us; his rod and staff give us courage to continue the arduous journey all the way to Calvary. All through Lent he has spread the table of his body and blood before us in the sight of our foes. With all who hate us looking on he anoints our heads with oil, the oil of gladness above other kings. Our cup of suffering overflows and so does our cup of rejoicing. Only goodness and kindness follow us all the days of our lives. Indeed, only in the house of the LORD are we at rest, at home forever. Our ancestor, Susanna, was trapped under a tree by her accusers. Their lies were exposed because of that same tree. It was because of the mercy of Christ, who died upon the tree of the Cross, that the woman caught in adultery was set free to go and sin no more.

Susanna was not afraid of death or lies and "through tears she looked up to heaven, for she trusted in the Lord wholeheartedly." Such trust had grown in her heart over the years of her virtuous living. The fruit of a life of wickedness comes to term in the false accusations of the judges. These lusty old men represent the crowds gathered around the Lord Jesus in today's gospel account. They had become blinded by the lust in their hearts. They could not see Susanna's true beauty. All they could see was their desire imposed upon her body. The fulfillment of their lust drove them to assume that Susanna would fall victim to their trap. Consumed by such desire we so easily assume that those we want, want us. This self-deception made them victims of their own lies. After years of living a lie, they were easily tripped up by their lies about the tree under which they had caught Susanna. The Holy Spirit moved Daniel to have the courage to establish Susanna's innocence. It is the same Holy Spirit who works in all of us who follow the New Daniel, the Lord Jesus Christ. We can never stand by and watch one of God’s beloved children die because of a lie. We who have come to know the Lord Jesus, who is the way the truth and the life, have no fear as we confront the lies that abound in our hearts and in our communities. The innocent ones in our world have no need to fear because we stand up for them and defend them with the truth that the Holy Spirit inspires us to know and to proclaim. Indeed, innocent blood is spared in our day because of the Innocent Lamb of God who shed his blood so that we might be cleansed, purified, made new.

Susanna was innocent; the woman caught in adultery was not innocent. Both women are treated with great mercy. The Lord Jesus is the New Daniel upon whom the Holy Spirit rests from all eternity. From the eternal moment in which the Son was begotten, the Holy Spirit hovered over him. During his conception within the womb of the Immaculate Theotokos the Holy Spirit overshadowed her and rested upon him. This same Holy Spirit moves within the Lord Jesus and over him as he writes on the ground with his finger. Perhaps he is pausing in prayer to hear the voice of his Father, so that he would speak the word that forgives and challenges at the same time. He is that Word, spoken from all eternity and made flesh within the womb of the Blessed Mother, so that he can speak in time. Unlike the first Daniel, who had only the power and wisdom to expose the innocence of the woman falsely accused of adultery, the Lord Jesus has the power to forgive the sins of the woman caught in adultery. Perhaps such a word needs a seemingly distracted pause, so that it can be proclaimed. "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Again the Lord Jesus writes on the ground; perhaps this pause is for our sake. Perhaps, we who have heard this story so many times need to pay close attention. Perhaps we are both the crowd and the woman. In these words of the Incarnate Word, we are liberated from sin and from the impossible role of throwing the first stone. The only innocence that we can claim is that which comes from the blood of the Innocent Lamb who was slain by our guilt. Perhaps, now as if for the first time, we can go now and sin no more.

Pope Benedict's Ordination

Here is a cool video I found on Gloria.tv of Pope Benedict XVI ordination to the priesthood in 1951.

60 Minutes

Nice video by 60 Minutes interviewing Archbishop Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York.

Happy Feast of St. Benedict

O glorious St. Benedict, sublime model of all virtues, pure vessel of God's grace! Behold me, humbly kneeling at thy feet. I implore thy loving heart to pray for me before the throne of God. To thee I have recourse in all the dangers which daily surround me. Shield me against my enemies, inspire me to imitate thee in all things. May thy blessing be with me always, so that I may shun whatever God forbids and avoid the occasions of sin.

Graciously obtain for me from God those favors and graces of which I stand so much in need, in the trials, miseries and afflictions of life. Thy heart was always so full of love, compassion, and mercy towards those who were afflicted or troubled in any way. Thou didst never dismiss without consolation and assistance any one who had re-course to thee. I therefore invoke thy powerful intercession, in the confident hope that thou wilt hear my prayers and obtain for me the special grace and favor I so earnestly implore (mention it), if it be for the greater glory of God and the welfare of my soul.

Help me, O great St. Benedict, to live and die as a faithful child of God, to be ever submissive to His holy will, and to attain the eternal happiness of heaven. Amen.

Chant Workshop at SVA

In the past 60 years Gregorian Chant research on the ancient manuscript notation and on the evolution of the Gregorian modal system has brought about major changes worldwide in its performance practice. These include the recovery of ancient modes, a more accurate notation used in the new printed editions of chant, and a greatly augmented knowledge base for a reading of the earliest manuscript sources. This intensive workshop, May 23-27, 2011, will be an introduction to these changes and developments. Through historical, theoretical and practical study the workshop will provide a foundation for a historically-informed reading of the Gregorian chant repertoire. It is intended to serve Church musicians who want to explore the use of this repertoire in their music ministry.

Register online

Ash Wednesday 2011

FROM: www.saintvincentarchabbey.org

If we prayed Psalm 51 every day throughout Lent, perhaps we would retrieve the joy of God's salvation. However, this may be just too much to ask; so perhaps we could simply pray for forty days, "Lord, give me back the joy of your salvation." This is indeed the mercy for which we long with desert-like hearts. It is already an experience of his great goodness that we have the sacrament of reconciliation readily available; it is a sign of his great goodness that we have yet another lent in which to linger over his compassion. Like a spring rain upon a parched earth so, too, does his mercy fall upon our dry and arid souls. It is times like lent when we are summoned to acknowledge our offenses and keep our sin before our eyes always. Indeed, our failure in relationship with Abba and with all people is very personal and causes heart pain. However, we need not fear because the LORD creates a clean heart for us and renews our spirits within. The LORD does not cast us far from his presence no matter how far we may wander. He takes not his Holy Spirit from us lest we choke or languish. The joy of salvation is the point of Joel's preaching. The LORD is stirred to compassion; we have no need to fear. Indeed, it is the joy of salvation that makes us ambassadors for Christ. The Lord Jesus assures us that the hidden beauty of our repentance will reveal the glory of God in the abundance of our joy.

Repentance is useless unless it is whole hearted. The prophet Joel makes this clear in today's first reading. Our fasting, weeping, mourning, rending, praying, giving up things, and even taking on new things is a complete waste of time and energy if it is not from the depths of the heart, if it is not whole hearted. There needs to be some event, some social gathering, some assembly to begin everything, but it cannot stop there. "Blow the trumpet in Zion…call an assembly…gather the people…notify the congregation!" Without all this excitement no one will even notice that Lent has begun. Notice, though, in Joel’s preaching that everyone is invited from infants at the breast to ministers of the LORD. This summons is for all people. No one can be excused--even bridegroom and bride must quit their chamber! The whole people, the entire congregation of Israel is called, invited, and urgently summoned. Then the very personal and completely private weeping begins with the priests on down through the ranks of the assembled. This public manifestation of heart felt repentance is only the beginning of conversion. Moved from the depths of the human heart we pray, "Spare, O LORD, your people, and make not your heritage a reproach, with the nations ruling over them!" Indeed no one can rule over us and we are free from sin and when we are liberated from self-deception, and other-dependence. Such is the freedom of the children of God. Those, who live and move and have their being in Jesus the Christ and in the Holy Spirit, are truly free.

If we are not reconciled to God, we are not brothers and sisters. If we are not reconciled to God, we are not ambassadors of Christ. If we are not reconciled to God, we do not appeal on behalf of Christ. This is the choice that lies before us each lent. Indeed, this is why we have lent year after year. For our sake God made Christ to be sin he who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ. This is not unlike the patristic insight that God made his Son like us to hide his divinity is our humanity so that when death swallowed him up, when Satan took the bait, God would enter into that place were he could never go without empting himself of glory. If we are reconciled to God in Christ we work together. If we are reconciled to God in Christ we have not received the grace of God in vain. If we are reconciled to God in Christ we live in an acceptable time; we have all the help we need. Behold this is our Lent, our acceptable time, our day of salvation.

What makes lent an acceptable time? What makes these forty days a season of salvation, mercy, grace? Three things make Lent, almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. Not that this is the only season for such activities, but during this season of preparation for a Holy Easter we strive to recover from the negligence of the rest of the year. However, what is it that makes these three pious practices more than merely Lenten activities? How do we prevent ourselves from performing righteous deeds so that other people may see just how holy we are? We do not blow trumpets. We do not stand on street corners. We do not neglect our appearance. Everything we do for Lent; we do in secret. This kind of hidden living is Lenten living. If we practice this for forty days, we just may come to find our true joy. If we practice living in a hidden world, we just might find ourselves at home in our innermost center. Lent gives us an extra push into the desert, into the wilderness, into the secret places where our true life is lived.

Chair of St. Peter

From: www.americancatholic.org

This feast commemorates Christ’s choosing Peter to sit in his place as the servant-authority of the whole Church (see June 29).

After the “lost weekend” of pain, doubt and self-torment, Peter hears the Good News. Angels at the tomb say to Magdalene, “The Lord has risen! Go, tell his disciples and Peter.” John relates that when he and Peter ran to the tomb, the younger outraced the older, then waited for him. Peter entered, saw the wrappings on the ground, the headpiece rolled up in a place by itself. John saw and believed. But he adds a reminder: “..[T]hey did not yet understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead” (John 20:9). They went home. There the slowly exploding, impossible idea became reality. Jesus appeared to them as they waited fearfully behind locked doors. “Peace be with you,” he said (John 20:21b), and they rejoiced.

The Pentecost event completed Peter’s experience of the risen Christ. “...[T]hey were all filled with the holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4a) and began to express themselves in foreign tongues and make bold proclamation as the Spirit prompted them.

Only then can Peter fulfill the task Jesus had given him: “... [O]nce you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). He at once becomes the spokesman for the Twelve about their experience of the Holy Spirit—before the civil authorities who wished to quash their preaching, before the council of Jerusalem, for the community in the problem of Ananias and Sapphira. He is the first to preach the Good News to the Gentiles. The healing power of Jesus in him is well attested: the raising of Tabitha from the dead, the cure of the crippled beggar. People carry the sick into the streets so that when Peter passed his shadow might fall on them.

Even a saint experiences difficulty in Christian living. When Peter stopped eating with Gentile converts because he did not want to wound the sensibilities of Jewish Christians, Paul says, “...I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong.... [T]hey were not on the right road in line with the truth of the gospel...” (Galatians 2:11b, 14a).

At the end of John’s Gospel, Jesus says to Peter, “Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go” (John 21:18). What Jesus said indicated the sort of death by which Peter was to glorify God. On Vatican Hill, in Rome, during the reign of Nero, Peter did glorify his Lord with a martyr’s death, probably in the company of many Christians.

Second-century Christians built a small memorial over his burial spot. In the fourth century, the Emperor Constantine built a basilica, which was replaced in the 16th century.

Monks run great Campus Ministry Program

This winter Saint Vincent College students have been collecting small stuffed animals to distribute to disadvantaged children in Brazil and Taiwan.

A total of 479 stuffed animals were collected. The students will ship the animals to the locations where they will engage in service work this spring and summer. The spring break service trip to Brazil is from February 25 to March 4. While in Brazil the students will work with the Missionary Sisters of Christ and the children in the Sisters’ schools: Casa de Crianca and Aprenzizado do Dom José Gasper. The schools were founded to keep children who live in the favelas, or slums, off the street and to improve their quality of life and hope for the future.

The service trip to Taiwan will be in July. While in Taiwan, the students will work at Cathwel Service, an orphanage for 120 students who are born with disabilities or serious illness; as well as for those who are abandoned or parentless because their families are not able or interested in caring for them. In addition to the orphanage, the students will also live and work in a remote mountain village where they extend this same love and compassion to not only children but also to the elderly.

Through these service trips, the Saint Vincent students give of their time and love to transcend language, age and cultural barriers.

Sts. Cyril and Methodius

FROM: www.saintvincentarchabbey.org

Because their father was an officer in a part of Greece inhabited by many Slavs, Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius became evangelists, teachers and promoters of the Slavic peoples and their grown in the faith. After inventing the Cyrillic alphabet the language and culture of these eastern European peoples was preserved; these brothers were able to teach the Slavs the faith and discipline of the universal church. Their sacrifice of praise, which became the Eastern Liturgy, was a source of inspiration and education in the ways of the Kingdom of God. The sanctity of these two Greek brothers, who fell in love with the Slavic peoples and suffered great misunderstanding and even rejection and exile because of their missionary zeal, is a brilliant witness to the courage and humility of living in the transforming union with Christ. These Apostles to the Slavs are saints not because they won some ecclesial battle in the church of their day, but it is their willingness to react to the political and cultural struggles of their day with faith that summons each of us to offer our own lives as a living sacrifice of praise from the rising of the sun to its setting. Liturgy, that is not one with all of life, is not pleasing to the LORD God Almighty. It is never enough for us to recite his statues or profess his covenant with our mouth; we must delight in his discipline and never speak against our siblings much less hate them because of their worship. In his union with us, the LORD God does not act according to our prejudice or ignore our offenses. He hears the cries of those whose blood we shed and demands of us repentance and change of life. Indeed, the growing desire for and actual unity of the Western and Eastern churches is a bright sign of the power of right worship, orthodoxy, to enable our unconditional love for and openness of heart to every son and daughter of Adam and Eve.

The union between Adam and Eve brought two sons into the world. Such a loving union produces brothers who eventually bring deadly disunity into the world. Cain was a farmer and Abel a shepherd. Both were inspired to bring an offering to the LORD from the fruits of their labor. Cain offered the LORD some of his produce. Abel brought before the LORD one of his best firstlings from his flock. Already there is a clear difference between the two sacrifices. Cain's sacrifice was adequate for the ritual, but Abel's was beyond the external requirements necessary for worship. This distinction was the cause of a rift between the first brothers. From Abel's heart came a living sacrifice of praise symbolized by his offering "the best" firstling he could find. Cain's heart was crestfallen and resentful. The LORD challenged the elder brother with this question, "Why are you so resentful and crestfallen?" He goes on to warn Cain that sin is a demon lurking at the door of his heart; because of his wounded pride this demon's urge is toward conquest and domination of Cain's heart. When we are weak, the demon takes full advantage of the situation, but we can be the masters of our own destiny. Cain does not heed the wisdom from on high; rather, he attacks and kills his younger brother. The LORD God does not ignore the blood of Abel that cries out from the earth that Cain used to farm. Rather, the LORD God makes Cain a restless wanderer on the earth. He is rootless and disconnected from the earth that once gave him life. His heartless sacrifice and his cruel fratricide condemn him to wander aimlessly encountering those who would take his life, but the LORD puts a mark on Cain so that he must not be killed like he killed Abel. God's love for Abel and his self-sacrificing worship is remembered in the sign put on the head of Cain. This wanderer gives silent witness to the love of God that triumphs over even the destructive hate between brothers. On this feast we celebrate a brotherly love that is the fruit of divine love, and we witness the love of Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius inviting the East and West to become one sacrifice of praise.

Jesus Christ is the light of the world and his life is full of signs. His preaching and healing ministry is sign enough for anyone who approaches him with even the most miniscule faith. The Pharisees had no faith in our Lord Jesus. They had fear, challenges, and opposition, but no faith. It seems that they wanted the Lord Jesus to perform a sign, to do a miracle, that no one could doubt. They demanded an irrefutable sign; they wanted the Lord to perform a sign from heaven that finally proved his identity to everyone, even them. This is not unfamiliar complaining; our ancestors in the wilderness complained that the Lord had taken them away from the delightful food in Egypt in order to let them die of hunger and thirst. All the Lord Jesus could do in the face of such a complaint is to sigh from the depth of his spirit. At first his anger is wordless, then he refuses to be tested like the Father was tested in the Exodus: "Amen, I say to you no sign will be given this generation." Then He left them to stew in their own juices. He got into the boat again; this time and went the other side of the lake. He came to summon all people to light and love; without faith this kind of relation ship is impossible. And for people without faith, such light and love is not possible.

Students Celebrate Feast of St. Blaise with Blaze

St. Blaise has nothing in his history about blazes but don’t tell that to generations of students at Saint Vincent College where the Feast of St. Blaise has been an opportunity for hundreds to enjoy a giant bonfire fueled with discarded Christmas trees – after getting their throats blessed by the Benedictine monk-priests of the Catholic, liberal arts College’s creative Campus Ministry.

“We have sponsored this unique event for decades in cooperation with our Student Government Association,” Fr. Vincent Zidek, O.S.B., director of campus ministry, explained. “This social and liturgical celebration is held in conjunction with the feast day of St. Blaise, a fourth century bishop of Sebaste, Armenia. Saint Blaise is said to have healed a boy who was choking. Since the 8th century, he has been venerated as the patron saint of those who suffer from diseases of the throat.”

The event is held on the Friday evening closest to the February 3 feast day.

Saint Vincent College’s St. Blaise Blaze starts with the traditional blessing of throats with two candles which are blessed and held against the throat for protection from afflictions of the throat and from other illnesses. The student-staffed Saint Vincent Fire Department builds the bonfire with discarded live Christmas trees contributed by faculty, staff and neighbors. The fire is located in an open field near the freshman residence hall, Saint Benedict Hall.

“In the lobby of the residence hall, we also have live music by student bands and fun foods such as hot dogs, hot chocolate, popcorn and snow cones,” Fr. Vincent said. “Despite frigid outdoor temperatures, hundreds of students enjoy this unusual celebration until well after midnight every year.”

Bishop Speaks to SVC students on Pro-Life

Our Bishop Lawrence Brandt, Diocese of Greensburg, spoke to our students on "The New Abortion" addressing the Church's teachings on In Vitro Fertilization. The students enjoyed Pizza afterward with a question and answer segment. A great time was had by all. Thank you Bishop Brandt!