ANCHOR THETHETHETHE

“… to hold fast to the hope that lies before us. This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm,…” (Heb 6:18,19)

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1. Only for today,1. Only for today,1. Only for today,1. Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively without wishing to solve

the problems of my life all at once.

2. Only for today,2. Only for today,2. Only for today,2. Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behavior; I will not criticize anyone; I

will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself.

3. Only for today,3. Only for today,3. Only for today,3. Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only

in the other world but also in this one.

4. Only for today,4. Only for today,4. Only for today,4. Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to

be adapted to my own wishes.

5. Only for today,5. Only for today,5. Only for today,5. Only for today, I will devote ten minutes of my time to some good reading, remember-ing that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary

to the life of the soul.

6. Only for today,6. Only for today,6. Only for today,6. Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it.

7. Only for today,7. Only for today,7. Only for today,7. Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and if my feelings are

hurt, I will make sure that no one notices.

8. Only for today,8. Only for today,8. Only for today,8. Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will

make it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.

9. Only for today,9. Only for today,9. Only for today,9. Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good providence of

God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.

10. Only for today,10. Only for today,10. Only for today,10. Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed, for twelve hours I can certainly do what

might cause me consternation were I to believe I had to do it all my life.

To conclude:To conclude:To conclude:To conclude: here is an all-embracing resolution:

"I want to be kind, today and always, to everyone..."

Ten Tips for a Better LifeTen Tips for a Better LifeTen Tips for a Better LifeTen Tips for a Better Life FROM POPE JOHN XXIII

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Pope John Paul II once said: “Human suffering is a mystery. Sooner or later, all

families experience it in the midst of life. It is either physical, psychological or spiritual. It

always restrains our activities, it often limits our autonomy, and it sometimes seems to dimin-

ish our dignity.

When it lasts too long and intensifies, some would think of ending life, which can ap-

pear to be a mere burden. Suicide, euthanasia and assisted suicide can then become attrac-

tive exit doors. Yet Christians still maintain that life, daily life, with its joys and its sorrows is a

gift from God, given with love and kindness.

Towards the end of his life and already weakened by illness, Paul Emile Cardinal

Leger, former Archbishop of Montreal, exclaimed while talking about nursing homes for the

elderly: “So much unused suffering !”“So much unused suffering !”“So much unused suffering !”“So much unused suffering !”

Useless? No, UNUSED!

Can suffering be useful? The discovery that it can be allows men and women to face suf-

fering with courage and perseverance, knowing that they are achieving something for the

Kingdom of God. When we unite our lives and our sufferings to those of Christ through

love, they become a prayer offering. We thus give ourselves the opportunity to bring those

we love closer to God; in turn they may welcome his love and give their lives for others, walk-

ing in the footsteps of Christ, who is the Way to eternal life.

God’s grace and the strength He gives us are always proportional to the challenges that

arise in our lives. All we need is welcome His help. Sometimes Christ also presents himself

to us as a parent, a child, a friend, or a caregiver who consoles, encourages and comforts.

No, suffering is not useless. And it does not diminish human dignity. Human dig-

nity depends neither on the quality of our lives nor on our autonomy. It finds its source in

God, who created us in his image and likeness and who calls each one of us to live and to die

in the manner of Christ—to bring the world back to Him.

What for ?

L I V I N G, S U F F E R I N G , D Y I N G:

“I am the way and the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6).(Jn 14:6).(Jn 14:6).(Jn 14:6).

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On Saturday, November 20, 2010 Archbishop Paolo Romeo, Archbishop of Palermo, Italy was appointed Cardinal. Bishop Paul is a Silent Worker of the Cross of family life and Chaplain of the Apostolate of the Suffering (CVS) in Rome, Italy. The Bishop has been active within the Association in its most im-

portant moments.

Fr. Luciano Ruga, General Moderator of the Silent Workers of the Cross has extended the congratulations and best wishes

on behalf of our Associations.

ARCHBISHOP PAOLO ROMEO APPOINTED CARDINAL

What shall I do with today?What shall I do with today?What shall I do with today?What shall I do with today? This is the day the Lord has made;

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

EEEEvery sunrise brings a choice. We can choose to live in the light of God’s love and

blessing, or we can choose to crawl back under the covers and go it alone. We can chose to see each person as difficult and cruel or we can chose to see each person as some-

one that the Lord loves and has redeemed. The choice is significant.

TTTThis is the day the Lord has made. It was created for you to enjoy now. This is the day we have to live in and rejoice in. When the sun goes down on this day, will you have spent it in joy? Will you be the reason someone else rejoiced today? You are the light of

the world and this is your day to shine.

A taste of the light...A taste of the light...A taste of the light...A taste of the light... Lord, as I walk in your light, help me, with your love and compassion, to bless each one that crosses my path. Help me to keep choosing to see the good in each person I en-

counter. Amen

We may not be of unity in our religious beliefs but we can be a unity of Christians.

We may not meet in the same pew but we can meet on our knees.

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Catherine Laboure, a novice in the community of the Daughters of Charity woke up one night after hearing the voice of a child calling her to follow her to the chapel. There, she heard the Virgin Mary say to her, "God wishes to charge you with a mission. You will be contradicted, but do not fear; you will have the grace to do what is necessary. Tell your spiritual director all that passes within you. Times are evil in

France and in the world."

Within a few months, on November 27, 1830, Catherine reported that the Blessed Mother returned during evening meditations. She displayed herself in-side an oval frame, standing upon a globe, wearing many rings of different colors, most of which shone rays of light over the globe. Around the margin of the

frame appeared the words:

"O MARY, CONCEIVED WITHOUT SIN, PRAY

FOR US WHO HAVE RECOURSE TO THEE.”

As Catherine watched, the frame seemed to rotate, showing a circle of twelve stars, a large letter M sur-mounted by a cross, and the stylized Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary under-

neath.

Asked why some of her rings did not shed Asked why some of her rings did not shed Asked why some of her rings did not shed Asked why some of her rings did not shed light, Mary reportedly replied :"Those are the light, Mary reportedly replied :"Those are the light, Mary reportedly replied :"Those are the light, Mary reportedly replied :"Those are the

graces for which people forget to ask." graces for which people forget to ask." graces for which people forget to ask." graces for which people forget to ask."

CCCCatherine then heard Mary ask her to take these images to her father confessor, telling him that they should be put on medallions. "All who wear them will

receive great graces."

The dogma of the Immaculate Conception had not yet been officially promulgated, but the medal with its "conceived without sin" slogan was influential in popular approval of the idea, so with approval of the Church, the first Medals were made in 1832 and were distributed in Paris. Almost immediately the blessings that Mary had promised began to shower down on those who wore her Medal. The devotion spread like wildfire. Marvels of grace and health, peace and pros-perity, following in its wake. Before long, people were calling it the “Miraculous” Medal. And in 1836, a Canonical inquiry undertaken at Paris declared the

apparitions to be genuine.

&

ST. CATHERINE LABOURE

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Redemptive Suffering

Jesus never concealed the need for suffering. He simply said it was necessary. In fact He said very clearly, “If anyone would come after me, let them take up their cross daily”. He also said, The way that leads to the kingdom of heaven is “hard and narrow”. He then

compared it to the “wide and easy way” that led to destruction.

Christ achieved the redemption of the world completely, through His suffering, death and resurrection, but He did not bring it to a close. He raised human suffering to the level of redemption, inviting each one of us to become a sharer. His redemption, accomplished through love, remains always open to the love expressed in our human suffering, for He opened Himself to all who would later suffer as members of His Mystical Body, the

Church.

Suffering is a vocation. Christ did not explain in the abstract reasons for suffering, but says, Follow me!” Come! Take part through your suffering in this work of saving the world,

a salvation achieved through my suffering!

Gradually, as an individual takes up their cross, spiritually uniting to the Cross of Christ, the salvific meaning of suffering is revealed. They do not discover this meaning at their own human level, but at the level of the suffering Christ. It is then a person discovers in

his suffering interior peace and even spiritual joy. Br. Bob Letasz sodc

Since Mary has formed Jesus Christ, the Head of the elect, she also formed

the members of that head. A mother does not form the head without the members, nor the members

without the head.

Whoever, therefore, wishes to be a member of Jesus Christ, full of grace and

truth, must be formed in Mary by means of the graces of Jesus Christ,

which she posses and communicates to her children, the true members of

Jesus Christ.

Just as a child draws all its nourishment from the mother, who gives it to the child as needed, in like manner do the elect draw all their spiritual nourish-

ment and strength from Mary. ( from the teachings of St. Louis De Montfort )

If God is the center of your life no words are necessary. Your mere presence will touch hearts.

St. Vincent de Paul

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When all was fulfilled according to the Law concerning Jesus in the Jerusalem Temple and the wise

men were on the road home, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Arise,

and take the young Child and His Mother, and flee into Egypt. Stay there until I bring you word,

for Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him”. Joseph immediately arose, saddled a donkey,

quickly gathered the necessary things, took the young Child and His Mother, and fled.

In the meantime, Herod impatiently awaited the return of the wise men, to bring him word of the

baby’s location. He trusted for a while to his own cunning, until his anxiety caused him to enquire.

When he was informed of the stay of the wise men in Bethlehem, their departure and escape from

Palestine by a different route and of the happenings in the Temple, he realized he had been tricked.

Herod was furious at having been outwitted. A search was made for the child, but because they

had departed in the secret of the night for Egypt, no one knew of their location. Not being able to

find them, Herod became inflamed and sought a means of preventing, what he considered a threat

to his kingship and gave the disastrous order to kill all male children in the town of Bethlehem and

its surrounding district, who were two years old or less, calculating the date from the information

he had obtained from the wise men. He hoped that among the children would be killed the Christ

child. These innocent children were the first to spill their blood for Christ

After the death of Herod, when Jesus was seven years old, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph

in Egypt and said, "Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and go back into the land of

Israel; for those who wanted to kill the child are dead". Joseph did as he was told, taking the child

and his mother with him, back into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus reigned in

Judea in the place of his father Herod, and was just as cruel, He turned aside and went into Galilee

and settled into his native Nazareth. In this way the words spoken by the prophets were fulfilled.

The child Jesus grew and became strong in spirit and filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was

upon Him. From the earliest years of His childhood, Jesus Christ exhibited unusual intelligence and

remarkable sanctity in all His actions.

A request for the donation of walkers, crutches and canes met with a great

success and are currently being prepared for shipment to our Silent Work-

ers of the Cross who work with the poor in Columbia South America.

A weekly class on Apologetics is being conducted at Mary Farm Friday

evenings at 7pm by Tim O’Keefe of The Fullness of Truth Apostolate.

Apologetics is the study of our Catholic faith and how to defend its teach-

ings. For additional information you may contact Tim at: The Fullness of

Truth, PO Box 2301, Westfield, MA 01086 - telephone: (413)568-4429.

In the Diocese of Springfield Massachusetts the

Apostolate of the Suffering (CVS) has been a mem-

ber of the International Association for many years,

during which time the local Spanish speaking com-

munity has experienced a rapid population growth

and now makes up a large segment of the population

in the Springfield Diocese. A decision was made by

the CVS International Confederation Council to send

two Spanish speaking Silent Workers of the Cross to

the Apostolate Center at Mary Farm, to introduce our

Association to the Spanish speaking people.

Prior to the arrival of Sr. Paola Manganiello and Br.

Anibal Blanco, from Columbia, South America con-

tacts were made with our Bishop and with the Latino

Ministry, who invited us to give a presentation to

their staff, which included representatives from many

of the seventeen parishes currently active with La-

tino/Hispanic activities.

On the day of the presentation, many of the par-

ishes were present with either their priest, deacon

or some other representative. Contacts obtained

from this meeting and in visiting the parishes with

a Latino presence, provided leads to those parish-

ioners with physical and or mental challenges.

At each of the churches our Silent Workers were

warmly received and invited to speak at the end of

the Mass, resulting in many introductions. Invita-

tions were made for private visits to homes and to

visit those who were home bound. The personal

visits resulted in additional contacts with others

and small group meetings were arranged, resulting,

with the permission of a Pastor, the formation of a

ten member parish group at Our Lady of Guada-

lupe Church in Holyoke. This is the first of what

we hope will be the formation of more Latino/

Hispanic parish groups in the Springfield Diocese.

Our Lady of Guadalupe GroupOur Lady of Guadalupe GroupOur Lady of Guadalupe GroupOur Lady of Guadalupe Group

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