I am happy I am a priest, and a missionary at that. I invite all the young men, and men of all ages who feel the call to answer. Click and enjoy the following videos: Fishers of Men and Fishers of Men II

PINK

GAUDE ! GAUDE ! O ISRAEL PRO TE NASCETUR ISRAEL !

GAUDE ! GAUDE ! O ISRAEL PRO TE NASCETUR ISRAEL !

I was unable to post any entry for the past two days. It has been a "zoo" down here, and, last night after dinner, I was just too drained to write anything. In the midst of madness, God "appears" and brings joy !

On this JOYFUL SUNDAY where with the great Apostle to the Nations we say, "Rejoice, I say again rejoice", we stop and pause to remember that the One who is called, "Emmanuel" whose birthday we will be celebrating shortly IS in our midst. He is in His Holy Word which we listen at Mass. He is in the Blessed Sacrament. He is there when two or three of us gather in His Name ! This brings joy to the heart.

And so, the Church, in its liturgy has us use the "unusual" colour pink for this Sunday. An ancient symbol of the joy that comes from the anticipation of the coming Christ. Our Church was "bedecked" with pink today, including this pink poinsettia. God is really a great Artist. I have posted above this post a pink "crown of thorns" plant that adorns our front courtyard. I always marvel at tropical beauty. After almost two decades in the Caribbean, I am not so sure that I "dream of a White Christmas" ! I still love chestnuts roasting in the fire... but I can do without the cold !

Yesterday one of our security guards - our biggest German shepherd - named Tommy died [he was born on the feast of St. Thomas...hence his name]. He had cancer. All of this took place in a month. First we noticed he was limping. His mother had had acute arthritis in the hips - common in these types of dogs - and so we thought that this was starting to happen to him. Then he started loosing weight. Yet, he never howled or lamented. Then about three days ago he just collapsed and could not get up. Friday I called the vet as we wanted to "put him down". But the vet insisted that he was closing and could not wait. He told me to bring the dog Saturday morning at 8:30 ! But we awoke Saturday morning, feast of our Lady of Guadelupe to find that Tommy had died on the doorsteps of our Priory.

He was an incredible watch dog. Faithful, playful and protective. A majestic beast who could be so submissive. I loved him very much. Well, as the movie goes, "All Dogs go to heaven" (you have to be a certain age to remember that !). In the meantime, little Max, born on the feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe is getting bigger and bigger. He will turn out to be a real monster of a dog. He has learned to growl and bark at strangers. Once he is full grown, no one will dare go through the gate !

Finally I am posting this picture of a Mango Tree which I took a few minutes ago (below this post). It is beside our school hall. When we had the terrible Ivan Hurricane about 5 years ago, this tree was "hacked up". Now, it is a huge as ever. It reminded me that even pain in Nature brings forth fruitfulness. "Unless the grain of wheat dies, says Jesus, it cannot bear fruit". We can find consolation on this GAUDETE SUNDAY that even our pains there are seeds of growth that bring joy. We must just be confident.

St. Paul of the Cross had this favourite image of a baby Jesus confidently sleeping away on the cross (by the way if you want to buy any little baby Jesus on the cross, just click here for more information and scroll down until you see to the right "Monastery Gift Shop").The image tells it all... Baby Jesus sleeping soundly, in confidence on a cross. It is through this Tree of Life that Life was given to us. So, when we are in moments of "sufferation" as our people say down in the Islands, let us remember confidence and the fact that Life will triumph. It always does.

So...REJOICE. GAUDETE !

Of thorns and flowers

Up at 5:00 a.m. at the crack of dawn, I left the Capital to drive back home with my confreres. We got home sometime after 7:00 in time for breakfast at 7:30 and then class at 8:00.

At 10:10 I conducted what is called "Devotions" in our Island Nation. It is a period dedicated to prayer, song and some form of spiritual message. I spoke about the 3 theological virtues to the Children in the Assembly hall. They seemed to have been listening.

In front of our priory there is a humongous "Crown of Thorns". It is not the regular species you probably know. It has started blooming. The pictures in the post (and the other one below) show the beauty God can produce from...thorns !

The past few days were rather crucifying with endless meetings, financial woes and the like. It seemed to me that the only thing I could see in life were thorns. I even shed a few tears over some issues. Well... I'm a crybaby so don't let yourselves be lured by pity ! In our patois lingo we say, "a whicheva part unnoh tun, makka jook yuh" (wherever you turn, the thorns prick you ! - i.e. life is full of problems).

Well, as I ran past the bush to class, I stopped in my tracks. The beauty of the flowers really struck me [and I am not the "contemplative type of guy... I am more rambo-action church guy !] and I felt that God was telling me, "Don't worry, out of all these thorns, will come flowers. Just look at this one".

And, as we read in Genesis, "God saw that it was good"

And... I am sure Paul of the Cross would agree !

I'm off to another meeting. Blessings of Christ's Passion !

Of thorns and flowers

On the Way to the Capital

I have a rather busy day today. After these classes, I will be off to the Chancery and then to the Capital for a meeting of the Franciscan Ministries Directors' Board Meeting. This group is lead by the Franciscan Sisters' of Allegheny. The Franciscan Ministries takes care of the poor in the inner city of Kingston as well as other projects to help God's poor. I was asked to serve in my capacity as canonist "legal church advisor".

Today is the memorial of St. Juan Diego, the Saint who saw Our Lady of Guadalupe. We remember all the indigenous peoples of the world who in many cases still suffer injustice. May the Peace of God rest on them.

They too are part of the Crucified Ones of today ! We remember them !

May the Passion of Jesus be always in our Hearts

This Post is for My Mother

On this feast of the Immaculate Conception, I dedicate this post to my mother here on Earth as well as to my Heavenly Mother whose Immaculate Conception we celebrate today...

Mom, just click: MAMA and enjoy, As you listen, you can read the words...

Mama thank you for who I am
Thank you for all the things I'm not
Forgive me for the words unsaid
For the times
I forgot

Mama remember all my life
You showed me love,You've sacrificed
Think of those young and early days
How I've changed
along the way, along the way


And I know you believed
And I know you had dreams
And I'm sorry it took all this time to see
That I am where I am because of your truth
And I miss you, yeah I miss you

Mama forgive the times you cried
Forgive me for not making right
All of the storms I may have caused
that I've been wrong
Dry your eyes, dry your eyes

Mi mancherai !

Mama I hope this makes you smile
I hope you're happy with my life
At peace with every choice I made
How I've changed
Along the way, along the way
'cause I know you believed in all of my dreams
And I owe it all to you, Mama

Foundation Day

Tomorrow our Society celebrates its Foundation Day. A few years
before the Foudation of our Institute, His Excellency Bishop Paul M.
Boyle had mentioned to me that he was thinking of founding a
missionary institute. He asked me what I thought of it after
conversing with Vatican Authorities (Propaganda Fide) I told him I
was thrilled. I had NO inkling that a few years later Bishop Boyle
would found our Institute and the I would be elected Superior. God's
ways are strange indeed. And so, our Society was founded on the 8th of
December. That year it was the FIRST Saturday of the month. A double-
wink of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

I can't blog much as our server is down and I am using my phone. And
that is expensive.

So y'all have a Blessed evening and a grace-filled day tomorrow.

As always in the Passion of Christ.

G'night