Provincial’s letter, May 2015

By Father Paul Borowski, C.Ss.R. |

May 1, 2015 |

Journeys ended, journeys begun: to go where we have never been, to be beyond our past, moments of lifting up, transcending death, rising in transparent light to the fullness of God’s presence. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Dear Brothers:

This is the refrain from a Western Priory Song that my class sung at our first profession back in Suffield, Connecticut, in 1982. As the month of May begins, I seem to have this song stuck in my head on a daily basis.

As a Province we have recently mourned the deaths of Jerry Murphy and Bob Skinner. Their earthly lives have ended, and our faith tells us they now share in the light of God’s presence. In the next two months we will celebrate the ordination of Calvin Auguiste (Caribbean Region); Jacky Merilan, Pierre Desruisseaux, Yvon Tremont, and six other confreres from Haiti (Region of Haiti); and Anthony Michalik (Baltimore Province). The journey as Redemptorist missionaries is just beginning for them to be lifted up.

Also as a Province we are entering into the final weeks of provincial visitation. The refrain cited above will once again be played out in the lives of a number of confreres. As missionaries, many of us will once again be asked to end one journey of our lives and begin another. Some of us may be asked to go where we have never been, to leave behind our past, in order to share the light of God with others. In the end, through these beginnings and endings, we pray that we can each echo the song of resurrection: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

This month in a special way we remember the one who was at the crib when Our Lord’s earthly journey began and at the cross when His earthly journey ended. During the month of May, Mary, the Mother of God, once again comes to the forefront. Mother’s Day, May processions and crownings . . . events that have us recall the journey of the first and best disciple of the Risen Lord.

This year our remembrance of Mary during this month should be heightened as we begin the OLPH anniversary year. Indeed, for us as a Province this anniversary year begins in earnest with the icon retreat at West End starting May 4 (if you have not already done so, please call to reserve your room).

As we try to deepen our own personal devotion to Mary this month, it may also be a good time for our apostolic commitments to re-energize devotions to Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Many of our parishes already have the weekly novena prayers, but as we begin this anniversary year, we have a chance to look at the way we conduct our novenas.

Liguori Publications has just launched a new booklet with novena prayers. Do we preach during the weekly novena or simply use it as a time to get through the novena prayers?

The month of May, the start of the anniversary year, offers us a wonderful chance to spread the Good News about Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

Let us pray to Our Lady to be with those preparing for ordination over the next few months. Let us ask the Mother of God to watch over all our confreres dealing with illnesses, especially at Stella Maris, Brooklyn, Boston, Ephrata, and the Villa in New Smyrna Beach.

In the Spirit of the Redeemer,
Paul Borowski, C.Ss.R.

 

“We turn to you, Mother of the Church. Through your fiat, you have opened the door which makes Christ present in the world, in history, and in individual lives. In humble silence and in total availability, you welcomed the call of the Most High. May there be many men and women in our day who respond to your Son’s invitation, “Follow me!” Grant them courage to leave family, work, and earthly hope to follow Christ along the road that He walked. Mary, Queen of Apostles, pray for us and for an increase of priestly and religious vocations. Amen.”

—Based on a prayer by St. John Paul II