The Parable of the Mustard Seed
– Matthew 13:31–32
Those hearing this parable know of the botanic construction of mustard, characterized by its minuscule seed that, once planted, gives birth to a lush bush, always green.
God might have created the mustard seed solely to serve as the object of this beautiful parable of our Savior. Extremely small in its beginning, astonishing in its development, this plant is a good example to illustrate the origin and strength of Catholic apostolate, and even of the Kingdom of Heaven. Who, present when Jesus, just before ascending to heaven, gave instructions to the small group of disciples, couldn’t imagine that, in the future, millions of Catholics would populate the world.
In the teaching of this parable, growth is an essential element. The Kingdom of God and apostolate are almost imperceptible in their beginning, but as time goes on their expansion is incalculable, above all by the disproportion between the scarcity of the means and the greatness of the effects.
When a baby is brought to the baptismal font and is touched by the waters of grace, God sanctifies him. Years later some of these tender and delicate infants will become giants in the Faith, everyone knows of a St. John Bosco, or a St. Teresa of the Child Jesus for example. Colossal trees, born from such a simple ceremony…
This parable motivates us to believe in the strength of the expansion and the penetration of the Church, it teaches us, at the same time, the true sense of the Kingdom of Heaven and the triumph of the good ones, who will be shining at the Final Judgment.
Procession in honour of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres. Brampton Ontario
Last Sunday, the Heralds of the Gospel participated in a procession in downtown Brampton by invitation of Fr. Andrej Chilmon, Pastor Our Lady of Fatima Parish in that same city.
This particular procession is a Portuguese tradition that comes to Toronto from the Azorean community (I think that is the Island of Sao Miguel where this devotion is most visible). The feast is called Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres and there is a beautiful bust of Our Lord after the scourging that leads the procession through the streets and back to the church. This is a very symbolic tradition because it reminds us that we follow Christ all the days of our lives, through the streets, in the workplace, at home and in all that we do. And as in the procession Christ always leads us back to the Church, His mystical body on earth.
Included in this post, there are some pictures from the procession.
Lumen Veritatis
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On August 23rd, there was another fund raising raffle to help out with Toronto branch, and it was a huge success! Enclosed are some pictures from the draw.
A Pilgrimage to The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Cactus, scorpions, tumbleweed, and heat. These are all things I expected to find in Texas. What I had not expected, and was pleasurably surprised by, was the faith of the people here. While the State of Texas is only 27% Catholic, there is a strong Catholic presence the further south you go.
In southern Texas, everyone is proud to be Catholic. Catholicism is a part of everybody’s life. Almost everybody is part of one ministry or another within the Church. Even young people are active on a daily basis. We were recently in Laredo, Texas and the parish in which we were lodged had several different ministries, all of which had a pretty full roster of participants. There were times when we would enter the Perpetual Adoration Chapel in the middle of the night and would find many people, of all ages, praying before the Blessed Sacrament. The Church is very much alive.
While in Laredo, we received permission from our Superior to travel on Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was truly amazing. We arrived in Mexico City and were met by a Mexican Herald of the Gospel and brought us straight to the Basilica in which the famous tilma is enshrined.
The Sunday we were there saw the second largest pilgrimage of the year. Over 50,000 people were present. The Basilica wasn’t large enough to hold them all so the Mass was celebrated outside in the plaza. There they were, people of all ages, from all walks of life, kneeling in the noonday sun. All there for the same purpose; to honour their mother, Mary.
Upon entering the Basilica, you have to maneuver through dense crowds because it is always full. The faith of the people who visit this Shrine is amazing. There are two Masses celebrated every hour on the hour and every half hour. Priests come from around the world to celebrate Mass at this blessed place.
After Mass, we approached the tilma with the image of Our Lady on it. Before traveling to Mexico, I had heard many things about this, however, when I came before it, and saw it with my own eyes, it was more than I ever imagined. Words cannot describe the aura emanating from this simple image. It feels as if Our Lady is truly present and is merely waiting for you to ask her for what you need. 20 million people come here from the world over to hear her consoling message. She wants to speak to us, if only we would listen.
I left Mexico with the strong desire to return soon. If you have already been to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, you surely understand what I mean. If you have not, I urge you to go someday. There you will feel the true peace that Our Lady gives. She will take away your fears, she will comfort you. As she said to St. Juan Diego, “Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear any sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who am your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve not be disturbed by anything.”
If ever anyone wants to visit the basilica try to visit the house of the Heralds in Mexico City, they will be glad to receive you!
Lumen Veritatis hosted By Fr. John Cla, E.P.
A couple of posts ago we mentioned a series of programs that will be aired around the world hosted by Fr. John Cla Dias.
The Herald’s bring the statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to Southern Italy
Fr. Joao Cla Dias on EWTN for a weekly program
Shrines in Soweto, South Africa
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Some pictures from the Shrine Apostolate in Soweto, South Africa. Soweto is about 40 minutes from Johannesburg and it is an area where there Heralds have been active in many different ways but especially with the Shrine apostolate and the Statue visitations.
Corpus Christi Procession
Last Sunday, the Heralds of the Gospel animated 5 masses at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Baytown, Texas. The Statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was at all the Masses and there was a little meditation given by one of the brothers at each Mass.
After the 12:00 Mass, there was a beautiful Eucharistic procession that was an opportunity of a lot of graces for the community.
After the last mass there was an even bigger and more beautiful procession throughout the downtown core of Houston. This procession was the official one for the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Many Companions of the Heralds of the Gospel participated in it as the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston proclaimed Jesus as Our Lord and Our God.
Celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima in Houston, Texas
On the 13th of May the Heralds of the Gospel arranged a beautiful ceremony at the new Cathedral in Houston, Texas. With more than 2,000 people, emotion was felt by all during the ceremony.
There was a Mass, celebrated by Fr. Marcos Faes EP and concelebrated by 5 other priests. The Mass was bilingual, English and Spanish…
The evening consisted of a solemn Mass, a crowning of the statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the blessing and launching of 20 more Shrines for the Houston area.
In Eagle Lake, Texas
By invitation of the Parish of the Nativity in Eagle Lake two brothers from the Heralds of the Gospel participated in a retreat for the Confirmation class of 2008. View Larger Map The event consisted of a talk that touched on the importance of the sacrament and the responsibilities that confirmation brings with it. After there was lunch and a time for sharing before beginning a film on the life of St. John Bosco.
One week later, the Heralds of the Gospel brought the Statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for a special May crowning and a procession around the town.
Join the Heralds of the Gospel every First Saturday of the month at Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral in Houston, Texas!
Every First Saturday of the month.
WHO?
The Heralds of the Gospel along with their Companions, friends and anyone else who wishes to participate in this beautiful devotion that Our Blessed Mother requested at Fatima.
WHERE?
The former Co-Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Galveston- Houston (click here for the map)
Come join us!!
The Devotion consists of a Solemn Coronation of the Statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary followed by the Sacrament of Reconciliation and ends with a beautiful Mass.
In Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation
Throughout the year the Heralds of the Gospel lent their service to local parishes, youth groups and the Catholic community in general by hosting talks and preparation classes for the Sacraments.
In the pictures below, Br. Gustavo Kralj gives a talk to a group of students preparing for their Confirmation. The talk was about the beauty of sanctity and the horrors of sin.
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Lumen Veritatis Academy
Enclosed are some pictures of the new house that was just rented last week. In the pictures, Fr. Marcos Faes EP celebrated Mass with a solemn benediction on the first day of studies of the academy in the new house. The celebration started with a coronation of the statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.Recently some friends of the Heralds of the Gospel founded Lumen Veritatis Academy in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. The goal of this school is to form young boys and girls as good Catholics and servants of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Enclosed are some pictures of the new house that was just rented last week. In the pictures, Fr. Marcos Faes EP celebrated Mass with a solemn benediction on the first day of studies of the academy in the new house. The celebration started with a coronation of the statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Video of the dedication of the first church of the Heralds of the Gospel
For the official version, please vist the Heralds TV home page http://www.tv.arautos.org.br/
Dedication of Our Lady of the Rosary Church
DEDICATION OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY CHURCH, SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL
150 min
Mass and dedication of Our Lady of the Rosary Church, the Main Church for the Heralds of the Gospel. Presided by His Eminence Cardinal Franc Rodé Prefect of the Congration for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
Sunday, 24/2/2008 12:00 PM (New York, Toronto)
Monday, 25/2/2008 12:00 AM (New York, Toronto)
For information, visit www.ewtn.com
This Month’s Magazine
Click here to download the most rent issue of the Heralds of the Gospel Magazine in pdf format…
A visit to Holy Ghost Catholic Church
Quoted from http://hgbalham.blogspot.com/2008_01_20_archive.html#5376488203765451043
On Sunday 20th January, Br Aldo Leone of the Heralds of the Gospel spoke to Forum Christi. The Heralds of the Gospel are a new community (they are not a religious order since they do not take vows) who gained official approval from Pope John Paul II in 2001. Their mother house is in Brazil, and they now have houses in almost 30 countries. For more information see their website http://www.heralds.ca/A key phrase that Br Aldo used in his talk was “Whatever God gave to the synagogue (in the Old Testament) he gave to the Catholic Church in higher degree”. He specifically talked about prophets – we are familiar with the old testament prophets of Moses, Isaiah, etc. but generally don’t think about there being prophets after the time of Jesus. However Br Aldo took us through a history of the Church, and showed that wherever there were problems in the world, God sent a new prophet through the founders of the religious orders: St Benedict founded the Benedictines, St Dominic founded the Fransiscans to combat the Albigensens, St Ignatius Loyola founded the Jesuits as a reaction to Protestantism, and in more recent times St Josemaria Escriva founded Opus Dei to show lay people that they too have a call to holiness. The Heralds of the Gospel are involved in evangelisation, particularly using the beauty of music and art as evangelisation tools. In London they have a statue of Our Lady of Fatima which they take into people’s houses and this gives them a good opening to begin to talk about the Gospel.Br Aldo described the habit of the Heralds of the Gospel in great detail:
boots – a reminder of discipline and the orders of chivalry
brown scapular – reminder of the Carmelites
St James’ cross – the apostle James was always enthusiastic and the cross reminds them that they should be enthusiastic in their work
the colours white, gold and red – these represent the purity of Mary, faith, and the blood of sacrifice
white tunic – from the work monks do
chain (instead of a belt) – they are slaves to Our Lady
Rosary beads
hood – when up this represents the isolation of prayer as we all need to spend time alone talking to Jesus
badge containing the three pillars of their spirituality – keys of St Peter (representing the Pope), Our Lady, and the Blessed Sacrament.
Retreat time…
Lent Is 40-Day Retreat, Says Pope
Reflects on Meaning of Ashes and Almsgiving
VATICAN CITY, FEB. 6, 2008- Lent is a spiritual retreat lasting 40 days, which offers the faithful the means to attain the true joy that comes from friendship with God, Benedict XVI said on Ash Wednesday.
The Pope said this today at the general audience in Paul VI Hall, in which he reflected on the meaning of Lent, the imposition of ashes and almsgiving.
“With the ancient ritual of the imposition of the ashes, the Church introduces Lent as a spiritual retreat that lasts 40 days,” he said.
The Holy Father explained that in the early Church “Lent was considered a time in which one became Christian, but this did not happen in a single moment. It is a long journey of conversion and renewal.
“Those who had already been baptized joined with them in this journey remembering the sacrament they had received and prepared to join again with Christ in the joyous celebration of Easter.
“In this way, Easter had and still retains today the feeling and character of a baptism, in the sense that it keeps alive the understanding that being a Christian is never a journey’s end that is behind us, but a path that constantly demands renewed effort.”
Conversion
Benedict XVI said the imposition of the ashes recalls “the truth of human existence: We are limited creatures, sinners constantly in need of penitence and conversion.”
“How important it is in our day and age to listen and welcome such a call!” the Pope said. “When proclaiming his independence from God, the contemporary man becomes his own slave and often finds himself inconsolably alone.
“The invitation to convert is therefore a spur to return to the arms of God, caring and merciful Father, to trust him, to entrust oneself to him like adopted children, regenerated by his love.”
The Holy Father continued: “Teaching with wisdom the Church reiterates that conversion is above all a grace, a gift that opens the heart to God’s infinite love. Through his grace he anticipates our desire for conversion and supports our efforts toward full adherence to his saving will.
“Conversion therefore means to give oneself to the teachings of Jesus and to obediently follow in his footprints.”
The Pontiff added: “In truth, the sole delight that fills a man’s heart is the one that comes from God: We truly need this infinite joy.
“Neither the daily worries, nor the difficulty of life can cancel out the joy that comes from our friendship with God.”
Joy
“At first Jesus’ invitation to take up our cross and follow him can seem hard and against our wishes — even mortifying because of our desire for personal success,” said Benedict XVI. “But if we look closer we discover that it is not like that: The saints are proof that in the Cross of Christ, in the love that is given renouncing self-possession, we find a profound serenity that is the foundation of generous devotion to our brothers, especially the poor and the needy. This gives us joy.”
He continued: “The Lenten walk to conversion, which we undertake today with the whole Church, becomes the propitious occasion […] to yield ourselves once again to the hands of God and to practice what Jesus continuously repeats to us: ‘If someone wants to follow me he must renounce himself, take up his cross and follow me,’ and thus take the path of love and true happiness.”
Referring to his message for Lent, Benedict XVI spoke about the importance of almsgiving, “which represents a specific way to assist those in need and, at the same time, an exercise in self-denial to free us from attachment to worldly goods.”
“We are unfortunately aware of how deeply the desire for material riches pervades modern society,” the Pope said. “As disciples of Jesus Christ we are taught not to idolize earthly goods, but to use them to live and to help those who are in need.
“In teaching us to be charitable, the Church teaches us to address the needs of our neighbor, imitating Christ as noted by St. Paul. He became poor to enrich us with his poverty.”
Ash Wednesday, 2008
I think this is a good way to prepare ourselves for this lenten season….
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI FOR LENT 2008
“Christ made Himself poor for you” (2 Cor 8,9)
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
1. Each year, Lent offers us a providential opportunity to deepen the meaning and value of our Christian lives, and it stimulates us to rediscover the mercy of God so that we, in turn, become more merciful toward our brothers and sisters. In the Lenten period, the Church makes it her duty to propose some specific tasks that accompany the faithful concretely in this process of interior renewal: these are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. For this year’s Lenten Message, I wish to spend some time reflecting on the practice of almsgiving, which represents a specific way to assist those in need and, at the same time, an exercise in self-denial to free us from attachment to worldly goods. The force of attraction to material riches and just how categorical our decision must be not to make of them an idol, Jesus confirms in a resolute way: “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Lk 16,13). Almsgiving helps us to overcome this constant temptation, teaching us to respond to our neighbor’s needs and to share with others whatever we possess through divine goodness. This is the aim of the special collections in favor of the poor, which are promoted during Lent in many parts of the world. In this way, inward cleansing is accompanied by a gesture of ecclesial communion, mirroring what already took place in the early Church. In his Letters, Saint Paul speaks of this in regard to the collection for the Jerusalem community (cf. 2 Cor 8-9; Rm 15, 25-27).
2. According to the teaching of the Gospel, we are not owners but rather administrators of the goods we possess: these, then, are not to be considered as our exclusive possession, but means through which the Lord calls each one of us to act as a steward of His providence for our neighbor. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, material goods bear a social value, according to the principle of their universal destination (cf. n. 2404)
In the Gospel, Jesus explicitly admonishes the one who possesses and uses earthly riches only for self. In the face of the multitudes, who, lacking everything, suffer hunger, the words of Saint John acquire the tone of a ringing rebuke: “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help?” (1 Jn 3,17). In those countries whose population is majority Christian, the call to share is even more urgent, since their responsibility toward the many who suffer poverty and abandonment is even greater. To come to their aid is a duty of justice even prior to being an act of charity.
3. The Gospel highlights a typical feature of Christian almsgiving: it must be hidden: “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,” Jesus asserts, “so that your alms may be done in secret” (Mt 6,3-4). Just a short while before, He said not to boast of one’s own good works so as not to risk being deprived of the heavenly reward (cf. Mt 6,1-2). The disciple is to be concerned with God’s greater glory. Jesus warns: “In this way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Mt 5,16). Everything, then, must be done for God’s glory and not our own. This understanding, dear brothers and sisters, must accompany every gesture of help to our neighbor, avoiding that it becomes a means to make ourselves the center of attention. If, in accomplishing a good deed, we do not have as our goal God’s glory and the real well being of our brothers and sisters, looking rather for a return of personal interest or simply of applause, we place ourselves outside of the Gospel vision. In today’s world of images, attentive vigilance is required, since this temptation is great. Almsgiving, according to the Gospel, is not mere philanthropy: rather it is a concrete expression of charity, a theological virtue that demands interior conversion to love of God and neighbor, in imitation of Jesus Christ, who, dying on the cross, gave His entire self for us. How could we not thank God for the many people who silently, far from the gaze of the media world, fulfill, with this spirit, generous actions in support of one’s neighbor in difficulty? There is little use in giving one’s personal goods to others if it leads to a heart puffed up in vainglory: for this reason, the one, who knows that God “sees in secret” and in secret will reward, does not seek human recognition for works of mercy.
4. In inviting us to consider almsgiving with a more profound gaze that transcends the purely material dimension, Scripture teaches us that there is more joy in giving than in receiving (cf. Acts 20,35). When we do things out of love, we express the truth of our being; indeed, we have been created not for ourselves but for God and our brothers and sisters (cf. 2 Cor 5,15). Every time when, for love of God, we share our goods with our neighbor in need, we discover that the fullness of life comes from love and all is returned to us as a blessing in the form of peace, inner satisfaction and joy. Our Father in heaven rewards our almsgiving with His joy. What is more: Saint Peter includes among the spiritual fruits of almsgiving the forgiveness of sins: “Charity,” he writes, “covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pt 4,8). As the Lenten liturgy frequently repeats, God offers to us sinners the possibility of being forgiven. The fact of sharing with the poor what we possess disposes us to receive such a gift. In this moment, my thought turns to those who realize the weight of the evil they have committed and, precisely for this reason, feel far from God, fearful and almost incapable of turning to Him. By drawing close to others through almsgiving, we draw close to God; it can become an instrument for authentic conversion and reconciliation with Him and our brothers.
5. Almsgiving teaches us the generosity of love. Saint Joseph Benedict Cottolengo forthrightly recommends: “Never keep an account of the coins you give, since this is what I always say: if, in giving alms, the left hand is not to know what the right hand is doing, then the right hand, too, should not know what it does itself” (Detti e pensieri, Edilibri, n. 201). In this regard, all the more significant is the Gospel story of the widow who, out of her poverty, cast into the Temple treasury “all she had to live on” (Mk 12,44). Her tiny and insignificant coin becomes an eloquent symbol: this widow gives to God not out of her abundance, not so much what she has, but what she is. Her entire self.
We find this moving passage inserted in the description of the days that immediately precede Jesus’ passion and death, who, as Saint Paul writes, made Himself poor to enrich us out of His poverty (cf. 2 Cor 8,9); He gave His entire self for us. Lent, also through the practice of almsgiving, inspires us to follow His example. In His school, we can learn to make of our lives a total gift; imitating Him, we are able to make ourselves available, not so much in giving a part of what we possess, but our very selves. Cannot the entire Gospel be summarized perhaps in the one commandment of love? The Lenten practice of almsgiving thus becomes a means to deepen our Christian vocation. In gratuitously offering himself, the Christian bears witness that it is love and not material richness that determines the laws of his existence. Love, then, gives almsgiving its value; it inspires various forms of giving, according to the possibilities and conditions of each person.
6. Dear brothers and sisters, Lent invites us to “train ourselves” spiritually, also through the practice of almsgiving, in order to grow in charity and recognize in the poor Christ Himself. In the Acts of the Apostles, we read that the Apostle Peter said to the cripple who was begging alms at the Temple gate: “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk” (Acts 3,6). In giving alms, we offer something material, a sign of the greater gift that we can impart to others through the announcement and witness of Christ, in whose name is found true life. Let this time, then, be marked by a personal and community effort of attachment to Christ in order that we may be witnesses of His love. May Mary, Mother and faithful Servant of the Lord, help believers to enter the “spiritual battle” of Lent, armed with prayer, fasting and the practice of almsgiving, so as to arrive at the celebration of the Easter Feasts, renewed in spirit. With these wishes, I willingly impart to all my Apostolic Blessing.
From the Vatican, 30 October 2007
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI
From Sao Paulo, Brazil
Salve Maria!
Great to see that the blog is up and running again. In the next couple of days I’ll post some pictures from the new church of the Heralds at the minor seminary…
David
A new beginning
Welcome to the new Heralds’blog