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A sea captain who in his retirement plied a boat taking day-trippers to Shetland Islands tells this story. On one particular trip with the boat packed with young people, he devoutly said a prayer as was his custom, before sailing out. But the boatload of youngsters derisively laughed at him because the day was fine, the sea was calm, and there was no evident sign of impending danger! However they weren't long at sea when a storm suddenly broke out and the boat began to pitch and roll violently. The terrified passengers hurried to the Captain to request him to join them in prayer, but he calmly replied, "I say my prayers when it is calm. When it gets rough I attend to my ship."
This charming little story poses for us the question, "Why do people pray?" and also more importantly perhaps, "How does a risen Christian pray?" Since prayer is familiar to every Christian and all of us do pray at regular intervals, it would be good to reflect on some of the issues concerning prayer. Most people pray only when they are in need as did the youngsters on this trip. This stems from an image of God as being primarily a Benevolent Helper, a Fire-fighter or a Problem Solver whose interventions come into play only when his creatures find themselves in dire straits.
Others see God as a 'spare tire' that is available in every vehicle - no one thinks of it until we encounter a flat. Once the damaged wheel has been repaired and replaced, the old spare is conveniently forgotten until the next crisis strikes!
A little deeper reflection reveals that this approach to God does him grave dishonor and is in fact an insult to who He really is! People who harbor this vision of God actually place themselves at the centre of Life; everything else has to revolve around them, including God, who is basically considered as being at their service, meant only to rescue them from crises! So many of the psalms that the Israelites pray frequently, are of this kind! They are actually a SOS sent out in times of acute distress. Now without a doubt, God does come to the aid of his loving children at all times and not only when they are in need.
Maybe we could sum up the powerful lesson of this simple skipper's response to the
youngsters he ferried across: "If we cannot seek God in the quiet moments of our lives we are not likely to find him when trouble strikes. We are more likely to panic. But if we have learnt to seek him and trust him in quiet moments, then most certainly we
will find him when the going gets rough." Prayer is not a panacea for all evils, prayer is a daily vital necessity if we wish to live our Christian lives more effectively.
Let us pray for one another.
God bless you.
In Mary Help of Christians
I remain,
Fr. Jim McKenna SDB
Director
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Walking with the Church
Q. I am told that Jesus wants us to love ourselves but I know there is nothing in me that is lovable. I sin a lot. I am a failure. I have no talents. How can anyone love me? A. What does the Bible tell us about ourselves? "God saw everything He had made and found it very good."(Gen.1.31) God does not make rubbish. Furthermore we
know that Jesus, the son of God, loves us - He died on the cross for us. I am, you are, we all are very special to Him and He loves us all. We are children of God, all made in His image, and consequently all loved by God. Each of us is God's unique creation, all of us with the unique dignity of being God's children. You must start off with this truth and pray for a deeper understanding and a greater faith in God's love for you. Pray for the grace to see yourself as Christ sees you - a child of God, created by Him, recreated in the waters of Baptism, and ask for the grace to love yourself as Christ loves you.
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 Destined for Eternity
by Maria Ko Ha Fong, FMA
In the Jewish Hassidic tradition there is this little story. The angel Gabriel was sent from God to present those who were ready at that moment of time, the gift of Eternity. But the angel returned without being able to fulfil his mission. He found no one who had the time.
It may sound absurd but looking at the hectic lives many of us lead it does not sound too far from reality. We are frantically trying to keep pace with what is happening at the moment, we are simply suffocated by information and after that we are so bogged down with so many little things that demand our attention that we have no time to receive the gift of eternity. Yet, what sense does time have if it is disconnected from eternity? In Zen Buddhism there is this enlightening conversation: The disciple asks: "Master, how does one stop a drop of water from trickling away?" "It must return to the ocean," the teacher replied. Time, outside the orbit of eternity, dries up. One who cannot accept eternity is empty. He is condemned to the boredom of which Quohelet speaks in very vivid terms: "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?"(Eccl 1.2 to 8) Mary, however, has time to embrace eternity. She knows how to see time in context of history, indeed in Salvation history. Her whole life was imbued with eternity. Her whole existence was a perpetual Passover, a continuous passage to the things that do not pass away. Mary, the heavenly stairway, who chose the Lord The Byzantine liturgy, in its beautiful hymn Akathistos to the Mother of God, salutes Mary as "the heavenly ladder that chose eternity." Mary is the meeting place between heaven and earth, between eternity and time, between God and man. She is the conjunction between human finitude and God's infinity. She is absolute emptiness who is able to welcome the fullness of God's riches and free love which she gratefully and sincerely accepts. She is a fragment that lets wholeness in. When eternity descends to earth it does not just stop at Mary. She is also "the stairway." Oh how she continues to sing of the fact that she is "the bridge that leads humankind to heaven." With her "fiat" (her 'yes') to the angel she introduces humanity to a new acceptance of her God in the flesh and into history. At Ain Karim, Mary brings joy to John the Baptist who is still in his mother's womb. When she presents Jesus in the temple she brings joy to two elderly souls in the twilight of their lives. Life begins and life ends: everything assumes a sense of eternity in Jesus and in his mother who carries him to others.
Now and at the hour of our death Mary is particularly present at the moment of our passage from this life to eternal bliss. In the second part of the 'Hail Mary' we pray: "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death." It is a simple request, but a sincere one. We know that at the hour of death we are sinners and we need help. We know that that hour is crucial, because it is the final moment when we totally rely on our Creator. The hour of death marks our transition from our temporary existence to eternity. It makes complete in a total and irreversible way our story of freedom and now prepares us to appear before the Lord. In the hour of death we lose our finitude - we are de-finite. It is a difficult passage that terrifies us because we fear the unknown. We are sure it will come, but we do not know how or when or where. We need Mary's help. She is the expert in that hour. She herself faced that it with serenity. She had prepared herself for it throughout her life, living each moment as if it were an eternity. Mary was present at the hour of Jesus' death before he said: "it is finished" and bequeathed all humanity to his mother as her children. It was the will of her son that she should take care of us throughout our lives and at the hour of our death. Just as she took care of Jesus she will take care of all the children that Jesus has assigned to her. We pray for this everyday. Three times during the Angelus we pray and fifty times during the recitation of the Rosary she is reminded to come to our aid at that unknown but decisive hour. Mary will certainly not miss her appointment |
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 Laughter the best medicine
Efficient Breakfast The efficiency expert concluded his lecture with a note of caution. "You don't want to try these techniques at home." "Why not?" asked someone from the back of the audience. "I watched my wife's routine at breakfast for years," the expert explained. "She made lots of trips to the refrigerator, stove, table and cabinets, often carrying just a single item at a time. 'Honey,' I suggested, 'Why don't you try carrying several things at once?'" The voice from the back asked, "Did it save time?" The expert replied, "Actually, yes. It used to take her 20 minutes to get breakfast ready. Now I do it in seven." There's Teacher The children had all been photographed for school pictures, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. "Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer; she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, he's a doctor.'" A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's teacher; she's dead." Keep Your Seat A radical feminist is getting on a bus when, just in front of her, a man gets up from his seat. She thinks to herself, "Here's another man trying to keep up the customs of a patriarchal society by offering a poor, defenseless woman his seat", and she pushes him back onto the seat. A few minutes later, the man tries to get up again. She is insulted again and refuses to let him up. Finally, the man says, "Look, lady, you've got to let me get up. I'm two miles past my stop already."
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 The Devotion of the Three Hail Marys
The devotion of the THREE HAIL MARYS is a very simple yet most efficacious devotion.
Everyday, recite Three Hail Marys, adding the invocation: "O Mary, My Mother, keep me from mortal sin." Many people recite the Three Hail Marys as part of their morning and night prayers. To practice this devotion in time of danger, stress, special need or temptation, is a sure means to obtain Our Lady's help.
I have received numerous favors through the faithful recitation of the 3 Hail Marys. So many times my family and I were in trouble but the 3 Hail Marys have helped us at all times to get out of trouble. I apologize for delaying my acknowledgement of these favors. I have made it a habit now to recite the 3 Hail Marys not only in times of trouble but everyday whenever I remember mother Mary. Evelyn Albuquerque, Goshen, NY
I would like to testify to the fact that I was working in Oman and went through a very tough time during the past month. I lost my job. I was penniless and was being harassed. I prayed the three Hail Marys and watched a miracle take place. I received some money and now I am safely back in the States and with Our Lady's help I will soon be employed. I am grateful to Our Lady. Justin Faure, NOLA
I had a lot of complications during the nine months of my pregnancy. I prayed continuously to Our Lady and St. Dominic Savio and through their intercession I delivered a healthy baby girl. That was 23 years ago. I am so sorry for the delay. Mrs. Anita Drogues, NJ |
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In Closing
Dear devotees of Our Lady and Don Bosco,
If you have received a miracle through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother, we would like to hear from you. Email us at MaryShrine@aol.com.
Bookstore hours: Monday - Saturday - 10 am to 5 pm, Sundays: 12 - 4 pm
Confessions on weekdays begin at 11.30 am.
Weekday Masses: 12 noon.
Sunday Masses: 11 am and 12.30 pm
Other activities: Day Retreats, Weekend retreats, Don Bosco Summer Camp, Friday night Lenten Pasta Dinners, 50/50 raffle, 350 club, Rosary Madonna Statue.
Rent Lomagno Hall, Rent our Banquet Hall.
MEMORIES
Remember a Loved One: Engrave plaques on Wall of Memories, adopt a Tree, Engrave blocks on Walk of Honor, All Souls, All year Candle lighting, Holiday (Christmas and Easter), Flowers, Schedule a Mass, Bell Chimes.
MASS INTENTIONS
To offer a mass intention, please write to
Fr. Jim McKenna SDB
174 Filors Lane,
Stony Point, NY 10980
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Marian Shrine
174 Filors Lane, Stony Point, NY 10980
(845) 947-2200
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