The Spirit of the Cenacle is the official Newsletter of the Missionary Cenacle
Apostolate. It is published three times during the year in conjunction with the
liturgical seasons of Advent, Lent/Easter, and Ordinary Time. The deadline for
the next issue is February 25, 2009. Send materials to:
Linda Landin PMB #419 Agilent 1507 Ponce de Leon Ave. San Juan, P.R. 00909 E-mail:linda_landin@non.agilent.com
“First inside of our hearts, we have a
Bethlehem, a Bethlehem in which Jesus was mystically born….(Father Judge) December 2008My dear brothers and sisters of the MCA: May the Grace and Peace of the Holy Spirit be with us always! I have spent a year of great and strong emotions and I ask myself: In what form can I initiate this Advent letter? “First inside of our hearts, we have a Bethlehem, a Bethlehem in which Jesus was mystically born; our affection must guide us to know Bethlehem so we can love and service more and more. This knowledge is to come to us particularly through meditation. We must watch very closely and with great length to discover The Holy Name of Jesus. The Jesus of which the prophets spoke: Jesus conceived by the Holy Spirit, Jesus in womb of His Immaculate and blessed Mother, Mary. Second: We must speak of this to the small ones, the little children. These children are the vanguard of the endless number of thousands of children who will appreciate the Faith that we have communicated and been a good model of Faith for them. That the predominate note should come through the “Cenacle Missionary Family” (MCF) in the Advent season, and be pleasing to God in the calamities like in the joys, in difficult times as well as in the hour of consolation. Let charity reign and generate a great love to God. Continue, continue on to a higher level; Convince yourself because Our Lord is closer to those that invokes Him and serves Him with fidelity”. (PS: 144:18) Father Judge, CM. The season of Advent not only invites us to the preparation of a Bethlehem for Jesus but it initiates the beginning of the opening of our year of grace as “Cenacle Missionary Family” (MCF). It is a time to look back and think about the presence of this charisma born in and for the church in the year 1909. It is the time to watch the present and think about our mission and apostolic presence in which we contribute in the day to day like carriers of this charisma for the good of the kingdom of God, in and for the church. This is the time to dream of the future and to ask ourselves: what am I doing with the gifts that I received from God? It is time to pray and take to heart the grace of a new ardent apostolic missionary who can respond to the necessity of our time in this world. It is the time to give thanks for all those laity that said YES! and embraced the cross with a spirit of fidelity in which disciples and missionaries gave us the role model of an apostolic missionary; looking out for the poor and abandoned in spirit. These first lay Catholics were challenged by Fr. Judge, impelled by the Holy Spirit, and overcame the fear and the obstacles of their times. Let us give thanks to all the members that from the Outer Cenacle gave life and generated the Inner Cenacle. Let us thank the members of the Inner Cenacle, sisters, priests and brothers who encouraged, formed, and challenged members for the Outer Cenacle for so many years. Let us give thanks for what we are in the present—a Missionary Cenacle Family that strives today to make the love of God present in the world. Let us go to the stable and visit with Jesus with the restlessness and desire to receive again the impulse of the Holy Spirit to continue in being faithful to the call, with the hope that we can live more fully in the Presence of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy spirit. “Let us realize that in all human beings you find a living image of the Holy Trinity that we must respect. Be joyful if you are in this position and thank God for not yielding to a manifestation of loss of heart, but give God a greater happiness with hope. It is the spirit of God, the Holy spirit, third person of the Holy Trinity that guided Jesus… The same Holy Spirit that guided Jesus is also guiding us. If we listen to Jesus we will be changed and taken to higher levels, far away from trivial things.” Fr. Judge, CM. We need to begin the New Year 2009 like a year of Grace with thoughts of great joy and gratitude. In love and Service, Alma Robles, From The International Spiritual GuideIt was just last year when Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, in his homily at Christmas Midnight Mass, said, “Heaven does not belong to the geography of earth, but to the geography of the heart.” How opportune to reflect once again, on those words! It is from the perspective of the geography of the heart that we better understand this holy season. Christmas is about focusing our lives on how the heavens became wedded to earth, by the incredible gift of the Incarnation. It seems that we need a yearly reminder, as Advent comes around, pushing us literally, to embrace the mystery. How can anyone of us not be mindful of the many inspiring exhortations from Fr. Judge regarding Christmas and the imagery of Bethlehem? We earthlings need a repeated reminder that precisely because God became man in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we all now have the divine power to transform our human condition. Our Missionary Cenacle vocation is all about empowering us to do just that. The cenacle virtues and practices, the openness to the Holy Spirit, to the charm of the Cenacle Family, yes, the very breathing of the charism…those are the tools given us. You and I are committed to live the inexplicable vocation of holiness by immersion in “the providence of everyday life.” Nothing fancy, nothing extraordinary. Just a simple fascination with “Emmanuel,” God-with-us, as we continue believing in the power within! A blessed and holy Christmas to all of you, ever grateful for your continued generosity and commitment to the Cenacle ideals! I offer you my love and prayers. Fr. Domingo Rodríguez, S.T. General Custodian Visits Holy Spirit Region On November 1, 2008, Alma Robles arrived in the Holy Spirit Region for the last of her six visits to the MCA regions. Her visit began with a reception hosted by the Los Angeles and San Bernardino area leaders. This was the starting point for her five day trip to visit Cenacles in the region. The following day she was honored at another reception in the San Bernardino/Riverside area.
On day three, Alma arrived in Seattle, Washington, where she was greeted and shown around the city by Robert Fontana. Alma reports that she liked Seattle in spite of the cold and rainy weather. That evening she attended a reception given by the Yakama, Tacoma, and Seattle Cenacles. The members shared their history and goals for the future as they pledged to become more involved with the Holy Spirit Region. For the past eleven years the northwest Cenacles have had four retreats each year for families. They are assisted in adult formation by the Holy Spirit Region to a limited degree, but get great support from other branches of the Missionary Cenacle Family. Their delegate for the upcoming centennial assembly and celebration, Kathy Johns, is looking forward to providing leadership and sharing her goals and vision for the future of the Missionary Cenacle Family. Alma was impressed by the numbers of people whose lives have been touched in profound ways by the common apostolic works of MCA members. Day four was in sunny and warm Tucson, Arizona. Sister Pat met Alma at the airport and took her to the parish house to get some well deserved rest. In the afternoon Alma visited Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha parish. The Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Cenacle is involved in parish ministry honoring marriage as a sacrament of the Church. They participated in organizing a convention for over 1,200 Native Americans held in the Tucson Convention Center. They also teach many of the children in CCD and RCIA classes and have been putting on summer missions for the teens and youth of the Tucson area for the past ten years. An S.T. serves as their Spiritual Guide, and two years ago two MSBTs were assigned to help in the area. The mission has been collaborating with the MCV office and has had many volunteers at various times over the past several years. This area seems to understand how to collaborate as family while maintaining their identity as MCA. They have now challenged themselves to begin forming angel and young adult Cenacles with the help of the Sisters. What a way for Alma to finish with a joint MCF meeting at the Parish House, on the night history was being rewritten with the election of Barrack Obama as President of the United States. On day five, her final stop, Alma visited Our Lady of Victory Parish in East Los Angeles, California. Here a reception was hosted by fourteen Spanish-speaking and one or two English-speaking Cenacles. Alma shared her vision and that of the General Council with the energetic group who questioned and challenged the MCA leadership on their vision for the future. The reality of the situation in the Los Angeles County area is that the MCA will have to focus more on forming angel and young adult Cenacles if they do not want Fr. Judge’s vision to end with them. They have a great spirit and will have to find ways to improve collaboration with the other branches in the area. But all was not business, as Alma was showered with well wishes, songs and good food. Alma indicated that she was impressed not only by the numbers of members but the spiritual energy all seemed to have.
--Mark McGuthrie, MCA The Seed of a New Life
“The Seed of a New Life” was the opening theme of the “Celebration of our 100 Years as Missionary Cenacle Family” in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Let us give thanks to the MCF Centennial Committee (MCF100) and all the people who collaborated in the celebration of our 100 years “Glorifying the Triune God.” The celebration was wonderful and inspiring. The presentation of Father Dennis Berry, ST, was excellent, and it gave the drive to walk the extra mile as missionaries with an ardent love of God. “Charity is our great virtue because it is the great virtue of Jesus. The love of God means the love of our neighbor. There is no better evidence, no truer measurement of a great love of God, than a great love of our neighbor. That fraternal love, be in the Missionary Cenacle should be our constant prayer.” – Father Judge. “Meditations,” P. 199. “A century of love, glorifying the Triune God”—in truth, we are the seed of a new life as Father Dennis noted in his presentation. Thank you, Fr. Dennis, for presenting us the seven roots that will guide us to embrace the seed of a new life. The North Area will be celebrating the closing of our 100 years with all our love and service. We, as family, continue our true north, following our charisma that “every catholic is an apostle” in the providence of our daily life. We are all Family: MCA, MSBT, ST and BTMI, together as family living the Trinity Spirit with an ardent charisma of love and service. Father Judge once wrote, confirmed by Sister J. Miriam Blackwell, MSBT, in “Ecclesial People”: “Study the signs of the times for the manifestation and action of the Holy Spirit, in the Church. Each age in the Church has its own problems and God is always preparing men and women of Faith and of Value, to respond to them in a convenient way to the age and to the epic of the times.” "The Spirit of the MCF: Apostles First!" -- Linda Landin, MCA MCA/ACM Retreat Day/Dia de Retiro On October 25, 2008, 35 members of the MCA, others interested in MCA, Br. John, and a volunteer from the New York/New Jersey area gathered for a day of reflection at Xavier Center at St. Elizabeth College, Convent Station, NJ. Alma Robles, General Custodian of the MCA, and Fr. Dennis Berry, ST, served as presenters Alma’s presentation was in Spanish with English translation by Father Dennis. She said that she was inspired by Fr. Dennis' visit to PR, where he talked about the Incarnation as a mystery, something you can't really understand. The word incarnation means “in the flesh” literally. You can taste, touch, feel it; it is an experience of the love of God—a visible manifestation of how God is real to us. Alma and Fr. Dennis used two icons for our reflection and contemplation. The first Icon was the Annunciation from the 12th century by an artist known as Uza, who was inspired by the reading from Luke. The iconographer presents the angel and Mary in front of the altar, behind which is a royal door, symbolizing God. Through this door you enter the sanctuary where God is. The red carpet Mary stands on symbolizes the Holy Spirit, or the shadow of the Holy Spirit over her. Mary holds in her hand a ball of string; one of the strands goes from her hand to her womb, which is pictured not at her abdomen but at her heart; pictured in her womb is Jesus, the man. We think of the Incarnation as being only about Mary, but the Incarnation is for all of us. Fr. Judge, in one of his many conferences on the Incarnation, spoke about the desire to make of our hearts a true Bethlehem where we enter into a process of listening to God and examining what is and is not of God. During the reflection period, we concentrated on listening to God in silence as we asked ourselves, “what do I have to do to make my heart become more of Bethlehem?” In the penance service which followed, Fr. Dennis invited us to identify our burdens in one or two words and then to place our hands and, symbolically, our burdens in the empty crib that had been placed next to the tabernacle. During the afternoon, we reflected on the second icon, Vladimir's Virgin Mother of Tenderness. Alma pointed out that being faithful to the grace God gives us is very difficult. The icon is another way of understanding how we can be faithful. As part of the exercise, we read Ephesians 4: 1-16. We usually think God is great and we are small, but, in this icon, Jesus is small and Mary, who represents humanity, is large. Jesus is stuck to Mary, flesh to flesh—the way our God is stuck to us. Jesus holds on to Mary with one hand at her breast, clutched in the fabric, and the other behind her neck. If she let go, the baby would not fall down. That is the way God is stuck to us; God ‘s hand on the neck gives us strength, and the other hand holds on. Even if we try to let go, God will hang on to us, skin to skin, heart to heart, listening to us all the time. The way in which Mary holds on to Jesus is the way we must maintain our relationship with Jesus—close enough to feel Him and close enough to make sure He won't fall away. The image is circular. When we receive the Eucharist, we are in a relationship with Jesus, and we share with one another, which brings us back to the Eucharist to refresh ourselves and renew. We broke into small groups and reflected on one grace we had received during the day. We ended the day with a celebration of the Eucharist. We are grateful to Mary Clinton for organizing this retreat day and for Alma and Fr. Dennis for their presentations. We left energized for the work of being faithful to the grace God has given us in such abundance. We hope to see everyone at Trinita for the Missionary Cenacle Family celebration of Christ the King on Nov. 29, the Saturday of the Thanksgiving Day weekend. ---Margaret A. Flanagan, MCA MCA: One Apostle’s Story
Dear Josie, I awoke quite early today. I have always been a “morning" person. I am at my best then. I thought you might like the story of how I first learned of the MCA. I always had a yearning to learn more and more about my faith. When I was about 53, I learned that one of my dear friends in my neighborhood belonged to a group of women who met once a month and shared the love of their faith. About that same time, I heard of a group that had formed in our Parish and visited people in pairs. I can't think of the name now. It was founded by an Irish woman. My dearest friend, also a close neighbor, and I decided to give it a try. I soon learned that it wasn't what I sought, although my friend stayed on. I began to inquire about the first group I had heard about. In the meantime, my brother-in-law worked with a woman whose sister was a nun who belonged to an order called Trinitarians. I learned later they were actually the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity (MSBT). He told me that the community was looking for a volunteer to help them in the secretarial field. His friend’s sister, Sister Edward Mary, needed someone desperately. At that period in my life, I had an aunt living with me who was in a wheel chair—this, in addition to my husband and two grown children. My other son was in the seminary. I still had that urge to grow in my faith, so I offered to do some typing at home. Even so, I had to take two buses back and forth to get the material. I did this for awhile, but found it wasn't working. I was working part time for Atlantic Refining Company and receiving a good salary. The Saturday bus rides became “overload.” Then I learned that the Sisters wanted to hire someone to help them out. My brother-in-law asked me if I would think about it. I was told that I would receive a small salary which would be much less than what the oil company was paying me. By this time, I was becoming very much in love with the MSBTs, and so I said I would consider it. It just grew in my heart that the Lord wanted me to help them. When I told the personnel director my story, he offered me a raise if I would stay. He called me a missionary—the first time I had heard that term as reflecting my life. The first day I was to begin my new job, it snowed heavily. I didn't care; off I went taking my two buses. Meantime, the Community began building its new motherhouse. My first office was the size of a big box and was in the grounds of the old Tekawitha house. I was working for the Vocation Office. The files were really in bad shape. The office had two desks that actually touched each other. But I loved it. I had prayed long and hard over that change in jobs, and now I felt the joy in my new life. It was like taking on a fight to win for the Lord. I began to learn the story of Father Judge and his relationship with the laity. I read all I could find about him. His early recognition that the laity would play a very important part in the life of the church became apparent to me. I really felt the calling directly from him. I decided to become a member of the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate, which was meeting once a month in Center City, Philadelphia. As it turned out, that was the group of women that my dear friend belonged to. What goes around comes around. OK Josie, I have begun writing as you asked me. I will write more of my experiences later. Love ya, In
the Trinity, Newsletter—A Change in EditorshipIn 1991, Jim and I, along with other members of Christ the Servant Cenacle in Baton Rouge, LA, published the first issue of the Spirit of the Cenacle, the official newsletter of the MCA. Since that time, except for four years during the second tenure of Marvine Waite, when the newsletter was issued by the Council office, Jim and I have had the primary responsibility of editing and distributing the newsletter. After much prayer and reflection, we have decided that it is time to pass the torch on to someone else. Although the newsletter is near and dear to our hearts, health problems and other responsibilities limit our ability to be effective in this ministry. We feel that we are especially handicapped by our inability to communicate in Spanish, the language which has become so central to the ministry of the MCA. When we began the newsletter, we typed it on a manual typewriter and distributed the copies by what we now refer to as “snail mail.” Although we have managed to incorporate new technologies as they evolved into the publication and distribution of the newsletter, even that has become a challenge. This past September we requested that Council appoint a new editor for the newsletter. At its fall meeting, the MCA Council appointed Linda Landin of Puerto Rico to assume the responsibility of the newsletter, beginning with the Lent/Easter edition in 2009. Linda, who is bilingual, will bring a new perspective to the newsletter. Her proximity to the General Custodian and other members of the Missionary Cenacle Family in Puerto Rico are certainly a plus. We have pledged to help her in any way that we can. As we publish this, our last issue as editors of the newsletter, we wish to thank all of you for the love and support you have given us through the years. We are grateful for the opportunity to have served in this ministry and hope that in some small measure we have made a contribution to the growth and development of the MCA. Following is a brief history of the newsletter that was published in the December 2002 issue. We believe that communication among our Cenacles and the entire Missionary Cenacle Family is essential for our survival. We urge you to continue to support Linda in this ministry. Smittie Bolner, The Cenacle Newsletter: A Brief History (Reprinted from Spirit of the Cenacle, Volume 11, Issue 3, December, 2002 ) This year [2002] marks the eleventh anniversary of the Spirit of the Cenacle newsletter in its present form. Volume 1, No. 1, was published in August 1991. It has been published every year since that time except for one year (1994). The concept of a newsletter as an outreach ministry of the MCA actually predates 1991. There were earlier newsletters, and we know that Father Judge was a strong advocate of communication among the members of the Missionary Cenacle Family. The current version of the newsletter had its origins as a regional newsletter written and distributed by Sister Josepha of Holy Trinity, AL, when she served as MCA Spiritual Guide for Trinity Region. The publication was later continued primarily through the efforts of Joe Kibbe of Ocala, FL. In October, 1990, Christ the Servant Cenacle in Baton Rouge, LA, assumed responsibility for the newsletter and gave it the title, The Spirit of the South. The newsletter was published bi-monthly. Jim Bolner served as the first editor. In 1991 Marvine Waite, Custodian General, asked that the newsletter be expanded to include the entire MCA. Charles and Trish Mann with the assistance of other members of Christ the Servant Cenacle took over the publication when Jim moved to France for a year in 1991-1992. With the expanded coverage, the title was changed to The Spirit of the Cenacle. In 1993 the newsletter changed from a bi-monthly to a quarterly. In 1994 Christ the Servant Cenacle requested that the Council find someone or another Cenacle to assume responsibility for the newsletter. However, efforts to find another editor/publisher were unsuccessful and the newsletter was not published that year. In 1995 Marvine Waite, concerned with the lack of communication among Cenacles, re-established the newsletter. Debbie McDermott, Assistant General Custodian, of Loraine, OH, assumed the editorship under a new title, The New Spirit of the Cenacle. In 1997, when Claribel Santana was hired as a part-time secretary for the MCA office in Philadelphia, one of her duties was to edit and distribute the newsletter. She was also responsible for translating the newsletter into Spanish. With that change, the publication schedule was also changed to three times a year. When Jim Bolner became Assistant General Custodian in 1999, he and Smittie Bolner volunteered to edit, publish, and distribute the newsletter in English and Spanish. Josie Morales serves as translator for the Spanish version. The title once again was changed to Spirit of the Cenacle. In addition to a paper copy, the newsletter has been published online since July, 1999; http://mcenacle.org/mca/newspirit.htm In 1990 Marchita Mauck, MCA, then Regional Custodian for Trinity Region, wrote in the first issue of Spirit of the South: “The idea [of the newsletter] is to continue the original purpose of enabling Cenacles to know what others are doing and facilitating knowing each other better as we share our apostolic mission. In addition, we would like to share a forum for reflection on topics of interest to the MCA, suggestions for new books, and perhaps, musings about the spiritual journey in light of our MCA commitment …” The newsletter is about you, the MCA, and for you. We welcome your suggestions and encourage any contributions that you believe would be of value to our mission as MCA. Smittie and Jim Bolner Dedication In Gratitude to Jim and Smittie Bolner, MCA The MCA Family wishes to dedicate this short segment to Jim and Smittie Bolner, MCA, in appreciation for their 17 years of service and love as editors for “The Spirit of the Cenacle" newsletter. Jim and Smittie have been role models of leadership and fidelity for the MCA Family. The best of wishes to you both, and know that our prayers and love will always be with you. A lifetime of blessings to you both and remember, as family, we are bonded in the Trinity Spirit. The MCA Council and MCF Council on behalf of all its members are grateful for your kindness, faithful work and ardent love throughout the years. In Love and Service, Alma Robles,
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