Susan Susi
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Fr. David Cramer (Vicar Minister) and Susan Susi (Regional Minister) welcome you to the Northeast region web page.

From left: Novice Annette Kraft, Fr. Dave Cramer, Novice Michele Sisak,
AnneMarie and Carmen Zullo.

October 17, 2007

  I heard one retreat master say that when we are on retreat everything is "Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit", but when we get back home it's "as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end!" We recently returned home from Little Portion and the national gathering for the BSCD. We were certainly on the mountain top during that week and I suppose many of us feel some heaviness as we re-enter the reality of daily life at home. We might feel a little like Naaman. It took a little extra effort to go to the waters and wash, but after the miracle of his cleansing he wanted to go back to Elisha, maybe even to remain there with him and the only God Who can cleanse the leprous. We had to put out the extra effort to prepare for the trip to Little Portion, but after our experience of the Lord we wanted to remain in that presence. Yet the Lord sends us home, just like Elisha sent Naaman. So what can we do? We can do what Naaman did. He couldn't stay in the Holy Land, so he took the Holy Land home with him! "Please let me have two mule-loads of earth, for I will no longer offer sacrifice to any other god except the Lord."  
  The Spirit of the Lord Who was with us at Little Portion is with us still and wants to renew our lives. He desires to make it possible for us to climb the ladder of the twelve steps of humility. He wants to show us the way of holiness He taught to St. Benedict and St. Scholastica and to deliver us from all the snares of the evil one. All we have to do is make sure that we didn't leave the Lord behind when we returned home.
  The healing of the lepers in the gospel also show us the way to remain at the feet of the Lord, even when He sends us out into the world to serve Him. We give thanks. We continually return to the feet of the Lord to give thanks for the cleansing of our souls and spirits, our minds and bodies. We give thanks for the good we receive and also for the trials. Remember, it was the terrible disease of leprosy that made it possible for Naaman to learn that there is a True God. It was the same trial that brought the Samaritan to faith in Jesus. If we bring our sufferings, pains and trials to the Lord, we will also come to a deeper understanding of the Lord's love for us and that He is actually allowing us to share His cross.
  The second letter to Timothy gives us the example of St. Paul in chains and in prison. St. Paul compares his condition and mission to the sufferings of the Lord. He accepts his sufferings willingly so that the Good News may be made known. Even more than that he tells Timothy and us that we also should put up with our share of the difficulties like a good soldier for Christ Who is always faithful. If we die with the Lord, even if it is in the ordinary things of life, we will also rise with Him, live with Him and reign with Him.
  Once we hear and accept the Lord's call and are obedient to the Lord as He sends us out, then everything we experience is for the Lord's glory.
  If we could go back in time to be with St. Paul in prison and share his chains, would we do it? Of course we would. We would be ecstatic over the opportunity to be with him and know that we were without a doubt suffering for the Lord and the gospel. We would literally count it "all joy" to accept whatever happened as long as we were with him. Even better, if the Lord came to us and invited us to follow Him into the desert, to leave everything for Him and to suffer with Him, would we go? Of course we would! Our only worry would be the possibility of being separated from Him. We need to constantly renew our conviction that the Lord has called us, that He is the One Who sends us forth in His name and that He is with us on the journey.
  Our spiritual life is a series of intimate encounters with the Lord in which we are cleansed, renewed, purified and strengthened and then sent out on mission to bring the Word into the world. When we are at home and experiencing the ordinary trials of life we remember our past encounters with Jesus so that we may persevere without losing heart. We keep in mind that when the time comes He will draw us close to His heart in a new moment of consolation. The opposite is also true. When we are at prayer, on retreat or visiting Little Portion, we are always mindful of the fact that the Lord will send us forth again. This should lead to a spiritual balance that gives peace to our hearts. This peace comes from the Holy Spirit and cannot be taken from us as long as we are faithful.
  Let us be faithful to attending Mass as often as possible. Let us be faithful to our private prayer each day (especially Scripture and the Liturgy of the Hours). Let us be faithful to our cell groups and the rule of life of the Brothers and Sisters of Charity.

Fr. Dave

The Laudible Exchange cell group, Jim Gambini, Susan Susi and David Hall.