Inside General Assembly World Youth Day Divine Renovation New General Superior
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Fall 2016 Inside General Assembly World Youth Day Divine Renovation New General Superior r. Allan MacDonald, CC was elected as the new General Superior of the Community on September 2, 2016. The vote marked the end of the General F Assembly, which convened in Ogdensburg, New York, on August 30 and wrapped up on the day of the vote. This new General Superior follows in the impressive footsteps of now-Bishop Scott McCaig, CC who, before being appointed to the episcopate on April 8 of this year, was the General Superior of the Companions for 10 years. Now, Fr. Al- lan MacDonald will lead the Companions of the Cross Community for six years. Fr. Allan MacDonald has served in the following capacities: Vocations Director, University Chaplain, and has assisted with the first year Applicancy Program. He has also led many missions and parish retreats. All this makes him a great leadership choice for the Community that has pastors, professors, university and hospital chaplains, and road missionaries within its ranks. Fr. Pierre Ingram, CC, Companion of the Cross Director of Formation and former Executive Council member said, “He has great spiritual wisdom and experience in ministry, and he exemplifies our charism. We are eager to move forward in our common mission and brotherhood under his leadership.” Fr. Allan MacDonald’s appointment comes at a time of great growth for the Community. The past four years have seen two Community members become bishops (the other being Bishop Christian Riesbeck, CC in Ottawa). The Community is also showing much promise for great growth with 24 seminarians considering the priesthood. Bishop Scott McCaig, CC former General Superior said, “Fr. Allan MacDonald embodies the charisms and spirituality of our late founder, Fr. Bob Bedard.” The Companions of the Cross were founded by Fr. Bob Bedard, CC in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1984. What started out as a small group of men meeting weekly has grown to a Community with 2 Bishops, 38 priests, and 24 seminarians. They serve in Ottawa, Toronto, Halifax, Detroit, and Houston. ...................................................... The Companions of the Cross is a quarterly WHAT’S INSIDE Credits publication designed to encourage spiritual growth and to share about God’s movement within a new Become Like Children................................................... 3 Publisher community of Catholic priests, and candidates for The Companions of the Cross the priesthood. The Companions’ ministries are Thirty Years!.................................................................. 5 made possible by the prayerful generosity of its supporters, to whom we are most grateful. A Sacrifice of Mercy ...................................................... 7 Editors-in-Chief Fr. Allan MacDonald, General Superior The editorial team welcomes your comments and Mercy Becomes Joy ..................................................... 9 Fr. Rick Jaworski inquiries. Mailing Address: General Assembly: We’re Not Worthy .......................... 10 Managing Editor 199 Bayswater Avenue Christine Labrosse Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1Y 2G5 From Refugees to Newcomers ..................................... 12 Office: (613) 728-3175 Graphic Design Fax: (613) 725-1590 Proclaiming the Kerygma ............................................. 16 Dyann Bernard 1-866-885-8824 (toll free in Canada) Pigs Can Fly Design 1-866-724-6073 (toll free in USA) 2016/2017 CC Households ........................................... 18 [email protected] Web site: companionscross.org E-mail: [email protected] “Inside Man” ................................................................. 20 Publications Mail Agreement #: 40016244 Padre’s Picks: Parish Renewal .................................... 22 Community News & Notes ........................................... 23 F EATURE by Fr. Bob Bedard, CC ll I eg M AN o J y y B oto oto H P “The picture is a Christmas shot with Fr. Bob holding his ‘namesake’. Robert was named after Fr. Bob. When I first Become came to St. Mary’s Fr. Bob told me to pray the ‘dangerous prayer’—giving God permission to do whatever he wanted in my life. When I became pregnant I told him it was his fault like (for telling me to pray that way!) So I named Rob after him. Children Jennie & Tom are also in the picture.”—Joan Megill This article is transcribed from a homily given at St. Mary’s Parish Would you say that this world as a human society is in the control in Ottawa, July 16, 1986. It is presented in the style that Fr. Bob of the learned and the clever? I would say so. It’s the brains that spoke, and is not his typical written work. are running us, right? They’re telling us where to go, what’s im- portant, setting priorities; it’s the learned and the clever that are he line that strikes me is when St. Matthew quotes Jesus. in charge. And yet the Lord is saying things are hidden from It’s where the master says, “I praise you, Father, because them and revealed to the merest children. Jesus is calling us to T you have hidden these things from the learned and the clev- be childlike. Not childish, childlike. And he will reveal things to er and you have revealed them to mere children” (Matt 11:25). We us. If we rely too much on our own intelligence, we won’t know know that he talked about children more than once. He said, “Let what Jesus calls these “things”. These things are very simply the them come to me. Don’t prevent the children from coming to me. greater truths. Let them come” (Matt 19:14). I suppose they piled all over him. How do I know for example, that God is real He loved children. And he said in other places and he’s quoted if I don’t see him? more than once saying, much in the same way, “Be like children. How do I know if Jesus is who he says he is? Master, Be like children all of you” (c.f. Matt 18:2-4). I think that’s what Lord, Saviour and King? How do I know? he’s talking about here today. That the Father has revealed things How do I know that the Holy Spirit is powerful to the merest children. Things that are hidden and kept from the if I don’t experience that? learned and the clever. How do I know that Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament, in this place? I’m not an expert on children but I am a keen observer. I have been How do I know that there is life after death? observing and relating to children for years, and I’m still doing it. How do I know that there is heaven with the Lord? In fact a lot of them are like grandchildren to me now. Not an ex- How do I know that there is such a place of pert at children, but I’m a keen observer. I think what Jesus means purification as purgatory? is that he wants us to be dependent like children. Children are not How do I know any of these things? independent. They depend on others, don’t they? Jesus is saying be like children, depend upon me. Don’t be as tough as the Jesus tells us how we know. It’s by revelation. Not just revelation world tells you to be. Don’t be so smart or independent. Don’t to the Church in the beginning, not just revelation of the Church be so together but rather be like children, dependent upon me. over the centuries, but revelation to me. It’s a word that is spo- ken by the Holy Spirit to my spirit. When I come to him like a I think he means too that he wants us to be like children in that child. “Come to me,” he says, “you that are overburdened.” Ever they ask a lot of questions. Children don’t assume, by my obser- feel that way? Do you ever feel burdened down? My burden is vance, that they know very much. And as a result of that they ask that I’m so busy. At least I think I am. I kid myself into thinking all kinds of questions. If you’ve ever spent a day, and I know some I’m so busy, it’s my burden. I feel burdened. I have to come to the of you have day after day, with an 8-year old or a 7-year old, you Lord as a child, because I can’t handle it. I really can’t. Do you know what it is. They ask their questions. “That’s good,” I think ever feel burdened? Jesus is saying come to me like a child. And that’s what the Lord is saying, “ask me questions.” And trust the I will reveal. way children are as well. Jesus is saying if we will come to him as children, then he will reveal to us the things that are hidden We’re really talking about the gift of faith, aren’t we? That’s what from the learned and the clever. it is. Faith is a gift from God. The truth about God and not only C OMPANIONS OF THE C ROSS F ALL 2 0 1 6 ...............................................................................................................................3 ... the great truths that I’ve talked about, but what he is saying right church anymore. We want to be there. We want to be there to join here right now, those things are available to us by revelation. If with brothers and sisters and worship God, because if we don’t, we you look for logic, if we try and figure things out, we’re liable to forget who we are. We’ll think we’re in control. And if ever there miss it. was a mistake that anybody could make it’s to think that he or she is in control of things. I cannot control my world.