LENT 2016 THE EXPLORER Volume 3 A PERIODICAL OF THE FEDERATION OF NORTH-AMERICAN LENTEN PENANCE FALLACY OF THE EXPLORERS. LETTER TO THE FNE FOR EXPLORERS WEEK: SCOUTING IS LENT 2016 FR. LAWRENCE LEW, BR. ANDRE-MARIE UN-CATHOLIC O.P M.I.C.M MOUNT DAVID SMITH, DEPUTY MONADNOCK FNE GROUP LEADER, NORTH STAR FNE THE EXPLORER them. A few months later, God sent four French Dear brothers and sisters, my Explorers to our student parish and one of them fellow Explorers, asked me if he could start a Wayfarer Explorers group. I agreed to support and help him and from God’s Providence leads us in there began an adventure in what Ven. Fr. Jacques Ways that are so wonderful Sevin SJ called ‘Scoutisme’: Baden-Powell’s that if we trust Him we will be traditional Exploring animated with power of the led to places that surpass all Gospel of salvation. our dreams and desires and imaginings.Because Christ is The summer of 2014 I was invited to Eurojam in our Way and, following the Normandy (France) as a Chaplain to a Truth that He Camp of about 200 boys, and I was so teaches us Our life in the FNE amazed by what I saw: independent through His Movement as boys and girls who were Holy Church, capable of so much more than society we will be led to Explorers is a told us children and teenagers could eternal Life, to “that Camp of rest and preparation for that do. They were full of life – the joy where Christ has pitched His tent sublime Camp which “abundant life” that Jesus came to give and ours for all Eternity”. we call heaven where us – and full of the joy of the Gospel, He has already ready to do their best and to serve and It was through Providence that I first pitched a tent for us. to build and to create friendships. met an FSE Explorer in 2013 when I Baden-Powell was right: if we was a University Chaplain in empower young people and trust them Edinburgh (Scotland). At that time I with responsibilities they can achieve was looking for something engaging for young great things. This is a profound Christian insight for people, especially in their teenage years, that would we know that God loves the little ones, and that he help them grow in friendship with Jesus Christ. I was always chooses those whom the world considers so impressed by this young man and what he told weak and small. me about the FSE that I had to find out more about THE EXPLORER !1 LENT 2016 THE EXPLORER For it is when we’re little and humble that God can act and do great things, as he did for Our Lady. In fact, when God became Man he chose to became one of those little ones; the “Word abbreviated” the Fathers of Catholic Exploring the Church used to say. I knew after my time with the 14,000 Explorers gathered in France for Eurojam that the FSE Movement was what I was for the whole looking for. It offers to young Catholics not just what they need but also what they deserve. family! As adults we owe it to our children to make the FSE vision and mission a reality in our countries. And so, when I was sent by my Dominican superiors to Washington D.C. I was so happy to discover that a good few brave people here in the USA and Canada also shared my belief that the FSE is a gift to our Catholic youth. What I have seen so far of the FNE gives me great hope for my own small FSE Movement in the United Kingdom, and I have only admiration and thanks for the first FNE Explorers and leaders of this great Continent. The road ahead and the tasks to be accomplished, even preparing for a single camp, can sometimes seem overwhelming. But Christ leads the Way; He is The Chief and His Providence never fails us. Our life in the FNE Movement as Explorers is a preparation for that sublime Camp which we call Heaven where He has already pitched a tent for us. While we make our journey and explorations here on earth, and while we learn to work and serve in our homes and in our Patrols and Troops, all will be well if we always look to Him and follow Him. For our Chief, the Strong One, will protect us, the weak and the small and the little ones. He will allow us to lean upon His Patrol Staff, and even upon His breast as St John, the youngest of the apostles, did; He will shelter us in His Sacred Heart. So, let us go forward with courage and faith, being “semper parati” for wherever God’s grace and Providence leads us! Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P. We live our Catholic faith National Counsellor through this program and Religious invite you to live the Guides & Scouts of Europe in the United adventure with us. Contact Kingdom. us today for info on our programs for girls and boys! FNE General Commissioner: [email protected] FNE President: [email protected] THE EXPLORER !2 LENT 2016 THE EXPLORER LENTEN PENANCE FOR EXPLORERS By Brother André Marie, M.I.C.M. (Brother Black Bear) Lent, my brother and The virtue of penance inclines us to detest our sins sister Explorers, is a because they offend God. It further directs us to avoid sin penitential season of in the future, and to atone now for our past sins. (Hint: grace. During this season, the Church not only puts These two sentences are really important.) However penitential thoughts in our minds, but She also has us do difficult it might seem to us to do “works of penance,” we works of penance. Right now, let us set aside our aversion should remind ourselves that if we have committed mortal to the idea penance, and look it straight in the face, for if sin, we have deserved hell, and if we have committed we do so in a Catholic way, we will be looking into the venial sin, we have merited punishments in purgatory. Holy Face of Jesus. Here in this life, we can hope to avoid these punishments by “doing penance,” which is done chiefly in The life of penance is a life of conversion. By penance, we three ways: have a change of heart (the Greek word for penance used in the New Testament means a “change of mind”). This I. The submissive, willing, and joyful acceptance of all the change of heart is a “conversion” (literally a turning crosses God sends our way is the around) because it turns us from mortal and venial sin, first way of penance. The Council of Trent teaches us that and from constantly wanting our own way, not God’s. God accepts our patient endurance When we convert, we turn away from those things toward of life’s difficulties as satisfaction for our sins. Is that not God and His holy will. beautiful? We can unite our little daily crosses to the Cross of Our Lord and to the sufferings of All of us Explorers should be mindful of our own personal the Sorrowful Mother. In order to do need of penance this Lent, and of the impact that our so, we have to suffer well, which is to say that we have to penance can have on ourselves and those whom we love. be patient in our trials. It is not easy, By practicing penance, we please God, we bring His and it is not the way of the world, but it is very rewarding. blessings on ourselves and our families, and we work Instead of whining, griping and for the conversion of our land. By doing penance, we are grumbling, as our natural inclinations would have us do, working for a Catholic America — and by that, I mean the willingly embracing our troubles for two nations where our FNE family has spread: Canada the love of God is a powerful means of penance. If we and the United States. cannot do it, our other penances will be of less value, because we lack the spirit of penance. From here out, I will summarize the subject of penance, relying very heavily on the book, The Spiritual Life, by I have good news for you! Point eight of our Explorer Father Adolphe Tanquerey, and showing along the way Law helps us out here: “An Explorer how observing the Explorer Law provides us with controls himself: he smiles and sings under all wonderful opportunities of practicing penance. difficulties.” The smiling and singing are external manifestations of our internal control, and our internal willingness to suffer some bit of pain for the love of God. THE EXPLORER !3 LENT 2016 THE EXPLORER II. The second way of penance is the faithful discharge of our daily duties in a spirit of penance and reparation. A) The Church’s traditional Lenten fast and abstinence Your Father and Mother have duties as Christian parents. program used to be this: Every day of These are Lent (excluding Sundays) was a fast day, defined as not easy, especially today, when so many forces are having only one meal, with two “light attacking the institution of the Christian collations” (snacks) allowed, both of which together do family. A lot goes into providing all that is necessary for not add up to a full meal. Every day of children, including food and shelter, Lent was also traditionally a day of abstinence from flesh- education, a stable home life, etc.