The New Website is Up!
Finally, the new website is up and running. Check it out! www.thewayofthecross.org

We've spent so much time "talking" about it that even though there are a few small "holes" here and there, we decided we'd better "just do it".
Along the side are a series of flag buttons which indicate what languages the pages can be translated into. The Google Translator is a bit quirky. It only translates the page you are on and then you need to go back to the original page. Picture pages also don't necessarily translate either, but for those of you who have been requesting the newsletters in Spanish... you are going to be happy. Go to The Way of the Cross tab and pull down to newsletters. Click on the Spanish button and pick your month! Presto!

Under The House of Prayer tab are calendars for the various locations Alex used to travel to. (Tucson, Freedom, Alpena, and DeLand) Many of you have ongoing events and this is a good way for you to get the word out. These are your pages.

We look forward to your thoughts, suggestions and constructive criticism!
Christine - Administrator The Way of the Cross

Lent is here!
 
We hear about fasting, prayer and almsgiving and usually think this means to tighten our belts and loosen the purse strings. There may be "some" truth to this approach. However, it is not the "whole truth".
 
Fasting 
Fasting is a discipline.  The word "discipline" is similar to the word "disciple". A disciple is a student and a discipline also teaches us. The discipline of Lent helps body and soul operate "together" instead of at odds with each other.  Very often we find our appetites telling our body and mind what to do: " I want this and I want that.  Go to it, Body, serve my desires."  Fasting turns this dynamic around and puts mind over wants and desires. In the Garden of Eden before the Fall from grace the mind told the will what to do.  After the Fall the "gimmes" (give me this and give me that) won out.  Trying to restore right order between the mind and the will is a deep purification. 
 
To choose our correct fasting for Lent it is helpful to examine what is backwards and upside down in our life.   If curiosity has the upper hand and I want to know all kinds of things about all kinds of people, I might need to fast from knowing so much about what other people think and say and focus and  pay attention to what I am thinking and I am saying.  If I find myself very distracted at prayer I might need to ask myself what is intruding and taking my attention as first place in my life instead of  God.  We can all get distracted some of the time, but it is good to take a look at what is going on because quite often what is trying to upstage God during my prayer time is also upstaging other priorities in my life. Fasting helps me pay attention. Fasting helps to reorder my relationship to my own self.
 
Prayer
Prayer zeroes in on my relationship to God.  Am I always talking about myself or am I giving God a chance to talk to my heart?  Or, more importantly, am I always thinking of myself when I pray? Sometimes we can be so absorbed about our own case, even if it is spiritual growth, that we are actually talking to ourselves instead of God.  Prayer concentrates on the Other, not self.  In fact, prayer is an extremely extrovert act because we go completely out of ourselves and enter into God Himself.  It is an experience beyond words at times.   "I in God and God in me." 
 
It is possible to ask God to meet our needs and the needs of people around the world... but who wants their key relationships in their lives  based only people seeing what they can get out of us?  Sometimes don't we all want to know someone just appreciates being around us?  We can begin to expect things of people that we like to be with, but the core component of such a relationship is being in the presence of each other.  Smiling at God and letting our heart soar at the thought of going to prayer can deepen our relationship with God and this is the key to deepening our prayer life. Thinking of being with the one you love and wanting to be near that person... that is the stuff of a real relationship with God.
 
Almsgiving 
Almsgiving concerns our relationships with other people.  Being gentler toward the people in our  family is a good place to start.  It is also good to branch out and take time for some people beyond our normal circle of family and friends.  Often the people who come to mind are exactly the people the Holy Spirit is inspiring us to help.  It can be good to help to the point of sacrificing, because this helps purify our hearts of our selfish tendencies.

The command to love our neighbor as ourselves also helps our neighbor. We are made to love and without this outreach to our neighbors we will experience a frustration. We are made to love and and be loved, and love entails self-giving.  It might be helpful to give money or food and clothing to people in need, but again it is more important to meet the needs  of others by being in a correct relationship with them. There may be a need to treat people  more personally or to forgive them or ask forgiveness. Almsgiving is not a "one size fits all" enterprise because it concerns dealing with all kinds of people  with all kinds of  personalities  and needs. Loving well takes into accounts what is good for this person who is front of me right here and right now.

"Anne", A Lay Apostle - Chicago Conference - February 23, 2007
By, Patricia V.

Have you read the "Anne" books?  If not, let me encourage you to get a copy of one of her many books.  They are truly worth your time. Among my favorites is Mist of Mercy, in which she details her walk through Purgatory. Anyway, these simple and easy to read books, written by "Anne" will give you an intimate look into how Jesus and Mary see us, deeply love us and desire to help us in our daily lives.  "Anne" is not the writer's real name. Jesus wants her to maintain a level of privacy so she can maintain her vocation as a wife and mother of six children.  As you'll see from Anne's story below, she is a locutionist, someone whose writing is based on direct inspiration and private revelation from God.  After reading several of her books, I was so intrigued that I jumped at the opportunity to attend a recent conference in Chicago where she was a featured speaker.  The conference, sponsored by an organization called Direction for our Times, was enlightening, deeply spiritual and powerful.  The website is Directionforourtimes.com

Here are some of the highlights of the things I learned:
     • Jesus gives Anne a message on the first of each month. The message is        about His love and mercy and His desire to unite closer with us. 
     • Jesus and Mary watch us and long to help us through our struggles and in        our daily lives.  They are just waiting for us to turn to them and ask for help.  
     • They see us as their little children whom they deeply love.  They want to        provide guidance and direction.  Because we are living in the age of        disobedience, God has granted many extra graces that will help us to stay on        the right path and move in the right direction. 
     • Angels and saints are waiting for us to ask for their help and intercession.  If        we ask for more help, we will receive more help. 

One of the speakers told the story of when he was visiting a family and one of the children brought in a handful of flowering weeds and gave it to his mother.  She smiled and praised the child and proudly put the weeds in a vase of water.  The priest said that Jesus is like that whenever we offer Him our day.  Jesus is touched by our gift and wants to use our humble offering to help save souls.  No matter how spotted or wilted we are, Jesus proudly accepts our offering and is pleased by it.  

Anne has started Lay Apostles of Jesus Christ, the Returning King.  You are invited to join.  The basic spiritual practices are:
     1. Morning offering, along with the Allegiance prayer and a brief prayer for the          Holy Father.
     2. One hour of Eucharistic Adoration each week.
     3. Participation in a monthly Lay Apostles prayer group, which includes the          Luminous Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, and the reading of the monthly          message. 
     4. Monthly confession.
     5. Agreeing to follow the example of Jesus Christ, as set out in Holy Scripture,          treating all others with His patience and kindness. 

Monthly Messages
On the first of every month, Our Lord gives Anne a new message about His call to service. Here are the messages in 2007.

March 1, 2007
Jesus:
My beloved apostles, how hard you are working. How diligently you see to My desires. I am bringing you to holiness, slowly and gently, but certainly. Your course leads you to My heart and in each moment of each day, you are drawn more fully to Me. You may not feel the increase in holiness. You may not notice your progress but be assured that progress is being made. Your holiness blossoms under the prudent and watchful care of the Divine Gardner. You may wish to advance more quickly. You may sigh at the labours necessary for advancing in holiness. I understand both of these things but I tell you today that you should not be discouraged. It is I, Jesus, after all, who contemplates your soul and determines the speed with which you need to progress to arrive at the perfect place at the correct time. If you were to move too quickly, you might miss this mark. If you were to stop labouring, you would not advance as far as I require. Be at peace in the place where you are spiritually and understand that I am ministering to you constantly there. Be also at peace that you must labour for holiness, moving constantly forward in virtue. I am with you. I take your willingness to serve and your willingness to become holier and truly I flow great things into your soul and into the world. I ask that each apostle find quiet during this time, allowing silence to prune the weeds that spring up in each day’s activity. We work together on your soul, as I have said, and I, Jesus, expect that there is work to be done. If I did not expect that your soul needed work, I would say that you had advanced far enough and I would take you to heaven. When you see the condition of your soul and you correctly identify that there is work to be done and projects to undertake, rejoice. Compare your soul to My soul and you will see a glimpse of the completion of this project. You must say, ‘Truly, I trust that Jesus will get me there if I follow Him.’ I will not abandon the project of your holiness. Neither should you. The personal holiness of each apostle is given my greatest attention because each project in the world flows from this project in individual souls. Do you understand? Are you at peace with this? I need you to become holier each day so that I can become more present in the world each day. If you are new to the walk to holiness, rejoice. You are welcome and you will flourish. If you have been walking toward holiness for many years, rejoice. You are valued and you are making progress. Through you, I renew the world. Rejoice. My plan for you and for the world is well underway.

February 1, 2007
Jesus:
My little apostles continue to grow in holiness. Today, I call you to obedience. It is My desire that you examine your life and bring obedience into each area. I will help you. Is there an area where you can improve? Do you wish Me to illuminate this for you? Consider with Me, your Saviour, where you can do better. There are concrete areas, of course, but there are also areas where it is the spirit of obedience that is lacking and by this I mean the spirit of love and humility. Do not think so much of the condition of other souls. Concentrate instead on the condition of your own soul. In consideration of obedience, it is good to think like a small child. A small child, one who is loved by his parents, seeks to be good and pleasing. His goodness and small acts of obedience enable him to feel good about himself and the path of purity that he is choosing. Some of my little ones in the world have lost this innocence. I want this for you. It is this innocence that will admit you to heaven, after all. Together we must cultivate it. Separate worldly opinion from My opinion because the world will tell you that you are foolish to be obedient in small matters, for example, if nobody is noticing you. But I am always with you and I notice you in each moment. Look at each situation, regardless of how seemingly unimportant, and try to be obedient. You do not do this alone, but with Me, because together we work on your spiritual growth. It is our job, yours and mine. It is our project. It is an interesting and joyful project to Me. I love nothing better than helping you to improve the condition of your soul. As your soul’s condition improves, you learn more and more about Me and how much I love you. Do you want to learn more about how much I love you? Practice obedience in small things. I do not expect you to become perfect at once. Do not expect this of yourself. Be gentle with yourself. I love you so much that I do not want you to judge yourself harshly. In the same way, I will never be harsh with you. I will never be hard or cold. You are cherished, my beloved one. I am your Jesus, always here for you. Take My hand and I will lead you closer to obedience each day.

January 1, 2007
Jesus:
I, Jesus, take delight in My apostles. I look into the world and see My friends, serving each other and growing in love and truly I experience delight. My friends, you will be well rewarded. The holier you become, the easier it will be for you to come to heaven. That is My goal for you, that you become so holy on earth that your death be a time of great peace and joy. How I anticipate the homecoming of each of My beloved servants. I plan for the day and prepare for the great rejoicing that will take place. You will be welcomed into eternity by a multitude of apostles, all of whom served before you. You will recognize your friends and family in heaven and they will assemble to greet you. Such joyous reunion. Such well earned reward. My friends, your life will pass quickly, far more quickly than you can imagine. I speak to you today to remind and encourage you. I remind you that you are committed to Me, to My will. Begin each day remembering that you have made a commitment to serve heaven on that day. If you pledge your allegiance to God, you are on the side of God. If you are on the side of God, you are working against God’s enemy. I want you to reject all that comes from the enemy. Be diligent about your time in silence and I will reveal anything that I wish you to reject or abandon. I draw you into My heart, further and further. There is always a need to advance. Today, I call you to make an even greater commitment to advancing in holiness. I will help you, of course. I will make your path even more clear to you. I come today to remind you of your pledge, but also to encourage you. I look into the world at this time and there is darkness, it is true, but there is also light and that light comes from your commitment to Me. The angels see your service and they rejoice. The saints see your service and they applaud. Our mother, Mary, sees your service and she is comforted. I, Jesus Christ, see your service and I experience delight. You are part of a team, My team. We are the team that brings salvation and we do that through love. In your heart I am placing a love for humanity. You will experience this love individually, for each person with whom you come in contact. This is how I experience love. I love all mankind and I do this one person at a time. You must do the same. Love those around you, particularly those in your family. Treat each person with dignity and respect because if people see that you are good, they will understand that I am good. Be at peace. I am with you in everything and your service delights Me.

Monsignor Sweeney (who prefers to be called Fr. Sweeney) is the retired pastor of the Holy Family Parish in Ogden, Utah and spiritual advisor to the late Alex Avendano. In the 1990's, Holy Family Parish witnessed several Eucharistic miracles. On February 23rd/24th, he was a guest speaker at the Totally Yours, Marian Lenten Retreat at Hillside, IL and St. Bernard's Parish in Appleton, Wi on February 26th. Colleen S., who attended both events, generously provided us with these highlights of his talks.

Trust
Fr. Sweeney spoke in highest respect about the family. He related childhood stories of growing up in his Salt Lake City residence. He told us how important family is and how a child needs to learn from little on to turn to Jesus with all of life's problems. Jesus offers us hope. We need to trust in Jesus and the Virgin Mary. It is in dying to our own egos and in trusting in the Lord that we can find help in working with addictions and problems. We have to continuously work at becoming spiritually strong. The first step is to establish a relationship with with Jesus and Mary and get to know them. Then when we have a problem we can turn to Jesus and/ or Mary to intercede for us. 
 
He also discussed the power of the rosary, and family prayer. He talked about the Battle of Le panto. This was a battle that took place in the Mediterranean Sea between the Holy League of the Papacy and the Turkish galley fleet. The Holy League should have lost based on military standards. However by spiritual standards, they had the power of prayer, especially the rosary working for them and they won the battle. This was an example of the power of prayer through the rosary, and the spiritual strength that ensued. This is what we need to do today. When we look at the crisis in the world, we need to pray for spiritual strength, and also for strength to fight off the temptations of the devil.  Fr. Sweeney spoke of how the world has turned away from God and it is in a mess. A mess that only Jesus can fix. Trust that Jesus will fix this problem one by one. Fr. Sweeney then used the example of Mother Teresa and of her changing the world one person at a time.  We all are called to imitate Mother Teresa, we are called to be spiritual warriors for Jesus. First we change ourselves and then we pray for those closest to us, our family and friends.  Pray, Pray and Pray. Trust in Jesus that our prayers will be answered. Consecrate ourselves to Jesus and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Have faith in Jesus and trust in Him to take care of the future.

I was chatting on the phone with my mother the other day. During the conversation in which I described some small, good deed that I had done recently, I jokingly said "I am just stacking up those 'Brownie Points' in heaven!" After hanging up the phone, I thought to myself, "This 'Brownie Point' idea is really dumb! Why do I still even talk about it like it is real?" I suspect it is a carry-over from my grade school days when the nuns use to put up a big gold star on the bulletin board by your name when you accomplished something special. (Admittedly it was quite effective when I was eight years old.) I had a few minutes to kill so I decided to take this concept to it's logical conclusion and quickly tried to construct a "Brownie Point System". So I thought, "How many 'Brownie Points' would it take for 1 minute, 5 minutes or an hour of heaven?" Given that heaven is going to be the place where you will have inexpressible joy and happiness, how many "Brownie Points" would it take for an increment of time? How much is a good deed worth? Then I thought about the truly saintly people that I have known or read about like Mother Theresa. OK I thought, she clearly has the market cornered on "Brownie Points" after 60 years or more in the slums of Calcutta! She probably has billions of those and I can't even calculate the number of good deeds she's done. What about normal people, say like my grandmother? She went to daily mass, gave generously even through The Depression although they were dirt poor AND she raised 8 children and took in 4 of her sister's children after her death. Since I have only raised one child and managed not to kill him from time to time only through the divine intervention of my guardian angel, in my book here was a saint I could relate too! Then I thought about my own life. I thought about all of my own missed opportunities and tried to offset them with my "Brownie Points". Math has never been my strong suit, so eventually I decided, "Well I've been on this planet for 54 years, surely I have earned a credit per year!" So with my paltry 54 "Brownie Points" do I almost get an hour in heaven? Certainly eternity isn't in my future I concluded. Depressed, I decided to get a cup of coffee. Walking by the fax machine, I spotted a very thick pile of unread Homilies that my aunt, a Benedictine sister of 60 years had sent me. (Now here is someone that will definitely be on on God's "A List" I thought.) She seems undaunted by the challenge of dragging me to heaven and just keeps sending Homilies to me in hopes that it will help. I must confess some times it's all I can do to just skim them. This time the words of her last fax jumped off the page at me. It read:

"Do we earn our way to heaven? No. Do we work our way to heaven. No. It is God's free gift, we just need to accept it. You accept it and then act on it. God is present, accept all that comes and take care of others. That's how your Father is glorified. Help the poor and be merciful."

You know, I thought, what are the statistical odds of spotting this in this entire pile of papers? Hmmm... either my angel or God or both like a very patient, wise, loving parent just waits for that split second that comes along with each child to teach them something they need to know. This was mine.