Homily for Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus

Homily for the Memorial of
St. Peter Chrysologus

July 30, 2026
Collect
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

St. Peter Chrysologus (School of Guercino)

The collect for the memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus praises God for making this early 5th-century bishop of Ravenna “an outstanding preacher of your incarnate Word,” playing on the saint’s nickname, “golden word," which is what chrysologus means.  He preached so eloquently of Christ, the Word made flesh that he’s considered a doctor of the Church.

Our prayer was that by St. Peter’s intercession we might “constantly ponder in our hearts the mysteries of your salvation,” i.e., what God has done to save us thru the Word made flesh.  The incarnation of the Son of God is the 1st mystery of how God saves us from our sins and their consequences.

Jesus has advised us that our actions follow from our thoughts, i.e., from our hearts.  “A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).  So, pondering the divine mysteries is the 1st step in our becoming like, speaking like, and acting like followers of Jesus.  Prayer, reading the Scriptures, meditation, and sitting with the Lord are where we begin our positive response to God’s love revealed to us in the Incarnate Word.  Doing that, we imitate our mother Mary, who reflected on everything in her heart (Luke 2:19).

The Immaculate Conception
(Velasquez)

Pondering isn’t enuf.  We pray also that we may “faithfully express [the mysteries] in what we do.”  We have to put God’s love into action—in our speech and our deeds.  We know that, of course, but knowing and doing aren’t the same.  So we plead for God’s help in speaking and doing what we know in our hearts, that we eloquently represent the Incarnate Word.

Such prayer God wants to hear and answer.  “Ask and it will be given to you; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matt 7:7).

Adieu, Bro. Hubert Twagirayezu, SDB

Adieu, Bro. Hubert Twagirayezu, SDB

by Pie Shumbusho, SDB

(ANS – Kabgayi, Rwanda – July 29, 2026) – On Friday, July 24, at the postnovitiate house of the Salesian Africa Great Lakes Province in Kabgayi, Rwanda, the funeral of Bro. Hubert Twagirayezu was celebrated.  Members of the Salesian Family, other religious, diocesan priests, family members, and friends of Bro. Hubert gathered to pay their last homage and lay him to rest.

Bro. Hubert returned to his Father’s home on Friday, July 17, in a traffic accident that occurred at Mpigi, about 60 miles from Kampala, Uganda, on the way toward Kigali, Rwanda, for the priestly ordination of Salesians held on July 18. Bishop Balthazar Ntivuguruzwa of Kabgayi presided over the funeral Mass, surrounded by Fr. Gabriel Ngendakuriyo, Salesian provincial, and his council, and other Salesian and diocesan priests.

The Funeral Mass

In his homily, the bishop expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Salesian Family, Bro. Hubert’s biological family, and the Church in general. He invited everyone to pray for the soul of the departed brother so that he may rest in peace. Words of consolation, the gatherings, and the closeness of friends don’t remove either the sadness, the void, the feeling of a loss, or the shedding of tears, the bishop said, but the hope of resurrection and life everlasting that Jesus Christ promised to those who believe in him can console those who lose their loved ones. He invited those present to believe in the word of God so that they don’t remain with endless questions which can’t give any solution to what they experience during the difficult moments.

Before the concluding prayer and other burial rites, Fr. Augustin Cesar Habanabakize, director of the postnovitiate, which hosted the event, invited 3 people to address a word of testimony about the life of the late brother. These were Fr. Anaclet Munyankindi, who spoke on behalf of the delegation from Palabek, Uganda, where Bro. Hubert was carrying out his mission; Bro. Hubert’s brother, who spoke on  behalf of the family members and friends; and Fr. Ngendakuriyo, the provincial. The major point which all speakers emphasized was the apostolic zeal, the hard, organized work, the commitment, and the love for young people that Bro. Hubert always showed by looking for what could improve their lives.

Fr. Provincial expressed his gratitude to everyone present, especially the bishop, who put other duties aside and responded positively to celebrate the Eucharist. He promised to give the community of Palabek another Salesian to keep up the work which Bro. Hubert had been doing and invited everyone to pray so that the new person should be a man of God and a hardworking religious fit for the Salesian mission.

Concluding the testimonies, the bishop invited young people who attended the funeral not to fear responding “yes” to the call of God so that they may join others to work in his vineyard. "Young people, God needs you, the Church needs you, society needs you. You have lived with the one whose eternal life we are celebrating today, and you have seen how he worked, how he served God by serving you. So come and continue what he has begun," the bishop exhorted. After the concluding prayer and the final blessing, the funeral rites were led by Fr. Frederic Murindangabo, the vice-provincial, at the cemetery where Bro. Hubert was laid to rest with other Salesians and an FMA sister. 

A Life of Service and Planning for the Poor

Bro. Hubert Twagirayezu, firstborn son of Peter Claver Twagirayezu and Alphonsine Uwimana, was born on January 16, 1982, in Masaka, Rwanda. After the death of both of his parents, he and the siblings moved to Muhanga District, Rwanda. He professed as a Salesian on August 15, 2005, and made his perpetual profession on July 14, 2013, in Saint Andrew Parish, Gitarama, Rwanda.

Bro. Hubert, Jan. 10, 2024, in New Rochelle
(by Fr. Gabe Stawowy)

Bro. Hubert served in the province in different houses as an administrator and formator and pursued further studies in New Rochelle, N.Y. He returned to the Father's house while he was serving the Lord in Palabek, Uganda, as an administrator of the house, the principal of the camp’s vocational training center, and province development officer. Those who worked with him described Bro. Hubert as a man who loved storytelling, shared information generously with his confreres, and had a deep love for work. He fully embraced Don Bosco’s spirit of hard work, often saying that rest would come later, according to testimonies shared at the event. He was also known for initiating projects aimed at uplifting the poor, and he leaves behind several projects he had envisioned.

"They're still digging with their bare hands"

“They’re still digging with their bare hands”

A Salesian Missionary Speaks from “Ground Zero”

(ANS – Caracas, Venezuela – July 28, 2026) – Venezuelan Salesian missionary Ubaldino Andrade, who normally works with South Sudanese refugees in northern Uganda, has returned temporarily to his home country to visit his family. During his stay, he visited the areas hardest hit by the earthquakes and worked alongside displaced people, volunteers, healthcare workers, and family members who continue to search for their loved ones among the rubble. His account reflects a tragedy that is no longer making the news but is proving unbearable for the population.

More than a month after the 2 earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, which struck northern Venezuela on June 24, the death toll continues to rise. The latest official figures put the number of 5,546 fatalities; furthermore, 16,740 people have been injured, and 17,907 have lost their homes or are unable to return to them.

Fr. Andrade, known to everyone as ‘Uba,’ visited La Guaira accompanied by Salesian Jorge Bastidas and a young woman from the Salesian Youth Movement in Venezuela. There he met a population that, despite their exhaustion and having lost hope of finding survivors, continues to search for the bodies of their loved ones. Here is his account.

“Many people have lost hope of finding their family members alive, but not of at least finding their bodies. People continue to dig with their bare hands,” the Salesian missionary emphasizes.

He stresses that it’s difficult to grasp the extent of the destruction until one visits the affected areas in person. Entire buildings have been crushed, and the upper floors have become the new ground floors, with several stories buried under them.

“What reaches us thru the media is nothing compared to the immensity of the tragedy. There isn’t a single street where you won’t find a destroyed building or house,” he explains.

Faced with the destruction, the missionary highlights the spontaneous mobilization of thousands of people. Vehicles laden with water, coffee, rice, arepas (flatbreads), clothes, tools, and flashlights continue to arrive from Caracas and other states across the country.

The solidarity shown by the people stands out in the face of a tragedy that seems unimaginable

“They’re not coming just to look. They’re coming to help, to comfort, to clear up, and to be with their brothers and sisters. To paraphrase St. Paul, where sorrow and misfortune have abounded, so too have solidarity, empathy, and closeness,” continues the Salesian.

Fr. Uba and his companions were able to distribute water, fruit juices, clothes, soap, hygiene products, and food to families living in tent cities after losing their homes, their possessions, their memories, and even their documents.

Among the aid items were some simple chocolate cookies. A doctor, exhausted after several days of work and lack of sleep, explained to them just how important such a seemingly insignificant gesture could be at that moment.

“There is so much sadness and a strong smell of death. A small cookie doesn’t make you want to eat – the sadness is truly overwhelming – but it can take away that bitter taste we have in our mouths,” the doctor told Fr. Uba.

The Salesian also speaks of the children’s ability to create small pockets of normality. “One day, among the tents and rubble, we found a group of children playing inside an old abandoned car, pretending, in the midst of the disaster, to lead a normal life, without T-shirts, because the heat is unbearable.”

At what might be called ‘ground zero’ (the epicenter), where a cluster of blocks of flats, each over 14 stories high, have been crushed as if they were a giant sandwich, people continue to wait for the ‘moles’ – ordinary people with no professional training – to enter thru the gaps in the rubble, still searching for someone.

“There aren’t many international teams left. The people are still here: university students, Venezuelan and foreign doctors, forensic pathologists, nurses, and young people who keep on digging and searching for bodies,” continues the Salesian. All these people need helmets with lights, warm clothing, flashlights, and protective equipment. Healthcare workers are also asking for mosquito nets to close off the tents where they work, due to the proliferation of flies in the areas where bodies are still being recovered.

Young people, healthcare workers, and volunteers continue to search thru the rubble with almost no resources

During his visit, Fr. Uba met a woman who is still searching for several family members. She and one of her children survived because they were not at home when the earthquakes struck.

“She told us she couldn’t cry because she had to stay strong so that her children wouldn’t lose heart. But how long can a person hold out in these conditions?” wonders Fr. Uba, who also highlights the miracle of finding someone alive in the area a month after the earthquakes.

The missionary then warns that, once the initial rescue phase is over, an equally complex task will soon begin: dealing with the psychological consequences of a traumatic experience that many people have not yet been able to come to terms with.

For their part, the Misiones Salesianas office in Madrid and its Jóvenes y Desarrollo NGO have already allocated over 350,000 euros from the Emergency Venezuela campaign so that the Salesians can assist the population and planning for reconstruction can begin.

The Salesian response includes the distribution of food, water, medicine, and hygiene products, as well as healthcare and psychosocial support, child protection, emergency education, and the restoration of damaged homes and infrastructure. One of the initiatives will provide support for 6 months to 680 particularly vulnerable families in Caracas, La Guaira, and Carabobo. Parishes, schools, and Salesian centers remain open as places to welcome people and to store and distribute aid. Religious, young people, and volunteers continue to travel daily to the affected areas with whatever resources they can gather.

It’s the end of the day, and Fr. Uba concludes his account: “We return home in silence, speechless. But tomorrow will be another day, and we’ll return once more, laden with whatever we manage to procure.”

Source: Misiones Salesianas

Homily for Tuesday, Week 17 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Tuesday
Week 17 of Ordinary Time

July 28, 2026
Jer 14: 17-22
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

Jeremiah lamenting the ruin
of Jerusalem (Rembrandt)

“Let my eyes stream with tears … over the great destruction which overwhelms the virgin daughter of my people” (Jer 14:17).

If we pray the Liturgy of the Hours, Jeremiah’s lament sounds familiar.  It comes up at Morning Prayer every Friday of Week III.

The prophet mourns the devastation of Judah and the impending doom of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonian army.  He calls upon God for relief in the name of the Lord’s own glory and the covenant God made with Israel, even as he admits Israel’s sins.

In our time, we lament so many ills that befall not only our own nation but the whole world.  We lament gross sins of war and terrorism against nations; against human nature and human dignity; against God’s creation and social justice.  We lament such as earthquakes, wildfires, and other natural disasters.

So we pray to the one who can save:  “Is it not you alone, O Lord, our God, to whom we look?” (14:22).  We can’t fix the ruins of Venezuela, Haiti’s violent chaos, or wars in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Africa.  But we can affirm our own commitment to the covenant we’ve made with the Lord our God, to follow Jesus faithfully in prayer and our relationships with one another.  We can be people of peace and constructors of fraternity here.

Homily for 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
17th Sunday of Ordinary Time

July 26, 2026
Rom 8: 28-30
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx

“Those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom 8: 29).

Everybody's Magazine
Public domain
- Wikimedia Commons

One of the Greek myths concerns a sculptor named Pygmalion, who created a statue so likelike that he fell in love with it.  George Bernard Shaw picked up the Greek myth and turned it into a stage play called Pygmalion in 1912.  In turn, in the 1950s Lerner and Loewe very creatively turned Shaw’s play into a musical set in 20th-century London—My Fair Lady.  In that story, a language professor transforms a Cockney street girl (a flower seller) into a high society lady, and then falls in love with his own creation.

The 2d Person of the Holy Trinity is a perfect image of the 1st Person:  God the Son and God the Father, respectively.  Their mutual love proceeding between them is so perfect that it’s a 3d Person, the Holy Spirit.  I have to be careful not to speak of the 2d and 3d Persons being created because they’re not.  The Father begets the Son eternally:  God from God, true God from true, we profess in the Creed.  There’s no “becoming” between them.  Likewise, the eternal Holy Spirit.  There’s no “falling in love” within the Trinity.  God’s very nature is love.

But we may be able to say that God falls in love.  Certainly, he creates in love.  Like Pygmalion or Prof. Henry Higgins, he makes something new and marvelous, or more precisely, he makes someone.  “God created man in his own image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them” (Gen 1:27).

God created us out of love, knowing each human being in advance of our coming to be, and he has predestined us to become like Jesus Christ, his perfect Son, so like Jesus that we become his brothers and sisters, children of God.  We are imperfect people, sinners—sin is the only thing that can scratch or even shatter the image of Jesus Christ in us—but thru Christ God justifies us, makes us new and innocent.  The more that God’s grace touches us—in prayer, in the sacraments, in our efforts to imitate Jesus our Lord—the more we are transformed into images of Jesus.  And God is in love with us.  He has “called [us] according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28), the purpose of being glorified (8:30) alongside our brother Jesus in eternal life.

St. Paul writes “that all things work for good for those who love God” (8:28).  No matter what sins we commit, no matter what evil comes our way, God continues to love us and to make everything come out according to his ultimate plan—our redemption.  Christ suffered terrible evil, was tortured, killed, and buried.  But God the Father raised him gloriously; and that’s his intention also for us who do our best to respond to his love—the love by which and for us he created us and turns us bit by bit, day by day, into images of his Son Jesus Christ.

"Only by taking up the cross can we truly follow Jesus"

“Only by taking up the cross can we truly follow Jesus”

(ANS – Rome – July 23, 2026) – In his Good Nite to the members of the SDB and FMA general councils, who were gathered on July 22 at the Salesian headquarters, the rector major offered a profound reflection on the meaning of following Christ in consecrated life today.

Drawing inspiration from the Gospel dialog between Jesus and Peter – when the apostle, after proclaiming Christ as the Messiah, rebuked him for foretelling his own passion, only to be told in reply to “deny himself, take up his cross, and follow him” – Fr. Fabio Attard invited everyone to ask themselves what it actually means to live out this following of Christ in the present day.

The rector major referred to Pope Francis’s teaching on pastoral conversion, recalling that this can’t exist without prior personal conversion: it’s not primarily a matter of changing methods, but of converting the heart of the pastor. Hence the challenge – also highlighted in the reports from provincial visitations – of communities where life risks becoming “a collection of individualisms,” with a lack of joy in being among young people, listening to them, and accompanying them in the schoolyard.

Fr. Attard urged us to recognize the many addictions that threaten inner freedom – not only digital ones, but also toxic friendships and relationships that don’t set us free – emphasizing that it is pointless to concern ourselves with young people if we’re not first and foremost committed to a genuine personal conversion, with the Lord at the center, renouncing self-centeredness. He also warned against “pastoral worldliness” which transforms pastoral service into a quest for personal gratification and recognition.

Referring to the dream of the rose-covered arbor, written by Don Bosco as early as 1847 – just his 2d year at Valdocco – the rector major recalled how the founder had understood from the outset that consecrated life for the sake of young people involves the dimension of the cross: “It’s a matter of the cross, not a walk in the park. It’s the path to Calvary.” If this dimension is forgotten or not embraced, he added, there’s a risk of causing harm to young people, to the mission of the Congregation, and to the Institute.

Fr. Attard concluded by recalling Don Bosco’s promise of an extraordinary future for the Congregation, on one condition alone: fidelity to the Constitutions, that is, to the Gospel as it’s been handed down and set out in the Constitutions. He urged us to have the courage to carry the cross with freedom and authenticity, “because young people are waiting for us, and the future is there: it’s up to us to ensure that it remains so.” 

Experiencing Connection at Camp Echo Bay

Experiencing Connection at Camp Echo Bay

by Julia St. Clair

(ANS – New Rochelle – July 23, 2026) – A beloved landmark in the New Rochelle community and the tristate area, Camp Echo Bay opened its doors for the summer on Monday, June 29. It takes place on the Salesian High School campus and is open 5 days a week through Friday, August 14, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The camp is run by Jimmy Ascencio, ’19, and Matthew Boggi. Matt is a theology teacher at Salesian High School. Additionally, 3 Salesians are involved in the camp: Bros. Bill Hanna, John Taylor, and Lorenzo D’Alessandro.

“A lot of the counselors are former campers, and it’s good to see them grow and keep coming back,” Jimmy shared. He works as Monroe University’s cross country and track and field team’s assistant coach, strength and conditioning coach, team recruiter, and equipment manager. “We have a lot of kids who start coming here in pre-K and stay through 8th grade. Running the camp doesn’t feel like work to me; it’s a fun thing.”

Staff member Naomy Ayapan first came to Camp Echo Bay in the 2nd grade after her family moved from Tennessee to New York. “The counselors are not just counselors; they’ve always been there for me,” Naomy reminisced. “I also met my best friend here, and we’ve grown a lot together.”

Naomy attended Camp Echo Bay as a camper through 8th grade. She loved it so much that she became upset the weeks when she didn’t go to camp. “I cried when my mom didn’t sign me up on some weeks,” Naomy remembered.

Naomy has worked at Camp Echo Bay for 4 years and has loved every moment. “I enjoy coming back to Camp Echo Bay and experiencing the connection here,” she beamed. “Everyone’s always been there for me.”

Along with former campers returning as counselors, a lot of Camp Echo Bay’s male counselors are Salesian High alumni, like Cory Gardner, ’19. “Corey and I went to school together,” Jimmy exclaimed of Corey, who oversees the 6th to 8th grade group.

Corey previously worked as a counselor during the 2021 and 2022 camp seasons. “Job opportunities took me away from Camp Echo Bay for a while, and then Jimmy asked me if I could come back,” Corey explained. Corey, who works as a high school counselor, accepted happily. “I see the value of being a role model and leader for the kids,” he declared. “The kids make the camp, and it’s especially great to see the older kids rediscover their childlike wonder. I love to help them all find their true gifts in a positive way.”

Camp Echo Bay welcomed 255 boys and girls during its opening week. For its 2nd and 3rd weeks, 365 campers came each week. Weeks 4 and 5 are expected to see an estimated over 400 boys and girls in attendance.

One key tradition at Camp Echo Bay is its special theme weeks; each week is centered on and celebrates a part of pop culture. With this in mind, Camp Echo Bay began its season with Holiday Week. Superhero Week followed the week after the Fourth of July, and the next week was Star Wars Week. This week, Camp Echo Bay celebrates Nickelodeon Week, and next week will be Olympic Week. The two themed weeks for August will be Disney Week and Carnival Week.

For more information, visit Camp Echo Bay’s website, or contact them at (914) 632-0248 ext. 215 or campechobay@salesianhigh.org.

This story ran in the New Rochelle Province newsletter on July 23 and was picked up by ANS the same day.

Homily for Memorial of St. Bridget of Sweden

Homily for the Memorial of
St. Bridget of Sweden
Thursday, Week 16 of O.T.

Collect
Jer 2: 1-3, 7-8, 12-13
July 23, 2026
Matt 13: 10-17
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

Our Mass collects always have 2 parts.  The 1st states some attribute of God or something he’s done for human salvation.  The 2d prays for some gift from him.

In St. Bridget’s case, we glorify God for her “different paths of life” and what God taught her thru our Savior’s passion, and we pray that we might “walk worthily in our vocation” and thus seek God “in all things.”

Bridget was a wife and mother, a guide and support for her husband and children—one of whom also is a canonized saint—then a widow, foundress of a religious order, mystic, and church reformer.  “Different paths of life,” indeed!

To “walk worthily in our vocation,” we’re helped by “remembering the devotion of [our] youth” and our passionate love for the Lord, as Jeremiah says to Jerusalem today (2:2).  We recall how blessed we are because our eyes have seen and our ears have heard what Jesus teaches, and we’ve encountered him person-to-person (Matt 13:16).

It’s been our vocation since we were young to seek God in all things and to bless God for loving us, making us his particular friends, and using us as he did St. Bridget to strengthen his Church and make Christ known and loved.

We have so much to be grateful for in our religious vocation and the Christian vocation that underlies it, and much still to do as we “contemplate the passion” of God’s Son and respond yet more to the love revealed to us in our Lord Jesus.

SDB and FMA Councils Meet

SDB and FMA General Councils Meet for Fellowship and Sharing

(ANS – Rome – July 23, 2026) – On the evening of July 22, the general councils of the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians met at the Salesian headquarters for a time of fellowship and sharing, now a regular half-yearly event between the 2 governing bodies of their respective religious families.

The participants were welcomed by the rector major, Fr. Fabio Attard, who emphasized the value of the meeting not merely as a milestone, but as confirmation of a journey of charismatic closeness, capable of generating tangible benefits, including during visits to Salesian communities around the world.

Mother Chiara Cazzuola, mother general of the FMAs, then addressed the gathering, expressing her gratitude for the welcome and recalling the importance of these meetings not only as an exchange of shared journeys and objectives, but above all as a testimony to communion, which is deeply cherished by both the Institute and the Congregation. Mother Chiara highlighted how these occasions help regional and provincial communities to find ways of sharing even at a local level, safeguarding the charism as a treasure to be nurtured together.

The vicar of the rector major, Fr. Stefano Martoglio, then introduced the session’s program, which focused primarily on the theme of the forthcoming FMA general chapter, with a presentation followed by a period of comments and discussion. Later, an update was provided on the ongoing work of the commission established by Mother Chiara and Fr. Fabio to foster synergy between the Pontifical Faculty the Auxilium and the Pontifical Salesian University.

After the celebration of Vespers, the participants listened to the traditional Good Nights.

Mother Chiara urged everyone to “read the reality,” citing the example of Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello, both of whom were able to discern their own vocation by observing the context in which they lived. She urged them not to be discouraged by the complexity of the current global situation, to keep alive the vision of the salvation of young people, and to ask the Lord for the grace to find appropriate answers, starting from the concrete reality of the communities, the resources, and the numbers available.

The rector major offered a reflection drawing on the dialog between Jesus and Peter in the Gospel, on the meaning of following Christ today: renouncing oneself, taking up one’s cross, and journeying toward a personal conversion that’s the authentic foundation of all pastoral conversion.

Referring also to Don Bosco’s dream of the rose-covered arbor (1847), Fr. Attard recalled that fidelity to the Constitutions – and therefore to the Gospel – remains the essential path to securing a future for the Congregation, while warning against individualism and a “pastoral worldliness” that risk substituting the pursuit of personal gratification for true dedication to young people.

The meeting concluded with a fraternal dinner on the terrace of the generalate.

Message of the Rector Major for July-August

THE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR

Fr. Fabio Attard, SDB

Who Will Separate Us
from the Love of Christ?

A reflection on the Letter to the Romans 8:35

Statue of St. Paul
(St. Paul Outside the Walls, Rome)

The apostle Paul, almost 2,000 years ago, in his letter to the Romans (8:35) posed a question that still challenges us in a unique way as believers in Jesus Christ: Who will separate us from the love of Christ?

This isn’t a question addressed to a group of specialists in theology. Paul offers it as a challenge, first for himself, and then for believers, persecuted and unsure, who lived under the difficult conditions of the Roman Empire. That question still speaks to us today – to the anxieties of our current time and in our search for meaning and stability – in this time marked by an uncertainty that is no less worrisome.

Deep Roots

I would like to comment on this phrase of Paul, first by employing the image of a tree. A tree doesn’t remain standing because someone holds it up from the outside: it stands firm because it has deep roots that anchor it in the depths of the earth, where the fury of the winds and storms do not reach. When Paul uses the words “rooted in Christ,” he means precisely this. It’s not a question of believing certain things at the level of ideas, but of giving shape to one’s identity, of saying: “My life belongs to Christ, and this fact is fundamental, in the sense that it gives a solid foundation and structure to my entire being.”

In modern language, we could say that it’s about finding a solid foundation for one’s identity. In a world where we’re constantly urged to create our own image on social media, thru professional achievements, and according to what others think of us, Paul invites us to read our lives in a radically different way. My true identity, Paul would say today, doesn’t depend on how much money I’ve accumulated or what position I occupy in society. My identity depends on my decision and firm determination to belong to Jesus Christ and on my decision to recognize myself as loved by him unconditionally.

Living and being nourished from these roots changes everything. Since they’re deep roots, storms can shake the branches but can never uproot the tree. Trials can shake it, but they can’t tear it from the ground of the love of Christ. I have the awareness of belonging to Someone who never abandons me.

The nutrition of love

A tree absorbs what it needs to live from the soil in which it’s planted. In the same way, the Christian lives his faith fully, nourished by the love of Christ, because he’s rooted in Christ. But what does this mean, concretely?

It means finding moments for listening and for silence. This choice isn’t something extraordinary or reserved to “religious.” On the contrary: it’s the wise practice of taking a break, of reading the Word of God, of praying, and of simply remaining silent in front of a Mystery that’s bigger than ourselves and that we carry in our hearts. In these times of ceaseless running and constant noise, taking time for these moments on a systematic and regular basis becomes something increasingly precious and appreciated.

It also means participating in the sacraments, not as the fulfillment of an external duty, but as a vital encounter with the grace of Christ. When we take our bodies into consideration, we realize we need to eat. If we’re attentive, we discover that a similar need exists for the soul: it needs to be nourished. The authentic and sincere Christian discovers that without this nourishment, our true life withers and moves ahead aimlessly, without a compass to guide it.

There’s one sure element that brings everything to life. To allow ourselves to be nourished by the love of Christ means that this love, since it’s authentic, transforms our way of relating to ourselves and others. A Christian who is nourished by the love of Christ gradually begins to see life according to a different logic: not the logic of revenge, of ruthless competition, of the desperate search for security thru the accumulation of things, or of indifference to others. Let’s begin to live guided by the logic of love: the love that forgives, that serves, and that trusts – not because we’re naturally good people but because we’ve been transformed from the inside by the love that continually nourishes us.

The “Victory” that sustains us

Perhaps the most powerful dimension of Paul’s message concerns “victory.” This isn’t a theoretical victory but a historical reality: Christ has risen from the dead, and his victory over death radically changes the way we face life. We no longer live in the shadow of death. Instead, we live in the light of the resurrection, in the light of him who, having conquered death, now lives forever.

This doesn’t mean that Christians are exempt from suffering and death. Paul knows this very well: he enumerates the trials that the believer faces — hunger, nakedness, danger, persecution. What it does mean is that these trials don’t have the final say. It means that when the Christian is faced with illness, mourning, or injustice, he’s never abandoned to himself within an indifferent universe. He’s supported by the certainty that the One in whom he has placed his trust has already won. It’s not a certainty that takes away suffering but one that inscribes it within a bigger story, a story that has meaning and doesn’t end in nothingness.

A question for today

Paul’s question resonates today in a world where many seek stability and meaning. Maybe you’re a person of faith, or maybe you’re simply curious about what Christianity has to say about life. In both cases, these questions deserve reflection: On what do I build my identity? What really nourishes me? In what do I trust when everything collapses around me?

Paul offers an answer that isn’t easy, but one which is profound: you can build your life on Christ, you can nourish yourself with his love, and you can live in the certainty of a victory that goes beyond any temporal appearance. It’s not an answer for those looking for ways that are easy, but it’s an answer that has sustained countless people — saints and sinners, heroes and everyday people — thru the most difficult moments of their lives.

Perhaps this is worth considering.

Salesians Step Up Emergency Aid for Displaced Families

Salesians Step Up Emergency Aid for Displaced Families

(ANS – El Houssoun, Lebanon – July 22, 2026) – The latest escalation of violence in Lebanon, which began in early March, continues to worsen the situation for thousands of families who have been forced to flee their homes. In El Houssoun, the Salesians have been supporting 24 families – 116 displaced people, including 42 children and 12 elderly people – since the start of this latest crisis. These families were taken in after fleeing areas affected by bombardments and clashes, and the Salesians are providing them with everything they need: food, water, hygiene supplies, first aid, and socio-educational support. Now the work of Don Bosco’s sons has entered a new phase.

The Salesian community in Lebanon continues to stand by those who find themselves in the most vulnerable situations, in a context characterized by insecurity, displacement, and deteriorating living conditions. The country has for years been grappling with a profound economic, social, and institutional crisis, exacerbated by the financial collapse that began in 2019, the pandemic, the explosion at the port of Beirut in 2020, and the subsequent escalations of violence along the southern border.

This situation is now compounded by a new humanitarian emergency. At the beginning of March, the resumption of clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, against a backdrop of growing regional tension, has once again led to the displacement of people in various parts of the country, particularly in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and the southern suburbs of Beirut. Families from villages near the border with Israel and from neighborhoods hit by the attacks have sought refuge in El Houssoun, where the Salesians are coordinating relief efforts alongside the local authorities.

Public aid is proving insufficient to meet basic needs, however, and many families arrive having lost their possessions, their means of livelihood, and the security of their homes. The assistance available is limited and fragmented and does not adequately meet the needs of displaced families.

The Salesians’ comprehensive response to the emergency and displacement in southern Lebanon

The Salesians aim to provide comprehensive assistance for 2 months to the 116 people they’ve taken in. The program includes food and water for 3 meals a day, hygiene products, access to electricity, gas, and the internet, cleaning supplies, first-aid kits, basic medicines, and logistical support. In addition, social and recreational activities have been organized at the oratory for children, teenagers, and young adults – one of the groups most affected by the violence and displacement.

The 24 families receiving assistance reflect a particularly difficult situation. Most are households comprising several members, including children, elderly people, and widows who depend on their extended families to get by. Repeated displacement, the loss of savings, a lack of documents, and family separation increase the risks to their safety and have a severe psychological impact.

The very situation of displaced people living in collective shelters also poses significant challenges. The lack of privacy, overcrowding, poor hygiene and sanitation, and the absence of safe spaces particularly affect women, girls, adolescents, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Therefore the Salesian response is not limited to meeting material needs, but aims to preserve the dignity, safety, and well-being of families.

The experience gained during previous crises has strengthened the capacity to respond to this emergency

The Salesian presence in Lebanon is based on extensive educational and social work. The Salesians run the Don Bosco Technical Centre in Jbeil, which caters for around 400 Lebanese students; the “Angeles de Paz” school in Beirut, attended by Iraqi and Syrian refugee children and youths; and the youth center in El Houssoun, which organizes activities for young people from different communities and promotes intercultural and interfaith dialog.

This previous experience has enabled them to organize a more rapid and coordinated response during the current emergency. During the 2024–2025 war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Salesians had already launched the “Salem” initiative (peace, in Arabic), thru which they assisted displaced people and strengthened their capacity to respond to new crises.

In doing all this, the Salesians are working alongside technical staff, educators, volunteers, and security personnel, always with the aim of supporting the reception of displaced families and ensuring they can get thru this difficult time with greater protection.

Amid the uncertainty, the Salesian presence in El Houssoun is once again a place of refuge—a space where education, humanitarian support, and community accompaniment become a concrete way of caring for life and building peace in Lebanon.

Source: Misiones Salesianas

Homily for Memorial of St. Lawrence of Brindisi

Homily for the Memorial of
St. Lawrence of Brindisi

July 21, 2026
Collect
Matt 12: 46-50
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

St. Lawrence of Brindisi
By http://www.cappuccinivenezia.org/spirito.htm,
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org

“O God, … you bestowed on the priest St. Lawrence of Brindisi a spirit of counsel and fortitude” (Collect).

You’ve surely heard that old age isn’t for sissies.  Neither was the vocation of being an educator.  For that vocation, we surely needed the Holy Spirit’s gift of counsel, to know how best to lead and guide young people.  For our current vocation—yes, we have a vocation in our senior years—as surely we need fortitude:  courage and strength to persevere in God’s service in a less active life.

Lawrence of Brindisi, a Capuchin whose ministry covered the 1st 2 decades of the 17th century, needed those gifts of counsel and fortitude.  He was charged to preach the Catholic faith in northern Italy and in German lands infected by Lutheranism, to take up leadership posts among the friars, to serve as chaplain in campaigns against Turkish invaders, and to carry out diplomatic assignments.  He journeyed extensively at a time when travel was difficult and dangerous, and in fact died on the road, in Portugal for peacemaking diplomacy.

We prayed specifically that, like St. Lawrence, “we may know what must be done and … bring it to completion.”  As it happens, that prayer coincides with today’s gospel:  “Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, sister, and mother” (Matt 12:50).

God’s will sent us into classrooms and other forms of ministry.  Now it’s brought us to this stage of our lives.  What must be done now, and how shall we bring it to completion?  What does divine counsel tell us?

Certainly we need fortitude.  But even at St. Joe’s the time for counsel, sharing the Gospel, isn’t past.  Our openness to God’s will edifies our brothers, our families, our staff, and our friends, perhaps including many of those once-young men and women we educated.  Not so long ago, we were amazed at Al Cussen’s continued influence.  We still are blessed with the possibility of living God’s will and counseling others on doing that.