PRAYER POST

HELP MARY HOLD UP THE ARMS OF HER
SON, JESUS SO THAT WE WILL NOT BE
STRUCK

Hello to all.  This is a prayer post just before the annual gathering of the Lay Associates community of North America opens.
1. Pray for all people who are going to participate in the meeting of Our Mother's children.
2. Pray for a 15 year old boy, David Newman who is critically ill.  As someone said, "He has age going for him."  True, and now let's put ourselves going for him as well by lifting up our hearts to God for him.
3. Pray for people who are suffering because of the discord in their family.
4. Pray for the success of the Mission of the La Salette Family, Priests, Brothers, Sisters and Lay Associates.
4. Pray for the success of the upcoming Provincial Chapter of the Mother of Hope Province to be held in Manila, Philippines.
5. Pray for the sick and suffering members of the La Salette Community.
6. Pray for the intention of the Holy Father for the month of October: "The terminally ill."
7. Pray the Rosary.  This is the month of the Rosary.

NORTH AMERICAN ANNUAL MEETING -- OCTOBER 1

CELEBRATION OF THE 165TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE APPARITION
ST. CHRISTOPHER PARISH [LA SALETTE MISSIONARIES IN CHARGE]
MANY ALUMNI FROM LA SALETTE MISSION SCHOOL IN PHILIPPINES ATTENDED
A LARGE POST MASS LUNCH WAS SERVED TO ONE AND ALL
MULTI-CULTURAL FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT HIGH LIGHTED THE
THE MEANING OF THE MISSION:  "MAKE THIS KNOWN TO ALL MY PEOPLE"

There are presently seven candidates in the stage of personal discernment concerning their decision to make a formal application to be accepted to the formation period of the Lay Associates.

The La Salette Lay Associate Community is fast approaching the date of its annual gathering/retreat.  Every year the community comes together at the site of the National shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro, Massachusetts.  Many of you will remember that Massachusetts is difficult to see on the map of the United States.  It is there and it does play a major role in the life of North American La Salette Missionaries and Lay Associates.  It is also the headquarters of the wonderful monthly online magazine/newsletter of the La Salette community around the world, http://www.lasalette.org/  Visit it.  You'll like it.  Get on the mailing list and follow your favorite missionary, missionary sister and missionary lay associate.  You can bet that since the Lay Associates' gathering is to be held on the first day of the month, there will be a little piece, at least a little piece, in http://www.lasalette.org/
Some years ago the ripple of the spirituality of the La Salette North American Lay Associates reached the shores of the Pacific Ocean.  This influence has been felt more and more as the years go by and now there are brothers and sisters who know Our Lady of La Salette who are inquiring about the possibility of dedicating themselves to the spirituality in a more formal way, as Lay Associates.  Next week two alumnae of the La Salette mission schools in the Philippines who have been living and working in the USA will be attending the gathering  in Massachusetts,coming all the way from San Francisco, California.
     For those of you not familiar with the USA, this represents a trip about 5,000 KM.  
                 Compare Lisbon, Portugal to Vienna, Austria -- a distance of 3,000 KM
Thank God for airplanes.
This gathering  has a powerful meaning to all the La Salette  Lay Associates of North America.  It is a fairly mature group and the members are close to one another, humanly and spiritually.  Many of them have known one another for many years.  Many of them have relatives in the Missionary vowed community as well.
It is therefore the purpose of this communication to invite you all to pray for this growing and vibrant branch of the La Salette Mission in the world.  Here is a picture of the venue of the gathering

Los laicos de l'America del Nord se preparan parea el conjunto nacional que tendrsa lugar el primeer dia de Octubre.  Es el Sabado en ocho.  Ve pedimos oraciones.  Esta comunidad vibra mucho en estes dias.  Esperamos que los frutos seran dulces.

Les laics des Etats-Unis se reuniront le 1 octobre at Attleboro, Massachusetts.  Cette communaute de laics qui fonctionne deja pour plusieurs annees, est tres vibrante et pleine d'energie.  Nous vous demandons de prier pour nous.

CALLED TO MAKE WAVES -- QUE ONDA -- HAZ ONDAS

Waves.  Onde.  Ondes.  Hemos oyido la expression dos vezes durante los primeros ratos de l'encuentro. La primera de la boca y el corazon de Padre Adilson cuando dijo:

Le message central:

Quand une pierre est jetée a l'eau, au milieu d'un lac, les ondes s'élargissent de plus en plus pour finalement se jeter sur les plages de la circonférence.  L'apparition qui nous attrait ici est comme cela.  Nous sommes tous la preuve de ceci.   Nous venons des quatre coins du monde pour nous réunir ici, la cause des ondes qui ont rejoint nos plages.
La Vierge, notre Mère, avait un message quand elle est apparue ici.  Aujourd'hui ce sont elle et son Fils, Jésus qui nous parlent.
Nous ne sommes pas ici pour une rencontre. Non.  Nous sommes ici pur une immersion, une immersion dans le message proclame par notre Mère en pleurs.  Nous sommes immergés dans la vocation de réconciliateurs.  Comme tel, nous sommes appeler a la conversion personnelle.  Par conséquence, nous sommes aussi appelés a aider aux autres a se convertir.
Cet évènement sera couronne par la majesté de ces parages.  La couronne signalera une compréhension plus  profonde du message comme il s'adonne a notre culture propre.
Nous prenons donc a cœur l'envoie évangélique, répété par la Vierge a La Salette, "...faites le savoir a tout mon people." (Matthieu, 28; 19-20)
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When a stone is thrown into the water in the middle of a lake, the waves expand more and more to finally fall on the beaches at the circumference. The appearance that we make here is like that. We are all proof of this. We come from all over the world come together here, because the waves have joined our beaches.
The Virgin, our Mother, had a message when she appeared here. Today it is she and her Son, Jesus speak who us.
We are not here for a meeting. No.  We are here for a pure immersion.  Immersion in the message proclaimed by our mother in tears. We are immersed in the vocation of reconciliation. As such, we are called to a personal conversion. Consequently, we are also called to help others to convert.
This event will be crowned by the majesty of this environment. The crowning will signal a deeper understanding of the message as it is related to our own culture.
We take to heart the Gospel mission repeated by Our Lady of La Salette, "...make this known to ​​all my people." (Matthew 28, 19-20)
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No mucho tiempo despues oyimos el hermano Pedro Battistini cuando dijo:
"Lo que hacemos nos parece como una piedrita en el mar.  Pero debemos asegurarnos que aun esta piedrita cambia el mar."


Not much longer after Fr. Adilson talked about ripples and stones, Brother Pedro Battistini said, "It appears to us that what we do in life is like throwing a stone into the ocean.  What we believe, nonetheless is that because we did it, the ocean is not the same."
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The world is not the same after the International "immersion" of La Salette Lay Associates.  There are many people who are being rocked by the ripples of the rock that was thrown into the ocean.  I said the other day that Mama Mary's tears were her way of bringing the Jordan to us, urging us to repent, to accept her Son, Jesus.  Here we are talking again about the influence of the movement of water in the world.  Mary's tears are about a lot of things.  As I said yesterday, one of the things that they are about is strength...strength of heart, of soul and yes, following Father Isidro's thoughts, even strength of our material bodies.  
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Prayers requested:
Prieres, s'il vous plait:
Rezadas, por favor:
Prayers for John LaRosa's father and the entire family during a trying time.
Prayers for Father Maurice Cardinal, ms who is scheduled to return home to complete his convalescence from serious surgery.  He's fine.  He's also holy.
Prayers for all those to whom we made the promise to pray while at La Salette.

FIGHTING TEARS...NOT TO STOP THEM...TO BATHE US IN THEM

I like this.  I like it because it is leaning forward.  It's like the little cars that are made to look as though they are slanting down.  They look as though they can outrun anything on the road just because they look like they are going downhill all the time.  Here the Beautiful Lady seems to be telling us, "Hey, I came here for a reason.  Let's go get 'em."  I like it.  It is not a collection of fearful, desperate tears.  Oh no, not her.  these are "fightin' tears."  Not that this lady would fight, I think.  nevertheless, I heard her tough words from the La Salette Rock, "If you don't submit I will be forced to let the arm of my Son fall."  What a word!  A word that we just can't stand these days.  "Submit?"  Ha!  Oh, oh.  Sounds like she means it.  So, with that forward leaning look, she is coming after us, wet handkerchief and all.  Believe me, it works.  A crying mother doesn't come to the cold mountains of the Southern part of Europe to take care of invalids.  No.  She comes to the well, to the tough, the rough skinned mountain dwellers who think that have the mountains tamed.  She comes to the swearing, cursing rough and tumble edge of civilization, uncouth, no doubt foul-smelling coveralled hayseeds of the day.  This is one tough little Jewish Lady that they had not counted on. She asks the sweetest, yet toughest questions.  "Do you say your prayers well, my children?"  You know that the question is for the parents more than for the children.    She came to change hearts, not bodies.  She did it.  The walls of the present day Basilica are covered with marble tiles thanking the Beautiful Lady for bringing a straying husband back home.   It says: "Gratitude to Mary for the return to God of a Father to his family.  This grace was granted immediately after we promised to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain.  1st of July, 1868."  Enjoy.

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Cette image me plait beaucoup pour la simple raison qu'elle nous présente notre Belle Dame de La Salette penchée par avant.  Elle est venue pour la conquête, non pour atrahir notre pitié.  Elle est venue au milieu d'un monde rude, dur, indépendant qui ne savait pas dire trois mots sans poser le nom de Jésus dans la phrase.  Cette courageuse Belle Dame, juive courageuse est venue parmi nous pour nous défier de ne pas faire cas de ses larmes.  Elle n'est pas venue parmi nous pour guérir nos cancers.  Elle est venue a La Salette pour effectuer la conquête des âmes et des coeurs.  Les larmes de Marie sont le Jourdain qu'elle a apporte avec elle pour exiger notre repentir, a l'instar de Jean Baptiste.   Puis ça ne finit pas la.  Elle exige la conversion totale.  Le revirement de 180 degrés vers son Fils ensanglante et arrivant a la fin de la patience a cause de nos bêtises.  Prions pour qu'elle continue de nous protéger du courroux de Son Fils toujours miséricordieu.


  

WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT SEPTEMBER 19?

One of the favorite personal stories that was told from the head table during a plenary session of the Rencontre at La Salette was the following.  It was told by the leader of the Presentation for the day.  he was talking about some ritualistic behaviors that would take place at his home when he was growing up.  Since he was born and brought up in a household where Our Lady of La Salette was the Queen, there was always something going on for September 19.  His big question at the time was, "Why September 19?"  He would always get an answer, but bright boy that he was [still is], he kept nagging for a better answer for a long time in life. Why September 19?  Why the 19?  Finally, one day his mother, in exasperation told him, "I don"t  know.  Go ask the Blessed Virgin why she does things.  So, he went to the Queen and asked.  Imagine his disappointment when she didn't give the the answer he wanted right then and there.  Now, Our Boy is not easily deterred.  He kept asking and, he says, after many years, he finally got the answer.  September 19, 1846 is the only day in their lives that Melanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud were together, working at the same place at the same time.  So, as Father Adilson tells it, Our Mother, Mary struck while the iron was hot.  He has lived all his life in the company of Our Lady of La Salette and he is happy with her answer.  I am too.

So that was September 19, 1846.  It has been 165 years and the work still goes on.  Much of it starts in a family and stays there.  Father Adilson comes from such a family.  So does my spouse.  So do I. My father was a La Salette seminarian in Hartford Connecticut.  My mother and her siblings were all baptized by La Salette Missionaries in Holyoke, Massachusetts.  Her father, my grandfather worked for the La Salette Missionaries as the cabinet maker and maintenance overseer for fifty years.  The same school that we all attended for over 70 years...three generations.  We are not alone.  It is the grace of La Salette.  It is no wonder that we are known for the grace of our generous and warm hospitality.  We can't help it.  With Mary as the head of household, how else can you be?  We're all family.   I am comfortable with September 19.  I am glad that Mama Mary waited for these two children to work together.  It makes the story so powerful that it warms the heart of the entire world.  So, that's what I did today.  I played with Melanie and Maximin in God's sandbox.  God blessed the 19th.
mwmwmwmwmwmwmwmwmwmwmwm


We also went to visit Father Maurice Cardinal, MS.  He is doing fine.  He is in a convalescent home.  A nice one.  Clean.  Fresh smell.  Kind staff.  Maurice has founded a new parish.  I get the feeling that they may never let him go.  I also know that he has something to say about that.  He is scheduled to leave on Saturday, and he is not about to negotiate that away.  We respected his dignity and didn't take a picture of his face with a patch of his left thigh grafted onto his face.  We also respected his dignity by refraining from asking if they took the skin from the top or the...  He is doing well.  He also doesn't mind my correcting myself about his age.  I've been telling you that he is 86.  He proudly states that he is 87, going on 88 in December.  I stand corrected.  I did tell him one thing that I want you all to know...This is one of God's creatures who, at 88, is not old.
One last thing:  He appreciates our prayers.  He is also praying for all of us.  I assured him that it is mutual.  I know that I am right.  
Kadakayo amin iti Isabela.  Naoneg unay koma ti utangyo a naimbag a nakem kenni Father Maurice.  Pangaasiyo, iloaloanyo isuna tapno nasayaatto ti tungpalanna.  Arakupenatayo amin isuna iti nakemtayo tapno mariknana ti ayattayo, uray no adayo ti pagyananna.

BIENVENUS -- BENVENUTI -- WELCOME -- DOZO...AVETE OMNES

THE POWER OF A CRYING MOTHER
IL POTERE DI UNA MADRE CHE PIANGE
LE POUVOIR D'UNE MERE EN LARMES
EL PODER DE UNA MADRE QUE LLORA

Most of you will be getting this sometime on September 19.  I have been reviewing the documents that were submitted to me by the reverend Vicar General.  One of them is a simple "welcome" in the name of the Superior General and the General Council of the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette.  It is the simple language of this gentle, firm and sincere welcome that is impressive to me.  The moment of welcome has long gone.  Or has it?  A warm welcome never abandons the one to whom it is sincerely offered.  It defines the relationship and relationships never end.  They just change.  Welcomes too, by their nature do not end.  They change; they wear thin.  They never end.
Please do as I did.  Reread this one.  There is a rule of life in it.  The tall man in blue on the left extended it.  He is a good and valiant messenger.  Here is what he wrote.  The original French first and the translation (mine, unauthorized) follows.
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Soyez les bienvenus!

(P. Silvano Marisa, vicaire général MS)

C’est   une honneur ainsi qu’un grand plaisir pour moi de donner à vous tous, laics salettins et Soeurs de La Salette, la bienvenue ici au sanctuaire, au nom du P. Dennis Loomis, Supérieur Général de la Congrégation et de son Conseil.
Par votre presence ici vous voulez dire à haute voi que la spiritualité salettine, avec son charisme de réconciliation,  qui est tout d’abord  un don de Dieu, vous affecte et elle  est fort importante pour votre chemin de chrétiens.
Vous etes ici pour vous ressourcer au niveau de l’esprit bien sur, mais aussi, j’espère, en vue de votre ministère et mission dans le monde.
Les Missionnaires de La Salette qui ont organisé cette rencontre savent  très bien que l’esprit   qui découle de l’apparition n’est pas un patrimoine exclusif à eux, mais ça appartient à l’Eglise en tant que telle et donc à tout homme et à toute femme de bonne volonté. 
Ils sont fiers de votre présence et ils y tiennent à vous dire un grand merci pour votre engagement au niveau  de la mission de l’Institut et de l’Eglise  partout dans le monde.
Touchés par le message de la Vierge en pleurs nous tous sommes invites à accueillir dans nos vies l’invitation que la Belle Dame  a fait à Maximin et Mélanie: “Avancez, mes enfants, n’ayez pas peur, je suis ici pour vous conter une grande nouvelle” et encore.”et bien, mes enfants, vous le ferez passer à tout mon peuple”.
Oui, si aujourd’hui nous sommes ici à La Salette, c’est parce que la Vierge nous a rassemblés des quatre coins du monde autour d’Elle pour nous parler de tout l’amour dont le Père de Jésus Christ nous aime et pour faire de nous des témoins crédibles de cet amour au milieu de nos frères les hommes. 
Appelés à partager la meme spiritualité des MS, vous etes appelés, au meme titre, à partager leur mission, à savoir leur ministère de réconciliation dans le monde par la parole, l’engagement  et le témoignage personnel aux differents niveaux ( familial, social, politique aussi bien qu’écclésial). 
Ensemble nous sommes engagés dans l’Eglise et le monde d’aujourd’hui à preparer  et faciliter la venue du Royaume de Dieu. N’est ce pas là la mission que la Vierge a confiée  en 1846 à Maximin  et à Mélanie et par eux à nous tous?
Je vous souhaite un  très agréable séjour sur la sainte montagne bénie par la présence de Marie ainsi qu’une profitable session de travail pendant les jours à venir.

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It  is an honor and a pleasure for me,  on behalf of Fr. Dennis Loomis, Superior General of the Congregation and its Board, to give you all, laity and Salettinians as well as Sisters of La Salette, a warm welcome to the sanctuary.

By your presence here you say in a loud voice the Salettinian spirituality, with reconciliation as its charisma, which is a gift from God, is very important to your way of life as Christians.

You are here to revisit and draw anew from a refreshed source for the enrichment of your mind, of course, but I hope for your ministry and mission in the world as well.

The Missionaries of La Salette who organized this meeting are well aware that the spirit that comes from the Apparition is not their exclusive hegemony, but it belongs to the Church first and thus to every man  and to all women of good will.

They are proud of your presence and they like to say a big thank you for your involvement in the mission of the Institute and of the Church throughout the world.

Affected by the message of the Virgin in tears we are all invited to receive the invitation in our lives that “La Belle Dame” gave to Melanie and Maximin: "Come, my children, do not be afraid, I'm here to tell you great news ", and more. " well, my children, you will go to all my people. "

Yes, if today we are here in La Salette, it is because the Virgin has brought us together from around the world to tell us about all the love the Father of Jesus Christ has for us.  This makes us credible witnesses of this love among our fellow men.

Called to share the same spirituality of The vowed Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette, you are called, in the same way, to share their mission and their ministry of reconciliation to the world by word, commitment and personal witness to the various levels (family, social, both political and ecclesial).

Together we are committed to the Church and the world today to prepare and facilitate the coming of the Kingdom of God. Is this not the mission that Our Lady has entrusted in 1846 to Melanie and Maximin and by them to us?

I wish you a pleasant stay on the holy mountain blessed by the presence of Mary and a profitable work session in the days to come.

May God bless us all on this blessed anniversary day of the visit if Our Lady to us.  We dedicate our lives to it.  She and her Son give us the strength and zeal to accept the invitation.

165 AND STILL AS BEAUTIFUL AS EVER! QUANT' È BELLA!

MIRAD, HERMOSA COMO SIEMPRE!
SHE'S GORGEOUS, RIGHT?

This is the center piece of the exhibit hall in which there was a collection of statues and images of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  This exhibit was meant to give meaning to the fact that Mary has many names and many children all over the world.  She is The Woman of Women.  She is Black, Brown, Yellow and Red.  She is Caucasian, Asian, Indigenous and Aboriginal.  We know that women all over the world are mothers.  They all have different names, but they are all recognized by the one that they wear as a badge of honor, Mama.  The same is true of the Mother of Mothers, God's Mother, Our Mother, Mary.
Saturday, the 17th of September, 2011 was a very significant day at the Southern California parish of St. Christopher.  It was a day when the entire parish celebrated the 165th anniversary of the Apparition of Our Mother Mary at La Salette in France.  The thought above is one that was carefully elaborated and developed by the homelist, Father Arlan Intal, MS of the Province of Our Mother of Hope, based in the Philippines.  He was very effective in his delivery.  He even kept everyone so interested for the length of his reflection that there was not a single twitch from anyone in the pews during the entire thing.
There was another very serious point of reflection made by the good father.  He pointed out that in 1846 just as now, Mary's suffering and hardship-stricken sons and daughters often cry out, "Lord, where are you now?  You see that I am sick;  you know that I am short of resources; you see my baby hungry; where are you, Lord?  Why do you abandon me?  This is an age-old attitude.  It is one that Mary came to La Salette to change.  She came to La Salette crying bitterly because her sons and daughters were bringing suffering to to her and her Son by their foul lives.  She came to remind us that if we suffer, it is because we partake of the evil of sin.  She came to show us that we are not the only ones suffering.  She and her Son are right alongside us suffering.  When we cry out, "Lord, where are you now?" the answer, according to the Weeping Mother of God and of us humans, "I am right here, beside you, suffering with you so that you do not have to carry the entire burden."  Know that, My People; believe that, My People and your lives will be made better.
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El día Sabado, 17 Septiembre inicio una temporada de celebración para todos que viven la espiritualidad Saletina.  Aquí en Alta California, USA uvo una celebración muy viva con baile foclorico, dramatizaciones de historias bíblicas y una muestra publica de differentes caracterizaciones de la Virgen Maria, particolares a varios lugares a travez del mundo.  Continuan estas cosa manana, accompaniadas de buena comida apreciada in varios paises de l'Ámerica Latina.  Ereis invitados.
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Come parte della celebrazione del anniversario de l'Apparizione a La Salette, abbiamo creato un centro per la esibizione dei quadri presentati dalle delgazioni presenti a La Salette durante le settimane scorse.  Pongo questo bramito in Italiano perche è l'imagine della gente Romana che ha causato piu reazione fra tutte le foto.  La seconda era quella della Svizzera e la tercera, quella grande al centro, fatta da un giovane de 17 anni negli Stati Uniti.  Vedremo se la opinione sara diversa domani.  Francamente, non lo credo.  Comunque, se cambia, ve lasciero sapere.  La festa celebrativa, in ogni modo, e un raggio de luz nella la vita della parrochia.
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For the Alumni of the La Salette schools, there is not too much to report.  There is however a need for prayers that has been expressed by the few who came.  One of the alumnae who came had a companion who is facing a challenging life change, so keep her in mind.  Mention her nickname to Mama Mary for good measure.  It is Addie.


In the next day or two we will be going to spend a few moments with Father Maurice Cardinal.  He is still in recovery stages from his surgery, but he is doing quite well for the situation in which he finds himself.  We will let you know how he is doing.


We now leave you in peace.  

SEE [OBSERVE], JUDGE, ACT

This is a challenge.  We had a presentation yesterday that was very deep and very provocative.  It had to bring us to a place where we might be a little uncomfortable, but where there are some truths that we don't normally touch in our lives with regard to the Blessed Mother at La Salette.  We were directed to remember that what brings us to appreciate the beauty of a person is not so much what we see as it is the combination of at least the three basic dimensions mentioned above in the title.  The first one is to see.  For many of us, seeing is believing.  We even have a State in America that has the motto, "show me."  What we were asked to consider yesterday was that seeing was just the beginning.  Seeing has to be asccompanied by an act of the mind that helps us to know what it is that we are seeing.  So, in the fact of the Apparition, we  have the children seeing.  More than seeing, they are processing what it is that they are seeing and the object of their seeing is deepened into observation.  They see light; they see a crying lady; they see that she is crying; they see the roses; they see the crucifix; they see her sitting and then standing.  They observe that she is beautiful; they observe that she is friendly; they observe that no person could have passed between them and her while she was talking.  These are the first steps of a truly deep human experience.  After they see her leave, then they pass to the other parts of this human experience.

They make a judgment that they have to talk about it to the adults in their lives.  This is not a judgement about the quality of the person whom they had just seen.  It was a judgment about what they were going to do.  They had to process the value of the experience that they had just had.  All of us do this just about every day of our lives.  We do it about trite and banal things.  We seek meanings about the advertising storm that surrounds us every day.  We seek meanings in the ways that people dress and we know that, for instance, to go to a job interview without paying attention the dress protocol required will cost us the job.  The reason is simple, the symbols will tell our story more effectively than our words.  That is why we constantly look for congruence in our presentation of self.  We want to be sure that what we look like is consonant with what we say and the way that we act.  This is what made Mary so credible to the children.  Everything about her spoke about everything else. Her words, her looks, her clothes and the decorations of her person were so powerfully united and connected that she communicated her inner beauty, her depth of goodness and her absolutely pure truth.  When Maximin and Melanie put all that together, they could not be otherwise than convinced that what they had seen was worth retelling.  Not just reported, but narrated and communicated from the depths of their hearts.  The beauty, the goodness and the truth of the experience are so powerfully compelling that in our day and age, we are still telling the story of the Beautiful Lady with strong conviction and with our lives dedicated to the truth that Mary came to tell us.  

We, like the two children have seen.  In fact, we are seeing every day.  The beauty of the Lady does not leave us.  Her goodness is always with us.  We hear her voice calling us and inspiring us to act in response to her Son's wishes.  We have judged ourselves as needing to be beautiful and good just as she and her son are.  So we dedicate our lives to the task of bringing the Message to all corners of the earth.  We are grateful that we have been called to see the beauty and the goodness of Our Mother.  A beauty that even bitter tears could not take away.  For her to call us and take away our fear is a great grace for us.  It makes it easier for us to accept her challenge to go and tell her story, OUR story to the rest of her people.  So here we are.  Back home.  Four days away from the anniversary of her visit to us.  Let us have a chat with her to see how we are doing.  Let us ask her for the grace to keep dedicating ourselves to her more and more strongly every day.  Through our love for her and her Son, we will bring good into the world and then we too will be beautiful.  Yes, even me!

SOME NEWS AND SOME COMMENTS

I'll bet that you never saw this one before.  This is in the museum of the Basilica at La Salette Shrine in the Alps of France.  Someday I may get over being so intensely engaged in another pursuit that I will write a good 5 or 6 hundred word reflection about this picture.  I have some more to let you see anyway, so don't worry, I won't run out very soon.
This is striking because the artist puts the accent on the words of our blessed Mother at La Salette when she said that  the "...Arm of my son is getting so heavy that I can hardly hold it back any more.  If you don't submit, I will be forced to let go the arm of my Son."  You can see from the date on the picture that it is not extremely old.  It is however one of a kind and it shows a level of inspiration that is deep and rare.  This is also one of those times when an artist captures not only the mystery of the prophetic message of La Salette, but also succeeds in capturing the picture of the meaning of Moses' arms being held by Hur and Aaron when they had to hold up his arms so that the Israelites could carry the day in the battle that raged below.  Because of this team effort Joshua was able to wipe out the Amelekites and the Israelites were able to proceed on their way.  [Exodus, chapter 17]
La Salette is all about a team effort.  Mary helping us by protecting us against the retribution of her Son.  Mary interceding for us, telling us that unless we convert ourselves we will no longer be the recipients of God's mercy.  It is such a difficulty for her to see her Son coming to the end of His patience, that she can't hold her motherly tears back.  She comes to a place that is already being afflicted with bad harvests.  The people blame God for their misfortune.  Mary comes down and in very baldly black and white words, spoken in the local dialect, tells the world that it is not God's fault when things go bad for us.  It is we who introduce evil into the world.  It is God who created everything good and it is God who supports everything in creation by his goodness.  He even gives us His mother as our mother to see to it that we recognize His goodness.  What more can we ask for?  It's up to us.  She's there doing her part.  She's there holding up the arms of her Son so that we can win the battle against the evil that we practice with so much ease.  She's the driving force behind our reconciliation with her Son.  How can we not say "yes" to her echo of her Son's order, "Go and make disciples of all nations...teaching them all that I have commanded you..."
[Mt 28, 19 - 20]
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News:  Thank you to Father Joven Junio, MS, pastor of St. Christopher parish in Moreno Valley for the kind thoughts, prayers and blessing.
Thank you to Justa Kubarii for her gentle email wishes and prayers.  She keeps comparing the view here with the view from her home land, Palau, a South Pacific Island.  One thing is sure, one or the other, it's all God's Country.
Keep your eyes open for changes and updates at the www.Lasalette.org site.  
Also, don't forget to visit www.portalsalette.com.br/index.php for your "You Tube" of events that have been taking place here.

BLESSING, REV. FR. DENNIS LOOMIS, MS -- SUPERIOR GENERAL

Today, a blessing from the Superior General of the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette

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My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As you gather for the first ever worldwide meeting of La Salette Associates, I wish you all a very warm welcome, all be it from a long distance. I regret that I am unable to join you in person, but I will be with you in prayer and in spirit. 

These past fifty years in Church history have presented us with a model of Church that goes back to the earliest times of our faith, and recaptured once again in the Second Vatican Council. Many observers of the Council have held that the most important outcome of the Council was to restore the proper place of the laity in the Mission of the Church. There were certain principals enunciated that clearly capture the role of the laity in a new light. When I was a young man, alas many years ago, the place of the laity was simply stated. Their place was to pray, pay and obey. That model of Church, fortunately, was completely discredited when by the grace of the Holy Spirit; John XXIII called for an Ecumenical Council, despite the objections from many in the hierarchy of the Church.

Thanks to this courageous act, a new age has dawned. Today a new principle has been enunciated to describe the Church, one that is all-inclusive rather than the former description that was heavily based on the principle that the most important part of the Church consisted of the clergy and the religious.

 In short, we the Council gave us a new vision.

First, we are all Disciples of Christ.

 Second, all of us share the responsibility for carrying out the mission of Christ.

 Third, the Church’s mission is the extension of Jesus’ proclamation of the Good News in service of the Kingdom.

In the Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity, we find the following:

            The principal duty of both men and women is to bear witness to Christ, and this they are obliged to do by their life and their words, in the family, in their social group, and in the sphere of their profession. (no.21)

We, the La Salette family, laity and religious, go forth together in our mission because of the two commands we have received.

“Go therefore, make disciples of all nations…”  (Mat. 28: 19)

“Well my children you will make this know to all my people.” O.L. of La Salette

We should not be afraid of the mission confided to us. We must always keep before us the promise of Jesus to those first disciples:

“And know that I will be with you always; yes, to the end of time.” (Mat. 28: 19)

With every best wish, and with all my prayers,

Yours truly,

Dennis Loomis, MS

Superior General of the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette.

BEAUTY, GOODNESS, TRUTH

THE BEAUTIFUL LADY

Over the last two days Father Isidro Perin, MS has been providing us with meditative reflections based on the facts of the vision as interpreted by the first people to come on contact with the Apparition as reported by the children, Maximin and Melanie.  He then took us through a series of reflections based on a re-reading of the facts, the conclusions of the past as developed by over one hundred years of spiritual experience by those who have adopted the Message as a rule of life.
We began by talking about the way the two children talked about what they had witnessed.  They constantly referred to the "Beautiful Lady."  So we reflected a long while on the meaning of that description of the "Lady."  We asked ourselves if she was really "beautiful" and if she was, what made her beautiful.  Two young children could have different views of beauty than those of us who live our lives today and still consider it to be the truth that she was beautiful.  They said that she was surrounded by light and that in itself would make her beautiful in their eyes.  There is also a certain depth to the description of her beauty because they reported that she cried all the time.  When people cry the natural, physical beauty which they may possess is dimmed somewhat by their aspect of sadness and trouble.  However, the children never wavered in their description of her.  Something deeper that physical beauty then had to move them to describe her as beautiful.  Through the years, those priests and bishops who were the first "on the scene," so to speak quickly came to the realizatiion that it was the Lady's expressions of goodness that made her so beautiful.  Inside the light, beyond the crucifix on her breast, besides the roses decorating her raiment.  This was a person who was special.  She was kind.  She was good.  She was gentle.  She took care of them.  They both had hard lives at home and here was a person who was reaching out to them.  That attitude hardly ever, if ever, was shown them at home.  They knew that she was good.  We know that she was good by the way she spoke and the way she behaved in their presence.  Although she was crying, she accepted their presence.  She did not shun them despite what could have been her embarrassing moment of discomfort.  More than that.  She acknowleged their presence by inviting them to approach her.  In her invitation, she was kind to them.  "Come near, my children..."  Imagine the feeling that these simple children must have felt to be invited so gently to come near to an adult.  Her kindness is most certainly an element of her beauty.  Even we can see beauty in kind and loving people, even though they are not really that beautiful physically.  The meeting of these two concepts drives the two children to not be afraid to report the event to the adults who ruled their lives.  The kindness and the perceived beauty convinced the children that what they were saying was the truth.  This was real.  Not only was it real for them, it was real to everyone else to whom they told the story.  Over and over again, without having to "sell" the story, the truth was easy to see because of the unity between the beauty and the kindness of the "Beautiful Lady."  As the discourse continued, the facts that the Lady recounted to the children proved to be true.  All the behavioral and natural elements that the Lady mentioned were true.  This was an encounter that was inevitably  bound to be judged true.
The lesson for us is clear.  As followers of Jesus and His Mother, we strive to behave in beautiful kindness so the truth of our actions will be visible.  It is essential for us to be able to be kind and truthful so that it will be clear by the beauty of our behavior that our message is in fact true.  This lesson is not just for La Salette people, of course.  However, since we have the model, it is our mission to put it out there for all to hear and to have a chance to put into practice.  

THE LANGUAGE OF THE APPARITION AT LA SALETTE

What is the language at La Salette?  Is it French? Portuguese, German? Spanish? Russian? English? A dialect of India?  Italian?  Tagalog?  Does anybody know?  Everyone knows and no one really knows. There are many people here at this "Encounter," the title that has developed for this moment who are true polyglots. There are also those for whom there is but one language, the one that they took from their mother.  After all is said and done, there is another language that ultimately is the reigning one here, the language that comes from the heart and soul of the mystery of Our Lady of La Salette, the Mother of Jesus.  This convocation is a 21st century development of the attitude and the behavior of Mama Mary.  Here two people start to talk to one another and realize that there is a better way.  They either change language or slow down and start using signs with their hands.  Yes, even though they are not Italian.  One of the miracles of the event is that the participants do not constantly seek out companions who speak their language.  They prefer to see what they can accomplish by trying to get answers to deeply personal and spiritual questions rather than to seek their personal comfort.  This is a case where the action of seeking and sacrificing personal comfort is a language in and of itself.  In fact, it is an imitation of the behavior of Mama Mary during her apparition here at La Salette.  She appeared to two unschooled cowherds.  She began by speaking to them in French.  Along the way in her discourse, she used an expression that they clearly did not understand. She then remarked, "My children, I see that you do not understand.  I will say it in a different way."  She then began to speak to them in their dialect.  She did not ask for the Holy Spirit's intervention to give the children the grace of understanding like what we read about in Acts.  No.  She accommodated herself to them.  The miracle here is that throughout the rigorous investigation of the children following the Apparition, they never wavered in their relating of the facts, even those which had been spoken in French. 
I mentioned using hands.  What about facial expressions?  Clothing?  Body position?  Physical beauty?  All of these speak volumes in the case of the La Salette Apparition. A beautiful woman, sitting, wracked with the emotional pain of sorrow.  A woman who is weeping and shedding copious tears -- Wait.  Not just a woman for whom we would have some degree of pity, but our Mother.  Not just our Mother, but the Mother of Jesus.  She was wearing clothing in the style of all the women in the area.  She did speak French to begin with, but she showed that she also knew the dialect and was not afraid to use it.  To speak to the children she stood up and got so close to them that they would say that another person could not have walked between them.  Who would not listen to such a person?  Who could not believe her after such an experience?  
In our encounter with our brothers and sisters from so many parts of the world, Africa, South America, North America, Southeast Asia and Europe we too stand so close to one another that we have to stand in a tight circle or sit around a small table to exchange our expressions of mind, body and soul.  It is true that not all of us can qualify as beautiful on the outside.  Oh, there are some, but certainly not the author of this article!  Yes, we are all  here together and yes, we are communicating.  Not necessarily through an interpreter.  We trust ourselves and we trust our brothers and sisters to the degree that we know that understanding is taking place.  When comfort at this level happens, speech is only a part of the message.
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Here are a couple of ways that you can get closer to the proceedings here at La Salette.  One is to got to the You Tube site and pick the download you like.  You will be able to see us on one or two.
You get there by clicking on this link 
You can also email the group who is here, being educated and exchanging ideas for the good of the world wide community.  The address for that is
Salette2011@gmail.com
Please continue to carry us in your prayers.  
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Here is what a holy man from St. Christopher Parish in Moreno Valley, California wrote to me after yesterday's report:
There is always someone who does not get the word.  Had I known motorcycles would be there, I would have attended.  Thanks for the update.
Thanks.

WE CELEBRATE SUNDAY WITH THE MOTORCYCLISTS OF CORPS

This has been a real busy week.  At the beginning I was sure that I would have a lot of time for reporting.  I have a lot of time for participation, and by the time the clock rolls over to the time I should have to let you know what's happening, I'm dead.  The first four days of sessions have been full, full, full.  They have been marked by some very moving human and Godly actions.  The following are some observations for your reading pleasure.  Starting almost backwards, like reading the book from the back to the front, you are looking at a group of motorcyclist helmets.  September 4th was a day when the motorcyclists of the region come to the La Salette Basilica for the annual blessing of their vehicles and their helmets.  There are slightly less than 50 helmets there, all of them brought to the front of the altar in solemn offertory procession.  The priest behind the altar brought his too.  It was a rather moving sight.  what made it all the more impressive is that the bikes were parked outside in two rows to form a main aisle.  It was beautiful,made all the more beautiful by the holy water that was sprinkling them from the clouds above.  Like the presiding celebrant said, "We bikers don't fear a little rain."  The whole ceremony was very nice to observe and it was conciliating to help the bikers of all ages celebrate the blessing of who they are.

But you didn't come here for a biker story.  The International La Salette Lay Associate Community started its work on September 1, 2011.  There were some 39 participants present with still at least 4 left to appear.  Now that we are at the 4th going to the 5th, all who are to be here are accounted for.
As usual, these things begin slowly while the participants,although trusting and open to one another, have not hit their stride.  The initial moments resemble the initial meeting between cousins who meet for the first time.  You may prefer the comparison between this and meeting your son's friends for the first time.  We give people the benefit of the doubt on these occasions because we trust the ability of our first degree relative to pick people we will like before bring them home.  So, given the common relationship we all have with Mary at La Salette, it is not difficult to feel somewhat comfortable with the situation.  So it was easy to get off to a running start.

The most glaringly interesting phenomenon that exists in the event is the progress that people make in the learning of how to compensate for language barriers.  We have four major languages trying to talk to another.  English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, followed by smaller groups of people whose native tongues are Polish, German and Italian.  Fortunately we do not have to learn any Tagalog for this event.  People who were ashamed and fearful to speak at first, are now relaxed and when they have to communicate, they just throw it our there and they find out that they can, in fact, have simple conversations.  Our translators are first rate and the simultaneous translation system is very efficient.  For this reason, some rather heavy-duty learning has been imparted and received.  It remains for the receivers to prepare themselves to be on the "imparting" end of the information in a rather short time.

That's the overview.  One detail that is easy to report is that in this first week we have acquired much information about the nature of the Lay Associate communities in the La Salette locations around the world.  Listening the descriptions of the communities as they operate in their home countries provides everyone with some pride in the nature of their community as well as provide some ideas for progress for everyone.

Take it easy.  Tomorrow is threatening to be a long and tedious day.  If I can get to you I will.  I can't make any promises.

FIRST FULL DAY OF THE "ENCUENTRO" --- MEETING LAY ASSOCIATES

Greetings from France.  It has been a full day.  It started with a short morning prayer and was opened with our daily celebration of the Holy Mass.  After  the Mass the Queen of Heaven who came to La Salette to weep over her children was enthroned as the true chair person of the event.
First some good news and some not so good news.


Delegate John LaRosa, Lay Associate Leader for the La Salette Lay Associates working with the La Salette Missionary Sisters in North America has had a personal set-back and needs out prayers.  John is in Fairfax, Virginia.  His father recently took a turn for the worst and the prognosis is not in favor of a long prolongation of life. Let us pray that the family finds peace in the harsh realities confronting it.  We pray for you and your loved ones, John.
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Update concerning father Maurice Cardinal, MS.  The news is for more life.  Father Maurice is presently recovering quite well.  He is alert, breathing on his own, talking and so it looks like the doctors were successful in accomplishing what they set out to do.  Let's keep praying so that the recovery will be complete and that he will be able to resume his ministry of being the Spiritual Guide for the Lay Associate Community on the West Coast.
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The Internet transmissions from La Salette have begun and there will be one special one of 15 minutes in length featuring Father Ron Gagne, Ellen Herrel, Isabel Dion.  If you want them to answer your questions, you can email to this address in the next 24 to 36 hours.  to watch the the 15 minute presentation, click here and follow directions  on September 5 at 11:45 AM New York Time (8:45 AM Los Angeles time). You will see us there.  If you want to have a better idea of the information being put on the table, you can even follow all the sessions in the same way.  This address brings you to the place where you will find a complete schedule of all the proceedings.  So, make yourselves at home.  Beware, this could cause you to lose some sleep.
The author of this blog has become the secretary of the proceedings.  
That's it for now.  Now that I am the secretary, this will be your shining light for information.