Author Archives: Ronald Patrick Raab, C.S.C.

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About Ronald Patrick Raab, C.S.C.

Ronald Raab, C.S.C.,serves as religious superior at Holy Cross House, a medical and retirement home for the Congregation of Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Indiana

“The Servant”: Matthew 8:5-11

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“The Servant” Matthew 8:5-11 Drawing: Ronald Raab, CSC

Monday of the First Week in Advent
MT 8:5-11

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress.” And he said to him, “I will come and cure him.”

The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.”

When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven.”

First Sunday of Advent: Matthew 24:37-44,”Stay awake”

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“Stay Awake” Painting: Ronald Raab, CSC (Bulletin cover, 11-27-16)

 

Our parish bulletin is now in full color. My painting here is the first cover. This is my column for this weekend. 

Dear Believers in the Awaited Christ,

Welcome to this New Year of Grace, 2017! We begin the liturgical cycle again. We start with profound longing for Christ as the gospel settles into our ears and expectations that God will set us free and bring peace to his people.

Matthew’s Gospel (24:37-44) begins this season with a wake-up call. “Therefore, stay awake!” We need to take this plea seriously. However, what are we to wake up to? Or to whom do we wake up? We wake up to the person of Jesus.

In these dark days of Advent in the northern hemisphere, we set our focus on the Light of Christ. This focus is so difficult in our complicated world. We live in a 24-hour world with many things competing to get our attention even in the night. We are bombarded with news events, stock market results, and decisions from world and political leaders all night long. We are never far from the Internet to rouse compulsion and addiction. We are always close to being disturbed by constant noise of battles, brutalities and bad choices. The gospel tells us to be careful about our attachments, even our marriages and our sobriety. Everything can be taken from us. Jesus will come when we least expect. Listen cautiously. Do not be distracted. Let go of your hardened heart. Learn to pray anew.

Notice that Advent begins with yanking us out of our daily concerns and not setting us up for the coming of the Christ Child. We are not waiting for the baby in Advent. Christ is here already; salvation has come, not only the birth of Christ but in his passion, death and resurrection.

Advent is a fleeting time given cultural expectations of how we are to live in these days before Christmas. Decorations are hung before Halloween. Presents are wrapped be even before Labor Day. Cookies are baked and meals are planned. However, what about your spiritual life? How is your heart prepared again for Christ? I cringe at most of the cultural Christmas stuff. It is not that I am a curmudgeon, but that I know how much disappointment and loss also settles into this season. I want us to focus on the children whose parents’ divorced this year; to see the old woman in the fetal position in the nursing home whose family lives out of state; to be with the widower in the parish who just needs a kind ear; to reflect on the true gifts of your family, the real presence of love and faith. Live differently in Advent and don’t worry about staying home with your kids during the office party. Don’t take stock what you purchase for your children when they really need is you. Wake up! Stay alert to the real stuff.

Use the Advent night to pray, to cuddle with your children or call your adult children in a different time zone. Pray for a lasting peace for immigrants, foster children, people addicted to selfishness, and offer your life to the adult Christ who wants to live in your heart and the lives of those you love. “Therefore, wake up!”

Advent blessings,

Fr. Ron

 

Psalm 95: Come, Lord Jesus!

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“Come, Lord Jesus”: Pastel: Ronald Raab, CSC

Responsorial Psalm Ps 95:1-2, 3-5, 6-7ab

R. (1 Cor 16: 22b, see Rev. 22: 20c) Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
For the LORD is a great God,
and a great king above all gods;
In his hands are the depths of the earth,
and the tops of the mountains are his.
His is the sea, for he has made it,
and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
R. Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!

Luke 21:29-33

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Pastel: Ronald Raab, CSC

Gospel Lk 21:29-33

Jesus told his disciples a parable.
“Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
When their buds burst open,
you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;
in the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near.
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.”

Prayer: (Raab)

Lord God, open our hearts to rest in your Kingdom love. Establish here on earth a revolution of tenderness and peace. May hatred melt into helping others. May violence be transformed into hope for daily work and food to sustain our families. Help the voiceless give praise to you. Give us courage to not blame others for their poverty, their illnesses or diseases. Encourage us to work for your Kingdom when we capture a glimpse of your presence in the Eucharist. Bring us into communion with your fidelity and peace and help us all be grateful.  Amen

The Unsheltered Heart: An Advent At-Home Retreat (Cycle A)

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Order copies of The Unsheltered Heart: An Advent At-Home Retreat (Cycle A), 2010, by Ronald Patrick Raab, CSC,  from Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, Indiana.

TO ORDER CLICK HERE

REVIEW:

by Linda Showman,

U.S. Catholic – November 29, 2010 –

At first glance, the title of this book is not the most enticing approach to a retreat: Does one not enter into a retreat with the purpose of finding calm and peace? Don’t we expect the results of reflection to be direction, comfort, protection, even answers from God? Shelter from heartbreak is the very thing we seek when approaching God.

Father Ronald Raab, C.S.C., works from the premise that the slings and arrows, the sufferings of life shut down the heart, cover it, close it to fend off further wounds. This all-too-human response, however, also closes it to love—love of God, love of neighbor. He suggests that through the difficult process of exposing the heart, we can recover our ability to receive the love of Jesus and others, and to give love in return.

This retreat is meant to move during Advent toward the celebration of complete Love revealed in the Incarnation, so that we might hope to obtain authentic direction, comfort, protection, and answers from God by assuming this intentional place of vulnerability.

Raab presents a workable structure. He sources the retreat in scripture and exhorts the practitioner to read and reflect upon the Cycle A gospel readings of Advent for a given Sunday. He assists the process with significant imperatives as steps for each day: “Welcome the Stranger Called Silence, Discover Your Story Within the Word, Connect to the Waiting World, Respond to the Cry of the Prophets, and Pray.

He offers assistance through his own thoughts, providing examples for honest self-reflection in light of the gospel. Raab contributes interpretations of the prophets, while offering prompts with specific directions for thought and action. Practically, the format is very clear, with space for writing for each day in response to his guidance. His instructions lend themselves to faithful daily practice and the “pamphlet” sizing makes the entire retreat self-contained and easily managed.

Linda Showman is the Associate Director of Pastoral Formation, Mount Angel Seminary in St. Benedict, Oregon.