Pope Leo XIV in his letter on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America offers several important points for reflection as men religious. One of them provides a good context for our National Assembly next week and our ongoing work as leaders. “In my

The recent celebration of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ offers a good opportunity to reflect on our communion with Christ and one another. Our life is a communion among each other in Christ. Our communal life is centered on Christ, and we go forth

In the tradition of my own religious community, the Pallottines, our patroness is Mary, Queen of Apostles, whose feast day is the day before Pentecost. The image commissioned by St. Vincent Pallotti, the founder of my community, is of the Cenacle, the Upper Room, at Pentecost. It depicts Mary, the

“And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.” (Luke 24:15-16) In leadership and in community life, we sometimes lose the presence of Jesus walking with us, accompanying us. It is not purposeful.

Last week, we had our New Leader Workshop. Some of the leaders were major superiors and some were councilors. They were from jurisdictions large and small, from monastic communities to societies of apostolic life. Those gathered were a microcosm of CMSM. The concerns and issues, though, were similar, which is true

Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the traditional disciplines of Lent, but we as men religious often do these practices either individually or communally at various times throughout the year. In some ways, they are built into the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. What can we do in the

With the conclusion of the Christmas season, we enter liturgically into a brief few weeks of Ordinary Time. We also began a new calendar year. This time of year, we have an opportunity to reflect on where we have been and where we want to go, particularly in terms of

Advent offers us an opportunity to practice patience. It is a virtue that is becoming quite rare. Leadership often requires patience. Sometimes, it is patience in letting things develop instead of acting rashly or patiently listening to a brother in community who is hurting, in need, or telling the same

What are you grateful for? It is the time of year when we focus on such things. Amid many challenges and difficulties facing the world, the nations in which we serve, the Church, and our religious communities, it might be easier to name what we are concerned about, rather than

What does your communal life of prayer, fraternity, and ministry look like? How often does the leadership team reflect on it in its meetings or the community as a whole? Many other items of concern fill our meeting agendas, but experience shows that good reflection and action on the overall