J.M.J.T. + Pax Christi

DISCALCED CARMELITE FRIARS -

Monastery of the Espousals

166 Foster Street, Brighton, MA 02135-3902 (617) 787-5056

Christmas 1999

Dear Friends,

The Advent season is here again and I am always glad when it arrives, but a bit intimidated as well. I’m glad not only because Christmas is only a few weeks away, but also because I find myself obliged to be in touch with you again in order to let you know that you are still a dear friend of mine. What intimidates me is the thought of having to address envelopes, sign cards, and prepare this letter bringing you up to date since my last Christmas letter. Well, let me stop talking about it and get busy!

The past 12 months, that is God acting in them, have been good to me. And yet, they were a bit different from previous years. During the first several of those months I began to know what it is to grow old, namely, to have one’s body begin to fail in some respects. During the most recent months, on the other hand, I have been busier than I can ever remember.

Beginning in January, I had to contend with the effects of an enlarged prostate. I have known it is enlarged since 1988, but never till this year have I had to seek medical help. I put off seeing a Urologist for a while, then finally did get to see one in May. Because of his sincere concern for my health and also because of his thoroughness, I ended up having a bladder cystoscopy in June. It was an outpatient procedure, but when I was sent home I was wearing a catheter and a leg-bag. That was not a painful experience, but I did find it extremely uncomfortable, so much so that I called the Doctor’s office the next morning and insisted that they be removed that very day. They were. I had worn them for no more than 24 hours. What a tremendous relief!

That was a humbling experience in more ways than one. It brought home to me vividly how weak, helpless, and defective I am, both physically and spiritually. Because I had often told Our Lord that I was willing to suffer in order to have something to offer Him for the good of souls, my inability to endure that discomfort for more than 24 hours really took the wind out of my sails. I guess I needed that experience to cure me of being a bit smug over having coped so well with my defective knee during the latter part of 1998. The Lord is so GOOD! He really knows how to send us what is best for us. In my case, it taught me how little capable I am of suffering or of doing the least bit for Our Lord on my own. But in addition to my knowing my limitations more clearly, there is another happy ending. The urologist put me on medication that has helped to reduce considerably the effects that caused me a serious problem last January. This bod may be no good at suffering, but at least I am still capable of working and functioning in the several priestly ministries I share here at the Monastery and as Mission Procurator for the Province. God be praised!

With regard to my physical problems, on one occasion it occurred to me that unless my body eventually breaks down completely, my soul will remain trapped in time and will have to remain exiled from the Bosom of God, its true homeland. On one occasion I happened to mention this to the older of my two brothers-in-law, and it gave him pause. Then he said: I don’t mind if my soul is trapped in time! He is so good at making us laugh.

Speaking of my work as Mission Procurator, I did not have to travel as much or as far. This year I had only 15 weekends of Mission Appeals, compared to the 19 I had in 1998. Again, though, I was blessed with the assistance of several of our Friars, each of whom took one or more of the other 14 appeals we were permitted to do. Fr. Theodore Centala, OCD, who is stationed in Washington, DC, took the appeal in the diocese of Arlington, VA, Fr. John Grennon, OCD, who resides at our Monastery at Holy Hill, WI, where we maintain a Shrine in Honor of Mary Help of Christians, a favorite place of Pilgrimage, did two Mission appeals in the diocese of Lansing, MI, and three in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Friars here at home also assisted with appeals. Fr. Paul Trementozzi, OCD, did four appeals in our own Archdiocese of Boston, and Fr. Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, did two Mission Appeals in the diocese of Trenton, NJ, and two in the Archdiocese of Hartford, CT. Also, it turned out, we did better, collection-wise, this year with 29 appeals than we did last year with 34. As I say, God is GOOD!

The busy-ness began in May, when I assisted one of our priest/friars file for appointment as executor of the estate of a cousin of his. After that flurry of activity, sandwiched in between my other duties, in mid-June I went to spend several days in Rochester, NY, during which time my two sisters and their husbands organized and financed a dinner for family, relatives and close friends to celebrate the 50^th anniversary as a priest of my older brother, Msgr. George A. Cocuzzi. The weekend following that, I went to Fall River, MA, to attend the ordination of Fr. Roger Landry, one of identical twin sons of my dear friends Roger and Midge Landry of Lowell, MA. Finally, on the 4^th of July weekend, I began my trips to do Mission Appeals. I did 12 consecutive weekends of appeals which brought me to the very, very busy days of September and October. What made those months extremely busy is that, first of all, in September, I was back in Rochester between appeals that I had on two consecutive weekends in the Greensburg, PA diocese. Then I was away in Ludlow, MA, filling in for a priest friend on the weekdays between three consecutive weekends of appeals in October. Secondly, my priest/friar colleague and I were striving to fulfill all the requirements that had to be met in order to obtain from the Probate Court the license he needed to sell his cousin’s property before the middle of October, at which time the Fire Insurance coverage on it ran out. With the help of God, we did manage to pass papers on October 14^th. As I say, God is GOOD!

It’s been said that eating is a way of overcoming stress, or at least a way of reducing stress. This has to be true. I say that because in June I visited my primary care physician who is concerned about my cholesterol level. He said I could and should bring it down by losing weight. But even though I did sincerely intend and try to eat less from then on, I didn’t have much success. As it turns out, when I went back to him on December 6, I had gained seven pounds. Well, I don’t foresee as much stress in the days to come, so maybe I can shed a few pounds by the time I see him again in April, 2000.

One nice thing that happens each fall is my being able to resume taking part in the secular Order Meetings of several communities for which I am the spiritual assistant. Being with these Lay Discalced Carmelites each month, when mission appeals do not take priority, is really the source of my greatest ongoing contentment, not to say happiness. If only I didn’t have to drive to them during the late fall and winter months. Invariably, a meeting or two has to be cancelled because of bad weather or treacherous road conditions. Which makes me appreciate the times I do spend with them all the more.

But the really high point of this past Fall, and of the entire year, for that matter, was my being able to concelebrate Mass with a regional bishop and about fifteen priests in the presence of a reliquary containing some of the bones of St. Therese of the Child Jesus. That took place at the Carmel in Danvers, MA, on October 25. God is so, so GOOD!

Well, that does bring you up to date, at least as far as the highlights (or lowlights) of the past year of my life are concerned. I am sure that you all have had full and busy lives as well. And I sincerely hope that after thinking back on the year, all of you can also say: God is so GOOD! And May God be praised!

* * * *

When, before beginning this current letter, I re-read my Christmas letter of 1998, I discovered that I had ended my reflection on Jesus as the Light Who enlightens every human being who comes into the world by saying that each one of us can be a surrogate of Him. That is, He relates to others in and through me, and He relates to me in and through others.

Well, recently, on the Second Sunday of Advent, it came to my attention that the New Sunday Lectionary translates a familiar Psalm response in a different way. Instead of saying: Lord, let us see your FACE and we shall be saved, it says: Lord let us see your KINDNESS and we shall be saved. It occurs to me, therefore, that this indicates how it is that we can be the surrogates of Jesus to one another. You see, if the face of God is identified with KINDNESS, then every time I have experienced kindness, I have thereby seen, or experienced, the Face of God. And on the other hand, every time I treat another with kindness, I am, in turn, showing that person the Face of God.

Now, if we can show others the Face of God the Father, Who is a pure Spirit, it stands to reason that it should be easier for us to show others the Face of Jesus, who shares our humanity. As Christmas approaches, let us ask for the grace to show others the Face of the Child Jesus. Let us ask God to give us all the graces we need to turn and become like little children.

May this be your most blessed and happy Christmas ever!

With fond fraternal affection,

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