I pray that you have had a blessed Christmas and that God will grant you the graces necessary to your soul as we enter into the New Year.

Certainly, as we begin this year, our thoughts will occasionally drift into the future. "What does the New Year hold in store?" "How will the world change around me?" For the majority of men, the worldlings, these thoughts will turn to the material side of day to day life. "How can I make more money and add to my material possessions?" "How can I have more fun?" "How can I make life easier and more comfortable for myself?" Sad to say there are few concerned enough with their spiritual welfare to ask: "How will I draw closer to God?"

Yet is not this the only question that really matters and which should govern our present and future lives since it concerns the purpose for which we have been created; knowing, loving and serving God? Of course this question of drawing closer to God presupposes that we already have some knowledge of who God is and who or what we are in relation to Him. He is the Creator. We are the creatures. In Him we live and move and are. Once we have this knowledge, it is then easier to see the answers to our question.

One obvious way to draw closer to Him is through the elevation of our souls, whereby we express our feelings and petitions. This of course is prayer, which may be mental or vocal, public or private. The more fervent prayer is, the more powerful it is and the closer we are drawn to God.

Another way is by repairing the offenses we have committed against God. This we do by penance. Throughout the gospels we read how Jesus went about preaching penance to the people and this not just by words but also by example. He also placed other examples before us. He speaks to the crowd about St. John the Baptist, a man accustomed to hard things —a man full of the spirit of mortification, or self-denial.

According to the dictionary, penance is the voluntary inflicting of some suffering upon ourselves for the purpose of atoning for some wrong done; whereas penitence is defined as the state of being penitent, or of being contrite. Penitence is that spirit which so fills us with sorrow for our past evils or the evils committed by others, that we are moved to offer up to the offended majesty of God works of mortification.

Mortification, or self-denial, is skeptically looked upon by the world. In fact, those with the worldly view of life aim at avoiding all self-denial as a kind of evil, detrimental both to soul and body. Or they accept self-denial as a necessary evil merely for some natural and personal gain. Such do not understand the real reason for denying human nature. This reason is to be found in the fact that we are sinners, both before Baptism, and usually afterwards. The Bible, from cover to cover, continually reminds us of this fact, and exhorts us to atone for our many failings by sincere contrition or amendment.

All sin, mortal or not, ought to be included in this spiritual rehabilitation. However, how much more imperative is this conversion process when it is a question of mortal sin. If only we realized —or rather stopped to realize – how great and terrible an evil mortal sin really is, then not only would sorrow for it be excited in our hearts, but the future would see us avoid it. Some hurriedly say the prayers that the confessor designates, and then forget all about it. How can we forget so heinous an offense as a mortal sin against our good God? As St. John Eudes says: "Sin is a cruel murder, a frightful act of deicide, a ghastly annihilation of all things."

But venial sin ought to be the object of our sorrow as well. Some do not even think to confess their venial sins; others do not even realize that they have committed any. The chief fault here is once again the lack of contrition or sorrow. How can we hope to please God, if we care not how much or how often we offend Him, even though it be in a smaller matter? This is not the spirit of penitence, but rather the spirit of pride and deception.

Some too avoid contrition thinking it will make them sad. On the contrary, contrition is the only way back to true happiness. It is sin that makes a man sad; the hatred of sin makes him glad —glad in God, which is the only true happiness.

If we would learn more about this holy spirit, let us read in that book which our Savior wrote for us. It is an open book to all desiring to read from it, for it is none other than the Crucifix. There we shall find all the instruction and exhortation we need. It will open our eyes, and draw our hearts to convert.

In addition, Christ has also left us his Blessed Mother Mary. She has, at various times down through the ages, appeared to remind us of the need for prayer and penance. Her messages at La Salette, Lourdes and Fatima all warn us of the urgency for prayer and penance, not only for ourselves but also for others, and of her importance as the Mediatrix of all grace.

"If my people will not submit, I shall be forced to let go the hand of my Son. It is so strong, so heavy, that I can no longer withhold it. For how long a time do I suffer for you and you make no account of it! If I would not have my Son abandon you, I am compelled to pray to Him without ceasing. And as to you, you take no heed of it. However much you pray, however much you do, you shall never recompense the pains I have taken for you."  (La Salette, 1846)

"The righteous will suffer greatly. Their prayers, their penances and their tears will rise up to heaven and all of God’s people will beg for forgiveness and mercy and will plead for my help and intercession."  (La Salette, 1846)

"Penance, penance, penance, pray for sinners."  (Lourdes, 1858)

"Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to hell because there are none to sacrifice themselves and to pray for them."  (Fatima, 1917)

Certainly, to those who claim to adore Jesus Christ as the Son of God and honor His Mother the Blessed Virgin Mary, prayer and penance should be the staple of our spiritual lives. But at times each of us may need to be reminded to partake of this spiritual food and to ask "am I doing what I need to do to draw closer to God?"

In this report you will find pictures of our newly purchased property in Olivet, Illinois, which we plan to open as a boarding school for high school boys in the Fall of 2005. The beautiful church and buildings sit on nearly eighteen acres and are in surprisingly good condition. However some of the buildings are in need of more major repairs. Thus I recommend to your prayers and generosity this new property under the patronage of Our Lady of La Salette.