Jesus, you who on the cross were my model, my priest, my king, and my God, you who entrusted me to your mother, who forgave the thief, who thirsted for my salvation and who, after fulfilling the Scriptures, said that everything was finished; you, whose power tore the veil of the Temple, tear the veil of my illusions; you who brought the dead back to life, bring me back to the life of grace; you who split rocks, break the hardness of my heart so that, dying with you, I may also rise to new life with you.
On a recent Lenten Saturday, the Lay/Religious Alliance members from St. Anne/ St. Patrick's Parish in Sturbridge, MA and the Assumptionist Center in Brighton gathered for a day of prayer.
Fr. Claude Grenache, A.A., superior of the house and the provincial alliance liaison shared two reflective sessions on, "Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us the wrong we have done as we forgive those who wrong us," from Matthew's account of the Lord's Prayer.
Six days before the Passover, when the Lord came into the city of Jerusalem, the children ran to meet him; in their hands they carried palm branches and with a loud voice cried out: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed are you, who have come in your abundant mercy! O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory! Who is this king of glory? He, the Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed are you, who have come in your abundant mercy!
The fourth of six children, René Mertz was born in Riedwhir (Haut-Rhin), France, on February 18, 1907. After attending several Assumptionist high school seminaries, he joined the congregation and made his first vows on November 5, 1926, taking the name Amarin. After studying philosophy in Belgium and theology in France, he was ordained a priest at the end of 1934.
First Assignment: Manchuria (1935-1948)
Shortly thereafter, in October 1935, he left for Manchuria with Fr. Cyrille Paratte, the first two Assumptionists to set off for this Far East mission. He stayed for 13 years (1935-1948). During this time he would never be able to leave in order to see his family and often times he had a hard time corresponding with them. Already during his lifetime Fr. d’Alzon had his eye on the Orient and even mentioned to the Oblates of the Assumption, with a touch of humor, that they shouldn’t rest easy until they had arrived at the foot of the Great Wall of China! Since 1931 Manchuria had been in the hands of China’s bellicose and imperialistic neighbor, Japan.
