From Marbury's Hilltop

St. Brigid of Ireland

2012-02-01T14:06:00.000-08:00

There are many wonderful stories about St. Brigid. They seem strange to us, living as we do in a very scientific world. She was the daughter of Dubthach, a petty chieftain and Brocessa who was a Christian slave in his household. At the time she was born, her father had been forced by his wife to sell Brocessa to a faraway Druid. But Brigid belonged by right to her father and so he brought her back when she was old enough. Yet, early in life she became noted for her generosity. This caused Dubthach's wife to insist she too be sold. So one morning Dubthach took her in chariot to the King of Leinster, who had been baptized by St. Patrick. While Dubthach was inside making arrangements with the King, a leper came up to the chariot and begged for alms. All that was with Brigid in the chariot was her father's sword, sparkling with jewels in its hilt. One can imagine her father's fury when he came back out! He raised such a row that the King came out. When he learned what had happened, he told her father "Leave her along, for her merit before God is greater than ours." With this, Brigid not only was able to return to her father, but he had to give her her freedom. She was no longer a slave. One of her first concerns was to visit her mother. She found her sick and worn out from the heavy work of being in charge of the dairy. (She had to do it all herself.) Brigid immediately took over her mother's work. One of her tasks was to separate the milk from the cream and make the butter. Here too, she was generous with the poor who came to her, giving them generously the skim milk and butter. Soon word reached the Master and his wife. They came with a huge hamper with which to carry away the milk and butter that rightfully belonged to them. They noticed immediately that the there was not much to be found in the dairy. However, Brigid met them and served them a generous meal. Then, while they ate, she began to fill the hamper. Before their amazed eyes, butter and milk seemed to appear. The more she took off the shelves, the more there was. They were so impressed that they easily acquiesced and gave Brigid's mother her freedom as well.
Soon after Brigid went to the Bishop to petition him to let her be a nun. As St. Patrick notes in his Confession, many of the Irish wanted to become monks and nuns. But before Brigid those who wished to be nuns had to remain in their own homes. This brought much trouble and suffering on them, as often their families would still be pagan. Brigid told the Bishop of her desire to set up real monasteries for women, to give them the safety and security they needed. He wholeheartedly agreed. This is how she spent the rest of her life. After a monastery of nuns was fully formed and secure she would go elsewhere, gather the nuns who lived by themselves and build a monastery for them.
You may have seen or heard of St. Brigid's cross. It is an ancient tradition among the Irish to make one of her feast day, and after having it blessed to keep it in their homes. The story behind it is this. One day one of the Christians in the household of a pagan chieftain in the area of Kildare asked her to come and pray over his master, as he was dying and very delirious. Brigid sat down and while trying to talk to him picked up some of the rushes that were strewn on the floor. She began to weave them into a cross. The chieftain asked her what she was doing so she began to explain the Cross to him. This calmed him down and eventually he was baptized before he died.

2012-01-28T15:14:00.000-08:00

St. Dominic and St. Thomas

St. Nicholas in Bari

St. Thomas once told his sister, who asked him how to become a saint, "Will it!" That may seem a bit simplified, as there are many tomes telling us step by step details, with the different degrees of humility, etc. etc. But actually it is that simple. Love, St. Thomas tells us, is an act of the will. And it is on love that we will be judged. Our Lord said that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments. It is all about choosing. For example, Mother Teresa is known never to say anything negative about anyone. One time a certain lady was trying to get her to say something bad about the government of India. Finally she said, "Look Mother, be honest. You know our government is full of corruption." Mother Teresa looked at her and said, "Yes, I know it is. But I choose to see only the good." This is exactly what we are all called to do. Unless it is our duty to correct someone, we must choose to see only the good. And this goes in other circumstances. When we have choices to make, we must choose the good - especially as the Church as explained it to us. In our present day it is really hard to know what is the true good. And the Church does not just simply say something is good. But her various theologians study the question from all sides and lay it before the Holy Father, who, trusting in the Holy Spirit, decides what is good.

This following passage from a conference preached by St. Thomas tells us a great deal about what is expected of us in regard to charity.

"It is evident that not all are able to labor at learning and for that reason Christ has given a short law. Everyone can know this law and no one may be excused from observing it because of ignorance. This is the law of divine love. As scripture says, The Lord will quickly execute sentence upon the earth.

This law should be the standard for all human actions. In the case of products of human manufacture, each product is considered right and good when it conforms to a standard. So also each human act is considered right and virtuous when it conforms to the standard of divine love. But when a human act does not conform to the standard of love, then it is not right, nor good, nor perfect.

This law of divine love accomplishes in a person four things that are much to be desired. First, it is the cause of one’s spiritual life. For it is evident that by the very nature of the action what is loved is in the one who loves. Therefore whoever loves God possesses God in himself; for scripture says, Whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. It is the nature of love to transform the lover into the object loved. And so if we love God, we ourselves become divinized; for again, Whoever is joined to God becomes one spirit with him. Augustine adds, “As the soul is the life of the body, so God is the life of the soul.” Thus the soul acts virtuously and perfectly when she acts through charity, and through charity God lives in her; indeed, without charity she cannot act; for scripture says, Whoever does not love, remains in death. If a person possesses all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but lacks charity, that person has no life. For it matters not whether one has the grace of tongues, or the gift of faith, or any other gift such as prophecy; these do not bring life without charity. Even if a dead body should be adorned with gold and precious jewels, it nevertheless remains dead.

The second point about charity is that it leads to the observance of the divine commandments. Gregory the Great says that charity is not idle. For charity is present if one is occupied about great things; but if one is not so occupied, charity is not present. We see a lover do great and difficult things because of the one loved, and that is why the Lord says, Whoever loves me will keep my word. Whoever keeps this command and the law of divine love fulfills the whole law. A third point about charity is that it provides protection against adversity. For misfortune cannot harm one who has charity; rather it becomes useful to that person; as scripture says, All things work for good for those who love God. Furthermore, misfortune and difficulties seem pleasant to the lover, and our own experience verifies this.

A fourth point about charity is that it truly leads to happiness, since eternal blessedness is promised only to those who have charity. For all other things are insufficient without charity. You must note that it is only the different degrees of charity, and not those of any other virtues, which constitute the different degrees of blessedness. Many of the saints were more abstemious than the apostles, but the apostles excel all the other saints in blessedness because of their higher degree of charity."

From a conference by St. Thomas Aquinas (Opuscula, In duo praecenta... Ed. J.P. Torrel, in Revue des Sc. Phil. Et Théol., 69, 1985, pp. 26-29.

2012-01-18T14:33:00.000-08:00

Today begins the Church unity Octave (January 18th). It used to be the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter in Rome. (It still is in the EF). this idea came from Fr. Paul of Graymoor and he promulgated it in 1907, two years before he entered the Church. Like many Protestants, he was seeking the truth and he was seeking unity. They felt unity was absolutely necessary, yet Christianity seemed to become more and more fragmented. Fr. Paul was Anglican, like Blessed John Henry Newman. The following is his original novena for this intention. It was formally approved by Pope St. Pius X, then Blessed John XXIII and Pope Paul VI.

ANTIPHON: That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, in Me and I in Thee; that they also may
be one in Us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. (John 17:21)

V. I say unto thee that thou art Peter,
R. And upon this Rock I will build My Church.

Now consider the intention for this particular day, and say the following prayer:

Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ, Who saidst untoThine Apostles peace I leave with you, My
peace I give unto you, regard not our sins, but the faith of Thy Church, and vouchsafe to grant
unto Her that peace and unity which are agreeable to Thy Will Who livest and reignest, God,
forever and ever. Amen.

Intentions for each day.
January 18 — The union of all Christians in the one true Faith and in the Church
January 19 — The return of separated Eastern Christians to communion with the Holy See
January 20 — The reconciliation of Anglicans with the Holy See
January 21 — The reconciliation of European Protestants with the Holy See
January 22 — That American Christians become one in union with the Chair of Peter
January 23 — The restoration of lapsed Catholics to the sacramental life of the Church
January 24 — That the Jewish people come into their inheritance in Jesus Christ
January 25 — The missionary extension of Christ’s kingdom throughout the world

2012-01-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

St. Margaret of Hungary belonged to the royal family of Arpad - the founding dynasty of Hungary. This family counts among its members many saints - among them we find St. Stephen and St. Ladislaus, Kings of Hungary, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Margaret's aunt (her mother's sister) and Bl. Elizabeth of Buda, a grand niece of hers who also became a Dominican nun. Her oldest sister is Blessed Cunegunda, who became Queen of Poland and later entered the Poor Clares.

At the time of Margaret's birth, Hungary, like most of Central and Eastern Europe, was being destroyed by the Tartars. King Bela IV and his wife promised God that if He would spare their country from further devastation they would consecrate the child the Queen was expecting to Dominican religious life. Consequently when Margaret was 3 the Queen brought her to the Dominican nuns at Vesprim. This monastery was founded in 1222 by Paul of Hungary, the Dominican Apostle of Hungary and a martyr. The prioress of this monastery was well renown for her sanctity. In fact, she is the first Dominican known to have received the stigmata.

Margaret developed a great love for all the customs and practices of Dominican life. The Divine Office was her greatest joy and source of contemplation. Meditation on the Passion, another feature of Dominican life brought her to live as closely conformed to Christ as possible. She loved the Church and once said "Am I not a child of Holy Church? How then could her sorrows leave me indifferent?"

She called Our Lady "My sweetest Hope, Hope of the world." One of the practices St. Dominic gave his children was to dedicate everything to Our Lady by saying the Hail Mary before any action. Thus, for example, before recreation and at the end, we say a Hail Mary, so that everything in it may belong to her. At the age of 4, Margaret had learned this so well, that when her little friends came to play, she would say, "let us say a Hail Mary first and then play."

She certainly needed Our Lady's help as she got older. When she was 7 her father came to visit bringing with him a Polish prince. This prince decided he wanted to marry Margaret. Yet she was determined, at that early age, to be faithful. she had already decided she would keep her vow, and her parent's vow, and belong totally to Christ. When she was 10 her father built a monastery on Our Lady's Isle (later called St. Margaret's Isle) in the Danube, where it passed by Buda, the capital city. ( At that time Buda was on one side of the river, and Pest on the other. In time a bridge was built and the two became one city - Budapest) Several nuns came along and soon it too was flourishing. When she was 12 the Dominican Order held it's General Chapter in Buda and Blessed Humbert of Romans was elected Master General. Margaret took advantage of this opportunity and asked him to allow her to make her Profession of Vows. All seemed set, yet when she was 18 she was tested again. The Prince of Bohemia came to sign a treaty with her father to come to Hungary's aid in case of attack either from Austria, which wanted to take over Hungary, or from the Tartars. The Prince of Bohemia was very powerful and of course the King wanted his help. But he set a price on this - the hand of Margaret in marriage. The King, forgetting his vow to God, was determined that Margaret should marry. She was just as determined. Finally she received permission to receive the Solemn Blessing of Virgins. This is a special rite never used by Dominicans, yet by receiving this Blessing, she could never be forced to leave the monastery to be married.

If you ever visit Budapest, you can still see the ruins of this monastery. When it was destroyed, we don't know. But lately we have been reading a new book on Our Lady in Hungary (Our Mother's tears) and her weeping images. What a lot of suffering the people of Hungary have endured in the last 500 years! We know that after the fall of Communism an effort was made to re establish a Dominican monastery of nuns, but so far it has not been successful. We certainly pray to Margaret for Hungary. May she who was consecrated to God for the sake of her country come to their aid and help them.

Holy Name of Jesus

2012-01-03T13:33:00.000-08:00

Today we keep the restored feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. It was St. Bernadine of Siena, the great preacher of the Holy Name, that had the Name of Jesus added to the Hail Mary. But the long term promoters of the Holy Name were Dominicans! In 1274 Blessed Pope Gregory X ordained that The Dominican Order should take up preaching the faithful great reverence and love for the Holy Name of Jesus. Blessed John of Vercelli, fifth Master General ardently took up this project and in every Church of the Order there was an altar dedicated to the Holy Name. By 1423 processions in honor of the Holy Name were being held everywhere and the Confraternity of the Holy Name of Jesus (now called the Society of the Holy Name) was erected. It was always under the immediate jurisdiction of the Master of the Dominican Order. In each monastery and convent of the Order, on the Second Sunday of each month a procession in honor of the Holy Name of Jesus should take place.

Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus,

LORD have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Jesus hear us.
Jesus graciously hear us.
O God the Father, of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
O God the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, Son of the living God,
Have mercy on us.
Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary,
Etc.
Jesus, Son of David,
Jesus, most kind,
Jesus, most loving,
Jesus, most meek,
Jesus, most gentle,
Jesus, most mild,
Jesus, most sweet,
Jesus, full of pity,
Jesus, most amicable,
Jesus, most merciful,
Jesus, most bountiful,
Jesus, most gracious,
Jesus, most lovely,
Jesus, most noble,
Jesus, most renowned,
Jesus, most glorious,
Jesus, chosen of ten thousand,
Jesus, Splendour of the Father's glory,
Jesus, Figure of the Father's substance,
Jesus, Spouse of chaste souls, flowing with de lights,
Jesus, vivifying Gem of Divine Honour,
Jesus, unfading Flower of human dignity,
By Thy sweetest Name,
By the compassion of Thy Divine Heart,
By the union of the Divinity with Thy Humanity,
By the love wherewith Thou didst come down from Heaven and complete the work of human redemption,
By the love wherewith Thou didst will to be laid in the manger,
By the love wherewith Thou didst suck the chaste breasts of the Virgin Mary,
By the love wherewith for thirty-three years Thou didst endure all our miseries,
By the love wherewith Thou didst undergo a most bitter death,
By the love wherewith Thou didst will Thy Heart to be pierced,
By the love wherewith at Thy Resurrection Thou didst glorify Thy sacred Body,
By the love wherewith Thou hast placed Thy Humanity at the right hand of the Father,
By the love wherewith Thou dost make glad Thy Saints with the comeliness of Thy Face,
By the love wherewith Thou dost show Thy deified Heart to the Father for us sinners,
By the mutual love of Thy Divinity and Thy Humanity,

Jesus Christ,
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us, O Jesus.

V. Graciously hear us, O Jesus, Saviour of the world.
R. To Whom nothing is impossible, save to refuse mercy to the wretched.

Let us pray.

O MOST tender Jesus, true Sweetness of all who flee to Thee for refuge, receive this my prayer which I devoutly offer Thee through Thy sweetest Heart, to the everlasting praise of Thy sweetest Name; beseeching Thee, by that love wherewith Thou didst will to receive that most holy Name and to make it so sweet and so lovely to all the faithful, that by the virtue of that most sacred Name Jesus Thou wouldst vouchsafe to strengthen me in all temptations, and to be with me in my last hour, according to Thy faithful promise: Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen

2011-12-22T05:38:00.000-08:00

The Holy Father in his Wednesday audience yesterday, has given us a wonderful reflection to help us prepare for the celebration of Christmas.

With the Christmas liturgy, the Church introduces us to the great Mystery of the Incarnation. Christmas, in fact, is not a mere anniversary of Jesus' birth -- it is also this, but it is more -- it is the celebration of a mystery that has marked and continues to mark mankind's history -- God Himself came to dwell among us (cf. John 1:14), He made Himself one of us; a mystery that concerns our faith and our very lives; a mystery that we experience concretely in the liturgical celebrations, especially in the Holy Mass.

Someone might ask himself: How can I live out now an event that took place so long ago? How can I participate fruitfully in the birth of the Son of God, which took place over 2,000 years ago? During the Holy Mass on Christmas Night, we will repeat as a refrain to the responsorial psalm, these words: "Today a Savior is born for us." This adverb of time "Today," which is used repeatedly throughout the Christmas celebrations, refers to the event of Jesus' birth and to the salvation that the incarnation of the Son of God comes to bring.

to read on: http://www.zenit.org/article-34029?l=english

And the Pope has also approved of the canonization of 7 new saints among them Blessed Kateri Tekawitha!

2011-12-20T05:46:00.000-08:00

The days are passing very swiftly! Yet we continue to beseech Jesus to come quickly! Following the suggestion of Pope Benedict XVI let us spend these days with St. Joseph as he prepares the stable for the Birth of Our Savior!

Joseph appears to us ever attentive to the voice of the Lord, who guides the events of history, and ready to follow the instructions, ever faithful, generous and detached in service, an effective teacher of prayer and of work in the hidden life at Nazareth. I can assure you, dear Seminarians, that the further you advance with God's grace on the path of the priesthood, the more you will experience what abundant spiritual fruits result from calling on St Joseph and invoking his support in carrying out your daily duty. Speech to Seminarians, February 25, 2006

In these last days of Advent the liturgy invites us to contemplate in a special way the Virgin Mary and St Joseph, who lived with unique intensity the period of expectation and preparation for Jesus' birth.

Today, I would like to turn my gaze to the figure of St Joseph. In today's Gospel St Luke presents the Virgin Mary as "a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David" (cf. Lk 1: 27). The Evangelist Matthew, however, places a greater emphasis on the putative father of Jesus, stressing that through him the Child belonged legally to the lineage of David and thus fulfilled the Scriptural prophecy that the Messiah would be a "son of David".

But Joseph's role cannot be reduced to this legal aspect. He was the model of a "just" man (Mt 1: 19) who, in perfect harmony with his wife, welcomed the Son of God made man and watched over his human growth.

It is therefore particularly appropriate in the days that precede Christmas to establish a sort of spiritual conversation with St Joseph, so that he may help us live to the full this great mystery of faith.

Beloved Pope John Paul II, who was very devoted to St Joseph, left us a wonderful meditation dedicated to him in the Apostolic Exhortation Redemptoris Custos, "The Guardian of the Redeemer".

Among the many aspects on which this Document sheds light, the silence of St Joseph is given a special emphasis. His silence is steeped in contemplation of the mystery of God in an attitude of total availability to the divine desires.

In other words, St Joseph's silence does not express an inner emptiness but, on the contrary, the fullness of the faith he bears in his heart and which guides his every thought and action.

It is a silence thanks to which Joseph, in unison with Mary, watches over the Word of God, known through the Sacred Scriptures, continuously comparing it with the events of the life of Jesus; a silence woven of constant prayer, a prayer of blessing of the Lord, of the adoration of his holy will and of unreserved entrustment to his providence.

It is no exaggeration to think that it was precisely from his "father" Joseph that Jesus learned - at the human level - that steadfast interiority which is a presupposition of authentic justice, the "superior justice" which he was one day to teach his disciples (cf. Mt 5: 20).

Let us allow ourselves to be "filled" with St Joseph's silence! In a world that is often too noisy, that encourages neither recollection nor listening to God's voice, we are in such deep need of it. During this season of preparation for Christmas, let us cultivate inner recollection in order to welcome and cherish Jesus in our own lives.
Angelus, December 18, 2005

2011-12-17T05:19:00.000-08:00

Today we begin the immediate preparation for Christmas and excitement fills the halls of the monastery. Yesterday we began with the Solemn Novena - "Come O Lord and do not delay!" Today we begin the O Antiphons. We start the journey with Mary and Joseph as they begin their long trek to Bethlehem so that the prophecies concerning the birthplace of the Messiah will be fulfilled.

The Holy Father has begun his preparations too, with the lighting of the Vatican tree. This year it comes from Zakapathia, a region in Ukraine.

2011-12-07T13:55:00.000-08:00

St. Ambrose Bishop of Milan was a good friend of St. Augustine and the one who baptized him into the Catholic Church. He had assured St. Monica, his mother, before this that surely the child of so many tears would not be lost. St. Nicholas, whose feast we celebrated yesterday, was present at the Council of Nicea which condemned Bishop Arius. But Arianism was very strong and when St. Ambrose became Bishop of Milan, he had a hard fight to overcome their errors. In fact, according to an account left to us by St. Augustine, what has been called Ambrosian chant comes from this struggle. It seems that Empress Justina was determined to keep the Portian Basilica, which she claimed for the Arians. St. Ambrose filled the church with Catholics and kept them there night and day until the peril was past. And he arranged psalms and hymns for them to sing, as St. Augustine says, "secundum morem orientalium partium ne populus mæroris tædio contabesceret" (after the manner of the Orientals, lest the people should languish in cheerless monotony). The Milanese rite, also called Ambrosian rite is named after St. Ambrose. It is one of the many rites that used to be found in the Latin, or Western Church. Most people are unfamiliar with the fact that the Roman rite is just one of those Western rites that was used. There was some effort to surpress all rites except the Roman rite and this was successful after Vatican II. Only the Ambrosian rite survived, but this had to follow certain "renewals." Fortunately in the last several years, the original Ambrosian rite was restored.

Some other rites in the Latin Church were the Mozarabic, Gallican or Lyonese rite, Dominican, and Franciscan. Some of these had strong Eastern influences. Presently some of these rites are being restored, for example, the Mozarabic rite, which belongs to Spain is fully restored in many places in Spain, the Gallican rite is used in Lyons, France, and the Dominican rite.

St. Nicholas

2011-12-06T05:41:00.000-08:00

Saint Nicholas, kindliest of bishops, now with God in heaven's glory, we who are pilgrims still, pray you to show us kindness on our weary way, and when life's span has ended, to shepherd us to happiness above.

Dominican Liturgy

St. Nicholas is certainly one of the most favorite saints of both East and West. There are more customs surrounding St. Nicholas than any other saint. The Dominican Order has long devotion to St. Nicholas. When the Church of St. Nicholas in Bologna was given to ST. Dominic, the Church was trying to heal the schism that had occurred with the Orthodox Churches. Dominicans also were involved with the dialogue and continue to do so until today. To help in this endeavor it was decided by one of the General Chapters that each Dominican church should have an altar in honor of St. Nicholas and that each day special prayers should be recited by the community to him. Unfortunately this practice has died out, but we still have a great devotion to him. In the Dominican Liturgy his Office for today was proper. And the his Shrine in Bari is taken care of by Dominicans since 1951.

St. Francis Xavier

2011-12-03T05:07:00.001-08:00

“Caritas Christi urget nos” (2 Cor 5:14): it is the love of Christ that fills our hearts and impels us to evangelize. Today as in the past, he sends us through the highways of the world to proclaim his Gospel to all the peoples of the earth (cf. Mt 28:19). Through his love, Jesus Christ attracts to himself the people of every generation: in every age he convokes the Church, entrusting her with the proclamation of the Gospel by a mandate that is ever new. Today too, there is a need for stronger ecclesial commitment to new evangelization in order to rediscover the joy of believing and the enthusiasm for communicating the faith. In rediscovering his love day by day, the missionary commitment of believers attains force and vigour that can never fade away. Faith grows when it is lived as an experience of love received and when it is communicated as an experience of grace and joy. It makes us fruitful, because it expands our hearts in hope and enables us to bear life-giving witness: indeed, it opens the hearts and minds of those who listen to respond to the Lord’s invitation to adhere to his word and become his disciples. Porta Fidei, 7, Pope Benedict XVI

St. Francis Xavier, one of the first companions of St. Ignatius, was filled with the desire to "set all afire" on love with Christ. He worked ceaselessly as a missionary in India and Japan and hoped to set foot in China. Yet his work was constantly being undermined and undone, first by the Portuguese traders who lived on the coasts of India and whose bad example gave great scandal, and then by Moslem terrorists who would slaughter thousands of those he had just baptized. Yet he never gave up! St. Francis understood the duty imposed upon all who are baptized - the duty to spread the faith to all around us. Though we are not called to evangelized like St. Francis, we are duty bound to spread the faith to those we live with, even to our own family members. We do this primarily by living a good Catholic life, faithful to all that the Church teaches and being ready to explain the reasons why we do this.
This is one of the primary reasons why the Holy Father has set aside a "Year of Faith." In his Letter he gives several projects he wants us each to do in preparation for and during the "Year of Faith." One is that of studying the Catechism of the Catholic Faith. There is so much we can learn just by reading it ourselves, and there are excellent study programs we can take to help us gleam even more out of the text! Another thing the Holy Father wants us to do is study Church History. This is important, and even more important is to find a good Catholic course, as much error abounds!
One thing that will be of decisive importance in this Year is retracing the history of our faith, marked as it is by the unfathomable mystery of the interweaving of holiness and sin. While the former highlights the great contribution that men and women have made to the growth and development of the community through the witness of their lives, the latter must provoke in each person a sincere and continuing work of conversion in order to experience the mercy of the Father which is held out to everyone. PF13

St. Andrew the first called

2011-11-30T15:33:00.001-08:00

Let us adore Christ, the most triumphant King; he crowned Andrew his apostle, victor through the trophy of the Cross.

The Lord delighted in Andrew as a pleasing odor, alleluia.

O good Cross, you received majesty and beauty from the limbs of the Lord, receive me from among men and restore me to my Master, that He who through you redeemed me, may, through you, receive me.

In the Eastern Churches, Saint Andrew the Apostle is called the First called, as he was the first to listen to St. John the Baptist and follow Jesus. You remember how after spending the day with Jesus, he went to his brother and told him - "We have found the Messiah!" and brought him to Jesus. This is a special day for the Church in another way as St. Andrew is considered the patron saint of the Eastern Churches and the Holy Father sends his representative to Constantinople to celebrate the feast with the Patriarch. You may remember a couple of years ago the Pope went himself for this Feast .

St. Josaphat, Martyr

2011-11-11T15:13:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrate the Feast of a martyr for unity, St. Josaphat. He was a native of Ruthenia. And where is/was Ruthenia? you are probably wondering. Ruthenians, also sometimes called Rusyns, among other names, belong to the same Slavic tribes as the ancient 'Rus of Ukraine/ Kyiv area. But they have their own heritage and history. The area they lived in was pretty much around Western Ukraine, Belarus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, etc. It was a pretty large area at one time. Like many other peoples they almost disappeared, but now they are reclaiming their heritage. Thanks to the work of St. Josaphat and others they struggled hard to remain united to the Pope. Unfortunately the efforts of Latin clergy to forcibly Latinize them (i.e. make them give up their Byzantine heritage) did more damage than did the efforts of some Orthodox clergy. You can read more about them at the Catholic Near East website.

(please note that Ruthenian is actually a Latinized form of Rusyn)

It is very interesting, but Ruthenia in the 17th century was the largest province (St. Hyacinth) in the whole Dominican Order, even larger than Spain! they had over 21 monasteries. These Dominicans were Ruthenian rite and worked hard to help the people remain faithful to their heritage and loyalty to the Pope. However in 1648 the new Greek Orthodox Patriarch had a special hatred for Catholics and he hired 200,000 Cossack troops to destroy the Dominicans in Ruthenian. In one year all these monasteries were destroyed and the Order gained over 500 martyrs. This didn't stop the Dominicans though! As soon as it was possible they began to build again. It wasn't until the Communist takeover after WWII that the Dominican Order disappeared from this area.

An important fact to mention is that Pope John Paul II's mother was a Ruthenian rite Catholic. They are very proud of this fact!

St. Leo the Great

2011-11-10T14:01:00.000-08:00

Troparion (Tone 3)
You were the Church's instrument
in strengthening the teaching of true doctrine;
you shone forth from the West like a sun dispelling the errors of the heretics.
Righteous Leo, entreat Christ God to grant us His great mercy

Troparion (Tone 8)

O Champion of Orthodoxy, and teacher of holiness,
The enlightenment of the universe and the inspired glory of true believers.
O most wise Father Leo, your teachings are as music of the Holy Spirit for us!
Pray that Christ our God may save our souls!

Kontakion (Tone 3)

Seated upon the throne of the priesthood, glorious Leo,
you shut the mouths of the spiritual lions.
With divinely inspired teachings of the honored Trinity,
you shed the light of the knowledge of God up-on your flock.
Therefore, you are glorified as a divine initiate of the grace of God.

In his letter Porta Fidei, Pope Benedict XVI mentions, among the various projects he wishes all members of the Church to take up for the Year of Faith, that we should study Church History. Pope Leo the Great, whose feast we celebrate today is certainly on of those important times of Church History that we should all know. He is celebrated in both the West and East because of the great work he did in safeguarding the Church from heresy. Indeed, he had to fight quite a few heresies amont them Nestorianism and Palagianism. while he was Pope another heresy began to spread - by Eutyches, which confused the two natures in Christ. This was called the Monophysite heresy. Several Councils were held to establish the truth, one of them which came to be called the Robber Council of Ephesus, because it was illegal in many ways. One being it was controlled by the Emperor and his delegates. Reading about the terrible things that went on makes you really tremble, since most of those present were priests and Bishops. (E.g. Pope Leo's delegate to the Council, who brought the Pope's contribution on the subject, called the Tome of Leo, cried out Contradicitur! in protest to decisions being made in obedience to secular authority. He was then beaten almost to death - in Church, no less!)

The Council of Chalcedon was held a few years later and the Tome of Leo was read declaring that there were indeed two natures in Christ, and one Person. On hearing this the Council Fathers, who were almost exclusively from the Eastern part of the Empire (due to the fact that Europe was in great turmoil from invasions of pagan Goths, Huns, etc. and they couldn't travel), cried out: This is the faith of the fathers, this is the faith of the Apostles. So we all believe, thus the orthodox believe. Anathema to him who does not thus believe. Peter has spoken thus through Leo. So taught the Apostles.

After this great victory, the Pope had to turn his attention to Italy, where Attila the Hun and his armies were destroying all civilization. He went out to meet him, and was able to convince Attila to leave Rome unharmed. According to the tradition, it was because Attila saw behind St. Leo two heavenly protectors - St. Peter and St. Paul.

We certainly have need of the prayers of St. Leo for our Church today!

All Dominican Saints

2011-11-07T15:07:00.000-08:00

The month of November brings to our minds the important doctrine regarding the Communion of Saints. Just as the Universal Church celebrates All Saints and All Souls at the beginning of November, so many religious Orders have their own celebrations. Today the Dominican Order celebrates all the Saints of our Order, and tomorrow we will remember all our deceased. For the intention of prayer for this month, Pope Benedict XVI has designated the Eastern Churches. He said when he gave this intention "that the Eastern Catholic Churches and their venerable traditions may be known and esteemed as a spiritual treasure for the whole Church." with this in mind we decided to bring up the life of Mother Catherine Abrikosova and her Russian Byzantine Dominican community. She and some of her Sisters are considered martyrs under Communism and their causes have been introduced in Rome by the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow. Not many outside Russia know about these Sisters, not even Dominicans, as so far there is no life of hers in English. But with the help of God, we hope that this work, which is in progress, will be accomplished soon!

Anna Abrikosova was born in Moscow, becoming an orphan shortly after birth. Her mother died in childbirth, while her father was also dying of tuberculosis. He died a few days later. Fortunately the Abrikosov family was a large loving one and her aunt and uncle, although with a large family themselves, adopted her and her brothers as their own. The family still exists in Russia and still own the confectionary business that made them famous. She studied at Cambridge because in Russia revolutionaries made university life quite dangerous. Shortly after her return she married her cousin and they spent the next ten years traveling in Western Europe. While the family was deeply Orthodox the younger generation, like almost all their fellows, were quite oblivious of God. One day while Anna and her husband Vladimir were walking the streets of Paris they simultaneously had a powerful vision:

Looking at the people walking about, they suddenly saw walking skeletons with torn clothes instead of real persons. They started thinking of their spiritual life, neglected up to that moment.

The Church they began to attend in Paris was a Dominican one, and soon they both began to read St. Catherine of Siena and St. Thomas Aquinas. They felt very drawn to Dominican life and wondered if they should enter religious life. They entered the Dominican Laity and traveled to Rome, where they had an audience with Pope Pius X. They were hoping that he would allow them to become Roman Catholics, but he refused them this permission. He reminded them of his letter Dignitatis Orientalis, and said that since Russians belong to the Byzantine Rite, they should remain in the Byzantine Rite. They accepted this decision and it radically changed their lifes, as well as that of Russian Catholics. (This rule of Pope St. Pius remains in effect till this day) At that point they were summoned home to Russia. A few years later they were able to return to Rome and make Final Profession as Dominican Laity by the Procurator General. In Russia at that time being a Byzantine Catholic was full of suffering. Many Latin rite priests sought to bring all Russians into the Latin rite despite the teaching of the Pope. Vladimir was ordained a priest (which is possible in the Eastern rite) and Anna, taking the name of Catherine, started a Third Order of Dominican Sisters. There was already in Russia a Byzantine rite Dominican Laity community. With the takeover of Russia by Lenin and the Bolsheviks they knew great suffering was to come to them and Mother Catherine and the Sisters took a vow to offer their lives as victims for Russia. God accepted their vows and in 1923 they were all arrested. Then began the long martyrdom of Mother Catherine and her Sisters. Mother Catherine herself died in prison in 1936. Fr. Vladimir was sentenced to death but this was communted to perpetual exile. The Sisters spent most of the following years in and out of prisons and labor camps until 1954, quite a few of them dying as martyrs. Some day we hope to share the lives of some of the Sisters as well. What witnesses they are!

2011-10-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

Quite some time ago, Pope Benedict XVI announced that he was inviting the leaders of various religions to Assisi on the 25th anniversary of the first World Day of Prayer for Peace. Today this gathering took place and the Holy Father delivered quite a soul-searching message that all of us should read and reflect on. And let us all continue to pray for peace as he has asked us.

http://player.rv.va/vaticanplayer.asp?language=it&tic=VA_N2GDSIOH

Twenty-five years have passed since Blessed Pope John Paul II first invited representatives of the world’s religions to Assisi to pray for peace. What has happened in the meantime? What is the state of play with regard to peace today?

Unfortunately, we cannot say that freedom and peace have characterized the situation ever since. Even if there is no threat of a great war hanging over us at present, nevertheless the world is unfortunately full of discord. It is not only that sporadic wars are continually being fought – violence as such is potentially ever present and it is a characteristic feature of our world. Freedom is a great good. But the world of freedom has proved to be largely directionless, and not a few have misinterpreted freedom as somehow including freedom for violence. Discord has taken on new and frightening guises, and the struggle for freedom must engage us all in a new way.

The absence of God leads to the decline of man and of humanity. But where is God? Do we know him, and can we show him anew to humanity, in order to build true peace? Let us first briefly summarize our considerations thus far. I said that there is a way of understanding and using religion so that it becomes a source of violence, while the rightly lived relationship of man to God is a force for peace. In this context I referred to the need for dialogue and I spoke of the constant need for purification of lived religion. On the other hand I said that the denial of God corrupts man, robs him of his criteria and leads him to violence.

Blessed John Paul II

2011-10-22T05:06:00.000-07:00

Today is Blessed John Paul's first feast day. It is also the anniversary of his installation as Pope. Maybe some of you remember watching that Mass. We certainly remember the day he was elected. Some one called to tell us, and they thought the news media said it was a Cardinal who had been in Poland. We couldn't figure out what Italian Cardinal was a Bishop in Poland. Then someone else told us, no it was a Polish Cardinal! Well, that was certainly a surprise. The Vatican has two special programs for today.

http://www.radiovaticana.org/EN1/Articolo.asp?c=530796

http://www.radiovaticana.org/EN1/Articolo.asp?c=530728

2011-10-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

In his Apostolic Letter "Porta Fidei" the Holy Father says: " The renewal of the Church is also achieved through the witness offered by the lives of believers: by their very existence in the world, Christians are called to radiate the word of truth that the Lord Jesus has left us."

We can see this in the life of St. Paul of the Cross, whom the Church celebrates today. The world wasn't too much different - the Church was sorely oppressed and needed the examples of saints. This is precisely what St. Paul of the Cross set out to do. And his model was Jesus in His Passion. He founded the Congregation of the Passion to preach and spread devotion to Our Lord's Passion. Yet he had to wait patiently for 30 years before it was officially approved. It was the same with the Sisters. He knew the young nun whom Our Lord wished to use for this purpose but it was only after his death that the Sisters were founded. What an example for us - to perservere no matter how dark things look, to never lose hope.

2011-10-18T13:47:00.001-07:00

Today, the Feast of St. Luke, is a perfect day to rejoice over the Holy Father's latest motu proprio - Porta Fidei - the door of Faith. On Sunday he had announced a Year of Faith to be kept from October 11, 2012 until November 24, 2013.
The Dominican Order is the midst of preparing for the 800th anniversary of the approval by Pope Honorius in 2016. What a wonderful incentive this will be for all Dominicans to help with the hopes of the Holy Father of renewing the preaching of the faith. He says knowing our faith is more necessary then ever before. We hope and pray that with this letter all of us will become renewed in our faith and our knowledge of it.
4. In the light of all this, I have decided to announce a Year of Faith. It will begin on 11 October 2012, the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, and it will end on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, on 24 November 2013. The starting date of 11 October 2012 also marks the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a text promulgated by my Predecessor, Blessed John Paul II,[3] with a view to illustrating for all the faithful the power and beauty of the faith. This document, an authentic fruit of the Second Vatican Council, was requested by the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops in 1985 as an instrument at the service of catechesis[4] and it was produced in collaboration with all the bishops of the Catholic Church. Moreover, the theme of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops that I have convoked for October 2012 is “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith”. This will be a good opportunity to usher the whole Church into a time of particular reflection and rediscovery of the faith. It is not the first time that the Church has been called to celebrate a Year of Faith. My venerable Predecessor the Servant of God Paul VI announced one in 1967, to commemorate the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul on the 19th centenary of their supreme act of witness. He thought of it as a solemn moment for the whole Church to make “an authentic and sincere profession of the same faith”; moreover, he wanted this to be confirmed in a way that was “individual and collective, free and conscious, inward and outward, humble and frank”.[5] He thought that in this way the whole Church could reappropriate “exact knowledge of the faith, so as to reinvigorate it, purify it, confirm it, and confess it”.[6] The great upheavals of that year made even more evident the need for a celebration of this kind. It concluded with the Credo of the People of God,[7] intended to show how much the essential content that for centuries has formed the heritage of all believers needs to be confirmed, understood and explored ever anew, so as to bear consistent witness in historical circumstances very different from those of the past.

2011-10-02T14:45:00.000-07:00

Today we remember our dear Guardian Angels. Where would we be without them? So often we never even think of them, yet they are always right there next to us, protecting us from so many dangers, that we do not even know about. We should spend this day in thanksgiving to them for all they do for us. Please be sure to read the whole text which the Holy Father gave today on the Feast of the Guardian Angels.

Dear friends, the Lord is always near and working in human history, and he also accompanies us with the unique presence of his angels, whom the Church venerates today as "guardians," that is, ministers of the divine care for every man. From the beginning until the hour of death, human life is surrounded by their unceasing protection. And the angels are the crown of the august Queen of Victories, the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary, who in the first Sunday of October, precisely at this hour, receives the fervid plea, from the sanctuary in Pompeii and from the whole world, that evil be defeated and the goodness of God be revealed in its fullness.

Do you remember on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14th) we told you that the Russian Orthodox have a beautiful ceremony honoring the Cross? Well, here is a short, very beautiful selection of this ceremony!

http://youtu.be/JaoON8D18GE

St. Eustace and Companions, conclusion

2011-09-23T13:43:00.001-07:00

Eustace and his family, rejoicing in being together again after many years, sailed to Rome. All the various armies were converging on Rome after their triumph over the Persians. As was their custom, many captured peoples marched along, together with all the spoils of victory. The Emperor came out to meet them and hosted a large banquet for Eustace and his family. The following morning was to be the great triumphal procession into Rome, part of which entailed the killing of the captured peoples and offering of sacrifices to the gods of Rome. The people thrived on such things, such as we find in all pagan civilizations that consider themselves cultured. The people of Rome though noticed that the General Eustace did not have such prisoners and they began to wonder. For Eustace and his family, they quietly prayed in the midst of such festivities because the moment when they had to refuse worship of idols and witness before all that they were Christians was fast approaching.
Soon they arrived at the Temple of Jupiter were huge bonfires were blazing to consume the victims. Eustace and his family stood to one side; they would not enter nor would they sacrifice. The crowd began to hiss and boo. Indignation and fury began to consume the crowds. The Emperor called for them. Why do you not sacrifice? Placidus proclaimed loudly: Because I am a Christian and adore only the one true God." The Emperor questioned his wife and sons who replied in the same way. As is often the case, the Emperor tried all kinds of things to bring them around - threats, bribery, etc. Nothing would shake their resolve. The Coliseum was but a short distance away and already the games were going on. What a stroke of luck for him - to have this great General and his family destroyed by wild beasts! How he thought his reputation would be enhanced.
The family was cast into the Mamertine prison for the night. The next morning they were brought out, and then the lions and tigers let loose. But the wild cats only pranced around them and then sat at their feet. Everything was tried to goad the animals to attack the victims, but nothing worked. The Emperor in his fury called for a large bronze bull, that was empty inside. It functioned like an oven, to roast its victims. Thus the family met martyrdom in this way. but everyone was amazed when the door was opened, to see that their bodies were not burnt, but shining white, with the most wonderful fragrance.

St. Eustace, part three

2011-09-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

In part two, we left General Eustace after he has lost his wife and two young sons, and took up work as a laborer for a farmer in northern Africa, probably in Egypt. He spent 15 years thus. But then the Persians began a great mass attack on the Roman Empire. The Emperor Trajan was desperate for good generals, and remembered his old general Eustace, who was not only an excellent soldier, but dearly beloved by all those who served under him. But no one knew what had happened to him after he has lost all his property. The Emperor called two of the officers who had served under him and sent them to look for Eustace. They knew the Eustace and his family had left for Egypt, and after many months of searching they came upon a farm. Seeing the laborer they asked him if he had heard anything about a General Eustace. Of course, the laborer was Eustace himself, but though he recognized his old comrades, he merely asked, "And what is it that you wish to see him for?" They told him of the invading Persians and Eustace, moved by love of his country, told them that he was the Eustace they were looking for. It didn't take long for them to recognize him after this.
He then returned to Rome with them and after training the army, left for the Middle East. He was successful in all his battles and soon had the Persians retreating back to their home. At one point two young soldiers saved one of the battalions from an ambush. He took a special liking for these two young men, who were friends. In short time they had become like father and sons, for the two men were orphans, and no doubt Eustace thought of his own lost sons.
Finally the Persians were completely defeated and the Roman troops began their trek across Arabia to return home to Rome. Near the sea they camped by the farm of an elderly widow. One day, the two young men were talking together and seeing that the elder one looked so sorrowful, the second asked him what was wrong. Alas, he told him, I was thinking of my father and brother, whom I lost. You see, somehow, when I was quite young, we were crossing a river, and my father carried over my younger brother while I waited. Suddenly a lion came out of the forest and grabbed me in his mouth and ran off with me. I could hear my father shouting, but to no avail. Fortunately for me, some farmers, hearing the noise, came running and seeing the lion carrying me, they killed it with their spears and rescued me. but my father and brother they could not find.
That is very remarkable, said the younger. I too remember my father and brother were traveling. I was quite young, but I do remember that somehow lion came and grabbed my older brother. but then a wolf grabbed me and ran off with me. And likewise I too was rescued by the local people. By now, you can imagine the two began to realize that they were brothers! In joy they went to tell the General the good news.
In the meantime, the General was in his tent praying. He knew that when he returned to Rome, martyrdom probably awaited him, because as a Christian he could not offer the usual sacrifices. One of the servants told him that the widow wanted to speak to him. He invited her in and she asked him to please take her with him back to Rome, for she was actually a Roman lady and had been brought to this land against her will. Eustace was quite startled by the widow. There was something about her that reminded him of his own wife. He turned around to hide his emotions. As he did so, the widow gave a great cry - she recognized the battle scar behind the General's ear as the same her husband had. Sure enough, husband and wife were reunited. She told him that after the pagan sea captain had put them on shore, she prayed very hard for protection and God heard her prayers. The captain had a sudden change of heart and suddenly became her protector. He brought her to this safe place, giving her money and buying the plot of land for her to live on. At this point the two young men appeared and soon the whole family was rejoicing at being united.
but they knew also what was in store for them when they returned to pagan Rome!

St. Eustace part two

2011-09-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

St. Bede has a wonderful meditation on the conversion of St. Matthew, whose Feast we keep today.

Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him: Follow me. Jesus saw Matthew, not merely in the usual sense, but more significantly with his merciful understanding of men.

He saw the tax collector and, because he saw him through the eyes of mercy and chose him, he said to him: Follow me. This following meant imitating the pattern of his life – not just walking after him. St. John tells us: Whoever says he abides in Christ ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

And he rose and followed him. There is no reason for surprise that the tax collector abandoned earthly wealth as soon as the Lord commanded him. Nor should one be amazed that neglecting his wealth, he joined a band of men whose leader had, on Matthew’s assessment, no riches at all. Our Lord summoned Matthew by speaking to him in words. By an invisible, interior impulse flooding his mind with the light of grace, he instructed him to walk in his footsteps. In this way Matthew could understand that Christ, who was summoning him away from earthly possessions, had incorruptible treasures of heaven in his gift.

As he sat at table in the house, behold many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. This conversion of one tax collector gave many men, those from his own profession and other sinners, an example of repentance and pardon. Notice also the happy and true anticipation of his future status as apostle and teacher of the nations. No sooner was he converted than Matthew drew after him a whole crowd of sinners along the same road to salvation. He took up his appointed duties while still taking his first steps in the faith, and from that hour he fulfilled his obligation and thus grew in merit. To see a deeper understanding of the great celebration Matthew held at his house, we must realise that he not only gave a banquet for the Lord at his earthly residence, but far more pleasing was the banquet set in his own heart which he provided through faith and love. Our Saviour attests to this: Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

On hearing Christ’s voice, we open the door to receive him, as it were, when we freely assent to his promptings and when we give ourselves over to doing what must be done. Christ, since he dwells in the hearts of his chosen ones through the grace of his love, enters so that he might eat with us and we with him. He ever refreshes us by the light of his presence insofar as we progress in our devotion to and longing for the things of heaven. He himself is delighted by such a pleasing banquet.

As we mentioned yesterday, St. Eustace, or Placidus as was his original name, was the General of the Emperor Trajan's armies, which puts him in the 2nd century. The early Christians took their Baptism as meaning a new way of life seriously, thus the newly baptised were given new names. Placidus was baptised Eutachius (Eustace), his wife became Theopista, and the two little boys, Agapius (5 years old) and Theopistan (3 years old). These names come from the Greek.

Right after his baptism, Eustace returned to the place of his conversion and left a memorial of the event. The early Christians continued the memory and today there is still a small chapel on the very site! God had great plans for Eustace and his family, but His ways are definitely not ours. Soon after their conversion, which was secret for Trajan was a great persecutor of Christians, everyone except themselves was afflicted with a grave pestilence. Even the horses and other animals of the great estate got it and died. Eustace and his family moved outside the city for safety and while they were gone thieves came and stole everything the family had left. In their great distress they decided to move to another part of the Empire. Hence they traveled to Ostia and boarded a ship. But the pagan captain conceived a great liking for Theopista, and having reached the deserted shores of northern Africa, he forcibly had Eustace and the two little boys put ashore, and then sailed away. Great was their grief, but realizing they had to find shelter and food, Eustace began traveling toward Egypt. They reached a river, and since neither boy was able to swim it on his own, Eustace left Agapius on the one side while he swam with the younger boy to the other side. He had barely reached it when he heard great cries and then a roar. Turning about he saw a lion grab Theopistan and run off with him. Eustace swam back across as fast as he could, not realizing he could never catch the lion. And to his horror he heard more cries and saw a wolf run out and grab Theopistan! You can imagine how distraught he must have been! When he was finally able to get himself together, he made his way to civilization. There he found a wealthy landowner and took a job as caretaker. He worked on this farm for 16 years, all the while grieving for his wife and sons.
And while we are giving a greatly shortened version of this story, it is still quite long. So hopefully we will continue tomorrow!

St. Eustace and companions, martyrs

2011-09-20T15:45:00.001-07:00

Some years ago one of the Sisters was reading the Lives of the Martyrs of the Coliseum. Each evening at recreation she would share the interesting stories. It was sort of like the old radio programs - where the girl was in greatest danger and then the story would end - to be continued. We could hardly wait until the next recreation period!

St. Eustace was one of those marvelous stories. Eustace, whose original name was Placidus, was a great Roman general of the Octavia family. He had a wife and two small sons. He loved to go hunting and one day while roaming the hills outside of Rome he saw a large stag. He was determined to kill this stag, but it took off running. On and on he pursued it, eventually losing his hunting companions in the process. The whole day went by. Every time he got close the deer would stop and watch, and then turn and run again. Finally he reached Mt Subiaco and the deer stopped on the highest point. And to his amazement in the middle of its magnificent horns was a shining cross. He heard a voice telling him to "follow Me!" And so he returned to Rome and together with his wife and two sons became Christians. Almost immediately his fortunes changed and he lost all his money and had to sell even his property. And at this point, we will have to leave you until later!

But it is interesting to point out that some centuries later another Placidus of the Octavia family came to Mt. Subiaco, where St. Benedict was living and had set up his first monastery. And yes, this little boy is St. Placidus, the protomartyr of the Benedictine Order!

Our Lady of LaSalette

2011-09-19T05:48:00.001-07:00

High in the French Pyrenees Our Lady appeared to two small children in 1846. France, and indeed the whole of Europe was suffering still the effects of revolution, bloodshed and war, all caused by various evil philosophies that wanted to erase God from the lives of people. These two children are a perfect example that God chooses the weak to confuse the proud, as St. Paul says. Maximin Giraud was only 10. His mother died when he was an infant, his father had not much time for him, and his stepmother detested him. He never attended school or catechism, and hardly knew anything about the faith. Yet as all those who knew him testified, he remained pure and innocent of heart, and was naturally frank, loyal and upright. He detested any kind of malice. Melanie Mathieu was only 15. As soon as she turned 10, she was sent by her parents to work for other farmers, mostly as a sheperdess, which included sheep and cows. Thus she spent 5 years of her life practically alone, away from most human contact. the farmers she stayed with either had her sleep in the barn or a tiny room away from the family. She also had no schooling or catechism. Yet God preserved her in the candor and simplicity of childhood, and in her baptismal innocence.

The following is the story as she related it later to the parish priest and Bishop.
On the 18th of September (1846), the eve of the Holy Apparition of the Holy Virgin, I was alone, as usual, watching over my Master's cows. Around eleven o'clock in the morning, I saw a small boy walking towards me. I was frightened at this, for it seemed to me that everyone ought to know that I avoided all kinds of company. This boy came up to me and said:

“Little girl, I’m coming with you, I'm from Corps too”. At these words, the natural evil in me soon showed itself, and taking a few steps back, I told him: “I don't want anybody around. I want to be alone.” But the boy followed me, saying: “Go on, let me stay with you. My Master told me to come and watch over my cows together with yours. I'm from Corps.”

I walked away from him, gesturing to him that I didn't want anybody around, and when I was some distance away, I sat down on the grass. There, I used to talk with the little flowers of the Good Lord. A moment later, I looked behind me, and there I found Maximin sitting close to me. Straightway he says to me: “Keep me with you. I'll be very good.”

But the natural evil in me will not hear reason. I jump to my feet, and run a little farther off without saying a word and again I start playing with the little flowers of the Good Lord. In an instant, Maximin was there again, telling me he would be very good, that he wouldn't talk, that he would get bored all by himself, and that his Master had sent him to be with me, etc. This time, I took pity, I gestured to him to sit down, and I kept on playing with the little flowers of the Good Lord.

It wasn't long before Maximin broke the silence by bursting into laughter (I think he was making fun of me). I look at him and he says to me: “Let's have some fun, let's make up a game”. I said nothing in reply, for I was so ignorant I didn't understand what games with other people were, always having been alone. I played with the flowers, on my own, and Maximin came right up close to me, doing nothing but laughing, telling me the flowers didn’t have ears to listen to me and that we should play together instead. But I had no liking for the game he told me to play. I started talking to him, however, and he told me that the ten days he was to spend with his Master would soon be over and then he would go home to his father in Corps etc...

While he was talking, I heard the bell of La Salette, it was the Angelus. I gestured to Maximin to lift his soul up to God. He took off his hat and was silent for a moment. Then I said: “Do you want to have dinner?” “Yes, he replied, let's eat.” We sat down and I brought out of my bag the provisions my Master had given me. As was my habit, before breaking into my little round loaf, I made a cross with the point of my knife on the bread, and a little hole in the middle, saying: “If the devil's in there, may he leave, and if the Good Lord is in there, may he stay!” and I rapidly covered up the little hole. Maximin burst into laughter and kicked the loaf out of my hands. It rolled down the mountainside and was lost from sight. I had another piece of bread which we shared. Afterwards, we played a game. Then, realizing that Maximin must still be hungry, I pointed out a place on the mountainside covered with all kinds of berries. I urged him to go and eat some and he went straight away. He ate a few berries and brought back his hat full of them. In the evening we walked back down the mountain together and promised to come back the next day and watch over our cows together.

The next day, the 19th of September, I met Maximin on the way up. We climbed up the mountain side together. I discovered that Maximin was a very good, simple boy, and would willingly talk about what I wanted to talk about. He was also very flexible and had no fixed opinions. He was just a little curious, for, when I walked away from him, as soon as he saw I had stopped, he would run over to me to see what I was doing and hear what I was saying to the flowers of the Good Lord. And if he arrived too late, he would ask me what I had said.

Maximin told me to teach him a game. It was already late morning. I told him to gather some flowers for the “Paradise”. We set to work together. Soon we had a number of flowers of various colours. I could hear the village Angelus ringing, for the weather was fine and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Having told the Good Lord what we had learned, I said to Maximin that we ought to drive our cows on to a small plateau near the gully, where there would be stones to build the “Paradise”. We drove our cows to the selected spot and then had a small meal. Then we started collecting stones to build our little house, which comprised of a so-called ground floor which was where we were to live, and then a story above which was to be, as we called it, “Paradise.” This story was decorated all over with different-colored flowers, with garlands hanging from flower stalks. This “Paradise” was covered by a single large stone which we had strewn with flowers. We had also hung garlands all the way round. When we had finished, we sat and looked at the “Paradise”. We began to feel sleepy and having moved a couple of feet away, we went to sleep on the grass.

When I woke up I couldn't see the cows, so I called Maximin and climbed up the little mound. From there I could see our cows grazing peacefully and I was on my way down, with Maximin on his way up, when all at once I saw a beautiful light shining more brightly than the sun.

“Maximin, do you see what is over there? Oh! My God!” At the same moment, I dropped the stick I was holding. Something inconceivably fantastic passed through me in that moment and I felt myself being drawn. I felt a great respect, full of love, and my heart beat faster.

I kept my eyes firmly fixed on this light, which was static, and as if it had opened up, I caught sight of another, much more brilliant light which was moving, and in this light I saw a most beautiful lady sitting on top of our Paradise, with her head in her hands.

This beautiful Lady stood up; she coolly crossed her arms while watching us, and said to us:

“Come, my children, fear not, I am here to PROCLAIM GREAT NEWS TO YOU.”

These soft and sweet words made me fly to her, and my heart desired to attach itself to her forever.

When I was up close to the Beautiful Lady, in front of her to her right, she began to speak and from her beautiful eyes tears also started to flow.

“If my people do not wish to submit themselves, I am forced to let go of the hand of my Son. It is so heavy and weighs me down so much I can no longer keep hold of it.

“I have suffered all of the time for the rest of you! If I do not wish my Son to abandon you, I must take it upon myself to pray for this continually. And the rest of you think little of this. In vain you will pray, in vain you will act, and you will never be able to make up for the trouble I have taken over for the rest of you. I gave you six days to work; I kept the seventh for myself, and no one wishes to grant it to me. This is what weighs down the arm of my Son so much. Those who drive carts cannot speak without putting the name of my Son in the middle.

“These are the two things which weigh down the arm of my Son so much. If the harvest is spoiled, it is only because of the rest of you. I made you see this last year with the potatoes; you took little account of this. It was quite the opposite when you found bad potatoes, you swore oaths, and you included the name of my Son. They will continue to go bad, at Christmas there will be none left.”

At this point, I was trying to interpret the word “potatoes” (pommes de terre): I thought I understood it to be “apples” (pommes). The Beautiful and Good Lady, reading my thoughts, repeated thus:

“You do not understand, my children. I will tell it to you another way. If the harvest is spoiled, it does not seem to affect you. I made you see this last year with the potatoes. You took little account of this. It was quite the opposite when you found bad potatoes, you swore oaths, and you included the name of my Son. They will continue to go bad and at Christmas, there will be none left. If you have corn, you must not sow it. The beasts will eat all that you sow. And all that grows will fall to dust when you thresh it. A great famine will come. Before the famine comes, children under the age of seven will begin to tremble and will die in the arms of those who hold them. The others will do penance through hunger. The nuts will go bad, the grapes will become rotten.”

At this point, the Beautiful Lady, who was entrancing me, for a moment did not make herself heard. I could see, however, that she was continuing, as if speaking, to move graciously her kindly lips. At this moment, Maximin was receiving his secret. Then, turning to me, the Most Holy Virgin spoke to me and gave me a secret in French. Then she continue to both of us.

“If they convert, the stones and rocks will change into wheat, and potatoes will be found sown in the earth. Do you say your prayers properly, my children?”

We both replied: “Oh! no, Madame, not so much.”

“Oh! my children, you must say them morning and evening. When you can do no more, say a Pater and an Ave Maria; and when you have the time to do better, you will say more.

“Only a few old women go to Mass; in the summer, the rest work all day Sunday and in the winter, when they are at a loose end, they only go to Mass to make fun of religion. During Lent, they go to the butcher's like hungry dogs. Have you ever seen any spoilt wheat, my children?” We both answered: “Oh no, Madame.”

The Holy Virgin turned to Maximin, saying: “But you, my child, you must have seen some once near le ‘Coin’, with your father. The farmer said to your father: ‘Come and see how my wheat's gone bad!’ You went to see. Your father took two or three ears in his hand, rubbed them, and they fell to dust. Then, on your way back, when you were no more than half an hour away from Corps, your father gave you a piece of bread, and said: ‘Take it, eat it while you can, my son, for I don't know who will be eating anything next year if the wheat is spoiled like that!’” Maximin replied: “It's quite true, Madame, I didn't remember.”

The Most Holy Virgin brought her speech to an end in French.

“AND SO, MY CHILDREN, YOU WILL PASS THIS ON TO ALL MY PEOPLE”

The most beautiful Lady crossed the stream, and after two more steps, without turning back towards us, who were following Her (for we were drawn to her by her brilliance and even more by her kindness which elated me, which seemed to melt my heart), she repeated to us: “AND SO, MY CHILDREN, YOU WILL PASS THIS ON TO ALL MY PEOPLE”

Then, She walked on up to the place where I had gone to see our cows. Her feet touched nothing but the tips of the grass and without bending them. Once on the top of the little mound, the beautiful Lady stopped, and I hurried to stand in front of Her to look at Her so, so closely, and try and see which path she was most inclined to take. For it was all over for me. I had forgotten both my cows and the masters I worked for. I had linked myself forever and unconditionally to my Lady. Yes, I wanted never, never to leave Her. I followed Her with no other motive and fully disposed to serve Her for the rest of my life.

In the presence of my Lady, I felt I had forgotten paradise. I thought of nothing more but to serve Her in every way possible; and I felt I could have done everything she could have asked me to do, for it seemed to me that She had a great deal of power. She looked at me with a tender kindness which drew me to Her. I could have thrown myself into Her arms with my eyes closed. She did not give me the time to do so. She rose imperceptibly from the ground to a height of around four feet or more; and, hanging thus in the air for a split second, my beautiful Lady looked up to Heaven, then down on the earth to her right and then her left 4, then She looked at me with Her eyes so soft, so kind and so good that I felt She was drawing me inside Her, and my heart seemed to open up to Hers.And as my heart melted away, sweetly gladdened, the beautiful face of my good Lady disappeared little by little. It seemed to me that the light in motion was growing stronger, or rather condensing around the Most Holy Virgin, to prevent me from seeing her any longer.

And thus light took the place of the parts of Her body which were disappearing in front of my eyes; or rather it seemed to me that the body of my Lady was melting into light. Thus the sphere of light rose gently towards the right. I cannot say whether the volume of light decreased as She rose, or whether the growing distance made me see less and less light as She rose. What I do know, is that I was a long time with my head raised up, staring at the light, even after the light, which kept getting further away and decreasing in volume, had finally disappeared. I take my eyes from the firmament, I look around me. I see Maximin looking at me, and I say to him: “Maxi, that must have been my father’s Good Lord, or the Holy Virgin, or some other great saint” And Maximin throws his arms into the air and says: “Oh! If only I'd known!”

All that Our Lady said came true very shortly. Both the parish priest and the Bishop believed the story the children related, yet few listened. By December of the same year the crops were affected by a blight. Within one year one million people died of starvation throughout Europe. And other calamities took place just as the Mother of God had said.

One thinks how often Our Lady has come to beg us to convert. At Fatima Our Lady said if men do not heed her requests a worse war would happen. And so it did. If the tears of the Mother of God cannot convert us, what can?

2011-09-14T14:43:00.000-07:00

Today's Feast is really the combined feasts of the Finding of the Holy Cross by St. Helen and the recovering the Cross after the Persians had taken it several hundred years later. Archbishop Martinez says in his book on the Holy Spirit that each of us should celebrate our own feast of the Cross. Jesus says we need to pick up our cross each day and Archbishop Martinez says that for each of us, there is one unique cross we carry through life. Once we discover it, it should become our greatest treasure, for it is the means by which we gain heaven. In St. Faustina's diary we read of a vision she saw of various kinds of souls and how they carry their cross. Some dragged theirs, grumbling all the way. Others carried it willingly, but very sadly. And then there were those who lifted the cross and carried it joyfully. We should all like to be the third group, but I think that most of us have to admit we fail at times. But still, we keep trying. It's the effort that counts!

In the Eastern Churches today is a fast day, while they also have very beautiful ceremonies honoring and exalting the Cross. They have a special place set up so that everyone may venerate the Cross. Also in the Russian Orthodox Church, at the end of each Divine Liturgy and other services the people come forward and kiss the blessing cross which the priest holds in his hand.

Although we may no longer have such ceremonies we can still have a special place set up in our homes to honor the Cross of such feasts as this.

2011-09-12T15:15:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated the restored feast of the Holy Name of Mary. Why is the name of Mary so powerful for us, when we call upon her? why does the devil fear it so much? Because by the grace bestowed upon Mary in her Immaculate Conception, the devil never had any hold or sway over her. She was always, at every moment of her life, turned towards the Father. Never did she have any thoughts of her self, what she wanted, etc. True, she had to "fight the good fight" as ST. Paul says, but she did indeed do just that. We too are called to "fight the good fight." But the devil still has his angelic intelligence and deceives in ways that we could never detect. But Our Lady can and will help us. She will warn us if we pay heed to her inspirations.

The Apostle St. Peter tell us: "Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." We used to sing this at Compline every night. It is still something we need to remember every day. So, as St. Bernard advises us: "Let us look to the star - let us call upon Mary!"

And we are very happy to announce that our postulant recently received the Holy Habit. You can read more about this for now on our web site!

2011-09-10T05:15:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we will be remembering all those who were affected in any way by the 9/11 attacks, whether living or dead. It is good to remember these events and persons, as they help strengthen our resolve to overcome all the evils threatening our country and the world. And we see our being united with others helps us, because being seemingly alone can be very threatening to us. There is a beautiful custom of lighting three candles at 7 pm on September 11. One is blue for those of the police force, one is red for those of firefighters and one is white for civilians. And let us all join in prayer too. Unfortunately the mayor of New York City has banned any public prayer as well as any religious groups from taking part in the memorial services tomorrow. But we can encourage everyone to get together and pray as that is what held America together during those dark times.

2011-09-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

St. Gregory is called the Great because of all the wonderful things he did for the Church. He wanted to be a monk and after his father's death he turned his home into a monastery and lived there very peacefully with others. But the Church needed him and he accepted his election as Pope. Europe was undergoing tremendous upheavals from the Fall of the Roman Empire and invasions by barbarian tribes. A strong person was needed and he was just that. He had a tremendous love for the Liturgy and worked hard to improve and enhance the Liturgy.
As we look forward to the new reverent and elegant translation of the Holy Mass, we think of the importance this has for us. The words used to indeed matter. What we hear and read does become part of us and influences us for better or worse. So the words of the Liturgy matter most than any other words.
Dr. Dietrich von Hildebrand, in his book, Liturgy and Personality, says that one of the primary effects of the Liturgy on us is our transformation in Christ- our major goal in life. This transformation takes place by helping us turn our focus on ourselves to Christ. The Holy Mass is the preeminent place where this happens. Hence we should try to attend Mass as often as possible. The purpose of all Creation, but especially of man, is to imitate and glorify God. In the Holy Mass, this praise and glorification of God takes place vocally, together as a community, all of us turned toward God (ad Orientem).
"We shall better grasp the truth that the sanctification of man is entirely impossible without the laudare and glorificare Dominum after the following basic fact is examined: only the God-man, Jesus Christ, can truly offer adoration and love to God. He alone is entirely holy, He alone truly glorifies God through His holiness, and he alone can truly praise God."
In the Liturgy we are praying with and in Christ, hence we must use words that He would want us to use.

2011-08-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

There are very few kings who have reached sainthood, and France is blessed to have St. Louis of France as her patron!

St. Louis is most anxious that all honored God's name. He worked hard to eradicate using God's name is any way that was improper. Swearing of course, we know is wrong, though many do it. but here we are speaking about using God's name in a casual way. The persons do it certainly do not mean irreverence, but the fact remains that it is not proper and we should avoid doing so at any cost to ourselves. For example, one often hears such a phrase as: God, it is hot outside. Well, St. Louis would give a severe reprimand and penance to anyone he heard using God's name in just this way. It is a good thing to check up on ourselves because it doesn't take much to start a bad habit.

In the Our Father we pray we each day: Hallowed be Thy Name. CCC 2807 tells us "The term 'to hallow' is to be understood here not primarily in its causative sense (only God hallows, makes holy), but above all in an evaluative sense: to recognize as holy, to treat in a holy way."
The Second Commandment teaches: Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain. The Catechism tell us about this point:
2143 Among all the words of Revelation, there is one which is unique: the revealed name of God. God confides his name to those who believe in him; he reveals himself to them in his personal mystery. the gift of a name belongs to the order of trust and intimacy. "The Lord's name is holy." For this reason man must not abuse it. He must keep it in mind in silent, loving adoration. He will not introduce it into his own speech except to bless, praise, and glorify it.

2144 Respect for his name is an expression of the respect owed to the mystery of God himself and to the whole sacred reality it evokes. the sense of the sacred is part of the virtue of religion:

And on the point which St. Louis held so dear:

2155 The holiness of the divine name demands that we neither use it for trivial matters, nor take an oath which on the basis of the circumstances could be interpreted as approval of an authority unjustly requiring it.

Let us ask our Guardian Angels to help us be most faithful in this matter and to gently help others respect God's name as well.

If you have not seen it yet, our Feast day letter is on our web site!

Queenship of Mary

2011-08-22T06:29:00.000-07:00

The second reading from Matins today, taken from a homily by St. Amadeus of Lusanne tells us:

Observe how fitting it was that even before her assumption the name of Mary shone forth wondrously throughout the world. Her fame spread everywhere even before she was raised above the heavens in her magnificence. Because of the honour due her Son, it was indeed fitting for the Virgin Mother to have first ruled upon earth and then be raised up to heaven in glory. It was fitting that her fame be spread in this world below, so that she might enter the heights of heaven on overwhelming blessedness. Just as she was borne from virtue to virtue by the Spirit of the Lord, she was transported from earthly renown to heavenly brightness.

Yes, the Apostles certainly held the Mother of God in the highest reverence. Lumen Gentium tells us that Mary is the perfect model and examplar for us all. Thus we must frequently meditate on her in order to become perfect followers of her Son. Fr. Marie-Dominique Philippe, OP, (The Mysteries of Mary - Growing in Faith, Hope and Love with the Mother of God) gives us wonderful meditations on Our Lady's life, to show us just how we can strive to be like Our Lady in our own weak and faulty ways. It is the effort that counts!

He tells us that even though St. John took care of Mary for many years after the Crucifixion, he says nothing about her life or death. Yet, all his writings are indeed the testament of Mary, since everything she gave him was stored up in his heart. Her whole life and death was lived exclusively for God, and that is what she wants us to learn.

In Heaven Mary exists in totaly contemplation of God:

The Father is present to the Son and the Son to the Father in the Holy Spirit, in such a way that the Son is in the Father, "toward the Father ( apud Patrem, Jn 1:1-2), that He dwells in Him and that the Holy Spirit dwells in both of Them. In the same way Mary is present to each divine Person and dwells with each of Them. She is apud Patrem, apud Verbum et Spiritum Sanctum. The presence of penetration is realized in and through her Son, in His ligth and in His love.

And to think we also are called to this contemplation! And we begin this while here on earth, with Our Lady to help and guide us!

(No, we haven't been on vacation! It's just been a busy, HOT summer!)

2011-06-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

The Gift of Fortitude "perfects the virtue of courage, giving to the will an impulse and energy which renders it capable of suffering joyfully and intrepidly, and of accomplishing great projects, overcoming all obstacles."
An example of the virtue of courage is St. Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane when he pulled out his sword to defend Jesus. But the virtue had not yet been perfected so it did not sustain him during the Passion. When we think of the Gift of Fortitude, we usually think of the martyrs, and indeed, in them this Gift is perfected to the highest degree. Yet the Gift becomes perfected in our every day lives, by enabling us to persevere in all our daily duties, and in living a life of virtue.
The gift of Fortitude helps in our work, our daily tasks, which can become a grind and a drudgery. But fortitude given us by the Holy Spirit helps us keep a supernatural attitude and ability to accomplish all with great love. "Do the little things with great love," said Mother Teresa, and she was speaking of fortitude. Fortitude helps us practice virtue - to remain chaste amidst our very pagan society, where everything we see is anything but modest and chaste! It helps us be honest and just in our dealings with our neighbors, our clients, our family. Fortitude helps us keep our resolutions, it enables us to remain cheerful in spite of trials and tribulations, even the small ones. For example, getting stuck in a traffic jam, or a delayed plane flight.
So you can see fortitude is right there with us every day. Because Jesus did say we had to take up our cross daily! and how else can we do this except by the Gift of Fortitude?
In order for this Gift to be cultivated by us, we must practice daily mortifications, penances and sacrifices. We will not cooperate with the grace of fortitude if we do not mortify our selfishness. And as Our Lady said at Fatima, the sacrifice God wishes us most to give Him, is the fidelity to our daily duties. Indeed this requires fortitude!

2011-06-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

"The Gift of Counsel perfects the virtue of prudence, enabling it to discern promptly and surely, by means of a kind of supernatural intuition, what is most fitting especially in difficult cases. With the virtue of prudence we reflect and unfailingly search out the better means for achieving some goal, profiting from past experiences, studying the circumstances of present affair to be dealt with, so as to adopt a wise solution. with the Gift of Counsel, comes the Holy Spirit who speaks to the heart and makes us understand in an instant, what we must do."
When Our Lord told His disciples not to worry they were to make before Kings and judges He was speaking about the Gift of Counsel - the Holy Spirit Himself will tell you what to say.
The proper object of the Gift of Counsel is the good direction of particular actions, what is the best thing we should do in such and such a circumstance. It is so easy to be blinded by what we think is the best thing to do because of sensuality, pride, our own wishes and desires, and of course human respect. How often we act in a way that is not in keeping with pleasing God because we are afraid of what "others will think." So we can see living by the Gift of Counsel means living in courage. The Gift of Counsel will give to us a supernatural light which enables us to see clearly whether our reasoning comes from nature or from grace. But to do this means we must have a habit of cooperating with grace.
One of the grievous errors since the 1960's (though it has always existed since Adam and Eve!) is that "I am following my conscience even though it is contrary to what the Church teaches. It is more pleasing to God that I follow my conscience." Indeed Satan is at work. If it is indeed the Holy Spirit enlightening our conscience, would He tell us to go contrary to the teaching of the Pope and the Church? It is so contradictory! Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would remain with His Church and "guide it into all truth." And the Holy Spirit cannot contradict Himself.
Therefore we can see that humility is absolutely necessary in order to cooperate with the Gift of Counsel. We must distrust our own intuitions until we are certain that they are in accord with God's truth as it comes from the Church. We must pray continuously and ardently for humility. "The Holy Spirit lowers Himself to the humble and resists the presumptuous and proud [cf.1Pet 5:5]. He who trusts in his own judgement and in his own wisdom cannot receive the light of the Holy Spirit because, even if receiving it, he would throw it away; or would so entangle it in his own darkness so as to render it inefficacious."

2011-06-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

Understanding is that gift by "which under the enlightening action of the Holy Spirit gives us a penetrating intuition into revealed truths, without however revealing the mystery." The object of this gift is the entire body of revealed truths. It helps us understand them in such a way that we are able clearly to explain them also to others. Faith is like a dim candle, while the Gift of Understanding is like sunlight which shows us the full beauty of truth. Some ways which St. Thomas teaches about how the Gift of Understanding enlightens us are:
1. It uncovers for us the substance hidden beneath the accidents. e.g. Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The soul has a profound intuition of the presence of Jesus hidden beneath the appearances of bread and wine.
2. It explains to us the meaning of the words of Scripture that are hidden under the literal sense. E.g. Jesus explained to the disciples on the way to Emmaus the hidden meaning of the prophecies concerning Him.
3. It enables us to see the hidden action in the Sacraments, e.g. the pouring of the water in Baptism is seen as truly cleansing the soul of sin.
4. It enables us to see the action of God in all the daily events of life.
In order to cultivate the Gift of Understanding, we must live a lift of simple, living faith, constantly imploring God for the light to understand revealed truths as taught by the Church. It is the simple soul that often understands better than learned people. This is because humility is essential. Another means is the constant meditation of the truths of our faith. One way is to read the Catechism of the Church every day. Also the Rosary is the preeminent way of meditating, the way that Our Lady herself gave us. These we can all do.
Prayer of St. Faustina for the Gift of Understanding

Jesus, give me an intellect, a great intellect, for this only, that I may understand You better; because the better I get to know you, the more ardently will I love You. Jesus, I ask You for a powerful intellect, that I may understand divine and lofty matters. Jesus, give me a keen intellect with which I will get to know Your Divine Essence and Your indwelling, Triune life. Give my intellect these capacities and aptitudes by means of Your special grace. Although I know that there is a capability through grace which the Church gives me, there is still a treasure of graces which You give us, O Lord, when we ask You for them. But if my request is not pleasing to You, then I beg You, do not give me the inclination to pray thus. Amen.

2011-06-06T06:21:00.000-07:00

When we are baptised the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are infused into our souls. Although they are freely given (gratuitous) they need cultivated for them to become active and bear fruit. We can take a similar example - our talents are free gifts. One may have the talent to be an artist or a musician, but if these talents are not cultivated and the person does not practice, they remain latent. The Gifts are on a supernatural plane, but still require effort for us to acquire the habit of acting according to them.
"The gifts of the Holy Spirit begin to be developed in the soul under the inspiration of actual grace, and so set in motion the entire supernatural organism. These actual graces influence at least latently, every meritorious act. The full exercise of the Gifts is not realized except with the full exercise of the virtues, because only then is the soul fully attentive to God, fully docile under his prompting, and able to be spurred to heroic acts, which are the fully mature fruit of the gift or gifts which the soul has received."
The first Gift is that of Wisdom, in the order given by the prophet Isaiah (11: 1-3). "The Gift of Wisdom is a gift which perfects the virtue of charity, and is at once found in both the intellect and the will, because it pours light and love into the soul. It is the most excellent of the Gifts that recapitulates all the others, just as charity includes all the virtues....It communicates to man a light which makes him know God with that perfection which is possible to him. It communicates a love whereby man loves and understands God in a most tender fashion. It bestows an interior change whereby man comes to be wholly transformed into God."
The light given to the soul by faith enables the soul to believe that God is infinite, the inexhaustible source of all perfections, and is infinitely wise and good. The the light imparted by the Gift of Wisdom helps the soul taste a certain sweetness in its contemplation of God. This sweetness is accompanied by a great sense of joy and peace. This taste of sweetness is a supernatural taste which makes the soul desire only God.
The love imparted by this Gift is commonly called fervor, and is likewise a higher form of love than that given with faith. This love transforms the soul so that it has no other love but that of God and souls. The Holy Spirit by means of this Gift represses and annihilates in the soul all natural inclinations, affections and natural desires.
How do we cultivate this Gift? first we must desire and implore ardently the help of the Holy Spirit that we may cooperate with the graces He gives. So many times we are not conscious of His inspirations, since His are quiet and all about us is noise, but interior and exterior. Then we have to practice mortification, since we cannot taste the things of God while the desire for the world and all it holds reigns in the soul. We must have a pure heart "Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God." This includes sight, sounds, taste - all the senses must be purified and protected, a very hard thing to do in our present culture.

Novena for Pentecost

2011-06-05T13:52:00.000-07:00

During these days from Ascension Thursday until Pentecost, the Church remains with the Mother of Jesus and His Disciples in the Upper Room preparing for the coming of the Holy Spirit by a solemn novena.

It is a sad, that today more than ever these words of Pope Leo XIII these words are just as true: The supernatural life of Catholics is impoverished because their lives are neither animated by grace nor by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They receive the Sacrament of Confirmation but do not profit by this because they have not been taught how the Holy Spirit operates in the soul nor how to cooperate with His actions.

There are some wonderful books on the Holy Spirit written that try to remedy this situation. One of our favorites is a newly translated book by Don Dolindo Ruotolo, Come, Holy Spirit. When it was first published in Italy his bishop wanted a copy for every Catholic! He speaks very simply about the work of the Holy Spirit and what we must do in order to grow spiritually.

The most important element is about the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. These Gifts we do not, properly speaking, use ourselves, but rather we are "moved" by them to act supernaturally. They cannot act in us however, unless we are practicing the virtues.

"By means of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, the soul is like a candlestick with seven branches and seven lamps which burn before the Most Holy Trinity dwelling in it. The lamp is a light shining in the darkness which makes possible the vision of objects. And the gifts of the Holy Spirit are supernatural lights of the soul which enlightens its powers, and so render them docile to the promptings of grace and to the interior awareness of God's designs."

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T05:23:00.000-07:00

Today we remember all those who died defending our country throughout our history. It is so sad that for most people nowadays this is just another three day weekend. Most of us remember when the whole town or village turned out, either to be in the parades and other ceremonies remembering those who died that we may live in a free country, or as one of those watching. But we hope and pray that someday Memorial Day will be returned to what it was set aside for. If you have a chance, be sure to visit the graves of those veterans in your area and place flowers on them as a tribute to them.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place;
and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead.

Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders Fields.

- John McCrae

2011-05-24T06:27:00.000-07:00

Today is the Feast of Mary, Help of Christians, and in China, as help of Christians, she is the Patroness of China. Pope Benedict XVI asks us all to pray for Chinese Catholics today by giving us this prayer.

Virgin Most Holy, Mother of the Incarnate Word and our Mother, venerated in the Shrine of Sheshan under the title 'Help of Christians,' the entire Church in China looks to you with devout affection. We come before you today to implore your protection. Look upon the People of God and, with a mother's care, guide them along the paths of truth and love, so that they may always be a leaven of harmonious coexistence among all citizens.
"When you obediently said 'yes' in the house of Nazareth, you allowed God's eternal Son to take flesh in your virginal womb and thus to begin in history the work of our redemption. You willingly and generously co-operated in that work, allowing the sword of pain to pierce your soul, until the supreme hour of the Cross, when you kept watch on Calvary, standing beside your Son, who died that we might live.
"From that moment, you became, in a new way, the Mother of all those who receive your Son Jesus in faith and choose to follow in His footsteps by taking up His Cross. Mother of hope, in the darkness of Holy Saturday you journeyed with unfailing trust towards the dawn of Easter. Grant that your children may discern at all times, even those that are darkest, the signs of God's loving presence.
"Our Lady of Sheshan, sustain all those in China, who, amid their daily trails, continue to believe, to hope, to love. May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world, and of the world to Jesus. In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high, offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love. Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love, ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built. Mother of China and all Asia, pray for us, now and for ever! Amen.

2011-05-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

Last week Pope Benedict XVI spoke to the graduating class at the Teresianum in Rome. His words are certainly relevant for all those graduating at this time.

Dear students, placed in the wake of this charism is your work of anthropological and theological reflection as well, the task of penetrating the mystery of Christ, with that intelligence of heart that is at the same time a knowing and a loving; this calls for Jesus to be placed at the center of everything -- your affections and thoughts, your time of prayer, study and action, the whole of your life. He is the Word, the "living book," as he was for St. Teresa of Avila, who affirmed: "To learn the truth, there is no other book than God" (Vita 26, 5). I wish for each one of you that you will be able to say with St. Paul: "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:8).

To this end, I would like to recall St. Teresa's description of the interior experience of conversion, just as she herself lived it one day before the crucifix. She writes: "As soon as I looked at him ... the sorrow I felt was so great, the sorrow of ingratitude with which I responded to his love, that it seemed to me my heart would break. I threw myself at his feet all in tears and begged him to give me the grace not to offend him anymore (Autobiography 9,1).

With the same force, the saint seems to ask us too: How can we remain indifferent to such love? How can we ignore him who has loved us with such great mercy? The love of the Redeemer merits all the heart's and mind's attention, and can activate also in us that wonderful circle in which love and knowledge reciprocally nourish one another.

During your theological studies, always have your sight turned to the ultimate reason for which you undertook them, that is to Jesus who "has loved us and given his life for us" (cf. 1 John 3:16). Be conscious that these years of study are a precious gift of Divine Providence, a gift that must be received with faith and lived diligently, as an unrepeatable opportunity to grow in knowledge of the mystery of Christ.

In the present context, an in-depth study of Christian spirituality from its anthropological foundations is of great importance. The specific preparedness that this furnishes is certainly important because it gives a person the proper profile and qualifies him for teaching this discipline, but it constitutes an even greater grace because of the sapiential weight it carries with it, geared to the delicate task of spiritual direction.

As she has never failed to do, again today the Church continues to recommend the practice of spiritual direction, not only to all those who wish to follow the Lord up close, but to every Christian who wishes to live responsibly his baptism, that is, the new life in Christ. Everyone, in fact, and in a particular way all those who have received the divine call to a closer following, needs to be supported personally by a sure guide in doctrine and expert in the things of God. A guide can help defend oneself from facile subjectivist interpretations, making available his own supply of knowledge and experiences in following Jesus. [Spiritual direction] is a matter of establishing that same personal relationship that the Lord had with his disciples, that special bond with which he led them, following him, to embrace the will of the Father (cf. Luke 22:42), that is, to embrace the cross.

2011-05-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

A very lovely prayer to say to Our Lady, especially during the month of May, is the Little Crown. The following version is that which St. Louis Marie de Montfort embellished with ejaculations, as the original is just the Our Fathers and Hail Mary's.

INTRODUCTORY PRAYER

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle
winthin them the fire of Thy love!

V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit dost instruct the hearts of
the faithful, grant us by this same Spirit to relish what is right and
ever to rejoice in His consolation, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

I. CROWN OF EXCELLENCE

[To honor the Divine Maternity of the Blessed Virgin, her ineffable Virginity,
her purity without stain and her innumerable virtues.]

1. Our Father, Hail Mary.
Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary, who didst bear the
Lord, the Creator of the world; thou didst give birth to Him Who
made thee, and remainest a Virgin forever.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

2. Hail Mary.
O holy and immaculate Virgin, I know not with what
praise to extol thee, since thou didst bear in thy womb the very
One Whom the Heavens cannot contain.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

3. Hail Mary.
Thou are all fair, O Virgin Mary, and there is no stain in thee.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

4. Hail Mary.
Thy virtues, O Virgin, surpass the stars in number.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

Glory be to the Father.

II. CROWN OF POWER

[To honor the royalty of the Blessed Virgin, her magnificence, her
universal mediation and the strength of her rule.]

5. Our Father, Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O Empress of the world! Bring us with thee to the joys of Heaven.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

6. Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O treasure house of the Lord's graces! Grant us a share in thy riches.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

7. Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O Mediatrix between God and man!Through thee may the Almighty be favorable to us. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

8. Glory be to thee who destroyest heresies and crushest demons! Be thou our loving guide. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times! Glory be to the Father.

Glory be to the Father.

III. CROWN OF GOODNESS

[To honor the mercy of the Blessed Virgin toward sinners, the poor,
the just and the dying.]

9. Our Father, Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O refuge of sinners! Intercede for us with God.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

10. Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O Mother of orphans! Render the Almighty favorable to us.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

11. Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee, O joy of the just! Lead us with thee to the joys of Heaven.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

12. Hail Mary.
Glory be to thee who are ever ready to assist us in lifeand death! Lead us with thee to the kingdom of Heaven! Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

Glory be to the Father.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let Us Pray.

Hail, Mary, Daughter of God the Father; Hail, Mary, Mother of God the Son; Hail, Mary, Spouse of the Holy Ghost; Hail, Mary, Temple of the most Holy Trinity; Hail, Mary, my Mistress, my treasure, my joy, Queen of my heart; my Mother, my life, my sweetness, my dearest hope ---- yea, my heart and my soul! I am all thine and all that I have is Thine, O Virgin blessed above all things! Let thy soul be in me to magnify the Lord; let thy spirit be in me to rejoice in God. Set thyself, O faithful Virgin, as a seal upon my heart, that in thee and through thee I may be found faithful to God. Receive me, O gracious Virgin, among those whom thou lovest and teachest, whom thou leadest, nourishest and protectest as thy children. Grant that for love of thee I may despise all earthly consolations and ever cling to those of Heaven until, through thee, His faithful spouse, Jesus Christ thy Son be formed in me for the glory of the Father. Amen.

Mary's humililty

2011-05-12T05:40:00.000-07:00

"By proclaiming herself 'handmaid of the Lord,' Mary, 'full of grace,' intended to commit herself to fulfill personally and in a perfect manner the service God expects of all his people. The words: 'Behold, the handmaid of the Lord," foretell the One Who will say of Himself, 'The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.' Thus, the Holy Spirit brings about a harmony of intimate dispositions between the Mother and the Son which will allow Mary to assume fully her maternal role to Jesus, as she accompanies Him in His mission as servant." Blessed John Paul II

a meditation on Mary's humility from Fr. Thomas Philippe, OP

"As soon as we begin to assert ourselves a little, we close ourselves to the gift of God. It is in proportion to our humility that God can love and sanctify us. The Blessed Virgin was perfectly humble and could, therefore, receive all the graces God wanted to give her. But in what did her humility consist?

In Mary humility had an absolute simplicity. she is the only saint who never looked at herself. She never appropriated any grace, but accepted everything as a gift; she made the most of God's gifts, not in order to enjoy them, but in order to draw closer to God. Thus she constantly mounted higher and higher.

Humility gave her the great simplicity that stood out so clearly at the Annunciation. Her attitude was quite different from that of various saints who protested their unworthiness when Our Lord asked them to perform some mission for Him. The Blessed Virgin's only response was, 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord.' Protesting our unworthiness indicates that we still believe we are something. If we are truly convinced of our own nothingness, we know there is no proportion between what we are and what God asks of us. Then, knowing God is all-powerful we say, 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord.'

Mary's humility was also magnanimous. Her response, 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord,' was the response of a useless servant. but God was asking her for a divine service. Hence she had to have not merely the attitude of a servant, but also magnanimity. Magnanimity means that we are attached to nothing but the will of god and God's way of seeing things. No other work should be able to satisfy us. We will always return to our sole concern; 'Is this the will of God?' "

Let us ask Our Lady for a share of her humility so that we too may be handmaids (servants) of the Lord and seek only His Will!

2011-05-10T06:25:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, Pope Paul VI (1966 to be exact) set aside the 4th Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday, as a Day of Prayer for Vocations. We think primarily here of religious vocations, but as the Popes remind us, all vocations come from the family. Marriage is in itself a life of consecration. All consecrated life flows out of Baptism, in which we are first consecrated to God and given the grace to grow in holiness. In the marriage vows, husband and wife consecrate themselves to each other. To consecrate means to make holy, to set aside for God for a specific purpose. Thus in making the marriage vows a man and woman set themselves aside for each other exclusively. In the faithful living out of these vows they will become holy. This is why the Church gave a solemn task to all the Bishops to set up special courses for engaged couples to help them understand the seriousness of their vocation and help them live it fully. If this had been done, divorce would not be a scourge that it has become.

Vocations come from the family because it is the primary task of parents to teach their children. One thing they must help form in their children is the desire to seek God's will in their lives. It is only in carrying out God's will in regard to our vocation that we can become fully the persons God wishes us to become.

2011-05-07T05:18:00.000-07:00

The first title Lumen Gentium takes up in regard to Our Lady is that of "faithful daughter of Zion (Israel.) As Pope John Paul explains: "After a long period of waiting, the times are fulfilled in her, the exulted daughter of Zion." She represents moreover, not only the whole people of Israel, who have been longing for the promised Messias, but she represents the whole human race, who have been in need of a Redeemer for many long centuries. She is the unique image of humanity in its relationship to God.
The covenant God established with the human race with Adam, and subsequently renewed with Israel, is a spousal convenant. We see this throughout the Old Testament. St. Thomas, taking up Aristotle explains the nature of friendship and the different degrees of friendship. For him the highest degree was where friends willed the good of the other. Pope John Paul took this idea of friendship to a higher degree when he developed the idea of a spousal friendship. When the friendship between a man and a woman reach the degree where they are ready to give themselves as a gift to the other, on one hand, while on the other hand, they are totally open to the gift the other makes of themselves, then they have reached spousal friendship and are ready for marriage.
This same idea applies to Our Lady in a preeminent way, as well as to ourselves. Our Lady had reached such a high degree of love of God that she had offered herself in a virginal consecration - the total gift of herself to God. And God responded by the total gift of Himself by asking her to be the mother of His Son.

2011-05-06T17:21:00.000-07:00

Today's reading reminded us that May 3 in the old calendar was the Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross by St. Helen, mother of Emperor Constantine. It is still kept in the Eastern Churches.

From a sermon by Saint Theodore the Studite

The precious and life-giving cross of Christ

How precious the gift of the cross, how splendid to contemplate! In the cross there is no mingling of good and evil, as in the tree of paradise: it is wholly beautiful to behold and good to taste. The fruit of this tree is not death but life, not darkness but light. This tree does not cast us out of paradise, but opens the way for our return.

This was the tree on which Christ, like a king on a chariot, destroyed the devil, the Lord of death, and freed the human race from his tyranny. This was the tree upon which the Lord, like a brave warrior wounded in his hands, feet and side, healed the wounds of sin that the evil serpent had inflicted on our nature. A tree once caused our death, but now a tree brings life. Once deceived by a tree, we have now repelled the cunning serpent by a tree. What an astonishing transformation! That death should become life, that decay should become immortality, that shame should become glory! Well might the holy Apostle exclaim: Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world! The supreme wisdom that flowered on the cross has shown the folly of worldly wisdom’s pride. The knowledge of all good, which is the fruit of the cross, has cut away the shoots of wickedness.

The wonders accomplished through this tree were foreshadowed clearly even by the mere types and figures that existed in the past. Meditate on these, if you are eager to learn. Was it not the wood of a tree that enabled Noah, at God’s command, to escape the destruction of the flood together with his sons, his wife, his sons’ wives and every kind of animal? And surely the rod of Moses prefigured the cross when it changed water into blood, swallowed up the false serpents of Pharaoh’s magicians, divided the sea at one stroke and then restored the waters to their normal course, drowning the enemy and saving God’s own people? Aaron’s rod, which blossomed in one day in proof of his true priesthood, was another figure of the cross, and did not Abraham foreshadow the cross when he bound his son Isaac and placed him on the pile of wood?

By the cross death was slain and Adam was restored to life. The cross is the glory of all the apostles, the crown of the martyrs, the sanctification of the saints. By the cross we put on Christ and cast aside our former self. By the cross we, the sheep of Christ, have been gathered into one flock, destined for the sheepfolds of heaven.

2011-05-04T05:44:00.000-07:00

If time permits, we hope to post some reflections on Blessed John Paul's teachings on Our Lady during this month of May. Blessed John Paul often insisted that the only real tragedy in life was the failure to become a saint. We each receive the vocation of holiness with our Baptism, and at each moment God is giving us the grace we need to grow in holiness. Our problem is that we are so seldom open and alert to these moments of grace. Our eyes are on the ground and not toward heaven!
The Second Vatican Council taught in Lumen Gentium that the Church itself is a mystery of vocation. Pope John Paul II took this teaching and gave it a solid theological foundation in his Pastorem Dabo Vobis. The general definition of vocation is the call into the fullness of being by God, who is Being. And since God is holy, this means we are called to become holy as well.
Every vocation to holiness further more comes from God and is always bestowed through the Church, primarily through the Sacraments. "The Church, being by her very nature a 'vocation,' is also a begetter and educator of vocations."
In Lumen Gentium, the Church Fathers brought out that Our Lady is the exemplary model and image of the Church as Virgin, Spouse and mother. So therefore, we cannot understand our own vocation to holiness if we do not reflect on Our Lady and how she lived out her vocation to holiness.

2011-05-01T03:48:00.000-07:00

Blessed John Paul II, pray for us!

Akathist

To our Father among the Saints, John Paul the Great, Pope of Rome

(Written by Alexander Roman, PhD, Toronto, Canada for private recitation)

Kontakion 1

To you, our great Pastor, Pontiff and Successor of the Chief Apostles, Peter and Paul, entrusted for many years with the guidance and welfare of Christ’s Holy Church, we sinful ones gather to sing a triumphant hymn of praise in your honour, thanking the Lord Jesus Who chose you and consecrated you according to the order of Melchisedek to confirm us in our faith and, now, to be our speedy intercessor in the mansions of His Father’s House, and we incessantly sing :

Rejoice, O Holy Father, John Paul, Pope of Rome, great Servant of Christ and our unfailing heavenly Protector!

Ikos 1

"Feed my sheep, tend to my lambs that are not of this flock," the Lord Jesus commanded Peter before His Ascension to the Right Hand of the Father. "And I will be with you and the Church unto the consummation of the ages!" Heeding our Lord’s call in your heart, you took upon your own shoulders the shepherd’s pallium as a new fisher of men in the footsteps of him who was called "the Rock" by our Lord, and we sing:

Rejoice, Successor to St Peter the Apostle!

Rejoice, Inheritor of his commission!

Rejoice, Rock of faith that was revealed to you by the Heavenly Father!

Rejoice, Preacher of Christ and Him Crucified!

Rejoice, Father of Peace!

Rejoice, Defender of the poor and oppressed throughout the world!

Rejoice, Man of prayer, lost in adoration of the Most Holy Trinity!

Rejoice, fervent in prayer to the Lord Jesus in the Holy Eucharist!

Rejoice, devoted son of the Most Holy Virgin Mother of God!

Rejoice, Teacher of the ways of the Lord!

Rejoice, Defender of the Apostolic preaching!

Rejoice, Example of piety, drawing all to new Life in Christ!

Rejoice, O Holy Father, John Paul, Pope of Rome, great Servant of Christ and our unfailing heavenly Protector!

Kontakion 2

O Holy Father, John Paul, your esteemed parents raised you to know and fear the Lord from a tender age. Your home church was where you first learned unceasing prayer in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Having suffered the loss of your mother, your father’s long prayer on his knees throughout the night inspired you to the things that are above by putting on the Lord Jesus Christ and making no provision for the flesh. Praising the Lord Jesus Who so willed to raise you in His Spirit, we cry: Alleluia!

Ikos 2

A brilliant scholar of the things of this world, O Holy Father, you surpassed all others in acquired knowledge and wisdom. But you counted all this as nothing, but for the saving knowledge in Christ Jesus. Hearing His call to serve Him and those who are being saved in His Church, you put your hand to the spiritual plough without looking back, but straight ahead toward the glory of the Holy Trinity, as we sing joyfully:

Rejoice, Ploughman of the Lord, called to bring us the Finest Wheat!

Rejoice, Worker in the Vineyard of the Lord, quenching our spiritual thirst with the Mystic Wine!

Rejoice, for your Daily Bread is truly Christ in the Holy Eucharist and the Word of God!

Rejoice, for Christ calls you to His holy Priesthood!

Rejoice, for you prefer not mother or father, or brother or sister above the sweet yoke of Jesus Christ!

Rejoice, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but the Father Who is in Heaven!

Rejoice, for the Lord reveals His power to you in unceasing prayer!

Rejoice, for He unveils to you His own Wisdom that surpasses that of the world!

Rejoice, for in Christ you have become higher than all your teachers!

Rejoice, for the Holy Spirit comes to make His abode within the temple of your body!

Rejoice, for He strengthens you by His Grace to endure all things for Christ!

Rejoice, for the Heavenly Father embraces you as a well-beloved son!

Rejoice, O Holy Father, John Paul, Pope of Rome, great Servant of Christ and our unfailing heavenly Protector!

Kontakion 3

You saw the stormy clouds of war gathered to crush the innocent from all sides, O Holy Father! Rather than feel despair, you put on the helmet of salvation and the breastplate of faith in Christ to ward off the darts of the evil one, inspiring all to raise the Cross as the symbol of final victory. Standing in awe of your fortitude and courage, we sing: Alleluia!

Ikos 3

O Holy Father, you ceaselessly gazed at the Saviour, crucified in the Flesh for our salvation. It was the Lord Jesus Himself that taught you from the Book of His Cross to have unshakeable faith in His Resurrection which all who partake of the Cup of His sufferings will also experience. With you, we reach out, like Thomas the Apostle, to touch the Sacred Wounds of the Lord Jesus in all our trials and tribulations, proclaiming Him to be our Lord and our God, singing:

Rejoice, Man of God, who constantly stood in spirit on Calvary before the Cross!

Rejoice, O Mystic, lost in meditation on Christ’s most sacred Passion!

Rejoice, Bearer on your own body of the Marks of the Lord Jesus!

Rejoice, Good Samaritan, binding the wounds of others suffering the ravages of war!

Rejoice, new Simon of Cyrene, carrying the crosses of others overwhelmed by pain!

Rejoice, Righteous One, who saved the daughter of Abraham from eternal collapse!

Rejoice, for the little suffering ones of God find in you a ready helper!

Rejoice, for you defend those who cannot defend themselves!

Rejoice, for you are ready to give your life for those for whom Christ gave His!

Rejoice, for you see the Cross dispersing the dark clouds of despair and evil!

Rejoice, for it heralds an eternal victory through Christ our Lord!

Rejoice, for you lead us to worship the place where the Feet of the Lord stood!

Rejoice, O Holy Father, John Paul, Pope of Rome, great Servant of Christ and our unfailing Heavenly Protector!

Prayer to our Father among the Saints, John Paul the Great, Pope of Rome

O Holy Father, John Paul, great Servant of the Servants of God and Pastor of the flock of Christ’s Holy Catholic Church! We thank our Lord Jesus Christ for the Grace of the Holy Spirit bestowed on you, His servant and Vicar on earth, throughout your long and fruitful pontificate as the chief worker in His Vineyard. Pray for us that the Holy Spirit may remind us of all that you taught us in the Name of the Lord Jesus and God our Father. Come speedily to our aid with your intercession in all our necessities that are for our spiritual good in accordance with the Divine Will. Inspire us who honour you on earth still with the memory of your example, your prayers and your teachings until we gather with you once again to praise and thank the Lord for His many mercies shown to us in the Kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Blessed Easter

2011-04-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

We remembered all our friends during this wonderful Triduum and Easter celebration. We hope your Easter was as glorious as ours and will continue throughout the Paschal Season. We were happy to have Fr. Mark Mary, MFVA and Brother Pio come for the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday services. they surprised us by doing a video interview which they hope to put on their web site blog. We hope it comes out well!

As you know we have had several very bad storms. Thank God, we are doing well. There were lots of tornadoes going around and it was pretty scary, but Our Lady kept her mantle over us. That is the best explanation we can give as to why we suffered little damage!

2011-03-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

Dom Marmion points out that the Baptism of Our Lord in the Jordan and the Temptations in the Desert belong very much together. And that we can understand the mysteries presented therein by meditating on them together.
Why does Our Lord, Who is sinless, come to be baptized?

The Apostle tells us that Christ is “holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners” (Hebr. VII, 26), and here Jesus Himself comes asking baptism for the remission of sins! What is this mystery?

It is that in all His states, the Word Incarnate fills a double office: that of the Son of God, in virtue of His Eternal generation, and that of the head of a fallen race whose nature He has taken, and this race He has come to redeem.

As Son of God, He can claim to sit on the right hand of His Father and enjoy the glory and splendor of heaven.

But as Head of fallen humanity, having taken flesh, guilty in the rest of the human race, although wholly pure in Him, In similitudinem carnis peccati (Rom. VIII, 3), He can enter Heaven at the head of this mystical body only after having passed through the humiliations of His life and the sufferings of His Passion: Nonne haec oportuit pati Christum, et ita intrare in gloriam suam (Luc. XXIV, 26)?

Possessing the Divine nature, says St. Paul, Christ thought it not robbery to declare Himself equal to God in perfection (Cf. Philipp. II, 6.); but for us, for our salvation, He descended into the depths of humiliation; and, on this account, the Father exalted Him, giving Him the name of Jesus which signifies our redemption; in exalting His Son, the Father has raised us up together with Him to the heights of heaven: Consedere fecit [nos] in caelestibus (Ephes. II, 6). It is truly to prepare the way before us that Christ enters into heaven: Ubi praecursor pro nobis introivit Jesus (Hebr. VI, 20).

However He will enter there only after having, by His Blood, paid off all our debt to Divine Justice: Per proprium sanguinem introivit... in sancta, aeterna redemptione inventa (Ibid. IX, 12).

It is true that Christ comes to deliver us from the tyrannical slavery of the devil into whose power humanity had fallen in consequence of sin: Qui facit peccatum, servus est peccati (Joan. VIII, 34); He comes to save us from the eternal punishment that Satan, as the minister of Divine justice, had power to inflict upon us: Ne forte tradat te judici, et judex tradat te ministro (Matth. V. 25).

Now, the Incarnate Word, the God-Man, will only bring this redemption into effect by voluntarily substituting Himself for us sinners, making Himself answerable for our sin, to the point, as St. Paul says, that God accounted Him, as it were, a living sin: Eum qui non noverat peccatum, pro nobis peccatum fecit (II Cor. V, 21).

If He takes our iniquities upon Himself, He will also take upon Himself our chastisement. He is to undergo an incommensurable sum of abasements and humiliations.

On Ash Wednesday, we openly acknowledge that we are sinners and in need of penance. This is necessary in order to enter into the Lenten Season of Penance, Prayer and Fasting. Our Lord did not need to fast. He did it to give us an example, to take upon Himself our weaknesses and show us how to gain strength over ourselves.

We remember from St. Thomas - it is the person who possesses the nature. Our Lord is a Divine Person, and He possesses at all times His human nature. But because of original sin, we do not always possess our nature. We suffer from the consequences of this all the time. Oh, just one piece of candy, we say. Jesus shows us that it is by mortification and penance that we gain the ability to act as person. How much Jesus shows that He loves us in these mysteries!

The grace that the Incarnate Word merited for us in undergoing temptation is the grace of strength to defeat the devil in our turn, to come forth victorious from the conflict through which we must necessarily pass before we are admitted to enjoy divine life in the blessedness of Heaven. Christ Jesus has merited that those who are united to Him shall share,—and share according to the measure of their union with Him,—in this impeccability.

We here approach the very center of the mystery.

We see in the Gospel that Christ was impeccable, inaccessible to the evil of sin, to the least imperfection. But what is the source of this moral invulnerability?

It is the fundamental truth that He is the very Son of God; as the Second Person of the Trinity, He is infinite Holiness, and cannot succumb to evil.

However, if we examine the Humanity of Jesus in itself, we see that it is a humanity created like unto our own; union with the Divinity did not take away from it those weaknesses which are compatible with the state of Son of God. Christ suffers hunger, thirst. He is overcome with fatigue; sleep weighs down His eyelids; fear, sadness, weariness take real possession of His soul;—and yet there is not the shadow of an imperfection in Him. If then the Humanity of Jesus, as such, enjoys impeccability, it is because it is strengthened in holiness in a marvellous way. Now, what is the means that God uses in order to render the blessed soul of Jesus inaccessible to moral evil, to sin, so as to establish it in impeccability?

It is to place Him under the protection of the Most High, in adjutorio Altissimi (Ps. XC, 1); or according to the more significant rendering of the original text, “in the secret sanctuary of the Divinity”: In sanctuario secreto divinitatis. And what is this sanctuary? It is the Beatific Vision.

As you know, the Beatific Vision is the Blessed contemplation of God such as He is in Himself. They to whom this grace is granted can nevermore separate themselves from God, because they see that God is the Sovereign Good, and that no particular good, however vast it be, can be compared to Him. Hence sin, which consists in turning away from the law of God, from His will, or, what comes to the same thing, in turning away from God Himself, to attach oneself to some good as seen in self or in the creature,— is rendered radically impossible. In this blessed state wherein the intellect contemplates the very Truth, there is no room for any ignorance, nor illusion, nor error; and the will, cleaving to the absolute Good that contains the plenitude of all good, knows neither hesitation, nor falling away, nor defection of any kind. The soul that reaches this summit is, in theological language, perfectly “confirmed in grace".

This confirmation in grace is a consequence of predestination; it allows of different degrees measured by the perfection and extent of this predestination.

The Humanity of Jesus was predestinated to be united to the Eternal Word; that is why the soul of Christ, from the first instant of its existence, possessed, as the privilege resulting from this union, as the “connatural” attribute, the Beatific Vision; it was confirmed in grace in the highest degree, that is to say in essential and absolute impeccability. This is why we hear Our Lord, the Head of all the predestinated, offer this challenge to the Jews: “Which of you shall convince me of sin" (Joan. VIII, 46). Likewise we hear Him say to His Apostles at the Last Supper: “I will not now speak many things with you. For the prince of this world cometh, and in Me he hath not anything” (Ibid. XIV, 30). Even as Man, Christ Jesus is the Saint of saints: Tu solus sanctus, Jesu Christe (Gloria of the Mass).

In heaven, the blessed have reached the perfect age of Christ (Ephes. IV, 13); they have attained the measure of the divine gift: Secundum mensuram donationis Christi (Ibid. 7); they enjoy the beatific vision in the fullness of the grace bestowed upon them; they participate in a perfect manner, each according to his degree, in the Divine Sonship of Jesus: that is why they remain, like Him, fixed for ever in sanctuario secreto divinitatis: that is eternal impeccability.

Here below, it is not given to us to abide perfectly in this “sanctuary of the Divinity." But what is it that takes the place of the Beatific Vision for us upon earth? It is faith. Through faith we have God ever present: Per tidem enim ambulamus (II Cor. V, 7). This faith in the light of which we walk, is the source of our union with Jesus and the root of our perfection: Ambula coram me, et esto perfectus (Gen. XVII. 2). In the measure whereby, through faith, we live in the contemplation of God, and remain united to Jesus Christ, in this same measure, we become invulnerable to temptation.

Already, upon earth, souls are to be met with who are so united to Jesus, so full of faith, that they are even now confirmed in grace. For example the Blessed Virgin was predestined to perfect exemption from sin, even from original sin; that is a unique privilege: Tota pulchra es, Maria, et macula originalis non est in te (Antiphon for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception). St. John the Precursor was sanctified from his mother’s womb, and the Fathers of the Church tell us that he was confirmed in divine grace. It was the same with the Apostles, after they had received the gift of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

God offers to all a share in this confirmation in grace; and this share is measured, as I have said, by our life of faith. A soul who, through faith, lives habitually in the contemplation of God, draws continually from this fountain of life: Quoniam apud te est tons vitae (Ps. XXXV, 10); she shares in Christ’s union with His Father: Ego in eis, et tu in me; and hence also in the love that the Father bears towards His Son Jesus: Ut dilectio qua dilexisti me in ipsis sit, et ego in ipsis (Joan. XVII, 23, 26).

This is why God takes such delight in such a soul; He protects her; He renders her, little by little, invulnerable. All her enemies may attack her; a thousand shall fall at her side, and ten thousand at her right hand and they shall not come nigh her; she will tread the devils underfoot; all the universe may rise up and be let loose against her, she will say to God: “Thou art my Protector and my Refuge,” and God will deliver her from all snares and dangers: Quoniam in me sperabit, liberabo eum (Ps. XC, 2, 7, 14).

Our Mother the Church, who is full of solicitude for her children, knows to what perils they are ever exposed; she knows, on the other hand, what powerful graces of life are given to us through the mysteries of the Incarnate Word, and through our union with Him, and so she recalls to us each year, at the beginning of Lent, the mystery of the Temptation of Jesus. She wills that during forty days, we should live like Him in the spirit of penance, retreat, solitude and prayer.

In order to help us to pass this time well, and to arouse within us the sentiments which should animate us, she gives us the account of Christ’s fasting, temptation and triumph at the opening of these forty holy days.

At the same time she places upon our lips the whole 90th psalm, which begins with the words which I have just been explaining: “ He that dwelleth in the sanctuary of the divinity shall abide under the protection of the God of heaven.” It is pre-eminently the psalm of confidence in the midst of struggle, trial and temptation.

The magnificent promises contained in it apply first of all to Christ Jesus, and next to all the members of His mystical body according to the measure of their life of grace and of faith.

This is the reason why the Church is not content with making us read it in its entirety on the first Sunday of Lent; but she extracts from it, for her canonical office, verses which she makes us recite each day of this long period, so as to place constantly before our eyes the loving care of our Heavenly Father: “He hath given His angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways: Angelis suis [Deus] mandavit de te ut custodiant te in omnibus viis tuis; “He hath delivered me from the snare of the hunter; and from the sharp word”: Ipse liberavit me de laqueo venantium et a verbo aspero; “ He will overshadow thee with His shoulders; and under His wings thou shalt trust ": Scapulis suis obumbrabit tibi et sub pennis ejus sperabis; “His truth shall compass thee with a shield; thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night”: Scuto circumdabit te veritas ejus; non timebis a timore nocturno (Ps. XC, 5, II).

What confidence arises within us at the daily recalling of such promises! What assurance they give us for walking in the path of salvation: Ecce nunc dies salutis (II Cor. VI, 2), however surrounded this path may be with pitfalls, however full it may be of enemies! God is with us; and "If God be for us,” says St. Paul, “who is against us?" (Rom. VIII, 31) For, he adds, God will not suffer us to be tempted or tried above our strength; but He will protect us, and with His protection, He will grant us to rise above trial, to surmount temptation, and to prove to Him our fidelity, the source of merit and of glory: Cum tentatione proventum (I Cor. X, 13).

quotes from Blessed Dom Columba Marmion, Christ in His Mysteries.

2011-03-08T13:37:00.000-08:00

The Church has always strenuously defended the Sacred Tradition that the Mary remains a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus. This is an important point, because the Faith itself depends in some way on this teaching. When the virginity of Mary is in doubt, then the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus comes into doubt. And without this miraculous conception and birth, then the divinity of Christ is brought in doubt. Since our Faith rests on the fact that Jesus is both God and man, we can see further that both Mary and Joseph existed in a virginal marriage is very important.
Fr. Dominic de Domenico, OP brings out the various reasons why it is necessary that St. Joseph not only be a witness to the virgin conception of Jesus and Mary's perpetual virginity, but that he also be in some way the cause of this virginity. There must be a mutual consent between the husband and wife to remain virgins. He quotes various authors to support this:
LLamera: "Mary's virginity depended upon St. Joseph, so that there are not two distinct virginities, but only one.
Bossuet: "If St. Joseph had so great a share in the holy virginity of Mary, he also partakes of the fruit which she bears; and that is why Jesus is his Son."
Thus the great joy of St. Joseph when the angel told him that he was to take Mary into his house. He understood by this that he was intimately united in God's great plan for mankind.
As Fr. Philippe says: "We can understand the joy in Joseph's heart, the joy in the heart of this man of poverty. He had surrendered everything to God and God rewards him a hundredfold. He had chosen Mary as his wife, and God gives him as his wife the mother of the Savior; and since everything that belonging to Mary belongs to him, through Mary, the fruit of her womb also belongs to him. Hence God gives him, through Mary, His own beloved Son to be his son also."

2011-03-07T19:50:00.000-08:00

All of Russia sings your praises, O Holy Hierarch. Your deeds and life have spread to the ends of the earth. You embraced the very prayer of the sweetest Savior “That all may be one” to heart throughout your entire life, and were a guiding light to all who encountered you. As a great shepherd on earth, and fervent heavenly intercessor, we all cry out from the depth of our hearts in joy: Alleluia.

Rejoice, having lifted the Cross upon your shoulders and having followed Christ.

Rejoice, having chosen the narrow and sorrowful path of monastic life.

Rejoice, having never turned back.

Rejoice, having overcome the demon of pride with your humility.

Rejoice, not having buried your talents in the earth.

Rejoice, having used them for the great glory of God and for the salvation of souls.

Rejoice, having revived many souls soiled in sins from the brink of damnation.

Rejoice, having fed your flock with the Word of God as a gentile shepherd feeding his lambs.

Rejoice, O holy Hieromartyr Leonid, who bore the Passion throughout your life!

During his visit to Ukraine in 2001, Pope John Paul II beatified a number of Eastern rite martyrs under communism, including Blessed Leonid Feodorov, first Exarch of the Russian Byzantine Church. He worked tirelessly for unity and we beseech him today to help those who are working for unity with the Eastern Orthodox Churches.

O great and wonderful champion of Christ, O holy Hieromartyr Father Leonid! Mercifully accept our prayers brought to you with love and thanksgiving! Hear us orphaned and helpless ones, who bow down before you with faith and love and request your fervent intercession for us before the Throne of the God of Glory. O light of Russia, pray for your homeland and her protection. We know that the prayer of a righteous man avails much to win the Master’s favor. You had an ardent love for the Lord from your youth and having desired to serve Him alone, you always considered the things of this world as nothing. Denying yourself and having taken up your cross, you followed Christ. O Holy Exarch, you voluntarily did take upon yourself the narrow and most-sorrowful path of monastic life, following the life of the great St. Theodore the Studite, and on this path you acquired great virtues.

You endured years of sufferings and persecutions at the hands of the godless. With your life you filled the hearts of men with deep reverence before the Almighty Creator. You encouraged fallen sinners with your wise counsels, teaching them to flee unto God in repentance and humility, all the while reassuring them with hope in His rich and great mercy. You never turned away those who came to you, but were a kind and loving father and pastor to all. And now, do not abandon us who earnestly pray to you and entreat your help and intercession. Watch over and protect with your powerful intercession your children of Rus’ and your spiritual inheritance spread over the whole world. Beseech the most holy God that He grant us the acquisition of the Holy and Life-Giving Spirit which you were granted, through your holy prayers now offered before the throne of God with the angelic powers. Obtain for us from our Lord Who loves mankind spiritual and physical health, establish our faith, and strengthen us who are utterly exhausted in the temptations and ungodliness of this age, when men have rejected and even hated the Word of God.

Prayer composed by the Holy Hieromartyr Leonid himself:

Merciful Lord Jesus, Our Savior, hear the prayers and petitions of Your unworthy sinful servants who humbly call upon You and make us all to be one in Your one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Flood our souls with Your unquenchable light. Put an end to religious disagreements, and grant that we your disciples and beloved children may all worship You with a single heart and voice. Fulfill quickly, O grace-giving Lord, Your promise that there shall be one flock and one Divine Shepherd of Your Church; and may we be made worthy to glorify Your Holy Name now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

2011-03-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

"Do not be afraid, Joseph, son of David, to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit." (Matt 1:20)

The Service of Fatherhood

7. As can be deduced from the Gospel texts, Joseph's marriage to Mary is the juridical basis of his fatherhood. It was to assure fatherly protection for Jesus that God chose Joseph to be Mary's spouse. It follows that Joseph's fatherhood - a relationship that places him as close as possible to Christ, to whom every election and predestination is ordered (cf. Rom 8:28-29) - comes to pass through marriage to Mary, that is, through the family.

While clearly affirming that Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that virginity remained intact in the marriage (cf. Mt 1:18-25; Lk 1:26-38), the evangelists refer to Joseph as Mary's husband and to Mary as his wife (cf. Mt 1:16, 18-20, 24; Lk 1:27; 2:5).

And while it is important for the Church to profess the virginal conception of Jesus, it is no less important to uphold Mary's marriage to Joseph, because juridically Joseph's fatherhood depends on it. Thus one understands why the generations are listed according to the genealogy of Joseph: "Why," St. Augustine asks, "should they not be according to Joseph? Was he not Mary's husband?... Scripture states, through the authority of an angel, that he was her husband. Do not fear, says the angel, to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. Joseph was told to name the child, although not born from his seed. She will bear a son, the angel says, and you will call him Jesus. Scripture recognizes that Jesus is not born of Joseph's seed, since in his concern about the origin of Mary's pregnancy, Joseph is told that it is of the Holy Spirit. Nonetheless, he is not deprived of his fatherly authority from the moment that he is told to name the child. Finally, even the Virgin Mary, well aware that she has not conceived Christ as a result of conjugal relations with Joseph, still calls him Christ's father."(12)

The Son of Mary is also Joseph's Son by virtue of the marriage bond that unites them: "By reason of their faithful marriage both of them deserve to be called Christ's parents, not only his mother, but also his father, who was a parent in the same way that he was the mother's spouse: in mind, not in the flesh."(13) In this marriage none of the requisites of marriage were lacking: "In Christ's parents all the goods of marriage were realized-offspring, fidelity, the sacrament: the offspring being the Lord Jesus himself; fidelity, since there was no adultery: the sacrament, since there was no divorce."(14)

Analyzing the nature of marriage, both St. Augustine and St. Thomas always identify it with an "indivisible union of souls," a "union of hearts," with "consent."(15) These elements are found in an exemplary manner in the marriage of Mary and Joseph. At the culmination of the history of salvation, when God reveals his love for humanity through the gift of the Word, it is precisely the marriage of Mary and Joseph that brings to realization in full "freedom" the "spousal gift of self" in receiving and expressing such a love.(16) "In this great undertaking which is the renewal of all things in Christ, marriage-it too purified and renewed-becomes a new reality, a sacrament of the New Covenant. We see that at the beginning of the New Testament, as at the beginning of the Old, there is a married couple. But whereas Adam and Eve were the source of evil which was unleashed on the world, Joseph and Mary arc the summit from which holiness spreads all over the earth. The Savior began the work of salvation by this virginal and holy union, wherein is manifested his all-powerful will to purify and sanctify the family - that sanctuary of love and cradle of life."(17)

How much the family of today can learn from this! "The essence and role of the family are in the final analysis specified by love. Hence the family has the mission to guard, reveal and communicate love, and this is a living reflection of and a real sharing in God's love for humanity and the love of Christ the Lord for the Church his bride."(18) This being the case, it is in the Holy Family, the original "Church in miniature (Ecclesia domestica),"(19) that every Christian family must be reflected. "Through God's mysterious design, it was in that family that the Son of God spent long years of a hidden life. It is therefore the prototype and example for all Christian families."(20) Redemptoris Custos

It is part of Sacred Tradition, as many of the Fathers, Saints and Popes of the Church have always asserted, that Our Lady had made a private vow of chastity to God before her betrothal to St. Joseph. This is based also on Sacred Scripture, as we find in St. Matthew. This consecration of Mary to God was the work of the Holy Spirit in her, whose unique Spouse she is. It is the fruit of her Immaculate Conception. It must surely have happened that Our Lady told St. Joseph about her special vow to God. "Joseph must respect Mary's radical self-abandonment to the Father if he is to take her to be his wife. In choosing her as his wife, he must thus live the same mystery as she does - a mystery of self-abandonment and of total surrender of one's life into the hands of the Father. In becoming her spouse, he weds himself to the working of God's Spirit within her; he lives her secret, this secret that binds her so personally to the Father." (Fr. MD Philippe)

Many saints who have pondered deeply on the mystery of St. Joseph tell us that they feel sure that St. Joseph had already been moved by God to make a similar vow. This is because God always prepares those He has chosen for a particular task.

An interesting point about the account of the Annunciation, is that Mary feels free to consent to God's invitation without asking St. Joseph. As his betrothed, it would seem necessary, yet she is obviously so sure that St. Joseph understands that she belongs to God first, that she is free to respond. "It is not a lack of delicacy on her part to act in this way towards Joseph; rather it is a sign of her confidence in him. God must always comes first, and this is the will of Joseph's heart as well -otherwise he would not be Mary's spouse. What is so admirable is that Mary does not hesitate, and in this she reveals to us all that Joseph's heart is for her: she can count on him even to this extent. She is able to keep God's secret in silence, for she does not doubt Joseph's faithfulness both to God and to herself." (Philippe)

2011-03-02T15:50:00.000-08:00

1. "Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took his wife" (cf. Mt 1 :24).Inspired by the Gospel, the Fathers of the Church from the earliest centuries stressed that just as St. Joseph took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ's upbringing,(1) he likewise watches over and protects Christ's Mystical Body, that is, the Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and model.

On the occasion of the centenary of Pope Leo XIII's Encyclical Epistle Quamquam Pluries,(2) and in line with the veneration given to St. Joseph over the centuries, I wish to offer for your consideration, dear brothers, and sisters, some reflections concerning him "into whose custody God entrusted his most precious treasures."(3) I gladly fulfill this pastoral duty so that all may grow in devotion to the Patron of the Universal Church and in love for the Savior whom he served in such an exemplary manner.

In this way the whole Christian people not only will turn to St. Joseph with greater fervor and invoke his patronage with trust, but also will always keep before their eyes his humble, mature way of serving and of "taking part" in the plan of salvation.(4)

I am convinced that by reflection upon the way that Mary's spouse shared in the divine mystery, the Church - on the road towards the future with all of humanity - will be enabled to discover ever anew her own identity within this redemptive plan, which is founded on the mystery of the Incarnation.

This is precisely the mystery in which Joseph of Nazareth "shared" like no other human being except Mary, the Mother of the Incarnate Word. He shared in it with her; he was involved in the same salvific event; he was the guardian of the same love, through the power of which the eternal Father "destined us to be his sons through Jesus Christ" (Eph 1:5).

Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Custos

At the beginning of the month of March, it will be good for us to take a deeper look at St. Joseph, following the advice of Pope John Paul. In his encyclical Veritatis Splendor he pointed out that the Church is suffering from a crisis of truth. Fr. Marie-Dominique Philippe, OP in his book The Mystery of Joseph, points out that whenever we are confronted with a great crisis, we need to return to the source, that is the beginning, to discover what is essential. He points out that in times of crisis this return to what was "chosen and desired at the beginning, in order to overcome the crisis with love and intelligence." When we do this, "we are able to obtain a clearer vision of profound intentions and the profound finality of our personal or community vocation." And, together with Pope John Paul, Fr. Philippe points out, when we return to the source of our faith, we find the mystery of St. Joseph.

"Returning to the source of rediscovering what is essential is what gives rise to the surge of life and love within us. This is precisely why the Holy Spirit is asking the Church today, to give special consideration to the mystery of Saint Joseph; to help the Church discover a light in this mystery that will allow her to move forward with a new surge of life and love."

(note: this was originally given around the time of the Vatican Council)

St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, Passionist

2011-02-27T14:10:00.001-08:00

Young Francis Possenti was in love with life. The eleventh of 13 children, he had a happy childhood. But at the age of four, sorrow began to enter his life. First his baby sister, then another died and then his mother died after a short illness, when he was only four. He went to a Jesuit school and at first he thought of religious life. But as a teen, life was became too interesting. He loved the latest novels, fine clothes, music; one of his nicknames was "the Dancer." Then sorrow enveloped the whole city of Spoleto - an epidemic of cholera swept through the city and his oldest sister, Maria Louise, who had been a mother to all the younger children died of it. He began to see that heaven was much more real than this life and began to think of religious life again. But his resolution was still weak and he tried to push it into the back of his mind. In the Cathedral of Spoleto was an ancient Icon of Our Lady, which had come from Constantinople many centuries before. During the cholera epidemic the people besought Our Lady and promised that if she interceded for them, they would make a procession with her Icon every year. Their prayer was heard and the procession took place a few months later. Francis was in the crowd and as the Icon passed by him, he saw Our Lady become a living image and heard her say, "Francis! What are you doing here in the world? This is not your life. Come enter religious life." It was this that gave him a firm resolution to follow his vocation. The thought came to him that Our Lady wanted him to join the Passionists. Despite all efforts to make him abandon his plans, Francis joined them within a few weeks. His love for Our Lady, always strong, took on a deeper, more profound aspect. One thing he encouraged among his family and friends was to consecrate their children to Our Lady. This is one of our favorite apostolates as well, and if you would like, we can send you a small leaflet with a prayer of consecration for a child.
Today we especially pray for young people that they too will hear Our Lady saying: "What are you doing still in the world? Come, answer my Son's call to follow Him in religious life!"

January 16 and 17

2011-02-17T14:53:00.000-08:00

During World War II, over 3000 clergy and religious died at the hands of the Nazis in hatred for their faith in Poland alone. In 1999 a group of 108 of these martyrs were beatified, among whom are two who are called the Marian Martyrs of Rosica. They belonged to the Marian Congregatin of the Immaculate Conception (the same that promote Divine Mercy) and were martyred in Belarus in 1943.
Little Belarus is hardly known but it is a brave little country and needs our prayers. During World War II about 75% of the population and country was destroyed. This happened twice previously, the first in the 17th century, when the Russian Tsar sent Cossack troops in to destroy and kill. The people of Belarus who were almost 90% Byzantine rite were very loyal to the Pope. The Dominican Order had 21 convents in Belarus at the time, but they were totally annihilated and the brethren all killed who didn't escape. The same thing happened in the 19th century by order of Tsar Alexander I, who paradoxically was trying to establish diplomatic ties with the Pope! Many people preferred death rather than be forced to become Orthodox.
With a period of self-government after World War I, the Catholic Church was able to re-open Churches and parishes. These were destroyed or turned into graneries, cinemas, etc. by the invading Soviets in 1939. When Germany invaded in 1941 the missionaries returned. The Church in Rosica had been made into a cinema and Fr. Anthony Leszczewicz, MIC, the Sisters and others worked hard to turn it back into a Church. Fr. George Kaszura , MIC worked in the same area.
In February 1943, because of the Soviet partisans working in the area, the German army began to round up all innocent people in the Rosica area, putting them in houses and setting them on fire. The priests and Sisters all chose to stay with the people. The priests were able to convince the Germans to release the Sisters, but refused to leave themselves. They said Mass, heard Confessions, prepared the people for death and helped everyone to stay close to God in such terrible suffering. Fr. Anthony was taken away with a sledge of people in the morning of February 16th, while Fr. George met his death with the last group of people of the 17th.
The story is very tragic but very inspiring and well attested by eye witnesses. Love triumphs over evil! (you may be able to see the faces of souls in the smoke clouds in the icon above)

It was with joy that we read about Pope Benedict XVI's second visit with President Medvedev of Russia. God grant that the efforts to build strong relations with Russia continue.

2011-02-15T09:09:00.000-08:00

Today we have two saints, one better known because of St. Faustina. Blessed Michael Sopocko in known as the spiritual director who made great efforts to promote the Divine Mercy as Jesus gave it to St. Faustina. He also labored to establish the Congregation which Our Lord wanted her to begin.

The other saint is unfortunately lesser known, but without him we would not know about the Devotion to the Sacred Heart as given to St. Margaret Mary. So many priests told her she was deluded, that when St. Claude de Colombiere was appointed confessor and chaplain to the Visitation convent, St. Margaret Mary was loath to open her heart to him. But Jesus told her: Behold, my faithful servant and perfect friend! He it is who will spread devotion to My Sacred Heart. Indeed it was St. Claude who saw at once that St. Margaret Mary was indeed authentic and encouraged her. Their friendship lasted until his death a few years later. St. Margaret Mary encouraged others to go to him saying, His task is to bring souls to God. His letters of spiritual direction have been translated into English and are still very helpful.

Shortly after helping St. Margaret Mary he was sent to England as chaplain to James II and his wife Mary of Modena, who were Catholics. St. Claude took this opportunity to begin spreading devotion to the Sacred Heart, which they took up and helped spread among the nobility. Then he was falsely accused of taking part in the Titus Oates plot and cast into prison. The French King was able to have him released and St. Claude returned to France. But his health was destroyed while in prison and he only lived a few years longer. No one thought much of him, but after his death, his superiors, reading his letters and diaries, realized this was a person of high sanctity and they began the cause for his canonization.

St. Scholastica

2011-02-10T14:11:00.000-08:00

St. Scholastica is one of our favorite saints. Very little is known of her, except that she was St. Benedict's sister and was abbess in a monastery of nuns not far from his own monastery. Once a year they used to meet and talk about holy things in a guest house. One year St. Scholastica begged her brother to stay on past the alloted time. He refused. So she bent her head in prayer and a violent storm broke out. St. Benedict rounded scolded his sister, knowing the storm was due to her prayers, but she calmly retorted - you would not grant my petition, so I took it to God, Who is His great love, did grant my petition. Not many days later, St. Benedict saw a dove flying to heaven from his sister's monastery and realized she had died and been taken to heaven.
When we awoke to find snow on the ground this morning, we remembered once some years ago, shortly after the priests closed the Holy Ghost mission. We wondered who would come to say Mass for us in times of bad weather. One evening a visiting Dominican priest stayed overnight, planning to leave early the next day. What a surprise to find a foot of snow (that was the year of the "blizzard" in Alabama). Father jokingly remarked, you all must have been praying to St. Scholastica to keep me here! As a matter of fact, we had been praying to her!

You might want to check out our web site which has the novitiate newsletter just published.

Also we are rejoicing at the upcoming beatification of John Paul the Great!

Conversion of St. Paul

2011-01-25T13:53:00.000-08:00

"... Paul never once interprets this moment as an event of conversion. Why? There are many hypotheses, but for me the reason is very clear. This turning point in his life, this transformation of his whole being was not the fruit of a psychological process, of a maturation or intellectual and moral development. Rather it came from the outside: it was not the fruit of his thought but of his encounter with Jesus Christ. In this sense it was not simply a conversion, a development of his "ego", but rather a death and a resurrection for Paul himself. One existence died and another, new one was born with the Risen Christ. There is no other way in which to explain this renewal of Paul. None of the psychological analyses can clarify or solve the problem. This event alone, this powerful encounter with Christ, is the key to understanding what had happened: death and resurrection, renewal on the part of the One who had shown himself and had spoken to him. In this deeper sense we can and we must speak of conversion. This encounter is a real renewal that changed all his parameters. Now he could say that what had been essential and fundamental for him earlier had become "refuse" for him; it was no longer "gain" but loss, because henceforth the only thing that counted for him was life in Christ." Pope Benedict XVI on St. Paul

When we think of the conversion of St. Paul, several things come to mind. First of all, there is the ongoing conversion we are all supposed to be engaged in. As Pope John Paul II pointed out in his Post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation: "In the concrete circumstances of sinful humanity, ... there can be no conversion without the acknowledgment of one's own sin." A result of this conversion process, this renewal of himself in Christ, was the vocational call to be the Apostle to the Gentiles.

We too, must reach this point in our lives where we become so much in love with Christ, that we are converted from our own selfish desires to that of wanting only what Christ wants for us. Only in this way can we hear that call, that gift of knowing what vocation God has in mind for us. Vocation is truly a gift; we are always free to respond or not. Yet, what a tragedy - since our unique vocation was given to each of us at the moment of conception!

At the beginning of this year, students are looking forward to graduation and to what the future may hold for them. We pray, especially during this Novena to Our Lady for the feast of the Purification/Presentation, (which is dedicated specifically to the Consecrated Life) that many young people will open up their hearts to Christ and not be afraid to say YES! to Him!

2010-12-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

Christ is born: Glorify Him!

Christ has come from Heaven: receive Him!

Christ is on earth: magnify Him!

Behold a strange and wonderful mystery, for the cave has become a heaven, the Virgin a cherubic throne, and the manger a noble place where Christ God reposes. Let us therefore praise and magnify Him!

O my soul, magnify the God born in the flesh of the Virgin Mary.

Byzantine Liturgy

We wish you all a most blessed and holy Christmas Season. Keeping you all in our prayers!

2010-12-23T05:36:00.000-08:00

from Dom Marmion Christ in His Mysteries
Let us transport ourselves to the stable-cave at Bethlehem; let us behold the Child lying upon the straw. What is He in the sight of the profane, in the sight of an inhabitant of the little city who might happen to come there after the Birth of Jesus?
Only a new-born Babe to Whom a woman of Nazareth had given birth; only a son of Adam like unto us, for His parents have Him inscribed upon the register of enrolment; the details of His genealogy can be followed. There He lies upon the straw, a weak Babe Whose life is sustained by a little milk. Many Jews saw nothing more in Him than this. Later on you will hear His compatriots, astonished at His wisdom, ask themselves where He could have learnt it, for, in their eyes, He had never been anything but "the son of a carpenter": Nonne hic est fabri filius?... (Mt 13:55; cf. Mk 6:3; Lk 4:22).
But to the eyes of faith, a life higher than the human life animates this Child: He possesses Divine life. What does faith, indeed, tell us on this subject? What revelation does it give us?
Faith tells us that this Child is God's own Son. He is the Word, the Second Person of the Adorable Trinity; He is the Son Who receives Divine life from His Father, by an ineffable communication: Sicut Pater habet vitam in semetipso, sic dedit et Filio habere vitam in semetipso (Lk 4:22). He possesses the Divine nature, with all its infinite perfections. In the heavenly splendours, in splendoribus sanctorum (Ps 109:3). God begets this Son by an eternal generation.
It is to this Divine Sonship in the bosom of the Father that our adoration turns first of all; it is this Sonship that we extol in the midnight Mass. At day-break, the Holy Sacrifice will celebrate the Nativity of Christ according to the flesh, His Birth, at Bethlehem, of the Virgin Mary; finally, the third Mass will be in honour of Christ's coming into our souls.
The Mass of the night, all enveloped with mystery, begins with these solemn words: Dominus dixit ad me: Filius meus es tu, ego hodie genui te (Introit of the Mass of Midnight), This cry that escapes from the soul of Christ united to the Yerson of the Word, reveals to earth for the first time that which the heavens hear from all eternity . "The Lord hath said to Me: Thou art My Son: this day have I begotten Thee." "This day" is first of all the day of eternity, a day without dawn or decline.
The Heavenly Father now contemplates His Incarnate Son. The Word, although made man, nevertheless remains God. Become the Son of man, He is still the Son of God. The first glance that falls upon Christ, the first love wherewith He is surrounded, is the glance, the love of His Father. Diliget me, Pater (Jn 15:9). What contemplation and what love! Christ is the Only-begotten Son of the Father; therein lies His essential glory. He is equal to and "consubstantial with the Father, God of God, Light of Light... by Whom all things were made," "and without Him was made nothing that was made." It is of this Son that these words were spoken: "Thou in the beginning, O Lord, didst found the earth, and the works of Thy hands are the heavens. They shall perish, but Thou shalt continue; and they shall all grow old as a garment; and as a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed; but Thou art the self-same, and Thy years shall not fail!" (Epistle for the Mass of Christmas Day.)
And this "Word was made Flesh": Et Verbum caro factum est.
Let us adore this Word become Incarnate for us: Christus natus est nobis, venite adoremus (Invitatory for Christmas Matins.)... A God takes our humanity: conceived by the mysterious operation of the Holy Ghost in Mary's womb, Christ is born of the most pure substance of the blood of the Virgin, and the life that He has from her makes Him like unto us! Creator generis human) de virgine nasci dignatus est, et procedens homo sine semine.
This is what faith tells us: this Child is the Incarnate Word of God; He is the Creator of the human race become man. Creator generis human); if He needs a little milk to nourish Him, it is by His hand that the birds of heaven are fed.
Parvoque lacte pastus est Per quem nec ales esurit (Hymn of Christmas Lauds)
Let us contemplate this Infant lying in the manger. His eyes are closed, He sleeps, He does not manifest outwardly what He is. In appearance, He is only like all other infants, and yet, being God, being the Eternal Word, He, at this moment, is judging the souls that appear before Him. "He lies upon straw, and as God, He sustains the universe and reigns in heaven": Jacet in praesepio et in caelis regnat (12th response at Matins on the Sunday of the Octave of Christmas), This Child, just beginning to grow, Puer crescebat... et proficiebat aetate (Lk 2:40, 52), is the Eternal Whose divine nature knows no change: Tu idem ipse es, et anni tui non deficient. He Who is born in time is likewise He Who is before all time; He Who manifests Himself to the shepherds of Bethlehem is He Who, out of nothing, created the nations that, "are before Him as if they had no being at all" (Is 40:17).
Palamque fit pastoribus Pastor creator omnium (Hymn of Christmas Lauds.)
To the eyes of faith there are two lives in this Babe; two lives indissolubly united in an ineffable manner, for the Human Nature belongs to the Word in such wise that there is but a single Person, that of the Word, Who sustains the Human Nature by His own Divine existence.
Undoubtedly, this human nature is perfect: perfectus homo (Creed attributed to St. Athanasius): nothing of that which belongs to its essence is lacking to Him. This Babe has a soul like to ours; He has faculties: --intelligence, will, imagination, sensibility--like ours. He is truly one of our own race Whose existence will be revealed, during thirty three years, as authentically human. Sin, alone, will be unknown to Him. Debuit per omnia fratribus similar) (Heb 2:17) ...absque peccato (Ibid. 4:15). Perfect in itself, this human nature will keep its own activity, its native splendour. Between these two lives of Christ-the Divine, which He ever possesses by His eternal birth in the bosom of the Father; the human which He has begun to possess by His Incarnation in the bosom of a Virgin--there is neither mingling nor confusion. The Word, in becoming man, remains what He was; that which He was not, He has taken from our race; but the divine in Him does not absorb the human, the human does not lessen the divine. The union is such, as I have often said, that there is however but a single Person--the Divine Person,--and that the human nature belongs to the Word, is the Word's own humanity: Mirabile mysterium declaratur hodie: innovantur naturae, Deus homo factus est; id quod fuit permansit et quod non erat assumpsit, non commixtionem passus neque divisionem (Antiphon of Lauds in the Octave of Christmas.)

2010-12-22T05:35:00.000-08:00

From Dom Marmion Christ in His Mysteries
The coming of the Son of God upon earth is so great an event that God willed to prepare the way for it during centuries. He made rites and sacrifices, figures and symbols, all converge towards Christ; He foretold Him, announced Him by the mouth of the prophets who succeeded one another from generation to generation.
And now it is the very Son of God Who comes to instruct us: Multifariam multisque modis olim Deus loquens patribus... novissime locutus est nobis in Filio (Heb 1:1,2). For Christ is not only born for the Jews of Judea who lived in His time. It is for us all, for all mankind, that He came down from Heaven: Propter nos et propter nostram salutem descendit de caelis. He wills to distribute to every soul the grace that He merited by His Nativity.
This is why the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, appropriates to herself, in order to place them upon our lips and with them to fill our hearts, the longings of the patriarchs, the aspirations of the just of ancient times, and the desires of the Chosen People. She wills to prepare us for Christ's coming, as if this Nativity was about to be renewed before our eyes.
See how when she commemorates the coming of her Divine Bridegroom upon earth, she displays the splendour of her solemnities, and makes her altars brilliant with lights to celebrate the Birth of the "Prince of Peace" (Is 9:6), the "Sun of Justice" (Mal 4:2), Who rises in the midst of our darkness to enlighten "every man that cometh into this world" (Jn 1:5, 9). She grants her priests the privilege, almost unique in the year, of thrice offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
These feasts are magnificent, they are likewise full of charm. The Church evokes the remembrance of the Angels singing in the sky the glory of the new-born Babe; of the Shepherds who come to adore at the manger; of the Magi who hasten from the East to offer Him their adorations and rich presents.
And yet, like every feast here below, this solemnity, even with the prolongation of its octave, is ephemeral: it passes by. Is it for the feast of a day, howsoever splendid it may be, that the Church requires such a long preparation from us? Certainly not! Why then? Because she knows that the contemplation of this mystery contains a special and choice grace for our souls.
I said at the beginning of these conferences that each one of Christ's mysteries constitutes not only a historical fact which takes place in time, but contains a grace proper to itself wherewith our souls are to be nourished so as to live thereby.
Now what is the intimate grace of the mystery of the Nativity? What is the grace for the reception of which the Church takes so much care to dispose us? What is the fruit that we ought to gather from the contemplation of the Christ Child?
The Church herself indicates this at the first Mass, that of midnight. After having offered the bread and wine which, in a few moments, are to be changed, by the consecration, into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, she sums up her desires in this prayer: "Grant, O Lord, that the oblation which in we offer to-day's festival may be acceptable unto Thee, and, by Thy grace, through this most sacred and holy intercourse, may we be found like unto Him in Whom is our substance united to Thee." (Accepta tibi sit, Domine, quaesumus, hodiernae festivitatis oblatio: ut tua gratia largiente, per haec sacrosancta commercia, in illiusi nveniamur forma, in quo tecum est nostra substantia. Secret of the Midnight Mass. The word forma is here taken in the sense of "nature," "condition" natura, as in the text of St Paul: Christus cum in forma Dei esset... exinanivit semetipsum formam servi accipiens et habitu inventus ut homo.)
We ask to be partakers of that divinity to which our humanity is united. It is like an exchange. God, in becoming incarnate, takes our human nature and gives us, in return, a participation in His Divine nature.
This thought, so concise in its form, is more explicitly expressed in the secret of the second Mass: "Grant, O Lord, that our offerings may be conformed to the mysteries of this day's Nativity, that as He Who is born as man is also God made manifest, so this earthly substance (which He unites to Himself) may confer upon us that which is divine." (Munera rostra, quaesumus, Domine, nativitatis hodiernae mysteriis apta proveniant, ut sicut homo genitus idem refulsit et Deus, sic nobis haec terrena substantia conferat quod divinum est. Secret of the Mass st Break of Day.)
To be made partakers of the Divinity to which our humanity was united in the Person of Christ, and to receive this Divine gift through this humanity itself,--such is the grace attached to the celebration of to-day's mystery.
Our offerings will be "conformed to the mysteries of this day's Nativity," according to the words of the above quoted secret, if-by the contemplation of the Divine work at Bethlehem and the reception of the Eucharistic Sacrament,--we participate in the eternal life that Christ wills to communicate to us by His Humanity.
"O admirable exchange," we shall sing on the octave day, "the Creator of the human race, taking upon Himself a body and a soul, has vouchsafed to be born of a Virgin, and, appearing here below as man, has made us partakers of His Divinity": O admirabile commercium! CREATOR generis human), ANIMATUM CORPUS SUMENS, de virgine nasci dignatus est; et procedens homo sine semine, LARGITUS EST NOBIS SUAM DEITATEM (Antiphon of the Octave of Christmas).
Let us, therefore, stay for a few moments to admire, with the Church, this exchange between the creature and the Creator between heaven and earth, an exchange upon which all the mystery of the Nativity is based. Let us consider what are the acts and the matter of it;-under what form it is wrought;--we will afterwards see what fruits are to be derived from it for us;--and to what it engages us.

2010-12-21T05:32:00.000-08:00

2010-12-20T05:32:00.000-08:00

A sermon of St Bernard
The whole world awaits Mary's reply
You have heard, O Virgin, that you will conceive and bear a son; you have heard that it will not be by man but by the Holy Spirit. The angel awaits an answer; it is time for him to return to God who sent him. We too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion; the sentence of condemnation weighs heavily upon us.
The price of our salvation is offered to you. We shall be set free at once if you consent. In the eternal Word of God we all came to be, and behold, we die. In your brief response we are to be remade in order to be recalled to life.
Tearful Adam with his sorrowing family begs this of you, O loving Virgin, in their exile from Paradise. Abraham begs it, David begs it. All the other holy patriarchs, your ancestors, ask it of you, as they dwell in the country of the shadow of death. This is what the whole earth waits for, prostrate at your feet. It is right in doing so, for on your word depends comfort for the wretched, ransom for the captive, freedom for the condemned, indeed, salvation for all the sons of Adam, the whole of your race.
Answer quickly, O Virgin. Reply in haste to the angel, or rather through the angel to the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the eternal Word.
Why do you delay, why are you afraid? Believe, give praise, and receive. Let humility be bold, let modesty be confident. This is no time for virginal simplicity to forget prudence. In this matter alone, O prudent Virgin, do not fear to be presumptuous. Though modest silence is pleasing, dutiful speech is now more necessary. Open your heart to faith, O blessed Virgin, your lips to praise, your womb to the Creator. See, the desired of all nations is at your door, knocking to enter. If he should pass by because of your delay, in sorrow you would begin to seek him afresh, the One whom your soul loves. Arise, hasten, open. Arise in faith, hasten in devotion, open in praise and thanksgiving. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, she says, be it done to me according to your word.

2010-12-19T13:51:00.000-08:00

Expectation of Our Lady

2010-12-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

December 18

December 17

Today we begin our journey with Our Lady towards Bethlehem with this special feast of her expectation. How great her longing must have been at this point, to see her Son! Yesterday, the 17th, the Church began her solemn novena preparing for the Birth of Jesus. These O Antiphons, taken from the longing of the Chosen People should so perfectly fill our hearts as we start this last week before the great event.

2010-12-12T20:08:00.000-08:00

The voice of one crying in the wilderness - prepare the way for the Lord!

What does prepare the way mean, if not “pray well”? What does prepare the way mean, if not “be humble in your thoughts”? We should take our lesson from John the Baptist. He is thought to be the Christ; he declares he is not what they think. He does not take advantage of their mistake to further his own glory.
If he had said, “I am the Christ,” you can imagine how readily he would have been believed, since they believed he was the Christ even before he spoke. But he did not say it; he acknowledged what he was. He pointed out clearly who he was; he humbled himself.
He saw where his salvation lay. He understood that he was a lamp, and his fear was that it might be blown out by the wind of pride.

from a homily by St. Augustine

Advent, as has been said, is a time of waiting, but not a passive waiting. Rather we should be actively preparing for the One Who is to come. We must fill in the valleys (sins of omission) and level the mountains (sins of commission).
"When Christ came into the world, He said: 'Here I am, I have come to do Your will, O God." (Heb 10: 5-7)
Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that the most important part of our preparation is to conform our wills to that of God.
A model of this authentic action (i.e. obedience) is the behavior of the Incarnate Word Himself. He makes His will coincide with the will of God the Father in the acceptance and carrying out of His mission: His food is to do the Father's will. He always does the things that are pleasing to the Father, putting His words into practice; He says the things that the Father has asked Him to say and to proclaim. In revealing the Father and His way of acting, Jesus at the same time reveals the norms of upright human action. He affirms this connection in an explicit and exemplary way when, in concluding his teaching on loving one's enemies, He says: "So be perfect, just as your Heavenly Father is perfect." This divine, divine-human, perfection becomes possible for us if we are closely united with Christ, our Savior. (homily, 2006)

This work of conforming our will to God's will is one that takes place at every moemnt. It takes constant and persevering effort. Often we fail, but as St. Therese shows us, these failures are most precious gifts to offer to Jesus. They are an essential part of our poverty. Offered with love to Jesus as straws, He takes them and casts them into the burning furnace of His Heart. And the flames He then infuses into our own hearts. So let us offer these little straws each minute to Jesus that when Christmas comes our hearts may be warm places for Him to repose in.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

2010-12-12T08:08:00.000-08:00

Akathist to Our Lady of Guadalupe
Kontakion 1
To Thee, our great and constant Intercessor before the Throne of Almighty God, do we,
Thy children, offer this hymn of praise, glorifying Thy wondrous Image revealed to Thy
humble servant, Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac, as we sing of Thy enduring heavenly
Protection of all who keep festival, joyfully exclaiming with arms uplifted: Rejoice, O
Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!
Ikos 1
The peoples of Mesoamerica saw a most Divine Light when they gazed upon Thy sacred
and miraculous image inscribed by the Finger of God upon the tilma of Juan Diego.
They recognized in it their salvation at last and liberation from the darkness of
enslavement to the cunning Serpent of old and they cried with grateful love amidst tears:
Rejoice, Most Immaculate Messenger from on High!
Rejoice, Great Sign that appeared in Heaven and in our midst!
Rejoice, Woman shining with the Brightness of Thy Son and our Lord!
Rejoice, Lady crushing the Serpent of old beneath thy feet!
Rejoice, Victor over evil!
Rejoice, Queen of Heaven and Earth!
Rejoice, unfailing Intercessor for those lost in darkness!
Rejoice, Star of the Sea bringing us to the harbor of safety!
Rejoice, Defender of children!
Rejoice, Protector of such as are of the Kingdom of Heaven!
Rejoice, Standing with the moon at Thy feet!
Rejoice, with hands enfolded in prayer to God on our behalf!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!

Kontakion 5
Thy humble servant went with joy and great anticipation to the palace of the bishop with
the roses Thou didst give him as evidence of Thy appearance. Believing the flowers to
be the final signal to all affirming Thy coming on earth, Juan unfurled his tilma. Upon
seeing the greater miracle of Thy image not made by human hands, all cried: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
The bishop joined with everyone in kneeling prayerfully before Thy miraculous Icon,
bowing to God's revelation of His salvation of the Americas through His Most Holy
Mother. Spellbound in wonder and amazement at Thy great love for those for whom Thy
Son died for on the Precious and Life-giving Cross, they all sang:
Rejoice, Icon revealing Thy Son and Lord Jesus Christ!
Rejoice, Image reflecting His Heavenly Glory!
Rejoice, Sign from Heaven, bringing us the Abundant Life!
Rejoice, our Mantle of Protection!
Rejoice, covering us with an outpouring of Grace!
Rejoice, Who appears to us when we know neither the day nor the hour!
Rejoice, for Thou didst call us to the Kingdom of God suddenly!
Rejoice, Who imprints the image of Thy Son on those who honour Thee!
Rejoice, Robe of salvation!
Rejoice, Armour of Christ!
Rejoice, Witness to the Divine Incarnation!
Rejoice, Holy Garment without seam!

Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!

Kontakion 6
Acknowledging finally Thy appearance on earth through Thy holy image, those who
gazed in wonder at it saw it to signify the vision of the Beloved Disciple, John, in the
Apocalypse. They understood, at long last, that Thou came to call all to salvation and
free many from the darkness of pagan error. Praising God and Thee for these and many
other manifest mercies, they sang: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
God consecrated Thee to His service from Thy conception in the womb of Thy holy
mother, Anne. We honour Thee as the true Temple of the Holy Trinity and the Fount
through which Thy Son, our Lord Jesus, pours out His Mercy upon the world and
joyfully exclaim:
Rejoice, Holy Daughter of God the Father!
Rejoice, Precious Mother of God the Son!
Rejoice, Sanctified Temple of the Holy Spirit!
Rejoice, Cause of joy to Thy parents, Joachim and Anne!
Rejoice, conceived in holiness in the womb of Thy mother!
Rejoice, Vessel prepared by God to receive His Word!
Rejoice, Sacred Jar of the living Manna!
Rejoice, Most Holy and Immaculate Mother of God!
Rejoice, Candlestick bearing the Light that enlightens all!
Rejoice, She in Whom God was pleased to dwell!
Rejoice, for the Lord is truly with Thee!
Rejoice, for blessed art Thou amongst all women!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!

Immaculate Conception

2010-12-07T19:55:00.000-08:00

As we honor Our Lady today, we would like to share this lovely meditation on the Immaculate Conception.

For her faithful cooperation with the loving designs of God, the Blessed Virgin, all pure and without stain, was inundated with grace. Jesus living in her, enriched her with His divine gifts; as Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God, she surpasses all creatures in dignity, but she is, nevertheless, only one among them...

Now, let us consider for a moment how sublime it is to have been, as was Mary, the object of the eternal thought of God. With what anticipatory, paternal love the heavenly Father surrounded this little creature who was to be the Mother of His Word! With what special tenderness the Son already loved beforehand her whom He Himself had created with the intention of being one day born of her! With what infinite love the Holy Spirit burned for her in whom He was to accomplish so many divine marvels! And do you think that this immense love of the Trinity which had enveloped for so many centuries, while she existed only in the divine mind, remained inactive?

Love is never inactive. Love is movement, it is movement par excellence, because life if movement, and love is the life of God! This divine love, always and from such a long time, in internal movement for Mary, occupied itself in preparing all the gifts, all the adornments of which a creature is capable, for the predestined soul of the Virgin.

But the thoughts of God have dwelt on us also. If He has not seen in us the Mother of His Word, He has seen, from the moment of our birth, the humble spouse of His Christ. If He has not filled us with His gifts to the same extent as Mary, He has conferred many great and special favors on us.

If Mary has been raised up so high, it is not only because she has received much, but also because she has given much. She has given the cooperation of her obedience to the designs of God on her; she has given her faithful cooperation to every one of the graces that were poured out on her with such profusion; she has given her sufferings and the martyrdom of her heart as proofs of her love and gratitude.

We also have received much in proportion to our littleness; have we learned how to give back much to God Who has given us so much? Do we give filial obedience to all His wishes? Do we respond by constant fidelity to the graces of our vocation? Have we learned how to give the true proof of love which is shown by mortification of ourselves and by the humble acceptance of trials of the soul and sufferings of the body?

Let us dwell a little on these thoughts at the feet of our Immaculate Mother. Let us ask her to teach us to be like her, generous with God Who has been so generous with us!

Mother Louise Margaret from her writings in The Love and Service of God - Infinite Love

2010-12-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

Most of us think of St. Augustine when we think of St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, as he was baptized by St. Ambrose. And it was St. Ambrose who consoled St. Monica and assured her that a son of so many tears would one day enter the Church. St. Ambrose is also associated with the Ambrosian Rite. He had a great love for the Liturgy and wrote music, only some of which has authentically come down to us. But if you go to Milan you will discover that the Ambrosian Rite is still alive and flourishing! Actually the Liturgy used in Milan at the time of St. Ambrose belonged to what is now called the Galilean Liturgy, since that is where the Apostles came from. It is somewhat different from the Byzantine which comes from Jerusalem, and was based on the ancient Liturgy of St. James the Lesser, first Bishop of Jerusalem.

St. Nicholas

2010-12-06T09:14:00.000-08:00

Bologna was the site of large new university, one that everyone wanted to attend. So Our Holy Father St. Dominic was anxious to set up a convent of Friars in this city. Fortunately he was given the Church of St. Nicholas (of Bari), whose feast we celebrate today. At that time the Church was very much in dialog with the Greek Orthodox, trying to mend and heal the schism that had taken place. The Dominicans became part of this dialog. So St. Dominic decided to make St. Nicholas one of our special patrons. He ordained that each convent church should have a shrine to ST. Nicholas and that prayers to him should be said each day. After the Institute (or Center) of Studies was set up in Bari, at the Basilica where the relics of ST. Nicholas are kept, the Dominicans were given charge. They still continue the work today, especially with the Russian Orthodox.

2010-12-01T06:01:00.000-08:00

As our Holy Father explained in his letter for Advent, this is a season for waiting. But not just any kind of waiting. Blessed Dom Columba Marmion takes up this same theme of waiting in his treatment of Advent. (Christ in His Mysteries) First he asks, "Why did God chose to delay the coming of His Son amongst us for so many centuries?" Although God is inscrutable in Himself, yet at the same time He wants us to ask just such questions and then seek for the answer.

First of all, Dom Marmion says, based on St. Thomas, it was fitting that men, having sinned through pride should be obliged by the prolonged experience of their weakness to learn just how much they needed a Redeemer. What comes easy to us is not much appreciated by us.

Secondly, The greatness of the Incarnate Word is such that the Revelation of His Coming can only be made in degrees. In fact, as we see, the prophecies concerning the Messiah seem almost contradictory - the Mighty God, who is spurned, cursed and despised.

Thirdly, faith is absolutely necessary are a pre-requirement. And faith comes through hearing the prophecies made concerning the Messiah. As these were given over a long period of time, revealing gradually the mystery of the Word to come among us and His act of Redemption. This slow revealing would create an overwhelming desire of the Chosen People for a Redeemer who would deliver them from their sins, and all the effects sin has on man.

These same reasons govern the season of Advent. This is why Holy Mother the Church gives us four weeks - symbolizing the four thousand years of waiting for the Messiah to come. And these same reasons should guide our own practices during Advent.

ALL God's blessings that come down upon us have their source in the election that He made of our souls, throughout eternity, to make them "holy and unspotted in His sight" (Eph 1:4). In this divine decree so full of love is contained our adoptive predestination as children of God and all the favours thereto attached.
St. Paul says that it was through the grace of Jesus Christ, sent by God in the fulness of time, that this adoption was granted to us: "At ubi venit plenitudo temporis, misit Deus Filium suum factum ex muliere... ut adoptionem filiorum reciperemus" (Gal 4:4-5).
God's eternal design of sending His own Son into the world to redeem the human race, broken and bruised by sin, and of restoring to it the children's inheritance and heavenly beatitude, this is the masterpiece of His wisdom and love.
The views of God are not our views; all His thoughts are higher than ours as the heavens are higher than the earth; but it is especially in the work of the Incarnation and Redemption that the sublimity and greatness of the Divine ways shine forth. This work is so high, so closely united to the very life of the Most Holy Trinity, that it remained throughout long ages hidden in the depths of the divine secrets: "Sacramentum absconditum a saeculis in Deo" (Eph 3:9).
As you know, God willed to prepare the human race for the revelation of this mystery during some thousands of years. Why did God chose to delay the coming of His Son amongst us for so many centuries? Why such a long period? We cannot, mere creatures as we are, fathom the depths of the reasons why God accomplishes His works under such or such conditions. He is the Infinitely Sovereign Being Who has no need of a counsellor (Cf. Rom 11:34). But as He is likewise Wisdom itself that reacheth "from end to end mightily, and ordereth all things sweetly" (Sir 8:1). Cf. Great antiphon O Sapientia, 17th Dec.) we may yet humbly seek to learn something of the appropriateness of the conditions of His mysteries.
It was fitting that men, having sinned by pride, "Eritis sicut dii" (Gen 3:5) should be obliged, by the prolonged experience of their weakness and the extent of their misery, to confess the absolute need they had of a Redeemer and to aspire after His coming with all the fibres of their nature (Cf. S. Thom. III, q.I, a.5).
The idea of this future Redeemer fills all the Ancient Law; all the symbols, all the rites and sacrifices prefigure Him: "Haec omnia in figura contigebant illis" (1 Cor 10:2); all desires converge towards Him. According to the beautiful expression of an author of the first centuries, the Old Testament bore Christ in its loins: "Lex Christo gravida erat" (Appendix to the works of S. Augustine, Sermon 196). The religion of Israel was the expectation of the Messias.
Moreover, the greatness of the mystery of the Incarnation and the majesty of the Redeemer demanded that the revelation of Him to the human race should only be made by degrees. Man, on the morrow of his fall, was neither worthy of receiving nor capable of welcoming the full manifestation of the God-Man. It was by a dispensation at once full of wisdom and mercy, that God disclosed this ineffable mystery only little by little, by the mouth of the prophets; when the human race should be sufficiently prepared, the Word, so many times announced, so often promised, would Himself appear here below to instruct us: "Multifariam multisque modis olim loquens patribus in prophetis... novissime locutus est nobis in Filio" (Heb 1:1).
I will therefore point out some traits of these divine preparations for the Incarnation. We shall herein see with what wisdom God disposed the human race to receive salvation; it will be for us an occasion of returning fervent thanksgiving to "the Father of mercies" (2 Cor 1:3) for having caused us to live in "the fulness of time" which still endures and wherein He grants to men the inestimable gift of His Son.
I
You know that it was just after the sin of our first parents in the very cradle of the already rebellious human race that God began to reveal the mystery of the Incarnation. Adam and Eve, prostrate before the Creator, in the shame and despair of their fall, dare not raise their eyes to heaven. And behold, even before pronouncing the sentence of their banishment from the terrestrial paradise, God speaks to them the first words of forgiveness and hope.
Instead of being cursed and driven out for ever from the presence of their God, as were the rebel angels, they were to have a Redeemer; He it was Who should break the power won over them by the devil. And as their fall began by the prevarication of the woman, it was to be by the son of a woman that this redemption should be wrought: "Inimicitias ponam inter te et mulierem, et semen tuum et semen illius: ipsa conteret caput tuum" (Gen 3:15).
This is what is called the "Protogospel," the first word of salvation. It is the first promise of redemption, the dawn of divine mercy to the sinful earth, the first ray of that light which was one day to vivify the world, the first manifestation of the mystery hidden in God from all eternity.
After this promise, all the religion of the human race, and, later, all the religion of the chosen people is concentrated around this "seed of the woman," this "semen mulieris" which is to deliver mankind.
Throughout the years as they pass by, and as the centuries advance, God makes His promise more precise; He repeats it with more solemnity. He assures the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that it is from their race that the blessed seed shall come forth: "Et benedicentur in semine tuo omnes gentes terrae" (Gen 22:18; cf. Gal 3:16); to the dying Jacob, He shows that it is in the tribe of Juda that shall arise the One Who is to come, the desire of all peoples: "Donec veniat qui nittendus est, et ipse erit exspectatio gentium" (Ibid. 49:10).
And now behold how the nations, forgetful of the primeval revelations, sink insensibly into error. God then chooses for Himself a people that shall be the guardian of His promises. To this people, throughout the centuries, God will recall His promises, renew them, render them clearer and more abundant: this will be the era of the prophets.
If you listen to the sacred oracles of the prophets of Israel, you will remark that the traits whereby God depicts the Person of the future Messias and specifies the character of His mission, are at times so opposed that it seems as if they could not be encountered in the same person. Sometimes the prophets attribute to the Redeemer prerogatives such as could only befit a God, sometimes, they predict for this Messias a sum of humiliations, contradictions, infirmities and sufferings with which the last of men could scarcely deserve to be overwhelmed.
You will constantly be coming across this striking contrast.
For example, there is David, the king dear to God's Hears; the Lord swore to confirm his race for ever: the Messias was to be of the royal family of David. God reveals Him to David as "his son and his Lord" (Ps 59:1; cf. Mt 22:41-45): his son by reason of the humanity that He was one day to take from a Virgin of his family, his Lord, by reason of His divinity. David contemplates Him "in the brightness of the saints," begotten eternally before the rising of the day star; a supreme High Priest "according to the order of Melchisedech" (Ps 59:3-4), anointed to reign over us because of His " truth and meekness and justice" (Ps. 44:5); in a word, the Son of God Himself to Whom all nations are to be given as an inheritance: "Dominus dixit ad me: Filius meus es tu, ego hodie genui te: postula a me et dabo tibi gentes haereditatem tuam" (Ps. 2:7-8). St. Paul says to the Hebrews that these are prerogatives wherein a God alone can glory (Heb 1:13).
But David contemplates too the pierced Hands and Feet, the garments divided among the soldiers who cast lots upon His coat (Ps 22:17-19); He beholds Him given gall and vinegar to drink (Ps 68:22). Then again see the Divine attributes: He will not be touched by the corruption of the tomb, but, victorious over death, He will sit down at the right hand of God (Ps 15:10).
This contrast is not less striking in Isaias, the great Seer; so precise and full of detail is he that he might be called the fifth Evangelist. One would say that he was relating accomplished facts rather than foretelling future events.
The prophet, transported up to heaven, says of the Messias: "Who shall declare His generation": "Generationem ejus quis enarrabit" (Is 53:8)? He gives Him names such as no man has ever borne: "His name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God the mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace" (Is 9:6). Born of a Virgin, "His name shall be called Emmanuel" (7:14), God with us. Isaias describes Him "come forth as brightness," and "lighted as a lamp" (62:1); he sees Him opening the eyes of the blind and unstopping the ears of the deaf, loosing the tongue of the dumb and making the lame to walk (35:5-6); he shows Him as "a Leader and a Master to the Gentiles" (55:4); he sees the idols utterly destroyed before Him (2:14-18); and he hears God promise by oath that before this Saviour "every knee shall be bowed" and every tongue shall confess His power (Is 45:23).
And yet this Redeemer, Whose glory the prophet thus exalts, is to be overwhelmed with such sufferings, and such humiliations are to crush Him that He will be looked upon as "the most abject of men... as it were a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted;... led as a sheep to the slaughter... reputed with the wicked... because the Lord was pleased to bruise Him in infinity" (Is 53, 3 seq.).
In most of the prophets you can see this opposition of traits with which they describe the greatness and the abasements, the power and the weakness, the sufferings and the glory of the Messias. You will see with what condescending wisdom God prepared the minds of His people to receive the revelation of the ineffable mystery of a God-Man, at once the supreme Lord Whom all nations adore, and the Victim for the sins of the world.
The economy of the Divine mercy is, as you know, wholly based upon faith; faith is the foundation and the root of all justification. Without this faith, even the bodily presence of Christ Jesus would be unable to produce the fulness of its effect in souls.
Now faith is communicated to us by the Holy Spirit's inward action which accompanies the statement of the divine truths made by prophets and preachers: Fides ex auditu (Rom 10:7).
In so often recalling the ancient promises, in revealing, little by little through the mouths of the prophets, the traits of the Redeemer Who was to come, God willed to produce in the hearts of the just of the Old Covenant the requisite conditions whereby the coming of the Messias should be salutary for them. Besides the more the just of the Old Covenant were filled with faith and confidence in the promises announced by their prophets, the more they would burn with the desire to see them realized, and the more they would be ready to receive the abundance of graces that the Saviour was to bring to the world. It was thus that the Virgin Mary, Zachary and Elisabeth, Simeon, Anna, and the other faithful souls who lived at the time of Christ's coming, at once recognised Him and were inundated with His favours.
You see how God was pleased to prepare mankind for the coming of His Son upon earth. St. Peter could truly say to the Jews that they were "the children of the prophets" (Acts 3:25). St. Paul could write to the Hebrews that before God spoke to them in person, He "at sundry times, and in divers manners, spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets": "Multifariam multisque modis" (Heb 1:1).
The faithful Jews were, moreover, constantly in expectation of the Messias. Their faith discerned in the person of this Redeemer one sent by God, a King, a God Who was to put an end to their miseries, and deliver them from the burden of their sins. They have but one longing: "Send, O Lord, Him Who is to come." They have but one desire: to behold with their eyes the countenance of the Saviour of Israel. The promised Messias was the object towards which converged all the hopes, all the worship, all the religion of the Old Covenant. All the Old Testament is a prolonged Advent the prayers of which are summed up in this prayer of Isaias: "Emitte Agnum, Domine, Dominatorem terrae" (Is 16:1). "Send forth, O Lord, the Lamb, the Ruler of the earth." "Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just": "Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant justum"; "Let the earth be opened, and bud forth a Saviour": "A periatur terra et germinet Salvatorem" (Is 45:8).
Dom Columba Marmion

2010-11-29T19:48:00.000-08:00

"The Lord loved Andrew as an odor of sweetness"

Andrew, called in the Eastern Churches, the first called, because he was the first to follow Christ, comes appropriately near the beginning of Advent and the start of the new Church year. On this day the Church also starts her solemn novena for the Birth of Christ. St. John Chrysostom gives us some beautiful insights into St. Andrew as well as some insights into St. Peter.

A sermon of St John Chrysostom on St John's gospel
We have found the Messiah
"After Andrew had stayed with Jesus and had learned much from him, he did not keep this treasure to himself, but hastened to share it with his brother. Notice what Andrew said to him: We have found the Messiah, that is to say, the Christ. Notice how his words reveal what he has learned in so short a time. They show the power of the master who has convinced them of this truth. They reveal the zeal and concern of men preoccupied with this question from the very beginning. Andrew’s words reveal a soul waiting with the utmost longing for the coming of the Messiah, looking forward to his appearing from heaven, rejoicing when he does appear, and hastening to announce so great an event to others. To support one another in the things of the spirit is the true sign of good will between brothers, of loving kinship and sincere affection.
Notice, too, how, even from the beginning, Peter is docile and receptive in spirit. He hastens to Jesus without delay. He brought him to Jesus, says the evangelist. But Peter must not be condemned for his readiness to accept Andrew’s word without much weighing of it. It is probable that his brother had given him, and many others, a careful account of the event; the evangelists, in the interest of brevity, regularly summarise a lengthy narrative. Saint John does not say that Peter believed immediately, but that he brought him to Jesus. Andrew was to hand him over to Jesus, to learn everything for himself. There was also another disciple present, and he hastened with them for the same purpose.
When John the Baptist said: This is the Lamb, and he baptizes in the Spirit, he left the deeper understanding of these things to be received from Christ. All the more so would Andrew act in the same way, since he did not think himself able to give a complete explanation. He brought his brother to the very source of light, and Peter was so joyful and eager that he would not delay even for a moment."

Since Andrew by tradition, preached in the East, including Greece, Russia and Ukraine, on this day the Holy Father sends his representative to celebrate this feast with the Patriarch of Constaninople.

You may remember a few years ago Pope Benedict XVI himself was able to go, despite much opposition. Let us pray today to St. Andrew for all those countries and peoples over whom he is patron, and for the good progress that is being made toward unity with the Orthodox churches.

Advent

2010-11-29T05:37:00.000-08:00

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 28, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today before praying the midday Angelus together with those gathered in St. Peter's Square.
* * *
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Today, the first Sunday of Advent, the Church begins a new liturgical year, a new journey of faith that, on one hand, remembers the event of Jesus Christ and, on the other, opens onto its ultimate fulfillment. It is precisely in this double perspective that the season of Advent is situated, both looking to the first coming of the Son of God, when he was born of the Virgin Mary, and to his glorious return, when he will come "to judge the living and the dead," as we say in the "Credo." I would now like to reflect briefly on this suggestive theme of "waiting" (attesa), because it involves a profoundly human reality in which the faith becomes, so to say, completely one with our flesh and our heart.
Our whole personal, familial and social existence passes through this dimension of waiting. Waiting is something that is present in a 1,000 situations, from the smallest and most banal to the most important, which draw us in completely and in the deepest way. Among these, we think of a husband and wife waiting for a child; of waiting for a relative or friend who is coming from far away to visit us; we think of a young person waiting to know his grade on a major exam or the outcome of a job interview; in romantic relationships, of waiting to meet the beloved person, of waiting for a letter, or of receiving forgiveness... One could say that man is alive so long as he waits, so long as hope is alive in his heart. And man is able to recognize that what he waits for and what he hopes for discloses something about his moral and spiritual "stature."
Everyone of us, therefore, especially in this season in which we prepare for Christmas, can ask himself: What am I waiting for? For what, in this moment of my life, does my heart long? And this same question can be posed at the level of the family, of the community, of the nation. What are we waiting for, together? What unifies our aspirations, what do they have in common? In the time before Jesus' birth the expectation of the Messiah -- that is, of an Anointed one, a descendent of King David, who would have finally liberated the people from every moral and political slavery and have founded the Kingdom of God -- was very strong in Israel. But no one could have imagined that the Messiah would be born from a humble girl like Mary, the betrothed of the just man Joseph. Not even she could have thought of it, and yet in her heart the longing for the Savior was so great, her faith and hope were so ardent, that he was able to find in her a worthy mother. After all, God himself had prepared her before all time. There is a mysterious correspondence between the waiting for God and the waiting for Mary, the creature "full of grace," totally transparent to the plan of love of the Most High. Let us learn from her, the woman of Advent, to live with a new spirit in our daily gestures, with the sentiment of a profound expectation that only the coming of God can fulfill.
[Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted those present in St. Peter's Square in various languages. In English he said:]
I offer a warm welcome to the English-speaking visitors gathered here today for this "Angelus" prayer. Today, Christians begin a new liturgical Year with the season of "Advent," a time of preparation to celebrate the Mystery of the Incarnation. By the grace of God, may our prayer, penance and good works in this season make us truly ready to see the Lord face to face. Upon you and your families I invoke God's gifts of wisdom, strength and peace!
[In Italian he said:]
I wish everyone a peaceful Sunday and a good journey through Advent. Thank you, happy Advent to everyone!
[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]
© Copyright 2010 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

2010-11-21T08:52:00.000-08:00

Please pray for our dear

Sister Mary Magdalen of Jesus, OP

who died on November 20, 2010

at 11:45 pm

May she rest in peace

2010-11-14T14:54:00.000-08:00

Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has recently issued his Post-Synadol Apostolic Exhortation, Verbum Domini. The exhortation is the Holy Father's full coverage of discussions and fruits of the Synod on the Word of God that was held in October 2008. It is a dense and multi-faceted document and it will be profitable for us to read it in sections, rather than all at once.

The Holy Father says in his Introduction that it is our "inescapable duty" to commmunicate to the whole world the joy of our personal encounter with Christ, the Word of God.

"The novelty of biblical revelation consists in the fact that God becomes known through the dialogue which he desires to have with us." But we cannot remain here, the Pope continues. God's revelation of Himself reveals to us that we are called by Him into the Trinitarian communion and this is the reason why God wants to dialogue with us.

The Pope also brings out that "God’s self-communication always involves the relationship of the Son and the Holy Spirit..." For this reason the Church insists that all of Scripture - every single word - in truly inspired by the Holy Spirit.

"As the Synod Fathers affirmed, the theme of inspiration is clearly decisive for an adequate approach to the Scriptures and their correct interpretation, which for its part is to be done in the same Spirit in whom the sacred texts were written. Whenever our awareness of its inspiration grows weak, we risk reading Scripture as an object of historical curiosity and not as the work of the Holy Spirit in which we can hear the Lord himself speak and recognize his presence in history.The Synod Fathers also stressed the link between the theme of inspiration and that of the truth of the Scriptures. A deeper study of the process of inspiration will doubtless lead to a greater understanding of the truth contained in the sacred books. As the Council’s teaching states in this regard, the inspired books teach the truth: “since, therefore, all that the inspired authors, or sacred writers, affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully and without error, teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the sacred Scriptures. Thus, ‘all scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be proficient, equipped for every good work’ (2 Tim 3:16-17, Greek)”.

As the word dialogue denotes there must be a response on our part to God's word to us.

"In this dialogue with God we come to understand ourselves and we discover an answer to our heart’s deepest questions. The word of God in fact is not inimical to us; it does not stifle our authentic desires, but rather illuminates them, purifies them and brings them to fulfilment. How important it is for our time to discover that God alone responds to the yearning present in the heart of every man and woman! Sad to say, in our days, and in the West, there is a widespread notion that God is extraneous to people’s lives and problems, and that his very presence can be a threat to human autonomy. Yet the entire economy of salvation demonstrates that God speaks and acts in history for our good and our integral salvation. Thus it is decisive, from the pastoral standpoint, to present the word of God in its capacity to enter into dialogue with the everyday problems which people face. Jesus himself says that he came that we might have life in abundance (cf. Jn 10:10). Consequently, we need to make every effort to share the word of God as an openness to our problems, a response to our questions, a broadening of our values and the fulfilment of our aspirations. The Church’s pastoral activity needs to bring out clearly how God listens to our need and our plea for help. As Saint Bonaventure says in the Breviloquium: “The fruit of sacred Scripture is not any fruit whatsoever, but the very fullness of eternal happiness. Sacred Scripture is the book containing the words of eternal life, so that we may not only believe in, but also possess eternal life, in which we will see and love, and all our desires will be fulfilled."

The word of God draws each of us into a conversation with the Lord: the God who speaks teaches us how to speak to him. Here we naturally think of the Book of Psalms, where God gives us words to speak to him, to place our lives before him, and thus to make life itself a path to God. In the Psalms we find expressed every possible human feeling set masterfully in the sight of God; joy and pain, distress and hope, fear and trepidation: here all find expression. Along with the Psalms we think too of the many other passages of sacred Scripture which express our turning to God in intercessory prayer (cf. Ex 33:12-16), in exultant songs of victory (cf. Ex 15) or in sorrow at the difficulties experienced in carrying out our mission (cf. Jer 20:7-18). In this way our word to God becomes God’s word, thus confirming the dialogical nature of all Christian revelation, and our whole existence becomes a dialogue with the God who speaks and listens, who calls us and gives direction to our lives. Here the word of God reveals that our entire life is under the divine call."

St. Josaphat, Martyr

2010-11-12T20:07:00.000-08:00

Excerpts from Pope Pius XI Ecclesiam Dei

The Church of God, by a wondrous act of Divine Providence, was so fashioned as to become in the fullness of time an immense family which embraces all men. The Church possesses—a fact known to all—as one of its visible marks, impressed on it by God, that of a world-wide unity. Christ, Our Lord, not only entrusted to His Apostles and, to them alone, the mission which He had received from His Father when he said: "All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations;" (Matt. xxvii, 18, 19) He also wished the College of Apostles to possess perfect unity, a unity based on a twofold and well-knit bond, one bond internal, that of the selfsame faith and charity which is "poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Ghost" (Romans v, 5); the other external, that of the rule of one of the Apostles over all the others, for He conferred upon Peter a primacy over the Apostles as a perpetual principle and visible foundation for the Church's unity. At the close of His mortal life, he impressed upon the Apostles in the strongest possible terms the supreme need of this unity. (John xvii, 11, 21, 22) In His last soul-stirring prayer he asked His Father for this unity and His prayer was heard: "He was heard for his reverence." (Hebrews v, 7)
2. The Church was born in unity and grew into "a single body," vigorous, animated by a single soul, of which "the head is Christ from whom the whole body is compacted and fitly joined together." (Ephesians iv, 15, 16) Of this body, following the reasoning of St. Paul, He is the visible head who takes the place of Christ here upon earth, the Roman Pontiff. In him, as the successor of St. Peter, the words of Christ are being forever fulfilled: "Upon this rock I will build my Church." (Matt. xvi, 18) And the Pope who, down the ages, exercises the office which was bestowed upon Peter never ceases to confirm in the Faith, whenever it is necessary, his brethren and to feed all the sheep and lambs of the Master's flock.
3. No prerogative of the Church has been assailed more bitterly by "the enemy" than this unity of government, by means of which the "unity of the Spirit" is joined "in the bond of peace." (Ephesians iv, 3) It is quite true that the enemy has never, and never will, prevail against the Church. He has, however, succeeded in wresting from her bosom many of her children, and in some cases, even whole nations. These great losses were brought about in many instances by the wars which divided nations, by the enactment of laws inimical to the interests of religion and of virtue, or by an unbridled love for the passing goods of this world.
4. The greatest and most deplorable defection of all was the separation of the Greeks from the unity of the Church Universal. The Councils of Lyons and Florence held out hopes of healing this breach; these hopes were illusory. The schism was renewed and has lasted to the present day, with enormous injury to souls. By this great schism the Eastern Slavs, together with other nations, were also led astray and lost to the Faith, although it must be acknowledged that they remained longer in communion with the Church than many of their neighbors. As is well known, they maintained relations of one kind or another with this Apostolic See even after the schism of Michael Caerularius-relations which, despite the fact that they were interrupted by the invasions of the Tartars and Mongols, were resumed afterward and continued until they were brought to an end by the rebellious hard-headedness of their rulers.
5. On their side the Roman Pontiffs left nothing undone to bring back these peoples to the unity of the Church. Some popes even made the salvation of the Eastern Slavs one of the most important purposes of their pontificates. Thus, Gregory XII, at the request of the son of the king who happened to be in Rome, sent a most gracious letter (Migne, Pat. Lat. col. 425, t. 148, Ep. Book 2, Letter 74) containing good wishes for every heavenly blessing to his father, the Prince of Kiev, "Dimitry, King of the Russians, and to the Queen, his consort," at the beginning of their reign. Honorius III sent his legates to the City of Novogrodek and Gregory IX repeated this gracious act. Not long afterward Innocent IV sent as his legate, a man of noble and strong character, Giovanni di Pian Carpino, one of the most famous Franciscans then living. The good results of such loving solicitude on the part of Our Predecessors began to appear in the year 1225 when concord and unity were restored between the two parties. To commemorate this event the Papal Legate, the Abbot Opizone, in the name and by the authority of the Pope himself, crowned with all solemnity Daniel, the son of Romano. Following this act, in accordance with the venerable traditions and ancient customs of the Eastern Slavs, Isidore, Metropolitan of Kiev and Moscow, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, promised at the Council of Florence, in the name and speaking the language of his compatriots, to preserve holy and inviolate Catholic unity in communion with the Holy See.
6. This union with Kiev, which had thus been restored, endured for many years. The political disturbances at the beginning of the sixteenth century again brought about an interruption of relations. These relations, however, were happily resumed in 1595, and in the following year, at the Treaty of Brest, unity was solemnly proclaimed due to the efforts of the Metropolitan of Kiev and of other Ruthenian bishops. Clement VIII received these bishops with deep affection, to which he gave expression in the Constitution Magnus Dominus, where he asked that all the faithful render thanks to God "who always thinks thoughts of peace and wishes all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."
7. In order that this unity and concord might be perpetuated forever, God, in His supreme providence consecrated it, so to speak, by the seal of sanctity and of martyrdom. The great privilege of being both a saint and martyr belongs to Josaphat, Archbishop of Polotsk, of the Eastern Slavic Rite, who is rightly looked upon as the glory and support of the Eastern Slavs. Certainly it would be difficult to discover another man who has brought greater luster to his people or who has done more for their eternal welfare than he, their pastor and apostle. This is particularly evidenced by the fact that he shed his very blood in order to preserve the unity of Holy Church.
8. On the occasion of the Third Centenary of his glorious martyrdom which is at hand, it gives Us great pleasure to call again to your memory the name of this hero in order that Our Lord, in answer to the prayers of his many fervent children, "may awaken in His Church that spirit which filled the blessed martyr and bishop Josaphat, who gave his life for his sheep." (Office of St. Josaphat) As zeal for the unity of the Church increases among the faithful, so in the same ratio the work which he had so much at heart will increase, until the time shall come when the promise of Christ, as well as the desire of all His Saints, will be fulfilled, and there will be "one fold and one shepherd." (John x, 16)

21. Filled with charity, each man will experience in himself that which was, under divine inspiration, taught by the Apostle: "There is no distinction of the Jew and the Greek: for the same is Lord over all, rich unto all that call upon him." (Romans x, 12) What is much more important is that if men scrupulously obey the teachings of the same Apostle they will not only put aside their prejudices but will also conquer their vain suspicions of one another, their deceits and hatreds, in a word, all those animosities so contrary to the spirit of Christian love, which divide the nations one from another. Listen to what the Apostle St. Paul writes: "Lie not one to another: stripping yourselves of the old man with his deeds, and putting on the new, him who is renewed unto knowledge, according to the image of him that created him. Where there is neither Gentile nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian nor Scythian, bond nor free. But Christ is all, and in all." (Colossians iii, 9, 11)
22. If We begin in this way by reconciling individuals and nations with one another, there will come about at the same time unity for the Church, for then there shall return to her bosom all those who have separated from her, no matter what their motives for doing so may have been. The actual effecting of this unity will not be brought about by human effort, but only by the goodness of that God who "is not a respecter of persons" (Acts x, 34) and who "puts no difference between us and them." (Acts xv, 9) In such a union, all nations, no matter what their race, their language, or their liturgy, will enjoy the selfsame rights, for the Roman Church has always and religiously respected and preserved these liturgies. She has even decreed that they must be used, and she has adorned herself with them as with precious garments, like "a queen . . . in gilded clothing; surrounded with variety." (Psalms xliv, 10)
23. Since this communion of all the peoples of the earth in a world-wide unity is, above all things, the work of God, and therefore to be had only with the divine help and assistance, let us have recourse with all care to prayer, following in this both the teachings and example of St. Josaphat, who, in his apostolate for unity, trusted above all else in the power of prayer.
24. Under his guidance and patronage let us especially devote ourselves to honoring the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the pledge and chief cause of unity, that mystery of the Faith which, because of their belief, enabled the Eastern Slavs who, even while they were separated from the Roman Church jealously preserved their faith and love for it, to avoid the impieties of the worst heresies. From it, too, we may hope for those fruits which Holy Mother Church prays for in all confidence at the celebration of this August Mystery, that "God may deign to grant us the gifts of unity and peace, which are represented mystically under the offerings of bread and wine." (Secret of Mass of Feast of Corpus Christi) United, let the Latins and Easterners implore, in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, this grace of God; the Easterners "praying to Our Lord for the unity of all," the Latins praying the same Christ, Our Lord, that "taking into consideration the faith of His Church, He may deign to bring it peace and unity according to His Holy Will."

2010-11-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

I On All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2) a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls, is granted to those who visit any parish church or public oratory and there recite one Our Father and one Credo.
II On all the days from November 1 though November 8 inclusive, a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls, is granted to those who visit a cemetery and pray even if only mentally for the departed. Here is a simple invocation for the dead, called the “Eternal Rest” prayer:
Eternal rest grant unto him/her (them), O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon him/her (them). May he/she (they) rest in peace. Amen.
Latin version: Réquiem ætérnam dona ei (eis) Dómine; et lux perpétua lúceat ei (eis). Requiéscat (Requiéscant) in pace. Amen.

A once common practice on All Soul's Day is to make a visit from Church to Church for the Poor Souls to gain the Plenary Indulgence for as many as possible. We have asked if this is still valid and were told, yes, it most certainly is! So as it says above in Number I, you can gain a Plenary Indulgence for the Poor Souls today. The usual conditions for gaining the plenary indulgence apply of course. Ordinarily a person can gain only one plenary a day. But since on All Soul's Day the Plenary Indulgence is applied not to yourself, but to a soul in Purgatory, you can gain several. The important thing to remember is that you must have a particular soul in mind. For example, the soul of your mother or grandfather; or the soul most forgotten or the soul that Our Lady wants most to be delivered. Also, since as cloistered Nuns, we don't go outside to various Churches, it was the practice (since one must leave the Church before reentering for another visit) for us to go outside in the cloister garden for a few minutes. This may apply also to those who live in an area where there is only one Catholic Church.

Daily Prayers for the Holy Souls
Prayer for Sunday
O Lord God Almighty, I pray thee, by the Precious Blood which thy Divine Son Jesus shed in the garden, deliver the Souls in Purgatory and especially that soul amongst them all which is most destitute of spiritual aid; and vouchsafe to bring it to thy glory, there to praise and bless thee forever. Amen.
Our Father …. Hail Mary …. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.Prayer for Monday
O Lord God Almighty, I pray thee, by the Precious Blood which thy Divine Son Jesus shed in his cruel scourging, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and especially that soul amongst them all, which is nearest to its entrance into thy glory; so it may forthwith begin to praise and bless thee forever. Amen
Our Father …. Hail Mary …. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.Prayer for Tuesday
O Lord God Almighty, I pray thee, by the Precious Blood which thy Divine Son Jesus shed in his bitter crowning with thorns, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and in particular that one amongst them all, which would be the last to depart out of those pains, that it may come to praise thee in thy glory and bless thee forever. Amen.
Our Father …. Hail Mary …. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.Prayer for Wednesday
O Lord God Almighty, I pray thee, by the Precious Blood which thy Divine Son Jesus shed in the streets of Jerusalem, when he carried the Cross upon his sacred shoulders, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and especially that soul which is richest in merits before thee, so that it may magnify thee and bless thee forever. Amen
Our Father …. Hail Mary …. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.Prayer for Thursday
O Lord God Almighty, I pray thee, by the Precious Blood which thy Divine Son, which he gave with his own hands upon the eve of his passion to his beloved Apostles, and which he left to his whole Church to be a perpetual sacrifice, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and especially that one which was the most devoted to this mystery of infinite love, that it may ever praise thee in thy love, in eternal glory. Amen.
Our Father …. Hail Mary …. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.Prayer for Friday
O Lord God Almighty, I pray thee, by the Precious Blood which thy Divine SonJesus, shed on this day upon the wood of the Cross, especially from his most sacred hands and feet, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and in particular that soul for which I am most bound to pray; that no neglect of mine may hinder it from praising thee in thy glory and blessing thee forever. Amen.
Our Father …. Hail Mary …. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.Prayer for Saturday
O Lord God Almighty, I beseech thee by The Precious Blood which gushed forth from the side of thy Divine Son Jesus, in the sight and to the extreme pain of His most Holy Mother, deliver the Souls in Purgatory, and especially that one which was the most devoted to her; that it may soon attain unto thy glory, There to praise thee, world without end. Amen.
Our Father …. Hail Mary …. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

2010-10-24T14:46:00.001-07:00

To Thee, the champion leader, do we Thy servants dedicate a hymn of victory and thanksgiving, as ones who have been delivered from eternal death by the Grace of Christ our God Who was born of Thee and by Thy maternal mediation before Him. As Thou dost have invincible might, free us from all misfortunes and sorrowful circumstances who cry aloud:

Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, full of Grace, Joy of all who sorrow!
Akathist to Our Lady, Joy of all who sorrow

Today in the Russian Church is commemorated the Feast of Our Lady, Joy of All who Sorrow. In the West, we have a similar title, Our Lady of Consolation, or Consoler of the Afflicted. A woman named Euphymia (sister of Patriarch Joachim) received healing from sickness after obeying a voice telling her to find this icon and have the priest celebrate a Molieben with blessing of water. This miracle occurred on October 24, 1688. The design of this icon depicts the Theotokos, a most beautiful blossom of heaven, standing among the flowers of paradise. Her Son is visible above her in the clouds, the King of heaven and earth. Along both sides of the icon, framing the Mother of God, are suppliants (us), asking for her intercession. She stands with her arms spread open and her head tilted as if listening. The tenderness and kindness of a loving mother are evident in her face. She stands in paradise and yet among us. If you look carefully you can see the angels telling the people to turn to Our Lady; among them we find the different categories under which she is called upon: the good helper of them that pray, the support of the oppressed, the hope of the hopeless, the consolation of them that grieve, the nourisher of the hungry, the raiment of the naked, the chastity of virgins, the guide of strangers, the assistance of them that labor, the restoration of sight for the blind, the clear hearing of the deaf, and the healing of the sick.

O Lady, Thy most honored icon, a light-bearing lamp lit by the ember of the Grace of God, hath appeared unto us for our sanctification and consolation. And we, honoring it with love and falling down before it with faith, cry out to Thee: Rejoice, Thou that by Thy mighty assistance dost deliver us from all calamities! Rejoice, Thou that dost defend us from earthquake and flood! Rejoice, Thou that dost provide for us against hunger of body and soul! Rejoice, Thou that dost extinguish the fire by the dew of Thy prayers! Rejoice, Thou that dost save us from deadly pestilence! Rejoice, mighty helper in battles! Rejoice, Thou that defendest us from the invasions of foreigners! Rejoice, Thou that dost preserve us from civil strife! Rejoice, easy passage of them that sail upon the water! Rejoice, good guide of them that travel! Rejoice, liberation of captives! Rejoice, speedy deliverance from the righteous wrath of God that threateneth us! Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, full of Grace, Joy of all who sorrow!

2010-10-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Kazan. Although the origin of this icon is unknown, it came from Constaninople to Russia in the 13th century. But it disappeared after Kazan was destroyed by the Tartars. Our Lady appeared to a young girl and told her where to find the Icon, buried under the ruins of a burned down house. Since that time Our Lady of Kazan has been considered the Protectress of Russia. There is a wonderful movie, shown on Russian TV and put together by a young man in Russia a few years ago, after he did extensive research into the more recent history of this Icon. It has also been translated into English.

Hymns
Troparion (Tone 4) [1]
O fervent intercessor, Mother of the Lord Most High,
thou dost pray to thy Son Christ our God and savest all who seek thy protection.
O Sovereign Lady and Queen,
help and defend all of us who in trouble and trials,
in pain and burdened with sins, stand in thy presence before thine icon,
and who pray with compunction, contrition, and tears and with unflagging hope in thee.
Grant what is good for us,
deliverance from evil, and save us all, O Virgin Mother of God,
for thou art a divine protection to thy servants.
Kontakion (Tone 8) [2]
O peoples, let us run to that quiet good haven,
to the speedy helper, the warm salvation, to the Virgin's protection.
Let us speed to prayer and hasten to repentance.
For the Mother of God pours out her mercy, anticipates needs, and averts disasters
for her patient and God-fearing servants.

2010-10-21T19:59:00.001-07:00

Thursdays are often days when we pray especially for priests. This is because it was on Holy Thursday that Our Lord established the Sacrament of Holy Orders at the Last Supper. During October we also should try to "polish up" our relationship with the angels, especially with our Guardian Angels. The Scriptures are full of stories of the angels and how they helped various people. Think of Tobias and the Archangel Raphael (whose feast in the Extraordinary Rite comes on October 24th.) Here is a beautiful prayer for priests, offered through the angels.

My God and Father, in response to the word of Your Son on the Mount of Olives, "Watch and pray with me, " we ask You to accept us as special helpers for Your Priests, on behalf of whom, we offer You each Thursday as a sacrifice of love.

With a fervent desire of being such a helper of priests, I, _____________, offer You, Father, in complete confidence, each Thursday as a sacrifice of love on behalf of priests. Take this sacrifice of my poor love and transform it in Your Heart into the wine for the Chalice of Strength. Then, Father, send Your angels out with this chalice to all priests! Amen.

2010-10-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

As you probably know, in Rome a Synod is going on concerning the Middle East. Yesterday our Holy Father surprised everyone by speaking first of all without a prepared text. What surprised everyone even more was what he said. We give a few excerpts below. Not all English translations contain the following words, unfortunately.

"We think of the great powers of the present day, of the anonymous financial interests which turn men into slaves, which are no longer human things, but are an anonymous power which men serve, by which men are tormented and even slaughtered. They [i.e., anonymous financial interests] are a destructive power, a power that menaces the world."

And then the power of the terrorist ideologies. Apparently in God's name, violence is done, but it is not God: they are false divinities, divinities that must be unmasked, that are not God.
And then drug-trafficking, this power that, like a devouring beast, extends his hands towards every part of the earth and destroys: it is a divinity, but a false divinity, which must fall. Or also the way of life propagated by public opinion: today it is so, marriage is no longer important, chastity is no longer a virtue, and so forth. These ideologies that dominate, so much so that they impose themselves with force, are divinities. And in the suffering of the saints, in the suffering of believers, of the Mother Church of which we are a part, these divinities must fall, it must come to pass what the letters (of St. Paul) to the Colossians and to the Ephesians say: the dominations, the powers fall and become subject to the one Lord Jesus Christ."

—Pope Benedict XVI, Reflection after the reading of the office for the Third Hour in the Synod Hall, Vatican City, October 11, 2010

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2010-10-11T05:34:00.000-07:00

Today is kept in some places the Feast of the Maternity of Our Lady. This Feast was instituted for the whole Church by Blessed Pope John XXIII, in honor of the dogma declaring that Our Lady is truly the Mother of God at the First Council of Ephesus in 431. Nestorius had been teaching that Our Lady was only the Mother of Jesus as Man.

It is also the Feast of St. Tarachus and his companions. It is not a saint we are familiar with, so here is a short life from Butler's Lives of the Saints. In the Byzantine Rite this feast is kept on the 12th. You will notice the Russian cross in his hands, as he is venerated in the East.

SAINT TARACHUS and his CompanionsMartyrs († 304)
In the year 304, Tarachus, Probus, and Andronicus, differing in age and nationality, but united in the bonds of faith, being denounced as Christians to Numerian, Governor of Cilicia, were arrested at Pompeiopolis, and conducted to Tharsis. They underwent a first examination in that town, after which their limbs were torn with iron hooks, and they were taken back to prison covered with wounds. Being afterwards led to Mopsuestia, they were submitted to a second examination, ending in a manner equally cruel as the first. They underwent a third examination at Anazarbis, followed by greater torments still.
The governor, unable to shake their constancy, had them kept imprisoned that he might torture them further at the approaching games. They were borne to the amphitheatre, but the most ferocious animals, on being let loose on them, came crouching to their feet and licked their wounds. The judge, reproaching the jailers with connivance, ordered the martyrs to be despatched by the gladiators.

Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

2010-10-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

Today is the first feast day celebrated in honor of Blessed John Newman. For Dominicans it is also a special day for all novitiates and novice masters and mistresses - the Feast of St. Louis Bertrand. He was born in Spain in the early 16th century so that makes him contemporary with St. Teresa of Avila, ST. Charles Boromeo, St. Camillus de Lellis and many other saints. Though he spent most of his religious life as Novice Master, he also did a great deal of preaching. For some years he worked as a missionary in the New World - and is the patron saint of Colombia.

His preaching is noted for its simplicity. Here are some excerpts:

First of all it is a duty to be loving. Love is only paid back by love.

God called John the Baptist to be a preacher and this was a great penance for him, for every state of life demands a certain amount of penance, if it is received from the hand of God. It is for God to place you upon that cross on which you ought to serve God. Truly it is not up to you to choose that cross, because although you may choose a heavier cross, you might not be saved by it since God has not placed you upon it.

St. Ninian

2010-09-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today in Scotland is kept the Feast of St. Ninian, first Bishop and Apostle of Scotland (died in 432 AD). And it is the date chosen by the Holy Father for his visit to Scotland!

St. Ninian was the son of a Celtic Chieftan at Whithorn (Galloway) Scotland. Nearby was a Roman fort and some of the Christian soldiers brought Christianity to the local people. Ninian's father and family was one of those baptized and early on Ninian had a great desire to go on pilgrimage to Rome. This he did and was welcomed by Pope St. Leo himself. After quite some years there, Pope Leo decided to send Ninian back to Scotland to evanglize it, so Ninian was ordained a bishop. On his way back he spent some time at the monastery of St. Martin of Tours.

Upon his return to Whithorn in 397 AD, he built a church made of stone and whitewashed it; the first such building in the area. He called it Casa Candida, or white house. During subsequent centuries the building became lost, but recent excavations have uncovered the remains along with the bell St. Ninian used to call the people to prayer. St. Ninian traveled to many places some of which are still named after him. He also spent many hours in prayer in a cave along the ocean shore which is still a place of pilgrimage.

O God, who by the teaching of blessed Ninian, Thy Bishop and Confessor, didst convert the Picts and Celts to the knowledge of Thy faith: vouchsafe in Thy mercy that as by his learning we are infused with the light of Thy truth, so we may, by his intercession, receive the joys of life in Heaven.

To celebrate the Pope's visit to Scotland a special tartan has been designed and called, fittingly enought, St. Ninian's tartan.

Let us pray through the intercession of St. Ninian that the Holy Father's visit to Scotland will bring a rebirth of faith to the people. For Scotland was long ago called by Pope "Specialis Filia Romanae Ecclesiae," or Special daughter of the Holy See. (13th century)

2010-09-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

Today would be the memorial of the Holy Name of Mary. From antiquity Christians have always called on Mary to help them in whatever distress they find themselves in, and so Pope Innocent XI instituted this Feast in thanksgiving to Our Lady for hearing the prayers addressed to her. In the Eastern Chruches we find the beautiful Office of Paraclisis which calls on Our Lady by using various symbols found in the Old Testament. The word Paraclesis of course, comes from Paraclete which means consoler and refers first of all to the Holy Spirit. But the second meaning is supplication or petition and hence this is what it means in this prayer. The Office is addressed to be the Holy Spirit and Our Lady.

Ode 1. The Heirmos. Plagal of the 4th Tone
Crossing the waters as on dry land, In that way escaping From the evils of Egypt's land, The Israelites cried out exclaiming: To our Redeemer and God, now let us sing.
Most Holy Theotokos save us.
With many temptations surrounding me, Searching for salvation,I have hastened unto you; O Mother of the Word, and ever‑Virgin,From all distresses and dangers deliver me.
Most Holy Theotokos save us.
Assaults of the passions have shaken me, My soul to its limits Has been filled with much despair;Bring peace, O Maiden, in the calmness, Of your own Son and your God, all‑blameless One.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
To God and the Savior you've given birth; I ask you, O Virgin, From the dangers deliver me; For now I run to you for refuge, With both my soul and my reasoning.
Now and forever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Diseased is the body and the soul; Deem me truly worthy Of divine guidance and your care; For you alone are God's Mother, As the good and the birthgiver of the Good.
Ode 3. The Heirmos.
The apse of the heavens, Are you O Lord, Fashioner, And the Holy Church's great Founder, Likewise establish me,In constant love for You For You're the height of our longing; Support of the faithful, The only Friend of all.
Most Holy Theotokos save us.
A protection and shelter, I have with you in my life, You, the Theotokos and the Virgin,Pilot me towards your port; For you are the cause,The cause of that which is good, Support of the faithful, The only all‑praised One.
Most Holy Theotokos save us.
I entreat you, O Virgin,Disperse the storm of my grief, and the soul's most inward confusion, Scatter it far from me; You are the Bride of God, For you have brought forth the Christ, the Prince of Peace; Only, all‑blameless One.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Having brought forth unto us the cause and giver of good, From your great abundance of kindness, Pour forth upon us all; For all is possible, For you who carried the Christ,Who is mighty in power; You, who are blessed of God.
Now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen
With most serious ailments, And with the passions so dark, I am being tested, O Virgin, Come and bring help to me; For I have known of you, That you are without fail the endless treasure of cures, Only all‑blameless One.
Deliver us, All of your servants, from danger, O Theotokos; After God, we all flee to you, For shelter and covering, As an unshakable wall and our protection.
Turn to me, In your good favor, all praise‑worthy Theotokos; Look upon my grave illnesses, Which painfully sting my flesh and heal the cause of my soul's pain and suffering.
(The priest commemorates those for whom the Paraklesis is sung.)
Priest: Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great love, we pray You, hearken, and have mercy.
People: Lord have mercy (3).
Priest: Again we pray for our Archbishop (name), our Bishop (name), and all the clergy and the laity in Christ.
People: Lord have mercy (3).
Priest: Again we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, visitation, forgiveness and remission of the sins of the servants of God, all pious and Orthodox Christians, those who reside and visit in this city, the members, council members, contributors, and benefactors of this holy church.
People: Lord have mercy (3).
Priest: Again we pray for the servants of God. . . (At this time the Priest commemorates those for whom the Paraklesis is sung.)
People: Lord have mercy (3).
Priest: For You are a merciful and loving God, and to You we give glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.
People: Amen.

2010-09-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

Thy nativity, O Mother of God, heralded joy to the universe, for from thee rose the Sun of justice, Christ our God. By delivering us from the curse, He imparted upon us His blessing; by vanquishing death, He gave us eternal life.

Through thy birth, O Immaculate One, Joachim and Anne were delivered from the shame of childlessness, and Adam and Ever, from the corruption of death; thy people were redeemed from the debt of their sin, and to honor thy birth, they cry out to thee: "The barren brings forth the Mother of God, the sustainer of life!"

Magnify, O my soul, the most glorious nativity of the Mother of God! Mothers cannot be virgins, nor virgins mothers, and yet in thee, O Mother of God, both virginity and motherhood were present: wherefore all the peoples of the earth proclaim thee blessed.

Byzantine Liturgy

Happy Birthday to Our Lady!

According to all the Fathers of the Church, the birth of Mary proclaims that our Redemption is very near at hand. Hence we should be exceedinly joyful on this day and constantly thank the Most Holy Trinity for all the graces and blessings they bestowed on the Infant Mary! Let us spend this day with her.

SALUTATION

Hail, Infant Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou forever, and blessed are thy holy parents Joachim and Ann, of whom thou wast miraculously born. Mother of God, intercede for us.

ANTHEM

We fly to thy patronage, holy and amiable Child Mary, despise not our prayers in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers, glorious and blessed Virgin.

V. Pray for us, holy Child Mary.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us Pray: O almighty and merciful God, Who through the cooperation of the Holy Ghost, didst prepare the body and soul of the Immaculate Infant Mary that she might be the worthy Mother of Thy Son, and didst preserve her from all stain, grant that we who venerate with all our hearts her most holy childhood, may be freed, through her merits and intercession, from all uncleanness of mind and body, and be able to imitate her perfect humility, obedience and charity. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

2010-09-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

Our Holy Father will soon begin his trip to Great Britain, beginning in Scotland. It seems very fitting to begin there, since Catholic Highlanders suffered a great deal to remain faithful to their faith. For over a hundred years it was even forbidden for them to marry anywhere except in a Protestant Church, and they were not considered married if they married in a Catholic Church and therefore subject to severe punishment.

Also a friend has shared with us the following news. You may remember we posted several years ago about the Shrine of Our Lady in Cardigan, Wales. What a great grace for them as well. Let us pray this trip of the Holy Father to Great Britain will be a great flourishing of our Catholic faith.

Pray for a safe journey and Papal Visit –
Our Lady of the Taper starts journey to be blessed by the Holy Father

The statue of Our Lady of the Taper will shortly commence its journey to London to be blessed by Pope Benedict XVI.
It will leave the National Shrine of Wales in Cardigan on 15th September and travel to Clifton Cathedral, Bristol where it will be the focus for a prayer vigil by Welsh and English Catholics from 7pm to 10pm that night.

On 16th September the statue, accompanied by the Rector of the National Shrine, Father Jason Jones and Menevia Bishop, Tom Burns, will continue its journey to Westminster Cathedral where the Holy Father will light a taper in the hand of Our Lady and bless the statue.

Prayer the Shrine prayer to Our Lady of the Taper – for a safe journey and the Holy Father’s safety…….

My soul glorifies the Lord
Henceforth all ages will call me Blessed
The Almighty works marvels for me:
Holy His name.

Behold the Handmaid of the Lord
Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Father, your Son, Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, is the light of the World. May the same Spirit lead us to imitate Mary’s Faith, Love and Humility, that, guided by her example, we may follow the light of her Son on our journey through life and come at last to see You as You are, and praise You in the everlasting kingdom of Heaven.
Amen

Holy Mary, Mother of God, you offer your Son for our adoration,
May we, too treasure His word in our hearts and help bring His light to the World.

Our Lady of Cardigan, pray for Wales
Our Lady of Cardigan, pray for us

http://www.ourladyofthetaper.org.uk/

Here also is a short history of Our Lady of the Taper.

9th day

2010-09-06T20:21:00.001-07:00

O Holy Infant Mary, the angels, ravished with joy at your birth, cried out in transports of love - "reign over us, together with your Divine Son!" In memory of these tokens of submission and homage with which the angels surrounded your cradle, deign to obtain for me the grace which I so fervently desire. Hail Mary. Concluding prayer.

8th day of Novena

2010-09-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

Holy Infant Mary, in whom the Most Holy Trinity was always pleased, be merciful to me. Show that the source of the spiritual treasures you give out is inexhaustible. Show that you are indeed the Mediatrix of all graces and grant my prayer, O heavenly Infant! Hail Mary. Concluding prayer.

7th Day

2010-09-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

Holy Infant Mary, the glory and joy of your parents Joachim and Anne, through the generosity with which you have rewarded them for the care they took of you in your infancy, listen to my supplications with kindess, and through the love which you bear towards them, obtain for me from Almighty god, the graces which I implore. Hail Mary. Concluding prayer.

6th day

2010-09-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

O sweet Infant Mary, who being destined to be the Mother of God has also become our beloved Queen and Mother, listen to my humble prayer. All my hope is upon you, in all the needs which surround me. Do obtain for me all the graces I still need. Hail Mary. Concluding prayer.

5th day

2010-09-03T20:24:00.000-07:00

Holy Infant Mary, mystical dawn, blessed gate of heaven, you are my trust and my hope. O powerful Advocate, from your little cradle stretch out your hand, support me on the path of life. Make me serve God with ardor and constancy until death, and so reach an eternal crown. Hail Mary. Concluding prayer.

4th Day

2010-09-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

Hail, admirable Infant Mary, closed garden, open only to the Heavenly Spouse. O lily of paradise, make me love the humble and hidden life; let the Heavenly Spouse find the gate of my heart always open to the loving calls of His graces and inspirations. Hail Mary. concluding prayer.

3rd Day

2010-09-01T17:16:00.000-07:00

Day 3. Hail, lovely and holy Infant Mary, spiritual garden of delight, where, on the day of the Incarnation, the tree of life was planted; assist me to avoid the poisonous fruit
of vanity and the pleasures of the world. Help me to engraft into my soul the thoughts, feelings and virtues of Your Divine Son. Hail Mary, then concluding prayer.

Day two Novena

2010-08-31T06:36:00.000-07:00

Day 2. O heavenly Infant Mary who like a pure dove was born immaculate and beautiful, my soul rejoices in this wonderful gift of the wisdom of God. Oh! Do help me to preserve the angelic virtue of purity at the cost of any sacrifice. Hail Mary. concluding prayer above.

Novena for Our Lady's birthday

2010-08-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Birthdays are always special. And Our Lady's is extra special, for it presages the coming of the Messiah. Today we would do well to begin a novena to the Infant Mary to thank God for all the gifts and privileges with which He endowed her.

Day One: Holy Infant Mary of the royal house of David, Queen of Angels, Mother of grace and love, I greet you with all my heart. Obtain for me that I may love the Lord faithfully during all the days of my life. Obtain for me too a great devotion towards you, who are the first creature of God’s love. Hail Mary. Concluding prayer below:

Let us pray:
O heavenly infant Mary, you have shown by numerous miracles that you desire to see your childhood honored. We adore, praise and thank the Most Holy Trinity for all the privileges and graces They bestowed on you at your conception and birth. In virtue of the privilege of your Immaculate Conception, cast your gaze, so good and so sweet, upon me, and as Mediatrix and Advocate towards me, deign to answer my prayers. Send me not away from your holy cradle without having answered my prayer. O Infant Mary, obtain for me the true spirit of devotion to your Infancy and the inestimable gift of holy perseverance.

2010-07-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, whose feast we celebrate today in the US (in Canada it is celebrated in April), was one of those special souls that God reserves for Himself, even before she had a real opportunity to learn about Him. True, since she was 4 years old when her Christian mother died, she must have remembered her mother speaking about God and probably even some prayers. Yet her desire to never marry and which caused great consternation among her family, before the "Blackrobes" had come back to her village can only be attributed to the action of the Holy Spirit in her soul. She was not even baptized yet! We read about such desires and the knowledge of the one true God in the lives of other special souls like St. Bahkita, who had no contact with the outside world at all.
After she had escaped to Canada she and another lady wanted to become religious, but for various reasons, the priests said no. Later on a congregation of religious Sisters was formed among the Lakota in imitation of Blessed Kateri. Whether this congregation still exists, we do not know.

Several weeks ago the Holy Father spoke about religious vocations to young people when he visited the tomb of St. Celestine in Sulmona, Italy. His words certainly also reflect Blessed Kateri's desire to live for Christ and for others, particularly her own people. Here are some excerpts:

You see dear friends, in this way you have, as is often said, "an extra talent." Yes, the historical memory is truly an "extra talent" in life, because without a memory there is no future. Once it was said that history is life's teacher. The present consumerist culture tends instead to flatten man in the present, to make him lose a sense of the past, of history; but by doing so it also deprives him of the capacity to understand himself, to perceive problems, and to build the future. Hence, dear young people, I want to say to you: a Christian is one who has a good memory, who loves history and tries to know it.

A short time ago you asked me: How can one recognize God's call? Well, the secret of a vocation lies in the capacity and in the joy of distinguishing his voice, of listening to and following his voice. But to do this, it is necessary to accustom our heart to recognize the Lord, to hear him like a person who is near me and who loves me. As I said this morning, it is important to learn to live moments of interior silence in the day-to-day routine to be able to hear the Lord's voice. Be sure that if one learns to listen to this voice, and to follow it with generosity, one fears nothing, he or she knows and feels that God is with him or her, and that he is a Friend, Father and Brother. Said in one word: the secret of a vocation lies in the relationship with God, in prayer that grows precisely in interior silence, in the capacity to feel that God is near. And this is true both before the decision, at the moment, that is, of deciding and of leaving, as well as later if one wishes to be faithful and to persevere along the way. Above all St. Peter Celestine was this: a man of listening, of interior silence, a man of action, a man of God. Dear young people: always find room in your days for God, to listen to him and to speak to him!
And here, I would like to say a second thing: true prayer is in fact not foreign to reality. If praying alienated you, took you away from your real life, beware: it would not be true prayer! On the contrary, dialogue with God is the guarantee of truth, of truthfulness with oneself and with others and, therefore, of liberty. To be with God, to listen to his Word, in the Gospel, in the liturgy of the Church, defends us from the fascinations of pride and of presumption, from fashions and conformism, and gives us the strength to be truly free, including from certain temptations masked as good things.
You asked me: how can we be in the world without being of the world? I answer you: precisely thanks to prayer, to personal contact with God. It is not about multiplying words -- Jesus already said that -- but of being in the presence of God, of making one's own, in one's mind and heart, the phrases of the "Our Father," which embrace all the problems of our life, and also of adoring the Eucharist, meditating on the Gospel in our rooms, or participating with recollection in the liturgy. All this does not separate us from life, but helps us to be ourselves in every environment, faithful to God's voice that speaks to our consciences, free from the conditioning of the moment.

Dear young people! Let yourselves be conquered totally by Christ! You too, begin to undertake with determination the path of holiness, that is, be in contact, in conformity with God -- a way that is open to all -- because this will also make you be more creative in seeking solutions to the problems you find, and in seeking them together! This is another distinctive sign of a Christian: he is never an individualist.
Perhaps you will say to me, but if we look at St. Peter Celestine, for example, in his choice of life, is this not perhaps individualism, a fleeing from responsibilities? This temptation certainly exists. But in the experiences approved by the Church, the solitary life of prayer and penance is always at the service of the community, open to others, it is never in opposition to the needs of the community. Hermitages and monasteries are oases and sources of spiritual life from which all can drink. The monk does not live for himself, but for others, and it is for the good of the Church and of society that he cultivates the contemplative life, so that the Church and society can always be sprinkled with new energies, by the Lord's action.

Feast of Our Lady of Kazan

2010-07-08T14:45:00.001-07:00

Today is celebrated on of two feasts in honor of Our Lady of Kazan, the patroness of Russia. You have probably heard of this Icon, how it was found, lost and found again. Last year we posted the link to a wonderful video about this Icon. Let us pray for Russia! Pope John Paul II said that the peace Our Lady promised at Fatima depends on Russia. and Let us pray for our own country as well.
Troparion (Tone 4)
O fervent intercessor, Mother of the Lord Most High,
thou dost pray to thy Son Christ our God and savest all who seek thy protection.
O Sovereign Lady and Queen,
help and defend all of us who in trouble and trials,
in pain and burdened with sins, stand in thy presence before thine icon,
and who pray with compunction, contrition, and tears and with unflagging hope in thee.
Grant what is good for us,
deliverance from evil, and save us all, O Virgin Mother of God,
for thou art a divine protection to thy servants.
Kontakion (Tone 8)
O peoples, let us run to that quiet good haven,
to the speedy helper, the warm salvation, to the Virgin's protection.
Let us speed to prayer and hasten to repentance.
For the Mother of God pours out her mercy, anticipates needs, and averts disasters
for her patient and God-fearing servants.