Paul Zalonski: June 2010 Archives
The Pope's weekly general audience address today was dedicated to Saint Joseph Cafasso (1811-1860), a member of the "St Francis of Assisi Institute," a priest (ordained in 1833) who died 150 years ago. He is most known as Saint John Bosco's spiritual father (director) from 1835 to 1860. Cafasso died in 1860; Pius XII canonized in him 1947. In 1948, Pope Pius XII named him the patron of Italian prisons and, in 1950, proposed him "as a model for priests involved in Confession and spiritual direction." His uncle is Blessed Joseph Allamano. Saint Joseph Cafasso's feast day is June 23.
I never heard of Saint Joseph Cafasso until today, partly because I am not well attuned to the life of Saint John Bosco of which he seems to be most connected. According to the Benedict, Joseph Cafasso's ministry helped to form "the true pastor with a rich interior life and a profound zeal for pastoral care: faithful in prayer, committed to preaching and catechesis, dedicated to the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Confession, in keeping with the model incarnated by St. Charles Borromeo and St. Francis of Sales, and promoted by the Council of Trent. St. Joseph Cafasso sought to establish this model in the formation of young priests so that, in their turn, they too could become formators to other priests, religious and lay people, thus creating a unique and effective chain." AND how could anyone NOT take Saint Joseph Cafasso as a paradigm for Christian life?
A theme that I am picking up these days from some of the Pope's addresses is the constant need to stay in the "state of grace." You might say, "no Kidding, Paul! Really?" Mock if you want, but there is an increasing distancing from God, especially staying close to God by means of staying in a state of grace through the sacrament of confession. We know that the pure of heart are the ones who inherit the kingdom of God. One of the things we know of Saint John Vianney is that he devoted himself to confessional. Cafasso, the Pope said, "loved the Lord totally, he was animated by a well-rooted faith and supported by profound and prolonged prayer, he showed sincere charity to everyone. He knew moral theology but was equally well aware of the condition of people's hearts for which, like the good shepherd, he took responsibility."
Benedict XVI explained that that Saint John Bosco never copied his master. Not an insignificant point: we need to take under consideration those who guide us but we also need to assert our independence from a "master teacher" in order for grace to flourish. Otherwise we merely parrot the other in an unthinking manner. The Pope said, "He imitated him in the human and priestly virtues - defining him as a 'model of priestly life' - but maintained his own attitudes and his own specific vocation. ... This is a precious lesson for those involved in the formation and education of the young generations."
What may be interesting for us to
know is that Saint Joseph Cafasso was renown for his "concern for the lowest, especially for prisoners
... who lived in inhuman and dehumanizing conditions." Characteristic of Cafasso's
work with prisoners is remembered today as he "often delivered great sermons
that came to involve almost the entire prison population, with the passage of
time he came to favor individual catechesis, made up of conversations and
personal meetings. While respecting the individual situation of each
individual, he tackled the great themes of Christian life, speaking of trust in
God, adherence to His will, the utility of prayer and the Sacraments, the
culmination of which is Confession, the meeting with God Who, for us, becomes
infinite mercy."
Archbishop Antonio Maria Vegliò, president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, published a letter today for World Tourism Day addressing the theme of "Tourism and Biodiversity" as proposed by the World Tourism Organization; the theme of "International Year for Biological Diversity" was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2006. As Archbishop Vegliò noted, "This proclamation was born of the deep concern for 'the social, economic, environmental and cultural implications of the loss of biodiversity, including negative impacts on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, and stressing the necessity to adopt concrete measures in order to reverse it.'"
This
particular Council, according to the 1987 Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus,
has as its work the "pastoral solicitude of the Church to the particular needs
of those who have been forced to abandon their homeland, as well as to those
who have none" (149) and "is committed to assuring that journeys undertaken for
reasons of piety, study or relaxation may aid in the moral and religious
formation of the faithful; It assists particular Churches so that all those who
are far from home may be given adequate pastoral assistance (151). It also
oversees the Apostleship of the Sea.
The Church intensively cares for, is present to, the welfare of her children, indeed, she wants the happiness of all peoples, regardless of people's particulars. Why are these paragraphs important to me and perhaps to you? Because Archbishop Vegliò focuses our attention on the creative action of God in making the world ex nihilo and that He sustains us. I don't believe the Church is being politically correct in advocating "green theology" because it is fashionable. And, I don't think it would be acceptable to be dismissive of matters pertaining to the environment; whether we realize it or not, proper balance and respect for the environment is necessary for us today and in the future. This is why I think that dioceses, parishes, monasteries and school --in short, all constituencies-- ought to incorporate in their pastoral programs a proper catechesis on various subjects that promote and develop an environmental perspective. Catholics ought to take charge in being environmentally sensitive because of our fundamental belief that God is the creator of world, it is Scripturally well-founded, that God is the creator of us personally and because we care for all things that allow our humanity to thrive; and not least is the fact that all things are given for sustaining our life and giving glory to God. In other words, we really can't opt out of caring for the environment and calling those who abuse the environment on the micro and macro levels to be accountable. I wonder if one can argue that it is a mortal sin to abuse the environment. Respect for our biodiversity is not only a matter of faith and reason but our faith and good public order.
Nevertheless, Vegliò shows us that the Church is providing leadership for an authentic environmental perspective and goal that is truly human and humane. All our work should be balanced, reasonable and sustainable for the common good.
Some pertinent paragraphs of Archbishop Vegliò's letter follows:
As Pope Benedict XVI points out in his Encyclical letter Caritas in veritate, "in nature, the believer recognizes the wonderful result of God's creative activity, which we may use responsibly to satisfy our legitimate needs, material or otherwise, while respecting the intrinsic balance of creation" (48) and whose use represents for us "a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole" (49). For this tourism must be respectful of the environment, looking to reach a perfect harmony with creation, so as to guarantee the sustainability of the resources on which it depends, while not leading to irreversible ecological transformations.
Contact with nature is important and therefore tourism must make an effort to respect and value the beauty of creation, from the conviction that "many people experience peace and tranquility, renewal and reinvigoration, when they come into close contact with the beauty and harmony of nature. There exists a certain reciprocity: as we care for creation, we realize that God, through creation, cares for us" (Benedict XVI, World Day of Peace 2010 message, 13).
There is an element that makes even this effort more imperative than ever. In the search for God, the human being discovers ways to bring himself closer to the Mystery, which has creation as a starting point (CCC 31). Nature and biological diversity speak to us of God Creator, He that makes himself present in His creation, "for from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen (Wis. 13:5), "for the original source of beauty fashioned them." (Wis. 13:3) This is why the world, in its diversity, "presents itself before man's eyes as evidence of God, the place where his creative, providential and redemptive power unfolds" (CSD 487) For this reason, tourism, bringing us closer to creation in its variety and wealth, can be an occasion to promote and increase the religious experience.
All of this makes looking for a balance between
tourism and biological diversity, in which they mutually support each other,
urgent and necessary, so that economic development and environmental protection
do not appear as opposed and incompatible elements, but rather that there is a
tendency to reconcile the demands of both (CSD 470).
Though they suffered on different days, Saints Peter and Paul are known as one, as Saint Augustine reminds.
In first hearing and then reading the papal homily I noticed some very crucial points for us to reflect upon and to seriously consider: the real persecution of the Church today and the impact on Catholic identity exists not exclusively from outside the Church (a theme the pope has stated before now) but from the faithful's betrayal of the faith, of Truth. When secularism, not to be confused with secularity, infiltrates the Church the true message of the Gospel is obscured and our hearts are darkened.
As usual on today's solemn feast of Peter and Paul, Pope Benedict bestowed the pallium, the symbol of theological, juridical and fraternal communion between the pope and a bishop. It is also a symbol of the "fullness of charity and unity." In seeing the pallium we see, as Benedict says, a symbol of "the guarantee of freedom for the Church's Pastors and the Communities." Today, 38 archbishops from around the world received the pallium, including three archbishops from the USA and one from Canada.
The Pope's exhortation and prayer upon giving the pallium:
To the glory of God and the praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the apostles Peter and Paul, and of the Holy Roman Church, for the honor of the Churches, which have been placed in your care, and as a symbol of your authority as metropolitan archbishop: We confer on you the pallium taken from the tomb of Peter to wear within the limits of your ecclesiastical provinces.
And then
May this pallium be a symbol of unity and a sign of your communion with the Apostolic See, a bond of love, and an incentive to courage. On the day of the coming and manifestation of our great God and chief shepherd, Jesus Christ, may you and the flock entrusted to you be clothed with immortality and glory. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Below is Benedict's homily for today's Mass (with my own points of emphasis).
The biblical texts of this Eucharistic Liturgy of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, in their great wealth, highlight a theme that could be summarized thus: God is close to his faithful servants and frees them from all evil, and frees the Church from negative powers. It is the theme of the freedom of the Church, which has a historical aspect and another more deeply spiritual one.
This theme runs through today's Liturgy of the Word. The first and second readings speak, respectively, of St Peter and St Paul, emphasizing precisely the liberating action of God in them. Especially the text from the Acts of the Apostles describes in abundant detail the intervention of the Angel of the Lord, who releases Peter from the chains and leads him outside the prison in Jerusalem, where he had been locked up, under close supervision, by King Herod (cf. at 12.1 to 11). Paul, however, writing to Timothy when he feels close to the end of his earthly life, takes stock which shows that the Lord was always near him and freed him from many dangers and frees him still by introducing him into His eternal Kingdom (see 2 Tim 4, 6-8.17-18). The theme is reinforced by the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 33), and also finds a particular development in the Gospel of Peter's confession, where Christ promises that the powers of hell shall not prevail against his Church (cf. Mt 16:18).
Observing closely we note a certain progression regarding this issue. In the first reading a specific episode is narrated that shows the Lord's intervention to free Peter from prison. In the second Paul, on the basis of his extraordinary apostolic experience, is convinced that the Lord, who already freed him "from the mouth of the lion "delivers him" from all evil", by opening the doors of Heaven to him. In the Gospel we no longer speak of the individual Apostles, but the Church as a whole and its safekeeping from the forces of evil, in the widest and most profound sense. Thus we see that the promise of Jesus - "the powers of hell shall not prevail" on the Church - yes, includes the historical experience of persecution suffered by Peter and Paul and other witnesses of the Gospel, but it goes further, wanting to protect especially against threats of a spiritual order, as Paul himself writes in his Letter to the Ephesians: " For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens"(Eph 6:12).
Indeed, if we think of the two millennia of Church history, we can see that - as the Lord Jesus had announced (cf. Mt 10.16-33) - Christians have never been lacking in trials, which in some periods and places have assumed the character of real persecution. These, however, despite the suffering they cause, are not the greatest danger for the Church. In fact it suffers greatest damage from what pollutes the Christian faith and life of its members and its communities, eroding the integrity of the Mystical Body, weakening its ability to prophesy and witness, tarnishing the beauty of its face. This reality is already attested in the Pauline Epistle. The First Epistle to the Corinthians, for example, responds to some problems of divisions, inconsistencies, of infidelity to the Gospel which seriously threaten the Church. But the Second Letter to Timothy - of which we heard an excerpt - speaks about the dangers of the "last days", identifying them with negative attitudes that belong to the world and can infect the Christian community: selfishness, vanity, pride, love of money, etc. (cf. 3.1 to 5). The Apostle's conclusion is reassuring: men who do wrong - he writes - "will not make further progress, for their foolishness will be plain to all" (3.9). There is therefore a guarantee of freedom promised by God to the Church, it is freedom from the material bonds that seek to prevent or coerce mission, both through spiritual and moral evils, which may affect its authenticity and credibility.
The theme of the freedom of the Church, guaranteed by Christ to Peter, also has a specific relevance to the rite of the imposition of the pallium, which we renew today for thirty-eight metropolitan archbishops, to whom I address my most cordial greeting, extending with it affection to all who have wanted to accompany them on this pilgrimage. Communion with Peter and his successors, in fact, is the guarantee of freedom for the Church's Pastors and the Communities entrusted to them. It is highlighted on both levels in the aforementioned reflections. Historically, union with the Apostolic See, ensures the particular Churches and Episcopal Conferences freedom with respect to local, national or supranational powers, that can sometimes hinder the mission of the ecclesial Church. Furthermore, and most essentially, the Petrine ministry is a guarantee of freedom in the sense of full adherence to truth and authentic tradition, so that the People of God may be preserved from mistakes concerning faith and morals. Hence the fact that each year the new Metropolitans come to Rome to receive the pallium from the hands of the Pope, must be understood in its proper meaning, as a gesture of communion, and the issue of freedom of the Church gives us a particularly important key for interpretation. This is evident in the case of churches marked by persecution, or subject to political interference or other hardships. But this is no less relevant in the case of communities that suffer the influence of misleading doctrines or ideological tendencies and practices contrary to the Gospel. Thus the pallium becomes, in this sense, a pledge of freedom, similar to the "yoke" of Jesus, that He invites us to take up, each on their shoulders (Mt 11:29-30). While demanding, the commandment of Christ is "sweet and light" and instead of weighing down on the bearer, it lifts him up, thus the bond with the Apostolic See - while challenging - sustains the Pastor and the portion of the Church entrusted to his care, making them freer and stronger.
I would like to draw a final point from the Word of God, in particular from Christ's promise that the powers of hell shall not prevail against his Church. These words may also have a significant ecumenical value, since, as I mentioned earlier, one of the typical effects of the Devil is division within the Church community. The divisions are in fact symptoms of the power of sin, which continues to act in members of the Church even after redemption. But the word of Christ is clear: " Non praevalebunt - it will not prevail" (Matt. 16:18). The unity of the Church is rooted in its union with Christ, and the cause of full Christian unity - always to be sought and renewed from generation to generation - is well supported by his prayer and his promise. In the fight against the spirit of evil, God has given us in Jesus the 'Advocate', defender, and after his Easter, "another Paraclete" (Jn 14:16), the Holy Spirit, which remains with us always and leads the Church into the fullness of truth (cf. Jn 14:16; 16:13), which is also the fullness of charity and unity. With these feelings of confident hope, I am pleased to greet the delegation of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which, in the beautiful custom of reciprocal visits, participates in the celebrations of the patron saints of Rome. Together we thank God for progress in ecumenical relations between Catholics and Orthodox, and we renew our commitment to generously reciprocate to God's grace, which leads us to full communion.
Dear friends, I
cordially greet all of you: Cardinals, Brother Bishops, Ambassadors and civil
authorities, in particular the Mayor of Rome, priests, religious and lay
faithful. Thank you for your presence. May the Saints Peter and Paul help you
to grow in love for the holy Church, the Mystical Body of Christ the Lord and
messenger of unity and peace for all men. May they also help you to offer the
hardships and sufferings endured for fidelity to the Gospel with joy for her
holiness and her mission. May the Virgin Mary, Queen of Apostles and Mother of
the Church, always watch over you and especially over the Ministry of
metropolitan archbishops. With her heavenly help may you always live and act in
that freedom that Christ has won for us. Amen.
The call to follow Christ is not just a matter of words that come from outside only to direct us along a path alien to our nature. Rather, and ultimately, it is the necessary unfolding of what we are in ourselves and always have been: those who are destined in the deepest part of our being for life with Christ.
Father Karl Rahner, SJ
1904-1984
Let us now with crowns of praises
Honor Peter, honor Paul;
Separated in the body,
Joined as one in faithful call.
Peter, foremost Gospel witness,
Paul, with labors without cease,
Both now stand in robes of glory
At the throne of Christ our Priest.
Let us now with hymns of gladness
Honor their apostolate,
Sing their glorious Epistles,
Laud their common martyr's fate:
Peter, who for love of Jesus
Bore his death upon the cross,
And the headsman's cruel sword-stroke
Brought for Paul his gain, not loss.
Let us now with endless glory
Praise the Father and the Son
And the everlasting Spirit,
Ever Three and ever One.
From the mouth of Paul and Peter,
From the choir of saints, ascend
Hymns of glory, praise, and blessing,
Sounding now and without end.
Copyright © 2010, World Library Publications
87 87 D; HYMN TO JOY, NETTLETON
Mother of Perpetual Help, you have been blessed and favored by God. You became not only the Mother of the Redeemer but the Mother of the redeemed as well. We come to you today as your loving children. Watch over us and take care of us. As you held the child Jesus in your loving arms, so take us in your arms. Be a mother ready at every moment to help us. For God who is mighty has done great things for you, and His mercy is from age to age on those who love Him. Our greatest fear is that in time of temptation, we may fail to call out to you, and become lost children. Intercede for us, dear Mother, in obtaining pardon for our sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance, and the grace always to call upon you, Mother of Perpetual Help.
Among Your apostolic priests, O God, You honored Your servant Hans Urs von Balthasar with the priestly dignity. Grant, too, to number him always in the company. Through Christ our Lord.
22 years ago today Hans Urs von Balthasar died. Let us remember him in prayer begging God's mercy on Balthasar.
- Born on August 12, 1905
- Ordained priest on July 26, 1939
- Incardinated in the Diocese of Chur in 1950
- Nominated cardinal deacon on June 28, 1988 and assigned the title of S. Nicola in Carcere
- Died on June 26, 1988
A webpage has been designed to pull together Balthasar's works.
O God, through the mediation of Mary our Mother, You granted Your priest Saint Josemaría countless graces, choosing him as a most faithful instrument to found Opus Dei, a way of sanctification in daily work and in the fulfillment of the Christian's ordinary duties. Grant that I, too, may learn to turn all the circumstances and events of my life into occasions of loving You and serving the Church, the Pope and all souls with joy and simplicity, lighting up the pathways of this earth with faith and love. Deign to grant me, through the intercession of Saint Josemaría, the favor of ... (make your request). Amen.Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.
Watch the video clip of the Opus Dei Prelate giving his recollections of the day the saint died, June 26, 1975.
In early June Dominican Archbishop Augustine DiNoia addressed a full house people at New York's Yale Club on some challenges to the faith and why faith in Christ is reasonable. His talk was titled "Facing the Challenges to Faith in Christ Today: The Dominican Way," the text of his talk is here: DiNoia Facing the Challenges to Faith in Christ Today 2010.pdf
Archbishop DiNoia was ordained a bishop in July 2009 and is the Secretary to the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Disciple of the Sacraments at the Holy See.
Father John Baptist Brahill, 61, was elected by his confreres of Marmion Abbey (Aurora, IL) to the 5th abbot. Abbot John succeeds Abbot Vincent de Paul Battaille who has served Marmion's abbot for the last 18 years.The newly elected abbot of Marmion Abbey is a 1967 graduate of Marmion Academy and has been a member of the Benedictine community since 1978 and a priest since 1982.
A little more than a year ago Abbot John returned to Marmion Abbey after serving for many years (1992-2009) as prior of San Jose Priory in Guatemala. Most recently he has served as the master of novices and as the liaison for Abbey Farms.
Abbot John will serve an indefinite term as abbot. The election was confirmed by Abbot Peter Eberle, the Abbot President of the Swiss-American Congregation. He'll receive the abbatial blessing from the Bishop of Rockford, Thomas G. Doran, at some point in the future.
Abbot Vincent has oversee many significant projects at Marmion including the building of the abbey church (St Augustine of Canterbury), various renovation projects at the same and at the Academy. Likewise the community has grown with a number of vocations.
Marmion was settled by monks of Saint Meinrad Archabbey in 1933. The monks of operated a military acdaemy, staffed a few parishes and founded a community of monks in Guatamala at the request of Pope John XXIII who asked religious communities to sacrifice 10% of their community to do missionary work. Since 1965, Guatemala's San Jose Priory educates high school seminarians in the Benedictine spirit.
You may be familiar with the name Marmion, the 19/20th century abbot who is now known as Blessed Columba Marmion. Marmion lived in the years of 1858-1923. Of Irish and French heritage the young Marmion was first ordained a secular priest for the Dublin Archdiocese before becoming a Benedictine monk at the Abbey of Maredsous in Belgium. His gifts recognized Marmion was a founder and later appointed prior of Mont Cesar (Louvain) and later elected abbot of Maredsous 1909, a position he held until his death.
For me, this is amazing series of events because a saintly abbot whose cause for canonization was not begun until 1957 and yet not 10 years after his death Marmion caught the eye of a monk of Saint Meinrad enough to name a monastic foundation for. Now we ask the Lord raise Blessed Columba to sainthood.
You may be interested in viewing the Abbey's vocation video: Introduction, Part 1, Part 2, Fidelity to the Monastic Way of Life, Stability, Obedience and Monastic Priesthood.
Today begins nine days of prayer in honor of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, "the man of the 8 Beatitudes."The invitation to prayer is posted in various languages on the international website. The course of prayer for the nine days can be found here.
Join us in the confidence of Blessed Pier Giorgio's intercession. This is 20th anniversary of Frassati's beatification...what a wonderful time to get to know Blessed Pier Giorgio!
New York is famous for a lot, and saints is one of those things, contrary to a NY Times columnist Paul Vitello who today introduces us to the Church process of studying a local person's sanctity. The Brooklyn Diocese has announced that it is studying the case of sanctity for Monsignor Bernard J. Quinn.
Tonight Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio will preside at the "Oath Signing Service" for the opening inquiry for Monsignor Bernard J. Quinn's cause for canonization. The service will be held at the Church of Saint Peter Claver, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. The church founded by Quinn in 1922. Monsignor Paul Jervis is serving as postulator.
In New York state there are 10 possible saints under investigation and in some way official. And the study of Quinn's sanctity will join the study of the 19th century vicar general of the Diocese of New York, the Servant of God Father Felix Varela (1788-1853), whose postulator is Bishop Ottavio Cisneros, an auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn.
Quinn's story is interesting but there is got to be more to the thought that he might be able to be canonized than being a supreme advocate for racial equality --as right and necessary racial justice is for all people, not only Christians. Indeed, he was ahead of his times and had a true heart for those considered in need. We eagerly await the various documents Monsignor Jervis publishes on the life of this famous monsignor.
Here is Msgr. Bernard J. Quinn's NY Times obituary: Bernard J. Quinn obit.pdf
The Brooklyn Diocese's press release.
Today, the solemnly professed monks of Saint Procopius Abbey, elected Father Austin G. Murphy as their 10th abbot.The process of electing an abbot follows the Rule of Saint Benedict and the Constitutions of the American Cassinese Congregation (the grouping of monasteries to which St Procopius belongs). Archabbot Douglas of the Archabbey of St Vincent (Latrobe, PA) confirmed the election.
Abbot Austin, 36, assumes the office of abbot immediately and will receive the abbatial blessing from the bishop of Joliet at some point in the future. Before leaving the chapter room, the Abbot President will witness the profession of faith and oath of fidelity required of all major superiors.
Abbot Austin was born in Huntington, NY, on March 25, 1974, professed simple vows on September 6, 1997 and was ordained on July 3, 2004. He prepared for priesthood at the Dominican House of Studies earning the STB/MDiv. Of late he was doing doctoral studies in Theology at the University of Notre Dame.
Abbot Austin succeeds Abbot Dismas Kalcic who has served for the since 2002. He will be moving to Marmion Abbey and Academy to teach in the economics in the school.
Saints Benedict & Scholastica and Saint Procopius, pray for us.
The monks of Saint Andrew's Abbey, Valyermo (CA) gathered to elect a new abbot, Damien Toilolo on June 22, replacing Abbot Francis who stepped down two years ago. The new abbas is the second elected abbas of St Andrew's.St Andrew's Abbey is an abbey of the Annunciation Congregation.
Abbot Damien, until now, has served the Benedictine community as the Prior Administrator. But he's also been the vocation director, postulant director, novice master and sub-prior.
A native of Los Angeles, Damien has experience in other things including a teaching credential. He was ordained a priest in 2005 after preparing for priesthood at Mt Angel Seminary. Abbot Damien will serve a 8-year term.
St Andrew's Abbey has roots in Belgium and was for a time a priory in China before it was forced to move to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It was raised to abbatial rank in 1992.
Abundant blessings!
The Church celebrates as a solemnity the birth of the Savior's cousin, Saint John the Baptist. It is John who points to Jesus as the "path to salvation" and he teaches us that the encounter with the Lord requires to put aside our sinfulness and to put on purity of heart. It is as Isaiah says in the first reading which is applied to John the Baptist and it ought to be true for us: "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my rights is with the Lord, and my recompense with my God."At Mass today it struck me that the Lord was baptized by his cousin, John. How amazing is it the Savior was baptized a family member! The Baptist points the way to our salvation in Christ.
A long forgotten tradition on the Vigil of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist is the Blessing of a Bonfire. Confusion exists because in some people's minds the 1964 Roman Ritual was suppressed because it's absent in the US Bishops' Book of Blessings but it is advocated for in the Directory on Popular Piety.
Since it's not seen often in the USA it will be seen as esoteric. But those of concerned with Catholic identity and the flourishing of the sacred Liturgy in parishes, monasteries and religious communities. This blessing is one of the most ancient blessings.
Since St Augustine was the one to establish the feast day of the Baptist's birth, six months prior to the Savior's and in the summer solstice after the longest day of the year and when daylight incrementally lessens, a celebration of "light of the World" manifested by the Forerunner, it is an appropriate liturgical observance. Plus, the liturgical catechesis is limitless in this rite.
Because St John the Baptist's testimony to identity of Jesus as the true light which shines in the darkness of the world, the priest doing this rite can bring together several spiritual "themes" for expanding the heart. One can preach on John as the light-bearer before Christ; "he must increase, but I must decrease"; "I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist."
The Rite
Priest: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.
Let us pray. Lord God, almighty Father, the light that never fails and the source of all light, sanctify + this new fire, and grant that after the darkness of this life we may come unsullied to you who are light eternal; through Christ our Lord. All: Amen.
The fire is sprinkled with holy water; after which the clergy and the people sing the following hymn Hymn: Ut queant laxis
1. Ut queant laxis resonáre fibris Mira gestórum fámuli tuórum, Solve pollúti lábii reátum, Sancte Joánnes.
2. Núntius celso véniens Olympo Te patri magnum fore nascitúrum, Nomen, et vitae sériem geréndae Ordinae promit.
3. Ille promíssi dúbius supérni, Pérdidit promptae módulos loquélae: Sed reformásti genitus perémptae Organa vocis.
4. Ventris obstrúso récubans cubíli Sénseras Regem thálamo manéntem: Hinc parens nati méritis utérque Abdita pandit.
5. Sit decus Patri, genitaéque Proli et tibi, compare utriúsque virtus, Spíritus semper, Deus unus, omni Témporis aevo. Amen.
(the same in English)
1. O for your spirit, holy John, to chasten Lips sin-polluted, fettered tongues to loosen; So by your children might your deeds of wonder Meetly be chanted.
2. Lo! a swift herald, from the skies descending, Bears to your father promise of your greatness; How he shall name you, what your future story, Duly revealing.
3. Scarcely believing message so transcendent, Him for a season power of speech forsaketh, Till, at your wondrous birth, again returneth, Voice to the voiceless.
4. You, in your mother's womb all darkly cradled, Knew your great Monarch, biding in His chamber, Whence the two parents, through their offspring's merits, Mysteries uttered.
5. Praise to the Father, to the Son begotten, And to the Spirit, equal power possessing, One God whose glory, through the lapse of ages, Ever resounding. Amen.
P: There was a man sent from God.
All: Whose name was John.
Let us pray. God, who by reason of the birth of blessed John have made this day praiseworthy, give your people the grace of spiritual joy, and keep the hearts of your faithful fixed on the way that leads to everlasting salvation; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
Philip
T. Weller, The Roman Ritual
(The Bruce Publishing Company, Milwaukee, WI, 1964).
The Church liturgically commemorates the feast of Saint Agrippina, a Roman martyr who lived at the time of Emperor Valerian (153-259). Not called to be married to a believer or unbeliever but called to fully dedicate her life to Christ, Agrippina confessed in public her faith in Christ as Savior for which she was tortured. After being beatened, tradition says, she was chained by the government yet released by an angel. She died from her torture. Initially, Saint Agrippina was buried in Sicily by three Christian women: Bassa, Paula and Agathonice; her relics were later transfered to Constantinople.
Saint Agrippina is often invoked by those who are suffering bacterial infections, evil spirits, leprosy and thunderstorms.
A liturgical hymn recalls Saint Agrippina:
You redeemed us from our sin.
Bringing us new life, guarding us in strife,
Making us Your blood-brought kin.
Praise to You, O Christ our Lord,
Both in heav'n and earth adored!
Let Your martyr's praise
Echo through our days;
Hymning You with one accord!
Let us form a choir, take the heav'nly lyre,
To adorn Your martyr's feast.
Faithful unto death, with her final breath
She proclaimed You King and Priest!
Praise to You, O Christ our Lord,
Both in heav'n and earth adored!
Let Your martyr's praise
Echo through our days;
Hymning You with one accord!
In Your martyr, brave Agrippina,
You show forth Your boundless grace.
Grant that we, inspired, may like her be fired
With the zeal to see Your face!
Praise to You, O Christ our Lord,
Both in heav'n and earth adored!
Let Your martyr's praise
Echo through our days;
Hymning You with one accord!
God of truth, You bestowed on Blessed Innocent the gifts of knowledge and prudence and made him a promoter of peace and unity. By the help of his prayers may we cherish what is of heaven and in perfect unity follow what is right.
A 13th century Dominican friar known for his distinction in theology, Pierre of Trarantaise, was known as the most famous doctor. He served the Order of Friars Preachers as a prior provincial and the Church as the Archbishop of Lyons and later as the Cardinal-bishop of the ancient See of Ostia. At the Council of Lyons II and preached at the funeral of Saint Bonaventure.
In 1276 he was elected the Bishop of Rome --the Pope of the Roman Church-- the first of the Dominicans to serve in such manner, though only for six months. He's the very likely choice of popes who influenced the change of papal attire in that he likely continued to wear his Dominican habit after his election to the Chair of Peter. More on Pope Blessed Innocent V
If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.The great and noble saints of the Church, Saints Thomas More and John Fisher, a married man and a bishop, respectively, are liturgically commemorated today. We remember with enthusiasm their witness to Jesus Christ, the Church and to humanity. They showed us the narrow gate. To the understanding of the Church no known miracles occurred that would support the claim of "sanctity" being made for these men: their holiness was determined through evidence of their giving their lives unto death.
Shortly before his death, it was recorded that:
He spoke little before his execution. Only he asked that bystanders to pray for him in this world, and he would pray for them elsewhere. He then begged them to pray for the King, that it might please God to give him good counsel, protesting that he dies the King's good servant, but God's first.
More and Fisher were canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 19, 1935, who declared:
In honor of the Undivided Trinity, for the exaltation of the Catholic Faith and the increase of the Christian religion, by the authority of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and our own, after mature deliberation and imploring the divine assistance, by the advice of our Venerable Brethren the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, the Patriarchs, Archbishops and Bishops present in the city, We declare and define as Saints, and inscribe in the Catalogue of the Saints, Blessed John Fisher and Thomas More, and that their memory shall be celebrated in the Universal Church on the anniversaries of their heavenly birth.
In 2000, Pope John Paul II named Saint Thomas More the patron saint of politicians.
Saint John Fisher, bishop of Rochester (England) and cardinal
1469-1535 (June 22)
canonized with Saint Thomas More in 1935
Saint Thomas More, husband, father King's chancellor of England (1529-1532)
1480-1535 (July 6)
On the occasion of the 40th anniversary Dei Verbum in 2005, Pope Benedict made what I think is a brilliant claim that lectio divina will be instrumental in bringing a new era in the Church. The Pope said:
In this context, I would like in particular way to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of "Lectio divina": "the diligent reading of Sacred Scripture accompanied by prayer brings about that intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking, and in praying, responds to him with trusting openness of heart" (cf. "Dei Verbum," n. 25). If it is effectively promoted, this practice will bring to the Church -- I am convinced of it -- a new spiritual springtime. (16 September 2005)
Today's the 47th anniversary of Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini to the Throne of Peter taking the name Paul VI. He succeeded Pope John XXIII.
The Vatican's e-file of Pope Paul's works can be found here.
In Your wise providence, O God, You wished Your servant Paul to be counted as one of the Popes. Please number him also among the company of Your saintly Pontiffs, we beg You, since he ruled as Vicar on earth of Your only Son.
May his memory be eternal.
Missions to help people find their true humanity and to know the mercy of Christ and friends, always needs our personal attention: friendship, prayers & study and financial assistance. Can I get you thinking about the foreign missions by personally undertaking some work to know the good work of missionaries and the work of the Holy Spirit? Consider this blog post a seed planted: make a plan to go to the missions for period of time (even for a week), support a project with friendly letters, human contact and financial support and most certainly with your prayer to the Saints Francis Xavier, Therese of Lisieux and Josephine Bahkita for their intercession before God's throne.
In all the consider you make, perhaps you may want to pray the Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Feeling a call to serve as a missionary in the Sudan, one of Africa's incredibly poor countries, Father Herald Joseph Brock, CFR asked his superiors if he could serve the Church in Sudan. With tremendous generosity of the Friars of the Renewal and friends, Father Herald is rocking on... Father Herald writes a blog, "CFR Sudan Mission," to keep friends engaged in his projects.
Making donations to the Franciscan Mission Outreach --CFR Sudan Mission can be done here. Last September I made a plea for help for the Mission.
Who shall climb God's holy mountain?Stand within his holy place?
Those whose hearts are pure and lowly,
Free of guile and full of grace!
On this day, O Lord, we thank you
For your servant's selfless life
Which he offered you with gladness,
Leaving wealth and earthly strife.
Aloysius, born as gentry,
Heard from youth your gentle call,
And, renouncing rank and riches,
Followed you and gave his all.
In the service of those sickened
By the plague, he spent himself,
Thus exhausting earthly body,
Storing up the one true wealth.
Trinity of endless mercy,
Father, Son, and Spirit blest,
With your servant Aloysius
And the host of saints at rest,
We sing forth our song of gladness
For your saints, your works of grace;
Lead us on in humble service
Till we see you face to face!
J. Michael Thompson
Copyright © 2010, World Library Publications
87 87 D, HOLY MANNA, AUSTRIA
Father, Son, and Spirit blest,
With your servant Aloysius
And the host of saints at rest,
We sing forth our song of gladness
For your saints, your works of grace;
Lead us on in humble service
Till we see you face to face!
J. Michael Thompson
Copyright © 2010, World Library Publications
87 87 D, HOLY MANNA, AUSTRIA
Today is a celebration of Fatherhood. Father's Day is an observance we've had since 1910. Later today my sister and Aunt Gloria will come over for dinner. Here's a photo of dad with his newest project, a Flying Merkel.
Do you know what a Merkel is? And I am not referring to the German Chancellor with the same name! I didn't till the other day.
My dad's project is still in process. More pictures to follow.
All that I seek to know on earth is Christ,The power of his resurrected life,
To share the suff'rings that he bore for me,
Thus shall I triumph over death and strife.
So Romuald, the solitary man,
Became a living icon of his Lord,
In prayer and self-denial formed his monks
And molded them within the silent Word.
O Father, Son, and Spirit ever blessed,
We raise our hearts in silence and in praise!
With Romuald and all the heav'nly choir,
We praise you, Lord of Life, for all our days!
J. Michael Thompson
Copyright © 2010, World Library Publications
10 10 10 10
SURSUM CORDA, WOODLANDS
Exploring the Word of God is an ongoing work for all Christians. Catholics have a good opportunity on June 26 to do some work on last Synod of Bishops on the Word of God. It is a good, necessary and beautiful thing to spend time with God as He's revealed in sacred Scripture.The Synod of Bishops on the Word of God (the Bible) was --and continues to be-- a monumental point in our faith lives and in our life as a Church because we believe that God doesn't abandon His vineyard. It is through prayerful reading and study of Scripture, lectio divina and intelligent conversation that we "become one with Christ and walk together behind him," Pope Benedict said.
Many of the speakers are OK (some are eminently miss-able) but it would be worth the effort to attend Mass at the Church of St Paul the Apostle and to hear the homily to be given by the Honduran archbishop (who speaks perfect English), Oscar Cardinal Rodriquez Maradiaga. (The cardinal is a reasonable candidate for the papacy from Latin America!) But THE speaker that you need to listen to is Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete.
More info and registration info found here.
Father Z has a key blog post addressing the fruitfulness of the sacrament of Marriage, if received in a state of mortal sin. How often do we seriously think about the fruitfulness of the sacraments we receive and how that fruitfulness spills over into our everyday lives? Is it old fashion for a priest (anyone else) to insist that the couple entering into marriage make a good confession prior to marriage ceremony? No, I don't think it's quaint. Actually, I think it is not only an essential part of the "marriage event" but a sacramental moment in following more closely Christ and building a culture of love among the spouses, plus it contributes to engaging our freedom. Ask yourself, why wouldn't you want to be in "good graces" with God, self and your spouse-to-be? God's mercy is open to all and it is a wonderful thing to live in...
Read what Father Z has to say.
Yesterday, Thursday, 17 June, the delegates to the General
Chapter elected Abbot Hugh Richard Anderson OSB to a six-year term as the
fifteenth President of the American-Cassinese
Congregation. The fiftieth general chapter was convened at St. Bernard Abbey, Cullman, Alabama, 13-18
June 2010. Abbot Hugh succeeds Abbot Timothy Kelly OSB offered his resignation for
reasons of health, midway through his second term as president which became
effective 16 June.
Abbot Hugh, 72, was First Councilor of the Congregation at
the time of his election, had served as the eighth abbot of Saint Procopius Abbey, Lisle, Illinois,
having served from 1985-2002. The Benedictine community of monks of Saint
Procopius was founded in Chicago in 1885, became a conventual priory in 1887, an
abbey in 1894; the abbey transferred to its present location in Lisle, IL in 1914.
According to process, Abbot
Hugh's election was confirmed by Archabbot Douglas Nowicki OSB, the Second
Councilor. In St Bernard's abbey church Abbot Hugh celebrated a Mass of
Thanksgiving and concluded the Mass with the singing of the Te Deum.
The other day the NY Times had a positive story about happenings in the Catholic Church. Yes, it's possible that a good human interest story dealing with Catholic seminarians!The annual soccer tournament known as the Clericus Cup is an association of seminaries and houses of formation in Rome who have a friendly competition. This is only the 4th year of competition.
The Church is a longtime fan of sport, especially a fan of soccer because it's not only fun but sport promotes good social interrelations, brotherhood among the international students, skill, healthy mind, body & soul and good sportsmanship. So, it is true that seminarians are more than just students....
The author brings out that a number of popes have had an appreciation for soccer
Read Gaia Pianigiani's story "Shedding the Collar to the Lace Up Cleats."
The Pontifical North American College seminarians pulled together a handy website for the Clericus Cup.
Come, blessed of my Father, for I was ill and you came to visit me. Amen, I say to you; as often as you did this for the least of my brothers, you did it to me.
O God, rich in mercy, You inspired Saint Brother Albert to see the wounded image of Your Son in the poor, the homeless and the destitute. Motivated by his example and prayers may we become true brothers and sisters to all who are in need.
On Thursday, June 17, there will be a St Gianna Mass celebrated for the intentions of couples dealing with infertility issues at St Catherine of Siena Church (411 East 68th Street, New York).
All are welcome!
The program for the evening is as follows:
6:00 pm: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Confessions
6:25 pm: Litany and Prayers to Saint Gianna
6:35 pm: Mass
7:30 pm: Infertility
Support Group and talk by Dr. Anne Melnik on Napro - Technology
The celebrant of the Mass and devotions will be Dominican Father Bruno Shah.
The St Gianna Mass will be celebrated on the 3rd Thursday of each month. This Mass and program is a natural outgrowth of the spiritual activities held in May for the blessing and public inauguration of the Gianna healthcare ministry working infertility and women's health.
Mark your calendar for the monthly St Gianna Mass:
July 15, August 19, September 16, October 21, November 18, December 16,
The St Gianna Mass is host by the Dominican Friars of St Catherine of Siena Church & Priory in close collaboration with the Dominican Friars Healthcare Ministry of NY and the Gianna Center.
Your prayers are kindly requested today for the peaceful repose of Father Damien Anthony Daprai, OSB, 47, who is being laid to rest today. He died suddenly Friday morning during his morning job around his abbey's property. Father Damien was a monk of Marmion Abbey.Ever since learning of Father Damien's death mid-Friday morning I've been thinking of him and the loss experienced by many. He is the second friend to die this year of a heart attack at the same age!!!
Of the many reasons for sympathy for Damien's death is his youthfulness and his faithful friendship. Many would give witness to this fact!!! He was committed to the monastic way of life according to the Rule Saint Benedict having made his solemn profession in 2007. When he entered Marmion Abbey he received the name Damien in honor of Blessed --now Saint-- Damien de Veuster of Molokai. Likewise, he was a new priest of Jesus Christ having been ordained only two years ago. Father Damien's death happened on one of the greatest solemnities the Church observes: the Sacred Heart of Jesus. There are only a few days which would be better to die than on the Sacred Heart's feast, if one had the choice.
Last evening the monastic community and Damien's family received his body at the Abbey for a visitation and to pray the Office of the Dead. This morning Abbot Vincent de Paul will celebrate the Mass of Christian Burial for Damien in the Abbey Church of Saint Augustine of Canterbury. Burial is in the abbey cemetery.
Father Damian was a friend, though we haven't seen each other in a few years and would keep in touch through a mutual friend, Brother Andre of the Marmion. THE eery thing is that when I spoke with Brother Andre on Thursday, the day before Damien's death, we spoke of Damien. The last time I saw Damien we were planting trees in the Abbey Christmas tree field, he was then a seminary student and excited about service as a priest.
As a side note, Brother Andre mentioned to me that Father Damien was an organ donor. Thanks be to God his good health has assisted anywhere from 20-50 people. A blessing indeed!
Forgive, O Lord, the soul of Damien, your priest from the all the chains of his of his sins and by the aid to them of your grace may he deserve to avoid the judgment of revenge,
and enjoy the blessedness of everlasting light.
May your memory be eternal, dear friend, Father Damien!
Euronews reported today that the bishop of Córdoba, Bishop Demetrio Fernández González made a decision not allow Muslim worship in a former mosque in what is today a Roman Catholic Cathedral. I believe that Bishop Demetrio made a correct and prudent decision here.But his reasoning seems to lack some precision: it is not the length of time (or how the building came to be Catholic), it's legal title is held by the Church much like Hagia Sophia's title is not held by the Church but by a museum. Christians accept this latter fact and are not arguing for its return. The Cathedral is a Catholic Church and no longer a mosque even though the two religions worship the transcendent God.
In Nostra Aetate and in other statements of the Holy See teach that Muslims worship the God of Abraham. They believe in only one and their intention is to worship that one, transcendent God and is the same God that Jews and Christians worship.
Without getting into theological specifics here, it has be noted that with the Muslim religion there is doubt among theologians and experts about nature of the divine inspiration of the Koran and the place of Muhammad as a true prophet; but the Muslims can't be accused of not worshipping one God and the elements that are true in Islam come from Judaism and Christianity which were present in Muhammad's time. Some would make the claim that the tenets of Islam are similar to a Christian heresy much like Arianism. Orthodox Christians accept that Arians believed in the God who revealed Himself in the Bible however Arianism is rejected because of its denial of the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity.
A friend raised a question about Jews and Christians viz. as what might be said of Muslims. The difference with Islam that can't be applied to Judaism is that we believe Judaism to be true but incomplete without Jesus; the Torah and the books of the Old Testament is the inspired word of God.
So for these reasons Christians and Muslims cannot worship together or share places of worship because Islam does not have an orthodox faith.
Secular and pluralistic society won't agree on what makes a religion true: talk about truth and heresy makes no sense to people who question the possibility of there being truth, claims of objective truth and revelation. Therefore, I think the matter needs to be addressed in terms of reason.
Catholic worship of God in a consecrated space has a special and essential distinction because the Church is a place of sacrifice and salvation with its focus on the person of Jesus Christ as the way, the truth and the life; no confusion should happen. The same line of thinking would apply to other religions and for Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons. Additionally, it's not merely "opening the door" for the possible expulsion of Catholics again from their mother church but it is improper to allow a religion who does not accept even the basics of Christian faith to worship in a "Catholic space" --and so frequently at odds with Christianity as seen in the murder of Catholic clerics-- and against reason.
Historically, Córdoba is a Roman city but was forcibly converted to Islam in 711 and recaptured by the Spanish King Ferdinand III in 1236. For much of the 525 years that Córdoba was Muslim it was also caliphate, the seat of authority. What is intellectually interesting is that The Great Mosque of Córdoba was the protector of the world's largest library at that time estimated to have between 400,000 and 1 million volumes (I can't account for a discrepancy but the numbers are impressive).
Having visited Córdoba a few years ago I can say that the Islamic influence of former times is still very recognizable and much of the artwork beautiful, even though I can't read Arabic.
The article:
"Bishop Demetrio Fernández González of the southern
Spanish city of Córdoba, once the seat of Muslim power in Spain, said that he
will not permit Islamic worship at the city's cathedral. The cathedral was
formerly a mosque, which in turn had been built on the site of a Catholic
church.
"Sharing the cathedral with Muslims, Bishop Fernández González said in
an interview, "is a euphemism which means: get Catholics out of here ... The
answer to the question about sharing the Cathedral is that no, we're not,
because this place has been a Catholic church 16 centuries, while Muslims have
been four and half centuries."
"If I let in the Muslims pray in the
cathedral of Cordoba, it is equivalent to Catholics saying goodbye and good
night; it would be irresponsible," he added. "There are things that are
shared and others that are not, and the cathedral of Cordoba is not shared with
Muslims (...)"
Flag Day is celebrated every June 14, in commemoration of the June 14, 1777 authorization by Congress making the "stars and stripes" a national symbol for the United States of America. Congress said: "Resolved that the flag of the thirteen United States be Thirteen stripes alternate red and white: that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." The national observance of flag day came with President Woodrow Wilson's 1916 proclamation establishing the day. In 1949, President Harry Truman signed an Act of Congress naming June 14 as "National Flag Day." More info can be found here.My Knights of Columbus Council (Fr McGiveny Council 10705, New Haven, CT) and 4th Degree Assembly sold US flags over the weekend at Church. So, I am proud to say that a US flag is flying happily in front of my parents' house. You may know that the 4th Degree of the KofC was the last of the four degrees instituted by the KofC, not known by Fr McGivney, but entirely consistent with the mission of the KofC. For more info on the 4th Degree, see this website.
There is a great human interest and patriotic story in today's New Haven Register on a gesture of patriotism and empathy for our nation and for our soldiers serving abroad. I am happy that the context for this admiration for freedom and the flag which symbolizes our God-given freedom is Our Lady of Pompeii Church (East Haven, CT), my family's parish church. Also, we have in the story an example of how young people can reach out to others. The Colombian Squires bring together faith and action in a fitting way.
Today is also a wonderful day to think of Father Michael Morris, a priest of the Archdiocese of New York and professor of history at St Joseph's Seminary who has a high love for flags, especially the US flag. He's got a beautiful one flying in his office.
The Spirit of God is upon me; he has anointed me. He sent me to bring good news to the poor, and to heal the broken hearted.
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.R. Who made heaven
and earth.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
O God, the Creator and
Preserver of mankind, thou Who art the lover of holy purity, the giver of spiritual
grace, the dispenser of eternal salvation, bless + these lilies we bring on
this day in thanksgiving to thee and in honor of Saint Anthony, thy Confessor.
Pour out on them heavenly dew by the saving + sign of the most holy cross, O
God of love! Thou hast endowed these lilies with delicious fragrance to be a
comfort and help to those on their sickbeds. Wherefore, imbue them with so
great strength that whether they are used in a home, in a sickroom, or carried
about one's person, they may have power, through the intercession of Saint
Anthony, to drive out evil spirits, to safeguard chastity, to turn away
illness, and to bestow on thy servants peace and grace.
V. Pray for us, blessed
Anthony.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
May the devout
and constant intercession of Blessed Anthony, thy Confessor, come to our aid,
we beseech thee, O Lord, that we may become of thy grace in this life, and merit
everlasting joys in the next.
Loving God, upon this day
Anthony, your faithful son,
On this day has heaven won.
He, the preacher of the Word,
Lived in deed the truth he heard;
Called by martyr's death to be
Vowed to holy poverty.
Lord, accept the hymns we raise,
Singing Anthony's holy praise!
Faithful friar, in Francis' step
Bids us go where he has led,
Drawn by him, we offer laud
To Christ Jesus, Son of God.
Fearless teacher of the way,
Guiding us to work and pray,
Through his never-ceasing prayer
Leads us Christ-ward ev'rywhere.
Lord, accept the hymns we raise,
Singing Anthony's holy praise!
To the Father and the Son
And the Spirit, Three-in-One,
Hymns of glory, songs of love
Sing we, echoing those above.
With the angels' chorus high
Earth now makes this joyful cry;
With Saint Anthony we sing,
Praising God, our heav'nly King.
Lord, accept the hymns we raise,
Singing Anthony's holy praise!
Sing we all in joyful praise:
Anthony, your faithful son,
On this day has heaven won.
He, the preacher of the Word,
Lived in deed the truth he heard;
Called by martyr's death to be
Vowed to holy poverty.
Lord, accept the hymns we raise,
Singing Anthony's holy praise!
Faithful friar, in Francis' step
Bids us go where he has led,
Drawn by him, we offer laud
To Christ Jesus, Son of God.
Fearless teacher of the way,
Guiding us to work and pray,
Through his never-ceasing prayer
Leads us Christ-ward ev'rywhere.
Lord, accept the hymns we raise,
Singing Anthony's holy praise!
To the Father and the Son
And the Spirit, Three-in-One,
Hymns of glory, songs of love
Sing we, echoing those above.
With the angels' chorus high
Earth now makes this joyful cry;
With Saint Anthony we sing,
Praising God, our heav'nly King.
Lord, accept the hymns we raise,
Singing Anthony's holy praise!
J. Michael Thompson
Copyright © 2010, World Library Publications
77 77 D; MENDELSSOHN, (or, without refrain, SALZBURG)
Going from point A to point B whether it is a physical move or a spiritual one is a pilgrimage. Something happens to the person making the move between points. Traditionally speaking a pilgrimage is not a tourist event nor is a undertaken for frivolous reasons. Tourism is fine and necessary but I want to think about a different type physical and spiritual journey not often talked about in Catholic circles today. It is a journey; it's a path walked; it is a time to review your life. A pilgrimage is time spent either alone or with others on a path to a change of heart, a conversion. Often we take on the burdens and the delights of a pilgrimage to gain a deeper insight into our lives as Christians asking questions about how the experience of Christ has changed me, or where I need to change based on what I discern the Lord to be asking.Saints have made pilgrimages, sinners have made and continue to make pilgrimages. My own home parish priest just led a very beautiful pilgrimage to the Lourdes Shrine and other religious places in France this past April. Members of the lay movement Communion and Liberation makes an annual pilgrimage to the famous Marian shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa (also here) or to the Shrine of Our Lady of Loretto and the Conventual Franciscans (and the Capuchins, CFRs and Dominicans [to sights related to Saint Dominic] do the similarly) often lead pilgrims to Assisi in order to be faithful to the path set out by Saint Francis of Assisi. The Benedictines of Saint John's Abbey sponsor a regular pilgrimage to religious shrines and monastic foundations in Europe related to Saint Benedict and the Benedictine patrimony. OK, the point is not to catalog the pilgrimage possibilities but to give examples of current types of pilgrimages and to say that making a pilgrimage is not a dead, outmoded pious gesture. Real, good stuff happens to people on pilgrimage!
One such pilgrimage taking place on annual basis is the Pilgrimage to Chartres by an international group of young people numbering in the neighborhood of 10-15k. Their form of prayer is Catholic: rosary, litany, mortification, acts of asceticism, confession of sins and the Mass according to the missal of Blessed John XXIII.
Watch a most fascinating video on the experience... and the 2009 photo album ...and the report with pictures of the 2010 pilgrimage in 4 installments from The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny.
Lord, my allotted portion and my cup, it is You who hold fast my lot. For me the measuring lines have fallen on pleasant sites; fair indeed is my inheritance.
God our Father, through contemplative prayer You ignited the flame of love deep in the heart and soul of blessed Florida; and taught blessed Jolenta to choose the lowly cross of Your Son in place of worldly honors and riches. Through their merits and prayers enable us to look rightly on perishable things and with sincere hearts to seek the things of heaven.
On Blessed Jolenta or here
O Most Blessed Mother, heart of love, heart of mercy, ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer. As your children, we implore your intercession with Jesus your Son. Receive with understanding and compassion the petitions we place before you today, especially ...(special intention).
We are comforted in knowing your heart is ever open to those who
ask for your prayer. We trust to your gentle care and intercession, those whom
we love and who are sick or lonely or hurting. Help all of us, Holy Mother, to
bear our burdens in this life until we may share eternal life and peace with
God forever. Amen.
Why is there a liturgical memorial of Mary Immaculate Heart? What does the Church teach?
Following the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the feast of the Lord's all holy Mother, the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The two are inseparable and with good reason. It is only with Mary that we meet the face of God in human form. Her yes, her beauty, her purity of heart and body makes it possible for God to be made flesh. As the Mother of God, so our our Mother.
In directing our prayer the Church tells us the feasts of the Sacred Heart and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary have an intimate connection especially known in the Liturgy as a sign of "the mysterium of the Heart of Jesus" because Mary is both Mother and disciple. "As the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart celebrates the salvific mysteries of Christ in a synthetic manner by reducing them to their fount --the Heart of Jesus, so too the memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a celebration of the complex visceral relationship of Mary with her Son's work of salvation: from the Incarnation, to his death and resurrection, to the gift of the Holy Spirit."
The tradition of the first Saturdays should be kept in tact and promoted because of the close connection with the Holy Eucharist. The first Saturdays teaches the faithful (clergy and laity alike) of the need to repair the break sin causes in both the Divine and human relationship through prayer, mortification and the giving of alms and charitable work. Why? Because "This pious practice should be seen as an opportunity to live intensely the paschal Mystery celebrated in the Holy Eucharist, as inspired by the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (DPPL, 174).
This feast is yet another example of the Church giving to her children the opportunity to attend to the affect, that is, to one's humanity, in order to know and love more intimately the salvation given to us in Christ. It is not a one time experience but an on-going, incremental changing of mentality that draws us closer to Christ.
The solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a good day to think about last things. No?
You know what the 4 last things are: death judgment, heaven and hell. Preachers, Catholic school curricula and CCD programs and parents don't often address the 4 last things in their respective venues. Why? Likely because there's a perceptible allergy against an honest look at the human condition and the supreme justice and mercy of God. We'd rather think of "good things" or "nice things" about ourselves and others than sin and the possible ugly. OK. I don't relish looking at my ugly side either. At the same time I want an honest assessment of my soul and to live in a reasonable hope of what may or may not come of my relationship with God. At last I knew, the only person conceived without sin is the Mary, the Mother of God. Plus, I would hate to think I am going to heaven (or purgatory) when I really merited hell.
In case you need a fast primer on the 4 last things, see these links. I'd also suggest closely reading Avery Cardinal Dulles' essay "The Population of Hell," found in Church and Society unless you can get it for free on the First Things website (but I'd recommend buying the book for all the other excellent essays!).
Not long ago a friend sent me a blog where the blogger talked about a recent homily of Canterbury's Rowan Williams where he wonders if Henry VII is in hell. Good question. What do you think? The Archbishop's homily can be read here.
Christians are consecrated, that is, set apart from other things or ways of life for God --the Father, Son and Holy Spirit-- through the sacraments of Initiation. Our entire life as a Christian is based on our reception of and living out of our Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist.As with any act of consecration we make a personal commitment to be in relationship with the Lord; it is begging the Lord to reign in our heart; the act of consecration means putting the ego aside in order to enter into personal relationship with Christ. Coming to Christ is coming to our eternal destiny.
Making the consecration takes me to infinite love of Jesus.
At a sacramental level we concretely re-consecrate ourselves to the Lord each time we worthily receive Holy Communion and by making a good confession. One way of keeping this reality in front of us is by attending to making the first Friday devotions.
Before the image of the Sacred Heart, make the consecration to the Sacred Heart given by Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque:
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, to You I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, my actions, trials and sufferings, that my entire being may henceforth only be employed in loving, honoring and glorifying You. This is my irrevocable will, to belong entirely to You, and to do all for Your love, renouncing with my whole heart all that can displease You.
I take You, O Sacred Heart, for the sole object of my love, the protection of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, the reparation for all the defects of my life, and my secure refuge at the hour of my death. Be You O merciful Heart, my justification before God Your Father, and screen me from His anger which I have so justly merited. I fear all from my own weakness and malice but placing my entire confidence in You, O Heart of Love. I hope from Your infinite Goodness. Annihilate in me all that can displease or resist You. Imprint Your pure love so deeply in my heart that I may never forget You or be separated from You.
I beseech You, through Your infinite Goodness, grant that my name be engraved upon Your Heart, for in this I place all my happiness and all my glory, to live and to die as one of Your devoted servants. Amen.
Father Julián Carrón, published the following commentary on priesthood in the L'Osservatore Romano (June 9, 2010), at conclusion of the Year of Priests.
I will never forget the impact of a question at a spiritual retreat with some priests in Latin America. I had just finished saying that often our faith lacks the human, when a priest approached me and said that when he was in seminary, they taught him that it was better to hide his concrete humanity, not to have it in sight "because it disturbed the journey of faith." This episode made me more aware of how Christianity can be reduced and of the state of confusion in which we are called to live our priestly vocation. Once someone asked Fr. Giussani his advice for a young priest, "That he be above all a man," he answered, to the surprise of those present. We find ourselves at the polar opposite of the advice given the seminarian: on the one hand, to look away from one's humanity, and on the other, a gaze full of fondness for oneself.
So then, what is decisive for our faith and our vocation? What do we need? Fr. Giussani repeatedly indicated that "the forgetfulness of the 'I'," the absence of authentic interest for one's own person is the "supreme obstacle to our human journey" (Alla ricerca del volto umano, Rizzoli, Milano 1995, p. 9). Instead, true love for oneself, true affection for oneself is what leads us to rediscover our constituent exigencies, our original needs in their nakedness and vastness, so as to see ourselves as relationship with the Mystery, entreaty for the infinite, structural expectant awaiting. Only people so "wounded" by reality, so seriously engaged with their own humanity can open themselves totally to the encounter with the Lord. Fr. Giussani affirms, "In fact, Christ offers Himself as the answer to what "I" am and only an attentive and also tender and passionate awareness of myself can throw me wide open and dispose me to acknowledge, admire, thank, and live Christ. Without this awareness, even that of Jesus Christ becomes a mere name" (At the Origin of the Christian Claim, McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal 1998, p. 4).
"There is no response more absurd than that to a question one hasn't asked" wrote Reinhold Niebuhr. This also applies to us when we uncritically submit to the influence of the culture in which we are immersed, which seems to favor the reduction of humanity to our biological, psychological and sociological antecedents. But if humanity is truly reduced to this, what is our task as priests? What use are we? What is the sense of our vocation? How can we resist a flight from reality, taking refuge in spiritualism or formalism, seeking alternatives that make life bearable? Or wouldn't it be better, obeying the cultural climate, to become social assistants, psychologists, cultural operators or politicians? As Benedict XVI reminded us in Lisbon, "Often we are anxiously preoccupied with the social, cultural and political consequences of the faith, taking for granted that faith is present, which unfortunately is less and less realistic. Perhaps we have placed an excessive trust in ecclesial structures and programs, in the distribution of powers and functions; but what will happen if salt loses its flavor?" (Homily at Holy Mass at Terriero do Paco of Lisbon, May 11, 2010).
Therefore, everything depends on the perception, first of all for us, of what humanity is and what truly corresponds to our infinite desire. The decision with which we live our vocation therefore derives from the decision with which we live our being men. Only within an authentically human vibration can we know Christ and let ourselves be fascinated by Him, to the point of giving Him our lives to make Him known to others. "Why does the faith still absolutely have a chance of success?" then Cardinal Ratzinger asked himself, and answered, "I would say because it finds correspondence in the nature of man. [...] In man there is an inextinguishable nostalgic aspiration toward the infinite. None of the answers sought is sufficient; only the God who has made Himself finite, to lacerate our finiteness and lead it in the breadth of His infinity, is able to meet the questions of our being. Therefore today as well, Christian faith will return to find humanity." (Fede, Verità, Tolleranza [Faith, Truth, Tolerance] Cantagalli, Siena 2003, pp. 142-143).
This certainty that Benedict
XVI testifies to continually even in the face of all the evil we bring upon
ourselves or cause others - just think of the pedophilia issue - invites us on
a journey to rediscover and deepen our understanding of the reasonableness of
the faith: "Our faith is well-founded, but this faith needs to come alive in
each of us [...]: only Christ can fully satisfy the profound longing of every
human heart and give answers to its most pressing questions about suffering,
injustice and evil, concerning death and life hereafter" (Homily at Holy Mass
at Terriero do Paco di Lisbon, May 11, 2010). Only if we experience the truth
of Christ in our life will we have the courage to communicate it and the
audacity to challenge the hearts of the people we meet. In this way, the
priesthood will continue to be an adventure for each of us and thus the
opportunity to testify to our fellow women and men the answer that only Christ
is for the "mystery of our being" (G. Leopardi). Thank you.
Father Julián Carrón is a priest of the Archdiocese of Madrid and he is the President of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation centered in Milan, Italy. He was appointed by Benedict XVI to be among the experts at the Synod of Bishops on the Word of God and he is a consultant on the Pontifical Council of the Laity.
Just as Holy Thursday and then Corpus Christi focuses our attention on the beauty of Christ's fulfillment of His promise to remain with us --in the Holy Eucharist-- so every Thursday ought to be a day of special prayer (time spent in adoration, Mass, confession of sins, reflection using the works of "eucharistic saints"). And this is the point of this blog: sharing in Communio lived with Christ in the Church among all people. But to the point here, I think any time spent with the Blessed Sacrament "touches eternity, highlighting the relationship between the Eucharistic banquet (the Mass) and the eschatological banquet in the Father's Kingdom (heaven)" (GIRM 281).
In many places where adoration and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was been done "traditionally" on Fridays, the devotion has now been moved to Thursdays to be in greater connection with the Holy Thursday event of the Paschal Mystery of the Lord.
My advice for today: try to spend some time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, attend Mass, go to confession, pray for the Church.
Consider what Saint Thomas Aquinas has to say about the Body and Blood of Christ from one of his sermons:
Since it was the will of God's only-begotten Son that men should share in his divinity, he assumed our nature in order that by becoming man he might make men gods. Moreover, when he took our flesh he dedicated the whole of its substance to our salvation. He offered his body to God the Father on the altar of the cross as a sacrifice for our reconciliation. He shed his blood for our ransom and purification, so that we might be redeemed from our wretched state of bondage and cleansed from all sin. But to ensure that the memory of so great a gift would abide with us forever, he left his body as food and blood as drink for the faithful to consume in the form of bread and wine.
O precious and wonderful banquet, that brings us salvation and contains all sweetness! Could anything be of more intrinsic value?
After struggling with Leukemia Metropolitan Basil Myron Schott, OFM, died this morning. He was 71. I have fond memories of meeting the archbishop and always found him to be a kind and holy man.Since 2002, Archbishop Basil was the head of the Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Church in the USA.
May his memory be eternal.
The funeral arrangements for His Eminence, Metropolitan Basil, Schott funeral arrangements.pdf.
The Zenit.org news agency gave its readers a previously unpublished letter sent by Pope Pius XII to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on Aug. 30, 1943, after the Allied Forces bombed Rome. The letter surfaced from the archives of the Knights of Columbus given that it has worked in Rome since 1920. The KofC has recently opened a retrospective exhibit of its work for the Church and humanity in Rome. An unexpected gifts. Why? Because the letter to Roosevelt shows that Pope Pius did advocate for the needs of the defenseless in a dark period of history and that neither Italy nor the Church were free to freely act. Also, the exhibit shows the kind solicitude the KofC has had and continues to have for the work of Christ and the Church.
Your Excellency,
Recent events have naturally focused the world's attention for the moment on Italy, and much has been said and written on what policy she would or should now follow for her own best interests. Too many, we fear, take for granted that she is entirely free to follow the policy of her choice; and we have wished to express to Your Excellency our conviction that this is far from true. Of her desire for peace and to be done with the war, there can be no doubt; but in the presence of formidable forces opposing the actuation or even the official declaration of that desire she finds herself shackled and quite without the necessary means of defending herself.
If under such circumstances Italy is to be forced still to bear devastating blows against which she is practically defenseless, we hope and pray that the military leader will find it possible to spare innocent civil populations and in particular churches and religious institutions the ravages of war. Already, we must recount with deep sorrow and regret, these figure very prominently among the ruins of Italy's most populous and important cities.
But the message of assurance addressed to us by Your Excellency sustains our hope, even in the face of bitter experience, that God's temples and the homes erected by Christian charity for the poor and sick and abandoned members of Christ's flock may survive the terrible onslaught. May God in His merciful pity and love hearken to the universal cry of his children and let them hear once more the voice of Christ say: Peace!
We are happy of this occasion to renew the expression of our sincere good wishes to Your Excellency.
From the Vatican, August 30, 1943
Pius PP XII
God, source of wisdom and love, you made our brother
John Dominic strong in goodness to sustain the unity of the Church and to renew
the regular life. Lead us always to seek unity and peace.
On Blessed John Dominic, Dominican friar and bishop
The Pope's homily on the role of the Cross in our theology was a good reminder of who are as a people of faith: merciful, loving, and hope-filled. Sin and death don't have the last word in life. It is sad that we don't remember this more often, clergy and laity alike. This homily made me reflect back on an experience I had a few weeks back when I was told a priest in this particular parish preached that Catholics are "Easter people" and not a "Good Friday people." Sorely misguided. On June 5th in Cyprus Pope Benedict celebrated the Votive Mass of the Holy Cross (praying the various votive Masses is a good and noble tradition when there is no specific liturgical memorial that particular day) when he acknowledged the work of devoted priests, brothers, sisters catechists and the lay movements in preaching and teaching the Truth. In the face of difficult and sometimes evil situations the Pope encouraged his congregation (and us) to base their (our) lives on the Cross. For Christians, the cross is not a failure but the symbol --the reality-- of mercy, forgiveness, faith, hope and joy. And it is the goal of priests and religious to conform their lives to their Cross because it is at the foot of the Cross that we know the full power of the Trinity's love for us. Plus, the Pope reminds us that we are not the center of the faith, Christ is: it is His wisdom and salvation we communicate to others, not our own.
Here are excerpts from the Pope's homily:
Beguiled by the serpent, Adam had foresaken his filial trust in God and sinned by biting into the fruit of the one tree in the garden that was forbidden to him. In consequence of that sin, suffering and death came into the world. The tragic effects of sin, suffering and death were all too evident in the history of Adam's descendants. We see this in our first reading today, with its echoes of the Fall and its prefiguring of Christ's redemption.
As a punishment for their sin, the people of Israel, languishing in the desert, were bitten by serpents and could only be saved from death by looking upon the emblem that Moses raised up, foreshadowing the Cross that would put an end to sin and death once and for all. We see clearly that man cannot save himself from the consequences of his sin. He cannot save himself from death. Only God can release him from his moral and physical enslavement. And because he loved the world so much, he sent his only-begotten Son, not to condemn the world - as justice seemed to demand - but so that through him the world might be saved. God's only-begotten Son had to be lifted up just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so that all who looked upon him with faith might have life.
The wood of the Cross became the vehicle for our redemption, just as the tree from which it was fashioned had occasioned the Fall of our first parents. Suffering and death, which had been a consequence of sin, were to become the very means by which sin was vanquished. The innocent Lamb was slain on the altar of the Cross, and yet from the immolation of the victim new life burst forth: the power of evil was destroyed by the power of self-sacrificing love.
The Cross, then, is something far greater and more mysterious than it at first appears. It is indeed an instrument of torture, suffering and defeat, but at the same time it expresses the complete transformation, the definitive reversal of these evils: that is what makes it the most eloquent symbol of hope that the world has ever seen. It speaks to all who suffer - the oppressed, the sick, the poor, the outcast, the victims of violence - and it offers them hope that God can transform their suffering into joy, their isolation into communion, their death into life. It offers unlimited hope to our fallen world.
That is why the world needs the Cross. The Cross is not just a private symbol of devotion, it is not just a badge of membership of a certain group within society, and in its deepest meaning it has nothing to do with the imposition of a creed or a philosophy by force. It speaks of hope, it speaks of love, it speaks of the victory of non-violence over oppression, it speaks of God raising up the lowly, empowering the weak, conquering division, and overcoming hatred with love. A world without the Cross would be a world without hope, a world in which torture and brutality would go unchecked, the weak would be exploited and greed would have the final word. Man's inhumanity to man would be manifested in ever more horrific ways, and there would be no end to the vicious cycle of violence. Only the Cross puts an end to it. While no earthly power can save us from the consequences of our sins, and no earthly power can defeat injustice at its source, nevertheless the saving intervention of our loving God has transformed the reality of sin and death into its opposite. That is what we celebrate when we glory in the Cross of our Redeemer. Rightly does Saint Andrew of Crete describe the Cross as "more noble, more precious than anything on earth [...] for in it and through it and for it all the riches of our salvation were stored away and restored to us" (Oratio X; PG 97, 1018-1019).
Dear brother priests, dear religious, dear catechists, the message of the Cross has been entrusted to us, so that we can offer hope to the world. When we proclaim Christ crucified we are proclaiming not ourselves, but him. We are not offering our own wisdom to the world, nor are we claiming any merit of our own, but we are acting as channels for his wisdom, his love, his saving merits. We know that we are merely earthenware vessels, and yet, astonishingly, we have been chosen to be heralds of the saving truth that the world needs to hear. Let us never cease to marvel at the extraordinary grace that has been given to us, let us never cease to acknowledge our unworthiness, but at the same time let us always strive to become less unworthy of our noble calling, lest through our faults and failings we weaken the credibility of our witness.
In this Year for Priests, let me address a special word to the priests present today, and to those who are preparing for ordination. Reflect on the words spoken to a newly ordained priest as the Bishop presents him with the chalice and paten: "Understand what you do, imitate what you celebrate, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord's Cross". As we proclaim the Cross of Christ, let us always strive to imitate the selfless love of the one who offered himself for us on the altar of the Cross, the one who is both priest and victim, the one in whose person we speak and act when we exercise the ministry that we have received. As we reflect on our shortcomings, individually and collectively, let us humbly acknowledge that we have merited the punishment that he, the innocent Lamb, suffered on our behalf. And if, in accordance with what we have deserved, we should have some share in Christ's sufferings, let us rejoice because we will enjoy a much greater gladness when his glory is revealed.
Watch the YouTube clip on the teaching of Pope Benedict on the Cross
It is indeed fitting to honor the blessed deacon of
Edessa for his desire that the preaching of the divine word and the training of
his disciples rest on the purity of Sacred Scripture. He also acquired honor as
a Christian musician and poet. He was so accomplished in both arts that he was
called the "lyre of the Holy Spirit." From this, Venerable Brothers,
you can learn what arts promote the knowledge of sacred things. Ephrem lived
among people whose nature was attracted by the sweetness of poetry and music.
The heretics of the second century after Christ used these same allurements to
skillfully disseminate their errors. Therefore Ephrem, like youthful David
killing the giant Goliath with his own sword, opposed art with art and clothed
Catholic doctrine in melody and rhythm. These he diligently taught to boys and
girls, so that eventually all the people learned them. In this fashion he not
only renewed the education of the faithful in Christian doctrine and supported
their piety with the spirit of the sacred liturgy, but also happily kept
creeping heresy at bay.The artistry introduced by Blessed Ephrem added dignity
to sacred matters as Theodoretus stresses. The metric rhythm, which our saint
popularized, was widely propagated both among the Greeks and the Latins. Indeed
does it seem probable that the liturgical antiphonary with its songs and
processions, introduced at Constantinople in the works of Chrysostom and at
Milan by Ambrose (whence it spread throughout all of Italy), was the work of
some other author? For the "custom of Eastern rhythm" deeply moved
the catechumen Augustine in northern Italy; Gregory the Great improved it and
we use it in a more advanced form. Critics acknowledge that that "same
Eastern rhythm" had it origins in Ephrem's Syrian antiphonary.
It is no
wonder then that many of the Fathers of the Church stress the authority of St.
Ephrem. Nyssenus says of his writings, "Studying the Old and New
Scriptures most thoroughly, he interpreted them accurately, word for word; and
what was hidden and concealed, from the very creation of the world to the last
book of grace, he illumined with commentaries, using the light of the
Spirit." And Chrysostom: "The great Ephrem is scourge of the
slothful, consoler of the afflicted, educator, instructor and exhorter of
youth, mirror of monks, leader of penitents, goad and sting of heretics,
reservoir of virtues, and the home and lodging of the Holy Spirit." Certainly
nothing greater can be said in praise of a man who, however, seemed so small in
his own eyes that he claimed to be the least of all and a most vile sinner"
(12-14).
Pope Benedict XV
Principi Apostolorum Petro (On St. Ephrem the Syrian), 5 October 1920
It bears reading and knowing what the Church advocates with regard to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Why? Because we are meant to be in relationship with God through Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. We live in relation (communio) to Jesus --as Savior, brother, Redeemer, lover-- through whom we see the face of God. In The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy tells us:
The Roman Pontiffs have frequently averted to the scriptural basis of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Jesus, who is one with the Father (cf. John 10, 30), invites his disciples to live in close communion with him, to model their lives on him and on his teaching. He, in turn, reveals himself as "meek and humble of heart" (Mt 11, 29). It can be said that, in a certain sense, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a cultic form of the prophetic and evangelic gaze of all Christians on him who was pierced (cf. John 19, 37; Zac 12, 10), the gaze of all Christians on the side of Christ, transfixed by a lance, and from which flowed blood and water (cf. John 19, 34), symbols of the "wondrous sacrament of the Church".
The Gospel of St. John recounts the showing of the Lord's hands and his side to the disciples (cf. John 20,20), and of his invitation to Thomas to put his hand into his side (cf. John 20, 27). This event has also had a notable influence on the origin and development of the Church's devotion to the Sacred Heart.
These and other texts present Christ as the paschal Lamb, victorious and slain (cf. Apoc 5,6). They were objects of much reflection by the Fathers who unveiled their doctrinal richness. They invited the faithful to penetrate the mysteries of Christ by contemplating the wound opened in his side. Augustine writes: "Access is possible: Christ is the door. It was opened for you when his side was opened by the lance. Remember what flowed out from his side: thus, choose where you want to enter Christ. From the side of Christ as he hung dying upon the Cross there flowed out blood and water, when it was pierced by a lance. Your purification is in that water, your redemption is in that blood" (ed. emphasis).
Devotion to the Sacred Heart was particularly strong during the middle ages. Many renowned for the learning and holiness developed and encouraged the devotion, among them St. Bernard (+1153), St. Bonaventure (+ 1274), the mystic St. Lutgarda (+1246), St Mathilda of Marburg (+ 1282), the sainted sisters Mathilda (+ 1299) and Gertrude (+ 1302) of the monastery of Helfta, and Ludolf of Saxony (+1380). These perceived in the Sacred Heart a "refuge" in which to recover, the seat of mercy, the encounter with him who is the source of the Lord's infinite love, the fount from which flows the Holy Spirit, the promised land, and true paradise.
In the modern period devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus underwent new developments. At a time when Jansenism proclaimed the rigours of divine justice, the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus served as a useful antidote and aroused in the faithful a love for Our Lord and a trust in his infinite mercy symbolized by his Heart. St. Francis de Sales (+ 1622) adopted humility, gentleness (cf. Mt 11, 29) and tender loving mercy, all aspects of the Sacred Heart, as a model for his life and apostolate. The Lord frequently manifested the abundant mercy of his Heart to St. Margaret Mary (+ 1690); St. John Eudes (+ 1680) promoted the liturgical cult of the Sacred Heart, while St. Claude la Colombière (+ 1682) and St. John Bosco (+ 1888) and other saints were avid promoters of devotion to the Sacred Heart.
Devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus are numerous. Some have been explicitly approved and frequently recommended by the Apostolic See. Among these, mention should be made of the following:
- personal consecration, described by Pius XI as "undoubtedly the principal devotional practice used in relation to the Sacred Heart";
- family consecration to the Sacred Heart, in which the family, by virtue of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony already participating in the mystery of the unity and love of Christ for the Church, is dedicated to Christ so that he might reign in the hearts of all its members;
- the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, approved for the whole Church in 1891, which is evidently biblical in character and to which many indulgences have been attached;
- the act of reparation, a prayer with which the faithful, mindful of the infinite goodness of Christ, implore mercy for the offences committed in so many ways against his Sacred Heart;
- the pious practice of the first Fridays of the month which derives from the "great promises" made by Jesus to St. Margaret Mary.
At a time when sacramental communion was very rare among the faithful, the first Friday devotion contributed significantly to a renewed use of the Sacraments of Penance and of the Holy Eucharist. In our own times, the devotion to the first Fridays, even if practised correctly, may not always lead to the desired spiritual fruits. Hence, the faithful require constant instruction so that any reduction of the practice to mere credulity, is avoided and an active faith encouraged so that the faithful may undertake their commitment to the Gospel correctly in their lives. They should also be reminded of the absolute preeminence of Sunday, the "primordial feast", which should be marked by the full participation of the faithful at the celebration of the Holy Mass.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart is a wonderful historical expression of the Church's piety for Christ, her Spouse and Lord: it calls for a fundamental attitude of conversion and reparation, of love and gratitude, apostolic commitment and dedication to Christ and his saving work. For these reasons, the devotion is recommended and its renewal encouraged by the Holy See and by the Bishops. Such renewal touches on the devotion's linguistic and iconographic expressions; on consciousness of its biblical origins and its connection with the great mysteries of the faith; on affirming the primacy of the love of God and neighbour as the essential content of the devotion itself.
Popular piety tends to associate a devotion with its iconographic expression. This is a normal and positive phenomenon. Inconveniences can sometimes arise: iconographic expressions that no longer respond to the artistic taste of the people can sometimes lead to a diminished appreciation of the devotion's object, independently of its theological basis and its historico-salvific content.
This can sometimes arise with devotion to the Sacred Heart: perhaps certain over sentimental images which are incapable of giving expression to the devotion's robust theological content or which do not encourage the faithful to approach the mystery of the Sacred Heart of our Saviour.
Recent time have seen
the development of images representing the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the moment
of crucifixion which is the highest expression of the love of Christ. The
Sacred Heart is Christ crucified, his side pierced by the lance, with blood and
water flowing from it (cf, John 19, 34). (167-173).
Merciful Lord, we welcome in joy the feast of Blessed
Diana and Blessed Cecilia. With the help of their prayers may devotion to truth
and love for our brothers and sisters fill our hearts and our lives.
Blesseds Diana and Cecilia were among the first women followers of Saint Dominic and among the first members of the Dominican convent in Bologna, Italy. Blessed Diana was the prioress of the monastery and from extant, extensive correspondence with Blessed Jordan of Saxony (Dominic's successor), we see the high regard for the hidden life of prayer and penance of the nuns supporting the endeavors of the friars. The preaching of Truth and the salvation of souls needed to be drawn from a life of holiness. From Blessed Cecilia we know what Saint Dominic looked like and who he was a person. The witness of Blesseds Diana and Cecilia is invaluable for the life of the Order of Preachers. As you may know, the contemplative nuns were founded before Dominic founded the friars because he was convinced that if the preaching apostolates were to be effective they had to be undergirded by prayer and penance. Hence, today is an opportunity to pray for the enclosed Dominican nuns and for vocations to this way of life.
Benedictine abbots and by extension all monks, nuns and Christians are expected to give to the Lord an account of the way the goods of creation are used (Rule of St Benedict & Luke 16:2). In various contexts Pope Benedict has also addressed the Church on the proper use of creation for the good humanity and over the long haul. Questions of environmental sustainability surface more and more these days with critical assessments of how we live viz. the ideals by which we live (the Gospel, theology), questions of stewardship, availability of manpower, money, etc.
A good example of what I am indicating are the environmental programs sponsored by the monks of St John's Abbey and University to take a deeper look into a holistic approach to the environment in light of various disciplines. In the last few years the monks of the Abbey of Saint Gregory the Great, Portsmouth, RI, have begun a number of initiatives to be good stewards: a wind turbine and a large garden to supply the abbey and the school with fresh vegetables, name a few (more info here). Also, we can survey various abbeys who made some good choices by the planting of hundreds of trees to reclaim a forest by the monks of St Meinrad Archabbey, the comprehensive review of Sant'Anselmo (Rome) to see how more efficient they can be, Conception Abbey working wind technology and St Mary's Abbey maintaining an apple orchard, an extensive garden, land preservation and a few bee hives. But these few good things raise the question of how all of us think and act green for better and healthy living.
Monks, nuns, priests, brothers and sisters are expected to live differently from the secular counterparts; seemingly the seculars do a lot better a living with a green consciousness. But Benedictines and Franciscans usually get praise for their being good stewards of creation.
Two very recent items which are good to note:
- Saint Meinrad monks and colleagues speak about the Benedictine Way of Life and Slow Communication
- Today the Benedictine monks and administration of Kansas' Benedictine College's commitment to green living with a new building project.
The Church has a new blessed, an apostle for freedom, Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko.
In 1984 I distinctively remember the tangible feelings upon hearing of the murder of the young priest, Father Jerzy Popieluszko, by the Communists. I think we all cried because he died for us. In fact, no person of Polish heritage could not not know about Popieluszko and identify with the struggle for human dignity and freedom he sought his people. He was seen as a the modern Saint Stanislaus, martyr. The tragic circumstances of his death were ever in front of us as yet another example of the evils of Communism.
Father Jerzy was a popular chaplain to members of the Solidarity movement. Yesterday, Archbishop Angelo Amato, SDB, Prefect of the Congregation of Saints, beatified Father Jerzy in the presence of his mother Marianna, 100, and other family members and nearly 140,000 people. Marianna is yet another living member of a saint or "saint-to-be." How moving it is two see Father Jerzy's mother present for her son's beatification and the tremendous outpouring of love for him and for her.
Known as a martyr of freedom, Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko's tomb has had nearly 17 million visitors. Other details pertaining to Popieluszko's beatification are in Jonathon Luxmoore's Catholic News Service article, the Zenit article and another story about Blessed Jerzy that can be read here.
Some quick facts:
Born: September 14, 1947
Ordained priest: May 28, 1972
Kidnapped & killed: October 19/20, 1984
Venerated: December 19, 2009
Beatified: June 6, 2010
Liturgical memorial: October 19
Watch the note on a forthcoming movie on Blessed Jerzy
For a long time the Church has dedicated the month of June to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The designation of the solemn feast of the Sacred Heart is on the Friday following the feast of Corpus Christi. This year the Sacred Heart feast is celebrated on June 11.Biblically and spiritually we understand the heart to symbolize the center of one's being, love, mercy, faithfulness, tenderness, compassion and other affective emotions. The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy tells us that "Understood in the light of the Scriptures, the term "Sacred Heart of Jesus" denotes the entire mystery of Christ, the totality of his being, and his person considered in its most intimate essential: Son of God, uncreated wisdom; infinite charity, principal of the salvation and sanctification of mankind. The "Sacred Heart" is Christ, the Word Incarnate, Saviour, intrinsically containing, in the Spirit, an infinite divine-human love for the Father and for his brothers" (166).
Those who are familiar with the practice of dedicating each day to the Lord, do so through the Sacred Heart title of Jesus in the prayer commonly known as the Morning Offering. You can also use this prayer, too:
All for Thee, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee!
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I believe in your love for me!
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner!
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy Kingdom come!
Let me recommend something: enroll in the ministry of the Apostleship of Prayer, which is dedicated to prayer for the Church, particularly the Pope through the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
For nearly a month the Dominican friars of the Province of Saint Joseph (the Eastern Province) elected and/or appointed as capitulars will be at Providence College doing the normal business of governance and making a review (and coming to some decision) on how they live the charism given by Saint Dominic.Beginning today the 35 friars will enter a period of reflection and prayer as they prepare to elect a new Prior Provincial and other province officials. The vote for the new Provincial will be Friday, June 11.
Please beg the Holy Spirit and ask for the intercession of Saint Dominic with the Dominican blesseds and saints to ask the Lord to shower these friars with clarity of thought, charity and courage to make good decisions. Also, go to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph for help. What happens in the next few weeks charts the course for Dominican mendicant life for the next four years.
As point of interest, the Dominicans in North America (the Eastern, Southern and Canadian Provinces) are electing new leadership and assessing their fraternal life and apostolic priorities.
Praying to Saint Dominic for his help:
O wonderful hope which you gave to those who wept for you at the hour death, promising after your departure to be helpful to your brethren. Fulfill, father, what you have said and help us by your prayers. You who shone by so many miracles worked on the bodies of the sick, bring us the help of Christ to heal our sick souls.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Fulfill, father, what you have said and help us by your prayers. Amen.
O sacred Banquet in which Christ is received, the memory of His Passion is recalled, the mind is filled with grace, and pledge of future glory is given to us.At churches around the world today we'll notice processions with the Blessed Sacrament in honor of the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (also called Corpus Christi). New Haven, Connecticut is no different: Saint Mary's Church served by the Dominican Friars celebrated the Mass and formed a procession around the block though a small portion of the Yale University neighborhood. The Very Reverend Father Joseph Allen, OP, prior and pastor of Saint Mary's presided at Mass and led the procession. Allen reminded us of Christ's gift of Presence to the Church and it is an extension of Christ's sacred humanity and divinity now, and the fruit of that presence is unity of faith and service to neighbor. Also assisting Father Allen in carrying the Blessed Sacrament is the recently ordained Dominican student brother, Brother Austin, assigned for the summer to Saint Mary's Priory and Church.
We took Christ to the streets where He is little known and if he is known there, He is often neglected. "Our faith in the God who took flesh in order to become our companion along the way needs to be everywhere proclaimed, especially in our streets and homes, as an expression of our grateful love and as an inexhaustible source of blessings" (John Paul II, Mane nobiscum Dominie, 2005)
The Corpus Christi festival clearly echoes the Holy Thursday commemoration of the institution of the Eucharist. Benedict XVI's words come to mind:
We must never forget that the Church is built around Christ and that, as St Augustine, St Thomas Aquinas and St Albert the Great have all said, following St Paul (cf. 1 Cor 10:17), the Eucharist is the Sacrament of the Church's unity, because we all form one single body of which the Lord is the head. We must go back again and again to the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, where we were given a pledge of the mystery of our redemption on the Cross. The Last Supper is the locus of the nascent Church, the womb containing the Church of every age. In the Eucharist, Christ's sacrifice is constantly renewed, Pentecost is constantly renewed. (Benedict XVI, homily closing the 49th Eucharistic Conference, Quebec, June 22, 2008)
You may recall that since the 14th century a custom formed in carrying the Blessed Sacrament around town following Mass. Popes encouraged this devotional practice --even giving indulgences to those who walked with the Blessed Sacrament-- and by the 16th century, the Council of Trent approved a public demonstration of the faith in the Eucharistic Presence. Through the various periods of Church history extraordinary events and processions developed with every segment of civil society taking part. In some countries the faithful wrote "Plays of the Sacrament" or performed "Eucharistic dances" as they did in Seville (not the type done by Sister Mary Leotard) to express their faith in the enduring Presence of the Lord.
Today's Eucharistic procession stopped at stations, a typical Roman liturgical custom, for a moment of prayer with the Blessed Sacrament which included singing "Tantum ergo," the a prayer, benediction and the recitation of the Divine Praises. For us two points were selected outside the church and one at the main altar calling to mind the practice of Pope Martin V.
Holy Mother Church teaches us that her observance of Corpus Christi is a response that's both doctrinal and pertaining to Divine Worship in the face of wrong teaching on the place of the Eucharist in ecclesial life. In many places, either in CCD, preaching at Mass or in conversation among friends, the mystery of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is misrepresented or ignored. Looking at many examples of contemporary church architecture I've noticed the displacement of the Eucharist from being central to the margins of the Church (cathedrals and monastic churches excepted). This is especially crazy when pastors renovate their traditional churches and move the tabernacle to a side chapel based on a mis-reading of the church documents and a faulty eucharistic theology. If you are in the NYC area stop by at the Jesuit Church of St Francis Xavier on West 16th Street and you'll see what I mean. There the Jesuits moved the tabernacle to a side altar and replaced the traditional place for the tabernacle with components of a baptistry (a review of the recent renovation later). The concern for the Eucharist as central to one's life is obviously nothing new to us today --or in the 2000 year history of the Church-- as it was a concern of Pope Urban in 1264 when he gave the Roman Church this feast.
Let me conclude by giving two principles that articulate Catholic belief in the Eucharist and the reason why we take the Blessed Sacrament on the road:
1. the supreme reference point for Eucharistic devotion is the Lord's Passover; the Pasch as understood by the Fathers, is the feast of Easter, while the Eucharist is before all else the celebration of the Paschal Mystery ... the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ;
2. all forms of Eucharistic devotion must have an intrinsic reference to the Eucharistic Sacrifice, or dispose the faithful for its celebration, or prolong the worship which is essential to that Sacrifice (Directory of Popular Piety).
What we did today and what others around the world did, is to make a public profession of faith in the promise of Christ to be with us till the end of time in the enduring Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
"I myself shall lead my sheep,
Guarding them from danger;
They shall hear and follow me,
Not go with a stranger.
Into pastures rich and green--
God the Lord has spoken--
I shall bring my Israel,
With my love as token."
Norbert, father of his flock,
Took to heart this warning,
And in all his works and words
Toiled from night to morning.
Guiding all within his cure,
He took time to nourish
With the love of Christ most fair,
Causing souls to flourish.
Father of the canon's life,
Bishop of his city,
Prayed before the Eucharist,
Served the poor with pity.
Crowned a sacrificial life
With a death of glory;
Now we join with saints above
To retell his story!
Glory to the Father give,
Source of ev'ry blessing,
Glory to the Son we sing,
Who, our wrongs addressing,
Came to us as one of us!
To the Spirit, praises!
Hear the songs of thankfulness
Each believer raises!
J. Michael Thompson
Copyright © 2010, World Library Publications
76 76 D, ST. KEVIN, AVE VIRGO VIRGINUM
Of the glorious Body telling,O my tongue, its mystery sing,
and the Blood, all price excelling,
which the Gentiles' Lord and King,
in a noble womb once dwelling,
shed for this world's ransoming.
Given for us, for us descending
of a Virgin to proceed,
man with man in converse blending,
scattered He the gospel seed,
till His sojourn drew to ending,
which He closed in wondrous deed.
At the last great Supper lying,
circled by His brethren's band,
meekly with the Law complying,
first He finished its command,
then, immortal Food supplying,
gave Himself with His own hand.
Word-made-flesh, by word He maketh
very bread, His Flesh to be;
man in wine Christ's Blood partaketh,
and if senses fail to see,
faith alone the true heart waketh
to behold the mystery.
Therefore we, before Him bending,
this great Sacrament revere;
types and shadows have their ending,
for the newer Rite is here;
faith, our outward sense befriending,
makes the inward vision clear.
Glory let us give and blessing
to the Father and the Son;
honor, might, and praise addressing,
while eternal ages run,
ever too His love confession,
who from Both with Both is One.
Amen.
"Pange lingua gloriosi"
Saint Thomas Aquinas
trans. John Mason Neale, Edward Caswall, et al.
The English Hymnal, 1906
The Most Reverend William E. Lori ordained four deacons to the holy priesthood of Jesus Christ today at Mass celebrated at the Cathedral of Saint Augustine, Bridgeport, CT. The newly ordained priests, Fathers Jeffrey Couture, Karol Ksiazek, Jaime Marin-Cardona and Michael Novajosky will serve in the Diocese of Bridgeport.Bishop Lori spoke eloquently about the need for the priest to be both disciple and shepherd of Jesus Christ. A "theme" of the Scriptures proclaimed at Mass, particularly Psalm 23, 1 Peter 5 and John 10. I think one can argue that a failure to live with both dimensions of priesthood (the common & ministerial) constantly in heart and mind is a lack in understanding of the vocation given by the Lord which could lead to mistakes in the exercise of the priesthood. Sure, there may be times when the shepherd aspect of a priest's life may be more evident but the sitting at the feet of the Lord is required of any good shepherd. That is, one can't be a shepherd if one is not first a disciple! The bishop related a story from the experience of the late Cardinal James Hickey who quietly yet confidently tried to live his priesthood as both disciple of Jesus and to act as a good shepherd for the flock his was given to lead to heaven.
The bishop also exhorted the newly ordained and those present to practice what we say we believe. Integrity of life is so very needed for the witness to be credible. Those who despise the Church cannot assail the Church and her ministers (the faithful included) if how one lives is in accord with what one professes to be true.
One small and interesting item happened at the Litany Saints --when the Church kneels and those to be ordained lay prostrate on the floor in humility-- asking the saints to intercede for us, the cantor invoked the intercession of Saint Oliver Plunkett, the sometime Primate of Ireland of the 17th century convicted of treason by England and killed for the faith at Tyburn. Plunkett was the last martyr to die in England; he was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1975. And this is an example of something that can make you go "hmmmm" in the sacred Liturgy. Nevertheless, I was elated someone has a devotion to Plunkett!
At the conclusion of the Mass Bishop Lori announced to the congregation the assignments of the new priests:
Reverend Father Jeffrey W. Couture will be at the Saint Edward the Confessor, New Fairfield
Reverend Father Karol J. Ksiazek will be at Saint Therese, Trumbull
Reverend Father Jaime Marin-Cardona will be at Saint Joseph, South Norwalk
Reverend Father Michael P. Novajosky will be at Saint Jude for the summer before returning to Rome to complete his studies for the License in Sacred Theology (Patristics)
You may read the bios of the new priests here.
The
recent Cannes Film Festival showed the film about the 1996 Trappist martyrs of Our Lady of
Atlas in Algeria. The film got rave reviews and awarded 2nd place. The film is in French and it will be
available on DVD with English subtitles. While we wait for the full film to be available here is
a clip on Youtube with subtitles at: Of Gods and Men.
More information on the 7 monks may be found here and here.
Come enjoy deepening your faith and learning how to
better defend it from some of America's leading Catholic apologists,
while having a blast in the great outdoors in a setting that's close to heaven:
nestled in the Pisgah National Forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North
Carolina. (Go to www.2FunCamps.com
to check out our gorgeous conference site. Boys and girls will sleep in
separate camps, but will be together during the day.)Our first-ever Envoy
Institute Summer Apologetics Camp is open to students ages 16-19 and will
be held August 15-21. Sessions will be led by Dr. Ben Wiker, Jim Burnham, Ken
Hensley, Dr. Paul Thigpen, and your host Patrick Madrid, Director of the
Envoy Institute of Belmont Abbey College. Other speakers will be finalized over
the summer, and all reading materials, etc. will be supplied. And in between
sessions you'll have ample opportunities to enjoy fun activities like
whitewater rafting, rock climbing, hiking, or just reading in the shade of a
tree.
Early registration discounts are available, but space is very limited. So
register
online today!
Let us rejoice in celebrating the victory of Saint
Peter Martyr. On earth he proclaimed 
Christ's love for us. Now Christ leads him
to a place of honor before his Father in heaven.
Christ's love for us. Now Christ leads him
to a place of honor before his Father in heaven.Almighty God, you crowned our
brother Peter with martyrdom for confessing the true faith with perseverance.
Give to us, your people, that same faith that we too may receive the gift of
salvation.
From a Vita
"He [Saint Peter of Verona, martyr, 1206-1252] was marked
by great perfection as a Friar: so watchful was he over the purity of his body
and soul that he never felt himself defiled by a mortal sin. He chastened his
body by fasting and watching, and ennobled his soul by the contemplation of the
things of God. He was constantly busied in works for furthering the salvation
of souls; and had a peculiar gift of grace for clearly convincing heretics.
Such was his power as a preacher, that countless crowds were drawn together to
hear him, and many were moved to repentance."
In the history of the Dominican order Saint Peter of Verona was among the first generation of followers of Saint Dominic. Peter's own family were adherents to the Cathar heresy which prompted the founding of the Friars Preachers. While not the first martyr among the Dominicans he is the first saint of the Order. The working of God's grace in men's hearts saw the conversion of Peter's murderer, Carino of Balsamo, and his admission to the Dominican Order as a lay brother. What beauty there is in the conversion of sinners and growth of grace to the point of fully dedicating one's life to God under the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. Since we are all created for communion with God and others Peter's killer was brought into that communion. One can say that Saint Peter of Verona's was the condition of another's full communion with God. Brother Carino recalled his crime but confessed his sin and did penance for the rest of his life; he is buried at the Cathedral of Forli. Brother Carino is a beatus of the Church; Blessed Carino's liturgical memorial is April 28, the date of the translation of his relics.
June 3rd is quickly becoming a date that most Christians will not forget too easily: 1) the liturgical memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga, 19th century African martyrs; 2) the death of Blessed Pope John XXIII; 3) the murder of Father Ragheed and his companions; and now 3) the murder of Bishop Luigi Padovese, OFM Cap.Father Ragheed Aziz Ganni's death with the three subdeacons is still a rather moving memory for me, not just on the anniversary but throughout the year when thinking of the plight of the Eastern churches. But why? Because he could've gone the other way, avoided the situation of his people and saved his life. Instead he confronted evil head-on with courage. Like other things one remembers, the deaths of people who unknowingly become incredible, beautiful witnesses to the Presence of Christ right now (not some time ago).
Father Ragheed was a Catholic priest of the Chaldean Church in the Diocese of Mosul. Ganni was ordained a priest October 13, 2001. He was 35 years old, a young priest, and a collaborator in Truth for the Kingdom of God. He was convinced in the beauty of God's Word and His enduring Presence in the world and that we ought not to be scared away.
More on Father Ragheed can be read here.
Bishop Luigi Padovese, OFM Cap, 63, was murdered today at about 1pm local time by his driver who it is claimed had psychological problems and history of violent outbreaks was supposedly a convert to Christianity but some news agencies are naming the driver a Muslim. At the moment no one is claiming political motivation for the murder.
Bishop Padovese was born at Milan, Italy and a member of the Capuchin Franciscan order. He was ordained a priest for nearly 37 years and a bishop for 5.5 years. He was the Vicar Apostolic in Anatolia.
Bishop Padovese was to meet Pope Benedict XVI with other Middle East bishops in Cyprus to receive the Instumentum laboris, the working document for the forthcoming Synod of Bishops, scheduled to meet in October.
The Minister General of the Capuchins posted this brief bio for Bishop Luigi.
The BBC story noted here and Spero News here.
May God grant mercy Bishop Luigi Padovese mercy and may his memory be eternal.
Today's the liturgical memorial of some of the most evocative witnesses to Jesus Christ who gave their lives for the Christian Faith of the 19th century. I pray that Saint Charles and companions intercede not only for Africa but for all who claim the Church as mother and family and who find it difficult to truly live their faith. More on Saint Charles here.Saint Charles and his companions (22 of them) were killed in Namugongo, Uganda between 1885-1887. They ranged in age between 13 and 30. They were beatified in 1920 and canonized in 1964. At the revision of the Roman liturgical calendar Saint Charles's feast day was added. The Church calls these saints the "Protomartyrs of Black Africa."
In his 1964 homily at the canonization of Saint Charles and his companions, Pope Paul VI said:
"The African martyrs add another page to the Church's roll of honor --an occasion both of mourning and joy. These African martyrs herald the dawn of a new age. If only the mind of man might be directed not toward persecutions and religious conflicts but toward a rebirth of Christianity and civilization! Africa has been washed by the blood of these latest martyrs, and the first of this new age (and, God willing, let them be the last, although such a holocaust is precious indeed). Africa is reborn free and independent."
The very first question that God asks man in the Bible is, where are you? "The Lord called to the man, and said to him, where are you?" (Genesis 3:9) It is not a question that demands sophisticated answers nor are there multiple answers to this question. Rather, it is a question of concern from a loving father and the only demand placed upon this question is that one answers truthfully, even if the truth exposes something to us that highlights our selfishness and our need for God.
Before God asked Adam this question Adam had committed a sin by disobeying God's commandment and ate from the tree God had forbidden him to eat from. Adam had forgotten about God's love and choose to place his own will and desires over the will and desires of God. Now Adam, ashamed and afraid (which is always the fruit of sin) tries to hide from God because he realizes something dramatic has occurred in his relationship with the Lord. The Lord simply asks him, Adam, where are you?
This question, as old as the Bible itself, God continues to ask us today. Throughout our lives, throughout each day, and often several times a day, God is continually asking us, "My son or my daughter, where are you? In other words, where is your heart right now? Is it tired, frustrated, angry? Is it overwhelmed by the demands of life? Is it engrossed in selfish activities? Is it immersed in lust, pride, envy, jealousy, etc? Is it distracted by the things of this world?
When the Lord asks us this question it is an invitation from him to turn our eyes away from the many distractions we often promote and to turn our eyes once again towards Him. It is our Father, gentle tapping us on the shoulder and calling us back to Him. Rather than living in future events, or reliving past wounds over and over again it is an invitation to experience God in the present moment, the only place where we can be guaranteed to encounter God.
Brother Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR, a Fourth Year Seminary Student Saint Joseph's Seminary-Dunwoodie, Yonkers, NY. Brother Jeremiah was ordained a deacon on May 29, 2010 with three other Franciscan Friars of the Renewal by the Most Reverend Manual Cruz, an auxiliary bishop of Newark. A poem of Brother Jeremiah's, "After Eden," was published here.
Lord, my portion and my cup, You hold my lot secure; I keep the Lord before me always, for with him at my right hand nothing can shake or disturb me.Lord, You taught Brother Felix of Nicosia to serve You in humility and simplicity, and to be attentive to the greater things. Grant that we may share in his glory in heaven.
United with Pope Benedict in prayer for the needs of the Church, for the month of June we keep in heart and mind with the Pope the following:
The general intention
That every national and international institution may strive to guarantee respect for human life from conception to natural death.
The mission intention
That the Churches in Asia, a "little flock" among non-Christian populations, may communicate the Gospel well and give joyful witness to their faith.
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