Author: Paul Zalonski

Saint Valentine

St ValentineHappy Saint Valentine’s day.

Valentine was a Roman nobleman who gave his home to be used for Christian marriages. Valentinus, as he was called in the ancient language, died for the Faith on February 14, and since the Middle Ages has been associated with love.

The day was first associated with romantic love in Geoffrey Chaucer’s works in the High Middle Ages, when the the ideal of courtly love flourished. This was especially true in 18th-century England.

Christians ought to love as Jesus loved: complete self-giving. Remember to love well.

The Church outlasts oppression

Catholic Church outlastingI saw this picture the other day and thought: “how clever, how true.” Every form of oppression has collapsed on itself rather than bring true human freedom. Reflecting on the historical legacy of Communism, Cardinal Ratzinger writes,

“No one can any longer seriously deny that what was supposed to be a movement to bring freedom was, along with National Socialism, the greatest system of slavery in modern history: the extent of the cynical destruction of human beings and of the world is very often passed over in shame and silence, but no one can deny it any longer” (Truth and Tolerance, 233).

Leading with the Passion of Christ, Regis Martin reminds

Luigi GiussaniRegis Martin wrote a superb article on Father Luigi Giussani for Crisis Magazine today (13 Feb 2014) in “Recalling Luigi Giussani’s Passion for Christ.” Martin certainly captured not only the essence of Giussani, but the entire life of the ecclesial movement of Communion and Liberation and the work of conversion to Christ Jesus.

To note, Father Luigi Giussani is being considered for sainthood by the Catholic Church, and thus bears the title title of Servant of God at stage of the process. Giussani died on 22 February 2005, with a funeral Mass offered and preached by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger.

Dr. Martin is a Professor of Theology and Faculty Associate with the Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Among his academic interests is the thought of Hans Urs von Balthasar. He was educated by the Dominican friars at Rome’s Angelicum and has authored several books and articles. His recent book is Still Point: Loss, Longing, and Our Search for God (Ave Maria Press, 2012). Martin is a very well-regarded as a Catholic lay theologian.

Vatican City State

Vatican City State map.jpg

Vatican City State was founded on this date in 1929 following the signing of the Lateran Pacts, later ratified on June 7, 1929. 

Vatican City State is a sovereign State which is distinct from the Holy See under international law. When you walk into St Peter’s Square, or visit the extra-territorial buildings of the Vatican, you are actually walking out of the Italian state and into another state. The pope has diplomatic relations with nearly 200 governments and other agencies representing peoples. The pope is a head of state and the papacy is the longest serving leadership of a people in all of history. But as happens often, most people don’t make the clear distinction between what the Vatican is and what the Holy See does because of laziness. The confusion is understandable.

The ministry of Saint Peter and his successors, the bishops of Rome, Vicars of Christ, the Roman Pontiffs is by nature known as “apostolic” making the crucial distinction that it is directly connected with what the Lord did with the 12 Apostles and Disciples: to be sent on mission by preaching, teaching and sanctifying. Hence, we believe that the Catholic Church carries out its mission of a announcing the truth of the Gospel for the salvation of all humanity and in the service of faith, hope, love, peace and justice in favor of all peoples (without reservation). The Church’s mission, therefore, is religious, that is, the Church has a supernatural character and orientation, and not a political one; consequently our conception of what and who the Church is can’t be reduced to political and sociological conceptions. Scripture, sacraments, and service are not “policy statements.”

The Vatican has a central government to care for the work of Pope with regard to relations with governments, and temporal affairs. When we speak of the Church’s announcement of the gospel we speak of the departments related to that work: doctrine, worship, evangelization, schools, culture, canon law, etc. We call these departments the Roman Curia. Vatican City State is a singular instrument that’s independent of the Holy See, working to be a coherent earthly power at the service of the Divine Majesty.

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Saint Agatha: patron for breast cancer patients

Today we honor Saint Agatha, an early virgin and martyr. She is remembered for her chastity, her desire for living for Jesus alone, and for her compassion. Saint Agatha is the patron saint for those living with breast cancer.

The women and men who bear the cross of cancer of the breast.

Thoughts and prayers also turn to those who live in Sicily, for Cardinal Burke as the titular of the Roman church bearing the saint’s name. But we ought to pray for those who struggle with chastity. I am thinking of those priests, religious and those who have made promises to live according to the evangelical vows.

The prayer to Saint Agatha for us to offer.

Saint Blase

I had a conversation with a friend yesterday after Candlemas and we both lamented the diminishment of a lively devotional life for Catholics. Today’s feast of Saint Blase and the blessing of throats would be a part of that lively devotional life. I would claim —not scientifically, mind you— that many Catholics don’t know of Saint Blase and the laudable custom of blessing throats even though he gets a nominal mention in places. In the medieval Christianity the faithful’s cult of Blaise was arguably one of the most popular. England, once-upon-a-time, had a national holiday devoted to Saint Blaise and it is said that in the Diocese of Rome there were 35 churches dedicated to Saint Blase.

Our liturgical memorial of Saint Blase recognizes that the saint was an Armenian physician who as elected as the bishop of Sebaste (currently called Sivas, Turkey). Facing martyrdom because of his Christian confession, he was beaten, scraped with iron carding combs, and finally beheaded in AD 317. The holy bishop-martyr is a great reminder that following the Lord is not easy but possible.

Blase is the patron of those living with diseases of the throat, wool combers and wool traders, and he is one of the patrons of physicians. Tradition tells us that Saint Blaise cured a boy who was dying of a fish-bone stuck in his throat. Priests bless the throats of Catholics on his feast day at Mass.

Don’t let today go by without asking for the intercession of Saint Blase.

Pope Francis’ prayer intentions for February 2014

Francis at massPrayer is our recognizing the fact that we are in relationship with Another: God certainly takes the first step, but we respond in kind. Prayer is not talking to yourself but time spent before and with the Divine Mystery.

Pope Francis asked the other day: do we pray for AND with the Church, locally and universally?

I would recommend that you connect with the Apostleship of Prayer … they do good work.

The papal prayer intentions that we are asked to remember during the month of February:

The general intention

That the Church and society may respect the wisdom and experience of older people.

The missionary intention

That priests, religious, and lay people may work together with generosity.

Merton lecture in NYC

Today would have been the 99th birthday of Thomas Merton.

Saturday, February 1, 2014, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Corpus Christi Church, 121st and Broadway, NYC

“Thomas Merton and the Utility of Nothing”
Bishop Seraphim Sigrist, presenter

Bishop Seraphim is the retired bishop of the Orthodox Church in America, former bishop of Sendai, Japan.

“For me to be a saint means to be myself. Therefore the problem of sanctity and salvation is in fact the problem of finding out who I am and of discovering my true self”  (New Seeds of Contemplation).

Saint John Bosco

The liturgical memorial of Saint John Bosco is prayed today. Bosco, one of the most influential saints in the modern era, has taught us how to be a mentor and friend to young people struggling to be healthy, holy, and happy. For me, it is a Benedictine monk who has re-introduced Bosco’s good example and modus vivendi in his teaching high school that makes sense for today.

From the Office of Readings,  we read, [Jesus] put up with [the apostles] ignorance and roughness and even their infidelity. He treated sinners with a kindness and affection that caused some to be shocked, others to be scandalised, and still others to hope for God’s mercy. And so he bade us to be gentle and humble of heart.

[In correcting] mistakes we must lay aside all anger and restrain it so firmly that it is extinguished entirely.

There must be no hostility in our minds, no contempt in our eyes, no insult on our lips. We must use mercy for the present and have hope for the future…

In serious matters it is better to beg God humbly than to send forth a flood of words that will only offend the listeners and have no effect on those who are guilty.

Saint John Bosco, teach us to love…