Author: Paul Zalonski

Pope Benedict XVI’s monthly prayer intentions for September 2010

Prayer is realizing that we are in relationship with the Trinity: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Prayer before the Blessed Trinity is what defines us. For the month of September, let us keep in mind and heart the following prayer intentions proposed by the Holy Father:

The general intention
That the proclamation of the Word of God may renew people’s hearts, encouraging them to work toward authentic social progress.
The missionary intention
That by opening our hearts to love we may put an end to the wars and conflicts which continue to bloody our world.

Britain’s Bishops have no taste

Papal staging at Cotton Park.jpgThe UK Bishops’ Conference will be providing the Holy Father –and the Church universal– this sanctuary for the Sacrifice of the Mass and the Rite of Beatification for Cardinal Newman. The the only possible thing to say is: OMG!!!! What rubbish.

If this is in fact what Britain’s Bishops are approving for the papal ceremonies it is, in my mind, a complete disregard (a slap in the face) for the liturgical leadership of Pope Benedict and the renewal he’s asked for in recent years. Why spend so much money, time and energy on such stuff.
Architecture is only one piece of the liturgical ac of prayer … I pray the music, flowers, and ritual actions, vestments are not so churlish. Two things we can be certain of: the papal homily will be exceptional and the papal presence will be superior.

Saints Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus

St Joseph of Ariamathea NFrangipane.jpgO God, by whose grace Saint Joseph of Arimathea was emboldened to ask for the sacred Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, that together with Saint Nicodemus he might prepare it for burial and lay it in his own tomb, give us such an increase of faith and courage that we may not fear to bear reproach for the sake of Christ,but rather may serve Him with sincere devotion all the days of our life.

 

Today, the Roman Martyrology, the Church gives us Saints Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus as models of holiness, pointing with certainty, to Christ Himself. But you may ask if is correct since one rarely sees, if ever, these saints on the liturgical calendar and never preached in the sacred Liturgy, even when proclaimed in the Gospel. The Martyrology says:

At Jerusalem, the commemoration of Saints Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, who received the body of Jesus taken down from the cross, wrapped it in a shroud and placed it in the sepulchre. Joseph, a noble official and disciple of the Lord, was seeking the Kingdom of God; Nicodemus, for his part, a member of the Pharisees and a ruler among the Jews, came to Jesus by night to inquire of his mission and defended him in the presence of the high priests and Pharisees who sought to arrest him.

Dad’s 70th birthday!

dad with aunt Eve.jpgDad celebrates his 70th birthday today!

I can’t believe he’s 70! He’s shown here with his sister, Evelyn.
Birthday blessings!
Dad leaves on his newly made Flying Merkel motorcycle for a cross-country trip commemorating the Cannonball Run, a race of pre-1916 motorcycles. The group departs from Kitty Hawk, NC and finishes in Santa Monica, CA.
Dad’s Merkel is completely made by him (a replica of a 1910 original), a single speed cycle.

Cistercians and Dominicans meet in General Chapter

Generalkapitel.jpgPrayers are requested for the members of the General Chapters of the Cistercian monks and the Dominican Friars who begin their meetings today in Rome. In the coming days both Chapters will deal the Order’s business and hold an election for new leadership: the Cistercians will elect a new Father General and the Dominicans a Master General.

You can follow the Cistercians here and here.
You can follow the Dominicans here.

OP gen chap.jpg

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us.
Saints Robert, Alberic, Stephen and Dominic, pray for us.

Blessed Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster

Bl Idelfonso Schuster.jpgAlmighty God, through Your grace, Blessed Alfredo Ildefonso, by his exemplary virtue built up the flock entrusted to him. Grant that we, under the guidance of the Gospel, may follow his teaching and walk in sureness of life, until we come to see You face to face in Your eternal kingdom.

 

Alfredo Ludovico Luigi Schuster was born in Rome of Bavarian immigrants on January 18, 1880. At 11 years old he entered the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Paul outside the Walls taking the name Ildefonso in 1896; he professed solemn vows in 1902. Philosophy studies was done at Sant’Anselmo and theology was studied at Saint Paul’s where he was ordained a priest on March 19, 1904.

Service to the monastic way of life, besides the daily opus Dei (the praying of the Divine Office), included scholarship, novice master for 8 years, prior of the for 2 years, procurator of the Cassinese Congregation of the Benedictine monks for 12 years and abbot-ordinary of Saint Paul outside the Walls from 1918 until 1929. He was President of the Pontifical Oriental Institute from 1919 to 1922.

On June 26, 1929, Pope Pius XI nominated him the Archbishop of Milan and a few weeks later created him a cardinal on July 15. In 1933, the Order of Malta honored Schuster with the Grand Cross for his service to the Church.

Cardinal Schuster died of natural causes on August 30, 1954. In 1957, Cardinal Giovanni Montini –later Pope Paul VI– introduced Schuster’s cause for canonization. It is said that upon opening Schuster tomb on January 28, 1985, his was incorrrupt; he beatied on May 12, 1996 by Pope John Paul II.

Days before Blessed Ildefonso died he said: “You want something to remember be by. All I can leave you is an invitation to holiness….”

Abbot Thomas Confroy, RIP

Abbot Thomas Confroy.jpgA week ago today the monastic community of St Mary’s Abbey (Morristown, NJ), indeed the Church, lost a faithful monk, priest, abbot and friend. Abbot Thomas Confroy made his final passover to the Lord, his Destiny at the abbey on August 23. News of Abbot Thomas’ death can be read here.

When I lived with Abbot Thomas I knew him to be dedicated in praying the holy Rosary and his various oblations on behalf of others. But I didn’t make all the extent of his prayer life and how much it was spent interceding for others, especially his prayer for me, for those who struggle, for those who just needed prayer. How blessed we were that he lived his sacred priesthood! Striking to me was the cursus he followed:
  • Sundays: St Mary’s Abbey, especially those in most need of strength;
  • Mondays: those in religious life;
  • Tuesdays: the faithful departed and the poor souls in purgatory;
  • Wednesdays: his natural family and special requests made to him;
  • Thursdays: the pope, cardinals, bishops, suffering priests, deacons, pastoral ministers, seminarians and vocations to the priesthood;
  • Fridays: for missionaries
  • Saturdays: for himself, for forgiveness if any of his actions harmed others spiritually or emotionally.
Plus, his quite example of suffering patiently and quietly from depression since his retirement and relying upon the Way of the Cross written by Saint Alphonse Liguori.
What can we learn from Abbot Thomas? I believe his witness to Christ as a merciful good shepherd who cares intensely for the sheep, near and far, whole and broken, happy and miserable. Perhaps we ought to take his daily intentions?!?!

Benedictine Oblate and friend Lynn Gordon Latchford wrote a fine panegyric to Abbot Thomas, “God Family Country: The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Monk, that can be read here: Abbot Thomas Confroy 2010.pdf.
May Abbot Thomas rest in the arms of the Good Shepherd.
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, husband of Mary, pray for us.
Saint Benedict of Nursia, pray for us.
Saint Thomas the Apostle, pray for us.

Maciel’s ghost still won’t rest

Sandro Magister, a Rome-based Vaticanista, published an essay today on his blog, “Maciel’s Ghost Still Haunts the Castle” talking about the levels of challenge the Legionaries of Christ face, not least is the cult of personality of their founder, the late Father Marciel Maciel. Mr. Magister also includes a recently written letter of a priest of the Legion, Father Peter Byrne, LC, who exposes some of the dark side of his congregation. The anguish of this priest is well communicated.

As I mentioned previously, this is not a matter to rejoice in, but a responsibility we all share in with the building of the Kingdom of God. We ought to beg the Holy Spirit for the grace of conversion and renewal for the members of the Legion of Christ, particularly the novices and the seminarians, not to mention we ought to remember in prayer Archbishop De Paolis, CS, who is faced with making some rather difficult changes. It is possible for an old man to be reborn but it’s painful, especially without being sustained by the Spirit.