David Attenborough – 100 yrs old

On May 8 we celebrated the 100th birthday of David Attenborough, a well-known English broadcaster, natural historian, conservationist, writer, producer and narrator. His presenting career began as host of  Zoo Quest in 1954, and has spanned eight decades; it includes the nine documentary series forming The Life Collection, Natural World, Wildlife on One, the Planet Earth franchise, The Blue Planet and Frozen Planet. He received various BAFTA awards and has collected dozens of honorary degrees and awards. He was a senior manager at the BBC, controller of BBC 2, focusing primarily on the natural world, while his later work has been a more vocal in support for environmental causes. On his broadcasting and passion for nature, NPR stated that Attenborough "roamed the globe and shared his discoveries and enthusiasms with his patented semi-whisper way of narrating". His brother Richard was a famous actor, appearing in ‘The Great Escape,’ and also directing various classic films including ‘Gandhi,’ winning several Oscars. By January 2013, David Attenborough had collected 32 honorary degrees from British universities, more than any other person, and many more since then. Congratulations and Multos Annos.

More gems to reflect on

Never blame anyone in life. The good people give you happiness. The worst people give you a lesson. And the best people give you memories.

My wish for you today and always – a heart free of sadness, a mind free of worry, a life full of gladness, a body free of illness, a spirit full of blessings and a day filled with love.

The 5 W’s of life: Who are you is what makes you special - Do not change for anyone. What lies ahead will always be a mystery – do not be afraid to explore. When life pushes you over – you push back harder. Where there are choices to be made – make the one you don’t regret. Why things happen will never be certain – take it in stride and move forward.

Your thoughts effect your emotions. Your emotions effect your decisions. Your decisions effect your life.

The Bible may hurt you with the truth, but it will never comfort you with a lie.

Beautiful relationships don’t depend on promises or conditions – they bloom through two hearts: one that truly trusts and one that deeply understands. When trust is pure, distance can’t break it and when understanding is real, silence never hurts.

A little adjustment is better than a lengthy argument, and a meaningful silence is always better than meaningless words.

We can always lose something for SOMEONE, but we should not lose someone for SOMETHING. Because life can return something but not SOMEONE !

Worry is a conversation you have with yourself about things you cannot change. Prayer is a conversation you have with God about things He can change for you.

Love is nothing without action. Trust is nothing without proof. Sorry is nothing without change.

Three things you cannot recover in life – the moment after it’s missed, the word after it’s said, and the time after it’s wasted.

Some people are going to reject you because you shine too bright for them – that’s OK, keep shining brightly nonetheless.

Multiple Zeros get no value if a 1 is placed at the end (0000001) Placing a 1 before those Zeros (10000000) certainly provides a tremendous value. Man is 0 and God is 1. If  we put God last in our life, we are obviously worthless, while putting God first in our lives makes us so valuable.

A Mother’s Day story

Fernando Mendoza, now Las Vegas Raiders quarterback

This is a touching Mother’s Day story which is worth sharing with you today as we remember all mothers, those living and those who passed away. Fernando Mendoza was the star in College football this past year, and after helping his team Indiana Hoosiers win the College Championship, he was also awarded the Heisman Trophy for the best football player. Earlier this year he was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders becoming their star quarterback. Being a devout Catholic, Fernando always speaks about his faith, but also about his family. In particular he gives tribute to his mother Elsa, who suffers from multiple sclerosis. Fernando wants everyone to partner with the Mendoza Family Fund, showing an enormous commitment to finding a cure for this disease that affects more than 1 million people in the U.S. 

Left to right: Alberto, Elsa, Fernando, Max and Fernando Mendoza Sr.

Elsa shared her own witness of her son Fernando’s touching care and concern for her in the open letter she wrote for the Player's Tribune in December: “Honestly: It will never be easy. ... But you’ve made it so much easier. When you have to carry me up the stairs ... you’ve never once looked away. You’ve never once treated me like I’m embarrassing, or deficient, or anything other than someone you love. You’ve made it so much easier. And you’ve done that in the sweetest, strongest, most Fernando way possible — by making me feel the exact opposite of embarrassed.” While fans in the stadium would stand and cheer during big plays, Fernando’s father often remained seated during the 2025 football season. He later explained that he chose to stay seated next to his wife so he could remain at eye level with Elsa, ensuring she never felt alone or “left behind” in the celebration. Her son responds “People see my touchdown passes, but I see my mother’s strength. My mother is my light, my everything. ... She’s the most caring and positive person I know, and I’ll keep doing everything I can to support her. She’s been a great role model.” Happy Mother’s Day !

St George Preca

St George Preca (February 12, 1880 - July 26, 1962)

Today is the liturgical feast of Malta’s first and only saint, Father George Preca. Born in Valletta on 12 February 1880, George was the seventh child in a middle-class family of nine. His father, Vincent Preca, was first a merchant and then a sanitary inspector. His mother, Nathalie Ceravolo, was a teacher. George's boyhood was nothing spectacular, but he did not lack that adventurous spirit and courage which form the backbone of any leader. Feeling that he was called to be a priest, he moved from the Lyceum to the Seminary where as a young student he distinguished himself in his studies, especially in Latin. Moreover, at a time when the laity had not yet been officially recognised as important in the mission of spreading the Gospel, St. George Preca entrusted his followers with the responsibility of teaching catechism. His little group of men and women grew up to be the Society of Christian Doctrine (known locally as M.U.S.E.U.M.) The acronym for M.U.S.E.U.M. is Magister Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus! which in translation means: "Teacher, O that the whole world would follow the Gospel!" Today the society consists of about 110 Centers and 1100 members. They teach about 20,000 boys and girls in the Maltese islands, in Australia, Peru, the Sudan, United Kingdom, Kenya and Albania. St George died on July 26, 1962, with thousands attending his funeral. He was canonized on June 3, 2007 in the St Peter’s square at the Vatican. An interesting anecdote about St George is the fact that back in 1955, he had suggested to his members to start praying another Mystery of the Rosary, the Mysteries of Light, and he devised the exact 5 Gospel scenes that were introduced by Pope St John Paul in 2002.

Our Lady of Pompeii

A special devotion to the Blessed Mother of Pompeii is celebrated today in various churches. One of the persons who spread the devotion towards Our Lady of Pompeii is an Italian man who was canonized  on October 19, 2025, at St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City by Pope Leo XIV. His name was Bartolo Longo who built a huge Basilica in 1883 in Pompeii in Mary’s honor. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum was destroyed by a volcanic eruption of Mt Vesuvius in the first century AD. By the last half of the nineteenth century the Valley of Pompeii, near Naples, was practically deserted. In October 1872, Bartolo Longo came to the valley. He had been reared a Catholic, although it seems he was not very devout. On October 9th, a few days after his arrival, he was walking along a rather desolate road when suddenly a voice seemed to speak to him. It told him that if he wished to be saved, he should spread devotion to the Rosary. Bartolo fell on his knees and replied that if the Virgin had truly so promised then he would be saved; he would not leave the valley until he had popularized the Rosary. His early efforts to interest the people in the Rosary devotion do not seem to have been very successful, but he persisted, and in two or three years he had gathered quite a group around him for the daily recitation of the prayers in the little chapel. The Bishop visited the valley in 1875 and he suggested that a church be built there in honor of Our Lady of Pompeii. As the number of people taking part in the daily recitation of the Rosary grew, it was decided to obtain a picture of the Blessed Virgin, and Bartolo searched hard for a really good picture but could not find any, and could only afford a second-hand painting from a junk store for five lire (today a few cents worth). A trucker not knowing what the package contained pitched it on top of a load of garbage and so the picture arrived at the chapel. The people enshrined the painting and almost immediately several miracles took place through Mary’s intercession as Our Lady of Pompeii. The Miraculous painting of Our Lady of Pompeii was restored three times, and crowned with two golden crowns, one for Mary and one for baby Jesus. The painting shows Mary with baby Jesus and two saints who spread the devotion of the Rosary, St Dominic and St Catherine of Siena. With the approval of Pope Leo XIII, the church was built between 1876 and 1891. A new basilica was built between 1934 and 1939, ordered by Pope Pius XI. Many people visit this beautiful Church near Naples every May 8, when her feast day is celebrated. The devotion is also popular in Malta, where a church is dedicated to her in the parish of Marsaxlokk.

Today we wish a Happy Anniversary to Pope Leo XIV, who was elected Pope a year ago. Ad Multos Annos, Complimenti and Buon Anniversario Papa Leone.

Like the Donkey

Corrie Ten Boom (1892-1983) was a Dutch Christian writer. During World War II, she hid in her home many Jewish people to escape from the Nazis. When she was eventually caught, she was sent to the concentration camp in Ravensbrück. She survived the war and spent many years speaking and lecturing about her ordeal. She also was given an honorary degree, and was asked if it was difficult for her to remain humble with so many people praising her. She responded by saying ‘when Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and the people spread clothes and palms on the floor, could you imagine the donkey carrying Jesus and thinking that all the fuss was for him? If I could be that donkey, I will praise him and God forever.’

St Dominic Savio

Today we honor one of the youngest saints in the Catholic Church. Before St Jacinta and St Francisco Marto (the Fatima children) were canonized recently, he was the youngest saint (not martyred) to be venerated in the church. Born on April 2, 1842 in Piedmont Italy, he was a very devout young boy who wanted to become a priest. He received his First Holy Communion at the age of 7, at a time when the custom was that children would receive communion at the age of 12. But his parish priest noticed how devoted he was to the Eucharist, and made an exception for Dominic. He was noticed by St John Bosco, the founder of the Salesian Order, and took him under his wings. Unfortunately, he became very sick, asked for confession, communion and the final anointing, and died peacefully on March 9, 1857, aged 14. Soon after the death of Dominic, John Bosco wrote his biography, The Life of Dominic Savio, which contributed to his canonization. The original Italian edition was considered so well written during the time of Don Bosco that, along with his History of Italy and Ecclesiastical History, it was used in many public schools as part of the course materials on the Italian language. St Dominic Savio was canonized by Pope Pius XII on June 12, 1954. Quite a number of schools were named in his honor, among them in Austin, Texas, and Niagara Falls, New York, also 5 schools in Canada, a few in India, the Philippines and Australia, as well as the ever-growing Savio College, in Dingli, Malta.

Wu Yize, world snooker Champion

Wu Yize with his parents and the championship trophy.

The 22-year-old Chinese phenom Wu Yize won an all-time great Crucible final by beating Shaun Murphy 18-17, in a nail-biting affair that was decided by a winning final frame. Showing a thrilling, attacking style of play and drama-filled games, Wu paid a moving tribute to his parents after great sacrifices paid off by him winning the World Snooker Championship.  He may only be young but Wu and his family have gone on a testing journey to reach this stage, having moved over to South Yorkshire from their home nation with only his dad when Wu was a teenager. Money was so tight that the father and son shared a tiny windowless room, sleeping in the same bed. Now winning the £500,000 top prize at the Crucible and catapulting himself to snooker superstardom, Wu proclaimed ‘My parents are the true champions. Since I made the decision to drop out of school, my dad has been by my side. My mum has also gone through a lot over the years. They are the source of my strength, I love them so much. My mother has been ill and in and out of hospital for a long time but is now in a better position. She is forever a source of strength to me. She sacrificed everything for me. At that time she told me don’t come back home, I can manage everything. It was the second year I was playing in the UK. At that time my ranking was very low so it was a crucial time for me to achieve some good results and keep my professional status. She means everything to me.’ 

The days of sharing a small room with his father due to financial strains are now over, but even in the tough times, he says he never considered giving up on his dream. His immense Sheffield victory means Wu climbs to number four in the world rankings and has won over £860,000 this season alone. An incredible journey and one with so much further to go, with what looks like a stellar career ahead. A great victory indeed, and a fitting tribute to parenthood !

Monitor Tulip Farm

Another flaskback from 2006, precisely 20 years ago, when I was on retreat at Mount Angel Abbey with all the other priests of the Baker Diocese. On Tuesday in mid-April, in the afternoon I left immediately after lunch to get a head-start in my trip to the Wooden Shoe tulip farm in Monitor, Oregon. As excited as I was the previous year to visit the tulip farm with just two rows of yellow and red tulips, this year it was a heavenly experience as one row of colorful tulips after another covered almost half a mile by a 300 yard stretch that was mesmerizingly spectacular to see from afar, to walk through, and to photograph. I took close to 170 pictures in the 2 hours I spent there, and plenty of other photographers were showing off their equipment, besides many young couples with their children taking their pictures for their annual Christmas card and for their keepsake. The windmill at the end of the field, plus Mount Hood in the background provided an excellent opportunity to create some fascinating photos, and yet, as is often the case, many people cannot compose a simple photo, with today being a great exception, because you really have to be a dummy not to get great photos, with such a colorful and rich surroundings.

My trip to the tulip farm left quite an imprint on my head. When I arrived for the 4 PM conference, all the priests were looking at me and asking me “What happened to you?” seeing that my head was as red as some of the tulips I had just photographed. Not realizing right away, I had forgotten to wear a hat, and in those two glorious hours, the sun did quite a job on me as it burned my head and my arms. It’s amazing how in just two hours, the sun can have such an effect on our bodies. The temperature was around 70 degrees between 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM, the time I spent in the farm, but I was so ecstatic taking one photo after another, that the last thing on my mind was the sun roasting my bald head! No major damage done, but over the next few days, I felt like a snake shedding its skin! Enjoy these few photos ! (Click on each photo to enlarge)

Two great quotes

These are two great quotes worth reflecting on. The first one comes from the German Jesuit Karl Rahner (1904-1984). ‘Have you ever remained silent and didn’t defend yourself when they treated you badly ?  Have you ever forgiven someone ? Have you ever gone out of yourself to help someone and never got acknowledged ? Have you ever done something simply because your conscience told you to do it ? Have you ever done something for the love of God ? Have you ever showed generosity or altruism to someone who couldn’t be able to pay you back? Whenever you experienced these feelings, you were touching the heart of God.’

This one is from St Ignatius of Loyola: ‘Teach me Lord to be generous, to serve you as you deserve to be served. To give without worrying how much it’s gonna cost me. To fight without worrying about my wounds, to suffer without searching for rest. To work without demanding any reward, except to do Your own will.’

Religious Humor

                      
Occasionally even Popes end up in funny circumstances. And usually there is  photographer close by to snap a quick photo that ends up going viral on the Internet. Here are a few such situations, with no offense intended at all. After all Popes are humans also. Click on each photo to enlarge, and smile.

St Joseph the Worker

We honor today St Joseph, the patron saint of all workers, but much more than that. He is of course the foster father of Jesus, the husband of the Blessed Mother, and the person who stays in the background, humble, unseen, quiet, but ever-present in Jesus’  infancy. Today workers honor him as their patron saint, a feast that was initiated by Pope Pius XII in 1955, when the May Day celebrations were becoming more popular. Everybody has worked sometime or another in his or her life. So many jobs are available and have been accomplished to perfection by craftsmen. I look back in my own personal life and can list some of the things I put my hands on. In no particular order, I list these: studying, writing, preaching, painting walls, painting watercolors, cooking, blogging, calligraphy, photography, counselling, comforting, walking, marathoning, creating PowerPoint talks, fluting, composing melodies, entertaining, gardening, praying, meditating, playing soccer (football,) snooker, table-tennis, cleaning, reading, listening, marrying, burying, celebrating Eucharist, driving (close to a million miles,) shovelling snow, raking leaves, baby-sitting, crafting presepios, washing feet on Holy Thursday, and so much more ! Now try to list at least ten things you have done in your life, by which you have helped in perfecting God’s creation.

Pope St Pius V

Born Antony Ghislieri on January 17, 1504, he was raised by poor parents and entered the Dominican Order with whom he was ordained in 1528 and taught philosophy and theology in Dominican colleges . He quickly became bishop and Cardinal and followed his predecessor, the easy-going Pope Pius IV in 1566. He started his Papacy by implementing the reform of the Council of Trent. He cleaned up the curia, excommunicated heretical bishops, cleaned up the immorality in the church and swept the church clean – paving the way for the great surge in the church we call the Counter Reformation. He also excommunicated the tyrant Elizabeth I of England and formed the Holy League – a confederation of Catholic armies which eventually defeated the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Lepanto. Pius V also instituted the Feast of Our Lady of Victories. Pope Pius V also published the catechism of Trent and improved the breviary and the Roman Missal, which was still being used until 1962. He tried to clean Rome from any immorality, forbidding bull fights and even tried to stop bull fighting from Spain, one of the few things he was unsuccessful in. He died on May 1, 1572 and was canonized by Pope Clement XI in 1712.  

Bust of Pope Pius V in Valletta, Malta

Since he was a Dominican, he frequently kept using the white cassock or habit that Dominicans used, and the custom remained that successive Popes kept using  white, possibly to beat the summer Roman heat. And that is why the Popes still uses white as the color of his cassock. And the first thing Pope Francis did when he was elected Pope was the visit Santa Maria Maggiore and pay tribute to the tomb of Pope St Pius V. Pope Pius V was very helpful to Malta after the Great Siege of 1565, when he sent his personal engineer Francesco Lapparelli to help design, construct and build the new capital city Valletta. A bust was erected to commemorate his contribution to the building of Valletta as we always honor him for his generosity, philanthropy and kindness during the reign of the Knights of Malta.

St Catherine of Siena

St. Catherine of Siena was born during the outbreak of the plague in Siena, Italy on March 25, 1347. She was the 25th child born to her mother, although half of her brothers and sisters did not survive childhood. Catherine herself was a twin, but her twin sister did not survive infancy. Her mother was 40 when Catherine was born. As a child, prayer was her delight. When only seven years old, she made a vow of virginity and afterwards endured bitter persecution for refusing to marry. At the age of fifteen, she entered the Third Order of Saint Dominic, but continued to reside in her father’s shop, where she united a life of active charity with the prayer of a contemplative saint. From this obscure home, the seraphic virgin was summoned to defend the Church’s cause. Armed with papal authority, and accompanied by three confessors, she travelled through Italy, converting many to the Christian faith. She sought out Pope Gregory XI at Avignon, brought him back to Rome, while she wrote profusely to the kings and queens of Europe encouraging allegiance to the Pope.  She was the counselor of Pope Urban VI, and sternly rebuked the disloyal cardinals who had a part in electing an anti-pope. Day and night she wept and prayed for unity and peace. But the devil excited the Roman people against the Pope , yet her prayers helped bring some semblance of peace. She also established a monastery for women in 1377 outside of Siena. She is credited with composing over 400 letters, her Dialogue, which is her definitive work, and her prayers. These works are so influential that St. Catherine would later be declared a Doctor of the Church. By 1380, the 33-year-old mystic had become ill, possibly because of her habit of extreme fasting. In January of 1380, her illness accelerated her inability to eat and drink. Within weeks, she was unable to use her legs. She died on April 29, aged 33, following a stroke just a week before. St. Catherine is the patroness against fire, illness, Italy, miscarriages, and people ridiculed for their faith.

St Gianna Beretta Molla

St Gianna Beretta Molla, and her daughter Gianna Emmanuela

Today we honor a saint canonized in 2004 after sacrificing her life for her baby daughter, Gianna Emmanuela. She is beloved in Italy, and by everyone who has the gift of life at heart.

Born on October 4, 1922, Gianna Beretta was the 10th of 13 children, even though only 8 of the siblings survived infancy. She grew up in Bergamo, Italy where she was very active in the Catholic Action movement. In 1942, in the midst of the chaos of World War II she started her studies in Milan and graduated as a doctor in 1949, specializing in paediatrics. She actually wanted to go to Brazil to work as a paediatrician with her brother, a missionary priest, but her health prevented her from doing this. So she worked happily as a doctor, eventually meeting her future husband Pietro Molla, whom she married in 1955. They had 3 children within 5 years, and in 1961, she was pregnant with her 4th child. During the pregnancy, she developed a fibroma in her uterus, and the doctors suggested her to have an abortion to save her life. But she continued with her pregnancy and the baby was born on April 21, 1962, Easter Saturday. Gianna made the ultimate sacrifice for her daughter, and she got weaker and weaker and died a week later, on April 28, 1962. Her daughter Gianna Emmanuela became a paediatrician herself, and was present with her father and two other siblings at her mother’s beatification in 1994. Another sister had died in 1964, 2 years after her mother.

St Gianna with her husband Pietro and 3 of the children

The miracle that certified her canonization was done on a Brazilian woman Elizabetta Comparini, who in her 16th week of pregnancy, experienced a tear in her placenta, losing all the amniotic fluid. Praying to Gianna Beretta Molla, she continued with her pregnancy and gave birth to a healthy baby, defying all the negative prognosis the doctors had given her. Gianna was proclaimed a Saint by Pope St John Paul II on May 16, 2004, with her husband and three children present. She has since became the patron for pro-life and for pregnant women, and a great statement against abortion.

New Life

Jeremy was a disabled child, but he was loved by all his classmates, and he was very happy. One day their teacher wanted to explain to them the meaning of Easter. She gave each child an empty egg shell and asked them to take it home and fill it with something that reflects new life. Next day, each student came back with their egg shell filled with various items, flowers, plants, butterflies, tiny toys, etc. Jeremy returned to school with an empty egg shell. He told his teacher that he left it empty because the tomb where Jesus was buried, is now empty. When she asked Jeremy why was the tomb empty, he told her ‘Because the bad people killed Jesus, placed him inside the tomb, and he came back to life  because he rose from the dead!’ The teacher praised Jeremy in front of the whole class for his clever answer. A few months later, Jeremy passed away. All his classmates went to the funeral with their parents.  On the coffin, there were 21 empty egg shells, placed by each of Jeremy’s classmates. They all realized and learned that now Jeremy is enjoying a new life in heaven.

The Good Shepherd

The 4th Sunday of Easter is known as the Good Shepherd Sunday as the readings always deal with seeing Jesus leading us as a faithful shepherd. The sacrifice, toil and pain any shepherd goes through to keep his sheep together are well known by anyone familiar with the countryside, ranching, herding and farming. And Jesus goes through the same emotions as He cares for each and every one of us. As we see the shepherd bending in the midst of thorns to pull out the lost sheep, so does Jesus retrieve any person who gets entangled in the filth and dangers of this life. This picture is very realistic and probably describes best the image of the Good Shepherd, picking up gently and tenderly the dirty filthy sheep and places her on his shoulders, even ignoring the messy filth he himself is covered with. We celebrate this weekend also the World Day of Prayers for Vocations. As I see many priests, religious and sisters minister in Malta, I thank God that I too can share my ministry with fellow Maltese people who appreciate my service to them. And even though I was never a fisher of fish, I am honored to be a fisher of men and women, helping them get closer to God and to each other. I ask God to help me always be a gentle and patient shepherd to my people, especially to those searching for guidance and direction.

Toesary

A new trend is taking over the internet these days just ahead of the Marian month of May: mothers on the move holding their babies to their chests, peacefully perched in a baby sling, working their way through 10 little toes — a decade of fleshy beads — to pray a ‘Toes-a-ry.’ LaLaika Ordoñez, the mother of three boys commented, “I mean, it is a built-in rosary — blessed and everything.” She explained that the practice began out of a beautiful necessity during quiet moments of nursing.“I had strayed from my life of prayer, tending to a baby and all,” Ordoñez admitted. “A friend of mine suggested I just go back to my daily Rosary.” When she left the house early that morning, she realized she had forgotten her Rosary beads. Rather than letting the moment pass, she looked down at her son. “I forgot my rosary, so I just used my baby’s toes!” she reflected. “The ‘reason’ I strayed from my life of prayer is exactly what brought me back — my baby.” The viral post she placed on the internet racked up hundreds of comments, with many posters commenting on the cute idea. Others remarked with such observations as, “So this is why we have 10 toes!” While the Toes-a-ry might seem like a modern social-media invention, it echoes a long tradition of “digital” prayer — using one’s own fingers when beads aren’t at hand. By moving that prayer to her child, Ordoñez has effectively turned the domestic church into a living, breathing prayer tool.  The post that has now been viewed nearly 65,000 times and featured the toes of Ordoñez’s third son, who was born on Oct. 7, 2025, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary!

White Baby Camel

Hilde and Cora, from Central Oregon

Here’s a recent highlight for Grant County, my former parish in Central Oregon.  Hilde, a camel residing in one of the many ranches just had a baby, named Cora, which turned out to be white! It’s been quite the talk of the town, especially where the owner lives up Laycock Creek between Mount Vernon and John Day. The owner takes her for walks around John Day and visits with all the curious people who have never seen a live camel before. These photos were taken by a professional from Studio 15 and I share them with you thanks to the courtesy of the owner and other friends who sent me these incredible photos. I don’t know if  it’s an albino camel as we don’t often see many camels, let alone a white one. But one can admire the affection mother and daughter have for each other, something we can all learn from them.

 

Click to enlarge each photo

Saint George

Saint George, was born in around 275 AD in Lydda, Palestine, and was a soldier in the Roman army and was later venerated as a Christian martyr. His father was Gerontius, a Greek Christian from Cappadocia, and an official in the Roman army; his mother Polychronia was a Christian from Lydda. Saint George became an officer in the Roman army in the Guard of the Emperor Diocletian, who ordered his death for failing to repudiate his Christian faith. St George died on April 23 in 303 AD. Pictures of St. George usually show him killing a dragon to rescue a beautiful lady. The dragon stands for wickedness. The lady stands for God's holy truth. He was one of the Emperor's favorite soldiers. Now Diocletian was a pagan and a bitter enemy to the Christians. He put to death every Christian he could find. George was a brave Christian, a real soldier of Christ. Without fear, he went to the Emperor and sternly scolded him for being so cruel. Then he gave up his position in the Roman army. For this he was tortured in many terrible ways and finally beheaded. So boldly daring and so cheerful was St. George in declaring his Faith and in dying for it that Christians felt courage when they heard about it. Many songs and poems were written about this martyr. Soldiers, especially, have always been devoted to him. We all have some "dragon" we have to conquer. It might be pride, or anger, or laziness, or greediness, or something else. Let us make sure we fight against these "dragons", with God's help. Then we can call ourselves real soldiers of Christ. In hagiography, Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic Church, Anglican, Orthodox, and East Syrian. He is regarded as one of the most prominent military saints. Many patronages of Saint George exist around the world, including countries and cities as well as the Scout Movement, in addition to a wide range of professions, organizations, and disease sufferers. Most prominently, he is the patron saint of England.

Pope Francis – first anniversary

                 
Yesterday was the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ death, an event which precipitated a few incredible days, with Cardinals heading towards Rome for the conclave, setting up the Sistine chapel, planning his funeral and so many other details, which ended up with the white smoke from the famous Vatican chimney, heralding the election of a new Pope, Robert Prevost, as Pope Leo XIV. Born in Buenos Aires on December 17, 1936, Jorge Bergoglio was ordained a Jesuit priest on December 13, 1969, and was consecrated as bishop on June 27, 1992. He was elevated to a Cardinal and Archbishop of Buenos Aires on February 21, 2001. His rise came as Catholicism has grown in Latin America. A century ago, 65% of the world's Catholics lived in Europe. But by 2010, only 24% did, and in the meantime, Latin America's share has risen to 39%—more than Europe and U.S. combined. The choice of the name of Francis reflects his humble life. Having become archbishop of Buenos Aires 1998, he left empty the sumptuous episcopal residence next to the cathedral. He went to live in an apartment a short distance away, together with another elderly bishop. In the evening he was the one who saw to the cooking. He rarely rode in cars, getting around by bus in the cassock of an ordinary priest. And that is exactly the same lifestyle he followed as Pope, living at Santa Marta guest house, being driven in a small car, having breakfast with all the people that attended his Mass. His health deteriorated during the last few months until he died on April 22, 2025, being buried in Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica.  Pope Leo XIV praised the example of his predecessor whom he remembered for "truly living out closeness to the most poor. He left so much to the church, with his witness and his word, looking to promote an authentic respect for all men and women, promoting this spirit of fraternity. Francis spoke from the heart of the mercy of God, of forgiveness, of this generous expression of the mercy of the Lord. And he wanted to share this spirit with the whole church."

Queen Elizabeth -100 years old

Queen Elizabeth - her last official photo

Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926, and today she would have turned 100 years old ! She was born two years before all women could vote on equal terms with men. Growing up in a house in Piccadilly, overlooking Green Park, she did not expect to be queen, and she was dismayed to become queen so young. She only became queen because her uncle Edward abdicated to marry an American woman. That meant leaving behind the ordinary pleasures of a happy marriage, out of the public eye. But, as she had said in a remarkable speech in 1947, when she turned 21: “My whole life, whether it be short or long, will be devoted to your service.” As a young teenager and newly-married couple, she lived with her husband Prince Philip in Malta for a few years, as he was stationed on the HMS Magpie in Malta. The barber that cut his hair was also my barber for many years. The house where they lived is being restored at the moment and hopefully it would soon be a Museum to attract many British tourists. 

Queen Elizabeth was actually the fourth longest-serving monarch in the world, after King Louis XIV of France, who reigned for over 72 years. He was followed by Bhumibol Aulyadej of Thailand and King Johann II of Liechtenstein, both of whom reigned for over 70 years each. Queen Elizabeth was known affectionately as Lilybeth, got married in 1947, and had 4 children, Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. Her reign started on February 6, 1952, when her father died while she was in a Kenya with Prince Philip, and she was officially crowned on June 2, 1953. Visiting every country in the Commonwealth, mostly by her ship Britannia, she kept going until the last day of her life, enduring several sad days because of her children’s mis-behaviors, proclaiming 1992 as the Annus Orribilis. She died on September 8, 2022 at the age of 96, a couple of years after Philip.