St Anthony Abbot

Saint Antony is also known as St. Anthony of the Desert or St. Anthony of Egypt. Along with St Francis of Assisi, he is invoked as the patron saint of the animal kingdom, and special Masses take place on the Sunday closest to his feast day of January 17th, with the blessing of animals and pets held afterwards. St Anthony was a hermit who lived in Northern Egypt. His parents died very young and left him with his younger sister. He gave much of their money to the poor, and after saving some money for his sister’s well-being, he started a life of solitude. He was a staunch defender of the faith against Arianism. During his travels, he met many animals, some helpful and some not, but they all befriended him and were kind to him, just as he was kind to them. Anthony died when he was 105 years old. A life of solitude, fasting, and manual labor in the service of God had left him a healthy, vigorous man until very late in life. And he never stopped challenging himself to go one step beyond in his faith. Saint Athanasius, who knew Anthony and wrote his biography, said, "Anthony was not known for his writings nor for his worldly wisdom, nor for any art, but simply for his reverence toward God." We may wonder nowadays at what we can learn from someone who lived in the desert, wore skins, ate bread, and slept on the ground. We can become like Anthony by living his life of radical faith and complete commitment to God.

Discovery of Galapagos Islands

Statue of Fr. Tomas de Berlanga in Berlanga, Spain.

The Galapagos Islands are a  group of 127 islands, 18 of them quite large while only 4 of them are inhabited, on which there are also some hotels. Few people know that these islands were discovered by a priest, Fr Tomas de Berlanga, Bishop of Panama on March 10, 1535. He was born in Berlanga, Spain in 1487, a humble missionary who was asked one day to intervene in a political dispute between the Spanish crown and the  indisciplined Francisco Pizarro of Peru. Because of strong currents, the ship he was  sailing on lost its course and  ended up lost in the Pacific ocean, 1000 kilometers from Ecuador. On that historic day in March 1535, he came across a series of volcanic mountains , a lifeless land with no water, which they desperately needed. As the first European to discover them, he arrived by accident and complained that his crew that went ashore found 'nothing but seals, iguanas, turtles and such big tortoises that each  could carry a man on them.' - a description that sounds like PERFECTION to us! Fr Tomas never returned to these islands and never tried to take advantage of his discovery, but reported it to the Spanish Emperor. The Galapagos Islands were ignored for many years until Charles Darwin arrived there in 1835, exactly 300 years after Fr Tomas discovered them, visited these islands and observed the plants and animals of this new land, which later inspired him to develop the Theory of Evolution.

Just be present

When caring for elderly parents, you don't have to do anything extraordinary, but simple gestures that say 'I Care, I love, I am here!'....Listen to them in silence. Give them your full attention, even if they repeat the same things. Be patient with them, smile with them, remain close to them even if they have nothing else to give you. Visit them as often as you can. Don’t criticize them. Don’t remove anything from its place. Leave everything as you found it, even if you freshened up the place. For them any change will confuse them. Say a simple prayer with them, even a Hail Mary. Never let them feel alone. Give them some flowers, something they like to eat. Give them a kiss, a hug, stroke their face, their hands. Review their photo albums, and let them relate some stories they can remember from the photos. Take them for a ride in your car, near a beach, in the countryside, especially in the winter months. If you live far away at least give them a call occasionally. Whenever you can, visit them, and don’t say ‘I will, soon,’  just drop everything and go! Le them talk, speak only to say ‘Thank you Grandma, thanks Grandpa...Thanks Mom, Thanks Dad.’

Saint Teresa of Calcutta’s Prayer for Priests

Mary, Mother of Jesus, throw your mantle of purity over our priests. Protect them, guide them, and keep them in your heart. Be a Mother to them, especially in times of discouragement and loneliness. Love them and keep them belonging completely to Jesus. Like Jesus, they, too, are your sons, so keep their hearts pure and virginal. Keep their minds filled with Jesus, and put Jesus always on their lips, so that he is the one they offer to sinners and to all they meet. Mary, Mother of Jesus, be their Mother, loving them and bringing them joy. Take special care of sick and dying priests, and the ones most tempted. Remember how they spent their youth and old age, their entire lives serving and giving all to Jesus. Mary, bless them and keep a special place for them in your heart. Give them a piece of your heart, so beautiful and pure and immaculate, so full of love and humility, so that they, too, can grow in the likeness of Christ. Dear Mary, make them humble like you, and holy like Jesus. Amen.

What I’d like to be.....

7 warblers on a branch, at Mt Angel Seminary, Oregon

I’d like to be like the sun, waking up in the early morning and enlighten wherever I am. I’d like to be like the moon, so that where there is darkness, I can brighten things with my light. I’d like to be like a melodious bird, who sings and entertains everyone with their harmonious song.   I’d like to imitate the flowers which embellish their surroundings with their perfume. I’d like to be like the fruit, so that I will be able not only to be enticing on the outside, but also delicious and and sweet on the inside. I’d like to be like the water, which invigorates wherever it flows. I’d like to be like Heaven, so that my soul becomes like a house for God.

Baptism of Jesus

Baptism of Jesus by Perugino

As we celebrate Jesus’ Baptism today, may we look back at our own baptism and see how faithful we have been to the commitment our parents made for us. I ask 3 simple questions today for your consideration:

1. How proud are you of the decision your parents took when they introduced you to the Catholic faith by baptizing you?

2. Do you know the names of your godparents, the name of the priest who baptized you, the church in which you were baptized, the date of your baptism?

3. If you were chosen as a godparent for a child, do you keep in contact with that child, who may now be a teenager, an adult, a parent, and do you make sure they attend church regularly? Remember that this was one of the promises you made when you stood as a godparent on the baptism day.

Night Prayer

Different people have different ways of praying at night, specifically before they go to sleep. This is a very practical prayer that I’ve used for many years, and I shared it with many past parishioners. I share it once again with you all. Keep it handy next to your bed.

As my head rests on my pillow, let my soul rest in your mercy.

As my limbs relax on my mattress, let my soul relax in your peace.

As my body finds warmth beneath the blankets, let my soul find warmth in your love.

As my mind is filled with dreams, let my soul be filled with visions of heaven.  

Praying for Los Angeles

Let us remember in our prayers the thousands of  California residents who have lost houses, property, pets and everything they owned in the catastrophic fires that have engulfed Los Angeles. We pray for the firefighters who have been working non-stop to control the fires, which is almost impossible with the high winds that constantly blow fiercely from the Pacific ocean.  May God give them some reprieve by adequate rain and less wind. The Catholic parish church of Corpus Christi in Pacific Palisades has been demolished, along with its school. 10 people have died so far and over 10,000 homes have been burned down.

Elvis is 90

Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, USA. So yesterday he would have turned 90 years old. But as we know, he died on August 16, 1977, in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 43. His music career began in 1954, at Sun records with producer Sam Phillips guiding him. But his entire life was pushed by Colonel Tom Parker, who managed him for the rest of his career. Presley's first RCA Victor single, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, was released in January 1956 and became a number-one hit in the US, the first of many Number One hits. In 1967 Elvis married Priscilla Beaulieu and they had one daughter, Lisa Marie. He took part in 31 movies, and as a US citizen, had to serve in the military for a few months, which he did in Germany. Enjoy this Megamix of hits from the King of Rock and Roll.

Two more Nativities

As we near the end of the Christmas season, allow me to share with you two more Nativities I saw this week, actually crafted by a father and son combination. The first one is by the father with beautiful hand-made figurines representing the Holy Family with a donkey close by, some sheep and a lady with a pitcher of water. 

The second one is by the son and shows Jesus as a toddler, making his first step towards his mother Mary, watched carefully by his father St. Joseph. It is a scene reminiscent of the early days of Jesus, which could probably have been in Egypt, as they were avoiding the wrath of Herod who wanted to kill their Son. It is a popular domestic scene when children start to walk on their own with parents and other siblings cheering them on.

McElroy to Washington DC

Just a few days before Donald Trump becomes the next President, Washington DC will have still another new resident in Cardinal Robert McElroy who will become the new Archbishop, replacing Card. Wilton Gregory who is now 77. McElroy is 70 and  over the last decade has become one of the most vocal champions of Pope Francis' pastoral agenda among the U.S. hierarchy. He has frequently echoed the pope's prioritization of migrants and refugees, environmental concerns and a more welcoming approach to LGBTQ people.  McElroy, 70, was first made an auxiliary bishop of San Francisco in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI and then named bishop of San Diego by Francis in 2015. In 2022, Pope Francis made him a Cardinal. He has a bachelor's degree from Harvard University, and a master's in U.S. history and a doctorate in political science from Stanford University, among other degrees. In 2017, just one month into Trump's first term, McElroy delivered a fiery speech to community activists that amounted to a direct opposition to the new president's political agenda.....in it he said....."We must disrupt those who would seek to send troops into our streets to deport the undocumented, to rip mothers and fathers from their families. We must disrupt those who portray refugees as enemies, rather than our brothers and sisters in terrible need. We must disrupt those who train us to see Muslim men and women and children as sources of fear rather than as children of God." So fasten your seat-belts as we’re due to have a few clashes over the next 4 years !

St Andre Bessette

St Andre Bessette (1845-1937)

His name was Alfred when he was born in Canada in 1845, one of 10 children. His father was a carpenter while his mother took care of the household needs and raising the children. To get a better job, his father moved the family to Quebec, but died tragically soon after he arrived to work as a lumberman, when a tree fell on him and crushed him to death. Alfred was only 9 years old, and to make matters worse, his mother died of tuberculosis 3 years later. Later on in his life, Alfred would write ‘rarely I prayed for my mother, but often I prayed to her, because she was a saint.’ Finding himself an orphan, Alfred started a series of jobs as shoemaker, baker and metal-worker, but did not know how to read or write, yet he had a great devotion to the church. He spent a lot of time praying in front of a crucifix he had in his room. When he was 20, he joined many other immigrants and moved to the USA to work in the clothing business, but returned home within a year. His parish priest noticed his holiness and sent him to the Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, with a message ‘I am sending you a saint.’ He was refused because of his poor health, but in 1872, he was accepted as a brother and started his Novitiate taking the name Brother Andre. He was 28, and his duties were to be a porter and sacristan. He remained as a receptionist for 40 years at the College of Notre Dame in Quebec, washing floors, carrying firewood, cleaning lamps, and taking messages. Hundreds of people used to come to ask his advice when he was a doorkeeper. More people came to him than to other priests at the College.

Oratory of St Joseph, Mount Royal, Quebec, Canada

He developed a special devotion towards St. Joseph, and encouraged the people to pray to him. He had a small oil lamp near his statue at the College, and often he would anoint sick people with the oil. Many people were healed, and he even led a campaign to build a church in honor of St. Joseph and he was often called the ‘miracle-worker of Mount Royal.’ Most of the people believed in him, though others made fun of him and ridiculed him. However, the church always was there to defend him. In 1924, the Oratory of St. Joseph started its construction on the hill of Mount Royal, Quebec, but Andre was not to see its completion as he died aged 91 in 1937. More than a million people passed by his casket before his funeral. He was beatified in 1982 and canonized on October 17, 2010. Every year, millions of people visit the Oratory of St Joseph, and thanks to St Andre, the devotion towards St. Joseph increased handsomely over the past few years.

13 years of blogging

Our old home in St Julian's decorated annually by my parents.

Today is the 13th anniversary since I started my Blog. I got into blogging because of an obnoxious parishioner in Baker City who kept criticizing the Bishop and myself, and everything I did for the beautiful Cathedral, which I helped restore in 2008 for its centennial. My intention was to counteract that negativity by highlighting beauty, positivity, our faith, our Catholic heritage through reflections, meaningful photos with a message, lives of saints, anecdotes and other prayers and inspirational quotes. My first Blog ‘Father Julian’s Blog’ from the USA can be found here and you can browse through older posts as they are all still accessible.

http://fatherjulian.blogspot.com/

My second blog picked up from the first one, and I only missed a few weeks, until I started again my second Blog ‘Dun Giljan’s Blog’ from May 2016, and has been going strong ever since, with anywhere from 100 to 300 hits every day from all parts of the world. I thank you for visiting me and checking its content daily, some of you weekly or even surprisingly discovering it by chance. There are 3168 posts in his Blog, while the first one had over 2000 posts, way over 5000 in total. But I can guarantee you that it will go on as long as possible, as I keep researching and adding interesting posts daily. Please browse through in the past by clicking the Older Posts link at the bottom right hand corner. The search button on the top right allows you to search any topic you like, and you will be surprised by how much stuff and helpful information there is.

Our Lady of Champion

In 2022, the Vatican approved the only apparition of the Blessed Mother in America – that is called Our Lady of Champion. In 1859, the Blessed Mother appeared 3 times to Adele Brise in Champion, Wisconsin. When she was a little girl, Adele was a victim of an accident that left her vision only in one eye. But she grew up as a woman of great faith. Mary appeared to her with a yellow sash on a white dress and a crown of many stars around her head. Surrounding her body was a bright light. Adele was terrified at the scene but Mary told her ‘Don’t worry, go and I’ll help you. I am the Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners – and I want you to do the same. Please gather many children and tell them what they should do to attain salvation.’ At the time Adele was 28, and she spent the rest of her life teaching children. At first she would go from house to house, walking everywhere. Then she opened a school and a few other women joined her, living according to the Third Order Franciscan rule.

Holy Name of Jesus

Today the Church celebrates the feast honoring the Holy Name of Jesus. Medieval Catholicism, and many other Christian churches to the present day, celebrated this feast along with the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ, usually on 1 January. St Bernardino of Siena placed great emphasis on the Holy Name, which he associated with the IHS Christogram, and may be responsible for the coupling of the two elements. The feast of the Holy Name of Jesus was moved around over the centuries, and in 2002, it was re-inserted in the Roman calendar to be celebrated today, January 3. The name of Jesus is frequently shown as a Monogram of IHS, the first three letters of the Greek name IHSUS. The name of Jesus is offered in a variety of forms, as you can see from this short list of languages:

                                                                  Albanian - Jezusi;    
                                                                  Bosnian -  Isus
                                                                  Czech - Ježíš
                                                                  Filipino -  Hesus/Hesukristo
                                                                  Hawaiian - Jesu
                                                                  Hungarian - Jézus
                                                                  Maltese - Gesù
                                                                  Polish -  Jezus
                                                                  Ukranian - Icyc                                                               

Maltese Nativities

The number of Nativities displayed in various parish halls, churches, private homes and band clubs have exploded over the last few years. These are just two I discovered this year, both with a simple message. The first one shows the Holy Family in the stable of Bethlehem with a young child rejoicing at the birth of Jesus. How much can children help us appreciate the presence of the Christ-child in each of us. If we can only see the birth of Christ from the eyes of a child, we would really be able to see clearly his humanity, his innocence, as well as the joy of every mother who can hold and nurse her infant baby.

The second Nativity is with a Maltese backdrop, a typical Maltese neighborhood, at least the way houses were built years ago. Unfortunately today houses are made of steel, glass, and concrete and have altogether lost their vintage limestone style. Yet this scene speaks to me about the fact that Jesus is still being born in our midst, in our homes, in our stables and workshops, in our squares and alleys. Most importantly He is still being born in our hearts and in our families, as we notice folks in this neighborhood going around their day’s work, while Jesus is being born right in their midst. Let us hope and pray that all the Maltese recognize Him right next to them, precisely in each other.....that is why we are called Christians, other Christs.

Happy New Year

With my wishes for a healthy and peaceful New Year, I start this year by re-living two of my hobbies which I have pursued on my own, and still enjoy devotedly, even as I move on in my 70s, just to show that retiring is certainly not for me, any time soon. That's just besides of course my duties as chaplain and serving Masses, presenting talks and helping people move on in their lives, getting them closer to God in the best possible way. 

The two photos are: a simple watercolor with a Nativity theme and a Christmas flute recital I offered to the residents yesterday, which will keep them happy and fulfilled. Blessings in the New Year, especially with sincere prayers for a ceasefire soon and the end of hostilities in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Pres. Jimmy Carter (1924-2024)

Pope John Paul II hugging Amy with her parents in 1979

The world mourns ex-President Jimmy Carter, who served  between 1977 and 1981. Those were the years when I fell in love with America, and I remember well watching him on color TV for the first time in my life. He was beaten by Ronald Reagan in 1981 but not after endearing himself with the American people, especially after being able to help Israel and Egypt reach agreement about their differences. He was a very religious person and a happily married leader, having a young daughter Amy with him in the White House, even building her a tree-house to play in, on the grounds of his temporary famous home. After his presidency, he became involved with his wife Roslyn in Habitat for Humanity, helping in building houses for the poor. In December 2002, he even received the Nobel Peace prize for his untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development. Born in Georgia, Jimmy was a peanut farmer, but his interest in politics landed him as the Governor of Georgia, and from then on, there was no stopping him from achieving what he dreamed all though his life. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday December 29, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives. His funeral will be held on January 9, 2025.

A Malta sunset

I do have quite a few spectacular photos of sunsets and sunrises from the USA as well as Malta. They are all unique and different one from the other. Sometimes, if you're patient enough, you will get a really good shot which 5 seconds later would have been so different from the precious, lucky one. Clouds and color change so quickly. Often I see a beautiful sky early in the morning, but by the time I go to my room to get the camera, it's all gone, within minutes at the most. Enjoy this one taken with the Cathedral of Mdina silhouetted as the sun descends on another day, another year.

Taken just 1 minute after the first photo.

The Holy Family

Today the church celebrates the feast of the Holy Family. Many of the pictures shown of the Holy Family of Nazareth depict them as the perfect couple with Jesus well behaved and obedient, usually playing with a bird, holding a pomegranate, or with John the Baptist, always in a serious atmosphere. They still had their share of problems and issues to deal with, all through their lives. To start they had to escape into Egypt for 2 years because Herod was trying to kill baby Jesus. Once they settled in Nazareth, Mary and Joseph raised their son in a very simple environment. As a baby, Jesus had to be diaper-changed, he had to be nursed, toilet-trained eventually, learn how to walk, how to talk, and many other things that babies do as they grow and mature. This way we can very easily connect with the Holy Family of Nazareth, because they were very much like every Maltese or American family raising toddlers. They had their hands full, and we don’t even know what tricks Jesus played on his parents. Because whether you’re in Bend, Oregon, Beverly Hills California, Buckingham Palace in London, Malta or Nazareth in the Holy Land, boys will be boys!

The Holy Family - Part 2

Two more paintings of the Holy Family in domestic scenes which are not usually seen or even painted. The first one shows the family during their exile in Egypt as they take a break from their travelling, somewhere in the desert. Joseph is seen in the background near a small lake  letting the donkey drink some water, as Mary is seen in the foreground playing with the toddler Jesus. They had to spend two years as refugees, until Herod died and then returned back to Nazareth , where they settled as a family in their home.

The second painting shows the Holy Family around their dinner table. They are saying grace as they fold their hands in prayer. Simple food is on the table, as fruit is in a bowl on a side table. Mary would probably prepare some warm hearty soup for the three of them, as well as some healthy salad with vegetables she would grow in her small garden. They may have some visitors occasionally or some friends of Jesus, whom he would invite to play with him, and then join them for dinner or lunch. Just like any typical family.

The Holy Family – part 1

I came across a few paintings of the Holy Family from an unusual perspective, and I share them with you today as they speak about how normal a family they were, living a life that is similar to ours. The first one shows them arriving at the Inn in Bethlehem, finding no room to host them for the memorable night. If only the Innkeeper knew how famous his Inn would become, if he would have allowed Mary stay, to give birth to the savior of the world.

The second painting shows Mary tending to her new born baby as she places him in a manger, supported by the farm animals who happened to be close by in the stable. We only imagine a donkey and a cow next to the manger, but any stable or barn would have a collection of small animals, some sheep, chickens, chicks, rabbits, dogs and cats, some doves or birds, and probably a few mice snooping around.

The Holy Years starts

Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica before Mass on Christmas Eve, officially launching the Jubilee Year 2025. Seated in his wheelchair, the 88-year-old Pope Francis leaned forward to knock on the gold Holy Door. As assistants opened the two sides of the door, the choir sang in Latin: “This is the Lord’s own gate, where the upright enter. I enter your house, O Lord.” After breaking open the special door, Francis stopped at the threshold to pray briefly in silence as the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica pealed out into the cool Rome night. The Pope passed through the Holy Door into the basilica followed by cardinals, bishops, priests, and ministers for Christmas Mass, as well as representatives of other Christian churches and Catholics from five continents wearing traditional clothing from their countries. It was also one of Francis’ first public appearances wearing hearing aids. Some of the biggest events of the Jubilee of Hope will be the canonizations of Blessed Carlo Acutis, during the Jubilee of Teenagers on April 27, and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, during the Jubilee of Young People on Aug. 3, and the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly, on the weekend of May 30-June 1.

Christmas homily

                  
I share with you a part of my Christmas homily, which many parishioners liked very much:    The Greek philosophers are well-known for their wisdom. Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50 years and Aristotle for 40 years. Between them they were teaching for a cumulative 130 years. Jesus taught for only 3 years, but all that He taught is still being studied, analysed, researched and spread throughout the world, through lectures, sermons, homilies and written in hundreds of books which have been published so far in many languages. Jesus never painted any paintings but artists like Raffaello, Michelangelo and Leonardo and many other modern ones left us hundreds of masterpieces, all inspired by the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus never wrote any poems, but poets like Dante, Keats, Dun Karm and Oliver Friġġieri and others left us with many beautiful poems all inspired by the presence of Jesus. He never composed any music, neither did they have any musical instruments at his time, but Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Handel and many others left us with harmonious music, Masses, oratorios, hymns, all inspired by the presence of Jesus.

When in the year 353 AD Pope Julius 1 established December 25 as the date when Christmas will be celebrated, who would have thought that this festivity would make everyone stop and remember a young child who would revolutionize the world with His message of Love. When in the 4th century, St Hilary of Potiers wrote the first Christmas Carol “Jesus Refulsit Omnium” (Jesus Light of all nations), who would have thought of how many other carols, hymns and melodies would be written all over the world, and sung, recorded and played joyfully every year! When St Francis in 1223 created the first live presepio in Greccio, who would have thought that this would become one of the most treasured traditions all over the world. And when in 1441, the first Christmas Tree was set up in Talinn, Estonia, who would have thought as to how popular Christmas trees would become, symbolizing life and light as well as happiness as children see their gifts piled up under their tree. And when in 1843 John Horsley sent the first ever Christmas card by mail, who would have ever imagined that billions of Christmas cards would be exchanged around the globe every year, as a way of thinking of each other.  And when our own St George Preca introduced the Christmas eve procession in 1921 with baby Jesus, as well as the sermon delivered by children, who would have believed that they would have become annual, immortal traditions among us. And when the wave of generosity started in 2004 with l-Istrina on Boxing Day, 20 years ago, who would have imagined that from 1 and a half million Euros collected that day, now we’re reaching over 6 million in donations by generous Maltese and Gozitans to help needy cases.

A Blessed Christmas to all

Wishing you all a most Blessed Christmas, I offer all my Masses for your intentions as I remember you all in my prayers and thoughts. And for all my friends, far and wide, I share greetings in different languages.....

Arabic: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Argentine: Feliz Navidad
Armenian: Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Basque: Zorionak eta Urte Berri On
Croatian: Sretan Bozic
Danish: Glædelig Jul
Dutch: Zalig Kerstfeast
English: Merry Christmas
Esperanto: Gajan Kristnaskon
Finnish: Hyvaa joulua
French: Joyeux Noel
Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr
German: Froehliche Weihnachten
Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka
Hindi: Christmas Mubarak Ho
Hungarian: Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket
Icelandic: Gledileg Jol
Indonesian: Selamat Hari Natal                                                                                                              Iraqi: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit
Italian: Buon Natale
Japanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Latin: Descendit de coelis Salvator mundi. Gaudeamus
Lithuanian: Linksmu Kaledu
Maltese: Il-Milied it-Tajjeb u s-Sena l-Gdida mimlija risq u hena
Norwegian: Gledelig Jul 
Peru: Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo
Philipines: Maligayan Pasko at Manibagong Bagong Taon
Polish: Wesotych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia
Portuguese: Feliz Natal
Rumanian: Sarbatori vesele
Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom                                                 Serbia: Hristos se rodi
Slovakian: Vesele vanoce
Spanish: Feliz Navidad
Swahili: Heri kwa noeli na baraka nyingi kwa mwaka mpya
Thai: Sawadee Pee Mai
Turkish: Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Vietnamese: Chung Mung Giang Sinh
Welsh: Nadolig Llawen

Notre Dame Nativity

After the recent 5-year renovation of Notre Dame de Paris, the 17-th century style creche was unveiled again for the Christmas season. The elaborate Nativity scene was blessed by the Rector of the Cathedral on December 20, 2024, and will remain on display in the landmark Cathedral until February.  It is similar to the popular Neapolitan nativities.

A brief video of the Notre Dame Nativity

The spirit of a visit

Many people will be visiting family and friends over the next few days. There is something we can learn from the visit that Mary made to Elizabeth, as it is recorded in the Sunday Gospel today, the 4th Sunday of Advent. The above picture shows not just the joy, but the exuberance and enthusiastic welcome that Elizabeth extended to Mary. They talked, they prayed, but they also laughed as they realized what was happening to them, one a teenage girl, the other an older woman, way beyond child-bearing age. And since this was the first encounter between John the Baptist and Jesus, both still in their mother's wombs, there was an undercurrent story here, as the babies rejoiced at each others' presence. May our visits be accompanied with sincere joy, courtesy, and a genuine spirit of welcome, hospitality and friendship.

Christmas Houses with music

A new concept has evolved over the last 15 years especially at Christmas time. The lighting of houses and  having them synchronized with music. This incredible show of close to 24 minutes is absolutely spectacular. Unfortunately it’s not all seasonal music,  but you will enjoy the exceptional synchronization with lights, lasers and even fireworks. The timing of the music with the lights is just outstanding. Be prepared for some John Williams film soundtracks. At 20:00 you will hear one of the most popular Christmas melodies over the last 15 years, ‘Wizards in Winter’ by the Trans-Siberian orchestra. Thanks to Tom BetGeorge for producing this spectacle for everyone to treasure. Enjoy the show.

A New York Christmas

Where Christmas decorations are concerned, few surpass the atmosphere created around Rockefeller Center in New York City, with a magnificent tree above the golden statue of Prometheus, and ice-skaters skidding in the rink below, plus plenty of lights, highlighted by a few angels with trumpets. The shop windows are also spectacular and months of planning takes place to grab the attention of shoppers during the entire month of December. In the suburbs where I was stationed for 22 years in various parishes, the houses are always in competition with one another as they attract visitors from everywhere. The second photo shows just one such house from my first parish in New Hyde Park, NY.

The Styrofoam Nativity

This Nativity is more than 60 years old, made from Styrofoam, also known in Malta as Jablo. It was made by students (teachers in training) of the old St. Michael’s Training College which was close to our home in St Julian’s. It was crafted by various teachers and was set up in the then-parish of St. Julian’s, the old church, where it had stayed over the years. Always with a purplish light, it creates a haunting effect as it displays the various characters of the nativity story. I am sure past and present sacristans took great care of these pieces which are so fragile. But they look just as new now, 60+ years after they’ve been crafted.

Old Christmas cards

As we continue to approach Christmas, now a week away, may I share with you today three samples of old-fashioned Christmas cards, popular in Malta and Europe. These were painted in watercolors by a Maltese artist George Apap, and he placed his work in a box with cut-outs of the different figures and background of each particular scene shown here. The first one shows the Nativity of Jesus. 

The second one shows an altar boy preaching at the midnight Mass, a custom that is still popular in most parish churches. And the third one shows two children on a sofa reading the Christmas story among decorations all around their room. In the exhibition I saw a few years ago there was a collection of over 30 boxes with different Christmas scenes all painted in watercolors and placed in a box to create a 3-dimensional effect. (click on each photo to enlarge)

Francis and Baby Jesus

Today Pope Francis celebrates his 88th birthday, and I offer to you an image which he will be focusing on next week on Christmas Eve and Day. It's the image of the Bambino, baby Jesus which the Pope will carry towards the altar for the Christmas Mass. It will be prominently displayed in front of a copy of a calligraphed manuscript of the Bible with some gorgeous illumination, as you can see from this photo which I took from a TV transmission. An ornate table and two angels cradle the Bible and everything is surrounded by white flowers. Pope Francis was born as Jorge Bergoglio on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires. He was ordained a priest on December 13, 1969, and bishop on June 27, 1992. He was elevated to Cardinal on February 21, 2001. He was elected Pope on March 13, 2013 taking the name of Francis. Ad Multos Annos Francisco !