Respecting the unborn

Praying at the Children's Memorial I erected in 2007

This is a flashback from my Journal, written in 2007. As you can see, I am writing in frustration for the lack of support for the right-to-life issue, which I always supported through prayers, and Holy Hours I organized over the years....

Remembering the unborn - I feel very frustrated when special holy days in the American Catholic calendar see a minimum of people attending Mass. This happens every time there is a holiday, which happens to be a special day to remember, whether it’s work, veterans, peace, our loved ones deceased and more. It’s a perfect opportunity for people to show they care, but only a handful do, at least by attending the Mass. The 22nd of January is always a sad day for American Catholics as we remember the day when abortion was legalized on that day in 1973 For the 6 AM Mass morning I had 3 people, and for the 9 AM Mass I had 6, one of whom came for both. So, out of a big parish like this, (Baker City Cathedral, Oregon) only 8 people felt the need to pray for the millions aborted, or not being given a chance to be born and live. Of course I know there are people who have to work and there were another 8 for the Holy Hour at 2:30 PM which ended with Benediction. And the people who usually criticize me for not doing enough for the Respect for Life group, which I’ve been calling Family Life Group, were nowhere to be seen, as usual. They talk the talk but never, not once have they walked the walk. On the other hand, I continue to preach by my own example, sacrificing my life for them. I led the Rosary with reflections on life, and the people who came certainly appreciated my thoughts and meditations. I found a note that someone from one of my parishes in New York had given me after one of the Holy Hours I led. It brought back very fond memories of the Holy Hours I used to organize in all my parishes in New York. This woman wrote in the card:

“Dear Father Julian, I am writing to thank you for the letters, thoughts and reflections that you read during the Holy Hour for Respect for Life. As you read the thoughts of the baby that was aborted, my heart was breaking. I wish I had heard a priest speak as you did when I was in my 20s. Now I‘m Pro-Life - too late for my 3 babies that I aborted who would have been in their 40s now. I wish every teenager could hear you speak. God bless you.”

Drowning countries

The Filipino Archbishop Ryan Jimenez, the chief of the Pacific Episcopal Conference recently met Pope Leo XVI and alerted him about the changes taking place in the Pacific because of climate change. A few days before meeting the Pope, a friend of his sent the Archbishop a message: ’Tell the Pope that we are drowning.’  Since there are many small islands in this area, many people are opting to leave their islands and move to Australia as they feel that they are really drowning. The Pope sent the people a message: ‘I understand that in your archdiocese you have many challenges, but remember that God is always close to you.’ The Pacific Episcopal Conference (CEPAC) includes Cook islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Northern Mariana Islands,  Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna.

Saint Clare

Clare was a beautiful Italian noblewoman who became the Foundress of an order of nuns now called "Poor Clares." When she heard St. Francis of Assisi preach, her heart burned with a great desire to imitate Francis and to live a poor humble life for Jesus. So one evening, she ran away from home, and in a little chapel outside Assisi, gave herself to God. St. Francis cut off her hair and gave her a rough brown habit to wear, tied with a plain cord around her waist. Her parents tried in every way to make her return home, but Clare would not.
Soon her sister Agnes joined her, as well as other young women who wanted to be brides of Jesus, and live without any money. St. Clare and her sisters wore no shoes, ate no meat, lived in a poor house, and kept silent most of the time. Yet they were very happy, because Our Lord was close to them all the time. Once, He saved them from a great danger in answer to St. Clare's prayer. An army of rough soldiers came to attack Assisi and they planned to raid the convent first. Although very sick, St. Clare had herself carried to the wall and right there, where the enemies could see it, she had the Blessed Sacrament placed. Then on her knees, she begged God to save the Sisters. "O Lord, protect these Sisters whom I cannot protect now," she prayed. A voice seemed to answer: "I will keep them always in My care." At the same time a sudden fright struck the attackers and they fled as fast as they could. St. Clare was sick and suffered great pains for many years, but she said that no pain could trouble her. So great was her joy in serving the Lord that she once exclaimed: "They say that we are too poor, but can a heart which possesses the infinite God be truly called poor?"   Many stories and allegorical tales have been created with St Francis and St Clare, including the popular movie and phrase “Brother Sun, Sister Moon.” But the fact is that both St Clare and St Francis laid a foundation for what to become one of the most influential orders of priests, friars and sisters, the Franciscans. Many other Orders splintered from the original Franciscans, but the foundation of each group remained always a life of poverty and good Christian example, a life detached from the materialism of this world. 

The children of Gaza

                 

We’ve seen them on TV, children and teenagers, and even adults extending their empty pots and pans with the hope of getting a bowl of food, whatever that food is. It looks like some kind of yellow soup, certainly doesn’t look appetizing at all.  I wonder how nutritious and tasty it is. These hundreds of children have been without food for weeks. And they lack many other things....water, love, attention, a big hug, shelter, a home, a future, a family, some toys, something to entertain them, friends to play with, a good night rest on a comfortable bed, a shower, some decent clothes, and so much more !All around them they see debris everywhere, collapsed and destroyed buildings, dust everywhere, bombs falling, parachutes opening up with food coming down on them, as other stronger boys get to the packed food before them. And yet they hope, they suffer, they cry, they yearn for peace. As we watch and wonder, we pray for peace and ask: when will it all end?

St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

Edith Stein at the time of her conversion

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (born as Edith Stein) was born in 1891 in Breslau, Poland, and was the youngest child of a large Jewish family. She was an outstanding student and was well versed in philosophy. She received the doctorate in 1916 from the University of Gottingen and started to teach at the University of Freiburg. She was an atheist as a young person, but one day, she started to read the autobiography of St Teresa of Avila, and eventually became interested in the Catholic Faith, and in 1922, she was baptized at the Cathedral Church in Cologne, Germany. Edith left the University of Freiburg and started to teach a Catholic girls school in Speyer, run by the Dominicans. Eleven years later, in 1933 Edith entered the Cologne Carmelite convent. Because of the ramifications of politics in Germany, Edith, whose name in religion was Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, was sent to the Carmel at Echt, Holland. She wrote a letter to Pope Pius XI condemning Nazism, and even though her letter received no answer, and it is not known for certain whether the Pope ever read it. However, in 1937 the Pope issued an encyclical written in German, Mit Brennender Sorge (With Burning Anxiety), in which he criticized Nazism, listed violations of the Concordat between Germany and the Church of 1933, and condemned anti-Semitism. When the Nazis conquered Holland, Teresa was arrested, and sister Rosa with her, and was sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz. One day, they asked all the girls in that camp to strip naked, promising them a cleansing shower, but instead Teresa, aged 51, and all the other women died in the gas chambers of Auschwitz on August 9, 1942. In 1987, she was beatified in the large outdoor soccer stadium in Cologne by Pope John Paul II. Out of the unspeakable human suffering caused by the Nazis in Western Europe in the 1930's and 1940's, there blossomed the beautiful life of dedication, consecration, prayer, fasting, and penance of Saint Teresa. Even though her life was snuffed out by the satanic evil of genocide, her memory stands as a light undimmed in the midst of evil, darkness, and suffering. She was canonized on October 11, 1998.

Saint Dominic

Being the feast of St Dominic today, I thought you would appreciate this reflection on the physical characteristics of the beloved saint. After World War II, Pope Pius XII authorized the Dominicans of Bologna to have the relics of the founder examined. … After the war, with the Pope’s permission, the Provincial of Lombardy had the relics examined by X-ray. He was not permitted to open the casket, but photographs from many angles were taken. Almost all the bones are still there after more than seven hundred years. Doctors and anthropologists were able to study them and give an accurate description of the skeleton and physical characteristics of St. Dominic. A certain Sister Cecilia's description is proved reliable by the scientific examination. She said he was of medium height — the measurements show that he was five feet six inches tall. She said, “his figure was supple; his face handsome and somewhat ruddy; his hair and beard blond with a reddish tinge. He was not a bit bald [apart from the shaven tonsure], though here and there in his hair there was a touch of gray.” At the bottom of the reliquary, the examiners found some shreds of St. Dominic’s hair. It was exactly the color that Cecilia had said it was. “From his brow and eyes,” she continued, “there came a radiant splendor which won the respect and admiration of all; his eyes were large and beautiful.” St. Dominic’s remains show large eye-sockets that are widely placed, confirming the physical description of Cecilia. With the scientific measurements and Cecilia’s description an artist has reconstructed an image of St. Dominic. At least in size, shape, and proportion it conforms to life. “His hands were long and handsome and his voice powerful and sonorous, and he was always joyous and smiling, except when moved with compassion at the affliction of his neighbors.” There are very few saints of so long ago whose personal appearance is so well described. The statue reproduced above is the image reconstructed from these descriptions. It was sculpted by Carlo Pini in 1946 and is in the Basilica of San Domenico, Bologna, Italy. That is also where St. Dominic’s remains are entombed.

Houses in strange places

We are so used to houses being built along streets, besides other mansions, in apartment buildings, beautiful villas and cottages, etc. But some people have truly inventive ideas where they end up building their homes. Just check these four houses constructed in strange places. At the moment our little island of Malta is going through a frenetic period with skyscrapers going up with no control. Wherever you look you see tower cranes, scaffolding, planks and beams, besides noise from jack hammers and just about every imaginable construction equipment blocking streets adding dust and debris everywhere, not to mention a lot of inconvenience. 

Since we only have 122 square miles, real estate is very limited, so the buildings are going up, and up, and up into the skies. The problem is that various contractors are being given the go-ahead by the government to continue to build, leaving very little space for gardens, open spaces where people can relax and enjoy a walk in the limited countryside. Please pray for us!

Transfiguration

'Transfiguration' by Raphael Sanzio

We celebrate today the feast of the Transfiguration, the occasion when Jesus appeared with Moses and Elijah on Mount Tabor. With them were the apostles Peter, James and John. After Jesus was surrounded by a cloud of bright light, Peter uttered a phrase that has remained quite significant and controversial in some ways. He was instantly overcome with a state of euphoria, and wanted to somehow crystallize himself in that moment, when he said to Jesus “Lord, it’s so good for us to be here, let me build three booths here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 

We act like Peter sometimes when we’re enjoying life and going through a stress-free period of our life. We are on vacation, enjoying a beautiful trip, a spectacular scene, spending time with friends, the Christmas season, and we don’t want it to end. We feel on Cloud Nine and want it to last forever. But reality is different, just as it was different with Peter and the other disciples - there was much work waiting for them, especially after Jesus went up to heaven. It is the same with all of us. Vacation time will soon be over, and many people will be back to work, back to their normal routine. Hopefully the joyful euphoria they experienced will help them spread a spirit of happiness and joy around them, as was the case with the apostles after they took over the baton from their Master and led Christianity through its first few years. Let’s tackle this coming year with enthusiasm, prudence while staying focused on the work at hand without ignoring our priorities.....especially our relationship with the Lord.

Lotus blooming again

After 33 years of waiting, beautiful pink lotuses bloomed again in Kashmir’s Wular Lake. Locals threw seeds into the lake hundreds of times, but nothing grew. It’s only now, after the silt was cleared, that these flowers bloomed again at the foot of the Himalaya Mountains . This lake is renowned for its high-quality lotus plants, and sustained the livelihoods of more than 5,000 people who harvested and sold nadru – the edible lotus stem cherished as a delicacy in Kashmiri households. But in 1992, devastating floods hit the region. They choked the lake bed with silt, wiping out the lotus plants and plunging families into poverty. Officials say more than 7.9million cubic metres of silt have been removed from the lake so far. Now the lotus flowers have finally appeared again. Although lotus stems had not been visible in the lake for years, the roots had probably remained dormant – buried under layers of silt. After the silt was cleared, lotus plants started re-emerging, making this phenomenon not just the revival of a plant, but it’s the resurrection of a cultural ecosystem. Historically, the lake has sustained fishing communities and harvesters of water chestnuts. It remains a critical habitat for migratory birds, including the Siberian crane.

St John Mary Vianney

My all-time favorite Saint is not just the patron saint of priests, but also the patron saint of all those who find learning and going to school tough and hard. The Cure of Ars’ life is itself a miracle. Jean-Marie Vianney was born on May 8, 1786, in the French town of Dardilly and was baptized the same day. His parents had six children of which Jean-Marie was the third. He grew up on his family's farm in a very devotional environment. His parents frequently helped the poor and gave hospitality to many pilgrims. By 1790, the French Revolution forced many loyal priests to hide from the government in order to carry out the sacraments in their parish. The Vianneys continued attending Mass, even though it was illegal. In order to attend Mass, they traveled to distant farms where they would pray in secret. Since the priests would risk their lives day by day, Jean-Marie began to look upon priests as heroes. During the Mass, the windows were covered so that the light of the candles could not be seen from the outside. By 1802, peace was re-established, and Jean-Marie wanted to start studying, but he still had to serve in the army. He was 19 when he started school, while his classmates were all 11 or 12, but he persevered, even though he found the study of Latin very hard. He gave up many times, but he was eventually ordained a priest on August 13, 1815. He was sent as Assistant to his sponsor, Father Balley in the parish at Ecully. Three years later he was made parish priest of Ars, a remote French hamlet, where his reputation as a confessor and director of souls made him known throughout the Christian world. His life was one of extreme mortification. Accustomed to the most severe austerities, beleaguered by swarms of penitents, and besieged by the devil, this great mystic manifested tremendous patience. He was a wonder worker loved by the crowds, but he retained a childlike simplicity, and he remains to this day the living image of the priest after the heart of Christ. He heard confessions of people from all over the world for 16 hours each day. His life was filled with works of charity and love. It is recorded that even the staunchest of sinners were converted at his mere word. He died August 4, 1859, and was canonized May 31, 1925.

Remember this......

Things to walk away from......

Conversations filled with hate, gossip or negativity.

Arguments that lead to nowhere and pointless drama.

One-sided relationships and fake friends.

People who put you down or toxic relationships.

Unnecessary waste of time on social media.

Thinking that you can live without God in your life.

Anything or anyone who disturbs your peace, self-worth and values.

Digital Missionaries

With my 1st smartphone and my CD collection in the background

A new phrase that have surfaced just recently is one that is being used by Pope Leo as he celebrates the Jubilee of youth, media and social media. It is the Vatican's weeklong Jubilee for young people that culminates this weekend with a vigil and Mass in a vast field on Rome's outskirts. Leo thanked the young people for using their digital platforms to spread the faith. But he warned them about neglecting human relationships in their pursuit of clicks and followers, and cautioned them to not fall prey to fake news and the "frivolity" of online encounters. "It is not simply a matter of generating content, but of creating an encounter between hearts," Leo said in a speech that showed his ease switching from Italian to Spanish to English. "Be agents of communion, capable of breaking down the logic of division and polarization, of individualism and egocentrism. Our mission — your mission — is to nurture a culture of Christian humanism, and to do so together." In a way, all young people using their cell-phones effectively to spread the message of the Gospel, can truly be digital missionaries.

Digital missionaries are all those who use the media , written, published, electronic and in any other form to spread the Good News. I consider myself a seasoned digital missionary as I’ve been involved in the written and spoken message since my Seminary years, over 50 years. My contributions has taken various forms, including writing for 38 years in a Maltese Catholic newspaper, using effectively various parish bulletins in former parishes, preparing PowerPoint talks on various topics, mainly religious, using my Blog for 13 years so far, using photography, music, and email to connect with friends, and answer questions about the faith, even as a form of online counselling.

A few more to reflect on....

Never think you are nothing; never think you are everything, but always think you are something and you can achieve almost everything.

Relax. Don’t rush. Don’t force. Don’t stress. Let things happen, Trust the process, and try to enjoy the ride.

Walking is good for you. Walk away from your negative thoughts, doubts, fears and past mistakes. Walk away from other people’s judgments, anger, selfishness and hate. Walk away from trying to meet society’s unrealistic standards of how you should love your life.

A good life is when you assume nothing, do more, smile often, dream big, laugh a lot, and realize how blessed are you for what you have.

Mistakes make us human. Failures help us grow. Hope keeps us going. And love is the reason we’re alive. Keep learning, loving and living.

Walk with God when your heart needs company. Take His hand when you feel alone. Turn to Him when you need someone to lean on. He’s the only one you can always rely on.

Maturity is not when you start speaking big things. It is when we start understanding small things.

Ability of a person is not how he has planned, but how he stands and faces the challenges of life, when everything he planned has gone wrong. Be confident !

Attract what you expect. Reflect what you desire. Become what you respect. And mirror what you admire.

Discussions are always better than arguments. Because an argument is to find out who is right, and a discussion is to find what is right.

Two things define you in life. Your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything.

St Ignatius of Loyola

St. Ignatius was born in the family castle in Guipúzcoa, Spain, the youngest of 13 children, and was called Iñigo. When he was old enough, he became a page, and then a soldier of Spain to fight against the French. A cannon ball shattered his leg and subsequently, a series of bad operations ended his military career in 1521. While St. Ignatius recovered, he started reading the Bible and the lives of the saints, and decided to dedicate himself to becoming a soldier of the Catholic Faith. Soon after he experienced visions, but a year later suffered a trial of fears and scruples, driving him almost to despair. Out of this experience he wrote his famous "Spiritual Exercises". After traveling and studying in different schools, he finished in Paris, where he received his degree at the age of 43. Many first hated St. Ignatius because of his humble lifestyle. Despite this, he attracted several followers at the university, including St. Francis Xavier, and soon started his order called The Society of Jesus, or Jesuits. He was a gifted spiritual director, and was very active in fighting the Protestant Reformation and promoting the subsequent Counter-Reformation. St Ignatius died at the age of 65. He was canonized on March 12, 1622.  There are 38 members of the Society of Jesus who have been declared Saints. So many other Jesuits have become Cardinals, Bishops and great writers. And we even had the first Jesuit Pope, Jorge Bergoglio, the beloved Pope Francis.

Humility

Professor Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was an Afro-American orator, author and educator. Soon after he became President of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, a white woman saw him walking and asked him if would like to earn a few dollars by chopping some wood for her.  The professor smiled, rolled up his sleeves and started chopping. When he had finished, he placed the wood next to her fireplace. A young girl saw him, and told the white woman that the man she asked to help her was professor Washington. So next day the woman went to his office at the Institute and apologized to him for asking him to do such menial work. He brushed it off smiling at her saying ‘It’s OK, I enjoy doing some manual work once in a while.’ She told him how impressed she was by his humility. A few years later that woman asked some of her friends to give a handsome amount of money to the Tuskegee Institute. Professor Washington wrote later on ‘the happiest people are those who feel happy helping those in need.’ In his University many great students studied, including George Carver Washington and many pilots who flew planes during World War II.

The Bethany siblings

The three Bethany siblings are celebrated together today. Until 3 years ago, it was only Martha that had her feast on July 29, but now we have Mary and Lazarus along with her. We all remember that domestic scene in the Gospels when Jesus visits his friends Martha and Mary, who along with their brother Lazarus, all of them close friends. We read how Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to him talk, while Martha was busy with the household chores and duties of hospitality, which were very important in Middle Eastern culture. Eventually Jesus reprimanded Martha and praised Mary for choosing the better part. I always felt bad for Martha, because she was doing her duty as a host. Just look at this painting and observe how much food she had to prepare. As if she was trying to tell Jesus: “Let’s all fix some snacks together and then we can sit down and talk....” Maybe Jesus was a little too quick to criticize her, but we know that all got along well, and both girls humbly yet eagerly appealed to Jesus when their brother Lazarus died. I have no doubt that Jesus enjoyed visiting them, sitting down, taking his sandals off, putting his feet up, and relax in the shade of a trellis in their yard covered with vines, with bunches of grapes hanging from them. Then the girls would prepare some food, some nice crusty bread, a dish filled with figs, olives, grapes, nectarines, pomegranate and other finger food that was popular those days. And as they listen to their friend talk, they would nibble of the food, while sipping some home-made wine, which surely Lazarus would have prepared for his friend. This feast reminds us also of the value of hospitality as we visit friends or relatives, as they visit us, being courteous and grateful, hospitable and welcoming and forever gracious. We celebrate today also the gift of friendship.

Supporting our priests

Fr Matteo Balzano

A recent suicide by an Italian priest, Fr Matteo Balzano, aged 35 from the Diocese of Novara, Italy brought around a lot of comments of support to priests who are human and vulnerable like everyone else.  This tragedy opened a wound that sometimes remains hidden, and it elicited the need for accompaniment to priests, who often carry tremendous burdens, challenges and responsibilities. A Peruvian priest wrote on FB ‘Like every other man, I feel, I suffer, I laugh, I cry, I show anxiety, often I am sad, and  I feel the massive weight on my shoulders  which appears about to crush me. In every priest there is a human heart with its own feelings: joy, wounds, traumas and stories that few people know about them. And when such a tragedy occurs, I stop and ask myself about my life and my personal journey. It’s true that God is our strength, but we also need to be treated like men, not machines. At times the emotional weight is enormous and without God, I too feel overwhelmed and crushed.’

Another Spanish priest wrote: ‘The priest is not a superhero, and our vocation does not minimize suffering. When the priest feels lonely, he needs support, because frequently the suffering is more emotional than physical. Many priests live in a climate of indifference, facing prejudice and excessive demands thrown at them. Indifference does more damage than hatred. If we make a mistake, they quickly tell you about it. When we do good, normally no one says anything. We need to rediscover the humanity of the priest. They are poor men with fragile souls, men who left everything behind them  and were ordained priests full of hope. We don’t need people to feel sorry for us, but that they pray for us and carry the burden with us. God sustains us, but no one is excluded from such tragedies. How many such tragedies happened because of excessive work, the uncalled for gossiping of people, their indifference, weak mental health, anxiety and depression.’

The 'Our Father'

Jesus preaching by Beato Angelico

Jesus encourages the people today to pray in a simple way. Many are concerned about what prayer books to use, how to pray, when to pray and what methods are most effective. He teaches the people a simple prayer, the ‘Our Father,’ repeated at least once at each Mass, 6 times during the Rosary and on many other occasions before meetings, etc. It’s amazing how much this prayer covers so many areas for which we are to pray. During the Our Father we honor Jesus’ name (Hallowed be thy name,) and pray as Mary prayed in front of the Angel Gabriel (Thy will be done.) We ask for our physical and spiritual nourishment (Give us this day our daily bread,) and of course we ask for forgiveness for our sins and pray that we be reminded to forgive all those who wrong us (Forgive us our trespasses....) And last but not least we pray that we’ll always be protected from the snares of the devil (Lead us not into temptation,) and pray finally that evil never approaches us (Deliver us from evil,) which is partly up to us to resist.

According to the website ChristusRex.com, the Our Father has been translated into 1697 languages, including Maltese. There is a place in Jerusalem where various Our Fathers are written on tiles in a cloister, including this one, in Maltese, although it is in old Maltese pronunciation, besides a few orthographic mistakes.

Grandparents

                   
We honor today St Joachim and St Anne, the parents of the Blessed Mother and grandparents of Jesus. In their honor, I offer this prayer for grandparents:

Almighty God, we pay tribute today to the role of grand parenthood. So many grandparents nowadays are raising their own grandchildren, because their own parents either failed, or are too busy, or are separated or divorced. At a time when they thought that their work was done, they take over more responsibilities with patience, love and determination. May the images of St Joachim and St Anne be an inspiration to these grandparents, as they reflect on the love and affection they showed in raising their daughter Mary, the Mother of our Savior. And who knows how happy they were to see baby Jesus being born, raised and loved by his own parents. Who knows how often they baby-sat for him, and they must have been so proud of him, as they admired him growing up as a toddler, a young man and eventually leaving home for his official mission. We pray for all grandparents that they may find the courage and strength to honor their role in protecting, guiding and inspiring their grandchildren, and may they be an example of faith and fortitude for them.

What is heaven like ?

One mother had the custom of talking to her children every evening before they sleep. She would read a children’s story, hug them and kiss them. She would stay in bed with them until they doze off. One day, one of the younger girls was in a bad mood and started crying. The mother spent more time with her, hugging her and reassuring her that everything is going to be just fine. At one moment the little girl asked her, ‘hey mom, is this what heaven is like?’ The love mothers have for their children is endless and unconditional. She can smile when she sees those fingerprints on the glass she just polished. She would wipe the tears away before she wipes the spilled milk on the floor. She would pick up her child before she can pick up the toys and Lego pieces spread all over the floor. She would smile before getting upset when she sees crayon drawings on the wall, especially when she read the mis-spelt ‘I Lov U.’

In the woods

If you’re ever in a forest or jungle or any wooded area in your neighborhood, and at least have some basic tools, this is what you can do, with a lot of imagination and plenty of time....... This man had an ingenious mind and a sense of initiative that baffles the mind. Enjoy this fascinating display of creativity and ingenuity.

St Bridget of Sweden

Born of a wealthy family in 1302, Saint Bridget, also known as Birgitta, she was related to many members of the royalty. In 1316, at the age of 14 she married Ulf Gudmarsson to whom she bore eight children, four daughters and four sons. Six survived infancy, which was rare at that time. One daughter is now honored as St. Catherine of Sweden. Bridget became known for her works of charity, particularly toward Östergötland's unwed mothers and their children. When she was in her early thirties, she was summoned to be lady-in-waiting to the new Queen of Sweden. In 1341 she and her husband went on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, in Spain. In 1344, shortly after their return, Ulf died at the Cistercian Alvastra Abbey in Östergötland. After this loss, Birgitta became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis and devoted herself wholly to a life of prayer and caring for the poor and the sick.

It was about this time that she developed the idea of establishing the religious community which was to become the Order of the Brigittines, whose principal house at Vadstena was later richly endowed by King Magnus IV of Sweden and his queen. One distinctive feature of the pre-Reformation houses of the Order was that they were double monasteries, with both men and women forming a joint community, though with separate cloisters. In 1350, a year of jubilee, Bridget braved a plague-stricken Europe to make a pilgrimage to Rome accompanied by her daughter, Catherine, and a small party of priests and disciples. This was done partly to obtain from the Pope the authorization of the new Order. But since the Pope was living in Avignon, France at that time, she had to wait until he returned to Rome. It was not until 1370 that Pope Urban V, during his brief attempt to re-establish the papacy in Rome, confirmed the Rule of the Order, but meanwhile Birgitta had made herself universally beloved in Rome by her kindness and good works. Save for occasional pilgrimages, including one to Jerusalem in 1373, she remained in Rome until her death on 23 July 1373. She was canonized in the year 1391 by Pope Boniface IX.

St Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene, whose liturgical feast we celebrate today, is mentioned as one of the women who ministered to Jesus. The same passage also refers briefly to an act of exorcism performed on her, on an occasion when seven demons were cast out. These women, who earlier "had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities", later accompanied Jesus on his last journey to, and were witnesses to the Crucifixion. She was also the privileged first person to see Jesus risen from the tomb, an honor that was not given to any of the 12 apostles, but only to Mary Magdalene, probably in a way of thanking her for staying with Jesus till the end at the foot of the cross. This is the last mention in the Gospels of Mary of Magdala, who now returned to Jerusalem. She is probably included in the group of women who joined the Apostles in the Upper Room in Jerusalem after Jesus' Ascension and may have also been with the Blessed Mother at Pentecost.

Tradition as early as the third century identifies Mary Magdalene with Mary of Bethany and with the woman sinner who anointed Jesus' feet, even though she remains unnamed. The identification of Mary Magdalene with Mary of Bethany and "the woman who was a sinner" is reflected in an influential sermon Pope Gregory I gave in 591, which said: "She whom Luke calls the sinful woman, whom John calls Mary of Bethany, we believe to be the Mary from whom seven devils were ejected according to Mark.  Mary had been looked upon as a great sinner, but Christ knew the circumstances that had shaped her life. It was He who had lifted her from despair and ruin. It was Mary who sat at His feet and learned of Him. It was Mary who poured upon His head the precious anointing oil, and bathed His feet with her tears. According to Eastern traditions, she retired to Ephesus and there she died. Her relics were transferred to Constantinople in 886 and are there preserved.  Most importantly we honor today a woman who remained faithful to Jesus until the very end of her life.

Best cuisine – top 100

Greek Cuisine is rated the best

This is a fascinating website with chock-full of information about cuisine from around the world. They are rated according to popularity, but each country has their own flavor, information galore, special food and edible items that are typical of that particular country. The USA is rated at Number 13 and Malta is at Number 84. The top 3 countries for best cuisine are: Greek, Italian and Mexican. These countries make up the top 10: Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Indonesian, French, Japanese, Chinese. Please browse through this exceptional website and visit your favorite countries, and respective food they present, and see which are the most popular restaurants. Click on this link to feast on everything your heart, stomach and appetite desire. I'll guarantee this is one of the best website you've ever visited.

https://www.tasteatlas.com/best/cuisines

Festa season

This is festa season in Malta when most parish churches celebrate the week-long celebration in honor of their titular saint, culminating with a procession usually held on Sunday evening. The churches themselves are decorated with lights and colored motifs, which make them look quite spectacular. These are just two of the churches, the first one from Balzan, the feast of the Annunciation of Mary and the second one in Vittoriosa, the feast of St Lawrence the martyr. 

Often as many as 6 parishes celebrate their feast on a particular Sunday, and the Assumption of Mary has 10 parishes with that title, and so August 15 is a busy day for churches, priests, lay people, altar servers, marching band players, decorators, nougat sellers, and fireworks enthusiasts. Between mid-May and mid-September as many as 60 feasts are celebrated all over the Maltese islands.

Prayer for families

I offer this prayer to all the families who are struggling right now, or with other issues related to children and relationships. Let me therefore offer my sincere prayers....

-          To young lovers who are planning to get married, that they will not give up to the pressure from friends, but really focus on each other’s love, and bring in Jesus in their lives.

-          To couples who feel their life is not complete because they are still childless.

-          To parents who are tired of controlling their children, and feel they are failing in their education and discipline.

-          To parents who are concerned because their children have stopped going to church.

-          To those couples whose love has disappeared and feel they are living like a brother and sister.

-          To those couples who had to separate and are thinking of divorcing.

-          To those couples who have been betrayed by the infidelity of their respective partner.

-          To those who are co-habitating but are not officially married.

-          To those families and households where they face daily domestic violence.

-          To those families where fighting and jealousy are so common, because of harsh words in the past, problems with the parents’ wills and testaments, lack of agreement, sibling preferential treatment, injustice of the past, etc.

-          To those families who are divided because of past hurts, prejudice, pride, children who stopped visiting their parents and sibling rivalry.

-          To those families still feeling the pain of poverty, lack of work and debts they incurred in the past.

-          To those families who suffer because one child is in prison and another one is on drugs.

-          To those families affected by illness, a handicapped child, elderly parents.

-          To those who are widowed and feel the pain of solitude.

-          To those families who just suffered the loss of a dear member of the family.

-          To those couples expecting the birth of a baby in the family.

-          To those who are in a healthy marriage with a few nice children, that they can share their successful experience with other couples they know, and who may use some help.