Praying for Fr. Joseph

Today I like to honor and acknowledge a priest I worked with in Bend, Oregon between 2013 and 2016. He comes from Kerala, India and has been serving in my former diocese of Baker since 2012. Unfortunately I just heard he was involved in a traffic accident, when he was walking and was hit by a car in the vicinity of Prineville where he is serving as Pastor since 2016. The news reached me that he was unconscious for a day or two, with multiple injuries, but being cared for at St. Charles Hospital in Bend. The last report is that he is talking and alert, but needs some surgery because of broken bones. The details I have are very sketchy, but I ask you to pray for him and for a full recovery. Fr Joseph Kunnelaya is a very dedicated priest who was my assistant at St Francis of Assisi in Bend and was very helpful and very much loved by all our parishioners. 

When we started together in October of 2013, there was some turmoil in the parish, but we calmed things down, and the people backed us up and appreciated our support, just as we appreciated their support to us.  I know he was very happy at Prineville which is not a big town, but active and devout, thanks to his leadership. I know he is fond of my blog too and checks it regularly – in fact just this weekend he reproduced one of my posts in his parish Bulletin. We love you Father Joseph, and we all hope you will be back in shape after some time of convalescence and rest. May God bless you with our incessant prayers.

St Faustina Kowalska

Saint Faustina was born Helena Kowalska in a small village west of Lodz, Poland on August 25, 1905. She was the third of ten children. When she was almost twenty, she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, whose members devote themselves to the care and education of troubled young women. The following year she received her religious habit and was given the name Sister Maria Faustina. In the 1930's, Sister Faustina received from the Lord a message of mercy that she was told to spread throughout the world. She was asked to become the apostle and secretary of God's mercy, a model of how to be merciful to others, and an instrument for re-emphasizing God's plan of mercy for the world. It was not a glamorous prospect. Her entire life, in imitation of Christ's, was to be a sacrifice ‑ a life lived for others. At the Divine Lord's request, she willingly offered her personal sufferings in union with Him to atone for the sins of others; in her daily life she was to become a doer of mercy, bringing joy and peace to others. Her special devotion to Mary Immaculate and to the sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation gave her the strength to bear all her sufferings. She wrote and suffered in secret, with only her spiritual director Fr Michael Sopocko, and some of her superiors aware that anything special was taking place in her life. After her death from tuberculosis in 1938, even her closest associates were amazed as they began to discover what great sufferings and deep mystical experiences had been given to this Sister of theirs, who had always been so cheerful and humble. She had taken deeply into her heart, God's gospel command to "be merciful even as your heavenly Father is merciful" as well as her confessor's directive that she should act in such a way that everyone who came in contact with her would go away joyful. The message of mercy that Sister Faustina received is now being spread throughout the world; her diary, Divine Mercy in my Soul, has become the handbook for devotion to the Divine Mercy. However, until Pope St John Paul II was elected Pope, her writings and her devotion were harshly condemned by the church, and were only recognized by her compatriot Pope, who eventually canonized here in April 2000, on the same day when Divine Mercy Sunday was instituted to be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter.

St Francis of Assisi

St Francis at the first Nativity in Assisi

Probably one of the most beloved and well-known Saints, even among non-Catholics, St Francis became affectionately known as the patron saint of animals. And in his honor, we bless our dogs, our cats, our lizards, horses, as well as giraffes and armadillos every year. He became one of the Church's most efficient reformers and started by reforming himself. The son of a cloth-merchant, one day he stripped naked in the local piazza and gave his father everything he had, including the clothes he was wearing. Instead he put on him a simple robe and gathered around him a few other men (among them St Anthony) and thus started the Franciscan order. The catalyst for this move came after a vision he had at the church of San Damiano, when Jesus spoke to him through the famous colorful cross and asked him to go and rebuild his church. This meant literally and figuratively, because he did fix the dilapidated church, but also founded an order which is still going very strong around the world, 800 years after its foundation. Later in his life, St Francis received the stigmata, the wounds of Christ and also inspired St Clare to start the female counterpart of the Franciscan Order, the Poor Clares. He was also known to have created the first nativity during the Christmas midnight Mass, taking the image of the baby Jesus down to the crypt, where he had already placed a donkey and cow and a manger with straw. To many of us, St Francis may seem out of touch with reality, rather than a profound philosopher. But that's exactly the kind of people the church needs even today, down-to-earth workers, with a good scale of values and who know where their priorities are. Francis lived a short life, born in 1181 and dying in 1226, being canonized 2 years after his death; but in his short life, he started a revolution of love, compassion, charitable work and encouraged everyone for a life of poverty, a lifestyle that all the Franciscans around the word still imitate.

St. Francis – 800 years in heaven

The chapel where the remains of St. Francis rest

The celebration of the death of St. Francis of Assisi on the evening of October 3 each year is known as the Transitus in Latin, or the "passage" from this life to the next. Today the Franciscan family remembers the joy with which Francis greeted his "Sister Bodily Death" and calls to mind that this is a journey we will all make someday. This commemoration of death is one of the most important Franciscan feasts.  Francis did not shy away from the reality of his eventual death. Scholars note that this stanza in the ‘Canticle of the Creatures’ was added at the end of the text by Francis near the time of his own death. Those Franciscan friars who knew and lived with him, recount how Francis was seen by a doctor close to his death and recalls the exchange between them:

The doctor said to him: "Brother, by the grace of the Lord, it will be well with you." For he did not want to tell him that he would die in a little while. Again blessed Francis said to him: "Tell me the truth. How does it look to you? Do not be afraid, for, by the grace of God, I am not a coward who fears death. With the Lord's help, by His mercy and grace, I am so united and joined with my Lord that I am equally as happy to die as I am to live." The doctor then told him frankly: "According to our assessment, your illness is incurable and you will die either at the end of September or in early October." Blessed Francis, while he was lying on his bed sick, with the greatest devotion and reverence for the Lord stretched out his arms and hands with great joy of mind and body and said to his body and soul: "Welcome, my Sister Death!" So, as today we commemorate the eighth centenary of Francis' own transitus, and celebrate the historical legacy he left behind, may we commit ourselves to more deeply embracing the Christian truth that death does not have the last word and, when the time comes for each of us as it surely will, that we embrace our Sister Bodily Death like the poor man from Assisi who reminded us that the only path toward resurrection is through earthly death.

Dear Stephen

Stephen is my Guardian Angel.

I’ve had a close relationship with him ever since I was a child.

I chose his name because I liked the martyred saint who does not get much recognition, because his feast day falls the day after Christmas, and so everyone is still in a festive mood, celebrating, partying and playing with the toys.

But Stephen has been a tower of strength for me,

Saving me from many near-miss accidents, helping me when I got stuck in sticky, uncomfortable situations, suggesting the right phrase to use when preaching, giving talks, and in conversation.

Stephen was there in my passenger seat while driving throughout New York and Oregon, clocking over a million miles, zipping through trucks, trailers and crazy drivers.

Stephen has travelled with me in all my flights over 35 years, watching over me, hoping to arrive safely at my destinations, usually Malta, New York and Oregon.

Unfortunately many people do not even recognize their Guardian Angel.

They think it’s something just for children,

But how wrong they are !

They are with us from the moment we are conceived until the day we die.

Watching over us, protecting us, guarding our every step we take, every word we say.

They also stay with us when we get to heaven.

Today we honor them on their feast day.

Psalm 91:11 reads: "For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways"

And in the Gospel we read "See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 18:10)

So thank you dear Stephen, for always being there for me.

Thank you for your timely advice whenever I turned to you.

Thank you for staying close to me, always and everywhere.  

St Therese of Lisieux

St Therese, a few months before she died, aged 24.

Generations of Catholics have admired this young saint, called her the "Little Flower", and found in her short life more inspiration for their own lives than in volumes by theologians. Yet Therese died when she was 24, after having lived as cloistered Carmelite for less than ten years. She never went on missions, never founded a religious order, never performed great works. The only book of hers, published after her death, was a brief edited version of her journal called "Story of a Soul." But within 28 years of her death, the public demand was so great that she was canonized. Therese was born in France in 1873, the pampered daughter of a mother who had wanted to be a saint and a father who had wanted to be monk. The two had gotten married but determined they would be celibate until a priest told them that was not how God wanted a marriage to work! They must have followed his advice very well because they had nine children. The five children who lived were all daughters. Louis and Zelie Martin would themselves be canonized in 2015. Her mother Zelie died when Theresa was only 5 years old and her sixteen year old sister Pauline became her second mother -- which made the second loss even worse when Pauline entered the Carmelite convent five years later. Pauline and Marie would follow and that left her with her father and Celine.

At Therese as a young girl

She of course wanted to join the convent but was too young – yet, this did not stop her. She went to the bishop and her father took her to Rome to meet Pope Leo XIII. Soon afterwards, Therese was admitted to the Carmelite convent that her sisters Pauline and Marie had already joined. She knew as a Carmelite nun she would never be able to perform great deeds. Therese took every chance to sacrifice, no matter how small it would seem. She smiled at the sisters she didn't like. She ate everything she was given without complaining - often given the worst leftovers. Upon their father’s death, now Celine also entered the convent. Four of the sisters were now together again. In this small convent they now made up one-fifth of the population. Despite this and the fact that Therese was a permanent novice they put her in charge of the other novices. Then in 1896, she coughed up blood. She kept working without telling anyone until she became so sick a year later everyone knew it. She died on September 30, 1897 at the age of 24 years old. After she died, Pauline put together Therese's memoirs and sent 2000 copies to other convents. Within two years, the Martin family had to move because her notoriety was so great and by 1925 she had been canonized. 

God calling !

Steve Jobs and Vic Gundotra

Vic Gundotra was an Indian businessman who until 2014 had a big role with Google. Before that he was a general manager of Microsoft. He tells a story about being in church on Sunday January 6, 2008 when his mobile phone rang, and when he checked it, he saw the phrase ‘Caller ID unknown’ and he ignored the call. When the service was over, he checked his messages again, and found out that he had a message from his friend Steve Jobs saying: ‘Vic, can you come to my house? I need to discuss something with you...a little urgent.’ Vic recalls that he instantly called back Steve, since he was at that time responsible of all the ‘applications’ of Google, and was in regular contact with Steve. He told him ‘Hey Steve, this is Vic. I’m sorry I didn’t respond to your call, but I was at the church service and the phone  showed Caller ID unknown, and so I ignored it.’ Steve laughed and told him, ‘Vic, you should never answer your phone at church. You should only answer if it said ‘God calling !’

The Archangels

St. Michael, St. Raphael and St. Gabriel

Today is the feast of the Archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Michael - the angel of judgment - is known as the champion in the fight against Satan and the other devils as well as the guardian of the faithful especially at the time of death. Frequently he is portrayed crushing the devil’s head with a lance. Gabriel - the angel of mercy - is the messenger from God in St Luke’s gospel who foretold the birth of John the Baptist, “Be not afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.” Six months later it was Gabriel who appeared to Mary at the Annunciation saying, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.” Raphael  -  whose name means “God has healed” was sent by God to heal Tobias of his blindness and to deliver Sara from the devil in the book of Tobit.

We tend to underestimate the presence of Angels in our lives. However they are gaining popularity as we see many angel pins on people’s jackets, posters and paintings of various angels are showing up at card stores. And of course at Christmas, there are the angels on ornaments and hanging on nativity scenes. We sing about the angels in several of the Christmas hymns. Angels were also present at Jesus’ tomb when the women went to anoint his body and found the tomb empty. But we are reluctant to accept their actual existence. This is certainly a departure from our childhood when we prayed to our Guardian Angel at least daily. As children we believed that there was truly one angel whose job was to look after us, who would always hover around us ready to protect us from all evil and to communicate our desires and needs to God. The feast of the Guardian Angels in fact is in 3 days, October 2.

Blessing on our home

Lord Jesus, bless our home and make it also your own.

Send your good spirit in every corner of our humble home.

May the walls scream with love, joy and laughter.

May the birds sing harmoniously in the trees and flowers surrounding our garden.

Bless our kitchen, and fill it with the warmth of Your love and of our loved ones.

Bless our dining room and where we gather to learn from each other and support one another.

Bless our bedrooms so that they can be a source of  relaxation and peaceful sleep.

Bless every room in our house, and bless each and every one of us.

And please, do come and stay with us, and remain with us.

We are honeored to have you as the Unseen Guest at every meal we share,

And a Silent Listener to every conversation we are involved in.

The Pope at Lourdes

As Pope Leo XIV spends a full day at Lourdes today, I share with you just one special photo I took a few years ago when I led a pilgrimage to this holy place. I wanted to get a nice shot of the main basilica, framed by some flowers or foliage of any kind. And being there in the middle of August, I was lucky that these pink flowers were blooming beautifully. I am sure many thousands of people will jam the whole Lourdes complex today as they assist at Pope Leo’s Mass and listen to his homily. The crowds so far have been overwhelming, both at the Youth rally (80,000 young people reported) and the huge Mass at the Place de la Concorde at the Champ Elysees, estimated at 700,000 people in attendance. I hope and pray that their presence there will re-ignite their commitment to the church and those who have drifted away over the last few years, will have the courage and motivation to come back home. And more importantly, be an important part of the French Catholic tradition.

Remember the Concorde ?

Well, yes I remember the Concorde very well. When I was stationed in Holy Spirit Parish in New Hyde Park between 1981 and 1991, the Concorde used to pass exactly over our parish twice a day. Both British Airways and Air France made a trip each day, and they would arrive in the morning, precisely at 8:45 AM and 9:15 AM. And since we had a 9 AM Mass, during the offertory, whoever was saying the Mass had to slow down at 9:15 AM when the supersonic plane would be passing over us, making the sonic boom, which is equivalent to a loud reverberating sound that usually lasts around 45 seconds, until it passes over us heading towards JFK Airport. 

The Concorde resting at Heathrow Airport

In transit we would see the Concorde up close at Heathrow airport, resting for the evening. It was quite a sight when I'm outside with the children as they gather in the schoolyard for classes at around 8:45 AM, to watch the first plane go by. Once in a while, there would also be a jumbo jet carrying the space-shuttle as a piggyback ride, probably landing at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The 747 Jumbo jets would be a common sight also, with hundreds of them passing over us, most of whom coming from various European airports, flying during the night, and arriving safely carrying hundreds of passengers.

The miracle baby

Travis, James Fulton and Bonnie Engstrom

This is the miracle that supported Blessed Fulton Sheen’s beatification yesterday. Sixteen years ago, a home birth turned into a nightmare in the heart of Illinois, the same state of Pope Leo XIV. What began as a quiet labor at home,  Bonnie Engstrom, the mother, said quickly descended into tragedy when an undetected knot in the umbilical cord tightened during delivery, cutting off the baby’s oxygen supply. When the midwife caught him and placed him in Bonnie’s arms, he was stillborn. As her husband Travis performed an emergency baptism and medical personnel began CPR on the floor, Engstrom felt as if she was falling out of control. In her desperation, her heart turned immediately to Venerable Fulton Sheen, whose name they had already chosen for their child.

Bonnie says ‘In my moment of desperation, my heart and voice continuously called on Sheen to pray for me. I had no idea how profoundly this prayer would change my life — and the lives of millions of Catholics across America, if not the world.’ The ordeal stretched across an agonizing hour. First responders spent 20 minutes performing resuscitation efforts before transferring the infant to the hospital, where doctors spent another 20 minutes trying every available method to restart his heart. Through it all, his body remained cold, blue and without a pulse. Finally, after 61 minutes without a heartbeat, medical staff prepared to declare the baby deceased. At that moment, when all attempts had ended, James’ heart started to beat. Even after his heart restarted, medical experts warned the family to prepare for severe organ damage, severe neurological impairment, and a lifetime of profound hardships. Once again, the family turned to the heavenly intercession of Archbishop Sheen, asking him to pray without ceasing for baby James Fulton. The divine intervention to those prayers surpassed all human expectation. An MRI conducted at three months revealed zero brain damage. As the years passed, James hit every developmental milestone with ease. Independent medical professionals later confirmed there was no scientific or medical explanation for his complete survival without complications. It was confirmed as a miracle through the intercession of Bishop, now Blessed Fulton Sheen. You have to remember that Bishop Sheen did a Holy Hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament all through his life, and the baby was saved, or came to life again, after 61 minutes! 

Blessed Fulton Sheen

Blessed Fulton Sheen in TIME magazine

Archbishop Fulton Sheen, the beloved television catechist during the 1950s and 60s in the United States is being beatified today, in Peoria Illinois by Cardinal Tagle of the Philippines, representing Pope Leo XIV. His Emmy-award winning television show “Life is Worth Living” reached an audience of millions throughout the USA, and tapes of his speeches are still available on social media and YouTube. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois at the age of 24 on September 20, 1919, and was appointed auxiliary bishop of New York in 1951, where he remained until his appointment as Bishop of Rochester, New York in 1966. He retired in 1969 and moved back to New York City until his death in 1979. Sheen’s remains were transferred from the Archdiocese of New York to Peoria, Illinois following a long legal battle over the late archbishop's burial place that had put Sheen's sainthood cause on hold. The Peoria diocese opened the cause for Sheen’s canonization in 2002, and 10 years later, in 2012, Benedict XVI recognized the heroic virtues of the archbishop. Sheen wrote close to 90 books, and is well known for his sermons, especially the 3-hour Good Friday sermons he did in St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. His time slot on TV clashed with other programs but most people preferred to listen to him rather than other shows. When he received an Emmy Award for his shows, he thanked his scriptwriters, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Padre Pio of Pietrelcina

This is one of my favorite prayers by St Pio of Pietrelcina, (1887-1968) whose liturgical feast we celebrate today:

My dear Jesus, release from my mind and heart 
- any troubles from the past, 
- any worries about the present, 
- any anxieties about the future. 
So that I can desire always, and in everything, just one thing 
– TO GO AGAINST MYSELF IN FAVOR OF YOUR LOVE. 
I entrust my reckless and troubled past to Your bountiful Mercy, o Lord. I also entrust to Your infinite Love my confused and undecided present. And I entrust to Your holy Providence my mysterious future. Amen.

7 Habits for a happy life

There are many ways a person can be happy. The Beatitudes Jesus gave us on the Sermon on the Mount share 8 of these. But I want to share with you 7 habits which can surely bolster our happiness. They are actually based on the acronym BLESSED - Beauty, Laughter, Encounter, Song, Silence, Engage and Devotion.

Beauty. Scripture tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1), and St. Basil the Great taught that every flower, tree, bird and stream should lift our hearts toward the Creator. 

Laughter. Proverbs reminds us that “a cheerful heart is good medicine,” and research agrees. Laughter releases endorphins, stimulates dopamine, improves immune function and reduces stress hormones. Joy is not a luxury for Christians; it is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Encounter. Our daily relationship with God. There are several Catholic ways to remain connected to Christ, including Scripture meditation, the sacraments, Eucharistic Adoration, journaling, and simple prayers that can be woven throughout the day.  

Song and music. Scripture repeatedly calls us to sing God’s praises, because God is worthy of our praise. But there is also good scientific reasoning for it, too — studies show you just feel better. Whether singing hymns at Mass, praying through the Psalms, or listening to praise music, worship changes our hearts, our mindset, and our bodies.

Silence. It encompasses fasting and detachment, things that have become increasingly more difficult in our noisy, materialistic world. The Desert Fathers and countless saints understood that God’s first language is silence. 

Engage. One of the strongest findings in happiness research is that close relationships are the greatest predictor of long-term well-being. Loving relationships are the single strongest contributor to happiness and healthy aging. Christianity has always been about communion — with God and with one another. Studies even suggest that regular volunteering is associated with lower rates of depression, better health and greater longevity.

Devotion. Devout people are the happiest people, because they feel closer to the Almighty. Devote yourself to praying the Psalms, the Rosary, adoration in front of the Tabernacle, reading spiritual books.

Malta’s Independence Day

Malta celebrates its first Independence, Sept 21, 1964

Malta was ruled over the past 2 millennia by the Romans, the Arabs, the Normans, the Spanish, the Knights of St John, the French and the British. Following a Maltese constitutional referendum in 1964, approved by 54.5% of voters, on September 21st 1964, Malta became an independent state as a Constitutional Monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II as its Head of State.  So September 21st every year is celebrated as Independence Day or Jum l-Indipendenza in Maltese, this year being the 62nd anniversary. One can say that both Labor Leader Dom Mintoff, as well as Nationalist Leader and Prime Minister George Borg Olivier contributed towards the attainment of Independence. On December 1st 1964, Malta was admitted to the United Nations. In 1965 Malta joined the Council of Europe, and in 1970, Malta signed an Association Treaty with the European Community. Malta was declared a republic on December 13th, 1974 and in 2004, Malta finally became the 25th nation to join the European Union. 

When Lincoln Apologized

Charles August Sandburg recalls in his biography ‘Lincoln: the lost years,’ when Lieutenant Colonel Charles Scott, in the summer of 1862 went to ask President Abraham Lincoln if he could take a few days off so that he could attend his wife’s funeral, who had died by accidental drowning.  The President refused ! Early the following morning, the President went to the hotel where Scott was residing and told him personally: ‘I had a very rough night and am very sad. I came to apologize for my remark yesterday. He then invited Scott to ride in his carriage and took him to the Steamship, so that he can board it right away and arrive in time for his wife’s funeral.  Many believe that Abraham Lincoln is the best president the USA ever had, and stories like this one show his humility and his closeness to his people. 

Perseverance

Walt Disney, who was told he had no creative ideas !

If you feel you have nothing to offer or not bright enough to do anything worthwhile, just wait a few months and try again. Quite a few well-known people were ignored or even rejected when they tried to do what they thought was their innate talent. For example, Albert Einstein did not speak until he was 4 years old, and his parents were told that he would be too slow to achieve anything in life. Walt Disney was dismissed from working for a newspaper as he lacked creativity, and had absolutely no imagination or original ideas. The Beatles were turned away from a recording studio when they tried to record their first record. The teachers of Thomas Edison told him he was too stupid to learn anything at all. And the author J.K. Rowling started to write the Harry Potter books, she was a single mother raising a toddler, and her first Harry Potter book was refused 12 times before a hopeful publisher decided to publish it. So, please never give up, but persevere.

Faith in Mongolia

Fr Padilla, Fr Sales and Fr Goessens

You may remember that Pope Francis in 2023 visited Mongolia. As he did throughout most of his pontificate, he always visited countries with a minority of Catholics. Mongolia itself has only 1500 Catholics. Francis even made their young Italian Bishop a Cardinal. But the faith actually was revived only in 1990 when the communist domination ended. And the person who is credited to have kept the faith alive is the Belgian priest, Father Robert Goessens. He is a member of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Helping him over the past few years were Father Gilbert Sales and Father Wenceslao Padilla from the Philippines. Father Goessens was ordained in 1955, and spent 37 years helping in Japan, before moving to Mongolia in July of 1992. Working together in the capital Ulaanbaatar, the three missionaries faced an entirely tough task: learning the Mongolian language, meeting a population that knew little or nothing about Catholicism, and patiently laying the foundations of an ecclesial community. Father Goessens just died on August 15 at the age of 97. His funeral was held 3 days later where he was described  as giving faithful service alongside his confreres, whereby his commitment sowed faith, hope, compassion and love among the Mongolian people.

St Robert Bellarmine

As we pray today for Robert Prevost, presently known as Pope Leo, we celebrate today his namesake's feast. Born at Montepulciano, Italy, October 4, 1542, St. Robert Bellarmine was the third of ten children. Robert entered the newly formed Society of Jesus in 1560 and after his ordination went on to teach at Louvain (1570-1576) where he became famous for his Latin sermons. In 1576, he was appointed to the chair of controversial theology at the Roman College, becoming Rector in 1592; he went on to become Provincial of Naples in 1594 and Cardinal in 1598. This outstanding scholar and devoted servant of God defended the Apostolic See against the anti-clericals in Venice and against the political tenets of James I of England.  In the field of church-state relations, he was also very effective in a time of major upheaval all over Europe. Remember that these were the days of the Protestant Reformation, with various leaders starting their own religion, King Henry VIII and the Anglican/Episcopalian religion, Luther with Lutheranism, Calvin and Zwingli in central Europe, and others. And like other well-known priest saints of this era, Robert was able to defend the church with the likes of St Vincent de Paul, St Ignatius of Loyola, St Francis Xavier, St Julian Peter Eymard, St Francis De Sales, St John Baptist Vianney, St Charles Borromeo, and many others. Robert Bellarmine was the spiritual father of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, a Jesuit novice, and also helped St. Francis de Sales obtain formal approval of the Visitation Order, the female order founded by St Jane Frances de Chantal. He has left us a host of important writings, including works of devotion and instruction. He died in 1621 and was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930; the following year he was declared a Doctor of the Church. His remains, in a cardinal's red robes, are displayed behind glass under a side altar in the Church of Saint Ignatius, the chapel of the Roman College, next to the body of his student, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, as he himself had wished.

A converted hero

Tom Burnett

Among the stories that happened on September 11, 2001, none showed more heroic virtues than that of 4 guys who were on one of the hijacked planes that was probably heading for the US Capitol or the White House. Tim Drake wrote a story for the National Catholic Register called, “To Pray, To Act, To Fight: A Hero’s Life.” In it the heroics of Mark Bingham, Todd Beamer, Jeremy Glick and Tom Burnett show them as passengers on United Flight 93, which went down in Shanksville Pennsylvania after its passengers rose up and refused to let the terrorists take it over.

Tom Burnett had told his wife a year earlier, how he started to go to Mass daily, and he would come back after Mass to tell his wife about it. He kind of sheepishly said he was going to Mass every day, but that wasn’t something he ever did, so she asked him why. He said he didn’t know. He thought there was some kind of message that God wanted to give him, so he wanted to spend time at Mass and in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament to hear what it was. She pressed him about what this message might be. Finally, he said, “All I know is it’s going to impact a great number of people, and it has something to do with the White House.” She said, “Do you think you’re supposed to run for office?” He said, “No, no, no, it’s not that.” But he found out a year later and we all found out what it was. Dina, his wife, said that she could hear in the recordings of the 9-11 calls that her husband was one of those leading the passengers to revolt against the hijackers, and so Burnett, with the other three heroes, Bingham, Beamer and Glick, they were able to save the Capitol or the White House from destruction, as was the case with the Pentagon and the Twin Towers.

Our Lady of Sorrows

'The Seven Sorrows of Mary' by Adriaen Isenbrant

The liturgical feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is celebrated a day after the feast of the Cross, and even though we are far from the Lenten season, the church asks us to reflect on the 7 sorrows that Mary experienced, as beautifully depicted in this image by Adriaen Isenbrant from the 16th century, a panel visible in Bruges, Belgium. The 7 sorrows that Mary had to face were these, as described in each of the panels surrounding the image of the Sorrowful Mother:

1. Jesus’ circumcision.
2. The escape into Egypt.
3. Jesus lost and found in the temple.
4. Seeing Jesus carrying the cross and meeting him on the way to Calvary.
5. The crucifixion of Jesus.
6. The Pieta, as the dead body of Jesus is laid on Mary's lap.
7. The burial of Jesus.

The beautiful hymn Stabat Mater Dolorosa is sung frequently during Lent, especially during the Stations of the Cross. The first three words mean “Stood the mournful Mother weeping,” and the poem was written by Jacopone de Todi in the 13th century, and was set to music by various composers including  Palestrina, Pergolesi, Scarlatti, Vivaldi, Haydn, Rossini, and Dvorák. Here are the first 2 verses:

At the Cross her station keeping,
stood the mournful Mother weeping,
close to her Son to the last.

Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
all His bitter anguish bearing,
now at length the sword has passed.

The Triumph of the Cross

Today the church commemorates the day when St Helena found the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Being the mother of Emperor Constantine, who ended the persecutions in 313AD, Helena was determined to find the abandoned cross on which Jesus was crucified. The feast is also known as  the Exultation of the Cross, or the Finding of the Cross. The excavations actually found three crosses buried in Jerusalem close to Mount Calvary. To verify which was the actual cross of Christ  they asked a sick person to touch each cross.  When he touched the third one, the person was completely healed, and thereby they concluded which was Jesus's cross. The image of the crucifixion, along with the nativity is the most painted subject in the history of art, and every painting is a true meditation on the passion of Christ. This painting reproduced today is by Mathias von Grunewald, and according to my friend and spiritual director Fr Benedict Groeschel, this image represents as close as possible to what the scene at Calvary was like, especially with the tortured body of Jesus on the cross. We adore you o Christ and we praise you, because by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.