Ash Wednesday

The Lenten season starts today with the celebration of Ash Wednesday. As people gather in churches, they will hear two different phrases as they receive their ashes.

"Repent and Believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
"Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return."
This is time of penance and repentance, a time to get closer to our ideals as Christians, to get closer to our God who will soon suffer and die for us. Let us utilize this special spiritual time of the year to show that we are truly remorseful of our sinfulness and are ready to change our lives.

It is interesting to note that in European countries, including Italy and Malta, the ashes are placed or dropped on top of the head, instead of marked on the forehead as is done in the USA. Instead of palms, sacristans burn olive branches, which had dried up from the previous Palm Sunday celebration, and the ashes are grey. This also shows the continuity between one year and another, from ashes to palms, and from palms to ashes. It is also a reminder of the stark fact that from dust we came, and to dust we will return, as the second phrase proclaims. Some parishes in New York used to replace the holy water fonts with ashes instead of holy water during Lent. I invite you to journey with me as I share with you during the next 40 days, reflections and meditations that will help you get closer to the crucified Jesus.
We adore you o Christ, and we praise You, because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

7 Servants of Mary

Can you imagine seven prominent men of Boston or New York or London banding together, leaving their homes and professions, and going into solitude for a life directly given to God? That is what happened in the cultured and prosperous city of Florence in the middle of the 13th century. The city was torn with political strife, morals were low and religion seemed meaningless. In 1240 seven noblemen of Florence mutually decided to withdraw from the city to a solitary place for prayer and direct service of God. Their initial difficulty was providing for their dependents, since two were still married and two were widowers. Their aim was to lead a life of penance and prayer, but they soon found themselves disturbed by constant visitors from Florence. In 1244, under the direction of St. Peter of Verona, O.P., this small group adopted a religious habit similar to the Dominican habit, choosing to live under the Rule of St. Augustine and adopting the name of the Servants of Mary. The new Order took a form more like that of the mendicant friars than that of the older monastic orders. Community members combined monastic life and active ministry. In the monastery, they led a life of prayer, work and silence while in the active apostolate they engaged in parochial work, teaching, preaching and other ministerial activities. They were especially devoted to the Mother of God, with special reference to her sorrows. They are also known as the Seven Holy Founders and the Servants of Mary. The church celebrates their liturgical feastday today, February 17. The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is on September 15, but in Malta, a special devotion in her honor is held on the Friday before Palm Sunday, with processions in all the parishes. 

Clowning 20 years ago !

                  

Parish picnic clown with Gracie Hardy in 2006

To celebrate carnival weekend being celebrated today, I share with you today......

Flashback from my journals - September 10, 2006 - PARISH PICNIC - A great Mass today, during which I announced my citizenship and welcomed everyone for another great year, with today’s Mass being like a kick-off for the new working year. Today was also the day for our parish picnic which was well-organized by my four go-getters who seem to work so well together, Cathy Berka, Kelly Hardy, Tay Mohr and Arlene Dethloff, besides their spouses, other parishioners who helped in the set-up and clean-up. People brought lots of food, while God gave us a glorious day with plenty of sunshine which everyone seemed to enjoy, because it was not hot with temperatures in the 70s. Many games were organized, mainly for children, but adults got involved in horse-shoes, bocce ball, volleyball, other than competitions to choose one of many interesting categories, like the oldest person, the farthest traveled person, the person from the farthest country, the most recently married and oldest married couple. Children competed also in drawing the most beautiful stained-glass window with chalk on the black-top. A very popular clown entertained the children and the adults while handing out balloons to the children, as they tried to guess who was behind the clown’s costume. When the Pastor did not show up, it was easy for people to conclude who it was, also because they somehow recognized the eye-brows and hairy hands, in spite of the fact that his face was painted in white and wearing  a curly purple wig. When I showed up after removing my outfit and washing my face, I apologized for being late and tried to convince the people that I had a run-in with the clown as he was caught drinking wine on the steps of the Cathedral. Few of course believed me, but the children remained very suspicious and wondered who the clown was. 

The clown handing out balloons

A horse-driven carriage by Ron Colton provided rides around town, let by two majestic draft horses that are big as the Clydesdale Budweiser horses. The pinada once again was a very popular attraction for all the children, and in spite of a few near misses with the dangerous pole in the hands of 5 year-olds, everyone ended with a handful of candy. It was so good to see everyone having a good time, and those who decided not to come do not know what they missed! By 3 PM, I was on my way to my Mission Church in Halfway, whose parishioners surprised me with a fellowship get-together after Mass with some ice-cream, juice and cookies to celebrate my citizenship. To commemorate the 5^th anniversary of the September 11 tragedy, I played my “Twin Towers Lament” on the flute which of course was very well received. Incidentally, the girl who painted the clown's face, Mayce Collard, was killed in driving accident in February 2007, a tragic day for the entire parish. She was only 17 and had just received her driver's license. She skidded on an icy road and died on the spot.

Carnival

It's Carnival time in Malta and in many other countries, like Brazil, New Orleans, Venice and our little sister island of Gozo, which has become synonymous with original, inventive, weird and strange costumes that people create to show off. Enjoy some Carnival floats that parade through the streets of the capital city Valletta from today till Tuesday evening. Even Donald Trump shows up in one of the floats, riding a bull in a Rodeo.

God is Love

The Bleeding Heart, my favorite flower, known as Dicentra spectabilis

God is Love. Love is the Lord of Life. Love gives Himself to you as the Living Bread of Heaven to sustain you through all life’s difficulties. Love is Jesus Christ who is the Truth, the Way and the Life.
Love demands openness, brings sincerity to all our actions, never makes excuses.
Love is Truth, as it enables us to be honest at all cost, never compromises the consciences of others, penetrates to our inner being, allows us to see ourselves as we really are.
Love is the Way, as it give at all cost, cares for all, shares oneself with others in humility, forgives to the umpteenth time, always says “I am sorry” for any wrong, evaluates but does not judge, guarantees tolerance, seeks a blending busyness and contemplation, binds the spiritual and sensual, discerns the important from the trivial, shares the joys and sadness of others, recognizes others as our fellow sisters and brothers.
Love is Life, as it offers vitality and hope to everyday, enjoys the eternal now for all its richness, cascades through all our emotions and endeavors, reaches out, ascending new horizons, brings fulfillment, eternal joy and serenity, is never exhausted.

Love is saying “I love you” at the end of each day, even when the day has been awful. Love seeks out the new day for a new beginning.  

Deer and Fawns

This was the first photo I took with my first digital camera, back in 2005. I was on my way to my Halfway mission church to celebrate the weekend Mass, which I did for 8 years, and along the Powder River there was always some kind of wildlife testing my quickness to take a great photo. This was one of those occasions as I saw a mother deer with 2 fawns nursing, watching over any intruders. Realizing that I was not the harmful type of intruder, she kept a close watchful eye on me as I zoomed on the trio and snapped this great photo. The fawns always have those white dots on their back when they are growing, which will disappear as they grow older. The female deer is called a doe, and generally has one or two fawns at a time. Mating season typically begins in later August and lasts until December. Some species mate until early March. The gestation period lasts up to 10 months. The fawn and its mother stay together for about one year.

Human Statistics

 - The average adult male shaves off 1 lb of beard per year.
 - A hard working adult sweats up to 4 gallons per day. Most of the sweat evaporates before a person realizes it's there though!
 - Men get hiccups more often than women do.
 - Nearly all boys grow at least as tall as their mothers.
 - 55,700 people in the US are injured by jewelry each year.
 - Men can read smaller print than women; women can hear better.
 - On average, people spend more than five years of their lives dreaming.
 - The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year.
 - In the course of a lifetime the average person will grow 2 meters of nose hair.
 - The average American makes six trips to the bathroom every day; that's about 2 1/2 years of your life down the drain.
 - The average American spends six months at red lights throughout his or her life.
 - By the age of 75, the average American has created about 110,000 pounds of garbage. 

 - Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
 - On average, humans have 9,000 taste buds in their mouths, tongues, and throats.
 - The average person will swallow 295 times while eating.
 - In your lifetime your body will produce more than 25,000 quarts of saliva.
 - Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
 - It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
 - Right handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left handed people do.
 - The average person laughs 13 times a day.
 - In an average lifetime a person will walk the equivalent of three times around the world.
 - In one day an average person will take about 18,000 steps.
 - A toothpick is the object most often choked on by Americans!
 - Most people take an average of seven minutes to fall asleep.
 - When asked to name a color, 3 out of 5 people will say red. 
 - Americans consumed 2 billion dollars worth of mayonnaise last year, and only 800 million dollars worth of Kethcup.

Our Lady of Lourdes

In 2019 and again in 2023 I was able to visit Lourdes with a group of Maltese pilgrims. I celebrated Mass for them and visited many landmarks, both in Lourdes itself and in the outskirts. But the thing that impressed me the most is the holiness and sacredness of the entire place. Yes, there were of course hotels and restaurants, but every shop and souvenir stand sold only religious articles, and absolutely nothing else. And once you enter the territory of Lourdes, you feel like you really entered a sanctuary, and you have the feeling that you were in a church, even with thousands of other pilgrims around. It was a very special time for me and one really felt the presence of the Blessed Mother with you wherever you went. Of course we participated in the aux flambeaux procession in the evening and I led the Way of the Cross and other prayers. Today we commemorate the first apparition of Our Lady at Lourdes to the young girl Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. Bernadette described the Lady as dressed in white with a blue sash around her waist and two golden roses on each of her feet, and with the Rosary beads in her hands. The Lady told her that she was the 'Immaculate Conception.' The church had just proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception 4 years earlier. It took the church a few years to declare the apparitions as truly authentic, and since then over 70 miracles have taken place to people visiting Lourdes, the tiny place nestled between Spain and France at the base of the Pyrenees Mountains. The famous movie ‘The Song of Bernadette’ portrays the story of Lourdes. In it the main actress, Jennifer Jones won the Oscar for best actress.

Shipwreck of St Paul

Shipwreck of St Paul by Fortunino Matania

February 10 is the celebration of the Shipwreck of St Paul on the shores of Malta. It is a holy day in Malta. The main church dedicated to the shipwreck of St Paul that happened in 60 AD, is situated in Valletta. The account of this event is recorded with minute detail by St Luke in chapters 27 and 28 of the Acts of the Apostles. The most popular verse in the entire Bible for all of the Maltese people is certainly this one: "Once we were on ground, we realized that the island was called Malta. The inhabitants showed us extraordinary kindness by lighting a fire and gathering us all around it......They paid us great honor and when we eventually set sail they brought us the provisions we needed." This speaks very highly of the Maltese inhabitants who showed themselves welcoming, appreciative and generous. 

We pray that the Maltese people will continue to hold close to their hearts the faith that St Paul planted on our island. The above statue of St Paul will be carried in procession this evening through the streets of Valletta. This wooden statue was carved by Melchiore Gafa.

USA to be consecrated

On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence  in 1776, the United States of America will be consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus next June 2026. In preparation, a novena of special prayers will be held in all parishes. Pope Pius XII used to say that our devotion towards the Sacred Heart is a call to build our society of divine love. In an encyclical on this devotion, the Pope wrote that this devotion is the root and symbol of unity, salvation and peace. Pope Francis in his last encyclical Dilexit Nos (He loved us) describes the Sacred Heart as the greatest personal source of love towards his people.

A goat at the Cathedral?

Flashback from my years at the Cathedral in Baker City, Oregon, 2010 - Among the people waiting to talk to me today was a 7-year old Maggie McKenzie who will be making her First Holy Communion in May. She always has some serious question to ask me, especially since I befriended her after talking to her about her horses and ponies. Her parents own a big ranch with many cows and horses, sheep and goats. Well today she came in front of me and asked me “Do you want to go?” I told her surprisingly “Go where?”

“No, do you want a go?” Still confused, I again responded “Go where?”

“No, no do you want a goat?” Finally I understood her - she was asking me if I want to have a goat. As surprised as I was with the first unclear question, I was even more confused by this request. I told Maggie “What would I do with a goat, and where would I keep her?” Apparently this goat isn’t even born yet, as her mother later clarified to me. She thought it would be a great idea to have her around the property to munch on the grass instead of the noisy lawnmower. Of course I had to disappoint her and refuse the offer, but thanked her anyway. However I did ask her mother if she could name this goat Julian or Juliana, and she overwhelmingly obliged.

Later in the week, during the Religion classes, I noticed Maggie’s mother waiting for me with her daughter, and I presumed she had some further information about the goat, but the news was about one of their cows which had just delivered a two-headed calf. They showed me pictures of the calf and even though he died 24 hours later, the head and the common spine were taken to some lab and was diagnosed, and will be kept on display in a Cattle Museum. The vet who helped deliver this unusual calf was Kim Mahaffey, a local vet who is a friend of mine, married to Janie, our Yoga instructress. Even more incredible news spread a few weeks earlier when quadruplet calves were born of one cow, two of which died at birth, and the other two survived. Twin calves are rare, and triplets and quads are very, very rare.

Mass in an Ice chapel

An estimated 2,000-plus students and other members of the Notre Dame community in South Bend, Indiana, gathered the night of Feb. 2 in subfreezing temperatures to celebrate a candlelit Mass at the site of St. Olaf Chapel, a student-constructed fleeting house of worship made from snow, ice and faith. Roughly 5 feet wide and 15 feet long with 6-foot ceilings, an apse, stained-glass windows and a spire peaking at 20 feet, St. Olaf Chapel was born from the winter daydreaming of two seniors and residence assistants at Coyle Hall. Inspired by an igloo another Notre Dame student had built, they sought to construct their own monument on campus. Construction began the afternoon of Jan. 27, near the end of a month that saw more than 38 inches of snowfall in South Bend, the city's eighth-snowiest January on record. They modeled their chapel loosely off the University of Notre Dame's Basilica of the Sacred Heart and even Paris' Sainte-Chapelle. While the campus' famed golden-domed basilica took more than 20 years to fully complete, the ice chapel replica took about six days. The time in the cold, often alone, lent ample time to think. One topic: what to call their snow creation.

They landed on the name St. Olaf — after the 11th-century Norwegian king and martyr, not the snowman from the Disney movie "Frozen." Eventually, they decided to hold a Mass at the chapel and gave themselves a deadline of Feb. 2, the feast of the presentation of Jesus in the Temple. The assembly fell silent as the choir of 50 students began singing "In the Bleak Midwinter." Braving temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, the students prayed and even kneeled in the snow around St. Olaf. After the homily, they sang, with arms locked together, the alma mater "Notre Dame, Our Mother." One of the petitions prayed for those who suffer in the cold. Communion alone took a half hour and the priests ran out of consecrated hosts. Looking ahead, the Notre Dame students don't have any future plans for St. Olaf Chapel. Temperatures were expected to rise above freezing by Friday. The general consensus was "We'll let it melt. We'll let it go on. It was all for the glory of God, and it'll just be a good memory soon.”

St Paul Miki and companions

The 26 Martyrs of Japan we honor today refer to a group of Christians who were executed by crucifixion on February 5, 1597, at Nagasaki. Their martyrdom is especially significant in the history of Roman Catholicism in Japan. As many as 300,000 Christians were in Japan towards the end of the 16th century, but most of them met complications from competition between the missionary groups. Christianity was suppressed, and it was during this time that the 26 martyrs were executed. By 1630, Christianity had been driven underground. Two hundred and fifty years later, when Christian missionaries returned to Japan, they found a community of "hidden Christians" that had survived underground. On February 5, 1597, 26 Christians – six European Franciscan missionaries, three Japanese Jesuits and seventeen Japanese laymen including three young boys, who were all members of the Third Order of St. Francis – were executed by crucifixion in Nagasaki on the orders of Hideyoshi Toyotomi. These individuals were raised on crosses and then pierced through with spears. While there were many more martyrs, the first martyrs came to be especially revered, the most celebrated of which was Paul Miki. The Martyrs of Japan were canonized on June 8, 1862, by Blessed Pius IX. Unfortunately, Nagasaki would become known as the second city on which the atom bomb was dropped during World War II, the other city being Hiroshima, also in Japan.

St Agatha

St. Agatha was born in Catania, Sicily, and died there a martyr in approximately 251 AD. In the legend of her life, we are told that she belonged to a rich, important family. When she was young, she dedicated her life to God and resisted any men who wanted to marry her or have sex with her. One of these men, Quintian, was of a high enough rank that he felt he could force her to acquiesce. Knowing she was a Christian in a time of persecution, he had her arrested. He expected her to give in when faced with torture and possible death, but she simply affirmed her belief in God by praying: "Jesus Christ, Lord of all, you see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am. I am your sheep: help me to overcome the devil." Quintian imprisoned her in a brothel in order to get her to change her mind. He brought her back before him after she had suffered a month of assault and humiliation in the brothel, but Agatha had never wavered. Quintian sent her to prison, instead of back to the brothel - a move intended to make her more afraid, but which probably was a great relief to her. When she continued to profess her faith in Jesus, Quintian had her tortured by cutting off her breasts. He refused her any medical care but God gave her all the care she needed in the form of a vision of St. Peter, who healed her breasts. Saint Agatha is often depicted in paintings carrying her excised breasts on a platter. The shape of her amputated breasts, especially as depicted in artistic renderings, gave rise to her attribution as the patron saint of bell-founders and of bakers, whose loaves were blessed on her feast day. More recently, she has been venerated as patron saint of breast cancer patients. Because she was asked for help during the eruption of Mount Etna she is considered a protector against the outbreak of fire. She is the patron saint of Catania, Molise, Malta, San Marino and Segovia in Spain. She is also the patron saint of breast cancer patients, martyrs, wet nurses, fire and earthquakes.

Fireworks

I have never been fond of fireworks. But there is a fascination with them in Malta, mostly in the summer months, when the festa season is in full swing, when all the parishes celebrate the titular feast of their patron saint. There are quite a few videos which local enthusiasts put up in YouTube, but I share with you just one today, taken during the feast of the Assumption of Mary on August 15, 2022 in the little village of Mqabba. This particular display was entitled 'Tower of Light.' These tiny villages look forward to this feast as they somehow compete with neighboring towns as to who displays the best performance of fireworks, often set to music, as was this case. Enjoy !

St Blase

Many people today head to churches to have their throats blessed on the occasion of the feast of Saint Blase, bishop and martyr. St Blase lived in the 4th century and was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea (modern Sivas, Turkey). He was martyred by being beaten, attacked with iron carding combs, and beheaded. In iconography, Blase is often shown with the instruments of his martyrdom, steel combs. The similarity of these instruments of torture to wool combs led to his adoption as the patron saint of wool combers in particular, and the wool trade in general. St Blase is also painted in the majestic Last Judgment by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel, placed close to St Sebastian and St Catherine. 

St Blase is red, with St Catherine and St Sebastian

He may also be depicted with crossed candles. Such crossed candles are used for the blessing of throats on the feast day of Blase, the day after Candlemas on the Roman Catholic calendar of saints. Blase is traditionally believed to intercede in cases of throat illnesses. He was particularly remembered for dislodging a fish‑bone in the throat of a young child, a miracle just before his death which led to many invoking prayers to him for protection of all throat ailments.

“Through the intercession of Saint Blase, Bishop and Martyr, may God protect you from all ailments of the throat and every other illness, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN”

The Presentation of Jesus

Stained-glass crafted in 1923

40 days has passed since Christmas, and this celebration of the presentation of Jesus is very meaningful, especially when we consider some Jewish traditions which the Holy Family were obliged to observe. Whenever a mother gave birth to a son, she would be considered impure for a whole week, and would not be permitted to enter the temple for a duration of 40 days. She would then spend the rest of the 33 days confined to her home. On the 40th day, which would be February 2nd, she would go to the temple for the ceremony of purification, besides having her son circumcised. The parents were also expected to present a gift to the High Priest, a pair of sheep if they were wealthy or a pair of turtle-doves if they were poor. This celebration used to be called the feast of Hypapante, meaning 'going to meet', to refer to the encounter between Mary and Joseph and the prophet Simeon. Simeon received the infant Jesus at the temple and so on this occasion a triple ceremony was done, circumcision, purification and presentation, all of which have been combined together by the Catholic church as the Feast of the Presentation, beautifully portrayed in the above stained-glass window in my former Cathedral in Baker City, Oregon which was crafted with a few others in 1923.

The True Shepherd

When Jesus tells the story of the lost sheep, He is not painting a soft, sentimental picture. He is revealing a love that is costly, uncomfortable and very personal. Sheep are not clean animals. They wander, they fall, they get stuck in mud, thorns and their own waste. Sheep are filthy, exhausted and easily get lost, and unable to rescue themselves. The dirtiest part of a sheep is its hindquarters. That is where the smell is the strongest, where the mess is undeniable. And when the shepherd finds the lost sheep, he does not drag it – he does not clean it first, he does not make it walk back to prove it has learned the lesson, to stay with the others. He lifts it, and places the sheep on his shoulders. Which means the dirtiest part of the sheep is pressed against the shepherd’s neck, his face, his clothes. The smell, the filth, the weight, all of it rests on his shoulders. Jesus chose that detail on purpose. That is not accidental imagery. Jesus is showing us exactly what He would do on the cross. He did not save us from a distance. He did not wait for us to get clean, he did not rescue the polished version of us. Rather He took the mess unto Himself. Jesus says the shepherd carries the sheep on his back rejoicing. Not frustrated or embarrassed. But rejoicing. This is the heart of the Father. Remember that God is not disgusted by your mess. He already carried it. God is not shocked by your weakness. He already bore it. God is not waiting for you the clean yourself up – He cleaned you Himself. And when Jesus arrives home, he does not isolate the sheep. He doesn’t scold her or punish her. He throws a celebration. He invites others to rejoice. You are not loved because you improved. You are not accepted because you behaved. You are not held because you stayed clean. Yu are loved because He carried you. You are accepted because He finished the work. You are held because He chose you. If this does not make you fall in love with God, nothing will. A God who puts your dirtiest parts on His shoulders. A savior who absorbs your shame instead of avoiding it. A Father who rejoices over you while you are still messy. This is not fragile love, but a love that smells like sacrifice and looks like a cross. You are never a burden to God. You are a joy set before Him. And He would carry you again without hesitation.

St John Bosco

St John Bosco - towards the end of his life

St John Bosco was born on August 16, 1815 and died on January 31, 1888. He was an Italian Catholic priest, educator and writer who put into practice the convictions of his religion, dedicating his life to the betterment and education of street children, juvenile delinquents, and other disadvantaged youth and employing teaching methods based on love rather than punishment, a method that is known as the preventive system. A follower of the spirituality and philosophy of Francis de Sales, Bosco dedicated his works to him when he founded the Society of St. Francis de Sales (more commonly known as the Salesians of Don Bosco). Together with St Maria Domenica Mazzarello, he founded the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, a religious congregation of nuns dedicated to the care and education of poor girls, and popularly known as Salesian Sisters. In 1875 he published Bollettino Salesiano Mensuale (A Salesian Monthly Bulletin) and it has remained in continuous publication, and is currently published in 50 different editions and 30 languages. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1934.

The Brigittines

The Brigittine Sisters, followers of St Bridget of Sweden follow a rule based on the teachings of Christ. However, King Henry VIII, Luther and others eliminated and closed many convents run by the Brigittine Sisters, all over Europe. They are known also as the Order of the Most Holy Savior. The visions that St Bridget had received showed a lot about purgatory and the Passion of Christ. St Bridget actually was married in early life and had 8 children. When her husband died and her children were grown up, she was given permission to found her order. She had visions from Jesus who dictated to her the exact words of her rule, word by word. Their motto is Amor Meus Crucifixus , which means ‘My love was crucified,’ and all nuns are asked to meditate especially on the sufferings of Christ. She lived between 1303 and 1373, and in 1999, Bridget of Sweden, along with St Catherine of Siena and St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross she was named Patroness of Europe.  

The Pope’s desk

When I look at my desk, and see the various objects that clutter every square inch, I am then humbled when I see Pope Leo at his desk in the Vatican. Mine is dominated by my lap-top, as is probably everybody’s desk, then little bits of paper with notes that I take, pen and pencil, some holy cards, a USB stick, a remote control mainly for my music, and of course my mouse and mouse pad which keeps moving and clicking incessantly. Now as I survey the Pope’s desk, seen here during an meeting with the Bishop of Tarbes, and the Lourdes Rector, I don’t see anything electronic at all, no computer, or laptop or Ipad. He only has a large note-pad in front of him, and some paper, a small decorative box with a button that could be also a bell, and what may be a cellphone next to it. Then at the edge there is a lamp-shade, a crucifix, a clock and a statue of a standing St Joseph with a young Jesus next to him. I believe this was the same statue that Pope Francis had on his desk, as were the other 3 items next to it. Pope Francis had also a sleeping St Joseph on his desk on some occasions. One can notice also a model galley on a decorative table in the background. At this desk Pope Leo conducts all his private meetings with heads of state and other distinguished personalities.

A Frosty January

Today I will let two photos speak for themselves as I go back to January 15, 2009. I was serving as Pastor in Baker City Cathedral, having just finished a major renovation in our Cathedral, when frost appeared on every branch, twig, leaf and tree. It was just spectacular as you can see from these two photos, among many more I took that day. Frost is a layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor that deposits onto a freezing surface. Frost forms when the air contains more water vapor than it can normally hold at a specific temperature. It also forms when the air experiences a drop in temperature bringing it below its dew point, like when the temperature falls after the sun sets, which was probably the case when this happened in Oregon in mid-January. It happened again when I was Pastor in St Francis in Bend on January 24, 2014.

Saint Julian

The statue of St Julian by Carlo Darmanin from 1893

Today happens to be the liturgical feast of Saint Julian, my patron saint. In my hometown of St. Julian’s, special celebrations are held in the parish church, although the most extensive celebrations are held on the last Sunday of August. People are very fond of the statue made from paper-mache by Carlo Darmanin in 1891. St Julian lived in the 9th century and was from Belgium, the only child of his parents Carlo and Lusinda. He loved hunting and one day, just as he was shooting a deer, the targeted deer spoke to him, “before you kill me, just remember that one day you will kill your own parents.” Distraught at this message he ran away from his parents, eventually settling in a different town and marrying a young beautiful girl Margherita. His parents however never gave up, and searched for him for months, until they arrived at the town where he was living. Incidentally they met his wife, and she greeted them happily since Julian was on a hunting trip, and she invited them to rest in her own bedroom. 

A close-up of the face of St Julian

A jealous enemy of Julian met him when he arrived home and told him that his wife was cheating on him. Infuriated, Julian went into his house while his wife was at church, and finding two people sleeping in his bed, he decapitated them instantly, thinking they were his wife and her lover. Shortly afterwards, his wife arrived beaming with joy, ready to tell him that his parents had finally arrived. Feeling very confused on seeing his wife alive, and realizing what he had done, Julian was inconsolable, as he remembered the prophetic words of the deer. Thereupon, Julian left that town and went into Italy with his wife where he started helping the poor to redeem himself. He eventually built a small hospital, earning him the name of St Julian the hospitalier, and spent the rest of his life tending to the sick in Macerata, where his body is preserved in the local Cathedral.  St Julian was remorseful of his actions, and was forgiven, eventually becoming a saint. "Redemit te Caritas" is the motto of the saint, which means "Charity has redeemed you."

The Cherry Tree

When George Washington was 6 years old, he received a hatchet as a gift and damaged his father’s cherry tree with it. When his father discovered what George had done, he became angry. Young George bravely said, “I cannot tell a lie…I did cut it with my hatchet.” Washington’s father embraced him and declared that his son’s honesty was worth more than a thousand trees. Young George lost his father when he was 11 years old, and he was  to become a Founding Father and the first President of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797.

Giving away 5 babies

This is a another flashback from my Journal – I was pastor in the Cathedral of Baker City, Oregon. It was January 2010...... A young woman called today, informing me that her brother just died and they want to attend the funeral, somewhere between Nevada and California, and asked me if I can give them at least a voucher for gasoline. When she came in to the office, I talked to her and consoled her because she was still very upset.  I noticed also that she was pregnant and asked her when the baby is due and she said in May. My next question was if she had any more children, and she responded “I had 8 babies, but I gave 5 of them away for adoption!” She said she does not believe in abortion and so delivered the babies and gave them away one by one, all from the same father. However she did keep the last 3 babies and will be keeping the one she is carrying right now. I complimented her for giving birth to all of them and keeping them alive and reminded her that this coming Friday, January 22^nd, is the 37^th anniversary of the legalization of abortion here in the USA. I asked her if she keeps in touch with the 5 babies she gave up for adoption and answered in the affirmative, telling me also that they are placed in good homes, all in California. Some of the stories I hear are truly mind-boggling, and you may think that such stories happen only to other families in big and poor cities, not right here in our own neighborhood. I cannot comprehend how a mother can give away 5 of her children, but at least I admire her for not aborting them.

St Francis de Sales

We celebrate today the feast of St. Francis de Sales, the patron saint of journalists, my patron saint during my stay at the Cathedral dedicated to him in Baker City, Oregon between 2005 and 2013. He was born in 1567, ordained a priest in 1593. In1602 he was made Bishop of Geneva, died in 1622 and was canonized 33 years later in 1655. In his book ‘Introduction to the Devout Life’ St Francis de Sales encourages us to do what children do when tempted or facing a bear or a wolf while in the country – they run for protection next to their parents, or at least call for help. So should we all do when tempted – run to Our Father. As Jesus said in the prayer He taught us ‘lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’ If temptation persists there is yet another remedy – hang on to the cross, as if you are hugging Jesus himself on the cross. Pray for help. Do not accept those temptations and never let your eyes settle on them. Look only at the Lord, and your courage will increase. Another way of overcoming temptation is to turn your attention to something completely different, work on one of your hobbies, go for a walk, read a book, watch a good movie or listen to some great music.

Some quotes from his book “Introduction to the devout life.”
 - Nothing makes us so prosperous in this world as to give alms.
 - Let us run to Mary, and, as her little children, cast ourselves into her arms with a perfect confidence.
 - Salvation is shown to faith, it is prepared for hope, but it is given only to charity.
 - We must fear God out of love, not love Him out of fear.
 - The highest degree of meekness consists in seeing, serving, honoring, and treating amiably, on occasion, those who are not to our taste, and who show themselves unfriendly, ungrateful, and troublesome to us.

The above stained-glass window is from the St Francis De Sales Cathedral in Baker City, my former parish between 2005-2013. It was crafted by the Povey Brothers of Portland in 1923, exactly 103 years ago, and is situated in the apse, behind the newly-erected baldacchino, which is above the tabernacle.

Australia resurrected

St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, Australia

We’ve heard recently that some countries are experiencing a resurgence in church attendance and active participation in their Catholic churches. France has shown this trend and many American colleges are showing great interest in the Catholic faith by many students who have previously been inactive. On the other hand, Latin American countries are experiencing a decline in church attendance, and it’s been dramatic especially over the last 10 years. Astonishingly, they were the Pope Francis years ! Now comes the surprising news that Australia is going through ‘its second spring’ as its Archbishop of Sydney, Fr Anthony Fisher , OP called it. This is especially seen in many young people who had no association with any religion in their past. For 5 years in a row, there has been an increase of 26% of conversions, not from lapsed Catholics, but from new members who were previously not affiliated to any faith or religion. Admittance to Catholic schools is increasing regularly, as is the number of vocations to the priesthood. The Archbishop jokes by saying ‘I soon would need a bigger Cathedral! In the last few weeks, I ordained a Bishop,  2 deacons and a priest.’ Not to mention the 36 priests he ordained since 2015. He attributes all of this to the Holy Spirit. 

St. Publius

The apse of the St Publius church in Floriana, Malta

Today the church in Malta celebrates the feast of St Publius. He was the chief of the island of Malta when St Paul was shipwrecked here in 60 AD. He welcomed St Paul, St Luke and the 276 sailors who ended up drifting to shore on planks of wood from the broken vessel on which they had travelled. Publius was very generous and hospitable to all these people, and when St Paul found out that his father was sick with fever and a bout of dysentery, he went to his house and healed him, whereupon many other natives came to be healed of various ailments. Eventually St Paul ordained St Publius as the first Bishop of Malta. Later on in his life he was captured and martyred by the cruel Emperor Hadrian. Most probably he was sent to the amphitheatre and devoured by a lion, as his statue always shows him with a lion next to him. He was canonized in 1634. The parish church of Floriana is dedicated to him, and the impressive ceiling of the church was painted by Emvin Cremona with various scenes from the life of St Publius. The photo shown here is St Publius entering heaven, painted by Emvin Cremona. (click to enlarge)

St Agnes

One of the early and young martyrs of the church is the beloved Saint Agnes. According to tradition, Saint Agnes was a member of the Roman nobility born around 291 AD and raised in a Christian family. She suffered martyrdom at the age of twelve or thirteen during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, on 21 January 304. The Prefect Sempronius wished Agnes to marry his son, and on Agnes' refusal he condemned her to death. As Roman law did not permit the execution of virgins, Sempronius had a naked Agnes dragged through the streets to a brothel. Various versions of the legend give different methods of escape from this predicament. In one, as she prayed, her hair grew and covered her body. It was also said that all of the men who attempted to rape her were immediately struck blind.  When eventually she was led out to die she was tied to a stake, but the bundle of wood would not burn, or the flames parted away from her, whereupon the officer in charge of the troops drew his sword and beheaded her. It is also said that the blood of Agnes poured to the stadium floor where other Christians soaked up the blood with cloths. A few days after Agnes' death, her foster-sister, Saint Emerentiana was found praying by her tomb; she claimed to be the daughter of Agnes' wet nurse, and was stoned to death after refusing to leave the place and reprimanding the pagans for killing her foster sister. Emerentiana was also later canonized. Agnes' name may have derived from the Latin 'agnus', meaning lamb, and she is always represented with a lamb near her.