St Ignatius of Loyola

St Ignatius of Loyola 1491-1556

St. Ignatius was born in 1491 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 in 1556. 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 since March 2013, we even have the first Jesuit Pope, Jorge Bergoglio, our beloved Pope Francis.

St Ignatius of Loyola quote: “To give, and not to count the cost; to fight, and not to heed the wounds; to toil, and not to seek for rest; to labor, and not to ask for any reward; save that of knowing that we do Your will” 

Just wait and see.....

A visiting Pastor was attending a men’s breakfast in Farm County.  He asked one of the impressive older farmers in attendance to say grace that morning.  After all were seated, the older farmer began “.......Lord, I hate buttermilk......."

The Pastor opened one eye and wondered to himself where this was going. Then the farmer loudly proclaimed, “Lord, I hate lard.......”

Now the Pastor was worried.  However without missing a beat, the farmer prayed on, “And Lord, you know I don’t care much for raw white flour.......” Just as the Pastor was ready to stand and stop everything, the farmer continued,  “But Lord, when you mix ‘em all together and bake ‘em up, I do love fresh biscuits.  So Lord, when things come up we don’t like, when life gets hard, when we just don’t understand what you are sayin' to us, we just need to relax and wait ‘till  You are done mixin’, and probably it will be somethin' even better than biscuits.  Amen."

And as we know, biscuits come in all kinds of shapes and textures, and variety, just as we all have different personalities, which we have to accept without questioning. Sometimes we don’t understand what the Lord is doing through us, until something extraordinary happens, and you realize how He can use us in a truly extraordinary way. We don’t understand why some things happen in such a way, until the whole picture is in place, and then we thank God we were part of the plan.

Saint Martha

Vincenzo Campi - 'Saint Martha in the kitchen'

Now you see why she complained to Jesus, that she was left alone cooking while Mary sat down to chit chat with Jesus. I always had a soft spot for St Martha. She was criticized by Jesus for not sitting down at his feet and listen to Him as her sister Mary did. Poor Martha was respecting the rules of hospitality, and having such an honored guest, she was probably preparing some snacks to serve when Jesus arrived, possibly unexpected. This painting by Vincenzo Campi gives Martha a lot of reason to complain, as she had a quite a meal to prepare, with fish, poultry, artichokes, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, carrots and all kinds of vegetables. Of course it may be exaggerated, but is funny in a way. But whenever I look at it, and see Jesus talking to Mary in the background, I always feel sorry for poor Martha. I would say “Hey Lord, first things first - let’s just prepare a few snacks for us all, and then we can sit and chit-chat, while nibbling on the snacks, or feast on the big meal that Martha probably prepared.” St Martha is the patron saint of housekeepers, housewives and waitresses. And guess what? Mary does not have a liturgical feast dedicated to her in the liturgical calendar. She is also known as Mary of Bethany. But the church realized that Martha was treated a little bit unfairly and gave her July 29 as her annual feast day.

The Pretzel

One of the most popular snacks in every household is definitely the pretzel. A carefully prepared dough of specially selected ingredients is formed into pretzels with a real twist, salted and slowly baked for extra crunchiness. The popular pretzel of today was developed long ago by a monk in about 610 AD at one of the monasteries in the mountains between Southern France and Northern Italy. After baking bread, this imaginative monk took leftover dough and rolled it into a strip and formed it to represent  a child’s arms folded in prayer. He called it “pretiola”, which is Latin for “little reward”, and gave it to the little children for learning their prayers. The Church prospered and this precious “pretiola” found its way over the Alps into Austria and Germany where it became affectionately known as “Bretzel” and the “Pretzel” as we know it today.

As you enjoy the delicious satisfaction of a pretzel snack, or a pretzel’s accompaniment to drinks, salads or other fond food items, remember that pretzels are baked not fried. So, have a clear conscience because ounce for ounce Pretzels have less fat and calories than many other snacks, including nuts, potato chips, cookies and cakes. They are a source of energy while still being low in fat, yet crisp, crunchy and plain good tasting.

'Bretzel' stained glass window in Frieburg's Münster Church.

Pretzels hold an honored place in the marriage ceremony. A wood cut dating 1614 and copied from a stained-glass window in a Cathedral in Berne Switzerland depicts the pretzel used as a nuptial knot in a royal marriage. After a while, wishing on a pretzel became common, particularly at weddings when the bride held one side of a pretzel and the groom held the other side. They pulled on a pretzel, and each got a piece in their hand, very much similar to what we do with a wishbone from a chicken after it’s been dried and washed clean. So, other than a tasty snack, the pretzel remind us that it is a symbol for excellence in many accomplishments, especially towards our children when they pray, and also as a symbol of love when used as a nuptial knot between couples.

Balance in your life

Many people frequently ask the important question: how do you keep balance in your busy, hectic life? Well, here are some practical suggestions:
Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special. 

Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.
Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as they were your life, for without them, life is meaningless.
Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.
Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each together.
Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find time. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but also where you are going.
Don't forget, a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a gift - that's why we call it "The Present!"

Prayer for Grandparents

Today being the feast of Sts Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Mother, and grandparents of Jesus, I share with you this prayer for all grandparents and all those who depend on them.

Dear God, please bless my grandparents. Thank you for the life they gave my parents and for the life they give to me. For the ways they helped me and made me strong, I give thanks. For the ways they love me no matter what, I rejoice. For the ways they have paved the road that leads me here, I am grateful. 

Let them grow in wisdom and joy in life. Let them find peace and rest from their work. Let them be healed of every sickness and pain. And let them see with their own eyes the glory of your Son, Jesus, in the love of their children and grandchildren.

Grandparents bestow upon their grandchildren the strength and wisdom that time and experience have given them. Grandchildren bless their grandparents with a youthful vitality and innocence that help them stay young at heart for ever. Together they create a chain of love linking the past with the future. The chain may lengthen, but it will never part... There’s a special kind of love that grandchildren have for their grandparents.  It’s filled with respect for their wisdom and accomplishments; with gratitude for the values they’ve given us...with delight in the stories of our family that they remember and share.

It’s a special kind of love that’s built on a lifetime of caring and giving. It’s the kind of love that’s felt for you my dear grandparent, today and always. Grandparents are a family’s greatest treasure, the founders of a loving legacy, the greatest story tellers, the keepers of traditions that linger on in cherished memory. Grandparents are the family’s strong foundation. Their very special love sets them apart. Through happiness and sorrow, through their special love and caring, Grandparents keep a family close at heart.

And to those who are no longer with us, we pray that they are enjoying eternity in peace and joy for ever.

The empty chair

A man's daughter had asked the local priest to come and pray with her father. When the priest arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed. The priest assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his impending visit. "I guess you were expecting me," he said. 

"No, who are you? said the father.
"I'm the new priest at your church," he replied.
"When I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew I was going to show up."
"Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man. "Would you mind closing the door?" Puzzled, the priest shut the door. "I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. "But all of my life I never knew how to pray. At church I used to hear the preacher talk about prayer, but it went right over my head."
"I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one day about four years ago my best friend said to me, 'Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of having a
conversation with Jesus'. Here is what I suggest.  Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and, in faith, see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because He promised, 'I'll be with you always.' Then just speak to him and listen in the same way you're doing with me right now."
"So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm."
The priest was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old guy to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, anointed him and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the priest that her daddy had died that afternoon.
"Did he die in peace?" he asked.
"Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. Then I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?"
The priest wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I wish we all could go that way."

Over French skies

Yesterday I showed you some night skies from Malta. Today we go to France as the Tour de France ended yesterday with a display of bicycling at the Champs Elysee, with the eventual winner being Chris Froome of England. But over the French skies, there was a spectacular display of the  Patrouille de France or PAF, which is the precision aerobatic  demonstration team of the French Air Force. Originating in 1931, it is the world's oldest and one of the most skilled demonstration teams. 

I took these two photos from a TV screen - so they are not the best, but worth sharing nonetheless. They are over the Arc de Triomphe and over the Sacre Coeur Cathedral in Paris.

Malta night skies

During the summer festa season, the skies over Malta are lit up with decorated churches, light festoons which people hang from their flag-poles, and of course fireworks, which light up every sky, every evening, some nights more than others. These are two photos I took yesterday over the Zurrieq parish, where they are celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel this weekend. 

I used a telephoto and the photos are not of a very good quality, since I was approximately 6 miles away. But at least you get an idea of how night skies are lit up in some towns and villages.

Saint Mary Magdalen

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. Seven times she had heard His rebuke of the demons that controlled her heart and mind. 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. Mary stood beside the cross, and was first at the tomb after His resurrection. It was Mary who first proclaimed a risen Savior. 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.

7 days of the week

Monday: Wash Day
Lord, help me wash away all my selfishness and vanity, so I may serve You with perfect humility through the week ahead.

Tuesday: Ironing Day
Dear Lord, help me iron out all the wrinkles of prejudice I have collected through the years so that I may see the beauty in others.

Wednesday: Mending Day
O God, help me mend my ways so I will not set a bad example for others.

Thursday: Cleaning Day
Lord, help me to dust out all the many faults I have been hiding in the secret corners of my heart.

Friday: Shopping Day
O God, give me the Grace to shop wisely so I may purchase eternal happiness for myself and all others in need of love.

Saturday: Cooking Day
Help me, my Savior, to brew a big kettle of brotherly love and serve it with clean, sweet bread of human kindness.

Sunday: The Lord's Day
O God, I have prepared my house for You. Please come into my heart as my Honored Guest so I may spend the day and the rest of my life in Your Presence.

Butterflies and Life

This is a great story that reminds us how struggles are an important part of life - they help us appreciate it better. 

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further. So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand and be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It was never able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste did not understand, was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening, were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

I asked for strength... and God gave me difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for wisdom... and God gave me problems to solve.

I asked for prosperity... and God gave me brain and brawn to work.

I asked for courage... and God gave me danger to overcome.

I asked for love... and God gave me troubled people to help.

I asked for favors... and God gave me opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted... I received everything I needed.

A story by Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong walking on the moon in 1969.

When Apollo Mission Astronaut Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon, he not only gave his famous" one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" statement but followed it by several remarks, the usual traffic talk between him, the other astronauts and Mission Control. Just before he re-entered the lunar module, however, he made the enigmatic remark "Good luck Mr. Gorsky." Many people at NASA thought it was a casual remark concerning some rival Soviet Cosmonaut. However, upon checking, there was no Gorsky in either the Russian or American space programs. Over the years many people questioned Armstrong as to what the "Good luck Mr. Gorsky" statement meant, but Armstrong always just smiled. On July 5, 1995 in Tampa Bay FL, while answering questions following a speech, a reporter brought up the 26 year old question to Armstrong. This time he finally responded. Mr. Gorsky had finally died and so Neil Armstrong felt he could answer the question. When he was a kid, he was playing baseball with a friend in the backyard. His friend hit a fly ball, which landed in the front of his neighbor's bedroom windows. His neighbors were Mr. & Mrs. Gorsky. As he leaned down to pick up the ball, young Armstrong heard Mrs. Gorsky shouting at Mr. Gorsky. "Sex! You want sex?! You'll get sex when the kid next door walks on the moon!"

Tragedy in my former parish

Dylan Thomas, young boy tragically killed in Baker City, Oregon

I ask for your prayers today for a young boy and his family who hails from Baker City, Oregon, my former parish. The town celebrates annually what is called the Miners Jubilee on a weekend in July. It's a weekend of fun, music, dancing, food, rodeos and a big Parade that is the highlight of the weekend. It celebrates the years when miners arrived in Eastern Oregon as they dug for gold, leaving them pretty happy with the amount of gold that was discovered in rivers and other secret locations. The young boy is Dylan Thomas, 7 years old, and he was standing on the YMCA float, one of the popular floats, a flat-bed truck similar to the one in the photo I took back in 2007. 

Flat-bed truck/float in 2007, similar to the one Dylan was riding on.

Accidentally the boy fell of the truck and run over by the back wheels of the same truck. The boy was rushed to the hospital and died soon afterwards. The Parade was just starting when the accident happened, and many people were witnesses to this tragedy. Baker City is a town of 10,000 people and like many small towns, everybody knows everybody, and as expected the support for Dylan's family was overwhelming. I served as pastor at the Baker City Cathedral for 8 years between 2005 and 2013. All families are close-knit and are very active in sports, ranching, farming and collaborate every year to make the Miners Jubilee a great event. We pray for Dylan and his family, who will be buried later on today in a Memorial Service at the Baker City Christian Church. 

Photos from a procession

The statue of Our Lady of Mt Carmel in procession through many colorful banners.

A devotional procession was held yesterday in the capital city of Valletta with the statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. These are just two photos of the statue which is beloved by many devotees who walked behind the statue through the streets, admired by other observers, including many tourists. 

The Carmelite Church in Valletta

Many more processions will be held in the coming weekends, as each parish celebrates its titular feast with various statues carried shoulder high by 8 or 10 strong men.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Our Lady of Mt Carmel from Zurrieq parish, Malta

According to a pious tradition, the Blessed Virgin appeared to St Simon Stock at Cambridge, England on Sunday June 16, 1251. In answer to his appeal for help for his oppressed order, she appeared to him with a scapular in her hand and said to him:”Take, beloved son, this scapular of your order as a special sign of grace for all Carmelites; whoever dies with this scapular, will not suffer everlasting fire. It is a sign of salvation, a safeguard in danger, a pledge of peace.”

The Carmelites are a religious order founded on Mount Carmel in the 13th century, named thus in reference to the mountain range found in the Holy Land. The founder was a certain Berthold, who was either a pilgrim or a crusader. The order was founded at the site that it claimed had once been the location of Elijah’s cave, 1700 feet above sea level.

By 2001, there were 2,100 religious monks in 25 provinces in the Carmelite order, besides 700 enclosed nuns in 70 monasteries. In addition, the Third Order of Lay Carmelites count 28,000 members throughout the world. Besides St Simon Stock, there are other Carmelite saints such as St Therese of the Child Jesus, St John of the Cross, St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, St Theresa of Avila. The statue appearing with this entry is from Malta, where devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel is widespread, especially in parishes dedicated to her, Valletta, Balluta, Gzira, Fleur-de-Lys and Zurrieq. Devotional processions are held in each parish during the month of July.

A mother and a wife

A woman once fretted over the usefulness of her life. She feared she was wasting her potential being a devoted wife and mother. She wondered if the time and energy she invested in her husband and children would make a difference. At times she got discouraged because so much of what she did seemed to go unnoticed and unappreciated. “Is it worth it?” she often wondered. “Is there something better that I could be doing with my time?”
It was during one of these moments of questioning that she heard the still small voice of her heavenly Father speak to her heart. “You are a wife and mother because that is what I have called you to be. Much of what you do is hidden from public eye. But I notice. Most of what you give is without remuneration. But I am your reward. Your husband cannot be the man I have called him to be without your support. Your influence upon him is greater than you think and more powerful than you will ever know. I bless him through years of service and honor him through your love. Your children are precious to Me. Even more precious than they are to you. I have entrusted them to your care to raise for me. What you invest in them is an offering to me. You may never be in the public spotlight. But your obedience shines as a bright light before me. Continue on. Remember you are my servant. Do all to please Me.”

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

St Kateri Tekakwitha 1656-1680

Today we commemorate Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks. She was the daughter of a Mohawk warrior and a Catholic Algonquin woman, born in 1656, in the Mohawk fortress of Ossernenon near present‑day Auriesville, New York. I was privileged to visit her birthplace, which is also the place honoring a National Shrine of the French Jesuits who brought the faith to the East coast, the North American martyrs. After losing her family to a smallpox epidemic (but surviving it herself), she dragged her disease‑ravaged body over a long and arduous trail to arrive at the St. Francis Xavier mission near Montreal. There, she took a vow of perpetual virginity and set about teaching prayers to children and helping the infirmed. As the adopted daughter of the chief, she was courted by many of the warriors looking for her hand in marriage. However, during this time she began taking interest in Christianity, which was taught to her by her mother. Kateri's clan then settled on the north side of the Mohawk River. While living here, at the age of 20 years old, Tekakwitha was converted and baptized on Easter Sunday, April 18, 1676.
Understand that one facet of “medicine” held by these indigenous peoples roughly can be viewed as something unusual, extraordinary, out‑of‑place. Kateri, the Mohawk girl who set out to help others despite her scarred face and diminished eyesight, probably attracted quite a bit of attention at the mission. Those who were healthy probably recoiled a bit from her, perhaps in fear that she may still have the disease. Those with prejudices against the Native American people may have mistreated her, may have wondered what of value she might have to offer the mission and those who settled there. Yet, she was most likely a godsend to those people. After all of the smoke cleared, after generations of soldiers and hunters came and went, it was Kateri Tekakwitha who was constantly remembered as the one who gave prayers to the children and relief to the sick and aged. She died on April 17, 1680 at the age of 24. It is said that on her deathbed, her last words were spoken in her native tongue, translating to “Jesus, I love you.” According to eyewitness accounts, Kateri's scars vanished at the time of her death revealing a woman of immense beauty. It has been claimed that at her funeral many of the ill who attended were healed on that day. She was declared Venerable by Pope Pius XII on January 3, 1943. She was later beatified on June 22, 1980 by Pope John Paul II. She was canonized on October 21, 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI, along with Blessed Marianne Cope, who became the third and fourth American-born saints.

When you thought I wasn't looking.....

(A message every parent should read, because your children are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say.)

 - When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

 - When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals. I also saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

 - When you thought I wasn’t looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.

 - When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

 - When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don’t.

 - When you thought I wasn’t looking, I felt you kiss me good night and I felt loved and safe.

 - When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

 - When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn’t feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

 - When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it’s all right to cry. I also saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

 - When you thought I wasn’t looking, I learned most of life’s lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

 - When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.”

The Beauty of Marriage

Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman', for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. (Genesis 2: 22-24)

“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.”
“A great marriage is not when the ‘perfect couple’ comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences.”
“The difference between an ordinary marriage and an extraordinary marriage is in giving just a little ‘extra’ every day, as often as possible, for as long as we both shall live.”
“The greatest marriages are built on teamwork. A mutual respect, a healthy dose of admiration, and a never-ending portion of love and grace.”
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”
“Love is a partnership of two unique people, a husband and wife, who bring out the very best in each other, and who know that even though they are wonderful as individuals, they are even better together.”
“The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. The first to forget is the happiest.”
“There are few things more frightening to a man than giving away his heart. And there are few things more comforting to a man than to know the woman he gave his heart to, will protect it with her life.”
“To keep your marriage brimming with love, whenever you’re wrong, admit it; whenever you’re right, shut up.”
“The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.”
“Don’t compare your love story to those you watch in movies. They’re written by screenwriters, yours is written by God.”
“Marriage is a mosaic that a husband builds with his wife. Millions of tiny moments that create their love story.”

Saint Benedict

Statue of St. Benedict in San Paolo fuori le mura, in Rome.

St. Benedict is believed to have been born around 480, as the son to a Roman noble of Norcia and the twin to his sister, St. Scholastica. The young Benedict was sent to Rome to finish his education in rhetoric -- the art of persuasive speaking. Seeing his friends searching pleasure, afraid for his soul, Benedict fled Rome, gave up his inheritance and lived in a small village. When God called him beyond this quiet life to an even deeper solitude, he went to the mountains of Subiaco. Although becoming a hermit was not his purpose in leaving, there he lived as a hermit under the direction of another hermit, Romanus. After years of prayer, word of his holiness brought nearby monks to ask for his leadership. He warned them he would be too strict for them, but they insisted -- then tried to poison him when his warning proved true. The story goes, the monks attempted to poison Benedict's drink, but when he prayed a blessing over the cup - it shattered. Soon Benedict was on his own again - but not for long.

The next set of followers were more sincere and he set up twelve monasteries in Subiaco where monks lived in separate communities of twelve. But it was in Monte Cassino that he founded the monastery that became the roots of the Church's monastic system. Instead of founding small separate communities he gathered his disciples into one whole community. His own sister, Saint Scholastica, settled nearby to live a religious life. After almost 1,500 years of monastic tradition his direction seems obvious to us. However, Benedict was an innovator. No one had ever set up communities like his before or directed them with a rule. Benedict had the holiness and the ability to take this step. His beliefs and instructions on religious life were collected in what is now known as the Rule of Saint Benedict -- still directing religious life after 15 centuries.

Scholastica loved her brother dearly and one day she wanted to stay with him to discuss the Bible. While visiting him at his monastery, she asked if she could stay into the night talking, but he insisted that she should go to her own convent. Scholastica went to the chapel instead and prayed that God would allow her to stay. Instantly a severe storm started and she could not leave because of the heavy rain. And they spent the night talking and praying together. Benedictine monks today still follow the rule and spend hours in prayer, reading the Scripture and praying the Office in their respective chapels. Benedict died on 21 March 543, not long after his sister. He is the patron saint of Europe and students, and the father of Monasticism.

Forgiveness

One of the Nazi secret agents during World War II was Peter Koch. He was known as the ‘terror of Rome,’ because of the harsh cruelty he showed during the war. After the war was over, he was arrested and condemned to death as a war criminal. In prison, Peter Koch wrote a letter to Pope Pius XII asking for forgiveness, especially for attacking San Paolo fuori le mure, one of the Roman basilicas. After reading his letter, the Pope asked Monsignor Nasalli Rocca to go to the prison and convince him that the Pope had forgiven him. He also gave him a Rosary beads. When Mons. Rocca entered the prison cell, he assured him of the Pope’s forgiveness. Koch burst into tears and said: ”My country should be ashamed of itself, the Tribunal condemned me to death, and the Pope now forgives me. It would have been much different if I had forgiven others....” At that time the Monsignor presented him with the Rosary beads. As he continued to cry, he told Rocca: “I am not worthy to touch the Pope’s Rosary with these hands with blood of so many crimes and innocent victims. I ask you to at least hang it around my neck.” Just before he was executed, he was praying the Rosary to the Blessed Mother.

Prayer of a Mother

If I live in a spotless house with everything in its place, but have no love, I am just a housekeeper, not a homemaker.

If I have time to decorate my house, polishing the furniture and floors, but have no love, the children will learn how beautiful is cleanliness, but not that I am filled with the love of God.

Love ignores dust, so that my children can smile and be happy.

Love smiles when on the glass and polished furniture you can see the tiny fingerprints of my youngest child.

Love wipes the tears before wiping the milk that spilled on the floor.

Love picks up the child from the floor before you pick up the toys he left on the floor.

Love crawls on the floor with a tiny baby, walks with the toddler, runs with the child as he keeps growing, and then moves to the side to let him grow and mature.

Love is the key that opens the heart of any child.

Before I became a mother, I used to be so happy seeing my house in tip-top shape and spotless. Today I am happy when I see God in my son.

As a mother I have so much to teach my son, most of all, about Love.

Horse-driven hearse

Yesterday, while on my way to help at the parish office, I came across a funeral procession just starting their last journey towards the cemetery. What was unusual was the fact that the casket was being carried by a horse-driven carriage. These have been discontinued in Malta, but apparently there are a few that still operate on special occasions. I remember as an altar-boy riding in a black horse-driven hearse accompanying the priest, following these elaborate gold-gilded hearses. 

As one can see, they are hand-crafted complete with four angels on the corners, and lots of gold-trim all around the carriage. Certainly this is a keep-sake for future generations, as this is probably the last of its kind in the Maltese islands – in fact I was more than surprised that they even still existed.

I wish you enough.....

Recently, a writer overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together at the airport.  They had announced her departure and standing near the security gate, they hugged and he said, “I love you.  I wish you enough.....”  She in turn said, “Daddy, our life together has been more than enough.  Your love is all I ever needed.  I with you enough, too, Daddy.” They kissed and she left.  He walked over toward the window where I was seated.  Standing there, I could see he wanted and needed to cry.  I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, “Did you ever say goodbye to someone knowing it would be forever?”  “Yes, I have,” I replied. 

Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love and appreciation for all my Dad had done for me.  Recognizing that his days were limited, I took the time to tell him face to face how much he meant to me.  So, I knew what this man was experiencing. “Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever goodbye?”  I asked.  “I am old and she lives much too far away.  I have challenges ahead and the reality is, the next trip back would be for my funeral.” He said.  “When you were saying goodbye I heard you say, “I wish you enough.”  May I ask what that means?”

He began to smile.  “That’s a wish that has been handed down from other generations.  My parents used to say it to everyone.”  He paused for a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more.  “When we said ‘I wish you enough’, we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them,” he continued.  Then turning toward me, he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory:

“I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish enough hello’s to get you through the final goodbye.”

He then began to sob and walked away.  My friends, “I wish you enough!”

St Maria Goretti

A young girl with little schooling became one of the most popular saints in Italy by the middle of the 20th century. Born in 1890, Maria Goretti was one day by her house and a neighbor attempted to rape her, and even though she resisted him, she was killed by 14 stab wounds. She died 24 hours after being stabbed, also giving her enough time receive Holy Communion. Her killer Alessandro Serenelli was jailed, sentenced to 30 years in prison, and was unrepentant for a while. Eventually he changed his life, even becoming a Franciscan Capuchin lay brother after being released 27 years later.
One of the first things he did after his release was visit Maria’s mother and apologize to her. Maria was beatified in 1947, and on that occasion, her mother and siblings appeared with Pope Pius XII at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. Alessandro was even present at Maria Goretti’s canonization on June 24, 1950. Over half a million people had gathered in the Vatican piazza for her canonization. St Maria Goretti is the patron of youth, chastity and purity.

Pianist with her toes

Lorelai Mosnegutu playing on 'Romania got talent'

This past March, the TV show ‘Romania got talent’ featured a 14 year old girl, Lorelai Mosnegutu who was born without any hands or arms. On that show she played ‘A Million Stars’ on the piano, with her toes. When she finished, the whole audience, including the judges were standing and cheering Lorelai, and most of them, crying. When she was born, her mother abandoned her, and she was adopted. She could not speak until she turned 3, and started to walk when she turned 4.  Now she plays not only the piano and organ with her toes, but she also paints and types with her toes.

This touching story reminds me of the day when St John Paul II was visiting Los Angeles in 1987, and the young people there presented him with a gift. They introduced Tony Melendez, who was born in Nicaragua without hands or arms, and he played a song on his guitar, playing the strings with his toes. When he finished the Pope jumped up to embrace him, and Tony has become quite a celebrity every since, issuing various CDs of Christian music.

US Declaration of Independence

'Signing of Declaration of Independence' by John Trumbull

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.

Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well-educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.  He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding.  His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward. Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.  At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson,Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters.  He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste.  For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots.  It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free! We thank these early patriots, as well as those patriots now fighting to KEEP our freedom!