Remembering Diana

20 years ago today, the heart of the world stopped beating, as the entire world mourned for the tragic death of Princess Diana. I recollect that day by reflecting on the words of her brother Earl Spencer, in his moving tribute and eulogy he gave during her funeral.

"Diana was the very essence of compassion, of duty, of style, of beauty. All over the world she was a symbol of selfless humanity. All over the world, a standard bearer for the rights of the truly downtrodden, a very British girl who transcended nationality. Someone with a natural nobility who was classless and who proved in the last year that she needed no royal title to continue to generate her particular brand of magic.
Today is our chance to say thank you for the way you brightened our lives, even though God granted you but half a life. We will all feel cheated always that you were taken from us so young and yet we must learn to be grateful that you came along at all. Only now that you are gone do we truly appreciate what we are now without and we want you to know that life without you is very, very difficult.
We have all despaired at our loss over the past week and only the strength of the message you gave us through your years of giving has afforded us the strength to move forward. There is a temptation to rush to canonize your memory, there is no need to do so. You stand tall enough as a human being of unique qualities not to need to be seen as a saint. Indeed to sanctify your memory would be to miss out on the very core of your being, your wonderfully mischievous sense of humor with a laugh that bent you double.
Your joy for life transmitted where ever you took your smile and the sparkle in those unforgettable eyes. Your boundless energy which you could barely contain. But your greatest gift was your intuition and it was a gift you used wisely. This is what underpinned all your other wonderful attributes and if we look to analyse what it was about you that had such a wide appeal we find it in your instinctive feel for what was really important in all our lives.”

Jesus, my friend

I am the Light, and you do not see me.

I am the Way, and you do not follow me.

I am the Truth, and you do not believe me.

I am the Life, and you do not search for me.

I am the Master, and you do not listen to me.

I am the Chief, and you do not obey me.

I am your God, and you do not pray to me.

I am your greatest Friend, and you do not love me.

If you are not happy, do not blame me.

(written by St Francis of Assisi)

Praying for Houston

A man paddles his way with his son in rain drenched Houston.

We pray today for the residents of Houston Texas, who have seen their counties devastated by a severe hurricane and lot of flooding. These three photos speak about hope, devastation and struggle, which the Texans will have to face over the next few weeks, possibly months. We pray especially that the rain will stop soon, and that other communities will be spared more devastating damage.

A Nursing Home flooded with water.

Saving two toddlers from waist high water.

St Augustine

The lives of St Augustine and St Monica go hand in hand. As any mother and son who were either close to each other or clashing with one another, their lives are interconnected in many ways. St Monica’s feast was celebrated yesterday, and St Augustine’s is today. Any woman who spends her life praying for the conversion of her husband and her wayward son deserves to be canonized, especially after her own son becomes a popular Saint and a Doctor of the Church. Monica’s parents brought her up as Christian and married her to an older, pagan man named Patricius. He was a man with a great deal of energy, but also a man given to violent tempers and adultery. Her son St Augustine writes in one of his books that despite the prevalence of domestic abuse at the time, because of her obedience to him, Patricius never beat St. Monica.

She had three children; Augustine, Navigius, and Perpetua. Through her patience and prayers, she was able to convert her husband to the Catholic faith in 370. He died a year later. Perpetua and Navigius entered the religious Life. St. Augustine was much more difficult, as she had to pray for him for 17 years, begging the prayers of priests who, for a while, tried to avoid her because of her persistence at this seemingly hopeless endeavor. One priest did console her by saying, "it is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish." This thought, coupled with a vision that she had received, strengthened her.

As a young man before his conversion, he taught in North Africa, Carthage and Rome. It was only when he arrived in Milan that his life started to change. In the summer of 386, after having read an account of the life of Saint Anthony of the Desert which greatly inspired him, Augustine underwent a profound personal crisis and decided to convert to Catholic Christianity, abandon his career in rhetoric, quit his teaching position in Milan, give up any ideas of marriage, and devote himself entirely to serving God and the practices of priesthood, which included celibacy. Key to this conversion was the voice of an unseen child he heard while in his garden in Milan telling him in a sing‑song voice to tolle lege ("take up and read"). He grabbed the nearest text to him, which was Paul's Epistle to the Romans and opened it at random to 13:13‑14, which read: "Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying; but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." Ambrose baptized Augustine, along with his son, Adeodatus, on Easter Vigil in 387 in Milan, and soon thereafter in 388 he returned to Africa. In 391 he was ordained a priest and became a famous preacher, while 5 years later he was made bishop of Hippo. Augustine died on August 28, 430.

Retirement Age

Many people look forward to retiring at 60, 62 or 65. Others just keep going, doing whatever they’ve done all their life, and hoping that their health will help them in whatever they dream of doing in the future. So many people started hobbies and even careers when they were over 60. Socrates gave the world his wisest philosophy at 70. Cato began studying Greek at 80, while Petrarch started his study of Latin at 75. Michelangelo was designing structures while he was still 90, and painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling when he was 91. Johann Strauss was still composing after his 80th birthday, and Haydn wrote his oratorio ‘Creation’ after he was 67. Giuseppe Verdi wrote ‘Othello’ at the age of 74, then ‘Falstaff’ at 80 and ‘Four Sacred Pieces’ at 85. Titian produced ‘The Last Supper’ at 80 and the classic ‘Battle of Lepanto’ at 98! How about those writers....Milton wrote ‘Paradise Lost’ at 57 and ‘Paradise Regained’ at 63. Victor Hugo wrote ‘Les Miserables’ at 62 and George Bernard Shaw wrote his best plays after the age of 80. And Webster wrote his monumental dictionary at 70.

And as I turn 65 today, I am still going strong with my photography, watercolors, flute playing, cooking, writing regularly in local papers, posting on my blog daily, saying Mass daily and 5 Masses on weekends, and caring spiritually for a large Retirement Home. Please keep me in your prayers, as I assure you, you are all in mine.

Minister needed

One of the toughest tasks a church faces is choosing a good minister, accepting a new pastor. A member of an official board undergoing this painful process finally lost patience. He had watched the Pastoral Relations Committee reject one applicant after another for some fault, alleged or otherwise. It was time for a bit of soul-searching on the part of the committee. So he stood up and read a letter supposedly coming from yet another applicant.

“Gentlemen, understanding your pulpit is vacant, I would like to apply for the position of pastor. I have many qualifications. I have been a preacher with much success, and also had some success as a writer. Some say I’m a fairly good organizer. I’ve been a leader in most places I served. I’m presently over 50 years old. I’ve never preached in one place for than three years. In some places I have left town after my work has caused riots and disturbances. I must admit that I’ve been in jail three or four times, but not because of any wrongdoing. My health is not good, though I still get a great deal done. The churches I have preached in have been small, though located in several large cities. I’ve not got along well with religious leaders in towns where I have preached. In fact, some have threatened me and even attacked me physically. I am not too good at keeping records. I have been known to forget whom I have baptized. However, if you can use me, I shall do my best for you.”

The board member looked over the committee and said “Well, what do you think? Shall we call him?” The church members were furious and angry, “What!? Shall we call an unhealthy, trouble-making, absent minded ex-jailbird? Was the board member crazy? Who had the nerve to sign this application? Who had such colossal nerve to even apply?”

The board member eyed them all keenly before he answered. “It is signed ‘The Apostle Paul.’

Ring in a carrot

A Canadian woman who lost her engagement ring 13 years ago while weeding her garden on the family farm is wearing it proudly again after her daughter-in-law pulled it from the ground on a carrot. "I feel relieved and happy inside," Mary Grams said this week. "It grew into the carrot. I still can't figure it out."

Her daughter-in-law, Colleen Daley, found the ring while harvesting carrots for supper with her dog Billy at the farm near Armena, Alberta, where Grams used to live. The farm has been in the family for 105 years. Daley said while she was pulling the carrots and noticed one of them looked strange. She almost fed it to her dog but decided to keep it and just threw it in her pail. When she was washing the carrots she noticed the ring and spoke to her husband, Grams' son, about what she had found. They quickly called Grams. "I said we found your ring in the garden. She couldn't believe it," Daley said. "It was so weird that the carrot grew perfectly through that ring." Grams said she was eager to try the ring on again after so many years. With family looking on she washed the ring with a little soap to get the dirt off. It slid on her finger as easily as it did when her husband gave it to her. "We were giggling and laughing," she said. "It fit. After that many years it fits."

Mary Grams, 84, said she can't believe the lucky carrot actually grew through and around the diamond ring she had long given up hope of finding. Grams said she never told her husband, Norman, that she lost the ring, but told her son. Her husband died five years ago. The moral of the story: if ever you lose a ring in a field, sow carrots.

St Bartholomew

All that is known of St Bartholomew with certainty is that he is mentioned in the Gospels and Acts as one of the twelve apostles. His name means "son of Tolomai" (or Ptolemy) and scholars believe he is the same as Nathanael mentioned in John’s Gospel, who says he is from Cana and that Jesus called him an "Israelite...incapable of deceit, a person in whom there is no guile." He was a close friend of St Philip, because they are always mentioned together.

After the Ascension, Bartholomew went on a missionary tour to India. Other traditions record him as serving in Ethiopia, Mesopotamia, Persia and Egypt. Along with St Jude, Bartholomew is reputed to have brought Christianity to Armenia in the 1st century. Thus both saints are considered the patron saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church. However, it is in Greater Armenia that Bartholomew saw his end where he was flayed or skinned and beheaded by King Astyages. The famous Last Judgment painting by Michelangelo shows St Bartholomew holding the knife of his martyrdom and his flayed skin. The face of the skin is recognizable as Michelangelo's, as if the artist wanted to show how much he suffered under Pope Julius, who wanted the Last Judgment finished sooner.

St Bartholomew in Michelangelo's 'Last Judgment.'

Of the many miracles performed by St. Bartholomew before and after his death, two very popular ones are known by the townsfolk of the small island of Lipari, off the coast of Italy. When St. Bartholomew's body was found off the shore, the Bishop ordered many men to take the body to the Cathedral. When this failed due to its extreme weight, the Bishop then sent out the children. The children easily brought the body ashore.

The people of the island of Lipari celebrate his feast day annually. The tradition of the people was to take the solid silver and gold statue from inside the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew and carry it through the town. On one occasion, when taking the statue down the hill towards the town during a procession, it suddenly got very heavy and had to be set down. They managed to lift it but had to put it down a few more times. Within seconds, walls further downhill collapsed. If the statue had been able to be lifted, all of the townspeople would have been killed.

During World War II, the Italian Fascist regime looked for ways to finance their activities. The order was given to take the silver statue of the Saint and melt it down. The statue was weighed, and it was found to be only several ounces. It was returned to its place in the Cathedral of Lipari. In reality, the statue is made from many pounds of silver and it is considered a miracle that it was not melted down.

Jerry Lewis

Jerry Lewis (1926-2017)

I want to salute today one of the greatest entertainers of all time, my favorite childhood comedian who made us laugh with his energetic and slapstick humor. Jerry Lewis died last Sunday August 20, aged 91. Incidentally I just wrote an article about him in a local newspaper a month ago, in the series of profiles I share with the Maltese, and people told me how much they enjoyed it, especially since they did not know about his philanthropic Telethon, where he raised over £2.6 billion for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Born Joseph Levitch of Jewish-Russian parents in New Jersey in 1926, he was introduced to comedy and the world of entertainment by his parents, his mother being a pianist and his father a Master of Ceremonies in a popular show. He appeared on TV for the first time with Dean Martin in 1948, and together they made 10 classic movies between 1949 and 1956, besides many TV shows. After they split in 1956, Jerry continued making one film after another, all with his inimitable slapstick humor.

Among his most popular films, we can mention At War with the Army (1950), Living it up (1954), The Delicate Delinquent (1957), Rock-A-Bye-Baby (1958),  The Geisha Boy(1958), The Ladies Man (1961), The Errand Boy (1961), It's Only Money (1962), The Nutty Professor (1963), The Big Mouth (1967), Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River (1968), Hardly Working (1981), The King of Comedy (1983), Cracking up (1983), and Max Rose (2013.) In all Jerry made 63 films, and frequently appeared on TV shows with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, and an occasional reunion with Dean Martin. Between 1966 and 2010, every year on Labor Day weekend, on the first Monday of September, Jerry Lewis would host the Muscular Dystrophy Telethon, a sickness that effects the muscles close to the bones, and this to help especially the young children, known as Jerry’s Kids, affected by this illness. Over the years he raised $2.6 billion for this cause. Another of our beloved, clean and family-oriented comedians is gone.

Hail Holy Queen

Coronation at Baker City Cathedral, Oregon, 1958.

Today being the feast of the Queenship of Mary, I thought of giving you a brief reflection on one of the most popular prayers or hymns of the Catholic Church. The Salve Regina, or Hail Holy Queen  was composed during the Middle Ages by German monk Hermann of Reichenau. It was always sung or recited in Latin especially among monks during Compline, the prayer that is said in the evening. It is said that St Bernard, while acting as legate Apostolic in Germany, on Christmas Eve, 1146, he entered the cathedral to the processional chanting of the anthem, and, as he genuflected three times, he uttered the words "O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria," and these words were added to the Salve Regina. The Salve Regina is traditionally sung at the end of a priest's funeral Mass out of reverence to Mary, the Mother of Christ, the High Priest, and all Priests. As a prayer, it is commonly said at the end of the rosary.

The hymn has been set to music by various composers, including Victoria, Palestrina, Josquin and Lassus. Handel and Liszt composed their own settings in later years. Schubert composed no less than four versions. In 1976 the words of the first verse of the Salve Regina were used as a repeating theme in the song Oh What a Circus in the musical 'Evita,' with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice.

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, Hail our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, Poor banished children of Eve; To thee do we send forth our sighs, Mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, Thine eyes of mercy toward us; And after this our exile, Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. 

Pope St Pius X

An actual photo of Pope St Pius X.

Saint Pius X was born on June 2, 1835, his name being Giuseppe Sarto. He was one of 11 children, and though poor, his parents valued education, and Giuseppe walked 3 miles to school each day. Pius X was a fervent reformer of Church practices and regulations such as the Canon Law, his most important reform, which for the first time codified Church law in a central fashion. He was a pastoral pope, encouraging personal piety and a life‑style reflecting Christian values.

Pope Pius X was a Marian Pope, because for him there is no safer or more direct road than Mary. He was the only Pope in the 20th century with extensive pastoral experience at the Parish level and pastoral concerns permeated his papacy. The Catechism of Pope Pius X is short and direct. His teachings were considered equally down to earth and practical. He favored the use of modern language in Catechesis. Frequent communion was a lasting innovation of Pius X, because before his time, people could only receive communion once a month and, on special occasions, on Sunday. He was also instrumental in introducing the custom of First Holy Communion for young children.

Like his predecessor, Pope Leo XIII (1878‑1903,) Pius opposed modernism, a school of thought, which claimed that Catholic dogma itself should be modernized and blended with 19th Century philosophies. Personally Pius combined within himself a strong sense of compassion, benevolence, poverty, but also stubbornness, and a certain stiffness. He wanted to be pastor and was the only Pope in the 20th century who gave Sunday sermons every week.

His charity was extraordinary, filling the Vatican with refugees from the 1908 Messina quake, long before the Italian government began to act on its own. He rejected any kind of favors for his family. His brother remained a postal clerk, his favorite nephew stayed on as village priest, and his three sisters lived together close to poverty in Rome.  He often referred to his own humble origins, taking up the causes of poor people. He used to say “I was born poor, I have lived poor, and I wish to die poor." Considered a holy person by many, public veneration of Pope Pius X began soon after his death. He died August 20, 1914 and was canonized in 1954, after his body was exhumed and displayed under a side‑altar where priests can celebrate Mass, many of which I was lucky to serve as an altar boy in 1966.

Lord of Life

Lord of my origin, draw me closer to You.

Lord of my existence, direct all my ways.

Lord of my calling, give me strength to go on.

Lord of my faith, preserve me from doubt.

Lord of my hope, keep me from despair.

Lord of my love, let me never grow cold.

Lord of my past, may I never forget you.

Lord of my present, be near me always.

Lord of my future, keep me faithful to the end.

Lord of my life, let me live in your presence.

Lord of my death, receive me at last.

Lord of my eternity, bless me forever, Amen.

Praying for Barcelona and Madeira

As we pray for the 14 victims killed by a terrorist in Barcelona, we pray also for the many injured in the attack. A minute’s silence was observed yesterday out of respect for the victims. We remember also the 2 victims killed in a knife attack in Turku, Finland.
Incidentally two days earlier, on the Portuguese island of Madeira, a huge oak tree crashed down on a popular religious festival in honor of the Assumption, killing 13 people and injuring 49 others. The tree fell while a large crowd was gathered near the island’s capital of Funchal as part of the Nossa Senhora do Monte festival. It’s Madeira’s biggest annual festivity and was being held Monday and Tuesday, drawing large crowds to a church on Funchal’s outskirts. The tree was a towering oak, which local media reports said was more than 200 years old. Regional authorities say they are investigating what caused it to come down. Of those injured, seven people had serious injuries. Of the fatalities, 10 people died at the site of the accident. A child died en route to a local hospital, where 2 other women died later.

A Clenched Fist vs an Open Hand

The Difference between a Clenched Fist and an Open Hand

A clenched fist represents anger,

 aggression, jealousy,

 rebellion, frustration,

hatred, superiority

and punishment.

A clenched fist is always ready to destroy and annihilate,

to hurt, kill and mutilate,

to inflict injury without regrets,

to show hatred, to challenge and to attack, to tear up plans,

 to criticize mercilessly,

 to show resistance to Peace,

to put someone down, to turn people away,

to destroy the spirit of a happy person, to discourage the

enthusiasm of a child full of life,

to have no respect for life,

to show opposition,  and to turn away from God 

An Open Hand represents love,

forgiveness, giving,

sharing, openness,

encouragement, hope,

patience and tolerance.

An Open Hand is always ready to show compassion,

to give advice, to share a smile and give a helping hand,

to feed the hungry and

alleviate thirst, to show leniency and concern,

to work and help clean up,

to change a diaper and nurse a wound, 

to heal a broken heart,

to applaud an effort, to give another chance,

to cheer up, comfort and console,

to reconcile with a friend,

to be open to life and growth, and to return back to God

The invasion of Malta

With a population of 420,000 and a limited space of 112 square miles, Malta has very limited space to offer to tourists, but nonetheless, an estimated 200,000 tourists are presently vacationing on our small island. That is half of the Maltese population, which also means good business for hotels and restaurants and other souvenir shops and entertainment places. This is the shut-down season for many establishments, as well as the Ferragosto holiday time in Italy when the Italians leave their homes and head to the beaches and mountains and recently, to the Maltese islands with their Fiats, Lambrettas and Alfa Romeos. An Internet technician just this weekend was saying that more than half of the IT traffic going on in Malta right now is coming from foreigners. This means all the contacts being made through Iphones, cell-phones, Ipads and Internet browsing is predominantly being done by tourists and foreigners who happen to be vacationing here right now. And this in an island where there are more mobile phones than people, and where Internet use is one of the highest in the European Union. The presence of cruise liners is also very significant, even though the visitors stay only one day and move on to other destinations.

Maltese Balconies

The elaborate Balcony at Naxxar.

Most buildings in Malta are made of limestone, of which there is a plentiful abundance in quarries. Much of the limestone can be carved into columns and other decorations around doors and windows. Most impressive are the balconies that were carved of limestone which are still in perfect condition, even 300 to 400 years after their creation. The two photos posted here are from two separate houses in two different towns in Malta, specifically Naxxar and Balzan. 

The Balcony at Balzan...notice the Fleur-de-Lys in the center.

One can see and admire the intricacy of the carver or sculptor who created beautiful carvings that welcome any visitor into a beautiful vintage home. Usually the design is complemented in the front door as is the case in the Naxxar house, now known as Palazzo Nascario.

Assumption of Mary

The Icon of the Dormition of Mary

We honor the Blessed Mother today as we see her assumed into heaven body and soul. However, it was only in 1950 that Pope Pius XII proclaimed the dogma of the Assumption through an encyclical ‘Munificentissimus Deus.’ But it was in 451 that in the Council of Chalcedon, the Bishop of Jerusalem St Juvenal proclaimed that Mary did die in the presence of the apostles. However when St Thomas asked to open her coffin, it was empty, which shows that she was taken up into heaven in a mysterious way. In those days the tradition started which celebrated the Sleeping of Mary, the Dormitio. It was celebrated along with her Assumption on August 15, and this was in the Eastern churches. The Western churches, that is Rome, and all of Europe celebrated only the Assumption of Mary, but not the Dormitio, also on the same date, August 15. The doctrine of the Assumption teaches that at the end of her earthly existence, the Blessed Virgin Mary was taken up (assumed) body and soul, into heaven. This means that there are two human bodies with God in heaven, Jesus and Mary. 

Today we turn to Mary and ask for her protection on our families, our children, our parents, our elders, and all those who are in need of prayers for any particular reason. This prayer by St Gabriel Possenti is one of the most consoling prayers to Mary: “If you are in danger, she will hasten to free you; if you are troubled, she will console you; if you are sick, she will bring you relief; if you are in need, she will help you. She does not look to see what kind of person you have been. She simply comes to a heart that wants to love her.”

St Maximilian Kolbe

Maximilian was born in January 1894 in Poland and was one of 5 sons to his devout parents. He contracted tuberculosis and, though he recovered, he remained frail all his life. In 1907 Kolbe and his elder brother Francis decided to join the Conventual Franciscans. During his time as a student, he witnessed vehement demonstrations against Popes St. Pius X and Benedict XV in Rome and was inspired to organize the Militia Immaculata, or Army of Mary, to work for conversion of sinners and the enemies of the Catholic Church through the intercession of the Virgin Mary. The Immaculata friars utilized the most modern printing and administrative techniques in publishing catechetical and devotional leaflets, a daily newspaper with a circulation of 230,000 and a monthly magazine with a circulation of over one million. After receiving a doctorate in theology, he spread the Movement through a magazine entitled "The Knight of the Immaculata" and helped form a community of 800 men.

Maximilian went to Japan where he built a monastery and then on to India where he furthered the Movement. In 1936 he returned home because of ill health. After the Nazi invasion in 1939, he was imprisoned and released for a time. He provided shelter to refugees from Greater Poland, including 2,000 Jews whom he hid from Nazi persecution in his friary in Niepokalanów. He was also active as a radio amateur, with Polish call letters SP3RN, vilifying Nazi activities through his reports.

Franciszek Gajowniczek with Pope John Paul in 1982 after the canonization.

On February 17, 1941 he was arrested again by the German Gestapo and imprisoned in the Pawiak prison, and on May 25 was transferred to Auschwitz as prisoner #16670. In July 1941 a man from Kolbe's barracks vanished, prompting the deputy camp commander to pick 10 men from the same barracks to be starved to death in Block 13 (notorious for torture), in order to deter further escape attempts. One of the selected men, Franciszek Gajowniczek, cried out, lamenting his family, and Kolbe volunteered to take his place. The guards accepted this move, and Francizek was spared and eventually lived until the late 1990s. During the time in the cell St Maximilian led the men in songs and prayer. After three weeks of dehydration and starvation, only Kolbe and three others were still alive. Finally he was murdered with an injection of carbolic acid.

Father Kolbe was beatified as a confessor by Pope Paul VI in 1971 and was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 10, 1982 in the presence of Franciszek Gajowniczek and his family.

Santa Maria Convoy

SS Ohio entering the main harbor at Valletta on August 15, 1942.

Seventy-five years ago on August 15, Malta was on the verge of starvation and days away from a possible surrender to the Axis forces led by Nazi Germany. But a last-ditch, high-risk effort to supply the island with direly needed fuel and food paid off, despite heavy losses, when the American tanker, the SS Ohio, was towed into Grand Harbour at 9.30am on August 15, 1942, to cheering crowds.

Children cheering and waving flags as they welcome the SS Ohio.

This August marks the 75^th anniversary of the Operation Pedestal – popularly known as the Santa Marija Convoy, given the date on which the SS Ohio was towed into port, which not only saved Malta from surrender but also arguably turned the tide of WWII in favour of the Allies. Operation Pedestal was ultimately a tactical disaster, given the great losses sustained, but it was also a clear strategic victory for the Allies. The fuel supplies helped ensure that the Malta-based fighter planes would protect ships unloading in future supply operations.

Medal issued this year to commemorate the 75th anniversary.

The fuel also gave a substantial boost to Malta-based operations against Axis shipping lines, which sank a substantial proportion of Axis convoys to North Africa. SS Ohio was towed into Grand Harbor to cheering crowds and a band playing Rule Britannia. The crowd fell silent as the ships entered harbor, men removed their hats, women crossed themselves and a bugle sounded Still. The tanker discharged oil into two tankers and water was pumped in at the same time, to reduce the chance of structural failure. Ohio sank to the bottom of the Grand Harbor just as the last of the fuel was emptied. 

Painting in Qrendi church depicting the arrival of Operation Pedestal.

But thanks to the prayers of the devout people of Malta, they had prayed to the Blessed Mother to save them from starvation. And these included my own parents who were teenagers back then. 

Mother of our Children

This is a very precious photo sent to me by friends from the USA. It shows twin boys Emrys on the left, and Henning on the right approaching the yellow flowers and the statue of the Blessed Mother situated at the church of St Gertrude in Cottonwood, Idaho. It speaks to me about the innocence of children and how the Blessed Mother can protect them as they grow up, from infancy to adulthood. Reflecting on this photo, I share with you this prayer as we approach the feast of the Assumption.

Most Blessed Virgin Mary, we ask for your protection on all of our children and young people. You who raised Jesus with such love and affection, we implore you to do the same with our precious children. Help the unborn and inspire their mothers to continue bravely with their pregnancy, in spite of pressures to terminate. Keep all our children safe in parks, pools, schoolyards, neighborhood streets and wherever they gather to play. Encourage them to focus on their school work and pay attention at class, while doing the work and projects assigned to them. Remind them always to be respectful of their parents, especially as the turbulent teenage years approach, and may they continue to communicate with each other, not simply through texting and Facebook, but through the simple method we all grew up with, talking face-to-face, and listening to each other constructively. We realize that as they grow up, they somehow lose their sweetness and joyful spirit, but do not let them lose their closeness and affinity to their parents, siblings and families. Blessed Mother, bless the spontaneity and innocence of our children, and as you accept a simple flower from our two boys in this photo, accept also their hopes and dreams, their plans and projects for the future. We ask this prayer through Your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

Saint Clare

St Clare with the Monstrance, painting at St Francis church, Rabat, Malta.

Clare was a beautiful Italian noblewoman who became the Foundress of an order of nuns now called "Poor Clares." She was born July 16, 1194, as Chiara Offreduccio. When she heard St. Francis of Assisi preach, her heart burned with a great desire to imitate Francis and to live a poor humble life for Jesus. So one evening, she ran away from home, and in a little chapel outside Assisi, gave herself to God. St. Francis cut off her hair and gave her a rough brown habit to wear, tied with a plain cord around her waist. Her parents tried in every way to make her return home, but Clare would not.

Soon her sister Agnes joined her, as well as other young women who wanted to be brides of Jesus, and live without any money. St. Clare and her sisters wore no shoes, ate no meat, lived in a poor house, and kept silent most of the time. Yet they were very happy, because Our Lord was close to them all the time. Once, He saved them from a great danger in answer to St. Clare's prayer. An army of rough soldiers came to attack Assisi and they planned to raid the convent first. Although very sick, St. Clare had herself carried to the wall and right there, where the enemies could see it, she had the Blessed Sacrament placed. Then on her knees, she begged God to save the Sisters. "O Lord, protect these Sisters whom I cannot protect now," she prayed. A voice seemed to answer: "I will keep them always in My care."
At the same time a sudden fright struck the attackers and they fled as fast as they could. St. Clare was sick and suffered great pains for many years, but she said that no pain could trouble her. She died on  August 11, 1253. Many stories and allegorical tales have been created with St Francis and St Clare, including the popular movie and phrase “Brother Sun, Sister Moon.” But the fact is that both St Clare and St Francis laid a foundation for what to become one of the most influential orders of priests, friars and sisters, the Franciscans. Many other Orders splintered from the original Franciscans, but the foundation of each group remained always a life of poverty and good Christian example, a life detached from the materialism of this world.

St Lawrence

Saint Lawrence was one of seven deacons in Rome who were in charge of giving help to the poor and the needy. When a persecution broke out, Pope St. Sixtus was condemned to death. As he was led to execution, Lawrence followed him weeping, "Father, where are you going without your deacon?" he said. "I am not leaving you, my son," answered the Pope. "in three days you will follow me." Full of joy, Lawrence gave to the poor the rest of the money he had on hand and even sold expensive vessels, chalices and candlesticks to have more to give away. The Prefect of Rome, a greedy pagan, thought the Church had a great fortune hidden away. So he ordered Lawrence to bring the Church's treasure to him. The Saint said he would, in three days. Then he went through the city and gathered together all the poor and sick people supported by the Church and lined them all up. When he showed them to the Prefect, he said: "This is the Church's treasure!"
In great anger, the Prefect condemned Lawrence to a slow, cruel death. The Saint was tied on top of an iron grill over a slow fire that roasted his flesh little by little, but Lawrence was burning with so much love of God that he almost did not feel the flames. In fact, he even joked, "Turn me over," he said to the judge. "I'm done on this side!" And just before he died, he said, "It's cooked enough now." Then he prayed that the city of Rome might be converted to Jesus and that the Catholic faith might spread all over the world. After that, he went to receive the martyr's reward.
St Lawrence is one of thousands of martyrs who were mercilessly killed by the ruthless Emperors in the first 300 years of Christianity. Others were crucified, sent to the lions, beheaded, burned, tied to a tree and arrows shot at them, others were skinned or had parts of their body taken out or cut off. With St Stephen he is the patron saint of deacons.

St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942)

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

St Dominic

Statue of St Dominic in his church at Valletta, Malta

St Dominic was born on August 8 1170 in Calaruega, Spain. Dominic's parents are named Felix Guzman and Joan of Aza. The story is told that before his birth his barren mother made a pilgrimage to the Abbey of Santo Domingo dos Silos, and dreamed that a dog leapt from her womb carrying a torch in its mouth, and "seemed to set the earth on fire". This story drew resonance from the fact that his order became known, after his name, as the Dominican order, Domini canus in Latin which a play on words interpreted as Domini canis: "Dog of the Lord." At Dominic’s baptism, his mother saw a star shining from his chest, which became another of his symbols in art, and led to his patronage of astronomy.

Beautiful painting of St Dominic by Giuseppe Cali in his church at Valletta.

He studied philosophy and theology at the University of Palencia. He was a Canon of the Cathedral of Osma, Spain and joined the Augustinians at first. Dominic had a lifelong apostolate among heretics, especially the Albigensians, and especially in France. He founded the Order of Friars Preachers (Dominicans) in 1215, a group who live a simple, austere life, and an order of nuns dedicated to the care of young girls. Dominic’s ideal, and that of his Order, was to organically link a life with God, study, and prayer in all forms, with a ministry of salvation to people by the word of God. His ideal: contemplata tradere: “to pass on the fruits of contemplation” or “to speak only of God or with God.” St Dominic died on August 6, 1221 in Bologna, Italy. His holiness was such that he was canonized only 13 years after his death, on July 13, 1234, by Pope Gregory IX.

Statue being taken out in procession from his church.

The spread of the Rosary, a popular Marian devotion, is attributed to the preaching of Saint Dominic. The Rosary has for centuries been at the heart of the Dominican Order. The feast of Saint Dominic is celebrated with great pomp and devotion in Malta, in the old city of Birgu and the capital city Valletta. The Dominican order has very strong links with Malta and Pope Pius V, a Dominican friar himself, aided the Knights of St. John to build the city of Valletta.