The Visitation

'The Visitation' from the parish church in Gharb, Gozo, Malta

The month of May, dedicated to the Blessed Mother ends with another feast of Mary, precisely her visitation to her cousin Elizabeth. It was also the first encounter between Jesus and John the Baptist, even though they were still in their mothers’ respective wombs. As was customary, the younger woman would visit the older one and Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months, helping her with chores, while chatting and praying over their upcoming blessed event. Who knows what they talked about....asking questions that any prospective mother would ask another mother....”What are you gonna name the baby? ......is he kicking yet?........is the crib ready?.....how many more weeks for the delivery?........”

This feast also encourages us to focus on the spirit of visits. People visit each other frequently, as families vacation and go on holidays while stopping at homes and places where they know they would be welcome. How hospitable are we to guests who stop by to visit us? How gracious are we when we visit friends? Do we check to see if we are imposing on them? How about visiting elderly people, like grandparents, uncles and aunts who may be very lonely? Do we set a good example when friends visit us? Do we invite them to attend church with us on a weekend, or are we embarrassed to take them to Mass with us? You may be surprised how honored they would feel when you introduce them to the church and parish community? I can tell you that this is how most converts are made, when they visit a church and get ‘hooked’ by something special they see, a message in the homily, or any other event that may seem insignificant for you, but not for your friends and guests.

Famous Landmarks - part 2

Taj Mahal, India – 21 years – 1632 – Ustad Ahmad Lahauri

-          close to 20,000 people worked on its construction.

Branderburg Gate, Berlin – 3 years – 1788 – Carl Gotthard Langhans

-          the Brandenburg Gate as inspired by the Acropolis in Athens. It features a sculpture of a four horse-driven chariot by Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory.

The White House, Washington DC – 13 years – 1792 – James Hoban

-          during the American civil war, the British Army destroyed much of the White House, causing it to be reconstructed. Today it takes 570 gallons of paint  to cover the outside of the White House.

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona – unfinished – started 1832 – Antoni Gaudi

-          By the time of Gaudi’s death in 1926, the church was  left only 25% complete. The building is estimated to be complete between 2026 and 2028, the centenary of his death.

Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, London – 30 years – 1840 – Charles Barry

Famous landmarks - part 1

Here are some famous landmarks and how long it took to have them built, and the year when they were finished, as well as the main builder:

Leaning Tower of Pisa  - 199 years – 1172 – Bonanno Pisano

-          although it was originally designed to be straight, the towers leans at about 3.99 degrees. In total it has 297 steps leading to the top of it.

St Peter’s Basilica, Rome – 144 years – 1506 – Bramante, Michelangelo, Maderno and Bernini

-          the original basilica of St Peters was built by Emperor Constantine in the 4^th century. The building is home to more than 100 tombs, 91 of which belong to previous popes. There are 551 steps if you want to climb to the top of the cupola, from where you can get a panoramic view of Rome.

St Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow – 123 years – 1555 – Barma and Postnik

-          the Cathedral’s full name is ‘The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Virgin by the Moat.’ It was originally commissioned by Ivan the Terrible.

St Paul’s Cathedral, London – 36 years – 1675 – Sir Christopher Wren

Buckingham Palace, London – 23 years - 1702 – John Nash and Sir Aston Webb

-          It was originally built as Buckingham House in 1702. The first monarch to live in the palace  was Queen Victoria. However during World War II, while King George VI was King, the palace suffered 9 bomb hits.

Prayer by St Benedict

Bestow upon me, O Gracious Holy Father:

Intellect to understand you,

Perceptions to perceive you purely,

Reason to discern you,

Diligence to seek you,

Wisdom to find you,

A spirit to know you.

           A heart to meditate upon you,

Ears to hear you,

Eyes to behold you,

A tongue to proclaim you,

A conversation pleasing to you,

Patience to wait for you,

And perseverance to look for you.

Grant me a perfect end - your Holy Presence.

Grant me a blessed resurrection, and your recompense, everlasting life.

Holy Trinity in our life

As we honor God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit today, may I suggest a practical exercise you can make to really bring the Holy Trinity into the fiber of your own lives. Take one minute at night before bed-time. In the first 20 seconds, think of something good and positive that happened to you that day, (maybe you made a new friend, received a nice letter, enjoyed a delicious dinner, etc) and thank God for that experience. In the second 20 seconds, think of something negative that happened to you that day, (a nasty comment you gave, ignoring someone, being involved in an argument, etc) and ask Jesus to forgive you. Then in the last 20 seconds, think of something that’s on your mind, or something you have to do or a person you have to face tomorrow, (maybe an interview, having to correct someone, a clash with a family member, etc) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you in that encounter. This way you are bringing in the three persons of the Holy Trinity in a very practical way to guide you and help you on a daily basis. 

And remember never to be embarrassed to bless yourself in public. If you're with your family in a restaurant, you have the biggest test to see how faithful you are to your Catholic heritage - bless yourself and see the people around you admire you and probably complement you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

St Philip Neri

Saint Philip Neri (1515-1595)

If one had to choose one saint who showed the humorous side of holiness that would be St. Philip Neri, whose feast we celebrate today. Born in 1515 in Florence, he showed the impulsiveness and spontaneity of his character from the time he was a boy. His father was not successful financially and at eighteen Philip was sent to work with an older cousin who was a successful businessman. During this time, Philip found a favorite place to pray up in cave on a mountain that had been turned into a chapel. He then went to Rome in 1533 where he studied philosophy and theology until he thought his studies were interfering with his prayer life. He then stopped his studies, threw away his books, and lived as a kind of hermit. 

Night was his special time of prayer. After dark he would go out in the streets, sometimes to churches, but most often into the catacombs of St. Sebastiano to pray. In 1548 Philip formed a confraternity with other laymen to minister to pilgrims who came to Rome without food or shelter. The spiritual director of the confraternity convinced Philip that he could do even more work as a priest. After receiving instruction from this priest, Philip was ordained in 1551.
At his new home, the church of San Girolamo, he learned to love to hear confessions. Young men especially found in him the wisdom and direction they needed to grow spiritually. But Philip began to realize that these young men needed something more than absolution; they needed guidance during their daily lives. So Philip began to ask the young men to come by in the early afternoon when they would discuss spiritual readings and then stay for prayer in the evening. The numbers of the men who attended these meetings grew rapidly. In order to handle the growth, Philip and a fellow priest built a room called the Oratory to hold them in.
Philip understood that it wasn't enough to tell young people not to do something ‑‑ you had to give them something to do in its place. So at Carnival time, when the worst excesses were encouraged, Philip organized a pilgrimage to the Seven Churches with a picnic accompanied by instrumental music for the mid‑day break. After walking twelve miles in one day everyone was too tired to be tempted!
In 1555, the Pope's Vicar accused Philip of "introducing novelties" and ordered him to stop the meetings of the Oratory. Philip was broken hearted but obeyed immediately. The Pope only let him start up the Oratory again after the sudden death of his accuser. Eventually Philip decided it would be best for the group to have their own church. They became officially known as the Congregation of the Oratory, made up of secular priests and clerics. Philip was known to be spontaneous and unpredictable, charming and humorous. One of his men was Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina who wrote beautiful harmonic choral music and Masses.
Humility was the most important virtue he tried to teach others and to learn himself. Philip died in 1595 after a long illness at the age of eighty years. This prayer is a fitting conclusion to this brief biography of this happy joy‑filled saint: Saint Philip Neri, we take ourselves far too seriously most of the time. Help us to add humor to our perspective ‑ remembering always that humor is a gift from God.

Traffic Sign

Besides being the chaplain at Hilltop Gardens, I am also saying daily Mass 3 times a week at another Nursing Home in Naxxar. A few days ago, after I finished saying Mass and was walking back, I came across a group of tourists, all Germans who were laughing hilariously while taking pictures and pointing their cameras up high. I thought at first there was a cat trapped or some unusual happening. But then it dawned on me that they were taking pictures of a triangular traffic sign. Since I pass by that road frequently I never noticed the sign, but of course I was curious to see what was the sign they were so intrigued about. It must have been the highlight of their day, as they laughed when they saw the sign and recorded it on their cameras, now distributed all over Germany and who knows on how many Facebook pages.

A precious piece of paper

A teacher gave a sheet of paper to every student in his class. On each sheet was listed the name of each child in that class. He left a few empty lines after each name, so that each child would write something positive about that particular student. It was a beautiful exercise which took quite some time to have it finished. The teacher then picked up all the papers and took them home with him. From this project he issued another list of sheets with each of the students’ names written on top, and listed underneath were all the comments that the other students had written. So each student had a separate sheet with a series of positive comments his or her friends had written on them. Back in school a few days later, the teacher distributed the papers to each student who were all delighted and surprised to read the nice comments written about them. They felt so united together.

Many years later, one of the students was killed in the Iraqi War, and his teacher and some of his classmates attended the funeral. Towards the end of the service, the mother of that soldier approached the teacher “You were his teacher years ago, weren’t you? My son talked about you a lot. Let me show you something. After my son was killed, they checked his wallet and found this worn-out note. He must have opened it to read it many times.” The teacher knew exactly what happened. He kept that note which encouraged him and motivated him – they were the comments his classmates had written about him years earlier. The mother said “I want to thank you very much. As you can see, he really appreciated that gesture, and treasured that note.” Another student attending the funeral said “I too carry that note with me all the time.” The wife of yet another student said “My husband insisted that we’ll put that note in our wedding album.” Another former student said “I kept my note close to me all my life. In fact I placed it under the glass on top of my desk, so that I can look at it often.” The teacher broke down crying. He cried not only for the fallen student-soldier, but also for the joy that a simple exercise on a sheet of paper had accomplished so much good and gave so many blessings.

Where God Wants Me To Be

Next time your morning seems to be going wrong and the children are slow getting dressed and you can't seem to find the car keys and you hit every traffic light, don't get mad or frustrated; praise God instead because God is at work watching over you.

After Sept 11 , 2001 some incredible stories were shared of why some people were alive and their counterparts were dead.....and all the stories were just 'little' things. As you might know, the head of the company of Cantor Fitzgerald got in late that day because his son started kindergarten. Another fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts. One woman was late because her alarm clock didn't go off in time. One was late being stuck on the New Jersey Turnpike because of an auto accident. One missed his bus. One spilled food on her clothes and had to take time to change. One's car wouldn't start. One went back to answer the telephone. One had a child that was whining and didn't get ready as soon as he should have.

One couldn't get a taxi. There were other stories that I hope and pray will someday be gathered and put in a book. The one that struck me was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning, took the various means to get to work but before he got there, he developed a blister on his foot. He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid. That is why he is alive today. Now when I am stuck in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone.... all the little things that annoy me ...I think to myself, this is exactly where God wants me to be at this very moment. May God continue to bless you with all those annoying little things and may you remember their possible purpose.

Saint Rita

Are you faced with a difficult problem? Does it seem insurmountable? The prayer to St. Rita of Cascia (1381‑1457) shown below might help. After all, St. Rita is known as the “Saint of the Impossible,” and we honor her today, her liturgical feast day.

Early in life, she had a strong desire to be a nun, but got married instead, following her parents’ wishes. By all accounts, her husband was Mr. Wrong, an abusive man with whom she bore two sons of similar temperament. Apparently she had the patience of a saint because she prayed for them all and tried to be a dutiful wife and mother! After 18 years of marriage, her husband was murdered and her sons, wanting to take revenge for their father’s murder,  died of natural causes the following year. After that, St. Rita finally got her wish and was admitted to the convent of Augustinian nuns at Cascia. Tradition has it that the nuns there initially refused to let St. Rita join because she was a widow. One night Saint John the Baptist, St. Augustine and St. Nicholas of Tolentino opened gates that had been bolted shut and left her in the chapel of the convent.

When the nuns found St. Rita there the next morning they understood God’s designs for her and accepted her unanimously. Talk about prayer opening doors! Many other miracles were attributed to St. Rita, both during her life and after her death. As an example, her devotion to Jesus in His Passion was such that a thorn from the crucifix in her room pierced her forehead one day while she was praying! The prayer to St. Rita also touches on that miracle:

Oh glorious St. Rita, who did miraculously participate in the sorrowful Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, obtain for us the grace to suffer with resignation the troubles of this life, and protect us in all my needs. St. Rita, model wife and widow, you yourself suffered in a long illness showing patience out of love for God. Teach us to pray as you did. Many invoke you for help, full of confidence in your intercession. Come now to our aid for the relief and cure of (mention your request). To God all things are possible; may this healing give glory to the Lord. Through the prayers of St. Rita, may we learn to bear our crosses in life in the same spirit in which she bore hers. Amen.

Mary, Mother of the Church

I’ve said it many times that the Blessed Mother has more feasts than Jesus himself, and from today, we have yet another celebration introduced recently by Pope Francis, honoring her as the Mother of the Church. Incidentally, a few days before this new feast was proclaimed, I was at the priests’ retirement home in Birkirkara, and I took a photo of this beautiful statue featuring Mary carrying a replica in miniature of a church with the Holy Spirit underneath. The feast will be celebrated annually the day after Pentecost. Yesterday we commemorated the birthday of the church, and as Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ, she somehow gave birth to the church, whom He represents. Even this impressive statue shows Mary holding close to her heart and womb the church and the Holy Spirit, as if she is offering them to us from her own body.

This feast was actually introduced by Blessed Pope Paul VI in 1964, who had declared Mary as Mother of the Church, that is Mother of all Christians and of all priests. Then in 1975, the Year of Mercy, the church had also introduced a special Mass in honor of Mary as Mater Ecclesia, mother of the church. Above all, we must look at Mary as the one who gives us life, that spiritual oxygen which energizes us and nourishes us with her presence in our lives. May the Blessed Mother bless all of our families and may they be strengthened in their weakness through her continued motherly protection.

Holy Spirit – the instigator

I always look at the Holy Spirit as a type of instigator, always moving, always challenging, one who doesn’t sit still. He is there to challenge us to get out of our comfort zone and do something different, something more demanding. We all love our favorite couch or chair or sofa, where we can sit and watch TV, read our newspapers or just relax and doze off for a few minutes. But when someone else takes our place, we feel irritable and uncomfortable. We feel out of place and yet we get determined to do something different, something more than the basics. That’s what the role of the Holy Spirit is like – he never stops instigating and motivating and asking for more. He doesn’t like it when we are complacent and careless about our duties and wants us to be on guard on what is required of us. He is that inner voice that says to us ‘you can do better, you can do more, you can improve on those efforts.....’ So let us listen to Him and do more than the basics. Let us not be afraid to change our attitude, our perspective of what life has in store for us in the future. Come Holy Spirit, come into our lives, into our families, come into our homes and inspire us to do a little more. 

The art of Marriage

St George's chapel in Windsor Castle where the wedding will take place.

As the whole world joins in wishing Harry and Meghan the very best on their wedding day, I share with you this refection on the art f marriage:

A good marriage must be created. 

In the art of marriage, the little things are the big things....

It is never being too old to hold hands.

It is remembering to say “I Love you” at least once each day.

It is never going to sleep angry.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.

It is standing together facing the world.

It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.

It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.

It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.

It is giving in each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.

It is finding room for the things of the spirit.

It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.

It is not only marrying the right partner.

It is being the right partner.

God knows best

A US soldier over in Iraq had asked everyone to pray for an end to the days of sand storms and torrential rains that were hindering their crossing of the Euphrates River. Instead of stopping, as the prayers asked, they only grew more intense, especially the wind which was relentless. When they finally did stop, he noticed that the intense wind and rain had eroded much of the river's banks.

That's when he suddenly saw them.  Glinting in the sun. Everywhere.  Hundreds of them on the other side of the river. Hundreds of round, metal discs slightly protruding from the sand.  Hundreds of deadly landmines that could have killed or maimed scores of the troops. The storm had exposed them so they could be seen, avoided and easily cleared. God always knows best. Always.

A kind gesture

This was in New York City, on a cold day in December: A little boy about 10 years old was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold. A lady approached the boy and said, "My little fellow, why are you looking so earnestly in that window?"  

"I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes," was the boy's reply. The lady took him by the hand and went into the store and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her. She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with a towel. By this time the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes. She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him. She patted him on the head and said, "No doubt, my little fellow, won't you feel more comfortable now?"  As she turned to go, the astonished lad caught her by the hand, and looking up in her face, with tears in his eyes, answered the question with these words: "Are you God's Wife?"

The Stranger

A few years after I was born, my father met a stranger who had just arrived in town. Right away my father was fascinated with this stranger – and soon he invited him to live with us in our home. This stranger was welcomed and has lived with us ever since. As I was growing up, I never had any doubt that this stranger does not belong with us. In fact, in my own mind, he had a very special place. Our parents were our teachers – my mother taught me to choose between good and evil, while my father taught me how to be obedient. And the stranger....he was there to tell us stories. For hours we were captivated by his adventures, mysteries, comedies and all kinds of entertainment. At times we laughed with him, at other time, we were even brought to tears. If I needed to know something about politics, history or science, I would go to him and he would always have an answer about the past. And at times he even predicted the future.
This stranger never stopped talking, but this never bothered my dad. At times I noticed my mother would get up after listening to him, and would head to the kitchen, while we sat next to him, and kept interrupting each other so that we can listen more attentively. I’m convinced that there were days when my mother wished this stranger would have disappeared. My father always insisted that we follow good morals and practice our faith, but our stranger never felt comfortable following the same rules our household. For example, we were never allowed to use vulgar language or obscene words or curse – never. But our stranger often used colorful words and got away with it. My father would be very uneasy when this happened and my mother would turn red in shame.
My father never let us use alcohol, but this stranger regularly encouraged us to try it. He even spoke openly about sex, using very suggestive language, and showing very embarrassing images. In fact I can say that my first encounter with relationships was introduced by this stranger. Frequently he would oppose the values my parents instilled in us, but they never reprimanded him, or asked him to leave. He’s been with us now a full 50 years! He is certainly part of our family and has inserted himself quite well in our family’s day to day life. It’s true he’s not as fascinating or sensational as he used to be in his earlier years, but if you were to visit my parents’ home, he’s still there, in his favorite corner, waiting for someone to sit in front of him to hear him talk, and admire the images he presents continuously.
By the way, I never told you his name – he is called Television.

Sharing

With the ongoing struggles between the Israelis and Palestinians, I share with you a story told by St Teresa of Calcutta about the gift of sharing and getting along, in spite of major differences.

“One day a man came to our home and told me that there was a Hindu family with 8 children who have not eaten in a week. He asked me if I could help them. So I took a bag of rice and went to their place, and as soon as I arrived, I noticed the pain of hunger on all the children’s faces. But as soon as I gave them the rice, I noticed the mother divide the rice in two portions. And she went outside and left me alone with the children. When she returned I asked her, ‘What did you do, where did you go?’ And she answered softly ‘They are hungry too....’ She had gone to their neighbours, who were Muslims and gave them half of the rice. Now understand that Muslims and Hindus do not get along and often fight fiercely with each other. But she knew that they were hungry too. That day I did not return to give them more rice, so that she could enjoy the joy of giving, the pleasure of sharing. What surprised me the most however was the fact that she knew they were also hungry.” Do we know if our neighbours need some unusual help? Are we aware of any need in our neighbourhood? How willing are we to share with those who have practically nothing?

St Matthias

One hundred and twenty people were gathered for prayer and reflection in the upper room, when Peter stood up to propose the way to make the choice for a replacement for Judas, who had betrayed Jesus and hung himself. Peter had one criterion, that, like Andrew, James, John, and himself, the new apostle be someone who had been a disciple from the very beginning, from his baptism by John until the Ascension.

Two men fit this description -- Matthias and Joseph called Barsabbas. They knew that both these men had been with them and with Jesus through his whole ministry. But which one had the heart to become a witness to his resurrection? The apostles knew that only the Lord could know what was in the heart of each. They cast lots in order to discover God's will and Matthias was chosen. He was the twelfth apostle and the group was whole again as they waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Unlike the other 12 who were hand-picked by Jesus, warts and all, Matthias was chosen from among 120 others. So there must have been something special about him - his credentials must have been quite impressive, even though we know so little about him.

That's the first we hear of Matthias in Scripture, and the last. Legends like the Acts of Andrew and Matthias testify to Matthias' enthusiastic embrace of all that being an apostle meant including evangelization, persecution, and death in the service of the Lord. Clement of Alexandria says that Matthias, like all the other apostles, was not chosen by Jesus for what he already was, but for what Jesus foresaw he would become. He was elected not because he was worthy but because he would become worthy. Jesus chooses all of us in the same way.

Have you ever felt like an afterthought, a latecomer? Or have you ever resented someone new who was added to your group? It is not our prerogative to decide who belongs and who doesn’t belong within our church. God chooses people He deems fit to serve him. The same goes with vocations. We are all called for specific roles, sometimes unknown to us, until we realize our gifts and talents. So let us welcome any newcomers to your parish, work, or family community as someone chosen by God, as the apostles welcomed St Matthias.

A history of Mother's Day

As we celebrate this special day honoring all our mothers, I’d like to share with you some historical information of how this celebration came to be. In the seventeenth century, many English children left home to become apprentices, often with masters far from their homes. But on the fourth Sunday of Lent, children were sent home to spend the day with their mothers. The vacation became known as "Mothering Sunday." The children often took a fruity "mothering cake" back with them, baked by their mother (which, because of the Lenten fast, had to keep until Easter). 

Mothering Sunday never really caught on in the New World, and as the practice of apprenticeship began to die out, so did Mothering Sunday. It blended with a more Continental European celebration of "Mother Church." A common practice on this day was to visit the church of one's baptism. Setting aside a special day to honor physical mothers was, for the most part, forgotten. In 1872, Julia Ward Howe, who had published her "Battle Hymn of the Republic" a decade earlier, suggested a Mother's Day as a kind of protest to the violence of the Civil War.
Then Anna Jarvis, of Grafton, West Virginia wanted to arrange a special church service for her mother in 1907. Her mother, who had died two years earlier, had been an important figure at the Andrews Methodist Church, had lost seven of her 11 children, and had given up her dreams of a college education to care for her aging and ailing husband. The service was so delightful that Anna Jarvis soon wrote letters to everyone she could think of: politicians, newspaper editors, church leaders, etc. She wanted it to be near her family on that special day, while remembering her own mother.
She distributed white carnations in memory of the deceased mothers and red carnations to honor those still living. In 1910, Jarvis's state had officially recognized the holiday. A year later, almost every other state joined the celebration. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday to be celebrated each second Sunday of May. It may please some to know that by the late 1920s, Jarvis was upset and angry at the commercialization of the celebration. Already greeting card companies had made it the fourth largest card holiday in the calendar. Jarvis filed a lawsuit to stop a 1923 Mother's Day festival, and was later arrested for disturbing the peace when confronting carnation salespeople. "I wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not profit!" she protested. Ironically, when Anna Jarvis died at age 82 in 1948, she was sorry she'd ever started the holiday. And she never became a mother herself. But today, we wish a very Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers, as well as Grandmothers, Godmothers, Step-mothers and Foster-mothers, as we also pray for those mothers who died during this past year.

Ascension

Tomorrow we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus into heaven. I share this reflection today since tomorrow is Mother’s Day. There is a legend about Jesus’ arrival at heaven. The saints and prophets greeted Him as He arrived, and were amazed when they saw the wounds in his hands and feet and his side. They told Him, “Do the people on earth realize how much you suffered for them? And whom are you leaving behind you to continue the precious work you already did?” Jesus answered quickly, “well, I left a group of friends, whom I called apostles to continue the work I started. It’s completely up to them now.” The reaction was quite forceful and emphatic “you mean to tell us you just left the apostles....that is Peter who denied you, Thomas who would not believe your resurrection, and Philip and Bartholomew who ran away when you needed them the most to pray with you! You must be insane....how about a back-up plan? What if they falter, who is going to continue the journey of Christianity?”
Jesus answered emphatically “no, I have no back –up plan. Either they do the work I entrusted to them, or it doesn’t get done at all. But I believe they won’t let me down.” After 2 millennia, the apostles and their successors have kept the journey of Christianity going, and from 12 apostles, we now have 1.2 billion Catholics....that an increase of 10 billion %. Now it’s all up to us – we have to continue the work started by the apostles. If we falter now, the journey will end. So, let’s not disappoint Him.

The Pectoral Cross

Giuseppe Albrizzi showing the cross Pope Francis uses.

When Pope Francis was elected in March 2013, everyone was surprised when he appeared at the balcony of the Basilica of St Peter’s, mostly because he was dressed in white, and not in the pontifical red cape or mozzetta and golden pectoral cross. Most people were curious to find out what was on the cross he had on his chest, and very quickly the news spread that it was a simple cross that he had used as a bishop and a Cardinal in Buenos Aires. The cross was crafted by Giuseppe Albrizzi, who runs a religious articles business in Rome Arredi Sacri di Giuseppe Albrizzi. He actually recognized his cross as soon as Pope Francis appeared in the balcony. It was actually purchased by a friend of Archbishop Bergoglio (Pope Francis) who in the summer of 1998 was elevated to Bishop, and this person wanted to buy him a gift, and bought the cross made from silver. At first the pectoral cross appeared dark, which led many to think it was made of iron, but it had turned dark because of handling, people kissing it, and ‘as if the world’s suffering had been impressed on it, darkening it,’ as the Pope once said. 

Pope Francis, the day he was elected Pope in March 2013

The cross portrays the Good Shepherd – Jesus is in the foreground, a lamb on his shoulders; behind, and following him, there is a herd of sheep. A dove flies above, recalling the presence of the Holy Spirit. For centuries, the pectoral cross worn by the Pope, bishops and cardinals has been the symbol of prestige and temporal power. Crosses were made from gold, and embellished with gems and precious stones. The pectoral cross (from the Latin pectoralis, ‘of the chest’) was first used by Pope Hilarius in 461 AD, and in 811, we hear that Nicephorus, the Patriarch of Constantinople sent Pope Leo III a gold pectoral cross, and in the course of time, it has become customary for the Roma Pontiff to wear this type of cross on most solemn occasions. Actually Pope Francis was offered a gold cross to wear by Monsignor Guido Marini, the Vatican Master of Ceremonies, but he preferred to keep the Good Shepherd cross, which he kept using ever since.

Detail of Pope Francis' pectoral cross

Our Number One

Last Saturday in my chapel, just before the 5 PM Mass, I noticed a very surprising beam of light just behind the simple tabernacle. It was a reflected beam of light coming from the side windows, and the way the sun beamed at that time, it showed a very defined and clear Number One, as is clearly seen in these photos. I called the people for their attention as I started the Mass, and the people told me afterwards that the outline of the Number One kept getting thinner and thinner as we went along, until it disappeared just after communion was over. 

These photos I took over the following days show this fascinating coincidence or call it divine intervention....just to show that Jesus is surely and definitely our Number One. Please do share this post with friends, especially those who have Facebook.

St George Preca

Saint George Preca (1880-1962)

Today is the liturgical feast of Malta’s first and only saint, Father George Preca. Although some people claim St Publius as the first Maltese saint, the bishop who was in Malta when St. Paul was shipwrecked here in 60 AD. Born in Valletta on 12 February 1880, George was the seventh child in a middle-class family of nine. His father, Vincent Preca, was first a merchant and then a sanitary inspector. His mother, Nathalie Ceravolo, was a teacher. George's boyhood was nothing spectacular, but he did not lack that adventurous spirit and courage which form the backbone of any leader. Feeling that he was called to be a priest, he moved from the Lyceum to the Seminary where as a young student he distinguished himself in his studies, especially in Latin.
Moreover, at a time when the laity had not yet been officially recognised as important in the mission of spreading the Gospel, right after his ordination, St. George Preca entrusted his followers with the responsibility of teaching catechism. His little group of men and women grew up to be the Society of Christian Doctrine (known locally as M.U.S.E.U.M.) The acronym for M.U.S.E.U.M. is Magister Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus! which in translation means: "Teacher, O that the whole world would follow the Gospel!" Today the society consists of about 110 Centres and 1100 members. They teach about 20,000 boys and girls in the Maltese islands, in Australia, Peru, the Sudan, United Kingdom, Kenya and Albania. St George died on July 26, 1962, age 82. He was beatified on May 9, 2001 by Pope John Paul II in an open-air ceremony in Malta.
St George was canonized on June 3, 2007 in the St Peter’s square at the Vatican by Pope Benedict XVI. An interesting anecdote about St George is the fact that back in 1955, he had suggested to his members to start praying another Mystery of the Rosary, the Mysteries of Light, and he devised the exact 5 Gospel scenes that were introduced by Pope St John Paul in 2002. Ever since his canonization, much more devotion spread around Malta, and a parish was dedicated to him, and various statues were crafted, in paper-mache and in bronze.

Our Lady of Pompeii

A special devotion to the Blessed Mother of Pompeii is celebrated today in various churches. One of the persons who spread the devotion towards our Lady of Pompeii is an Italian man who was beatified in 1980 by Pope St. John Paul II. His name was Bartolo Longo who built a huge Basilica in 1883 in Pompeii in Mary’s honor.
Pompeii, along with Herculaneum was destroyed by volcanic eruption of Mt Vesuvius in the first century AD. By the last half of the nineteenth century the Valley of Pompeii, near Naples, was practically deserted. Of the comparatively few people who still lived there, most had lost their ancient Catholic faith; ignorance and superstition prevailed. Only a handful of people bothered to attend the services in the little parish chapel. In October 1872, a man named Bartolo Longo came to the valley. He was the husband of the Countess of Fusco, who had some property there; and Bartolo came to see what condition it was in. He had been reared a Catholic and was probably still one in name, although it seems he was not very devout. On October 9th, a few days after his arrival, he was walking along a rather desolate road when suddenly a voice seemed to speak to him. It told him that if he wished to be saved, he should spread devotion to the Rosary and that the Blessed Virgin had promised, that was the way to find salvation.
Bartolo fell on his knees and replied that if the Virgin had truly so promised then he would be saved; he would not leave the valley until he had popularized the Rosary. His early efforts to interest the people in the Rosary devotion do not seem to have been very successful, but he persisted, and in two or three years he had gathered quite a group around him for daily recitation of the prayers in the little chapel. The Bishop visited the valley in 1875, and complimented Bartolo on the good work he had done. He suggested that a church be built there in honor of Our Lady of Pompeii, and then, turning prophet, the Bishop pointed to a field near the chapel and declared that someday a basilica would stand on that spot. 

Bartolo Longo with some children in Pompeii

As the number of people taking part in the daily recitation of the Rosary grew, it was decided to obtain a picture of the Blessed Virgin, to help the faithful meditate as they prayed. On October 13, 1875, Bartolo went to Naples to see if he could find a suitable picture, but after searching for several days, to his great disappointment, he found that any really good picture would cost around four hundred francs, and he had nowhere near that amount to spend. He didn’t want to return empty handed, however, and disappoint the good people of Pompeii, so he somewhat reluctantly accepted a second hand painting from a junk store for five lire. A trucker not knowing what the package contained pitched it on top of a load of garbage and so the picture arrived at the chapel. The people were pleased with the dilapidated picture and enshrined it. Almost immediately several miracles took place through Mary’s intercession as Our Lady of Pompeii. The Miraculous painting of Our Lady of Pompeii was restored three times, and crowned with two golden crowns, one for Mary and one for baby Jesus. The painting shows Mary with baby Jesus and two saints who spread the devotion of the Rosary, St Dominic and St Catherine of Siena. With the approval of Pope Leo XIII, the church was built between 1876 and 1891. A new basilica was built between 1934 and 1939, ordered by Pope Pius XI. Many people visit this beautiful Church near Naples every May 8, when her feast day is celebrated.