Our incredible feet

The amazing structure of the human body is truly fascinating. But sometimes we take for granted some of our organs, and abuse them, or ignore them. Take our feet for example. Many people feel they are disconnected from the rest of our body. But consider the amount of work they do. It has been calculated that the average person walks the equivalent of 4 times around the globe during a lifetime! Both our feet contain one-fourth of the bones of our entire body. Each foot contains 33 joints, 26 bones, 19 muscles, and 107 ligaments. Both feet produce more than half a liter (.15 gallons) of sweat from 250,000 sweat glands, possibly much more in the summer months. Let’s take care of our feet and never ignore any symptoms of pain or unusual fatigue.

Being Creative

Psychologists have found that only about 2% of adults use their creativity, compared with 10% of 7-year old children. When 5-year olds were tested, the results soared to 90%. Originality is a way of life for the small child. But something happens on the way to adulthood, and the daring, the delight and the unpredictability are gone. And so is the originality. Living creatively is being ready for almost anything. This cute story speaks about how we can use creativity. A preacher asked a small boy “Can you tell me who created you?” The youngster thought for a moment, then he looked up at the preacher and said: “God made part of me.”

“What do you mean ‘part of you?’”
“Well,” answered the boy, “God made me little. I grew the rest myself.”
“Growing the rest” is a lifetime job for all of us God has fitted each of us to live one life, our own. We find personal wholeness and joy in discovering and using the particular gifts He has given us for living that life. And we make a difference. “We are collaborators in creation,” wrote Theilhard de Chardin. What you and I are becoming is what the world is becoming. So, let’s all be cautious about how we grow the rest of ourselves.

Christ, the Master Teacher

Christ was the Master Teacher although...
He never had a teacher’s degree....
He never attended college...
He never heard of educational methods....
He never browsed through the Internet....
Yet...
Christ was the Master Teacher because...
He used events, experiences, and the language of the people.....
He knew how to love others...
He was a role model...
He shared the faith...
He prayed to His Father for help...
He gave Himself for others...
And...
You can follow in the footsteps of Christ the Master Teacher
If you live the faith....
You teach from knowledge...
You relate faith to life experiences...
You are willing to be a continual learner...
You teach with love, humility, commitment....
You sow His seeds in the hearts of others.

Blessed Adeodata Pisani

Blessed Adeodata Pisani (1806-1855)

The only daughter of Baron Benedetto Pisani Mompalao and Vincenza Carrano, she was born Maria Teresa Pisani in Naples, Italy on 29 December 1806, and baptized the same day in the Parish of St Mark at Pizzofalcone. Her father held the title of Baron of Frigenuin, one of the oldest and richest baronies in Malta; her mother was Italian. 

Her father took to drinking and this soon led to marital problems, so much so that whilst Maria Teresa was still a small child her mother left the conjugal house and entrusted the child's care to her mother-in-law, Elizabeth Mamo Mompalao, who lived in Naples. Elisabeth was a decent caregiver, but died when her granddaughter was only ten years old. After her grandmother’s death, Maria Teresa was sent to the famous Istituto di Madama Prota, a boarding school in Naples.
In 1821 her father was involved in the uprising in Naples and sentenced to death. Since he was a British citizen, his sentence was suspended and King Ferdinand of Naples had him expelled and deported to Malta. In 1825, Maria Teresa and her mother came to live in Malta, settling in Rabat.
Once in Malta, Maria Teresa decided to become a nun, although her mother preferred that she marry. Although her mother tried to find her a suitable husband, Maria Teresa invariably declined such proposals, preferring to lead a quiet life, of attending church and helping the poor. Upon turning 21, she entered the Benedictine Community in St. Peter’s Monastery and took the name of Maria Adeodata (given to God.) She made her solemn profession two years later. In the cloister, Maria Adeodata was a seamstress, sacristan, porter, teacher and novice mistress. Maria Adeodata wrote various works, the most well-known of which is The mystical garden of the soul that loves Jesus and Mary, a collection of her personal reflections between the years 1835 and 1843. She was abbess from 1851 to 1853 but had to retire from her duties because she suffered from heart problems. She died on 25 February 1855, aged 48, and was buried the next day in the crypt of the Benedictine monastery at Mdina. She was remembered for her sanctity, love of the poor, self-imposed sacrifices.
A miracle required for her beatification took place on November 24, 1897, through an incident in which the abbess Giuseppina Damiani from the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in Subiaco, Italy was suddenly healed of a stomach tumor following her request for Maria Pisani’s intervention. However, even though she was revered as a holy person for over a century, it was only in 2001 that she was beatified by the Blessed John Paul II, on May 9, 2001 at, Floriana, beatified along with St George Preca and Blessed Nazju Falzon. Pope St John Paul said during her beatification: ‘Prayer, obedience, service of her Sisters and maturity in performing her assigned tasks: these were the elements of Maria Adeodata’s silent, holy life. Her holy example certainly helped to promote the renewal of religious life in her own Monastery. Through her prayer, work and love, she became a well-spring of that spiritual and missionary fruitfulness without which the Church cannot preach the Gospel as Christ commands.’ The day after John Paul II signed and released the decree on both her virtues and miracle, paving the path for the beatification, the bishops of Malta released a pastoral letter emphasizing the serious difficulties that she had to face, stating that Maria Adeodata had had "a difficult childhood as her parents did not live together. She renounced and disposed of her wealth, willingly living as a cloistered nun."

The conversion of Gary Cooper

In his role as Lou Gehrig in 'Pride of the Yankees.'

As the Oscars are presented today in Hollywood, I share with you the touching story of one of the silvers screen starts of the 30, 40s and 50s. Gary Cooper was born on May 7, 1901, and was known for his integrity and honesty. He never acted the part of a delinquent or a killer, because he felt it would go against the strength of his character. After a career that spanned 35 years in Hollywood, featuring in 84 films, word spread around that he was converting to the Catholic faith. He was very close to Bing Crosby and Irene Dunn, who had a mission of bringing Christ into the Hollywood scene. In 1953, he was welcomed by Pope Pius XII in a private audience, and a few months after his conversion, he met the Pope again, this time with his wife and daughter. When he was approaching the end of his life, battling cancer, he told his doctor, ‘I’ve lived long enough to have the courage to confront the trials of life. My hope is not in this world anymore. I have a strong enough faith that convinces me that the future does not lie here, but in the hereafter.’ He frequently received the sacraments during his illness. During the last few days of his life, while he was receiving his third Oscar, he followed the ceremony from home on TV, and was heard saying ‘I’ve had many blessings in my life – I have one wish left – to die a peaceful death.’ He received the last rites and whispered his last words ‘Thy will be done. Lord, help me die without fear.’ He died on May 13, 1961.

Ministry of listening

Many people feel alone or disconnected because no one is there to listen to them. An important ministry in any community is that of listening. Louis Cassels once wrote: ‘When a person confides in you, he usually doesn’t want advice. He wants somebody to understand and care about his troubles. When you can’t do anything, as when a person is grieving over the death of a loved one, listening requires a willingness to suffer silently with the grieving friend, accepting not only the reality but also the insolubility of his problem.’ The art of listening is a gift you can give, no matter who you are. And you can give it to anyone. It doesn’t cost a cent. Yet, to a person who needs a listener, it’s a gift beyond price. Each of us can start today, wherever we find ourselves, to learn to listen.
Teach me to listen, Lord, to those nearest me, my family, my friends, my co-workers. Help me to be aware that no matter what words I hear, the message is ‘Accept the person I am. Listen to me.’
Teach me to listen, Lord, to those far from me – the whisper of the hopeless, the plea of the forgotten, the cry of the anguished.
Teach me to listen, Lord, to myself. Help me to be less afraid to trust the voice inside – in the deepest part of me.
Teach me to listen, Lord, for Your voice – in busyness and in boredom, in certainty and in doubt, in noise and in silence. Amen.

The Chair of St. Peter

Today we celebrate the feast of St Peter and precisely the authority of St Peter in a feast called “The Chair of Saint Peter.” Of course, we do not venerate chairs as such, but the ‘chair’ or ‘cathedra’ of St Peter is very symbolic, to such an extent that his chair has been immortalized in a magnificent sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini behind the main altar at St Peter’s Basilica. It is actually a part of the colonnade above the main altar, the massive chocolate-colored Baldacchino that dominates the interior of the basilica. Next to the chair are the 4 Fathers of the early church, St Ambrose, St John Chrysostom, St Augustine, and St Athanasius. Above the chair is a stained-glass window of the Holy Spirit in yellow texture. The bronze sculpture was crafted between 1647 and 1653 by Bernini.

The original chair of St Peter, last seen in 1867

The original chair of Peter is preserved, although in a very worn-out state. It was transferred from the church of Santa Prisca to the Vatican and was exposed to the public once a year. However, it was encased with the Bernini masterpiece, where it still is, protected mostly because of its fragile structure. For 200 years it was kept hidden and protected, but in 1867 it was exposed to the faithful to commemorate the anniversary of the martyrdom of Sts Peter and Paul.

Never give up!

A man was driving on a country road one day, and as he was distracted looking at the map, he swerved his car into a ditch and got stuck in the mud. Although he was not hurt, he was upset about his predicament and tried to pull it out by himself, which was an impossible task. So he decided to go and ask for help. He knocked at the door of a nearby farmhouse and asked the farmer if he can help him. ‘Warwick will get you out of there,’ he told him without hesitation, pointing to an old donkey tethered to a pole. The man was hesitant to accept the offer as he felt pity for the old, ailing donkey. But the farmer convinced him that Warwick will do the job.
Realizing he had nothing to lose, he accepted the offer for Warwick to help out. So the two men walked towards the car along with Warwick. The farmer tied the donkey to the car with a rope and started yelling ‘Pull Fred, pull Jack, pull Teddy, pull Warwick.’ And within a few minutes, Warwick was able to pull the car out of the mud and the ditch. The man thanked the farmer and gave him a small donation, but before he left he asked the happy farmer ‘by the way, why did you call your donkey with all those names before you called him Warwick?’
The farmer smiled and said, ‘you have to know that Warwick is blind. But as long as he feels like part of a team, he doesn’t give up and is always willing to help, even though he is very old.’
A big lesson for us never to give up, even if we are alone and weak.

St Jacinta and St Francisco Marto

Left to right: St. Jacinta, Sister Lucia and St. Francisco

Even though three were the children to whom the Blessed Mother appeared at Fatima in 1917, only two of them were canonized so far. This is because Sister Lucia dos Santos lived until 2004 and died at the age of 97. Jacinta and Francisco died of the Spanish flu in 1919 and 1920 respectively. These three unknown children became the center of attention in the small village of Fatima, Portugal when the Blessed Mother appeared to them on May 13, 1917, and encouraged them to say the Rosary. No one would believe them at first, and were also arrested for a while, but when the Blessed Mother appeared again on October 13, thousands of people witnessed various spectacular scenes, including a dancing sun.
The children were even given some secrets which they only revealed to the Pope, and one of the secrets was about the end of communism in Russia, which happened in 1989, 70 years later. As they were described by Sister Lucia, Francisco was fairly quiet, loved music and was often found alone, reflecting and praying. Jacinta, on the other hand, was more outgoing, loved to sing and dance, and was loved by everyone. After the apparitions, their disposition towards life changed and they made many sacrifices and prayed constantly for the souls in purgatory. Both children became very sick soon afterward, and Francisco died on April 9, 1919, after refusing to go to the hospital. Jacinta had some heart problems and died on February 20, 1920. Both of them are buried in the Fatima Basilica. They were beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in the year 2000 and were canonized on May 13, 2017, by Pope Francis during his visit to Fatima. With the exception of some martyrs, they are the youngest saints of the Catholic church.

Malta cherry blossoms

Well, we're still a month away from the beginning of spring, but Malta is feasting on a spectacular display of color in its blossoms which are opening right now. We do not have the rows of trees one finds in Washington DC, but nonetheless once in a while, you come across a colorful pink tree which shows off its tiny petals and stems with bees pouncing on it relentlessly.

So enjoy these beautiful photos I took just today, and if you're still stranded with snow and ice, maybe these pictures will give you a glimpse of what is to come even in your own neighborhood a month from now. Scientifically known as Prunus Serrulata, they are especially popular in Japan and other Far East countries. Japan gave 3,020 cherry blossom trees as a gift to the United States in 1912 to celebrate the nations' then-growing friendship, replacing an earlier gift of 2,000 trees which had to be destroyed due to disease in 1910. These trees were planted in Sakura Park in Manhattan and line the shore of the Tidal Basin and the roadway in East Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. The gift was renewed with another 3,800 trees in 1965.

St Paul's feast decorations

The parish church dedicated to the shipwreck of Saint Paul

Last weekend's national feast of the shipwreck of Saint Paul provided me with a glorious afternoon of photography, both in the church dedicated to him in Valletta, as well as the plentiful decorations outside. Since it turned out to be a beautiful, pleasant day, all the decorations were displayed this year, something which does not happen very often, because of the threat of rain and windy conditions at this time of the year. So enjoy these 5 photos that show the church inside, the newly restored apse, and three sections of colorful banners hanging in the streets. (click to enlarge each photo)

The restored apse showing the Conversion of St Paul.

Outside banners flanking the statue of St Paul on his way to Damascus.

Needed........

In this day and age, we need:

More people to improve, fewer merely to disapprove.

More doers, fewer talkers.

More to say ‘it can be done,’ and fewer to explain why ‘it can’t be done.’

More to inspire others with confidence, fewer to discourage anyone from taking even one step in the right direction.

More to get into the thick of things and do something, fewer to sit on the sidelines merely finding fault.

More to point out what’s right with the world, fewer to keep harping on what’s wrong with the world.

More to be interested in ‘lighting candles’,  fewer in blowing them out.

The Assignment

It was Sunday. The sun had set and the 11 men were gathered around a table, speaking in agitated tones. For days the town had been in an uproar and they were afraid. Only a few days before, their leader had been arrested and killed. Another of their number had committed suicide. They were an unusual lot – hard-muscled fishermen mostly. But one was suspected of having belonged to a terrorist group seeking to throw off foreign rule. Yet another had openly collaborated with the occupying powers. Since their leader – a carpenter – had been slain, they had become cautious, locking doors carefully, going out in twos, depending on women friends and relatives for news. Earlier this day those women had come to them with a strange tale that increased their apprehension. Suddenly, no one knew how – the man who had personally chosen each of them, the man whose execution had stripped them of their courage, appeared in their midst. He greeted them as he always had, ‘Shalom’ – Peace. And He said to them: ‘As the Father sent Me, I also send you.....’

The Best thing to give.......

The best thing to give your enemy is forgiveness.

The best thing to give to an opponent is tolerance.

The best thing to give to a friend is an attentive ear.

The best thing to give to your child is a good example.

The best thing to give to your father is reverence and kindness.

The best thing to give to your mother is conduct that will make her proud of you.

The best thing to give to yourself is respect.

The best thing to give to all men and women is charity and love.

God is Love

The Bleeding Heart - even nature speaks of the beauty of Love.

God is Love. Love is the Lord of Life. Love gives Himself to you as the Living Bread of Heaven to sustain you through all life’s difficulties. Love is Jesus Christ who is the Truth, the Way and the Life.

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

More of nature's way of celebrating Love.

Jumbo Jet

A United Airlines Jumbo Jet I photographed taking off from Heathrow Airport

The Jumbo Jet was introduced 50 years ago, and I cherish the many flights I enjoyed on it, crossing the Atlantic Ocean towards New York, mainly in the 80s and 90s. It was Jack Waddell who flew the first flight – a veteran of World War II. A Jumbo Jet, Boeing 747 was made up of 6 million pieces and could carry 600 passengers for over 8,000 miles. Since its introduction 50 years ago, Jumbo Jets have carried 3.5 billion people, besides billion tons of merchandise around the globe. 

A Jumbo Jet carrying in piggy-back style the Space Shuttle in 1987

In the 1980s I saw a Jumbo Jet owned by NASA carrying the Space Shuttle across the USA. The first flight was officially made on February 9, 1969, and it was introduced on January 22, 1970, by Pan-American Airways. Boeing designed the 747's hump-like upper deck to serve as a first–class lounge or extra seating, and to allow the aircraft to be easily converted to a cargo carrier by removing seats and installing a front cargo door. Over 1570 airplanes were produced and delivered in the past 50 years.

A time when I was allowed to visit the Jumbo Jet cockpit in 1981

The beauty of the Mass

Celebrating Sunday Mass at the parish church in Naxxar

I have to say that the biggest blessing since I returned to Malta was the opportunity to celebrate Mass in various churches and chapels. My assignment as chaplain at Hilltop Gardens has been nothing short of miraculous as more and more people are attending my Masses on weekends, but also the daily Mass which is always packed with residents and neighbors. They come once and keep coming on a regular basis, even parents with young children and teenagers, something which has become quite uncommon in many parish churches. A recent survey showed that church attendance has decreased overall, and much talk is being shared about how we can attract more people to our Masses. If I can share my humble opinion, the most effective way to attract people to church is to make things simple, prayerful and reverent, yet captivating, by innovative ideas which people can relate to, especially the younger generation. Besides my Mass at the Resurrection Chapel at Hilltop Gardens, I say a daily Mass at another nursing home in the same town of Naxxar, besides a regular Sunday 7 AM Mass at the parish, and an occasional daily Mass in my home parish where I was baptized and grew up in St. Julian’s. A daily brief homily is a must for me and parishioners truly enjoy my reflections, including lives of the saint of the day. A selection of votive Masses is available in the Missal for priests to use from time to time, which add a little flavor to each Mass. Moreover, I place a picture of the saint of the day in a frame on the altar between 2 candles, plus appropriate paintings according to the season and festivity. Of course, I play music at communion time which people enjoy, as well as background music as people are gathering, from Gregorian chant to meditative music, mostly baroque and inspirational. Occasionally I play a meditation on my flute after communion, which is always a surprise for many. After Communion, I also share a longer prayer or reflection connected to the theme of the day. As people are entering the chapel I am there to greet them, help them with confessions when needed, and wish them a good day as they leave, a few of them wanting to talk more about family issues. I just wish that more priests put their heart and soul when celebrating Mass, and not just go through it as if it was a robot at the altar. Yes, the Mass is beautiful, but we have to make it so.

Our Lady of Lourdes

From a stained-glass window in the basilica at Lourdes

In the year 2002, I was privileged to visit Lourdes for the first and only time, so far. I was spending an extended few weeks in Malta and was asked to accompany a group of Maltese pilgrims as their chaplain for a week. What impressed me the most was the holiness of the entire place, and even though the sanctuary and its grounds extended to a few square miles, once you entered the gates, it was like entering a church - everyone was reverent, respectful of each other, and of course there was a mystical aura of prayer all around. I was also privileged to lead one decade of the Rosary in Maltese while pilgrims walked aux flambeaux around the promenade, leading to the sanctuary.
The Marian Apparitions at Lourdes were reported in 1858 by Saint Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year-old miller's daughter from the town of Lourdes in southern France. From February 11 to July 16, 1858, she reported 18 apparitions of "a Lady," and despite initial skepticism from the Catholic Church, these claims were eventually declared to be worthy of belief after a canonical investigation, and the apparitions were approved by Pope Pius IX in 1862. So far 68 miracles have been scientifically approved, and between 6 to 8 million pilgrims visit Lourdes every year. Another impressive fact is that all the stores around Lourdes sell only religious articles, from rosaries to statues, from religious paintings to Marian medals.

St Paul in Malta

Statue of St Paul by Melchiore Gafa

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

The Ulma family

The cause for canonization for an entire family is nearing its completion. The Ulma family were all murdered for hiding eight Jews inside their small house, trying to protect them. The Germans had created a law in Poland that for any type of help, even a piece of bread given to a Jew, the person would be killed. More than 190,000 Polish people were killed as a result of this law, including the Ulma family: the father, pregnant mother and their six children, ranging in age from eight to two. They were killed on March 24, 1944, by German soldiers, immediately after the soldiers killed the Jews hiding out in the house. If canonized, the Ulma's would be an exceptionally rare case of raising an entire family to the altars in the Catholic Church as saints.
Józef Ulma was a prominent citizen in the village of Markowa: a librarian, a photographer, active in social life and the local Catholic Youth Association. He was an educated fruit grower and a bee-keeper. His wife Wiktoria was a homemaker. The Ulmas had six children: Stanisława, age 8, Barbara, age 7, Władysław, age 6, Franciszek, age 4, Antoni, age 3 and Maria, age 2. Another child was due to be born just days after the family's execution on March 24, 1944.
Eight Jews had found shelter with the Ulmas: six members of the Szall family, including father, mother and four sons, as well as the two daughters of the Goldman family. Józef Ulma put all eight Jews in the attic. They learned to help him with supplementary jobs while in hiding, to ease the incurred expenses
The Germans surrounded the house and caught all eight Jews belonging to the Szall and Goldman families. They shot them in the back of the head. Then the German gendarmes killed the pregnant Wiktoria and her husband, followed by the six screaming Polish children. Within several minutes 17 people were killed.

St Josephine Bakhita

St. Josephine Bakhita (1869-1947)

Most people may not have heard of this saint, but please, read on - her story is truly remarkable. Early details about Bakhita are not fully known. She was born about 1869 in the western Sudanese region of Darfur. Her prosperous father was the brother of the village chief and she was surrounded by a loving family of three brothers and three sisters. But aged 9, she was kidnapped by Arab slave traders, and was cruelly forced to walk about 600 miles in her bare feet. Over the course of twelve years (1877–1889), she was resold again three more times and then given away. The trauma of her abduction caused her to forget her own name; she took one given to her by the slavers, bakhita, Arabic for lucky. She was also forcibly converted to Islam.

In 1883 Bakhita was bought by the Italian Vice Consul Callisto Legnani, who was a very kind man. For the first time since her captivity, she was able to enjoy some peace and tranquility. Two years later, when Legnani himself had to return to Italy, Bakhita begged to go with him. In April 1885 they arrived at the Italian port of Genoa, and she was greeted by Augusto Michieli, who took her to the family villa near Venice. She lived there for three years and became a nanny to the Michieli's daughter Alice. On January 9, 1890, Bakhita was baptized with the names of Giuseppina Margherita. On the same day, she was also confirmed and received communion from the Cardinal Patriarch of Venice himself. On December 7, 1893, she entered the novitiate of the Canossian Sisters and on December 8, 1896, she took her vows, welcomed by the future Pope Pius X. In 1902 she was assigned to the Canossian convent at Schio, in the northern Italian province of Vicenza, where she spent the rest of her life. During her 42 years in Schio, Bakhita was employed as the cook, sacristan, and doorkeeper and was in frequent contact with the local community. 

St Josephine, seated, surrounded by some of her friends.

Her gentleness, calming voice, and ever-present smile became well known. People still refer to her as Sor Moretta ("little brown sister") or Madre Moretta ("black mother.") Her last years were marked by pain and sickness. She used a wheelchair, but she retained her cheerfulness. Bakhita died on February 8, 1947. For three days her body lay on display while thousands of people arrived to pay their respects. On May 17, 1992, she was declared Blessed and given February 8 as her feast day. On October 1, 2000, she was canonized and became Saint Josephine Bakhita, a modern African saint, and as a statement against the brutal history of slavery, becoming the patron saint of Sudan.

Blessed Pope Pius IX

Pope Pius IX (1792-1878) with some of the Vatican prelates

We are more familiar with Pope Pius X, who introduced daily communion, and Pope Pius XII who reigned during World War II and was unfairly criticized for not helping the Jews, (something which he did often, saving them from the concentration camps.) But Pope Pius IX reigned over 150 years ago, to be remembered for being the longest-serving Pope in history. Born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti in Senigallia, Italy on May 13, 1792, he was to lead the Catholic Church for 31 years. However, he was very much in love as a teenager and was planning to marry an Irish girl. But on the day of the wedding, he did not show up, leaving the girl heartbroken. Instead, he entered the Seminary and was ordained a priest on April 10, 1819. Within a few years, he was made Nuncio to Chile and Peru and worked very effectively in South America. But Pope Leo XII called him back and made him Archbishop of Spoleto in 1827, at the age of 35. During a devastating earthquake, he helped materially and financially the victims and the survivors. He was close to the people, and very much beloved for his liberal, outgoing views. Nonetheless, when he was elected Pope in 1846, he started to show conservative tendencies. As a Pope he oversaw the separation of the Vatican state from the rest of Italy, losing in the process the Papal States. 

A section of the painting at the Vatican Museum during the Immaculate Conception dogma in 1854.

He became known as a Marian Pope, and in 1854, proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, a great event in the history of the church. He also wrote a few Marian encyclicals and declared a new title on Mary, as the Mother of Perpetual Help. In 1869, he called the First Vatican Council and proclaimed the infallibility of the Pope. Pius IX supported the arts and helped in solidifying many of the Roman churches, including the 4 Basilicas. He had threatened to leave the Vatican on a few occasions as the Italian Government was intruding too much in the Vatican affairs. Pius IX died on February 7, 1878. Even though is cause for canonization started soon after his death, he was only beatified in the year 2000.

The Japanese Martyrs

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

Saint Agatha

St. Agatha was born in Catania, Sicily, and died there a martyr in approximately 251 AD. In the legend of her life, we are told that she belonged to a rich, important family. When she was young, she dedicated her life to God and resisted any men who wanted to marry her or have sex with her. One of these men, Quintian, was of a high enough rank that he felt he could force her to acquiesce. Knowing she was a Christian in a time of persecution, he had her arrested. He expected her to give in when faced with torture and possible death, but she simply affirmed her belief in God.

Quintian imprisoned her in a brothel in order to get her to change her mind. He brought her back before him after she had suffered a month of assault and humiliation in the brothel, but Agatha had never wavered. Quintian sent her to prison, instead of back to the brothel - a move intended to make her more afraid, but which probably was a great relief to her. When she continued to profess her faith in Jesus, Quintian had her tortured by cutting off her breasts. He refused her any medical care but God gave her all the care she needed in the form of a vision of St. Peter.
Saint Agatha is often depicted in paintings carrying her excised breasts on a platter. The shape of her amputated breasts, especially as depicted in artistic renderings, gave rise to her attribution as the patron saint of bell-founders and of bakers, whose loaves were blessed at her feast day. More recently, she has been venerated as patron saint of breast cancer patients.
Because she was asked for help during the eruption of Mount Etna she is considered a protector against the outbreak of fire. She is the patron saint of Catania, Molise, Malta, San Marino and Segovia in Spain. She is also the patron saint of breast cancer patients, martyrs, wet nurses, fire and earthquakes.

A thinking person.....

'The Thinker' by Auguste Rodin

A thinking person is guided by the facts, no matter how unpalatable they may be. One who is ruled by emotions often stumbles before reaching his goal.

A thinking person realizes that the right way and the expedient way are not always the same. One who seeks shortcuts does so at the expense of time, trouble and conscience.

A thinking person learns from the mistakes of others, without rejoicing in their failures. One who finds fault but does not learn is likely to repeat other’s errors.

A thinking person considers the personalities and feelings of others in searching for solutions. One who is insensitive can be correct in theory but inept in practice.

A thinking person knows when to speak and when to keep silent; when to act and when to wait. One who is rash or impetuous plunges ahead without any sense of timing.

A thinking person is humble enough to acknowledge wisdom in others. One who is merely clever feels he has nothing to learn from others.

A thinking person is careful in the use of words. One who is careless relies on slogans, labels, and half-formed opinions.

A thinking person admits that reality is greater than the sum total of his own experiences. The unthinking makes self the measure of the universe.

Sir Francis Chichester

Back on May 28, 1967, Francis Chichester sailed into Plymouth harbor, England, completing an epic voyage around the globe in 226 days. This was done faster and farther than any other man in nautical history. However, many weeks earlier, Chichester had encountered heavy seas in the South Indian Ocean, battering his 53-foot sailboat Gipsy Moth III, breaking his most precious piece of equipment – the automatic steering gear. With 17,000 miles still ahead of him, he knew that without the automatic pilot he could scarcely sleep, eat, navigate, change sails or perform other essential tasks. However, he created a make-shift self-steering rig, and with it, he was able to complete the remaining 2,750 miles to Sydney, Australia, his only stop. In Sydney, he rested for some weeks to regain the 25 pounds he had lost and to refit his severely damaged vessel. Then Chichester set off across the Pacific for the most dangerous part of his journey – the rounding of Cape Horn at the tip of South America. Despite driving rain, mountainous seas and freezing winds of up to 100 mph, the daunting mariner rounded the Cape and sailed on to the eventual goal of Plymouth Harbor. He never gave up.

Presentation of the Lord

Today happens to be the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. It was a custom that any woman who had a brush with birth or death was considered impure for 40 days, and so the purification of that woman had to be done on the 40th day so that she would be allowed to even enter the temple. So was the case with Mary who also presented Jesus at the temple, both for his circumcision and to be consecrated to the Lord. The parents had to present a pair of turtledoves if they were poor, or lambs or sheep if they happen to be wealthy. Simeon received the infant Jesus at the temple and so on this occasion a triple ceremony was done, circumcision, purification and presentation, all of which have been combined together by the Catholic church as the Feast of the Presentation, beautifully portrayed in the above stained-glass window (crafted in 1923) in my former home, the Cathedral in Baker City, Oregon. The mother frequently presented a candle also to the High Priest. And so on this day, which is also called Candlemas Day, candles to be used during the year are blessed.

Sand Sculptures

As the entire USA freezes with sub-freezing temperatures, let’s go back 6 months and venture on the beach at Cannon Beach, Oregon. An annual event is held here where sand sculptures are created by several enthusiasts. This year's sand castles competition was stunning - the best yet!! The competition starts with the tide going out. The judging must be completed before the tide comes in and washes the work away. That gives everyone about 6 hours. Some pretty fancy work for a short time! There are ribbons and awards for the competition, but no money is involved. Enjoy a few of these sand sculptures. Incidentally, the Nativity that was created at the Vatican square this past Christmas was also made from sand.