Today I’d
like to congratulate the baseball team from Washington DC, the Nationals for
winning the World Series for the first time in over 70 years. It was one of the
most exciting series with each team winning all the games away from home. There
goes the theory of having an advantage when playing at home. Unfortunately. I
have no way of following baseball games live from Malta, but the best I could
do was following it online, with just the calls of balls and strikes as well
as base hits and home runs. And that’s what I did early this morning, between 3
AM and 5 AM, following the exciting finish of game 7 from my IPad, seeing the
Nationals come from behind once again to beat the Houston Astros 6-2. My
American friends know how passionate I am about baseball, and having given the
blessing and invocation to the New York Mets in 1986, they eventually won the World
Series that year. Of course not wanting to get all the credit, they had a great
team that year, but everything I had prayed for, came to happen during that
glorious season when they beat the Boston Red Sox, also coming from behind as
the Nationals did this year. They were known as the Montreal Expos before the
moved to Washington DC in 2005. The other Washington based team was the
Washington Senators winning the World Series in 1925 and 1933. So hail to the
Nationals who will celebrate with a huge ticker-tape parade on Saturday, and
most probably an audience with President Trump.
Thursday 31 October 2019
Wednesday 30 October 2019
Nails in the fence
There once was a little boy who had a
very bad temper. His father decided to hand him a bag of nails and
said that every time the boy lost his temper, he had to hammer a nail into
the fence. On the first day, the boy hammered 37 nails into that fence. The boy
gradually began to control his temper over the next few weeks, and the number of nails he
was hammering into the fence slowly decreased. He
discovered it was easier to control his temper than to hammer those nails into
the fence. Finally, the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all.
He told his father the news and the father suggested that the boy should now
pull out a nail every day he kept his temper under control. The days
passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails
were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. “you have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The
fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar
just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t
matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there.”
Moral of the story: Control your anger, and
don’t say things to people in the heat of the moment, that you may later regret. Some things in life, you are unable to take back.
Tuesday 29 October 2019
Julian the horse
It
has been my target over the years to encourage parents to name their children
Julian. I’ve been successful a few times in New York, besides having my nephew
also named Julian, now a doctor. But when I went to Oregon, it was very difficult
to convince parents to name their child Julian, also because we had fewer
baptisms in my parishes. However, a few people were kind to me in naming some animals
Julian or Juliana. One girl named her goat Juliana, and another boy named his
piglet Julian. Then there was the Clark family who had a large number of beautiful quarterhorses,
and in May 2005 named one of the newly born foals Julian. The above photo shows
him just a few days after being born, and the other photo shows him just recently
at the age of 14. I was told he’s one of their best-behaved horses.
Monday 28 October 2019
A NYC masterpiece
One of the seven
wonders of New York City for me has always been the reredos of St Thomas’
Episcopalian church on 5th Avenue. I used to stop by when I visited the city to
just admire this masterpiece, the massive sculpture behind the main altar. The High Altar and Reredos of Saint Thomas Church were designed
by architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue (1869–1924) and sculptor Lee Lawrie
(1877–1963.) The church was
consecrated on 25 April 1916. The church design
by Cram and Goodhue won an architectural competition to build the new Saint
Thomas Church, winning over entries by George Post and Robert Gibson. Lee Lawrie designed many sculptures and decorations, most notably
the 60 figures of the magnificent reredos,
which is 80 feet (24 m) high, a stunning architectural display. Among the figures represented one can easily find George
Washington, the first US President.
Sunday 27 October 2019
Praying in humility
Pope John Paul II praying alone at Rabat church, Malta, May 1990. |
Saturday 26 October 2019
The cocoon and the butterfly
A man
found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat
and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body
through that little hole. Until it suddenly stopped
making any progress and looked like it was stuck. So
the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped
off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily,
although it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The
man didn’t think anything of it and sat there waiting for the wings to enlarge
to support the butterfly. But that didn’t happen. The butterfly spent the rest
of its life unable to fly, crawling around with tiny wings and a swollen body. Despite
the kind heart of the man,
he didn’t understand that the restricting cocoon and the struggle needed
by the butterfly to get itself through the small opening; were God’s way of
forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings. To prepare itself
for flying once it was out of the cocoon.
Moral of the story: Our struggles in life develop our strengths. Without struggles, we never
grow and never get stronger, so it’s important for us to tackle challenges on
our own, and not be relying on help from others.
Friday 25 October 2019
The joy of saying Mass
Ever since I’ve been saying Mass at my chapel at Hilltop Gardens, I have
not seen one empty pew, as the chapel is always packed with people. We’ve been
having some minor confrontations as people can’t find a place, a situation
which I try to resolve quickly. It is a blessing
seeing the chapel filled with parishioners and residents of the retirement
home. Since I preach at every daily Mass, people are used to staying longer,
about 30 minutes for each daily Mass. I even say a special prayer after
communion, related to the theme of the Mass, and of course, I play background
music before Mass starts and during communion. I also try to coordinate alternate readers, so that everyone is involved in the beauty of the Mass. There was however one instance when a resident complained to me about
the length of my Mass. She, of course, does not attend Mass, except for maybe
Christmas and Easter, but when I go to give her communion in her room, she once told
me...”Father Julian, your Masses are too long......where I used to go, we were
in and out in 10 minutes!” Now I know that 10 minutes is an exaggeration, but
her point was trying to justify her absence. Now understand that this is a
person who is always sitting on a chair, looking at a blank wall, or watching
TV. It’s such a shame when people cannot comprehend
the blessings of attending Mass, and when they do, it’s an ‘in-and-out’ routine
that becomes a habit and nothing else. I admire those people who come early,
others stay to pray after Mass, and still, others stop by at the chapel during
the day for private prayer. And I hope that priest who can celebrate Mass in 10
minutes or so, slows down so that people can appreciate more the benefits of
what he is celebrating.
Thursday 24 October 2019
The Elephant Rope
A
gentleman was walking through an elephant camp, and he spotted that the
elephants weren’t being kept in cages or held by the use of chains. All
that was holding them back from
escaping the camp, was a small piece of rope tied to one of their legs. As
the man gazed upon the elephants, he was completely confused as to why the
elephants didn’t just use their strength to break the rope and escape the camp.
They could easily have done so, but instead, they didn’t try to at all. Curious
and wanting to know the answer, he asked a trainer nearby why the elephants
were just standing there and never tried to escape. The
trainer replied; “when they are very young and
much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s
enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they
cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try
to break free.” The
only reason that the elephants weren’t breaking free and escaping from the camp
was that over time they adopted the belief that it just wasn’t possible.
Moral of the story: No
matter how much the world tries to hold you back, always continue with the
belief that what you want to achieve is possible. Believing you can become
successful is the most important step in actually achieving it.
PS: A recent visitor to this blog enjoyed the post and biography of Pope John Paull II. He also asked for information about St George Preca, the Maltese saint canonized in 2007. Since I don't have an e-mail address of the person requesting this, one can find the biography of St George Preca in the entry of May 9, 2019, his liturgical feast-day. Or simply type 'St George Preca' in the 'Search this Blog' window at the very top on the right.
PS: A recent visitor to this blog enjoyed the post and biography of Pope John Paull II. He also asked for information about St George Preca, the Maltese saint canonized in 2007. Since I don't have an e-mail address of the person requesting this, one can find the biography of St George Preca in the entry of May 9, 2019, his liturgical feast-day. Or simply type 'St George Preca' in the 'Search this Blog' window at the very top on the right.
Wednesday 23 October 2019
St John Capistrano
This lesser-known saint died precisely on October 23, 1456, at a time when
the Catholic church was threatened by schisms and attacks from the Ottoman
Empire of Turkey. St John Capistrano was canonized in 1630 and is quite popular
in the USA, where one of the California missions is dedicated to him, and a
popular tradition says that various sparrows return back to Capistrano on his
feast-day.
John Capistrano was born in the village of Capistrano, close to Aquila in
central Italy, from parents who most probably emigrated to Italy from a
Scandinavian country. He studied law in Perugia and became Governor in 1412. He
was caught and taken a prisoner when Malatesta di Rimini who attacked Perugia.
But at that time, he had a vision of St Francis of Assisi encouraging him to
become a Franciscan monk. That’s what he did and professed in 1418. His master
was St Bernardine of Siena, and after his ordination to the priesthood in 1425,
he dedicated his life to preaching in the Franciscan spirit.
He was asked by Pope Martin V to intervene between some Franciscans known
as Fraticelli and later took part in the Council of Florence. Then he was sent
as an Apostolic Nuncio to Sicily, and later as a papal legate to France. He
also took part in many of the crusades, preaching in Germany, Austria, Poland
and Hungary, and often his sermons were against the Turkish Empire. After they
conquered Constantinople, the Turks attacked a fortress in Belgrade, but with
the prayers and hard work of St John Capistrano, they could not conquer it. He died
at the age of 70, and left behind 70 volumes of his writings, besides over 700
letters, through which he consoled and comforted many people.
Tuesday 22 October 2019
Pope St John Paul II
We celebrate today the liturgical feast of the ‘Man of the 20th century,’ Pope Saint John Paul II. He was born Karol Wojtyla
on May 18th, 1920 in Poland and became the first non-Italian Pope in almost 400
years. Also known as John Paul the Great, he reigned from October 16th, 1978
until his death on April 2nd, 2005. He was the second longest-serving Pope in
modern history after Pope Pius IX who served for nearly 32 years from 1846 to
1878.
As a young boy, he lost his mother at the age of 8 and his
father when he was 21. He even had to work at a limestone quarry, but then
started his studies at the underground seminary run by Cardinal Sapieha in
Krakow. He was ordained a priest on November 1, 1946, and after further
studies, he ended up teaching at the Jagiellonian University. He was made a
bishop on July 4, 1958, and later became Archbishop of Krakow on June 26, 1967.
He remained very staunch to his faith in Poland, even when he became a Cardinal
3 years later. His election as Pope was a big surprise as Pope John Paul I died
suddenly after 33 days, and the trend was to elect Italian Popes, but the white
smoke showed that a new Pope was chosen on October 16, 1978, aged 58,
relatively young for a Pope.
'Habemus Papam' - John Paul II on October 16, 1978. |
At the balcony, he waved to
the thousands gathered in the Piazza and said “the cardinals have called
for a new bishop of Rome. They called him from a faraway land — far and yet
always close because of our communion in faith and Christian traditions. I was
afraid to accept that responsibility, yet I do so in a spirit of obedience to
the Lord and total faithfulness to Mary, our Most Holy Mother.”
John Paul II is recognized as helping to end Communist rule
in his native Poland and eventually all of Europe. John Paul II significantly
improved the Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, Islam, the Eastern
Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion. He upheld the Church's teachings
against artificial contraception and the ordination of women, supported the
Church's Second Vatican Council and its reform, and in general held firm to
orthodox Catholic teaching.
He was one of the most
traveled world leaders in history, visiting 129 countries during his
pontificate. As part of his special emphasis on the universal call to holiness,
he beatified 1,340 people and canonized 483 saints, more than the combined
tally of his predecessors during the preceding five centuries. He was very much
devoted to the Blessed Mother, well respected in his native Poland, especially
with the famous Black Madonna, and he even chose his motto as Totus Tuus,
“Totally Yours,” even with the letter M on his coat-of-arms.
John Paul II's cause for canonization commenced in 2005 one month after his death with the traditional five-year waiting period waived. His successor Pope Benedict XVI beatified him on May 1st, 2011 after the Congregation for the Causes of Saints attributed one miracle to him, the healing of a French nun from Parkinson's disease. A second miracle, attributed to the late Pope, was approved and confirmed by Pope Francis two days later. John Paul II was canonized on 27 April 2014, alongside Pope St. John XXIII.
John Paul II's cause for canonization commenced in 2005 one month after his death with the traditional five-year waiting period waived. His successor Pope Benedict XVI beatified him on May 1st, 2011 after the Congregation for the Causes of Saints attributed one miracle to him, the healing of a French nun from Parkinson's disease. A second miracle, attributed to the late Pope, was approved and confirmed by Pope Francis two days later. John Paul II was canonized on 27 April 2014, alongside Pope St. John XXIII.
Monday 21 October 2019
Anyone seen God?
A young boy once went to ask his older
sister: “Hey sis, did anyone ever seen God?” She brushed him off by saying “Of
course not, God lives so far away, somewhere up there, that no one can ever see
Him!” The boy was left disappointed by did not give up. He went to ask his mother
the same question and she kindly told him “My son, God is a spirit. He is in
our hearts, but we cannot see Him in person.” The little boy was somewhat
consoled by this, but the same question kept coming to his head. He was close
to his grandfather, and once grandpa took the boy with him fishing. The sea was
still, the sun was setting, the sky had turned from deep blue to orange and yellow.
As they sat in the boat with hardly a ripple on the sea, the grandfather had
forgotten the fishing rod and the fish jumping around him and stood up to
admire the beauty around him. The boy was amazed at his grandpa’s face as it
was lit up with an astonishingly bright light, reflecting the setting sun. At
that moment the boy remembered that question and asked his grandpa, “Hey grandpa,
have you ever seen God?” Grandpa did not move, but after a long silence, he
uttered ever so softly, “My little boy, right now I am seeing nothing but God
himself!”
Sunday 20 October 2019
Sister Dulce, now a Saint.
Last
Sunday, 5 new saints were canonized, and among them was the first Brazilian-born
female saint, Maria Rita Lopes Pontes, known to Catholics around Brazil as
Sister Dulce who
is known as the Brazilian Mother Teresa.
Dulce means ‘sweet.’ Brazilian writer
Paulo Coelho disclosed, through social networks, that he donated more than
$244,000 to Sister Dulce Social Works. In a recent interview, Coelho said he
regularly helps the entity named for a nun, who was there in his hour of need. “I was
begging in Bahia, I had run away from home, and she fed me,” he said.
Born in 1914 in the northeastern state
of Bahia, Sister Dulce is revered for having given up the comforts that come
with being brought up in a middle-class family to devote herself to the
homeless and the sick. She was a member of the Missionary Sisters of the
Immaculate Conception. She founded the first Catholic workers’ organization in the
state of Bahia, but she is best known for her work with the sick and disabled. Catholics
said it was common to see Sister Dulce in Bahia’s capital, Salvador, dressed in
her blue and white habit, with her hand outstretched, asking for “help for my
poor.” With donations, the religious opened a hospital, an orphanage and care
centers for the elderly and disabled. One of the most popular
religious figures in Brazil, she is still seen today by many as “the mother of
the poor.” In 1988, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. St. John
Paul II, who called her work “an example for humanity,” met her in 1980 during
his first trip to Brazil and, returning in 1991, he visited her in the
hospital. She died in 1992 at the age of 77, with tens of thousands
attending her funeral and even more gathering for her beatification in 2011. Sister
Dulce is the second Brazilian religious to be canonized. The first
Brazilian-born saint to be canonized was Friar Galvao in May 2007, by then-Pope
Benedict XVI.
Saturday 19 October 2019
2016-2019 – A Toyota Vitz
Ever since I started my role as chaplain
at Hilltop Gardens in May 2016, they started to pick me up every day from home,
but then they realized it would be better if they leased a car for me, and
drive myself back and forth. That’s how
I ended up with a Toyota Vitz to use for my daily trip. This past year I’ve been
using it only twice a week, between Sunday and Tuesday as I stay on campus the
rest of the week. But being unfamiliar with Maltese roads, and being nervous driving in front of a shiny red sports
car who wants to go at 60 miles an hour, after my last birthday, I decided to
stop driving and use public transportation, with which I am very familiar and
find pretty convenient. It was only a 5-mile trip jostling through busy bumper
to bumper traffic, in our Maltese crowded streets. But I never really got
attached to the Toyota Vitz, and never felt it as my own, as the other 4 have
been. The 4 US cars were all like brothers and sisters to me, but this one was
like a long distant third cousin. So there were no hard feelings when I had to say
goodbye. Besides now I enjoy walking much more, putting on three miles a day,
sometimes more, which of course, is good exercise. But looking back at my 37
year driving career, I have great memories, and miss the most driving to my
Mission churches in Eastern Oregon, taking my time, and with my camera close by
to shoot any wildlife scenes and animals, which were abundantly common, from
bald eagles to chipmunks, from deer to wild rabbit, from suicidal squirrels to groundhogs.
I always described my camera as the wife I never had, always in my passenger
seat and always hanging around my neck. And always quite and silent.
Friday 18 October 2019
2008-2016 – My Chevy Equinox
Next to the Baker City Cathedral, where I spent 8 years. |
Thursday 17 October 2019
1998-2008 – My Honda CR-V
My first automatic car, the Honda CR-V
was probably my favorite car, although I loved my next one too, which I had to
part from in 2016 when I returned to Malta. It was the first time I also had to
use studded tires when I eventually went to Oregon. Studded tires had to be
used between November 1 and April 1, to help with driving in the snow and on
packed ice. The tires had a series of tiny nails all around the rubber and it
helped a lot with traction. And believe
me, I drove through a lot of snow and ice, but was always careful and cautious,
especially in long distances, which were common for me. Every weekend for the
first three years, I had to drive 150 miles to reach two mission churches, with
only a handful of people in attendance. When I was in the Cathedral of Baker
City, I had a 110-mile round-trip every weekend, and I missed only once in 8
years. It was Christmas Day, and the parishioners called me to tell me they had
so much snow that they could not even get out of their homes. Of course, the
Honda also made a solitary trip from New York to Oregon as I had to ship all my
boxes in a container as well as the car on a trailer. It was so good to see her
arrive safely, just a few days after my own arrival. But I truly enjoyed driving
the Honda, with its jeep-like appearance, giving you a steady control on the road.
I had only one sad event which turned out good. It was May 3, 2007. I was in
Lakeview, close to the California border visiting some friends I had married a
year earlier and was encouraged to drive up a mountain and come down the other
side. It was a scenic drive and I had a feast with my camera as I was climbing
up there. I was told there could be a little snow left at the peak. And sure enough
I was stuck in the deep snow, very close to a precipice. Trying to restart my
car was useless as it kept spinning and turning closer to the edge of the
precipice. Digging some snow from around the wheels did not help either. My
only option was to start walking down the mountain and hopefully ask for help.
It was a 10-mile walk, thankfully all downhill, and the people I was staying
with brought me back up to my car and pulled it out safely, no damage done.
Incidentally, the place where I was stuck was between three peaks, called
Razorback Ridge, Cougar Peak, and Grizzly Peak. Thank God I did not encounter
any grizzly bears or cougars or even razorbacks. A young parishioner died in
2008, and she left me her car, a big jeep. So I traded my Honda and this jeep
for another second-hand car, which was in mint condition. Tomorrow I’ll share
my recollections of my last American car.
Wednesday 16 October 2019
1993-1998 – My Geo Metro
My second car was a fun car to have
when I was in my Rocky Point parish. Since I was doing much more traveling all
over Long Island, and getting familiar with the many roads and expressways, I
was encouraged to change my Japanese Tercel for an American car. I made sure
that all my cars were hatchbacks, with a large space in the back so that I can
place boxes and other stuff, especially if I had to move from parish to parish,
which I did twice in 1996 and 1998. My favorite part of any car was the
cassette or CD player. The first three had cassette players, which worked fine
with me since I had a lot of cassettes, which I enjoyed listening to in my
travels. I did not doubt the reliability of the Geo Metro, until I arrived in upstate
New York, in Pleasant Valley. Someone in the parish asked me what kind of car I
had and when I told him that it was a Geo Metro, he told me, “I’m sorry to tell
you Father Julian, but my lawn-mower is more powerful than your car! You need
something better up here, as we get much more snow than Long Island.” Within a
few days, I was at the Poughkeepsie Honda dealer looking for a sturdier car and
I was introduced to the Honda CR-V. I realized that it was a much stronger car,
and since I would probably make many trips to visit my friends in former
parishes, all on Long Island, its acronym was well suited for my needs, a CR-V,
a Comfortable Run-around Vehicle. It turned out that the Geo Metro had three
cylinders, while a lawn-mower has 4 cylinders! But what would a Maltese priest
in New York know about car cylinders? More about my travels with the Honda tomorrow,
as I traded my beloved Geo to a CR-V.
Tuesday 15 October 2019
1982-1993 – My Toyota Tercel
My first car was a white Toyota Tercel,
a stick-shift car which I loved and cherished as if it was my first baby. Just
before my driver's test I attended two 2-hour classes on drivers' safety and
there I received what will always be the best safety advice I ever heard of. It
was the concept of ’periscope driving.’ The teacher taught us how to use the
periscope mentality to predict what’s coming from your right and left, keep
track of what’s going on behind you, through the rear-view mirror, and of
course, keep your eyes in front. It’s a simple technique to be aware of what’s going
on around you, all the time. My first
ever drive in my Toyota with my friend Fr John Heinlein was as historic as it
was nerve-wracking, as he wanted me to experience expressway driving in the rain,
and boy was it scary, driving in pounding rain on the Meadowbrook Parkway, late
at night. I don’t ever remember so much rain in a span of 5 minutes, but it was
a baptism of fire, let alone water. Then my first solo ride was also quite
interesting as well as disappointing. It was a short ride to a local store and
I parked the car where there were a lot of garbage cans on the sidewalk.
Unfortunately, I did not see the fire-hydrant in their midst and within 3
minutes, I got a ticket for illegal parking (close to a fire hydrant.) I was
pretty upset until I got back to the Rectory and my pastor Fr John calmed me
down and convinced me it was just a minor infraction which everybody gets once
in a while. It would take another 30 years for me to get my second and only
other ticket in my stellar driving career. More on that on another day.
But all
in all my Toyota Tercel gave me a lot of driving pleasure, as I remember
driving 60 miles at a stretch for the first time ever, from New Hyde Park to
Riverhead on Long Island. My biggest trips were for upstate New York, and even
into Canada through the Adirondack’s. Looking
back I realize how brave I was to drive through the bizarre neighborhoods of Queens
and Brooklyn, over the Verrazzano Bridge, all over Long Island, and over many
bridges to head upstate New York, where traffic was much less hectic, and the
scenery spectacular, especially between October and November, with the colorful
foliage that is so prevalent at this time of the year. Stay tuned for my second
car tomorrow.
Monday 14 October 2019
My 5 cars
With our reliable jeep on which I learned how to drive. |
Spending St Patrick's Day in 1982, painting the jeep in green. |
Sunday 13 October 2019
St John Henry Newman
Cardinal Newman towards the end of his life. |
God has created me to do Him some
definite service.
He has committed some work to me
which He has not committed to another.
I have my mission. I may never know
it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next.
He has not created me for naught.
I shall do good; I shall do his
work. I shall be an angel of peace,
A preacher of truth in my own place.
Therefore I will trust Him.
Whatever I am, I can never be thrown
away.
If I am in sickness, my sickness may
serve Him.
In perplexity, my perplexity may
serve Him.
If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may
serve Him.
He does nothing in vain. He knows
what He is about.
He may take away my friends.
He may throw me among strangers.
He may make me feel desolate, make
my spirits sink,
Hide my future from me.
Still.....He knows what He is about.
Saturday 12 October 2019
Canadian Geese
We have so much to learn from the Canadian Geese, which
are of course very popular in Canada and the United States. During the second year of their lives, Canadian geese find a mate. They are monogamous and most couples stay together all of their lives.
If one dies, the other may find a new mate. The female lays from two to nine eggs with an average of five, and both parents
protect the nest while the eggs incubate, but the female spends more time at the nest than the male. The incubation period
lasts between 24 and 32 days. As
soon as the goslings hatch, they are immediately capable of walking, swimming,
and finding their own food (a diet similar to the adult geese). Parents are
often seen leading their goslings in a line, usually with one adult at the
front, and the other at the back. While protecting their goslings, parents
often violently chase away nearby creatures, from small blackbirds to lone
humans who approach. Canada geese are especially protective animals, and will
sometimes attack any animal nearing its territory or offspring, including
humans.
The lifespan in the wild of geese that survive
to adulthood ranges from 10 to 24 years. Canada geese fly in a distinctive V-shaped
flight formation, with an altitude of 1 km (3,000 feet) for migration
flight. The maximum flight ceiling of Canada geese is unknown, but they have
been reported at 9 km (29,000 feet.) I have taken quite a few photos of
Canadian geese, especially with their goslings, and the two presented in this
post clearly shows the affection and protectiveness parents have towards their
children, something we can all learn from.
Friday 11 October 2019
Pope St John XXIII
This is the first time that
the liturgical feast is being celebrated to honor Pope Saint John XXIII.
Although few people had as great an impact on the 20th century as Pope John
XXIII, he avoided the limelight as much as possible. The firstborn son of a farming
family in Sotto il Monte, near Bergamo in northern Italy, Angelo Giuseppe
Roncalli was always proud of his down-to-earth roots. After his ordination in
1904, Angelo returned to Rome for canon law studies. He soon worked as his
bishop’s secretary, Church history teacher in the seminary, and as publisher of
the diocesan paper.
His service as a stretcher-bearer for the
Italian army during World War I gave him firsthand knowledge of war. In 1921
he was made the national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
He also found time to teach patristics at a seminary in the Eternal City. In 1925 he became a papal diplomat, serving
first in Bulgaria, then in Turkey, and finally in France (1944-53). During
World War II, with the help of Germany’s ambassador to Turkey, Archbishop
Roncalli helped save an estimated 24,000 Jewish people.
Named a cardinal and appointed patriarch of Venice in 1953, he was finally a residential bishop. A month short of entering his 78th year, he was elected pope, taking the name John after his father and the two patrons of Rome’s cathedral, St. John Lateran. He took his work very seriously but not himself. His wit soon became proverbial, and he began meeting with political and religious leaders from around the world. In 1962 he was deeply involved in efforts to resolve the Cuban missile crisis. His most famous encyclicals were Mother and Teacher (1961) and Peace on Earth (1963). Pope John XXIII enlarged the membership in the College of Cardinals and made it more international. In 1962 he convened the Second Vatican Council where all the bishops gathered in Rome to discuss many issues facing the church, and this led to great reform, especially in the way we celebrate the liturgy. "Good Pope John" died on June 3, 1963. St. John Paul II beatified him in 2000, and Pope Francis canonized him in 2014, together with Pope St John Paul II.
Named a cardinal and appointed patriarch of Venice in 1953, he was finally a residential bishop. A month short of entering his 78th year, he was elected pope, taking the name John after his father and the two patrons of Rome’s cathedral, St. John Lateran. He took his work very seriously but not himself. His wit soon became proverbial, and he began meeting with political and religious leaders from around the world. In 1962 he was deeply involved in efforts to resolve the Cuban missile crisis. His most famous encyclicals were Mother and Teacher (1961) and Peace on Earth (1963). Pope John XXIII enlarged the membership in the College of Cardinals and made it more international. In 1962 he convened the Second Vatican Council where all the bishops gathered in Rome to discuss many issues facing the church, and this led to great reform, especially in the way we celebrate the liturgy. "Good Pope John" died on June 3, 1963. St. John Paul II beatified him in 2000, and Pope Francis canonized him in 2014, together with Pope St John Paul II.
Thursday 10 October 2019
The Angelus
Painted by Jean Francoise Millet, “The Angelus” is a famous painting from 1859, much revered by the French peasantry. Millet lived between 1814 and 1875, wretchedly poor, but with a great ambition to paint. And as he painted he also became a great teacher by the subjects he chose to paint. These two peasants pictured have spent a whole day at hard labor, but still went along without complaint, going about their tasks gladly and cheerfully. Then as evening comes, they pause in their work for silent prayer. We can almost hear the sounds of the bell in the distant church steeple and feel the solemnity of the occasion. At 6 PM, they pause to pray the Angelus and thank God for none of the worldly goods, but for love, health, and life. How happy people must be when they focus on these three gifts.
Wednesday 9 October 2019
An Internet minute
Every day, millions of people take photos, make videos and send texts. Across the globe, businesses collect data on consumer preferences, purchases and trends. We are increasingly being surrounded by new devices and sensors that empower us to measure and record the world around us with increasing precision. The abilities provided by these technologies affect us deeply and broadly, including in the way we communicate and socialize. The more we can connect and share, the more data we create. The deluge of data is growing fast. The total amount of data in the world was 4.4 zettabytes in 2013. This is set to rise steeply to 44 zettabytes by 2020. To put that in perspective, one zettabyte is equivalent to 44 trillion gigabytes.
This is what happens in one minute on the Internet in 2019:
1 million people logging in on Facebook.
18.1 million texts sent.
4.5 million videos are being viewed on YouTube.
390,030 apps are being downloaded.
347,222 scrolling Instagrams.
3.8 million search queries on Google.
694,444 hours watched on Netflix.
$996,956 spent on-line shopping.
87,000 people tweeting.
2.1 million snaps created.
41.6 million messages sent by whatsapp.
188 million e-mails are sent.
1 million people logging in on Facebook.
18.1 million texts sent.
4.5 million videos are being viewed on YouTube.
390,030 apps are being downloaded.
347,222 scrolling Instagrams.
3.8 million search queries on Google.
694,444 hours watched on Netflix.
$996,956 spent on-line shopping.
87,000 people tweeting.
2.1 million snaps created.
41.6 million messages sent by whatsapp.
188 million e-mails are sent.
Tuesday 8 October 2019
Forgiveness in the Courtroom
Brandt hugging his brother's killer, Amber Guyger. |
The world saw God in a Dallas Courtroom last Wednesday afternoon. Botham Jean had been minding his own business, when a distracted off-duty white police officer, Amber Guyger, was returning home to her apartment in the same building as his. Mistakenly she entered the 28-year old man’s apartment, just above her own, thinking it was her own, and discovered who she thought was an intruder. She drew her firearm and killed him in his own home. Last week she was sentenced to a 10-year prison term.
At the sentencing, Botham’s 18-year old brother, Brandt, took the witness stand to be heard. He spoke in the name of his family, “I hope you go to God with all that guilt,” he proceeded. “If you truly are sorry…I forgive you.” He pushed quickly past his own forgiveness, and back to God. “I know if you go to God and ask Him, He will forgive you.”Brandt Jean speaking in the name of his family. |
Monday 7 October 2019
Our Lady of the Rosary
'Our Lady of the Rosary' by Vicente Lopez |
In 1571 Pope St Pius V instituted "Our Lady of Victory" as an annual feast to commemorate the victory of the Christians against the Turks in Lepanto. The victory was attributed to Our Lady, as a rosary procession was offered on that day in St. Peter's Square in Rome for the success of the mission of the Holy League to hold back Muslim forces from overrunning Western Europe. In 1565, the Turks had already tried to take over Malta in the Great Siege, but the Maltese people, with the help of the Knights of Malta, were able to defend the island from the attack of the Ottoman Empire. In 1573 Pope Gregory XIII changed the title of this feast day to "Feast of the Holy Rosary". This feast was extended by Pope Clement XII to the whole of the Latin rite, inserting it into the Roman calendar of saints in 1716, and assigning it to the first Sunday in October. Pope St Pius X changed the date to October 7th in 1913. In 1969, Pope Paul VI changed the name of the feast to "Our Lady of the Rosary".
Sunday 6 October 2019
Wi-Fi is 20 years old
It has become automatic for us to log on to the Internet through W-Fi. Wherever we go, through airports, restaurants, and hotels, it is common that Wi-Fi is available for free to the customers and visitors. Wi-Fi has made life easier in general and it has made it much easier to communicate. It has certainly changed our social and personal lives. With the popularity of tablets and Ipads, it has become so common to connect to Wi-Fi rather than the conventional dial-up Internet connection. Compatible devices can connect to each other over Wi-Fi through a wireless access point as well as to connected Ethernet devices and may use it to access the Internet. Such an access point (or hotspot) has a range of about 20 meters (66 feet) indoors and a greater range outdoors. Hotspot coverage can be as small as a single room with walls that block radio waves, or as large as many square kilometers achieved by using overlapping access points. In 1999, the Wi-Fi Alliance was formed as a trade association to hold the Wi-Fi trademark. Wi-Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity. uses a large number of patents held by many different organizations. In April 2009, 14 technology companies agreed to pay CSIRO $1 billion for infringements on CSIRO patents. This led to Australia labeling Wi-Fi as an Australian invention. The name Wi-Fi was commercially used at least as early as August 1999, and officially launched in early October 1999, precisely 20 years ago.
Saturday 5 October 2019
Saint Faustina Kowalska
Saint Faustina was born Helena Kowalska in a small village west of Lodz, Poland on August 25, 1905. She was the third of ten children. When she was almost twenty, she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, whose members devote themselves to the care and education of troubled young women. The following year she received her religious habit and was given the name Sister Maria Faustina, to which she added, "of the Most Blessed Sacrament", as was permitted by her congregation's custom. In the 1930's, Sister Faustina received from the Lord a message of mercy that she was told to spread throughout the world. She was asked to become the apostle and secretary of God's mercy, a model of how to be merciful to others, and an instrument for reemphasizing God's plan of mercy for the world. It was not a glamorous prospect.
Her entire life, in imitation of Christ's, was to be a sacrifice - a life lived for others. She wrote and suffered in secret, with only her spiritual director Fr Michael Sopocko, and some of her superiors aware that anything special was taking place in her life. After her death from tuberculosis in 1938, even her closest associates were amazed as they began to discover what great sufferings and deep mystical experiences had been given to this Sister of theirs, who had always been so cheerful and humble. She had taken deeply into her heart, God's gospel command to "be merciful even as your heavenly Father is merciful" as well as her confessor's directive that she should act in such a way that everyone who came in contact with her would go away joyful. The message of mercy that Sister Faustina received is now being spread throughout the world; her diary, Divine Mercy in my Soul, has become the handbook for devotion to the Divine Mercy. However, until Pope St John Paul II was elected Pope, her writings and her devotion were condemned by the church, and were only recognized by her compatriot Pope, who eventually canonized here in April 2000, on the same day when Divine Mercy Sunday was instituted to be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter.
Her entire life, in imitation of Christ's, was to be a sacrifice - a life lived for others. She wrote and suffered in secret, with only her spiritual director Fr Michael Sopocko, and some of her superiors aware that anything special was taking place in her life. After her death from tuberculosis in 1938, even her closest associates were amazed as they began to discover what great sufferings and deep mystical experiences had been given to this Sister of theirs, who had always been so cheerful and humble. She had taken deeply into her heart, God's gospel command to "be merciful even as your heavenly Father is merciful" as well as her confessor's directive that she should act in such a way that everyone who came in contact with her would go away joyful. The message of mercy that Sister Faustina received is now being spread throughout the world; her diary, Divine Mercy in my Soul, has become the handbook for devotion to the Divine Mercy. However, until Pope St John Paul II was elected Pope, her writings and her devotion were condemned by the church, and were only recognized by her compatriot Pope, who eventually canonized here in April 2000, on the same day when Divine Mercy Sunday was instituted to be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter.
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