The early Christian martyrs

Early Christian martyrs being taken away from their homes and families

The day after the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, the Church commemorates the many unknown, possibly thousands of Christian martyrs who shed their blood for their faith under ruthless Emperors. What is known as the Persecution era, which lasted three centuries, so many martyrs died defending their faith, either through crucifixion, being burned, being eaten by lions or other excruciating methods of torture. Many of them were arrested just by being seen carrying a cross in their hands. Most of the Christians congregated underground in catacombs, for fear of being arrested and killed. Some of the known martyrs have been canonized by the church, St Agnes, St Agatha, St Cecilia, St Ignatius of Antioch, most of the early Popes, and so many others. There is also another category known as confessors, who still kept the faith, but were not arrested or tortured or killed. It was only thanks to King Constantine who ended the Persecutions in 313 AD, that Christians could once again profess their faith freely and build basilicas and churches to worship in.

St. Peter and St. Paul

Statue of St Peter and Paul, venerated at Nadur parish in Gozo, Malta.

The two pillars of the church are honored today on their liturgical feast day. Even though they became known as the most popular apostles, their beginning was not as pleasant. Peter was the rough and tough type fisherman who had to be fine-tuned and polished by Jesus and eventually became the first Pope. However there were some conflicting moments in his life, especially during Jesus’ passion when Peter three times denied even knowing Jesus. Some friend eh! However Jesus forgave him, after the triple affirmation of faith, and changing his name from Simon to Peter, the Rock, on which the church was to be built. It must have worked because from the 12 apostles, we are now up to 1.2 billion Catholics.
St Paul on the other hand was even more aggressive as he used to persecute Christians, only to be converted on his way to Damascus when Jesus appeared to him, and his complete turnaround started. He eventually travelled all over Eastern Europe, through Greece, modern day Turkey and even venturing on the sea being shipwrecked on my homeland of Malta where he baptized all the inhabitants. He also wrote letters to the many communities he visited, beautiful theological reflections that we read every Sunday in our 2nd reading at Mass. Both Peter and Paul were martyred, Peter being crucified upside down, and Paul being beheaded in Rome. They both have major basilicas in Rome dedicated to them, built on the place where they are buried, St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican and and St Paul’s outside the walls.

Ordinations

The 10 new priests ordained on June 29 at Paola parish church.

This weekend was a great day for the church in Malta, as 14 young men were ordained in two separate ceremonies. On Saturday, 4 seminarians were ordained to the Diaconate. Tomorrow Monday, feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, 10 deacons will be ordained as priests for the church in Malta. I was going to write young men, but actually one of them is 67 years old, a widower who decided and promised to become a priest as his wife was dying 6 years ago. Five of them are diocesan priests while three others are Salesians. The numbers of vocations have dwindled over the last few years, and at the moment there are not more than 10 seminarians studying at the Archbishop’s Seminary. A few others are in the Gozo Seminary, where another priest was ordained recently, plus two deacons. 

The 4 new deacons with the Archbishop

It’s a far cry from my time in the 1970s when we had close to 90 seminarians together studying at various stages of the training process. But to the new deacons and priests, we offer them our heart-felt prayers that God will give them the courage and zeal they need for their new pastoral ministry. To all of them, we wish them Ad Multos Annos!

Some interesting Trivia

Glass takes one million years to decompose, which means it never wears out and can be recycled an infinite amount of times! 

Gold is the only metal that doesn't rust, even if it's buried in the ground for thousands of years.
Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end.
Drinking water after eating reduces the acid in your mouth by 61 percent. Drinking a glass of water before you eat may help digestion and curb appetite.
Peanut oil is used for cooking in submarines because it doesn't smoke unless it's heated above 450F.
The roar that we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear.
Nine out of every 10 living things live in the ocean.
The tooth is the only part of the human body that cannot heal itself.
In ancient Greece tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage. Catching it meant she accepted.
Warner Communications paid 28 million for the copyright to the song Happy Birthday, which was written in 1935!
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
A comet's tail always points away from the sun.
The Swine Flu vaccine in 1976 caused more death and illness than the disease it was intended to prevent.
The military salute is a motion that evolved from medieval times, when knights in armor raised their visors to reveal their identity.
When a person dies, hearing is the last sense to go. The first sense lost is sight.
In ancient times strangers shook hands to show that they were unarmed.
Strawberries and cashews are the only fruits whose seeds grow on the outside.
Avocados have the highest calories of any fruit at 167 calories per hundred grams.
The moon moves about two inches away from the Earth each year.
The Earth gets 100 tons heavier every day due to falling space dust.
Soldiers do not march in step when going across bridges because they could set up a vibration which could be sufficient to knock the bridge down.
Everything weighs one percent less at the equator.

St Josemaria Escriva

St Jose Maria Escriva (1902-1975)

Born Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Albás on January 9, 1902, in Barbastro, Aragon, Spain, he founded the Order of Opus Dei (The Work of God) He died on June 26, 1975, and was canonized on October 6, 2002. The order he founded was an organization of lay people and priests dedicated to the teaching that everyone is called to holiness by God and that ordinary life can result in sanctity. Escrivá gained a doctorate in civil law at the Complutense University of Madrid and a doctorate in theology at the Lateran University in Rome. His principal work was the initiation, government, and expansion of Opus Dei, which he founded on October 2, 1928, and Pope Pius XII gave it final approval in 1950. After his death, his canonization attracted considerable attention and controversy, by some Catholics and the worldwide press. He was reviled by some and venerated by millions more. Escrivá's best-known publication is ‘The Way’, which has been translated into 43 languages and has sold several million copies. It consists of 46 chapters and the titles are the various values and virtues we are to live in our Christian lives. In the chapter on humility, he writes: “Don’t wish to be like a gilded weather-cock on top of a great building: however much it shines, and however high it stands, it adds nothing to the solidity of the building. Rather be like an old stone block hidden in the foundations, underground, where no one can see you: because of you, the house will not fall. Remember that you are humble not when you humble yourself, but when you are humbled by others and you bear it for Christ.”

My stolen camera

A painting by Emvin Cremona taken with the Nikon camera

Back on May 10, 2006, I bought my first digital camera, a Canon Powershot S31S which changed my outlook towards photography, because I have not printed one single photo ever since. On the other hand, I have now thousands of digital photos that I have added to my already-bursting collection. Most of my early digital photos were taken in Oregon, especially nature and wild-life photos which I treasure. Once every 2 years I would visit Malta and would take anywhere between 2000 and 2500 more photos from my home country, visiting churches, places of interest, and just scenic photos of my homeland. I was fairly happy with my Canon until something happened that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. In my parish in Bend, I used to park my car in the garage and lock it overnight. One day in 2014, I mistakenly left the garage door open, and since I had left my camera in the car, in the morning, I found my camera missing. Yes, it’s been stolen, unfortunately – the only stolen item I ever had taken away from me. I understood it was my fault, a mistake which I obviously regretted. 

The same painting taken with the Canon in 2008

So I had to buy another camera – a dear friend suggested a Nikon Coolpix P520 with an exceptional zoom lens. As soon as I familiarized myself with it and started downloading photos, I noticed the sharper images and clearer photos, at least compared to the photos I had taken with my Canon. I realized that this was a much better camera with incredible results. This was confirmed on my first visit to Malta when I visited some churches to take photos of paintings. Now I could compare the same photos taken with the 2 different cameras, and the result was astounding – and I was singing the praises of my misfortune of the stolen Canon. Otherwise, I would probably never had the opportunity to use and enjoy the quality of photos with the Nikon. These two photos tell the story and the difference between the two cameras. So my lesson is never to panic, but to take any mishap as a blessing in disguise!

Birth of St John the Baptist

Tintoretto - Birth of St. John the Baptist

We celebrate today the birth of St John the Baptist, the only other Saint, besides Jesus and the Blessed Mother, whose birth is celebrated by the Catholic Church with a special festivity. There is another feast relating to his martyrdom, which is held on August 29, but it’s his mysterious birth that is commemorated today, since Elizabeth his mother was advanced in age. Nowadays, when a baby is born, the announcement is made in the papers, Godparents are chosen, the baptism is held and a party usually follows. In John’s time, his birth was announced in a very unusual way. Similar to what the Native Indians did when sending a message, his father Zechariah made a bonfire and lit it in the evening so that his relatives and friends would know that Elizabeth gave birth to her baby boy. This is actually a tradition that is still held in many countries, among them Malta. Many people in towns and villages used to collect wood, sticks, and logs for a few weeks, pile them up, and then light a bonfire on the evening of June 23, in commemoration of the birth of John the Baptist. Obviously today people everywhere use a much different way to share news which the social media offers us, when a picture of a newborn baby is spread throughout the globe through a cell-phone, Facebook, etc. And all this within seconds of the birth.

We honor today this great underrated Saint, who set the stage for Jesus, then disappeared, getting hardly any credit, and even losing his life through the envy of Herod. The above painting of the birth of the Baptist by Italian painter Tintoretto may appear too elaborate and flashy for what actually must have happened 2000 years ago. But this is the style of pre-Renaissance painters. One can see a retinue of nurses helping in the birth. Elizabeth is in bed recovering from the ordeal, Zechariah is praising the Lord, while even a woman is ready to start nursing the newborn John. The Blessed Mother is the one holding the baby, as she is depicted with a halo, herself still pregnant with the unborn baby Jesus.

Log Cabins

With the abundance of trees, most houses in the USA are built out of wood. Unfortunately, that is why when there is a hurricane or a tornado, most houses end up like broken matchsticks. But there are some companies that build their homes with durable wood, including the ones that were built in one of my parishes in John Day, Oregon. As you can see, the wood used is the rugged and tough logs from juniper trees that grow in abundance in Eastern Oregon. 

The logs or trunks of trees are cut and cleaned from extra shavings, unnecessary twigs, and branches, etc. They are well-chosen and checked for any defects. Only the very best are used, and the craftsmen start building the log cabins, as sturdy as they can be. Once the house is complete, the logs are numbered and disassembled. Thereupon they are shipped or driven to the place where the house would be eventually built, and the whole house is assembled again on solid ground, as is seen in the third photo. 

Other houses are built from pine wood, usually from ponderosa trees, as you can see in the fourth photo. The owners of these homes are very proud of their masterpieces, and they say that with the insulation, they stay pretty warm in the winter, and cool in the summer months. 

St Thomas More and St John Fisher

St. Thomas More (1478-1535) and St. John Fisher (1459-1535)

These two British martyrs are among the most beloved in the English Catholic Church. St Thomas More was born at London in 1478. After a thorough grounding in religion and the classics, he entered Oxford to study law. Upon leaving the university he embarked on a legal career that took him to Parliament. In 1505, he married his beloved Jane Colt who bore him four children, and when she died at a young age, he married a widow, Alice Middleton, to be a mother for his young children. A great reformer, Thomas More in 1516 wrote his world-famous book "Utopia". He attracted the attention of Henry VIII who appointed him to a succession of high posts and finally made him Lord Chancellor in 1529. However, he resigned in 1532, at the height of his career, when Henry persisted in holding his own opinions regarding marriage and the supremacy of the Pope, while strongly opposing Henry's thirst for a divorce. This is when the Church of England broke away from the Catholic religion. The rest of Thomas’ life was spent in writing mostly in defense of the Church. In 1534, with his close friend, St John Fisher, he refused to render allegiance to the King as the Head of the Church of England and was confined to the Tower. Fifteen months later, he was tried and convicted of treason. On the scaffold, he told the crowd of spectators that he was dying as "the King's good servant - but God's first." He was beheaded on July 6, 1535. His life is depicted in the classic movie “A Man for all Seasons,” with Paul Scofield acting in an Oscar-winning performance.
St. John Fisher was born at Yorkshire in 1459 and educated at Cambridge. In 1504, he became Bishop of Rochester and Chancellor of Cambridge, in which capacity he also tutored Prince Henry who was to become Henry VIII. St John was dedicated to the welfare of his diocese and his university. From 1527, he actively opposed the King's divorce proceedings against Catherine, his wife in the sight of God. Unlike the other Bishops, St John refused to take the oath of succession, and he was imprisoned in the tower in April 1534. The next year he was made a Cardinal by Pope Paul III and Henry retaliated by having him beheaded within a month. A half-hour before his execution, John Fisher opened his New Testament for the last time and his eyes fell on the following words from St. John's Gospel: "Eternal life is this: to know You, the only true God, and Him Whom You have sent, Jesus Christ. I have given You glory on earth by finishing the work You gave me to do. Do You now, Father, give me glory at Your side". Closing the book, he observed: "There is enough learning in that to last me the rest of my life." They were both canonized on May 19th, 1935, with Thomas More becoming the patron of lawyers and politicians.

Forget dancing!

Arthur Mitchell in the middle of this group of Harlem Dancers

Arthur Mitchell was told as a youngster he couldn’t dance professionally. He not only grew up to be a dancer but founded a school, now with an international reputation, that trained thousands of children and helped them to develop pride in themselves. The founder of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Mitchell was a good social dancer in junior high school, and a teacher suggested he apply to a high school for perfoming arts. He prepared the required three-minute dance routine and was accepted, but after six months he was told he would never be a dancer, and that he should go for another profession. Viewing this as a challenge, Mitchell was determined to become a classical ballet dancer, at a time when black people were rarely members of ballet companies. Once established professionally, he remembered the needs of city youngsters and recalls saying to himself, ‘Arthur, get out there and do soemthing.’ That something was to teach them to dance. One man refused to accept the negative opinions of others. And because of that, many youngsters have reaped the benefits. The very successful Harlem Dance Theatre has produced hundreds of professional dancers. A similar story happened to a young man named Elvis Presley. When he tried out at the Grand Ole Opry, he was told to forget about singing and keep on doing the job he had at that time, trucking! Good thing he didn’t.

Immaculate Heart of Mary

The day after the feast of Sacred Heart, we celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On this occasion, I share with you one of my favorite hymns that are used in the Breviary which the priests recite daily. This is taken from the hymn of the Morning Prayer of the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a poem whose text is attributed to Dominican sisters:

Mary the Dawn, Christ the Perfect Day;
Mary the gate, Christ the Heavenly Way!

Mary the root, Christ the Mystic Vine;
Mary the grape, Christ the Sacred Wine!

Mary the wheat, Christ the Living Bread;
Mary the stem, Christ the Rose blood-red!

Mary the font, Christ the Cleansing Flood;
Mary the cup, Christ the Saving Blood!

Mary the temple, Christ the temple’s Lord;
Mary the shrine, Christ the God adored!

Mary the beacon, Christ the Haven’s Rest;
Mary the mirror, Christ the Vision Blest!

Mary the mother, Christ the mother’s Son;
By all things blest while endless ages run. Amen.

43rd Anniversary

Group photo from 2 years ago

Today I go back 43 years ago, as I join my classmates in celebrating our anniversary to the priesthood. All of us are now in Malta, except for one who is in heaven, a few still pastors, others semi-retired, while others still working at various positions and offices in the church in Malta. We spent 7 glorious years together at the Major Seminary, while studying at the University of Malta. Seminary life was very special to me, and living in a community was very rewarding and enriching. At one time we were close to 100 seminarians at various stages of the priesthood. Nowadays the numbers have dwindled to around 10, even though vocations for the priesthood and religious life are still fairly healthy. We usually meet for a retreat on the occasion of our anniversary, and then con-celebrate together in a chosen church, with our families in attendance. The group photo seen here is one we took 2 years ago when the Mass was held here in my chapel at Hilltop Gardens. This year we could not meet because of the coronavirus, but this morning we prayed the Breviary together through Skype.

With my family on the day of my Ordination, June 19, 1977

The quote I used for my Ordination holy card was from the first letter of St Peter: "Tend the flock of God in your midst, overseeing not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit, but eagerly" (1 Peter 5:2.) I offer my Mass today for the Rectors, Vice-Rectors, Spiritual Director and professors and teachers who taught us over the 7 years we spent together, most of whom have since passed away. I offer my Mass for my parents, brothers and sisters, nephews and relatives and friends in the parishes I served over the past 38 years, St Julian’s, (Malta,) New Hyde Park, Rocky Point, Hicksville, Pleasant Valley (all in New York) and John Day, Baker City and Bend (all in Oregon,) as well as my new friends here at Hilltop Gardens, Simblija Carehome, at Naxxar parish, and my friends Radek and Zuzana Lapcik and their 4 children from the Czech Republik and Slovakia. Ad Multos Annos to my classmates.

Heaven or Hell ?

The choice is ours to make - heaven or hell! (click once to enlarge)

A few years ago, actually just after I arrived from the USA, I had a funeral of a British resident which I did in our chapel, with the burial at the Siġġiewi cemetery. It is a small cemetery, and it was the first time I was in it. While saying the prayers in a chapel that welcomes the coffins and their families before the burial, I noticed on the wall an interesting old print of Heaven and Hell. Since I had no camera with me, I asked one of the people at the funeral to take a photo and then send it to me. It is quite interesting as it presents those who look at it a simple choice, whether to go rejoicing to heaven or end up tormented in hell. The quote in Italian underneath says: “Jesus says: whoever wants to come after me, take up your cross and enter the eternal kingdom. Satan says: whoever wants to follow me, enjoy sinning and you’ll end up in hell.” You can see a long line of holy people climbing a hill, slowly following each other until they arrive at the gate guarded by St. Peter, labeled 'La Nuova Gerusalemme' (The New Jerusalem). On the other hand, further down, you can see another line of people heading down towards hell, entering a different gate, and all seem to be happy, but ready to be devoured by fire and what awaits them for eternity. In the middle section, right where the Crucified Jesus is seen, another group is hesitant whether to go down into hell or follow the holy procession towards heaven. Notice also on the far left, a kneeling angel is sorting people out, possibly asking them whether they would prefer heaven or hell. It is our choice ultimately where to end up. Those going towards heaven must have sacrificed a lot and are now being rewarded with eternal happiness, like poor Lazarus in the Gospel story. Those heading down must have had a jolly good life here on earth, like the rich man who ignored and mistreated Lazarus, but will end up paying the price with eternal damnation. It’s our choice to make!

Prayer for the Lonely

It’s awful to be lonely Lord. Sometimes when I’m in a crowded room surrounded by people who love me I still feel lonely. I’ll bet the world is full of lonely people. Sitting on park benches, lying on a rocky shore or a sandy beach, on bar stools, at cocktail parties or movie theatres, waiting for someone to say ‘hello’ to them. My next-door neighbor has never knocked on my door. Why is that, Lord? Maybe I should be the one trying to reach out to those who are lonely. They too may be waiting for a friend to talk to. Help your lonely, Lord to reach out of themselves. If only we weren’t so afraid of being hurt in the process. We’d really like to become more aware of, and responsive to one another. Grant us the strength to take the risk involved. The hurt can’t be worse than this awful lonely feeling. Help us, Lord, to overcome our loneliness by becoming one with each other, and one with You. Amen.

WW II religious sculptures – part 2

Continuing our review of the religious stone sculptures found in one of the World War II shelters in Malta, these 4 relate to the Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Therese of Lisieux, who had been canonized in 1925, and so, popular devotion towards her was still very common in the early 1940s. Limestone in Malta is known as globigerina limestone and easy to carve, but this artist must have had some training to be able to carve these images. 

Most probably there could have been a school for artists in the vicinity of Pieta where these sculptures were discovered. They were found in fairly good condition through a corridor that leads to the main shelter. Notice that all of them have a small hole on the left-hand side, for a candle to be placed there, not visible in all these photos, but it's there in all the sculptures. Malta was heavily bombed during the war by the Germans and Italians, and was often referred to as ‘an unsinkable air-craft-carrier.’ 1,581 Maltese civilians were killed as a result of enemy action. 3,780 civilians were injured, and 50,000 people were made homeless as a result of enemy bombings. There were a total of 3,343 air raids recorded over Malta, with 2,031 (60%) of these raids coming in 1942 alone, 282 of them in the month of April.

The figure of St.Therese of Lisieux, holding a cross and flowers.

WW II religious sculptures – part 1

During World War II, Malta was heavily bombed, and so people had to find some kind of shelter during the incessant air-raids, particularly in 1942. The Government had to provide underground facilities which became knows as ‘shelters’, positioned in strategic places in various towns and villages. These were dug out from the limestone, which is predominant on the Maltese Islands. Entire families spent many days and nights, crowded in a very limited space, but at least protected from the bombs falling. Most of these shelters have been closed, but some are open, and still used as a tourist attraction. When road-works are done, occasionally the workers come across one of these shelters, which the present generation does not remember. To their surprise, last week, construction workers digging in a street in the town of Pieta’ came across a series of religious sculptures, specifically 8 of them, carved with some artistry and craftsmanship. They will be somehow preserved, to remember the devotion the Maltese people had towards their religion during the harsh times of the war, 80 years ago. I share with you today the first 4 related to Jesus, and tomorrow we’ll see the other 4 related to Mary and a beloved saint. These photos were taken by the official Chancery photographer Ian Noel Pace.

Corpus Christi

St Juliana of Liege

The feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus is beloved by all Catholics. Just as processions are held in our towns and villages, they are held in most Catholic countries, especially in Spain and Central American countries where people literally paint the streets with flower petals. The custom of the procession started in the Middle Ages, but it was a Belgian sister, St. Giuliana of Liege, who in 1208 had a vision from Jesus to start a special devotion in honor of the Eucharist. Since there was already the Holy Thursday celebration, she asked her bishop Jacques Pantaleon if she could organize a procession through the streets of Liege. Eventually, he became Pope Urban IV, and gave Sister Giuliana permission to start the Corpus Christi procession, which has been held ever since.

St Thomas Aquinas

At the same time, the Pope encouraged a young Dominican monk to write various hymns in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. And that’s when St. Thomas Aquinas went to work and composed the Tantum Ergo, Pange lingua, O Salutaris Hostia, O Sacrum Convivium, Lauda Sion Salvatorem, and others, which are still being used till this day. And after so many millions of people have been denied the Eucharist over the last three months, let us start to appreciate this gift which Jesus left us during the Last Supper, his own Body and Blood to nourish us and nurture us.

Saint Anthony

St. Anthony of Padua was born August 15, 1195 near Lisbon, to a wealthy family and given the name Fernando. He was sent to the cathedral school in Lisbon, but in 1210, at the age of 15 he entered the Augustinian monastery of Sao Vicente in Lisbon, against the wishes of his family. But in their monastery near his native city he was distracted by visits from relatives and friends. After two years, Fernando asked to be transferred. He was sent to Holy Cross in Coimbra, a great center of learning and capital of Portugal at that time. He devoted the next eight years of his life to study and prayer, immersing himself in Sacred Scripture.
When news of the Franciscan martyrs in Morocco reached him, he joined the Franciscan Order in 1221, when he was 26 years old. At his own request, he was sent as a missionary to Morocco with the mission of preaching among the Moors. He had to return to Europe because of ill health. After this, St Anthony was moved to Romagna (Italy) and spent 9 months as a chaplain to hermits. He was so modest that he thought nothing of spending his days carrying on the lowliest duties of the kitchen and convent. But the Lord had bigger plans for this holy man. At an ordination ceremony, the priest who was about to give the sermon fell ill suddenly and St Anthony was called upon to give the sermon in his place. Although he refused with humility at first, he eventually had to do so because of his vow of obedience to his superior. The rest as they say, is history!

The last two years of his life he spent in Padua, preaching, hearing confessions and working to help the poor. St. Anthony died on June 13th, 1231 at Arcella, a suburb of Padua in the apartment reserved for the chaplain of the sisterhood of Poor Clares of Arcella. There he received the last rites and died. He was only 36. Saint Anthony was canonized in 1232 by Pope Gregory IX and declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XII in 1946. He holds the record for the second fastest canonization in history: he was declared a saint 352 days after his death. In 1263, a basilica was built in his honor. He was above all the greatest preacher of the middle ages and one of the finest orators of all time. Today he is one of the most famous saints and is often called upon by Catholics to help find lost possessions. Saint Anthony of Padua is usually sculpted or portrayed holding the child Jesus, or a lily or a book, or all three, in his arms.

Three Demons to defeat

In his Pentecost homily, Pope Francis named three demons or enemies that must be defeated. These are Demon Narcissus, Demon Victimhood, and Demon Pessimist. 

Demon Narcissus is totally ego-centric. The ‘how’ he can profit from the pandemic is his only concern. My needs first, says Demon Narcissus, and everyone else can go to hell.
Demon Victimhood is very different but equally dangerous. He is all the time complaining: no one understands him, no one experiences what he experiences and everyone is against him. If others don’t care about you, Demon Victimhood would say, why should you care about others?
Demon Pessimist is a worthy son of Lucifer if there was ever one.The damage he does is equally great. He looks around him and labels everything ‘bad.’ 

Demon Pessimist is the eternal complainer. Get angry at the world, he exhorts all. See everyone in the worst light, then do nothing about it. Just complain. Just moan. All three foment what Pope Francis calls ‘the famine of hope’ which in turn attacks his vision of a world built on solidarity. He also said that if we do not end the pandemic of poverty in the world, then everything will be in vain. Over 7 and a half million Covid-19 cases have been reported so far, with 425,000 deaths, but millions die of hunger every year.

Life after Covid-19

A Dutch historian Rutger Bregman recently wrote about the coronavirus pandemic and his reflection goes: “For every panic buyer, there are a thousand nurses working as hard as they can. For every hoarder there a thousand civilians setting up WhatsApp groups and Facebook groups and people in the neighborhood trying to help each other. Where others see the triumph of egotism, I see an explosion of cooperation and altruism. I see light where others see only darkness. I hope that the coronavirus crisis will help bring us into a new age of cooperation and solidarity and a realization that we’re in this together.”

Weston Priory

The peaceful atmosphere at Weston Priory

One of the earliest memories I have of the USA, outside of New York, was going on retreat to Weston Priory, in Vermont. There, a group of monks lived a community life that welcomed visitors, even priests to lead a week’s retreat as I did with my pastor friend Fr John Heinlein. The community of monks was founded in 1952. They are particularly known for the songs they have contributed to Catholic and even Protestant worship over the past 50 years, missionary work in South America, and the pottery produced at the monastery. 

The community of priests and brothers leading in worship.

The atmosphere was just sublime, peaceful and heavenly, to say the least. There I also got introduced to the music of Weston Priory composed mostly by Brother Gregory Norbet, whom I met personally and played for him a few flute melodies of his songs. 

With Brother Gregory  Norbet in 1982

Well known songs by him are now played in every Catholic church in the USA and beyond, like 'Hosea,' 'Our Father,' 'Bread that was sown,' 'Go up to the mountains,' 'Wherever you go,' etc. These are a few photos I took on one of my visits there, the surroundings, the chapel, the peaceful atmosphere, and more.

The prayerful chapel at Weston Priory

A reflecting lake by the Priory

Mona Aquilina – a centenarian today

Mona Aquilina today, with a photo of her husband always close by.

We honor today yet another resident who is turning 100 today. Mona Aquilina was born on June 9, 1920, at Valletta, the second of 5 siblings, one of whom is also residing here at Simblija Care Home. She met her future husband John Aquilina and were married in April 1945 and followed him to India soon afterwards where he was stationed in the Army. Back in Malta, they resided at Sliema, and raised their only son Bobby while mingling with friends and relatives. 

John and Mona at the time of their wedding.

John died in 1972 and Mona decided to remain single, even though she mingled with many friends, especially at dances which she loved to attend at the Union Club and other venues. She moved to Hilltop Gardens around 2 years ago, and she is still in very good shape, coming to church daily, and walking just with a simple cane and socializing with other residents, while waiting for relatives to visit her, including her 5 great-grandchildren, who cheer her up and make her look much younger than she is. Congratulations Mona!

My 1500th post today

Edward Azzopardi in front of one of his paper masterpieces

Since this is my 1500th post in this ‘Dun Giljan Blog,’ I thought of reviewing the top three posts that were most popular with visitors of this blog. There were many posts that were interesting and appealing to various people, leaving comments, while others just copied the quote, the reflection, a story, maybe even the photos I use. The other blog I did in the USA went up to 1550 posts, and so, together with this one you have access to more than 3000 interesting snippets, facts, anecdotes, stories, photos to cherish. The other blog is still available and accessible at www.fatherjulian.blogspot.com

The two most popular posts over the past 4 years were related to artisans who are crafty with their hands. The first one relates to a friend of mine, Edward Azzopardi, who does incredible paperwork with his hands.

Chris Micallef in front of a miniature St Julian's church he created.

The second most popular post relates to another friend of mine Christopher Micallef, who creates statues and statuettes mainly from clay, besides taking care of my childhood church. The third most popular post is a fascinating fact that happens each year in my chapel at Hilltop Gardens when the sun shines on the right-hand side of the chapel and creates a reflection of a Number One, right behind the tabernacle. This was certainly not planned when the construction of the chapel was designed. This phenomena happens every year around the middle of May, and again around August 20.

The Number One phenomena by the tabernacle.

You can see the top 10 popular posts listed here on the right-hand side, listed under the heading ‘Popular Posts,’ so far the all-time most popular posts in this blog. Normally I list the most popular posts over the last month or so. Please do check these top three again, and kindly share this blog with any of your friends around the globe. Thank you for visiting my blog.

Holy Trinity

'Trinity' by Peter Paul Rubens

We celebrate today the feast of the Holy Trinity. Many images and analogies were brought forward to explain the mystery of the three persons in one and three Gods. The most popular one is the one presented by St Patrick with the image of the clover leaf, the shamrock. Well, this story I share with you today is very interesting too. It deals with an atheist confronting a priest about this mystery.
Pointing to the sun streaming in the window, the priest asked the atheist: “Do you believe in the sun?” “Why, of course,” the atheist admitted. “Alright,” the priest continued, “the rays you see coming through the window are from the sun, 90,000,000 miles from here, give or take a few thousand miles. The heat we feel comes from both the sun and from its rays. The Holy Trinity is something like that. The sun is God the Father; the sun sends out its rays, God the Son. Then from both the sun and its rays, from the Father and the Son, proceeds or comes the Holy Spirit, the heat. Can you explain how that happens?” The atheist quickly changed the subject.
The sun is the source of physical good; the Trinity is the source of God’s life in us.
The sun gives energy and strength; the Trinity gives inner power and strength.
The sun gives light; the Trinity lights the mind and heart of man.
The sun produces heat; the Trinity pours forth spiritual heat - love of God and mankind.
The sun heals sickness and disease; the Trinity heals the sickness of the souls - sin.
The sun helps resist germs and infection; the Trinity drives off spiritual germs.
The sun cheers and brightens the world around us; the Trinity cheers the heart of mankind.
The Sign of the Cross is the sign of any Christian.
Let us never be embarrassed in making the sign of the cross, as we honor God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

The gloves of Maximilian I

After looking at some unusual footwear, today we see a pair of gloves, worn by the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. He lived between 1459 and 1519 and is known for having established the Habsburg dynasty in Spain. These gloves also known as gauntlets are a type of gloves donned by knights and soldiers from different parts of the world during the Middle Ages. The metal gloves kept their forearms and hands safe, which was important as they are vulnerable in military combats. There are different types of gauntlets, but these might be the most beautiful ones we have ever seen. These “war gloves” were made of leather, iron, or chain mail. This specific pair had been reportedly used by Maximillian I until he died in 1519.

King Tutankhamen's sandals

When people talk about ancient Egypt, the first things that come to mind would probably be mummies and pyramids. While they were important aspects of the culture, there is more to that period than that. The sandals worn by King Tutankhamen show that Ancient Egyptians were a lot like us than we thought. They did not only wear footwear similar to what we use, but they were also very interested in fashion. Ancient footwear expert André Veldmeije explained, “When footwear is mentioned in general books if at all, it is usually noted that sandals were flimsy and most people were barefoot all the time. Moreover, they say there were only a few types of sandals. This is a misconception, probably based on artistic depictions alone. The variety of footwear is much greater than imagery suggests and even includes shoes that are never depicted; we only know them from the archaeological record.” These are King Tut's sandals, who lived around the year 1335 BC, therefore preserved for over 3350 years! They may not be Tevas, Adidas, Skechers or Birkenstocks, but quite fashionable nonetheless, with very intricate and detailed designs.

2,300 year old shoes

Over the next few days I will share with you some old artifacts and how they've been preserved over the centuries. It's hard to believe that some items can be preserved for such a long time, and they look as fashionable as if they were available today. This preserved woman’s boot in the photo was made 2,300 years ago. It has remained intact so well thanks to the freezing temperatures at the Altai Mountains. It has been preserved so well that it could pass for something on display at a Bohemian store. The boot has been traced to 300 BC! It was made using leather and shows different decorations made with different textiles such as gold foil, pewter, glass beads, and pyrite crystals. It is a fascinating discovery that shows us how stylish people always were no matter the period. Come back tomorrow to see King Tutankhamun's sandals from 3,500 years ago!

St Charles Lwanga and Ugandan martyrs

One of 22 Ugandan martyrs, Charles Lwanga is the patron of youth and Catholic action in most of tropical Africa. He protected his fellow pages (aged 13 to 30) from the homosexual demands of the Bagandan ruler, Mwanga, and encouraged and instructed them in the Catholic faith during their imprisonment for refusing the ruler’s demands.

For his own unwillingness to submit to the immoral acts and his efforts to safeguard the faith of his friends, Charles was burned to death at Namugongo on June 3, 1886, by Mwanga’s order. Charles first learned of Christ’s teachings from two retainers in the court of Chief Mawulugungu. While a catechumen, he entered the royal household as an assistant to Joseph Mukaso, head of the court pages.
On the night of Mukaso’s martyrdom for encouraging the African youths to resist Mwanga, Charles requested and received baptism. Imprisoned with his friends, Charles’s courage and belief in God inspired them to remain chaste and faithful.
When Pope Paul VI canonized these 22 martyrs on October 18, 1964, he referred to the Anglican pages martyred for the same reason. Although the Anglicans could not be canonized, they were named "with the others, also deserving mention" for enduring "death for the name of Christ". The Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs was built at the site of the executions and serves as their shrine. Their remains are in Kampala. The order known as "The Brothers of St. Charles Lwanga" was founded in 1927 as an indigenous religious congregation of Ugandan men committed to providing education to the youth of their country.