Since we’ve been deprived of all kinds of festive decorations, which are
usually quite a big highlight of the Maltese summer, I share with you just 4
photos of the past 4 years from various
parishes. So many young enthusiasts spend hours preparing for their respective feast, which is highlighted during a whole week's celebration, culminating with the procession on Sunday evening.
With no processions being allowed through the streets of every town and village, the Maltese landscape this year has been deprived of something so iconic, so punctual, and so irreplaceable, thanks to the coronavirus. The feast of my hometown of St Julian should have been celebrated today, but all that is allowed is a High Mass in the parish church. So has happened and will happen in the rest of the parishes, although the early feasts in May and early June were lucky enough to hold a pilgrimage, which was allowed by the Bishop, a manifestation of faith with the titular statue with only marching bands playing religious hymns and nothing festive. But after the spike in the number of cases in mid-July and early August, they were discontinued. But to look back at the past, I share with you 3 photos of the feast of St Julian’s from the past 4 years. The first one shows the statue of St Julian in the smaller old parish church, where my parents were married, where I was baptized, and where I still say Mass occasionally.
While on June 24th, the church celebrates with joy the birth of St John the Baptist, today it celebrates with sadness his martyrdom. It is very distressing and heart-breaking to hear the story of the beheading of the Baptist, the result of a pretty dance by a young ballerina. What would a young girl ask for as a gift for her well-performed dance? A necklace, a diamond bracelet, pretty sandals for her feet, a silk dress, some jewelry....? Certainly not the head of a person she never met! But jealousy by her mother caused the death of a beloved saint, and today we honor him. We have one huge church dedicated to him in the Maltese islands, precisely the domed church at Xewkija in Gozo, where a few paintings by Paul Camilleri Cauchi honor him, as is fitting, including the one represented here. John takes center stage before Christmas and after Christmas, as he prepares the way for the Lord’s coming, and calls the people for conversion, to repent and to reform their lives. Another massive painting of his martyrdom is in the oratory of St John’s Cathedral in Valletta, the masterpiece by Caravaggio, which I have featured several times in past blogs on this day.
The feast of St Augustine is placed just one day after that of his mother St Monica. Spending her entire life praying for his conversion, she certainly deserved to become a Saint herself. Augustine was born in the city of Tagaste, Algeria, in 354 AD to a Christian mother. He was educated in North Africa and resisted his mother's pleas to become Christian. Living as a pagan intellectual, he took a concubine and became a Manichean, even fathering a child out of wedlock. Later he converted to Christianity, being baptized by St Ambrose, and became a bishop of Hippo, a Latin Father and Doctor of the Church, and is one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity. Some of his writings are strictly autobiographical, even though very theological in thought. ‘The Confessions,’ which is often called the first Western autobiography are still read around the world.
As a young man before his conversion, he taught in North
Africa, Carthage, and Rome. It was only when he arrived in Milan that his life
started to change. In the summer of 386, after having read an account of the
life of Saint Anthony of the Desert which greatly inspired him, Augustine
underwent a profound personal crisis and decided to convert to Catholic
Christianity, abandon his career in rhetoric, quit his teaching position in
Milan, give up any ideas of marriage and devote himself entirely to serving God
and the practices of the priesthood, which included celibacy. Key to this
conversion was the voice of an unseen child he heard while in his garden in
Milan telling him in a sing-song voice to tolle lege ("take up and
read"). He grabbed the nearest text to him, which was Paul's Epistle to
the Romans and opened it at random to 13:13-14, which read: "Let us walk honestly, as in
the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not
in strife and envying; but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision
for the flesh, to gratify its desires." Ambrose baptized
Augustine, along with his son, Adeodatus, on Easter Vigil in 387 in Milan, and
soon thereafter in 388, he returned to Africa. St Monica died as she was leaving
the port of Ostia on her way back to Africa, just after her son had converted. In 391 Augustine was ordained a priest and
became a famous preacher, while 5 years later he was made bishop of Hippo.
Augustine died on August 28, 430.
As I turn 68 today, I share with you 68 things that have made me happy throughout these years, in no particular order: My parents who gave me life, loyalty, and love. My siblings who care for me and respect me. My two nephews, both doctors. My vocation to the priesthood. E-mail. Photography. All kinds of sports. My Ipad. Strawberries. Cooking Chicken soup. Donating blood 118 times. 35 years in the USA. Classical music. My CDs. DAB Radio. Driving through Oregon state and Upstate New York. Preaching homilies. Writing in ‘Leħen is-Sewwa’ for 35 years. Watercolors. Calligraphy. Playing the flute. Transcribing melodies for solo flute. Yoga. Many friends in the USA. Growing up in the old St. Julian’s. Being chaplain at Hilltop Gardens. Nature and wildlife in Oregon. Snooker. JS Bach, Vivaldi and Beethoven. Wearing sandals. Not wearing suits. Table-Tennis. Fountain pens. Ben Hur. Producing PowerPoint talks. Fawlty Towers. Mr. Bean. Eurosport. Watching Cycling races. My Blog. ABBA. Taking part in the NYC Marathon. Getting 3 medals, just for finishing. Celebrating Mass. Leading personable funerals and weddings. Daily Rosary. Baker City Cathedral in Oregon. Creating prayers. The typewriter. Vintage photos. Maltese festas. Maltese festa marches. Hobż biż-żejt (a Maltese snack). European football. Baseball. New York Mets. Counseling. Working with children. My Seminary years. Fresh veggies and fruit. Cheese and crackers. Kinnie. Movies on DVDs. Reading. News on the Internet. T-shirts. My lap-top. My health.
Choose to love – rather than hate.
Choose
to smile – rather than frown.
Choose
to build – rather than destroy.
Choose
to persevere – rather than to quit.
Choose
to praise – rather than gossip.
Choose
to be consistent – rather than wishy-washy.
Choose
to work – rather than be lazy.
Choose
to heal – rather than wound.
Choose
to give – rather than grasp.
Choose
to act – rather than delay.
Choose
to pray – rather than despair.
Choose
to forgive – rather than curse.
Treat me kindly, my beloved friend, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me.
Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I might lick your hand between blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me learn.
Speak to me often, for your voice is the world's sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when the sound of your footsteps falls upon my waiting ear.
Please take me inside when it is cold and wet, for I am a domesticated animal, no longer accustomed to bitter elements. I ask no greater glory than the privilege to sit at your feet beside the hearth.
Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst.
Feed me clean food that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to walk by your side and stand ready, willing and able to protect you with my life, should your life be in danger.
And, my friend, when I am very old and I no longer enjoy good health, hearing, and sight, do not make heroic efforts to keep me going. I am not having any fun.
Please see to it that my life is taken gently. I shall leave this earth knowing with the last breath I draw that my fate was always safest in your hands.
All that is known of St Bartholomew with certainty is that he is mentioned in the Gospels and Acts as one of the twelve apostles. His name means "son of Tolomai" (or Ptolemy) and scholars believe he is the same as Nathanael mentioned in John’s Gospel, who says he is from Cana and that Jesus called him an "Israelite...incapable of deceit, a person in whom there is no guile." He was a close friend of St Philip because they are always mentioned together. After the Ascension, Bartholomew went on a missionary tour to India. Other traditions record him as serving in Ethiopia, Mesopotamia, Persia, and Egypt. Along with St Jude, Bartholomew is reputed to have brought Christianity to Armenia in the st century. Thus both saints are considered the patron saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church. However, it is in Greater Armenia that Bartholomew saw his end where he was flayed or skinned and beheaded by King Astyages. The famous Last Judgment painting by Michelangelo shows St Bartholomew holding the knife of his martyrdom and his flayed skin. The face of the skin is recognizable as Michelangelo's, as if the artist wanted to show how much he suffered under Pope Julius, who wanted the Last Judgment finished sooner.
Of the many
miracles performed by St. Bartholomew before and after his death, two very
popular ones are known by the townsfolk of the small island of Lipari, off the
coast of Italy. When St. Bartholomew's body was found off the shore, the Bishop
ordered many men to take the body to the Cathedral. When this failed due to its
extreme weight, the Bishop then sent out the children. The children easily
brought the body ashore. The
people of the island of Lipari celebrate his feast day annually. The tradition
of the people was to take the solid silver and gold statue from inside the
Cathedral of St. Bartholomew and carry it through the town. On one occasion,
when taking the statue down the hill towards the town during a procession, it
suddenly got very heavy and had to be set down. They managed to lift it but had
to put it down a few more times. Within seconds, walls further downhill
collapsed. If the statue had been able to be lifted, all of the townspeople
would have been killed. During
World War II, the Italian Fascist regime looked for ways to finance their
activities. The order was given to take the silver statue of the Saint and melt
it down. The statue was weighed, and it was found to be only several ounces. It
was returned to its place in the Cathedral of Lipari. In reality, the statue is
made from many pounds of silver and it is considered a miracle that it was not
melted down.
If there are 1000 steps between us and God, He will walk 999 steps towards us but will leave the final one to us. The choice is ours to reach out to Him. And when we reach Him, we will find Him with arms open, to give us a big hug, and with a big smile, He will simply say “Welcome Home – I’ve been waiting for you.” Let us not ignore His kind invitation to be an important part of His family. And if you have abandoned Him recently, He will still wait for you to make that one important step.
The Maltese islands are comprised of the bigger island of Malta and the smaller island of Gozo, plus a smaller island called Comino. Malta is an archdiocese while Gozo is a diocese, and yesterday its ninth bishop was consecrated in a ceremony held in the huge Xewkija parish church. Bishop Anton Teuma will succeed Bishop Mario Grech, who led the ceremony, and who will now become the Secretary of the Bishops’ Synod in Rome. Bishop Teuma is 55 years old and was rector of the Gozo seminary in the past after serving in a Roman parish for 10 years, and lately heading the family movement in Gozo, endearing him to many families, some of whom found solace in him as they searched for some counseling and a solution for their marital problems. The above photo shows him in the middle at the end of the ceremony with Bishop Mario Grech on the left, the Archbishop of Malta Charles Scicluna in the right. The second photo shows the ceremony in process with people spread apart because of the Covid-19 restrictions. Ad Multos Annos Bishop Anton.
Personally Pius combined within himself a strong sense of compassion, benevolence, poverty, but also stubbornness, and a certain stiffness. He wanted to be pastor and was the only Pope in the 20th century who gave Sunday sermons every week. His charity was extraordinary, filling the Vatican with refugees from the 1908 Messina quake, long before the Italian government began to act on its own. He rejected any kind of favors for his family, his brother remained a postal clerk, his favorite nephew stayed on as village priest, and his three sisters lived together close to poverty in Rome. He often referred to his own humble origins, taking up the causes of poor people. AI was born poor, I have lived poor, and I wish to die poor." Considered a holy person by many, public veneration of Pope Pius X began soon after his death. He died August 20, 1914, and was canonized in 1954, after his body was exhumed and displayed under a side-altar where priests can celebrate Mass, many of which I was lucky to serve as an altar boy in 1966.
We celebrate today the feast of Saint Bernard, (1090-1153) the primary builder of the Cistercian Monastic order. He was also very devoted to the Blessed Mother having written various prayers in her honor. The above painting by Juan de las Roelas done in 1611 seems strange for some people, but it reflects the nurturing instinct that Mary had on St Bernard. Mary is seen squeezing her breast to feed Bernard with her maternal milk, showing herself as a spiritual provider of food as any mother would see that her children are fed, physically, and spiritually.
This is one of the prayers written by St Bernard.
O you, whoever you are, who feel in the tidal wave of this world you are
nearer to being tossed about among the squalls and gales than treading on dry
land, if you do not want to fall apart in the tempest, do not avert your eyes
from the brightness of the star, Mary, Your Mother.
When the wind of temptation blows up within you when you strike upon the rock
of tribulation, gaze up at the Star, call out to Mary, Your Mother.
When you are being tossed about by the waves of pride, or ambition, slander, or
jealousy, gaze up at the Star, Mary, Your Mother. When rage or greed or fleshly
desires are battering against the protective shield of your soul, gaze up at
Mary, Your Mother. When the immensity of your sins weighs you down and you are
bewildered by your heavy conscience, when the terrifying thought of judgment
appalls you, and you begin to lose heart in the gulf of sadness and despair,
think of Mary, Your Mother.
Keep her name on your lips, Keep her in your heart. Follow the example
of her life and you will obtain the favor of her prayer. Following in her
footsteps, you will not go astray. Asking for help, you will not fall into
despair: thinking of her you will not err. While she keeps hold of your hand,
you will not fall or stumble. With her protecting you, you will not be afraid.
With her leading you, you will not tire. Enjoying her protection, you will
reach the goal. Her kindness will see you through the end.
Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world. We come to you today with our fears and concerns—you know what’s in our hearts. We love you, we trust you, we need you. We ask you to be with us. Stay with us. Help us through these times of trials and uncertainty. We know you are the Divine Physician—the healer of all—and so we ask that you bring your loving and healing presence to all those who are sick and suffering right now, especially to those in our country. Please comfort them. Please be with the grieving families of those who have passed away. Please have mercy on those who have died—may they be with you in heaven. Please stand at the side of all medical professionals here in our area and everywhere who are putting themselves at risk while they work to bring healing to others. Protect our elderly and most vulnerable. Protect our children as their scholastic future is still uncertain and unpredictable in the immediate future. Help our young people understand that a little sacrifice and deprivation from entertainment will be beneficial to everyone on earth. Through the intercession of Mary, your Mother, and all the saints, we place before you our special intention. Jesus, we thirst for you! You chose to enter this world as a vulnerable baby. Be with the most vulnerable now. We entrust every family to your care and protection. Through our prayers and reparations, bring us peace and tranquillity. We make this prayer through your beloved Son present in the Eucharist and seen in each and every one of us, Christians. Amen.
I salute today the genius in snooker, Ronnie O’Sullivan who just won the World Championship for the sixth time. Known as The Crucible, and held annually in Sheffield, England, Ronnie just triumphed over Kyren Wilson 18-8 last Sunday after an impeccable display of fast and precise cueing. The final was played in front of a select crowd, but the early rounds were all played in an empty hall, but thanks to Eurosport, fans from around the world could follow most of the matches, which were quite thrilling, especially the semi-finals, both of which ended 17-16, between Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Selby, and Kyren Wilson, and Anthony McGill. Ronnie has accomplished 15 maximum breaks in various tournaments – that is getting 15 reds and 15 blacks, plus the remaining colors, a total of 147 points. John Higgins did a maximum in his early-round match this year, but lost in the process.
Snooker has always been my favorite sport, besides table-tennis, both of which I practiced in my Seminary years, as you can see in the black and white photo from 1973 (BHL – that means ‘before hair loss.’) Ronnie, who is 44, can be temperamental at times, but if he lets his hands and his mind do the work on the snooker table, people can cherish some fascinating play. He also has the record for most century breaks in snooker, so far 1061.
No, this is not a bad post about a gesture some people do to show annoyance, anger, and defiance. It is rather a good feel story and in fact a beneficial story for which 240,000 Americans would be out of work if not for Charles Walgreen’s middle finger. As a teenager in Dixon, Illinois, in the 1890s, Walgreen worked in a shoe factory. One day his hand got caught in a stitching machine, severing the top joint of his middle finger, thereby ending his hoped-for career in sports. The doctor treating young Charles proposed an alternative path: Why not try pharmacy? Walgreen’s first job as a pharmacist’s apprentice paid $4 a week and ended with his getting fired because he forgot to shovel the snow in front of the store. He opened his own pharmacy in 1901 and by 1929, he was operating 397 stores all over the USA. Today, Walgreens is the second-largest US pharmacy chain after CVS and fills more than 1.1 billion prescriptions a year.
In May and June, I shared with you the photos of two centenarians living here at our Retirement Home at Hilltop Gardens. Today, yet another resident turns 100, Carmen Bezzina. She has been here for almost 2 years and was always happy to see her two daughters visit her often. Still, as much as she depended on them for many little things when the lockdown occurred in March, she always felt so sad, and even though I tried to console her every day when I gave her communion, her smile only returned when the lockdown was lifted temporarily in early July. She was so cheerful and all smiles as she waited for her big day, today, August 16. However, 2 weeks ago, all visitors were prohibited from visiting their loved ones, and her smile was gone once again, and now tears start rolling down her cheeks as she feels so disappointed that her family cannot visit her. She may see them from behind a glass window, but it’s not the same for Carmen and for her daughters. People are up in arms with the Prime Minister of Malta and the Minister of Tourism, who opened the floodgates with many more coronavirus cases, as their priority was money, and not the health of our people. Our elderly are often the forgotten victims of this pandemic. They have already spent three full months deprived of the company of their relatives and loved ones. And they are now being punished because of the reckless attitude of those who are supposed to safeguard our well-being. We will treat Carmen with a subdued celebration today, as we did with the other two centenarians, Marjorie in May and Mona in June, but it will not be the same. Happy Birthday, Carmen.
As we celebrate today the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, I share with you one of my favorite prayers dedicated to the Blessed Mother, written by Saint Bernard, who wrote many other prayers to Mary, including the Memorare:
O you, whoever you are, who feel in the tidal wave of this world you are
nearer to being tossed about among the squalls and gales than treading on dry
land, if you do not want to fall apart in the tempest, do not avert your eyes
from the brightness of the star, Mary, Your Mother. When the wind of temptation
blows up within you, when you strike upon the rock of tribulation, gaze up at
the Star, call out to Mary, Your Mother.
When you are being tossed about by the waves of pride, or ambition, slander or
jealousy, gaze up at the Star, Mary, Your Mother. When rage or greed or fleshly
desires are battering against the protective shield of your soul, gaze up at
Mary, Your Mother. When the immensity of your sins weighs you down and you are
bewildered by your heavy conscience, when the terrifying thought of judgement
appalls you, and you begin to lose heart in the gulf of sadness and despair,
think of Mary, Your Mother.
Keep her name on
your lips, Keep her in your heart. Follow the example of her life and you will
obtain the favor of her prayer. Following in her footsteps, you will not go
astray. Asking for help, you will not fall into despair: thinking of her you
will not err. While she keeps hold of your hand, you will not fall or stumble.
With her protecting you, you will not be afraid. With her leading you, you will
not tire. Enjoying her protection, you will reach the goal. Her kindness will
see you through the end. There are so many things I take for granted. May
I not ignore them today.
Maximilian was born in January 1894 in Poland and was one of 5 sons to his devout parents. He contracted tuberculosis and, though he recovered, he remained frail all his life. In 1907 Kolbe and his elder brother Francis decided to join the Conventual Franciscans. During his time as a student, he witnessed vehement demonstrations against Popes St. Pius X and Benedict XV in Rome and was inspired to organize the Militia Immaculata, or Army of Mary, to work for conversion of sinners and the enemies of the Catholic Church through the intercession of the Virgin Mary. The Immaculata friars utilized the most modern printing and administrative techniques in publishing catechetical and devotional leaflets, a daily newspaper with a circulation of 230,000 and a monthly magazine with a circulation of over one million. After receiving a doctorate in theology, he spread the Movement through a magazine entitled "The Knight of the Immaculata" and helped form a community of 800 men. Maximilian went to Japan where he built a monastery and then on to India where he furthered the Movement. In 1936 he returned home because of ill health. After the Nazi invasion in 1939, he was imprisoned and released for a time. He provided shelter to refugees from Greater Poland, including 2,000 Jews whom he hid from Nazi persecution in his friary in Niepokalanów. He was also active as a radio amateur, with Polish call letters SP3RN, vilifying Nazi activities through his reports.
On February 17, 1941, he was
arrested again by the German Gestapo and imprisoned in the Pawiak prison, and
on May 25 was transferred to Auschwitz as prisoner #16670. In July 1941 a man
from Kolbe's barracks vanished, prompting the deputy camp commander to pick 10
men from the same barracks to be starved to death in Block 13 (notorious for
torture), in order to deter further escape attempts. One of the selected men,
Franciszek Gajowniczek, cried out, lamenting his family, and Kolbe volunteered
to take his place. The guards accepted this move, and Franciszek was spared and
eventually lived until the late 1990s. During the time in the cell St
Maximilian led the men in songs and prayer. After three weeks of dehydration
and starvation, only Kolbe and three others were still alive. Finally, he was
murdered with an injection of carbolic acid. Father Kolbe was beatified as a confessor by Pope Paul VI in
1971 and was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 10, 1982, in the presence
of Franciszek Gajowniczek and his family.
We thank you, Lord, for our
feet, for the incredible and ingenious way you shaped them for us so that we
can use them to walk, run, climb, and simply help us go through life non-stop.
For the feet of pastors, preachers and
missionaries who go to the ends of the world spreading the Good News.
For the feet of little children who learn how to
walk after falling a hundred times over before taking their first step.
For the feet of athletes who run at incredible
speed, jump with astonishing ease and swim with a terrific kick to break all
kinds of sports records.
For the feet of marathon runners who defy
everyone and keep running, pounding the ground, thanks also to good sneakers
made by Nike, Adidas, and other brands.
For the feet of farmers and ranchers who have to
work in the outdoors, caring for their cattle, horses, and sheep, sometimes in
extremely cold weather, and at times in unbearable heat.
For the feet of police officers and firefighters
who risk their lives chasing criminals and risking their lives in adverse and
risky conditions.
For the feet of soldiers and peace-keepers that
after they finish their duties in perilous conditions, they can return safely
home to their families.
For the feet of dancers and ballerinas who
astonish us with their dancing, their pirouetting and graceful techniques they
use to entertain those who attend Ballets, Broadway Shows and other
performances.
For podiatrists who help us when our feet hurt,
or when we injure them or need any kind of help and support for aching feet.
For foot reflexologists who can soothe any
discomfort and give us a relaxing time which our feet always like and enjoy.
For the feet of adventurers and climbers,
especially those who scale high mountains in the snow, that they will always
have a way to get back down from where they started, and avoid getting lost or
disoriented. For the feet of saints who imitated Jesus in their
lifestyle, for martyrs who gave up their lives for him, and for those who left
everything to follow in his footsteps.
For the feet of Jesus who walked around Galilee
to preach, heal and motivate people to turn their lives around, the same feet
caressed by his mother Mary, washed by the tears of a sinful woman, and
brutally nailed to the cross at the crucifixion.
We thank you, Lord, for our hands, and for the many wonderful things we
can do with them…
For the hands of firefighters who help put out
fires and save lives.
For the hands of writers who write books and
articles in the papers.
For the hands of doctors who cure our illnesses
and pains and other health-related problems.
For the hands of kind nurses who care for us at
clinics and hospitals and nursing homes.
For the hands of priests who forgive us our
sins, bless us on many happy occasions and give us the Body of Christ.
For the hands of teachers who teach us to read
and write, help us become decent citizens and guide us through years of
schools, colleges, and universities.
For the hands of our parents who guide us and
protect us, clean us and cook for us, and help us get up when we fall.
For the hands of bakers who bake bread, cakes
and cookies and everything our hearts desire.
For the hands of painters and artists who create
beautiful paintings for us to admire and for the Museums to show them off.
For the hands of farmers who grow vegetables and
fruits for us to enjoy, and grow hay for the animals, as well as plant
beautiful flowers to embellish our gardens.
For the hands of pianists, flutists and
violinists and other performers who entertain us with their virtuosity,
concertos and recitals. For the hands of children who grab crayons, smash
cookies and play with toys, while using their tiny fingers to send instant
messages on their cell-phones.
For the hands of toddlers who use crayons of
walls, smash cookies to smithereens and break toys apart in seconds.
For the hands of older siblings who are patient
and loving towards their little brothers and sisters and teach them many
tricks, including occasional mischief around the house.
For the hands of secretaries who type, take
messages and answer phone-calls all day long.
For the hands of politicians who write and sign
rules and regulations, while they vote on passing important laws and directives
for their constituents.
For the hands of the Blessed Mother, who gave us
Jesus, after raising him with love and affection that any mother would show
towards her offspring.
For the hands of Jesus, who healed lepers,
performed miracles, broke bread while feeding thousands, and whose hands were
crucified on the cross for us.
And for God’s own hands, who created all we
have, and for guiding us on the right path to heaven.
Clare was a beautiful Italian
noblewoman who became the Foundress of an order of nuns now called "Poor
Clares." She was born July 16, 1194, as Chiara Offreduccio. When she heard
St. Francis of Assisi preach, her heart burned with a great desire to imitate Francis
and to live a poor humble life for Jesus. So one evening, she ran away from
home, and in a little chapel outside Assisi, gave herself to God. St. Francis
cut off her hair and gave her a rough brown habit to wear, tied with a plain
cord around her waist. Her parents tried in every way to make her return home,
but Clare would not.
Soon her sister Agnes joined her, as well as other young
women who wanted to be brides of Jesus and live without any money. St. Clare
and her sisters wore no shoes, ate no meat, lived in a poor house, and kept
silent most of the time. Yet they were very happy because Our Lord was close
to them all the time. Once, He saved them from a great danger in answer to St.
Clare's prayer. An army of rough soldiers came to attack Assisi and they
planned to raid the convent first. Although very sick, St. Clare had herself
carried to the wall, and right there, where the enemies could see it, she had
the Blessed Sacrament placed. Then on her knees, she begged God to save the
Sisters. "O Lord, protect these Sisters whom I cannot protect now,"
she prayed. A voice seemed to answer: "I will keep them always in My care."
At the same time, a sudden fright struck the attackers and
they fled as fast as they could. St. Clare was sick and suffered great pains
for many years, but she said that no pain could trouble her. She died on
August 11, 1253. Many stories and allegorical tales have been
created with St Francis and St Clare, including the popular movie and phrase
“Brother Sun, Sister Moon.” But the fact is that both St Clare and St Francis
laid a foundation for what to become one of the most influential orders of
priests, friars, and sisters, the Franciscans. Many other Orders splintered from
the original Franciscans, but the foundation of each group remained always a
life of poverty and good Christian example, a life detached from the
materialism of this world.
Saint Lawrence was one of seven deacons in Rome who were in charge of giving help to the poor and the needy. When a persecution broke out, Pope St. Sixtus was condemned to death. As he was led to execution, Lawrence followed him weeping, "Father, where are you going without your deacon?" he said. "I am not leaving you, my son," answered the Pope. "in three days you will follow me." Full of joy, Lawrence gave to the poor the rest of the money he had on hand and even sold expensive vessels, chalices, and candlesticks to have more to give away.
The Prefect of Rome, a greedy pagan, thought the Church had a great fortune hidden away. So he ordered Lawrence to bring the Church's treasure to him. The Saint said he would, in three days. Then he went through the city and gathered together all the poor and sick people supported by the Church and lined them all up. When he showed them to the Prefect, he said: "This is the Church's treasure!" In great anger, the Prefect condemned Lawrence to a slow, cruel death. The Saint was tied on top of an iron grill over a slow fire that roasted his flesh little by little, but Lawrence was burning with so much love of God that he almost did not feel the flames. In fact, he even joked, "Turn me over," he said to the judge. "I'm done on this side!" And just before he died, he said, "It's cooked enough now." Then he prayed that the city of Rome might be converted to Jesus and that the Catholic faith might spread all over the world. After that, he went to receive the martyr's reward. St Lawrence is one of the thousands of martyrs who were mercilessly killed by the ruthless Emperors in the first 300 years of Christianity. Others were crucified, sent to the lions, beheaded, burned, tied to a tree and arrows shot at them, others were skinned or had parts of their body taken out or cut off. With St Stephen, he is the patron saint of deacons.
1. Showing kindness to an aged person.
2. Destroying a letter written in anger.
3. Offering an apology that will save a
friendship.
4. Stopping a scandal that was ruining a
reputation.
5. Helping a boy or girl find
themselves.
6. Taking time to show consideration to
parents, friends, brothers and sisters
7. Refraining from gossip when others
around you delight in it.
8. Refusing to do a thing which is
wrong, although others do it.
9. Living according to your convictions.
10. Accepting the judgement of God in
any question.
Being the feast of St Dominic, I thought of sharing with you today this interesting discovery. After World War II, Pope Pius XII authorized the Dominicans of Bologna to have the relics of the founder examined. … After the war, with the Pope’s permission, the Provincial of Lombardy had the relics examined by X-ray. He was not permitted to open the casket, but photographs from many angles were taken. Almost all the bones are still there after more than seven hundred years. Doctors and anthropologists were able to study them and give an accurate description of the skeleton and physical characteristics of St. Dominic.
A certain Sister Cecilia's description is proved reliable by
the scientific examination. She said he was of medium height — the measurements
show that he was five feet six inches tall. She said, “his figure was supple;
his face handsome and somewhat ruddy; his hair and beard blond with a reddish
tinge. He was not a bit bald [apart from the shaven tonsure], though here and
there in his hair there was a touch of gray.” At the bottom of the reliquary,
the examiners found some shreds of St. Dominic’s hair. It was exactly the color
that Cecilia had said it was. “From his brow and eyes,” she continued, “there
came a radiant splendor which won the respect and admiration of all; his eyes
were large and beautiful.” St. Dominic’s remains show large eye-sockets that
are widely placed, confirming the physical description of Cecilia. With the
scientific measurements and Cecilia’s description, an artist has reconstructed
an image of St. Dominic. At least in size, shape, and proportion, it conforms to
life. “His hands were long and handsome and his voice powerful and sonorous,
and he was always joyous and smiling, except when moved with compassion at the
affliction of his neighbors.” There are very few saints of so long ago whose
personal appearance is so well described. The statue reproduced above is the
image reconstructed from these descriptions. It was sculpted by Carlo Pini in
1946 and is in the Basilica of San Domenico, Bologna, Italy. That is also where
St. Dominic’s remains are entombed.
When life events and current news leave us in a
depressing mood, one of the best places to turn to for encouragement is the
Bible. The
Bible has hundreds of verses that are meant to encourage us and lift our
spirits up when we are feeling down. Below is a short selection of seven encouraging Bible verses that
can lift up your day.
1. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I
fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? (Psalm 27: 1-2)
2. May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
(Romans 15:13)
3. The valiant one whose steps are guided by
the Lord, who will delight in His way, may stumble, but he will never fall, for
the Lord holds his hand. (Psalm 37: 23-24)
4. Be strong and steadfast; have no fear or dread of
them, for it is the Lord, your God, who marches with you; He will never fail you
or forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
5. Cast all your worries upon Him
because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
6. Have the strength for everything through Him who
empowers me. (Philippians 4:13)
7. For I know well the plans I
have in mind for you, plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you
a future of hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
We act like Peter sometimes when we’re enjoying life and going through a
stress-free period of our life. We are on vacation, enjoying a beautiful trip,
a spectacular scene, spending time with friends, and we don’t want it to end.
We feel on Cloud Nine and want it to last forever. But the reality is different,
just as it was different with Peter and the other disciples - there was much
work waiting for them, especially after Jesus went up to heaven. It is the same
with all of us. Until last Christmas,
everyone was doing well and preparing for a new year – yet little did they know
how their lives would be turned upside down with the coronavirus. Lives were
disrupted, schools closed, hospitals overwhelmed, businesses struggling, and
the future pretty much unknown. Let us
pray that the transfigured Christ will heal the wounds of so many people all
around the world.
Those were the years when black and white photography was still the order of the day. Those were my seminary years between 1970 and 1977 when my interest in photography was just starting. I think these were some of my very first photos with my Petri camera which my father had bought for me. The first one shows an elderly woman weaving by hand. I remember very well as she was in a field near Fontana Gozo, and as soon as I approached her, her elderly farmer husband came close by and was not happy with my intrusion, and I recollect he even uttered a few expletives, which scared me, to say the least. I quickly retreated and continue my hikes with some other seminarians, but happy with the photo I took of this native woman. The only person who was not happy was her husband.
The second photo was taken during a procession in one of our villages, most probably in Għaxaq, and shows a member of the confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament carrying the large red banner, a few of which are carried in local festive processions. He is seen here checking to see where his fellow confreres are, so that he could stop at certain intervals.
The third photos shows another confrere in the same procession carrying a silver lamp-post which are carried alongside the crucifix. Sadly, because of the coronavirus, these processions are not being held all over Malta this summer, to the disappointment of all the parishioners, but it is safe for everybody.
