Care Bears

Back in the mid 1980s, there was a mania for Care Bears, and I remember buying a bunch of them for my family in Malta. They were all so excited to see them and connect with a few of them, as they all had a particular theme: brother, sister, lover of nature, doctor, religious, sports, etc. They are multi-colored bears, originally painted in 1981 by artist Elena Kucharik to be used on greeting cards from American Greetings. In 1983, the characters were turned into plush teddy-bears, which you see in my photo. The characters headlined their own television series called Care Bears from 1985 to 1988. They also made three feature films:  The Care Bears Movie (1985), Care Bears II: A New Generation (1986), and The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland (1987). Each Care Bear is a different color and has a special "belly badge" that represents its personality. Adding to the Care Bear family are the "Care Bear Cousins", which feature a lion, rabbit, penguin, raccoon, monkey, elephant, pig, lamb, dog, cat, and horse created in the same style as the Care Bears.  In 1989, Carole Ashkinaze referred to them as the whimsical, late 20th-century descendants of what we used to know as Guardian Angels: furry, friendly, adorable creatures whose mission is to guide small children and protect them from evil people.

God’s Mercy

Left to right: Bishop Teuma of Gozo, Archbishop Scicluna, Bishop Galea-Curmi.

This is a short extract from a Pastoral Letter that the Bishops of Malta and Gozo are issuing this week, in anticipation for Pope Francis’ visit among us on April 2 and 3. It speaks about God’s mercy towards us, which we should try to reciprocate towards those around us.

"If we abide in God’s mercy, we would pay more attention to being merciful towards each other. We would view others not as competitors but as our allies and brethren.  Life in the womb would be appraised as a precious gift from the Creator and not as an obstacle. Our elderly would be valued as our benefactors and life models, and not as burdens. The migrants who reach our shores would be welcomed as our brethren in dire need and as a resource, and not as outsiders who are robbing us of our livelihoods. The environment would be treasured as our common home to be looked after responsibly by one and all, and not as the exclusive property of the few to be milked for profit. One’s profession would be considered a vocation and a service, and not as a sign of prestige and an opportunity for personal gain. Leadership would be seen as a chance to serve and not to indulge in corrupt practices and exploitation."

Earth's Population in Perspective

The population of Earth is around 7.8 Billion. For most people, it is a large figure. However, if you condensed 7.8 billion into 100 persons, and then into various percentage statistics the resulting analysis is relatively much easier to comprehend.

 

Out of 100 :

11 are in Europe

5 are in North America

9 are in South America

15 are in Africa

60 are in Asia

 

49 live in the countryside

51 live in cities

 

75 have mobile phones

25 do not.

 

30 have internet access

70 do not have the availability to go online

 

7 received university education

93 did not attend college.

 

83 can read

17 are illiterate.

 

33 are Christians

22 are Muslims

14 are Hindus

7 are Buddhists

12 are other religions

12 have no religious beliefs.

 

26 live less than 14 years

66 died between 15 - 64 years of age

8 are over 65 years old.

Praying for Ukraine

Ukrainians in Malta showing support for their hurting nation.

Heavenly Father, the whole world aches in pain, both physical and emotional, as they see the destruction of another nation by despotic and heartless leaders. So we pray today for the innocent citizens of Ukraine as they suffer loss of lives, property, and dignity, and in a way their future dreams and hopes. We pray that the Russian regime change their heart and motives, and may we never see the annihilation of another helpless nation because of greed, thirst for power and a senseless belligerent attitude. May peace reign soon again in Ukraine and all of Eastern Europe without any more lives lost and countries destroyed forever.

More animals posing

It's fascinating to see some animals who are usually wild, just pausing and almost smiling at my camera. These were all take in the state of Oregon in my travels, usually to reach my mission churches every weekend. The first one shows a bunch of deer posing, right across from the Rectory next to the Baker City Cathedral - yes, right in town. You normally meet them in the countryside, but once in a while, you will be surprised to see them literally in your back yard, as these were, resting and waiting for some food.

These were Clydesdale horses which I encountered in Idaho, as I was on one of my annual photo-sight-seeing trips. I found them in a field filled with hay, and as soon as Is topped my care and approached them, they all came towards me, literally fighting for attention, but I had nothing to offer them, except for a photo which I would share with the rest of the cyber world, as I'm doing right now.

Finally a group of alpacas in a farm where they peacefully were pasturing, both adults with their babies. They need to be sheared like sheep every now and then, and they are very friendly as you could tell from this photo. Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of Southern Peru, Western Bolivia, Ecuador and Northern Chile at an altitude of 3,500 to 5,000 metres (11,000 to 16,000 feet) above sea level. Alpacas are considerably smaller than llamas, and unlike llamas, they were not bred to be working animals but were bred specifically for their wool.

Animals posing

Animals can be very photogenic, especially when they are patient enough to pose for photos. Anyone who has a pet can tell you how frustrated they can be when they try to pose for a family photo where they include their pet dog. Yet these three animals posed for me every so patiently. The first one shows a donkey next to the Mtaħleb church in Malta, possibly in around 1990 in one of my visits to Malta. 

The second one shows two chocolate Labradors named Lois and Clark at the St. Joseph’s Trappist Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts, back in 1998. They used to run all over the place, but when they saw a photographer taking a photo of the Abbey church, they found a good spot to be in the picture.

The third one is a chipmunk who was unusually very friendly. They usually run away from people and are very quick if you're trying to take a photo. This one was overly friendly, probably because he was hungry, and expected some nuts from me. I remember giving him some broken crackers which I had with me, and some dried apples which I had dehydrated. 

If I get more than 150 clicks on this post, I will show you more animals tomorrow from my bursting photo collection, mostly from Oregon.

The Chair of St. Peter

Today the church celebrates the feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, representing the primacy and leadership of the Pope as the Vicar of Christ and successor of St Peter, the first Pope. This leadership is symbolized by the symbolic chair which is situated behind the main altar at the St Peter’s Basilica, a work of art by Bernini, done in 1666. Flanking the symbolic chair are the Western Doctors of the church, St. Ambrose and St. Augustine, as well as the Eastern Doctors of the church St. John Chrysostom and St. Athanasius. Each Cathedral in the world also has a cathedra, or chair of the Bishop, Archbishop or Cardinal that serves in that particular diocese, and that chair symbolizes his leadership of that diocese. The original chair on which St. Peter sat is situated under the symbolic chair by Bernini, but since it is so fragile, it hasn’t been exhibited in over a century. 

Icicles

I have always been fascinated by Icicles, and have taken plenty of photos of these cute creations from nature. When you think of the masterpieces artists have created over the years, no one can create something like what you see in these photos. I took these pictures close to Hunter Mountain, in upstate New York. I was with my priest friend Father John Heinlein where he was going skiing, as I accompanied him to take a few photos. Of course I had to force him to stop when I saw these icicles bulging out of the rocks, and have always cherished these photos, besides others I came across in my years in Oregon. 

Unfortunately water never freezes in Malta, and so we can never see any icicles here, unless you can place a tree in your freezer and sprinkle water on it. Icicles are formed when the snow that falls on roofs and trees start to melt, dripping water, and if the weather freezes up again, the drops become icicles, sometimes quite large. The same happens underground where stalactites and stalagmites form, after hundreds of years.

The Good and the Bad

                   
Two friends, Jimmy and Steven were walking in the desert. During their walk they had an argument, and Jimmy slapped Steven on his face. Without saying anything, Steven bent down and wrote on the sand: ‘Today, my best friend slapped me on my face.’ They kept walking and arrived near a small lake, where they took their clothes off and jumped in the water to cool themselves from the oppressive heat. At one moment Steven found himself in some difficulty and was drowning, but Jimmy was close by and saved him. When he recovered Steven found a huge rock and on it carved the words: ‘Today my best friend saved my life.’ Jimmy then turned to Steven and asked him; How come, when I hit you , you wrote on the sand, and when I saved you, you wrote on the rock?’ And Steven answered politely: ‘When someone hurts you, you write what happened on the sand, where the gusts of wind will erase them quickly.  But when someone does a kind deed, you have to write it on a rock, where no wind or even hurricane can ever erase it.’ Remember always to erase bad things that happen to you, but cherish the good ones.

Think before you speak

A young girl was riding on a bus with her mother, and she was looking happily outside at the scenery. All of a sudden she screamed ‘Look ma, the trees are going backwards...’ The mother smiled. There was a couple a few seats behind who felt sorry for this young girl. They thought she was acting quite childishly, smiling at the ordinary things around her.  A little later, the young girl told her mother ‘and look ma, the clouds are  flying along our bus...’ The lady behind them couldn’t take it anymore, and turned to the mother ‘my goodness a young girl like her, shouldn't you take her to see a doctor?’ The mother smiled again and answered her by saying ‘ yes, that’s what we just did, lady. We’re coming back from the hospital. My child was blind from birth, and just a few hours ago, the doctor restored her sight, and today she can see for the first time in her life!’

Welcome to my class!

                 
Because of his bad behavior, a young boy Dennis was expelled from one school, and was sent to another school. All the teachers heard about his background and the trouble he got into. The first teacher remarked ‘Where did this guy come from?’  Another teacher said ‘I don’t think he’s gonna last very long with us.’ A third one said ‘I think we got Dennis the Menace!’ Yet a third teacher, Mrs. Hicks, who eventually took him into her class kindly said to the boy ‘Good morning, I’ve been waiting for you Dennis!’

Nothing helps a child growing up than being given a second chance, instead of being scolded, reprimanded and at times ridiculed or even expelled.

British Memories

Since Malta was ruled by the British for 150 years between 1814 and 1964, there are still many memories of buildings and structures built over those years, especially during the war years, when the British defended the Maltese from the attacks by the Germans and Italians. Two typical features that remind us of England are the red telephone boxes and the red mail-boxes. The mail boxes are still used daily, even though the amount of mail has decreased considerably because of e-mail. The telephone boxes are still quite an attraction even though everyone nowadays carries a cell-phone and a land-line is looked at as something prehistoric. Yet they stay in Malta, at least to remind us of bygone days.

Some interesting trivia.....

There are 26 bones, 33 joints and many assorted tendons and muscles in every foot.

All these were invented by women: bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers.

The only food that doesn't spoil......Honey

First novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

The Hawaiian alphabet has 12 letters.

The average person walks 70,000 miles in a lifetime.

The only vegetable or fruit never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form but fresh is.......Lettuce.

10 things you can wear on your feet beginning with 'S'.....Shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers, slippers, skis, skates, snowshoes, stockings, stilts.

Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter "A"?

A. One thousand. 

Tombola

Some people call it Bingo, while in Malta and Italy it’s called Tombola, and it’s pretty much a similar game that is played among groups of people, as one person calls the numbers and the crowd marks the number until a line is formed or a house is formed. Tombola has the numbers up to 90, while I believe Bingo in America the numbers go up to 75, and only the house is called. This is a photo I took of some women back in around 1975, playing Tombola outside their houses. It’s pretty common when older ladies gather and play this game to pass some free time, and maybe even earn a few cents, although it’s certainly not a Casino style atmosphere, but a popular pastime which brings neighbors harmoniously and quietly together.

God is Love

The Bleeding Heart, my favorite flower, known better as Dicentra Spectabilis.

May the Love of the Father, the tenderness of the Son, the presence of the Spirit gladden your heart, bring peace to your soul, this day and all the days of your life. 

Love is Truth, as it enables us to be honest at all cost, never compromises the consciences of others, penetrates to our inner being, allows us to see ourselves as we really are.

Love is the Way, as it give at all cost, cares for all, shares oneself with others in humility, forgives to the umpteenth time, always says “I am sorry” for any wrong, evaluates but does not judge, guarantees tolerance, seeks a blending busyness and contemplation, binds the spiritual and sensual, discerns the important from the trivial, shares the joys and sadness of others, recognizes others as our fellow sisters and brothers.

Love is Life, as it offers vitality and hope to everyday, enjoys the eternal now for all its richness, cascades through all our emotions and endeavors, reaches out, ascending new horizons, brings fulfilment, eternal joy and serenity, is never exhausted. Love is saying “I love you” at the end of each day, even when the day has been awful. Love seeks out the new day for a new beginning. 

Cattle Drives

February always reminds me of one of the most incredible scenes I’ve ever witnessed. Back between 2003 and 2005, I was pastor at St. Elizabeth of Hungary in John Day in Central Oregon. Many ranchers had hundreds of cows pasturing in various fields. Once a year, when most of the cows are pregnant, over 900 cows are moved from one pasture to another, a distance of 8 miles, and as cowboys on their horses lead the way, 900 cows stampede through the town, as you can see from these two photos. 

The start of the cattle drive passing by my church.

The odd thing is that people were telling me to speed up my Mass that day. I thought that’s because they want to watch the cattle drive, but their real reason is so that they can get home before the cows arrive, as they would otherwise have to wait until the bovine parade passes through. And while I was expecting to see hundreds of people watching the parade, cheering the cows and taking pictures, guess what? I was the only one doing so....

A Modern Martyr....who survived

                               

We often think of martyrs as those only who died during the Persecutions in the first three centuries of Christianity. But there are many modern martyrs among us. Jesuit priest Anton Luli was one of them. From Albania, he was born in 1910, the same year as St Teresa of Calcutta. Back in 1945 he was 35 years old and was made a pastor in a parish. But in 1947 he was arrested by the Communist Government and imprisoned for 45 years. He was tortured, imprisoned, processed and condemned repeatedly, and even spent years working in the Gulag concentration camps in Albania. He was released for a few years, then re-arrested. He spent 9 years in darkness in an underground room. He was condemned to death, but because of his old age, he was given 25 years in prison instead. Then, again in the concentration camps. He was 82 when he was released from prison, but even then, in the remaining 6 years he had to live, he actively worked to rebuild the Catholic church in Albania. Over the past decade, the Albanians even had a Maltese Bishop leading them. In 1996, two years before he died, Pope John Paul invited him to con-celebrate with him at the Vatican. 

This is how he describes an episode of his torture: My first prison was a lavatory located in a mountain village near Scutari. It was the month of December and freezing. I stayed there for nine months forced to squat over hardened feces and without ever being able to lie down given the lack of space. On Christmas eve of that year, they moved me from there and took me to another lavatory on the  second floor, made me undress and hung me from a cord  passing under my arm pits. I was naked and could touch the ground only with the tips of my toes. I could feel my body give way slowly, relentlessly. The cold slowly rose from my body and when it was about to reach my heart I let out a desperate cry. My jailors came at once, took me down and kicked me around all over my body.  That night, in that place and in the solitude of my first agony, I witnessed the real sense of the Incarnation and of the Cross. 

Our Lady of Lourdes

In 2019 I was able to visit Lourdes with a group of Maltese pilgrims. I celebrated Mass for them and visited many landmarks, both in Lourdes itself and in the outskirts. But the thing that impressed me the most is the holiness and sacredness of the entire place. Yes, there were of course hotels and restaurants, but every shop and souvenir stand sold only religious articles, and absolutely nothing else. And once you enter the territory of Lourdes, you feel like you really entered a sanctuary, and you have the feeling that you were in a church, even with thousands of other pilgrims around. It was a very special time for me and one really felt the presence of the Blessed Mother with you wherever you went. Of course we participated in the aux flambeaux procession in the evening and we also visited various scenic places, including a trip in the Pyrenees range of mountains and also saw many waterfalls. 

An aerial view of Lourdes taken from TV during the Tour de France 2021

Today we commemorate the first apparition of Our Lady at Lourdes to the young girl Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. It took the church a few years to declare the apparitions as truly authentic, and since then over 70 miracles have taken place to people visiting Lourdes, the tiny place nestled between Spain and France at the base of the Pyrenees Mountains.

Shipwreck of St. Paul

                     
February 10 is the celebration of the Shipwreck of St Paul on the shores of Malta. It is a holy day in Malta, even though the traditional procession with the statue will not take place, because of Covid.. The main church dedicated to the shipwreck of St Paul that happened in 60 AD, is situated in Valletta, the capital city. The above painting is the painting of the apse of the same church, and below is a painting of St Paul appointing St Publius as the first Bishop of Malta, from the church of St. Publius in Floriana. The account of this event is recorded with minute detail by St Luke in chapters 27 and 28 of the Acts of the Apostles. 

The most popular verse in the entire Bible for all of the Maltese people is certainly this one: "Once we were on ground, we realized that the island was called Malta. The inhabitants showed us extraordinary kindness by lighting a fire and gathering us all around it." And the kindness and generosity of the Maltese people is highlighted by the last verse in this memorable chapter for us....’they showed us great kindness, and when we were leaving they provided us with all that we needed.’ And besides the food and other basic necessities, they must have given them an entire vessel, big enough to carry the 276 people who were on the ship that had crashed in the rocky shores of Malta.

100% record in Fishing

Last Sunday we read the Gospel of the fishing experience of the apostles, when Jesus told them not to worry about catching fish, because they will soon be catching men and women into the Christian community. I shared my story of fishing only once in my life, back in 1975, and after I caught a fish in my first attempt, I decided  to retire from fishing, with a 100% record. I have not fished anymore in my life and will not fish ever, so that I can say I have a 100% record in fishing. Fishing is very popular in Malta, as you can see from the above photo with various colorful fishing boats in the fishing village of Marsaxlokk. Superstition also plays a part among the fishermen, as the evil eye is very prominent on most fishing boats.

St. Josephine Bakhita

This is an incredible story of a saint who is not well-known, but please read on. Her story is truly remarkable. She was born about 1869 in the western Sudanese region of Darfur. Her prosperous father was brother of the village chief and she was surrounded by a loving family of three brothers and three sisters. But aged 9, she was kidnapped by Arab slave traders, and was cruelly forced to walk about 600 miles in her bare feet. Over the course of twelve years (1877–1889) she was resold again three more times and then given away. The trauma of her abduction caused her to forget her own name; she took a name given to her by the slavers, bakhita, Arabic for lucky. She was also forcibly converted to Islam. In 1883 Bakhita was bought by the Italian Vice Consul Callisto Legnani, who was a very kind man. For the first time since her captivity she was able to enjoy some peace and tranquility. Two years later, when Legnani himself had to return to Italy, Bakhita begged to go with him. In April 1885 they arrived at the Italian port of Genoa, and she was greeted by Augusto Michieli, who took her to the family villa near Venice. She lived there for three years and became nanny to the Michieli's daughter Alice. The Michaelis bought some property in Sudan and wanted to move back there, but Josephine refused. Nothing saintly so far, you might say.

The body of St. Josephine Bakhita in Schio, Italy.

On 9 January 1890 Bakhita was baptized with the names of Giuseppina Margherita. On the same day she was also confirmed and received communion from the Cardinal patriarch of Venice himself. On December 7, 1893 she entered the novitiate of the Canossian Sisters and on December 8, 1896 she took her vows, welcomed by the future Pope Pius X. In 1902 she was assigned to the Canossian convent at Schio, in the northern Italian province of Vicenza, where she spent the rest of her life. During her 42 years in Schio, Bakhita was employed as the cook, sacristan and door keeper and was in frequent contact with the local community. Her gentleness, calming voice, and ever-present smile became well known. People still refer to her as Sor Moretta ("little brown sister") or Madre Moretta ("black mother.") Her last years were marked by pain and sickness. She used a wheelchair, but she retained her cheerfulness. Bakhita died on February 8, 1947. For three days her body lay on display while thousands of people arrived to pay their respects. On May 17, 1992, she was declared Blessed and given February 8 as her feast day. On October 1, 2000, she was canonized and became Saint Josephine Bakhita, a modern African saint, and as a statement against the brutal history of slavery, becoming the patron saint of Sudan.

Matt Talbot

In 1975 Matt Talbot was declared by Pope Paul VI as Venerable, one step before beatification. He grew up in Dublin and lived between 1856 and 1925. He was the second of 12 brothers and sisters. At the age of 11, he had to go to work to support his large family. All around him, everyone drank heavily, including his father. His first job was as an assistant to an alcohol seller. By the age of 13, Matt himself became an alcoholic and spent 15 years living miserably, working hard so that he could buy more booze. Once he even stole a violin from a blind beggar, so that he could sell it to buy more drinks. By the time he was 30, he came to his senses and made a resolution to stop drinking for 3 months. Once that time was over, he renewed for another 3 months, then 6 months, and eventually gave up drinking for good. He then started to attend Mass and pray often. In 1891 he became a lay Franciscan, and would spend his free time reading the Bible and the lives of saints. He started helping the poor in his neighborhood, slept on a plank of wood, and spent hours praying on his knees, even late at night. On Sundays he often attended more than one Mass. Matt Talbot died at the age of 69 on Trinity Sunday in 1925. He was buried on the feast of Corpus Christi, the following Thursday. One of his famous quotes is this: “In company guard your tongue, In your family, guard your temper, When alone, guard your thoughts.” He is the patron saint of those suffering from alcoholism.

Doodling on a typewriter

                         
The old typewriter has served us faithfully over the years. Some clever people came up with a few doodles that are made on a conventional typewriter, and which can be done also on a normal computer keyboard, but it was more fun when you see them on the clickety-click typewriter.

Watch your posture Susan !   111111111/11111111111

Some people just like to be different !   ttttttttttTtttttttttttttt

He's just not our kind of person ! OOOOOOOXOOOOO

"I said: "Left Turn !""                (((((((((((((()((((((((((((((((

"Get down here and help us Joe ‑ they're your contact lenses !"     nnnnnnnnnnnnlnnnnnnnn

Two big owls on the fence               OO_OO

Two baby owls on the fence             oo_oo

Snake Dancing School         SSSSsSSSSsSSSSsSSSSs

Calm sea on a beautiful day______________________

Rough sea on a breezy day  wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Gale sea during a storm            wwWwWWwwwWWwwwWww

Hurricane in September    WwwwwWWWwWWWwwWww

Caterpillar                ooooooooooooooooooooooooo*

Saint Agatha

St. Agatha was born in Catania, Sicily, and died there a martyr in approximately 251 AD. In the legend of her life, we are told that she belonged to a rich, important family. When she was young, she dedicated her life to God and resisted any men who wanted to marry her or have sex with her. One of these men, Quintian, was of a high enough rank that he felt he could force her to acquiesce. Knowing she was a Christian in a time of persecution, he had her arrested. He expected her to give in when faced with torture and possible death, but she simply affirmed her belief in God by praying: "Jesus Christ, Lord of all, you see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am. I am your sheep: help me to overcome the devil."
Quintian imprisoned her in a brothel in order to get her to change her mind. He brought her back before him after she had suffered a month of assault and humiliation in the brothel, but Agatha had never wavered. Quintian sent her to prison, instead of back to the brothel - a move intended to make her more afraid, but which probably was a great relief to her. When she continued to profess her faith in Jesus, Quintian had her tortured by cutting off her breasts. He refused her any medical care but God gave her all the care she needed in the form of a vision of St. Peter.
Saint Agatha is often depicted in paintings carrying her excised breasts on a platter. The shape of her amputated breasts, especially as depicted in artistic renderings, gave rise to her attribution as the patron saint of bell-founders and of bakers, whose loaves were blessed at her feast day. More recently, she has been venerated as patron saint of breast cancer patients.
Because she was asked for help during the eruption of Mount Etna she is considered a protector against the outbreak of fire. She is the patron saint of Catania, Molise, Malta, San Marino and Segovia in Spain. She is also the patron saint of breast cancer patients, martyrs, wet nurses, fire and earthquakes.
The following painting is a modern impression of St Agatha, in relation to her role as patron of breast cancer patients.

Citius, Altius, Fortius – and Skatius

Obviously this fourth word does not exists, but I added it to rhyme with the motto of the Olympic Games, which start today in Beijing, China. All the skating, flying, sliding, twisting, curling, rushing and even shooting will take place over the next two weeks as the Winter Olympics fascinate everyone around the word with golden moments that will be etched in history like all the others in the past. We hope there will be some fresh snow in the places of competition, as the warming trend seems to jeopardize all future winter Olympics. With many new extreme events being added over the last few decades, we hope to enjoy some spectacular races, and friendly camaraderie among all the athletes. And we even have an athlete from Malta taking part, Jenise Spiteri who practices her sport of snowboarding in California. May the best team, and sprinter and flier, and shooter and skater win! Yes there is shooting, in biathlon!

Pride and Prejudice

                           
Years ago, a bishop in a small diocese had two horses, and he named them Pride and Prejudice, the title of the novel by Jane Austin. He used them often to travel from one parish to another, and to his mission churches he had spread out in his vast diocese. One day, a parishioner told him, ‘Your Lordship, I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to travel using horses with such negative names.’ The bishop quickly answered him ‘Trust me my friend, if I can control Pride and Prejudice in my life, there is nothing for me to be ashamed of!’

Presentation of Jesus

                            

Presentation of Jesus stained glass in Baker City OR Cathedral, crafted in 1923

It’s been 40 days since Christmas, and on this day, February 2nd, two special ceremonies are remembered. The first and the most popular is the presentation of Jesus to Simeon in the temple, followed by his circumcision. The other ceremony is the one that all mothers who gave birth to a son had to perform, precisely 40 days after the birth of their baby boy. Under Mosaic Law, a woman who had given birth to a first-born son was considered ritually unclean for 40 days, at which time she was to present herself to the priests and offer sacrifice - her “purification”. Up until 1969, the liturgical calendar still commemorated the Purification of Mary, and then the emphasis turned to the Presentation of Jesus. At the beginning of the 8th century, Pope Sergius inaugurated a candlelight procession. At the end of the same century, the blessing and distribution of candles became part of the celebration, giving the feast its popular name “Candlemas Day.” Up to a few years ago, in my native Malta, all the pastors of parish churches used to con-celebrate a Mass with the Bishop, during which Mass, they would offer the Bishop a candle, usually artistically decorated. Only recently the custom was changed slightly whereby the pastors would offer, along with the candle, a food basket or a monetary donation to be distributed to the needy and poor of the diocese.

Wash day

It is very common in Malta that most women would have a specific day when they do their washing. One day for the clothes washing and another day to wash the floors. Before the arrival of dryers, which are still not popular in Malta, people used to hang their clothes on their flat roofs or even outside their balconies. Yet others just use their front porch or the front of their house to hang their clothes. This woman is gently hanging her clothes to dry and with the heat-waves we are having in our summer months, it will take less than 2 hours for everything to be dry. I took this photo in the fishing village of Marsaxlokk, and it was once exhibited in an exhibition of the role of women in society.