Prayer for Parents

Heavenly Father, make me a better parent.
Teach me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say,
and to answer all their questions as kindly and as honestly as I can.
Keep me from interrupting or contradicting them.
Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me.
Forbid that I should ever laugh at their mistakes,
or resort to shame and ridicule when they displease me.
May I never punish them for my own selfish satisfaction,
or to show my power, or let me not tempt my child to lie or steal.                                                  
And guide me, hour by hour, that I may demonstrate by all I say and do that honesty produces happiness.
Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me.
And when I am out of sorts, help me Lord, to hold my tongue.
May I ever be mindful that my children are children, and I should not expect of them the judgement of adults.
Let me not rob them of the opportunity to wait on themselves and to make decisions.
Bless me with the confidence to grant them all their reasonable requests
and the courage to deny them the privileges I know will do them harm.
Make me fair and just and kind.
And grant me, o Lord, a large portion of humor that I may enjoy these precious gifts
that you have entrusted to my care.
And with the graces of the Holy Spirit may I live so as to be loved and respected and imitated by my children.
Remind me also to have some fun with my children.
“The Family that prays together, stays together.”

Prayer of Mother Teresa

Jesus is: the word made flesh.....the bread of life,
the victim immolated for our sins on the cross,
the sacrifice offered for the sins of the world and for my sins in the Holy Mass,
the word to be proclaimed,..... the truth to be revealed,
the way to be followed,..... the light to illumine,..... the life to be lived,
the love to be loved,..... the hungry person to be fed,
the thirsty person to be given drink,.....the naked one to clothe,
the homeless to receive shelter,.....the sick to be cured,
the abandoned to be loved,....the outcast to be welcomed,
the leper whose wounds are bathed,....the beggar to whom a smile is given,
the drunkard who needs to be listened to,
the mentally disturbed who needs to be protected,
the infant who needs to be held in our arms,
the blind person who needs to be led by the hand,
the mute for whom someone must speak,
the crippled with whom one walks,.....the drug addict who needs help,
the prostitute who needs to be taken off the street and listened to,
the prisoner who needs to be visited,
the aged person who needs to be taken care of.

The Canadian Rockies

Moraine Lake, Alberta, Canada

One of the most spectacular places on earth is Jasper National Park, the area around Banff in Alberta, Canada. I tried to get there in late August 2011, but I was unlucky as I found lots of clouds and could not see the peaks of the Rockies. I enjoyed my drive nonetheless taking plenty of photos along the way. When I discovered a cloudy sky, I headed south towards Glacier National Park in Montana, and back to Idaho, and to my parish in Baker City, Oregon. 

Julian and Caroline on Lake Louise

However what I missed in my trip, I enjoyed watching some photos which my nephew Julian and his wife Caroline took on a recent trip there. Here are just two photos from their collection. They were in the Banff area, and visited among others Bow Valley, Lake Minnewanka, Moraine Lake and Mirror Lake. Like myself they must have been mesmerized by lakes and mountains, of which we don’t have in Malta.

Learning from an actress

So many young people, who went to World Youth Day in Lisbon were able to find the time of unity and renewal they needed to pursue their mission.  American actress and stuntwoman Brenda Lorena García is definitely one of them. Born and raised in Los Angeles by practicing Catholic parents, she is a familiar face on movie sets. Her most recent films include the blockbusters Fast X, Avatar: The Way of Water and Transformers 5, in which she took part as a stuntwoman.  “Life in Hollywood can be pretty difficult because people are intentionally anti-Christian, or atheist, which is an additional hardship for the life of faith,” said Brenda during the Lisbon celebrations, mentioning the personal crisis she went through in 2017, which led her to take a half-year break from the spotlight and her frenetic daily life to remain in silence with God. “It was during this time of retreat, which made me feel like I was being born again, that God confirmed to me in different ways that I was to stay in Hollywood and that this was my mission territory,” she said. “St. Teresa of Calcutta is a great model of faith for me, and God made me understand that Hollywood was somehow my Calcutta, that many ‘lepers’ were there in need of genuine love.” Her WYD experience in Panama in 2019 consolidated this existential turning point by bringing out many opportunities to exercise her life mission. “Right after that wonderful spiritual experience in Panama, my career blossomed even more than before, and I felt that the Lord was really guiding me.” And it was for this same nourishment for the soul that she went to Lisbon for this year, to keep her heart in tune with God’s plans. “It was important to attend this beautiful, holy event because I wanted to learn how I can grow in faith and holiness and learn to better meet different people where they are, whatever their state of life. My goal is always to encounter God in other people. I’ve had the blessing of encountering him face-to-face in the Eucharist, and now I’ve seen him through hundreds of thousands of people in a way I wouldn’t have expected and that will help me keep my spiritual life in check for years to come.” 

Another year

Celebrating Mass at the Lourdes grotto on July 30, 2023

When we celebrate another birthday, not only the candles on the cake are getting heavier, but our responsibility to give a good example is getting heavier too. Looking back at the parishes I served in, I can see how many people have touched my life, as much as I touched theirs. I will never forget them, not only because of the many photos I have of them, but because they were really an important part of my formation, my maturity and my growth in the Lord. Along with my parents and family members, I thank them all today, and promise to continue praying for them and their children, many of whom I baptized and saw growing up. I hope they continue to respond to any emails I send – a simple way to connect with them from so far away. I especially want to thank all those who faithfully check my Blog, which has been running for close to 12 years now. Recently I’ve been getting over 300 hits daily, and I appreciate it when you forward the Blog address to any friends of yours. Even if you don’t check it every single day, do visit periodically and review the ones you’ve missed, because I assure you of a daily post, some food for thought, a prayer, a saint’s life, a photo with a message, or just an unusual story or anecdote. You are all in my prayers.

Leftover baby

A young couple received a heart-breaking news that they could not have a baby of their own. However, they decided to adopt a baby from the local Institute. The big day arrived when they were to receive their gift from heaven. They went to the Orphanage and found a long line of couples waiting to adopt a baby. The Mother Superior was asking the same question to every couple ‘Do you like a boy or a girl?’ ‘A newborn or a toddler?’ ‘Blue eyes or brown eyes?’ ‘light skin or dark skin?’ This couple waited till the end, and when their time came up, they were asked the same questions. Their response surprised even theMother Superior when they said ‘we want the baby that was rejected by everyone else!’ We should thank the Lord that there are people who are so noble, generous and welcoming in our world, as well as those who love the underpriviledged and the rejected.

Restoring a masterpiece

The main painting in my childhood church of St Julian’s has recently undergone a thorough restoration, which was unveiled a week ago. The painting represents St Julian himself standing in a forest, with a deer next to him, looking majestically ahead. The restoration revealed also a dog looking at the saint and a few birds on a tree. Above the saint there is an angel holding a small banner saying ‘Redemit te Charitas’ which mean ‘Charity has redeemed you.' This is the work of a Sicilian artist Alberto Catalano who lived between 1560 and 1630, and he was active during the last part of the Renaissance and the early period of the Baroque era. 

This oil painting of St Julian is dated as 1596, and has been restored at least twice before, the last time being by Giuseppe Cefail, who dates his restoration on August 21, 1894. He most probably enlarged the entire painting by a few inches on each side. The recent restoration was done by Amy Sciberras. It can now be enjoyed by everyone as it found its permanent place behind the main altar.

Saint Bartholomew

Statue of St Bartholomew at St. John's Lateran.

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. 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.

St. Bartholomew in Michelangelo's 'Last Judgment'

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. 

Toto Cutugno – RIP

Being so close to Italy, Malta has always followed Italian music, soccer, culture, entertainment and art. Many song competitions are held annually and many Maltese have followed them over the decades, through radio first, then TV and also lately attending their live concerts. Many of them have come to Malta to perform. I too have followed Italian songs until 1981 when I left for the USA. But over the past 40 years, somehow one other singer was a little different than the others and I liked his songs, a little upbeat and with very melodious tunes. He is Toto Cutugno and sadly he passed away yesterday at the age of 80. Born on July 7, 1943 he won many competitions including the famous Sanremo Contest twice, in which he participated 15 times. He also won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1990 with the song ‘Insieme -1992’ (Together – 1992.) He was also a great entertainer as this little video shows in a concert he gave in Russia in 2016, singing ‘L’Italiano’ (The Italian.) My American friends may not understand the Italian language, but at least listen to the music. Notice the thousands of Russians cheering for him - I had no idea Russians loved Italian music that much!

My childhood church

It is my honor today to share with you three photos of my childhood church of St. Julian, also known as Lapsi Church (Ascension Church.) Built over the last two centuries, it has been recently restored to its magnificent best, probably like never seen before, thanks to the enthusiasm of a few young people who are dedicated to its upkeep, restoration and selfless sacrifice they make to see it become one of the most ornate smaller churches in Malta, which has a church for every day of the year, 365 in total. 

This is the church where my parents were married in July of 1948, where all of us children were baptized, where I served as an altar boy for many years, helped as a seminarian and celebrated many Masses after my ordination. It was the parish church of the town of St. Julian’s from 1891 until 1968 when the newer, bigger church was opened. Mass is still celebrated in it on a daily basis, and quite a few weddings are also celebrated there, even though it is not always wearing its finest outfit, as it does on Christmas, Easter and the feast of St Julian which is being celebrated this week. A quick visit this morning gave me the opportunity to take a few photos which I offer to you. A recent restoration of the main painting behind the main altar will be featured later on in another post this weekend.

Pope St Pius X

                     

Saint Pius X was born on June 2, 1835, his name being Giuseppe Sarto. He was the first Pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. He was one of 11 children, and though poor, his parents valued education, and Giuseppe walked 3 miles to school each day. Pius X was a fervent reformer of Church practices and regulations such as the Canon Law, his most important reform, which for the first time codified Church law in a central fashion. He was a pastoral pope, encouraging personal piety and a life-style reflecting Christian values. He was the only Pope in the 20th century with extensive pastoral experience at the Parish level and pastoral concerns permeated his papacy. The Catechism of Pope Pius X is short and direct. His teachings were considered equally down to earth and practical. He favored the use of modern language in Catechesis. Frequent communion was a lasting innovation of Pius X, because before his time, people could only receive communion once a month and, on special occasions, on Sunday. He was also instrumental in introducing the custom of First Holy Communion for young children. Personally Pius combined within himself a strong sense of compassion, benevolence, poverty, but also stubbornness. 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. "I 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.

On Listening

Calvin Coolidge was a very shy and quiet President. Often in public ceremonies he would not even say a word. When he married his wife, people learned that she used to teach the deaf. One journalist wrote, ’now that he is married to a woman who taught the deaf to hear, maybe she’ll also teach the mute to speak.’ But Coolidge remained quiet and reserved for the rest of his Presidency. Someone once asked him why he spoke so little. And his response was: ‘Because experience has taught me that I never regret that which I have not said.’ In fact on his desk he had this quote:

The wise owl sat quietly on the branch of a tree.

The more she saw, the less she spoke.

The less she spoke, the more she heard.

Oh that we would all be like that owl!

Gossip – the triple filter

Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher, was once stopped by a colleague who began a conversation saying “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?” Socrates interrupted the man to say, “At the risk of appearing rude, may I ask you to pass a small test. I call it the triple filter test.” Curious and inquisitive, the  colleague listened as Socrates explained the triple filter. “The first filter is truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?” When the man said “No, I just heard about it.” Socrates said “All right. So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Let’s try the second filter, which is Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?” Again, the man said “No, quite the opposite.” Socrates continued, “so you want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not certain it’s true. You can still pass the test though because of the final filter, and it is the filter of usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?” Once again, the man, probably embarrassed said, “No, not really.” Socrates concluded with this point, “Well, if what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?”

Another way to avoid gossip is to reflect on the THINK method. Ask yourself: is it True, is it Helpful, is it Important, is it Necessary, and is it Kind? If it’s any of these, then say it, but if not, don’t say it!

The Stamp Album

I used to collect stamps when I was a young boy, and recently I came across my collection, most of them in small envelopes according to the country. Many others were thrown in a large box and it was interesting looking at these countries they represent, some of which have changed names since the 1960s. Ceylon is now Sri Lanka, the Soviet Union has splintered into 20 new nations like Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, while Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika have become separate nations with the last one becoming Tanzania. When you browse through a Stamp Album, you experience something unique and unusual in this day and age. Because throughout the pages you will see countries living in harmony with each other, creating a display of color, geography, history and peaceful existence. Unfortunately in our modern world, these same countries face each other in wars, conflicts, and aggressive behavior. May we learn from our stamps, to live together as if we are brothers and sisters, working and collaborating, agreeing and compromising, loving and living....in peace.

The Church in action

Pope Francis’ first address to the young people gathered for his welcoming ceremony in Lisbon on August 3 was ‘A Church open to all, universal, calling everyone to follow Christ.’ And if ever there was a photo to symbolize this exhortation, it’s this one of a young Brazilian man with a disability being lifted at arm’s length by his friends in his wheelchair, so that he too can see the Pope on the day of the vigil, Saturday, August 5. Fr. Omar Sánchez Portillo, a priest known for his extensive solidarity work in Peru, shared the photo on his social networks. It quickly went viral because of the pure, profound joy it radiates. “For me, this photo reflects what the Church is all about: universality, joy, hope, and love,” he says. I am sure there were many other touching and meaningful moments like this one during that historic week in Lisbon, many of which were not recorded. But it gives the world hope for the future of the church, when scenes like these take place, in spite of the criticism that is thrown at young people.

The naked angel

With 10 processions in honor the Assumption of the Blessed Mother yesterday, 10 beautiful statues were carried through the streets of each respective parish. Among them is the one in the village of Għaxaq (pronounced Aashaq.) The statue here is the work of Mariano Gerada, and Mary is presented looking up towards heaven, with her right hand elevated and the left hand held down on her side. Her elaborate halo makes her stand out more, with the 12 golden stars surrounding her face. On her right side stands a small angel with golden wings. Obviously the angel is a boy, presented naked. The person who took care of the golden guiding that was done a few years ago, Mr Horace Farrugia, told me a cute story once, when I interviewed him for an article I wrote about him. He was working in his studio administering the gold leaf to Mary’s robe. A woman from the parish of Għaxaq showed up with a little girl and wanted to see the statue in the process of renovation. Horace told me that previously the angel boy was clothed with some fancy drapery, but they decided to remove it, leaving the angel completely naked. The parishioners accepted this change in the long run and were happy with the restored statue, glittering in gold and resplendent in beauty. However this little girl was so confused when she saw the angel, and realized that he was different from her. She asked her grandma why was he different, and grandma had to explain the simple innocent question which all children discover as they grow up - that boys and girls are different for a reason. And that reason is so that procreation can continue to produce human beings, both male and female. Most angels in paintings are presented as girls, but this one next to Mary is a boy, complete with his precious jewels displayed for everyone to see, including inquisitive, concerned and innocent little girls.

The Assumption of Mary

Assumption by Peter Paul Rubens

As we celebrate the beautiful feast of Mary’s Assumption into heaven, it is worth noting that there are two different traditions of how Mary’s life on earth actually ended. One tradition says that Mary was buried when she died, in the presence of most of the apostles. However, St Thomas was not present, and when he returned, he demanded that the grave be opened again, similar to what he did when Jesus appeared and he wasn’t present and wanted to see with his eyes and touch with his hands the wounds of the Risen Christ. Well this time, when they opened the grave, the found the body of Mary missing, except for some of her clothes. They believe that she was miraculously resurrected before being assumed, that is taken into heaven. This is what we believe as Catholics. 

Ivory Icon of the Dormition of Mary

The other tradition speaks of the Dormition of Mary, that is the sleeping of Mary, a tradition that Eastern Churches believe in to this day. In art, one can see in many Assumption paintings, angels commonly carrying her heavenward where she is to be crowned by Christ, while the Apostles below surround her empty tomb as they stare up in awe. There are also a few ivory plaques depicting Mary as sleeping, celebrating the Dormition.

Beyond Beautiful

                  

The word BEAUTIFUL is so often used and bring calmness and serenity in our hearts. May I suggest a few other expressions we can use to replace beautiful but still conveys the same meaning:

Stunning - Gorgeous - Breath-taking -  Lovely - Pleasing - Pretty - Glowing - Dazzling - Exquisite         Appealing - Alluring - Divine - Enticing - Radiant - Ravishing - Excellent - Grand - Ideal - Splendid          Superb - Terrific - Elegant - Captivating - Pleasant - Mesmerising - Enthralling - Striking - Impressive- Attractive Magnificent - Tasteful - Delightful - Charming - Enchanting - Awesome - Amazing - Cute - Graceful          Handsome - Marvellous - Stunning - Admirable - Resplendent - Sublime - Wonderful - Incredible        Superlative - Outstanding - First-Class

Sacred Heart

This is the most famous painting of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, done by Pompeo Batoni in 1767. It is for sure the most famous painting of the Sacred Heart in art, which was  actually painted only a few years after the apparition of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. Batoni was born 18 years after Alacoque died. In this artwork, he depicts Christ wearing a red tunic, which symbolises the colour of blood, martyrdom and humanity; and a blue mantle which symbolise the colour of heaven and Christ's divinity. Batoni represented Jesus with long hair and a short beard, holding in his left hand an inflamed heart with a crown of thorns and with a cross at the top. Batoni was motivated in painting the Sacred Heart of Jesus by the supposed apparition of Jesus to St Margaret Mary Alacoque under the title of the Sacred Heart. The apparition was said to have occurred when St Margaret prayed to Jesus before the Blessed Sacrament during the feast of St. John the Evangelist in 1673. The portrait is an altarpiece placed above the altar in the northern side chapel of the Church of the Gesu in Rome.

The secret of life

One day a farmer told his young son the secret of life. ‘Son, the secret of life is that the cow does not give us milk!’ The boy was confused by this unusual remark. ‘Yes son, remember that the cow does not give us milk, but you have to go and get it from her. Remember that you have to get up at 4 in the morning, rain or shine, cold and warm, walk to the barn in the dark, enter near the cows, get the bucket, and start milking for 10 to 15 minutes each cow. . Not to mention the pasteurization involved, the packing, the shipping, the delivery of the milk cartons or bottles....’ This is true, the cow does not present us with a jar of milk, but you either milk her or you’re left without any milk. This generation thinks that everything is given to us, for free. Their mentality is that whatever you need you can get it. They got used to getting what they want without having to work for it. Such is life – you don’t just think of something and you get it, but you have to work for it. Whatever we receive in life should be the fruit of what we work hard for. Happiness is the result of hard work.

St Clare

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

Saint Lawrence was one of seven deacons in Rome who were in charge of giving help to the poor, widows 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 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.

St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross  was a German-Jewish philosopher, nun, a martyr and a highly unusual saint of the Catholic Church. Born into an observant Jewish family in Breslau, a German province of Prussia on October 12, 1891, she was named Edith and her family name was Stein. Edith was a very gifted child who enjoyed learning. She greatly admired her mother's strong faith; however, by her teenage years Stein had become an atheist.  In 1916, she received a doctorate of philosophy from the University of Göttingen, and soon afterwards became a member of the faculty in Freiburg. While Stein had earlier contacts with Catholicism, it was her reading of the autobiography of the mystic St. Teresa of Ávila on a holiday in Göttingen in 1921 that caused her conversion. She was eventually baptized on January 1, 1922, gave up her job at Freiburg and started to teach at a Dominican girls' school in Speyer from 1922 to 1932.
In a letter to Pope Pius XI, she denounced the Nazi regime and asked the Pope to openly denounce the regime "to put a stop to this abuse of Christ's name.” Although she never received an answer, in 1937, Pope Pius XI issued an encyclical written in German, "Mit Brennender Sorge," in which he criticized Nazism, and condemned anti-semitism. I’m sure her letter had some influence on this.  She entered the Discalced Carmelite monastery Our Lady of Peace at Cologne in 1933 and took the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.  Although she moved from Germany to the Netherlands to avoid Nazi persecution, in 1942 she was not safe there. The Dutch Bishops had a public statement read in all the churches of the country in July 1942, condemning Nazi racism. In a retaliatory response a few weeks later, the Reichskomissar ordered the arrest of all Jewish converts, who had previously been spared. Sr. Teresa Benedicta and her sister Rosa, also a convert, were captured and shipped to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where they were gassed on August 9, 1942 when Edith was only 50. Edith Stein was canonized as Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross by Pope John Paul II in 1998; however, she is also often referred to as "Saint Edith Stein".

St Dominic

Along with the Franciscans and the Jesuits, the Dominicans are probably the most popular religious order, both for men and women, priests, brothers and nuns. The son of Felix Guzman and Bl. Joan of Aza, Dominic was born at Calaruega, Spain. The story is told that before his birth his mother dreamed that a dog leapt from her womb carrying a torch in its mouth, and "seemed to set the earth on fire". That is why in many of the statues of St Dominic, a dog carrying a torch is placed near his feet. He studied at the University at Valencia , was probably ordained there while pursuing his studies and was appointed canon at Osma in 1199. There he became prior superior of the chapter, which was noted for its strict adherence to the rule of St. Benedict. In 1203 he accompanied Bishop Diego de Avezedo to Languedoc where Dominic preached against the Albigensian heresy and helped reform the Cistercians. Dominic preached to the heretics but with no great success. In 1214 Simon gave him a castle at Casseneuil and Dominic with six followers founded an order devoted to the conversion of the Albigensians; the order was canonically approved by the bishop of Toulouse the following year. He failed to gain approval for his order of preachers at the fourth General Council of the Lateran in 1215 but received Pope Honorius III's approval in the following year, and the Order of Preachers (the Dominicans) was founded. Dominic spent the last years of this life organizing the order, traveling all over Italy, Spain and France preaching and attracting new members and establishing new houses. He convoked the first general council of the order at Bologna in 1220 and died there the following year on August 6, after being forced by illness to return from a preaching tour in Hungary. He was canonized in 1234. Dominicans today number 6,500, not counting many nuns who work as teachers, in social work and in hospitals.

A hug to Pope Francis

                    
As the World Youth Day ends and everyone returns back to their home countries, who knows how many touching stories will be told from now on. How the Pope touched so many young lives. How many would return back to the church. How many vocations will stem from this unique encounter with the Vicar of Christ. Well, back in 2013, when Pope Francis was just a few months into his reign, he went to Rio in Brazil for his first World Youth Day. A young boy, Nathan de Brito, 9 years old was able to sneak out of the security and somehow got close to the Pope and gave him a big hug. The Pope said to him, ‘My son, I love you.’ Nathan said afterwards, ‘at the moment I met the Pope and I was able to hug him, I felt the great love God has for me.’ As a young boy, like many other Catholic boys, Nathan played church, as he attended Mass regularly, and often used to watch the Mass from the Vatican. He was also an altar-boy, loved catechism, and cherishes the day he received his First Holy Communion. Now Nathan is a seminarian, and hopes to be ordained a priest in a few years.

The Transfiguration

Jesus took Peter, James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice: "This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him." How much are we listening to Him when He talks to us? We love to listen to our radios, music, news, favorite singers – but how much time do we allocate to listen to God, in silence, not in the chaos of this world? We watch many films and videos, but how conscious are we of the many tiny miracles that happen to us every day of our existence? We often hear gossip and hearsay and untruths about other people, but how quick are we to share a postive comment when it’s appropriate?  We also hear lies and stories which should not be spread around, but how how serious are we to always tell the truth, to show honesty ad sincerity in our attitude to others? Are we listening to Him? He still talks to us through Scripture, through miracles that still happen daily, through the Eucharist, through recommendations we receive from the Pope, our Bishops and priests. Are we listening to them? Because if we don't listen to them, we're not listening to Him!

The Pope at World Youth Day

One of the highlights of Pope Francis’s visit to Lisbon, Portugal, for the World Youth Day, is so that he could also hop on a helicopter and visit Fatima, 80 miles away from Lisbon. After meeting various delegations, praying the modern Stations of the Cross with the youth, on Saturday he visits Fatima to lead the Rosary and thank Mary for her intervention in his life. He is also honoring his predecessor Pope St. John Paul II who travelled to Fatima on May 13, 1983, to thank Mary for saving his life when he was shot at the Vatican square 2 years earlier. Today happens to be the feast of the dedication of St. Mary Major, and one should note that before every trip outside Italy, Pope Francis has visited the basilica of St. Mary Major in order to pray before the venerated image of Mary, Salus Populi Romani, “Protectress of the Roman People.” He has made more than 100 visits there, making St. Mary Major the most visited place by any recent pope, aside from the papal residences. Thus he is linking two of the great Marian shrines of the world — St. Mary Major and Fatima. The Holy Father chose a Marian theme for WYD Lisbon — Mary went with haste. On Sunday he will celebrate Mass in the presence of more than a million young people in Lisbon, before he returns to Rome.

St John Baptist Vianney

My all-time favorite Saint is not just the patron saint of priests, but also the patron saint of all those who find learning and going to school tough and hard. The Cure of Ars’ life is itself a miracle. Jean-Marie Vianney was born on May 8, 1786, in the French town of Dardilly and was baptized the same day. His parents had six children of which Jean-Marie was the third. He grew up on his family's farm in a very devotional environment. His parents frequently helped the poor and gave hospitality to many pilgrims
By 1790, the French Revolution forced many loyal priests to hide from the government in order to carry out the sacraments in their parish. The Vianneys continued attending Mass, even though it was illegal. In order to attend Mass, they traveled to distant farms where they would pray in secret. Since the priests would risk their lives day by day, Jean-Marie began to look upon priests as heroes. During the Mass, the windows were covered so that the light of the candles could not be seen from the outside.

By 1802, peace was re-established, and Jean-Marie wanted to start studying, but he still had to serve in the army. He was 19 when he started school, while his classmates were all 11 or 12, but he persevered, even though he found the study of Latin very hard. He gave up many times, but he was eventually ordained a priest on August 13, 1815. He was sent as Assistant to his sponsor, Father Balley in the parish at Ecully. Three years later he was made parish priest of Ars, a remote French hamlet, where his reputation as a confessor and director of souls made him known throughout the Christian world. His life was one of extreme mortification. Accustomed to the most severe austerities, beleaguered by swarms of penitents, and besieged by the devil, this great mystic manifested tremendous patience. He was a wonder worker loved by the crowds, but he retained a childlike simplicity, and he remains to this day the living image of the priest after the heart of Christ. He heard confessions of people from all over the world for 16 hours each day. His life was filled with works of charity and love. It is recorded that even the staunchest of sinners were converted at his mere word. He died August 4, 1859, and was canonized on May 31, 1925.

Happy and Blessed

How liberated are those who have learned to let go....
     They shall experience the mystery of God.
How strong are those not afraid to admit their weaknesses.....
     Their tears shall heal their grief.
How beautiful are those who reverence life.....
     The Earth shall rejoice in their presence.
How satisfied are those who seek to serve God.....
     For God shall be their delight.
How happy are those who are willing to forgive others.....
     They shall find release from their guilt and fear.
How enlightened are those who know oneness with all things......
     They shall see God everywhere.
What an inspiration are those who work for justice and peace....
     They shall live as children of God.
What a grace there is for those who suffer in the cause of right......
     For their rejection can become the doorway to new life.