Stories with a message

Once all the villagers decided to pray for rain. On the day of prayer all the people gathered in the village square, close to the local parish church. But only one boy came with an umbrella. That is FAITH.

When you throw babies in the air, they laugh because they know you will catch them. That’s TRUST.

Every night we go to bed with no assurance that we will be alive the next morning. But still we set our alarms to wake us up. That is HOPE.

We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future. That is CONFIDENCE.

We see the world suffering, but we still get married and have children. That is LOVE.

On an old man’s shirt was written a sentence: “I am not 80 years old. I am sweet 16 with 64 years of experience.”

Have a happy day and live your life like these 6 stories. Remember – good friends are the rare jewels of life, difficult to find and impossible to replace.

Foliage at Spencer, Massachusetts

During the 6 month sabbatical I spent in Spencer, Massachusetts between September 2002 and March 2003, I experienced the most beautiful scenery you can expect from the Northeast. The maple trees were all turning their foliage into all kinds of bright colors, from green to brown, yellow, orange and red, as you can see from these few photos I took back then. These were before the digital cameras came around, and so the quality is not the very best, but beautiful nonetheless. The property of the Trappist monks of Spencer, St Joseph’s Abbey spread over a mile by another mile, maybe even more, and the spectacular maple trees, right on time, by mid-October, they turn the whole monastery on fire with one row after another, and tree after tree lining up the roads that lead to the main Abbey and Monastery Chapel. 

However, that means that the zillion leaves had to be swept up and baggaged, and that was one of my duties with a few other monks and lay-brothers. Thankfully they also had a truck that would suck up the leaves after we piled them up. Then everything will turn into mulch and used as fertilizers and also for their heating system, a contraption they devised to heat the entire monastery.

King Charles – Timmy

Let’s get this straight – before King Charles was crowned King this past May, there was only one King Charles, a true pedigree, and his name is Timmy. I’d like to introduce you to a dear friend of mine, an original King Charles who was born on April 2, 2020, just when Covid conquered the world. I remember blessing him when he was a few days old, and he sat obediently listening to my prayer, as you can see from the second photo. As everyone went around with masks for way over a year, Timmy went around making people feel happy. As cute as any dog can be, he is a well-behaved dog. Well, as his owner told me, he can have his moments too. As boys will be boys, so also dogs will be dogs. As I preached about Love this weekend, the main theme of the liturgy, I mentioned a few expression of what children think of when referring to the gift of love. One child said: Love is when your dog waits for you all day, and when you get home, he comes licking your face, to tell you how much he missed you. 

I am sure that all dog-owners have experienced such a tender, loving moment, and someone like Timmy may rip some papers, chew some cabinet legs and get into trouble while waiting all day long, but when he greets you, you’ll forgive him for any misbehavior. Man’s best friend can really turn a bad day into a cheerful one. And remember that a dog has so many friends simply because he wags his tail, instead of his tongue.

When Mother Teresa was late....

St. Teresa of Calcutta and Pope St. John Paul II met on a few occasions. One year the Pope was in Delhi, India and Mother Teresa was in a car on her way to greet him. At one moment, she noticed a leper on the side of the road, and asked the driver to stop his car. She went over to him, consoled him, spoke to him for a while, gave him some hope and encouragement, and prayed with him with her eyes closed. Because of this stop, she was obviously late for her appointment with the Pope. One of the Cardinals mildly reprimanded her and told her she kept the Pope waiting for her meeting with him. She answered him by simply saying ‘Yes I know I was late, but I met Jesus on the road here.’

I remember so well . . . . .

Priests have many memories they encounter in their lives as priests. Funny situations, anecdotes and stories I’d like to share with you today¼¼¼

I remember a Kindergarten child coming to me one day, telling me his mom was going to have a baby. Then three days later, he came back with a sad look on his face. “Father Julian, remember I told you my mom’s gonna have a baby – well forget it! She ate it!”

I remember visiting a family for dinner one day, and little Jonathan came to the door dressed in a suit and a tie. I felt embarrassed and thought that I had the wrong date, as I thought they were going out. “Oh no !” his mother reassured me, “He wanted to dress up, because you were coming to visit us.”

I remember visiting a family on Christmas Day to have Dinner with them. I told them I’ll be there around 4 PM. When I arrived I was a little late, and as soon as I rang the door bell, little Matthew came to open the door and greeted with these famous words: “Happy Christmas Father Julian, but you’re 19 minutes late !”

I remember little Kathleen who was so proud when she was chosen to take part in the school Christmas play. When I asked her what part she received, she just couldn’t talk, she was speechless and certainly ecstatic. She kept smiling and giggling and smiling more, until I forced it out of her . . “I have the part of Mary !” (see photo)

I remember a young boy, Thomas, possibly 4 years old, who accompanied his parents to church every Sunday. I would always say to Hello to him and his parents after Mass. One day I was on my bike visiting some families, and I passed by his house. Apparently Thomas was looking outside from a window, and he started yelling to his mother. She told me how his outburst went....’Mom....come here quickly, God is outside...and he’s on a bike....and he’s wearing sneakers....and he even has a NewYork Mets baseball cap.’ The following Sunday he said to me 'Hello God, I saw you on your bike!'

The Catholic Church – statistics

Distribution of Catholics over 45 years

Catholics in the world numbered 1,375,852,000 people at the end of 2021, with an overall increase of 16.2 million compared with the previous year. Africa gained 40 million people in the time frame studied, 8.3 million of whom are Catholic. Catholics now amount to 17.7% of the world’s population. The total number of persons per priest in the world increased to 15,556, which is about 3,373 Catholics per priest. Worldwide, the total number of priests dropped by 2,347 to approximately 408,000. Europe suffered the largest drop, with 3,632 fewer priests from the previous year. Africa gained 1,500 more priests, and about 750 in Asia. The Americas lost nearly a thousand priests. Nigeria, Kenya, and Lebanon have the highest proportion of Catholics who attend Mass weekly, Nigeria with 94%, Kenya with 73%, and Lebanon with 69%. In comparison, in Germany, France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, less than 15% say they attend Mass weekly. Permanent Deacons increased by 541 worldwide for a total of 49,176. Male religious dropped worldwide by nearly 800, although there was a gain of 205 religious men in Africa. Women religious now number 609,000 worldwide, a loss of 10,588, 7,800 of them in Europe. However nuns still outnumber priests by 200,000. Lay missionaries and catechists fell dramatically in the Americas by almost 4,000, compared with modest gains in Africa and Europe and a larger gain of nearly 670 in Asia. Only Africa had some gain in seminarians, where they also have the largest number at 34,000. Worldwide seminarians number 110,000. The Church operates more than 74,000 kindergartens, nearly 101,000 Catholic primary schools, and 50,000 secondary schools worldwide. There are about 2.5 million Catholic high school pupils and 4 million students attending Catholic universities. Additionally, the Church runs 5,405 hospitals worldwide, 15,276 homes for the elderly and needy, and 9,703 orphanages, with Asia making up the largest share of those orphanages.

Prayer to St Joseph for Life

A Prayer to St. Joseph, Defender of Life

Dearest St. Joseph, at the word of an angel, you lovingly took Mary into your home. As God’s humble servant, you guided the Holy Family on the road to Bethlehem, welcomed Jesus as your own son in the shelter of a manger, and fled far from your homeland into Egypt for the safety of both Mother and Child. We praise God that as their faithful protector, you never hesitated to sacrifice yourself for those entrusted to you. May your example inspire us also to welcome, cherish, and safeguard God’s most precious gift of life. Help us to faithfully commit ourselves to the service and defense of human life —especially where it is vulnerable or threatened. Obtain for us the grace to do the will of God in all things. Amen.

The Pope’s appeal

A white dove, symbol of peace flies above the destruction.

Pope Francis last Sunday issued another heart-felt appeal for peace. In his Angelus appeal, he told the people gathered in St. Peter’s square: Dear brothers and sisters,

Once more my thoughts turn to what is happening in Israel and Palestine. I am very concerned, grieved. I pray and I am close to all those who are suffering:  the hostages, the wounded, the victims and their relatives. I think of the serious humanitarian situation in Gaza and I am saddened that the Anglican hospital and the Greek-Orthodox parish have also been hit in recent days. I renew my appeal for spaces to be opened, for humanitarian aid to continue to arrive, and for the hostages to be freed. War, any war that there is in the world – I also think of tormented Ukraine – is a defeat. War is always a defeat; it is a destruction of human fraternity. Brothers, stop! Stop!

(The number of fatalities from this war is up to 6,000 – that is twice the number of victims of September 1, 2001. 2,000 of them are babies and young children!)

God marches with you

The feeling of dread can be all-consuming. You might dread going to the doctors in fear of bad news. You may also have a feeling of trepidation about having to confront someone or say something you’d rather avoid. In fact, dread can fill your life so much that you might feel paralyzed to do what you need to do. But do not fear! While the Bible is filled with wonderful quotes on how to combat fear and anxiety, this one quote from Deuteronomy is perfect for some peace of mind you’ve been searching for.

“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)

Knowing that “God marches with you” is enough to fill anybody with the fortitude they need to face any situation. What’s more, these four words alone are something you can recite as often as you need if dread creeps up on you. By repeating them over and over you’ll soon be able to face absolutely anything.  Of course, while these words can comfort adults, they’re a very concrete way of reassuring children, too. If you teach your children these four wonder words, they can not only remember them, but say them when they need a little extra courage. Don't let Him walk alone, but walk with Him, and you will always be safe.

Bobby Charlton (1937-2023)

Sir Bobby Charlton, an English soccer icon who survived a plane crash that decimated a Manchester United team destined for greatness to become the heartbeat of his country's 1966 World Cup-winning team, has died. He was 86.An extravagantly gifted midfielder with a ferocious shot, Charlton was the leading scorer for both United (249 goals) and England (49 goals) for more than 40 years until being overtaken by Wayne Rooney. Sir Bobby was a hero to millions, not just in Manchester, or the United Kingdom, but wherever football is played around the world. Charlton was also renowned for his humility, discipline and sportsmanship. He was never sent off in 758 appearances for United from 1956-73 or 106 internationals for England from 1958-70. Charlton played with George Best and Denis Law in the so-called “Trinity” that led United to the 1968 European Cup after surviving the 1958 Munich crash that wiped out the celebrated “Busby Babes” team. He won three English league titles at United, and one FA Cup. Charlton’s England scoring record stood for 45 years until Rooney scored his 50th goal for the national team in September 2015. Three of his England goals came in the World Cup in 1966, during which Charlton played every minute for the team and stood out especially in the semi-finals when he scored twice against Portugal to lead England to a first major final. England beat West Germany 4-2 after extra time in the final.  After retiring in 1973, Charlton went into coaching and founded a youth scheme that included David Beckham, a future United and England great, among its participants. After brief spells in charge of Preston, Wigan and Irish side Waterford, Charlton returned to United in 1984 as a director and persuaded the board in 1986 to appoint Ferguson, who delivered 38 trophies during nearly 27 years in charge. Knighted in 1994 by Queen Elizabeth II, Charlton remains a mainstay at Old Trafford, featuring alongside Best and Law on a statue outside United’s stadium. 

Bobby Charlton lifting the World Cup in 1966

Bobby Charlton was born Oct. 11, 1937, in the coal-mining town of Ashington, northeast England, and his talent was obvious from a young age. “We realized Bobby was going to be a bit special as a player when he was about 5 years old,” said older brother Jack, who played for Leeds and won the World Cup alongside him. Charlton’s playing career began far from home in Manchester after leaving school at 15. Within two years, tragedy struck the tight-knit group of United players whose relationship was forged as trainees in austere conditions. The team was still celebrating winning at Red Star Belgrade to secure a place in the European Cup semi-finals when their plane caught fire on its third attempt to take off in heavy snow after a refueling stop in Germany. Charlton miraculously emerged from the smoldering wreckage with only light head injuries and picked his way through the wreckage to help survivors. Spotting manager Matt Busby groaning in agony on the smoke-shrouded runway, Charlton rushed to help the father-figure who had promoted him to the first team. But eight members of the “Busby Babes” team packed with bright prospects were among the 21 fatalities. Busby rebuilt his team around Charlton, adding the 1965 and 1967 English league titles to the championship they won in 1957. The biggest prize of his club career arrived in 1968 as United became the first English club to become champion of Europe. Charlton scored twice in a 4-1 extra-time win over a Benfica team containing Portugal great Eusebio. He is survived by his wife, Norma, whom he married in 1961, and his two daughters.

Oregon Trees

Logging truck going through the town of John Day, OR.

Over the 13 glorious years I spent in Oregon parishes, I came across a few trees that were new to me and to anyone who now lives in Europe. So I share with you today five photos of trees I encountered. The first one is probably the most famous scenes on an Eastern Oregon road, a truck full of lumber going to deliver them to be made into planks of wood. Most of the time these were ponderosa trees, recognizable because of the reddish-brownish look on the bark. The others are birch trees and the famous redwoods, so popular in Northern California on the Pacific coast. 

The bark of the Ponderosa Tree.

Birch trees recognizable by their greyish texture.

Redwoods in Northern California, very tall and quite old.

The last one is a photo of juniper trees just cut and ready to be made into decorative items, like tables, table-top designs and other ornaments. They grow wild among the sage brush in the high desert. Juniper trees do not grow very tall, but are used to produce Gin, with little blue berries smaller than blueberries.

Juniper trees ready to be made into decorative items.

Houses

Houses in Hong Kong

This is how some people live in unconventional houses. We think that everyone lives in a safe, comfortable environment with the minimum of luxuries. There are of curse the millionaires who have huge mansions and exotic homes, complete with all the luxuries you can ever dream of. But the majority of the people live very simply, humbly and still are very happy. These are just three places, the first one apartments in Hong Kong. Click on the photo, and notice how every apartment has the air conditioner unit outside. The second one shows rows of pre-fabricated homes in Nicaragua, sponsored by the Chinese Government. The third one shows rows of homes in the town of Arkhangelsk in Russia on a snowy day.

Pre-fabricated houses in Nicaragua

Homes in Arkhangelsk, Russia

North American Martyrs

The North American Martyrs, also known as the Canadian Martyrs, were eight French Jesuit missionaries who worked among the Huron Indians, and who were martyred in the 17th century in Canada and Upstate New York, all martyred between 1642 and 1649. The Martyrs are St. Jean de Brébeuf, St. Noël Chabanel, St. Antoine Daniel, St. Charles Garnier, St. René Goupil, St. Isaac Jogues, St. Jean de Lalande and St. Gabriel Lalemant. They all laid the foundation of the Catholic religion in the North East, just as Blessed Junipero Serra did in the North West of the USA, by opening the various missions on the California coast. They were each killed during the wars between the Huron and Iroquois. They had converted many of the Hurons, but the Huron considered them to be evil men who brought death and disease wherever they traveled. The Iroquois considered them legitimate targets as the missionaries were nominally allies of the Huron tribe. Isaac Jogues and his assistant, Rene Goupil, besides being beaten to the ground and assailed several times with knotted sticks and fists, had their hair, beards and nails torn off and their forefingers bitten through. What grieved them far more, was the cruelty practiced on their Christian converts. The first of all the martyrs to suffer death was Rene Goupil, who was tomahawked on September 29, 1642, for having made the Sign of the Cross on the brow of some children. This Rene Goupil was a remarkable man. He had tried hard to be a Jesuit and had even entered the Novitiate, but his health forced him to give up the attempt. He then studied surgery and found his way to Canada, where he offered his services to the missionaries. They were canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930. The Martyrs' Shrine church in Midland, Ontario, the site of their missionary work among the Huron, and the National Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville, New York, along the Mohawk River, are dedicated to them. They are collectively patron saints of Canada. Their feast day is celebrated on September 26 in Canada and on October 19 in the United States under the title of "The North American Martyrs." We owe the Catholic faith of the United States to these martyrs as well as to St Junipero Serra on the west coast. From them and from the sacrifices they endured spread the faith across the whole country.

Full marks always

A teacher was the envy of the whole school as the Middle School students always got full marks whenever the principal visited that particular class and checked on their knowledge. Whenever the teacher was asked to put questions to the students, they all raised their hands up, and all the time they would get the right answer. Nobody could find out the secret of his extraordinary success. All the other teachers at times were becoming jealous of him. When this teacher finally retired, someone asked him the secret of his achievement and the brilliance of his students. His answer left everyone dumbfounded. ‘Well, whenever the principal would come to my class, I would always tell the students a very simple formula. If they knew the answer to my question, they would raise their right hand. If they didn’t know the answer, they would raise their left hand. And so I would always pick the children with the right hand raised up! And our inspector always was impressed. But I insisted that the students study as hard as they can anyway.’

Working with children

2014: Leading a foot-washing ceremony for children.

One of the areas which I enjoyed in my pastoral work over the years was working with children. I did create many initiatives and projects to involve children as well their families.  I always believed that when you give your attention to the children and the elderly, you’ll have many families get closer to you and the life of the church. Organizing children’s Masses was probably the highlight of my ministry. 

2000: Teaching nursery school children a song on my flute.

But also teaching them music, art and calligraphy in classes, helping them with banners for their First Holy Communion, leading the foot-washing ceremony on Holy Thursday, the Stations of the Cross, leading bike-safety trips, organizing all kinds of sports, teaching Religion in various classes, helping them create Christmas Nativities, teaching them songs with my flute, and on and on. These are just 4 photos of my work with children.

1983: Guiding some girl scouts on a bike-safety trip

2004: Leading a mock Baptism for children

1999: During a First Communion celebration.

Learning from the Saints - part 2

                   

Continuing to reflect on how we can imitate our Saints in our daily lives:

. . . Play with your children . . . like St John Bosco, who spent hours playing and running with children whom he also taught about Jesus . . .
. . . Keep a Diary or Journal . . .like the Four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, who wrote the Gospels, and like St Therese of the Child Jesus, who wrote the “Story of a Soul”. . .
. . . Enjoy Music . . . like St Cecilia, the Patron Saint of Music. . .
. . . Show Care and Concern about others . . . like St Vincent de Paul, St Martin de Porres, St.              Charles Borromeo and St Philip Neri, all of whom gave their life, their time and their energy for their people . . .
. . . Being Patient with your children . . . like St Monica, who suffered mentally and spiritually as her son, St Augustine turned his life around . . .
. . . Getting along with your siblings . . . like St Scholastica and her twin brother St. Benedict, who both became religious, and remained best friends until they  died . . .
. . . Being disattached from worldly goods . . . like St Matthew, who left his job as tax-collector and became an Apostle of Jesus . . .
. . . Show leadership, in spite of opposition . . . like St Joan of Arc, who rescued her country, and died as a martyr in the process . . .
. . . Turn your shortcomings into blessings. . . like St Hugh, who was very shy and bashful, yet his modesty and humility won him many friends . . .
. . . Act as a Peace-Maker. . . like St Casimir, who refused to fight for his country, but brought Peace between Hungary and Poland . . . 

.. . . and Pray, Love, Suffer, Preach, Heal . . .as Jesus did 2000 years ago, and as his Apostles and their successors did ever since . . .

Learning from the Saints - part 1

Saints can teach us so many values in our lives. . . .
. . . Perseverance in our studies. . . like St John Baptist Vianney, who had a hard time passing his Latin exams . . .
. . . Patience at work . . . like St. Therese, the Little Flower who had an annoying nun always splashing water next to her as they cleaned dishes . . .
. . . Respect even towards animals . . . like St Francis of Assisi who had a tremendous affection towards animals, wild and domestic . . .
. . . a Sense of Humor . . . like St Teresa of Avila who use to say “Deliver us Lord from sour-faced Saints” . . .
. . . Hospitality  towards strangers . . . like St Julian, who even built a hospital to care with his wife for the travelers, the sick and the dying . . .
. . . Sharing our talents. . . . like St Joseph who taught the little child Jesus the trade of carpentry, construction and woodcarving . . .
. . . Being Sociable. . . . like St Anthony the Hermit, who in spite of living alone, was one of the most sociable of people . . .
. . . Appreciative of Nature . . . like St Ignatius of Loyola, who loved flowers so much that he would never pluck them . . .
. . . Doing our chores at home. . . like St Martha, who was always busy cleaning her house, so that Jesus would always be a welcome Guest . . .
. . . Being sorry for failures done . . . like St Peter who really felt terrible after denying knowing Jesus three times . . .

Let Go !

If you want to be healthy morally, mentally and physically, just let go ! Let go of the little annoyances of everyday life, the irritations and the petty vexations that cross your path daily. Don’t take them up, nurse them, pet them, and brood over them. They are not worth while. Let them go ! That little hurt you got from your friend. Perhaps it wasn’t intended, perhaps it was, never mind, let it go. Refuse to think about it. Let go that feeling of hatred you have for another, the jealousy, the envy, the malice, let go all such thoughts. Sweep them out of your mind, and you will be surprised what a cleansing and rejuvenated effect it will have upon you, both physically and mentally. Let them all go; give them to the Lord. He’ll take care of them.

But the big troubles, the bitter disappointments, the deep wrongs, and the heart-breaking sorrows, tragedies of life, what about them ? Why, just let them go too. Drop them, softly maybe, but surely. Put away all regret and bitterness and let sorrow be only a softening influence. Yes, let them go, too, and make the most of the future. Then, that little pet ailment you have been hanging on to and talking about, let it go too ! It will be good riddance. You have treated it royally, but abandon it: let it go ! Talk about health instead, and health will come.

It is not hard once you get used to the habit of it – letting go of these things. You will find it such an easy way to get rid of the things that embitter your life that you will enjoy letting them go. You will find the world such a beautiful place. You will find it beautiful because you will be free to enjoy it – free in mind and body. Learn to let go. As you value health of body and peace of mind, – just simply let go ! The greatest factor in helping us to “Let go” is to see with the eye of faith that God permits – if he does not will – these daily, nay hourly annoyances. If we look at them in the light of eternity, we shall profit by them in this life and in the life to come. LET GO ! LET GO ! And let God take control !

I want to be a kid again!!!!!

I want to go back to the time when.....................
Decisions were made by going "eeny‑meeny‑miney‑mo."
Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming "do over!"
"Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.
Catching the fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening.
It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends.
Being old referred to anyone over 20.
Having a weapon in school, meant being caught with a slingshot.
Nobody was prettier than your mother.
Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better.
It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big people rides" at the amusement park.
Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true.
No shopping trip was complete, unless a new toy was brought home.
Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles.
The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
War was a card game.
Water balloons were the ultimate weapon.
Baseball cards in the bicycle spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle.
Taking drugs meant orange‑flavored chewable aspirin.
Ice cream was considered a basic food group.
Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors.
If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED!!!!
Pass this on to anyone who may need a break from their "grown up" life!!!!!

I complained, until . . . . .

I complained that I had no shoes, until I met someone who had no feet.

I complained because my gloves were not thermo-insulated, until I met someone had no hands.

I complained because my chicken was a little dry, until I met children who had nothing to eat for days.

I complained that my house had no air-conditioning, until I came across entire families who were homeless.

I complained because my laptop has only 5 gigabytes, until I met a news reporter who still writes his reports on a typewriter.

I complained that my Cable TV only receives 26 channels, until I visited someone whose contact with the outside world is a small transistor-radio.

I complained that my children had only 10 Computers in each class, until I saw other children in the third world whose classroom is a sandy beach, and whose blackboard and chalk is the sand and a stick.

I complained because my car is not 4 wheel-drive, until I thought of my parents who never had a car, and walked everywhere they went.

I complained that my contact lenses fell off my eyes, until I met a blind gentleman who has lived all his life in a world of darkness.

I complained that I couldn’t receive my favorite FM Stations clearly, until I met a co-worker who is completely deaf.

I complained because we didn’t have rain in three weeks and the grass was getting dry, until I read how some people in the Sahara Desert have not seen water in months.

I complained, again and again. Yet I should be ever so thankful to God.

Pope St. John XXIII

Pope St. John XXIII (1881-1963)

On October 11, 1962, Vatican Council II opened, and that is why the liturgical feast-day of Pope St. John XXIII is celebrated today. Although few people had as great an impact on the 20th century as Pope St. John XXIII, he avoided the limelight as much as possible. The firstborn son of a farming family in Sotto il Monte, near Bergamo in northern Italy, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was always proud of his down‑to‑earth roots. After his ordination in 1904, Angelo returned to Rome for canon law studies. He soon worked as his bishop’s secretary, Church history teacher in the seminary, and as publisher of the diocesan paper. His service as a stretcher‑bearer for the Italian army during World War I gave him a first-hand knowledge of war. In 1921 he was made national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. He also found time to teach patristics at a seminary in the Eternal City. In 1925 he became a papal diplomat, serving first in Bulgaria, then in Turkey, and finally in France (1944‑53). During World War II, with the help of Germany’s ambassador to Turkey, Archbishop Roncalli helped save an estimated 24,000 Jewish people. Named a cardinal and appointed patriarch of Venice in 1953, he was finally a residential bishop. A month short of entering his 78th year, he was elected Pope, taking the name John after his father and the two patrons of Rome’s Cathedral, St. John Lateran. His wit soon became proverbial, and he began meeting with political and religious leaders from around the world. In 1962 he was deeply involved in efforts to resolve the Cuban missile crisis.

Pope John XXIII on the sedia gestatoria and wearing a tri-regnum.

His most famous encyclicals were Mother and Teacher (Mater et Magistra 1961) and Peace on Earth (Pacem in Terris 1963). Pope John XXIII enlarged the membership in the College of Cardinals and made it more international. In 1962 he convened the Second Vatican Council where all the bishops gathered in Rome to discuss many issues facing the church, and this led to great reform, especially in the way we celebrate the liturgy. He also had a great sense of humor. He often told people ‘If God knew that I was going to become Pope, he could have made me a little bit better-looking!’ Then someone asked him how many people worked at the Vatican. Expecting a number of workers employed in the Holy City, the Pope instead answered ‘about half of them!’ "Good Pope John" died on June 3, 1963. St. John Paul II beatified him in 2000, and Pope Francis canonized him in 2014.

The Church we need today

For a world at its worse, we need a Church at its best.
For a world full of sadness, we need a Church full of gladness.
For a world that’s going down, we need a Church that’s going up.
For a world that complains, we need a world that cares and comforts.
For a world full of war, we need a world full of peace.
For a world that cries vengeance and hate, we need a Church that forgives and forgets.
For a world full of impatience, we need a Church full of tolerance.
For a world full of heartache, we need a Church that’s full of good news.
For a world that believes in “playing”, we need a Church that’s committed to praying.
For a world full of defeat, we need a Church full of victory.
For a world that’s pessimistic, we need a Church that’s optimistic.
For a world that is crying, we need a Church that smiles.
For a world that’s out of tune, we need a Church that’s filled with harmony.
For a world that’s falling apart, we need a Church that keeps us all together, following the Lord.
For a discouraged world, we need an encouraging world.
For a world that is full of compromise, we need a Church that stresses commitment.
For a world that is going through a period of darkness, we need a bright and enlightening Church.
For a world that’s rebellious and vindictive, we need a Church that is truly compassionate.
For a world that is creating stumbling blocks, we need a Church that is placing stepping stones of hope.
For a world that is stressful or tense, we need a Church that is calm and peaceful
This is the kind of Church we all have to strive for.

Prayer for World Peace

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer! We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instil in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarrelling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. We remember especially today the Middle East and the harsh conflict going on between Israel and Palestine, as well as Ukraine and Russia. We pray for peaceful existence between Israelis and Palestinians, Sunnis and Shiites, Muslims, Jews and Christians. We pray negotiations which can reach the roots of historical conflicts. We pray for a commitment to human rights by all sides and the protection of all lives. We pray for effective international intervention to ensure justice for all sides. We pray for humanitarian aid and rebuilding where destruction has occurred. We pray for peace and for justice in our homes and on our city streets. We pray for an end to violence, war and death. We pray for innocent victims of war and their loved ones. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother” and “sister”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam!