LUCE – the Jubilee mascot

Instead of the cartoon characters that are often associated with Halloween, I want to introduce you today to the new mascot of the Silver Jubilee, which the church is celebrating in 2025, as the cheerful face of the Catholic Church’s upcoming holy year. The mascot, named Luce — which means “light” in Italian — is intended to engage a younger audience and guide visitors through the holy year, as well as engage with the pop culture so beloved by our young people. The mascot will debut this week at the Lucca Comics and Games, Italy’s celebrated convention for all things comics, video games, and fantasy, where the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization will host a space dedicated to “Luce and Friends.” This will allow us to speak to younger generations about the theme of hope, which is more central than ever in the evangelical message. Clad in a yellow raincoat, mud-stained boots, and a pilgrim’s cross, Luce’s mission is to guide young pilgrims toward hope and faith with her trusty dog Santino at her side. Shells glimmer in her eyes, recalling the scallop shell of the Camino de Santiago, an emblem of the pilgrimage journey. 

Simone Legno, the Italian co-founder of the pop culture brand tokidoki, designed Luce and her “pilgrim friends” — Fe, Xin, and Sky, each outfitted in brightly colored jackets (seen in the second photo.) Luce’s yellow sailor’s raincoat is a nod to both the Vatican flag and to journeying through life’s storms. The mascot’s muddy boots represent a long and difficult journey, while her staff symbolizes the pilgrimage toward eternity. The jubilee year itself will begin with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve 2024, welcoming an anticipated 30 million pilgrims into Rome by the time the Holy Year ends on Jan. 6, 2026.

Anthem by Philip Glass

My post today is a favorite piece of music that has fascinated me ever since I heard it back in the early 1990s. It’s actually a selection from the soundtrack of a film called ‘Powaqqatsi’ with music by the American composer Philip Glass. Just listen to the whole piece which lasts 8 minutes and I hope you feel exhilarated as I did the first time, and every time I hear it. Powaqqatsi means "life in transformation," and it is a sequel to the first film called Koyaanisqatsi which focused on modern life in industrial countries. There is no dialogue in either film and this movie Powaqqatsi, focuses more on the conflict in Third World countries between traditional ways of life and the new ways of life introduced with industrialization. This film came out in 1988 directed by Godfrey Reggio, a sequel to  Koyaanisqatsi, which came out in 1982, and which was followed by a third in the Qatsi trilogy called Naqoyqatsi of 2002. All three have the mesmerizing soundtrack by Philip Glass, and the entire movie is a selection of clips from news, and various scenes from around the world.

Tiryng ot raed trhoguh......

We read thousands of words each day, in books, newspapers, letters and emails we receive, and some people have a habit of reading through a whole paragraph just by getting the entire gist of the topic. Then when you encounter something like the following paragraph, half of the people cannot read it, but the other half can breeze through it without any problem, as I just did. If you are patient enough, it’s easier than you may think.....The message is in the entire paragraph.....read on slowly.....

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too. Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55% fo the  plepoe can. i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

The Fighting Colors

One day the colors of the rainbow were arguing about who was the best, the strongest, the people’s favorite. The Green claimed that he was the most important, as the sign of life and hope. I was chosen as the color of the grass, trees and leaves. Without me, all animals will die. Look at nature and tell me that I am wrong  ! The Blue was next and chastised the Green because he thinks only of the earth. Look at the sky and the sea.  Water is so basic for life, and the sky gives us space, peace and serenity. Yellow was next and claimed that he brings heat and warmth into the earth. The sun is yellow, so are the moon and most of the stars. And when you look at the sunflowers, everyone smiles and rejoices. The color Orange was next and proclaimed ‘I am the color of Force and Health.’ My role is precious because I carry many vitamins in many fruits and vegetables, carrots, oranges, mango, papaya. Then who can beat the beauty I create at every sunrise and sunset? The Red could not take it anymore. ‘I am better than all of you, as I am the Blood that gives us life itself. I represent courage and danger. I also represent passion and martyrdom, as well as the poinsettias and poppies. Purple was next in line. ‘I am the symbol of royalty and power. Kings and bishops always choose me  as a symbol of authority and wisdom. Everyone listens to me and bows at my presence. Finally Indigo spoke up and begged everyone to think of him as he felt like he was the color of silence. ‘I represent thought and reflection, balance and contrast, prayer and internal peace. The colors continued their show-off, each one claiming to be the best. All of a sudden thunder struck and flashes of lightning lit up the sky. All the colors were afraid and they huddled together to find comfort. Finally the rain came down in buckets and spoke to them....’you fools, why are you arguing? Don’t you know that every color is special? Instead of fighting and quarrelling why don’t you unite together and beautify all of creation? So from now on, when I am raining, and the sun is also shining, you should all come together and fill the sky from one horizon to the other. And instead of blue or red or orange or green or violet or yellow, you will be called the Rainbow!

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs with my favorite gadget, the IPad

This is the incredible story of the genius who gave us the IPad, the IPod, the IPhone and so much more – Steve Jobs. Let’s let him tell us his own story...’ My natural mother was a young unwed woman who got pregnant with me. She didn’t want to keep me, but accepted to give birth to me and gave me up for adoption. She requested only that whoever adopts me must be a graduate. A couple who were lawyers agreed to adopt me, but they wanted a girl! Another couple finally adopted me, even though my natural mother discovered later that they didn’t even finish High School. At 17 I entered the University even though my parents could not afford the full tuition. After 6 months I got bored and abandoned the course I was assigned to and started to attend the lectures that I enjoyed. I had no money for lodging, so I often slept on the floor of some of my friends’ apartments. Once a week I walked 7 miles to get to a Hare Krishna temple who feed the poor and homeless people. I took a course in calligraphy, which would prove beneficial in my future work, even though at that time, some friends were telling me it was useless for any career. The spacing of letters, etc was a blessing when we created Macintosh, which was later copied by Microsoft.’

Steve Jobs around 1985

Steve Jobs recalls ‘I started working on the Apple Computer when I was 20, with a friend of mine, Steve Wozniak, in the garage of our home, as well as in my kitchen. After 10 years our company grew to 4000 employees with a capital of 2 billion dollars. However, because of a disagreement, I was expelled from the company which I had founded. I was 30 years old, and you can imagine how distraught I felt, being taken away from something I had created. Yet, I was still in love with the work I did, and I was determined to start form scratch. And this turned out to be a big blessing for me. I started a company that does films using computers, also with the help of a woman I loved. The company was called PIXAR, and from it came such films as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, A Bug’s Life and many more animations which won Oscars over the last years. Then Apple bought my new company and I ended up in the same place where I started, with income of many billions of dollars.’ Steve Jobs was the mind behind the innovations that invaded our lives over the past 20 years, IPods, ITunes, IPhones, IMacs, IPads. He died from pancreatic cancer in 2011.

I missed you!

Author and film director Michael Hargrove was at the airport one day, and at the arrival terminal while waiting for his own ride, was a man who had just arrived on the same flight. This man was welcomed by his family who were hugging each other and it was obvious that they haven’t seen each other in a while. He overheard the man say ‘I missed you little Tiffany’ to his 5 year-old daughter, and ‘I love you Timmy’, as he picked up his 3-year old toddler. Then turning to his 9-year old son Gavin, ‘and you’re becoming a man, Gavin!’ Finally he turned to his wife as he said to her ‘and of course I have to save the best for last,’ as he gave her a big kiss on her lips. Michael couldn’t resist asking the man ‘how long you’ve been married?’ ‘12 years,’ came the quick answer. ‘And how long you’ve been away from home?’ The family man looked Michael in his eyes and said simply ‘2 days!’ Hargrove recalled saying to himself ‘how I wish my marriage is as happy and strong after 12 years!’

Sacred Heart Encyclical

‘Our world that has become "heartless" and indifferent to greed and war, and the Catholic Church is in need of revitalizing its missionary joy to open itself  up to Christ's infinite love,’ Pope Francis writes in his new Encyclical Dilexit Nos (He loved us.) The Vatican released the 28,000-word text yesterday, October 24. While it is the Pope’s fourth Encyclical, it works in tandem with his previous two encyclicals, Laudato Si', "on Care for Our Common Home" and Fratelli Tutti, "on Fraternity and Social Friendship." By contemplating Jesus' Sacred Heart, the faithful can be filled with the "living water that can heal the hurt we have caused, strengthen our ability to love and serve others, and inspire us to journey together toward a just and fraternal world, built on solidarity" the Pope wrote in his encyclical, which focuses on the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ. Further on he writes ‘when we witness the outbreak of new wars, with the complicity, tolerance or indifference of other countries, or petty power struggles over partisan interests, we may be tempted to conclude that our world is losing its heart. It is heart-breaking to see elderly women, who should be enjoying their golden years, experiencing the anguish, fear and outrage of war. This is a sign of a world that has grown heartless. In union with Christ, amid the ruins we have left in this world by our sins, we are called to build a new civilization of love.’ Pope Francis is inviting Catholics to rediscover or strengthen their devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the practices connected with it, particularly Eucharistic adoration and receiving the Eucharist on the first Friday of each month.

Happiness

‘Who is the happiest person on this planet?’ asked a British newspaper to its readers. Among those which were chosen were these 1. A craftsman after just finishing a sculpture he just created, admiring his work of art.  2. A mother washing her child after a hard day’s work.  3. A boy and a girl building a sandcastle at the beach.  4. A doctor shaking hands with a patient on whom he just performed a serious operation. 5. A priest who has just spent three hours hearing confessions and healing people’s hurts. So, as you can see, among these responses there are no millionaires, no artists, film stars or football players, or politicians. Happiness is often found among those who do simple things in life, much more than those who live a sophisticated lifestyle.

A Housewife’s Prayer

Dear Lord, I really cannot be the saint who kneels down with you, meditating and praying.
I need to become a saint also by the household chores I have to tackle in my house.
Help me to please you even when I turn on the oven, when I cook the food and when I do the dishes.
If I have the hands of Martha, give me also the heart of her sister Mary.
When I’m on my knees washing the floor, I remember of your hands which healed and forgave sick and sinful people.
When I’m polishing shoes, I remember of your feet wearing sandals.
Forgive me for not having much free time to pray.
Give your blessing to our humble home.
Do not abandon me when I feel sad or lonely.
If I tend to complain occasionally be patient with me.
And when I serve the food I had prepared for my family, I invite you to come and join us.
Because when I’m serving my family, I am also serving You.

Pope St John Paul II

We celebrate today the liturgical feast of one whom we can easily call as the Man of the 20th century, Pope Saint John Paul II. He was born Karol Wojtyla on May 18th, 1920 in Poland and became the first non-Italian Pope in almost 400 years. Also known as John Paul the Great, he reigned from October 16th, 1978 until his death on April 2nd, 2005. He was the second longest-serving Pope in modern history after Pope Pius IX who served for nearly 32 years from 1846 to 1878. As a young boy, he lost his mother at the age of 8 and his father when he was 21. He even had to work at a limestone quarry, but then started his studies at the underground seminary run by Cardinal Sapieha in Krakow. He was ordained a priest on November 1, 1946, and after further studies, he ended up teaching at the Jagiellonian University. He was made a bishop on July 4, 1958 and later became Archbishop of Krakow on June 26, 1967. He remained very staunch to his faith in Poland, even when he became a Cardinal 3 years later. His election as Pope was a big surprise as Pope John Paul I died suddenly after 33 days, and the trend was to elect Italian Popes, but the white smoke showed that a new Pope was chosen on October 16, 1978, aged 58, relatively young for a Pope. 

At the balcony he waved to the thousands gathered in the Piazza and said “the cardinals have called for a new bishop of Rome. They called him from a faraway land — far and yet always close because of our communion in faith and Christian traditions. I was afraid to accept that responsibility, yet I do so in a spirit of obedience to the Lord and total faithfulness to Mary, our most Holy Mother.” John Paul II is recognized as helping to end Communist rule in his native Poland and eventually all of Europe. John Paul II significantly improved the Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, Islam, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion. He was one of the most travelled world leaders in history, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate. He beatified 1,340 people and canonized 483 saints, more than the combined tally of his predecessors during the preceding five centuries. He was very much devoted to the Blessed Mother, well respected in his native Poland, especially with the famous Black Madonna, and he even chose his motto as Totus Tuus, “Totally Yours,” even with the letter M on his coat-of-arms. John Paul II's cause for canonization commenced in 2005 one month after his death, and his successor Pope Benedict XVI beatified him on May 1st 2011 after the Congregation for the Causes of Saints attributed one miracle to him, the healing of a French nun from Parkinson's disease. A second miracle was approved and confirmed by Pope Francis two days later. John Paul II was canonized on 27 April 2014, alongside Pope John XXIII.

Mercy

They asked a group of people which is the one word that can bring harmony and peace around the world? And the responses were quite varied. ‘Order,’ said the magistrate. ‘Learning,’ replied the teacher. ‘Entertainment,’ said the happy-go-lucky guy. ‘Beauty,’ said the artist. ‘Love,’ screamed the young girl. ‘Family,’ cried the mother.  ‘A house,’ uttered the father. ‘Fame,’ begged the soldier. ‘Winning,’ interjected the gambler. ‘Success,’ said the entrepreneur. ‘A gold medal,’ claimed the Olympic athlete. Finally ‘Mercy,’ whispered Mother Teresa.

What is death?

A young girl was dying of leukaemia. Unfortunately there was no hope for her as her mother tried to console her as best as she could. The child asked her mother, ‘Mama, what is it like dying ?’ The mother composed herself and told her ‘well, do you remember when you were a young girl, when you used to jump and run from one room to another, from one toy to another. Remember how tired you always felt? By the evening you would be exhausted and you fall asleep on the family couch with your clothes on. Then your father would pick you up, and take you to your room, change you into your pyjamas, and cover you with blankets to sleep better.  Death is something very similar.  One morning we wake up and find ourselves lying in a different bed, the best bed, the most comfortable one, because Jesus himself had carried you there, and He will be with you in that room forever.’

Recent Watercolors

(Click on each painting to enlarge)

I share with you today some recent watercolors I painted. Some new ideas came to mind and I picked up my brushes again, and these are four new creations. The first one shows my watercolor style and my calligraphy combined together, something which I am trying to use more frequently. The title of course is obvious as we find ou true hearts in our homes, but not necessarily in our houses. There is a difference between a house and a home. A house is built with stone, wood, glass, and concrete, and eventually decorated according to everyone’s means. But a home is where love, kindness, forgiveness, tolerance and respect are shown between the members of the family.

The second painting shows another series of homes and houses, church, ranches, mansions and cottages. I use a lot of different colors which some people find very attractive and appealing. It is just my style as you will probably never encounter a similar neighborhood anywhere, but that’s the artist’s prerogative, and you just have to enjoy it, as if you’re roaming from one structure to another and walking aimlessly in an imaginary neighborhood.

The third painting is yet another experiment I tried without covering the entire paper from top to bottom and from left to right, something which I have the habit of doing. I realize that open spaces are also part of the painting, and it helps the eye to focus on the whole scene, and enjoy a more relaxed perspective.  In fact I liked this first try that I did a second one, and most probably many more will follow with the same concept. Enjoy them and share my blog with your friends, especially on Meta or FB, which I don’t have.

Saint Luke

St Luke, by Guercino

Today is the feast of St Luke, the author on one of the Gospels and the entire Acts of the Apostles. He has been identified with St. Paul's "Luke, the beloved physician". He was born in Antioch in Syria, a Greek and a Gentile. Luke's gospel shows special sensitivity to Gentiles. It is only in his gospel that we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan, that we hear Jesus praising the faith of Gentiles and the story of the one grateful leper who is a Samaritan. Luke was also known to be a doctor. In our day, it would be easy to assume that someone who was a doctor was rich, but scholars have argued that Luke might have been born a slave. We are grateful for St Luke who followed St Paul on his missionary journeys and recorded with great detail what St Paul did between 51 until 65 AD. Luke is the loyal comrade who stays with Paul when he is shipwrecked on Malta in 60 AD, and later imprisoned in Rome a year later. And after everyone else deserts Paul in his final imprisonment and sufferings, it is Luke who remains with Paul to the end: "Only Luke is with me," Paul writes to Timothy. Luke's unique perspective on Jesus can be seen in the 6 miracles and 18 parables not found in the other gospels. Luke's is the gospel of the poor and of social justice. He is the one who tells the story of Lazarus and the rich man who ignored him. Only in Luke's gospel do we hear Mary’s Magnificat. Luke also has a special connection with the women in Jesus' life, especially Mary. It is only in Luke's gospel that we hear the story of the Annunciation, Mary's visit to Elizabeth, the Presentation, and the story of Jesus' disappearance in Jerusalem. It is Luke that we have to thank for the Scriptural parts of the Hail Mary: "Hail Mary full of grace" spoken at the Annunciation and "Blessed are you and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus" spoken by her cousin Elizabeth. 

Forgiveness and God's mercy to sinners is also of first importance to Luke. Only in Luke do we hear the story of the Prodigal Son welcomed back by the overjoyed father. Only in Luke do we hear the story of the forgiven woman disrupting the feast by washing Jesus' feet with her tears. Reading Luke's gospel gives us a good idea of his character as one who loved the poor, who wanted the door to God's kingdom opened to all, who respected women, and who saw hope in God's mercy for everyone. The reports of Luke's life after Paul's death are conflicting. Some early writers claim he was martyred, others say he lived a long life. A tradition has it that Luke was also a painter, painting various images of the Blessed Mother, including one he did in Malta when he stayed for 3 months with St Paul. Several images of Mary appeared in later centuries claiming him as the artist and because of this tradition, he is considered a patron of painters of pictures and is often portrayed as painting pictures of Mary. He is often shown with an ox or a calf because these are the symbols of sacrifice. Being the patron of doctors and surgeons, many hospitals around the world were dedicated to him.

Encouragement

One of my recent watercolors, more to come tomorrow

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. Disappointments are like road humps, they slow you down a bit but you enjoy the smooth road afterwards. Don't stay on the humps too long.  Move on! When you feel down because you didn't get what you want, just sit tight and be happy, because God is thinking of something better to give you. When something happens to you, good or bad, consider what it means. There's a purpose to life's events, to teach you how to laugh more or not to cry too hard. You can't make someone love you, all you can do is being someone who can be loved, the rest is up to the person to realize your worth.

What the heart gives away is never gone... It is kept in the hearts of others. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risks. Secure a special place in your heart.  A certain place only you can enter. For there will come a time when you need to find yourself and only your heart will show you the way. The measure of love is when you love without measure.  In life there are very rare chances that you'll meet the person you love and loves you in return.  So once you have it don't ever let go, the chance might never come your way again. It's better to lose your pride to the one you love, than to lose the one you love because of pride. We spend so much time looking for the right person to love or finding fault with those we already love, when instead we should be perfecting the love we give. When you truly care for someone, you don't look for faults, you don't look for answers, you don't look for mistakes.  Instead, you fight the mistakes, you accept the faults, and you overlook excuses. Never abandon an old friend. You will never find one who can take his place.  Friendship is like wine, it gets better as it grows older.

Mute and Deaf priest

Fr Joseph Thermadam is the first Indian priest who is completely deaf and mute. A the age of 38, he is the second Asian priest who is deaf and mute, and the 26th world-wide. He belongs to the Congregation of the Holy Cross. In India there are 60 million persons with this condition. Fr Joseph studied in Mumbai where he graduated Bachelor of Science before he entered the seminary, where he studied in the USA, with the Missionary Dominicans dedicated to the apostolate of the deaf. His vocation and mission will be to care for those Indians who are deaf and mute, by administering the Sacraments by using sign-language.

St Teresa of Avila

St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

A great Carmelite mystic and nun, today we celebrate the feast of St Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church, author of Way of Perfection, Interior Castle and Meditations on the Canticle. A great reformer of the Carmelite Order, she was born in 1515 and died in 1582. This is a famous quote of this great saint:

May today there be peace within you.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received,
and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones,
and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

Christ has no body now but yours
No hands, no feet on earth but yours
Yours are the eyes through which He looks Compassion on this world
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good
Yours are the hands with which He blesses all the world
Yours are the hands; Yours are the feet
Yours are the eyes; You are His body
Christ has no body now on earth but yours

Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away: God never changes.
Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices. 

The shipwreck and the smoke

A severe storm saw a ship being tossed around and eventually destroyed, sinking to the bottom of the sea. Only one person survived and he ended up wading towards an island which was small and uninhabited. Not even animals roamed around. Thank God he found abundant fruits trees and managed to survive, even building a small hut with the driftwood he found on the beach.  He lived all alone for almost a year, spending many hours looking towards the horizon to see if he can spot any vessel or ship passing by. One day, while he was searching for fruit, he came back to his hut and found it all up in flames. All his hard work to provide some shelter was gone in a few minutes. He was despondent and utterly desperate, besides a little angry at God that He had abandoned him completely. However when he woke up the next day, he hears unusual noise of what sounded like an engine. Looking around the island, he discovered a ship approaching him. He was of course delighted. They came to save him from isolation. When the sailors came off the ship, they approached him and found him in fairly good health. But he was so surprised how they were able to spot him, and he of course asked them ‘how did you know that I was here....?’ ‘ Well, we saw the signal you gave us by the smoke from the far-away island, and we came to get you!’ After picking up as much mango and jack-fruit, pineapple and  bananas as they needed, he was on his way home. How often do we turn against God because something went wrong in our lives! Then we realize that whatever happened to us was a blessing in disguise. When God closes a door, He opens a window, or sends a ship to save us, when they notice the smoke from his humble home that burned to the ground.

The Angel of Prison

Mother Antonia Brenner leading the prisoners in prayer

Born to a wealthy family, Mary Brenner was raised with the mentality to always help the needy people. However like most young people, her life was turned upside down when she got married at the age of 18, having three children within a few years. This ended in divorce, and another civil marriage produced 5 more children and another divorce.  Her life changed once again for the better when she started to volunteer and help in charitable causes. Meeting a helpful priest in1965, he encouraged her to go along with him to Tijuana, Mexico where she helped in distributing clothes, food and medicine to the inmates in La Mesa prison. She became well known among the prisoners and the authorities even gave her a room where she could stay overnight. With the local bishop's permission, she even founded an Order of nuns, women 45 years and over, with the aim of helping the inmates. She then became known as Mother Antonia Brenner, and ended up spending 32 years on this mission. She worked with murderers, robbers, drug-traffickers and men with other terrible backgrounds, but she calmly talks to them, comforts them and compassionately listens to their needs. She has became known as the Angel of La Mesa Prison. After years of weakening health, she died Oct. 17, 2013 at the Tijuana headquarters of the religious order she founded. She was 86.

Remembering Ethel Kennedy

Robert and Ethel with the first 8 of their 11 children

Ethel Kennedy, the wife of the late U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and a mainstay in American politics for decades, died on Thursday October 10 at age 96. She was a devout Catholic and a daily communicant, as the family is comforted in knowing she is reunited with the love of her life, her husband, Robert F. Kennedy, and her children David and Michael. Born Ethel Skakel on April 11, 1928, Kennedy was the daughter of wealthy Protestant coal magnate George Skakel and his wife, a faithful Catholic, Ann Brannack Skakel. Both of her parents died tragically in a plane accident in 1955. Ethel met her future husband, Robert F. Kennedy, at a ski resort in Canada in 1945 when she was 17 years old. The two eventually married in June 1950 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Greenwich, Connecticut. Deeply interested in politics, Kennedy was a staunch supporter of her husband’s career and also campaigned on behalf of her brother-in-law, John F. Kennedy, during his presidential campaigns. Kennedy’s husband, Robert, successfully campaigned for and won a seat in the U.S. Senate representing New York in 1964. He was assassinated on June 6, 1968, less than 24 hours after announcing that he had won two presidential primaries in California and South Dakota. Ethel Kennedy, who was by Robert’s side as he died, gave birth to their 11th and last child six months later. Together they had 11 children: Kathleen, Joseph II, Robert Jr, David, Courtney, Michael, Kerry, Christopher, Max, Douglas and Rory. She founded the Robert F Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights soon after husband’s death and advocated for causes including Gun Control, Special Olympics and the Earth Conservation Corps.

Pope St John XXIII

Pope John XXIII, as a young priest, as Pope and as Bishop

We celebrate today the eternal feast of the beloved Pope John, the Pope of the Council. He was my childhood Pope as he reigned during my childhood and early teens. I have great recollection watching him on our Telefunken black and white TV during his election in 1958, then opening the Second Vatican Council and then his funeral in 1963. He was born in Sotto il Monte in Bergamo, Italy on November 25 1881, and was ambassador to Turkey, Bulgaria and France. He became Patriarch and Cardinal of Venice in 1953, and was elected Pope in October 1958, when the fellow Cardinals thought they were electing a short-term Pope after the long pontificate of Pope Pius XII. Yet in 6 years he revolutionized the church by convening all the bishops to reform the church, including the way we celebrate the Mass and other major changes which were much needed. Many said that he was opening the window of the church for some fresh air, but ended up causing a spiritual hurricane. He was well known for his jokes and one-liners. Walking among the people, one day shortly after his election, he heard a woman exclaim in a loud voice: "My God, he's so fat!" The new Pope casually remarked: "Madame, the holy conclave isn't exactly a beauty contest!"  On another occasion someone asked him how many people work in the Vatican, and his quick answer was 'About half!' Pope John XXII died on June 3, 1963.He was canonized along with Pope St. John Paul II on April 27,2014.

The Piano

Brenda had bought a piano from a Music Store and had paid most of her instalments, except for the last one, around $150. The Store owner had threatened her that if she doesn’t pay he’ll send her two of his employees to pick the piano up and return it to the store. She did not respond to phone calls and so one day two strong men showed up and told her they were there to return her piano to the Music Store.  Brenda remained pretty calm and showed them the piano upstairs as they wondered how they were going to take it down the stairs. Slowly and cautiously, they manoeuvred the piano and after 30 minutes they were down in the living room. As they rested and took a breather, the lady presented them with a check for $150. They instantly got upset with her and told her, ‘so if you had in mind of paying the remainder, why didn’t you tell us....now we have to struggle to take it upstairs again!’ She quietly answered them by saying ‘you don’t have to get angry or upset. In fact I didn’t pay in full because I wanted the piano in my living room. I knew the owner would not send you here unless he needed the money. So now the piano is in its right place without any extra expense, and it came down with the order of the owner himself! I love this piano and it’s now in its right place, and the owner is also very happy because he got paid.’ Jesus once said ‘Be cunning like snakes and pure as doves.’ But let’s use our intelligence by helping those in need, not out of deceit but out of kindness and a sense of justice and fairness.

I ain’t stupid

A young student Kevin was often bullied by some of his classmates. One day they stuck a sign that said ‘I am Stupid’ on his back. He didn’t know about this sign and his classmates would laugh at him, while he was oblivious of the trick played on him. At one moment the teacher wrote a mathematical problem on the board, and asked any volunteers to try to solve it. Nobody volunteered as nobody knew it. Finally Kevin, the boy with the ‘Stupid’ sign on his back went up to the blackboard and solved the problem within 5  minutes. The teacher turned to the rest of the class and asked them to applaud him. Then she took the ‘I am stupid’ sign from his back and showed it to him, telling him and the rest of the class, ’I’m sure you didn’t now about this sign on your back. But before giving a punishment to the rest of you for doing such an unkind gesture, let me tell you 2 things. All through your life, you will encounter many people who would put signs like this, so that you won’t advance more than they do. This smart boy who solved the problem didn’t know about the sign, otherwise he would never had come out to solve the problem. So learn from your own mistakes and ignore any signs others may place on your back. Be aware of the talents and gifts you have and do your best in whatever you excel, mathematics, languages, art, history or even just your kindness. Secondly, remember that little Kevin had no real friend to tell him about the sign. It doesn’t matter how many friends hang out with you and laugh with you – what matters is that you can find a true honest friend who can defend you, even when everyone seems against you.  And if you cannot claim any honest friends, then its OK to be alone, rather than having false friends who are quick to betray you.'

Please hold me

It was Christmas during World War II. Jimmy was far away from his family in Portsmouth, as he was stationed in London. He remembered how every Christmas day he would go to church with his family, and occasionally on other Sundays when he happened to be home. He was drafted before the war started and had already seen quite a few horrible scenes as a  result of the bombardment. On Christmas Eve he decided to go towards Trafalgar Square with 4 of his colleagues. As they were walking, they came across a grey building with a big sign ‘Orphanage.’ Jimmy and his friends decided to knock on the door to see if they can be of any assistance. A nun opened the door and let them in, as the children were waking up around 8 AM. As they mingled among the children, they noticed that there was no Christmas tree, no lights, no decorations whatsoever. They saw no gifts anywhere, so they emptied their pockets and gave the children whatever they had, some coins, bubble gum, a crayon and colored pencils, tissues, some candy. At one moment Jimmy noticed a young girl all by herself in a corner, with a sad look on her face. He approached her gently and asked her ‘do you want something for Christmas?’ And the girl’s eyes lit up and said to Jimmy ‘Yes, please hold me in your arms!’

Our Lady of the Rosary

The Rosary mosaics at Ta Pinu church in Gozo, Malta

Even though the Rosary is a daily devotion which most Catholics pray every day, the month of October has always been connected in a special way to the Rosary. The origin of the Rosary has been attributed to a Marian apparition to Saint Dominic in 1208 in the church of Prouille. People wanted a devotional of sorts to pray, since the priests were able to pray the Office and read the 150 psalms in Latin, while most of the people could not read. So the devotion was started to pray 150 Hail Marys, later divided into decades and divided into three Mysteries, while more recently in 2002, the Luminous Mysteries were added. Many people however had abandoned the devotion to the Rosary and it was only revived after plagues, a schism and other calamities hit most of Europe in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Blessed Mother appeared to Blessed Alan de la Roche to revive this devotion, also reviving the ancient Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary. Blessed Alan was one of the Dominican Fathers from the monastery at Dinan, in Brittany. He was an eminent theologian and was famous for his sermons. Our Lady chose him because it was most fitting that a Dominican from the very same province, should have the honor of re-establishing this feast.

Pope Innocent II commissioning St Dominic to spread the Rosary devotion

In 1571 Pope St Pius V instituted "Our Lady of Victory" as an annual feast to commemorate the victory of the Christians against the Turks in Lepanto. The victory was attributed to Our Lady, as a rosary procession was offered on that day in St. Peter's Square in Rome for the success of the mission of the Holy League to hold back Muslim forces from overrunning Western Europe. In 1565, the Turks had already tried to take over Malta in the Great Siege, but the Maltese people, with the help of the Knights of Malta, were able to defend the island from the attack of the Ottoman Empire. In 1573 Pope Gregory XIII changed the title of this feast day to "Feast of the Holy Rosary". This feast was extended by Pope Clement XII to the whole of the Latin rite, inserting it into the Roman calendar of saints in 1716, and assigning it to the first Sunday in October. Pope St Pius X changed the date to October 7th in 1913. In 1969, Pope Paul VI changed the name of the feast to "Our Lady of the Rosary". A monumental display of the Rosary was erected a few years ago in front of the apparition church of Ta Pinu in Għarb, Gozo, Malta with the 20 mysteries displayed in beautiful mosaic.

The Happy Jesus

                 

We always imagine Jesus with a serious look on his face, often sad, stressed and melancholic at times. But I am pretty sure he had his happy moments too. Who knows how much fun he had with his parents in their home? The picture seen here speaks volumes about the happiness that the Holy Family experienced in their humble home at Nazareth. Who knows how many jokes he shared with the apostles? He always wanted children around Him, as they would make Him happy with their shenanigans and spontaneous remarks. And since we were made on the image of God himself, Jesus had His human side too. If we say that Jesus was never happy, we would be denying a part of His humanity. Some of His parables make us laugh too, like when he mentions trying to remove a speck in one’s eye when you have a large beam lodged in yours. Or when He mentions a camel passing through the eye of a needle. And just looking at some animals, they make us laugh by their behavior, like penguins, parrots, goats, frogs, some birds, all baby animals. He speaks about joy when someone finds the lost coin, or the lost sheep out of 99 well-behaved ones. Yes, certainly Jesus had a sense of humor too, and on His example, let us rejoice and be happy too.

A Prayer in a Restaurant

One evening the Clark family took the children to a restaurant in town for a meal, and as usual the two daughters always argue about who was going to lead the prayer. Both Deanna and Karen were pleasant girls and well educated, and so this time they agreed on Deanna as she folded her tiny fingers and bowed her blonde head in prayer ‘Dear God we thank you for everything you gave us, for the food you provided for us, and for those who cooked it today. But I want to thank you especially today if my mother buys ice-cream for all of us too. And I pray that there will always be peace and justice in the world. Amen.’ Some neighboring customers were impressed by the sincerity of Deanna’s prayer, but an elderly grumpy lady sitting by herself was heard complaining ‘no wonder there are so many problems today in our world. Is that a way to pray? What are these parents teaching our children today? You ask God for ice-cream? What a shame!’ Deanna’s mother told her ‘That was a beautiful prayer – don’t worry about what that lady said.’ Karen hugged her sister as did her mother Colleen. Her dad Jim whispered in her ears ‘It’s shame that lady never prayed to God. You should know that a little ice-cream is often good for the body and the soul!’ Obviously when they finished dinner Jim and Colleen bought a mountain of ice-cream for them all. Little Deanna then surprised everyone, by taking her cup of ice-cream, complete with colored sprinkles and nuts, and walked towards Mrs Grumpy, and placed the ice-cream in front of her, as she said to her ‘This is for you. A little ice-cream is sometimes good for the body and the soul. And mine are both already pretty strong.’

Prayer of Saint Francis

Today being the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, I thought it would be a good idea to reflect on the famous prayer that is attributed to him. We are all familiar with the prayer "Make me an instrument of your Peace." So I decided to add a few more phrase to this prayer:

Where there is disagreement, let me create consensus.
Where there is impatience, let me create tolerance.
Where there is egoism, let me show altruism.
Where there is indifference, let me show genuine interest.
Where there is division, let me bring unity and peace.
Where there is competition, let me create a sense of teamwork.
Where there is is cheating, let me create a spirit of honesty.
Where there is discouragement, let me create encouragement.
Where there is confusion, let me bring order.
Where there is struggle, let me add and instil perseverance.
Where there is loneliness, let me bring in companionship.
Where there is too much seriousness, let me bring in a sense of humor.
And where these is spiritual apathy, let me show commitment, prayerfulness and devotion.