St Blaise

Many people today head to churches to have their throats blessed on the occasion of the feast of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr. St Blaise lived in the 4th century and was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea (modern Sivas, Turkey). He was martyred by being beaten, attacked with iron carding combs, and beheaded. In iconography, Blaise is often shown with the instruments of his martyrdom, steel combs. The similarity of these instruments of torture to wool combs led to his adoption as the patron saint of wool combers in particular, and the wool trade in general. He may also be depicted with crossed candles. Such crossed candles are used for the blessing of throats on the feast day of Blaise, the day after Candlemas on the Roman Catholic calendar of saints. Blaise is traditionally believed to intercede in cases of throat illnesses. He was particularly remembered for dislodging a fish-bone in the throat of a young child, a miracle just before his death which led to many invoking prayers to him for protection of all throat ailments. This is the prayer that is said by a priest while holding the candles criss-crossed around the throat of any parishioner. Particularly in New York, people would line up outside churches to receive this blessing. Apparently it helps because they always come back the following year.  “Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, may God protect you from all ailments of the throat and every other illness, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN”

Candles in our lives

Today happens to be the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. It was a custom that any woman who had a brush with birth or death was considered impure for 40 days, and so the purification of that woman had to be done on the 40th day, so that she would be allowed to even enter the temple. So was the case with Mary who also presented Jesus at the temple, both for his circumcision and to be consecrated to the Lord. The parents had to present a pair of turtle doves if they were poor, or lambs or sheep if they happen to be wealthy. The mother frequently presented a candle also to the High Priest. And so on this day, which is also called Candlemas Day, candles to be used during the year are blessed. 

Candles for burning, candles for praying,
The Paschal Candle representing the Risen Christ.
Votive candles offered by people in memory of a loved one.
Candles placed in front of statues, images and paintings of Saints.
Candles used to break the darkness, especially when a power failure kills all electricity.
Candles used aux flambeaux during the daily procession in Lourdes.
Candles used to create ambiance at dinner tables.
Candles carried by altar-servers during Mass.
Candles on the altar, to emphasize the present of the Body and Blood of Jesus.

Agnes Keleti

Agnes Keleti, in 1956 and in 2016

Agnes Keleti, the world's oldest Olympic champion and Holocaust survivor, has died at the age of 103 in early January in a Budapest hospital, just a few days before her 104th birthday on January 9th. Agnes was the oldest living Olympian and as Hungary’s most successful gymnast, she won 10 Olympic medals, all of them after reaching the age of 30, against much younger gymnasts. She won 5 medals in Helsinki (1952) and 5 in Melbourne (1956.) Born as Agnes Klein in 1921, she changed her last name to Keleti and was soon called the ‘queen of gymnastics’ in Hungary, but in 1940, she was barred from any sporting activity due to her Jewish background. She was sent to a concentration camp but in March 1944 she obtained false documents and was able to escape, assuming the identity of a Christian woman. Agnes worked as a maid and kept training on the banks of the river Danube. Her father and other family members were killed in Auschwitz, but her mother and sister were rescued thanks to a Swedish diplomat. Then after the Melbourne Olympics, she never returned home but settled in Israel where she met and married her Hungarian sports teacher Robert Biro, with whom she had 2 children. After retiring from competition, she worked as a physical education teacher and coached the Israeli national team. She only moved back to Hungary in 2015.

Praying for the skaters

First responders searching for victims in the frozen Potomac

Around 9 PM Jan. 29, a regional jet flying from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a U.S. Army helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The aircraft plummeted into the Potomac River, and more than 60 passengers and crew members on board American Airlines Flight 5342 were feared dead. Pope Francis, in a telegram sent Jan. 30 to President Donald Trump, expressed his "spiritual closeness to all those affected, including his prayers for the first responders who have been retrieving the victims' bodies. In commending the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God, I offer my deepest sympathies to the families who are now mourning the loss of a loved one. We praise God for the generous assistance of our courageous first responders, and may this disaster serve as an impetus to strengthen our unity and collaboration." Among the victims were many young ice-skaters who had just competed in a competition in Wichita, Kansas. There were also a husband and wife ice-skating champions from Russia, besides coaches and parents. Other Washington and Kansas bishops commented, "We are able to gather here today in faith, and to entrust all those who have died to God's loving embrace, to ask the Lord to bless and console family members and friends, and to watch over all the first responders. How fragile life really is. Each new day is a gift. Each moment we have with loved ones is a gift. Each day we have to do good for others is a gift. So perhaps the most powerful way we can honor those who lost their lives last night is to make sure we never take these gifts for granted."

First taste of England

This is an extract from my Journal, going back to 1979, my first trip to England, on my way to the USA for a two-month stay in the summer, replacing another priest, while getting my first taste of life in a USA parish. But my first stop was England for a week, visiting an aunt who lived in Portsmouth. These are just two snippets from my journal...

For anyone leaving humid and dry Malta in the summer months, the cool and fresh climate is something that we all cherish and relish and look forward to. But what surprised me the most is that walking in a simple T-shirt was a great relief for me, while everyone else was bundled up in coats, hats and gloves. They must have looked at me and wondered which planet I had just landed from! It was so great and therapeutic just walking through clean streets with flowers in their front gardens, especially the roses, tulips and hortensias, which I knew were very delicate flowers and hard to raise in a warm climate like Malta. So it was just  such a pleasure seeing these large flowers in pink, lavender and white scenting the entire neighborhood. One day I ended up walking close to a golf course, and since this was my first encounter with this new sport for me, I ventured on the lush grass and enjoyed the soft feel of the newly-mowed grass. At one moment I come across a golf ball, and of course I picked it up, and took it with me, hiding it in my pocket. I walked around the luscious manicured lawn, but as I was leaving, I noticed a group of 4 men coming towards me, searching for something on the grass, looking in bushes and under trees, while I eyed them inquisitively from a distance, with the ball in my pocket. It was only later in the day, when I was proudly showing the ball to my uncle and cousins, that I realized that those 4 disconsolate golfers were actually looking for that ball, which belonged to one of them! What I thought was a great discovery for me turned out to be a colossal disappointment to one of the golfers, as he was penalized one stroke, maybe even two strokes!

Boys and Puppies

There is something really cute seeing little boys playing with puppies. Maybe because they are both young, you tend to appreciate their relationship even more. These two paintings speak volumes about the disappointment both boys feel. The first one being short of a few pennies in buying his first puppy. The second one shows another boy being short of a few more pennies to get his license to own a puppy. These may be vintage photos from bygone years, but undoubtedly they are real in any American household. 

The problem with young children in wanting a puppy or even a bunny for Easter, is that they don’t realize that they have to walk the dog, clean up after them and feed them regularly. Yes, boys will be boys, but isn’t it precious seeing these to boys on the verge of spilling a few tears.

Patience

A young girl was asked by her religion teacher to share a prayer that she likes very much. The girl thought for a while and then said: ‘This is my mother’s favorite prayer – Oh God, give me patience!’ Then there is that story of two young men carrying big sacks of vegetables, and one of them was constantly complaining how heavy they are. The other one scolded him and told him to calm down. He told him ‘mine doesn’t seem to be that heavy.’ ‘Why, what’s in your sack?’ The response left the other guy more angry, as he told him ‘I have some fruit called Patience!’ There is another story told about our Maltese saint St George Preca, canonized in 2007. A young doctor was caring for him towards the end of the saint’s life, and he told him that he just got married. So he asked the saint ‘Father, I just got married a few months ago, do you have any secret or suggestions for a happy marriage?’ And Father George told him ‘yes, I have a very practical suggestion – when you go home tonight, write on every door of the house PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE.’

80 years from Auschwitz

Today is the 80th anniversary from the closing of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. A complex of over 40 concentration camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland saw approximately 1,100,000 victims of the Holocaust. For the first two years, the majority of inmates were Polish. Prisoners were beaten, tortured, and executed for the most trivial of reasons. The first gassings of Soviet and Polish prisoners, took place in a Block of Auschwitz I around August 1941. Construction of Auschwitz II began the following month, and from 1942 until late 1944 freight trains delivered Jews from all over German-occupied Europe to its gas chambers. Of the 1.3 million people sent to Auschwitz, 1.1 million were murdered. The number of victims includes 960,000 Jews (865,000 of whom were gassed on arrival), 74,000 non Jewish Poles, 21,000 Romani, 15,000 Soviet prisoners of war, and up to 15,000 others. Those not gassed were murdered via starvation, exhaustion, disease, individual executions, or beatings. Others were killed during medical experiments. At least 802 prisoners tried to escape, 144 successfully. After the Holocaust ended, only 789 guards or personnel (no more than 15 percent) ever stood trial. Several were executed, including camp commandant Rudolf Höss. As the Soviet Red Army approached Auschwitz in January 1945, toward the end of the war, Soviet troops entered the camp on 27 January 1945, a day commemorated since 2005 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Building your house

A construction worker who specialized in building wooden houses was nearing his retirement, to also spend more time with his family. His Boss was upset that he was losing one of his faithful and devoted workers, so he asked him if could build one more house before retiring. The worker accepted even though his heart was not in this final project. He did not choose the best material, he didn’t do any overtime, and his usual enthusiasm was not there. It was OK, but nothing compared to the other houses he had built over the years. When he finished, his Boss called him in the office and asked him to sit down. Then he gave him an envelope and told him that the house he just finished is his – as a gift for the priceless service he has given to the company over the past 20 years. The worker was shocked. If he knew, he would have done much better for his last house. The same happens to us in our daily lives. Your entire life is a do-it-yourself project. The attitude you show, the choices you make and the determination you give yourself will help you build the house you will reside at in the future. So, be wise and build well.

Ġbejna – The Cheeselet

A selection of the Maltese Ġbejna, soft, hard and peppered

We re happy to announce that a Maltese item of food has been recognized by the UNESCO and the European Union as an artisan and regional delicacy, which is now unique in the world, endemic of the Maltese islands. This particular item is called Ġbejna (pronounced jbeina) a cheeselet that is made from the milk of sheep. This was an important achievement for all Maltese and Gozitan farmers, and this Maltese new product will be included on the list of other international food products like the Parmeggiano Reggiano and the Greece’s Feta Cheese. The ġbejna tan-nagħaġ can be sold fresh (‘ġbejna tan-nagħaġ friska’), air-dried (‘ġbejna tan-nagħaġ niexfa’) or pickled and peppered (‘ġbejna tan-nagħaġ tal-bżar’). Ġbejna is shaped in a cheese hurdle made of dried reeds, although now plastic ones are also used. They are traditionally dried in small ventilated rooms, with windows protected by a special mesh mosquito net. It is said by certain individuals that in the past sea water, rather than rennet, was used as a curdling agent. The cheese is available both from pasteurised and unpasteurised milk.

The Ġbejna now joins three other items which are intagibles from the Maltese culture: the Ftira, a flat bread pickled with tomato paste, olive oil, olives, cucumbers and tomatoes (2020.) Għana, is a folk type of music sung along with guitars by local singers improvising the words as they go along (2021.) And the Maltese Festa, with its religious processions, festive banners, fireworks an band marches that light up every town and village over the summer months. (2023) Now Ġbejna joins them in 2025.

St Francis de Sales Cathedral

St Francis de Sales Cathedral after the renovation

On this feast of St Francis de Sales, since I reviewed his life several times, today I’d like to highlight a Cathedral which was my home for 8 glorious years in Baker City, Oregon, between 2005 and 2013. In 2008, the Cathedral celebrated its centennial and I led a big renovation inside, with the help of many parishioners who both financed the work and also many of them helped with its restoration. These two photos show the difference before and after the work was finished in October 2007, with the official celebration done in April 2008. The main new attraction was the erection of a baldacchino under which we placed the altar with the tabernacle, and a large crucifix hanging above. 4 statues were re-positioned, two on each side, while new tiles, new carpeting and pew adjustment were done. 

St Francis de Sales Cathedral before the renovation.

The main altar was placed closer to the congregation over a section of flooring with alabaster.  The old wooden screen was partly used in crafting a confessional at the back of the church, and the apse had a striking change of color scheme, from the old-fashioned mustard color to blue.

A Pastor’s heart speaks

The Episcopalian Bishop of Washington DC. Mariann Edgar Budde spoke during Tuesday’s interfaith prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, and what she said is probably what most of Americans would like to tell President Donald Trump. Her comments came after Mr Trump promised to carry out the biggest deportation in US history and his executive order stating the government will recognise only two sexes. President Trump and Vice-President Vance were in the congregation, as well as all the other relatives and personalities present at the inauguration on Monday. Bishop Budde said: 

 "Let me make one final plea, Mr President. Millions have put their trust in you. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in democratic, republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives. These are the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms, and meat-packing plants, those who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals. They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors, they are faithful members of our churches, and mosques, synagogues and temples. I ask you to have mercy, Mr President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away. And that you help those who are fleeing war and persecution in their own lands, to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land.”

On Monday, even Pope Francis remarked on hearing that Trump plans to deport all illegal foreigners...’this is a disgrace!’ I personally worked with many Mexicans and South Americans while in Oregon, and I knew they were very faithful to their church, to their families and to their work. Many of them support their parishes with utmost dedication. I pray that they can remain without any fear or threat.

St Publius

Ceiling painting of St Publius by Emvin Cremona

Today the church in Malta celebrates the feast of St Publius. He was the chief of the island of Malta when St Paul was shipwrecked here in 60 AD. He welcomed St Paul, St Luke and the 276 sailors who ended up drifting to shore on planks of wood from the broken vessel on which they had travelled. Publius was very generous and hospitable to all these people, and when St Paul found out that his father was sick with fever and a bout of dysentery, he went to his house and healed him, whereupon many other natives came to be healed of various ailments. Eventually St Paul ordained St Publius as the first Bishop of Malta. Later on in his life he was captured and martyred by the cruel Emperor Hadrian. Most probably he was sent to the amphitheatre and devoured by a lion, as his statue always shows him with a lion next to him. He was canonized in 1634. The parish church of Floriana is dedicated to him, and the impressive ceiling of the church was painted by Emvin Cremona with various scenes from the life of St Publius. (click photo to enlarge)

St Agnes

One of the early and young martyrs of the church is the beloved Saint Agnes. According to tradition, Saint Agnes was a member of the Roman nobility born around 291 AD and raised in a Christian family. She suffered martyrdom at the age of twelve or thirteen during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, on 21 January 304. The Prefect Sempronius wished Agnes to marry his son, and on Agnes' refusal he condemned her to death. As Roman law did not permit the execution of virgins, Sempronius had a naked Agnes dragged through the streets to a brothel. Various versions of the legend give different methods of escape from this predicament. In one, as she prayed, her hair grew and covered her body. It was also said that all of the men who attempted to rape her were immediately struck blind.  When eventually she was led out to die she was tied to a stake, but the bundle of wood would not burn, or the flames parted away from her, whereupon the officer in charge of the troops drew his sword and beheaded her. It is also said that the blood of Agnes poured to the stadium floor where other Christians soaked up the blood with cloths. A few days after Agnes' death, her foster-sister, Saint Emerentiana was found praying by her tomb; she claimed to be the daughter of Agnes' wet nurse, and was stoned to death after refusing to leave the place and reprimanding the pagans for killing her foster sister. Emerentiana was also later canonized. Agnes' name may have derived from the Latin 'agnus', meaning lamb, and she is always represented with a lamb near her. Then there is another beautiful tradition......

 

On this day, the feast of St Agnes, the Pope traditionally blesses two lambs raised by Trappist monks near Rome. The lambs are sheared and the wool is given to the cloistered Benedictine nuns at Rome’s Basilica of St. Cecilia. The nuns use the wool to make palliums, which are bands that the heads of archdioceses wear around their shoulders during liturgical functions. Every year on the June 29 feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the Pope places the bands around the necks of archbishops who have taken office in the past year. Today, after blessing the animals, the pope also asked God to “bless the pastors who will receive the palliums made from the wool of these lambs.”

Strange facts about the US Presidents

With the installation of Donald Trump as the new US President today, may I share with you some curious and interesting, yet strange facts about past Presidents.

Previous jobs of some Presidents:  Jimmy Carter was a peanut farmer, Andrew Johnson was a tailor, Harry Truman was a haberdasher, selling hats  and men’s clothing, and Ronald Reagan was a Hollywood actor.

Teddy Roosevelt was the first president to ride in a car while in office. His fifth cousin and the 32nd president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was the first to ride in an airplane. 

The only President who studied to become a medical doctor was William Henry Harrison. 

The 18th president of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, was given a $20 speeding ticket for riding his horse and buggy too fast down a street in Washington, D.C.

The White House's first website went online in October 1994 during President Bill Clinton's administration.

James Buchanan is the only president who never married.

Woodrow Wilson is the only president buried in Washington, D.C.

Herbert Hoover refused to accept a salary for his presidency and gave all of his federal pay checks to charity.

Richard Nixon was the first president to visit all 50 states.

James Monroe was the first president to have an outdoor inauguration in Washington, D.C.

Martin van Buren was the first president to be born an American. All previous presidents were originally British subjects, having been born prior to 1776. 

William Henry Harrison lasted only 32 days in office, the shortest stint of any president.

 

John Tyler had 15 children, the most of any president.

Abraham Lincoln was the tallest president at 6’4”. James Madison, was the shortest, only 5 feet, 4 inches.

Rutherford Hayes was the first president to have a telephone in the White House in 1880.

Ora et Labora

We’ve heard the motto of monks, which is ‘Ora et Labora,’ To pray is to work. And of course it works also the other way round, to work is to pray. With the consistent hard work,  look what the monks from various monasteries were able to invent. Dom Perignon was able to transform wine into champagne, and they named one of the brands for him. Monks also invented clocks, as the mechanical clock was devised in a monastery, so that their bells will ring whenever there is a call for prayer, or for lunch, and specific times of prayer. They were also able to invent distilled Alcohol.  They were able to mix spices and alcohol to create medicine and liqueurs for the sick monks. As time went by, many of them became well known drinks. The Pretzel was also invented in a monastery as one of the monks wanted to give a gift to the children, and so he created the pretzel in the shape of praying hands, and encouraged children to always pray and go to church. When children crossed their arms on their chest, the idea of the pretzel was created. The pretzel is a symbol of nourishment for the body and the soul.

The United Trinity

The United Trinity outside Old Trafford Stadium

We mourn the loss of Denis Law, the third player of the triumvirate of Manchester United, or as they are better known as the United Trinity. The other two are George Best, who died in 2005 at the age of 59, and Bobby Charlton who died in October 2023, aged 86.  Denis Law was 84 years old and played 309 games for Manchester United and scored 171 goals. He also played 55 games for Scotland and scored 30 goals. George Best played 361 games for United between 1963 and 1974, scoring 137 goals. He also played 37 games for Northern Ireland, scoring 9 goals. Bobby Charlton played 606 games for United scoring 199 goals. He also played 106 games for England and scored 49 goals. Since they were of different nationalities, they often played against each other  in their respective national teams, Law being Scottish, Charlton being British and Best being Irish. But they were obviously best of friends. Outside Old Trafford Stadium is a bronze state of the three of them, George Best on the left, Denis Law in the center, with hand raised and Bobby Charlton on the right. Denis Law played also for Manchester City and Huddersfield Town for a few matches, as well as Torino in Italy. In total he played  458 games and scored a total of 227 goals for all 4 clubs.

St Anthony Abbot

Saint Antony is also known as St. Anthony of the Desert or St. Anthony of Egypt. Along with St Francis of Assisi, he is invoked as the patron saint of the animal kingdom, and special Masses take place on the Sunday closest to his feast day of January 17th, with the blessing of animals and pets held afterwards. St Anthony was a hermit who lived in Northern Egypt. His parents died very young and left him with his younger sister. He gave much of their money to the poor, and after saving some money for his sister’s well-being, he started a life of solitude. He was a staunch defender of the faith against Arianism. During his travels, he met many animals, some helpful and some not, but they all befriended him and were kind to him, just as he was kind to them. Anthony died when he was 105 years old. A life of solitude, fasting, and manual labor in the service of God had left him a healthy, vigorous man until very late in life. And he never stopped challenging himself to go one step beyond in his faith. Saint Athanasius, who knew Anthony and wrote his biography, said, "Anthony was not known for his writings nor for his worldly wisdom, nor for any art, but simply for his reverence toward God." We may wonder nowadays at what we can learn from someone who lived in the desert, wore skins, ate bread, and slept on the ground. We can become like Anthony by living his life of radical faith and complete commitment to God.

Discovery of Galapagos Islands

Statue of Fr. Tomas de Berlanga in Berlanga, Spain.

The Galapagos Islands are a  group of 127 islands, 18 of them quite large while only 4 of them are inhabited, on which there are also some hotels. Few people know that these islands were discovered by a priest, Fr Tomas de Berlanga, Bishop of Panama on March 10, 1535. He was born in Berlanga, Spain in 1487, a humble missionary who was asked one day to intervene in a political dispute between the Spanish crown and the  indisciplined Francisco Pizarro of Peru. Because of strong currents, the ship he was  sailing on lost its course and  ended up lost in the Pacific ocean, 1000 kilometers from Ecuador. On that historic day in March 1535, he came across a series of volcanic mountains , a lifeless land with no water, which they desperately needed. As the first European to discover them, he arrived by accident and complained that his crew that went ashore found 'nothing but seals, iguanas, turtles and such big tortoises that each  could carry a man on them.' - a description that sounds like PERFECTION to us! Fr Tomas never returned to these islands and never tried to take advantage of his discovery, but reported it to the Spanish Emperor. The Galapagos Islands were ignored for many years until Charles Darwin arrived there in 1835, exactly 300 years after Fr Tomas discovered them, visited these islands and observed the plants and animals of this new land, which later inspired him to develop the Theory of Evolution.

Just be present

When caring for elderly parents, you don't have to do anything extraordinary, but simple gestures that say 'I Care, I love, I am here!'....Listen to them in silence. Give them your full attention, even if they repeat the same things. Be patient with them, smile with them, remain close to them even if they have nothing else to give you. Visit them as often as you can. Don’t criticize them. Don’t remove anything from its place. Leave everything as you found it, even if you freshened up the place. For them any change will confuse them. Say a simple prayer with them, even a Hail Mary. Never let them feel alone. Give them some flowers, something they like to eat. Give them a kiss, a hug, stroke their face, their hands. Review their photo albums, and let them relate some stories they can remember from the photos. Take them for a ride in your car, near a beach, in the countryside, especially in the winter months. If you live far away at least give them a call occasionally. Whenever you can, visit them, and don’t say ‘I will, soon,’  just drop everything and go! Le them talk, speak only to say ‘Thank you Grandma, thanks Grandpa...Thanks Mom, Thanks Dad.’

Saint Teresa of Calcutta’s Prayer for Priests

Mary, Mother of Jesus, throw your mantle of purity over our priests. Protect them, guide them, and keep them in your heart. Be a Mother to them, especially in times of discouragement and loneliness. Love them and keep them belonging completely to Jesus. Like Jesus, they, too, are your sons, so keep their hearts pure and virginal. Keep their minds filled with Jesus, and put Jesus always on their lips, so that he is the one they offer to sinners and to all they meet. Mary, Mother of Jesus, be their Mother, loving them and bringing them joy. Take special care of sick and dying priests, and the ones most tempted. Remember how they spent their youth and old age, their entire lives serving and giving all to Jesus. Mary, bless them and keep a special place for them in your heart. Give them a piece of your heart, so beautiful and pure and immaculate, so full of love and humility, so that they, too, can grow in the likeness of Christ. Dear Mary, make them humble like you, and holy like Jesus. Amen.

What I’d like to be.....

7 warblers on a branch, at Mt Angel Seminary, Oregon

I’d like to be like the sun, waking up in the early morning and enlighten wherever I am. I’d like to be like the moon, so that where there is darkness, I can brighten things with my light. I’d like to be like a melodious bird, who sings and entertains everyone with their harmonious song.   I’d like to imitate the flowers which embellish their surroundings with their perfume. I’d like to be like the fruit, so that I will be able not only to be enticing on the outside, but also delicious and and sweet on the inside. I’d like to be like the water, which invigorates wherever it flows. I’d like to be like Heaven, so that my soul becomes like a house for God.

Baptism of Jesus

Baptism of Jesus by Perugino

As we celebrate Jesus’ Baptism today, may we look back at our own baptism and see how faithful we have been to the commitment our parents made for us. I ask 3 simple questions today for your consideration:

1. How proud are you of the decision your parents took when they introduced you to the Catholic faith by baptizing you?

2. Do you know the names of your godparents, the name of the priest who baptized you, the church in which you were baptized, the date of your baptism?

3. If you were chosen as a godparent for a child, do you keep in contact with that child, who may now be a teenager, an adult, a parent, and do you make sure they attend church regularly? Remember that this was one of the promises you made when you stood as a godparent on the baptism day.

Night Prayer

Different people have different ways of praying at night, specifically before they go to sleep. This is a very practical prayer that I’ve used for many years, and I shared it with many past parishioners. I share it once again with you all. Keep it handy next to your bed.

As my head rests on my pillow, let my soul rest in your mercy.

As my limbs relax on my mattress, let my soul relax in your peace.

As my body finds warmth beneath the blankets, let my soul find warmth in your love.

As my mind is filled with dreams, let my soul be filled with visions of heaven.  

Praying for Los Angeles

Let us remember in our prayers the thousands of  California residents who have lost houses, property, pets and everything they owned in the catastrophic fires that have engulfed Los Angeles. We pray for the firefighters who have been working non-stop to control the fires, which is almost impossible with the high winds that constantly blow fiercely from the Pacific ocean.  May God give them some reprieve by adequate rain and less wind. The Catholic parish church of Corpus Christi in Pacific Palisades has been demolished, along with its school. 10 people have died so far and over 10,000 homes have been burned down.

Elvis is 90

Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, USA. So yesterday he would have turned 90 years old. But as we know, he died on August 16, 1977, in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 43. His music career began in 1954, at Sun records with producer Sam Phillips guiding him. But his entire life was pushed by Colonel Tom Parker, who managed him for the rest of his career. Presley's first RCA Victor single, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, was released in January 1956 and became a number-one hit in the US, the first of many Number One hits. In 1967 Elvis married Priscilla Beaulieu and they had one daughter, Lisa Marie. He took part in 31 movies, and as a US citizen, had to serve in the military for a few months, which he did in Germany. Enjoy this Megamix of hits from the King of Rock and Roll.

Two more Nativities

As we near the end of the Christmas season, allow me to share with you two more Nativities I saw this week, actually crafted by a father and son combination. The first one is by the father with beautiful hand-made figurines representing the Holy Family with a donkey close by, some sheep and a lady with a pitcher of water. 

The second one is by the son and shows Jesus as a toddler, making his first step towards his mother Mary, watched carefully by his father St. Joseph. It is a scene reminiscent of the early days of Jesus, which could probably have been in Egypt, as they were avoiding the wrath of Herod who wanted to kill their Son. It is a popular domestic scene when children start to walk on their own with parents and other siblings cheering them on.

McElroy to Washington DC

Just a few days before Donald Trump becomes the next President, Washington DC will have still another new resident in Cardinal Robert McElroy who will become the new Archbishop, replacing Card. Wilton Gregory who is now 77. McElroy is 70 and  over the last decade has become one of the most vocal champions of Pope Francis' pastoral agenda among the U.S. hierarchy. He has frequently echoed the pope's prioritization of migrants and refugees, environmental concerns and a more welcoming approach to LGBTQ people.  McElroy, 70, was first made an auxiliary bishop of San Francisco in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI and then named bishop of San Diego by Francis in 2015. In 2022, Pope Francis made him a Cardinal. He has a bachelor's degree from Harvard University, and a master's in U.S. history and a doctorate in political science from Stanford University, among other degrees. In 2017, just one month into Trump's first term, McElroy delivered a fiery speech to community activists that amounted to a direct opposition to the new president's political agenda.....in it he said....."We must disrupt those who would seek to send troops into our streets to deport the undocumented, to rip mothers and fathers from their families. We must disrupt those who portray refugees as enemies, rather than our brothers and sisters in terrible need. We must disrupt those who train us to see Muslim men and women and children as sources of fear rather than as children of God." So fasten your seat-belts as we’re due to have a few clashes over the next 4 years !

St Andre Bessette

St Andre Bessette (1845-1937)

His name was Alfred when he was born in Canada in 1845, one of 10 children. His father was a carpenter while his mother took care of the household needs and raising the children. To get a better job, his father moved the family to Quebec, but died tragically soon after he arrived to work as a lumberman, when a tree fell on him and crushed him to death. Alfred was only 9 years old, and to make matters worse, his mother died of tuberculosis 3 years later. Later on in his life, Alfred would write ‘rarely I prayed for my mother, but often I prayed to her, because she was a saint.’ Finding himself an orphan, Alfred started a series of jobs as shoemaker, baker and metal-worker, but did not know how to read or write, yet he had a great devotion to the church. He spent a lot of time praying in front of a crucifix he had in his room. When he was 20, he joined many other immigrants and moved to the USA to work in the clothing business, but returned home within a year. His parish priest noticed his holiness and sent him to the Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, with a message ‘I am sending you a saint.’ He was refused because of his poor health, but in 1872, he was accepted as a brother and started his Novitiate taking the name Brother Andre. He was 28, and his duties were to be a porter and sacristan. He remained as a receptionist for 40 years at the College of Notre Dame in Quebec, washing floors, carrying firewood, cleaning lamps, and taking messages. Hundreds of people used to come to ask his advice when he was a doorkeeper. More people came to him than to other priests at the College.

Oratory of St Joseph, Mount Royal, Quebec, Canada

He developed a special devotion towards St. Joseph, and encouraged the people to pray to him. He had a small oil lamp near his statue at the College, and often he would anoint sick people with the oil. Many people were healed, and he even led a campaign to build a church in honor of St. Joseph and he was often called the ‘miracle-worker of Mount Royal.’ Most of the people believed in him, though others made fun of him and ridiculed him. However, the church always was there to defend him. In 1924, the Oratory of St. Joseph started its construction on the hill of Mount Royal, Quebec, but Andre was not to see its completion as he died aged 91 in 1937. More than a million people passed by his casket before his funeral. He was beatified in 1982 and canonized on October 17, 2010. Every year, millions of people visit the Oratory of St Joseph, and thanks to St Andre, the devotion towards St. Joseph increased handsomely over the past few years.

13 years of blogging

Our old home in St Julian's decorated annually by my parents.

Today is the 13th anniversary since I started my Blog. I got into blogging because of an obnoxious parishioner in Baker City who kept criticizing the Bishop and myself, and everything I did for the beautiful Cathedral, which I helped restore in 2008 for its centennial. My intention was to counteract that negativity by highlighting beauty, positivity, our faith, our Catholic heritage through reflections, meaningful photos with a message, lives of saints, anecdotes and other prayers and inspirational quotes. My first Blog ‘Father Julian’s Blog’ from the USA can be found here and you can browse through older posts as they are all still accessible.

http://fatherjulian.blogspot.com/

My second blog picked up from the first one, and I only missed a few weeks, until I started again my second Blog ‘Dun Giljan’s Blog’ from May 2016, and has been going strong ever since, with anywhere from 100 to 300 hits every day from all parts of the world. I thank you for visiting me and checking its content daily, some of you weekly or even surprisingly discovering it by chance. There are 3168 posts in his Blog, while the first one had over 2000 posts, way over 5000 in total. But I can guarantee you that it will go on as long as possible, as I keep researching and adding interesting posts daily. Please browse through in the past by clicking the Older Posts link at the bottom right hand corner. The search button on the top right allows you to search any topic you like, and you will be surprised by how much stuff and helpful information there is.