Our Lady of Champion

In 2022, the Vatican approved the only apparition of the Blessed Mother in America – that is called Our Lady of Champion. In 1859, the Blessed Mother appeared 3 times to Adele Brise in Champion, Wisconsin. When she was a little girl, Adele was a victim of an accident that left her vision only in one eye. But she grew up as a woman of great faith. Mary appeared to her with a yellow sash on a white dress and a crown of many stars around her head. Surrounding her body was a bright light. Adele was terrified at the scene but Mary told her ‘Don’t worry, go and I’ll help you. I am the Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners – and I want you to do the same. Please gather many children and tell them what they should do to attain salvation.’ At the time Adele was 28, and she spent the rest of her life teaching children. At first she would go from house to house, walking everywhere. Then she opened a school and a few other women joined her, living according to the Third Order Franciscan rule.

Holy Name of Jesus

Today the Church celebrates the feast honoring the Holy Name of Jesus. Medieval Catholicism, and many other Christian churches to the present day, celebrated this feast along with the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ, usually on 1 January. St Bernardino of Siena placed great emphasis on the Holy Name, which he associated with the IHS Christogram, and may be responsible for the coupling of the two elements. The feast of the Holy Name of Jesus was moved around over the centuries, and in 2002, it was re-inserted in the Roman calendar to be celebrated today, January 3. The name of Jesus is frequently shown as a Monogram of IHS, the first three letters of the Greek name IHSUS. The name of Jesus is offered in a variety of forms, as you can see from this short list of languages:

                                                                  Albanian - Jezusi;    
                                                                  Bosnian -  Isus
                                                                  Czech - Ježíš
                                                                  Filipino -  Hesus/Hesukristo
                                                                  Hawaiian - Jesu
                                                                  Hungarian - Jézus
                                                                  Maltese - Gesù
                                                                  Polish -  Jezus
                                                                  Ukranian - Icyc                                                               

Maltese Nativities

The number of Nativities displayed in various parish halls, churches, private homes and band clubs have exploded over the last few years. These are just two I discovered this year, both with a simple message. The first one shows the Holy Family in the stable of Bethlehem with a young child rejoicing at the birth of Jesus. How much can children help us appreciate the presence of the Christ-child in each of us. If we can only see the birth of Christ from the eyes of a child, we would really be able to see clearly his humanity, his innocence, as well as the joy of every mother who can hold and nurse her infant baby.

The second Nativity is with a Maltese backdrop, a typical Maltese neighborhood, at least the way houses were built years ago. Unfortunately today houses are made of steel, glass, and concrete and have altogether lost their vintage limestone style. Yet this scene speaks to me about the fact that Jesus is still being born in our midst, in our homes, in our stables and workshops, in our squares and alleys. Most importantly He is still being born in our hearts and in our families, as we notice folks in this neighborhood going around their day’s work, while Jesus is being born right in their midst. Let us hope and pray that all the Maltese recognize Him right next to them, precisely in each other.....that is why we are called Christians, other Christs.

Happy New Year

With my wishes for a healthy and peaceful New Year, I start this year by re-living two of my hobbies which I have pursued on my own, and still enjoy devotedly, even as I move on in my 70s, just to show that retiring is certainly not for me, any time soon. That's just besides of course my duties as chaplain and serving Masses, presenting talks and helping people move on in their lives, getting them closer to God in the best possible way. 

The two photos are: a simple watercolor with a Nativity theme and a Christmas flute recital I offered to the residents yesterday, which will keep them happy and fulfilled. Blessings in the New Year, especially with sincere prayers for a ceasefire soon and the end of hostilities in the Middle East and Ukraine.