The Finding of the Cross

St Helena excavating the Cross of Jesus at Golgotha

Today the church commemorates the day when St Helena found the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Being the mother of Emperor Constantine, who ended the persecutions in 313AD, Helena was determined to find the abandoned cross on which Jesus was crucified. The excavations actually found three crosses buried in Jerusalem close to Mount Calvary. To verify which was the actual cross of Christ, they asked a sick person to touch each cross.  When she touched the third one, the person was completely healed, and thereby they concluded which was Jesus's cross. The Cross of Christ dominates our lives in many ways. So many of us start meetings, classes, trips and gatherings with the sign of the cross. Passing by a cemetery, you see hundreds of crosses lining up the entire area. If you’re in Arlington Cemetery in Washington DC, the crosses number in the thousands. This feast is also called the Finding of the Cross, or the Triumph of the Cross or even the Exaltation of the Cross. We all have crosses to carry, but when we are given a cross, we are also given the strength to carry them valiantly and courageously through our lives.

And today we wish a very Happy Birthday to Pope Leo XIV 

as he turns 70 years old, becoming a septuagenarian.

Louis Pasteur

A Sierra Leone stamp honoring Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) was terrified of dogs. Even a barking dog from a distance would scare him, and even a childhood memory of a dangerous wolf in town gave him nightmares just thinking about him. Yet in 1882, at the age of 60, Pasteur abandoned his books and focused on finding a cure for rabies. This was an illness which a person can get if bitten by a dog. In spite of his constant fear of dogs, he spent three years living with dangerous dogs to experiment on them. Finally he was able to invent a vaccine to help cure victims of a dog bite which would cause rabies. It was in July 1885 that he tried his first vaccine on a young boy who was nearing death. But thankfully, the boy survived and so did Pasteur’s invention, which is still being used today.

Holy Name of Mary

Monogram of the name of Mary

It’s hard to imagine that the Blessed Mother has many more feasts than Jesus himself in the Liturgical calendar. In one week between September 8 and 15, there are three celebrations honoring Mary. September 8 is the Nativity of Mary, September 15 is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, and today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Name of Mary, a feast only recently introduced, even though this was made officially a universal feast by Blessed Pope Innocent XI to commemorate victory over the Turks at the Battle of Vienna in 1683.

The feast was only a local one at its inception in 1513, when it was instituted in Cuenca, Spain. It was initially celebrated on September 15th and later on the 17th. Pope Gregory XV extended the celebration to the Archdiocese of Toledo in 1622. In 1666 the Discalced Carmelites received the faculty to recite the Office of the Name of Mary four times a year. In 1671 the feast was extended to the whole of Spain. After the victory of the Christians, led by King John III Sobieski of Poland, over the Turks in the Battle of Vienna in 1683, the feast was extended to the whole Church by Pope Innocent XI, and assigned to the Sunday after the Nativity of Mary. Before the battle, King John had placed his troops under the protection of the BVM.
Even in the past 60 years, there has been some controversy over the date of this festivity. In 1954, it was re-instated at September 12, but was removed temporarily as many thought it was a duplication of the Nativity of Mary, but in 2001, the feast of the Holy Name of Mary was once again set to be celebrated today.
Mary is Mariam in the Holy Land. The Hebrew variant of the name is Miriam. The name may have originated in the Egyptian Meri-Amun, "beloved of the God". It was incorporated in the Exodus narrative as Miriam, the name of Moses' sister. It became common in ancient Israel, hence its appearance in the gospel narrative as the name of Jesus' mother and several other women. The name is very common among Arabs, Iranians, and other Muslim cultures. However, Mary is called by an innumerable number of names that denote a connection with something special, Our Lady of Lourdes, Fatima, Queen of Peace, Our Lady of the Angels, Perpetual Help, Our Lady of Snows and many others listed in the Litany of Loreto.

Twin Towers memories

This date will always remain as the biggest blemish in American history. As I remember watching those Twin Towers implode and being reduced to dust, I recall the few times I visited them. On one occasion I was with my parents who happened to be visiting me in 1982, and we were on top of the world, overlooking the rest of Manhattan, with most of the New York skyscrapers beneath us. These two photos were taken on happier days, 19 years before they were attacked by terrorists. On September 11, 2001, believe it or not, I actually heard about this tragedy from my mother. Since it was before 9 AM that the first plane hit the first tower, I was saying the 9 AM Mass, and then stopped by our Nursery school to check on our children. 

Then heading to my room, I noticed a flashing red light on my phone, which meant I had some missed calls. As I was picking up the phone, it rang again, and I heard the frantic, hysterical voice of my mother asking me where was I, as she’s been calling for the past 30 minutes. Oblivious of what had just happened, I calmly told her that I was saying Mass, whereupon she told me what they were watching on TV in Malta, now past 3:30 PM, Malta time, 6 hours ahead of New York. Then turning the TV on, I watched in horror the rest of the story. After seeing both Towers collapsing, I had to continue my work, having a few parishioners waiting for me to give them communion at home. Then I spent the rest of the day consoling people, and visiting the Klein family who had lost a son, Peter, one of the 3000 victims. Let us continue to remember the New York martyrs and those who died on the planes and at the Pentagon.

A sad anniversary

Click on photo to enlarge.

We’re approaching again another sad anniversary of September 11, 2001, an event which I lived through with some friends and various parishioners, including a young parishioner, Peter Klein, a 35 year old consultant with  Marsh Mclennon who was married just one year earlier. And later on I learned of another victim, an ex-Youth Group member Matthew Grzymalski aged 34 from my former parish of Holy Spirit in New Hyde Park, NY, who worked as a bond broker with Cantor Fitzgerald. During one of my visits to Ground Zero after the unspeakable tragedy that left 3000 victims, I saw some tarpaulins on a fence with several messages in different languages. I found a little space and I wrote a message in Maltese, as you can see on the right side of this tarp. People left teddy bears and other soft toys, simple photos of a missing person, flowers and information with phone-numbers and addresses if a person is found alive. The message I left is ‘Il-Bambin jiftakar fikom, u l-Maltin jitolbu għalikom.’ Which means ‘God will take care of you, and the Maltese will pray for you.’.......to be continued tomorrow.......

Twistees

This came as a big surprise to me. One of the most popular snacks in Malta is called Twistees, which is now widely exported to many countries, and until recently I had no idea it was a Maltese creation, or invention. In fact only a few weeks ago I was tempted to buy a packet and brought back many taste buds which have been dormant for close to 50 years ! Twistees are produced by Tastees Manufacturing Limited at a factory in Marsa which was originally established by Ray Calleja in 1969. They are also exported to the Middle East, Dubai, Japan and Germany.  Twistees are a rice-based snack manufactured by a baking process. The most popular form of the snack are the original Cheesy Twistees, though other flavours have been added to the range over the years, including Twistees Smokey Barbeque, Twistees Lite, Twistees Chicken, Twistees Sour Cream and Onion and Twistees Blue Cheese and Twistees Paprika. The Twistees Sharing packet comes in a 150g size bag, compared to the standard 50g size packet. Tastees are variant, bacon-flavoured Twistees. Twistees celebrated its 50-year anniversary in 2019.

Nativity of Mary

Maria Bambina at Naxxar parish, Malta

Today we celebrate the feast of the birthday of the Blessed Mother. She was conceived in St Anne’s womb on December 8th, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and to follow the duration of a human pregnancy, the church celebrates her birth date today. Many countries, including Italy and Spain as well as Malta, celebrate this holy day with images and statues of the baby Mary, although the statues venerated in Malta are that of a young girl, all of which known as Maria Bambina (the little child Mary.) The feast of the Nativity started in the 5th century when a basilica was built in Jerusalem where St Anne lived and where Mary was born, traditionally around 12 BC. Saints Joachim and Anne have their own feast on July 26, but today we honor Mary’s birthday. Imagine the joy to see this little girl being born, in the obscurity of her town, with no angels, no shepherds, no Kings, but that’s because she didn’t want to take the attention from her Son, who would be born 16 years later. I can only imagine her as a little girl growing up at her parents’ home, a young toddler getting into mischief in her terrible twos. I can imagine her at the age of 7 or 8 helping her mother in household chores and playing with her friends. And how about as a new teenager at the age of 13, noticing her bodily changes and eyeing boys her age and ready to start dating. Until the Angel Gabriel appeared to her and changed her life forever. The rest, as we say, is history. In Malta, we also commemorate the occasion of two major victories at war. The first one was the victory of the Maltese and the Knights of Malta against the Turks, the Ottoman Empire in 1565, and the second one was the end of Fascism and Nazism at the height of World War II, a time of terrible suffering for the Maltese people. And we all thank God and the Blessed Mother for always protecting us and coming into our lives when we needed her the most.

Acutis and Frassati

Heaven is happier today with the addition of two beloved saints, St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frassati. They were both Italian youth, dedicated to the Catholic church, and died at a very young age. Pope Leo XIV will be leading his first canonization since his election as Pope in May. Pier Giorgio Frassati was born in April 1901 and grew up in Turin, mingling with other youth as a member of the Catholic Action movement while helping the poor and needy as well as new migrants descending on Turin at the turn of the century, when poverty was a common trait. He was an avid mountaineer and loved the outdoors, but he was always ready to evangelize and speak unafraid about his faith. He died of polio on July 4 1925. His remains were transferred to the Turin Cathedral, where thousands of tourists visit his tomb on a daily basis, probably now more than ever before. His feast-day will be celebrated on July 4. Carlo Acutis was born on May 3, 1991 in London but grew up in Italy. He was devoted to the Eucharist from a very young age, even though his parents were not very religious. He was able to create a website about Eucharistic miracles, and even produced large posters, to be taken around the world as exhibits in parish churches, halls and schools. In October 2006, he developed leukaemia and was quickly hospitalized, and died on October 12, 2006. He was a normal teenager, loving Pokemon, video-games, but also was very caring towards the poor and homeless he encountered while walking to school or around his neighborhood. Carlo is buried close to St Francis in Assisi, in a glass sarcophagus, wearing jeans and a polo shirt with sneakers. His feast-day will be celebrated on October 12. San Carlo and San Pier Giorgio, pray for us.

Love padlocks

There was a tradition in Paris whereby sweethearts inscribe their names or initials on a padlock, attach it to a public structure, usually one of the bridges, and throw away the key, permanently sealing their love. This was especially popular on the Pont des Arts, the footbridge that crosses the Seine from the Left Bank to the Louvre, as well as the Pont de l'Archevêché, in the shadow of Notre Dame Cathedral. Several years ago, following political discussions about whether the locks were an eyesore or detrimental to the integrity of the city's architecture, the Pont des Arts was mysteriously cleared one night and locks are now routinely removed from various locations around the city. Many locals consider the lovelocks to be a serious problem that threaten bridges and other important landmarks due to the accumulated weight of the locks. However, in June of 2014, part of the Pont des Arts bridge had to be closed when one of its metal grills collapsed, lugged down by the locks. In May of 2015, the city council decided to remove all of them (45 tonnes in total) and install panels to prevent people from fixing new ones. Of course, tourists bemoan the removal of the love locks, complaining that this is a loved Parisian tradition. However, it is perhaps worth remembering that The Pont des Arts was built under the reign of Napoleon I, and love locks only started appearing in 2008. Let’s hope that the love between couples and partners survive much longer than the padlocks.

Prayer of St Teresa of Calcutta

Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa, 1910-1997) whose liturgical feast we celebrate today, said this prayer each day. The prayer was written by Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890), and Mother Teresa changed the original singular to plural and said it with her Missionaries of Charity sisters. Then she added the second part of this prayer:

Dear Jesus, help us to spread your fragrance everywhere we go. Flood our souls with your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly that our lives may only be a radiance of yours.
Shine through us and be so in us that every soul we come in contact with may feel your presence in our soul. Let them look up and see no longer us, but only Jesus.
Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from you. None of it will be ours.
It will be you shining on others through us. Let us thus praise you in the way you love best
by shining on those around us.
Let us preach you without preaching, not by words, but by our example; by the catching force – the sympathetic influence of what we do, the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you. Amen.

Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu before she became a nun

Jesus is the Word – to be spoken.

Jesus is the Truth – to be told.

Jesus is the Way – to be walked.

Jesus is the Light – to be lit.

Jesus is the Life – to be lived.

Jesus is the Love – to be loved.

Jesus is the Joy – to be shared.

Jesus is the Sacrifice – to be offered.

Jesus is the Peace – to be given.

Jesus is the Bread of Life – to be eaten.

Jesus is the Hungry – to be fed.

Jesus is the Thirsty – to be satiated.

Jesus is the Naked – to be clothed.

Jesus is the Homeless – to be taken in.

Jesus is the Sick – to be healed.

Jesus is the Lonely – to be loved.

Jesus is the Unwanted – to be wanted.

Jesus is the Leper – to wash his wounds.

Jesus is the Beggar – to give him a smile.

Jesus is the Drunkard – to listen to him.

Jesus is the Retarded – to protect him.

Jesus is the Little One – to embrace him.

Jesus is the Blind – to lead him.

Jesus is the Dumb – to speak for him.

Jesus is the Crippled – to walk with him.

Jesus is the Drug addict – to befriend him.

Jesus is the Prostitute – to remove from danger and befriend.

Jesus is the Prisoner – to be visited.

A few more quotes to ponder

               

Expecting and accepting are two sides of life....where expecting ends in tears, while accepting makes you cheer. So learn to accept life the way it comes.

Take care....the Lord will strengthen you each step along the way. Take time....and let God’s spirit guide you gently day by day. Take courage.....the Lord has the power to help you heal and grow. Take heart.....because the love of God will never let you go.

Don’t be afraid of losing people. Be afraid of losing yourself by trying to please everyone around you.

We can’t become what we need to be by remaining what we are.

Listen to everyone. Learn from everyone. Because nobody knows everything, but everyone knows something.

Most of the problems in life come because of two reasons: we act without thinking and we keep thinking without acting.

Health does not come from medicine. Most of the time it comes from peace of mind, peace of soul, laughter and love.

When the mind is weak, every situation is a problem. When the mind is balanced, every situation is a challenge. When the mind is strong, every situation is an opportunity.

Always pray to have eyes that see the best, a heart that forgives the worst, a mind that forgets the bad, and a soul that never loses faith.

We come with nothing, and we go with nothing. But one great thing we can achieve in our beautiful life is.....a little remembrance in someone’s mind, and a small place in someone’s heart.

We were created to make somebody else’s life better. Someone out there needs what you have....your smile, your words, your encouragement. Share your gifts today.

St Gregory the Great

The Monks of St Peter's Abbey, Solesmes, France

St. Gregory, born at Rome about the year 540, was the son of Gordianus, a wealthy senator, who later renounced the world and became one of the seven deacons of Rome. His mother was St Silvia. After Gregory had acquired the usual thorough education, Emperor Justin the Younger appointed him, in 574, Chief Magistrate of Rome, though he was only thirty-four years of age. After the death of his father, he built six monasteries in Sicily and founded a seventh in his own house in Rome, which became the Benedictine Monastery of St. Andrew. Here, he himself assumed the monastic habit in 575, at the age of thirty-five. After the death of Pelagius, St. Gregory was chosen Pope by the unanimous consent of priests and people. Now began those labors which merited for him the title of Great. His zeal extended over the entire known world, he was in contact with all the Churches of Christendom and, in spite of his bodily sufferings, and innumerable labors, he found time to compose a great number of works. He is known above all for his magnificent contributions to the Liturgy of the Mass and Office. Some of the changes he implemented are still used today.  The mainstream form of Western plainchant, standardized in the late 9th century, was attributed to Pope Gregory I and so took the name of Gregorian chant. Gregory wrote over 850 letters in the last 13 years of his life (590–604) that give us an accurate picture of his work. He is one of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church. He died on March 12, 604. St Gregory is the patron saint of musicians, singers, students, and teachers.

In the video above one can hear the famous monks of the Abbey of St. Peter in Solesmes (pronounced Solemm) in France, chanting the best ever quality of Gregorian Chant. Wait till the first minute until the bell stops.

My cars

Someone asked me through this blog what kind of car I had to travel the hundreds of miles to my mission churches week after week. Actually when I had moved from Long Island to Pleasant Valley in upstate New York in 1998, I had a Geo-Metro and someone saw me in it and told to better get a stronger, bigger car, because it snowed much more in Duchess County. And to humiliate me even more he said to me, ’Sorry to tell you this Father, but my lawn-mower is stronger than your car, because it’s a 4-cylinder engine, and your Geo is a 3-cylinder car.’ I was sure he was right and within a few days I was at the Honda dealer and he encouraged me to get a Honda CR-V. That stands for Comfortable Run-around Vehicle. And I drove over 100,000 miles in it until I traded it in for a Chevy Equinox in 2011, which I used until I returned to Malta in 2016. My very first car was a Toyota Tercel, which I bought in 1982 after I got my driver's license. The above photo shows me when I arrived in Oregon with the license plates of New York and Oregon, ready to be switched. That was in March 2003, and my Honda was a strong reliable car and gave me a lot of fun driving it for long distances, listening to my cassettes while enjoying spectacular scenery.

Using your mind

A wealthy woman, the wife of a renowned scientist bought a top-of-the-line food mixer, and was trying to put it together when she got home. She looked at the instruction book, and try as you might, she was not able to figure out how to assemble it properly. She got so frustrated after trying for an hour, that she left every piece of the mixer on the kitchen table and went out for a walk. Half an hour later she returned home and found the food mixer all set up and plugged in and ready to go.  She was amazed and she realized that her servant Jemima had put it all together. Knowing that Jemima was unschooled and didn’t even know how to read, she asked her politely how was she able to put the food mixer together. And the humble servant answered simply by saying ‘Well, my Lady, because when you don’t know how to read, you have to use your mind!’ Sometimes it’s not how much you know that works the best, but how practical you can be with what you know and how to use your hands, your speech and your mind.