St John Mary Vianney

My all-time favorite Saint is not just the patron saint of priests, but also the patron saint of all those who find learning and going to school tough and hard. The Cure of Ars’ life is itself a miracle. Jean-Marie Vianney was born on May 8, 1786, in the French town of Dardilly and was baptized the same day. His parents had six children of which Jean-Marie was the third. He grew up on his family's farm in a very devotional environment. His parents frequently helped the poor and gave hospitality to many pilgrims. By 1790, the French Revolution forced many loyal priests to hide from the government in order to carry out the sacraments in their parish. The Vianneys continued attending Mass, even though it was illegal. In order to attend Mass, they traveled to distant farms where they would pray in secret. Since the priests would risk their lives day by day, Jean-Marie began to look upon priests as heroes. During the Mass, the windows were covered so that the light of the candles could not be seen from the outside. By 1802, peace was re-established, and Jean-Marie wanted to start studying, but he still had to serve in the army. He was 19 when he started school, while his classmates were all 11 or 12, but he persevered, even though he found the study of Latin very hard. He gave up many times, but he was eventually ordained a priest on August 13, 1815. He was sent as Assistant to his sponsor, Father Balley in the parish at Ecully. Three years later he was made parish priest of Ars, a remote French hamlet, where his reputation as a confessor and director of souls made him known throughout the Christian world. His life was one of extreme mortification. Accustomed to the most severe austerities, beleaguered by swarms of penitents, and besieged by the devil, this great mystic manifested tremendous patience. He was a wonder worker loved by the crowds, but he retained a childlike simplicity, and he remains to this day the living image of the priest after the heart of Christ. He heard confessions of people from all over the world for 16 hours each day. His life was filled with works of charity and love. It is recorded that even the staunchest of sinners were converted at his mere word. He died August 4, 1859, and was canonized May 31, 1925.

Remember this......

Things to walk away from......

Conversations filled with hate, gossip or negativity.

Arguments that lead to nowhere and pointless drama.

One-sided relationships and fake friends.

People who put you down or toxic relationships.

Unnecessary waste of time on social media.

Thinking that you can live without God in your life.

Anything or anyone who disturbs your peace, self-worth and values.

Digital Missionaries

With my 1st smartphone and my CD collection in the background

A new phrase that have surfaced just recently is one that is being used by Pope Leo as he celebrates the Jubilee of youth, media and social media. It is the Vatican's weeklong Jubilee for young people that culminates this weekend with a vigil and Mass in a vast field on Rome's outskirts. Leo thanked the young people for using their digital platforms to spread the faith. But he warned them about neglecting human relationships in their pursuit of clicks and followers, and cautioned them to not fall prey to fake news and the "frivolity" of online encounters. "It is not simply a matter of generating content, but of creating an encounter between hearts," Leo said in a speech that showed his ease switching from Italian to Spanish to English. "Be agents of communion, capable of breaking down the logic of division and polarization, of individualism and egocentrism. Our mission — your mission — is to nurture a culture of Christian humanism, and to do so together." In a way, all young people using their cell-phones effectively to spread the message of the Gospel, can truly be digital missionaries.

Digital missionaries are all those who use the media , written, published, electronic and in any other form to spread the Good News. I consider myself a seasoned digital missionary as I’ve been involved in the written and spoken message since my Seminary years, over 50 years. My contributions has taken various forms, including writing for 38 years in a Maltese Catholic newspaper, using effectively various parish bulletins in former parishes, preparing PowerPoint talks on various topics, mainly religious, using my Blog for 13 years so far, using photography, music, and email to connect with friends, and answer questions about the faith, even as a form of online counselling.

A few more to reflect on....

Never think you are nothing; never think you are everything, but always think you are something and you can achieve almost everything.

Relax. Don’t rush. Don’t force. Don’t stress. Let things happen, Trust the process, and try to enjoy the ride.

Walking is good for you. Walk away from your negative thoughts, doubts, fears and past mistakes. Walk away from other people’s judgments, anger, selfishness and hate. Walk away from trying to meet society’s unrealistic standards of how you should love your life.

A good life is when you assume nothing, do more, smile often, dream big, laugh a lot, and realize how blessed are you for what you have.

Mistakes make us human. Failures help us grow. Hope keeps us going. And love is the reason we’re alive. Keep learning, loving and living.

Walk with God when your heart needs company. Take His hand when you feel alone. Turn to Him when you need someone to lean on. He’s the only one you can always rely on.

Maturity is not when you start speaking big things. It is when we start understanding small things.

Ability of a person is not how he has planned, but how he stands and faces the challenges of life, when everything he planned has gone wrong. Be confident !

Attract what you expect. Reflect what you desire. Become what you respect. And mirror what you admire.

Discussions are always better than arguments. Because an argument is to find out who is right, and a discussion is to find what is right.

Two things define you in life. Your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything.

St Ignatius of Loyola

St. Ignatius was born in the family castle in Guipúzcoa, Spain, the youngest of 13 children, and was called Iñigo. When he was old enough, he became a page, and then a soldier of Spain to fight against the French. A cannon ball shattered his leg and subsequently, a series of bad operations ended his military career in 1521. While St. Ignatius recovered, he started reading the Bible and the lives of the saints, and decided to dedicate himself to becoming a soldier of the Catholic Faith. Soon after he experienced visions, but a year later suffered a trial of fears and scruples, driving him almost to despair. Out of this experience he wrote his famous "Spiritual Exercises". After traveling and studying in different schools, he finished in Paris, where he received his degree at the age of 43. Many first hated St. Ignatius because of his humble lifestyle. Despite this, he attracted several followers at the university, including St. Francis Xavier, and soon started his order called The Society of Jesus, or Jesuits. He was a gifted spiritual director, and was very active in fighting the Protestant Reformation and promoting the subsequent Counter-Reformation. St Ignatius died at the age of 65. He was canonized on March 12, 1622.  There are 38 members of the Society of Jesus who have been declared Saints. So many other Jesuits have become Cardinals, Bishops and great writers. And we even had the first Jesuit Pope, Jorge Bergoglio, the beloved Pope Francis.

Humility

Professor Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was an Afro-American orator, author and educator. Soon after he became President of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, a white woman saw him walking and asked him if would like to earn a few dollars by chopping some wood for her.  The professor smiled, rolled up his sleeves and started chopping. When he had finished, he placed the wood next to her fireplace. A young girl saw him, and told the white woman that the man she asked to help her was professor Washington. So next day the woman went to his office at the Institute and apologized to him for asking him to do such menial work. He brushed it off smiling at her saying ‘It’s OK, I enjoy doing some manual work once in a while.’ She told him how impressed she was by his humility. A few years later that woman asked some of her friends to give a handsome amount of money to the Tuskegee Institute. Professor Washington wrote later on ‘the happiest people are those who feel happy helping those in need.’ In his University many great students studied, including George Carver Washington and many pilots who flew planes during World War II.

The Bethany siblings

The three Bethany siblings are celebrated together today. Until 3 years ago, it was only Martha that had her feast on July 29, but now we have Mary and Lazarus along with her. We all remember that domestic scene in the Gospels when Jesus visits his friends Martha and Mary, who along with their brother Lazarus, all of them close friends. We read how Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to him talk, while Martha was busy with the household chores and duties of hospitality, which were very important in Middle Eastern culture. Eventually Jesus reprimanded Martha and praised Mary for choosing the better part. I always felt bad for Martha, because she was doing her duty as a host. Just look at this painting and observe how much food she had to prepare. As if she was trying to tell Jesus: “Let’s all fix some snacks together and then we can sit down and talk....” Maybe Jesus was a little too quick to criticize her, but we know that all got along well, and both girls humbly yet eagerly appealed to Jesus when their brother Lazarus died. I have no doubt that Jesus enjoyed visiting them, sitting down, taking his sandals off, putting his feet up, and relax in the shade of a trellis in their yard covered with vines, with bunches of grapes hanging from them. Then the girls would prepare some food, some nice crusty bread, a dish filled with figs, olives, grapes, nectarines, pomegranate and other finger food that was popular those days. And as they listen to their friend talk, they would nibble of the food, while sipping some home-made wine, which surely Lazarus would have prepared for his friend. This feast reminds us also of the value of hospitality as we visit friends or relatives, as they visit us, being courteous and grateful, hospitable and welcoming and forever gracious. We celebrate today also the gift of friendship.

Supporting our priests

Fr Matteo Balzano

A recent suicide by an Italian priest, Fr Matteo Balzano, aged 35 from the Diocese of Novara, Italy brought around a lot of comments of support to priests who are human and vulnerable like everyone else.  This tragedy opened a wound that sometimes remains hidden, and it elicited the need for accompaniment to priests, who often carry tremendous burdens, challenges and responsibilities. A Peruvian priest wrote on FB ‘Like every other man, I feel, I suffer, I laugh, I cry, I show anxiety, often I am sad, and  I feel the massive weight on my shoulders  which appears about to crush me. In every priest there is a human heart with its own feelings: joy, wounds, traumas and stories that few people know about them. And when such a tragedy occurs, I stop and ask myself about my life and my personal journey. It’s true that God is our strength, but we also need to be treated like men, not machines. At times the emotional weight is enormous and without God, I too feel overwhelmed and crushed.’

Another Spanish priest wrote: ‘The priest is not a superhero, and our vocation does not minimize suffering. When the priest feels lonely, he needs support, because frequently the suffering is more emotional than physical. Many priests live in a climate of indifference, facing prejudice and excessive demands thrown at them. Indifference does more damage than hatred. If we make a mistake, they quickly tell you about it. When we do good, normally no one says anything. We need to rediscover the humanity of the priest. They are poor men with fragile souls, men who left everything behind them  and were ordained priests full of hope. We don’t need people to feel sorry for us, but that they pray for us and carry the burden with us. God sustains us, but no one is excluded from such tragedies. How many such tragedies happened because of excessive work, the uncalled for gossiping of people, their indifference, weak mental health, anxiety and depression.’

The 'Our Father'

Jesus preaching by Beato Angelico

Jesus encourages the people today to pray in a simple way. Many are concerned about what prayer books to use, how to pray, when to pray and what methods are most effective. He teaches the people a simple prayer, the ‘Our Father,’ repeated at least once at each Mass, 6 times during the Rosary and on many other occasions before meetings, etc. It’s amazing how much this prayer covers so many areas for which we are to pray. During the Our Father we honor Jesus’ name (Hallowed be thy name,) and pray as Mary prayed in front of the Angel Gabriel (Thy will be done.) We ask for our physical and spiritual nourishment (Give us this day our daily bread,) and of course we ask for forgiveness for our sins and pray that we be reminded to forgive all those who wrong us (Forgive us our trespasses....) And last but not least we pray that we’ll always be protected from the snares of the devil (Lead us not into temptation,) and pray finally that evil never approaches us (Deliver us from evil,) which is partly up to us to resist.

According to the website ChristusRex.com, the Our Father has been translated into 1697 languages, including Maltese. There is a place in Jerusalem where various Our Fathers are written on tiles in a cloister, including this one, in Maltese, although it is in old Maltese pronunciation, besides a few orthographic mistakes.

Grandparents

                   
We honor today St Joachim and St Anne, the parents of the Blessed Mother and grandparents of Jesus. In their honor, I offer this prayer for grandparents:

Almighty God, we pay tribute today to the role of grand parenthood. So many grandparents nowadays are raising their own grandchildren, because their own parents either failed, or are too busy, or are separated or divorced. At a time when they thought that their work was done, they take over more responsibilities with patience, love and determination. May the images of St Joachim and St Anne be an inspiration to these grandparents, as they reflect on the love and affection they showed in raising their daughter Mary, the Mother of our Savior. And who knows how happy they were to see baby Jesus being born, raised and loved by his own parents. Who knows how often they baby-sat for him, and they must have been so proud of him, as they admired him growing up as a toddler, a young man and eventually leaving home for his official mission. We pray for all grandparents that they may find the courage and strength to honor their role in protecting, guiding and inspiring their grandchildren, and may they be an example of faith and fortitude for them.

What is heaven like ?

One mother had the custom of talking to her children every evening before they sleep. She would read a children’s story, hug them and kiss them. She would stay in bed with them until they doze off. One day, one of the younger girls was in a bad mood and started crying. The mother spent more time with her, hugging her and reassuring her that everything is going to be just fine. At one moment the little girl asked her, ‘hey mom, is this what heaven is like?’ The love mothers have for their children is endless and unconditional. She can smile when she sees those fingerprints on the glass she just polished. She would wipe the tears away before she wipes the spilled milk on the floor. She would pick up her child before she can pick up the toys and Lego pieces spread all over the floor. She would smile before getting upset when she sees crayon drawings on the wall, especially when she read the mis-spelt ‘I Lov U.’

In the woods

If you’re ever in a forest or jungle or any wooded area in your neighborhood, and at least have some basic tools, this is what you can do, with a lot of imagination and plenty of time....... This man had an ingenious mind and a sense of initiative that baffles the mind. Enjoy this fascinating display of creativity and ingenuity.

St Bridget of Sweden

Born of a wealthy family in 1302, Saint Bridget, also known as Birgitta, she was related to many members of the royalty. In 1316, at the age of 14 she married Ulf Gudmarsson to whom she bore eight children, four daughters and four sons. Six survived infancy, which was rare at that time. One daughter is now honored as St. Catherine of Sweden. Bridget became known for her works of charity, particularly toward Östergötland's unwed mothers and their children. When she was in her early thirties, she was summoned to be lady-in-waiting to the new Queen of Sweden. In 1341 she and her husband went on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, in Spain. In 1344, shortly after their return, Ulf died at the Cistercian Alvastra Abbey in Östergötland. After this loss, Birgitta became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis and devoted herself wholly to a life of prayer and caring for the poor and the sick.

It was about this time that she developed the idea of establishing the religious community which was to become the Order of the Brigittines, whose principal house at Vadstena was later richly endowed by King Magnus IV of Sweden and his queen. One distinctive feature of the pre-Reformation houses of the Order was that they were double monasteries, with both men and women forming a joint community, though with separate cloisters. In 1350, a year of jubilee, Bridget braved a plague-stricken Europe to make a pilgrimage to Rome accompanied by her daughter, Catherine, and a small party of priests and disciples. This was done partly to obtain from the Pope the authorization of the new Order. But since the Pope was living in Avignon, France at that time, she had to wait until he returned to Rome. It was not until 1370 that Pope Urban V, during his brief attempt to re-establish the papacy in Rome, confirmed the Rule of the Order, but meanwhile Birgitta had made herself universally beloved in Rome by her kindness and good works. Save for occasional pilgrimages, including one to Jerusalem in 1373, she remained in Rome until her death on 23 July 1373. She was canonized in the year 1391 by Pope Boniface IX.

St Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene, whose liturgical feast we celebrate today, is mentioned as one of the women who ministered to Jesus. The same passage also refers briefly to an act of exorcism performed on her, on an occasion when seven demons were cast out. These women, who earlier "had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities", later accompanied Jesus on his last journey to, and were witnesses to the Crucifixion. She was also the privileged first person to see Jesus risen from the tomb, an honor that was not given to any of the 12 apostles, but only to Mary Magdalene, probably in a way of thanking her for staying with Jesus till the end at the foot of the cross. This is the last mention in the Gospels of Mary of Magdala, who now returned to Jerusalem. She is probably included in the group of women who joined the Apostles in the Upper Room in Jerusalem after Jesus' Ascension and may have also been with the Blessed Mother at Pentecost.

Tradition as early as the third century identifies Mary Magdalene with Mary of Bethany and with the woman sinner who anointed Jesus' feet, even though she remains unnamed. The identification of Mary Magdalene with Mary of Bethany and "the woman who was a sinner" is reflected in an influential sermon Pope Gregory I gave in 591, which said: "She whom Luke calls the sinful woman, whom John calls Mary of Bethany, we believe to be the Mary from whom seven devils were ejected according to Mark.  Mary had been looked upon as a great sinner, but Christ knew the circumstances that had shaped her life. It was He who had lifted her from despair and ruin. It was Mary who sat at His feet and learned of Him. It was Mary who poured upon His head the precious anointing oil, and bathed His feet with her tears. According to Eastern traditions, she retired to Ephesus and there she died. Her relics were transferred to Constantinople in 886 and are there preserved.  Most importantly we honor today a woman who remained faithful to Jesus until the very end of her life.

Best cuisine – top 100

Greek Cuisine is rated the best

This is a fascinating website with chock-full of information about cuisine from around the world. They are rated according to popularity, but each country has their own flavor, information galore, special food and edible items that are typical of that particular country. The USA is rated at Number 13 and Malta is at Number 84. The top 3 countries for best cuisine are: Greek, Italian and Mexican. These countries make up the top 10: Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Indonesian, French, Japanese, Chinese. Please browse through this exceptional website and visit your favorite countries, and respective food they present, and see which are the most popular restaurants. Click on this link to feast on everything your heart, stomach and appetite desire. I'll guarantee this is one of the best website you've ever visited.

https://www.tasteatlas.com/best/cuisines

Festa season

This is festa season in Malta when most parish churches celebrate the week-long celebration in honor of their titular saint, culminating with a procession usually held on Sunday evening. The churches themselves are decorated with lights and colored motifs, which make them look quite spectacular. These are just two of the churches, the first one from Balzan, the feast of the Annunciation of Mary and the second one in Vittoriosa, the feast of St Lawrence the martyr. 

Often as many as 6 parishes celebrate their feast on a particular Sunday, and the Assumption of Mary has 10 parishes with that title, and so August 15 is a busy day for churches, priests, lay people, altar servers, marching band players, decorators, nougat sellers, and fireworks enthusiasts. Between mid-May and mid-September as many as 60 feasts are celebrated all over the Maltese islands.

Prayer for families

I offer this prayer to all the families who are struggling right now, or with other issues related to children and relationships. Let me therefore offer my sincere prayers....

-          To young lovers who are planning to get married, that they will not give up to the pressure from friends, but really focus on each other’s love, and bring in Jesus in their lives.

-          To couples who feel their life is not complete because they are still childless.

-          To parents who are tired of controlling their children, and feel they are failing in their education and discipline.

-          To parents who are concerned because their children have stopped going to church.

-          To those couples whose love has disappeared and feel they are living like a brother and sister.

-          To those couples who had to separate and are thinking of divorcing.

-          To those couples who have been betrayed by the infidelity of their respective partner.

-          To those who are co-habitating but are not officially married.

-          To those families and households where they face daily domestic violence.

-          To those families where fighting and jealousy are so common, because of harsh words in the past, problems with the parents’ wills and testaments, lack of agreement, sibling preferential treatment, injustice of the past, etc.

-          To those families who are divided because of past hurts, prejudice, pride, children who stopped visiting their parents and sibling rivalry.

-          To those families still feeling the pain of poverty, lack of work and debts they incurred in the past.

-          To those families who suffer because one child is in prison and another one is on drugs.

-          To those families affected by illness, a handicapped child, elderly parents.

-          To those who are widowed and feel the pain of solitude.

-          To those families who just suffered the loss of a dear member of the family.

-          To those couples expecting the birth of a baby in the family.

-          To those who are in a healthy marriage with a few nice children, that they can share their successful experience with other couples they know, and who may use some help.

The Canary

Another flash-back from the USA: Going back to 1994, when I was in St Anthony of Padua parish church in Rocky Point, New York, I had an elderly lady whom I visited to give her communion once a week, and she had a canary in a cage. Incredibly, every time I opened my pyx to give her the Eucharist, this canary would start to sing a most beautiful song, with thrills and arpeggios, and would not stop until she had received communion on her tongue. This happened repeatedly and I was always mystified how a tiny bird can sense the presence of the Lord close by. It is hard to believe it but it is true. The pyx is the small container where we place the consecrated hosts while visiting the homebound – that’s a good word to remember if you like to pay Scrabble. Animals often fascinate us with their instinct and how they respond to us in incredible, spontaneous and fascinating way. This canary certainly recognized someone special who visited him every week, and responded with his brilliant song and excitement to have such a treasured Guest visit him in the solitude of his cage. When I ended up as chaplain at Hilltop Gardens, back in Malta, there were two ladies who had similar birds, and even though they weren’t as demonstrative as the one in Rocky Point, they always moved around and chirped a little bit when I was showing the host to the couple, as I said ’Behold the Lamb of God.....’

The hard-working mule

Spiridione drove his old car into a canal by the main road. He tried to pull it out but was not successful. So he asked a farmer close by to help him out but the clever farmer thought of another idea.  ‘Wait here till I get my mule unhooked and he may be able to help you pull out your car from the canal.’ The farmer returned within a few minutes with enough rope and his mule Gringo. He looked a pretty old animal and Spiridione wondered how he can help get his car on the road again. The farmer tied the rope to the car and onto Gringo as he started yelling at his mule....’Come on Gringo,...... come on Pablo....come on Tadei......come on Spiro......’ and lo  and behold, poor old Gringo, all by himself was able to move the car and bring it onto the main road. Spiridione was so happy to see his car ready to go, and thanked the farmer profusely, giving him a few dollars in gratitude. As he was bidding goodbye to the helpful farmer, Spiridione asked him, ‘I was wondering since you had just one mule, why did you keep calling all those names, Pablo, Tadei, Spiro, Gringo....?’ The farmer was delighted with that question and was just as happy to give him the answer. ‘You see, my mule is very old, and also blind. So when I start calling the names of my other mules, Pablo, Tadei and Spiro, whom he remembers from his younger years, Gringo thinks they are also helping out. But as you saw he is strong enough to do any tough job I ask him, all by himself. So just thank him for helping you out, and have a nice day!’ Lesson: When we work together with others, we can really perform miracles. Yes, alone we can do very little, but together we can do wonders.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

St Simon Stock receiving the scapular

According to a pious tradition, the Blessed Virgin appeared to St Simon Stock at Cambridge, England on Sunday June 16, 1251. In answer to his appeal for help for his oppressed order, she appeared to him with a scapular in her hand and said to him: ”Take, beloved son, this scapular of your order as a special sign of grace for all Carmelites; whoever dies with this scapular, will not suffer everlasting fire. It is a sign of salvation, a safeguard in danger, a pledge of peace.” The Carmelites are a religious order founded on Mount Carmel in the 13th century, named thus in reference to the mountain range found in the Holy Land. The founder was a certain Berthold, who was either a pilgrim or a crusader. The order was founded at the site that it claimed had once been the location of Elijah’s cave, 1700 feet above sea level. By 2001, there were 2,100 religious monks in 25 provinces in the Carmelite order, besides 700 enclosed nuns in 70 monasteries. In addition, the Third Order of lay Carmelites count 28,000 members throughout the world. Besides St Simon Stock, there are other Carmelite saints such as St Therese of the Child Jesus, St John of the Cross, St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, St Theresa of Avila, St Titus Brandsma and even Sister Lucia of Fatima.

Tower Road in Sliema

Tower Road, Sliema Malta - 1970 and 2020

I have another stunning comparison today for you – two photos I took, 50 years apart. The first one in black and white was taken around 1970, while the second one was taken in 2020. One of the most beloved roads in Sliema is the promenade road known as Tower Road, which was prominently identified by a row of colonial houses, all the same size and same architectural design. These photos were taken by me from the same angle, as you can see the Sliema skyline completely transformed. This is not what urban or housing development is like – this is rather what greed is like !

Wimbledon’s new King

We honor today Jannik Sinner, the phenomenal young Italian tennis player who demolished Carlos Alcaraz yesterday in the men’s final 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, thereby winning his 4th Grand Slam in 2 years. Already winning the Australian Open twice and the US Open once, he had a sensational 5 hour game against Alcaraz in the French a month ago, which he lost in 5 heart-pounding sets. With his parents in attendance in the huge Wimbledon stadium, Jannik kept his Number One rating with the obvious prospect that we will see the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry dominating the tennis world for the next 15 years. Congratulations to Jannik, his family and his coaching staff. Now on to the US Open which will start at the end of August at Flushing Meadows, New York.

Xlendi Bay

Xlendi Bay in Gozo, Malta - 1975 and 2025

It’s amazing the transformation that happens in our topography after a handful of years. This is a typical bay in the Maltese islands, specifically Xlendi Bay in Gozo. I took the first black and white photo around 1975. The second colored photo has been taken over the last few years – so we’re talking about a difference of 50 years at the most. I placed the two photos close to each other, so that you can see the contrast and compare them. This quiet bay was so peaceful and tranquil back in 1975. However, over the years it had grown into a mega-tourist attraction, with hotels and restaurants shooting up into the sky, with hardly any place to park. One problem that is created every time there is a sudden rainstorm, is that lots of water comes rushing down a hill from the capital city in Rabat or Victoria, because there is nowhere for it to go but down the street that leads to Xlendi Bay. Luckily most of the water ends up in the sea, and few of the houses are inundated, but for a few hours, the streets are waterlogged, and whatever happens to be in the way to the bay, ends up precisely there, in the sea. Of course there are many plans for contractors to build more hotels and buildings in the limited area that is left for people to enjoy.

A true conversion

A sister-nurse in a hospital stopped a priest walking through the corridors and asked him to visit an elderly man who was belligerent and anti-religious, as no one could talk to him. The priest went in to speak to him, but the elderly man cursed him and embarrassed himself refusing even to talk to the kind priest. He had no other choice than to walk out and leave the hospital. But the sister begged the priest again to try one more time. ‘I’m sorry, I tried but I can’t force him!’ the priest replied. Yet the sister insisted he should try one more time. Reluctantly, he did and the priest went in again and told him ‘Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to do confession or receive communion, but I just want to pray here by myself.’

The elderly patient had no remorse at all and told the priest ‘You’re just wasting your time.’ ‘That’s OK, I know that God is merciful and forgives everyone, even you.’ The man insisted ‘No, there’s no hope for me.....let me tell you what I did....25 years ago I worked on the railroad and my job was the put down the bar to stop cars from advancing when a train was coming. One day I was drunk and did not put the bar down. A car approached the tracks and proceeded just as a train was coming. The train crushed the car with two people inside and three young children, killing all of them. I destroyed a family that day because of my vices and drunkenness. God will never forgive me!’ The priest asked him where was he working when this happened. As soon as he told him the intersection where the train tragedy happened, the priest told him ‘25 years ago I lost both my parents and my three little sisters in that train wreck. I was not with them, because I was sick that day. Now you have to understand that God has forgiven you, and I forgive you too, even though I didn’t know you.’  The man cried and cried and asked to be forgiven in confession and received the Eucharist from that priest.

Now when the priest left that room, he searched for that sister who had encouraged him to persevere and visit that patient again. He felt it really strange when the other nurses told him that there was no sister around for days. So a few months later, the priest was saying Mass in a nun’s convent and on the wall he saw a painting of a nun, whom he recognized as the sister who had spoken to him that day in the hospital. The other nuns laughed at him when he told them the story. They told him ‘Father, that is St Faustina – she’s been dead almost 90 years. You could not have seen her in person.’  Truly God is merciful and He uses unpredictable situations to make miracles when we least expect them.

St Benedict

The feast of Saint Benedict, the founder of Monasticism is a very special day in the life of the church, as all Benedictines celebrate the life of their founder today. St Benedict devised his famous Rule, which is read by all his members, at times almost memorized. I am always fascinated by Chapter 4 of the Rule, which lists 61 tools for good works, all based on Scripture. Here they are, listed in order, which makes for a good meditation:

In the first place, to love the Lord God with the whole heart, the whole soul, the whole strength. Then, one's neighbor as oneself. Then not to murder. Not to commit adultery. Not to steal. Not to covet. Not to bear false witness. To honor all. And not to do to another what one would not have done to oneself. To deny oneself in order to follow Christ. To chastise the body. Not to become attached to pleasures. To love fasting. To relieve the poor. To clothe the naked. To visit the sick. To bury the dead. To help in trouble. To console the sorrowing. To become a stranger to the world's ways. To prefer nothing to the love of Christ. Not to give way to anger. Not to nurse a grudge. Not to entertain deceit in one's heart. Not to give a false peace. Not to forsake charity.

St Benedict handing the Rule to his monks

Not to swear, for fear of perjuring oneself. To utter truth from heart and mouth. Not to return evil for evil. To do no wrong to anyone, and to bear patiently wrongs done to oneself. To love one's enemies. Not to curse those who curse us, but rather to bless them. To bear persecution for justice's sake. Not to be proud. Not addicted to wine. Not a great eater. Not drowsy. Not lazy. Not a grumbler. Not a detractor. To put one's hope in God. To attribute to God, and not to self, whatever good one sees in oneself.  But to recognize always that the evil is one's own doing, and to impute it to oneself. 

To fear the Day of Judgment. To be in dread of hell. To desire eternal life with all the passion of the spirit. To keep death daily before one's eyes. To keep constant guard over the actions of one's life. To know for certain that God sees one everywhere. When evil thoughts come into one's heart, to dash them against Christ immediately. And to manifest them to one's spiritual guardian. To guard one's tongue against evil and depraved speech. Not to love much talking. Not to speak useless words or words that move to laughter. Not to love much or boisterous laughter. To listen willingly to holy reading. To devote oneself frequently to prayer.
Daily in one's prayers, with tears and sighs, to confess one's past sins to God, and to amend them for the future. Not to fulfil the desires of the flesh; to hate one's own will. To obey in all things the commands of the Abbot or Abbess even though they (which God forbid) should act otherwise, mindful of the Lord's precept, "Do what they say, but not what they do." Not to wish to be called holy before one is holy; but first to be holy, that one may be truly so called.

Pope Francis from the hospital

The late Pope Francis wrote this reflection while he was recovering in hospital, just a few weeks before he died:

“The walls of hospitals have heard more honest prayers than churches...they have witnessed far more sincere kisses than those in airports...It is in hospitals that you see a homophobe being saved by a gay doctor. A privileged doctor saving the life of a beggar...In intensive care, you see a Jew taking care of a racist...A police officer and a prisoner in the same room receiving the same care...A wealthy patient waiting for a liver transplant, ready to receive the organ from a poor donor....It is in these moments, when the hospital touches the wounds of people, that different worlds intersect according to a divine design. And in this communion of destinies, we realize that alone, we are nothing.

The absolute truth of people, most of the time, only reveals itself in moments of pain or in the real threat of an irreversible loss. A hospital is a place where human beings remove their masks and show themselves as they truly are, in their purest essence. This life will pass quickly, so do not waste it fighting with people. Do not criticize your body too much. Do not complain excessively. Do not lose sleep over bills. Make sure to hug your loved ones. Do not worry too much about keeping the house spotless. Material goods must be earned by each person—do not dedicate yourself to accumulating an inheritance. You are waiting for too much: whether it’s Christmas, Friday, next year, when you have money, when love arrives, when everything is perfect...Listen, perfection does not exist. A human being cannot attain it because we are simply not made to be fulfilled here. Here, we are given an opportunity to learn. So, make the most of this trial of life—and do it now. Respect yourself, respect others. Walk your own path, and let go of the path others have chosen for you. Respect: do not comment, do not judge, do not interfere. Love more, forgive more, embrace more, live more intensely! And leave the rest in the hands of the Creator.”

$20 worth of time

                    
A man came home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son waiting for him at the door.  "Daddy, may I ask  you a question?"

"Yeah, sure, what is it?" replied the man.  "Daddy,  how much money do you make an hour?"
"That's none of your business!   What makes you ask such a thing?"  the man said angrily.
"I just want to know.  Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy.
"If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour."
"Oh," the little boy replied, head bowed.  Looking up, he said,  "Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?".
The father was now furious.  "If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you're being so selfish.  I work long hard hours everyday and don't have time for such childish games."

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.  The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy's questioning. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son.  Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.00 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.
"Are you asleep son?" he asked.  "No Daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.
"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man.
"It's been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you.   Here's that $10.00 you asked for." The little boy sat straight up, beaming.  "Oh, thank you Daddy!" he yelled.
Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills. The man,
seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man. "Why did you want more money if you already had some?" the father grumbled.
"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied.
 
"Daddy, I have $20.00 now.  Can I buy an hour of your time?"