St John of God

John was a Portuguese soldier who worked in the health department in Spain. Once in 1537 he heard a sermon by St John of Avila. He was so moved by what he heard that he started to distribute his belongings to the people. His friends thought he had lost his mind and sent him to a mental hospital. One day St. John of Avila went to visit him, and upon his release from the hospital he dedicated his entire life to the poor and the sick.  He later opened a hospital and cared especially for mental health patients, something which was innovative in those times. This John was none other than St. John of God (1495-1550). Those who followed him set up the Brothers Hospitallers of St John of God, a Catholic religious institute dedicated to the care of patients who suffer from mental issues. Let us remember many patients who suffer from mental problems, which are usually kept hidden or unnoticed, or even ignored.

Suffering with others

I have a lot to eat but I am hungry, because so many are dying of hunger. 

I drink fresh water, but my throat is parched with thirst as many of my friends are also very thirsty. 

I know what laughter is, but tears are trickling from my eyes, because so many of my friends are suffering. 

I can see with healthy eyesight, but around me there is so much darkness.  

I have many friends, but I feel so lonely because of the despair so many of my friends are going through. 

I have a beautiful house, but am never happy, as I recall many of my friends who don’t have a roof above their head and most of them are homeless. 

I am free, but I feel locked up when I remember so many of my friends are in prison unjustly. 

I dress nicely, but I almost feel naked when I think of so many people who have nothing to wear. 

I sleep on a soft mattress, but I never sleep well as I remember so many of my friends who sleep on cardboard, are cold and do not even have a blanket. 

I am well and healthy, but I suffer when I see so much hardship and discomfort in the people and friends I know.

The fathers of 2 Popes

Fr Robert Prevost (Leo XIV) blessing his parents

On this Father’s Day I share with you a few reflections on the fathers of two Popes. Pope Leo XIV recalls a conversation he had with his father Louis when he was younger. Young Robert told his father “Maybe it would be better I leave this life and get married; I want to have children, a normal life.” His father responded, by telling him that the intimacy between him and his wife was important, but so was the intimacy between a priest and the love of God.” The older Prevost joined the US Navy and became the executive officer of a tank landing ship and participated in the D-Day landings in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. After the war he became principal in a Catholic high School, and was a catechist in his parish. He died on November 8, 1997.

Young Karol Wojtyla (John Paul II) with his father Karol Sr

Pope St. John Paul II owed his vocation to his father Karol Sr, as he explained: “My preparation for the priesthood in the seminary was in a certain sense preceded by the preparation I received in my family, thanks to the life and example of my parents. Above all I am grateful to my father, who became a widower at an early age. I had not yet made my First Holy Communion when I lost my mother: I was barely nine years old. … After her death and, later, the death of my older brother, I was left alone with my father, a deeply religious man. Day after day I was able to observe the austere way in which he lived. By profession he was a soldier and, after my mother’s death, his life became one of constant prayer. Sometimes I would wake up during the night and find my father on his knees, just as I would always see him kneeling in the parish church. We never spoke about a vocation to the priesthood, but his example was in a way my first seminary, a kind of domestic seminary.” 

The love of a father

In the Indian state of Orissa, a man was able to single-handedly build a road of 10 kilometers, around 7 miles long. He did all this by hand, with the limited tools he had. And he did this so that his children could come and visit him more often from their school. Jalandar Nayak was 45 years old when he started this project. He lived in a remote village,10 kilometers from the school which his five children attended. Before he embarked on building this road, his children spent three hours walking through 4 hills and mountains so that they can spend an overnight with their dad. Jalandar started this project in the summer of 2016 and within 2 years he had already finished 8 kilometers, and then the local authorities took over to finish the job. But they were astounded how he was able to chop off so much stone for 8 hours a day for two full years. The road was finished in 2018, and now the father can see his children more often. We need more fathers who can be as dedicated as Jalandar, who instead of abandoning their children, can suffer for them and make them know how much they are loved by both parents. We wish all fathers a happy Father’s Day.

St Anthony

A very beloved saint, Anthony of Padova was actually born on August 15, 1195 near Lisbon in Portugal. When news of the Franciscan martyrs in Morocco reached him, he joined the Franciscan Order in 1221, when he was 26 years old. At his own request, he was sent as a missionary to Morocco with the mission of preaching among the Moors. He had to return to Europe because of ill health. After this, St Anthony was moved to Romagna (Italy) and spent 9 months as a chaplain to hermits. At an ordination ceremony, the priest who was about to give the sermon fell ill suddenly and St Anthony was called upon to give the sermon in his place. Although he refused with humility at first, he eventually had to do so because of his vow of obedience to his superior. He followed St Francis while ministering in Padova, Italy. The last two years of his life he spent in Padova, preaching, hearing confessions and working to help the poor. St. Anthony died on June 13th, 1231 at Arcella, a suburb of Padova in the apartment reserved for the chaplain of the sisterhood of Poor Clares of Arcella. There he received the last rites and died. He was only 36. Saint Anthony was canonized in 1232 by Pope Gregory IX and declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XII in 1946. These are some quotes from St Anthony:

May your love grow in knowledge and understanding so that you may know how to discern not only between good and evil, but also to distinguish between what is good and what is even better.

We need external peace to live with others; we need internal peace to live with ourselves; and we need eternal peace to live with God.

When the rays of the sun strike crystal, it glitters like sparks of a fire. A faithful Christian, illumined by rays like a crystal, ought to illumine his neighbor with the light of good example, through word and deed.

Truly honest people possess a harmonious and pleasant demeanor; nothing reproachable can be found in their actions, nothing inappropriate in their words, nothing indecent in their manner. Being spontaneous and respectful, their behavior wins the admiration and goodwill of all.

The destiny of a pencil

Have you ever wondered what an amazing journey pens, pencils and other writing instruments have, depending on who uses them? I remember once in 1996 when a young girl named Gillian gave me a pencil as a little gift. Then I thought of the different journey this pencil would be going through when it’s used by me instead of little 6-year-old Gillian. So now instead being handled by those tiny fingers writing the 1 2 3 or ABC or drawing stick figures or scribbles which would up on her mother’s refrigerator, colored with crayons, now they would be writing homilies, notes and articles in Maltese and English, Spanish and Latin. Just yesterday I was distributing communion to our residents when I noticed a bunch of skinny pencils in a plastic bag on a table. I politely asked if I could have one of them and the answer was of course ‘absolutely!’ I asked her why she was using them for and she told me they use them to mark their numbers on the Bingo sheets. So of course I told her the destiny of that one pencil changed instantly as now it will be used by me to write music notes for my flute melodies, sketching designs for my watercolors, and of course homily notes, articles and other notes. It’s amazing how the destiny and future of a simple pencil can change so quickly depending on who uses it !

Learning from Noah

Click on the image to enlarge - fascinating !

Noah teaches us that we are all in the same boat. He teaches us to plan ahead. When he built the ark, it wasn’t raining, and he was already pretty old. God can ask all us to do something extraordinary at one point in our lives, no matter how young or old we are. Noah teaches us to ignore negative comments we hear about projects we are going through. Just as he got two animals of each species on the ark, male and female, we are also asked to work together, as a team, not necessarily two or only male and female. He teaches us that while the ark was built by amateurs, the Titanic was built by professionals. And we know what happens with that huge ship in 1912. We learn also that no matter how fierce the tempest or storm, when we are with God, there is always a rainbow waiting for us at the other end. And remember that the dove returned with an olive branch, the symbol of peace - so have faith and trust. Peace will come to those who pray and are determined to live in harmony.

Even more to reflect on......

Some visitors to my blog told me they liked these short snippets that I occasionally share with you. And so here are a few more to ponder on.

Life laughs at you when you are unhappy. Life smiles at you when you are happy. But life salutes you when you make others happy.

As long as you have memories, yesterday remains. As long as you have hope, tomorrow awaits. As long as we have love, today is beautiful. As long as we have God, anything is possible.

Strong relationships are not built by forcing others to understand you. But by giving them the confidence that you will never misunderstand them.

Today, before we ask God for anything, let’s first thank him for everything.

The more you pray the more you remind yourself that God is more powerful than your troubles and worries.

Never blame anyone in your life. Good people give you happiness. Bad people give you experience. The worst people give you a lesson, and the best people give you memories.

Today and always, may the Lord bless your eyes to see goodness. May He bless your words to speak kindness. May He bless your heart to feel compassion. And May He bless your soul to radiate Love.

Respect people who find time on their schedule to see you. Love people who never look at their schedule when you need them.

One step can start a journey. One song can change a moment. One smile can start a friendship. One hug can lift a soul. One candle can wipe out darkness.  One life can make a difference. One word can start a prayer. One hope will lift a spirit. One touch can show you care.

Keep the smile, leave the tension. Feel the joy, forget the worry. Hold the peace, leave the pain.  And always be Happy !

Mary Mother of the church

I’ve said it many times that the Blessed Mother has more feasts than Jesus himself, and yet another celebration was introduced recently by Pope Francis, honoring her as the Mother of the Church. The feast is now being celebrated annually the day after Pentecost. Yesterday we commemorated the birthday of the church, and as Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ, she somehow gave birth to the church, whom He represents. This feast was actually introduced by Pope St. Paul VI in 1964, who had declared Mary as Mother of the Church, that is Mother of all Christians and of all priests. Then in 1975, the Jubilee Year of Mercy, the church had also introduced a special Mass in honor of Mary as Mater Ecclesia, mother of the church. Above all, we must look at Mary as the one who gives us life, that spiritual oxygen which energizes us and nourishes us with her presence in our lives. May the Blessed Mother bless all of our families and may they be strengthened in their weakness through her continued motherly protection.  As Pentecost is considered as the birthday of the church, today we honor Mary as she was also present with the apostles when the Holy Spirit descended on them, thereby creating the first church and their lives were changed forever.

Summer prayer to the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit, fill our leisure time with newness.

Fill the long watches of days off and weekends 
with a new way of life for which there is no pay.
Fill up these weekends with
- new things not yet thought,
- new sights not yet seen,
- new people not yet met or visited,
- new deeds not yet accomplished,
- new sounds not yet heard,
- and new places not yet walked.
Fill the long nights with a new style of living,
a new kind of caring.

Fill emptiness with new people whom we have not yet touched or visited,
- roads we have not yet driven,
- hopes we have not yet had,
- news we have not known,
- help we have not yet given,
Make our hours full - and our life long.
Come Holy Spirit, come, and change our world,
so that we can change the world and others too.

The tailor

A certain tailor lived in a poor neighborhood. He was the only tailor in town and served everyone kindly  but also with a good price.  One of the local inhabitants told him one day, ‘Why don’t you help the poor in town, just like that butcher does, who often gives meat for free to some of our poor neighbors?’ The tailor didn’t say much other than a simple comment ‘The Lord knows our intentions, and He knows our motives for what we do.’ The man who asked the question was livid and started spreading rumors that the tailor is very selfish and never helps the poor in town. Months went by and the tailor got sick, but hardly anybody went to see him. Eventually he died and only a few relatives attended his funeral. There was also the butcher in attendance. A month after his funeral, everyone noticed that the butcher stopped giving meat to the poor people in town. When people asked about this, he answered  them by saying, ‘The meat I gave out was not from my own money, but from the tailor. Every month he would give me a large sum of money to use for the meat distribution. And now that he is gone, I have no extra money to give out in meat portions for free.’ How cruel and insensitive of us to judge only on what we see on the outside!

Holy Cross Seminary

Faculty and seminarians at Holy Cross Seminary, New Zealand

As the number of vocations are constantly deceasing, the news however is very encouraging from the Far East and Africa, as the number of seminarians is quite healthy. In New Zealand, 18 seminarians are studying for the priesthood, along with 5 deacons who will be ordained later on this year. They range from the age of 18 to 33 and are now in the Holy Cross Seminary.10 of them are from Vietnam, 3 from New Zealand and others are from Samoa, Tonga, Argentina and the Philippines. Among these seminarians, some of whom are obviously late vocations, there is a psychologist, a university graduate in Business Administration and another one is a graduate in Graphic design. Established in 1900 by Bishop Verdon of the diocese of Dunedin, the Seminary was sited at Mosgiel (just outside Dunedin) for nearly 100 years. At the end of 1997 the seminary moved to Auckland. Close to it there are also the St Columba Conference Centre, and St. John Vianney rest home for retired priests. 

More converts

Baptizing one of my converts in 2014

                     
It is coincidental, but it’s worth noting that there has been a surge in the numbers of aspiring Catholics registering to join the church at Easter. It was at the same time when we had a new Pope, an American and missionary Pope whose charisma has been attracting more young people to the church. But this has started during the pontificate of Francis too. The Diocese of Lansing in Michigan reported 30% spike from the previous year, 633 converts, which is the highest they’ve seen in over a decade. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Catholic centre, baptized 20 students alone, and received in full communion an additional 50 who were coming into the church from other Christian denominations. And now church leaders are hoping that Pope Leo XIV will turbocharge the country’s Catholic boom. But America is not alone. The Catholic boom is also happening in France—which saw a 45 percent increase in the number of adult baptisms this year —and in England—where, due to a surge in Mass attendance, Catholics are on track to outnumber Anglicans for the first time since the Church of England was born.

The 11 converts at my last parish in Bend, Oregon

Why are so many adults in the once-secularized West seeking to be baptized into the Catholic Church? It’s because modern Americans are starved of beauty, meaning, purpose, and community. The Church of Rome offers all these things. In an age of instability, people are attracted to ancient traditions. Catholicism also has a visual and aesthetic heritage which has translated well into online culture. Catholics have turned out to be surprisingly good at using the internet to evangelize. The Catholic boom is especially notable among Gen Z. A 2023 study by Harvard University found that the percentage of Gen Z’ers identifying as Catholic jumped from 15 percent to 21 percent from 2022 and 2023. Young people are feeling a great need to recover the sense of mystery at Catholic Mass, which engages the human person in his or her entirety. . . and evokes a sense of wonder. In my last few parishes both in New York and Oregon, I had quite a few converts, 6, 8, 24, 18, 11, 15 in successive years. For many new Catholics, they may be attracted by the ‘smells of incense and the bells’ of traditionalism, while it could also be an arresting work of art, or a beautiful piece of music, which shows how God and the Catholic faith can inspire people to join a welcoming community that is the Catholic church, which presently numbers 1.3 billion members.

Never give up !

Louis Bleriot on his 11th plane that crossed the English channel

How many people plan something presumptuous and then give up. Yet others persevere and in spite of various obstacle they encounter, they realize their dream and do what earlier looked like impossible. Such was the case of Louis Bleriot who 116 years ago, on July 25, 1909, was able to cross the English channel from France to England on a plane. He had actually built 10 planes and crashed all of them. But with the 11th plane, he was able to land safely on a British runway to the delight of all his cheerleaders and fellow aviators. So please learn from Louis – never give up !

The African martyrs

We honor today the Uganda martyrs, 13 Catholic converts burned alive in 1886. In total, 22 Catholic martyrs were canonized in 1964 by Pope St. Paul VI, turning their sacrifice into a powerful symbol of faith and endurance across Africa. The Uganda Martyrs Shrine at Namugongo has become more than a place of remembrance. It is now a living sanctuary of intercession, where the prayers of millions are offered not in blood, but in whispered hopes, folded notes, and phone screens. This shrine witnessed a surge of prayer requests from across East Africa and beyond. Pilgrims, particularly Catholic sisters, are transforming the site into a center for collective spiritual petition, carrying the burdens of families, communities and entire nations. One sister who visited the shrine said "I brought prayer requests from people who couldn't make the journey — families praying for peace in their homes, for children to pass exams or overcome addiction. I'm also praying for my own family and for strength in my vocation. I believe God already knows what's written on these papers." To accommodate the rising number of prayer petitions, the shrine has set up a designated prayer tent near Martyrs' Lake. Pilgrims can write intentions in multiple languages — including English, Swahili, Luganda and even Braille — while volunteers and clergy read them during adoration and Mass. Pilgrims often speak of answered prayers: healing from illness, jobs secured, family reconciliation.

Pope Leo with cyclists

Yesterday one of my favorite annual sports events came to an end. The three-week long cycling race Giro D’Italia ended on the streets of Rome. The winner was  British cyclist Simon Yates, who beat Mexican Isaac Del Toro by 4 minutes. Third was Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz. Yesterday’s stage included an unusual trek through the Vatican and meeting Pope Leo XIV. It was very emotional moment as the Pope addressed all the cyclists, “You are role models for young people all over the world. May God bless all of you on this last part of the Giro d’Italia. May God bless your entire being, body, mind, heart and spirit. Congratulations to all of you. May you know that you are always welcome here in the Vatican. You are always welcome by the church, which represents God’s love for all people.” Pope Leo XIV blessed the 159 cyclists competing in the Giro d’Italia  as the final stage began with an unprecedented ride through the Vatican gardens behind St. Peter’s Basilica. 

The 4 leaders of the various categories, mountains stages, sprints, young leader and the overall winner presented the Pope with the iconic pink jersey, which is always worn by the leader. While popes have blessed the Giro riders before and the race has previously passed through or next to St. Peter’s Square, this marked the first time that the route took the peloton on a three-kilometre (nearly two-mile) route inside the Vatican walls. It’s the third time since Leo was elected last month that he has met with the sports world. Two weeks ago, Leo held a private audience with top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner. Then last week, he welcomed the players and staff of Italian soccer champions Napoli to the Vatican.

Ascension

Today we celebrate the feast of the Ascension, a celebration that has been transferred in many Dioceses to the 7th Sunday of Easter. This is the day that the Lord gave his final “Goodbye” to his followers, although it was more like a “So Long.” This feast has special memories for me as a child, because of a painting that was in my childhood parish, dedicated to the Ascension of Jesus. It was painted by the Maltese artist Raffaele Caruana (1820-1886.) As a child and especially as an altar-boy I frequently reflected on this painting, even connecting the faces of the apostles to men in the parish, whom they resembled. The actual church was dedicated to Saint Julian, the old parish church until 1969, but was always known as the Lapsi Church (Ascension Church.) The feast of the Ascension opens officially the swimming/summer season, and the weather usually warms up steadily from now on. And as Jesus leaves us today, He is also empowering us to continue His work, as He did with the apostles 2 millennia ago. They have not let Him down, and neither did the many saints and holy people that have followed. Let us not let Him down, but continue this enticing relay race of Christianity, passing the proverbial baton to our children and children’s children, as our forefathers have done over the centuries.

From my Journal

Browsing through my Oregon journal, I share with you two funny stories related to fund-raising and church collections........

Volunteerism is one of the major hobbies of American women, and today I was invited to give a blessing at the St Elizabeth’s Auxiliary “Thank You Brunch,” held at the Hospital, which acknowledged the many women and men who volunteer their time to help, visit, assist and monitor so many activities that are done in our area, especially in the Hospital and Nursing Homes. After my Invocation I shared with them a story about the group of 60 ladies killed in a car crash on their way to Las Vegas.......when they arrived at the Pearly Gates of Heaven, they found out that there was no room for them, and so St. Peter called Satan in hell, and this is how the conversation went....

“Hey buddy, I got an unexpected group of 60 ladies but I don’t have room for them right now. Do you mind if you take them up for a few weeks, until I make room for them?”

“No problem, Peter, send them down here,” responded every so cordially Satan.

So down to hell they went. But after a few hours there, Satan calls frantically St. Peter and cries out to him, “Please, Peter, take them back, quickly, take them back........”

“Why, what’s the problem, “St Peter asked mystified.

“Well, with all the Bazaars, Book Sales, Cake Sales, and so much fund-raising they have already organized here, they’re just about ready to air-condition hell!”

And speaking of Las Vegas, I heard another true story that I meant to include somewhere in these memoirs. It’s a funny story which is true. In Las Vegas there is a Catholic Church “Guardian Angel church” and the people who attend Mass on Sunday give their contribution in chips, not in regular paper or coin money. So they have a $5 chip, $10 chip $20 chip, $50 chip and I’m sure much more, all from different Casinos, Mirage, Caesar’s, Bellagio, etc. Then on Monday morning, one of the monks of that Church goes around all the casinos, and exchanges the chips for the corresponding equivalent of the money. And do you know what they call that Monk, who goes around changing chips? Of course, what else? The ChipMonk ! (Chipmunk)

May Crowning

It was a custom in my US parishes that a statue of Mary is crowned during the month of May. We usually had a little girl crowning the statue with a garland of colorful flowers. It is not as common here in Malta, although there are plenty of statues and memorials dedicated to Mary during this month, the most popular of which is on May 13, the feast of Our Lady Fatima as well as the celebration of Our Lady of Pompeii celebrated on May 8, the day Pope Leo XIV was elected Pope and he actually acknowledged her feast day that day from the balcony of the Vatican basilica. The picture seen here is a statue in my last parish at St. Francis of Assisi in Bend, Oregon, just crowned by the children, followed by a few prayers, the recitation of the Rosary, my playing of the Ave Maria on the flute and also the transcription I made of the Gregorian Salve Regina, again on my flute. We pray that Mary continue to spread a message of love and peace among families, and especially among the people suffering so much in Ukraine, Gaza and the entire Middle East region.

Pope St Paul VI

Banner at Pope Paul VI's canonization, Oct 14, 2018.

The church honors today one of the recently-canonized saints, Pope Paul VI. Born on September 26, 1897 in Concesio, Italy, he was ordained priest on May 29, 1920, consecrated Bishop on December 12, 1954 and made a Cardinal on December 15, 1958. He succeeded St John XXIII as Pope on June 21, 1963. He spent most of his life in administrative work, being secretary to Pope Pius XII, an as Cardinal he was to lead Milan, one of the largest Archdiocese in the world. As successor of John XXIII he was to finish the Second Vatican Council and see to the implementation of many of the documents signed by the over 2200 bishops gathered in Rome. He was one of the modern Popes to travel outside Italy. He was canonized on October 14, 2018 by Pope Francis at the Vatican.

Altar boy Julian Cassar in August 1966 kissing the ring of a future saint

I was honored to be in Pope Paul VI’s presence in 1966 as an altar-boy chosen to serve at the Vatican. In the audience we had with the Pope, I kissed the ring of the Supreme Pontiff and a photographer snapped a photo which I will treasure forever. Out of 25 altar-servers only me and another boy had our picture taken in such a historic and memorable moment. In the audience he told us that whenever we became pastors to go to visit him again. Sadly he passed away in 1978, just a few months after my ordination.

Starting over

This picture conveys a very meaningful message to all those who have faltered and failed in whatever they planned to do in their life. We’ve been there – we’ve done that, probably more than once. Some dream that have fallen apart. An enterprise that malfunctioned. A road ahead that was suddenly blocked. A career that never took off. An initiative that was never encouraged and nurtured. A hobby that was never attended to and eventually abandoned. A mission that looked so encouraging, but fell apart. A journal started but was stopped because of laziness or just felt ‘too busy....’ A spiritual journey that was carelessly terminated. A target that was never reached. A huge oak tree that looked so strong and gave ample shelter from the sun, but was chopped down ruthlessly and carelessly – but a few years later, a sampling sprouted from the trunk. And it grew and grew as the oak tree was alive again. So it’s never to late to start all over when your dreams have floundered. Never, ever give up!

St Augustine of Canterbury

An Italian Benedictine monk who became the “Apostle of the English,” Saint Augustine of Canterbury is honored by the Catholic Church on his feast day today, May 27. Under the direction of Pope Saint Gregory the Great, Augustine founded the famous See of Canterbury and preached the Catholic faith to the country's Anglo-Saxon pagans during the late sixth and early seventh centuries. Most likely born in Rome to a noble family, he entered monastic life as a young man. The community he joined had been recently founded by a Benedictine monk named Gregory, who would go on to become Pope and eventually be known as St. Gregory the Great. The friendship between Gregory and Augustine had great historical consequences, as it was the Pope who would eventually send his fellow monk to evangelize England. Around 595, five years into his 14-year pontificate, Pope Gregory set to work on a plan for the conversion of the English people. The country was dominated by Anglo-Saxon invaders who did not accept Christianity, and so for this task the Pope chose a group of around forty monks – including Augustine, who became their leader. The group left for England in June 596, but some of the missionaries, including Augustine went back to receive more support. Back in England in 597 they gained an audience with King Ethelbert of Kent, a pagan ruler whose Frankish wife Queen Bertha was a Christian. Ethelbert would later convert, and eventually even be canonized as a Saint. He received the missionaries with hospitality, and permit them to evangelize without any restriction. They made their home in Canterbury, after dramatically entering the city in procession with the Cross and an image of Christ. The Canterbury community lived according to the Rule of St. Benedict, as they had in Italy, but they also preached in the surrounding area, including to Gaul, where he was consecrated as a bishop for the English Church. By Christmas of 597, over ten thousand people were actively seeking baptism from the missionaries. Both Gregory the Great, and Augustine died during the same year, 604. Augustine had given the faith a firm foothold among the Anglo-Saxons. Canterbury would continue on for centuries as the ranking see of English Catholicism, until its fall into schism during the 16th century when Protestantism broke away from the Catholic Church.

St Philip Neri

If one had to choose one saint who showed the humorous side of holiness that would be St. Philip Neri. Born in 1515 in Florence, he showed the impulsiveness and spontaneity of his character from the time he was a boy. His father was not successful financially and at eighteen Philip was sent to work with an older cousin who was a successful businessman. During this time, Philip found a favorite place to pray up in cave on a mountain that had been turned into a chapel. He then went to Rome in 1533 where he studied philosophy and theology until he thought his studies were interfering with his prayer life. He then stopped his studies, threw away his books, and lived as a kind of hermit. Night was his special time of prayer. After dark he would go out in the streets, sometimes to churches, but most often into the catacombs of St. Sebastiano to pray. He felt so filled with energy to serve God that he went out to work at the hospital of the incurables and starting speaking to others about God, everyone from beggars to bankers. In 1548 Philip formed a confraternity with other laymen to minister to pilgrims who came to Rome without food or shelter. The spiritual director of the confraternity convinced Philip that he could do even more work as a priest. After receiving instruction from this priest, Philip was ordained in 1551. At his new home, the church of San Girolamo, young men especially found in him the wisdom and direction they needed to grow spiritually. But Philip began to realize that these young needed guidance during their daily lives. So Philip began to ask the young men to come by in the early afternoon when they would discuss spiritual readings and then stay for prayer in the evening. The numbers of the men who attended these meetings grew rapidly. In order to handle the growth, Philip and a fellow priests built a room called the Oratory to hold them in.

Philip understood that it wasn't enough to tell young people not to do something -- you had to give them something to do in its place. So at Carnival time, when the worst excesses were encouraged, Philip organized a pilgrimage to the Seven Churches with a picnic accompanied by instrumental music for the mid-day break. After walking twelve miles in one day everyone was too tired to be tempted! In 1555, the Pope's Vicar accused Philip of "introducing novelties" and ordered him to stop the meetings of the Oratory. Philip was broken-hearted but obeyed immediately. The Pope only let him start up the Oratory again after the sudden death of his accuser. Eventually Philip decided it would be best for the group to have their own church. They became officially known as the Congregation of the Oratory, made up of secular priests and clerics. Philip was known to be spontaneous and unpredictable, charming and humorous. One of his men was Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina who wrote beautiful harmonic choral music and Masses. 

The wisdom of Goethe

Wolfgang Goethe was a famous German philosopher who gave us quite an impressive and useful recipe of how we can gain true happiness in our lives. He listed these 9 ingredients which are easily attainable if we really want to be happy always:

1. Strength enough so that you can work effectively and efficiently.

2. Wealth enough to cover your basic needs for survival.

3. Will-power enough to overcome your difficulties.

4. Grace enough to confess your sins and forget about them.

5. Patience enough to persevere in your endeavors as you try to help others.

6. Charity enough to recogize the good there is in others.

7. Love enough to motivate you to always be on the alert to help your neighbor.

8. Faith enough to do all this for the love of God.

9. Hope enough to get rid of all fear and anxiety about the future.

More on Mobile Phones

As a follow up on yesterday’s post, a friend of mine from Oregon USA , shared this information about an organization called Humanality which has launched clubs encouraging a smartphone-free college experience at six Catholic universities: Franciscan University, Christendom College, Ave Maria, University of Dallas, Benedictine, and Thomas Aquinas College. All students are required to give up their phones entirely for the duration of each semester. So far there has been an overwhelming and jaw-dropping response to this initiative.” Students and faculty are so aware of the problem with smartphones and digital addictions that just sharing about the Humanality clubs brings an excitement and desire to try to bring this movement to more universities and colleges. It has been demonstrated that there is a direct causal link between social media exposure and poor mental health outcomes for boy and girls. Self-harm amongst 10- to 14-year-old girls has quadrupled over the last 10 years. Suicide amongst boys and girls has sky rocked the last twelve years. Digital media affects the sexes differently. Andrew notes that women are more affected by social media itself, while men struggle more with video game addiction and pornography.

With half of U.S. children owning a mobile phone by age 11, and the surge in social media usage, has led to a concerning decline in happiness, with links to depression, anxiety, and more. Psychosexual development is also at risk, with pornography exposure affecting teen relationships and self-perception. Humanality clubs are committed to charting a more humane course, helping individuals navigate the modern age without being enslaved by it, and striking a balance that restores the essence of human living. On the ground, Humanality’s clubs have monthly meetings to share data and science on what phones and social media platforms are doing to us. What then? Go on a hike, hang with friends, go outside, read a book and do all these things without your phone. The people who designed these platforms and devices are not concerned with your wellbeing. Rather, they want your attention, and this is how they make money. Humanality clubs feature small groups so students can have deeper accountability with each other as they journey through the detox process. At the end of every school year, Humanality sponsors an on-campus concert for the students where the cost of admission for students is simply leaving their phone at the door. So they get to experience music without a screen!

The Mobile phone

A teacher in the USA once asked her class of 6th graders: Which is that modern invention you wish it had never been invented? One of the students wrote this note “If I can, I will destroy my parent’s cell-phone. This thought has often crossed my mind because my parents are always talking on their mobile phone. They spend a lot of time on Facebook, chatting, sending messages, photos, and other junk on WhatsApp or Instagram. They send emails and check constantly messages from their friends. And then when I have to speak to them they have no time for me, or they ignore my pleading. That’s why I hate the mobile phone !” These are heart-breaking words coming from a child who has everything, but actually has nothing, because his parents ignore him as they are so preoccupied with their friends. On the other hand some parents complain about their children spending hours on their cell-phones while ignoring them, avoiding eating with them as a family, disobeying their orders, while their school work is going down the drain. Maybe Albert Einstein was right when he said: “I’m afraid there’s gonna come a time in history when technology will destroy all kinds of relationship between us. Then we’ll end up with a generation that slowly, but surely, will self-destruct.”