St. George Preca - Malta's first saint

St. George Preca  - 12 February 1880 - 26 July 1962

Today is the liturgical feast of Malta’s first and only saint, Father George Preca. Born in Valletta on 12 February 1880, George was the seventh child in a middle-class family of nine. His father, Vincent Preca, was first a merchant and then a sanitary inspector. His mother, Nathalie Ceravolo, was a teacher. George's boyhood was nothing spectacular, but he did not lack that adventurous spirit and courage which form the backbone of any leader. Feeling that he was called to be a priest, he moved from the Lyceum to the Seminary where as a young student he distinguished himself in his studies, especially in Latin. 

Moreover, at a time when the laity had not yet been officially recognised as important in the mission of spreading the Gospel, St. George Preca entrusted his followers with the responsibility of teaching catechism. His little group of men and women grew up to be the Society of Christian Doctrine (known locally as M.U.S.E.U.M.) The acronym for M.U.S.E.U.M. is Magister Utinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus! which in translation means: "Teacher, O that the whole world would follow the Gospel!" Today the society consists of about 110 Centers and 1100 members. They teach about 20,000 boys and girls in the Maltese islands, in Australia, Peru, the Sudan, United Kingdom, Kenya and Albania.

St George Preca preaching, and a stamp in his honor

St George was canonized on June 3, 2007 in the St Peter’s square at the Vatican. An interesting anecdote about St George is the fact that back in 1955, he had suggested to his members to start praying another Mystery of the Rosary, the Mysteries of Light, and he devised the exact 5 Gospel scenes that were introduced by Pope St John Paul in 2002. Ever since his canonization, much devotion spread around Malta, and a parish was dedicated to him, and various statues were crafted, in paper-mache and in bronze.

Remembering my mother

On this Mother’s Day, I share a tribute to my own mother, by recollecting a few notes from my homily for my mother's funeral on April 27, 2010: “When I look at the 81 years my mother lived through, by far the most impressive value that strikes me in her is that of sacrifice. The ongoing sacrifice to make sure that her children and her grandchildren never be denied of anything, as well as the physical suffering she endured towards the end of her life. During her childhood, she remembers the sacrifice they endured during World War II, and since she was the oldest of her siblings, she was always trusted with greater responsibilities with her brothers and sister, something which helped her mature at a very young age. Then there was the ongoing sacrifice she endured with our father in our regard, something which we may not have appreciated at first, but we all know it was sincere and authentic. But the sacrifice that stands out the most is the fact that she did everything possible to see us happy and content.

My mother creating another lace masterpiece

Those who knew my mother up close and personal knew how busy, productive and industrious she was all through her life in whatever work she put her mind into. Even at the age of 65 and 70, when most people retire and prefer to take life a little easier, she started to take classes in lace-making, and I can tell you that every piece she crafted was a masterpiece, working with those bobbins on the trajbu, pinning needles at strategic places to keep the lace in place. 

Here's a finished piece of lace and the 'trajbu'

My mother (and father) grew up without computers, without cell-phones, without the Internet, without Colleges or Universities, and even without a car all through their life. But they had values that are hard to find in many parents nowadays. They learned the value of forgiveness and spread a message of compassion; they learned the value of gentleness and spread a message of respect; they learned the value of appreciation and spread a message of gratitude; they learned the value of cooperation and spread the message of patience; they learned the value of sacrifice and taught us to love all that is simple.

Lord, make me a Television

Lord, You who are all good to everyone in the world, especially our children, may I ask you a small favor. Make me a Television! 24 inch, 42 inch or 62 inch, LED, LCD, analogue or digital, anything, but just turn me into a Television.

Encourage my parents to spend as much time with me as they do with the TV set. Encourage them to take as much interest in me as they do in the TV programs. With the same interest that my mother follows her cooking shows and soap-operas, and with the same enthusiasm as my father follows the soccer, basketball and every other sport event.

I wish I can talk like one of the TV presenters, to such an extent that when he or she talks, my parents are listening so attentively, without any interruptions. I wish I can dress up like one of them, so that my parents will not take their eyes off me. I wish they take care of me as they take care of their TV set when they have to call a technician when something goes wrong.  I wish I was a TV set so that my parents can spend three hours each day looking at me, and admiring me. I wish they believe me as they believe everything they hear on the TV.

Lord, make me a Television set, even for one day. By the way, my friend wants a favor too. He wants you to turn him into a computer, because his father is glued to a computer day and night, and he ignores him constantly. I thank you, because I know for sure you are going to grant me this simple request. Amen.

The Cyclist

Today starts the Giro d’Italia, (Tour of Italy) a cycling race that stretches over three weeks. It may not be as popular as the Tour de France, but it has quite a following, especially in Europe. There is a story about a famous cyclist who won both the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia, Gino Bartali, born in 1914 to a poor family. He became a professional cyclist in 1935. He won the Giro d’Italia 3 times, 1936, 1937 and 1946, and would have won many more had it not been for the war, when the Giro was not held for 5 years. He won the Tour de France in 1939 and again in 1948, and the Tour was not raced for 7 years, the height of his career. 

Gino Bartali in recent years. He died in 2000.

Mussolini, the leader of Facist Italy before the war tried to take advantage of Bartali’s success, by showing that Italy was superior to France. Now the Jews were being victimized during World War II, millions of them being sent to concentration camps to die. Many Jews were allowed to hide in Italy, but the police were after them to arrest them. Gino Bartali, a devout Catholic, worked with the church and obeyed the Cardinal of Florence to join a secret network to help the Jews. In fact often, he would be stopped by the police during his training, and little did they know that he was carrying photos, secret documents and other papers in the frame and handlebars of his bike. He must have saved many lives by this undercover operation. When the police would stop him, he would insist that they do not touch his bike, as it was calibrated for speed, and knowing that he was a professional cyclist, they would let him go. Many people would call him a hero, but he wanted to be remembered simply for his cycling success. 

Church of the Cross

Church of St Helena, Birkirkara, Malta (click to enlarge)

Two days ago I was able to visit one of the most impressive Baroque churches in Malta as they were celebrating the feast of the Founding of the Cross. The church is dedicated to Saint Helena, and is in the nearby town of Birkirkara. St Helena discovered where the cross of Jesus was buried in Jerusalem, yet another feast that is celebrated liturgically on September 14. Even though it took me an hour and a half to get there, as the bus did not show up, apparently breaking down, I enjoyed visiting this church where a Solemn Mass was being held. 

There was supposed to be a procession with the statue through the streets of Birkirkara, but a windy day cancelled the procession. Nonetheless the church was packed with devotees, as these photos reveal. Enjoy the beauty and majesty of this church through these three photos. I will be visiting many more such churches over the summer months, and I will share them with you from time to time.

Don’t give up...if you first fail!

Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft

Many people tend to give up when their attempt at success is actually a failure. Maybe you can get inspired by these four characters. Henry Ford five times failed in his car business. Then finally he broke through and started the Ford Motor Company. Woolworth Stores are well known because of their founder F. W. Woolworth. But when he started serving people, he was not allowed to help people because he could not deal with customers. 

Soichiro Honda, founder of Honda cars....and scooters

Soichiro Honda applied to work as an engineer with Toyota Car Company, but was refused and kept waiting for months. Then he started building scooters in his own garage. And lo and behold, now have millions of Honda cars and motor cycles all around the world.  Bill Gates left Harvard and started a computer company with his buddy Paul Allen called Traf-O-Data. It was a total failure, but he did not give up. Then came Microsoft, and the rest is history. So, please don't give up if you first do not succeed.

Diamonds are forever

Diamonds are the most indestructible objects in the world. Most diamonds found in nature are between one to three billion years old. Since it is estimated that the earth is 4.5 billion years old, the oldest diamonds were crystallized around 3.3 billion years ago. They were first discovered in India and later in Brazil, S. Africa, Angola, Namibia and Congo.  Today, diamonds come from Lesotho, Sierra Leone, China, Tanzania, Ivory Coast, Guyana, Canada and Australia. The oldest recorded instant when a man gave a diamond to a woman was in 1477, when the Archduke of Austria gave a diamond to Mary of Burgundy. On average each stone loses 50% of its original weight when it is cut and polished. Diamonds usually form in the earth between 90 and 120 miles below the surface of the earth. They rise to the surface after volcanic eruptions. It was believed in olden times that diamonds improve health, invincibility and courage. Finally in 2004, astronomers discovered a star 50 light years away, which is a massive diamond of 10 billion trillion carats. So, there is hope for those still searching for diamonds, and that is why diamonds are forever.

Count your blessings

Even in times of financial uncertainty,

It is always important to keep things in perspective.

You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night.

You did not sleep outside, in the cold.

You had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning.

You had a decent breakfast and hardly broke a sweat today.

You had nothing to fear or be afraid of threats or enemies.

You have access to clean drinking water every minute of the day.

You have frequent access to medical care, especially in emergencies.

You have access to the Internet, and probably free WiFi in many areas.

You can read, you have the right to vote, and you can go to church without any fear.

You have your family together at home, not running in the streets at night, and the children snuggled in bed, or even reading the bible or praying together.

Some people might say you are rich, at least wealthier than two-thirds of the world’s population.

So, remember to be grateful for all the things you do have.

A note about this blog: It's been less than 2 weeks that I started this blog, but already I'm getting close to 150 hits daily, mostly from the USA, Malta, but even from India, Ukraine and Russia. Please, share the address with others and spread the good news. Finally since I am posting from Malta, 9 hours ahead of the USA, the date that appears on top of each post is a day later, since I am still registered in the USA. I usually post at 6 AM, Malta time, when it is 9 PM (a day later) in the Western USA.

Prayer to St. Joseph the Worker

Saint Joseph was declared to be the patron saint and protector of the Catholic Church by Pope Pius IX in 1870, and is also the patron of several countries and regions. Pope Pius XII in 1955 established the Feast of "St. Joseph the Worker", to be celebrated on May 1st. This date counteracts May Day also known as the International Workers’ Day, a union, workers', and socialists' holiday commemorating the dignity of work and workers. In honor of St. Joseph, I share with you this prayer written by Pope St John XXIII for all workers, especially in commemoration of the feast we celebrate precisely today.  

O glorious Joseph! Who concealed your incomparable and regal dignity of custodian of Jesus and of the Virgin Mary under the humble appearance of a craftsman and provided for them with your work, protect with loving power your sons, especially those entrusted to you. You know their anxieties and sufferings, because you yourself experienced them at the side of Jesus and of His Mother. Do not allow them, oppressed by so many worries, to forget the purpose for which they were created by God. Do not allow the seeds of distrust to take hold of their immortal souls. Remind all the workers that in the fields, in factories, in mines, and in scientific laboratories, they are not working, rejoicing, or suffering alone, but at their side is Jesus, with Mary, His Mother and ours, to sustain them, to dry the sweat of their brow, giving value to their toil. Teach them to turn work into a very high instrument of sanctification as you did. Amen.

The painting by an anonymous artist shows St Joseph the worker at work with baby Jesus on the ground holding a nail, and with a cross as his shadow, predicting his death by crucifixion.

Pope St Pius V

Today is the feast of a very important Pope who may be overlooked at times. In fact, before Popes St. John XXIII and St. John Paul II were canonized over a year ago, the only two Popes over the last 900 years to be Saints were Pius X and Pius V. Living in the height of so much reform in the church, Pope St Pius V was a Dominican, who helped a great deal during the Council of Trent, and he even introduced the new Roman Missal, which remained unchanged for almost 400 years, when Pope Paul VI introduced its revision.

Two important landmarks remind me of this beloved Pope. First he was a friend of the Maltese people, who were being attacked by the Turkish Empire in the 1550s and 1560s. After the Great Siege of Malta, which the Knights of Malta helped in defeating the Turks, The Grandmaster wanted to construct the city of Valletta, the capital city with all its fortifications, palaces and churches. He actually sent his own architect from Rome, Francesco Lapparelli to help construct the city of Valletta. This was completed by Lapparelli’s assistant Girolamo Cassar (possibly a distant relative,) including the massive Cathedral of St John, a gem which has just been restored.

The other interesting fact is that since Pope Pius V was a Dominican, he started using a white cassock instead of the black one that priests usually wear. All Dominican priests wear a white habit. It must have been hot during those summers, because the tradition remained that the Pope started to use a white cassock, which they still do, thanks to Pope St Pius V.

Some visitors to this blog asked about my e-mail. It is dungiljan@gmail.com  
Dun Giljan is Father Julian in my native language, Maltese.

A letter from an Irish mother

Dear Son,

Just a few lines to let you know that I’m still alive. I’m writing this letter slowly because I know you can’t read fast. You won’t know the house when you get home – we have moved.

About your father – he has a lovely new job. He has close to 5000 men and women under him – he cuts the grass at the cemetery. There was a washing machine at the new house when we moved in but it hasn’t been working good. Last week I put  in 14 shirts, pulled the chain, and haven’t seen the shirts since.

Your sister Mary had a baby this morning but I haven’t found out whether it’s a boy or a girl, so I don’t know if you’re an aunt or an uncle.

Your uncle Patrick drowned last week in a tub of whiskey in the Dublin Brewery. Some of his workmates tried to save him but he fought them off bravely. They cremated him and it took them three days to put out the fire.

I went to the doctor on Thursday and your father went with me. The doctor put a small tube in my mouth and told me not to talk for 10 minutes. Your father offered to buy it from him.

It only rained twice this week, first for three days, and then for four days in a row. Monday was so windy that the chickens laid the same egg four times. We also had a letter from the undertaker. He said that if the last payment on your Grandmother’s plot wasn’t paid in 7 days, up she comes.

(Signed,) Your loving mother

PS: I was going to send you ten pounds, but I had already sealed the envelope.

Praying alone

As much as I try to encourage people to pray together, in a community atmosphere, there is nothing wrong in praying alone, something which I do very frequently. When I go to say Mass in the morning, I usually find a woman praying the Rosary, with only a few others along with her. Often she is by herself, but this does not stop her from praying the Rosary by herself. Even when praying by yourself, prayer counts and is just as effective. Even if you keep silent and pray with the Lord in a small chapel, your prayer is just as meaningful as a huge congregation praying out loud. Yes, even silence can be very effective. In fact, one can easily say that silence is one of the most eloquent forms of prayer. Often I pray the Rosary by myself, when I used to drive in my car, praying along with a recorded version I did years ago, both in English and in Maltese. And it’s consoling to know that there are some friends of mine who pray along with me, 9000 miles away, following the Rosary CD I shared with them. The catalyst for prayer is perseverance – never give up, because even if you are praying alone, the Lord is always listening. And it's only when we are quiet and silent, that we can really hear the Lord talk to us.

Our 7 days of creation

In the beginning was the world,  and it was beautiful. But the people that were on the earth said: “Let us build big and tall buildings, and wide and long streets.” So they covered everything with concrete, and they said “That’s pretty good”” That was the end of the first day.

On the second day, the people looked at the clean rivers and said: “Let us throw our garbage in these rivers.” An that’s what they did, and they said ”That’s perfect” That was the end of the second day.

On the third day, the people turned turned towards the forests and said: ”Let us cut down these trees and build buildings instead.” And they destroyed the forests and claimed “This is also very good.” That was the end of the third day.

On the fourth day, the people saw the animals and said “Let’s kill them for fun and for money.” And they slaughtered the animals and shouted “This is great fun!”. That was the end of the fourth day.

On the fifth day, these same people felt the cool air and said: ”Let us burn our garbage, and we let the air blow the smoke away from us.” And they polluted the air with carbon, and declared “This is perfect too.” And that was the end of the fifth day.

On the sixth day, these people saw other nations and said “Let us build missiles and armaments to destory other nations in case we don’t agree on some issues.” And that’s what they did, they filled the world with arms and bombs, and proclaimed “This is very good!”

On the seventh day there descended an aura of death and desolation, because there were no more people left on the earth. And that was the end of humanity.

What is Life ?

Life is an opportunity . . .don’t lose it.

Life is beautiful . . . .admire it.

Life is peaceful . . . .appreciate it.

Life is a dream . . . make it a reality.

Life is a challenge . . . .accept it.

Life is a responsibility . . . .accomplish it.

Life is a game . . . .play your part.

Life is precious . . . protect it.

Life is a treasure . . . guard it well.

Life is an experience of love . . . share it with others.

Life is a mystery . . . .discover it.

Life is a promise . . . realize it.

Life is a form of suffering . . . overcome it with courage.

Life is a melodious song . . . sing it.

Life is a fight . . . join the battle.

Life is a tragedy . . .overcome it.

Life is an adventure . . . . go along for the journey.

Life is a lot of fun . . .earn the right to deserve it.

Life is a lesson . . . learn it quickly and early.

Life is a hill . . . climb it slowly.

Life is a struggle . . . conquer it boldly.

Life is an objective . . . realize it.

Life is a way . . . walk it.

Life is a competition . . . join the race.

Life is life itself . . . .defend it.

Art in Maltese churches

"The Annunciation" by Emvin Cremona, in the ceiling of Balzan church.

I have to admit that one of the aspects of Malta that I cherish and which I missed so much is the plentiful art in many of the close to 400 churches that are spread out all over Malta. Some of these names of artists may not be familiar to many in the USA, but they are household names in Maltese churches: Emvin Cremona, Giuseppe Cali, Mattia Preti, Willie Apap, Francesco Zahra, and even Caravaggio. 

The vaulted ceiling of St John's Cathedral, painted by Mattia Preti

Much of their work is adorning our churches in ceilings, apses, side altars as well as the principal painting in the main altar. Over the past 10 years I've been on a mission to photograph as many of these paintings as I could, and I share today with you just three that are prominently displayed, and which have been admired for many years, and will be for many decades to come.

"The Last Supper" by Francesco Zahra at Birkirkara church

Sunrise, Sunset

Sunrises and sunsets are quite spectacular in Malta. Most people are still sleeping in the early hours of the morning, or busy or distracted in the evening, and so they miss most of creation's stupendous display. But the keen photographer of course does not miss a special spectacle that nature presents twice a day. I share with you today two such displays in the early hours of the morning in my hometown of St. Julian's. Praise the Lord sun and snow, Praise the Lord rain and frost, Praise the Lord icicles and snowflakes. Malta can only experience sun, and occasional rain. But this has been a very dry winter, and it shows in the vegetation and the lack of green patches in our countryside. Moreover the price of vegetables and fruits will certainly rise during the hot summer months, which are fast approaching. 

But the heat has not hit us yet, and we can still enjoy cool evenings. And I go out in short sleeves, leading people who see me to say "You should wear a jacket as it's still cold." To which I say "You don't know what cold weather is! This is a heat wave with Oregon standards."

Helping out

Back in the year 2000, the start of the new millennium, Catholics were encouraged to pledge and promise to follow these guidelines:
Pray regularly for greater justice and peace.
Learn more about Catholic social teaching and its call to protect human life, stand with the poor, and care for creation.
Reach across boundaries of religion, race, ethnicity, gender and disabling conditions.
Live justly in family life, school, work, the marketplace, and the political arena.
Serve those who are poor and vulnerable, sharing more time and talent.
Give more generously to those in need at home and abroad.
Advocate for public policies that protect human life, promote human dignity, preserve God's creation and build peace.
Encourage others to work for greater charity, justice and peace.

These guidelines are just as important now, 16 years later, than they were in 2000. Let us hope and pray that we can continue living these guidelines, and become more conscious of the needs around us, especially with the ongoing recent issues of immigration and terrorism, which were not major problems 16 years ago.

Queen Elizabeth turns 90

A big milestone yesterday for the Royal Family as Queen Elizabeth becomes the first British monarch to reach the venerable age of 90. The queen was born Princess Elizabeth on April 21, 1926 and became queen on the death of her father, King George VI, in 1952. As a young teenager and newly-married couple, she lived with her husband Prince Philip in Malta for a few years, as he was stationed on the HMS Magpie in Malta. The barber that cut his hair was also my barber for many years. A majority of Britons have lived under no other monarch. Everywhere, the day yesterday was marked with an eruption of pomp. Artillery companies fired gun salutes from Hyde Park and the Tower of London, while the bells of Westminster Abbey rang out in celebration. The Queen's birthday will again be celebrated on June 11 with more pageantry and parades all over England.

Buckingham Palace issued three portraits by photographer Annie Leibovitz to mark the day. One shows the queen surrounded by seven young grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The queen cradles 11-month-old Princess Charlotte in her lap, while Mia Tindall — 2-year-old daughter of the queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips and her husband Mike Tindall,— stands clutching the monarch's black handbag. Another photo shows the Queen with the three heirs to the throne, Prince Charles, Prince William and his son Prince George.

Dun Giljan is back to blogging

Dun Giljan is none other than Father Julian. That's his name in Maltese, and he is now back in Malta, ready for another chapter in his busy life........ I would have liked to continue my previous blog, which I had started in 2012, but since I am now in a different country, Blogspot does not allow me to access my account, and so, as I had anticipated, here I am starting a new blog from Malta. As you can see the address is again my name in Maltese and Dun Giljan is the name that I am called by in my home country. Yet I assure you that all my entries will be in English, and other than my name, you will not have to be worried about anything undecipherable in Maltese. As I try to settle down, I may not be able to post an entry every single day, but once I get going, I am sure you will see something every day. And since Malta is 9 hours ahead of Oregon and 6 hours ahead of New York, when you all wake up, you will find a post ready to read, to reflect on, and to digest throughout the day. I am sure many photos will follow, but bear with me as I familiarize myself with my new computer and get adjusted to the new internet and WiFi connections. The jet-lag has started to wear off, the temperatures are still fairly comfortable and and I am slowly getting back to normal life in Malta. However it is like 'back to the future' for me as I am trying to re-live and re-establish connections with the past, which for me is 35 years ago, precisely before 1981. So stay tuned...much more to come on this new blog.