Saint Joachim and Saint Anne

Yesterday was proclaimed by Pope Francis World day of prayer for Grandparents and the Elderly. And so it will be every year on the 4th Sunday of July, the closest to the feast we celebrate today. Today being the feast of the Blessed Mother's parents, Saint Joachim and Saint Ann, I share with you a prayer for grandparents, written by Pope Benedict XVI. 

Lord Jesus, you were born of the Virgin Mary,
the daughter of Saints Joachim and Anne.
Look with love on grandparents the world over.
Protect them! They are a source of enrichment
for families, for the Church and for all of society.
Support them! As they grow older,
may they continue to be for their families strong pillars of Gospel faith,
guardian of noble domestic ideals, living treasuries of sound religious traditions.
Make them teachers of wisdom and courage,
that they may pass on to future generations the fruits
of their mature human and spiritual experience.
Lord Jesus, help families and society
to value the presence and roles of grandparents.
May they never be ignored or excluded, but always encounter respect and love.
Help them to live serenely and to feel welcomed
in all the years of life which you give them.
Mary, Mother of all the living, keep grandparents constantly in your care,
accompany them on their earthly pilgrimage, and by your prayers,
grant that all families may one day be reunited in our heavenly homeland,
where you await all humanity for the great embrace of life without end. Amen!

A relic of Pope St. John Paul II

An unusual relic of Saint John Paul II is displayed with the sisters known as Daughters of Charity in Rome. This consists of the undershirt the Pope was wearing when he was shot in the piazza of St Peter’s by Mehmet Ali Agca on May 13, 1981. After the shooting, he was rushed to the hospital to save his life, to be operated on quickly. When they ripped open his shirt, they threw it on the floor, and worked on the critical surgery. When they operation was finished successfully, the nurse Anna Stanghellini noticed the shirt still on the floor. She noticed that it was going to be thrown out, until she picked it up and saved it. Knowing that the Pope was close to the sisters of St. Vincent de Paul, Anna passed it on to the Daughters of Charity, who eventually displayed it for many visitors to look at, and also to venerate, especially after he died and was canonized. 

Praying with Mary

A 12-year-old Muslim girl used to visit the Sacred Heart church in Basra, Iraq. She just prays in front of the image of the Blessed Mother, the image of Our Lady of Lourdes. She would always light a candle, kisses the statue and leaves quietly. When the Bishop Atanasios Firas Dardar, the Patriarch Vicar of the Syrian Catholics of Basra found out about her, he wanted to meet her in person. Her name was Sarah, and to earn some money, she would sell plastic bags. She told the Bishop ‘I don’t know who the Lady in the statue is – but she never leaves me empty-handed.’ Many are the Muslims who pray to Mary. And after the visit Pope Francis made to Iraq in March 2021, this devotion became even more popular.

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 Magdalen

Mary Magdalene, whose liturgical feast we celebrate today, is mentioned as one of the women who ministered to Jesus. 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 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. Mary stood beside the cross, and was first at the tomb after His resurrection. It was Mary who first proclaimed a risen Savior. 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.

Hand written Bible

In January 2012, Caroline Campbell decided to set herself what most people would consider an impossible task. In fact, it was a challenge that most people would shy away from. The now-28-year-old decided to write out the entire Bible by hand. While the task itself is inspirational, what makes it even more impressive is that Campbell has Down syndrome. She finished here magnus opus on  June 6. Her work meant filling out 43 binders with 10,493 pages to capture the Word of God. Campbell opted to transcribe the 1973 New American Standard edition, which contains 782,815 words. While completing this task, Campbell also carried out her normal day-to-day activities, including her job in a restaurant, volunteering at a nursing home, sewing, and playing the piano. The task required tremendous patience and resilience for over 9 years. The unusual challenge was inspired by Campbell’s pastor, Carl Broggi. And to mark the end of her project, the entire congregation gathered at Port Royal’s Community Bible Church, South Carolina, USA on June 6 to watch her write out her final page. The inspirational project shows Campbell’s tremendous willpower, especially as she never gave up. For her parents, it’s also a wonderful opportunity to see just how capable their daughter is. They said “It shows more about the ability, and not the disability … Caroline has carved out her own path … In her copying of the Bible, Caroline provided lessons about discipline, the joy of writing and the capabilities of persons with Down Syndrome or other disabilities that can serve as an inspiration for anybody.”

Town saved by a priest

On June 6, 1944, the famous D-Day, the assault of the Allied forces on the coast of Normandy, was the start of one of the most formidable military operations in history.  But the fighting that followed in the countryside of Normandy and the towns of the region brought devastation. Rouen, Caen, Lisieux, Le Havre … many cities in Normandy were more than 50% destroyed and thousands of civilians lost their lives. Surprising as it may seem, given its geographical location—it’s only a few miles from the D-Day beaches—Bayeux is one of the few cities to have been spared. This “miracle” is due to a Benedictine priest, Fr. Aubourg (1887-1967). He had been a monk at the Abbey of Solesmes (world famous for its Gregorian chant) and at the time of the D-Day landings was the chaplain of the community of the Sisters of Charity in Saint-Vigor-le-Grand, a village bordering Bayeux. At the gates of Bayeux, the Saint Loup bridge was destroyed, and the Germans were waiting in ambush. The likely outcome was that the Allies would bomb the town. However, during the night of June 6-7, 1944, Fr. Aubourg heard a noise, as if the Germans were leaving their position. The next day, very early after celebrating Mass, Fr. Aubourg hurried to alert the Allies of this development. At first suspicious, they checked the priest’s information to confirm it. Once it was clear he was right, the decision was made: Bayeux would not be bombed. In a letter dated June 20, 1959, brought to light by Fr. Soltner, archivist of the monastery of Saint-Pierre de Solesmes, Fr. Aubourg recalled this episode. “I have been called the savior of Bayeux, but I am unable to say whether I saved Bayeux. I only know that on the morning of June 7, 1944, during the Battle of Normandy, I risked my life to alert the British, who had landed the day before and were stopped five kilometers (about 3 miles) away, that they could enter Bayeux, which the Germans had left during the night. And in fact, the Allied tanks arrived an hour later.”

In 20 years time.....

                
People will not ask the children of 2020 if they caught up with their studies.

They will ask them with wonder ‘what was it like?’ They will ask them ‘how did you cope?’

‘What do you remember of those days?’ ‘Were you fearful or hopeful?’

They will listen in awe to the tales of clapping from doorsteps and balconies for the medical workers.

They will sit open-mouthed to hear of daily walks being the only life we saw, and how much we missed human contact and gatherings.

They will be amazed to know about empty supermarket shelves, online concerts, birthdays spent on a screen, classes followed on our IPads through Zoom and Skype, and life lived inside.

So think about what you would like your children to take away from this whole year.

Tell them they are not behind. Tell them they are not missing out.

Tell them they are extremely special indeed and they will be forever made stronger by this unique time.

Tell them catching up is not even a thing because they have grown so much in so many other ways.

Remind them too of the fun stuff, the family jig-saws, the window rainbows, the zoom bingo, the feeling of safety and togetherness amidst the chaos.

Tell them how much fun it was for the children to try to bake something together.

Tell the children they are not behind. They are special.

Tell them again and again that they are special.

John Glenn – born 100 years ago

Sen. John Glenn in 1998 when he flew on Discovery

We honor today John Glenn, the first American man in space. Born July 18, 1921, in Cambridge, Ohio, he attended New Concord High School and then Muskingum College, where he graduated with a degree in chemistry. He learned how to fly while in college, and became an Aviation Cadet. He did more aeronautic training in Iowa City, Kansas, Texas and Camp Kearny, California with the US Marine Corps. During World War II he was a fighter pilot with 56 different missions, all in the Pacific Ocean, between Midway and the Marshall Islands. He married Annie Castor on April 6, 1943 and they had 2 children, John David and Carolyn Ann. They were married for 73 years. John was also active during the Korean War, and in 1957, he took part in the first trans-continental flight between California and New York, which took 3 hours and 45 minutes. When NASA was born, John applied along with 508 other scientists. Among the 7 chosen for the Mercury project, was John Glenn. On February 20, 1962, Friendship 7 lifted off from Cape Canaveral led by John, and circled the earth’s orbit 3 times, a voyage that took 4 hours and 55 minutes and travelled 75,679 miles, making him the first man in space. When he retired from NASA, John entered politics and was elected to the US Senate in 1974 and returned to the Senate in 1980, 1986, 1992 and retired in 1999.  In 1998, on October 29, John flew again in space, this time with the Space Shuttle Discovery at the age of 77! This voyage lasted 9 days and he was the photographer and videographer of the mission. John Glenn kept his pilot’s license until the age of 90, and he died on December 8, 2016, aged 95. He is buried in the national cemetery in Arlington. We honor him today, as he would have been 100 today.

A prayer by Pope Francis

Thank You Lord Jesus, for your loving countenance, because then we can recognize our failures, and receive from You the desire and strength to overcome them. Thank You, because protected by Your presence we feel safe. Give us the grace to know how to give the same loving attitude to our spouses, to our children, and all those we meet throughout the day. Give us also the grace to grow day by day, to look with sincerity at each other, to listen attentively to those around us, to always speak the truth, to welcome everyone and love every person we encounter. In this way, through our families, Your Light will overcome the darkness of this world. Amen.

Our Lady of Mt Carmel

Our Lady of Mt Carmel with saints

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 Teresa of Avila, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and even Sister Lucia of Fatima. A special devotion is held also in Malta, especially in parishes dedicated to her, Valletta, Balluta, Gzira, Fleur-de-Lys and celebrated also in Zurrieq.

Me and Him

As I am tempted through the darkness of sin....Jesus tells me ‘I am the Light of the World.’

As I live my life outside the house of the Father....Jesus tells ‘I am the Door.’

As I wander lost and distracted with the pleasures of life....Jesus tells me ‘I am the Good Shepherd.’

As I feel dead with my burden of sin.... Jesus tells me ‘I am the Resurrection of Life.’

As I walk through the filthy streets and tempting alley of life.....Jesus tells me ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.’

As I feel empty, dry and weak....Jesus tells me ‘I am the Vine.’

As I hunger  and thirst, even though nothing really satisfies me....Jesus tells me ‘I am the bread of Life.’

As I sometimes lose any sense of direction.....Jesus tells me 'Follow me.'

As I at times get annoyed at my children....Jesus tells me 'Let the children come to me, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.'

More touching animal photos (part 2)

                      
A few more touching and intimate photos from our animals, who can really lift or spirits up and show emotion just as we humans do. Let us treat them well, especially in the hot summer months that the entire world is experiencing right now. They suffer heat exhaustion just like we do. They are the best company, surprising us with their caring and loving attitude we often take for granted.

                 

Animals – what we can learn from them..... (part 1)

Today and tomorrow I will share with you some photos that show how animals can really be our best friends, and whether they have 2 feet or 4, or 8, or even 100 – they can surely cheer us up and bring happiness and a better mood when we least expect it. Like the unpredictability of young children, they can surely surprise us by their loving concern and touching reactions which can always lift our spirits up when we least expect it.

Italy – European Champions

We honor today the Italian football/soccer team which won the European Championship, held every 4 years, although this time it was delayed by one year because of Covid-19. They beat England yesterday (or better, early this morning) in the final after almost three hours of nail-biting and gut-wrenching drama. The score at the end of regulation time was 1-1, which demanded an extra two 15-minutes periods, with no additional score. This led to the cruel and anxious moments of the penalty kicks, with each team alternating 5 kicks from the penalty spot. Italy made three goals, and England made 2, as their goal-keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma saved two crucial kicks, earning him the title of the best player in the entire tournament. Some of the stronger teams had fallen by the wayside in earlier games, as Germany, France, Portugal, Spain and Belgium, the top rated teams, had been eliminated by inferior teams. But Italy survived the tough tournament led by coach Mancini and their star players Chiellini, Chiesa, Insigne, Bonucci, besides their star goalie and the rest of the team. Congratulations Italy!

The Rule of 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.

                    

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.

Slow Dance

Meaningful Quotes

Work is the very salt of life, not only preserving it from decay, but also giving it tone and flavor.

Promises make friends. Performances keep them.

Here are two things needed in these days – first for the rich people to find out how the poor people live, and for the poor to know how the rich work.

One foundation of happiness is the ability to know when we have what we want, and then not restlessly seek after something else.

Never bear more than one trouble at a time. Some people bear three kinds – all they have ever had, all they have now, and all they expect to have.

Advice is very much like snow. The softer it falls the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind.

In great things unity. In small things liberty. In all things charity.

They never taste who always drink. They always talk who never think.

How the poor live

One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people can be. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.  On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

"It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked.
"Oh Yeah" said the son.
"So what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father proudly.
The son answered:
I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. 
We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. 
Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. 
We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. 
We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. 
We buy our food, but they grow theirs. 
We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."
With this the boy's father was speechless.
Then his son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are."
Too many times we forget what we have and concentrate on what we don't have. 
What is one's persons worthless object is another's prize possession. It is all based on one's perspective.
It makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for all the bounty we have instead of worrying about wanting more.
Take joy in what you have and see the treasure in it.

Jesus, Master, Teach Me

A few weeks ago I introduced you to a 100-year old prayer book by Fr. F.X Lasance, with a collection of old prayers. Here is another one that I found, written in the Old English style. Teach me, teach me, dearest Jesus, In thine own sweet loving way, All the lessons of perfection I must practice day by day.   Teach me Meekness, dearest Jesus, Of thine own the counterpart; Not in words and actions only, But the meekness of the heart.   Teach Humility, sweet Jesus, To this poor, proud heart of mine, Which yet wishes, o my Jesus, To be modelled after Thine.   Teach me Fervor, dearest Jesus, To comply with every grace, So as never to look backward, Never slacken in the race.   Teach me Poverty, sweet Jesus, That my heart will never cling, To whate’er its love might sever, From my Saviour, Spouse and King.   Teach me Chastity, sweet Jesus, That my every day may see Something added to the likeness That my soul should bear to Thee.   Teach Obedience, dearest Jesus, Such as was Thy daily food, In Thy toilsome earthly journey, From the cradle to the rood.   Teach Thy Heart, to me, dear Jesus In my fervent final prayer; For all beauties and perfections are in full perfection there.

St Maria Goretti

The only known photo of St Maria Goretti

A young girl with little schooling became one of the most popular saints in Italy by the middle of the 20th century. Born in 1890, Maria Goretti was one day by her house and a neighbor attempted to rape her, and even though she resisted him, she was killed by 14 stab wounds. She died 24 hours after being stabbed, also giving her enough time receive Holy Communion. Her killer Alessandro Serenelli was jailed, sentenced to 30 years in prison, and was unrepentant for a while. Eventually he changed his life, even becoming a Franciscan Capuchin lay brother after being released 27 years later. One of the first things he did after his release was visit Maria’s mother and apologize to her. Maria was beatified in 1947, and on that occasion, her mother and siblings appeared with Pope Pius XII at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. Alessandro was even present at Maria Goretti’s canonization on June 24, 1950. Over half a million people had gathered in the Vatican piazza for her canonization. St Maria Goretti is the patron of youth, chastity and purity.

Alessandro Serenelli in his later years.

Alessandro Serenelli died on May 6th, 1970 in the Capuchin convent of Macerata. He left the following testimony, dated May 5, 1961, as his spiritual legacy: “I'm nearly 80 years old. I'm about to depart. Looking back at my past, I can see that in my early youth, I chose a bad path which led me to ruin myself. My behavior was influenced by print, mass-media and bad examples which are followed by the majority of young people without even thinking. And I did the same. I was not worried. There were a lot of generous and devoted people who surrounded me, but I paid no attention to them because a violent force blinded me and pushed me toward a wrong way of life. When I was 20 years-old, I committed a crime of passion. Now, that memory represents something horrible for me. Maria Goretti, now a Saint, was my good Angel, sent to me through Providence to guide and save me. I still have impressed upon my heart her words of rebuke and of pardon. She prayed for me, she interceded for her murderer. Thirty years of prison followed. If I had been of age, I would have spent all my life in prison. I accepted to be condemned because it was my own fault. Little Maria was really my light, my protectress; with her help, I behaved well during the 27 years of prison and tried to live honestly when I was again accepted among the members of society. The Brothers of St. Francis, Capuchins from Marche, welcomed me with angelic charity into their monastery as a brother, not as a servant. I've been living with their community for 24 years, and now I am serenely waiting to witness the vision of God, to hug my loved ones again, and to be next to my Guardian Angel and her dear mother, Assunta. I hope this letter that I wrote can teach others the happy lesson of avoiding evil and of always following the right path, like little children. I feel that religion with its precepts is not something we can live without, but rather it is the real comfort, the real strength in life and the only safe way in every circumstance, even the most painful ones of life."     (signed by Alessandro Serenelli)

St Anthony Mary Zaccharia

Here is a saint who could very well be the patron saint of all the doctors, nurses and paramedics helping with the Covid-19 pandemic. Queen Elizabeth just awarded the highest honor, the George Cross, to the members of the National Health Services. It is the same honor given to Malta during Word War II in 1942, and the George Cross was thereafter incorporated within the Maltese flag. But going back 500 years, at the same time that Martin Luther was attacking abuses in the Church, a reformation within the Church was already being attempted. Among the early movers of the Counter-Reformation was Anthony Mary Zaccaria. He was born in 1502 in Cremona, Italy. His mother became a widow at 18, and devoted herself to the spiritual education of her son. He was educated at the University of Padua and received a medical doctorate at 22. While working among the poor of his native Cremona in Italy, was attracted to the religious apostolate. He renounced his rights to any future inheritance, worked as a catechist, and was ordained a priest at the age of 26. Called to Milan in a few years, he laid the foundations of three religious congregations, one for men, one for women, and an association of married couples. Their aim was the reform of the decadent society of their day, beginning with the clergy, religious, and lay people. Greatly inspired by Saint Paul—his congregation is named the Barnabites, after St Barnabas, the faithful companion of that St. Paul—Anthony preached with great vigor in church and street, conducted popular missions, and was not ashamed of doing public penance. He encouraged such innovations as the collaboration of the laity in the apostolate, frequent Communion, the Forty Hours devotion, and the ringing of church bells at 3:00 p.m. on Fridays. His holiness moved many to reform their lives, but as with all saints, it also moved many to oppose him. Twice his community had to undergo official religious investigation, and twice it was exonerated. While on a mission of peace, he became seriously ill and was brought home for a visit to his mother. He died at Cremona at the age of 36 on July 5, 1539. He was beatified in 1890 and canonized in 1897, both done by Pope Leo XIII. St Anthony Mary Zaccaria is the patron of surgeons and doctors.

Independence Day Prayer

                  
Lord, we stand today as our forefathers have stood before You in times gone by, celebrating our history and rejoicing in all the great things that our country has achieved.

On this day we rejoice in the favor You have graciously given us.
We thank You for the blessings of liberty, for this generation and for the generations to come.
We thank You for our independence, peace and for all those who have bravely given their lives in the defense of freedom and justice.
We thank You that Your provident hand has given us so much.

Yet as a nation and people we have not always chosen the right way.
We ask You to forgive us for these times.
On this day we commit ourselves to wholeheartedly honoring and serving You.
With everything that we are, we lay our lives before You.
Make us a generous people, a holy nation, a grateful country.
A people set aside to love You forever,
For the sake of the land of the brave and free, and the peoples and nations of this world.

Today, we do not presume Your grace for our country. Our land is in need of You, Our people are in need of You, Our industry and business is in need of You.
May we look only to You this Independence Day, dependent on You.

Please come now by Your glorious Holy Spirit,
Breathe new life into the heart of this nation. May justice flow like rivers,
And righteousness like a never failing stream, until the whole of our country is covered with Your glory, as the waters cover the sea.

We ask all this in the wonderful name of Jesus, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit. One God, now and for all eternity. Amen.

A story from Mother Teresa

The following is a story St Teresa of Calcutta told that wonderfully expresses the heart of her life and mission. It also invites each one to “be His light” by partaking in these humble deeds of love and compassion that may seem insignificant but are, in fact, nothing less than the means of radiating God’s love to each person we meet, thus transforming, little by little, the darkness of the world into His light. I will never forget the first time I came to Bourke (a town in New South Wales, Australia) and visited the sisters. We went to the outskirts of Bourke. There was a big reserve where all the Aborigines were living in those little small shacks made of tin and old card-board and so on. Then I entered one of those little rooms. I call it a house but it’s only one room, and inside the room was everything. So I told the man living there, “Please allow me to make your bed, to wash your clothes, to clean your room.” And he kept on saying, “I’m alright, I’m alright.”

And I said to him, “But you will be more alright if you allow me to do it.” Then at the end he allowed me. He allowed me in such a way that, at the end, he pulled out from his pocket an old envelope. He started opening it, and right inside there was a little photograph of his father and he gave me the photo to look at. I looked at the photo and I looked at him and I said, “You are so like your father.” He was so overjoyed that I could see the resemblance of his father on his face. I blessed the picture and I gave it back to him, and the photo went back in the pocket near his heart. After I cleaned the room I found in the corner of the room a big lamp full of dirt and I said, “Don’t you light this lamp, such a beautiful lamp. Don’t you light it?” He replied “For whom? Months and months and months nobody has ever come to me. For whom will I light it?” So I said “Won’t you light it if the Sisters come to you?” And he said “Yes.” So the sisters started going to him for only about 5 to 10 minutes a day, and they started lighting that lamp. After some time he got into the habit of lighting it himself. Slowly, slowly, the Sisters stopped going to him. But they used to go in the morning, just to say Hello. Then I forgot completely about that, and then after two years he sent word – “Tell Mother, my friend, the light she lit in my life is still burning.” I hope your light is burning bright, also to enlighten other people's lives.

A Little Town

                     

A little town is where you don’t have to guess who your enemies are. Your friends will tell you.
A little town is the only place on earth where people past middle age are called by their first names when they saunter down the street.
A little town is where a few people can get away with lying about the year they were born. Too many people can remember.
A little town is where people with various ailments can air them properly to sympathetic ears.
A little town is where, when you get a wrong number, you can talk for 15 minutes anyhow.
A little town is where the ratio of good people to bad people is something like 100 to one. That’s nice to remember.
A little town is where it is hard for anybody to walk to work for exercise because it takes too long to stop and explain to people in cars who stop, honk and offer a ride.
A little town is where city folks say there is nothing to do, but those who live there don’t have enough nights in the week to make all the meetings and social functions.
A little town is where everyone becomes a ‘neighbor’ in time of need.
A little town is where businessmen struggle for survival against city stores and shopping centers.
A little town is where those same businesses dig deep many times to help with countless fund-raising projects.
A little town is where it’s nice to be when rearing a family.
A little town is where you don’t have to lock your doors every time you leave the house.
A little town, when all is said and done, is a nice place to live.

Blessed Nazju Falzon

Blessed Nazju Falzon (1813-1865)

Ignatius Falzon, more commonly known as Nazju in Maltese, was born on July 1, 1813. He had three brothers, two of whom became lawyers and later priests. He studied for the priesthood, received the minor orders like tonsure and acolyte, but was never ordained a priest as he felt he was not worthy to celebrate the Eucharist. He learned how to speak English and taught catechism to young children as well as sailors and soldiers, since Malta was still a British colony and many of them were present in Malta. They trusted him even with leaving personal belongings with him, as they feared not surviving during their travels and war-time confrontations. This way he would pass on these belongings to their respective families. Nazju Falzon never practiced as a lawyer, but was always available to give advice about legal matters without any payment. He also gathered many sailors and soldiers who were Anglican in a Jesuit church, close to the University of Malta. Some of them converted and even became priests. He died on his birthday, July 1, 1865, when he turned 52. His process of beatification started in 1882 and was declared Servant of God in 1889. But 100 more years had to pass for him to be proclaimed Venerable. Then he was beatified in Malta by Pope St. John Paul II in May 2001, after another miracle through his intercession was approved by the Vatican.