My 10 Favorite Songs

Any song by ABBA is a first-class hit.

I used to listen to a lot of Italian songs growing up, besides some of the American and UK oldies that turned up on the radio, or what we called here in Malta ‘Rediffusion.’ There are many Maltese songs also which are much beloved here, but I restrict myself to internationally known songs. Most often I like the melody rather than the words, but the first one reminds me of my father. And the Boys Choir adds a very nostalgic memory.

1.       The Living Years – Mike and the Mechanics. (watch below)

2.       Never giving up on love – Michael Martin Murphy.

3.       Hey Jude – Beatles.

4.       Kodachrome – Paul Simon. (also Graceland)

5.       America – Neil Diamond

6.       Rocky Mountain High – John Denver

7.       Everything by ABBA.

8.       Maltese marching bands.

9.       Another brick in the wall – Pink Floyd

10.   I want to break free - Queen 

My 10 Favorite Hobbies

Fluting next to Mount Hood, Oregon.

My hobbies have changed over the years. As a child, I enjoyed collecting stamps, as a teenager listening to short-wave radio, as a seminarian playing table-tennis and snooker, but in the USA I discovered other talents that I had buried inside of me, and which I developed, and here they are, in order of preference.

1.       Playing the flute, and transcribing many melodies.

2.       Doing watercolors.

3.       Photography.

4.       Calligraphy.

5.       Classical Music.

6.       Cooking.

7.       Watching cycling and snooker.

8.       Walking, listening to my Ipod.

9.       Blogging.

10.   Writing articles.

Favorite churches where I served

St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, Baker City, Oregon.

 As I continue my countdown of my 10 favorites, I point to your attention that this Blog has received its 300,000th visit. I am averaging close to 100 hits or visits a day. Moreover, so far I placed 2300 posts on this Blog, to be added to the over 1500 I placed on my former blog which I had started in 2012. This list shows my favorite churches where I served over the past 45 years. They all have special memories for me, although I do have a special affection and connection with the Baker City Cathedral, since I helped in its renovation for its 2008 centennial.

1.       St. Francis de Sales, Baker City Cathedral, OREGON.

2.       Holy Spirit Church, New Hyde Park, NY.

3.       St. Elizabeth of Hungary, John Day, OREGON

4.       Resurrection Chapel, Hilltop Gardens, Naxxar.

5.       St. Anthony of Padua, Rocky Point, NY.

6.       Lapsi Church, St. Julian’s. Malta.

7.       St. Stanislaus Kostka, Pleasant Valley, NY.

8.       St. Francis of Assisi, Bend, OREGON.

9.       St. Julian’s new church, Malta.

10.   Naxxar Parish Church, Malta.

My Favorite 10 Movies

I love the classic movies and I am not much for sci-fi or horror movies at all. I treasure  movies that focus on positive values, of which there are quite a few, even though they don’t make it big in the box-office. These are my 10 favorites of all time.

1.       Ben Hur.

2.       The Ten Commandments.

3.       The Sound of Music.

4.       The Great Escape.

5.       The Quiet Man.

6.       It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world.

7.       The Godfather - part 1 and 2.

8.       Singing in the Rain.

9.       Titanic.

10.   The Mission.

My favorite 10 classical music selections

I have been an avid lover of classical music since my years in the Seminary. I can run my own radio station with the CDs I bought over the years, and still enjoy listening to them daily, besides listening to radio, DAB radio, and following concerts on the Mezzo channel on TV .Here are my 10 favorite classical compositions, although I can go to at least another 100 favorites.

1.    JS Bach – B Minor Mass.

2.    Ludwig van Beethoven – 9 Symphonies.

3.    Hector Berlioz – Requiem Mass.

4.   Antonio Vivaldi – all his concertos.

5.   Gioacchino Rossini – Overtures.

6.  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Great Mass.

7.  Miklos Rosza – Soundtrack of Ben Hur.

8.  Philip Glass – Powaqqatsi – Anthem.

9.  FJ Haydn – The Creation, oratorio.

10 JS Bach – 4 Suites and 6 Brandenburg Concertos.

JS Bach's B Minor Mass

My top 10 athletes

                          

Lance Armstrong battling with Marco Pantani

                         

Here are my top 10 athletes that I have followed all though the years. They each excelled in their sport and all remain in my personal Hall of Fame, even though some of them may not be loved and admired by everyone.

1.      Lance Armstrong, cycling, winning 7 Tour de France races, even though suspended.

2.      Darryl Strawberry, Baseball, New York Mets.

3.      Tiger Woods, golf, winning 16 major titles.

4.      Bobby Charlton, football, Manchester United.

5.      Joe Rudi, Baseball. Oakland A’s, a personal friend of mine and former parishioner.

6.      Dino Zoff, football, Juventus goalkeeper.

7.      Abebe Bikila, marathon runner, winning two gold Olympic medals, running barefoot in 1960.

8.      Michael Phelps, swimming winner of 23 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals in the Olympics.

9.      Tom Brady, American football, with New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

10.  Ronnie O’Sullivan, snooker.

My top 10 of everything - part 1

Playing snooker in my Seminary years - 1970s

As I reach an important milestone in my life 10 days from now, (turning 40 after 30 years of experience!) over the next 10 days I am sharing with you a series of lists of my top 10 favorites. I’m sure you will enjoy them and compare them to yourself and your own favorites. Today is just an introduction and I list the top 10 sports I enjoy playing, at least when I was younger, and the sports I enjoy watching, both live but mainly on TV. So this list is showing 5 of each as you can see here:

      Sports I enjoyed playing:
1.      Table-Tennis.
2.      Snooker.
3.      Football.
4.      Cycling.
5.      Darts.
Sports I enjoy watching:
1.      Cycling.
2.      Baseball.
3.      Snooker.
4.      Skiing.
5.      Golf.

Mons Philip Calleja

I want to honor today a dedicated priest who died yesterday at the age of 93. Monsignor Philip Calleja initiated the Emigrants Commission and even was instrumental to build the Emigrants’ Building in Valletta in the early 1960s. I personally had a few contacts with him since I spent 35 years in the USA, and he often sent me letters inquiring about other priests who were in the States over the years. He was born on December 8, 1928 and was ordained on August 2 1953. He also worked in various offices at the Chancery. In the year 2000 he was also instrumental in organizing an international convention for those working with migrants, and I was asked by him to prepare a paper and delivered the speech in Malta. I recently interviewed him for the Maltese Catholic newspaper in which I’ve been writing since 1986. He was also the mastermind behind the Pope’s visit to Malta in 1990, having many contacts and an organizational mind, which he used effectively over the decades. Over the past 30 years he has also been helping the thousands of refugees that arrived in Malta searching for a new life. He died on August 16, 2022 at the Dar tal-Kleru, a retirement home for priests, where he has been residing lately.

The 6 faces of Mary (part 2)

                   
Continuing from what I started yesterday, reflecting on 6 images of the Blessed Mother as depicted in the stained-glass windows of my previous Cathedral parish in Baker City, Oregon, some of which, crafted by the Povey Brothers from Portland, OR will celebrate 100 years next year.
The fourth image is seen at Pentecost, the historic day on which the church was officially born, and we see Mary here encouraging the apostles as the Holy Spirit descends on each of them in the form of a tongue of fire.
The fifth image is that of Mary being assumed into Heaven, as she looks heavenward with arms open being welcomed into heaven, while the apostles underneath appear surprised seeing Mary leaving them, as they surround the empty tomb. Impressive rays surround her glorified image. You can see the full image of the Assumption above.
The last image is that of Mary being crowned as Queen of Heaven. While sitting on a throne, two angels are placing a crown on her head, as she is surrounded by God the Father and God the Son, while other angels rejoice around her. The complexion of Mary’s face is a very peaceful one, reminiscent of the joy she experienced being joined once again with her Son Jesus.

Incidentally the Pentecost and Coronation windows cost $8,200 in 1958, while the other large ones from 1923 cost $1000 each, while the smaller windows cost $500 each. I hope you can all use these images of Mary as a constant meditation of her role and intervention in our lives, especially some of my friends from Baker City who can attend this beautiful gem which we renovated in 2008 to commemorate its centennial.

The 6 faces of Mary (part 1)

Today and tomorrow I am taking you on a trip to one of my previous parishes, the Cathedral at Baker City in Oregon, and precisely reflect on 6 images of Mary, depicted in the stained-glass windows, most of them going back 99 years. On August 15, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption and we honor her today with one of the windows which you will see in full tomorrow.

The windows in the main body of the church were crafted by the Povey Brothers of Portland in 1923. The other two closer to the altar, of the Coronation and Pentecost were crafted by the Rambusch Company of New York in 1958. Each image of Mary is different and yet the same. The maternal aspect of each image portrays the affection, the anticipation, the sorrow, the joy and the glory of Mary’s journey. The images here portrayed are in a chronological sequence.
The first one shows the Annunciation, as the Angel Gabriel brings her glad tidings, revealing that she was chosen by God to be the mother of our Savior. There is a hesitant look on her face as she pondered the message of the Angel, realizing that she was not married and yet was to become pregnant as soon as she utters her historic YES.
The second image is at the Presentation of Jesus at the temple, showing a look of anticipation and eagerness, moving forward with two turtle doves, accompanied by St Joseph behind her. The offering of doves was a requirement of the poor parents, while wealthy parents were to present two sheep. Mary is also seen holding a candle, to remind us that the feast is known as Candlemas day, and happened 40 days after the birth of Jesus, at which time, the mother was to be purified by the High Priest. At the birth of a baby, any mother would be considered impure for 40 days, and could not attend the temple for the duration.

St Francis de Sales Cathedral, Baker City, Oregon

The third image is of the Sorrowful Mother under the cross, even with a tear trickling down her cheeks, accompanied by another Mary. Yet another Mary, of Magdala is kneeling down clasping the foot of the cross in this impressive depiction of the Crucifixion. 

Being positive

Think freely. Practice patience. Smile often. Treasure special  moments. Make new friends. Rediscover old ones. Tell those that you love that you do. Feel deeply. Forget trouble. Forgive an enemy. Hope. Grow. Be crazy sometimes. Count your blessings. Observe miracles. Let them happen. Discard worry. Give. Give in. Trust enough to take. Pick some flowers. Share them. Keep a promise. Look for rainbows. Gaze at stars. See beauty everywhere. Walk barefoot on the sand. Work hard. Be wise. Try to understand others. Take time for people. Make time for yourself. Laugh heartily. Spread joy. Take a chance.  Reach out. Let someone in. Try something new. Slow down. Be soft sometimes. Believe in yourself. Forgive past hurts. Trust others. Watch a sunrise or sunset. Listen to rain. Reminisce. Cry when you need to. Trust life. Have faith. Enjoy wonder. Comfort a friend. Get a dog as a pet. Have good ideas. Share them. Make mistakes. Learn from them.  Celebrate life.

From air hostess to nun

Singapore Airlines lost one of its pretty hostesses and the Dominicans of Segovia gained her in their monastery. The community of Santo Domingo el Real in Segovia did not have a single vocation in 30 years, until Sister Evelyn of Baby Jesus showed up. She used to spend many of her holidays in Rome, and often she used to attend the church where St Catherine of Siena is buried, Santa Maria sopra Minerva. She eventually joined the community in Segovia as a Dominican novice, and now she is fully professed. Her family were upset that she changed her career so unexpectedly, but once they saw how happy she was as a Dominican nun, they were also very happy for her.

The Pope on old age

                         
Pope Francis gave this message about senility, in view of Grandparents Day which was celebrated on the last Sunday in July:

Undoubtedly, old age imposes on us a slower pace. But these are not times to just relax and lead a lazy lifestyle. The depth of these lifestyles help us to understand the meaning of life, of which the obsession of speed does not comprehend at all. If we lose touch with the slow pace of old age, we feel like being cut off from humanity. It is in this spirit that I would like to celebrate the feast of grandparents, on the last Sunday of July. The connection between the two generations that are at the beginning and the end of our life, that is childhood and old age, eventually helps the other two ages, youth and adulthood, to make everyone’s life richer in its humanity. We need a constant dialogue between the generations. Otherwise old age, adulthood, youth and even childhood remain isolated in a world all to themselves. A young person who is not connected with his roots, that is his grandparents, remains powerless. And like any tree which receives its strength from its roots, he will then grow healthy and strong, with a valid point of reference. Disconnected from its roots, he will grow weak, fragile and inadequate. So dialogue between the generations is essential in this day and age. And this connection is most important between the two extremes, grandparents and grandchildren. It’s a shame that society is looking at older people as useless, worn out, with nothing else to give, almost to be disposed of. This is not right, and we should forever appreciate the experience and the wisdom of our senior citizens.

Saint Clare

St Francis with St Clare welcoming a novice.

Clare was a beautiful Italian noblewoman who became the Foundress of an order of nuns now called "Poor Clares." She was born July 16, 1194, as Chiara Offreduccio. When she heard St. Francis of Assisi preach, her heart burned with a great desire to imitate Francis and to live a poor humble life for Jesus. So one evening, she ran away from home, and in a little chapel outside Assisi, gave herself to God. St. Francis cut off her hair and gave her a rough brown habit to wear, tied with a plain cord around her waist. Her parents tried in every way to make her return home, but Clare would not. Soon her sister Agnes joined her, as well as other young women who wanted to be brides of Jesus, and live without any money. St. Clare and her sisters wore no shoes, ate no meat, lived in a poor house, and kept silent most of the time. Yet they were very happy, because Our Lord was close to them all the time. Once, He saved them from a great danger in answer to St. Clare's prayer. An army of rough soldiers came to attack Assisi and they planned to raid the convent first. Although very sick, St. Clare had herself carried to the wall and right there, where the enemies could see it, she had the Blessed Sacrament placed. Then on her knees, she begged God to save the Sisters. "O Lord, protect these Sisters whom I cannot protect now," she prayed. A voice seemed to answer: "I will keep them always in My care." At the same time a sudden fright struck the attackers and they fled as fast as they could. St. Clare was sick and suffered great pains for many years, but she said that no pain could trouble her. She died on  August 11, 1253. Many stories and allegorical tales have been created with St Francis and St Clare, including the popular movie and phrase “Brother Sun, Sister Moon.” But the fact is that both St Clare and St Francis laid a foundation for what to become one of the most influential orders of priests, friars and sisters, the Franciscans. Many other Orders splintered from the original Franciscans, but the foundation of each group remained always a life of poverty and good Christian example, a life detached from the materialism of this world.

Saint Lawrence

Fra Angelico - St Lawrence helping the poor.

Saint Lawrence was one of seven deacons in Rome who were in charge of giving help to the poor and the needy. When a persecution broke out, Pope St. Sixtus was condemned to death. As he was led to execution, Lawrence followed him weeping, "Father, where are you going without your deacon?" he said. "I am not leaving you, my son," answered the Pope. "in three days you will follow me." Full of joy, Lawrence gave to the poor the rest of the money he had on hand and even sold expensive vessels, chalices and candlesticks to have more to give away. The Prefect of Rome, a greedy pagan, thought the Church had a great fortune hidden away. So he ordered Lawrence to bring the Church's treasure to him. The Saint said he would, in three days. Then he went through the city and gathered together all the poor and sick people supported by the Church and lined them all up. When he showed them to the Prefect, he said: "This is the Church's treasure!"  In great anger, the Prefect condemned Lawrence to a slow, cruel death. The Saint was tied on top of an iron grill over a slow fire that roasted his flesh little by little, but Lawrence was burning with so much love of God that he almost did not feel the flames. In fact, he even joked, "Turn me over," he said to the judge. "I'm done on this side!" And just before he died, he said, "It's cooked enough now." Then he prayed that the city of Rome might be converted to Jesus and that the Catholic faith might spread all over the world. After that, he went to receive the martyr's reward. St Lawrence is one of thousands of martyrs who were mercilessly killed by the ruthless Emperors in the first 300 years of Christianity. Others were crucified, sent to the lions, beheaded, burned, tied to a tree and arrows shot at them, others were skinned or had parts of their body taken out or cut off. With St Stephen he is the patron saint of deacons.

St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

St Edith Stein (1891-1942)

With the addition of St Titus Brandsma to the hall of Saints in heaven, we now have at least two Carmelites who were killed during the World War II in the concentration camps. St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross was a German-Jewish philosopher, nun, a martyr and a highly unusual saint of the Catholic Church. Born into an observant Jewish family in Breslau, a German province of Prussia on October 12, 1891, she was named Edith and her family name was Stein. Edith was a very gifted child who enjoyed learning. She greatly admired her mother's strong faith; however, by her teenage years Stein had become an atheist. In 1916, she received a doctorate of philosophy from the University of Göttingen, and soon afterwards became a member of the faculty in Freiburg. While Stein had earlier contacts with Catholicism, it was her reading of the autobiography of the mystic St. Teresa of Ávila on a holiday in Göttingen in 1921 that caused her conversion. She was eventually baptized on January 1, 1922, gave up her job at Freiburg and started to teach at a Dominican girls' school in Speyer from 1922 to 1932.

Edith Stein before she entered the Carmelite convent

In a letter to Pope Pius XI, she denounced the Nazi regime and asked the Pope to openly denounce the regime "to put a stop to this abuse of Christ's name.” Although she never received an answer, in 1937, Pope Pius XI issued an encyclical written in German, "Mit Brennender Sorge," in which he criticized Nazism, and condemned anti-semitism. I’m sure her letter had some influence on this. She entered the Discalced Carmelite monastery Our Lady of Peace at Cologne in 1933 and took the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Although she moved from Germany to the Netherlands to avoid Nazi persecution, in 1942 she was not safe there. The Dutch Bishops had a public statement read in all the churches of the country in July 1942, condemning Nazi racism. In a retaliatory response a few weeks later, the Reichskomissar ordered the arrest of all Jewish converts, who had previously been spared. Sr. Teresa Benedicta and her sister Rosa, also a convert, were captured and shipped to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where they were gassed on August 9, 1942 when Edith was only 50. Edith Stein was canonized as Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross by Pope John Paul II in 1998; however, she is also often referred to as "Saint Edith Stein".

Saint Dominic

Along with the Franciscans and the Jesuits, the Dominicans are probably the most popular religious order, both for men and women, priests, brothers and nuns. The son of Felix Guzman and Bl. Joan of Aza, Dominic was born at Calaruega, Spain. The story is told that before his birth his mother dreamed that a dog leapt from her womb carrying a torch in its mouth, and "seemed to set the earth on fire". That is why in many of the statues of St Dominic, a dog carrying a torch is placed near his feet. He studied at the University at Palencia , was probably ordained there while pursuing his studies and was appointed canon at Osma in 1199. There he became prior superior of the chapter, which was noted for its strict adherence to the rule of St. Benedict. In 1203 he accompanied Bishop Diego de Avezedo to Languedoc where Dominic preached against the Albigensian heresy and helped reform the Cistercians. He preached to the heretics but with no great success. In 1214 he was given a castle at Casseneuil and Dominic with six followers founded an order devoted to the conversion of the Albigensians; the order was canonically approved by the bishop of Toulouse the following year. His new order received its approval from Pope Honorius III in 1215 , and the Order of Preachers (the Dominicans) was founded. Dominic spent the last years of this life organizing the order, traveling all over Italy, Spain and France preaching and attracting new members and establishing new houses. The new order was phenomenally successful in conversion work as it applied Dominic's concept of harmonizing the intellectual life with popular needs. He convoked the first general council of the order at Bologna in 1220 and died there the following year on August 6, after being forced by illness to return from a preaching tour in Hungary. He was canonized in 1234. Dominicans today number 6,500, not counting many nuns who work as teachers, in social work and in hospitals. 

A Happy Jesus

We always imagine Jesus as very serious, demanding, challenging and at times even a little stern. But I am sure he had his happy moments too. Just looking at the photo above gives you the idea of how entertaining he must have been with children. We don’t hear many projects he did with them, but I am sure he had his bag of tricks every time he saw children. No wonder he was a little upset when the apostles were turning them away from Him. ‘Let the children come to....’ was his prompt remark. We can only imagine how happy He was when visiting Martha, Mary and Lazarus, munching on some freshly-baked bread and figs and sipping some of Lazarus’ home-made wine. Who knows how much fun He had with the apostles, swimming at the Sea of Galilee, or even when visiting Peter and playing with his children, letting them jump all over Him, as many children love to do with their fathers and older siblings. Too bad that the evangelists never reported any happy and cute incidents in the life of Jesus. Who knows how many tricks he played on his parents when He was being raised in the home of Nazareth. And they could not blame anyone else for being tricked, as He was the only other person in their household. It’s so great to see Jesus laughing, being happy, smiling, having fun.

The Transfiguration

Raphael - The Transfiguration

Jesus took Peter, James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice: "This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him."

Are we listening to Him? He still talks to us through Scripture, through miracles that still happen daily, through the Eucharist, through recommendations we receive from the Pope, our Bishops and priests. Are we listening to them? Because if we don't listen to them, we're not listening to Him! Good thing that God gave us 2 ears and one mouth, so that we should listen twice as much as we talk.

The 4 Blessed Looks

Look back and thank God.

Look forward and trust God.

Look around and serve God.

Look within and find God.

I asked God,  ‘How do I get the best out of life?’

God said, ‘Face your past without regrets.

Handle your present with confidence.

And prepare for a future without fear.’

Without God, our week is Mournday, Tearsday, Wastedy,

Thirstday, Fightday, Shatterday and Sinday.

Remember that one week without prayer make ‘one weak.’

So, allow him to be with you every day!

Life is short – so forgive quickly.

Believe slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably.

Never regret anything that makes you happy.

St John Baptist Vianney

My all-time favorite Saint is not just the patron saint of priests, but also the patron saint of all those who find learning and going to school tough and hard. The Cure of Ars’ life is itself a miracle. Jean-Marie Vianney was born on May 8, 1786, in the French town of Dardilly and was baptized the same day. His parents had six children of which Jean-Marie was the third. He grew up on his family's farm in a very devotional environment. His parents frequently helped the poor and gave hospitality to many pilgrims. By 1790, the French Revolution forced many loyal priests to hide from the government in order to carry out the sacraments in their parish. The Vianneys continued attending Mass, even though it was illegal. In order to attend Mass, they traveled to distant farms where they would pray in secret. Since the priests would risk their lives day by day, Jean-Marie began to look upon priests as heroes. During the Mass, the windows were covered so that the light of the candles could not be seen from the outside.

The body of the Cure of Ars, in the Basilica of Ars, France

By 1802, peace was re-established, and Jean-Marie wanted to start studying, but he still had to serve in the army. He was 19 when he started school, while his classmates were all 11 or 12, but he persevered, even though he found the study of Latin very hard. He gave up many times, but he was eventually ordained a priest on August 13, 1815. He was sent as Assistant to his sponsor, Father Balley in the parish at Ecully. Three years later he was made parish priest of Ars, a remote French hamlet, where his reputation as a confessor and director of souls made him known throughout the Christian world. His life was one of extreme mortification. Accustomed to the most severe austerities, beleaguered by swarms of penitents, and besieged by the devil, this great mystic manifested tremendous patience. He was a wonder worker loved by the crowds, but he retained a childlike simplicity, and he remains to this day the living image of the priest after the heart of Christ. He heard confessions of people from all over the world for 16 hours each day. His life was filled with works of charity and love. It is recorded that even the staunchest of sinners were converted at his mere word. He died August 4, 1859, and was canonized May 31, 1925. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed him as the patron saint of all parish priests, during the Year of the Priest. 

Keeping your mouth closed

The fish were worried. Too many of them were getting caught. And so they decided to discuss the situation. Thousands of them met in the deepest part of the sea to see why so many of them were getting tricked and caught by the destructive hook they come across while swimming. Some claim that curiosity gets the best of them. Others say the hook tricks them because often it is hidden. Yet others complained that they never foresaw the consequences that would follow by giving into the temptation the hook offers them. Finally one of the older fish proclaimed: ‘Brothers and sisters, I think all that you are saying is true, but I believe that none of our missing fish would be caught if they simply kept their mouth shut!’ Who knows how many times we were disappointed when we talked too much, instead of keeping quiet. How better off we would have been if we listened more often instead of opening our mouths to say something that is hurtful, obnoxious and critical. Yes, I guess even the fish can teach us a practical lesson.

St Peter Julian Eymard

Born in France in February 1811, Peter Julian Eymard worked at his father's trade as cutler until eighteen when he went to the seminary at Grenoble. In spite of his poor health, he was ordained a priest in 1834. He served as a parish priest for several years, then in 1845 he joined the Marists where he worked as a well-respected spiritual advisor with seminarians and priests. He worked with  other lay organizations promoting devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the Eucharist. He rose to the position of Provincial of the Marist Society at Lyon in 1845. In 1856, due to disputes with the Marists, Eymard left them and founded the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament and 2 years later founded the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, a congregation for women. The Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament began working with children in Paris to prepare them to receive their First Communion, even though this custom was only approved in 1909 by Pope Pius X. It also reached out to non-practicing Catholics, inviting them to repent and begin receiving Communion again. Eymard was a tireless proponent of frequent Holy Communion, another idea approved by Pope Pius X in 1905. Eymard overcame a number of difficulties to reach his goals, including poverty in his family and in his community, his father's opposition to his only son’s desire to be a priest, years of serious illness and pain, and the difficulties of getting diocesan and papal approval for his new Order. Eymard was a contemporary and a friend of other saints including Peter Chanel, John Vianney and Marcellin Champagnat, the founder of the Marists.

Eymard's bust done by Rodin

The French sculptor Auguste Rodin received counsel from Eymard when Rodin entered the Congregation as a lay brother in 1862, having giving up art after the death of his sister. Eymard recognized Rodin's talent and advised him to return to his vocation. Rodin later produced a bust of Eymard. St. Peter Julian died on 1 August 1868. He was beatified in 1925, and canonized by Pope John XXIII on 9 December 1962. His Order runs a church in New York City where they have perpetual adoration of the Eucharist.

The people who really matter

A group of students were asked a series of questions. However they were told they didn’t have to answer them. The questions were:

1.Name the 5 wealthiest people in the world.  2. Name the last 5 Superbowl winners. 3. Name the last 5 Miss World contest winners. 4. Name 10 people who have won the Nobel Peace prize. 5. Name the last 10 Oscar winners for the best movie. 6. Name the last 10 Grand Prix Formula 1 winners.

The point is: few of us remember the headlines of yesterday. We heard of all these great achievers when they won something. The are the best in their fields. The applause dies away, The achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates and trophies are buried with their owners. But here’s another quiz – see how you do on this one. You have to answer this time.

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. 2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. 3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile. 4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special. 5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with. 6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.

Easier? The lesson is simple. The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with most credentials, the biggest bank account or the most rewards or trophies. They are the ones who care, who left an impact in your life, who were there when you needed them the most.