The birth of Mary

Today we celebrate the feast of the birthday of the Blessed Mother. She was conceived in St Anne’s womb on December 8th, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and to follow the duration of a human pregnancy, the church celebrates her birth date today, exactly 9 months later. Many countries, including Italy and Spain as well as Malta celebrate this holy day with images and statues of the baby Mary, although the statues venerated in Malta are that of a young girl, all of which known as Maria Bambina (the little child Mary.) In Malta we also commemorate the occasion of two major victories at war. The first one was the victory of the Maltese and the Knights of Malta against the Turks, the Ottoman Empire in 1565, and the second one was the end of Fascism and Nazism at the height of World War II, a time of terrible suffering for the Maltese people. The picture shows the statue that will be out in procession this evening in my new hometown of Naxxar, a procession that has been cancelled the past two years.

The Lady and the Saint

As we just commemorated the death of both Mother Teresa and Lady Diana this past week, it’s interesting to note that they had a special admiration for each other. Lady Diana visited Mother Teresa in Calcutta in 1992, and was given a tour of the Sister’s convent, but did not see each other on that occasion. However in June of 1997, Lady Diana visited New York and went to one of the houses run by the Missionary Sisters of Charity in the Bronx, and met personally Saint Teresa as you can see in the video shown hereunder. She also had written a little note which was discovered later on, on her experience of meeting the living saint in 1992. In the note she wrote to her confidante butler Paul Burrell, ”Today something very profound touched my life – I went to Mother Teresa’s home in Calcutta, and found the direction I’ve been searching for all these years. The sisters sang to me on arrival, a deeply spiritual experience and I soared to such great heights in my spirit. The light shone from within these ladies, saints for want of a better word, such love came from their eyes and their touch was full of warmth. They sang the Lord’s Prayers and with our shoes off we prayed together on our knees.” Who would have known that a few weeks later, they would both be dead!

Meaningful Quotes

Don’t worry about the future; the present is all we have -The future will soon be present; and the present will soon be past!  (Anonymous)

The attributes of a great lady may still be found in the rule of the four S’s:

SINCERITY - SIMPLICITY - SYMPATHY – SILENCE    (Emily Post)

Doing an injury puts you below your enemy.

Revenging one makes you but even with him.

Forgiving him sends you and sets you above him.     (Benjamin Franklin)

Fatherly and motherly hearts often beat warm and wise in the breasts of bachelor uncles and maiden aunts; and it is my private opinion that these worthy creatures are a beautiful provision of nature for the cherishing of other people’s children.     (Louisa May Alcott)

One often learns more from ten days of agony than ten years of contentment.      (Marle Shain)

I have learned silence from the talkative; tolerance from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind. I should not be ungrateful to those teachers.     (Kahlil Gibran)

The larger our faith, the smaller our fears; the greatest our trust, the lesser our doubts; the stronger our belief, the weaker our worries.    (William Arthur Ward)

If you want to be appreciated, make yourself rare.    (Anonymous)

A good woman inspires a man; a brilliant woman interests him; a beautiful woman fascinates him; and a sympathetic woman gets him.     (Helen Rowland)

The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.   (G.K. Chesterton)

Friendships multiply joys and divide griefs.

Prayer of Mother Teresa

                  
Besides today being the liturgical feast of St Teresa of Calcutta, today we celebrate also her 25th anniversary of her death. Born on August 27, 1910, she died on September 5, 1997, a few days after Lady Diana, whom she had just met in New York a few months prior to their deaths. I share with you a prayer she wrote, one of the man simple, yet meaningful prayers she left us.

You are the beloved Son in whom the Father is well pleased.

You are the Son of Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit in her virginal womb.

You were born in Bethlehem. You were wrapped in swaddling clothes by Mary,

and placed in a manger filled with straw. You are an ordinary man without much education,

and the educated class in Israel judges you.

Jesus is: the word made flesh.....the bread of life,

the victim immolated for our sins on the cross,

the sacrifice offered for the sins of the world and for my sins in the Holy Mass,

the word to be proclaimed,..... the truth to be revealed,

the way to be followed,..... the light to illumine,..... the life to be lived,

the love to be loved,..... the hungry person to be fed,

the thirsty person given drink,.....the naked one to clothe,

the homeless to receive shelter,.....the sick to be cured,

the abandoned to be loved,....the outcast to be welcomed,

the leper whose wounds are bathed,....the beggar to whom a smile is given,

the drunkard who needs to be listened to,

the mentally disturbed who needs to be protected,

the infant who needs to be held in our arms,

the blind person who needs to be led by the hand,

the mute for whom someone must speak,

the crippled with whom one walks,.....the drug addict who needs help,

the prostitute who needs to be taken off the street and listened to,

the prisoner who needs to be visited,

the aged person who needs to be taken care of.

Pope John Paul I beatified

Blessed Pope John Paul I (1912-1978)

The smiling Pope who reigned for a mere 33 days will be beatified today at the Vatican. Albino Luciani became Pope John Paul I in a surprising move that saw him combine the name of his two predecessors as a chosen name for a Pontiff. It was the first time that this name was chosen just as it was surprising for Jorge Bergoglio to choose Francis. Born on October 17, 1912 in Canale d’Agordo, Belluno, Italy, he was ordained to the priesthood on July 7, 1935, and was consecrated as Bishop on December 27, 1958, and made Cardinal on March 5, 1973 by his predecessor St. Paul VI. He had served as Bishop of Vittorio Veneto between 1958 and 1969, and Cardinal Patriarch of Venice between 1969 and 1978. John Paul I was regarded as a skilled communicator and writer. His book Illustrissimi, written while he was a cardinal, is a series of letters to a wide collection of historical and fictional persons. Among those still available are his letters to Jesus, King David, Figaro the Barber, Empress Maria Teresa, Pinocchio, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens and Christopher Marlowe. In his brief pontificate, John Paul I impressed people with his personal warmth. He died on September 28, 1978 at the Vatican.

To read a funny section of one of his letters to Hippocrates, from Illustrissimi, click here in one of my previous posts:

http://dungiljan.blogspot.com/2017/09/characters-and-temperaments.html

Saint Gregory the Great

Gregorian Chant by the Monks of Solesmes, France

St. Gregory, whose feast we celebrate today, was born at Rome about the year 540. He was the son of Gordianus, a wealthy senator, who later renounced the world and became one of the seven deacons of Rome. His mother was St Silvia. After Gregory had acquired the usual thorough education, Emperor Justin the Younger appointed him, in 574, Chief Magistrate of Rome, though he was only thirty-four years of age. After the death of his father, he built six monasteries in Sicily and founded a seventh in his own house in Rome, which became the Benedictine Monastery of St. Andrew. Here, he himself assumed the monastic habit in 575, at the age of thirty-five. After the death of Pelagius, St. Gregory was chosen Pope by the unanimous consent of priests and people. Now began those labors which merited for him the title of Great. His zeal extended over the entire known world, he was in contact with all the Churches of Christendom and, in spite of his bodily sufferings, and innumerable labors, he found time to compose a great number of works. He is known above all for his magnificent contributions to the Liturgy of the Mass and Office. The mainstream form of Western plainchant, standardized in the late 9th century, was attributed to Pope Gregory I and so took the name of Gregorian chant. Gregory wrote over 850 letters in the last 13 years of his life (590–604) that give us an accurate picture of his work. He is one of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church. He died on March 12, 604. St Gregory is the patron saint of musicians, singers, students, and teachers. Please do listen to some of the best Gregorian Chants on record by the world-famous monks of St. Benedict of Solesmes, in France - just click the above link, and keep it in the background while you do some good reading.

Interesting Trivia

                        
The moon moves about two inches away from the Earth each year.

It takes glass one million years to decompose, which means it never wears out and can be recycled an infinite amount of times!

Gold is the only metal that doesn't rust, even if it's buried in the ground for thousands of years.

Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end .

Zero is the only number that cannot be represented by Roman numerals.

Kites were used in the American Civil War to deliver letters and newspapers.

The roar that we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear.

Nine out of every 10 living things live in the ocean.

The tooth is the only part of the human body that cannot heal itself.

In ancient Greece, tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage. Catching it meant she accepted.

The military salute is a motion that evolved from medieval times, when knights in armor raised their visors to reveal their identity.

When a person dies, hearing is the last sense to go. The first sense lost is sight.

In ancient times strangers shook hands to show that they were unarmed.

Strawberries are the only fruits whose seeds grow on the outside.

Soldiers do not march in step when going across bridges because they could set up a vibration which could be sufficient to knock the bridge down.

Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-2022)

Mikhail Gorbachev, who set out to revitalize the Soviet Union but ended up unleashing forces that led to the collapse of communism, the breakup of the state and the end of the Cold War, died Tuesday, August 30 at the age of 91 after a long illness. Though in power for less than seven years, Gorbachev unleashed a breath-taking series of changes. But they quickly overtook him and resulted in the collapse of the authoritarian Soviet state, the freeing of Eastern European nations from Russian domination and the end of decades of East-West nuclear confrontation. He was a man of  remarkable vision who had the imagination to see that a different future was possible and the courage to risk his entire career to achieve it. The result was a safer world and greater freedom for millions of people. Soon after taking power, Gorbachev began a campaign to end his country’s economic and political stagnation, using “glasnost,” or openness, to help achieve his goal of “perestroika,” or restructuring. He was in Malta for the famous Malta summit in December of 1989, which ended the cold war and heralded a period of peace, soon after the collapse of the Berlin Wall. His eventual decline was humiliating. His power hopelessly sapped by an attempted coup against him in August 1991, he spent his last months in office watching republic after republic declare independence until he resigned on Dec. 25, 1991. The Soviet Union wrote itself into oblivion a day later. Gorbachev won the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending the Cold War and spent his later years collecting accolades and awards from all corners of the world. Yet he was widely despised at home. Many Russians blamed him for the 1991 implosion of the Soviet Union — a once-fearsome superpower whose territory fractured into 15 separate nations, re-structuring in the process the Eastern European geographic map.. Gorbachev never set out to dismantle the Soviet system. He wanted to improve it. In his memoirs, he said he had long been frustrated that in a country with immense natural resources, tens of millions were living in poverty.

Gorbachev with his wife and Pope St. John Paul II

Once he began, one move led to another: He freed political prisoners, allowed open debate and multi-candidate elections, gave his countrymen freedom to travel, halted religious oppression, reduced nuclear arsenals, established closer ties with the West. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev was born March 2, 1931, in the village of Privolnoye in southern Russia. By age 15, he was helping his father drive a combine harvester after school and during the region’s blistering, dusty summers. His performance earned him the order of the Red Banner of Labor, an unusual distinction for a 17-year-old. That prize and the party background of his parents helped him land admission in 1950 to the country’s top university, Moscow State. There, he met his wife, Raisa Maximovna Titorenko, and joined the Communist Party. He was elected to the powerful party Central Committee in 1971, took over Soviet agricultural policy in 1978 and became a full Politburo member in 1980. It wasn’t until March 1985, when Chernenko died, that the party finally chose a younger man to lead the country: Gorbachev. He was 54. 

Medal issued for the Malta summit in December 1989

Starting in November 1985, Gorbachev began a series of attention-grabbing summits with world leaders, especially U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, which led to unprecedented, deep reductions in the American and Soviet nuclear arsenals. Gorbachev also spoke out against Putin's invasion of Ukraine. A day after the Feb. 24 attack, he issued a statement calling for an early cessation of hostilities and immediate start of peace negotiations. “There is nothing more precious in the world than human lives. Negotiations and dialogue on the basis of mutual respect and recognition of interests are the only possible way to resolve the most acute contradictions and problems,” he said. Let us not underestimate the close relationship that he had with St. John Paul II, who con-currently was dismantling Communism form his native Poland. 

Lady Diana – 25 years later

It has been 25 years since Lady Diana was tragically killed on that horrible night in Paris, August 31, 1997. Born on July 1, 1961 in Sandringham, Norfolk, England, she had some Royal connection as both her grandmothers had served as ladies-in-waiting to the Queen Mother. In 1981, while working as a nursery teacher's assistant, she became engaged to Prince Charles, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II. Their wedding took place at St. Paul’s Cathedral on 29 July 1981 and made her Princess of Wales, a role in which she was enthusiastically received by the public. They had two sons, William and Harry, who were then second and third in the line of succession to the British throne. 

Diana's marriage to Charles suffered due to their incompatibility and extramarital affairs. They separated in 1992, soon after the breakdown of their relationship became public knowledge. Their marital difficulties became increasingly publicised, and they divorced in 1996. Diana's activism and glamour made her an international icon and earned her enduring popularity as well as unprecedented public scrutiny all throughout her life as a Princess.

Diana was involved with over 100 charities and worked courageously with AIDS patients, also with cancer victims, and became a great advocate  for an organisation that removed landmines, left behind by war. Diana even visited a leprosy hospital in Indonesia. Following her visit, she became patron of the Leprosy Mission, an organisation dedicated to providing medicine, treatment, and other support services to those who are afflicted with the disease. We remember today her stunning beauty, her struggles and her humanity, represented so eloquently in these three photos shown in this post.

Now, you want to see what Diana would have looked like today ? Check this video and watch till the end, and you will find out that she would be just as pretty as a young Princess, even at 61.

My childhood church

It is my honor today to share with you three photos of my childhood church of St. Julian, also known as Lapsi Church (Ascension Church.) Built over the last two centuries, it has been recently restored to its magnificent best, probably like never seen before, thanks to the enthusiasm of a few young people who are dedicated to its upkeep, restoration and selfless sacrifice they make to see it become one of the most ornate smaller churches in Malta, which has a church for every day of the year, 365 in total. 

This is the church where my parents were married in July of 1948, where all of us children were baptized, where I served as an altar boy for many years, helped as a seminarian and celebrated many Masses after my ordination. It was the parish church of the town of St. Julian’s from 1891 until 1968 when the newer, bigger church was opened. Mass is still celebrated in it on a daily basis, and quite a few weddings are also celebrated there, even though it is not always wearing its finest outfit, as it does on Christmas, Easter and the feast of St Julian which was celebrated this past weekend.

100 years ago

Vintage photo of my paternal grandparents.

Going back to 1922, I introduce you today with my paternal grandparents, Joseph and Maria Cassar, seen here with two of their children Costanza and Julian. Unfortunately my grandparents both died before I was born, and so I never met them. My grandfather Joseph died in 1935 when my own father John was only 10 years old. My grandmother Maria died in 1950, 2 years before I was born. They would have 5 more children, Concetta, Carmelo, Joseph, John and Magdalen, now all of them deceased. They were all born between 1914 and 1928. Between them they had 19 grandchildren, 14 of whom are still alive.

Recent watercolors

I share with you some of my recent watercolors, done over the last 2 months. The first two are scenic views in my own style, and the other two are modern ideas that come to my mind. Whenever I show them to some friends, they all like them. They may not be worth anything today, but who knows, one day 100 years from now, they may end up in an auction and  fetch over a thousand euros or even more. The few that were auctioned in 2014 and 2015 in my last Oregon parish raised over three thousand dollars as a fund-raiser for the school. And those paintings are hanging somewhere in a few houses in the USA. People admire my charming style and the bright colors I use, and once I get more ideas, you will see more paintings.

Turning 70

I thank God today for letting me live this long while doing my best to serve my people all around the world. Grateful for the disciplined upbringing I had from my parents, the support and encouragement  from my siblings, and the genuine friendship from all my relatives and friends, I commit myself to continue my ministry, wherever the Lord wants me to work. Presently I continue to serve the residents at Hilltop Gardens and Simblija Care home, while helping out at the Naxxar parish church, and occasional visits at my childhood parish of St. Julian’s. As I occupy myself with various hobbies that keep me busy, I share my talents that God gave me through flute playing, water coloring, calligraphy, photography, writing, blogging, cooking, classical music, reading and walking. I am forever grateful for the years I spent in my pastoral ministry in St. Julian’s (1977-1981), New Hyde Park, NY (1981-1991), Rocky Point, NY (1991-1996), Hicksville, NY(1996-1998), Pleasant Valley, NY (1998-2002), John Day, Oregon (2003-2005), Baker City, Oregon (2005-2013), Bend, Oregon (2013-2016), Hilltop Gardens, Naxxar, (2016-present.)

Over the past 9 days I shared with you some of my favorites in all facets of life, and of course I could have gone on and on in various categories, but hopefully you got a glimpse of my favorite moments and best memories of which I have so many. Becoming a septuagenarian makes me realize that I am now closer to the end than to the beginning, but like everybody else, I take life one day a time. I count my blessings and continue in my journey of faith and love, as I pray for good health that I can accomplish all that the Lord wants me to do. Many people have touched my life during these years and I hope I was able to have a positive impact on many of you. Please keep checking my blog daily, for some inspiration, unusual stories, photos, gentle reflections and anecdotes. God bless you.

10 Favorite personal accomplishments

With my family back in the year 2000.

These are experiences I lived through and things I am mostly proud of.

1.       Serving the people of God as a priest in Malta, New York and Oregon for 45 years so far.

2.       Donating 118 pints of blood at various Blood Drives, many of which I organized myself.

3.       Writing regularly since 1986 in a Maltese Catholic newspaper, ‘Leħen is-Sewwa.’

4.       Participating in the New York City Marathon, earning 3 medals in 1985, 1986, 1987.

5.       Learning to play the flute and do watercolors and calligraphy all by myself. (also cooking)

6.       Being invited to give the Invocation and Benediction for the New York Mets in 1986, and everything I prayed for happened as they won the World Series in October.

7.       Leading the renovation at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral in Baker City, Oregon in 2008.

8.       Preaching at many funerals, weddings, other special Masses, always with a personal message.

9.       Taking thousands of photos, especially of wildlife and scenic views, which I always share with others.

10.   Running the blog for over 10 years so far, getting over 100 hits daily (www.dungiljan.blogspot.com)

My 10 favorite books and reading material

My reading has lately been done online, but I still have some favorite books, which I refer to regularly. They give me the inspiration I need for my spiritual and pastoral approach to my life as a priest. I read a lot of Melitensia books (Maltese history, art, culture) which I borrow from friends, and which are not listed here.

1.       The Life of Christ – Bishop Fulton Sheen.

2.       National Catholic Register. (online)

3.       The Bible.

4.       Journal of a Parish Priest – Fr Rawley Myers.

5.       Travelers along the Way – Fr  Benedict Groeschel, CFR.

6.       The Way – St Jose Maria Escriva.

7.       Joshua – Joseph F. Girzone.

8.       Creighton University Daily Reflections.

9.       National Catholic Reporter. (online)

10.   Catholic News Agency. (online)

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.