The face of Mary

Mary as a teenager, and as an adult

What did the Virgin Mary really look like? There are countless depictions of her throughout the centuries, but none of them is known for certain to be a faithful representation of her physical appearance as she was during her earthly life. Even when she has appeared to visionaries — at Guadalupe, Lourdes, or Fatima, for instance — her appearance seems to adapt to the place and time. The main constant in all cases is that she’s always beautiful. Brazilian artist Átila Soares da Costa Filho wanted to give a possible answer to this question, and has set about trying to reproduce a reasonable likeness of Mary using the Shroud of Turin and computer tools such as AI and digital photo editing. He started with the Shroud of Turin for a logical reason: Jesus was true God, but also true man, born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. Every son bears some resemblance to his mother, and Jesus would seem to be no exception. How much more must Jesus look like his Mother, given that he had no human biological father!

So, the artist reasoned that he could work backwards from the one “photographic” image of Jesus we have, namely the image on the Shroud, to Mary’s appearance. But that image shows us Jesus deformed by suffering and death. He needed an image of Jesus in life. This gave an image of Mary as an adult, but he also wanted to show what she might have looked like as an adolescent. He again used AI methods to help de-age the image so Mary would appear around the age she was when she gave birth to Jesus. In the teen portrait, Mary is smiling, in the splendor of youth, the representation of happiness and expectations, of promises and hope for her life which is just beginning … even more when she discovers she’ll be the mother of the Messiah. The older portrait has a strong, but solemn appearance; a woman who is dramatically committed to her mission and to the sacrifice made by her Redeemer … her son. Her face reflects glory, but also sorrow and total self-giving.

Saint Publius

St Publius - a painting by Emvin Cremona at the Floriana church.

Today the church in Malta celebrates the feast of St Publius. He was the chief of the island of Malta when St Paul was shipwrecked here in 60 AD. He welcomed St Paul, St Luke and the 276 sailors who ended up drifting to shore on planks of wood from the broken vessel on which they had traveled. Publius was very generous and hospitable to all these people, and when St Paul found out that his father was sick with fever and a bout of dysentery, he went to his house and healed him, whereupon many other natives came to be healed of various ailments. Eventually, St Paul ordained St Publius as the first Bishop of Malta. Later on in his life, he was captured and martyred by the cruel Emperor Hadrian. Most probably he was sent to the amphitheatre and devoured by a lion, as his statue always shows him with a lion next to him. The parish church of Floriana is dedicated to him, and the impressive ceiling of the church was painted by Emvin Cremona with various scenes from the life of St Publius. The account in the Acts of the Apostles says" Once we had reached safety, we learned that the island was called Malta. The natives showed us extraordinary hospitality; they lit a fire and welcomed all of us because it had begun to rain and was cold.......It so happened that the father of Publius, the governor of the island, was sick with a fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and after praying, laid his hands on him and healed him. After this, the rest of the sick on the island came to Paul and were cured. They paid us great honor and when we eventually set sail, they brought us the provisions we needed.” (Acts 28: 1-10) The italicized words show the positive characteristics of the Maltese people. He was martyred around 125 AD, during the persecution of Emperor Hadrian, and canonized in the year 1634.

Atheist, Catholic, Nobel winner

It's really fascinating that a person can change so quickly. This is admirable especially when it's for the positive. Could this be the same person? Yes it could. It was Norwegian writer and dramatist Jon Fosse who was a lifetime atheist, until he converted to the Catholic religion. He had major problems with alcoholism and anxiety, but he found the true faith and became Catholic in 2012. He wrote poems, essays, plays, translations and even children’s books. After his conversion he also wrote about his relationship with God, as well as prayer. Jon Fosse was awarded the Nobel prize for Literature in 2023.

St Sebastian

St Sebastian by Girolamo Genga

Nothing is known about St. Sebastian's youth other than the fact he may have come from southern France and he was educated in Milan. He joined the Roman Army in 283 AD, ostensibly to be of service to other Christians who were being persecuted by the Romans. St. Sebastian distinguished himself and for his excellent service, he was promoted to serve in the Praetorian Guard to protect Emperor Diocletian. While serving as a Praetorian Guard, deacons Marcus and Marcellus, twin brothers, were imprisoned for refusing to make public sacrifices to the Roman gods. During their imprisonment, their parents visited them to implore them to renounce Christianity. However, St. Sebastian convinced both parents to convert to Christianity. St. Sebastian also converted several other prominent individuals, including the local prefect. This led to his discovery and he was reported as a Christian to Emperor Diocletian in 286. The Emperor scolded Sebastian and ordered him to be killed by having him tied to a tree on a training field and used as target practice. Archers riddled his body with arrows, his body was described as, "full of arrows as an urchin." Believed to be dead, the archers left his body for retrieval and burial. He was recovered by Irene of Rome, whose Christian husband was a servant to Diocletian and also martyred. Irene discovered that Sebastian was still living and she hid him and nursed him back to health. Once well, Sebastian went in search of Diocletian to surprise him. He managed to catch Diocletian by a stairwell and proceeded to criticize him loudly and publicly for his persecution of the Christians. Diocletian surprised that Sebastian was still alive, would not permit Sebastian to escape with his life. He ordered his former guard to be beaten to death with clubs, then thrown into the sewers. His body was recovered by a Christian woman, named Lucina, and she secretly buried him in the catacombs beneath Rome. Nearly 80 years after his death, around 367, his remains were moved to a basilica in Rome, built by Pope Damasus I. St. Sebastian is the patron saint of soldiers, athletes, and those who desire a saintly death. Recently he has often been invoked for protection against the Covid virus, along with St Roque.

My Mission Churches

My Mission church of St Anne, in Monument Oregon

Continuing with selections from my Oregon Journals, this is what my parish looked like in 2003.

Built in 1938, St Elizabeth of Hungary church in John Day, Oregon was constructed by Fr George Murphy, the first pastor of the parish. He became a monsignor and after his retirement, lived with the Waltons in Long Creek towards the end of his life. Bud Walton and his wife Katherine had built the mission church dedicated to St Katherine between Dale and Long Creek, and they lived next to it. I enjoyed driving there every weekend, even though I only had 6 to 10 people in attendance. But the drive was pleasant with scenic views, rolling hills and pastures with cows, and no traffic at all. If you’re lucky you may encounter 10 to 15 cars driving by through the 60 miles it takes to get there. But then you’re likely to encounter plenty of deer crossing the road, besides many chipmunks and ground-squirrels. This mission church was a modern church, very spacious with a parish hall underneath, which unfortunately is hardly ever used. In fact I remember using it twice, once for a baptism of a Walton grand-child, and the other time for the funeral of Bud himself, with a reception that followed in the hall, and plenty of cowboys in attendance. Bud himself was a cowboy as were his two sons, who ranches over a thousand cows in different pastures. They had lots of property, at least one-third the size of Malta. Next to the church, they even had a small cemetery, mainly for family burials. Father George was buried there, and he had dug up his own grave in the ground. Moreover he had crafted his own casket which he used as a bookshelf while he was still alive. I enjoyed saying Mass there, in spite of the small congregation, and I embellished further by buying a few icons for the walls, which were pretty bare and empty. And when the grand-children of Bud showed up for Christmas and Easter, the crowd would at least double in size.

St Katherine's mission church in Long Creek, OR

Another mission church I had was in Monument, but this was actually a trailer transformed into a chapel, which was perfect for the 6 to10 people that would show up once a month. Monument itself was very small, next to the John Day river, which made the surroundings very green and lush. Besides, along the river they had various orchards that grew cherries, apricots, peaches, pears and apples. I used to enjoy picking bunches of cherries off the trees and the Thomas family who ran them gave me abundant apricots and other fruit when they were in season, normally in the summer months. This little hamlet is out of the way and to reach it you have drive through the only road that goes through it.

Inside St Charles' mission church in Seneca, OR.

The third mission church was in Seneca, 40 miles south of the parish. Like Monument, it is secluded with one main road running though it, but the main road leads to the other big town of Burns, 80 miles south of John Day. Seneca has the record of the lowest temperature ever recorded in Oregon, and the 6th lowest in the Continental USA, that of –54 degrees Fahrenheit recorded in 1933. Seneca was the coldest place in the contiguous United States for 30 nights between July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016. The small church was built in 1960 by a person who was one of my parishioners, Andy Radinovich. While I was stationed at John Day, it was closed, but I opened it up on two occasions, when Seneca organizes the Annual Oyster Feed. There was actually a nice crowd in attendance, and I even rang the bell to welcome the people. Most of these hamlets have Feeds where they welcome everyone for an extravaganza of food, whether it’s oysters, shrimp, crab and of course everything is washed down by plenty of beer!

Church Notice

This notice was found on a church door in France:

When you enter this church, 

it may be possible that you hear ‘the call of God.’ 

However, it is unlikely that He will call you on your mobile. 

So we thank you for turning off your mobile phones. 

If you want to talk to God, enter, 

choose a quite place, and talk to Him. 

If you want to see Him, 

send Him a text while driving!

Maltese Oranges

When December arrives, besides the Christmas celebrations and decorations, another aspect that brightens up everyone’s lives are the orange trees that bloom with hundreds of juicy oranges. They become abundant throughout January, as I am experiencing right now, with plenty of them being given to me, since people know that I love fruit. Quite a few families have orange trees planted in their gardens, while other bigger houses have orange groves with trees lining up every square inch. 

The great thing about Maltese oranges is that they peel very easily, compared to other conventional ones that are sometimes hard to peel. A few squeezed oranges gives you a delicious glass of fresh orange juice which gives you a tremendous boost in your Vitamin C intake.

Jailed Bishop released

Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa has been released from prison and sent into exile — along with 18 other churchmen who had been imprisoned — as Nicaragua’s government expelled its most prominent critic. Auxiliary Bishop Silvio José Báez of Managua — who left the country in 2019 — also confirmed the news at his weekly Mass in Miami, and was visibly moved. "This is the power of the people of God’s prayers," he said. "The criminal Sandinista dictatorship of (President) Daniel Ortega has not been able to defeat the power of God." With the exception of one priest who remained in Venezuela, all released priests, including Bishop Álvarez and Bishop Isidoro Mora of Siuna, have arrived in Rome and are guests of the Holy See. They spent over 500 days in jail, and at times their whereabouts was uncertain. The church authorities in Nicaragua deeply thanked Pope Francis and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, for the very respectful and discreet coordination carried out to make possible the Vatican trip of two bishops, fifteen priests and two seminarians.

Mount Angel, Oregon

Mount Angel Abbey church with the bell-tower

Continuing from my Journals, I go back today to 2003.......

Priests Retreat – a week after Easter, it is the custom for all the priests to gather for their annual retreat. It is a good opportunity for camaraderie among us, also to get to know each other a little better. There is another opportunity which the Baker Diocese has for priests to get together, besides of course the Chrism Mass, and that is the annual Clergy Assembly, which is held during the second week of October, a week of learning, updates, and refreshing our minds and hearts on various topics relating to our pastoral work, preaching and life in general. This was my first Retreat, which is held every year at Mount Angel Seminary, which is closer to Portland, near Salem on the west side of Oregon, situated in the Portland Diocese, the other diocese in the state, much bigger in population, but much smaller in size. I can say that our Baker Diocese has two-thirds of the state of Oregon, while the Portland diocese has the other third.  But the bulk of the population is on the west side, with the big cities of Portland, Salem, Eugene, and further south, Medford and Grants Pass. Mount Angel Abbey is run by Benedictine monks, and serves also as the Diocese of Washington State, Idaho, Alaska, Arizona, the Dakotas, Hawaii, the Samoan Islands, and the island of Guam, which is a US territory. At that time, in 2003, they had 80 monks at the Abbey, a minor Seminary of around 16 students, and a College or Seminary of about 80 students. Mount Angel accepts also a variety of religious order priests, and I saw a handful of Carmelites as well as Dominicans, other than the Diocesan, which make up the majority. Mount Angel Abbey is a community of Benedictine monks established in 1882 from the Abbey of Engelberg in Switzerland. The abbey, located on the top of Mount Angel, a 485-foot high butte, has its own post office separate from the city of Mt. Angel's, Saint Benedict. The Seminary's main church has a tower that contains the largest free-swinging bells on the west coast.

I was highly impressed by the Library, which was designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto between 1967 and 1970. And while visiting this immense library I was just as impressed by the amazing display of religious magazines and Catholic newspapers from around the world, besides of course thousands of books on everything from Scripture, Theology, Liturgy and everything related to Catholicism and spirituality. Since the Abbey is situated on a hill, one can get a good clear glimpse of the surrounding areas, including a perfect view of Mount Hood. It is said that that is the only place in the whole USA where you can get snow-skiing all year round. The sun rose exactly at the foothills of Mount Hood, and seeing the trees and fields underneath us throwing all kinds of shadows and reflections was quite awesome, especially with the low clouds stuffing themselves in the valleys, which made me seem like I was above the clouds, which I actually was. There are all kinds of statues around the lush property, with a very ornate Abbey chapel, and another chapel underneath where the students usually meet, and which is called the crypt. The monks normally meet at the main church, and we were invited to join them on a Wednesday afternoon for vespers. Then we were invited into their refectory, where they prepared for us drinks and cocktails, as well as a sumptuous meal, complete with Filet Mignon and Salmon, and veggies, other than an endless selection of pies and cakes. I asked one of the novices if this is the way they eat daily, and he kept shaking his head for two minutes, emphasizing “No, No, definitely No.” But they eat pretty good, no doubt about it. They had two Swiss chefs who were hired after they got tired of cooking in Restaurants, and wanted a change in their clientele. It was like eating in a first class Hotel, and it was a fitting tribute the Abbott gave to the priests of the Baker Diocese, including our two Bishops, Bishop Vasa and Bishop Thomas Connolly the bishop Emeritus of the Baker Diocese, who still joined us in most communal events and functions. As usual, wherever I go, I always find someone pressingly and enthusiastically interested in Malta, and I ended up with the Liturgy and Sacred Art Professor all evening, answering all kinds of questions about the history of Malta. I had no doubt that by the evening he was begging the Abbot to let him visit Malta. Since he also happens to be the Sub-Prior, third in command, he may have an advantage over the other monks.

From my Journals

My first parish in Oregon, St Elizabeth of Hungary, John Day.

During this year I would like to share with you some excerpts from the Journal I kept while in Oregon, especially in John Day and Baker City. They are little snippets you will find here from time to time.

 My arrival - It felt like the Indianapolis 500. With Bishop Vasa driving through the heart of Eastern Oregon, even with my seat-belts securely fastened, I was literally holding on to my seat. As we passed Battle Mountain, just before Ukiah, we were at a precipice that left me spellbound, not only because of the beautiful hills covered with pine trees, but also because of the immense drop on my side, and with no guard rail ! As we finished this long, swerving curve which felt like a 360 degree turn, the Bishop even had the nerve to apologize for going slow. He said, ”Father Julian, I usually I go faster, but since you’re with me today, I’m taking it a little slower.”

With Bishop Robert Vasa in 2004

Nonetheless it was a breath-taking drive from Bend to the Columbia River, and then onto Route 84 along the mighty Columbia, with those awesome hills on the Washington side of the river. Then down to Pendelton, where we stayed overnight, in order for the Bishop to install the new Pastor there, a Nigerian priest. Our Indy 500 took place on Sunday afternoon during a spectacularly beautiful day. Since the Bishop had to continue on in his journey to Bend, he had another three hours to drive, so he dropped me off at my new home at St Elizabeth of Hungary in John Day, and after going around the place, inspecting the Rectory, visiting the Church and the Parish Hall, I asked for his blessing and he left me on my own, as the new Pastor of John Day. He picked up a Coca Cola from the refrigerator and simply said ‘Father Julian, you’re on your own now.’ It suddenly dawned on me that I was now on my own, as a Pastor for the first time in my life. There I would spend two and a half years, reviving a community that was almost dormant. (More to come)

Choose the right chair

Fernando Pavarotti was a baker and loved to listen to opera. So he encouraged his son Luciano to study music. Yet Luciano was more interested in becoming a goalkeeper in football. He also taught at a school for a while. Still he loved music too. And was uncertain what to choose for his career. His father told him that he had to decide which chair to sit on. If he tries to sit on two chairs, he will probably fall in between them, crashing on the floor. Luciano later said ‘That’s what I did, I chose one chair, and I studied music for 7 years before I made my first professional appearance on stage as an opera singer. Then it took me another 7 years to make my first appearance at the Metropolitan Opera of New York. That’s when I realized that whether you’re a baker, a teacher a goalkeeper or an opera singer, you have to chose one chair. And that’s what I did. I chose the right chair for me.’ I hope you too can choose the right chair for you, and be happy with your final choice.

White Hair

A young girl was helping her mother one day and noticed something unusual in her hair, and so she asked her ‘Hey mom, why do you have a few white hairs in your head?’ The mother thought for a while how to answer her inquisitive daughter, and then said ‘Well actually the hair turns white every time you do something naughty! So make sure you always obey me, and my hair stays black.’ The little girl, without missing a beat, responded by an answer that left her mother dumbfounded, ‘well you must have been a very naughty girl yourself, because grandma’s hair is all white!’

Feast of the Donkey

Jesus on a donkey, tapestry at St John's Cathedral, Malta

The Middle Ages were a time of lively and sometimes strange traditions. One such tradition was the Festum Asinorum (literally, the Feast of the Donkey), a festive celebration held on January 14. This unique festival honored the humble donkey, especially the one that carried Mary and the infant Jesus on their flight to Egypt after Herod’s decree. The donkey also carried Jesus in his entrance into Jerusalem before His passion. While the exact origins of Festum Asinorum remain unclear, it likely originated sometime during the 11th and 12th centuries. The festival flourished primarily in France, where it was known as the Fête de l’Âne. It often coincided with, or even served as a precursor to, the Feast of Fools, another merry and mischievous festival held around the same time. The festivities themselves (as is often the case with folklore) were a mix of the sacred and the profane. A donkey, decorated with a crown and ribbons, would be led in procession through the village and into the church. The priest would preside over a special “Mass of the Donkey,” including a sermon occasionally delivered from the donkey’s back. The seemingly irreverent nature of the Festum Asinorum has puzzled and intrigued historians for centuries. Some interpret it as a form of social satire – the presence of the donkey in a sacred space seen as an opportunity for the lower classes to mock local authorities, as if in a pre-carnivalesque feast of sorts. But most scholars see it as a celebration of humility and simplicity, reminding the faithful that even the humblest of creatures can play a role in God’s plan. Viewed through the lens of medieval culture, it can be seen as a feast that celebrated humility, docility, and diligence.

Never give up!

Louis Bleriot on his successful plane

So many times we give up on our projects, especially after we failed a few times and get discouraged. Depending on engines and gadgets, how often we’ve heard of failure after failure when trying to do the impossible, or something that’s never been done before. Well, Louis Bleriot was the very first person that almost 115 years ago crossed the English Channel by plane. It was July 25, 1909  when he flew between France and England all by himself. He had built 10 planes for his attempt, but he crashed them all, and it was only on his 11th plane that he made it safely on land. On his example, never give up!

Beckenbauer and Zagallo

Beckenbauer and Zagallo lifting the World Cup

Strangely enough, a day apart saw the passing of two football personalities who were the first to be able to win World Cup both as player and manager: Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer. Didier Deschamps of France is the other footballer who was a World Cup winner as player and manager.

Brazil’s Mario Zagallo - No one man can boast more success at the World Cup than Brazilian Mario Zagallo, who died at the weekend at the age of 92. Zagallo played alongside a 17-year-old Pele in the 1958 final as Brazil won the title for the first of three times in 12 years in 1958 with a 5-2 victory over hosts Sweden, and repeated the feat four years later in Chile, when they beat Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the final. He was the coach of Brazil by the time arguably the greatest side to have graced the competition completed a treble in 1970 with a 4-1 demolition of Italy in Mexico City.

West Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer – or ‘Der Kaiser’ as he was known to his adoring fans – suffered the disappointment of losing to England in the 1966 final at Wembley, a game in which he and the late Sir Bobby Charlton famously cancelled each other out only for Geoff Hurst to score a hat-trick. The Germans, who ended England’s title defence at the quarter-final stage in Mexico four years later, had to wait until 1974 for captain Beckenbauer to get his hands on the trophy on home soil, bouncing back from Johann Neeskens’ early penalty to beat the Netherlands 2-1 in the final. He repeated the feat as a coach in 1990 when, with his side having edged out England on penalties in the semi-finals, Andreas Brehme’s penalty saw Germany brush off Argentina at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico. May they both rest in peace.

Our Baptism

With a new-born baby at the Baker City Cathedral, Dec 2012

There is nothing more precious than holding a new-born newly-baptized baby next to the nativity, connecting the new-born child to the new-born infant of Bethlehem, Jesus himself.  The Christmas season is not over yet, as today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus. It is therefore appropriate to look back at our own baptism today, and see how we lived up to the promises that our parents and godparents made for us when we were baptized. Since we were new-born babies when we were baptized, the majority of us do not remember that day, but our parents certainly do. I must have baptized over a thousand babies in my 46 years as a priest, and it is always an honor when I hear those words I DO when 6 important questions are asked about our rejection of sin and our affirmation of our faith in God, in Jesus and belief in the church. Let us recommit ourselves to be witnesses of the faith we received, and especially when those representing us, claimed their emphatic I DO! I DO reject everything that is evil! I DO believe everything the church teaches us! I DO believe in God, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Our gifts to Baby Jesus

And what are we offering Jesus this year on the feast of the Epiphany? I am suggesting a few gifts divided into threes:

From our children – obedience to their teachers, respect to all adults, and love towards their parents.

From our young people -  responsibility in everything they do, attention and caution in their use of social media, and humble denial that nothing can ever hurt them, that feeling of indestructibility.

For our married couples – reciprocal love, patience with each other, and continual forgiveness.

For those who lead our country in different roles – respect and transparency in every decision they take, honesty in they way they lead, instead of the attitude that nobody can touch them, and humility, because the more they feel important, the bigger the fall, not if or maybe.

For our elderly seniors – respect that they deserve, appreciation for all they did in their lives, and good health as long as the Good Lord wants them among us.

For all nations – sincere and everlasting peace, reciprocal cooperation among all leaders, and solidarity with the poor and the suffering people.

Epiphany

Epiphany by Emvin Cremona (Għaxaq church, Malta)

Even though the liturgical celebration of the Epiphany will be tomorrow Sunday January 7, many countries still observe it on this day, January 6th, which is also considered as the 12th day of Christmas. Many beautiful paintings have been produced over the centuries to depict this scene of Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar presenting the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the newborn Jesus. The gifts represent respectively the characteristics that Jesus had, as a King (gold,) as a God (frankincense,) and as a human being (myrrh.) The above painting is from the ceiling of St Mary's parish church in Ghaxaq, Malta, painted by Chev. Emvin Cremona, a Maltese painter and one of my favorite artists. The entire ceiling of the same church has other paintings representing scenes from the life of the Blessed Mother. It was in the 4th Century that December 25 was finally adopted by the Western Christian Church as the date Christ's birth date. While the Western Christian Church celebrates December 25th, the Eastern Christian Church to this day recognizes January 6 as the celebration of the nativity. January 6 is still considered in Italy and the Spanish countries as the day when the presents are open. In Slavic and eastern European countries, including Poland, there is a tradition that on the evening before the feast of the Epiphany, traditionally they recite prayers, blessed dried herbs would be burnt and their aromatic smell would fill the house. Doorways would be sprinkled with holy water and the head of the house would write with chalk C + M + B and the year above every door in the house door and say: "Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar, protect us again this year from the dangers of fire and water." C + M + B has traditionally been translated with Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, however, there is a tradition that it stands for "Christus Mansionem Benedicat" (Christ bless this home).

The Lord thanks me

Today I heard the Lord say something unusual to me. At first I thought He as joking. Am I hearing correctly? I heard Him say to me ’Thank you, my little one, Thank you!’ When He realized I was confused, I asked Him ‘Why Lord are you thanking me today?’ And He continued, ‘I thank you for what you are to me. Thank you for accepting my love for you unconditionally. Thank you that you trust me. Thank you for receiving my infinite help, even though it was difficult to see it at first. Thank you for giving me your burdens, your struggles. Thank you for giving me your mistakes. Thank you for leaving the past behind you, and that you believe that I forgave you. Thank you for accepting the small gifts I daily share with you. Thank you for trusting me with your future.’

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)

Elizabeth Bayley Seton was the first native born American to be canonized. Born two years before the American Revolution, on August 28, 1774, Elizabeth grew up in the "cream" of New York society. She was a prolific reader, and read everything from the Bible to contemporary novels. In spite of her high society background, Elizabeth's early life was quiet, simple, and often lonely. As she grew a little older, the Bible was to become her continual instruction, support and comfort. In 1794, Elizabeth married the wealthy young William Seton, with whom she was deeply in love. The first years of their marriage were happy and prosperous. This time of Elizabeth's life was to be a brief moment of earthly happiness before the many deaths she was to suffer. Within four years, Will's father died, leaving the young couple in charge of Will's seven half brothers and sisters, besides their own 5 children, as well as the family's importing business. Both Will's business and his health failed. He was finally forced to file a petition of bankruptcy. In a final attempt to save Will's health, the Setons sailed for Italy, but he died of tuberculosis soon after they arrived.

Elizabeth's deep concern for the spiritual welfare of her family and friends eventually led her into the Catholic Church, thanks also to the influence of the Fellicchi family with whom they stayed while in Italy. Elizabeth was baptized in St Peter’s church, New York City in 1805. At the suggestion of the president of St. Mary's College in Baltimore, Maryland, Elizabeth started a school in that city. She and two other young women, who helped her in her work, began plans for a new order, which was to be named Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph. They established the first free Catholic school in America. When the young community adopted their rule, they made provisions for Elizabeth to continue raising her children. On March 25, 1809, the new Mother Seton pronounced her vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Although Mother Seton was now afflicted with tuberculosis, she continued to guide her children. By 1818, in addition to their first school, the sisters had established two orphanages and another school. Mother Seton died in January 4, 1821 at the age of 46, only sixteen years after becoming a Catholic. She was canonized on September 14, 1975. On that day both Episcopalians and Catholics rejoiced. She is the patron of the Catholic schools in the USA.

Feast of the Name of Jesus

Today the Church celebrates the feast honoring the Holy Name of Jesus. Medieval Catholicism, and many other Christian churches to the present day, celebrated this feast along with the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ, usually on January 1st. St Bernardino of Siena placed great emphasis on the Holy Name, which he associated with the IHS Christogram, and may be responsible for the coupling of the two elements. The feast of the Holy Name of Jesus was moved around over the centuries, and in 2002, it was re-inserted in the Roman calendar to be celebrated today, January 3. The name of Jesus is frequently shown as a Monogram of IHS, the first three letters of the Greek name IHSUS. St. Bernardino of Siena and St. John Capistrano, along with St. Bernard spread the devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus throughout the centuries. The name of Jesus is offered in a variety of forms, as you can see from this short list of languages:                               
                                                                  Albanian - Jezusi
                                                                  Bosnian -  Isus
                                                                  Czech - Ježíš
                                                                  Filipino -  Hesus/Hesukristo
                                                                  Hawaiian - Jesu
                                                                  Hungarian – Jézu
                                                                  Maltese - Gesù
                                                                  Polish -  Jezus
                                                                  Ukranian - Icyc
                                                                  Vietnamese -  Chúa Giêsu

God’s gift every morning

We often take it for granted that so many gifts are given to us without any gratitude from our part. One such gift is presented to us every morning, and a similar one in the evening, our sunrises and sunsets. Not one of them is ever the same, just like snowflakes and fingerprints. I’m always looking for unusual sunrises or sunsets, and occasionally I miss some spectacular ones as I’m saying Mass at the same time. But once in a while, I am lucky, or at the right time at the right spot. 

Creating a good photo requires also finding the right spot, perfect angle and with an appropriate foreground and foliage that is available. These two photos happened this morning, 2 minutes apart and I share them with you, hoping that your sunrise is just as beautiful. If not, wait for tonight’s sunset or tomorrow’s timely gift from heaven.

Mary, Mother of God

We start this year with a special feast in honor of Mary, Mother of Jesus, Mother of God, and Mother of us all. January 1st, since 1968 has also been considered as the World Day of Peace, and I dedicate this year to the Blessed Mother as she blesses us with her protection and love. May she always protect our families, those still hurting with recent tragedies, those thousands killed in the Middle East and Ukraine wars, those who lost loved ones, and those who seem lost or disoriented in life. As she knows the pain and anguish of losing a child, may we look towards her for direction, for motivation, and consolation.  May Mary, the Queen of Peace and her Son, the Prince of Peace bless the world with peace and harmony, the poor with care and prosperity, the despairing with hope and confidence, the grieving with comfort and gladness, the oppressed with freedom and deliverance, the suffering with solace and relief. 

One of my favorite artists is Giovanni Battista Sassoferrato (August 25, 1609 – August 8, 1685) who has given us some of the most beautiful paintings of the Madonna and the child Jesus. There are over three hundred works by Sassoferrato in public collections in 2006 throughout the world. Enjoy today just two of his paintings reproduced in this first post of 2024.

Wishing every visitor to this blog, a healthy and peace-filled 2024.

The New Year

Ever since a 1947 Gallup poll listed the 10 most popular resolutions in the US, the top 10 have scarcely varied. Today, these resolutions repeat themselves almost word for word: lose weight; quit smoking; don’t drink as much; embark on self-improvement; get organised; manage finances better; spend more time with family and friends. Others differ in wording, reflecting the fads of the day, but differ little in substance. In 1947, it was “go to Church more regularly”. Today, it might read “practise self-care” or even “explore new places” Many of our resolutions today involve going on a “digital diet” and cutting down on the hours we spend sitting at a computer screen. The ancients – among others, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, and Indian; Jews, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, – had an alternative solution. Do not focus on goals and well-thought plans, they said, because life is too uncertain. Do not commit to changing your life by a set date. Instead, learn to make do with less. Do not resolve to bend reality to your will; learn how to respond to surprises and disorder. Do not fixate on dates; embark on a lifetime project, one step at a time. Maybe we should try to slow down and give a little time for introspection, meditation and speaking to the Lord. He’s always available, no appointments required, just go to a church and look at the tabernacle. Look at Him, and remember that He’s looking at you. Happy New Year.

How Band Clubs decorate

Every town and village in Malta has a Band Club, marching band clubs that participate in their local village festa and other functions. They are usually brass bands with woodwind instruments and some percussion. They attract many followers who attend their clubs which have large halls for meeting and concerts, some playing stations like snooker and darts as well a card-playing. And of course a bar which attracts many people to socialize...and drink. Then there is the façade which is always an attraction in itself, and is decorated profusely during village feast in the summer months, and during the Christmas season, as you can see from these two photos of the local Band Clubs in Naxxar. The first one is the Victory Club and the second one is the Peace Club, and they obviously compete against each other as to who will decorate the best.

More Nativities

I cannot let go another day without sharing with you some more Nativities I saw over the last few days. They are so well crafted, as the quality of these creations are like little masterpieces, all of which are the result of hard work, inventive ideas and sheer joy in presenting Christmas as truly the birth of Jesus Christ. There is a sense of affection and care in the way St Joseph is seen protecting Mary, the way Mary receives the message from God and hints of closeness to the Almighty.

Celebrating with Gratitude

The birth of Christ has changed the course of history and because of his presence in our lives, history is still changing. We have now 1.3 billion members in the Catholic church. Many of them on Christmas day were in one of the thousands of churches around the world to celebrate in prayer. The sang quietly ‘Silent Night’, while others proclaim ‘Joy to the world,’ and ‘ O come let us adore Him.’ Still others stayed from churches and simply they sang ‘Deck the Halls,’ ‘I Dream of a White Christmas,’ and rang their ‘Jingle Bells’ and ‘Silver Bells.’

But above everything, at this festive season, let us look around us and say Thank you....

Look at a sunset and say Thank you for Beauty.

Look at the birth of a baby and say Thank you for the gift of Life.

Look at two world leaders signing a ceasefire during war, and say Thank you for Peace.

Look around you and be thankful for your friends and family.

Look at a computer and say Thank you as to how the world has become a global village.

Look at schools and say Thank you to teachers who feed us with so much knowledge.

Look at the church, and be thankful for the power of prayer.

Look at the stable of Bethlehem and say Thank you that Jesus came among us to save us.