We’re getting old!

And elderly couple were very concerned that their grown-up children were not being nice to them. The sweetness and kindness they showed to them early in life has somehow disappeared. And so they decided to write their children this letter: 

Dear children, As you can see, we, your parents are not young anymore, and so we decided to write this letter to ask you to be patient with us, and try to understand our feelings.  When you see us become forgetful, and not able to follow a conversation with you, be patient with us as we try to follow what you are trying to say. When our legs do not act as fast as before, please do remember how patient we were in teaching to walk when you were tiny toddlers. When you hear us repeat the same things over and over, do not be upset, but remember how often you told us to repeat the same story again and again, which we did happily. When we don’t feel like eating, please do not force us to eat, as we know when we are hungry and need to eat. And when we accidentally spill some food on us, just remember how often we cleaned you up when trying to eat alone, with plenty of spills and minor accidents. And when you see us so inept in following modern technology, do not make fun of us, but give us a chance to learn and show us how to use so many modern gadgets. You cannot understand the problem of old age. We hope that when one day you reach our age, you will understand what we are going through. Remember that in spite of our fragility and  weaknesses, we love you, and we hope you can fully acknowledge our predicament, and show more patience instead of frustration. God bless you all. Your parents.

Stations around Town

The parishioners after one of the stations.

Another flashback from my Journals of 2004 - During one Friday in Lent, instead of the Stations of the Cross in the church, I organized something completely new, the Stations around town. Since it was a totally innovative idea, I was nervous about the people’s reaction, but those who attended were heart and soul into it. We had 30 people attend, which is always an encouraging number in a small parish, especially since many families are away during this spring break. The weather did not cooperate at all, because it was cloudy and cold, with an occasional slight drizzle, but we made it through without any major downpour. It was quite a historic event for our parish, and everything went very smoothly, visiting the first 7 landmarks by cars as we prayed the Stations and a specific prayer at each place, which I wrote appropriately for the occasion. The other 7 landmarks we visited on foot as we walked together following a beautiful lodge-pole cross that Jim Maple had crafted.  The 14 places we visited were: 1. In front of our Church, 2. The Canyon Creek Nursing Home, 3. The Grant Union High School, 4. Humboldt Junior School, 5. The Courthouse, 6. The Grant County Museum, 7. The Blue Mountain Hospital, 8. Chester’s Thriftway Food store, 9.  Gleason Pool and Park, 10. The Post Office, 11. The US Bank, 12.  The True Value Hardware Store, 13.  The Police Station, and lastly 14. Inside our Church, from where we started. We were finished at 6:40 PM, and people seemed to have enjoyed this new experience of Stations of the Cross around town. They were prayerful, quick to move from Station to Station by cars and also walked together following the Cross. I asked different people to hold the cross at each station and carry it during our last 7 stops, and of course I had plenty of volunteers. 

The catechism children gathered for the stations

I also organized a stations for children, going around the church property, the church, parish hall, sacristy, some neighboring streets and the Rectory, which of course the children enjoyed like the adults did. Everything was done in a prayerful mood, and for the adults stations I even had some members of the local Protestant churches.

Chair of St Peter

Today we celebrate the feast of St Peter, and precisely the authority of St Peter in a feast called “The Chair of Saint Peter.” Of course we do not venerate chairs as such, but the ‘chair’ or ‘cathedra’ of St Peter is very symbolic, to such an extent that his chair has been immortalized in a magnificent sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini behind the main altar at St Peter’s basilica. It is actually a part of the colonnade above the main altar, the massive chocolate-colored baldacchino that dominates the interior of the basilica. Next to the chair are the 4 Fathers of the early church, St Ambrose, St John Chrysostom, St Augustine and St Athanasius. Above the chair is a stained-glass window of the Holy Spirit in yellow texture. The bronze sculpture was crafted between 1647 and 1653 by Bernini. 

The original chair of Peter is preserved, although in a very worn-out state. It was transferred from the church of Santa Prisca to the Vatican, and was exposed to the public once a year. However it was encased with the Bernini masterpiece, where it still is, protected mostly because of its fragile structure. For 200 years it was kept hidden and protected, but in 1867 it was exposed to the faithful to commemorate the anniversary of the martyrdom of Sts Peter and Paul.

Julian’s Island – 40 years ago

This is a photo I took 40 years ago at Saranac Lake in Upstate New York. With my priest friend and pastor Fr John Heinlein, I used to go for a week in the Adirondacks, and while I did mostly biking, swimming and taking photos, he would be doing a lot of water-skiing, besides the driving. The following two years, when I eventually got my driver’s license, I did some of the driving too, and one year I went by myself with his father Joe, driving even into Canada. Of course we always celebrated Mass for the guests who were at the Marlboro Club with us, and I took this photo just before we started to say Mass. Now on the lake there were a few islands that were named, but a few smaller ones had no name, and so I decided to name one of them 'Julian’s Island.' 

Julian's Island on Upper Saranac Lake

Nobody complained or objected and I believe it still is known as Julian’s Island. If you enlarge the photo with the chalice, you can see this little island just below the branch that extends from the tree on the right. On the second photo you see the entire island (which is actually a rock.) I did a lot of biking those days, all the way to Lake Placid, site of the 1980 Olympics, Tupper Lake, as well as around Upper and Lower Saranac Lakes. Saranac Lake is at an elevation of 1580 feet above sea level. Winter days were all snowy of course but the summer months were pleasant with low humidity and cooler nights.

Wisdom from a 90 year old – part 2

This list was written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio. To celebrate growing older, she wrote the 45 lessons life taught her. Here are the remaining 20.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.....
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Wisdom from a 90 year old – part 1

This is something we should all read at least once a week! Make sure you read to the end! This list was written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio. To celebrate growing older, she wrote the 45 lessons life taught her. Here they are:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay-check.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

A true witness for life

Amada Rosa Pérez made her living as a successful model and actress in Colombia, best known for her role in the telenovela La Costeña y El Cachaco as Sofia. However, her life wasn’t all glitz and glamour; she spoke about having an abortion and the immense pain it caused her, as well as how she learned to heal and help spare other women from experiencing that pain as well. Pérez has been speaking out in protest of Colombia’s decision to legalize abortion. She said “I had an abortion out of fear, because I was pressured by my partner and I believed in what they told me, that the most important thing was my dreams and my professional success.” The experience left her traumatized. “I had suicidal thoughts,” she said. “I believed that I wasn’t worthy to go on living because I had killed my child, and I suffered from a fixation on memories related to the abortion. Perhaps one of the most common consequences is the loss of tenderness; our woman’s heart becomes harder.” Eventually, Pérez gave herself to God, and allowed herself to heal from the pain. But she wants to save other women from experiencing what she went through, especially after the pro-life country’s shocking decision to make abortion legal. She said further “We’re living in a culture of death that wants to take away the value of motherhood and is damaging the minds and hearts of girls and women who think that if they end the life of their children they will be free. On the contrary, that makes them slaves! Behind abortion is a big business run by men who make women believe that they’re fighting for their rights, when what they’re doing is harming their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health,” she explained. Today, she hopes women will give themselves to God as she did, and that her voice will make a difference. “I’m simply a grain of sand,” she said. “God allowed me to be a public figure to give his messages. I only ask Him to never let go of me and to be able to do His will.”

The Head of Christ

The Head of Christ (1940), painted by Warner Sallman was reproduced 500 million times, appearing in Church Bulletins, posters, T-Shirts, in wallet-sized copies distributed to servicemen during World War II. Sallman also painted “Christ our pilot” and “Christ at heart’s door” The Head of Christ originated as a charcoal sketch entitled The Son of Man done in 1924 and sold to be the cover of the Covenant Companion, the denominational magazine for the Evangelical Covenant Church. Sallman did several variations of the painting over the years, and the first oil version was done in 1935. In 1940 he was asked to reproduce that painting by the students of North Park Theological Seminary. This reproduction was seen by representatives of the Gospel Trumpet Company, who created a new company called Kriebel and Bates to market Sallman's work. For the next thirty years Kriebel and Bates marketed over 100 Warner Sallman works. When Kriebel and Bates dissolved, the copyrights to these works were acquired by Warner Press. The Baptist Bookstore initially popularized the painting, distributing various sized lithographic images for sale throughout the southern United States. The Salvation Army and the YMCA, as members of the USO, handed out pocket-sized versions of the painting to American servicemen heading overseas during World War II. After the war, groups in Oklahoma and Indiana conducted campaigns to distribute the image into private and public spaces.

Solving a dilemma

You are driving home during a stormy evening. As you pass by a Bus Stop, you see a few people waiting, and among them you notice three particular characters: an old woman who seemed very weak, an old friend who once saved your life, and a young lady whom you would love the get to know better. Your car however is a two-seater, and there was only room for one person. Which one of these characters would you would give a lift to? This is a moral and ethical problem which was often presented to candidates applying for a nice job. So think calmly before answering. You can give a ride to the elderly woman and take her to the hospital and possibly save her life. You can give a ride to your old friend and this way pay back for the kind deed he did for you years ago. Or you can give a ride to the pretty girl and  maybe get acquainted with her and build a long-lasting relationship. So, which person would you give a ride to? Out of 200 candidates, only one answered correctly, thereby solving this dilemma, and getting the prestigious job. This was his answer: ‘I would give my car keys to my friend who had saved my life and ask him to take the old lady to a nearby hospital. Then I would wait on the stage with the young pretty girl, and in the process invite her for a drink to get to know her better, and who knows eventually we can get married and live happily together.’ When pondering a decision, it’s wise to think properly before making the choice. It could very well be a life-changing event for you, and your life will never ever be the same.

Guide me o Lord

Heavenly Father, walk with me today, and grant that I may hear your footsteps and see your footprints, and gladly follow where they may lead me. Let me also leave my own footprints for others to follow, as long as I lead them in the right path of gentleness and peace. Talk with me today, and grant that I may hear Your tender voice, and listen to Your advice. 
Help me to feel Your presence in all the projects that I accomplish, in all the words that I say and in all the thoughts that cross my mind. Be my strength when I seem to weaken, and my courage when I start to be afraid. 
Help me to know that it is Your hand holding mine throughout all the minutes of all the hours of this day. And when night falls, grant that I may know that I am gathered to Your Sacred Heart to sleep in love and peace. AMEN.

Ash Wednesday

At the start of this Lenten season, we reflect on three important phrases which the priest will say while marking our foreheads with ashes:

“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”
“Turn away from sin, and believe in the Gospel”
“Repent and believe in the Good News of Jesus Christ.”

It is interesting to note that in European countries, including Italy and Malta, the ashes are placed or dropped on top of the head, instead of marked on the forehead as is done in the USA. I also had a custom of asking the people to bring back the old palms or olive branches from last year’s Palm Sunday and I will burn them a few days before, and use the ashes from the burned palms for the celebration of Ash Wednesday. This also shows the continuity between one year and another, from ashes to palms, and from palms to ashes. It is also a reminder of the stark fact that from dust we came, and to dust we will return, as the first phrase proclaims. Some parishes in New York replace the holy water fonts with ashes instead of holy water during Lent.

I invite you to journey with me as I share with you during the next 40 days, reflections and meditations that will help you get closer to the crucified Jesus. 

We adore you o Christ, and we praise You, because by Your Holy Cross, 

You have redeemed the world.

The Superbowl advert about service

Last Sunday’s Super Bowl victory of the Kansas City Chiefs over the San Francisco 49ers ran into overtime and was quite a thrilling match. Many people look forward to watch the commercials which usually premier during the game, each costing millions of dollars for a 30 second spot. This year there were two commercials related to religion, including one that speaks of service, especially in how we can serve each other, even if we live in different camps, and are always confrontational with each other.  This brief documentary shows some scenes that appear with the message ‘Jesus didn't teach hate. He washed feet.’ The foot-washing ceremony is held on Holy Thursday, reminiscent of what Jesus did at the Last Supper, with the command ‘what I have done to you, you must do to one another.’

Hail ! Hail !

My handful of hail, the size of grapes

We never had snow here in Malta, but occasionally we get hail, and yesterday, right in the middle of our Carnival celebration, we got quite a hailstorm. As you can see from the photos I quickly took, the hail were the size of olive and grapes. There were mounds of hail in corners even 4 hours later, and since it was cold, it did not melt rightaway. Hail is a form of solid precipitation, different from what the Americans call sleet.  

The ground covered with hail.

Hail consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailstone. Hail occurs during thunderstorms when a draught of warm air carries water droplets upwards which then freeze at high altitudes. The crystals of ice continue to grow until they become too heavy and fall to earth. Hail can cause serious damage, notably to automobiles, aircraft, skylights, glass-roofed structures, livestock and most commonly, crops.

Marian Prayer for the sick

On this first apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes, I offer this prayer for all the sick who look to Mary for recovery, good health and well-being.

Mary, health of the sick,

be at the bedside of all the world’s sick;
of those who are unconscious and dying;
of those who have begun their agony;
of those who have abandoned all hope of a cure;
of those who weep and cry out in pain;
of those cannot receive care because they have no money;
of those who ought to be resting but are forced by poverty to work;
of those who pass long nights sleeplessly;
of those who seek vainly in their beds to find a better position;
of those who are tormented by the cares of a family in distress;
of those who suffer through painful cancer, dementia or Alzheimer's disease;
of those who must renounce their most cherished plans for the future;
of those, above all, who do not believe in a better life;
of those who rebel and curse God;
of those who do not know that Christ suffered like them and for them. Amen.

Shipwreck of Saint Paul

An original painting of St. Paul's shipwreck by Fortunino Matania

February 10 is the National Holy Day of Malta. It is different than a holiday, because even though Independence Day is on September 21, and Republic Day is December 13, while Victory Day is September 8, in the heart of the majority of the people, this is the feast when Christianity arrived to the shores of Malta. It’s the day we celebrate the feast of the shipwreck of Saint Paul on the island of Malta in the year 60 AD. It’s strange that people celebrate a tragic event which could have been even more catastrophic, but none of the sailors were killed on that eventful day, thanks to the protection of St Paul, who was accompanied by St Luke on their way to Rome. The people of Malta are described in the Bible as welcoming, courteous and generous, a tribute that had come down over two millennia and something that characterizes the heart of the Maltese people.

This is how the Acts of the Apostles relates this historic day: “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. Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it on the fire when a viper, escaping from the heat, fastened on his hand. When the natives saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “This man must certainly be a murderer; though he escaped the sea, Justice has not let him remain alive.” But he shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no harm. They were expecting him to swell up or suddenly to fall down dead but, after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god. In the vicinity of that place were lands belonging to a man named Publius, the chief of the island. He welcomed us and received us cordially as his guests for three days. It so happened that the father of Publius was sick with a fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and, after praying, laid his hands on him and healed him. After this had taken place, 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 Secret

One day, one friend asked another, “How is it that you are always so happy? You have so much energy, and you never seem to get down.”
“With her eyes smiling, she said, “I know the Secret!”
“What secret is that?”
To which she replied, “I’’ll tell you all about it, but you have to promise to share the Secret with others.”
The Secret is this: I have learned there is little I can do in my life that will make me truly happy. I must depend on God to make me happy and to meet my needs. When a need arises in my life, I have to trust God to supply according to HIS riches. I have learned most of the time I don’t need half of what I think I do. Since I learned that 'Secret’, I am happy. He has never let me down”
The questioner’s first thought was, “ That’s too simple!” But upon reflecting over her own life she recalled how she thought a bigger house would make her happy, but it didn’t! She thought a better paying job would make her happy, but it hadn’t. She thought a luxurious car, a hefty bank account, a cruise on an ocean liner...., but nothing did make her better.
When did she realize her greatest happiness? Sitting on the floor with her grandchildren, playing games, praying with them, walking on the beach in bare feet with them, or reading a story, a simple gift from God. Now you know it too! We can’t depend on people or objects to make us happy. Only GOD in His infinite wisdom can do that. Trust HIM! And now I pass the Secret on to you! So once you get it, what will you do? YOU have to tell someone the Secret, too! That GOD in His wisdom will take care of YOU!

St. Josephine Bakhita

Most people may not have heard of this saint, but please, read on - her story is truly remarkable. Early details about Bakhita are not fully known. She was born about 1869 in the western Sudanese region of Darfur. Her prosperous father was brother of the village chief and she was surrounded by a loving family of three brothers and three sisters. But aged 9, she was kidnapped by Arab slave traders, and was cruelly forced to walk about 600 miles in her bare feet. Over the course of twelve years (1877–1889) she was resold again three more times and then given away. The trauma of her abduction caused her to forget her own name; she took one given to her by the slavers, bakhita, Arabic for lucky. She was also forcibly converted to Islam.

In 1883 Bakhita was bought by the Italian Vice Consul Callisto Legnani, who was a very kind man. For the first time since her captivity she was able to enjoy some peace and tranquility. Two years later, when Legnani himself had to return to Italy, Bakhita begged to go with him. In April 1885 they arrived at the Italian port of Genoa, and she was greeted by Augusto Michieli, who took her to the family villa near Venice. She lived there for three years and became nanny to the Michieli's daughter Alice.  On 9 January 1890 Bakhita was baptized with the names of Giuseppina Margherita. On the same day she was also confirmed and received communion from the Cardinal patriarch of Venice himself. On December 7, 1893 she entered the novitiate of the Canossian Sisters and on December 8, 1896 she took her vows, welcomed by the future Pope Pius X. In 1902 she was assigned to the Canossian convent at Schio, in the northern Italian province of Vicenza, where she spent the rest of her life.  During her 42 years in Schio, Bakhita was employed as the cook, sacristan and door keeper and was in frequent contact with the local community. Her gentleness, calming voice, and ever-present smile became well known. People still refer to her as Sor Moretta ("little brown sister") or Madre Moretta ("black mother.") Her last years were marked by pain and sickness. She used a wheelchair, but she retained her cheerfulness. Bakhita died on February 8, 1947. For three days her body lay on display while thousands of people arrived to pay their respects. On May 17, 1992, she was declared Blessed and given February 8 as her feast day. On October 1, 2000, she was canonized and became Saint Josephine Bakhita, a modern African saint, and as a statement against the brutal history of slavery, becoming the patron saint of Sudan.

Blessed Pope Pius IX

Blessed Pope Pius IX (1792-1878)

Today the church celebrates the feast of Blessed Pope Pius IX, the longest reigning Pope in history. Born in Senigallia, Italy, on May 13, 1792, as Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, he was head of the Catholic Church from June 16, 1846, to his death on February 7, 1878. During his pontificate, Pius IX convened the First Vatican Council (1869–70), which decreed papal infallibility. One interesting fact that many people don’t know is that he was ordained a priest by a Maltese Cardinal. It was Fabrizio Sceberras Testaferrata (1 April 1757 - 3 August 1843) who ordained Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti a priest on April 10, 1819. The Maltese prelate served as Bishop of Senigallia from 1818 until his death in 1843. In his younger years, Pope Pius IX was Archbishop of Spoleto between 1827 and 1832. He was a Marian Pope, who in his encyclical Ubi Primum described Mary as a Mediatrix of salvation. In 1854, he promulgated the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, proclaiming that Mary was conceived without original sin. Pius IX will always be remembered for the many concordats agreed and signed, and helping many developing nations. On another note, Pope Pius IX was instrumental in erecting the Diocese of Gozo as a separate Diocese from mainland Malta in 1868. Pius IX celebrated his silver jubilee as a Pope in 1871, going on to have the longest reign in the history of the Papacy, 31 years, 7 months and 23 days. Together with Pope St. John XXIII, he was beatified on September 3, 2000, after the recognition of a miracle. Pius IX was assigned the liturgical feast of February 7, the date of his death.

The Worker’s Pledge

Would that all workers be honest in their contribution at what they do. Maybe this brief pledge can encourage more workers to give 100% of their genuine efforts at work. Washington Gladden (1836-1918), an American pastor, and founder of the Social Gospel Movement wrote the Worker’s Pledge for all workers: ‘I don’t want to be a sponge or a parasite, but I want to give my share equivalent to what I get paid for. I don’t want money unless I worked very hard for them. If I end up working for a company or institution, I want to give complete service and generous contribution to what I’m asked to do. If I work for my country or even my own town or village, I have to give my full effort, in the most efficient and conscientious way. If  I can give a little more than what I received, then I’ll be the happiest person on earth.’

Saint Agatha

Illumination of St Agatha's martyrdom by Sano di Pietro

St. Agatha was born in Catania, Sicily, and died there a martyr in approximately 251 AD. In the legend of her life, we are told that she belonged to a rich, important family. When she was young, she dedicated her life to God and resisted any men who wanted to marry her or have sex with her. One of these men, Quintian, was of a high enough rank that he felt he could force her to acquiesce. Knowing she was a Christian in a time of persecution, he had her arrested. He expected her to give in when faced with torture and possible death, but she simply affirmed her belief in God. Quintian imprisoned her in a brothel in order to get her to change her mind. He brought her back before him after she had suffered a month of assault and humiliation in the brothel, but Agatha had never wavered. Quintian sent her to prison, instead of back to the brothel - a move intended to make her more afraid, but which probably was a great relief to her. When she continued to profess her faith in Jesus, Quintian had her tortured by cutting off her breasts. He refused her any medical care but God gave her all the care she needed in the form of a vision of St. Peter. Saint Agatha is often depicted in paintings carrying her excised breasts on a platter. 

The shape of her amputated breasts, especially as depicted in artistic renderings, gave rise to her attribution as the patron saint of bell-founders and of bakers, whose loaves were blessed at her feast day. More recently, she has been venerated as patron saint of breast cancer patients. Because she was asked for help during the eruption of Mount Etna she is considered a protector against the outbreak of fire. She is the patron saint of Catania, Molise, Malta, San Marino and Segovia in Spain. She is also the patron saint of breast cancer patients, martyrs, wet nurses, fire and earthquakes. The second painting is a modern impression of St Agatha, in relation to her role as patron of breast cancer patients.

The Pope on bullying

Recently, Pope Francis was talking on a video-link with students from Asia, and he mentioned to them the plight of an Indian girl, who was harassed and bullied because she was overweight. He told them ‘whatever you are, tall or short, fat or thin, it’s important that you accept yourself as you are. Each person has a certain beauty, and we need to recognize it – this could be outside or inside the person concerned.’ Pope Francis then relayed a story from his childhood: ‘I had a friend whom we made fun of because he was a little chubby. I can say that we even bullied him, and one day we pushed him and he fell on the ground. When I went home, my father had already heard what had happened. So he took me to the house of that boy to apologize to him and his parents.’ He concluded by saying that a few months ago, he made contact with him, and found out that he is now an Evangelical pastor in Argentina.

Driving around

Continuing with extracts from my Oregon Journals,.......I had been in my new parish in John Day for three weeks, but since this year, 2003 was the centennial of the foundation of the Baker Diocese, each deanery organized a Convention in which the bishop will confirm all the candidates from those towns. In this deanery there were 70 confirmands gathered together in the Cathedral of Baker City. I was excited to make my first big trip out of John Day, but became extremely nervous when the forecast was going to be snowy, especially since I had to go through 2 mountain passes. In comes one of my parishioners Michael Cosgrove who volunteered to drive me there and back and I found him like an angel and I was more than relieved to be seated in the passenger seat, rather than driving on unfamiliar roads. And besides, I could enjoy the beautiful scenery and snow-capped mountains and spectacular vistas that make Route 26 and Route 7 one of the most scenic routes in the state of Oregon. On our way back we stopped at Sumpter and I was treated to a delicious dinner, myself devouring a large plate of hot and spicy Spaghetti alla Puttanesca. But my first encounter with the Cathedral was quite striking, not knowing as yet that I would spend 8 great years as the pastor there between 2005 and 2013. The banners and posters were all displayed in the parish hall, and seeing all the others, I was happy ours appeared so nice next to banners and posters of other parishes from our deanery.

But something interesting struck me while Michael was driving. Every time he saw a car coming towards us on the other side, which were actually quite few, he would wave at them. I said to myself ‘how can he possibly know every person that’s driving through Eastern Oregon between Baker City and John Day?’ So after the 6th car went by and another wave, I asked him how come he knows everyone. And his answer was just as surprising ‘well, actually I don’t know any of them, but it is a courtesy here in the country that we wave to each other, no matter who they are.’ I liked the idea and I started doing this myself, and sure enough, everyone waved back to me. This way I made friends with every driver in the state.

Now a funny story related to this. After I was in Oregon for about a year, I had some visitors, the Peters girls come to visit me from Pleasant Valley, New York, Mary the cantor at Pleasant Valley and her elderly mother Millie. So as I was driving them around, I did the same wave gesture to everyone that passed by. And sure enough Mary asked me the same question I had asked Michael Cosgrove. And I came up with an even more interesting and funny response. The first car that I waved at, she asked me ‘Oh, you know them?’ I told her ‘Oh yes, that was Bubba! Bubba was a big fat girl from the parish who everybody knows.’ Of course she believed me. So as the others car went by, I had a different response for every driver that passed by...’Oh that was Bubba’s landlord...’ ‘that was Bubba’s hairdresser....’ ‘ that was Bubba’s sister.....,’ ‘that was Bubba’s veterinarian....’ ‘that was Bubba’s gardener.....’ ‘ that was Bubba’s pedicurist.....’ After that she knew I was kidding. And we laughed, as every other driver had some kind of connection with Bubba!

Presentation of Jesus

40 days have passed since Christmas, and this celebration of the presentation of Jesus is very meaningful, especially when we consider some Jewish traditions which the Holy Family were obliged to observe. Whenever a mother gave birth to a first-born son, she would be considered impure for a whole week, and would not be permitted to enter the temple for a duration of 40 days. She would then spend the rest of the 33 days confined to her home. On the 40th day, which would be February 2nd, she would go to the temple for the ceremony of purification, besides having her son circumcised. The parents were also expected to present a gift to the High Priest, a pair of sheep if they were wealthy or a pair of turtle-doves if they were poor. Simeon received the infant Jesus at the temple and so on this occasion a triple ceremony was done, circumcision, purification and presentation, all of which have been combined together by the Catholic church as the Feast of the Presentation.  

Jannik Sinner

                    

Another superstar is born. 22 year-old Jannik Sinner  just won his first Grand Slam in Tennis, winning the Australian Open last Sunday by beating Daniil Medvedev 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3. In the semi-finals he also beat world number one Novak Djokovic in 4 sets. In fact, within the last few months, Sinner has defeated Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic on multiple occasions, and Carlos Alcaraz twice. The Italian star is currently ranked World No. 4 in singles, which he earned by defeating Medvedev in the final of the 2023 China Open. Jannik Sinner has won eleven ATP singles titles to date, including this his first ever major at the 2024 Australian Open. He became the first Italian man in the Open Era to register the most number of wins in a season. Sinner has also reached the semifinal of Wimbledon, and the quarterfinals at the other two Slams, the French and US Open. He is only the third Italian to win a Grand Slam title, after Nicola Pietrangeli in 1958, and Adriano Panatta in 1976. 

Jannik with his family, parents and brother Marc

In his acceptance speech late Sunday night, Jannik also gave credit to his parents who had stayed in Italy to manage a ski resort. He said very emotionally ‘I wish that everyone could have my parents.’ As a child he loved football and also skiing, even winning a national championship in Giant Slalom at age eight. Born August 16, 2001, in Innechen, Sinner grew up in northern Italy in the predominantly German-speaking region of South Tyrol.  At age 13, Sinner decided to give up skiing and football in favour of tennis. He preferred it over skiing because he wanted to compete directly against an opponent. Sinner speaks three languages, German, Italian, and English. He and his brother Marc grew up speaking German, and he became fluent in Italian later. Sinner follows a healthy diet and conservative lifestyle.