Saturday 29 December 2018

The Psychology Behind Giving Thanks (Part 1)

THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH
December 29 – 30: Holy Family of Nazareth, Jesus, Mary & Joseph


The Psychology Behind Giving Thanks
Interview With Dr. Paul Vitz  (Part 1)

The spirit of thanksgiving contributes to mental health and ultimately leads to God, says a Catholic (and former atheist) psychologist.
Dr. Paul Vitz is a professor of psychology at the Arlington-based Institute for the Psychological Sciences and a professor emeritus of New York University. He has authored many books, and is co-editor of a new book called "The Self: Beyond the Post-modern Crisis" (ISI, 2006).




Q: As strands of modern psychology are rediscovering the effectiveness of the virtues in the well-being of the person, what interest has there been in the virtue of gratitude?
Vitz: Psychology has discovered gratitude as something to investigate probably only in the last five or 10 years. The best summary of what has been found is in the book that just came out this year and is called "The Handbook of Positive Psychology." In this book, Chapter 33 is a sum-mary of what is known about gratitude.
The authors, R. Emmons and C. Shelton, point out that there has been some popular interest in gratitude in the last five or 10 years, but relatively little serious research in psychology.
So if some psychologist wants to become Mr. Gratitude or Ms. Gratitude, it is one of those fields that are sitting there, ready to be looked at seriously.
Q: What is it about gratitude that makes it such a useful  virtue? 
Vitz: Gratitude is a very positive virtue. It has positive thoughts associated with it, and above all, positive emotions.
It's the emotion of thankfulness for what other people, or God, have given to you. It brings peace, and it brings a kind of quiet joy. I think it's very clear that those are good emo-tions, good things to have.
We now know that our emotions can also cause bodily changes in us, so I'm convinced that gratitude is not only a positive thought and mentality, but also something good for your body.
Q: In your experience as a psychologist, have you seen any instances where developing gratitude helped a person to overcome a difficulty or illness?
Vitz: I think I have, but you know that you would have to run a controlled experiment to show it, and I haven't done that.
But let's look at the meaning of gratitude in light of the Faith. The very word for the Eucharist, the translation of its meaning is "thanksgiving." And thanksgiving is a way of expressing gratitude to God.
So it's at the centre of the faith. The Eucharist is about Thanks-giving. It makes sense that Our Lord would have asked us to do something that was not only wise and spiritually sound, but psychologically good for us too.

(Concluded next week)

Tuesday 25 December 2018

St. Faustina’s should bring warmth to our hearts on Christmas Day

THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD - CHRISTMAS DAY
December 24 – 25 :  The Nativity of the Lord.


This vision of St. Faustina’s should bring warmth to our hearts on Christmas Day
She saw the baby Jesus at Midnight Mass and experienced the beauty of God's love for her.

St. Faustina is best known for her miraculous visions of Jesus and his message of Divine Mercy. 
Yet, throughout her life she experienced many other visions that came to her in different forms. All the  visions expressed the infinite love of God for humanity and the particular love God has for each individual soul.
For example, at Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve in 1937, St. Faustina saw a glorious vision of the baby Jesus. She writes about it in her Diary and describes what happened.
When I arrived at Midnight Mass, from the very  beginning I steeped myself in deep recollection, dur-ing which time I saw the stable of Bethlehem filled with great radiance. The Blessed Virgin, all lost in the deepest of love, was wrapping Jesus in swaddling clothes, but Saint Joseph was still asleep. Only after the Mother of God put Jesus in the manger, did the light of God awaken Joseph, who was also praying. But after a while, I was left alone with the Infant   Jesus who stretched out His little hands to me, and  I understood that I was to take Him in my arms.  Jesus pressed His head against my heart and gave me to know, by His profound gaze, how good He found it to be next to my heart. At that moment Jesus disappeared and the bell was ringing for Holy  Communion.
It was a brief encounter, but one that communicated to Faustina an immeasurable lesson. It reinforced in her heart the immense love of God and showed to her the true meaning of Christmas.
Christmas is principally about welcoming the baby  Jesus into our arms and letting him rest upon our heart. It is not surprising that this vision occurred  immediately before Holy Communion, when Jesus can do exactly that. It is through the reception of the Eucharist that we can let Jesus rest upon our hearts and pour out his love for us.
As you approach the Eucharistic banquet on Christmas Day, remember this vision of St. Faustina and let it dominate your thoughts and prayers. By doing so, you can imagine the little baby Jesus opening his arms to you, waiting for you to pick him up. Then when you receive communion, you can let him rest on against your heart and receive his loving gaze.
Christmas will never be the same.

Philip Kosloski | Dec 18, 2018

Saturday 22 December 2018

When Padre Pio celebrated Christmas the baby Jesus would miraculously appear

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
December 22 – 23 :   4th  Advent:

When Padre Pio celebrated Christmas the baby Jesus would miraculously appear

Witnesses attest to seeing a vision of the Baby Jesus in the arms of Padre Pio.



St. Padre Pio loved Christmas. He held a special devotion to the Baby Jesus ever since he was a child.
According to Capuchin priest Fr. Joseph Mary Elder, “At his home in Pietrelcina, he prepared the crib   himself. He would often begin working on it as early as October. While pasturing the family’s sheep with friends, he would search for clay to use to fashion the small statues of shepherds, sheep, and the magi. He took particular care in crafting the infant Jesus,  making and re-making it continually until he felt he had it just right.”
This devotion remained with him during his entire life. In a letter to spiritual daughter, he wrote, “When the Holy     Novena begins in honor of the Baby Jesus, it felt as though my spirit were being born again to a new life. I felt as though my heart were too small to embrace all our heavenly    blessings.”

Midnight Mass in particular was a joyous celebration for Padre Pio, who celebrated it every year, taking many hours to carefully celebrate the Holy Mass. His soul was lifted up to God with great joy, a joy that others could easy see. Additionally, witnesses have recounted how they would see Padre Pio holding the Baby Jesus. This was not a porcelain statue, but the Baby Jesus himself in a miraculous vision.
Renzo Allegri recounts the following story.
We were reciting the rosary while waiting for the Mass.  Padre Pio was praying with us. All of a sudden, in an aura of light, I saw the Baby Jesus appear in his arms. Padre Pio was transfigured, his eyes gazing upon the glowing child in his arms, his face transformed by an astonished smile. When the vision     disappeared, Padre Pio realized from the way I was looking at him that I had seen everything. But he drew close to me and told me not to mention it to anyone. A similar story is told by Fr. Raffaele da Sant’Elia, who lived next to Padre Pio for many years.
I had got up to go to the church for the Midnight Mass of 1924. The corridor was huge and dark, and the only illumi-nation was the flame of a small oil lamp. Through the   shadows I could see that Padre Pio, too, was making his way to the church. He had left his room and was making his way slowly along the corridor. I realized he was swathed in a band of light. I took a better look and saw that he had the Baby Jesus in his arms. I just stood there, transfixed, in the doorway of my room, and fell to my knees. Padre Pio passed by, all aglow. He didn’t even notice I was there.
These supernatural events highlight the deep and abiding love of Padre Pio for God. His love was further marked by simplicity and humility, with a heart wide open to receive whatever heavenly graced God had planned for him.
May we too open our hearts to receive the Baby Jesus on Christmas day and let God’s unfathomable love overcome us with Christian joy.
Philip Kosloski | Dec 16, 2018 , Aleteia.
 
*************************************

 The Coincidence Argument
First, I asked Lapides whether it’s possible that Jesus merely fulfilled the [OT] prophecies by accident. Maybe he’s just one of the many throughout history who have   coincidentally fit the prophetic fingerprint. 
 “Not a chance,” came his response. ‘The odds are so astronomical that they rule that out. Someone did the math and figured out that the probability of just eight prophecies being fulfilled is one chance in one hundred million billion. That number is millions of times greater than the total num-ber of people who’ve ever walked the planet!”
 “He calculated that if you took this number of silver  dollars, they would cover the state of Texas to a depth of two feet. If you marked one silver dollar among them and then had a blindfolded person wander the whole state and bend down and pick up one coin, what would be the odds he’d choose the one that had been marked.?”
With that he answered his own question: “The same odds that anybody in history could have fulfilled just eight of the prophecies.”
 Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ.
 


Saturday 8 December 2018

The real face of Santa Claus

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
December 8 – 9 :   2nd Sunday of Advent:


In Images: The real face of Santa Claus 
New facial reconstruction tech-nology reveals the most realistic portrait of St. Nicholas.

Many are familiar with the image of jolly old St. Nick, popularized by the Coca-Cola company, but modern-day legends have obscured the reality of who Santa Claus was and what he really looked like.
St. Nicholas is currently buried in the crypt of the Basilica di San Nicola in Bari, Italy. Most of his bones were moved there in the 11th century when a group of sailors took his remains from Myra during a time of con-fusion. When the crypt was repaired in the 1950s, Nicho-las’ bones were taken out and examined by a team of pro-fessors. Thousands of measurements and x-ray photo-graphs were taken of his skull and bones and archived for future study.
Then in 2004 Professor Caroline Wilkinson at the Uni-versity of Manchester used facial reconstruction technol-ogy to visualize what St. Nicholas would have looked like based on the data previously recorded. Her findings were updated in 2014 and according to the BBC, this latest im-age “was based on ‘all the skeletal and historical material’ available” and “uses ‘the most up-to-date anatomical standards, Turkish tissue depth data and CGI tech-niques.’” The reconstruction was developed by the Uni-versity of Dundee and Liverpool John Moores University. Based on the findings St. Nicholas is described as “a Greek man, living in Asia Minor … about 60 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall, who had a heavy jaw and a broken nose.”
What’s even more fascinating is how similar St. Nicholas’ face is to early icons of him. The St. Nicholas Center of-fers a comparative picture of the digital reconstruction alongside various icons of the 4th-century saint. The similarities are striking.
While he may not look like the jolly old St. Nick that the world is accustomed to, there do exist some features that are recognizable in popular representations and one could almost sense a twinkle in his eyes. 
 
Philip Kosloski

************************************

December 12: Our Lady of Guadalupe:
“Hear and let it penetrate into  your heart, my dear little son: let nothing discourage you, nothing depress you. Let nothing alter your heart or your countenance. Also, do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my
shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life ? Are you not in the crossing of my arms ?" 
 
 
 
The Blessed Virgin  speaking to Juan Diego, on Tepeyac Hill
(December 1531)
 

Saturday 23 June 2018

Of Don Bosco and his method:

June 23-24 : Birth of John the Baptist:

“Don Bosco’s example has created a tradition which is one of the most admired and character istic features of our Society: the Salesian who plays games. On how many occasions have rela-tives of the boys and other visitors stood in amazement, enrap-tured and spellbound at the sight of Masters and Assistants running about in the playground, nimble and breathless, mak-ing themselves boys with boys and uniting their pupils and themselves in the enjoyment of one common pleasure, in a happy family spirit, which could not fail to impress everyone by its simplicity, charm and eminently educational influence. This is the same spirit that our Holy Founder himself created and wished to be perpetuated in our traditions. Under those conditions, especially, the Salesian’s power over the boys in his charge is supreme; following in Don Bosco’s footsteps, he is not slow to seize an opportunity of giving a word of advice which, precisely because it is unexpected and above suspi-cion, goes home, breaks down barriers, and obtains unex-pected results.”

  Fr Peter Ricaldone, “Fidelity to Don Bosco”.
 “An educator cannot over-value games in his work. Games open up the hearts and minds of pupils to their full extent, and certain notions or inclinations which no one could otherwise suspect will unknowingly surface during a game; so that in a flash the man-to-be is revealed in all his goodness or deform-ity."   Fr Peter Braido SDB

“Do not reprimand or correct when you are angry or upset, lest your pupils attribute it to anger, but wait, even a few days if nec-essary, until you  have calmed down. Likewise, when you must correct, reprimand, or warn a pupil, always try to do it in private and when he is not upset or angry. Wait till he is calm and at ease. Then tell him what you must, but end up with an encourag-ing word ...
And he would add: Be quick to forgive - and do so wholeheart-edly - whenever a pupil shows he is sorry. In this case forget eve-rything ... When punishment is unavoidable, take your pupil aside and show him his wrong as well as your regret to have to punish him.
Never punish a whole class or dormitory. Try to single out the culprits, and if necessary have them sent away; but never lump together the good and the bad -  the latter are always a few - lest all be made to suffer for them. At the same time encourage the guilty ones who show good will and give them a chance to straighten themselves out.”    
Don Lemoyne, BM VI 216-217
 A new comer to the teaching profession, Father Vespignani just could not obtain discipline in class.
"What more can I do ?" he asked Don Bosco in despair.

"Go to the pump", was Don Bosco's enigmatic reply.
At this playground water pump the boys would gather after meals to unwind in casual talk and carefree horseplay. After a few days at the pump, Father Vespignani's problems were solved, as vital contact had been made through familiarity.

 “Remember that education is a matter of the heart, and that God alone is its true Teacher, and that we cannot succeed unless God gives us the skill and hands us the keys.”    

St John Bosco

Saturday 16 June 2018

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 16-17 : 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time:



“You must not, my dearest Mamma, be uneasy about me. I go in the discharge of a most sacred and impor-tant duty and  have much more to give me courage in this than I can tell you. I am not afraid of any of the difficulties. They rather make my courage rise.”   

Mary MacKillop, letter to her mother Flora McDonald MacKillop,
26 March 1873.

Saturday 26 May 2018

The dogma of the Holy Trinity

May 26-27 : TRINITY SUNDAY:
 
253 The Trinity is One. We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons, the "consubstantial Trinity".83 The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is God whole and entire: "The Father is that which the Son is, the Son that which  the Father is, the Father and the Son that which the Holy Spirit is, i.e. by nature one God."84 In the words of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), "Each of the persons is  that supreme reality, viz., the divine substance, essence or  nature."85 

254 The divine persons are really distinct from one another. "God is one but not solitary."86 "Father", "Son", "Holy Spirit" are not simply names designating modalities of the divine being, for they are really distinct from one another: "He is not the Father who is the Son, nor is the Son he who is the Father, nor is the Holy Spirit he who is the Father or the Son."87 They are distinct from one another in their relations of origin: "It is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds."88 The divine Unity is Triune. 

255 The divine persons are relative to one another.  Because it does not divide the divine unity, the real distinc-tion of the persons from one another resides solely in the relationships which relate them to one another: "In the rela-tional names of the persons the Father is related to the Son, the Son to the Father, and the Holy Spirit to both. While they are called three persons in view of their rela-tions, we believe in one nature or substance."89 Indeed "everything (in them) is one where there is no opposition of relationship."90 "Because of that unity the Father is wholly in the Son and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Son is wholly in the Father and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is wholly in the Father and wholly in the Son."91 

Saturday 19 May 2018

“I believe in the Holy Spirit"

May 19-20 : PENTECOST SUNDAY:

687 "No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God."7 Now God's Spirit, who reveals God, makes known to us Christ, his Word, his living Utterance, but the Spirit does not speak of himself. The Spirit who "has spoken through the prophets" makes us hear the Father's Word, but we do not hear the Spirit himself. We know him only in the movement by which he reveals the Word to us and disposes us to welcome him in faith. The Spirit of truth who "unveils" Christ to us "will not speak on his own."8 Such properly divine self-effacement explains why "the world cannot receive [him], because it neither sees him nor knows him," while those who believe in Christ know the Spirit because he dwells with them.9 

688 The Church, a communion living in the faith of the apostles which she transmits, is the place where we know the Holy Spirit: 
- in the Scriptures he inspired;
- in the Tradition, to which the Church Fathers are always timely witnesses;
- in the Church's Magisterium [teaching office], which he assists;
- in the sacramental liturgy, through its words and symbols, in which the Holy Spirit puts us into communion with Christ;
- in prayer, wherein he intercedes for us;
- in the charisms and ministries by which the Church is built up;
- in the signs of apostolic and missionary life;
- in the witness of saints through whom he manifests his holiness and continues the work of salvation.



1. THE JOINT MISSION OF THE SON AND THE SPIRIT

689 The One whom the Father has sent into our hearts, the Spirit of his Son, is truly God.10 Consubstantial with the   Father and the Son, the Spirit is inseparable from them, in both the inner life of the Trinity and his gift of love for the world. In adoring the Holy Trinity, life-giving, consubstantial, and indivisible, the Church's faith also professes the  distinction of persons. When the Father sends his Word, he always sends his Breath. In their joint mission, the Son and the Holy Spirit are distinct but inseparable. To be sure, it is Christ who is seen, the visible image of the invisible God, but it is the Spirit who reveals him. 

690 Jesus is Christ, "anointed," because the Spirit is his anointing, and everything that occurs from the Incarnation on derives from this fullness.11 When Christ is finally glorified,12 he can in turn send the Spirit from his place with the Father to those who believe in him: he communicates to them his glory,13 that is, the Holy Spirit who glorifies him.14 From that time on, this joint mission will be  manifested in the children adopted by the Father in the Body of his Son: the mission of the Spirit of adoption is to unite them to Christ and make them live in him: 

The notion of anointing suggests . . . that there is no      distance be-tween the Son and the Spirit. Indeed, just as between the surface of the body and the anointing with oil neither reason nor sensation rec-ognizes any intermediary, so the contact of the Son with the Spirit is immediate, so that anyone who would make contact with the Son by faith must first encounter the oil by contact. In fact there is no part that is not covered by the Holy Spirit. That is why the confession of the Son's Lordship is made in the Holy Spirit by those who receive him, the Spirit coming from all sides to those who approach the Son in faith.15

Saturday 12 May 2018

Why is this popular devotion called the “Rosary”?

May 12-13 : ASCENSION OF THE LORD:

Why is this popular devotion called the “Rosary”?
Philip Kosloski Aleteia.


Most Catholics and many Christians know what the Ro-sary is. However, has anyone ever asked why it is called a “rosary”?
After initially looking at the English word, there is noth-ing immediately evident that would point to the Blessed Virgin Mary, or prayer in general. However, looking at the Latin roots of the word reveals a beautiful symbolism that isn’t widely known.
According to the Dictionary of English Etymology, from the Latin “Rosarium … signifying properly a collection or garland of roses, was a title of many works … consisting of compendiums of flowers as it were culled from preced-ing authors … In the course of time the name was spe-cially appropriated to a string of Paternosters and Ave Marias to be recited in a certain order in honour of the fifteen mysteries of our Lord in which the Virgin was a partaker, and from the collection of prayers the name was transferred to the string of beads used for the pur-pose of keeping count in the recitation.”
Initially the Rosary was called “Our Lady’s Psalter,” re-ferring to the 150 Psalms that monks would pray and from which the tradition of the Rosary originated. The Latin word rosarium became associated with the devo-tion over time, especially after the spreading of a particu-lar legend.
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “An early legend which after travelling all over Europe penetrated even to Abyssinia connected this name with a story of Our Lady, who was seen to take rosebuds from the lips of a young monk when he was reciting Hail Marys and to weave them into a garland which she placed upon her head.”
Thus, the rosary became viewed spiritually and in art as a way to present a garland of roses to the Blessed Mother in a similar way that roses would be picked for a person’s earthly mother.
The name has stuck ever since, and the Rosary is the most popular Catholic devotion around the world.

Saturday 5 May 2018

THE LORD CALLS

May 5-6 2018 : 6th Sunday of Easter:

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION GAUDETE ET EXSULTATE OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS
ON THE CALL TO HOLINESS  IN TODAY’S WORLD

10. With this Exhortation I would like to insist primarily on the call to holiness that the Lord addresses to each of us, the call that he also addresses, personally, to you: “Be holy, for I am holy” (Lev 11:44; cf. 1 Pet 1:16). The Second Vatican Council stated this clearly: “Strengthened by so many and such great means of salvation, all the faithful, whatever their condition or state, are called by the Lord – each in his or her own way – to that perfect holiness by which the Father himself is perfect”

11. “Each in his or her own way” the Council says. We should not grow discouraged before examples of holiness that appear unattainable. There are some testimonies that may prove help-ful and inspiring, but that we are not meant to copy, for that could even lead us astray from the one specific path that the Lord has in mind for us. The important thing is that each be-liever discern his or her own path, that they bring out the very best of themselves, the most personal gifts that God has placed in their hearts (cf. 1 Cor 12:7), rather than hopelessly trying to imitate something not meant for them. We are all called to be witnesses, but there are many actual ways of bearing witness. Indeed, when the great mystic, Saint John of the Cross, wrote his Spiritual Canticle, he preferred to avoid hard and fast rules for all. He explained that his verses were composed so that eve-ryone could benefit from them “in his or her own way”. For God’s life is communicated “to some in one way and to others in another”.

Saturday 28 April 2018

THE SAINTS “NEXT DOOR”

April 28-29 2018 : 5th Sunday of Easter:

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION GAUDETE ET EXSULTATE OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS
ON THE CALL TO HOLINESS  IN TODAY’S WORLD

6. Nor need we think only of those already beatified and can-onized. The Holy Spirit bestows holiness in abundance among God’s holy and faithful people, for “it has pleased God to make men and women holy and to save them, not as individu-als without any bond between them, but rather as a people who might acknowledge him in truth and serve him in holi-ness”.[3] In salvation history, the Lord saved one people. We are never completely ourselves unless we belong to a people. That is why no one is saved alone, as an isolated individual. Rather, God draws us to himself, taking into account the com-plex fabric of interpersonal relationships present in a human community. God wanted to enter into the life and history of a people.

7. I like to contemplate the holiness present in the patience of God’s people: in those parents who raise their children with immense love, in those men and women who work hard to support their families, in the sick, in elderly religious who never lose their smile. In their daily perseverance I see the holiness of the Church militant. Very often it is a holiness found in our next-door neighbours, those who, living in our midst, reflect God’s presence. We might call them “the middle class of holiness”.[4]

8. Let us be spurred on by the signs of holiness that the Lord shows us through the humblest members of that people which “shares also in Christ’s prophetic office, spreading abroad a living witness to him, especially by means of a life of faith and charity”.[5] We should consider the fact that, as Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross suggests, real history is made by so many of them. As she writes: “The greatest figures of prophecy and sanctity step forth out of the darkest night. But for the most part, the formative stream of the mystical life remains invisible. Certainly the most decisive turning points in world history are substantially co-determined by souls whom no history book ever mentions. And we will only find out about those souls to whom we owe the decisive turning points in our personal lives on the day when all that is hidden is revealed”.[6]

Saturday 21 April 2018

“REJOICE AND BE GLAD” (Mt 5:12)

April 21-22 2018 : 4th Sunday of Easter:

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION GAUDETE ET EXSULTATE OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS
ON THE CALL TO HOLINESS  IN TODAY’S WORLD


1. “REJOICE AND BE GLAD” (Mt 5:12),
Jesus tells those persecuted or humiliated for his sake. The Lord asks everything of us, and in return he offers us true life, the happiness for which we were created.
 
He wants us to be saints and not to settle for a bland and mediocre existence. The call to holiness is present in various ways from the very first pages of the Bible. We see it expressed in the Lord’s words to Abraham: “Walk before me, and be blameless” (Gen 17:1). 

2. What follows is not meant to be a treatise on holiness, containing definitions and distinctions helpful for under-standing this important subject, or a discussion of the various means of sanctification. My modest goal is to repropose the call to holiness in a practical way for our own time, with all its risks, challenges and opportunities. For the Lord has chosen each one of us “to be holy and blameless before him in love” (Eph 1:4).

CHAPTER ONE:   THE CALL TO HOLINESS  THE SAINTS WHO ENCOURAGE AND  ACCOMPANY US
 
3. The Letter to the Hebrews presents a number of testimonies that encourage us to “run with perseverance the race that is set before us” (12:1). It speaks of Abra-ham, Sarah, Moses, Gideon and others (cf. 11:1-12:3). Above all, it invites us to realize that “a great cloud of witnesses” (12:1) impels us to advance constantly towards the goal. These witnesses may include our own mothers, grandmothers or other loved ones (cf. 2 Tim 1:5). Their lives may not always have been perfect, yet even amid their faults and failings they kept moving forward and proved pleasing to the Lord.

4. The saints now in God’s presence preserve their bonds of love and communion with us. The Book of Revelation attests to this when it speaks of the intercession of the martyrs: “I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne; they cried out with a loud voice, ‘O sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge?’” (6:9-10). Each of us can say: “Surrounded, led and guided by the friends of God… I do not have to carry alone what, in truth, I could never carry alone. All the saints of God are there to protect me, to sustain me and to carry me”

5. The processes of beatification and canonization recog-nize the signs of heroic virtue, the sacrifice of one’s life in martyrdom, and certain cases where a life is constantly offered for others, even until death. This shows an exemplary imitation of Christ, one worthy of the   admiration of the faithful. We can think, for exam-ple, of Blessed Maria Gabriella Sagheddu, who offered her life for the unity of Christians.

 

Saturday 7 April 2018

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY

April 7-8 2018 : Divine Mercy Sunday
                          2nd Sunday of Easter:


During the course of Jesus' revelations to Saint Faustina on the Divine Mercy He asked on numerous occasions that a feast day be dedicated to the Divine Mercy and that this feast be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. The liturgi-cal texts of that day, the 2nd Sunday of Easter, concern the institution of the Sacrament of Penance, the Tribunal of the Divine Mercy, and are thus already suited to the request of Our Lord. This Feast, which had already been granted to the nation of Poland and been celebrated within Vatican City, was granted to the Universal Church by Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the canonization of Sr. Faustina on 30 April 2000. In a decree dated 23 May 2000, the Con-gregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments stated that "throughout the world the Second Sunday of Easter will receive the name Divine Mercy Sun-day, a perennial invitation to the Christian world to face, with confidence in divine benevolence, the difficulties and trials that mankind will experience in the years to come." 
 
 
These papal acts represent the highest endorsement that the Church can give to a private revelation, an act of  papal in-fallibility proclaiming the certain sanc-tity of the mystic, and the granting of a universal feast, as requested by Our Lord to St. Faustina. 
“I want the image solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter, and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every soul may know about it. (Diary 341) This Feast emerged from the very depths of My mercy, and it is confirmed in the vast depths of my tender mercies”. 
(Diary 420)
“On one occasion, I heard these words: My daughter, tell the whole world about My Inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. [Emphasis added] On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of ten-derness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.” (Diary 699)
“Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to our neighbours always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to absolve yourself from it. (Diary 742)
I want to grant complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy.” (Diary 1109)
As you can see the Lord's desire for the Feast includes the solemn, public veneration of the Image of Divine Mercy by the Church, as well as personal acts of veneration and mercy. The great promise for the individual soul is that a devotional act of sacramental penance and Communion will obtain for that soul the plenitude of the divine mercy on the Feast.

Saturday 31 March 2018

How long is Jesus present in the Eucharist after we’ve received Communion?

March 31- April 1 2018 : 
The Resurrection of the Lord


How long is Jesus present in the Eucharist  after we’ve received Communion?
Philip Kosloski , Aleteia
 
 "We have to pay proper respect to Our Lord" The great treasure of the Catholic Church is the Eucha-rist — Jesus himself hidden under the appearances of bread and wine. We believe, as the Catechism states, that “In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist ‘the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is  truly, really, and substantially contained'” (CCC 1374).

Additionally, this Real Presence of Christ in the  Eucharist does not end immediately when we receive him at Communion time. The Catechism goes on to  explain how, “The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist” (CCC 1377).

What does that mean when we receive him into our mouths? How long does Jesus’ Real Presence remain in our bodies?

There is a famous story from the life of Saint Philip Neri that helps answer that question. One day while he was celebrating Mass, a man received Holy Communion and left the church early. The man appeared to have no re-gard for the Presence within him and so Philip Neri decided to use this opportunity as a teaching  moment. He sent two altar boys with lighted candles to follow the man outside of the church. After a while walk-ing through the streets of Rome, the man turned around to see the altar boys still following him. Confused, the man returned to the church and asked Philip Neri why he sent the altar boys. Saint Philip Neri responded by saying, “We have to pay proper respect to Our Lord, Whom you are carrying away with you. Since you neglect to adore Him, I sent two acolytes to take your place.” The man was stunned by the response and resolved to be more aware of God’s presence in the future.
 
It is generally assumed that the Eucharistic species of bread remains for about 15 minutes after reception.    This is based on simple biology and reflects the Catechism’s statement that the presence of Christ “endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist.”
This is why many saints have recommended offering 15 minutes of prayer after receiving the Eucharist as a thanksgiving to God. This allows the soul to savour the presence of God and have a true “heart-to-heart” with Jesus.

In our face paced world it is often difficult to remain long after Mass, but that doesn’t mean we can’t at least pray a brief prayer of thanksgiving. The main point is that we need to remember Jesus’ presence in the Eucha-rist stays with us for several minutes and presents us with a special time when we can commune with our Lord and feel his love within us.   If one day you forget, don’t be surprised if your parish priest sends altar servers to follow you to your car when you leave Mass early.

Saturday 24 March 2018

Catholic men’s movements are on the rise (cont)

March 24-25 2018 : Palm Sunday

The Catholic Gentleman  
Sam Guzman, a 29-year-old who works in marketing at Covenant Eyes, a company helping people recover from pornography use, felt there has been a lack of clear norms for masculinity for his generation. In college, he began reading a site called The Art of Manliness, designed to revive vintage manhood and the value of a virtuous life, holding up icons like Teddy Roosevelt and Benjamin Franklin. After Guzman joined the Church in 2013, he found a lack of resources for Catholic men, although since then, many new masculine apostolates have been created. "One day, while praying St. Maximilian Kolbe’s consecra-tion to Mary novena and praying that I might be used in some way, I had a clear mental picture of a site for Catholic men called The Catholic Gentleman," he said. "It would move the reader from natural virtue to super-natural virtue and hold up the saints as models." Guzman immediately began the site.
According to him, being a Catholic gentleman means that you are faithful and a man of virtue. "We must practice things like self-control, honesty and self-discipline," he said. "We find that the happiest people are the holiest people." Guzman points out that we have daily opportunities to choose between selfishness and selflessness and to follow Christ, which is what being a Catholic gentleman is about.


Men’s conferences
 
Men’s conferences also have grown in recent years. On Feb. 3, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia spoke to more than 1,500 men at the Catholic Men’s Fellowship Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
He challenged them to live a "new knighthood," making it holy by committing to prayer, courage and chastity and devoting themselves to serving the Church and its people. "Our first weapons should always be generosity, patience, mercy, forgiveness, an eagerness to listen and understand others, a strong personal witness of faith and speaking the truth unambiguously with love," he said.
John Henz, a husband of 50 years, father to three sons, and a catechist, attends the conference annually. "We are hoping to find a bigger venue," he explained, "because the 1,560 tickets usually sell out within four hours."
The conferences are opportunities for men to recognize the importance of marriage and the role of men within the family, he said. (to be continued)



Patti Maguire Armstrong OSV Newsweekly 7/3/2018

Friday 16 March 2018

Catholic men’s movements are on the rise

March 17-18  2018 : 5th   Sunday of Lent

As culture leaves doubt as to how men can live out their identities, the Church has moved into the void Perception of men’s identities has gone through a lot of confusion in recent decades, with conflicting voices telling them they are too strong or too weak, that they need to take charge or give up control. More recently, the toxic depth of how men live out their sexualities and relate to others has been laid bare in the raft of accusations and allegations around the #MeToo movement. Issues of how boys are formed have come to the fore, with at least one recent commentator highlighting that all school shooters have been male. 
The rise in men’s movements within the Church is both a reaction to cultural confusion and a support and formation for what it means to be a man of God. The Church teaches the complementarity of men and women, the idea of different strengths, perspectives and roles, while advocating for the equal worth and dignity of both. There is a natural strength in relationships when lived out in union with God. Women can wholeheartedly support Catholic men’s programs because they are about men becoming Christlike for the benefit of their wives, children and communities. 
     
 Patti Maguire Armstrong OSV Newsweekly   7/3/2018
 To be continued.
 
On the feast of the Archangels in 2015, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix released “Into the Breach: An Apostolic Exhortation to Catholic Men, My Spiritual Sons in the Diocese of Phoenix.”
It was inspired when Dorinda C. Bordlee, vice president of the Bioethics Defense Fund, spoke in his diocese on Pope St. John Paul II’s writings on the feminine genius. “We need something on the genius of men,” she said.
“That was the trigger that inspired me,” Bishop Olmsted explained. “I was concerned for a long time about the need for greater clarity of the mission of men. We need humble and courageous men to live our faith joyfully.”
The response was amazing, spreading across the United States and even into other countries and getting translated into other languages. It is being used by men of all walks of life, including those discerning a religious vocation. 
The letter calls men not to hesitate to engage in the battle rag-ing around them “that is wounding our children and families” and “distorting the dignity of both women and men.” Bishop Olmsted noted that the battle is spiritual, often hidden, and related to the fact that 12 million Catholics have left the faith since 2000. 
He encouraged men, saying, “A throw-away culture cannot withstand the new life and light that constantly radiates from Christ. So I call upon you to open your minds and hearts to him, the Saviour who strengthens you to step into the breach!”
 
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Saturday 10 March 2018

Vatican confirms that canonization of Paul VI set for October

March 10-11  2018 : 4th   Sunday of Lent

ROME - Adding specificity to what was already known about the im-pending canonization of Blessed Paul VI in 2018, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the pope’s top deputy as the Vatican’s Secretary of State, said Tuesday that the sainthood rite will take place in late October at the close of a meeting of the Synod of Bishops, an institution Paul VI himself founded.
Paul VI, who reigned from 1963 to 1978, led the Catholic Church through the closing of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) and the turbulent period that followed, oversee-ing significant transitions in liturgy, seminary formation, theological study, and many other areas of ecclesiastical life.
Paul VI also launched the Synod of Bishops in 1965, as an attempt to broaden the involvement of bishops from around the world in the governance of the Church. The next session is scheduled for Rome in October, devoted to themes of youth and vocations.
He is best known for his 1968 encyclical letter Humanae Vitae, which reaffirmed the Church’s traditional opposition to artificial birth control. 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the encyclical, with major events planned in Rome and around the world to ponder its legacy.
Prior to his election to the papacy, Giovanni Battista Montini spent much of his career in the Vatican’s    diplomatic service, including serving as a senior aide to Pope Pius XII, before becoming the Cardinal of Milan. Paul VI was beatified in 2014 after a first miracle was attributed to him. And earlier this month, a Vatican    theological and medical commission approved a second miracle attributed to him. According to media reports, on Feb. 6 the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints approved the second miracle needed for the canonization of Pope Paul VI by a unanimous vote.
Pope Paul will become the third pontiff that Francis has made a saint since his election five years ago. The others are John XXIII, who died in 1963, and John Paul II, who died in 2005.

Saturday 3 March 2018

When we can't protect them, our children's guardian angels are a powerful aid against harm

Mar 3 - 4 2018 :   3rd Sunday of Lent



When we can't protect them, our children's guardian angels are a powerful aid against harm. The world is a dangerous place. When you leave the     comforts of your home there is no telling what may happen to you or your children. This has been the case since Adam and Eve and will continue to be so until Jesus comes again. The good news is that we are not alone.

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church declares, “From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by [angels and] their watchful care and intercession” (CCC 336). God appoints to each one of us a guardian angel whose mission is to guide, guard and protect. We don’t  always see them or sense their presence, but the truth is that they are there, ready and willing to come to our aid.
We just have to ask.

For parents, it is easy to forget that our children have   guardian angels and that we can pray to them (through the mediation of our own guardian angel) and invoke their powerful protection over our children. When we can’t physically be there with our children to protect them, it is most appropriate to pray to their guardian angel.

Here is a short prayer that is usually entitled, “A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of Her Children,” and is one way that we can quiet our heart and be at peace knowing who is protecting our little ones.

I humbly salute you, O you faithful, heavenly friends of my children! I give you heartfelt thanks for all the love and goodness you show them. At some future day I shall, with thanks more worthy than I can now give, repay your care for them, and before the whole heavenly court acknowledge their indebtedness to your guidance and protection. Continue to watch over them. Provide for all their needs of body and soul. Pray, likewise, for me, for my husband, and my whole family, that we may all one day rejoice in your blessed company. Amen.
Philip Koslowski, Aleteia.
 
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What then is Christianity? 
In the home it is kindness;  In business it is honesty; In society it is courtesy;  In work it is fairness; Toward the unfortunate it is sympathy;
Toward the weak it is help;
Toward the wicked it is resistance;
Toward the strong it is trust; 
Toward the penitent it is forgiveness;
Toward the successful it is congratulation;
And toward God it is reverence and obedience.
Amen

Saturday 24 February 2018

Pope Francis Confirms that Paul VI will be a Saint This Year. The Official Date Will Soon Be Made Known

Feb 24-25 2018 :   2nd Sunday of Lent


“Paul VI will be a Saint this year,” announced Pope Francis. In his address during the meeting with the parish priests of Rome, which was held on Thursday, February 15, 2018, in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, Pope Francis announced that Blessed Paul VI

It’s a great event for the universal Church, although the  official date has yet to be established.
“There are two Bishops of Rome (recent ones) already Saints (John XXIII and John Paul II). Paul VI will be a Saint this year,” said the Holy Father.
The Pontiff also pointed out that John Paul I might be  beatified, as his Cause is open in the Pontifical Congregation. Joking, the Argentine Pope added: “And Benedict and I are on the waiting list: pray for us.”
Miracle
 Last February 8 the Cardinals expressed their favourable  opinion for the recognition of a miracle due to Paul VI’s  intercession.
On December 13, 2017, the theologians of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints approved the recognition of the “miracle,” whereas the Medical Commission issued previously a favourable opinion.
The cure, which happened in 2014, was a little girl of the  Verona region of Italy. Before her birth, little Amanda  survived a proven risk of abortion. She will be three-years-old at Christmas.
Beatification
Pope Francis beatified Paul VI (1897-1978) on October 19, 2014, at the end of the first Synod of Bishops on the Family. On December 20, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI approved the Decree recognizing that Paul VI lived the Christian and  human virtues in a “heroic” way.
The miracle for the Beatification was the inexplicable cure of a boy, in the mother’s womb, in California 18 years  before. The child was threatened with death or severe  malformations, which led the doctors to advise an abortion.
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Saturday 17 February 2018

This prayer is a gold mine!


February 17-18 2018   -  1st Sunday of Lent

Millions of Catholics recite the Hail Mary every day, some-times in a hurry, without thinking about the words. And yet, this prayer is a gold mine! 

Saint Bernard and many other saints insisted that Mary never refuses to hear the prayers of her children. Why do we ever refuse the love and consolation that the sweet Mother of God offers us? 
Hugh Lammer was a Christian strong in his faith who used to preach violently against the Catholic Church. One day, he came across an explanation of the Hail Mary that he really liked, and he started reciting it every day. Then all his anti-Catholic animosity disappeared as if by magic. He converted, became a priest and a professor of Catholic theology in Breslau (Wroclaw, in German Breslau, is a city in Silesia, Poland).  Thousands of similar stories exist: a priest visits a man dying in despair because of his sins and lack of faith. The man      refuses to confess. The priest manages to have him pray at least one Ave Maria. Shortly after, the unhappy man makes a sincere confession and dies in the grace of God…

Aleteia.

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“Another way to help the souls in Purgatory is through  mortification and penance. ... 
Perhaps a reminder to come to the aid of the souls in       Purgatory through mortification and penance could move many to this practice of love which unites them to their dear deceased.

Our days on earth are rich in opportunities to practise these virtues, and if we want to expiate our numberless sins and give satisfaction to the souls in Purgatory, we need to take advantage of them. Taking care to be earnest in getting up in the morning without growing lazy in bed, for instance; the pain of cold in winter and heat in summer; the aversion we feel toward eating something we do not like; pain for the sickness we have to bear; patience in adversities; the moral sufferings that cause us agony and other, similar things are precious opportunities to do penance and to give suffrage to the souls in Purgatory. It is foolish to bear our sufferings with impatience and to lament them as if fatal, let alone to have feelings of rebellion against God, the Blessed Mother and the saints. By the same token, it is foolish to look always for ways to enjoy ourselves and have fun, and to stray into the vanities of the world, because these things might bring the soul to its eternal damnation.  Let us pick up our cross with great resignation, for the love of God and without    lamenting or cursing. Our cross will make us capable of helping the souls in Purgatory and it will move us on toward eternal joy. We must not satisfy all the demands of our   selfishness, but keep under tight control our corrupt and rebellious nature through penance. We will have the joy of ruling over ourselves and enjoying the freedom of the spirit, while reducing at the same time the very suffering of our life, because union with the Diving Will, and patience itself, are balm to all our sorrows. 

Anxiety, lamentation, rebellion and despair are only amplifiers of the pain and the suffering in our lives.”
 
on Dolindo Ruotolo (1882-1970),  Who Dies Shall  See: Purgatory and Heaven, p 44. 
 
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Saturday 10 February 2018

The Day Ireland Was Encircled by the Rosary

February 10-11  2018 :  6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Rosary on the Borders, an event in Poland that gathered a large number of Catholics on Saturday, October 7, 2017, has been replicated. First by a the National Rosary in Italy on Friday, October 13th, "to follow the teachings of Mary and to follow the very good example given by our Polish brothers," then more recently in Ireland on Sun-day, November 26, 2017, feast of Christ the King, with a "Rosary on the Coast for Life and Faith." Why on this day? Quite simply because, according to those who organized it, Ireland was the first country dedicated to Christ the King, in the 1940s. 
All along the Irish coast, people prayed the Rosary at 2:30 pm, followed by the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at 3 pm. More than 250 prayer locations were designated for this event, including places in Northern Ireland, far exceeding the original goal of 53 locations! 

At least four bishops and many priests had announced their intention to participate. The goal of this great national prayer was the restoration of the Catholic faith in Ireland and the protection of children from the moment of conception. The organizers evoked the words of Pius IX: "Give me an army that recites the Rosary and I will conquer the world.” They asked the faithful to bring miraculous medals with them to have them blessed by the priests and bury them on the seashore, while asking the Virgin Mary to intercede to protect Ireland against evil.

Olivier Bault    Source: Coastal Rosary Ireland
 
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Our Lady of Guadalupe:
 
 
On December 12 1531the image was imprinted on a cactus-fibre work cloth (tilma) worn by (now Saint) Juan Diego. Science continues to be unable to explain the image. There is  no paint. Chemical analysis is unable  to identify the elements constituting the colour.  Cactus fibre has a maximum life of forty years before   disintegration.  
 
The tilma is almost five hundred years old, has been  handled by hundreds of thousands of people, has had thousands of candles burn before it, and shows no sign of deterioration or discolouration.
Magnification of the eyes in the image reveal reflected images of thirteen people present at the December 12 encounter of Juan Diego with Bishop Zumarraga in  Mexico City.
Come and hear Christina King tell the story in detail next Sunday afternoon in the hall. Reach out and invite your friends. This story has the capacity to open people to the wonders of God who enters our history, especially through the Mother of Christ, to alleviate our sufferings.
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Saturday 3 February 2018

What does the word ‘Amen’mean?

February 3-4  2018 :     
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

A small word with a deep spiritual meaning. 
Christians (as well as Jews and Muslims) around the world say the world “Amen” countless times a day, both in  personal prayer and the liturgy. For a large number of  people it has become second nature, uttering the word without ever giving it a second thought. Unfortunately, for many people the word doesn’t have a particular meaning and is said simply because it is at the end of a prayer.
However, the prayer has a deep spiritual meaning, one that is easily overlooked.
The word “Amen” is a Hebrew word that is used frequently in the Old and New Testaments. According to Bible Study Tools, “The verb form occurs more than one hundred times in the Old Testament … [and] nearly seventy occasions in [all] the Gospels.”
Jesus uses the word often in his preaching, frequently  saying “Amen, amen I say to you …” This word is usually translated as “truly” or “verily” in biblical translations and at its root signifies truth or the confirmation of a truth. In the Old Testament it typically signifies a full acceptance of what was previously spoken.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “When Amen is thus used by Our Lord to introduce a statement He seems especially to make a demand upon the faith of His hearers in His word or in His power.” In other words, Jesus seeks to elicit a full assent to his teachings by  his followers while at the same time affirming his divine authority.

To further deepen its spiritual power, in some Latin  translations of Nehemiah 8:6 the original “amen, amen” is rendered as fiat, fiat. This is an interesting translation as the Blessed Mother’s “yes” at the Annunciation is known in Latin as her fiat. This Latin word is translated into English as “let it be done” and summarizes Mary’s humble obedience to the Word of God. In this context the word “Amen” not only affirms what was spoken, but is pledge of allegiance to God in humble submission.
The early Christians adopted this word in a liturgical con-text, assigning it to the congregation where they would say “Amen” during the divine service, affirming what was spoken or prayed. Since then it has continued to be a central part of Christian prayer and is a single word with a great depth of spiritual meaning.
 
Philip Kosloski | Jan 30, 2018, Aleteia.

Friday 19 January 2018

The Enduring Legacy of Now-‘Venerable’ Father Patrick Peyton (Part 2)

Jan 20-21  2018 :  3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Joseph Pronechen:  JAN. 4, 2018

A Peyton-Inspired Example
When Michael and Margaret Dwyer were married, both were high-powered political workers. She worked for the governor of Massachusetts. In the first five years of their marriage, they had to deal with the deaths of five immediate family members while at the same time  raising the start of their family of four children, now ages 10 to 19. 
Margaret had a strong Catholic foundation from child-hood, but said it wasn’t defining their life in those early married years. 
 
“Then someone witnessed to me about the Rosary and gave me a card from the ministry, the result of Father Peyton’s life work,” she said. With both of her parents in hospice care and the children in school, she committed to the Marian prayer with Michael.
“We both prayed the Rosary in the car when commuting to work and at night together after the children were in bed during those emotional roller-coaster times,” she  explained.
Margaret has found “the Rosary has a profound way [of connecting her to prayer] when meditating on the Gospel and Jesus and Mary. You take it to heart.”
Soon, the parents witnessed to the children about praying the Rosary. The family made their own large papier-mâché rosary and pray the Sorrowful Mysteries every Good Friday.
When work brought the family to Easton, Massachusetts, Margaret found herself at Holy Cross Family Ministries’ daily Mass. Her connection to “The Rosary Priest”   remains a blessed one.
Margaret recounted how Father Peyton was not initially accepted into a seminary, but in God’s time “ended up preaching to 28 million people,” leading her to observe that ordinary people are called to do extraordinary things. “We’re all called to make an extraordinary expression on those [things] God puts in our pathways.”

The Next Steps
Now that Father Peyton has been named “Venerable,” Father Marcham is working on the next step toward    beatification: The Congregation for the Causes of Saints needs to approve a possible medical miracle or healing through Father Peyton’s intercession.

“At this point, it can be a miracle already reported that’s been examined and documented,” said Father Raymond. While full details cannot be released at the moment, one possible medical miracle occurred in 2005 in Africa; that case has been sent to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. It involves two family members, both healed from a life-threatening disease. They prayed with Holy Cross fathers for Father Peyton’s intercession. To date, both are symptom-free of the disease.
There are also plans underway in North Easton, Massachusetts, where Father Peyton is buried among fellow Holy Cross fathers and brothers in the congregation’s cemetery.
The time between this new declaration and possible beatification would see the exhumation of Father Peyton’s body and transfer of his remains to a permanent resting place in the Father Peyton Center. Father Raymond believes it providential that during the past year the minis-try has been in the planning stages for a museum focused on Father Peyton’s ministry.
Said Father Raymond: “Our fondest hope is that if he is beatified and canonized, he would be recognized as a saint of family prayer.”

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Saturday 13 January 2018

The Enduring Legacy of Now-‘Venerable’ Father Patrick Peyton (Part 1)

Jan 13-14  2018:  2nd  Sunday in Ordinary Time

Last month, Pope Francis recognized the heroic virtue of ‘The Rosary Priest.’ 

Joseph Pronechen:    JAN. 4, 2018 
The priest who coined the phrase “The family that prays together stays together” is one step closer to sainthood. On Dec. 18, Pope Francis declared Father Patrick Peyton of the Congregation of Holy Cross a “Venerable,” meaning the Holy Father deemed the Marian-devoted priest lived a life of heroic virtue.
The news came 25 years after the death of Father Peyton, known worldwide as “The Rosary Priest.”
“Even though we knew it was coming, it was still a wonderful, surprising feeling of the reality of grace at work in this whole process,” said Holy Cross Father Willy Raymond, the president of Holy Cross Family Ministries (HCFM.org). “We’ve been waiting for 25 years for this, and certainly the last 20, since the cause opened.”
The congregation’s Holy Cross Father David Marcham, who has worked on the cause as vice postulator, is inspired by the people he’s met who have asked for Father Peyton’s intercession or who have written to say their prayers were answered through his intercession. “Some of those people have been in contact with us and expressing their great joy,” he said. He finds it “really uplifting to be able to share this great news with so many.”
This latest step has the added benefit of bolstering Father Peyton’s mission (FatherPeyton.org), which includes Family Theater Productions, based in Hollywood, Family Rosary, CatholicMom.com, Father Peyton Family Institutes, and active offices in 16 countries, including the Philippines, India and East Africa.
Father Raymond said he “sees this as a providential opportunity to introduce Father Peyton to a whole new generation of young people.”
Father Peyton’s mission began when he was stricken with tuberculosis as a seminarian.
“He prayed his Rosary to the Blessed Mother and made a miraculous recovery,” recalled Father Raymond. “From that moment, he knew he was to be the one to carry out her apostolate, her ministry to bring families together for Rosary prayer, just as his family had done.”
A year after his ordination in 1941 he founded Family    Rosary and then added radio. By 1947, he founded Family Theater Productions, which produced 900 radio and TV programs featuring hundreds of major actors.
In 1948, he began worldwide “Rosary Crusades,” leading 40 enormous rallies. These events drew 28 million people, including 2 million in Manila and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Rosary-Fatima Connection:


Father Raymond sees “a link between the centennial of Our Lady of Fatima and the importance of her message for the 20th and   into the 21st century and Father Peyton’s link to the family [prayer and Rosary].”
It was May 13, 1928, the anniversary of the apparition at Fatima, that Patrick Peyton and his brother Tom left Ireland for the United States. One of nine Peyton children, Patrick brought with him the rich faith he learned from his parents, including praying the Rosary together each evening.
Father Marcham also sees the providential connection.
“The 100th anniversary of Fatima directed a very strong spotlight on praying the Rosary and its efficacy,” he said. “That ties in with Father Peyton’s message for families to come together, pray the Rosary together and experience the fruits that come from that.”
The vice postulator understands that “both are a call to   action with the promise of fruitfulness.”  
(to be continued)...

Saturday 6 January 2018

3 Filipino bishops on the road to canonization

January 6-7 2018:     
Feast of  Epiphany of the Lord

Among the many causes for canonization being   considered in Rome are those of three bishops from the Philippines. Each of the bishops lived in the 20th century and was highly regarded for his sanctity.


Servant of  God Alfredo Obviar
Born in 1889 in Lipa City, Batangas, Obviar started out life as an orphan, being taken care of by relatives. Nevertheless, his faith was nurtured throughout his childhood, and he pursued the priesthood at an early age.
Obviar was ordained a priest in 1919 and possessed “an extraordinary charism for organizing catechists as well as for teaching catechism most especially to the old folks. In Lipa City, where he became also the Parish Priest, he established many catechetical  centers in the poblacion and in the barrios.” When he was ordained a bishop, this charism followed him and he made it a priority to form rural catechists.

After several decades as a faithful bishop who guided his flock, Obviar died on October 1, 1978. His cause for canonization was opened in 2001 and has since been named a “Servant of God.”
Servant of God Alfredo Verzosa
Born in 1877 in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Verzosa was   provided a firm foundation in faith by his family. He also felt called to the priesthood in his youth and was ordained in 1904.
Verzosa was a zealous evangelizer in his early priest-hood, experiencing fierce resistance from those who turned to the Aglipayan religion. He was almost killed by a spear for his evangelization efforts.
In 1916 he became the bishop of Lipa, and went to work building schools, seminaries, catechetical centers and convents. Verzosa was also known for allowing a particular site of an apparition to be venerated by the faithful. When it was later discovered that it was a hoax, Verzosa was humiliated and exiled from the public eye. In all things he accepted the will of God and the Church, saying on his deathbed, “Let us bow to the will of the Church.”
He died on June 27, 1954, with his cause for canonization opened in 2013. He currently has the title of “Servant of God.”

Servant of God Teofilo Camomot
Born in 1914 in Barangay Cogon, Carcar, Camomot always had a special love of the poor. At first he  desired to be a simple farmer, but later felt God’s call to the priesthood.
Camomot was ordained in 1941 and then elevated to the episcopate in 1955. He continued to serve the poor as a bishop and lived himself in simple poverty. One story from his life illustrates his care for the poor.

His simplicity was attested by so many people, even fellow prelates. There were many stories about the Archbishop’s Franciscan-like poverty. Cardinal Vidal has once told that on one occasion he noticed that Archbishop Camomot was not wearing his pectoral cross, the cross that a bishop wears on his breast.
Curious, he asked Monsignor Camomot about it. He made some excuse. Later a priest told the Cardinal that the Archbishop had pawned his cross to give some money to the poor. The Cardinal later gave him a new cross and told him not to give it away.
He died from a car accident on September 27, 1988, and was highly regarded for his sanctity. The cause for his canonization was opened in 2010, and he has  received the title “Servant of God.” According to the website of his cause, “his body remained incorrupt twenty years after his death.”