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Our Lady of Guadalupe

Monday, 13 December 2010 at 23:55 · Filed under Articles ·Tagged , , ,

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The Story

An Aztec priest prepares to remove the heart of a man as a sacrifice to the Sun God, Nanauatl.

“And the land was polluted with blood”, by idolaters who sacrificed their sons and daughters to devils. (Psalm 105:38) Such was Mexico when Hernando Cortes arrived there in 1519. Some ten million native Nahuatl Indians formed a vast confederation of tribes at this time. These tribes were dominated by the powerful Aztecs who, for all their intelligence, industry, and valor, were equally barbaric, enslaved by an extravagant system of idolatry which placated its numerous gods with gruesome orgies of human sacrifice and cannibalism. For centuries torrents of blood literally flowed from the temple pyramids, with as many as 20,000 humans being sacrificed in one day.

Cortes came and liberated the Nahuatls from their slavery to Satan, but because of the corruption of the Spanish rulers and because of the Aztec’s attachment to polygamy and other pagan practices, very few converted to Catholicism in the first decade of Spanish rule. The saintly Juan de Zumarraga, Mexico’s first bishop, could do little to convert the Aztecs, but he remained confident in the unfailing help of the Queen of Heaven, to whom he entrusted the future of New Spain.

Juan Diego, a simple and God-fearing man, was one of the few converts in the first 10 years. For 6 years he had devoutly practiced the Faith, walking 6 miles every morning to Mass. On Saturday, December 9, 1531, he began his usual pre-dawn journey. As he reached the hill known as Tepeyac, he heard a very wonderful music descending from the top of the hill. It sounded like the sweetest melody of singing birds. Suddenly the singing stopped and a gentle woman’s voice was heard from above the mount saying, “Juanito, Juan Dieguito.” When he reached the summit, he saw a Lady standing there who told him to come near. He marveled greatly at her superhuman grandeur. Her garments were shining like the sun and the cliff where she rested her feet was pierced with glitter.

The Lady thus spoke to him: “Know and understand well, you the most humble of my sons, that I am the ever Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God for Whom we live, of the Creator of all things, Lord of heaven and earth. I wish that a temple be erected here quickly, so I may therein exhibit and give all my love, compassion, help and protection, because I am your merciful mother… Go to the bishop of Mexico and say to him that I manifest my great desire, that here a temple be built to me.”

Juan went directly to the bishop and gave him the message. Fray Zumarraga, however, did not seem to believe him and dismissed him after listening to his story. When Juan Diego returned to Tepeyac hill, the Lady appeared again and told him to “go again tomorrow and see the bishop … and again tell him that I, in person, the ever virgin Holy Mary, Mother of God, sent you.”

Juan visited the bishop’s house again the next day and repeated the story. This time the bishop listened more attentively and then asked Juan to bring some sign as a proof of the story. Our Lady told Juan that she would give him a sign for the bishop on the following morning. He failed to return the next day, however, because his uncle Juan Bernardino was gravely ill and by night time asked Juan to summon a priest the next day.

On Tuesday, Juan climbed Tepeyac from a different angle to prevent the Lady from seeing him and deterring his journey to get the priest. She approached him from that side of the hill, however, and, on hearing his mission, replied, “Do not fear this nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I, your Mother, not here? Are you not under my protection? Do not be afflicted by the illness of your uncle; he is now cured.”

 

"She who crushes the Serpent"

Juan Bernardino related later that at that very hour a beautiful Lady appeared to him, calling herself “she who crushes the serpent” (Genesis 3:15). Juan Bernardino felt a profound peace come over his soul and through his limbs a healing wave seemed to roll, filling him with strength and cooling his burning fever. He was cured.

After reassuring Juan Diego, Our Lady told him to gather the flowers at the top of the hill and give them to the bishop for a sign. But how could this be? Flowers in December, the month in which all vegetation is destroyed by freezing? Flowers on a hilltop full of crags, thorns, and thistles? Reaching the top of the hill, Juan was amazed to find many varieties of exquisite roses of Castella (in Spain), hitherto unknown to Mexico. He placed the flowers in his tilma, a coarsely woven cloak of cactus fibers, and set out for the bishop’s house.

When Juan Diego reached the bishop’s house and was finally admitted, he unfolded the tilma, revealing the gorgeous, sweet scented flowers. Suddenly there appeared on the face of the tilma a precious Image of the Ever-Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of God. The bishop and all others present fell to their knees upon seeing the miraculous image…

The Image

The Image of Our Lady that appeared on the tilma, which can still be seen in Mexico City today, is truly miraculous and has been the wonder of scientists for hundreds of years. All, after exhaustive investigation with sophisticated analytic detectors, have concluded that the work is beyond the power of men to produce.

They were unable to find any trace of paint residue or dye of any sort on the Image. What produced the colors on Juan Diego’s cloak or how they were applied remains a total mystery of science. The Image still retains its original colors, even though it was unprotected by any covering during the first 100 years of veneration. The bluish-green color of Our Lady’s mantle is unique. It seems to be made of an unearthly shade that as yet no artist has been able exactly to match. Moreover, a painter would be incredibly foolish to choose an Indian’s tilma to work on and even more to paint right over the center seam of the cloak. And had the Virgin not turned ever so slightly to the right, the stitch would have divided her face. Just as astonishing is the fact that only the seam still holds the tilma together. The law of gravity does not allow a single flimsy cotton thread to bind two heavier materials of cloth for more than ten years, much less four hundred and fifty! In addition, the coarse weave of the tilma was utilized by the Artist in such a precise manner as to give depth to the face of the Image.

An enlarged digital picture of the image in the eye of Our Lady on the Tilma.

Infrared radiation photography confirmed, besides the lack of paint and brush strokes, no corrections, no underlying sketch, no sizing used to render the surface smooth, no varnish covering the image to protect its surface. According to specialists of the Kodak Corporation in Mexico, the Image bears more resemblance to a color photograph than anything else. Study of photographic enlargements of Our Lady’s face have revealed the image of a bearded man, clearly identifiable in the eyes. Rigorous investigations by leading oculists found not only the image of the bearded man but all the optical imaging qualities of a normal human eye, such as light reflection, image positioning and distortion on the cornea.

The Virgin’s mantle is covered with stars which stunningly and accurately map out various constellations as might be seen in the Mexican sky. Even more remarkably, this “star map” on the mantle is in reverse: providing a view of the constellations from beyond them, as would be seen looking through them towards the earth. The constellations are consistent with what astronomers believe was in the sky above Mexico City the day the Image was formed, December 12, 1531. The colors of the tunic and mantle are important ones in the Aztec hierarchical structure, ones typically reserved for the emperor.

Recent gynecological studies have also identified signs of pregnancy in the image and a special flower, the Quincunx, over the place where the heart of the unborn child would be. This flower is the Aztec symbol of the Lord of the Universe.

The great majority of the miraculous aspects of the Image were not discovered until the 20th century, when the technology and archaeology made the discoveries possible. This is 400 years from the creation of the Image.

The Result

When Bishop Zumarraga saw the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, he commanded that a church be built on Tepeyac hill as Our Lady requested. Thousands of Aztec Indians were present at the translation of the Image to the new chapel. They chanted, “The Virgin is one of us. Our pure Mother, Our Sovereign Lady, is one of us!” In a transport of enthusiasm, one group of young warriors took their bows and sent a pretty volley of arrows through the air. Unfortunately, one of the shafts struck and killed one of the spectators. The poor native was picked up by his sorrowing friends and carried into the chapel, where they placed him at the feet of Our Lady of Guadalupe. While everyone together prayed for a miracle, suddenly the dead man opened his eyes and rose up fully recovered!

St Juan Diego

The Bishop placed Juan Diego in charge of the new chapel and the recipient of the apparitions spent the remainder of his life explaining the message and the meaning of the visions to the pilgrims who came there. There already existed good means of communication in that vast country and news of the wonderful events were soon common knowledge everywhere. From 1531 until the present day, a continuous stream of pilgrims have flowed through the doors of the church on Tepeyac hill. It is estimated now that as many as twenty million pilgrims come to see the miraculous tilma every year.

In explaining the apparitions to the pilgrims, Juan laid great stress on the fact that the Mother of the True God has chosen to come to the site of the temple of the pagan mother-goddess Tonantzin to signify that Christianity was to replace the Aztec religion. This startling fact made such an impact on the Mexicans, that for years after the apparitions they referred to the sacred image as the picture of Tonantzin (“Our Mother”) or Teonantzin (“God’s Mother”).

Until 1531, the Sacrament of Baptism had been administered most to infants, as the overwhelming majority of Aztec adults had resisted the advances of the missionaries. However, as the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe began to spread throughout the country, great numbers of all ages and classes began to long for a new moral code based on the example of the Mother of the ‘white man’s god’, who could now only be the Mother of the True God, their “clean Mother”, and who had captivated their minds and hearts with her radiant purity, virtue and love.

As a result, the few missionaries in the country were soon increasingly engaged in preaching, instructing and baptizing. The trickle of conversions soon became a river, and that river a flood which is perhaps unprecedented in the history of Christianity. 5,000,000 Catholics were lost to the Church due to the Protestant Revolt in Europe at this time but their numbers were more than replaced in a few years by over 9,000,000 Aztec converts (out of 10 million).

A famous Mexican preacher of the 19th century expressed this tidal wave of conversions as follows:

“It is true that immediately after the conquest (of Cortes), some apostolic men, some zealous missionaries, mild, gentle conquerors who were disposed to shed no blood but their own, ardently devoted themselves to the conversion of the Indians. However, these valiant men, because of their fewness, because of the difficulty of learning various languages, and of the vast extent of our territory, obtained, in spite of their heroic efforts, but few and limited results.

“But scarcely had the Most Holy Virgin of Guadalupe appeared and taken possession of this her inheritance, when the Catholic Faith spread with the rapidity of light from the rising sun, through the wide extent and beyond the bounds of the ancient empire of Mexico. Innumerable multitudes from every tribe, every district, every race, in this immense country . . . who were grossly superstitious, who were ruled by the instincts of cruelty, oppressed by every form of violence, and utterly degraded, returned upon themselves at the credible announcement of the admirably portentous apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe, recognized their natural dignity, forgot their misfortunes, put off their instinctive ferocity, and, unable to resist such sweet and tender invitations, came in crowds to cast their grateful hearts at the feet of so loving a Mother, and to mingle their tears of emotion with the regeneration of the waters of Baptism.”

The missionaries were all but overwhelmed by the endless multitudes clamoring for instruction and Baptism. Almost everywhere they traveled, entire families would come running out of their village, entreating them with signs to come and pour the water on their heads. When the numbers grew too numerous to cope with individually, the missionaries formed the men and women into two columns behind a cross-bearer. As they filed past the first priest, he briefly imposed on each the Oil of Catechumens. Holding lighted candles and singing a hymn, they would then converge on a second priest who stood beside the baptismal font. The columns would slowly wind back to the first priest where, with hands joined, husbands and wives would pronounce their marriage vows together, receiving the Sacrament of Matrimony.

Several trustworthy contemporary writers note that one missionary, a Flemish Franciscan named Peter of Ghent, baptized with his own hands over 1,000,000 Mexicans! “Who will not recognize the Spirit of God in moving so many millions to enter the kingdom of Christ,” wrote Fr. Anticoli, S.J., “and when we consider that there occurred no portent or other supernatural event … to attract such multitudes, other than the apparitions of the Virgin, we may state with assurance that it was the Vision of the Queen of the Apostles that called the Indians to the Faith.”

Conclusion

Our Lady of Guadalupe

The miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe is an unquestionable display of God’s love and mercy for the Mexican and American people. As She converted the hearts of the Aztec Indians, so let Her convert our modern, worldly hearts to turn to Her and Her Son. Let us ask her help to restore modesty and decency and especially to bring about the end of the modern sacrifice of innocent humans to the altar of self-love, abortion. Foster devotion to this Noble Virgin and Mother in your own life and the lives of others. Contemplating her, remember the following words of a prayer composed by Pope Pius XII, in which he declares the Virgin of Guadalupe the Empress of all the Americas: “For we are certain, that as long as you are recognized as Queen and Mother, Mexico and America will be safe.”

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Gaudete Sunday,  12 December 2010


 

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History of the Crèche

Saturday, 4 December 2010 at 11:02 · Filed under Articles ·Tagged , ,

from the account of Bl. Thomas of Celano, the first biographer of St Francis of Assisi

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St Francis of Assisi

Francis’s highest intention, greatest desire, and supreme purpose was to observe the holy gospel in and through all things. He wanted to follow the doctrine and walk in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to do so perfectly, with all vigilance, all zeal, complete desire of the mind, complete fervor of the heart. He remembered Christ’s words through constant meditation and recalled his actions through wise consideration. The humility of the incarnation and the love of the passion so occupied his memory that he scarcely wished to think of anything else. Hence what he did in the third year before the day of his glorious death, in the town called Greccio, on the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ, should be reverently remembered.

There was in that place a certain man named John, of good reputation and even better life, whom the blessed Francis particularly loved. Noble and honorable in his own land, he had trodden on nobility of the flesh and pursued that of the mind. Around fifteen days before the birthday of Christ Francis sent for this man, as he often did, and said to him, “If you wish to celebrate the approaching feast of the Lord at Greccio, hurry and do what I tell you. I want to do something that will recall the memory of that child who was born in Bethlehem, to see with bodily eyes the inconveniences of his infancy, how he lay in the manger, and how the ox and ass stood by.” Upon hearing this, the good and faithful man hurried to prepare all that the holy man had requested.

Institution of the Christmas Crib

The day of joy drew near, the time of exultation approached. The brothers were called from their various places. With glad hearts, the men and women of that place prepared, according to their means, candles and torches to light up that night which has illuminated all the days and years with its glittering star. Finally the holy man of God arrived and, finding everything prepared, saw it and rejoiced.

The manger is ready, hay is brought, the ox and ass are led in. Simplicity is honored there, poverty is exalted, humility is commended and a new Bethlehem, as it were, is made from Greccio. Night is illuminated like the day, delighting men and beasts. The people come and joyfully celebrate the new mystery. The forest resounds with voices and the rocks respond to their rejoicing. The brothers sing, discharging their debt of praise to the Lord, and the whole night echoes with jubilation. The holy man of God stands before the manger full of sighs, consumed by devotion and filled with a marvelous joy. The solemnities of the mass are performed over the manger and the priest experiences a new consolation.

The holy man of God wears a deacon’s vestments, for he was indeed a deacon, and he sings the holy gospel with a sonorous voice. And his voice, a sweet voice, a vehement voice, a clear voice, a sonorous voice, invites all to the highest rewards. Then he preaches mellifluously to the people standing about, telling them about the birth of the poor king and the little city of Bethlehem. Often, too, when he wished to mention Jesus Christ, burning with love he called him “the child of Bethlehem,” and speaking the word “Bethlehem” or “Jesus,” he licked his lips with his tongue, seeming to taste the sweetness of these words.

The gifts of the Almighty are multiplied here and a marvelous vision is seen by a certain virtuous man. For he saw a little child lying lifeless in the manger, and he saw the holy man of God approach and arouse the child as if from a deep sleep. Nor was this an unfitting vision, for in the hearts of many the child Jesus really had been forgotten, but now, by his grace and through his servant Francis, he had been brought back to life and impressed here by loving recollection. Finally the celebration ended and each returned joyfully home.

 

Christmas Crib

The hay placed in the manger was kept so that the Lord, multiplying his holy mercy, might bring health to the beasts of burden and other animals. And indeed it happened that many animals throughout the surrounding area were cured of their illnesses by eating this hay. Moreover, women undergoing a long and difficult labor gave birth safely when some of this hay was placed upon them. And a large number of people, male and female alike, with various illnesses, all received the health they desired there. At last a temple of the Lord was consecrated where the manger stood, and over the manger an altar was constructed and a church dedicated in honor of the blessed father Francis, so that, where animals once had eaten hay, henceforth men could gain health in soul and body by eating the flesh of the Lamb without spot or blemish, Jesus Christ our Lord, who through great and indescribable love gave himself to us, living and reigning with the Father and Holy Spirit, God eternally glorious forever and ever, Amen. Alleluia! Alleluia!

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First Sunday of Advent,  28 November 2010

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The Advantages of the Religious State

Wednesday, 25 August 2010 at 09:12 · Filed under Articles ·Tagged ,

by Fr Francis Lasance

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The term “religious” here refers to those persons who have consecrated themselves to God in an Order or Congregation approved by the Church.

The religious may praise the Lord in the words of the Israelites when, freed from the tyranny of Pharaoh, they departed from Egypt: “In Thy mercy Thou hast been a leader to the people which Thou hast redeemed: and in Thy strength Thou hast carried them to Thy holy habitation” (Exodus XV. 13). As the Jews in the Old Law were the beloved people of God, and thus distinguished from the Egyptians, so in the New Law, religious are distinguished from people of the world. As the Jews were led out of Egypt, a land of discord and slavery, in which God was not known, so have religious abandoned the world in which God is so little known, and which rewards its servants with sorrow and misery. As the Jews were led by a pillar of fire into the Promised Land, so religious are guided by the light of the Holy Ghost into that blessed state, which is a foretaste of the heavenly country.

The supereminent advantages of the religious state are well set forth by St Bernard when he exclaims: “Is it not in the holy religious state that one lives more purely, falls less frequently, rises more easily, works more securely, is more plentifully endowed with grace, dies more confidently, is purified more quickly, and is rewarded more richly?”

Abraham would have sacrificed his son, Isaac, had not the Angel stopped him.

“When he came out of the land of Egypt, he heard a tongue which he knew not. He removed his back from the burdens” (Psalms IXXX. 6). St Jerome says: “The great grace signified is that which the Lord gave to the religious whom He freed from Egypt, that is, from the world.” St Augustine refers to the sacrifice of Abraham as a symbol of the complete self-immolation to which religious are called in the service of God and in the imitation of Christ. Abraham’s oblation consisted of a cow, a she-goat, a ram, a turtle-dove, and a pigeon. The four-footed animals, beasts chained to the earth and typifying the sensual and the worldly, he divided and cut into many pieces. “But the birds he divided not” (Genesis XV. 10), but offered them whole in sacrifice. By the turtle-doves, those gentle and harmless creatures, are signified spiritual men, religious, who love solitude and live apart from intercourse with others. By the pigeons also are symbolized those who strive after perfection, although they pursue piety in the midst of men and of worldly occupations. The doves that are sacrificed to the Lord are not divided. Religious dedicate themselves whole and entire to the service of God. To this they are called by divine grace. They make an absolute sacrificed of themselves to God. They are pure holocausts. They have only to aim, day by day, at following the Lord more closely.

The Lord bestows an exceedingly great grace in taking a soul from the world, and placing her in religious solitude. But very blind are they who imagine that everything is done with they leave the world and enter religion. they have, indeed, received a magnificent grace from God, for which they are bound to be ever grateful; but that is only the beginning of a long chain of graces with which they must cooperate by serving Him with love and ardor. They have not chosen God; He has chosen them without any merit of theirs, yes, in spite of their actual demerits. A true religious must give herself entirely to God, strive after solid virtue and perfection, and never consider herself safe from the attacks of the evil one.

Six Means of Salvation in the Religious State

Silence and Solitude

First, consider the silence and solitude of the cloister or monastery. Not in the throngs of men, not in the turmoil of the world, will God treat with His chosen souls, open their spiritual eyes, fill them with heavenly light, and gladden them with His special favours. No, God chooses solitude for this. “I will lead her into solitude, and I will speak to her heart” (Osee II. 14), says the Lord. The solitude for which Almighty God has special preference is that of the cloister, the gate of salvation. Here reigns unbroken peace. Here the angry waves of earthly cares are never heard. Here is the school of holy instruction, in which the Lord Himself is the Teacher. here in silence and retirement He builds up and strengthens His beloved ones. The cloister is the chosen place into which God gathers His souls of predilection in order to unite Himself to them most tenderly. It is a lovely paradise, like to that of our first parents. It is even superior to it, because in that an innocent man became sinful, whereas the cloister makes the sinful innocent and holy. It is the centre, the element of holy souls. There they taste heavenly delights, and commune with their God in peace and love.

The second means of salvation in the religious state consists in the holiness of its occupations. From a religious community all low and worldly pursuits are banished. All self-seeking, all terrestrial gains are subordinated to the goods of eternity and charity. Here a man is, indeed, engrossed in labour and prayer, but his thoughts and aims are far from those of the children of the world, whose energies are directed and expended in the anxious quest of honour, wealth, and pleasure. Traffic is unknown here. There is no disquietude about outside affairs and social demands. No vexing of family cares, no anxious thoughts in regard to one’s support and one’s environment are engendered in the cloister. In short, all is holy, all tends to the majesty of the Lord who is served therein. The soul abandons itself to His dominion, meditates on His adorable grandeur and power, sings His praises, thanks Him for His benefits, averts the divine anger from sinners, casts itself without care into His arms and on His Heart, and hopes, in His mercy, to be eternally united to Him. The cloister reproduces the life of the saints in heaven. The cloister is the paradise of earth.

St Benedict hands the Rule to his spiritual sons.

The third means of salvation in the religious life lies in the established Rule of the order. By the Rule one aims at two things, namely, the choosing of good and the rejection of evil. Man, constantly influenced by his passions, easily forgets duties irksome to depraved nature. It is, therefore, most necessary for him to be reminded of them, spurred on, and encouraged to their fulfillment. This is done by the conventual rules, kept in full vigour by the watchfulness of superiors. There is not one of them that does not continually place some duty before the eyes of the religious.

The holy Fathers compare the rules to the wings of birds and to the wheels of a chariot. The wings, they say, are no burden, no hindrance to the bird; on the contrary, they help it to rise in the air and fly. Neither do wheels retard the chariot by their weight. They serve to set it in motion and to keep it moving. They lighten and facilitate the labour of the horses harnessed to it. Without wheels, they would not be able to draw one-half the weight, but with them their work becomes play. So is it with the rules. Far from being a burden or a hindrance to the religious, they are wings by which they rise to heaven; they are the wheels which help them to carry the yoke of the Lord with admirable facility, that sweet yoke which worldlings drag with sighs and groans.

The religious rules are, moreover, a powerful protection against sin. The Rule guards the religious in all his ways, watches over the gates of the senses, moderates the desires, restrains excesses, bars the avenues to evil suggestions, and protects the soul from the attacks of the demon. The holy Fathers compare the Rule to a fortification. A city, they say, is in the best state of defense when outer fortifications correspond with inner means of security. By them the enemy will be kept off and his power nullified. So, too, religious are protected by their holy Rule. By them they are able to resist the attacks of the devil, because they accord with the Commandments of God and those of the Church. The power of the evil one is weakened by the rules, for they disrupt the union which exists between him and the passions.

The fourth means of salvation in the religious life is contained in poverty, chastity, obedience, mortification, and self-denial. Riches are the greatest hindrance to salvation. The rich man is occupied with self and engrossed in selfish pursuits. Forgetful of heaven and eternity, he shuns neither trouble nor labour to increase his riches. His heart is divided between God and creatures, and most often do the latter entirely possess it. The Saviour Himself has declared with what difficulty a rich man enters the kingdom of heaven. Poverty of spirit confines the wants and the desires of man to the most necessary things, subjugates concupiscence, moderates the yearning after perishable goods, makes it easy for the heart to adhere to God exclusively, and to hope in Him for assistance in every trial. Chastity frees the soul from the servitude of the senses, leads to its undivided sacrifice to God, and renders its flight to Him swift and delightful. Obedience binds irrevocably to God, and makes man an inexpressibly pleasing holocaust to heaven. Lastly, mortification masters concupiscence and creates man, so to say, to a new life full of holiness and perfection.

The fifth means is found in the good example afforded by the religious life. There are in the cloister none of those scandals which in the world insinuate their secret poison into the soul through the yes and the ears, and deposit therein the germ of death. No, in the peaceful seclusion of the cloister, the yes and the ears may open fearlessly. They rest only on the most beautiful examples of virtue, they hear only what is elevating, peaceful and holy. As there is nothing more injurious than scandal, so there is nothing more beneficial than good example. How many thousands among the first Christians were converted from their worship of idols by the example of the saints! Did not Jesus Christ and His apostles, by their example, produce an impression that prepared the way for their preaching? The cloister is full of examples that lead to sanctity.

Perpetual Vows to their Divine Spouse

The sixth means may be summed up in the holy practices and pious exercises of the convent. How many such exercises and customs form the daily routine of the religious life! Pious meditations in which, absorbed in the eternal truths, and nestling in the Sacred heart of Jesus, the religious lovingly evokes the holiest affections and the most generous resolutions. Therein the soul is enlightened by heavenly inspirations, strengthened by the grace of God and inflamed with His love. Walking with God in this earthly paradise, and conversing almost uninterruptedly with Him, places her duties before her in their full extent, helps her faithfully to fulfill them, and animates her to unflagging progress. Her heartfelt repentance washes away her faults,and prepares her for new and richer graces. By frequent confession she is purified from sin, receives wise instruction, prudent direction in the way of perfection, and new courage to struggle against the enemy of her soul. In the almost daily Holy Communion she is intimately united with her divine Bridegroom, strengthened against her own weakness, urged on to greater fervour and sanctity, inundated with sweetest consolation, and blessed with the pledge of immortality. In the holy sacrifice of the Mass she takes part in the work of Redemption there daily renewed. lastly, by means of daily spiritual reading, her mind is provided with wholesome lessons in piety and asceticism, while her heart is inflamed with charity by the sublime examples of sanctity that are held up to her as models, so that she may easily and securely reach perfection.

If we add to the foregoing the counsels of enlightened directors and the wise admonitions of Superiors, we must conclude that the religious state offers, in abundance, all means necessary for perfection.

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Bulletin for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, 22 August 2010

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The Festival of Pentecost

Sunday, 23 May 2010 at 21:42 · Filed under Articles ·Tagged

What festival is this?

It is the day on which the Holy Ghost descended in the form of fiery tongues, upon the apostles and disciples,who with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, were assembled in prayer in a house at Jerusalem. (Acts II)

The Dove: one of the symbols of the Holy Ghost

Why is this day called Pentecost?

The word “Pentecost” is taken from the Greek, and signifies fifty. As St. Jerome explains it, this was the last of the fifty days, commencing with Easter, which the early Christians celebrated as days of rejoicing at the resurrection of the Lord.

Why is this day observed so solemnly?

Because on this day the Holy Ghost, having descended upon the apostles, the law of grace, of purification from sin, and the sanctification of mankind, was for the first time announced to the world; because on this day the apostles, being filled with the Holy Ghost, commenced the work of purifying and sanctifying mankind, by baptizing three thousand people who were converted by the sermon of St. Peter; and because on this day the Church of Jesus became visible as a community to the world, and publicly professed her faith in her crucified Saviour.

Why did the Holy Ghost come upon the apostles in the form of fiery tongues?

The appearance of fiery tongues indicated the gift of language imparted to the apostles by the Holy Ghost, and inflamed their hearts and the hearts of the faithful with the love of God and their neighbour.

The Holy Ghost descended upon the Blessed Virgin and the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire.

Why did a mighty wind accompany the descent?

To direct the attention of the people to the descent of the Holy Ghost, and to assemble them to hear the sermon of the Apostle Peter.

What special effects did the Holy Ghost produce in the apostles?

He freed them from all doubt and fear; gave them His light for the perfect knowledge of truth; inflamed their hearts with the most ardent love, and incited in them the fiery zeal for the propagation of the kingdom of God, strengthened them to bear all sufferings and persecutions (Acts V,41), and gave them the gift of speaking in various languages, and of discerning spirits.

Why is the Holy Ghost expressly called “Holy”, since this attribute is due to each of the Divine Persons?

Because He is the Author of inward sanctity and of all supernatural gifts and graces, and therefore to Him is especially ascribed the work of man’s sanctification.

What does the Holy Ghost effect in man?

He enlightens him that he may know the truths of religion and salvation, and the beauty of virtue; He moves him to desire, to aim after and to love these things; He renews his heart by cleansing it from sin, and imparts to him the supernatural gifts and graces by which he can become sanctified, and He brings forth in him wonderful fruits of holiness.

The Holy Ghost converts 3000 souls on the day of Pentecost through St Peter's preaching

What are the Gifts of the Holy Ghost?

According to the Prophet Isaias they are seven:

  1. The gift of wisdom, which enables us to know God, to esteem spiritual more than temporal advantages, and to delight only in divine things.
  2. The gift of understanding, by which we know and understand that which our faith proposes to our belief; children and adults should pray fervently for this gift, especially before sermons and instructions in the catechism.
  3. The gift of counsel, which gives us the knowledge necessary to direct ourselves and others when in doubt, a gift particularly necessary for superiors, for those about to choose their state of life, and for married people who live unhappily, and do not know how to help themselves.
  4. The gift of fortitude, which strengthens us to endure and courageously overcome all adversities and persecutions for virtue’s sake.
  5. The gift of knowledge, by which we know ourselves, our duties, and how to discharge them in a manner pleasing to God.
  6. The gift of piety, which induces us to have God in view in all our actions, and infuses love in our hearts for His service.
  7. The gift of the fear of the Lord, by which we not only fear the just punishment, but even His displeasure at every sin, more than all other things in the world.

Which are the Fruits of the Holy Ghost?

As St Paul (Gal V,22-23) enumerates them, they are twelve:

  1. Charity
  2. Joy
  3. Peace
  4. Patience
  5. Benignity
  6. Goodness
  7. Longanimity
  8. Mildness
  9. Faith
  10. Modesty
  11. Continency
  12. Chastity

To obtain these fruits as well as the gifts of the Holy Ghost, we should say the prayer to the Holy Ghost daily:

Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful,
and kindle in them the Fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created;
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray. O God Who hast instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Ghost, grant that by the same Spirit we may be always truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

†

Bulletin for Pentecost Sunday, 23 May 2010

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St Maximilian Kolbe

Sunday, 16 May 2010 at 17:44 · Filed under Articles ·Tagged , ,

Maximilian Kolbe was born in Poland on January 8, 1894 and was baptized on his birth date with the name Raymond. Maximilian (the name he would take in religious life) was a highly intelligent boy, and boisterous, but rather obstinate and self-willed. At about the age of nine, shortly after having made his First Holy Communion, an incident took place that would forever change him. One day in church while he was praying before a statue of Our Lady, Mary appeared to him holding two crowns: a white crown for purity, and a red crown for martyrdom. She asked him if he wanted them and Maximilian responded, “Yes” —  he wanted both crowns. After this apparition his mother, Maria, noticed a sudden and profound change in her son: he was meditative, solemn, and often found praying before a statue of Our Lady in their home.

As a teenager Maximilian was a highly gifted student and excelled in science and math. At sixteen he seriously considered entering the military but instead, with encouragement by his mother, he chose to enter religious life, the Conventual Franciscan Friars (OFM Conv.). His superiors recognized his intellectual gifts and in 1912 sent him to Rome for studies, where he lived until 1919. He earned doctorates in both philosophy and theology.

The founding of the Militia

In 1917, while still in the seminary and a year before his priesthood ordination, Maximilian founded the Militia Immaculatae (MI). The MI, as its name indicates, is a “militia;” an army or fighting force of Marian “knights.” Kolbe had read St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary, and like de Montfort he urged members of his militia to totally consecrate their lives to Mary.

St Maximilian Kolbe, Founder of the Militia Immaculatae.

The Polish friar believed firmly in utilizing all modern methods of communication to spread the message of the Gospel, under the auspices of the Immaculata, and said these means should include “the printed word, radio broadcasts, even television [then a new medium], and the cinema.” After leaving Rome he returned to Poland and launched a monthly periodical, The Knight of the Immaculata. In 1927 Kolbe founded Niepokalanov, the “City of the Immaculata,” which served as a center for his publishing efforts. By 1937 the monthlyKnight had a circulation of 780,000, and in 1939 Niepokalanov was the largest monastery in the world, with 619 religious and 120 seminarians.

The evil of Freemasonry

Another reason that motivated Kolbe to found the MI is the “error of Masonry.” By 1917 Italian Masonry was boldly rearing its ugly head in opposition to the Church. Writing in 1935 about the founding of the MI back in 1917, St. Maximilian said:

[T]he Freemasons in Rome began to demonstrate openly and belligerently against the Church. They placed the black standard of the “Giordano Brunisti” under the window of the Vatican. [Giordano Bruno was a Dominican turned Calvinist turned pantheist who was burned as a heretic on Feb. 17, 1600. This Masonic demonstration most likely occurred on Feb. 17 to commemorate his death]. On this standard the archangel St. Michael was depicted lying under the feet of the triumphant Lucifer. At the same time, countless pamphlets were distributed to the people in which the Holy Father was attacked shamefully. “Right then I conceived the idea of organizing an active society to counteract Freemasonry and other slaves of Lucifer…

We can imagine what this Polish Knight of Our Lady would say today regarding the widespread promotion of immorality in television, movies, music and the arts; and we can ponder to what extent Freemasonry — which is truly an arm of Satan — has contributed and continues to contribute to the current state of affairs.

Genesis 3:15: The humble Woman who crushes Satan’s proud head

St. Maximilian, the gentle Friar who lived the white crown of purity and received the red crown of martyrdom, clearly saw Gen. 3:15 as having both salvific and eschatological dimensions. This was one of his main reasons for founding the MI as a young seminarian in Rome in 1917. In God’s almighty providence, it is no mere coincidence that Kolbe founded the MI in the same year that Our Lady appeared to the three little children, Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco, at Fatima, Portugal and revealed to them God’s plan for world peace. “She will crush your head” should be read alongside Mary’s own words at Fatima: “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph”; for the ultimate triumph of Mary’s Immaculate Heart involves the victory of the Immaculata — the All-Pure and Spotless Virgin whom the Evil One could never touch — over Satan and his minions.

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

In his own devotion to Mary and in founding the MI, St. Maximilian clearly saw Mary as actively engaged in the ongoing spiritual combat that is waged “not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of the is darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places” (Eph. 6:12). The Martyr of Auschwitz also saw that in the end, this lowly Handmaid of the Lord, she who “cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array” (Cant 6:9), will be victorious and, through the power and grace of Christ, render a most humiliating defeat upon the Evil Serpent: she will crush his proud head, which will usher in the definitive Reign of Christ as our King, and Mary as our Queen, along with the triumph of her Immaculate Heart.

†

Bulletin for Sunday after the Ascension, 16 May 2010

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Our Mother of Good Counsel

Sunday, 25 April 2010 at 00:36 · Filed under Articles, Stories ·Tagged ,


The miraculous image appeared after the clouds parted.

In the Alban Hills, not far from the city of Rome, lies the little town of Genazzano, where the miraculous image of Our Lady of Good Counsel is venerated. The story of the picture dates back to 1467. Pilgrims assembled on the feast of St. Mark were startled by a mysterious rustling sound and strains of sweet music. Then, while they silently gazed at the sky for the source of the singing, they saw, in an otherwise clear sky, a mysterious cloud that descended until it obliterated an unfinished wall of the church dedicated to the Mother of God under the title of Good Counsel. Before the thousands of awe-struck revelers, the cloud parted and dissipated, revealing a portrait of Our Lady and the Christ Child. This was resting on the top of the unfinished wall that was only a few feet high. It is said that the church bells of the city rang of their own accord, attracting people from outlying areas who hurried to investigate the untimely ringing.

The picture rests suspended in the air, touching the wall only at the upper edge and not supported by other means. The picture was considered miraculous, not only because of its arrival at Genazzano, but because it is for the most part suspended in the air  without any visible means of support to maintain its stable condition, and this for five centuries! Although painted on a piece of plaster no thicker than an ordinary visiting card, the image has withstood the ravages of time. The artist of the painting is unknown.

Veneration of the Miraculous Image

It is said that the figures themselves represent Mother and Child after they had returned from the temple where Mary heard the sad prophesies of Simeon. Mary’s eyes are half-veiled as though she were lost in contemplation, taking counsel with her God. The little Child does not return the gaze of the beholder, as happens in so many pictures, rather He draws our eyes upward to Mary as if to tell us to look for Counsel there, in the very Seat of Wisdom. It is a picture to be loved, a plain and common picture, a pious image to be copied and hung in the homes of the poor. That is all the sweet Mother of Good Counsel asks for her picture: a home in our midst, by our firesides, a family to guard and watch over, hearts that will love and venerate her.

Overshadowed by the Holy Ghost, Mary became the Mother of God. His gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, and Counsel belong to her. She is Our Mother of Good Counsel because she is the Spouse of God the Holy Ghost. If to her was granted the wisdom to counsel her Son, surely she has the wisdom to counsel poor humanity. In her there is the wisdom of ages. For 2 000 years, she has been watching the children of men upon this earth. Our Lady of Good Counsel knows how to help us. She can help us. She wants to aid and counsel us! Once she sees upon a soul the sign of the Cross of her Son, that soul may count upon all her assistance. She loves with an undying love all those for whom her Son died.

God trusted her with His own Son,
Who clung to her till life was done.
Through sorrow none can comprehend
She mothered Jesus to the end.
And if you think her love may fail,
You thrust within her heart a nail!

Our Mother of Good Counsel has been called the Madonna of the Popes. Pope Leo XIII deserves to be ranked among the great lovers of this devotion. He established the white scapular worn by her servants, and his motto is like a watchword to the clients of Mary: “Children,” he told the faithful, “follow her counsels!” To all she gives what is most needed to help us in this vale of tears; she gives us her Good Counsel.

Bulletin for the Third Sunday after Easter, 25 April 2010.

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The Pope – The Shepherd

Saturday, 24 April 2010 at 23:18 · Filed under Articles ·Tagged , , ,

Peter the Shepherd of the Flock

"Feed My sheep."

Now let us take a leap over the intervening years and come to one of the last meetings between Our Lord and Simon. (St John 21) It was on the shores of the Sea of Galilee after Christ’s resurrection. In the grey light of the early morning a fisherman’s boat is approaching the land. In it are Peter and others. They see a figure standing on the shore and when John said: “It is the Lord”) Simon Peter jumped overboard and splashed ashore.

Christ had prepared a meal for them and after they had eaten He took Simon aside and He said to him: “Simon, son of John, lovest thou Me more than these?”

Simon replied: “Yea, Lord Thou knowest that I love Thee.”

Christ said to him: “Feed My lambs.”

He said to him again: “Simon son of John lovest thou Me?”

Simon replied: “Yea Lord Thou knowest that I love Thee.”

Christ said to him again: “Feed my lambs.”

He said to him a third time: “Simon son of John lovest thou Me?”

Peter was grieved because He had said to him the third time “Lovest thou Me?” (Perhaps Peter remembered that on the night of Christ’s arrest he had denied three times that he knew Him.) He replied: “Lord Thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love Thee.”

And Christ said to him: “Feed My sheep.”

What was Christ doing? Obviously He wasn’t handing over a flock of animals to Peter. Equally obviously what He was doing was giving to Peter the title which He had given to Himself when He said: “I am the Good Shepherd.”

How Peter is to Feed the Flock

Holy Eucharist and Law

He told Peter to feed His flock. What food was He to give the flock? We can understand this better if we remember that Christ used the word “food” in three different ways. Once He had said: “Not in bread alone doth man live but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.” (St Matthew 4)

Food here means the word of God, the truth.

On another occasion He said: “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me.” (St John 4)

Food here means doing the will of God. It means law.

And again He had said: “He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood hath everlasting life.” (St John 6)

And food here is the sacrament and the life of which Christ said: “I am come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” (St John 10)

In short He is appointing Peter to be the guardian of the Way, the Truth and the Life – three titles which Christ had particularly claimed as His own.

Peter the Supreme Head on Earth

Seat of Peter

Now take all those passages together and see just what position is given to Peter. He is to take the place of the Good Shepherd. He is to be the guardian of the way, the truth and the life. He is to be the support of the brethren. He has the power personally given to him of binding and loosing, of making laws, that is, and decisions, He has the power of the keys. (We still present a key to a king when he enters a city to show we acknowledge his rule over it.) He is to be the foundation of the Church upon earth, the foundation which keeps a building united, makes it a building instead of a heap of loose stones.

In the Sermon on the Mount Christ had spoken about the:

wise men that built his house upon a rock, And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house and it fell not for it was founded on a rock. (St Matthew 7)

That was the position then given to Peter. He was to be a real ruler with real authority over the whole Church to take the place of Christ when He should be gone.

Bulletin for Good Shepherd Sunday, 18 April 2010.

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Symbols of Easter

Thursday, 15 April 2010 at 00:29 · Filed under Articles ·Tagged ,

Peacock

It was once believed that the flesh of the peacock never corrupts, so peacocks became the classic symbol of immortality. They are an ancient Christian symbol of the Resurrection, and representations of them are found on the tombs of ancient Christians as an expression of their hope to follow Christ in His defeat of death.

Bells are another lovely symbol for the day, as they are said to have “gone to Rome” on Maundy Thursday only to have started returning home at last evening’s Easter Vigil to ring joyfully.

One of the most common symbol of that glorious resurrection for the entire Easter Season is the lily (lilium longiflorum). Our Lord loved lilies!:

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they labour not, neither do they spin. But I say   to you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these. — Luke 12:27

Lilies

The lily represents purity, chastity, innocence, and St. Gabriel’s trumpet, and is a symbol of Our Lady and used to depict the purity of the Saints, especially Sts. Joseph, Francis, Clare, Anthony of Padua, and Catherine of Siena. In America, it has become, too, a symbol of the Resurrection. Legend says that lilies originated with Eve’s tears when the first couple was banished from the Garden of Eden. Other legend says that they sprang up from the ground when drops of blood fell to the foot of the Cross. It is interesting that these two legends exist, because Christ, the New Adam, wipes away the tears of the children of Eve who became the children of Mary when Christ gave her to us, through John, from the Cross. Mary herself is symbolized also by another lily, lilium candidum, or the Madonna Lily (or “Annunciation Lily”).

Butterflies, too, are an apt symbol of the day’s meaning. Beginning life as lowly humble caterpillars, they “entomb” themselves in cocoons only to emerge with jewel-colored wings and the ability to soar. What better symbol of the Resurrection – except maybe for eggs, which had always been symbols of Spring and were items of wonderment to all — an inanimate object out of which comes life. For Christians, they became the perfect symbol of the tomb Christ conquered.

St Mary Magdalene

Another level of symbolism is that the egg represents birth, the Creation, the elements, and the world itself, with the shell representing the firmament, the vault of the sky where the fiery stars lie; the thin membrane symbolizing air; the white symbolizing the waters; and the yolk representing earth. Painted red, eggs are a demonstration that the salvation and re-birth of the world comes through Christ’s Blood and Resurrection. Old legend has it that St. Mary Magdalen went to Rome and met with the Emperor Tiberius to tell him about the Resurrection of Jesus. She held out an egg to him as a symbol of this, and he scoffed, saying that a man could no more rise from the dead than that egg that she held could turn scarlet. The egg turned deep red in her hands, and this is the origin of Easter eggs, and the reason why Mary Magdalen is often portrayed holding a scarlet egg. Because of this legend and all of the egg’s symbolism, and because eggs are special because they were once forbidden during Lent, Christians make great use of them on this day, eating them, decorating them, and decorating with them. Red is the classic color to use when dyeing eggs to be eaten, but other colors are more often used these days.

(from http://www.fisheaters.com/customseastertide2.html)

Bulletin for Easter Sunday, 4 April 2010.

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Meditations on the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Tuesday, 23 March 2010 at 23:54 · Filed under Articles, Prayers ·Tagged , , , ,

First Sorrow: Simeon’s Prophecy

"... Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted..." - St Luke 2:34

Every life has elements of mixed joy and sorrow. Certainly Mary and Joseph are filled with joy as they travel the day’s journey from Bethlehem to Jerusalem to offer Mary’s First-Born to the service of His Father. According to Jewish custom, they “ransomed” Him back by offering two turtle doves as sacrifices to Almighty God. The joy of Mary seems to overflow as the aged Simeon receives her in the Temple and, taking the Child from her arms, looks heavenward with praise to the Almighty for sparing him until he saw the salvation “prepared before the faces of all peoples: a light of revelation to the Gentiles and a glory for Thy people Israel.”

From the height of her joy, Mary’s heart suddenly sinks, as Simeon glances first to the Child, then straight into her eyes. “This Child is set for the rise and the fall of many … a sign of contradiction … thine own soul a sword shall pierce …” Mary knows that her Son is to suffer. She knows that He will be lifted up. Simeon makes it painfully clear, as he reminds her of her Son’s mission. “She pondered these things in her heart.”

O, Mary, help me to understand the purpose of suffering in my life.

Second Sorrow: The Flight into Egypt

"Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod..." - St Mathhew 2:14

After returning to Bethlehem, the Holy Family is visited by the Magi. Shortly after their departure, Joseph is warned by an angel to “take the Child and His Mother and flee into Egypt.” Already, jealous Herod’s soldiers seek the Child. Joseph and Mary hurry a few blocks from their temporary home to a nearby cave, where Mary nurses her Babe in what has since become known to the local people as the “Milk Grotto.” As they continue their journey out of town and head towards the Egyptian border, the terrible sounds of the slaughter ring in Mary’s ears. Even Rachel mourns from her grave the Innocents of Bethlehem. Mary wonders: “Is this to be His time, at this age?” The only alternative is to flee quickly to the unfriendly Egyptians, the former captors of her people. Is it possible that only the Sphinx looks down in silent approval as they pass into Pharoah’s land? Jeremias the Prophet speaks for Mary: “Bitterly she weeps at night, tears upon her cheeks, with not one to console her of all her dear ones; her friends have all betrayed her and become her enemies. ‘Look, O Lord, upon my distress: all within me is in ferment, my heart recoils within me from my monstrous rebellion. In the streets the sword bereaves, at home death stalks. Give heed to my groaning; there is no one to console me.’” And yet, through this trial Mary still has Emmanuel with her. She knows that all will be accomplished in God’s time. This gives her the security of peace in her sorrow. The Scripture will be fulfilled: “I have called My Son out of Egypt, that salvation may come to Israel.”

O, Mary, help me to stay close to your Divine Son when I feel most abandoned.

Third Sorrow: The Loss of Jesus

And having fulfilled the days, when they returned, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not. And thinking that he was in the company, they came a day's journey, and sought him among their kinsfolks and acquaintance. And not finding him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking him." - St Luke 2:43-45

Again, the joy of traveling, this time for several days, from Nazareth to the Temple in Jerusalem for the great feast. These were especially happy times for Mary, reunited with her own people, living with Jesus and Joseph. The feast ends; the return to Nazareth commences in the early morning. The caravan of women moves ahead north of the Holy City. The men follow in their caravan. They sing Psalms praising God, exchange news and laughter, as the trip progresses. Both groups meet in their encampment at the end of the day. As night falls, Mary and Joseph find each other and realize with horror that Christ is not in their company. They search through both camps to no avail. “Have you seen Him? He is only twelve years old.” Each time the reply is negative. Mary remembers the words of Simeon and the Lamentations of Jeremia the Prophet: “The Lord has done as He decreed: He has fulfilled the threat He set forth from days of old; He has destroyed and had no pity, letting the enemy gloat over you and exalting the horn of your foes. Cry out to the Lord; moan, O daughter of Sion! Let your tears flow like a torrent day and night; let there be no respite for you, no repose for your eyes.” Mary feels terror and panic. “This must be His hour,” she thinks. In His boyhood hurts, even in the flight to Egypt, Jesus was with her. Now, for the first time, He is gone. Nonetheless, she knows that the Eternal Father knows all things, and this gives her peace. Her confidence is rewarded three days later when she and Joseph find Jesus in the midst of the doctors in the Temple.”

O Mary, help me to keep peace of soul, even when searching for Jesus in my life.

Fourth Sorrow: Mary meets Jesus on the Road to Calvary

"O all ye that pass by the way, attend, and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow..." - Lamentations 1:12

It is coming soon. She senses that now. The Pharisees have become increasingly resentful towards Him. She is praying over these things when the knock comes at the door. “They have taken Him! They have taken Him!” She wraps her veil tightly around her face and runs into the night with her friend. They reach Caiphas’ house in time to see Jesus pushed up the steps. She overhears Peter: “I know not the Man!” She meets John, who leads her towards the praetorium of Pilate. She waits through the night as reports are brought to her of Jesus’ scourging. Once again Simeon’s words thrust at her as so many arrows. She prays the psalm: “My heart has become like wax melting away within my bosom.” The long night passes into gray dawn and still she keeps her vigil. Then she hears Pilate’s words to the crowd from the arch: “Behold the Man!” She can scarcely recognize Him as the crowd roars for His death. He does not yet see her. She wants it that way— to spare Him the pain. She sees the rough cross-timber dragged to a point below the arch. She watches the soldiers laughingly lead her Son to the cross. He can scarcely walk. He stumbles, He falls—He opens up more wounds, as if that were possible! She sees the seamless robe she has woven for Him years ago- now a mass of blood and flesh, clinging to His Body. His face is misshapen and swollen. She cannot move. He is pushed forward by the soldiers. He walks a few more feet, and then He sees her! Mary does not restrain herself. She kisses Him softly through her tears and reminds Him of her love for Him. “Their looks became as swords, to wound those hearts which loved each other so tenderly.”

O, Mother of God, teach me to behold Jesus in His sorrows when I am most tempted to sin.

Fifth Sorrow: Mary Sees Jesus Die on the Cross

"Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen." - St John 19:25

“Yes, truly, O Blessed Mother, the sword pierced your soul. Only by passing through your soul could it penetrate to the body of your Son. When Jesus your Son had given up His spirit, when the cruel spear which pierced His side could no longer touch His soul, it transfixed yours. His soul was no longer there. Yours was. It could not be torn away. We call you more than martyr because your love, which made you suffer with your Son, brought pain of soul far more exquisite than any pain of body. “Woman, behold thy Son”—how keenly those words must have pierced your loving soul! Mere remembrance of them can wring with sorrow our hard, steely hearts. Do not wonder, my brethren, that Ma-ray is said to be martyred in spirit. Want of affection was far from Mary’s heart. O, may it be equally far from those of her servants! Christ died in body. Could she not die with Him in her heart? His death was brought about by a love greater than any man has; hers by a love no other mortal ever had, except she.”

(from the Sermon of St. Bernard on the Twelve Stars)

Through you, O Virgin Mother, may we draw the waters of salvation out of the wounds of Christ.

Sixth Sorrow: Mary Receives Jesus’ Body into Her Arms

"Virgin of all virgins blest!, Listen to my fond request: let me share thy grief divine..." - Stabat Mater

“Joseph of Arimathaea requested the body of Jesus, which he took down from the cross. And His Mother received it into her arms. The sorrowing mother took her dead Son and laid Him on her knees.”

(from the Divine Office of the Feast of the Seven Sorrows)

What a sea of tears and sorrow
Did the soul of Mary toss
To and fro upon its billows.
While she wept her bitter loss,
In her arms her Jesus holding.
Torn so newly from the Cross.
Oh, that mournful Virgin Mother!
See her tears how fast they flow
Down upon His mangled body,
Wounded side, and thorny brow;
While His hands and feet she kisses
Picture of immortal woe.
Oft and oft His arms and bosom
Fondly straining to her own;
Oft her pallid lips imprinting
On each wound of her dear Son;
Till in one last kiss of anguish
All her melting soul is gone.
Gentle Mother, we beseech thee
By thy tears and troubles sore;
By the death of thy dear Offspring,
By the bloody wounds He bore;
Touch our hearts with true sorrow
Which afflicted thee of yore.

(Hymn of the Divine Office of the Feast)

O, Mary, help me to stand beside the Cross with you, whose soul the sword of sorrow has pierced.

Seventh Sorrow: Mary Places Jesus’ Body in the Tomb

"And Joseph buying fine linen, and taking him down, wrapped him up in the fine linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewed out of a rock. And he rolled a stone to the door of the sepulchre." - St Mark 15:46

They place Jesus’ body on a slab and quickly anoint it. From there they carry it to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. There, once again, Mary arranges the folds of the winding sheet with her own hands. The tomb is closed and the mourners leave. “Depart from me, I will weep bitterly; labor not to comfort me. There is in Him no stately bearing to make us look at Him, nor appearance that would attract us to Him. From the sole of the foot to the head, there is no sound spot in Him.” “To what can I liken or compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What example can I show you for your comfort, O Virgin daughter of Sion? For great as the sea is your downfall.” Yet Mary’s deep sorrow did not overshadow her faith in Jesus or her hope in His promise. His death was her hope of resurrection.

God of mercy, let us run
Where yon fount of sorrow flows;
Pondering sweetly, one by one,
Jesus ‘s wounds and Mary’s woes.
Ah, those tears Our Lady shed,
Enough to drown a world of sin;
Tears that Jesus ‘s sorrows fed,
Peace and pardon well may win!
His five wounds, a very home,
For our prayers and praises prove;
And Our Lady’s woes become
Endless joys in Heaven above.
Jesus, Who for us did die,
All on Thee our love we pour
And in the Holy Trinity
Worship Thee forever more. Amen.

(Hymn from Lauds of the Feast)

O, Virgin Mary, may your many sorrows make me rejoice in Heaven’s Kingdom.

(by Donald Fantz, writer for the Angelus magazine)

Bulletins for Passion Sunday, 21 March 2010, and Palm Sunday, 28 March 2010.

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Devotions to St Joseph

Thursday, 18 March 2010 at 21:48 · Filed under Articles, Books, Prayers ·Tagged , , , ,

St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Saint Joseph’s Altar

Saint Joseph is one of the most beloved saints among Italian-Americans. As the patron of workers and the protector of the family, he is honored with a feast on March 19.

According to legend, there was a famine in Sicily many centuries ago. The villagers prayed to St. Joseph, foster-father of the Infant Savior, and asked his intercession before the throne of God. Their prayers were answered. With the ending of the dreadful famine, a special feast of thanksgiving was held in commemoration of the Saint. This celebration became tradition. Wealth families prepared huge buffets. They then invited the less fortunate people of the village, especially the homeless and sick.

The celebration begins with a religious tableau. Selected villagers portray an elderly man, a lovely young woman, and a little child. The three are seated at the head table and remain there during the early part of the festivity. Others accompanying this “Holy Family” are twelve men or boys, representing the Apostles and other children, attired as angels. The village priest blesses the food, then the “Holy Family” is served first by the host and hostess.

All are free to come and go as they wish. The guests may eat what they choose and as much as pleases them. The festival lasts most of the day and well into the night. When all have been fed, they go on their way with thankful hearts and take the blessing of the host and hostess with them.

St Joseph's Altar

The effect of the table design is dignified, solemn, yet festive, grand and inspiring. Much symbolism is contained in its shape and decoration. The “steps” represent the ascent from earth to heaven. On the topmost step is a statue of St. Joseph or a picture of the Holy Family. White linen tablecloths cover the table. Vigil lights of green, brown and deep yellow, representing St. Joseph’s attire, are profusely placed. Palms placed nearby and around the room, as well as lily plants and white carnations give the table softness and the scents together with incense used in the opening of the ceremony are suggestive of the fragrance of heaven and the sweetness of salvation.

The food dishes represent the harvest, the created beauties of the world. Breads are baked in shapes of a staff, a carpenter’s implement, a hand, the cross and animals close to the Infant Child at birth. These shapes represent St. Joseph and the life of Christ. Minestras, very thick soups, are made of lentils, favas and other types of beans, together with escarole, broccoli or cauliflower. Other vegetables, celery, fennel stalks, boiled and stuffed artichokes are also served.

No cheese is eaten on St. Joseph’s day. The spaghetti is not sprinkled with grated Incanestrato, but in its place a traditional mixture of tasted dry bread crumbs with fresh sardines and fennel sauce is used. A dish of “sweet macaroni” with honey sauce is also served.

Then, the special dessert without which no St. Joseph’s Day buffet could ever be called by that name. It is St. Joseph’s Sfinge: a large round cream puff filled with ricotta (Italian cottage cheese) and topped with red cherries and glazed orange slices. Many dessert cookies are embellished with almonds. The almond tree is characteristic among the flora of the Mediterranean and a profoundly sacred symbol to those of Jewish, Moslem and Christian faiths alike.

All are free to come and go as they wish. The guests may eat what they choose and as much as pleases them. The festival lasts most of the day and well into the night. When all have been fed, they go on their way with thankful hearts and take the blessing of the host and hostess with them.

It is also customary for the village officials to arrange a public buffet in St. Joseph’s honor. The banquet table invariably stands in the piazza–public square–opposite the doors of the cathedral. The table is usually built around two sides of the piazza in the form of a right angle. These village tables in the public squares may not be as elaborately decorated as those in the homes, but they sage beneath the weight of choice foods and wines contributed by the wealthy villagers. All come to this public table at some time during the day to pay homage to the great saint.

St Joseph’s Cord

The Cord of St Joseph originated in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1657 with the miraculous cure of a devout Augustinian nun named Sister Elizabeth. After a severe and painful illness of three years’ duration, the physicians had given up hope of curing her and expected her to soon die. But Sister Elizabeth, having always been devoted to St Joseph, made a cord, had it blessed in the Saint’s honour and put it around her waist. A few days later, when praying before his statue, she was suddenly freed from pain. Her recovery was considered miraculous. Eventually the devotion of the Cord spread, and numerous special graces were obtained through its devout use. The Cord was used not merely as a remedy against bodily ailments, but also a spiritual aid to preserve the virtue of purity. The devotion was approved by the Sacred Congregation of Rites on September 19, 1859, and it was also blessed and approved by Pope Pius IX.

St Joseph's Cord

Graces obtained by the wearing of this Cord are:

  1. St Joseph’s special protection;
  2. Purity of soul;
  3. The grace of chastity;
  4. Final perseverance;
  5. Particular assistance at the hour of death.

The Cord should be of thread or cotton, with seven knots at one end, and should be worn around the waist. It should be blessed by a priest.

One who wears the Cord should recite the Glory be to the Father seven times daily in honour of St Joseph, together with the prayer for purity, as follows:

St Joseph, Guardian of Virgins

O Guardian of Virgins and holy Father St Joseph, into whose faithful keeping were entrusted Christ Jesus, Innocence itself, and Mary, Virgin of virgins, I pray and beseech thee by these dear pledges, Jesus and Mary, that, being preserved from all uncleanness, I may with spotless mind, pure heart and chaste body ever serve Jesus and Mary most chastely all the days of my life. Amen.

(extract on St Joseph’s Cord is taken from Favourite Prayers to St Joseph, published by TAN Books)

Bulletin for Laetare Sunday, 14 March 2010.

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