Gardening God’s Way in the ‘Spring’ of Lent

Plant three rows of peas:
Peace of mind
Peace of heart
Peace of soul

Plant four rows of squash:
Squash gossip
Squash indifference
Squash grumbling
Squash selfishness

Plant four rows of lettuce:
Lettuce be faithful
Lettuce be kind
Lettuce be obedient
Lettuce really love one another

Plant three rows of turnips:
Turnip for meetings
Turnip for service
Turnip to help one another

Water freely with patience and cultivate with love.

There is much fruit in your garden because you reap what you sow.
To conclude our gardening
We must have thyme:
Thyme for God
Thyme for study
Thyme for prayer

Some Ideas for a Holy Lent

Take 30 minutes to pray, ask the Holy Spirit’s guidance, look over this activities list for the Season of Lent, and make a few practical Lenten resolutions. Be careful. If you try to do too much, you may not succeed in anything.


During the Season of Lent, get up earlier than anyone else in your house and spend your first 15 minutes of the day thanking God for the gift of life and offering your day to Him.
Get to daily Mass. If you can’t do Mass daily, go to Mass on Fridays in addition to Sunday and thank Him for laying his life down for you. Maybe you can go another time or two as well.

Spend at least 30 minutes in Eucharistic adoration at least one time during the week. Recover the Catholic tradition of making frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament throughout the week, even if it is only for 5 minutes.

Get to confession at least once during the Season of Lent after making a good examination of conscience. In addition to the penance assigned by the priest, fulfill the conditions necessary for a plenary indulgence.

Make a decision to read at least some Scripture every day. Pray the Liturgy of the Hours. You can buy a one volume edition or a full four volume edition, or read ‘Magnificat.’

Make the Stations of the Cross each Friday of the Season of Lent either with a group or by yourself.

Pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary often during Lent, especially on Friday and Wednesday. The glorious mysteries are especially appropriate on Sundays. Joyful and Luminous mysteries are great on other days.



Make it a habit to stop at least five times a day, raise your heart and mind to God, and say a short prayer such as “Jesus, I love you,” or “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” or “Lord, I offer it up for you.”

Pray each day for the intentions and health of the Holy Father.

Pray each day for your bishop and all the bishops of the Catholic Church.

Pray for your priests and deacons and for all priests and deacons. Pray for the millions of Christians suffering under persecution in various Muslim and Communist countries around the world.

Pray for the evangelization of all those who have not yet heard and accepted the Good News about Jesus.

Pray for your enemies. In fact, think of the person who has most hurt you or who most annoys you and spend several minutes each day thanking God for that person and asking God to bless him or her.

Pray for an end to abortion on demand in the United States. Pray for pregnant women contemplating abortion. Pray for our troops and for others in harm’s way.

Find a form of fasting that is appropriate for you, given your age, state of health, and state of life.

Find a written biography of a Saint that particularly appeals to you, and read it during the Season of Lent. When Easter comes, don’t drop the new practice you’ve begun during the Season of Lent! Make a permanent feature of a deeper Christian life!

The Forty Days of Lent

Purification of Spirit through Fasting and Almsgiving
From a sermon by Leo the Great, 5th century

Dear friends, at every moment the earth is full of the mercy of God, and nature itself is a lesson for all the faithful in the worship of God. The heavens, the sea and all that is in them bear witness to the omnipotence of their Creator, and the marvelous beauty of the elements as they obey him demands from the intelligent creation a fitting expression of its gratitude.

But with the return of that season marked out in a special way by the mystery of our redemption, and of the days that lead up to the paschal feast, we are summoned more urgently to prepare ourselves by a purification of spirit.

The special note of the paschal feast is this: the whole Church rejoices in the forgiveness of sins. It rejoices in the forgiveness not only of those who are then reborn in holy baptism but also of those who are already numbered among God's adopted children.

Initially, men are made new by the rebirth of baptism. Yet there is still required a daily renewal to repair the shortcomings of our mortal nature, and whatever degree of progress has been made there is no one who should not be more advanced. All must therefore strive to ensure that on the day of redemption no one may be found in the sins of his former life.

Dear friends, what the Christian should be doing at all times should be done now with greater care and devotion, so that the Lenten fast enjoined by the apostles may be fulfilled, not simply by abstinence from food but above all by the renunciation of sin.

There is no more profitable practice as a companion to holy and spiritual fasting than that of almsgiving. This embraces under the single name of mercy many excellent works of devotion, so that the good intentions of the faithful may be of equal value, even where their means are not. The love that we owe both God and man is always free from any obstacle that would prevent us from having a good intention. The angels sang: Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. The person who shows love and compassion to those in any kind of affliction is blessed, not only with the virtue of good will, but also with the gift of peace.

The works of mercy are innumerable. Their very variety brings this advantage to those who are true Christians, that in the matter of almsgiving not only the rich and affluent but also those of average means and the poor are able to play their part. Those who are unequal in their capacity to give can be equal in the love within their hearts.

Homilies for Lent

Prayer is the Light of the Spirit
From a homily by John Chrysostom, 5th century

Prayer and converse with God is a supreme good: it is partnership and union with God. As the eyes of the body are enlightened when they see light, so our spirit when it is intent on God, is illumined by his infinite light. I do not mean the prayer of outward observance but prayer from the heart, not confined to fixed times or periods but continuous throughout the day and night.

Our spirit should be quick to reach out toward God, not only when it is engaged in meditation; at other times also, when it is carrying out its duties, caring for the needy, performing works of charity, giving generously in the service of others, our spirit should long for God and call him to mind, so that these works may be seasoned with the salt of God's love, and so make a palatable offering tot he Lord of the universe. Throughout the whole of our lives we may enjoy the benefit that comes from prayer if we devote a great deal of time to it.

Prayer is the light of the spirit, true knowledge of God, mediating between God and man. The spirit, raised up to heaven by prayer, clings to God with the utmost tenderness; like a child crying tearfully for its mother, it craves the milk that God provides. It seeks the satisfaction of its own desires, and receives gifts outweighing the whole world of nature.

Prayer stands before God as an honored ambassador. It gives joy to the spirit, peace to the heart. I speak of prayer, not words. It is the longing for God, love too deep for words, a gift not given by man but by God's grace. The apostle Paul says: We do not know how we are to pray but the Spirit himself pleads for us with inexpressible longings.

When the Lord gives this kind of prayer to a man or woman, he gives him riches that cannot be taken away, heavenly food that satisfies the spirit. One who tastes this food is set on fire with an eternal longing for the Lord: his spirit burns as in a fire of the utmost intensity.

Practice prayer from the beginning. Paint your house with the colors of modesty and humility. Make it radiant with the light of justice. Decorate it with the finest gold leaf of good deeds. Adorn it with the walls and stones of faith and generosity. Crown it with the pinnacle of prayer. In this way you will make it a perfect dwelling place for the Lord. You will be able to receive him as in a splendid palace, and through his grace you will already possess him, his image enthroned in the temple of your spirit.


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Saint Casimir
From a homily by our humble pastor


Wednesday we celebrate Ash Wednesday… the beginning of Lent. But, Wednesday is also, coincidently, the feast of St. Casimir. I think it’s a happy coincidence because there is something about St. Casimir and Lent that seems to go together.

Lent is a very strong and virile season. It’s not a season for delicate flowers. It’s a season for strong athletes and rugged individuals. That describes St. Casimir to a tee!

But I suspect that most of us don’t know very much about St. Casimir. First, he was a royal prince, the second son of the King of Poland during the golden age of Poland’s power and glory. Poland was rich and its kings among the most influential in the world.

It would have been very easy for St. Casimir under the influence of all his wealth and authority to become soft and lazy. But the opposite was true. He disciplined himself severely… rising early, eating sparingly and simply, dressing simply… working hard physically and intellectually, using his influence as the son of a powerful king to do good and right wrongs… in other words he was a man among men.

But that was not all. He truly practiced the ideal that we should develop not only our body but the mind and spirit as well. St. Casimir was an intellectual as well… he studied and read great literature and poetry and was knowledgeable in all the sciences and arts as well… and as for the spirit… He spent his free time in prayer and meditation often shunning sleep to spend time with his devotions.

St. Casimir, in Poland, is called the “Peace maker” because he refused to lead his father’s armies in an unjust war that would have placed him on the throne of Hungary. It was a difficult position to take, not only in those days, but even in our own. To be strong and yet to know that might does not make right!

So there he is… our own St. Casimir… the patron of Poland and Lithuania,,, and the patron of teenagers. His concern to develop all God’s gifts… body, mind and spirit… his unselfish and peace loving attitude… his concern for the underprivileged… those are good thoughts to enter Lent with. Those are good thoughts to imitate, because they are in imitation of Jesus!

The Lorica of Saint Patrick

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and evil,
Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that reward may come to me in abundance.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.

Saint Patrick

St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world's most popular saints. He was born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland, in the year 387; he died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, 17 March, 461.

His parents were Calpurnius and Conchessa, who were Romans living in Britian in charge of the colonies.

As a boy of fourteen or so, he was captured during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. Ireland at this time was a land of Druids and pagans. He learned the language and practices of the people who held him.

During his captivity, he turned to God in prayer. He wrote:

"The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was roused, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain."

Patrick's captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. There he found some sailors who took him back to Britain, where he reunited with his family.

He had another dream in which the people of Ireland were calling out to him "We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more."

He began his studies for the priesthood. He was ordained by St. Germanus, the Bishop of Auxerre, whom he had studied under for years.

Later, Patrick was ordained a bishop, and was sent to take the Gospel to Ireland. He arrived in Ireland March 25, 433, at Slane. One legend says that he met a chieftain of one of the tribes, who tried to kill Patrick. Patrick converted Dichu (the chieftain) after Dichu was unable to move his arm until he became friendly to Patrick.

Patrick began preaching the Gospel throughout Ireland, converting many. He and his disciples preached and converted thousands and began building churches all over the country. Kings, their families, and entire kingdoms converted to Christianity when hearing Patrick's message.

Patrick by now had many disciples, among them Beningnus, Auxilius, Iserninus, and Fiaac, (all later canonized as well).

Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering he died March 17, 461.

He died at Saul, where he had built the first church.

In Praise of Saint Joseph

Joseph’s Greatness and Poverty
by Father Marie Dominique Philippe

Here we touch upon the magnanimity of Joseph in his poverty and humility. We can see now how he is a “son of David” and how he even surpasses his forefather in the royal authority conferred upon him by the Lord, Joseph accepted, in love, the real poverty which was demanded of him with regard to Mary’s fruitfulness. He did not murmur within his heart; he did not lay claim to the legitimate right of husband over wife, for he had agreed right from the moment of their first meeting to have no human rights over Mary because she was God’s alone, body and soul. He had agreed to have only such authority over her as the Father would give him. He truly marries her in the most complete poverty. This poverty, lived first of all in the intentions of his heart, is now lived effectively in the full realism of his human sensitivity. He accepts that God has brought about His masterpiece within Mary, without including him, her spouse. He accepts that Mary alone will be the source of life for the formation of the body of the Son of the Most High become man, and he is even glad, because Mary is thus fully glorified and takes precedence over him: she is first.

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Saint Joseph
by Thomas Howard

Obscurity. No klieg lights, ever. No accolades. No testimonial dinners, or talk shows, or excitement. Ever. Sheer, unrelieved obscurity. Joseph and his household were very, very low in the social and economic pecking order. They were not the Beautiful People, nor did they have a rich and famous lifestyle. Obscurity. Silence. Routine. Sameness. Day in and day out. Year after year. Nobody knows when Joseph died, of course: Mary may have been widowed early on. But for whatever his allotted span of time was, Joseph exists for us all, it seems to me, as the very icon of the faithful servant of God. Obscurity, yes, but obscurity is not a category in the precincts of heaven. Fidelity is. This is hard for us mortals to live with, sometimes. So much else seems so attractive. Surely just a bit of celebrity would spice things up, or a dash of wealth, or influence, or some exciting connections, or some great success that would set us apart- even a little bit apart- from the trampling herd. Well-- there is the icon of Saint Joseph for us to contemplate, and in front of which we may want to pour out some prayers from the depths of our being. What, I may ask, is the particular obscurity the angel of God has assigned to me as the specific realm in which I may win through to sainthood? If I keep Saint Joseph in my vision, I will have a most encouraging model.

Gleanings…for Lent

From the “Book of Sparkling Sayings,” by Grammaticus, 7th century:

Persevering is more important than beginning.

Jerome said: "Christians will not be asked how they began, but rather how they finished. St Paul began badly, but finished well. Judas' beginning was praiseworthy but his end was despicable".

"Many start the climb, but few reach the summit".
Gregory said: "The value of good work depends on perseverance"
"You live a good life in vain if you do not continue it until you die".
Isidore said: "Our behavior is only acceptable to God if we have the strength of purpose to complete any work we have undertaken".

"Virtue is not a matter of starting well, but of carrying on to the very end".

"The reward is not promised to the one who begins, but rather to the one who perseveres".

Let us fix our attention on the blood of Christ and recognize how precious it is to God his Father, since it was shed for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to all the world. ~Clement, 1st Century

One certain conviction we have: that God is a powerful support since he grants his help to anyone who asks for it.
~Cyprian of Carthage

One Solitary Life

He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in still another village where He worked as a carpenter shop until He was thirty.
Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book.
He never held an office.
He didn't go to college.
He never visited a big city.
He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born.

He did none of the things one usually associates with greatness.
He had no credentials but himself.

He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against Him.

His friends ran away.
He was turned over to His enemies and went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.

While He was dying His executioners gambled for His clothing, the only property He had on earth.

When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race and the leader of humanity's progress.

All the armies that have ever marched, all the navies that have ever sailed, all the parliaments that have ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned put together have not affected the life of humanity on earth as much as that
One Solitary Life.

This Will Put a Twinkle in Your Eye!

In tears, Mary Clancy went up to Father O’Grady after the nine o’clock Mass.
He asks, “So what’s bothering you, Mary my dear?”
She replies, “Oh, Father, I’ve got terrible news. My husband passed away last night.”
The priest says, “Oh, Mary, that’s terrible. Tell me, did he have any last requests?”
She says, “That he did, Father. He said, ‘Please, Mary, put down that damn gun.’”

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A mother with a fidgety 7-year old boy told me how she finally got her son to sit still and be quiet. About halfway through the sermon, she leaned over and whispered, “If you don’t be quiet, Father is going to lose his place and will have to start his sermon all over again!”


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Never iron a four-leaf clover, because you don't want to press your luck.

Devotion of the Month: Ancient Prayer to Saint Joseph

This prayer was said to be found in the 50th year of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. In the 1500s it was sent by a Pope to Emperor Charles as he was going into battle.


O St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. O St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers. O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you, and Jesus, asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His Fine head for me, and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for me. Amen.

According to oral tradition, whoever reads this prayer or hears it or carries it, will never die a sudden death, nor be drowned, nor will poison take effect on them. They will not fall into the hands of the enemy nor be burned in any fire, nor will they be defeated in battle.

Did you know….

+The Roman Catholic Church is responsible for preserving the Bible through the efforts of Pope St. Damasus I and St. Jerome; and it was the Roman Catholic Church that is responsible for handing it on to all generations, and teaching it, and interpreting it, through the centuries.




+Theodore Roosevelt said that “a thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.”



+George Washington stated that “it is impossible to rightly govern without God and the Bible. To which Daniel Webster replied: “If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.”



+The biblical ideal of the brotherhood of man eventually led nations, dominated by Christian teaching and values, to abolish slavery and to lead the way in working to abolish slavery worldwide. The Bible condemns economic injustice and any system that marginalizes or oppresses any people and it establishes the dignity of human life. The image of God and creation from the Bible historically encouraged the development of the sciences, the arts and civilization. Abraham Lincoln once remarked that he believed that “the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man.”

How Old is Your Church?

If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, and ex-monk of the Catholic Church, in the year 1517.


If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 because the Pope would not garnt him a divorce with the right to remarry.

If you are a Presbyterian, your religion was founded by john Knox in Scotland in the year 1560.

If you are a Protestant Episcopalian, your religion is an offshoot of the Church of England founded by Samuel Seabury in the American colonies in the 17th century.

If you are a Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582.

If you are a Methodist, your religion was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1744.

If you are a Unitarian, Theophilus Lindley founded your church in London in 1774.

If you are a Mormon (Latter Day Saints), Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, NY in 1829.

If you are a Baptist, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1605.

If you are of the Dutch Reformed church, you recognize Michaelis Jones as founder, because he originated your religion in New York in 1628.

If you worship with the Salvation Army, your sect began with William Booth in London in 1865.

If you are a Christian Scientist, you look to 1879 as the year in which your religion was born and to Mrs. Mary Baker eddy as its founder.

If you belong to one of the religious organizations known as “Church of the Nazarene,” “Pentecostal Gospel,” “Holiness Church,’ “Pilgrim Holiness Church,” “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” your religion is one of the hundreds of new sects founded by men within the past century.

If you are Catholic, you know that your

religion was founded in the year 33

by Jesus Christ the Son of God,

and it is still the same Church.

The first record we have of the Church being called “Catholic” goes back to the nartyr-bishop of Antioch, St. Ignatius, who dies around AD 107. In his epistle to the Smyrnaeans, he says, “Where the bishop appears, there let the people be, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.” If it is true that some of the Johanine works of the New testament were not completed until AD 110 or AD 120, we can see that even a decade earlier, the Church was called. “Catholic.”

Bread on the Water

Homily for the Feast of the Presentation, February 2


by Father Jerry Pokorsky

Children know how to play "bread on the water". Crumbs of bread tossed on the corner of small lake attracts fish. If the fish are fed repeatedly, the crumbs might eventually attract a big fish, suitable for the fly rod. From the point of view of the large fish that are eventually caught, the game of "bread on the water" turns out to be a terrible trick, not a game of charity. After all, they end up in the frying pan.

Sometimes "sacrificial giving" is not always what it appears to be. Occasionally, self-interest motivates external acts of charity. Hence, corporate sponsorship of civic events and the donation of sums of money to charities may only be "bread on the water," that is, forms of advertising or means to secure the goodwill of the community. "Bread on the water" donations may not be wrong at all or even offensive. The donations are often praiseworthy as a mutually beneficial business transaction. But strictly speaking, they are not acts of Christian charity.

The motives of giving and generosity are often mixed and difficult to untangle. A teacher may treat his students with candy, for example. But are the treats primarily acts of kindness or means of manipulating the affection of the children? Motivations are usually clarified and purified when an act of charity is put to the test. When the gift is accepted without an apparent payback, how does the benefactor respond?
Symbolic of their charity, Mary and Joseph present the child Jesus to the Lord in the Temple. As it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord." A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons are sacrificed to express Mary and Joseph's obedience to the law. The prophet Simeon, by the grace of God, recognizes the child as the Messiah. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he prophesies that the child will be the instrument of Israel's salvation. He adds that the child will be a "sign of contradiction" and promises, ominously, that "a sword [of sorrow] will pierce" the heart of Mary.


When Mary ritually presented her newborn Son in the Temple in Jerusalem, she did so in accordance with the Mosaic law. Aside from the turtle doves, there was no real cost to this symbolic act of obedience and charity. But the presentation of the Lord, certainly prefigured her sacrificial gift at the foot of the Cross. At the foot of the Cross, the sorrowful Mother reveals at once the quiet dignity of her love and the true sacrificial character of her charity. Her ritual offering of her child was accepted by God on Calvary. For Mary, the presentation of the Lord, offered in obedience to the Father, did not have a payback. It was an expression of love, a love that was tested and confirmed by the Cross.

The Cross was Mary's test of charity symbolically expressed during the Presentation of the Lord when Jesus was a child. She passed the test because her love was pure, not "bread on the water." Christian charity is disinterested love, love for the sake of God. Motivated by the love of God and following the example of Mary and her divine Son, Christians must learn to give of themselves without counting the cost or measuring the benefits.

The Presentation of Our Lord

Known originally as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a relatively ancient celebration. We know that the Church at Jerusalem was observing the feast as early as the first half of the fourth century, and likely earlier.


According to Jewish law, the firstborn male child belonged to God, and the parents had to "buy him back" on the 40th day after his birth, by offering a sacrifice of "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons" (Luke 2:24) in the temple (thus the "presentation" of the child). On that same day, the mother would be ritually purified (thus the "purification").

St. Mary and St. Joseph kept this law, even though, since St. Mary remained a virgin after the birth of Christ, she would not have had to go through ritual purification. In his gospel, Luke (2:22-39) recounts the story.

Originally, the feast was celebrated on February 14, the 40th day after Epiphany (January 6), because Christmas wasn't yet celebrated as its own feast, and so the Nativity, Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord (Theophany), and the feast celebrating Christ's first miracle at the wedding in Cana were all celebrated on the same day. By the last quarter of the fourth century, however, the Church at Rome had begun to celebrate the Nativity on December 25, so the Feast of the Presentation was moved to February 2, 40 days later.

When Christ was presented in the temple, "there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel." When St. Mary and St. Joseph brought Christ to the temple, Simeon embraced the Child and prayed the Canticle of Simeon: "Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: a light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel" (Luke 2:29-32).

Because of the words of the canticle ("a light to the revelation of the Gentiles"), by the 11th century, the custom had developed in the West of blessing candles on the Feast of the Presentation. The candles were then lit, and a procession took place through the darkened church while the Canticle of Simeon was sung. Because of this, the feast also became known as Candlemas. While the procession and blessing of the candles is not often performed in the United States today, Candlemas is still an important feast in many European countries.
The Prayer of Simeon at the Presentation

Nunc Dimittis
(Canticle of Simeon; Luke 2:29-32):
Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.

Our Lady of Lourdes

The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France is the most visited pilgrimage site in the world -- principally because of the apparent healing properties of the waters of the spring that appeared during the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to a poor, fourteen-year-old girl, Bernadette Soubiroux.
The first apparition occurred February 11, 1858. There were eighteen in all; the last took place July 16, of the same year. Bernadette often fell into an ecstasy during these apparitions, as was witnessed by the hundreds who attended the later visions, though no one except Bernadette ever saw or heard the apparition.



The mysterious vision Bernadette saw in the hollow of the rock Massabielle, where she and friends had gone to gather firewood, was that of a young and beautiful lady. "Lovelier than I have ever seen" said the child. She described the Lady as clothed in white, with a blue ribbon sash and a Rosary hanging from her right arm. Now and then the apparition spoke to Bernadette.



One day, the Lady told the girl to drink of a mysterious fountain within the grotto itself, the existence of which was unknown, and of which there was no sign. But Bernadette scratched at the ground, and a spring immediately bubbled up and soon gushed forth. On another occasion the apparition bade Bernadette go and tell the priests she wished a chapel to be built on the spot and processions to be made to the grotto. At first the clergy were incredulous. The priest said he would not believe it unless the apparition gave Bernadette her name. After another apparition, Bernadette reported that the Lady told her, "I am the Immaculate Conception". Though the girl was unfamiliar with the term, the Pope had declared the doctrine of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary in 1854.



Four years after Bernadette's visions, in 1862, the bishop of the diocese declared the faithful "justified in believing the reality of the apparition" of Our Lady. A basilica was built upon the rock of Massabielle by M. Peyramale, the parish priest. In 1873 the great "national" French pilgrimages were inaugurated. Three years later the basilica was consecrated and the statue solemnly crowned. In 1883 the foundation stone of another church was laid, as the first was no longer large enough. It was built at the foot of the basilica and was consecrated in 1901 and called the Church of the Rosary. Pope Leo XIII authorized a special office and a Mass, in commemoration of the apparition, and in 1907 Pius X extended the observance of this feast to the entire Church; it is now observed on February 11.

Litany of Our Lady of Lourdes
Lord have mercy; Lord have mercy.

Christ have mercy; Christ have mercy.

Lord have mercy; Lord have mercy.

Christ hear us; Christ graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven; Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world; Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit; Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God; Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary; Pray for us.

Holy Mother of God; Pray for us.

Mother of Christ; Pray for us.

Mother of our Savior; Pray for us.

Our Lady of Lourdes, help of Christians; Pray for us.

Our Lady of Lourdes, source of love; Pray for us.

Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of the poor; Pray for us.

Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of the handicapped; Pray for us.

Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of orphans; Pray for us.

Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of all children; Pray for us.

Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of all nations; Pray for us.

Our Lady of Lourdes, mother of the Church; Pray for us.

Our Lady of Lourdes, friend of the lonely; Pray for us.

Our Lady of Lourdes, comforter of those who mourn; Pray for us.

Our Lady of Lourdes, shelter of the homeless; Pray for us.

Our Lady of Lourdes, guide of travelers; Pray for us.

Our Lady of Lourdes, strength of the weak; Pray for us.

Our Lady of Lourdes, refuge of sinners; Pray for us.

Our Lady of Lourdes, comforter of the suffering; Pray for us.

Our Lady of Lourdes, help of the dying; Pray for us.

Queen of heaven; Pray for us.

Queen of peace; Pray for us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Spare us O Lord.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Have mercy on us.

Christ hear us; Christ graciously hear us.

Let us pray:

Grant us, your servants, we pray you, Lord God, to enjoy perpetual health of mind and body. By the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, may we be delivered from present sorrows, and enjoy everlasting happiness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Necessity of Baptism

Do I Need to be Baptized?

I have some hard things to talk about. These are often just the basics of our Faith but they are often things that are misunderstood or ignored. They are hard because some people, and even some priests, get upset when we talk about them or question them.

What we are going to talk about is salvation, Eternal Life and what we have to do to get there. As I've said, this bothers some people because many people, and even some clergy seem to think there is no Hell and that everyone is going to Heaven automatically.

Well.... not according to Jesus, not according to the Bible, not according to the Roman Catholic Church that Jesus gave us, and not according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church of Pope John Paul II!

So.... Today we will begin by considering Baptism. It is very important to note that Jesus Himself tells us in no uncertain terms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. In the Gospel of St. John 3:5, Jesus says: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Now that's pretty clear and very blunt! No wiggle room there!

Then.... making this even more urgent, Jesus commands us to proclaim the Gospel to ALL nations AND to Baptize them. In St. Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus commands us to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you."

The CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH is very clear in telling us that "Baptism is necessary for Salvation" and that "the Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal Beatitude." (Heaven) (#1257 Catechism of the Catholic Church)

What is the bottom line here? First, Jesus, the Bible, and the Church say Baptism is REQUIRED for Eternal Life and Heaven. / Second, to put off or neglect Baptism is taking a serious, dangerous, and foolhardy chance with our Eternal Life. / Third, we are commanded by Jesus to Baptize and to teach others all that Jesus has given to us.

Some people, and as I've said, even some clergy, would put Baptism off and feel uncomfortable sharing the Roman Catholic Church that Jesus Gave us. But.... if we truly love our neighbor, why would we keep the way to Heaven and Eternal Life a secret?!?!

This is something we all have to think about and something about which we must take action before it's too late!

A Chance for Heaven!

In the summer of 1976 I was in Poland and I visited the city of Wadowice. I can remember only three things about the city. I had a bowl of delicious cold rhubarb soup and my guide had steak tartar – a fancy name for raw hamburger and a raw egg. I also remember the beautiful old church across the square from the restaurant.

Today we know that Wadowice is the birthplace of Pope John Paul II and he was baptized in the church across from where I had rhubarb soup.

I remember pictures of him, when he returned to Poland as Pope, kneeling before the font where he had been baptized. He even kissed the font! At first many people wondered about that. . . after all, what is so sacred or important about the Baptismal font?

St. Francis de Sales has the answer: “The Baptismal font should be dearer to us than any object, for here it was we were made children of God!”

Most people think that Baptism is the Sacrament to keep babies out of Limbo… and leave it at that!

Yes, the Bible tells us that we can not get to Heaven unless we are baptized. But Baptism is even more:

First: It forgives sin.

Second: It strengthens us spiritually.

Third: It makes us members of the Church Jesus first founded and it allows us the opportunity to participate fully in His Church.

The last point is more important – you see Baptism makes it possible to receive the other Sacraments of the Church - Sacraments that help us to live this life and enter the next life safely.

We often underestimate the importance of Baptism. But it is the most important of Sacraments. Basically because we can’t get to Heaven without it and we need it to live a Christian life here and now.

A side note – Children should be baptized as soon as possible… as soon as they can be brought to church! To make arrangements just call the rectory.

Another note – In an emergency anyone can baptize. All that need be done is to pray: I baptize you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen – while pouring a little water over the head of the individual.

As you can see, when the Pope knelt and kissed his Baptismal font he understood perfectly well what we was doing. That font gave him a chance at Eternal life in Heaven!

Gleanings.....February

Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ .

-- St. Jerome


Not 100 in the United States hate the Roman Catholic Church, but millions hate what they mistakenly think the Roman Catholic Church is. -- Bishop Fulton J. Sheen


Those who commit these types of scandals are guility of the spiritual equivalent of murder, but I', here among you to prevent something far worst for you. While those who give scandal are guilty of the spiritual equivalent of murder, those who take scandal- who allow scandals to destroy faith- are guilty of spiritual suicide.
-- St. Francis de Sales


The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.
-- Pope St. Gregory the Great

Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow His grace to mold them accordingly.
-- St. Ignatius Loyola


It is better to say one Our Father fervently and devoutly than a thousand with no devotion and full of distraction.
-- St. Edmund


If there be a true way that leads to the Everlasting Kingdom, it is most certainly that of suffering, patiently endured.
-- St. Colette


At the end of our life, we shall all be judged by charity.
-- St. John of the Cross

What will be the crown of those who, humble within and humiliated without, have imitated the humility of our Savior in all its fullness! - St. Bernadette

"Charity may be a very short word, but with its tremendous meaning of pure love, it sums up man's entire relation to God and to his neighbor." -- St Aelred of Rievaulx

Laughter is a gift from God.

Eddie O’Reilly, the cop, had an emergency call to come help his friend, Tim Flanigan, who was injured in an automobile accident. Eddie got in his car and drove to the spot where Tim lay in a ditch, groaning and moaning. It was a terrible night, with heavy rain, lightning and thunder.


“I ain’t gonna make it, Eddie. Call a rabbi will you? Quick!”

“A rabbi? Are you crazy, Tim? You need a priest, not a rabbi!”

“Do as I say, Eddie. I wouldn’t ask a priest to come out here on a night like this!”

************************************************************
I’ll give till it hurts,” said one parishioner, “but you ought to know I’m terribly sensitive to pain.”


******

Among other things to pray for when going to church
is a place to park.

Saint Scholastica

Saint Scholastica, twin sister of Saint Benedict of Nursia who founded the Benedictine order, was consecrated to God at a very early age but probably continued to live in her parents' home. It is said that she was as devoted to Jesus as she was to her brother. So, when Benedict established his monastery at Monte Cassino, Scholastica founded a convent in nearby Plombariola, about five miles south of Monte Cassino. The convent is said to have been under the direction of her brother, thus she is regarded as the first Benedictine nun.

The siblings were quite close. The respective rules of their houses proscribed either entering the other's monastery. According to Saint Gregory, they met once a year at a house near Monte Cassino monastery to confer on spiritual matters, and were eventually buried together, probably in the same grave. Saint Gregory says, "so death did not separate the bodies of these two, whose minds had ever been united in the Lord."

Saint Gregory tells the charming story of the last meeting of the two saints on earth. Scholastica and Benedict had spent the day in the "mutual comfort of heavenly talk" and with nightfall approaching, Benedict prepared to leave. Scholastica, having a presentiment that it would be their last opportunity to see each other alive, asked him to spend the evening in conversation. Benedict sternly refused because he did not wish to break his own rule by spending a night away from Monte Cassino. Thereupon, Scholastica cried openly, laid her head upon the table, and prayed that God would intercede for her. As she did so, a sudden storm

arose. The violent rain and hail came in such a torrential downpour that Benedict and his companions were unable to depart.

"May Almighty God forgive you, sister" said Benedict, "for what you have done."

"I asked a favor of you," Scholastica replied simply, "and you refused it. I asked it of God, and He has granted it!"

Just after his return to Monte Cassino, Benedict saw a vision of Scholastica's soul departing her body, ascending to heaven in the form of a dove. She died three days after their last meeting. He placed her body in the tomb he had prepared for himself, and arranged for his own to be placed there after his death. Her relics were alleged by the monk Adrevald to have been translated (July 11) to a rich silver shrine in Saint Peter's Church in Le Mans, France, which may have been when Benedict's were moved to Fleury. In 1562, this shrine was preserved from the Huguenots' plundering.

Some say that we should only petition God for momentously important matters. God's love, however, is so great that we wishes to give us every good thing. He is ever ready to hear our prayers: our prayers of praise and thanksgiving, and our prayers of petition, repentance, and intercession. Nothing is too great or too trivial to share with our Father. The dependent soul learns that everything we are and have is from His bountiful goodness; when we finally learn that lesson we turn to Him with all our hopes and dreams and needs. Saint Scholastica is obviously one of those who learned the lesson of her own helplessness. Her feast day is February 10.

Devotion of the Month: The Holy Family

In Honor of the Holy Family



O God, Heavenly Father, it was part of Thine eternal decree that Thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, should form a holy family with Mary, His blessed mother, and His foster father, Saint Joseph. In Nazareth, home life was sanctified, and a perfect example was given to every Christian family. Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may fully comprehend and faithfully imitate the virtues of the Holy Family so that we may be united with them one day in their heavenly glory. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.


Prayer Before the Blessed Sacrament in Honor of the Holy Family


Grant us, O Lord Jesus, faithfully to imitate the examples of Thy Holy Family, so that in the hour of our death, in the company of Thy glorious Virgin Mother and St. Joseph, we may deserve to be received by Thee into eternal tabernacles.

Invocation to the Holy Family

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph most kind,
Bless us now and in death's agony.

Spiritual Resolutions for the New Year

It’s that time again, when we embark upon yet another campaign to improve ourselves. “This year,” we vow, “I will lose weight, exercise more, save more money than I spend.” And sometimes we do just that….for a week, and then we give up. Self-improvement is just too much work. Is it asking too much that we undertake spiritual resolutions, as well?

No, not really. Here’s why: God wants to see our spiritual improvement, and He’s willing to meet us more than half way to help us. He has given us Holy Mother Church and Her treasury of prayers and devotions. He has given us the Saints and Blesseds to guide us.

Why not try at least one of these “Spiritual Resolutions” and watch how God lifts you up.

1. Increase your devotion to the Blessed Mother. Nothing will deepen your prayer life faster, or bring you closer to God. If you don’t pray a daily Rosary, start there. If the Rosary is already a beloved habit, take the next step: do a Total Consecration to Mary. St. Maximilian Kolbe’s Consecration can be done in seven days. St. Louis de Montfort’s is a more rigorous Consecration that takes thirty-three days. Whichever you choose, you will notice that your quiet time becomes more intimate, your prayers more flowing.


2. Befriend the Holy Souls in Purgatory. They are hungry for your prayers and Masses on their behalf, and will eagerly respond with prayers of their own to help you on your way. Many times, we sense a certain ‘coincidence’ that seems to be an answer to prayer. The Holy Souls are cheering us on, pleading with God to open doors for us, even before we think to ask for such doors to open. Quench their thirst, and they will shower you with their
gratitude.

3. Read the Bible daily. Get a good Catholic translation, such as the NAB or the Ignatius Bible. The Bible is God’s love letter to His children. Start with the Psalms or the Gospels. Read just a few verses, and rest yourself in the embrace of Your Savior. Let Him do the work. Sit quietly at His feet as Mary did, and allow Him to speak to your heart, and to bring you peace.

4. Visit the Adoration Chapel. We are so blessed in Franklin County to have 24-hour Adoration every day of the week. Sign up for a regular hour if you can. Even without a regular hour, you can make a visit as your schedule allows. As you enter the Holy of Holies, remind yourself that God is truly present in the Monstrance. Bow low before Him in homage and adoration. Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe waits for you, like a prisoner waits for a visitor to come and spend time with him. Are you lonely? God is lonely, too. He waits for you, you alone, to come to Him. Do not deny Him the gift of your time.

If you do even one of these ‘resolutions,’ next New Year’s Day will find you with renewed joy, peace, and intimacy with God….benefits you can take with you into Eternity.

A Saint with a Local Connection

Saint Andre Bessette was canonized in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. This Canadian native journeyed far and wide throughout Western Massachusetts and Rhode Island. His travels are known to have included visits to Springfield and Holyoke. Who would have thought that a future SAINT once walked in our midst!


St. André Bessette(1845-1937)

Brother André expressed a saint’s faith by a lifelong devotion to St. Joseph.
Sickness and weakness dogged André from birth. He was the eighth of 12 children born to a French Canadian couple near Montreal. Adopted at 12, when both parents had died, he became a farmhand. Various trades followed: shoemaker, baker, blacksmith—all failures. He was a factory worker in the United States during the boom times of the Civil War.

At 25, he applied for entrance into the Congregation of the Holy Cross. After a year’s novitiate, he was not admitted because of his weak health. But with an extension and the urging of Bishop Bourget, he was finally received. He was given the humble job of doorkeeper at Notre Dame College in Montreal, with additional duties as sacristan, laundry worker and messenger. “When I joined this community, the superiors showed me the door, and I remained 40 years.”

In his little room near the door, he spent much of the night on his knees. On his windowsill, facing Mount Royal, was a small statue of St. Joseph, to whom he had been devoted since childhood. When asked about it he said, “Some day, St. Joseph is going to be honored in a very special way on Mount Royal!”

When he heard someone was ill, he visited to bring cheer and to pray with the sick person. He would rub the sick person lightly with oil taken from a lamp burning in the college chapel. Word of healing powers began to spread.

When an epidemic broke out at a nearby college, André volunteered to nurse. Not one person died. The trickle of sick people to his door became a flood. His superiors were uneasy; diocesan authorities were suspicious; doctors called him a quack. “I do not cure,” he said again and again. “St. Joseph cures.” In the end he needed four secretaries to handle the 80,000 letters he received each year.

For many years the Holy Cross authorities had tried to buy land on Mount Royal. Brother André and others climbed the steep hill and planted medals of St. Joseph. Suddenly, the owners yielded. André collected 200 dollars to build a small chapel and began receiving visitors there—smiling through long hours of listening, applying St. Joseph’s oil. Some were cured, some not. The pile of crutches, canes and braces grew.

The chapel also grew. By 1931 there were gleaming walls, but money ran out. “Put a statue of St. Joseph in the middle. If he wants a roof over his head, he’ll get it.” The magnificent Oratory on Mount Royal took 50 years to build. The sickly boy who could not hold a job died at 92.

He is buried at the Oratory and was beatified in 1982. At his canonization in October 2010, Pope Benedict XVI said that St. Andre "lived the beatitude of the pure of heart." His feast day is January 6.

The Gifts of the Three Kings

On the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6, we celebrate the arrival of the three Kings from the East, sometimes called the Three Wise Men, or the Three Magi. The identification of the Magi as kings is linked to Old Testament prophesies that have the Messiah being worshipped by kings in Isaiah 60:3, Psalm 72:10, and Psalm 68:29.

Following the trail of a new star in the heavens, they journeyed far, seeking to learn the identity of this new heavenly king. The gifts they brought to the Baby Jesus have a spiritual significance that goes beyond their inherent value . They reflect the three-fold aspect of Jesus’ ministry as king, priest and sacrifice.

GOLD-Gold was the Gift given by Melchior, a king of Arabia. He is said to have been the oldest of the Three Kings. Gold is a gift given to a King, and it recognizes that Jesus is the King of Kings, of the royal lineage of the house of King David.

FRANKINCENSE-Frankincense was the Gift given by Balthazar, a king from Saba - present day southern Yemen. Frankincense is resin from the dried sap of the Boswellia tree – a tree that has grown on the craggy slopes of the Arabian Sea for thousand of years. In ancient times, Frankincense and Gold were equally valuable. Frankincense is harvested by making slits in the bark of the tree and letting the resin slowly bleed out and harden into white “tears” of Frankincense The primary use of Frankincense is the same today as it was in ancient times: it is a very strong incense with a sweet aroma that is used today at Mass. Thus it honors Jesus as our Eternal High Priest, who continually makes supplication for us before the Throne of God.

MYRRH-The Gift given by Caspar, a king from Tarsus – present day Southern Turkey. At the time of Christ, the world’s finest Myrrh came from Southern Arabia and it is generally thought that this was the origin of Caspar's gift. Myrrh is resin from the Commiphora tree and is harvested by cutting slits in the bark of the tree from which Myrrh resin hardens into dark red crystals. In ancient times, Myrrh was among the most valuable substances known and, at the time of the birth of Christ, it was worth seven times its weight in gold. It can be used as an incense or it can be ground into a powder and mixed with other oils to make a balm or processed into an oil. In ancient times, myrrh was used in the mummification of the Pharaohs in Ancient Egypt and to anoint bodies before burial.

Myrrh is the gift that foretells Christ’s Passion, Death and Burial, His suffering as Sacrifice for our sins.

The next time you sing, “We Three Kings of Orient Are,” remember what the gifts proclaim about the nature of Christ:
king, priest, and sacrifice.

Two American Saints

St. John Neumann (1811-1860)

John Neumann was born in what is now the Czech Republic. After studying in Prague, he came to New York at 25 and was ordained a priest. He did missionary work in New York until he was 29, when he joined the Redemptorists and became its first member to profess vows in the United States. He continued missionary work in Maryland, Virginia and Ohio, where he became popular with the Germans.

At 41, as bishop of Philadelphia, he organized the parochial school system into a diocesan one, increasing the number of pupils almost twentyfold within a short time.

Gifted with outstanding organizing ability, he drew into the city many teaching communities of sisters and the Christian Brothers. During his brief assignment as vice provincial for the Redemptorists, he placed them in the forefront of the parochial movement.

Well-known for his holiness and learning, spiritual writing and preaching, on October 13, 1963, John Neumann became the first American bishop to be beatified. Canonized in 1977, he is buried in St. Peter the Apostle Church in Philadelphia.

Neumann took seriously our Lord’s words, “Go and teach all nations.” From Christ he received his instructions and the power to carry them out. For Christ does not give a mission without supplying the means to accomplish it. The Father’s gift in Christ to John Neumann was his exceptional organizing ability, which he used to spread the Good News.

Today the Church is in dire need of men and women to continue in our times the teaching of the Good News. The obstacles and inconveniences are real and costly. Yet when Christians approach Christ, he supplies the necessary talents to answer today’s needs. The Spirit of Christ continues his work through the instrumentality of generous Christians.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)

Mother Seton is one of the keystones of the American Catholic Church. She founded the first American religious community for women, the Sisters of Charity. She opened the first American parish school and established the first American Catholic orphanage. All this she did in the span of 46 years while raising her five children.
The thousand or more letters of Mother Seton reveal the development of her spiritual life from ordinary goodness to heroic sanctity. She suffered great trials of sickness, misunderstanding, the death of loved ones (her husband and two young daughters) and the heartache of a wayward son. She died January 4, 1821, and became the first American-born citizen to be beatified and then canonized (1975) .
Elizabeth Seton had no extraordinary gifts. She was not a mystic or stigmatic. She did not prophesy or speak in tongues. She had two great devotions: abandonment to the will of God and an ardent love for the Blessed Sacrament. She wrote to a friend, Julia Scott, that she would prefer to exchange the world for a “cave or a desert.” “But God has given me a great deal to do, and I have always and hope always to prefer his will to every wish of my own.” Her brand of sanctity is open to everyone if we love God and do his will.
Elizabeth Seton told her sisters, “The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it; and thirdly, to do it because it is his will.”

In Praise of Mary

From the Introduction of “True Devotion to Mary” by St. Louis-Marie de Montfort


1. It was through the Blessed Virgin Mary that Jesus came into the world, and it is also through her that he must reign in the world.
2. Because Mary remained hidden during her life she is called by the Holy Spirit and the Church "Alma Mater", Mother hidden and unknown. So great was her humility that she desired nothing more upon earth than to remain unknown to herself and to others, and to be known only to God.

3. In answer to her prayers to remain hidden, poor and lowly, God was pleased to conceal her from nearly every other human creature in her conception, her birth, her life, her mysteries, her resurrection and assumption. Her own parents did not really know her; and the angels would often ask one another, "Who can she possibly be?", for God had hidden her from them, or if he did reveal anything to them, it was nothing compared with what he withheld.

4. God the Father willed that she should perform no miracle during her life, at least no public one, although he had given her the power to do so. God the Son willed that she should speak very little although he had imparted his wisdom to her. Even though Mary was his faithful spouse, God the Holy Spirit willed that his apostles and evangelists should say very little about her and then only as much as was necessary to make Jesus known.

5. Mary is the supreme masterpiece of Almighty God and he has reserved the knowledge and possession of her for himself. She is the glorious Mother of God the Son who chose to humble and conceal her during her lifetime in order to foster her humility. He called her "Woman" as if she were a stranger, although in his heart he esteemed and loved her above all men and angels. Mary is the sealed fountain and the faithful spouse of the Holy Spirit where only he may enter. She is the sanctuary and resting-place of the Blessed Trinity where God dwells in greater and more divine splendour than anywhere else in the universe, not excluding his dwelling above the cherubim and seraphim. No creature, however pure, may enter there without being specially privileged.

6. I declare with the saints: Mary is the earthly paradise of Jesus Christ the new Adam, where he became man by the power of the Holy Spirit, in order to accomplish in her wonders beyond our understanding. She is the vast and divine world of God where unutterable marvels and beauties are to be found. She is the magnificence of the Almighty where he hid his only Son, as in his own bosom, and with him everything that is most excellent and precious. What great and hidden things the all- powerful God has done for this wonderful creature, as she herself had to confess in spite of her great humility, "The Almighty has done great things for me." The world does not know these things because it is incapable and unworthy of knowing them.

7. The saints have said wonderful things of Mary, the holy City of God, and, as they themselves admit, they were never more eloquent and more pleased than when they spoke of her. And yet they maintain that the height of her merits rising up to the throne of the Godhead cannot be perceived; the breadth of her love which is wider than the earth cannot be measured; the greatness of the power which she wields over one who is God cannot be conceived; and the depths of her profound humility and all her virtues and graces cannot be sounded. What incomprehensible height! What indescribable breadth! What immeasurable greatness! What an impenetrable abyss!

January Gleanings…

"A man must always be ready, for death comes when and where God wills it."
~ St. John Neumann

“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures,”
~ St. André Bessette.

If I may ask, Lord, let me be but a dishrag in your Church, a rag used to wipe up messes and then thrown away into some dark corner. I want to be used up and worn out in the same way so that your house may be a little cleaner and brighter. And afterwards, let me be thrown away like a dirty, worn-out dishrag.
~Bl. George Matulewicz


"Do you want Our Lord to give you many graces? Visit Him often. Do you want Him to give you few graces? Visit him seldom. Visits to the Blessed Sacrament are powerful and indispensable means of overcoming the attacks of the devil. Make frequent visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the devil will be powerless against you.”
~ St. John Bosco

Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wine.
~ St. Thomas Aquinas

When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time.
~Saint Francis de Sales

Man cannot live without joy; therefore when he is deprived of true spiritual joys it is necessary that he become addicted to carnal pleasures.
~ St.Thomas Aquinas

Bl. George Matulewicz: The Re-Founder of the Marians

Born in 1871 of peasant Lithuanian parents, Bl. George came of age knowing full well the struggles of living out the faith under a harsh political climate. His native land was under the domination of the Russian czar. By this time, the Marian Order — founded in 1673 by Bl. Stanislaus Papczynski — was on the verge of extinction. Nearly all Marian monasteries had been closed and confiscated. Only one survived — the monastery at Mariampole in Lithuania. Government edict permitted the remaining religious to live out their days in the monastery, but no new candidates could be accepted. This amounted to a death sentence for the Marians.


George was born only five kilometers from Mariampole. By age 10, he was an orphan who had already come to know the Marians well. He wanted to become a Marian, and he was deeply distressed to see the community gradually diminishing. He knew the risks and the dangers involved. But Fr. George felt inspired to revive the Order — even if in secret. And in secret, he achieved miraculous results. Before his death in 1927, the number of Marians reached 240 and would continue to grow over the next several decades, becoming a community of more than 500 priests and brothers at the present time. In addition to being responsible for the renewal of the Marian Order, Bl. George revised Constitutions for several religious communities. In Lithuania, he founded the Congregation of Sisters of the Immaculate Conception and in Belarus, the Sisters Servants of Jesus in the Eucharist.

On June 28, 1987, Archbishop George Matulewicz was beatified by Pope John Paul II.

In his feast day homily, Fr. Anthony, MIC, said, "There are other religious communities that have died out in the history of the Church, but for some reason God wanted this little community, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to survive 100 years ago. And it is miraculous that this little community dedicated to Mary would be given the message of The Divine Mercy, this message that we proclaim here on Eden Hill at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy. And if it weren't for Blessed George, I wouldn't be here, and the Marians wouldn't be here."

Bl. George Matulewicz’s feast day is January 27. The Marian Fathers at Eden Hill in Stockbridge, MA have some of his relics.

A Bit of Humor

It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes.
St. Thomas Aquinas

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A Jesuit was out for a drive and crashed into another car, only to discover that the other driver was a Franciscan.“It was my fault,” each insisted—as is only right and proper with religious men.

Concerned, the Jesuit said, “You look badly shaken up, Father. You could probably use a good stiff drink right now to calm down.”

He produced a flask and the Franciscan drank from it and said,
“Thank you, Father; I feel much better now. But you’re probably shaken up, too. Why don’t you have a drink as well?”

“I will,” the Jesuit replied, “But I think I’ll wait until after the police have come.”

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A little child in Church for the first time watched as the ushers passed the offering plates. When they neared the pew where he sat, the youngster piped up so that everyone could hear:

“Don’t pay for me Daddy, I’m under five.”

Devotion of the Month: The Holy Name of Jesus

The Holy Name of Jesus is, first of all, an all-powerful prayer. Our Lord Himself solemnly promises that whatever we ask the Father in His name we shall receive. God never fails to keep His word.

When, therefore, we say, “Jesus,” let us ask God for all we need with absolute confidence of being heard.

For this reason, the Church ends her prayer with the words, “through Jesus Christ,” which gives the prayer a new and divine efficacy.

But the Holy Name is something still greater.

Each time we say, “Jesus,” we give God infinite joy and glory, for we offer Him all the infinite merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ. St. Paul tells us that Jesus merited the name Jesus by His Passion and Death

Each time we say, “Jesus,” let us clearly wish to offer God all the Masses being said all over the world for all our intentions. We thus share in these thousands of Masses.

Each time we say, “Jesus,” it is an act of perfect love, for we offer to God the infinite love of Jesus.
The Holy Name of Jesus saves us from innumerable evils and delivers us especially from the power of the devil, who is constantly seeking to do us harm.

The Name of Jesus gradually fills our souls with a peace and joy we never had before.

The Name of Jesus gives us such strength that our sufferings become light and easy to bear.
Taken from “The Wonders of the Holy Name“
by Fr. Paul O’Sullivan, O.P.