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.
Monday, January 31, 2011
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.
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.
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.”
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!
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
~ 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.
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
* * * * * * * *
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.”
* * * * * * * *
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.”
St. Thomas Aquinas
* * * * * * * *
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.”
* * * * * * * *
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)