Oplatki

One of the loveliest traditions we started on Christmas Eve is one we took from our Polish friends, the breaking of the Oplatki bread.

This tradition starts just before the evening meal. While the adults gather around the dinner table the children are out outside into the cold to look for the first star (you better pray it’s a clear night or the dinner can go cold!). When it has been spotted the children come and join us and we light the white Christmas candle on our advent wreath, representing Christ, “the light of the world.”

The  Father of the household or the eldest member then prays a short blessing, breaks off a piece of the Oplatki bread and passes it to the next eldest; at the same time exchanging Christmas wishes, seeking forgiveness, and wishing peace, good health, happiness and God’s blessing for the coming year. This goes around the family until everyone has eaten some Oplatki and exchanged Christmas greeting with each other.

For me this is the start of the Christmas celebration: presents are wrapped, food is prepared; what is not done is now not going to happen, and I have to let it go, a difficult thing for a mother to do I know.

But for us as a family this is the defining moment, this is what Christmas is all about. Christ has been heralded, love, peace and good wishes abound and we can now sit and enjoy each other’s company, relax and make merry!

The traditional Oplatki wafer looks like a rectangular communion host and can be purchased in polish shops or brought off the internet.

You can make your own; I use a recipe that I came across on the internet for Springerle cookies. It’s a cross between a meringue and a cookie. I use a mould which has a Nativity scene on it, but if you have any form of artistic streak I am sure you can draw a simple scene or a cross on to the dough. It is important to let the dough dry out for 8-24 hours and when it is cooked the image will stay on the biscuit.

The wonderful thing that I keep discovering about our Catholic faith is that nothing is ever coincidental. I find it amazing that Bethlehem where Our Saviour was born translates to “House of bread”. Jesus was then placed in a feeding manger and has now become the bread of life for us all.

Merry Christmas!

The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

The Basillica of St. John Lateran was one of the first churches to be built following the persecutions of the early Christians. It was consecrated by Pope Sylvester on November 9th 324.
 Originally this feast was only celebrated in Rome but eventually it became a universal celebration. This church continues to be the Cathedral of the Holy Father.

Churches are an important part of our community. They have always been a place where the members of the body of Christ can come together to pray and offer thanksgiving.Jesus is truly present in our Churches he told us "where two or More are gathered in my name, there I will be in the midst of them"(Matt 18:20) above all Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. He is present in both his Divinity and humanity, with his body and soul, and he sees us and hears us. There Christ nurtures us from his tabernacle as he used to care for those who sort him out in all the cities and villages. We can present him with our deepest desires to love him more and more with each passing day, and entrust to him our preoccupations, our difficulties and our weaknesses. We should cultivate a profound reverence for our churches and oratories since The Lord awaits us there. Truly the world would be considerably different if Christ had not wanted to remain with us. In front of the tabernacle we can draw strength for our interior struggles and leave all our worries in his hands. On how many occasions have we returned to the hustle and bustle of ordinary life with renewed hope. We cannot forget the sacrifice of infinite value which The Lord offered on Calvary is renewed each day in our churches so as to draw down upon us from Heaven innumerable graces of divine mercy. It would be a lack of courtesy to withhold our vigilant attention from a distinguished guest staying in our home. We need to be equally conscious of the fact that Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is our guest here on earth, and that he's is eager for our attention as he is to help us in all our need six

This idea of "Church" was important to the Jewish people. Each year the Jews would commemorate  the feast of the Dedication in memory of the purification and re-establishment of worship in the temple in Jerusalem following the victory of Judas Maccabeus over the king of Antioch. The celebration lasted for a week and it was called the Festival of Lights, since it was the custom to place a light in their windows as a symbol of the Law. Families would increase the number of lights with each passing day of the Feast. The reason for this custom was to recall the time when pagan temples were converted into places of worship. Similarly the whole Church recalls the dedication of the Lateran Basilica. It is the oldest and most dignified of all the Western Churches. Each diocese holds a day of celebration for the dedication of each of its cathedrals and most parishes celebrate the day of dedication within their own parish.

Among the Jews the temple was considered a place of the presence of Yahweh. God had already made his presence known in the "temple of meeting" in the desert.  In Exodus it speaks of Moses friendship with God and the cloud in the shape of a column that came to him as a sign of his presence.

When Solomon had finished building the Temple in Jerusalem he prayer the following prayer" Is it  true God can dwell upon the earth? For if Heaven cannot contain you, how much less can this house which I have built. Listen to the prayer of your servant and his supplications, O Lord my God. Hear the hymn and prayer your servant offers you this day. May your eyes be upon this house night and day. Whatever people shall pray for in this place, you will hear them from your abode in Heaven. When you hear their petition show them your mercy."

We too go to our Churches to encounter God. He awaits us there with his real presence in our tabernacles.  JPII said" Any Church is your house, and the house of God. Value it as the place where we encounter the common Father."
 The Church building is the sign of the Church-Assembly. The congregation is formed by the living stones-men and women consecrated to God by their Baptisim. The Church building is the place where the Christian community gathers together to hear the word of God, to offer prayers of petition and to praise, and I a principal way, to celebrate the sacred mysteries of our faith. The Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, a unique image of the Church, is reserved here. The altar surrounded by people made holy by participating in the sacrifice of The Lord and nourished at this celestial banquet. The August sacrament is a sign of Christ, who is priest host and the altar of his own sacrifice( decree 29may1977)
 Let us then preach our churches with a great spirit of reverence since there is no place more worthy of respect than the house of God. What great devotion these buildings should inspire in us, since the sacrifice of Heaven and earth, the blood of God made Man, is offered up there. Let us visit them with confidence of a person on his way to greet his best friend, Jesus Christ. He gave his life for each one of us out of love, and eagerly awaits us every day. In our Churches we also encounter the house we share in common with our brothers and sisters in the faith.

St.Martin De Porres

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Martin de Porres who was born in Lima in Peru on. December 9,1579. Martins father was a wealthy man from Spain and his mother was a freed slave from Panama, possibly of African or Native American descent. Although they never married Martin's parents had two children before their father abandoned them, leaving the family to grow up in great poverty. With no real education Martins mother placed him with a barber come surgeon where he learnt to cut hair and do some medical procedures.

Martin suffered many taunts for the colour of his skin he was ridiculed often for coming from a mixed race family. However this did not turn him into an angry or bitter young man but drove him to his knees more deeply in his prayer life. He longed to enter a religious community but the laws at time denied anyone of African or Indian descent from becoming full members of religious orders.
Martin asked the Dominicans of the Holy Rosary Priory in Lima if he could become a volunteer. He spent many a long year performing the most menial of tasks in the monastery.
Martins faith and kindly ways did not go unnoticed by those that he lived with, eventually the prior of the order, Juan de Lorenzana decided to disregard the laws based on race and allowed Martin to take his vows to become a member of the Third Order of the Dominicans.

By the time he was 24 Martin had become a lay brother of the order and was assigned to the infirmary where his medical skills we're put to good use. He remained there until he died. Martin's love for Gods' people became very evident in the way he cared for those who were sick. Regardless of race or class, nobleman or slave Martin cared for them all often bringing them into his own bed. He tended all his patients with tenderness and great love.

During an epidemic in Lima, many of the friars in the Convent of the Rosary became very ill. Locked away in a distant section of the convent, they were kept away from the professed brothers. However, on more than one occasion, Martin passed through the locked doors to care for the sick without any thought for his own well being.
His abilities to heal extended not only to humans who had much need but also to the animal kingdom. Like St. Francis, Martin had a great love for all creatures large and small. He could never go past an injured cat or dog without taking it to his sisters house where they had established a form of sanctuary for sick and injured creatures. Martin would make herbal medicines to treat his "patients."
There is another story told about the day he helped some mice who had taken up residence. In the altar linen cupboard. The Friars wanted to poison the little furry critters but Martin decided to do a deal with the mice. He promised that if they would move to a new home at the bottom of the garden he would feed them each day. Now like the proverbial pied piper St. Martin led the mice down the garden to their new abode. Both Martin and the mice held up their end of the bargain, and the mice never went back to eating or nesting among the altar linens again. That is why St. Martin is often depicted with a dog, cat and mouse sitting at his feet!

Martin also proved to be a great fund raiser and managed to raise large amounts of money which enabled him to open an orphanage. He also used to provide money for young women who had no dowries thus allowing them to marry.

There were times when Martin found himself in trouble on one occasion Martin was reprimanded for not following the rules of the Convent, but after replying, "Forgive my error, and please instruct me, for I did not know that the precept of obedience took precedence over that of charity," he was given full liberty to follow his heart in mercy. His gentle ways and spiritual devotion led people to seek Martin out for spiritual direction, and prayers for healing. This did not sit comfortably with Martin because he preferred to remain obscure but he endured it as he felt God was asking this of him.

Martin had great friends in both St. Juan Macías, a fellow Dominican lay brother, and St. Rose of Lima.

In January of 1639, when Martin was 60-years-old, he became very ill with chills, fevers and tremors causing him agonizing pain. He would experience almost a year full of illness until he passed away on November 3, 1639.

By the time he died, he was widely known and accepted. Talks of his miracles in medicine and caring for the sick were everywhere. After his death, the miracles received when he was invoked in such greatness that when he was exhumed 25 years later, his body exhaled a splendid fragrance and he was still intact.

St. Martin de Porres was beatified by Pope Gregory XVI on October 29, 1837 and canonized by Pope John XXII on May 1962.

I'm sure there are many ways to honour this humble, gentle saint. As a family maybe you could visit someone who is poorly and lift their spirits, or help out at a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter. At this time of year there are many collections for the "shoebox"appeal. Taking the children to the supermarket and choosing some nice "essentials" to give to those in need is a great way of emulating St.Martin, and as a special treat I think we might have some sugared mice for tea!

Halloween or All Hallow's Eve

The one thing about October half term is the ever present Halloween parties that seem to hold children in such great sway.

Halloween is fast becoming a nightmare for Christians parents who feel it epitomizes all things evil. But I think we need to revisit this feast and reclaim it for Christ.We need to look once again at the roots of the feast.

For the Celts, November 1st marked the beginning of a new year and the coming winter. The night before the New Year, they celebrated the festival in honour of their sun-god with bonfires, a tribute to the light that bought them abundant harvest. At the same time they saluted Samhain their “lord of death”, who was thought to gather together at last the souls of the year’s dead which had been consigned to the bodies of animals in  punishment for their sins.

The Romans also had a feast at this time of year. So, when they conquered the Celts, they added their own touches to the Samhain festival, such as making center pieces out of apples and nuts for Pomona, the Roman goddess of the orchards. The Romans used to play bob the apple and drink copious amounts  of cider .

All Saints was originally celebrated on May 12th. But Pope Gregory III moved it to November 1st, the dedication day of the Chapel of All Saints in St. Peter’s.

In 835 Pope Gregory IV  decided this was to be a feast day that was to be observed throughout the Christian world.

The word hallowed means holy, the same word we use in the Our Father. The e’en is a contraction

of the word evening. The word Halloween is a shortened form of Hallows’ eve which is literally talking about the evening before the Holy day.

There are many customs which grew out of these feasts. One of the English customs was to knock on doors and beg for “soul cakes”. These cakes were like a little shortbread. The beggar promised to pray for the dead of the household in return for a soul cake. They used to recite little ditties which went like this;

A soul cake, a soul cake,

have mercy on all Christian souls 

for a soul cake 

Or

Soul, soul an apple or two,

If you haven’t an apple, a pear will do,

One for Peter, two for Paul, three for the man who made us all. 

About 1048 the feast of All Souls was added to the Church calendar, when the Bishop of Cluny decreed all Benedictines of Cluny pray for the souls in purgatory. This feast followed immediately after All Saints on November 2nd.

The purpose of these feasts is to remember those who have died and gone before us. We remember all the Saints, both those officially recognized by the Church and those we don’t know about, and those who may not behold the Beatific Vision yet, but who may need our prayers to help them reach their Heavenly home.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that through the communion of Saints “a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their Heavenly home, those who
are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. Between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things” (Para 1475).

To help parents navigate their way through this tricky festival I think we need to teach our children about the true meaning of All Hallows’ Eve. We can celebrate with style the real heroes and
heroines of our faith.

If your children want to go to a Halloween party I suggest the best thing to do is throw your own. Many parishes are now holding “Night of Light” parties, where children come dressed up as one of the Saints. Our faith is made up of men and women who died heroic, if not gruesome deaths. This would be a great opportunity to learn about some of them and get creative in making an outfit that represented the way they died, e.g St Thomas More could carry his head under his arm, or St Lawrence could carry a toasting fork. St Margaret Clitheroe could have a door made out of card! Anyway, you get my point, with a little bit of research and a lot of ingenuity I am sure Halloween
can be transformed into a real celebration.

Children could also do a bit of research and find out about the Saint they are representing and give a short account.

This could be developed into a “trick or treat” style game. Knocking on neighbours doors and asking them to guess which Saint they are. Guess correctly you receive a sweet; guess wrongly you pay a forfeit!

There are the traditional games such as bobbing for apples; or the one I love is blind Bartimaeus. Two people sit opposite each other blindfolded, with a bowl of broken biscuits between them. The object of the game is to try and feed each other with a spoon. Simple fun but it causes great hilarity for the people watching.

For older children or adults,, “a tray full of Saints” is a good game. On a tray place a dozen or more objects that symbolize familiar Saints. For example,   Key-St. Peter;  flower-St. Therese; Rose-St. Rose of Lima; Dog-St. Dominic; Bird-St. Francis; Cross-St.Helena;  Eagle-St.John the Evangelist; St.James-Shell; Kitchen utensils-St.Martha; half paper coat-St Martin of Tours;  picture of Sacred Heart-St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. Etc. Go slowly from one guest to another giving them time to memorize what is on the tray. Then pass out pen and paper and have them list what they remember, and what Saint they think they symbolize.

Pumpkin carving can also be transformed. Just use Christian symbols and a smiley face. The tradition of carving pumpkins came from the Irish. They used to carve pumpkins and tell this tale.

Jack, the Irish say, grew up in a simple village where he earned a reputation for cleverness as well as laziness. He applied his fine intelligence to wiggling out of any work that was asked of him, preferring to lie under a solitary oak endlessly whittling, in order to earn money to spend in the local pub. He was always on the lookout for an “easy shilling” from gambling, a pastime at which he excelled. In his whole life he never made a single enemy, never made a single friend and never performed a selfless act for anyone.

One Halloween, as it happened, the time came for him to die. When the devil arrived to take his soul, Jack was lazily drinking in the pub and asked permission to finish his ale. The devil agreed, and Jack thought fast. “If you really have power,” he said slyly “you could transform yourself into a shilling”.

The devil snorted at such child’s play and instantly turned himself into a shilling. Jack grabbed the coin. He held it tight in his hand, which bore a cross shaped scar. The power of the cross kept the devil imprisoned there, for everyone knows the devil is powerless when faced with the cross. Jack would not let the devil free until he granted him another year of life. Jack figured that would be plenty of time to repent. The devil left Jack at the pub.

The year rolled around to the next Halloween, but Jack never got around to repenting. Again the devil appeared to claim his soul, and again Jack bargained, this time challenging him to a game of dice, an offer Satan couldn’t resist, but a game that Jack excelled at. The devil threw snake eyes – two ones – and was about to haul him off, but Jack used a pair of dice he himself had whittled. When they landed as two threes forming the shape of a cross, once again the devil was powerless. Jack once again bargained for more time to repent.

He kept thinking he’d get around to repentance later, leaving it until  the last possible minute. But the agreed upon date arrived and death took him by surprise. The devil hadn’t showed up and Jack soon found out why not. Before he knew it Jack was in front of the pearly gates. St. Peter shook his head sadly and could not admit him, because in his whole life Jack had never performed a single selfless act. Then Jack presented himself before the gates of hell, but the devil was still seething. Satan refused to have anything to do with him. “Where can I go” cried Jack. “How can I see in the darkness?”

The devil tossed him a burning coal into a hollow pumpkin and ordered him to wander forever with only the pumpkin to light his path. From that day to this he has been called ” Jack o’ the lantern.”

These feasts give us the opportunity to teach our children about the darker side of Life. It enables us to warn them about taking part in games that are part of the occult. There is no such thing as “white magic” and all magic is an invitation for the Demons to respond. We can help them learn the prayer of St. Michael and talk to them about the power of sacramentals and prayers that ward off evil, the sign of the cross, holy water, blessed salt, St. Benedict’s medal, etc.

As parents we may not want to become embroiled in the secular events but with All Hallows’ Eve I think we can reclaim for Christ a wonderful opportunity to proclaim our faith, teach our children and enjoy building family memories.

St. Ignatius Of Antioch.

Also called Theophorus, Ignatius was born in Syria, around the year 50;  he died at Rome between 98 and 117. It is thought thar St.Ignatius was one of the earliest Christian scribes of the Apostle John. It is believed that he was made the Bishop of Antioch by St. Peter himself.
When the persecution of Emperor Domitian broke in its full fury against the Christians of Syria, they found in their leader Ignatius, a strong watchful man who encouraged and inspired his flock against the terrors of the persecution. The short lived  restoration of peace gave Ignatius some hope, however, it was not for himself that he was thankful but for his people. He himself hoped for the crown of martyrdom. His desire was not long in coming.
A couple of years after the death of Domitian, Trajan, became the Roman Emperor. Flush with victory over various  military conquests, he decided to perfect the universality of his dominion by decreeing, therefore, that the Christians should unite with their pagan neighbors in the worship of the gods. A general persecution was threatened, and death was named as the penalty for all who refused to offer the prescribed sacrifice. Instantly alert to the danger that threatened, Ignatius availed himself of all the means within his reach to thwart the purpose of the emperor. The success of his zealous efforts did not long remain hidden from the Church's persecutors. He was soon arrested and led before Trajan, who was then sojourning in Antioch. Accused by the emperor himself of violating the imperial edict, and of inciting others to like transgressions, Ignatius valiantly bore witness to the faith of Christ.
With great zeal and inspired eloquence, and even great courage Ignatius spoke up ,but to no avail, Trajan was having none of it. In his hard heartedness the emperor ordered him to be put in chains and taken to Rome, there to become the food of wild beasts and a spectacle for the people.

On his way to Rome Ignatius stopped of at Smyrna where his friend St Polycarp was Bishop. For some reason the stay there was quite a protracted one and he wrote several letters to the different churches encouraging them to stay strong and support their various Bishops and to make sure they didn't get tangled up in any heresies. One  of the letters he wrote was to  the people of Rome imploring them  not to try and stop his martyrdom.
Shortly after his arrival in Rome he won his long coveted crown of martyrdom in the Flavian amphitheater.

The character of St. Ignatius, as deduced from his own and the many writings of his contemporaries, is that of a true athlete of Christ. The triple honor of apostle, bishop, and martyr was well merited by this energetic soldier of the Faith. An enthusiastic devotion to duty, a passionate love of sacrifice, and an utter fearlessness in the defense of Christian truth, were his chief characteristics. Zeal for the spiritual well-being of those under his charge breathes from every line of his writings. Ever vigilant lest they be infected by the rampant heresies of those early days; praying for them, that their faith and courage may not be wanting in the hour of persecution; constantly exhorting them to unfailing obedience to their bishops; teaching them all Catholic truth; eagerly sighing for the crown of martyrdom, that his own blood may bring many graces to the souls of his flock, he proves himself in every sense a true, pastor of souls, the good shepherd that lays down his life for his sheep.
To help celebrate this feast as a family maybe we could light a candle and pray for the people of Syria,who, once again are suffering for their faith.

The Feast of the Archangels

Like so many feasts of the Church, this is one that I love. Not only because my youngest son, and my eldest grandchild bear the name of the angels, but our son was baptized on this feast day.
As families this feast day gives us an opportunity to renew our friendship with the angels, who are given to help us in our spiritual journey and who are eager to assist in our daily battle against the powers of darkness.

The three archangels mentioned in Scripture are Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Michael which translated from the Hebrew means" who is like unto God". Gabriel means "man of God" or " God has shown himself mighty"  and Raphael "God heals" or " the remedy of God".

Michael has been especially honoured and invoked as patron and protector by the Church since the time of the Apostles. On Sunday April 24th 1994 Saint John Paul the second, while pope at the time recommended that the faithful recite the prayer to St. Michael daily.

Gabriel,  is first seen in the book of Daniel in the Old Testament, he explains to Daniel the meaning of  Daniel's visions. Next we see him in the New Testament as the bringer of news. Gabriel bringing news to both Zechariah and Mary, news that seemed incredulous to both. But which turned out to be just what he said.

Raphael, who we see in the book of Tobit helping a young man to find his true love, he aids Tobias in setting his true love free from a evil spirit, and then cures her father-in-law of blindness.

Are the Angels relevant today? You better believe it! Never in the history of mankind has satan convinced so many people to turn away from God and set up false idols. He uses the media to glamorize his sinful ways and seduces many to believe that he doesn't really exist, therefore gaining much ground over a persons soul. We therefore stand in need of these Angels, especially Michael who "defends us in the day of battle".

How to celebrate this feast day within the family, well firstly if you can get to Mass that would be the ultimate way, while you are there pray the prayer of St. Michael,( if you are not familiar with it see below! ) secondly, Angel cake for tea!! Wether  it's brought or homemade, doesn't matter but use the opportunity to talk with your children about the angels and to explain the goodness of God that he has given us these wondrous  creatures to protect us.

What ever you do this feast day have a good one!

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in this day of battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil,
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
And do thou, O prince of the Heavenly Host,
By the power of God,
Thrust down into hell, satan and all the evil spirits
 who wander throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

The Feast Of St Matthew

So very little is known about St. Matthew. what we do know is that he was a tax collector or publican in the town of Capernaum.  According to the Gospels of Mark and Luke, Matthew was originally called Levi son of Alphaeus{~Mark 2:13 and Luke 5:27} Although Mark and Luke do not mention Matthew by name their accounts match up with Matthews own account. The name change was not   unusual, many people had their names changed after an encounter with God. We can think of Abram became Abraham, Jacob became Israel, Simon became Peter and Saul became Paul. Can you imagine how Matthew felt when Christ conferred on him a new name meaning "gift of God "

As a tax collector, Matthew would have been a man despised by his own people. He worked for the Roman government and the tax collectors would often enrich themselves by collecting higher taxes than were due to line their own pockets. But an encounter with Christ radically changed his life.

 For me the call of Matthew speaks very deeply about the character of Christ. Matthew must have seen something in Jesus that spoke so deeply in his heart, that at the moment Jesus looked at him and said "follow me" something must have stirred deep down for Matthew to be able to walk away and leave his very lucrative job behind. And leave it behind he did, he went and hosted a large banquet for Jesus and his companions. He also invited many other tax collectors and "sinners" to the feast. This upset the Pharisees,{ so easily done!} who felt, that,  just to be in the same vicinity of one of those "unclean" people would mean that they themselves were tarnished. They asked the disciples why would Jesus entertain such an idea. On hearing this Jesus gave an answer which must bring hope and joy to every sinners heart, " Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice." For I came not to call the righteous but sinners."
Wow! Dont those words fill you with hope?

Jesus was making it quite clear that those who knew they needed a Saviour were in much better standing than those who thought they had got their religion all sorted out and were managing quite well on their own thank you very much.

What became of Matthew? after Pentecost know one really knows. Some say he was martyred, but there is no conclusive evidence for this. It is thought that he travelled extensively carrying the gospel message with him. But one thing is for sure, Matthew had a lucrative life and a secure job and after a real encounter with Christ he walked away from it all for a life of travelling and hardship.

The Exaltation Of The Cross

I have often been told I have a very vivid imagination. This may be true. So often with our faith we have to use our imaginations to try and visualize the scenes we read about in the Scriptures. For me the Cross has always been a difficult one.

I like to imagine it as a bridge between Heaven and earth. Think of it laid flat stretching out between two worlds. It is through having the courage to walk across this bridge that we reach the safety of the other side. But in between us is this cavernous gaping ravine. Sometimes we seem to be able to skip across it and at other times we crawl gripping the sides too terrified to look down. But maybe that’s the point, the trick is not to look down or to look back but to keep going forward, step by step, clinging to the body of our Lord Jesus Christ as we inch our way along. Knowing that it was he who gladly laid down on the bridge so that we could gain entry into his kingdom.

Today, we celebrate the Exaltation or Triumph of the Cross. A feast that stems from Christ’s passion but which was prompted by the finding of the one true Cross by Saint Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine.

Tradition has it that Helena in her later years had a desire to go to Jerusalem. While she was there she undertook to rid the Holy Sepulchre of the mound of earth that surrounded it, and to destroy the remains of a pagan temple to Aphrodite that had been built there.  It was known that the crosses had been hidden in a ditch or well and covered over with stones, so that no one would be able to steal them. Helena felt in her heart that she would discover the whereabouts of the Cross.

There was one man, interestingly named Judas, who touched by divine inspiration, pointed out to the excavators where the crosses could be found. This led to his conversion and he is honored by the name St Cyriacus.

On the discovery of the three crosses, not knowing which one had been Our Lord’s, St Macarius, bishop of the city, had them carried to the bedside of a worthy woman who was at the point of death. When she was touched by the true Cross she was healed.
Helena, who also wanted to check the authenticity of the true Cross, she had a man who had died and been buried brought to her. Upon being touched by the true cross he awakened from the dead.

There is another possibility, admittedly, not as exciting as the above stories, but when the excavators found the three crosses they were able to identify the true Cross because it still had on the sign Pilate had had nailed to it with the description “Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews”.

The Cross is the sign and hope of our redemption. It is important to have a symbol of this hanging in our homes. This feast gives us a wonderful opportunity to talk to our children about the Cross and how we are all called to carry our crosses if we want to follow Jesus. The idea that our pain and suffering can be used by Christ is alien to some, but this is an important part of our Christian faith, and we need to teach our children to bravely shoulder their cross, and with Christ at their side to step out in faith.

To celebrate this feast day maybe it would be a good idea to place a crucifix on the dinner table or place it where it can be seen; and to gather around it after dinner to say family prayers. Get the children involved in baking a cross shaped cake which everyone can enjoy at tea-time.

The Beheading of John the Baptist

John the Baptist is one of the only Saints whose birth and death is celebrated by the Church.
A man of courage, John dared to challenge Herod on his unlawful marriage to his brother Phillips wife, Herodias. Herod became angry but at the same time intrigued by John. He believed he was a holy man of God.
Foolishly, after a drunken carousing with his pals, Herod is blown away by his step daughter, Salome's dancing. One can only speculate as to why, but she must have been good because he promises her anything even half his kingdom, which if he had been sober he would never have done because his kingdom meant rather a lot to him.
Now, Salomes mother did not like John, well that's maybe an understatement, she despised him, because John dared to speak out against her marriage to Herod. Seeing an opportunity presented to her Herodias makes the most of the opportunity presented to her and tells her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist. Herod unable to back down, driven by pride, and not wanting to seem weak  in front of his court sent word for John to be killed.
Today in the world we are witnessing many new martyrs, like John they have the courage to stand up for what they believe to be true. Maybe today would be a good day while sitting eating dinner to talk with your children about what it means to be a martyr.
How do you celebrate this feast though? You could make a cake in the shape of a head. Now I am sure this would appeal to the boys but the girls might be a it squeamish. Maybe some honey and oat biscuits would be good, but the most important fact is that of Johns fidelity to Jesus, his unwavering dedication to passing on the message and his witness to us.
As a good way of helping those Christians who are being persecuted around the world why not arrange a coffee morning at church and send the money raised to one of the agencies who are working to help those who are suffering.
 However you celebrate this feast day, pray for the courage to be a witness to the faith wherever you may find yourself.

The Feast Of The Assumption Of The Blessed Virgin Mary

Many years ago I visited a small florist shop in a City near to where I live. This shop is situated in the Cathedral quarter of the city down a steep cobbled hill. I loved the quaint buildings with their interesting facades and misshapen walls. This shop was my particular favorite because I love flowers and the smell every time you walked in was just heavenly. Six years ago by Gods providence as a family one of my daughters and I ended up owning this very florist shop. The details of how we came to own it are for another day but the reason I tell you this is because in researching for this article on the beautiful feast of the Assumption I came across a lovely legend that just spoke to my florists heart.

The assumption is one of the oldest feasts of Our Lady. It was celebrated only in Palestine until Emperor Constance extended it to all the Churches in the East. By the 7th Century it was being celebrated in Rome under the title The "Dormitio (falling asleep) of the Mother of God."

At the council of Chalcedon in 451 Emperor Marciano asked the Patriarch of Jerusalem to bring the relics of Mary to Constantinople to be enshrined there. The Patriarch explained that there were no relics to be had.

There is a lovely legend  which connects all of this. When Mary felt that her end was drawing near, she sent her guardian angel to summon the Apostles, who were out traveling all over the world preaching the message of her son Jesus. When the apostles received the message they came in a great hurry to the bedside of Mary where upon they witnessed her happy death. All but the Apostle
Thomas were there to witness this momentous event, he arrived three days later to find the beloved Virgin Mary already buried. When he heard this he cried bitterly and pleaded with the Apostles to open the tomb once more so that he could glimpse her lovely features. Eventually the other Apostles yielded to his pleas and opened the tomb. The tomb was filled with flowers which gave off a heavenly scent. On the place where they had laid her body there was only the shroud left- the body had been Bourne home by the angels.

 According to another legend, all the flowers and herbs lost their scent after Adam and Eve committed the first sin in the garden of Eden. On the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother,
however the flowers, were given back their scent and the herbs their power to heal.

So you can see why I love this feast day, it's just a perfect celebration for a florist. The Assumption of Mary fills us with Joy, and encourages us as we journey towards Heaven. Mary, as our Mother is always ready to give us the encouragement we need to help us reach the holiness we are called to, so that, one day like her we may enter into Heaven and unite ourselves completely to her beloved Son.

This day is not a day for mourning her loss, but a celebration of joy for the reunion of the mother and her beloved son. In many countries there are processions and people bring the fruits of the harvest to be blessed. Why not find out if there is a procession near you. If not gather together some families and consider doing one of your own, even if it is only around your own back garden. Maybe even plant a "Mary garden." Find a statue that is suitable to be outside plant lots of different flowers and herbs  around her. Then you will be able to sit and enjoy the beauty of creation.

Make this day special. Why not pack a picnic or create a lovely meal in honour of Our Lady. Maybe the children can take a bunch of flowers to someone who is on their own or needs cheering up. However you choose to celebrate, have fun, be joyful and enjoy being Catholic!

The Feast Of Maximilian Kolbe

So often the saints we read about were men and women of old. Today’s Saint, Maximillian Kolbe, is a relative modern Saint. Canonized in 1982 by Pope John Paul II – his life makes fascinating reading.

Born on the 8th of January, a second son to a poor Catholic weaver and his wife. He was baptized Raymond. His parents had a great devotion to Our Lady and after being scolded by his mother for once again being mischievous he asked the Blessed Mother what was to become of him. Our Lady appeared to him holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked him if he was willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one was for purity and the red was for the gift of martyrdom. He decided to accept both. This was a deciding moment in his young life and it was to go on and  frame all his future decisions.

In 1907, Raymond and his brother entered a junior Franciscan seminary in Lwow. He was a bright student but for some time he contemplated leaving the priesthood and becoming a soldier so that he could free his beloved nation from her oppressors. However before he could tell anyone about his plans  his mother announced that as their children were now in seminary she and her husband were entering religious life. Raymond didn’t have the heart to upset his parents’ idea so he abandoned his idea of joining the military. In 1910 he took the habit and received his new name Maximilian. After studying in Rome he was ordained in 1918.

His ideas about being a solider never quite left him. While he was in Rome he came to see that the world was indeed at war, a spiritual war. He also realized that Poland was not the only place with problems. The fight was still on, but he would not be waging it with a sword but with love.

The first fight he picked was with the Freemasons. They were very prevalent in Europe at that time. On 16th October 1917, with six friends he founded the Crusade of Mary Immaculate with the aim of “converting sinners, heretics, schismatics and Freemasons, and bringing all men to love Mary Immaculate.”

In 1919 he returned to Poland. His country was now free again; something that Maximilian attributed to Our Lady. He was determined to get every Polish person loving Mary in their hearts. He began to publish a monthly magazine, its aim was to “illuminate the truth and show the way to true happiness”.

Maximillian was suffering with ill-health. The doctors told him there was nothing they could do for him. He had one collapsed lung and the other was damaged. However this did not stop him.

He set up a radio station, a printing-house and helped establish a new friary at Teresin.

Before long the printing presses were printing 750,000 copies of his magazine the Knight of Immaculate. Then in 1935 they began to produce a Catholic newspaper, “The Little Daily,” of which 137,000 copies were printed on a weekday and 225,000 on Sundays and Holydays.

Not content with all of this activity Fr.Maximilian  requested to go to the mission lands of Japan. In February of 1930, he left Poland and arrived in Nagasaki in April. Within the year a new friary was founded on the side of a mountain which at the time was dictated by the needs of the poorer communities. This proved to be a very fortunate spot because when the atomic bomb flattened most of Nagasaki the friary escaped with just a few broken windows.

Despite his passionate zeal for Mary, Fr Maximilian was very aware of the belief systems of others and he entered into gentle dialogue with Buddhist priests and those who followed Shintoism.

While still in Japan he founded a junior seminary and he continued to publish his magazine. Getting itchy feet he once again set forth for new lands and went to Malabar where he hoped to found a third friary, but he was called back to Poland by his superiors.

Shortly after his return the Second World War broke out and Poland once again had occupying forces within her borders.

After helping to house, clothe and feed over 2000 Jews, Maximilian was arrested and sent to Pawiak prison. Here he was maltreated by an officer who after seeing his habit and rosary asked him if he believed in Christ. When the priest answered “I do” he was struck. The SS man repeated his question several times and always receiving  the same answer went on beating him. Shortly after this he was given prisoners’ clothes to wear and was shipped to Auschwitz.

Here the treatment was no better. Often beaten and on one occasion left for dead Maximilian was taken to the camp hospital. Although he was suffering, he spent time hearing people’s confessions and encouraging them with words about the love of God.

After the war many people came forward with testimonies and stories about this great man and all that he had done and said. But I think for many people his last act of bravery is the one he is remembered for.

Escape always brought reprisals from the guards who ran the camp. On this day three men had escaped during the night, so ten were taken from the camp to be placed in the underground cells to starve to death. One of the men, a Franciszek Gajowniczek, cried out when he was chosen. He wept for his wife and children and pleaded to be spared. The guards were not interested in such things but were startled when Maximilian stepped forward and offered to take this mans place. They shrugged and consented. The ten men were led away to the “death cell” where for two weeks this very ill priest led them in prayer and song. One by one the men died leaving only Maximilian. An embarrassment to the guards he was administered a lethal dose of carbolic acid.

His heroism did not go unnoticed in that dreadful place. In the darkness of those war years Maximilian sowed the seeds of peace and love. His reputation grew and papers all over the world were soon running stories on this Saint. He had captured the hearts of the people. I love the fact that when St John Paul beatified him the man whose life he saved was there with his family and children. I cannot begin to imagine how that must have felt or the deep gratitude they must all have carried in their hearts for this poor Franciscan priest.

To celebrate this feast I think a good polish dish is needed. There are so many Polish supermarkets around, so it won’t be difficult to find some authentic Polish treats to feed the family.

The Feast Of The Transfiguration

Today we celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration. You can read the account of this in three of the Gospels, Matthew chapter 17 verses 1-11.  Mark 9:2-9 and Luke 9:28-36. This takes place Shortly after Peter claims that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah and Jesus predicts his(Jesus') death.

He takes Peter, James and John out for a mountain hike. Now when they get to the top much to their amazement Jesus is literally transfigured before them. They suddenly see him as he truly is.. radiant! What an amazing moment this must have been, here they were with their friend, who they were beginning to get to know,  seeing him do the most incredible things and saying the most outlandish things and suddenly they "know" deep in their hearts that he is who he says he is. No wonder they threw themselves face down on the floor. They were being given a glimpse of a heavenly reality, the veil was lifted and they became  overwhelmed. When Peter finally has the courage to look up he sees Jesus talking with Moses and Elijha. This always causes me to ponder, how did they know who they were? Was it a divine revelation, instinct or was this added later when Jesus told them? Possibly it was because they knew their Scriptures. There stood before them was the "law giver" and the " great prophet."
Whatever it was Peter in his absolute joy offers to build three booths for each of them. Why? Did he assume this event was going to continue, or was he thinking plans had changed, and now Jesus was going to sound the battle cry and free them from their oppressors. He knew from Scripture that Elijha had to return to pave  the way for the Messiah, in his mind was this it? He would also be aware that God was going to raise up a prophet like Moses so that God's people would "hear" the announcement, "the Messiah is truly here amongst us"! This was all happening right before their eyes, the long expected fulfillment of the law, what a moment!

 The cloud then appears! If you have ever been up a mountain when the cloud comes down you will have a vague understanding what this must have been like. Suddenly they are enveloped by God's presence and hear him speaking, revealing  once again that Jesus is his beloved son. In this moment there is the revelation of the Trinity, Jesus, the son, the Father in the spoken word and the Holy Spirit in the cloud. For these three apostles it must have been a most spine tingling event. One wonders why it was only these three. Possibly, it was  to strengthen their faith and would stand as a great reminder to them of what awaited them when they reached the end of their earthly journey. Both Peter and James would die a martyrs death.
Like all Mount Tabor experiences the Apostles had to come down from the mountain. They were going forward to  face one of the hardest trials ever, the crucifixion of Jesus .The memory of this event must have kept them going through the trial of the agony in the garden and the following dark days.

The feast of the Transfiguration should fill us with great hope, we need the light of Christ to rise up in our hearts so that one day, we to, like Jesus will be transfigured into our glorious heavenly bodies!

St Maria Goretti

Maria Goretti was the third of seven children of a poor peasant family living near Corinaldo in the province of Ancona in Italy; owing to extreme poverty the family later migrated to a village near Anzio.

  In order to make ends meet, Maria’s father entered into partnership with a man called Serenelli, and shared a house with him and his two sons, one of whom was called Alessandro. Her father died in 1900, when Maria was ten.

  Maria impressed everyone with her radiant purity. She was naturally pious, kind, and helpful. She was also outstandingly beautiful – and Alessandro Serenelli was an outstandingly passionate and undisciplined man. She resisted his attentions, which only made her the more desirable, and narrowly managed to escape a serious sexual assault, which he made her keep secret by means of threats of murder.

  A month later Alessandro arranged things so that he would be alone in the house with Maria; and he had a dagger. She tried to resist, begging him to have care for his immortal soul, but he thrust a handkerchief into her mouth to prevent her from crying out, tied her up, and threatened her with the dagger. She could, the theologians say, have consented then, with no danger to her soul; but her love of purity was too great. Alessandro, enraged, stabbed her fourteen times.

  She did not die, though her entrails were hanging out from one of her abdominal wounds. She was taken to hospital, seven miles of bad road in a horse-drawn ambulance, and was operated on for more than two hours. She lived for twenty hours more, became a Child of Mary, received the Last Sacrament, and specifically forgave her murderer. She died in the afternoon of 6 July 1902, at the age of eleven years, eight months, and twenty days.

  Alessandro narrowly escaped being lynched, and was tried and sentenced to thirty years’ penal servitude with hard labour. For the first seven years or so he maintained a cynical and defiant attitude, but he repented, and dreams of Maria herself figured largely in his repentance. (You might say, he 

pretended to repent so as to get his sentence reduced – but the most sceptical experts were convinced, and he had to remain in prison for another twenty years, which is a long time to sustain a pretence).

  Maria was beatified in 1927. Alessandro was released in 1928; and he and Maria’s mother received Communion side by side on Christmas Day 1937, and they spent Christmas together.

  Maria was canonized in 1950. Her mother was present at the ceremony, the first time this has ever happened. Some people say that Alessandro was there too, others not; but it is certain that he spent his last years in a Capuchin monastery: he died in 1970.

The trouble with purity nowadays is that we don’t believe in it – or at least we say we don’t. When we read of one saint or another that he or she was a virgin, we are more inclined to deride than to admire. And that is sad: here is not the place for a long disquisition on sex, but suffice it to say that sex is a valuable thing that should not be squandered or used trivially; any more than one should use champagne for cleaning floors.

  Even if we find it difficult to admire virginity as such – even when it is a positive virtue and not a negative one – we should still, even as pagans, admire purity. For whatever alternative set of moral 

standards one may adopt, purity, decency, and self-respect are all-important and always will be. (The standards of what is or is not decent may be different – in Victorian times it is said that it was indecent to let ankles be seen, while a few centuries earlier large codpieces were the fashion for men – but decency itself is always there, however the ways of measuring it may change).

  One may admire or praise Maria Goretti for all manner of other things if one likes – some people have a great fondness for sentimentality, melodrama, and wet plaster saints – but at the end of it all, the heroic virtue that she exhibited was a blazing affirmation of purity and integrity. Even if her standards are not ours, we must still have standards of some kind; and if we are faced with a threat to them, we must defend ourselves with the same passion that she showed. To behave otherwise, to tell ourselves “well, it doesn’t matter really”, is to commit slow moral suicide.

Taken from The Universalis

The Feast Of The Sacred Heart

Nineteen days after Pentecost the Church gives us another feast to celebrate the love that God has for us and shows us how to return that love.
Although down through the centuries people have  had a devotion to the Sacred heart  it was not until the 16oo's that it truly became established.

In 1647 a baby girl was  born to parents, Claude and Philiberte Alaoque. Given the name Margaret Mary, she was a quiet and reserved child who preferred her own company, where she would sit silently and pray especially before the Blessed Sacrament. After her first Holy Communion Margaret
 Mary would begin to practice quite severe self mortification until paralysis confined her to her bed for four years. During this time she made a vow to the Blessed Virgin Mary to consecrate herself to religious life, she was instantly restored to health. However, after a time misfortune befell her family, her Father died and an unjust relative plunged the family into deep poverty. During this time Margaret sought  consolation in the Eucharist. Christ began to appear to her and soothe her.

It was a number of years until everything was restored to the family, but finally her Mother was able to re-establish herself By the age of seventeen Margaret Mary decided that she didn't need to fulfil her childish promises but she could serve The Lord while at home by doing penance and works of mercy.

Her self mortification was often quite extreme and she would draw blood in her rough punishment of herself. On one hand you had this very pious tradition but on the other hand she began to partake in the "pleasures" of the world. One night upon returning from an evenings dancing she had a vision of Christ suffering the consequences of his scourging. Christ reproached her for her lack of fidelity  to him after he had given her so many proofs of his love for her. This brought Margaret Mary up short and she very quickly changed paths again and entered the Visitation Sisters at Paray, where she was throughly tested to make sure her vocation was true. In November 1672 she pronounced her final vows.

While at the convent Margaret Mary was inspired by Christ to establish a Holy Hour on the first Friday of each month, to share in the sadness he felt when he was abandoned by all his apostles in his agony. This has become a very established devotion in the church with many participating each month. Out of this revelation came some very specific "promises" from Our Lord for those who
would participate in this devotion:

 1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state in life. 
2. I will establish peace in their families.
3. I will comfort them in their trials.
4. I will be their secure refuge during life, and, above all, in death.
5. I will shed abundant blessings on all their undertakings
6. Sinners will find in My Heart an infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Lukewarm souls will become fervent.
8. Fervent souls will rapidly grow in holiness and perfection.
9. I will bless every place where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. The names of those who promote this devotion will be written in My Heart, never to be blotted out.
12. I promise thee, in the excessive mercy of My Heart, that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their Sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment. 

These beautiful  promises are very consoling for a Mamas heart or I'm sure for anyones. but we must remember as with anything we do for the Lord our hearts have to be turned to him in the right disposition, hoping in his merciful love for us.

The revelations that this humble nun received continued for many years and were subjected to severe examination before they were accepted as authentic. Margaret Mary was canonised in 1920

I think this feast deserves some "Sacred Heart" shaped cookies or cakes. let the children decorate them with icing and allow their imagination to run wild!

Heres a good recipe for butter cookies that you can cut out with a heart shaped cutter:
175g Soft Butter
200g Sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 Egg
400g plain flour
1Tsp. Baking powder
1 Tsp Salt

Cream butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add vanilla essence and egg, mix until combined. Sift flour and baking powder, and stir until you have a dough. Add more flour if to sticky to roll.
Halve to dough and wrap both in cling film and allow to rest in fridge for an hour.
Sprinkle work surface with flour, dust rolling pin and roll out to a thickness of 1/2 cm/ 1/4 inch. cut into heart shapes. place on a greased baking tray.Heat oven to 180C/ gas 4/ 350F.  Bake for 8-10 mins until lightly golden around the edges. place on a wire rack to cool.
When cold decorate with icing until your hearts content.
This amount makes about 50 so you can either eat them all or share with your loved ones as you see fit, I'm not going to judge!

St Anthony of Padua

If you could see the state of my house you would understand why I have a devotion to this lovely Saint. I am forever calling upon him to find all those lost articles that never seem to be in the right place. And I don't know why but I'm often surprised when he comes up trumps. My daughter has a beautiful simple story of when this lovely humble Saint returned a diamond from her new  engagement ring which she had lost at work. She had searched and searched everywhere and couldn't find it anywhere she cried out to St. Anthony and low and behold she found the gem sitting on the desk right beside her. So he definitely gets the thumbs up in our house.
 Born Fernando, in Lisbon, Portugal on August 15th 1195 into a wealthy family. At the age of fifteen he asked to be sent to the Abbey of Santa Cruz in Coimbra, the then capital of Portugal.  It was here that he learnt theology and Latin.

Shortly after his ordination to the priesthood a small group of Fransican friars settled just outside Coimbra,  News reached his ears about the martyrdom of five  Fransician friars in Morocco. This inspired Fernado and he felt a longing to join the Fransicans. He asked to be released from the Abbey. Eventually permission was granted and he left to go and join this new community whereupon he took on the name Anthony in honour of St. Anthony of Egypt.

After traveling to Morocco to spread The Good News , Anthony became extremely sick and was forced to  returned to Portugal to recover. The return voyage was blown off-course and his party arrived in Sicily, from which they traveled to Tuscany. Anthony was sent to the hermitage of San Paolo where the  local friars considered this would be best suited to his health problems.

During this period of convalescence Anthony spent a great deal of time praying and studying.

Time passed and some Dominican friars came to visit the Franciscans.  There was some confusion over who would present the homily that day. The Franciscans thought, because the Dominicans, who were known for their preaching, would want to preach. However the Dominicans thought the Fransicians would preach, probably because they were on their turf  so neither group had prepared anything. It was then the head of the Franciscan hermitage asked Anthony to speak on whatever the Holy Spirit told him to speak of.

Not accustomed  to speaking publicly Anthony tried to decline, but he was refused. He delivered an eloquent and moving homily that impressed both groups. It was not long before news of his ability to speak well reached the ears of St. Francis of Assisi. They became great friends and Francis entrusted The Friars continued education to Anthony.

Anthony continued to teach and preach. In fact he was renowned for his very simple way of explaining the faith so that even the simple and uneducated could understand his message.

He was never afraid to take on those who disputed his message and became known as the "Hammer of the Heretics" because he won so many conversions. It is for this reason that he was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XII in 1946.

After the death of St. Francis in 1226 Anthony was named Provincial Superior of Emilia. He resigned the office in 1230 so that he could spend more time preaching. He retired to the Convent of Padua which he himself had founded.

 The last Lent he preached was that of 1231; the crowd of people which came from all parts to hear him, frequently numbered 30,000 and more. His last sermons were principally directed against hatred and lack of love for ones neighbour. His efforts were crowned with wonderful success. Permanent reconciliations were effected, peace and concord re-established, freedom given to prisoners, restitutions made, and enormous scandals repaired; in fact, the priests of Padua were no longer sufficient for the number of penitents.( Oh that we would have the same problem today!)

After a short illness Anthony died on the 13th of June 1231. The name of this good Saint has continued down the ages as people continue to ask for his prayers and intercession. Interestingly when they exhumed St. Anthony's body in 1263 it was found that his body had turned to dust but his tongue remained in perfect condition. So in honor of this, today it is a good day to have pasta linguine ( which means tongue or little tongues in Latin.)covered in your favorite sauce!

The Feast Of The Visitation

Today is the feast of The Visitation. It commemorates Our Lady's visit to her cousin Elizabeth. When the angel announced to Mary her own pregnancy, he claimed that her cousin "who in her old age has conceived a son." On hearing this news Mary didn't sit back and think about her own pregnancy but immediately left in "haste" and went to help her elderly cousin.

 I often wonder if part of Mary's departure to see her cousin was to be able to confirm the experience she had just undergone. I mean it's not every day an angel comes into your home and announces news of such magnitude. Mary must have wanted some confirmation that what the angel had said was true. Possibly she also wanted to share the news of her own pregnancy with someone who had also
experienced God's miraculous power and who she knew would be able to understand that her own conception was truly extraordinary and that these two events were somehow connected.

When she arrived at Zechariah and Elizabeth's home, the moment Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting the child growing within her gave a mighty leap. Now, if you have ever experienced a pregnancy you will know how a child can roll and leap inside you. I remember being very pregnant and attending a concert with my husband, the moment the band struck up the baby jumped in my womb, the poor thing was startled by the noise. It's the closest thing I can imagine to how Elizabeth felt in that moment . Now granted hers was for completely different reasons, she, being filled with the Holy Spirit had a powerful experience of the joy that accompanies being in the presence of Our Lord.

Can you envisage the merriment of these two women as they sat together recounting their exploits. To have seen the hand of God moving so powerfully in their lives must have filled them with such joy and happiness.

One of the things we can take from this feast day is Mary's humble disposition to serve. She goes to help her cousin around the house lifting the burden of daily chores from her friends shoulders. Maybe there are those around us who could do with our help, especially any pregnant mamas who might need an extra pair of hands.

Today we learn that an encounter with Mary always brings us to a deeper knowledge of Jesus. St. Jose Escriva said " if you seek Mary you will find Jesus." Let us seek after him with all our heart so that we too like Elizabeth can be filled with joy and experience the Holy Spirit working in our lives to bring that same love and joy that these two women gave to the whole world.

St. Rita Of Cascia

Antonio and Amata Lotti, natives of Roccaporena, a tiny village in the Umbrian Hills of the republic of Cascia, were well-respected peacemakers in their town who welcomed their only child, Margherita in 1381.  In the local dialect, her name meant “pearl” and she was known as Rita.  Baptized in the church of St. Augustine in Cascia, Rita became acquainted with the local Augustinian nuns of St. Mary Magdalene and was attracted to their way of life.  But her parents arranged a marriage for her in order to provide safety and security, and so Rita obediently married Paolo Mancini with whom she had two sons.  In the climate of the times, there was often open conflict between families, and her husband Paolo was murdered.  Her sons were young, but the expectation would be for them eventually to avenge the murder of their father to defend family honor.  Rita, influenced by the peacemaking example of her parents, pledged to forgive her husband’s killers.  She faced a steep challenge, however, in convincing her sons to do the same.  Tradition has it that she often pointed out to them the image of the crucified Christ and the fact that he forgave those who killed him.  Within a year, however, both sons succumbed to a deadly illness leaving Rita not only a widow, but also childless.  Following these tragedies, Rita placed her trust in God, accepting them and relying on her deep faith to find her way.  After eighteen years of marriage, Rita felt called to a second but familiar vocation, to religious life in the Augustinian convent.

But the sisters were hesitant and refused her request; however, Rita was not discouraged, convinced that she was called to the contemplative community.  The sisters even more firmly refused, citing that although Rita had forgiven her husband’s killers, her family had not.  There were members of the rival family in the convent; her presence would be detrimental to community harmony.  And so, inspired by her three patron saints (Augustine, Nicholas of Tolentino and John the Baptist), Rita set out to make peace between the families.  She went to her husband’s family and exhorted them to put aside their hostility and stubbornness.  They were convinced by her courage and agreed.  The rival 
family, astounded by this overture of peace, also agreed.  The two families exchanged a peace 
embrace and signed a written agreement, putting the vendetta to rest forever.  A fresco depicting the scene of the peace embrace was placed on a wall of the Church of Saint Francis in Cascia, an enduring reminder of the power of good over evil and a testament to the widow whose forgiving spirit achieved the impossible.

At the age of 36, Rita finally was accepted into the Augustinian convent.  She lived a regular life of prayer, contemplation and spiritual reading, according to the Rule of Saint Augustine.  For forty years she lived this routine lifestyle, until fifteen years before her death, on Good Friday 1442, she had an extraordinary experience.  In contemplation before an image of Jesus that was very dear to her, the Jesus of Holy Saturday or, as it is also known, the Resurgent Christ, she was moved by a deeper awareness of the physical and spiritual burden of pain which Christ so freely and willingly embraced for love of her and of all humanity.  With the tender, compassionate heart of a person fully motivated by grateful love, she spoke her willingness to relieve Christ’s suffering by sharing even the smallest part of his pain.  Her offer was accepted, her prayer was answered, and Rita was united with Jesus in a profound experience of spiritual intimacy, a thorn from his crown penetrating her forehead.  The 
wound it caused remained open and visible until the day of her death.

Toward the end of her life, Rita progressively weakened physically.  Several months before her death, she was visited by a relative from Roccaporena who asked if she could do something for her.  Rita at first declined, but then made a simple request to have a rose from the garden of her family home brought to her.  However, it was January, the dead of winter in the hills of Umbria.  But upon her return home, the relative passed Rita’s family garden and found to her astonishment a single fresh rose in the snow-covered garden on an otherwise barren bush.  She immediately returned to the convent where she presented it to Rita who accepted it with quiet and grateful assurance.  For the four decades she had spent in Casica’s convent she had prayed especially for her husband Paolo, who had died so violently, and for her two sons, who had died so young.  The dark, cold earth of Roccaporena, which held their mortal remains, had now produced a beautiful sign of spring and beauty out of season.  So, Rita believed, had God brought forth, through her prayers, their eternal life despite tragedy and violence.  She now knew that she would soon be one with them again.

Rita died peacefully on May 22, 1457.  An old and revered tradition records that the bells of the convent immediately began to peal unaided by human hands, calling the people of Cascia to the doors of the convent, and announcing the triumphant completion of a life faithfully lived.  The nuns prepared her for burial and placed her in a simple wooden coffin.  A carpenter who had been partially paralyzed by a stroke, voiced the sentiments of many others when he spoke of the beautiful life of this humble nun in bringing lasting peace to the people of Cascia.  “If only I were well,” he said, “I would have prepared a place more worthy of you.”  With those words, Rita’s first miracle was performed, as he was healed.  He fashioned the elaborate and richly decorated coffin which would hold Rita’s body for several centuries.  She was never buried in it, however.  So many people came to look upon the gentle face of the “Peacemaker of Cascia” that her burial had to be delayed.  It became clear that something exceptional was occurring as her body seemed to be free from nature’s usual course.  It is still preserved today, now in a glass-enclosed coffin, in the basilica of Cascia.

Taken from The Precious Pearl byMicael Di Gregoria O SA