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!