Thomas Merton

Thomas Merton (1915-1968)

Thomas Merton, O.C.S.O. was born 100 years ago, on January 31, 1915 and died on this day, December 10, 1968. He was an American Catholic writer and mystic. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, a poet, social activist, and student of comparative religion, he was an atheist during his teenage years but searched far and wide for a true religion, which he discovered while studying at Columbia University in New York. He was baptized into the Catholic church in 1938, and on December 10, 1941, Thomas Merton arrived at the Abbey of Gethsemani and spent three days at the monastery guest house, waiting for acceptance into the Order. He was eventually accepted as a novice in March 1942, and started his studies for the priesthood. In 1949, he was ordained to the priesthood and given the name Father Louis, and lived most of his later life as a hermit.
Merton wrote more than 70 books, mostly on spirituality, social justice and a quiet pacifism, as well as scores of essays and reviews. Among Merton's most enduring works is his bestselling autobiography “The Seven Storey Mountain” (1948), which sent scores of World War II veterans, students, and even teenagers flocking to monasteries across the US, and was also featured in National Review's list of the 100 best non-fiction books of the century. Merton was a keen proponent of interfaith understanding. He pioneered dialogue with prominent Asian spiritual figures, including the Dalai Lama, and authored books on Zen Buddhism and Taoism. He died in an unfortunate accident when he was electrocuted from a fan after taking a bath in Thailand while visiting there for a conference. In the years since his death, Merton has been the subject of several other biographies.

Saint Juan Diego

Juan Diego was born in 1474 in the ward of Tlayacac in Cuauhtitlan, north of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City). On December 9, 1531, the native Mexican Juan Diego rose before dawn to walk fifteen miles to daily Mass in what is now Mexico City. Juan lived a simple life as a weaver, farmer, and laborer. That morning, as Juan passed Tepeyac Hill, he heard music and saw a glowing cloud encircled by a rainbow. A woman's voice called him to the top of the hill. There he saw a beautiful young woman dressed like an Aztec princess. She said she was the Virgin Mary and asked Juan to tell the bishop to build a church on that site. She said, "I vividly desire that a church be built on this site, so that in it I can be present and give my love, compassion, help, and defense, for I am your most devoted mother . . . to hear your laments and to remedy all your miseries, pains, and sufferings."
The Bishop Zummaraga was kind but skeptical. He asked Juan to bring proof of the Lady's identity. Before Juan could go back to the Lady, he found out his uncle was dying. Hurrying to get a priest, Juan missed his meeting with the Lady. The Lady, however, met him on his path and told him that his uncle had been cured. She then told Juan to climb to the top of the hill where they first met. Juan was shocked to find flowers growing in the frozen soil. He gathered them in his cloak and took them at once to the bishop.
Juan told the bishop what had happened and opened his cloak. The flowers that fell to the ground were Castilian roses (which were not grown in Mexico). But the bishop's eyes were on the glowing image of the Lady imprinted inside Juan's cloak or tilma.
Soon after, a church was built on the site where our Lady appeared, and thousands converted to Christianity. Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared the patroness of the Americas.  Juan Diego died on May 30, 1548, at the age of 74.  Juan Diego deeply loved the Holy Eucharist, and by special permission of the Bishop he received Holy Communion three times a week, a highly unusual occurrence in those times.He was beatified in 1990 and was canonized on July 31, 2002 at the Basilica of Guadalupe, Mexico City by Pope St. John Paul II.

Immaculate Conception

Esteban Murillo - Immaculate Conception

Just imagine the millions of Christmas cards being exchanged right now, going across the globe, many of which are images of the Blessed Virgin Mary, frequently with baby Jesus and St Joseph. Just imagine the thousands upon thousands of nativities being set up and displayed around the world with the Holy Family taking center stage for the Advent and Christmas season.
The 255 million links and articles to the word ‘Our Lady’ produced by Google, besides millions of images produced, are proof of how dominant she still is in the Catholic church and in Christian culture around the world. And when I think that more than half of the parishes in my home country of Malta are dedicated to the Blessed Mother, it shows the devotion people still have towards her.
Many were also the classical works written in sacred music, starting with various Gregorian chants melodies and continuing with the Magnificat, Salve Regina, Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and so much more by many great composers. They all get their inspiration from the image of Mary, conceived without sin, a privilege that was only granted to her and no one else. Just as Jesus was considered the new Adam, so Mary is considered the new Eve.
In 1760, Pope Clement XIII authorized the celebration of the Immaculate Conception in the Catholic church.
But it was only in 1854 that Pope Pius IX, after consulting with all the bishops of the world, pronounced and proclaimed the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. This was a rare event and it took another 96 years to have another Dogma proclaimed, this time the Assumption of Mary in 1950. Then another event happened that affirmed the Immaculate Conception of Mary, only 4 years later, when in 1858, the apparition at Lourdes took place, Mary revealing herself to Bernadette Soubirous as the Immaculate Conception.
The Encyclical Ineffabilis Deus that proclaimed the Dogma proclaims that the Blessed Virgin Mary, “in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.”

Christmas in Malta

An article on CNN today listed Malta as one of the 15 Christmassy places in the world.

Visiting presepju, or nativity scenes, is an integral part of Christmas in Malta. Every year, residents proudly open their shutters, and sometimes even their garage doors, to display their holy crib confections to the public. On a grander scale, the Bethlehem f'Ghajnsielem is a life-size nativity experience spread over 20,0000 square meters of formerly abandoned fields. Inhabited and animated by more than 150 actors, including entire families, the village takes visitors back in time to Judea of 2,000 years ago, complete with oil lamps, turn mills, grazing animals, crafts areas teaching traditional skills and folklore, a tavern, and of course a grotto housing baby Jesus.
Downtown Valletta is also home to a lively Christmas spirit, with carolers singing outside the Baroque St. John's Co-Cathedral during Advent, and a dizzying display of Christmas lights on Republic Street. The Manoel Theater is well known for its annual Christmas pantomime -- this year it's a folk tale mash-up titled "Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood." A visit to the privately owned Museum of Toys, featuring dolls, soldiers, train sets, and clockwork tin trinkets dating as far back as the 1790s, is a heartwarming homage to childhood. 
More will be shared over the next few weeks from my own collection of photos.
To read the whole article, please click here: 
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/06/travel/christmas-destinations-2015/index.html

Christmas Parade in Bend

The annual Christmas Parade was held yesterday in downtown Bend with thousands of people watching and thousands more participating. Among them were many of our school children who were on a float decorated by Craig and Renee May. The float won first prize as a flat-bed truck driven float. Here are some of the photos I took yesterday....more photos are on our parish blog at St Francis Parish Blog

From the Crib to the Cross

One of the most meaningful photos I took was back in 1993, when I was stationed at St Anthony of Padua parish in Rocky Point, New York. I was preparing my Christmas cards for that year and thought of connecting the nativity with the crucifixion, the beginning and the end of Christ’s life. So I placed the figures of Mary and Joseph in the foreground with the crucifix out of focus in the middle, set at a distance. The result was very meaningful and I share this photo with you today as we meditate on the journey Jesus was prepared to take, from the crib in the stable at Bethlehem to the Cross on Calvary, 33 years later.

A Prayer by St Pio

Stay with me Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You.
Stay with me Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength that I may not fall so often.
Stay with me Lord, for You are my life and without You I am without fervor.
Stay with me Lord, for you are my light and without You I am in darkness.
Stay with me Lord, to show me Your will.
Stay with me Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You.
Stay with me Lord, for I desire to love You very much and always be in Your company.
Stay with me Lord, if you wish me to be faithful to You.
Stay with me Lord, as poor as my soul is, I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of Love.

Nativity set-up

Our Fontanini Nativity has just been set-up in our St Francis new church. The characters will be added as the weeks go by, starting with the donkey and cow and a few sheep on the first Sunday of Advent, adding shepherds on the 2nd Sunday, more shepherds and folks people on the 3rd, with Mary and Joseph arriving on the scene on the 4th Sunday, before baby Jesus arrives on Christmas Eve.  Rick and Lupita Wesseler prepared the stable and assisted with their daughters, they set everything up, complete with palm trees, a well, a starry night backdrop, etc. The first photo shows more or less what the scene will look like when all the characters are displayed. But the other photos show the Wesselers working together to set up the Nativity.

 For more photos check the parish blog at St Francis Parish Blog

The Jesse Tree

Jesse was the father of the great King David of the Old Testament. He is often looked upon as the first person in the genealogy of Jesus. In Church art a design developed showing the relationship of Jesus with Jesse and other biblical personages. This design showed a branched tree growing from a reclining figure of Jesse. The various branches had pictures of other Old and New Testament figures who were ancestors of Jesus. This design was used mostly in stained glass windows in some of the great medieval cathedrals of Europe. The Cathedral of Chartres (which was dedicated in 1260) has a particularly beautiful Jesse Tree window. Another development in religious art during the Middle Ages was that of Mystery Plays - drama that depicted various Bible stories or lives of Saints and Martyrs. These plays were performed in churches as part of the liturgical celebrations. One such play was based on the Bible account of the fall of Adam and Eve. The "Tree of Life" used during the play was decorated with apples. (Quite possibly this is also the forerunner of our own Christmas tree.)
Combining the two ideas of the stained glass Jesse Tree window and the Tree of Life from the Mystery Play, the idea developed to create a Jesse Tree  project. This custom has been used for years to help Christians, especially children to prepare for Christmas. A tree is set up, even on a board made of felt, or painted. Then every day throughout the month of December, an object is added that relates to the people that preceded Jesus. 

From my former parish at St Stan's Pleasant Valley, NY

Here are some suggestions that can be added to the tree, with the respective biblical reference:
Creation: Gen. 1:1-31; 2:1-4 Symbols: sun, moon, stars, animals, earth
Adam and Eve: Gen. 2:7-9, 18-24 Symbols: tree, man, woman
Fall of Man: Gen. 3:1-7 and 23-24 Symbols: tree, serpent, apple with bite
Noah: Gen. 6:5-8, 13-22; 7:17, 23, 24; 8:1, 6-22 Symbols: ark, animals, dove, rainbow
Abraham: Gen. 12:1-3 Symbols: torch, sword, mountain
Isaac: Gen. 22:1-14 Symbols: bundle of wood, altar, ram in bush
Jacob: Gen. 25:1-34; 28:10-15 Symbols: kettle, ladder
Joseph: Gen. 37:23-28; 45:3-15 Symbols: bucket, well, silver coins, tunic
Moses: Ex. 2:1-10 Symbols: baby in basket, river and rushes
Samuel: 1 Sam. 3:1-18 Symbols: lamp, temple
Jesse: 1 Sam. 16:1-13 Symbols: crimson robe, shepherd's staff
David: 1 Sam. 17:12-51 Symbols: slingshot, 6-pointed star
Solomon: 1 Kings 3:5-14, 16-28 Symbols: scales of justice, temple, two babies and sword
Joseph: Matt. 1:18-25 Symbols: hammer, saw, chisel, angle
Mary: Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38 Symbols: lily, crown of stars, pierced heart
John the Baptist: Mark 1:1-8 Symbols: shell with water, river.

Yogi-isms

Sports Yankee legend Yogi Berra died recently at the age of 90. An 18-time All-Star, Hall of Famer Berra appeared in 14 World Series as a member of the New York Yankees, and won 10 of them with his team-mates. His contributions of Major League Baseball history are incalculable, but his legacy might be even better remembered for what he contributed to the American language. And this mainly because many of the Yogi-isms or Berra-isms didn’t make any sense. Here are a few of them:
1. When you come to a fork in the road, take it.
2. You can observe a lot by just watching.
3. It ain’t over till it’s over.
4. It’s like deja vu all over again.
5. Baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half physical.
6. Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours.
7. We made too many wrong mistakes.
8.You wouldn’t have won if we’d beaten you.
9. I usually take a two-hour nap between 1 and 4 PM.
10.The future ain’t what it used to be.
11. Slump? I ain’t in no slump.....I just ain’t hitting!
12. You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry to eat six.

Saint Andrew

The crucifixion of St Andrew at San Andrea della Valle, Rome

Sibling rivalry is not often mentioned in the Gospels, but we know that John and his brother James were always trying to impress Jesus, while their mother spoke in their regard so that they get preferential treatment in heaven. Then there was Peter who had his brother Andrew close to him, both fishermen, but Jesus had the soft spot for Peter, while Andrew stayed in his shadow.  Andrew became a disciple of the great St John the Baptist, but when John pointed to Jesus and said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" Andrew understood that Jesus was greater. At once he left John to follow the Divine Master. He was actually the first apostle Jesus called at the Sea of Galilee.
At first the two brothers continued to carry on their fishing trade and family affairs, but later, the Lord called them to stay with Him all the time. He promised to make them fishers of men, and this time, they left their nets for good. It is believed that after Jesus ascended into Heaven, St Andrew went to Greece to preach the gospel, as well as along the Black Sea. He is said to have been put to death on a cross, to which he was tied, not nailed. He lived two days in that state of suffering, still preaching to the people who gathered around their beloved Apostle. Various countries have chosen St Andrew as their patron saint, among them Russia, Ukraine, Romania and Scotland. In fact Scotland has incorporated his X-shaped cross in their flag, repeated again in the Union Jack, the British flag.

Another painting in San Andrea della Valle, Rome

Relics of the Apostle Andrew are kept at the Basilica of St Andrew in Patras, Greece; the Duomo di Sant'Andrea, Amalfi, Italy; St Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland; and the Church of St Andrew and St Albert, Warsaw, Poland. There are also numerous smaller reliquaries throughout the world.
The two paintings reproduced here were paintings in the famous church San Andrea della Valle in the heart of Rome. Thankfully they allowed photography in the church, and I was able to take a few photos in May 2012. The church is featured in the first act of the opera Tosca by Giacomo Puccini.

Advent

A popular custom that has become part of our liturgy is the blessing of the Advent wreath in churches, as well as homes. The tradition comes from the Scandinavian countries, which experience very short days and long dark nights, and so they bring all their farming equipment inside their homes for the winter months. Some of the folks started to decorate the wheel of their carts with green bows and then attached candles to them. The idea developed to introduce a similar custom in churches, with the four candles to symbolize the 4 Sundays of Advent. Three purple candles and a rose-color candle are lit on the Sundays, respectively for the color of the vestment the priest uses. On the third Sunday a rose-color or pink vestment is used to symbolize joy. Some churches leave the Advent wreath throughout the Christmas season and add a white candle for Christmas. 

Each Sunday of Advent has a theme which is frequently highlighted by just one word.
First Sunday: WATCH, 2nd Sunday: PREPARE, 3rd Sunday: REJOICE, 4th Sunday: BEHOLD, Christmas: CELEBRATE.

Malta Pine Crucifix

Trees grow in various shapes and sizes. The majority are normal healthy trees and they grow for decades until they may be cut down to be used for wood. Other trees become deceased after a few years and they eventually decay and die. It is incredible how so many millions of trees grow by themselves, watered by rain, and nature takes care of them without any fanfare. Then there are trees that grow in a very unusual way, like a pine tree in Malta that grew up in the shape of a crucifix. It is located on a main road that leads from Attard uphill to Rabat. One can easily see the contortioned figure of Christ with head and arms extended, with the twisted body and and legs on the vertical part of the pine tree. 
I don’t know if it’s still in existence, but until a few years ago, it was still in perfect shape, and when I took this photo in the 1980s, it was mostly unknown to many. Someone went a little bit too far and stained it, which probably caused its disappearance. I am not sure about its present state, but the last time I was in Malta, I could not find it. People started also putting holy cards around it, garnering more attention, and soliciting a prayer, which I will repeat here: We adore you o Christ and we praise you, because by Your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

More from snowy Bend

The snowfall we received two days ago blanketed the entire Central Oregon with a spectacular display of a winter wonderland. For today I share with you just a few photos I took as I drive from one church to another, as I glimpse icicles everywhere, snow-covered trees and icy roads which are causing many accidents with drivers who drive faster than expected. It is sunny over the next few days, but temperatures dipping at 6 degrees Fahrenheit overnight (15 degrees Celsius.)

Thank you to some special people

The main altar decorated for Thanksgiving at St Francis, Bend.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving Day, may we all take this opportunity to thank a few special people this year, for doing so much . . . .
…the patient people at Department stores who line everything up neat and tidy, for us to mess them up.
. . . the salesgirls and boys who work overnight in Foodstores, freshening everything up, and making sure there’s enough of everything.
…people who deliver our mail, who rain or shine do their round and have to tackle narrow mail-boxes, barking dogs, and gates that are hard to open.
…all those moms and dads who stay up late at night until all their children are home safely, and those who would not sleep until everyone is tucked in bed.
…those people who invented the Computer, E-Mail, the Internet and those buttons entitled copy and save, highlight and paste.
…for those who listen to us when we talk to them, and for those who talk to us when they realize that we may be lonely.
…the many farmers who grow all the vegetables and fruits we eat, and those who take care of cows, sheep, pigs and goats who give us cheese, milk, meat and butter.
…those who work all night long to prepare newspapers for us, so that we can simply pick them up from our front door in the morning and read them sipping a cup of coffee.
…those who clean our streets, pick our garbage, and make sure we have a clean environment, and also for those who patiently pick up millions of leaves at this time of the year, bagging them neatly.
…those who risk their lives in reporting news from far away countries, especially where there is so much hostility and opposition to their presence. 
…for the heroes who in the past months have left families, friends, security, sleep, safety to help those in need, especially fire-fighters, police officers, nurses and doctors, search-rescue teams, etc.
…for those who give you a hug when you’re not expecting it, and for those who give you a phone call just to say “they missed you.”
...for little brother and sister who play with you, for your friends and teachers who help you with homework, and last but not least, for God Almighty, who keeps us going and going.

Dreaming of a white Thanksgiving

This is what Bend Oregon looks like this morning. We received close to 10 inches of snow yesterday, a snowstorm that hit us hard and quick, causing many drivers to slip and slide, especially those who did not have studded tires on. With today regarded as the busiest day of traveling for many Americans, the outlook does not look very good for those who have to travel around the northwest. Safe travels and drive slowly and cautiously. 

My first Thanksgiving

My first Thanksgiving in 1981 was a memorable one, as I went to watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. It was a glorious day with thousands of people watching the floats of Snoopy, Spiderman, the Smurfs and Kermit float by in the cold autumn air. I thought I would spend the rest of the day visiting some stores in Manhattan, but everything was closed! So I headed back to New Hyde Park where I joined one of the families in my parish for a delicious turkey dinner. Things have changed as this year some stores will open in the evening to beat the Black Friday rush of customers storming the stores for early Christmas shopping. But it’s a shame that commercialism and materialism has tarnished this otherwise religious and meaningful holiday. But even as we watch the balloons, football games and enjoy a turkey dinner, as well as some pumpkin pie(at least for those who like them) let us also be thankful to God for giving us another year of blessings and graces.

 

Nativity figures on display

Yesterday, our parishioners had the opportunity to see the new Fontanini figures for the Nativity in our new church. A group of generous parishioners sponsored them and with the exception of two shepherds, all the figures were on display yesterday in one of the rooms, as you can see from these few photos. All standing figures are 18 inches in height. The stable will be erected this weekend by Rick and Lupita Wesseler in front of the main altar, and a few characters at a time will be placed in the stable, starting with the cow and donkey and a few sheep on the first Sunday of Advent. More will be added on the following Sundays, until baby Jesus arrives on Christmas Eve.

Christ the King

The Solemnity of Christ the King is celebrated on the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year. It’s a day to honor our Savior as King, who leads us with love, kindness and compassion, unlike many other ruthless Kings and Emperors who lead with tyranny, oppression and cruelty, many of whom were deposed by their own people. The image of Christ the King has always been presented to us as if sitting on a glittering throne, with a scepter in hand and golden crown on his head. In actual fact, his throne was the cross on which he was crucified, the scepter were the nails driven through his hands and feet, and the crown was made of sharp thorns that were pushed on his head. The feast of Christ the King as we know it now was introduced in 1925, 90 years ago, to counteract the start of Communism in the world. The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 had taken the presence of Christ from the hearts of people, and the Church wanted to bring Him back into the center of their lives. The feast was celebrated on the last Sunday in October until 1969, when Pope Paul VI shifted this feast to the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year, usually towards the end of November.
Christus Vincit, Christus Regnat, Christus Imperat (Christ will win, Christ will reign, Christ will rule)

Feast of the Presentation of Mary

The feast of the Presentation of Mary seems first to have appeared in Syria, but later rose to prominence in Jerusalem. A basilica was built near the ruins of the Temple in Jerusalem, and the Gospel of James and other apocryphal works (not included in the Bible) told the story of Mary's presentation at the Temple at the age of three. In gratitude for being granted a child after years of infertility, Mary's parents, Saints Joachim and St Anne had vowed to dedicate Mary to the service of God at the Temple. When they presented her at the Temple at the age of three, she stayed willingly, showing her dedication to God even at that young age, attending the temple regularly, similar to what children do attending their Religious Education classes.
The Gospel or Protoevangelium of James is the source of many details of Mary's life that became universally accepted by the Church, including the names of her parents, the story of her birth, her age at her betrothal to Saint Joseph, and Saint Joseph's advanced age and his status as a widower with children by his first wife. It also played a large role among Christians, both Eastern and Western, in recognizing Mary as the new Temple, the true Holy of Holies. When Mary left the Temple at the age of 12 after her betrothal to Joseph, she remained pure and chaste, and at the Annunciation God came to dwell in her.
 The Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary first made its way to the West through monasteries in Southern Italy in the ninth century; by the 11th century, it had spread to other locales, but was by no means universally celebrated. Under the influence of a French nobleman, Philippe de Mazières, Pope Gregory XI began celebrating the feast during the time the Pope was living in Avignon, France. Pope Sixtus IV first placed the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the universal calendar in 1472, but in the Tridentine reform of the calendar in 1568, Pope Pius V removed the feast. It was restored 17 years later by Pope Sixtus V, and remains in the Roman calendar today as a memorial.

Watch what you write!

"Sure is hot down here"....What!

Our wonderful technology is amazing and we are now communicating with such ease and efficiency that makes typewriters, note-pads and even fountain pens and ink obsolete. But it’s wise to remember how easily this wonderful technology can be misused, sometimes unintentionally, with serious consequences. 
Consider the case of the Illinois man who left the snow-filled  streets of Chicago for a vacation in Florida.  His wife was on a business trip and was planning to meet him there the next day.  When he reached his hotel, he decided to send his wife a quick e-mail. Unable to find the scrap of paper on which he had written her e-mail address, he did his best to type it in from memory.   Unfortunately, he missed one letter and his note was directed instead to an elderly widow whose husband had passed away only the day before. When the grieving widow checked her e-mail, she took one look at the monitor, let out a piercing scream, and fell to the floor in a dead faint.  At the sound, her family rushed into the room and saw this note on the screen:
DEAREST WIFE: JUST GOT CHECKED IN.  EVERYTHING PREPARED FOR YOUR ARRIVAL TOMORROW. PS: SURE IS HOT DOWN HERE!

Three Prayers

Grant me o God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope to finally embracing you. Amen. (St Thomas Aquinas)

Jesus, open the eyes of my heart, that I may hear your word and understand and do your will. Open the eyes of my mind to the understanding of your Gospel teaching. Speak to me the hidden and secret things of your wisdom. Enlighten my mind and understanding with the light of your knowledge, not only to cherish those things that are written, but to do them. Amen. (St. John Chrysostom)
 
Helper of those who turn to you, light of those in the dark, creator of all that grows from seed, promoter of all spiritual growth, have mercy, Lord, on me and make me a temple fit for yourself. In your great mercy, in your boundless compassion, wash away my sins, through Jesus Christ our Lord, your only child, the truly holy, the chief of our souls’ healers. Amen
(An early Christian Prayer)

The Basilicas of St Peter and St Paul

Barely a week ago, we commemorated the dedication of the Mother Church of the Catholic Church, St John Lateran. Today we commemorate the dedication of two other major basilicas combined together, St Paul outside the walls and St Peter’s basilica, known as the Vatican. These dedications are important because they symbolize in a way the birth and baptism of each edifice.
When the early persecutions ended in 313 AD by King Constantine, he later built a basilica over the tomb where St Peter was buried. It lasted almost a thousand years, and the reconstruction of the original building started in the 14th century. The present Basilica, an ingenious structure built with the collaboration of Michelangelo, Bramante, Carlo Moderno, Giovanni Pannini and Bernini was officially consecrated on November 18 1626 by Pope Urban VIII. It is by far the most imposing and impressive church in all of Christendom, where major celebrations, elections of Popes, funerals, Canonizations etc, are held.

The Basilica of St Paul was started by Valentinian II on the Via Ostiense in 386, on the place where St Paul was buried. It was subsequently modified by Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th century. It has a graceful cloister that was built in the 13th century. Of all the churches of Rome, it had preserved its primitive character for 1435 years.
However a negligent fire destroyed it in 1823 and the new and present Basilica was built in the 19th century and consecrated on December 10, 1854 by Pope Pius IX. The whole world contributed to its reconstruction. The Viceroy of Egypt sent pillars of alabaster, the Emperor of Russia the precious malachite and lapis lazuli of the tabernacle. The work on the principal facade, looking toward the Tiber, was completed by the Italian Government, which declared the church a national monument. Pope Pius IX ruled that both Basilicas will have their dedication celebration together, on November 18. Both churches are majestic in appearance, but also very imposing in their stature as two of the 4 major basilicas in Rome.

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary

St. Elizabeth was born in Bratislava, a Kingdom of Hungary in 1207, the daughter of Alexander II, King of Hungary. At the age of four she was sent for education to the court of the Landgrave of Thuringia, and within a few years she was betrothed to his son, Ludwig. As she grew in age, her piety also increased by leaps and bounds. In 1221, aged 14, she married Ludwig of Thuringia, the same year that he was crowned Ludwig IV, and the marriage appears to have been happy. In 1223, Franciscan monks arrived, and the teenage Elizabeth not only learned about the ideals of Francis of Assisi, but started to live these ideals. Ludwig was not upset by his wife's charitable efforts, believing that the distribution of his wealth to the poor would bring eternal reward; he is venerated in Thuringia as a saint, though not canonized by the church as his wife is. In spite of Elizabeth’s position at court she began to lead an austerely simple life, practiced penance, and devoted herself to works of charity. 

Her husband was himself much inclined to religion and highly esteemed her virtue, encouraging her in her exemplary life. They had three children, Hermann, Sophia and Gertrude. Then tragedy struck - Ludwig was killed while fighting with the Crusaders. After his death, Elizabeth left the court, made arrangements for the care of her children, and in 1228, renounced the world, becoming a tertiary of St. Francis. Her family wanted her to re-marry, but she made a vow of celibacy and never married. She built the Franciscan hospital at Marburg, Germany and devoted herself to the care of the sick until her death at the young age of 24 in 1231. St. Elizabeth is frequently pictured distributing bread to the needy in her community, and thus is the patron saint of bakers, countesses, the homeless, nursing services, widows, and young brides. She was canonized in 1235, just 4 years after her death.

Photos from the Christmas Faire

Another successful Christmas Fair was organized, coordinated and set up in our parish Community Center this past weekend. These photos show some scenes from this annual event. Thanks to Sherry Rice and all her helpers who worked indefatigably around the clock to present a well-organized event.

Sherry Rice, the coordinator of the Christmas Faire

Three of my paintings raised $500, $250 and $250 in the silent auction