Living Nativities

Living Nativity at St Francis Cathedral, Baker City, OREGON

Nativity displays are becoming very popular, especially with live people, including a newborn baby. Our parish has held living nativities over the years, as these pictures show. We also re-create the birth of Jesus during the children’s Mass on Christmas Eve.

De La Salle school children in Malta presenting a Living nativity with 789 students

A particular school in Malta yesterday broke the Guinness World record for the largest ever nativity, with 789 characters, by-passing by 40 the previous record. The cast included a 6-week old baby and the Principal of the school, a Christian Brother as one of the Kings.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the most treasured among Mexicans and Catholics alike. It all started in 1531 when an Aztec indian named Juan Diego was walking through the Tepayac hill country in central Mexico. Near Tepayac Hill he encountered a beautiful woman surrounded by a ball of light as bright as the sun. Speaking in his native tongue, the beautiful lady identified herself: "My dear little son, I love you. I desire you to know who I am. I am the ever-virgin Mary, Mother of the true God who gives life and maintains its existence. I desire a church in this place where your people may experience my compassion. Here I will see their tears; I will console them and they will be at peace. So run now to Tenochtitlan and tell the Bishop all that you have seen and heard."
Juan, age 57, and who had never been to Tenochtitlan, nonetheless immediately responded to Mary's request. He went to the palace of the Bishop-elect Fray Juan de Zumarraga and requested to meet immediately with the bishop. The bishop's servants, who were suspicious of the rural peasant, kept him waiting for hours. The bishop-elect told Juan that he would consider the request of the Lady and told him he could visit him again if he so desired. Juan was disappointed by the bishop's response and felt himself unworthy to persuade someone as important as a bishop. He returned to the hill where he had first met Mary and found her there waiting for him. Imploring her to send someone else, she responded:

"My little son, there are many I could send. But you are the one I have chosen." She then told him to return the next day to the bishop and repeat the request. On Sunday, after again waiting for hours, Juan met with the bishop who, on re-hearing his story, asked him to ask the Lady to provide a sign as a proof of who she was. Juan dutifully returned to the hill and told Mary, who was again waiting for him there, of the bishop's request. Mary responded: "My little son, am I not your Mother? Do not fear. The Bishop shall have his sign. Come back to this place tomorrow. Only peace, my little son." Unfortunately, Juan was not able to return to the hill the next day. His uncle had become mortally ill and Juan stayed with him to care for him. After two days, with his uncle near death, Juan left his side to find a priest. Juan had to pass Tepayac Hill to get to the priest. As he was passing, he found Mary waiting for him. She spoke: "Do not be distressed, my littlest son. Your uncle will not die at this time. There is no reason for you to engage a priest, for his health is restored at this moment. He is quite well. Go to the top of the hill and cut the flowers that are growing there. Bring them then to me." While it was freezing on the hillside, Juan obeyed Mary's instructions and went to the top of the hill where he found a full bloom of Castilian roses. Removing his tilma, a poncho-like cape made of cactus fiber, he cut the roses and carried them back to Mary. She rearranged the roses and told him:

"My little son, this is the sign I am sending to the Bishop. Tell him that with this sign I request his greatest efforts to complete the church I desire in this place. Show these flowers to no one else but the Bishop. You are my trusted ambassador. This time the Bishop will believe all you tell him." At the palace, Juan once again came before the bishop and several of his advisors. He told the bishop his story and opened the tilma letting the flowers fall out. But it wasn't the beautiful roses that caused the bishop and his advisors to fall to their knees; for there, on the tilma, was a picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary precisely as Juan had described her. The next day, after showing the Tilma at the Cathedral, Juan took the bishop to the spot where he first met Mary. He then returned to his village where he met his uncle who was completely cured. His uncle told him he had met a young woman, surrounded by a soft light, who told him that she had just sent his nephew to Tenochtitlan with a picture of herself. She told his uncle: "Call me and call my image Santa Maria de Guadalupe".

It's believed that the word Guadalupe was actually a Spanish mis-translation of the local Aztec dialect. The word that Mary probably used was Coatlallope which means "one who treads on snakes"! Within six years of this apparition, six million Aztecs had converted to Catholicism. The tilma shows Mary as the God-bearer - she is pregnant with her Divine Son. Since the time the tilma was first impressed with a picture of the Mother of God, it has been subject to a variety of environmental hazards including smoke from fires and candles, water from floods and torrential downpours and, in 1921, a bomb which was planted by anti-clerical forces on an altar under it. There was also a cast-iron cross next to the tilma and when the bomb exploded, the cross was twisted out of shape, the marble altar rail was heavily damaged and the tilma was...untouched! Indeed, no one was injured in the Church despite the damage that occurred to a large part of the altar structure.

The original tilma, encased in a frame at the basilica of Guadalupe, Mexico City

In 1977, the tilma was examined using infrared photography and digital enhancement techniques. Unlike any painting, the tilma shows no sketching or any sign of outline drawn to permit an artist to produce a painting. Further, the very method used to create the image is still unknown. The image is inexplicable in its longevity and method of production. It can be seen today in a large cathedral built to house up to ten thousand worshipers. It is, by far, the most popular religious pilgrimage site in the Western Hemisphere.

During a Mass at Guadalupe, Mexico City

More Christmas Stamps

England Christmas stamps 2005

I share with you today some other Christmas stamps from around the world. They need no explanation, but simply enjoy them and reflect on them. Lots of work goes into the designing of stamps, frequently with competitions being sponsored to choose the very best. As you can see, these samples speak for themselves.

Belgium 1980

Malta 2004

New Zealand 2000

Christmas Stamps

Emvin Cremona Christmas stamps - 1968

Over the years hundreds of stamps were issued by most countries, commemorating Christmas. Lots of artwork has been displayed through stamps, besides other crafts, decorations and symbolism that is frequently pertinent to the particular country. My home country of Malta has always been in the forefront for beautiful stamps, especially during the 1960s and 1970s when Emvin Cremona designed most of them. I took these photos from a shop window in Valletta, Malta, and so the quality is not the best, but one can see the beauty of the designs, innovative and pioneering in many ways. (click once to enlarge)

Emvin Cremona Christmas stamps - 1970

Tomorrow, I will share some other Christmas stamps from other countries, better quality images.

December signs

1st Street, Baker City, OREGON on December 9, 2012

This is what Baker City looked like early this morning. A snowfall of about 3 inches blanketed the city last evening, possibly much more in the nearby mountains. 

Baker City sunrise December 9, 2012

And a spectacular sunrise greeted us as soon as the sun appeared on the horizon, give the sky an orange glow which made everything looked like on fire.

And a few shows and exhibitions in town remind us that we are truly in the month of December, and Christmas is only 16 days away.

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 38 million links and articles to the word ‘Blessed Mother’ produced by Google, and the 3 million images produced when you type the words ‘Our Lady’ 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.”

Please remember my brother Paul, who entered eternal life on December 8, 2010. May God grant him eternal peace, as well as comfort and consolation to his wife Kay, his brothers and sisters, nephews and relatives and friends, as well as beloved Kenny.

Paul Cassar with Kenny - April 2010

Origami Christmas Tree

Back in the 1980s, I developed a fascination with origami, the Japanese art of paper-folding to create animals, stars, designs and other objects with the simple technique of folding paper, without tape, glue or staples. One of the years, in 1983 I created a small tree with cranes, (symbols of peace) as well as a Nativity display, which I used to decorate the parish office for the years I was assigned there. This included the holy family, three camels and kings, 4 chicks, a donkey, a cow and a deer, besides a few colored boxes.

I was further inspired by a huge Christmas Tree set up in the Japan Airlines office in Manhattan, decorated by ornaments created by children from around the USA. Every ornament had to be placed strategically in place, tied with a piece of wire, as you can see from the photo below.

Saint Nicholas

St Nicholas distributing toys

St. Nicholas was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man, and became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors.
Perhaps the best-known story about Nicholas concerns his charity toward a poor man who was unable to provide dowries for his three daughters of marriageable age. Rather than see them forced into prostitution, Nicholas secretly tossed a bag of gold through the poor man’s window on three separate occasions, thus enabling the daughters to be married. Over the centuries, this particular legend evolved into the custom of gift-giving on the saint’s feast. And so in the English-speaking countries, St. Nicholas became, by a twist of the tongue, Santa Claus.

Under the ruthless Emperor Diocletian, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for murderers, thieves and robbers. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicea in 325 AD, the same Council that devised the Nicene Creed we recite during Sunday Mass. He died December 6, 343 in Myra and was buried in his Cathedral church. 
In the spring of 1087, sailors from Bari, afraid of the Muslim invasion, succeeded in spiriting away the relics from that Cathedral, bringing them to Bari, a seaport on the southeast coast of Italy. An impressive church was built over St. Nicholas' crypt and many faithful journeyed to honor the saint who had rescued children, prisoners, sailors, famine victims, and many others through his compassion, generosity, and the countless miracles. To this day pilgrims and tourists visit Bari's great Basilica di San Nicola. Both the Eastern and Western Churches honor him, and it is claimed that, after the Blessed Virgin, he is the saint most pictured by Christian artists.

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.

Advent Calendars

A way to help children and adults to prepare for Christmas is the creation of the Advent calendar, which has become quite popular, with a variety of variations that have developed in different countries. The most popular is a countdown to Christmas, as children bring an item to place on each day of December, as they reflect on the meaning of each thing, object or person related to the Nativity or the Christmas season. Of course our favorite is always a nativity display, like the one displayed above.

Another innovative way of creating an Advent Calendar is this Scandinavian idea of using the facade of a building with windows, and as each window opens throughout the month of December, a Christmas symbol is displayed.

And this past Sunday I made an Advent calendar for our children in my parish, and I invited them to color a section of the Nativity scene I drew for them, and day by day, the scene will become more colorful, as long as they do the chore or message they are asked to perform until the end of December. Click on the image to read the messages for each day, and you can save it and print it to use for yourself and your children.

St Francis Xavier

Francis was born in the family castle of Xavier, near Pamplona in the Basque area of Spanish  Navarre on April 7, 1506. He was sent to the University of Paris in 1525, secured his licentiate in 1528.  There he met Ignatius Loyola and became one of the seven who in 1534, at Montmartre, founded the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits. In 1536 he left Paris to join Ignatius in Venice, from where they all intended to go as missionaries to Palestine (a trip which never materialized.)

He was ordained a priest there in 1537, went to Rome in 1538, and in 1540, when the pope formally recognized the Society, was ordered, with Fr. Simon Rodriguez, to the Far East as the first Jesuit missionaries. King John III kept Fr. Simon in Lisbon, but Francis, after a year's voyage, six months of which were spent at Mozambique where he preached and gave aid to the sick, eventually arrived in Goa, India in 1542 with Fr. Paul of Camerino an Italian, and Francis Mansihas, a Portuguese. There he began preaching to the natives and attempted to reform his fellow Europeans, living among the natives and adopting their customs on his travels. During the next decade he converted tens of thousands to Christianity.

He visited a large part of India, New Guinea and the Philippines as well as Japan. In 1551, India and the East were set up as a separate province and Ignatius made Francis its first provincial. In 1552 he set out for China, landed on the island of Sancian within sight of his goal, but died before he reached the mainland. Working against great difficulties, language problems, inadequate funds, and lack of cooperation, often actual resistance from European officials, he left the mark of his missionary zeal and energy on areas which clung to Christianity for centuries. He was canonized in 1622 and proclaimed patron of all foreign missions by Pope Pius X.

St Francis Xavier church at 46 West 16th Street, NYC

Many churches are dedicated to St Francis Xavier, and probably the most beautiful one is in Manhattan, 46 West 16th Street , NYC, a church built in 1878 by architect Patrick C. Keely. and restored in 2009.

The Advent Wreath

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.

Festival of Trees

December is probably the busiest month for many people; it is possibly the happiest month and yet for others it may be the saddest month, especially for those who are alone. Throughout this month, I will share photos and reflections and inspirational messages related to Advent and Christmas. I hope these posts will cheer you up, but most importantly helps you keep the focus of the reason for this season, the birth of Christ, in Bethlehem, in our homes, in our hearts, in our parishes and communities. 

Yesterday right here in Baker City, the annual Festival of Trees was held, sponsored by the local Catholic hospital, where over 20 beautifully decorated trees were auctioned off, apart from many other smaller trees and wreaths. As usual, I was asked to give a Blessing on this event, and among other things I prayed that “the lights on the trees may symbolize the presence of hope and love in our community and homes, and may each light stand for a simple smile we can give to those who may feel sad or lonely this Christmas. Let us remember those whose light does not shine as bright as it should, those who are struggling to make a life for themselves and their families, those in the Armed Forces and those who suffered a loss of some kind this past year, especially the people in the northeast, still recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.”

Below are some photos form the beautifully decorated trees, with different themes, and some close-ups of intricate decorations, from this year and years past.

Raggedy Ann and Andy - 2012

Handmade origami items - 2011

Decorating the Cathedral Centennial Tree in 2007

Saint Andrew

Main altar painting, 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. 

Side altar painting, 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 last May. The church is featured in the first act of the opera Tosca by Giacomo Puccini.

The Three Hymns

Before we start the Advent season in preparation for Christmas, I share with you one final cute story that will surely bring a smile on everyone's face....

One Sunday a pastor told his congregation that the church needed some extra money, and asked the people to prayerfully consider giving a little more in the offering plate. He said that whoever gave the most would be able to pick out three hymns. After the offering plates were passed, the pastor glanced down and noticed that someone had placed a $1,000 bill in offering. He was so excited that he immediately shared his joy with his congregation and said that he would personally thank the person who placed the money in the plate. A very quiet, elderly, saintly lady all the way in the back shyly raised her hand.
The pastor asked her to come to the front. Slowly she made her way to the pastor. He told her how wonderful it was that she gave so much and in thanksgiving asked her to pick out three hymns. Her eyes brightened as she looked over the congregation, pointed to the three handsomest men in the building and said. I'll take him and him and him.

The Three Hymns...him, him and him!

Surprising Sunrises

Baker City, OREGON sunrise November 28, 2012

Autumn is the best time to observe spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Here in Eastern Oregon, we are blessed with such scenes that illuminate the entire sky. This morning I experienced such a phenomena, when you have to be in the right place at the right time, with a camera at hand. Sunrises like these last only 2 to 3 minutes, and if you miss the perfect shot, you’ll regret it forever. Many people miss seeing these sunrises because they’re either still asleep, or getting up, or shaving or taking a shower, or putting make-up on, or having breakfast, or checking e-mails, or the news, or watching morning shows, or just too oblivious of the beauty that’s a curtain-rise away. So I share with you today the red flaming sky that enveloped Baker City at around 7 AM.

“Praise the Lord you skies and clouds, you sunrises and sunsets!”

Remembering a great pioneer

Dr. Joseph E. Murray, who performed the world's first successful kidney transplant and won a Nobel Prize for his pioneering work, has died at age 93. Since the first kidney transplants on identical twins, hundreds of thousands of transplants on a variety of organs have been performed worldwide. Murray shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1990 with Dr. E. Donnall Thomas, who won for his work in bone marrow transplants. "Kidney transplants seem so routine now," Murray told The New York Times after he won the Nobel. "But the first one was like Lindbergh's flight across the ocean." Murray's breakthroughs did not come without criticism, from ethicists and religious leaders. In the early 1950s, there had never been a successful human organ transplant. Murray and his associates at Boston's Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, developed new surgical techniques, gaining knowledge by successfully transplanting kidneys on dogs. In December 1954, they found the right patients, 23-year-old Richard Herrick, who had end-stage kidney failure, and his identical twin, Ronald Herrick.

Because of their identical genetic background, they did not face the biggest problem with transplant patients, the immune system's rejection of foreign tissue. After the operation, Richard had a functioning kidney transplanted from Ronald. Richard lived another eight years, marrying a nurse he met at the hospital and having two children. "Post-operatively the transplanted kidney functioned immediately with a dramatic improvement in the patient's renal and cardiopulmonary status," Murray said in his Nobel lecture. "This spectacular success was a clear demonstration that organ transplantation could be life-saving."

Murray performed more transplants on identical twins over the next few years and tried kidney transplants on other relatives, including fraternal twins, learning more about how to suppress the immune system's rejection of foreign tissue. One patient who received a kidney transplant from a fraternal twin in 1959, plus radiation and a bone marrow transplant to suppress his immune response, lived for 29 more years. Murray continued a long career in plastic surgery, his original specialty, and transplants. He was guided by his own deep religious convictions. "Work is a prayer," Murray told the Harvard University Gazette in 2001. "And I start off every morning dedicating it to our Creator."

Thanksgiving never ends

As many people return to their normal daily routine, may they always remember to give thanks to God almighty for so many blessings they receive. As I was coming back from my mission Church in Halfway yesterday, a simple wooden cross on a hill reminded me of God’s beauty all around. May we continue to show gratitude everyday of our lives.
 
    “O God, when I have food,  help me to remember the hungry;
    When I have work, help me to remember the jobless;
    When I have a home, help me to remember those who have no home at all;
    When I am without pain, help me to remember those who suffer....

    And remembering, help me to destroy my complacency;
    Show more my compassion, and be concerned enough to help;
    By word and deed, those who cry out
    for what we take for granted. Amen.”

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, 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)

Bishop Scicluna consecrated

Bishop Charles Scicluna at St John's Cathedral, Valletta, Malta

Mgr Charles Scicluna, former Promoter of Justice at the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, was ordained Auxiliary Bishop for Malta on Saturday morning November 24, 2012 at St John's co-Cathedral in Valletta. He will be Archbishop Paul Cremona's right hand man. Two Cardinals, several bishops and many priests concelebrated the Mass in a packed Cathedral. The ceremony began with the reading out of an official proclamation by the Pope followed by Mgr Cremona’s homily in which he thanked the Pope for sending Mgr Scicluna “with his talents and experience - to help me and the Church in Malta on its way towards holiness”.

Malta Cardinal Prospero Grech blessing the new Bishop

In a message to the new bishop, Mgr Cremona said “The fullness of the ministerial priesthood which you will be receiving in your Episcopal Ordination is the mission through which the Bishop helps the faithful to live their calling as Christians. This means that the Bishop’s is not a personal dignity: it is given to him for others. It is a great dignity and a great responsibility which the Church entrusts primarily to Bishops in a specific place and entrusts them mainly with all the means it has available for the sanctification of Christians: namely the sacraments and the Word of God.”

Miter, ring and crosier of new Bishop Scicluna

The Bishop's ring is a gift from the Malta archdiocese. In the liturgical form, the ring represents the loyalty of the bishop towards the Church. In the past, the ring would be given as a sign of respect to mark (seal) his official documents and as a symbol of the commitment of the bishop towards his diocese. The miter is a gift from the nuns community in Rome, of which he is chaplain. The miter represents the bishop's enthusiasm to walk towards the path of sainthood. The tails of the miter incorporates the coat-of-arms of Bishop Scicluna, which include the family crest, which incidentally is also my mother's maiden name. The crosier is a present from the Lija parish, where Mgr Scicluna lives with his parents. The crosier reminds us that the bishop is the shepherd taking care of his flock. The cross around Mgr Scicluna's neck was given as a gift from his relatives. Ad Multos Annos.