It is good to read the lives of the Saints, but I have to be clear that many existing hagiographies are simply not appealing, written with flowery descriptions that present the saint as perfect in every conceivable way. Other than the Blessed Virgin Mary (and Jesus), there are no perfect human beings and thus, no perfect saints. Everyone has weaknesses and is prone to sin, but what sets the saints apart is how well they have worked at combatting their weaknesses, and simultaneously, how well they have grown in virtue. When a hagiography presents a saint as perfect and almost too good to be true, they become difficult to relate to. This type of writing can lead to discouragement since sainthood is presented as almost impossible to attain, and it can influence us to believe that somehow these people were born to be holy and we were not. We cannot live up to what seems impossible. Accurate hagiography, however, does appeal to the reader since these accounts portray what is possible. We can see that the struggles with weakness of the holy are not unlike our own; similarly, we can see that their giftedness is something of which we are capable. These works provide the evidence of how a particular saint grew into their call to holiness, something definitely attainable and which therefore can ignite our response to God in pursuing our own path to holiness. We are all called to holiness, and therefore well written hagiographies can offer a pathway to that end.* Scripture is also a good place to discover what it means to be holy. We will find that despite their great deeds, some of the ‘heroes’ were quite broken and had what we could characterize as debilitating faults. These people loved God and desired to do His will, but sometimes they really mucked things up due to their human weakness. Others were called into ministries to which they never aspired, excelling even at the cost of suffering because they came to trust in the power and promises of God through an intimate relationship with Him. All that said, the Scriptural figures who tried to serve the Lord can be revered for the good they did; their failings can teach us not to seek our own council, but to turn to God always, and their strengths can show us that obstacles can be overcome with love and total trust in God.** We can read about any saint in the two thousand years of Christian history and see that in addition to their wisdom and perhaps even the power of their prayer, they also made mistakes, struggling with personal areas of weakness and quite visible flaws. Some had incredible conversions which taught them to overcome their greatest weaknesses with the help of grace; others seemed to be drawn to holiness from an early age, yet also had issues to overcome. They all teach us that struggles do not diminish sanctity: as they relied on God their understanding grew concerning their weaknesses, as well as in the ways God worked within their hearts. They grew so much that they continually made a response of selfless love to God, giving witness to the power of grace; their love enabled them to supersede even their greatest weakness or sinful tendency. This is a sign of hope that we, too, can grow in holiness since these stories reveal that God does not choose His special servants based on perfection, but on something He alone sees within their hearts. As an exercise, imagine if someone were to write about you after your death. How would your spiritual biography or hagiography read? How would your hagiography read if you wrote it about yourself? And most importantly: how would your hagiography read if God were to write it? These are questions we all should reflect and pray upon; if we are honest this exercise will reveal our attachments and our weaknesses, yes, but it would also reveal how grace has already worked within us, how we utilize that grace to overcome our weaknesses, and how beautifully we have already used our gifts. Our hagiography will not be generally negative unless we focus only on weaknesses and refuse to see our own goodness. With thorough, balanced reflection under the guidance of the Holy Spirit we will see both our goodness and the areas that are in need of growth. I suspect we will be surprised by what we discover. Of course, we all have a lot of work to do, but it would be fallacious to think that we have not already shared the wealth of our gifts through service and witness to others, along with the desire to love God better, even if we find that we need to grow in some areas. The important point is that we must always pray to discern our call to truly follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit so that we continually respond to God’s desires for us. Similarly, it is essential that we are aware of our greatest points of vulnerability to temptation so that we can build up spiritual defenses against them as well as to grow in virtue. We must never stop praying to come to know and love God better, to receive from Him all He wants to offer, and for spiritual strength and protection against all the forces that want to thwart our growth in holiness. If we work at this every day, our hagiography will end in Heaven with Jesus saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant…. Come share your master’s joy.” (Matthew 25:21) May we be inspired by the lives of the saints! May we call upon the saints to help us grow in holiness as they did! And may we turn to the Lord for the graces we need that we may make a loving return to Him for all His goodness and mercy! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace! ©Michele L. Catanese * The root of the word hagiography is from the Greek word hagi meaning "of a saint, saintly, holy; from Greek hagios "sacred, devoted to the gods" (of things), "holy, pure" (of persons), in Ecclesiastical Greek,’ "a saint.’” https://www.etymonline.com/word/hagiography ** For example in the Old Testament Abram (Abraham) had a tendency to interpret what God said by taking matters into his own hands, such as when God promised him an heir. (He lied about his relationship with Sarai twice, first in Genesis 12:10 ff, then in Genesis 20; and he ‘used’ Hagar for an heir in Gen.16.) David became envious of another man’s wife and then tried to cover up his deed with worse sins. His behaviors also led to disastrous problems with his sons. Through his need to attain many wives, Solomon fell into the worship of false gods which led to the demise of Israel. In the New Testament we see that the apostles had their many weaknesses. Peter not only denied Jesus, but even after he was leader of the Christian church, he struggled at times. The best example was when he acted hypocritically in siding with the Jewish converts during the Council of Jerusalem, having recently acted completely contrary to his argument with some Gentiles. (Acts 15) St. Paul had a wonderful conversion, but even after that he grappled with a fiery temper, such as when he refused Mark in accompanying him because on the previous voyage the young man had left due to homesickness. His decision and a subsequent argument led to estrangement from his friend Barnabas for many years. (Acts 15:36-41). Images: 1. Icon; All Saints. 2. My photo; Mensa Christi, at the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter on the shores of the Sea of Galilee in Tabgha, Israel. (Tabgha is southwest of Capernaum.) 3. Painting; St. Jerome, Penitent, by Caravaggio (1606). St. Jerome struggled with his temper all his life, even though he was a holy, prayerful man. (Remember that he translated the entire Bible from Greek into Latin; that is, he gave us the Vulgate.) 4. My photo; hagiographies on my bookshelf. 5. Icon; Christ All Merciful, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. You can purchase a copy of this in one of many different mediums at fineartamerica.com/featured/christ-all-merciful-022-william-hart-mcnichols.html 6. My photo; pilgrims in prayer procession at Lourdes, France. Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time.
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One of my favorite accounts in the Old Testament is the story of Elijah. In the last part of the passage Elijah is fleeing from the evil queen Jezebel whose pagan efforts he has just thwarted. Elijah is weary, and deciding he has had enough, he sits down and prays for death. God sends an angel who feeds him with bread and water (spiritual food) and tells him to go to Mt. Carmel. Enabled by that food, he walks for 40 days and nights until he gets to the cave where God will meet him. After he arrives, he experiences an earthquake, high winds, and fire, but he knows God is in none of these. Finally, Elijah hears a still, small voice, and he hides his face because he knows he is in the presence of God. (1Kings 19:1-13ff) What stands out in this account is how God came to Elijah in an ‘ordinary,’ simple way rather than in cataclysmic or extraordinary events like earthquakes. This passage offers the insight that the still, small voice can be overlooked if we are not attuned to it as Elijah clearly was. God speaks and is present in many ways, but if we limit our seeking of Him to miraculous events and situations, we will surely miss God’s presence in the simple ways He often comes, such as the still, small voice that is part of ordinary, daily life. A way to grow in our life of prayer is to observe. In other words, becoming attentive to what is going on around us will create opportunities for reflection and prayer that can deepen our relationship with God. Observation of people (with love, and therefore without judging) is a way to open our hearts both in wonder at the goodness of others and in compassion for those who may be in need. We can also enjoy being out in nature and observing a hummingbird or a butterfly, or even just the way the clouds move, paying attention to the creativity of God. Our interior response to these observations, our reflections, can then become the foundation for prayer. Therefore, we can allow the presence of God into each moment so that what we might usually consider as ordinary is now revealed as something that is actually quite extraordinary. Anything can become an opportunity to experience God. While adoration in a chapel or church is a fantastic way to experience God, so is watching a father walking with his two year old daughter, holding her hand, for example. I observed such a man recently. His face was absolutely radiant with joy and love (and perhaps awe) as he walked with his little girl. The little girl seemed to see nothing but her father’s face, as she returned her own gaze of love. In observing something as simple as this, one could consider St. Joseph and Jesus, and then imagine how St. Joseph was moved with wonder and awe, bursting with love as he held the hand of the 2 year old Jesus, who also returned the gaze. From there, we could consider the Father looking at us with the gaze of eternal, unfathomable love as we hold His hand, enjoying His presence and trusting in His care. A simple observation such as this can lead to quite an experience in prayer! All that is necessary is the desire to see God’s presence in ordinary things and the openness to respond, allowing the experience to blossom into a deeper encounter with God. Our prayer can be so enhanced if we approach it with the simplicity of one like St. Thérèse of Lisieux who espoused her Little Way. Not trained as a theologian, this humble ‘little’ Saint is now considered to be a Doctor of the Church. Why? It is because her Little Way was simple, yet led to deep and profound prayer which in turn led to holiness. She was able to see simple things as beautiful and to allow the ordinary to become extraordinary; she saw and experienced the presence of God all around her, even in the sister who annoyed her the most or in her intense suffering with tuberculosis in her final two years of life. One does not have to be a great mystic to have that sort of intimacy with God, but all mystics begin with this ability to see God in the simplicity of ordinary life. If we are struggling in prayer, simply observe and ask God for your heart to be moved in some way, whether it is compassion or joy, or even sorrow if there is something that needs to be healed. The action of observing is the beginning or prayer; if we cannot see God in the ordinary, ask the Holy Spirit to enable this in order to begin to develop this simple, yet important gift. Finally, observation is the foundation for discernment. When we can find the presence of God in simplicity and in the ordinary we are actually learning to sort out that which leads to Him, that is, the movement of the Holy Spirit, and similarly we can begin to recognize the attachments and weak points we have that are exploited by the evil one and which lead to self or worldliness, and thus, away from God. By learning to deepen our observation through simple, ordinary experiences we will come to see that the presence of God sanctifies every moment and every ordinary thing. And if we continually stand in His presence, we, too, will become sanctified. May we ask the Lord to help us to observe His presence in the simple, ordinary events of life! May we be moved to love more deeply and turn away from judgment in our observation of our brothers and sisters! And may we grow in holiness, becoming light for others through our time spent in the presence of God! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace! ©Michele L. Catanese Images: 1. My photo of stained glass; Elijah being taken to Heaven in a whirlwind. 2. My photo; Hummingbird on my hummingbird feeder. 3. Icon; San Jose Sombra del Padre, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. You can obtain a copy of this in one of many mediums at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/san-jose-sombra-del-padre-161-william-hart-mcnichols.html 4. Photo; children playing in the park. 5. Painting; Seascape, by Claude Monet. 6. My photo; The majesty of creation. Kootenai National Forest, Montana. Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. One of my favorite works of art is that of the Annunciation done by Blessed Fra Angelico. Everything about this fresco painting draws me into the sublime beauty he captured. The Virgin Mary is delicate, yet she does not appear as weak, and it is clear she is filled with the grace the angel acknowledges. The archangel Gabriel is magnificent, - (especially in the resplendence of his wings) - though without outshining Mary. As remarkable as all that is, the most moving aspect of this painting is their gaze upon one another. The angel is looking upon her, yet his head and eyes are slightly lowered in deference to who it is he is addressing. Mary meets Gabriel’s gaze with total openness, attentive to him, and yet her demeanor is that of humility and wonder. As with their gaze, their posture is notable: both have their arms gently folded across their chests, conveying the deepest respect, one for the other. During the month in which we celebrate Mary as Our Lady of the Rosary, this image calls to mind not only the first of the many Mysteries upon which we meditate, but it unites us with the angel Gabriel as together we say: “Hail Mary!” As we pray his salutation we connect with Mary and all the angels, who no doubt rejoiced when Gabriel addressed her that day. October is often referred as a month of Mary, but I must point out that in our liturgical year every month except April contains at least one feast or solemnity of Mary.* In October the feast is Our Lady of the Rosary, (October 7). What is interesting, however, is that just before Our Lady of the Rosary we celebrate angels twice. On September 29 we honor the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael and then only three days after the Archangels, we celebrate the Guardian Angels (October 2). How fitting that the angels ‘prepare’ the way for the beautiful celebration of Our Lady and the Rosary she gave to St. Dominic, handed down to us, which begins with the angelic salutation, “Hail Mary!”** The Rosary is an important and powerful prayer meant to help us meditate upon the mysteries of our faith which focus upon God’s immense love offered through Jesus’ life, suffering and death, as well as Mary’s role and willing participation in His plan for our salvation. In addition to bringing us into meditation and prayerful insights into the mysteries of our faith, the Rosary also puts demons to flight, as they are terrified of the purity and authority that is Mary’s. In regard to the Annunciation St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that in ancient times angels were always revered by men and that it was never the other way around. This is because the angels are “incorruptible and pure spirit” who worship at the throne of God, and therefore are on a higher plane than we who are fallen and sinful. He wrote: “…the angel is elevated above man, by the fullness of the splendor of his divine grace. Angels, in fact, participate with the greatest fullness in the divine light itself. "Can the soldiers of God be numbered?" says Job (25:3), "and is there any upon whom his light does not shine?" This is why angels always appear in the light of God. Men, on the other hand, do share in the light of grace, but sparingly...."” St. Thomas concluded, “It was not fitting, therefore, for the angel to bow to man, until the day a human creature appeared who surpassed the angels in fullness of grace, familiarity with God, and dignity. This human creature was the Blessed Virgin Mary. In recognition of this superiority, the angel showed her his veneration with the words: "Hail Mary!"" *** With the words of St. Thomas in mind, reflecting on the Annunciation ought to fill us with the greatest awe at the occasion when an angel acknowledged one greater than he from among the ranks of humans. Mary, chosen by God, was made aware of her own dignity which she graciously accepted while never losing humility throughout a life that would be filled with joys, the greatest sufferings, and unfathomable mystery, until her own death. She accepted everything humbly and in the deepest love for God. Since her death Mary has continued to do the will of the Father, leading His people to her Son Jesus and working to keep us close to Him. Something to ponder, however, is that while we do not share in her perfection, there is one significant way in which we are just like Mary; like her we have been gifted with an angel who accompanies us throughout life. Every person is given a Guardian Angel at birth and that angel both guides and prays for us during our entire life, and then accompanying us through death, this angel will remain present even through our eternal life; that beautiful spirit who is our guardian angel is with us for eternity. To be clear, our guardian does not regard their role as a ‘job,’ but rather, as a relationship. They love us and care immensely about who we are and the choices we make. With this in mind, we should adopt the same attitude toward our Guardian Angel, appreciating and loving them, requesting their aid, and being grateful for their presence. We should pray to them daily, especially thanking them for all they lovingly do and of which we are mostly unaware. May we pray the Rosary daily so that we might grow in spiritual insight, love, and devotion to Mary and Jesus! May we develop our relationship with our Guardian Angel! And may we live in gratitude for the angels who rejoiced at Jesus birth, tended to Him when He was in greatest need, fight battles against evil for us, and who are available whenever we call upon them! Let us meet along with the angels in the mysteries of the Rosary! Peace! ©Michele L. Catanese Note: The next entry will be posted one day later than usual, on Tuesday, October 22 rather than on the usual Monday. * May is the month that we generally call the month of Mary, while October is the month of Our Lady of the Rosary, but since both are focused on Mary it is not incorrect to call both May and October the month of Mary. If you want to see a list of the Memorials, Solemnities, and Feasts of Mary on the liturgical calendar for each month of the year go to https://marian.org/mary/feast-days ** It is not completely accurate to imply that the Rosary did not exist before Mary appeared to St. Dominic and handed him a Rosary, but he is the one to whom she entrusted the promulgation and spread of this beautiful and powerful devotion. St. Dominic did just that! *** I found this quote from St. Thomas Aquinas while reading an article on a site called A Moment with Mary. https://uneminuteavecmarie.mariedenazareth.com/en/2024/october/2024-10-02 The citation they gave was that it was an excerpt from: Les plus beaux textes sur les Saints Anges. The website for this is https://www.nd-chretiente.com/la-vierge-marie-et-les-anges There is a tab to translate into English. Images: 1. Fresco painting; The Annunciation by Blessed Fra Angelico. 2. My photo; my Rosary with prayer book. 3. Icon; The Archangels Gabriel, Michael and Raphael, cropped to only show St. Gabriel. 4. My photo; Santa Maria degli Angeli (St. Mary of the Angels) in Assisi, Italy. Within this church, a Papal Basilica, is the Portiuncula, the first 'church' for St. Francis of Assisi, and it is where he founded his religious order. Thus, it is a church within a church. I took this photo with a film camera in 2001 while visiting Assisi. It just needed to be in this entry! 5. Icon; Guardian Angel Guarding Little Elijah Gemmell, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. You can find this at fineartamerica.com/featured/guardian-angel-guarding-little-elijah-gemmell-191-william-hart-mcnichols.html Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. It seems that there are temptations coming from just about every side which encourage the allure of the culture. Culture has always been influential, but today we are increasingly exposed to the sway of disparate voices such that it is easy to lose perspective: they are simply everywhere. It can be overwhelming, or perhaps sobering, to think of how the evil one uses the subtle and not-so-subtle persuasion of individuals or trends to trick us into believing all sorts of things, and worse, to act upon them in ways we might not have ever considered. In the midst of so many ‘voices’ it is imperative to remember that the only voice to whom we should listen is that of God who offers Truth, steadfastness, faithfulness, and everlasting, unwavering love. We have continuous access to Him through prayer, sacraments, worship, and study of Scripture. Additionally, we have excellent models of faith and holiness in the many and diverse Saints whose works and teachings can also speak to us.. One such Saint is (Padre) Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968, feast day September 23) whose wisdom and giftedness were extraordinary. Of importance is one of his favorite sayings: “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” Padre Pio did not mean that disappointments, or even evils, were going to vanish if we essentially pretended they were not there. Rather, with great spiritual wisdom he was reminding us that prayer and placing hope in God alleviate the need to worry. In praying we learn to follow the Spirit more closely, and therefore we obtain the peace only God can give, even in the midst of crises. Padre Pio certainly knew what he was talking about: only prayer and his relationship with God could have given him the strength to endure such great suffering bodily, spiritually, and emotionally. He had a mysterious stomach ailment his entire life, bore the stigmata for 50 years, was continually attacked (spiritually and physically) by the devil, and was wrongfully censured by his own congregation so that for a number of years he was forbidden to hear confessions or say Mass publicly. And still he could say “Pray, hope, and don’t worry!” His love for God and faithfulness in prayer fostered his ability to trust, discern, and recognize God’s presence, all of which caused him to grow in holiness. Suffering taught him great wisdom, the wisdom for which so many sought him out. In addition to our personal cares there are other issues that might tempt us into worrying. Things like politics, our information being stolen, the economy, the degradation of moral values, materialism, lack of respect among people, and rampant self-centeredness, just to name a few, can lure us away from peace. Our response to this is critical: we can try to ignore what worries us, or slowly ‘adapt’ to living with anxiety, or we can reject obsessive participation in it by trusting the Lord to lead us on the path which actually leads to peace. Indeed we are human and will always have cares, but St. Paul teaches in Galatians 5:19-23 (and St. Ignatius elaborates on this in the Spiritual Exercises)* that anything which moves us to anxiety, lack of peace, and dissention is not of God. The enemy brings disquiet, but the Holy Spirit brings peace and truth. The key is to 'hold fast' to God so as to avoid getting so chronically caught up in our cares that we lose perspective and thus, lose sight of Him. We are not that unique insofar as living in difficult times is concerned. Christians have always had to stay strong in the midst of adversity and God has always remained faithful to those who cling to Him. In the first century St. Paul wrote a word of caution that has rung true throughout the ages: “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2) We are not to give in to the great influences of the world, especially those which are other than God. Rather, Paul reminds us to allow the Lord to transform our hearts and souls that we may conform to His will, doing what is right as pertains to a situation or in response to worldly trends. And how do we do this? We “pray, hope, and don’t worry.” That is, we place our trust in God and allow Him to do the rest. Jesus told His followers to expect challenges and calamities during our lives, but He also promised that if we remain faithful we will have victory with Him. So even if everything seems to be out of control, God is with us, and we will be okay when all is said and done. If evil seems to be overcoming the good, there are reasons which are beyond our knowledge as to why God allows it.** What we must do is patiently trust in His wisdom, mercy, love, and justice because there is absolutely nothing the evil one can ‘cook up’ which can take us from God. (Romans 8:31-39) Not only that, but we have tremendous spiritual power: we have many God-given spiritual gifts to utilize as weapons for protection against the enemy.*** Therefore, let’s pray … a lot… that we might come to recognize the presence of God. If we take Him at His word, trusting Him, our hope will be enlivened and we will be strengthened against worry. Together let us cling to God’s promises, claiming the victory no matter how things are at the present moment. Remember: the victory is already won. May we follow the wisdom of St. Pio to "pray, hope, and don't worry!" May we grow through our prayer so that we are confident in the gifts we have been given! And may we be steadfast in our reliance upon the Lord! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace! ©Michele L. Catanese (991) * In his Spiritual Exercises St. Ignatius Loyola elaborates with great precision on how to discern spirits. That is, he teaches what we need to do to avoid movement away from God and accept the movements of the Holy Spirit which lead us closer to God. In intensive detail he offers what he calls Rules for Discernment of Spirits. These are for the spiritual director to apply in directing retreatants, but St. Ignatius certainly did not intend for them to be kept secret. On the contrary, he intended the retreatant to learn how to discern so they would grow in relationship with the Lord. ** We often think God’s will only means one thing, and this is a deficient understanding. God’s will ‘operates’ in two ways. Here is the distinction: God's perfect will is God’s divine plan for your life, while God's permissive will is what He permits. God's perfect will: “The ordaining will of God is also known as the "active" will of God, i.e., God's plan for the whole of creation as well as each individual. God desires only our good and thus our human perfection. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church provides, "The ultimate purpose of creation is that God ‘who is the creator of all things may at last become ‘all in all,' thus simultaneously assuring his own glory and our beatitude.'" (CCC no. 294; cf. nos. 290-96). "The permissive will of God refers to that which God allows to happen. For example, God allows sinful behavior, even though He does not desire it. Why does God allow sin? God truly loves us and love necessarily implies freedom. God lovingly allows us to freely choose or reject His will for our lives. When man rejects God's will, he freely sins. God permits such sin, as a consequence of the freedom He gave man, but He would never ordain such sin. The Catechism addresses the issue of God's permissive will succinctly….” Entire quote from https://catholicexchange.com/gods-will/ *** Our gifts include the Theological Virtues given at Baptism, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit given at Confirmation, the Cardinal Virtues, and all of the gifts St. Paul outlines in 1 Corinthians 12; we receive specific graces from each Sacrament. Additionally we are given graces according to what we request from God, or that He freely bestows according to our need. And let us not forget that we have sacramentals, which are also weapons against the evil one, such as holy water, praying the Rosary; and last but not least, we can call upon the angels and saints for aid. Images: 1. My photo of Fresco painting; God the Father, an inset of a depiction of God with Adam and Eve in the Garden, found in a church in Puglia, Italy. 2. Icon; Padre Pio Mother Pelican, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. The pelican was an early Christian symbol of one who gives up its own blood so its children may live. A pelican will do this if it has to. St. Padre Pio accepted the stigmata from God as a form of redemptive suffering. You can find this icon at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/2-st-padre-pio-mother-pelican-047-william-hart-mcnichols.html 3. Oil painting; Landscape Under a Stormy Sky, by Vincent van Gogh (1888) 4. My photo; hiking path near a lake by Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. 5. My photo; praying before Mass in a chapel at Lourdes, France. 6. Photo; St. (Padre) Pio saying Mass. I was given this photo by a friend. It was taken by Vera Calandra at Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. This year the liturgical celebration of the Nativity of Mary falls on a Sunday, and so unfortunately it could pass by unnoticed. Nonetheless, it is important to take every opportunity to reflect upon our Blessed Mother and to learn how to grow in sanctity from her. When he was dying on the cross Jesus gave her to us as our mother (John 19:25-26), but we need to remember that this wonderful mother is also the Queen of Heaven. While much can be said, one aspect to highlight is how ‘authentic’ Mary was throughout her life. Indeed, she was conceived without sin, “full of grace,” so that she could bring Jesus into the world. However, Mary was (and remains) a real person, enduring many cares and struggles, living a long life not knowing at any time what the future would bring, relying completely on God as she pondered so much mystery. Her humility is evident, beginning with her response to the angel at the Annunciation: she humbly said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord.” Mary never wavered from her humility even as her role unfolded, embracing who she was created to be, allowing the Lord to direct her throughout her life. While Mary did not need to grow in holiness since she was already full of grace, she nonetheless demonstrates an important aspect of holiness from which we can learn: to grow in holiness we must embrace who God has created us to be, and then grow in becoming more deeply ourselves in response to His grace. Tradition teaches that at the culmination of her earthly service, at the moment of her death, Mary was assumed into heaven, and that after entrance into Heaven, she was crowned by God as Queen of Heaven. However, she has continued to intercede on our behalf as the loving mother that she is. No matter how honored she has been, she has always responded to God freely and authentically.* Mary’s holiness and importance to God’s salvific plan are beyond compare, and in this regard some reflections offered by St. Thérèse of Lisieux as she lay dying are quite appropriate to help us remain grounded in our understanding of Mary and of ourselves. St. Thérèse strongly believed it would be doing Mary (and our understanding of her) a disservice if we over-emphasized her Queenship and subsequently neglected her humility and service of God. Of Mary, Thérèse stated that “we should not say unlikely things or things we do not know anything about.” She continued: “For a sermon on Mary… to do me any good, I must see her real life, not her imagined life. I’m sure that her real life was very simple. They show her to us as unapproachable, but they should present her as imitable, bringing out her virtues, saying that she lived by faith just like ourselves, giving proofs of this from the Gospel….” She continued, “We know very well that the Blessed Virgin is Queen of heaven and earth, but she is more Mother than Queen; and we should not say … that she surpasses all the saints in glory just as the sun at this rising makes the stars disappear from sight. My God! How strange that would be! A mother who makes her children’s glory vanish!”** It is no surprise that Thérèse, the Saint who had her “Little Way” (a way of humility and love), would emphasize the humility of Mary to aid our understanding of her. And how insightful to recognize that a mother would never want to overshadow her own children! Indeed, Mary’s humility was evident from the very beginning as she fully realized who God made her to be and the nature of her call, maintaining her humility throughout the course of her life. Yes, Mary is Queen of Heaven and her role in our salvation must never be understated, but we must also remember, as does our Mother, that being Queen of Heaven is but a role, and therefore it does not change her nature, but rather it brings to our attention what is most important. Mary, humble and lowly in life, remains humble and lowly, even with a crown. This is all the more reason we can call upon her with confidence. I hope that we can take away from this reflection that we are made to be someone special by God. That is, we each have a unique personality and soul, accompanied by a call to holiness. To grow in holiness is to grow in authenticity, that is, to become more fully ourselves. Whatever it is we do is merely our role, a means to an end, (building the Kingdom with the desire to be with God forever); how we live it is what is most important. To be holy is a process which involves letting God reveal to us exactly who we are and who we are to Him. Additionally, we can learn from Mary, who though Queen, never directs us to herself possessively, but always humbly directs us to her Son. As we become more in touch with who we are created and called to be, we, too, will grow in humility, seeing more clearly that we must rely completely on God, the Giver of the gifts that aid us in directing others to Jesus according to our call. Each and every member in the Body of Christ is called similarly. How remarkable it is that in sharing this call we are really no different than our mother, the humble mother of Jesus Christ our Lord, who is also the Queen of Heaven. My heart tells me that she would be the first one to tell us so. May we grow in love for our Mother Mary! May the humble Mother and Queen of Heaven inspire us to holiness! And may we be like Mary, who though a Queen, always humbly directs people to her Son Jesus! Let us meet in the hearts of Jesus and Mary! Peace! ©Michele L. Catanese Notes: * Mary was conceived without original sin so that she could be a fitting vessel for the Son she would freely assent to bearing, and as such, she was full of grace, as the angel stated; therefore she was incapable of sinning throughout her earthly life. This does not mean that she did not have sufferings and struggles. On the contrary, she suffered greatly in the depths of her heart. Because of what she did in accepting the difficult role of bearing the Son of God and all that came with it, Mary also received the honor of being assumed into Heaven upon her death. In other words, at the moment of death her body and soul were reunited. Tradition also has it that when she ‘arrived’ at the throne of God, Mary was crowned as Queen of Heaven, not deified, but honored since she is “blessed among all women,” having been tasked to undo the sin of Eve and therefore serve the Lord in a singular way. I am not intending to diminish how important it is that Mary is Queen of Heaven, only to help us keep in mind that as one who lived on this earth as we do, she was fully woman and lived most fully who she was called to be. That is what I mean by 'authentic.' ** This long quote comes from a book referred to as “The Yellow Notebook.” As she lay dying in the last year of her life, too weak to write, the words St. Thérèse spoke were written down by an attending sister. I have a copy of the book which contains her Yellow Notebook (which is literally falling apart), but which is now quite difficult to find: St. Therese of Lisieux: Her Last Conversations, translated from the original manuscripts by John Clarke, O.C.D. Finally, at the end of her remarks quoted above, St. Thérèse added something so beautiful, I must share it: “What the Blessed Virgin has more than we have is the privilege of not being able to sin, she was exempt from the stain of original sin; but on the other hand, she wasn’t as fortunate as we are, since she didn’t have a Blessed Virgin to love. And this is one more sweetness for us and one less sweetness for her!” Page 162, ibid. Images: 1. My photo; beautiful bougainvillea in modern Nazareth, Israel. 2. My photo; statue of Mary as Queen of Heaven with the child Jesus, also crowned. This setting was in a cupola of a church in the Holy Land, Israel. (Note the large scapular in her right hand.) 3. My photo; I took this photo of an original photo of St. Thérèse of Lisieux which was displayed as part of an exhibition in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. I believe this original was taken on the day she pronounced her final vows in the Carmel of Lisieux. She took the name "Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face." (My photo was taken in 2013, so it was prior to the fire.) 4. Painting; Monet's Garden, by Claude Monet. I had to include flowers in a garden since St. Thérèse called herself "a little flower in the garden of the Lord;" this is why we often refer to her as "The Little Flower." It also fits with our common call as members of the Body of Christ; we are all flowers in His garden. 5. Icon; Mother of God Asking for Humility, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. Should you wish, you can purchase a copy of this icon in one of many various mediums by going to https://fineartamerica.com/featured/mother-of-god-asking-for-humility-143-william-hart-mcnichols.html Remember, I do not get any remuneration for endorsing Fr. Bill's work. However I do get the joy of being able to share such beautiful iconography and drawings with all of you. Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. Inspired by some uplifting events, a line from a poem has been resonating in my mind lately. The first event was the National Eucharistic Congress. While I was not in attendance, the articles and videos were awe and gratitude inspiring. The second was a trip to Glacier National Park in northern Montana. The scenery was so spectacular that even seeing the rocks at the bottom of a clear-watered lake was enough to make me gasp at the beauty of it all. The verse which arose, or perhaps its source, may come as a surprise: it is the twice repeated line, “Ah, the sheer grace!” from the poem which begins the “Dark Night of the Soul” by St. John of the Cross.* We often think of grace as limited to events that take place within us, such as an inspiration to do an act of kindness or to discern a movement of our soul toward God, or perhaps as that which comes from a sacrament or in answer to a prayer. All of that is indeed grace. However, all action of God is grace, and this includes the creative act; but grace also includes our response to seeing the beauty of creation, such as a glacier-carved valley, a roaring waterfall, or a craggy mountain, (or for that matter, rocks at the bottom of a clear lake). Specifically, God’s action of grace includes the movement within our heart to ‘wonder and awe,’ (one of the graces received at Confirmation), and to the gratitude that arises from experiencing something that is greater than we are and which gives witness to God. St. John of the Cross began all of his books on mystical prayer with a poem composed as a response to his prayer experience, spending the rest of those books unpacking the verses. The poetry, like many great works of art (in any medium) is an attempt to express the inexpressible. Therefore, expounding on the poem was meant to teach about the different, more intense levels of prayer that are attainable especially for those who spend time developing such a relationship with God. He makes it clear, however, that our efforts only take us so far; the movement deeper is a gift from God, that is, sheer grace. The poem that begins “The Dark Night of the Soul” is quite short and describes mystical union with God. St. John elaborates on the two periods of darkness that the soul must experience on the journey deeper in order to get to that point. A note of caution, however, and one which St. John makes quite vehemently and at great length, is about trying to discern these spiritual dark nights oneself: no one can self-direct, and thus, a good (trained and experienced) spiritual director is imperative to discerning whether the directee is in fact entering into a dark night. ** No matter, all of us can appreciate and reflect upon the beautiful poem and the explanatory words of St. John of the Cross, and allow God’s grace to draw us deeper into the "sheer grace." All that God gives is gift, so anything that moves us to a quickening of the heart, any visceral response to beauty, is a movement of grace within our souls. This is especially so when in the presence of God’s mercy, love, and beauty. Anyone who spends time with God ‘learns’ to be awed. Thus, when we are so moved we can (and perhaps should), echo with St. John of the Cross, “Ah, the sheer grace!” For example, if we look to the Gospels we can find many instances in which the apostles were moved in such a way, (though at first with a lack of understanding.) These were events such as Jesus walking on water, feeding 5000, healing people, raising Lazarus, the Transfiguration (for Peter, James, and John), and of course, the Resurrection. They must have been incredulous with wonder, but especially after Pentecost when they were able to more fully appreciate everything that was the action of God. However, I would like to highlight one specific action of God that we often take for granted and is in fact, sheer grace: God’s forgiveness and mercy. No matter how bad our sins may be, when we ask for grace and forgiveness God offers these gladly. He wants us to know that even our greatest sin should not be a cause of lasting shame, but rather, when presented to God in Reconciliation, it is an opportunity for Him to extend His most sublime love and mercy. Those graces offered can give rise to the virtues of humility and gratitude, and indeed arouse wonder and awe within in us in a similar way as we might respond to seeing a magnificent waterfall or some splendorous work of art. His mercy is a gift even greater than any of these. Ah, the sheer grace! As we grow in our relationship with God through prayer, whether in adoration or in our daily time spent with the Lord in our own homes, it is good to recognize that grace is all around us and indeed within us. Everything is gift of God; the more time we spend with Him, the more aware of it we become such that our hearts will be repeatedly moved to gratitude, even in the most difficult moments as we realize He is with us. This gives rise to faith, hope, and love which in turn motivates our growth in holiness. Let us look for opportunities in every moment to recognize God’s presence and say with St. John of the Cross, “Ah, the sheer grace!” May we desire to grow in graces, especially joy, gratitude, and wonder and awe! May we be able to recognize the movements of God that draw us to Him! And may we be filled with a growing sense of God’s presence, even in the difficult moments in which He is indeed most present! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace! ©Michele L. Catanese * St. John of the Cross (1542-1591),was a Carmelite reformer, master spiritual director, and mystic, who wrote a number of books, two of which are meant as parts of the same larger work: the first is The Ascent of Mt. Carmel, and the second is The Dark Night of the Soul. ** In The Ascent there is an extended passage in which he decries bad spiritual directors who can do much harm, (that is, those who are not knowledgeable about the signs of deepening spiritual life or who are not attuned in the art of spiritual discernment), thus being unable to identify when the directee is being invited to a deeper level of prayer by God or not. Every trained spiritual director should read those chapters at least once a year and it ought to make their knees knock a bit, encouraging a renewed respect for their call and enlivening a deeper humility within them. The Dark Night identifies two distinct movements in prayer, (‘dark night’ experiences) given by the Lord, but which can be distressing if one does not understand what is taking place. Thus, the director must understand that each of the two dark nights, the “dark night of the senses” and the “dark night of the soul” respectively, are periods that do not happen ‘in a vacuum’ and only develop when one is advancing in prayer and ultimately has been moved by God to these depths. Images: 1. My photo; rocks under the water on the trail to Avalanche Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana 2. Drawing; St. John of the Cross in the Dark Night of the Soul, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. You can find this (and other drawings and icons) at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/st-john-of-the-cross-in-the-dark-night-of-the-soul-290-william-hart-mcnichols.html 3. Painting; The Transfiguration by Duccio di Buoninsegna (Sienese artist late 13th and early 14th centuries) 4. My photo; moth on a rock. A beautiful creature. Ah, the sheer grace! 5. My photo; Kootenai Waterfall, Kootenai National Forest, Montana. For those interested, here is the text of the poem, The Dark Night of the Soul. This is my favorite translation, made by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D., one of the best translators of the works of St. John of the Cross. The poem and both books mentioned above are found in The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross. www.cordula.ws/poems/darknight.html Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. The first few times I flew in an airplane I was not exactly the bravest of fliers, especially if any turbulence was involved. A major step in alleviating my fears took place on one flight when a pilot in transit seated next to me saw me white-knuckling. He said to focus my attention on what was in front of me and not what was out the window. Although prayer was involved during the turbulence, what he said did work. In the years since then, I have overcome flying fears by adopting the practice of praying at take-off that we might arrive safely at our destination, invoking the angels to surround the plane at all times. Happily, this prayer no longer arises from fear, but rather from faith accompanied by the understanding that we all have a guardian angel which belongs to the larger ‘company’ of angels. Our guardian angel is a spiritual being with whom we should not only be familiar, but with whom we should have a continually developing relationship. Not only that, but we should acknowledge and relate with all the angels.* As part of God’s creation, they have an important function in worship as well as to battle the forces of evil that assail the world, to guide us through life and home to Heaven. Ancient Jewish tradition taught that there are nine choirs of angels and that the angels were created by God in the beginning; some chose obedient service to Him and others refused to do so. (My remarks will be limited to the good ones who serve God.) There are numerous passages in the Bible in which they are mentioned, and of these, many are detailed. Of significance are the named archangels that have a major role and are described in some way: Michael, prominent in the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation; Gabriel, prominent in the gospel of Luke; and Raphael, a main figure in the book of Tobit.** There are also important references that appear in the Gospels such as when Jesus cast out demons, (fallen angels), and when He spoke of angels in some of His teaching such as when He said: “See that you despise none of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” (Matthew 18:10). It was later in Church history that St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Gregory elaborated upon these choirs and their unique functions.*** Church teaching is that each person is given a guardian angel at conception and that this angel will accompany us throughout our life. Weekly we affirm this teaching, professing our belief in them every time we say the Nicene Creed: “I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible….” It is important, then, to take the gift of the angels seriously and not neglect our guardian in any way. Remember, there is more to the gift of our guardian angel than only invoking them for protection or guidance. We must also recognize that they love us, and therefore, given their constant friendship and companionship, we need to love them in return. Perhaps we have not thought of loving angels before, so this would be a good time to consider our guardian angel and who that angel is to us. It would also be good to foster an attitude of love toward angels in general, (that is, all of them), who often interact on our behalf quite unseen; they are present and active in the world at all times. Acknowledging the presence of the angels as we approach the Lord in our personal prayer can help in fostering our relationship with them. As St. Ambrose once said, “The angels are part of God’s glory. When He enters our heart, the angels will also enter as they are always with Him.” I suggest reflection on the role of the angels, and also that we pray specifically to our guardian angel, offering thanks for their constancy and love. It might also be helpful to consider the role of the angels in the lives of the saints, and especially in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary who also had a guardian. (Perhaps many accompanied her once she responded “yes” to the archangel Gabriel, sent as God’s messenger.) This is not a flight of fanciful imagination, but rather, we can consider all of Mary’s life with its joys and sufferings as a result of her role as the mother of Jesus. We can consider how Jesus needed the angels, too, especially after He was tempted in the desert and again during His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. Reflecting or meditating in this way can help our understanding that when we suffer, we are not alone; our angel is by our side to offer companionship, comfort, and love. It is part of our faith and spirituality to be mindful that we are always accompanied by a guardian angel that carries out the will of God: our angel is there to protect us in every way, to guide, be ministers of graces sent by the Holy Spirit, and to carry our prayers to the Father. And it is good to prayerfully address them, especially with words of gratitude. To neglect them would portray a perhaps unintended disposition of ingratitude for such a wonderful gift. Therefore, let us adopt an attitude of heart which fosters growth in friendship with the angels, and especially with the one who is our special friend, our Guardian. May we acknowledge the presence of our guardian angel with gratitude and love! May we become more aware of the ways in which the angels are active in the Church and in the world! And may we grow in reverence of all that the Lord has created, that which is seen and unseen! Let us meet at prayer in the presence of our angels! Peace! ©Michele L. Catanese * Of course, when I say we should have a relationship with all the angels, I mean the ones who serve God, that is, the good ones. The fallen angels (demons) permanently chose to disobey; we want nothing to do with these and should avoid them at all costs. ** References of the archangels in Scripture: -Michael – Daniel 10:13; Daniel 10:21; Daniel 12:1; Jude 1:9; Revelation 12:7-8 -Gabriel – Daniel 8:16; Daniel 9:21; Luke 1:19; Luke 1:26 -Raphael: Almost the entire book of Tobit involves Raphael who does his work in disguise until he reveals himself in chapter 12:15-18 https://ucatholic.com/saints/archangels/ *** Christian teaching also attests to 9 choirs of angels. The 9 are angels, archangels, principalities, thrones, dominations, powers, virtues, cherubim, and seraphim. You can find more on the 9 choirs of angels here: https://www.catholic.org/saints/angels/angelchoir.php Note: There will not be a post on August 12. If you want something to tide you over until my next post on August 26 you can go to my post from August 10, 2020 which is called Lessons from Mary: www.catanesesd.com/micheles-blog/lessons-from-mary Images: 1. My photo; taken from the plane window as we were flying into Dubrovnik, Croatia. 2. Icon; Archangels. From left to right: St. Gabriel, St. Michael, St. Raphael. Their identifying symbols: Gabriel is holding a medallion of Mary and Jesus, Michael is standing on a demon he has subdued, and Raphael is standing on a fish, (a reference to his actions in the Book of Tobit). 3. My photo; the Continental Divide at Loveland Pass, Colorado. 4. Icon; Our Lady of Perpetual Help, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. (Notice the angels surrounding Our Lady and Jesus; He is attentive to the one to His left and Mary looks to the one on her right.) If you are interested in obtaining a copy of this beautiful icon in one of a number of mediums you can find it at fineartamerica.com/featured/our-lady-of-perpetual-help-318-william-hart-mcnichols.html 5. Painting; Flower Carrier by Diego Rivera. This is a wonderful example of the assistance given by a friend. (Or perhaps an angel in disguise?) 6. My photo; taken from the plane window as we were flying over the Alps crossing into Italy. Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. This week the National Eucharistic Congress is convening in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is, therefore, a perfect time to reflect anew upon the gift of the Body and Blood of Jesus which is made present in the Eucharist. I daresay that it is easy to take this miraculous, magnificent gift for granted since we are able to partake every day and can easily slip into a kind of routine attitude about it. True, this is in part due to our humanness, but it would be beneficial to spend time returning to what our faith teaches so that we can immerse in this mysterious gift of love. Sadly, there are many Catholics who do not understand, and as a result do not truly believe, that the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Our response should be to pray that they would open their minds and hearts to understand, but also to evangelize and teach the truth when it becomes evident that an opportunity has arisen. Wherever we are in our spiritual lives, we have the gift of faith which operates even when we do not understand: it is with faith that we can believe and adore.* How bread and wine become Eucharist is an absolute mystery, and therefore it is beyond us, but we can look to the Last Supper for insight: Jesus provided His real presence from the moment He blessed, broke, and shared the bread, and it will be so until He returns at the end of time. Thus, we have access to this great gift always. More evidence that the Eucharistic bread and wine is the true Body and Blood of Jesus is revealed in what took place on the road to Emmaus. After walking all day while their fellow traveler (Jesus) explained the Scriptures concerning the Messiah, the two disciples pressed Him to stay. It was when Jesus blessed, broke, and shared the bread, saying what He said at the Last Supper, that “their eyes were opened and they recognized Him.” However, Jesus immediately disappeared. There is a lot that can be said, but we must not fail to see that when His resurrected body disappeared, Jesus remained with them, fully, visibly present in the bread and wine. (Luke 24:13-35). The two disciples were so filled with joy that they ran all the way back to Jerusalem, even though it had taken them all day to walk to Emmaus. Once in Jerusalem, they declared what had taken place to the amazed, but ‘still-in-hiding,’ apostles. Unfortunately, long after the first century participation in the liturgy ‘shifted’ for reasons too long and complicated to explain here. But it came to be that for hundreds of years the laity could only watch the Eucharist being consecrated at Mass. Suffice it to say that when the Church moved into clericalism and there was little education in the faith for the laity, ordinary folks were only able to receive the Eucharist once a year at Easter. Eventually those in convents and monasteries could receive on Sundays and feast days, but not so for the rest of the laity. I am oversimplifying for the sake of brevity, but it wasn’t until the early 20th century that the Eucharist became something Catholics could receive weekly. This was due to the work of St. Pope Pius X who desired reception of Communion to be begun at ‘the age of reason,’ (7 years of age). He also promoted Catholic schools so that children would be taught the faith and therefore, greater understanding of the Eucharist would become part of the lives of Catholics. Given that it is relatively recent that what Jesus intended has been fully restored, we should not take for granted that if we so desire, we can receive this sacrament daily.** During prayer a desire to see Jesus face to face may arise, a good and holy desire. It is helpful to utilize religious artwork and iconography to this end, but it is most likely that Jesus does not really look like any of these renditions. Jesus probably does not look like Jonathan Roumie either, great as his portrayal is.*** However, Mr. Roumie’s portrayal, as well as any other artistic depiction, can help our faith life quite powerfully; we do need them. But we must also keep in mind that we do see Jesus, that is, the real Jesus, any time we gaze upon the Eucharist. When we consume the Eucharist as Jesus said to do, communing with Him in prayer, it is more deeply intimate than seeing artistic renditions, helpful as they are. Again, the Eucharist provides a far deeper and more profound experience because Jesus really is present and what we see really is our Lord. Through His Real Presence Jesus can heal, console, inspire holiness in word and deed, and most importantly, He always immerses us in His love and mercy. During this Eucharistic year we can commit ourselves to renewal (or deepening) of our Eucharistic faith. At every Mass we can meditate on the words said by the priest while he consecrates the bread and wine; and again when he elevates the host and says, “Behold the Lamb of God.” Indeed, we are beholding the Lord Jesus in His glory, present there with all of us. Is there any gift greater than that? Would you want to be anywhere else but in the presence of Jesus? Certainly it is the safest, most beautiful place to be. Nothing compares and nothing can substitute for it. It is simply a foretaste of being with Jesus at the never-ending Heavenly banquet. Alleluia! May we open our hearts anew to Jesus truly present in the Eucharist! May we offer gratitude and thanksgiving to Jesus for this great gift! And may we be bold and yet compassionate in sharing the truth of this great Sacrament with those who receive it without understanding and to those who are yet unknowing! Let us meet in the Eucharist! Peace! ©Michele L. Catanese * Many know what the Eucharist actually is, but some may not simply because they never have been properly catechized; therefore here is a bit of a summary. The ‘how’ is beyond comprehension, but we do know the ‘when, where, what, and why’ of this sublime mystery. When: the simple elements of bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus at the consecration when the priest says the words of institution, having called upon the Father to send the Holy Spirit so the Son can be present. Where: at Mass, at which time we can receive the Eucharist bodily, but we can also worship the Lord during Eucharistic adoration when the consecrated host is made visible in the monstrance. What: the action we call transubstantiation takes place during the Eucharistic prayer at Mass. The elements of bread and wine change in substance into the real Body and Blood of Jesus which means that while it still looks, smells, feels, and tastes like bread and wine, in fact their reality has changed and they are now the Lord. Why: because the Lord loves us. He gave His life so that we might live, and His love is so great that He wants to be truly present with us until He returns at the Second Coming. ** St. Pope Pius X ‘rearranged’ the order of the reception of the sacraments of Confirmation and 1st Holy Communion: at that time Confirmation was received at the age of 7 and 1st Holy Communion took place in one's teens. He felt that Catholics should have access to the Body and Blood of Christ as soon as they could appreciate and understand the reality of the Sacrament. ~ This is also assuming one is a full member of the Catholic Church and is in the proper state to do so. (That is, has not committed mortal sin that is unconfessed.) *** For those who do not know, Jonathan Roumie portrays Jesus in the series, The Chosen. In my opinion, his portrayal is one of the bestand is quite moving. I must also clarify that I am not suggesting that we should only imagine Jesus as a consecrated host when we are not present before the Eucharist. Seeing Him as a man in our prayer and reflection in the way which inspires us is, in fact, to be encouraged. My intended point is that He is indeed present in the Eucharist and we must never take that for granted. Images: 1. My photo of a print (original is a painting); Chalice and Host by Jan Davidsz de Heem (1683 or 1684). This print was given to me as a gift; this is a cropped version of my photo. 2. Painting; The Pilgrims of Emmaüs on the Road (Les pèlerins d'Emmaus en chemin) by James Tissot (1886-1894) 3. My photo; the church and convent of St. Teresa of Avila, Avila Spain. 4. Image; The Galilean Jesus, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. To purchase a copy of this image (or any of Fr. Bill's icons) in a variety of mediums, you can find it at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-galilean-jesus-266-william-hart-mcnichols.html 5. My photo; taken in the highlands of Scotland. This photo reminded me of the spotless Lamb of God. Though the other sheep seems to be looking away, perhaps it is John the Baptist who is telling others, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" 6. My photo; waterfall in Scotland. The graces of God's mercy and love in the Eucharist are overflowing. Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. During a trip to Sicily a few years ago we had the pleasure of touring some old churches in a small town called Ferla. The pastor of four of these churches was quite gracious in his welcome, and our time with him included a visit to a museum he had created which housed vestments, vessels, prayer books and other artifacts, several of which dated back hundreds of years. One of the artifacts was a press for making Eucharistic hosts, a device that resembled a waffle iron. Apparently these presses where heated over a fire, the Eucharistic bread mixture was poured onto it and the top plate was closed, instantly baking the dough into thin hosts which were imprinted with a crucifix. The hosts were ‘sealed’ with the sign of the One which they would actually become when a priest consecrated them at Mass. Recently I remembered this host-baking press while reading a verse from the Song of Songs in the Old Testament: “Set me as a seal on your heart.” (Song 8:6)* It seemed to me that this is something the Lord wants each of His children to hear Him say. Surely to have Jesus imprinted onto our hearts is what every Christian should desire. And that this is so, ought to fill us with gratitude and awe: the Lord of Heaven and Earth wants our hearts to be marked with His seal. In June we reflected upon the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the month of July continues with a related theme in that this month is dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus. Therefore, we can continue our reflection on His Sacred Heart as we pray about the Blood He poured out on the cross. Through this time, however, I suspect that thinking about an invitation from Him to set His seal on our heart has not been something we have considered. Jesus sealed Himself by His wounds, and through His death and resurrection offers us full and eternal life with God. Remember that when we were baptized we were sealed with chrism, an anointing which symbolizes that we are the adopted children of God; that is, through Baptism, our relationship with God changed and we became His in a deeper way. We were sealed with chrism again at our Confirmation; when the Bishop anointed us he said, “Be sealed with the Holy Spirit.” Being sealed with the Lord on our heart requires a similar process. Our heart is like the bread dough, which means it must continually be worked and prepared. In other words, through the action of prayer and grace we must grow in our ability to discern and then respond to the call of the Lord, seeking to make His will our own. This requires time spent with Him not only in private prayer, but also in keeping our thoughts attuned to Him throughout the day. Like the bread dough, our heart will require kneading and baking; the Lord will smooth out the lumps, but it is in the fire that we are refined. However, this fire is the fire of His love and mercy in which we grow in holiness. Perhaps this is why in artistic renditions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus there are flames depicted atop His heart.** Thus, the imprint we seek on our heart is of the Cross, the flames, and the wounds through which His Precious Blood flowed, and the Blood itself, covering us with His protection as well as His mercy and love. Indeed we are sealed with chrism at Baptism and Confirmation, but to grow in a relationship of love with Jesus, we must respond to His desire to set His seal upon our heart. God never forces anything upon us, even His love, so to accept Jesus’ request means first and foremost that we desire to be totally His and allow Him to be at the center of our life. Bearing His seal helps with being ever mindful of His presence and love, living in this knowledge consciously and intentionally. It means that we desire to be purified by His love, aware of our need for His mercy; and it means the desire to do His will, then to actually seek it, to have the grace to actually live it, and to recognize our need for His mercy in the times we fall short. It means that we desire to be made holy because it is the only fitting way to live with His seal upon our hearts. To cultivate this disposition, to live His teaching as the kind of disciples we want to be, involves prayer and study of Scriptures; especially helpful is the Beatitudes and what flows from them in the rest of the Sermon on the Mount which contains everything we need to know about how to pray, how to forgive, and how to live the way of love through actions of humility, selflessness, service, kindness, and generosity. (Matthew 5-7) It means that we live as if the seal Jesus has set upon our hearts is visible to everyone, because in living this way, it actually is. Jesus wants to be the center of our lives. He desires our growth in holiness because He loves us in a way that is beyond imagining and therefore wants what is best for us. No matter how paltry we think our efforts are, no matter how small we think our gift is, our love is all we can give Him, and it is the only thing He really wants. Jesus died and rose to be totally ours; let us give Him the gift of our heart, letting Him set His seal upon it, and be totally His. May we let the Lord set His seal on our heart! May we grow in love for Jesus responding to Him in gratitude and praise! And may our lives be signs of the power and mercy of God! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace! ©Michele L. Catanese * The Song of Songs, sometimes referred to as the Song of Solomon, is not found in every version of the Bible. It belongs to a set of writings referred to as the Apocrypha. Many Christian Bibles omit these books; however they are found in Catholic versions with the additional books contained within the Wisdom Books and Historical Books, as well as a few parable-like stories that appear within the Book of Daniel in the Prophetic Books. In Protestant Bibles the books of the Apocrypha are grouped together and are placed after the end of the New Testament as a kind of addendum. The books of the Apocrypha are Tobit, Judith, Esther, Sirach, Baruch, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Ezra and parts of the Book of Daniel (the Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children, the Story of Bel and the Dragon, the Prayer of Manasseh). You can find an explanation at https://www.bartehrman.com/apocrypha/ ** This is how St. Margaret Mary Alacoque described His heart in her visions. You can find good drawings and explanations of the Sacred Heart (and the Immaculate Heart of Mary) here: https://catholic-link.org/sacred-heart-immaculate-infographic/ Images: 1. My photo; iron press for baking Communion hosts. Ferla, Sicily, Italy. You can find a good description of these implements here: https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/247675 2. Icon; La Sangre de Cristo by Fr. William Hart McNichols. You can find it at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/la-sangre-de-cristo-242-william-hart-mcnichols.html 3. My photo; stained glass of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 4. Painting; Church at Auvers-sur-Oise by Vincent van Gogh. 5. My photo; sunset over the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Vico Equense, Italy. 6. Stained glass; Amor Dei: Set Me as a Seal on Your Heart; window created by Mike Davies as part of the Danish Seamans' Memorial Window (2002) at Newcastle Cathedral of St. Nicholas, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England; photo by Lawrence, O.P. https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/page98 Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. Many years ago I saw a short, animated film that at the time was somewhat popular to show during days of prayer, especially those for young adults. Released in 1977, Martin the Cobbler was a stop-action 'Claymation' production – (viewed via film projector!) – based on a short story by Leo Tolstoy called Where Love is, There God is Also. Tolstoy’s short story revolved around two New Testament teachings, one from the 1st Letter of John which states that God is Love, hence where love is, God is, and the other from Matthew 25 which contains a challenging passage in which Jesus teaches that “whatever you do for the least of your brothers and sisters, you do for me.” (paraphrase) The delightful film is true to theTolstoy original, delivering a powerful message about the way we are to love, based on the teaching of Jesus. Though written in 1885, the short story (and subsequently, the film) contains an essential message for today since contrary to the teachings of Jesus, our culture vigorously encourages self-centeredness and materialism, attitudes which lead to anxiety, despair, and emptiness, especially since those who ‘adhere to’ these things generally do not have a relationship with God. But for those who believe, choosing to live the gospel message while developing their relationship with God, the opposite is true: there is peace, joy, and fullness of heart because they choose to enter into the mercy of Jesus and therefore know Love. Briefly, Martin the Cobbler is about an elderly man who is enveloped by a deepening despair due to the deaths of his wife and only child many years before. One day, a ‘holy man’ left a New Testament for Martin to restore the cover, and later while reading a page he thought, “If the Lord were to come, I would welcome Him.” He fell asleep and heard the Lord’s voice: “Look out in the street tomorrow, because I am coming.” The next day Martin had three different encounters with people in the street, offering each one great kindness, but at the end of the day as he picked up the book again, he wondered why the Lord had not come. Just then, a bright light appeared and a Voice said, “Do you not know me?” Then Martin saw each of the people he had interacted with, all of whom said, “It is I.” Martin’s heart had been transformed through each encounter; having welcomed Jesus whom he now recognized, Martin was filled with joy and new life. This little story illuminates the attitude Jesus taught His followers to adopt and the Gospel writers knew to convey. In the Gospels there are numerous stories in which people invited Jesus into their homes offering generous hospitality, and of these, many were ‘sinners and tax collectors’ like Zacchaeus who offered as much as he could. At other times, Jesus would have to teach the true measure of hospitality, such as when he went to the home of his friends Martha and Mary. Martha thought she was hospitable, but she was so busy getting her house together that she became filled with stress and resentment toward Mary rather than welcoming Jesus with her whole heart. There were also those such as the rich Pharisee who invited Jesus to dine, but never offered Him water to wash His feet, then turned to criticize a woman who anointed His feet with oil.* In all of these encounters, Jesus taught what true hospitality is, and also what hospitality is about. Hospitality is the offering of an environment of welcome in which the guest is put at ease and is given full attention by the host; the welcome of hospitality offers nourishment sometimes in body, but always in spirit. Hospitality is not concerned with impressing the guest, but rather, it is a gesture from the heart that is sincere regardless of how elaborate or simple it is. Hospitality is about encounter and presence: we enjoy what we share simply because we are present to one another. It is a disposition of heart that is visible regardless of whether one has invited another into their home or whether they have met ‘on the street.’ Those with hospitable hearts recognize Christ in the other person, and revering that reality, open their heart to let Him in. To see Jesus in another person, we cannot be centered on ourselves; and yet when we offer love to another, the wonder of it is that we also we find Jesus within our own heart. This is the entire message of the Good News of Jesus: if we want to find Jesus, live in His love. One last note: The striking thing about the character of Martin is that in reality he was always open to the Lord; he had simply lost his ‘sight’ because he was blinded by grief. In each of his encounters Martin did that which was most loving and merciful. Thus, his heart had always been good; he just needed to rediscover the love he already possessed. This Tolstoy story, based on the gospel, offers the message of hope that it is never too late to allow Jesus’ mercy and love to transform or revitalize our hearts. It also teaches us to see Jesus in everyone we meet, especially those who are poor (materially or spiritually), the marginalized, and those who we may need to forgive. Finally, it reveals that love and mercy will thaw even the most broken, wounded, and ‘lost’ hearts, especially our own. May we look out ‘in the street’ to see how and in whom Jesus comes to us each day! May we ask the Lord to give us the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the heart to be hospitable! And may we accept the invitations the Lord provides, knowing that in our response to others we are responding to Him! Let us meet in the merciful, welcoming heart of Jesus! Peace! ©Michele L. Catanese * While all the Gospels record instances in which Jesus taught about hospitality, it seems Luke recorded many parables and situations in which this was a main theme of the passage (and we can read just about all of the parables with an eye for welcome and hospitality.) The encounter Jesus has with the Pharisee and the sinful woman is found in Luke 7:36-50. Jesus with Martha and Mary appears in Luke 10:38-42, but it should not come as a surprise that the passage right before this is the parable of the Good Samaritan, which among other things, is about hospitality. The Samaritan has a merciful heart and makes sure the victim of crime is taken somewhere to receive the healing hospitality he needs. (Luke 10:29-37) Luke placed these two passages in that order purposefully. Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus is found in Luke 19: 1-10. I must also mention that the parable offered by Jesus, referred to as the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-37), is about more than a lack of mercy and hospitality; I point it out because Jesus described the rich man as never really seeing Lazarus at all. Hospitality and mercy are about seeing so that we can act with love. Note: I recommend reading the short story by Leo Tolstoy called Where Love Is, There God Is Also. But for those curious about the 1977 stop action film and who want to hear LeoTolstoy's daughter Anna narrate, Martin the Cobbler is found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5XApXn_ojg Just be aware that the film quality is grainy and the sound is unsteady, but it is still delightful. Images: 1. My photo of stained glass; Sacred Heart of Jesus; in the cathedral, St. Josaphat, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 2. Painting; The Kargopol Yard, Russian Winter, by Alexander Alexandrovsky. "This place is a Russian town Kargopol which near to Arkhangelsk. It is located on the Onega river shore." https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-The-Kargopol-yard-Russian-winter-landscape/770803/4394822/view 3. Icon; St. Martha of Bethany by Fr. William Hart McNichols. This icon can be found at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/st-martha-of-bethany-william-hart-mcnichols.html 4. My photo; enjoying tea, (taken in Hobbiton, in New Zealand; for those who understand Hobbits, this was actually 'Second Breakfast.'). 5. My photo; small town in the Alps of Switzerland. 6. My photo; street in the older section of Stockholm, Sweden. Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. |
Heart Speaks to Heart
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