Influenced by a society that struggles with patience, and during a time of year when there are many things to do, Advent is a greater gift than we may realize. This is because during this season we are invited into something we are often loathe to do, which is to wait. Yet it is in this waiting that the heart of Advent lies, offering a graced opportunity to come away from the noise to find a place of quiet. When we enter into Advent reflection God offers grace so that we can make peace with the waiting, keeping it focused on expectancy and anticipation rather than the temptations of anxiety and emptiness. Indeed, our lives are busy with preparations of every kind, and yet, here is the invitation to enter into waiting peacefully. This is one of Advent’s gifts: the opportunity to be attentive to the Scriptures we hear proclaimed during worship, (for reflection upon them), that we might intentionally begin each day looking for ways to enter into hopeful anticipation of the coming of Jesus who comes with “healing in His wings.” (paraphrase of Malachi 4:2)*

Often, however, we miss out on another wonderful pathway simply because we do not pay attention to it: the prayers that our worship provides which are unique to the season and which offer a gateway into meditation on its mysteries. Let us begin with the Sunday Scriptures of this second half of Advent in which the aspect of waiting with hope is intensified. ** The Gospel for the third Sunday, (Gaudete Sunday), focuses on the baby who once leapt, John, now the baptizer, the Forerunner of Jesus. This Gospel event takes place long after the birth of Jesus, but it could not be more in keeping with the message of Advent: “Now the people were filled with expectation and all were asking in their heart whether John might be the Christ.” (Luke 3:10-18) At this point in the Gospel, Jesus is about to begin the mission for which He came, and John is pointing the way to Him. His example and ministry remain relevant in our lives as we are called to point the way to Christ for others, too. On the fourth Sunday the Gospel tells of Mary traveling to the hill country to visit Elizabeth. (Luke 1:39-45) *** When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, she cried aloud that the child in her womb (John) leapt for joy. Like Elizabeth, we are also invited into hearing the greeting of Mary pregnant with Jesus; it is a cause for joy to realize that what (or Who) we hope for is ‘on the way’ and is in fact imminent. Indeed, we know that our present waiting will come to an end with the Messiah’s return. Reflecting prayerfully upon this Gospel passage can be a way to open ourselves to this joy, to letting the Lord sweep out all that might have accumulated in our hearts in order to make room for Jesus to enter in.

The Advent Preface prayers offered by the priest at the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist at Mass are also excellent offerings for meditation and prayer. In the first two weeks he prays: “that… we who watch for that day may inherit the great promise in which now we dare to hope.” We are reminded to be watchful, that is, attentive and spiritually prepared, for God’s promise to be fulfilled. A watchful disposition is surely daring because this kind of hope is founded on our trust in God who has never left a promise unfulfilled. Indeed, it is freeing. In the 3rd and 4th weeks there are three lines in the Preface prayer to note. The first is that “the prophets foretold Him,” a reminder which helps to keep us attentive to the message within the Old Testament readings of the liturgy. Next is this line: “… the Virgin Mother longed for Him with love beyond all telling.” Mary’s longing should be ours, too. If we spend time with her, we can accept her invitation into the love she has for her Son which is beyond any description or expression; we can enter into this incredibly intimate experience with her. And finally: “John the Baptist sang of His coming and proclaimed His presence when He came.” We so often think of John as with fiery, wild-eyed persona, in his rough clothes and with hair and beard unkempt; therefore, to think of him singing is almost jarring, and wonderfully so. This image shows the real John, he of heart burning with love, hope, and joy… yes, joy. How could John the Baptist proclaim Jesus’ presence without joy? It is simply impossible that he would know Jesus from the womb and have lost the ability to still leap at His presence.

My suggestion for the remainder of Advent is to enter into these Scripture passages and especially these lines of the Preface prayers. Try to imagine and reflect prayerfully upon Mary and Elizabeth, pregnant and waiting for the day their sons enter the world; join Mary while she is in silent prayer while experiencing love beyond all telling; imagine John leaping in his mother’s womb and then 30 years later leaping again while in song, joyful that the Holy One is about to make Himself known. That which they had hoped for was nigh, and that which we hope for is, too: the Lord is coming again. In our hope-filled waiting let us remember that we do not hope in something, but in Someone who is nothing less than the Son of God, one who comes as Malachi foretold: “…the sun of Justice will arise with healing in its wings.” 

May we take the time to prayerfully reflect upon the Scriptures and prayers of Advent liturgy! May our hearts leap with joy at His coming! And may we persevere in our efforts to make a place for Him in the manger of our heart! Peace! Marana tha! Come!

​                        ©Michele L. Catanese

* In some Bibles the Book of Malachi is divided into three chapters, and therefore, in the New American Bible Revised Edition this verse is Malachi 3:20. In the Revised Standard Bible, Catholic Version, as well as many other Bible translations, Malachi is divided into 4 chapters; in those versions this verse is Malachi 4:2.

** Here are some passages from Isaiah that are in the liturgies during Advent this year: “He shall judge between the nations …. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation…” (Is. 2:1-4) “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid…. and a little child shall lead them…. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain.” (Is. 11:1-9)  
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him…. let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation” (Is. 25:9) “You shall weep no more….” (Is. 30:18-19) “Comfort, comfort my people…. Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion herald of good tidings… Lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings!... Behold your God!” (Is. 40:1-11) And finally “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel.” (Is. 7:14) Of course there are so many more, such as Isaiah 9 and 12. (The translation I have used is the RSV, Catholic version.)
By the end of Advent, we will have heard from Isaiah on 10 occasions through a combination of readings at daily and Sunday Masses. It is breath-taking that Isaiah was prophesying something he would never live to see, and therefore something he really could not have fully understood. – The reality of what actually happened is almost too marvelous even for those of us who have lived after Jesus came. Imagine, The Almighty choosing to become a vulnerable baby in a poor family! That is rather astonishing, if you really think about it. 

*** Gaudete means "Rejoice." I also want to give perspective to something which can go unnoticed unless one has been to the Holy Land: Mary’s trip from Nazareth to ‘the hill country,’ that is, the village of Ein Karem where Elizabeth lived, was not a short one. Ein Karem is almost all the way to Jerusalem, (and not that much further from there is Bethlehem). Thus, the pregnant Mary must have rejoiced at arriving at her destination both because she had finally arrived after an arduous journey and because she could be present with her cousin. A thought to ponder!

Images:
1. Icon; Mother of the Incarnate Word, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. If you are interested in purchasing a copy, this image can be found at  https://fineartamerica.com/featured/mother-of-the-incarnate-word-071-william-hart-mcnichols.html
2. My photo; rolling hills in the Holy Land.
3. Painting; St. John the Baptist, by Leonardo da Vinci. It was the smile of John the Baptist that drew me in; perhaps he had just leapt for joy?
4. My photo; sun over the water at Grand Cayman; the water photo may seem an odd one here, but it is the ‘sun of Justice’ reference that is intended.
5. Clip art; Advent Candles, Week 3, (when Gaudete rose candle is lit).

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 the most memorable books I read as a child was a delightful story about a little train that was given a seemingly insurmountable route, having to crest a hill that seemed way beyond its ability. As the little train contemplated the hill, it began to repeat: “I think I can, I think I can.” Sure enough, as the little train strained and struggled, it conquered its fears and the hill, leading to a newfound confidence. The lesson taught by this story was impactful given the positive approach to not giving up on a difficult task.* Of course, with age and maturity it becomes obvious that things are often not that simple; reciting an encouraging ‘mantra’ is helpful, but in truth, it takes more than this to accomplish tasks, especially in regard to the spiritual life. Our Christian faith teaches that with God all things are possible, and if we do not put our trust in Him, that which we could have done together can truly be insurmountable. Therefore, in our preparation for the beginning of Advent, it is important to enter into the stories of Mary and Joseph which challenge us to go beyond the temptation to only approach situations with positive thinking. Individually and together, they made the all-important choice that took them beyond willful thinking: they relied totally on God. In their love for Him, they turned to the Lord for strength as well as for discernment, and therefore they were able to proceed in trust and with peace. 

In his Gospel, Luke made it evident that Mary trusted completely when the angel assured her, “Nothing is impossible for God.” (Luke 1:37) However, the role of Joseph in the coming of the Messiah is nothing short of breathtaking when you consider that when Mary told him she was pregnant, he had not yet had the benefit of an angel to explain things. Although the Gospels do not say it, we can be sure that as bewildered as Joseph may have been, he immediately turned to God in prayer. We can safely assume this because his holiness and closeness to God are probably why God chose him for this role in the first place. The best insight into this is found in Matthew’s Gospel in which Joseph is described as “a righteous man.” (Matthew 1:19) To be described as righteous indicates a life of holiness which was lived in total reliance on God; the righteous one possessed the graces of discernment, justice, and mercy. Also indicative of his righteousness is that his first thoughts were not of himself, but rather they were of Mary: Joseph “was unwilling to expose her to shame” and so he decided to divorce her quietly, and thus, to entrust her into God’s hands. He must have struggled mightily over this since he already loved her and knew she was pure and holy, without guile or pretense. The narrative goes on to reveal that after Joseph had prayerfully decided to divorce Mary, the same angel (presumably) that came to her visited him in a dream. The angel explained the situation, and so he obediently and confidently took her into his home, enabling the Incarnation of Jesus Emmanuel. And while Joseph was not without sin or immaculate like Mary, he shared with her the two essential traits which are the foundation of love and holiness: thinking of what is best for other rather than of themselves, and total reliance upon God. 

A suggestion as we begin Advent is to focus our reflection on Joseph and the traits he displayed.** We can let him inspire us to turn to God with trust more readily than perhaps we do now, and as our relationship deepens, we can seek to grow in grace and virtue. We can reflect upon how to become more selfless, to develop this as a habitual way of living. As with Joseph, being a righteous person means learning to mix humility with bold confidence. In other words, humility comes from our recognition that graces do not come from our own power, but rather, that everything comes from God; confidence comes from utilizing the very grace and power He gives. It is important to recognize that while positive thinking helps, if our focus is only on self, (that is, we will ourselves to do something thinking the hoped-for result is from our own power), we will not be successful in growing in holiness, and will often end up disappointed instead. 

During Advent, Joseph can enrich our journey toward the stable with Mary.*** Joseph, (like Mary), teaches us that God is always with us and there is nothing which He cannot do in order to accomplish His plan. Joseph helps us to realize that often the struggle or suffering we experience is part of our path to holiness and therefore has great value. He also encourages us to keep our eyes and ears open for the presence of God who often comes in unexpected ways. He teaches perseverance: when faced with a seemingly impossible situation or when praying for something that seems like it never seems to budge, we must continue to trust God’s wisdom concerning that which we do not understand. Finally, Joseph can be our model of selflessness, which includes humility before God who must always be first in our lives. St. Joseph the righteous one knew that only with total reliance on God would he be able to humbly live his call. Indeed, he embraced it with all his heart.

May we pray for the intercession of St. Joseph during our Advent journey! May we take the time to reflect on the ways St. Joseph lived as a righteous man and ask the Holy Spirit help our growth in virtue! And may we savor every moment of Advent so that the graces God wishes to impart may truly be received! Let us meet on the road to Bethlehem! Peace! Marana tha! Come O Lord! 

​                              © Michele L. Catanese

 * The Little Train That Could by Watty Piper, first published in 1930 and still available at some bookstores.
** The birth narratives do not contain much on St. Joseph, or even Mary for that matter. However, what is there is more than enough to pray and meditate with for a lifetime. In Matthew’s Gospel, Joseph is present in chapter 1 and 2. Chapter 1 concerns everything through the birth of Jesus, and while it is outside the scope of Advent, we can learn more about Joseph in Matthew 2:13-15 and then 2:19-22 since these give us more insight into the obedience of Joseph when the angel comes to him again via his dreams. (Also, the genealogy that appears at the beginning of chapter 1 offers often overlooked insights into Joseph; he descended from the line of David, just as God said the father of the Messiah would.) After this, Joseph is no longer mentioned. In his Gospel, Luke offers the birth narrative by highlighting Mary in chapters 1 and 2; in these chapters the name of Joseph only appears twice! 
*** A good exercise might be in reflecting upon what Joseph’s reaction may have been when Mary departed immediately after their discussion to go to the hill country (to help Elizabeth); what might he have experienced of ‘Advent waiting’ while she was gone? We can meditate and pray over what those nine months of Mary’s pregnancy were like for Joseph, and so on.

Images:
1. My photo; train in Norway.
2. My photo; statue of Mary pregnant with Jesus which I saw in a church in Puerto Rico during Advent.
3. Image; St. Joseph Mirror of Patience by Fr. William Hart McNichols. This is a good time of year to purchase Advent images and icons  for prayer and to share. You can find this one at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/st-joseph-mirror-of-patience-334-william-hart-mcnichols.html
(Remember, I do not receive anything from endorsing the work of Fr. Bill except through knowing I have "shared the wealth" of the beauty of his work!)
4. My photo; trail in Big Bend National Park; Big Bend Texas
5. Image; San Jose Flor de Jese, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. Note as above; you can find this at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/san-jose-flor-de-jese-323-william-hart-mcnichols.html
6. Clip art; Advent wreath for the first week of the season.

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. 

​Music became my passion when I picked up my first instrument as a young girl. However, in a more hidden manner there was another great love developing, a fascination with the Bible. I attempted to read Bible commentaries to understand better what the Scriptures contained, but honestly, I did not really understand the commentaries all that much. However, my searching did foster continued reflection on Jesus and on His words. There was one particular section that drew me in, the Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 5-7) I still find it to be the one of the most powerful (if not challenging) teachings in the Gospels.* The best part, however, is that the Bible had helped me to know and love God better, and I began to understand that in reading it, I was actually hearing His words, His message. Therefore, to those who say they long to hear God speak to their heart, or that they wish they could hear His voice, I say, “Pick up your Bible.” Through the Bible we always have the voice of God speaking to us. We hear His voice every time we read it or listen to it being proclaimed in our churches: indeed, that is God speaking to you. No one who has ever attended even one liturgy can claim that they have never heard God speak. He has spoken throughout history and His voice remains as strong as ever.

Just before the Gospel is proclaimed at Mass, Catholics engage in a meaningful gesture. When the deacon or priest says, “A reading from the Gospel according to…. [Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John],” we trace the sign of the cross with our thumb on our forehead, lips, and heart. Simultaneously, we silently say the prayer that accompanies that gesture: “May the Lord be in my mind, on my lips, and in my heart.” ** It is important that we do say the prayer because it is a reminder that what we are going to hear is indeed the Word of the Lord. In word and deed, it was to speak the Word of God that He came: Jesus, the Son of God, the Word incarnate, entered our world to fulfill all God promised, to express the love and mercy of the Father, and therefore, to offer the gift of salvation to all people. In doing so, He wanted to make disciples who would assist Him in this work. Therefore, if we do not listen, and if we do not open our minds and hearts to His word, then we will not be able to speak them on our lips. In this light, His words spoken through Scripture ought to move our hearts to always invite Him in, focus our thoughts upon Him, and reveal that we are His in our words and actions.

While the Gospels are the heart of our Christian faith, we should be familiar with the entire Bible. If we have some understanding of the Old Testament, we will more fully appreciate what it means when Jesus is referred to as the fulfilment of prophecy, or the significance of his ancestry, for example. We will also better understand why and how the Jewish people were oppressed by the Romans; that is, the thousands of years of history that got them to where they were at the time of Jesus. Of course, studying the Old Testament also provides great insights into who God is, how He revealed this, and how the understanding of the Jewish people developed over the centuries. Without familiarity with it, we would lose the stories of the great heroes, the poetry of the Psalms, the significance of the Law, and the Wisdom of the holy ones carefully passed down, generation to generation. The same is true for the books of the New Testament after the Gospels: these writings describe what the early Church was like, offer the foundations of our theology, false teachings to avoid, and prophecy about the return of Christ. In truth, we should keep all the Scriptures in our minds, on our hearts, and in our lips insofar as we participate in it through our reading, study, reflection, and prayer with it. 

Many people do read the Scriptures daily, and through this practice discover that the Word is ever new each time it is read and reflected upon. But what is most important is that we let it penetrate our hearts and minds. The Word dwelling in our minds will help us to discern between what is really from God and what is actually deception as we face challenges and difficulties in our daily life. The Word dwelling in our hearts will allow Him to reveal His desires for us, ways we might be healed, areas in which we need to let go of attachments, ways to put Him first in our lives more consistently, and to disclose more deeply how much He truly loves us. During these times there is much division and so many voices competing for our attention, often making it difficult to know which to listen to. But there is an answer, there is one Voice of Truth to which we can always turn and in which we can always trust: Jesus. If we learn to recognize Him, to hear His voice and respond to it, we will have peace within our hearts even when everything around us seems to be falling apart. With the Word of God in the forefront of our minds, always on our lips (and in our actions), and thus, deep within our hearts, we will be safe in the midst of storm, and we will glorify Him by our lives.

May we keep the Lord in our mind, on our lips, and in our heart! May we be drawn ever deeper into the Scriptures, the Word of God, so that we may hear His voice always! And in living the Word, may we glorify God! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace!

                               ©Michele L. Catanese

​* For more, see my post from June 2023, The Gospel Within The Gospels. https://www.catanesesd.com/micheles-blog/the-gospel-within-the-gospels
​
** https://mycatholic.life/catholic-question-and-answer/q-signing-head-lips-heart-at-gospel/#:~:text=The%20answer%20is%20simple.,His%20sacred%20Word%20is%20proclaimed.
The Jews used to practice something along these lines by wearing tefillin or phylacteries: men would wear the Law (Torah) on their foreheads, inside leather pouches held by cords, and the phylacteries were held in similar pouches worn on their arm. This was meant to keep the Lord in their mind and close to their heart. Jewish houses had a mezuzah on the door frame (many still do this) so that as they entered or exited, they would touch it in a gesture of prayer. What is contained within all of these are verses from the Law, most important of them the Shema prayer, that greatest of all commandments that proclaims God as One and that we are to love Him with all our mind, all our heart, and all our strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4) While Christians do not wear these particular reminders, we do wear crosses and medals which are worn not only to proclaim our faith, but as reminders to ourselves of Whose we are. As in all things we should honor the wearing of them by our behaviors so that we do indeed have the Word in our mind, on our lips, and in our heart. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tefillin

Images:
1. My photo; The Bible.
2. Icon; Cristo Pantocrater by Fr. William Hart McNichols. If you are interested in purchasing a copy, or in any of his other images and icons, you can find this at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/cristo-pantocrator-175-william-hart-mcnichols.html
3. Drawing; Solomon's Temple, https://bible.fandom.com/wiki/First_Temple. I chose this to give an example of something of the history of Israel that was quite important and highly described in many books of the Old Testament.
4. Painting; First Steps (After Millet), by Vincent van Gogh. Let us run to the Father!
5. My photo; On the Snake River in Clarkston, Washington.

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 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.

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.