Saturday, April 30, 2011
John Paul II Priests
The following comes from the Headline Bistro:
It was a constant refrain. During my happy years as a rector at the North American College in Rome, I had the annual pleasant duty of reading the spiritual autobiographies of our incoming class of forty-five or so new men.
Over and over again I would read, “The example of Pope John Paul II has been a major factor in my discernment of a vocation to serve Jesus and His Church as a priest.”
While I’m not all that fond of the term, I have to admit the happy reality that we now have an entire generation of “John Paul II priests.” Although I would also claim to be a “Pius XII priest,” a “John XXIII priest,” a “Paul VI priest,” and, I hope, a “Pope Peter I priest” – I, too, gratefully claim the badge “John Paul II priest.”
What attracted these seminarians, these priests, even these bishops, to the man now called “Blessed John Paul II”?
One factor would be the centrality of Jesus. He would laugh at the term, “John Paul II priests.” He’d remind us, “No! We are disciples, priests of Jesus Christ.”
For John Paul II, Jesus Christ is the answer to the question asked by every human life. His existence on earth was a daily response to the invitation given the disciples on the Sea of Galilee, “Come, follow me.”
Thanks to his Christ-centered life, millions more made Jesus the focus of their lives. They would converse with the Lord in prayer, gaze upon Him in the Eucharist, serve Him in the poor, find His other disciples in the Church, and ask Him what He wanted them to do with their lives. For a number of them, the reply was, “be a priest.”
It would be John Paul who would powerfully remind the Church that, while all were called to be configured to Christ, some men were invited to be “re-ordered” at the core of their being to be configured to Christ as head, shepherd and spouse of the Church through the sacrament of Holy Orders.
The second factor: Blessed John Paul II moved a generation of priests by his courage. This is the man who kept repeating those words of God the Father and God the Son, “Do not be afraid.”
He sure had every earthly reason to be scared: born into the decimation of post-World War I Poland; losing all of his family by the time he was only twenty-one; the Nazis; then Stalin’s tyranny; Communist lies and oppression.
Yet he radiated a conviction, a confidence, a courage that a skeptical and frightened world craved. And young men were among them, reluctant to commit their lives to a question mark, but itching to embrace an exclamation point! They were tired of living in doubt and fear.
The third factor would be that John Paul reminded these men that they were God’s work of art; they had an eternal destiny; they were at their best when — according to his oft-repeated law of the gift — they gave themselves away in love, like Jesus on the cross.
Yes, you could do that radiantly through marriage and family, through consecrated religious life, as committed single disciples.
But a good number of men knew you could do it in a particularly effective way as priests.
For them, the Church became a resounding “yes!” to everything noble, liberating, virtuous and heroic in life. For them, the Church was a radiantly attractive spouse, and fidelity to her would be their new project in life.
So, for every one you read about in shock on the front page of the paper, there are ninety-nine who are faithful and generous.
If you ask these priests what keeps them that way, they’ll probably corner you and say, “No, not what, but who.”
And the who is Jesus, His Mother, His Spouse, the Church, His Real Presence … and the example of a man we now call “Blessed.”
Blessed John Paul II: A Saint Like Don Bosco
Check out the post at Spirit Daily here.
Biographer says JP II's legacy will take 'several hundred years' to unpack
The following comes from the CNA:Pope John Paul II’s teachings will take centuries to fully explore and understand. That’s according to his official biographer, George Weigel.
“It’s going to be several hundred years before the Church really takes on board the breadth and depth of this man’s explication of the Gospel, and in that sense we’re going to be thinking, and arguing, about John Paul II for hundreds of years,” Weigel told the Catholic Herald on April 28.
The U.S. author devoted 15 years of his life researching his biographies “Witness to Hope” and “The End of the Beginning.” In that time he concluded that Pope John Paul was an “utterly normal human being” but one who was radically open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
“I think everything he did, as a literary man, as a philosopher, as a priest, a bishop, a statesman, a pope, grew out of his radical Christian discipleship,” he said.
“Very few of the billion Catholics in the world are going to have the range of talents that Karol Wojtyla had,” Weigel noted.
But “every baptised person has the opportunity to live a life of radical discipleship. And that’s our connection to him,” he said.
Weigel suggests that the most obvious legacy of Pope John Paul is the generation of young Catholics committed to Christian orthodoxy. “I look at my own parish in suburban Washington and see young couples raising Catholic families, who all took some form of inspiration from John Paul II. And I suspect this is replicated all over the world,” he said.
As for those who say the late Pope responded inadequately to priestly sex abuse cases that came to light late in his pontificate, Weigel said that criticism is off the mark. “The way to think about John Paul II and the priesthood is to recognise that he was a great reformer of the priesthood. The priesthood was in terrible shape in 1978 when he became pope; it was in remarkably better shape 26 years later. That’s the context,” he said.
Saint of the day: Pope Pius V
Prayer to Mary, Help of Christians:Mary, most powerful Virgin,
You are the mighty and glorious Protector of the Church.
You are the marvelous Help of Christians.
You are awe-inspiring as an army in battle array.
You have destroyed heresy in the world.
In the midst of our anguish, our struggle and our distress
defend us from the power of the enemy,
and at the hour of our death receive our soul into heaven. Amen.
(By St. John Bosco)
Friday, April 29, 2011
Pope Pius V: The holy pope who lived on vegetable broth and crayfish
St Pius V, who excommunicated Queen Elizabeth, continued to live as a monk even after he became pope.
Pius V, pope from 1566 to 1572, was the kind of Counter Reformation pontiff dear to the hearts of Roman triumphalists. That he still freezes the blood of Protestants he would have regarded as a badge of honour.
Zealots, however, do not always apprehend the consequences of their actions. By excommunicating Queen Elizabeth in 1570, Pius V put paid to any chance that Catholicism might be tolerated in England. Even Philip II of Spain considered that the pope was mistaken in this matter.
Yet Pius V was certainly a holy man. Born in 1504 at Bosco, some 30 miles north of Genoa, Antonio Ghislieri came from an impoverished noble family. In boyhood he worked as a shepherd; at 14, he became a Dominican, adopting the name Michele.
After studying theology in Bologna and being ordained in Genoa, he taught theology in Pavia for 16 years. Appointed Inquisitor for Como and Bergamo, he made an impression with another hardliner, Cardinal Carafa. As Pope Paul IV (1555-59) Carafa made Michele Ghislieri a bishop (1556), a cardinal (1557) and “perpetual supreme Inquisitor” (1558).
Although Ghislieri’s severity raised some eyebrows he was elected pope in 1566 through the influence of Charles Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan.
As Pius V Ghislieri continued to live as a monk, wearing the coarse clothing of a friar under his papal robes and living mainly on vegetable broth and crayfish. He felt it his duty, moreover, to indulge in public exhibitions of piety, processing through the streets with head and feet bare.
Eager to make Rome a holy city in reality as well as in name he expelled prostitutes, banned bullfights and tried to restrict the use of taverns to visitors to the city. He also looked after the poor by distributing alms and food and by setting up interest-free loan banks.
In spiritual affairs Pius V fostered his own strong devotion to the Virgin Mary. He laboured to enforce the decrees of the Council of Trent, which he circulated abroad as far as Mexico, Goa and the Congo. To the same end he published the Roman Catechism (1566) and the revised Roman Breviary (1568).
The Roman Missal, issued in 1570, standardised the celebration of Mass. Any national and regional variations had to be warranted by an antiquity of at least 200 years.
Following the example of his mentor Paul IV Pius V continued to sharpen the powers of the Inquisition and eagerly persecuted anyone who showed the least deviation from orthodoxy. He also expelled Jews from the papal state, moderating his anti-Semitism only in favour of commercial advantage.
In 1571 Pius V achieved a triumph when the Spanish and Venetian coalition he had organised destroyed the Turkish fleet at the battle of Lepanto.
Saint of the day: Catherine of Siena
The following comes from the Catholic.org site: Thursday, April 28, 2011
Divine Mercy image in Chicago's Daly Plaza reaching thousands
The following comes from the CNA:
One of the fastest-growing devotions in the Catholic Church is reaching the heart of downtown Chicago through the work of the Heralds of Divine Mercy. The organization is publicly displaying a large image of Christ during a nine-day campaign of 24-hour prayer and evangelism.
“The Divine Mercy Project is really about having an opportunity to witness to the culture, in environments we're normally pushed out of,” said Michael C.X. Sullivan, a 40-year-old lawyer who developed the idea earlier this year. “It's specifically for the conversion of Chicago, America, and the world.”
The prayer vigil is taking place in Daly Plaza, a crowded area that features a number of civil administrative buildings. There, the Heralds of Divine Mercy are displaying a large cross along with a ten-foot-tall image of Christ based on the visions of St. Faustina Kowalska. While some participants remain in prayer, others take their turn distributing cards that promote the message of God's mercy.
Sullivan said his five-year-old son had become an enthusiastic evangelist, along with the many other participants who have manned the image in shifts all day and night. “He shoots out across Daly Plaza,” Sullivan said, “running right up to people and giving them the card.”
“Most people receive it, and look at it, and you see their countenance shift – there's a kind of a brightening. However, you also see a real darkness in some people, a hardness in them. So we say a prayer for them, if they don't want to receive this gift.”
CNA caught up with Sullivan on April 25, the fourth day of the campaign. During the afternoon, a “Life Mob” of about 50 pro-life Catholic young people had showed up with a large “rosary” made of dozens of helium filled balloons.
The young participants held down the large chain of balloons as they recited the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, a prayer that is associated with the image and typically prayed on rosary beads.
“Then they let go of all these balloons,” Sullivan recalled, “so there was this rosary floating up in the sky in front of city hall, in front of this icon of political corruption.”
“I broke out in laughter – it was just awesome.”
The vigil has taken on a more joyous tone since Easter Sunday. During Good Friday and Holy Saturday, however, the large image of Christ was covered with a purple cloth, indicating the solemnity of those liturgical days. The gesture intrigued many passers-by, who wondered what would appear when it was unveiled.
“The vigil participants were out there praying, and people were asking them, 'Why is this covered?'” said Sullivan. “Our culture is one that doesn't want to wait in expectation. Just having it veiled, for those days, was a witness to a more sacramental worldview.”
Now that the image is visible, Sullivan says it is awakening many Chicagoans' quietly suppressed faith.
“We've had people who work in the nearby buildings, sometimes coming up and just kneeling before it,” he observed. “There is this multitude out there that is crying out in silence for God's presence – in all levels of society, whether they're cleaning ladies or at the top of the ladder in media, news, banking, or politics.”
“When they see this sign – this sign that Christ exists, that there are people of faith who are willing to be out there 24 hours a day – they identify with those people. It's feeding and nourishing that inner life of faith in them.”
“I think our culture is ready for Catholics to become more 'evangelical' – more demonstrative, taking the strength of our faith into the public square without compromise.”
He believes that the Divine Mercy image, which shows rays of blood and water flowing from Jesus' heart, is a striking means of evangelism – especially in a highly visual culture, where images can have more impact than words.
“I think our Lord knew that we were entering into this time of a highly visual culture,” Sullivan said. “We have no idea how many people are being touched just by driving by and seeing it. We're seeing police officers drive up and stop near it, and they have this look in their eyes. There's something that is happening to them.”
“We trust that the Lord will use this image as a means of touching souls – because he said he would.”
St. Faustina Kowalska, the 20th century Polish nun whose visions inspired the image, said that Jesus asked her to have it painted and displayed as a sign of God's love during the upheavals of modern history. Sullivan and his fellow vigil participants expect to pass out 20,000 cards bearing the image, along with a prayer and a passage from St. Faustina's diary.
While the Divine Mercy Project seeks to evangelize the public, it also has the goal of encouraging Catholics to perform the “corporal works of mercy” – acts such as feeding the hungry, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and sheltering the homeless. These acts, Sullivan noted, are an essential part of the message given to the world through St. Faustina.
“Jesus said that the strongest faith is of no avail without works,” he said. “Christ demands deeds of mercy.”
The Heralds of Divine Mercy are already getting requests from at least five other U.S. states, where devotees want to launch similar campaigns in the public square. Sullivan believes that the project has national potential, as long as Catholics are willing to step out and take the necessary risks.
“You can say 'Jesus, I trust in you' to your heart's content,” he said, “but if there's no risk involved in that trust, then where is the proof? As Catholics, we really have to put more on the line.”
“Our fears and anxieties keep the power of our faith locked up,” said Sullivan. “But when we lead with prayer, and take risks, God shows up.”
Saint of the Day: Louis-Marie de Monfort
Confessor, Marian devotee, and founder of the Sisters of Divine Wisdom He was born Louis Maie Grignon in Montfort, France, in 1673. Educated at Rennes, he was ordained there in 1700, becoming a chaplain in a hospital in Poitiers. His congregation, also called the Daughters of Divine Wisdom, started there. As his missions and sermons raised complaints, Louis went to Rome, where Pope Clement XI appointed him as a missionary apostolic. Louis is famous for fostering devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary. In 1715, he also founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary. His True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin remains popular. Louis died at Saint-Laurent-sur-Sevre. He was canonized in 1947.
Saint of the day: Gianna Beretta Molla
Today is the feast of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla. She is a great figure in the Pro-life movement and her story is really powerful! The following comes from the EWTN site:
Saint Gianna Beretta Molla was born in Magenta (Milan), Italy, on 4 October 1922, the 10th of 13 children. Already as a young girl she willingly accepted the gift of faith and the clearly Christian education that she received from her excellent parents. As a result, she experienced life as a marvellous gift from God, had a strong faith in Providence and was convinced of the necessity and effectivneess of prayer.
She diligently dedicated herself to studies during the years of her secondary and university education, while, at the same time, applying her faith in generous apostolic service among the elderly and needy as a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. After earning degrees in medicine and surgery from the University of Pavia in 1949, she opened a medical clinic in Mesero (near Magenta) in 1950. She specialized in pediatrics at the University of Milan in 1952 and thereafter gave special attention to mothers, babies, the elderly and the poor.
While working in the field of medicine—which she considered a "mission" and practiced as such—she increased her generous service to Catholic Action, especially among the "very young" and, at the same time, expressed her joie de vivre and love of creation through skiing and mountaineering. Through her prayers and those of others, she reflected on her vocation, which she also considered a gift from God. Having chosen the vocation of marriage, she embraced it with complete enthusiasm and wholly dedicated herself "to forming a truly Christian family."
She became engaged to Pietro Molla and was radiant with joy and happiness during the time of their engagement, for which she thanked and praised the Lord. They were married on 24 September 1955 in St. Martin's Basilica in Magenta, and she became a happy wife. In November 1956, to her great joy, she became the mother of Pierluigi; in December 1957 of Mariolina; in July 1959 of Laura. With simplicity and equilibrium she harmonized the demands of mother, wife, doctor and her passion for life.
In September 1961, towards the end of the second month of pregnancy, she was touched by suffering and the mystery of pain; she had developed a fibroma in her uterus. Before the required surgical operation, and conscious of the risk that her continued pregnancy brought, she pleaded with the surgeon to save the life of the child she was carrying, and entrusted herself to prayer and Providence. The life was saved, for which she thanked the Lord. She spent the seven months remaining until the birth of the child in incomparable strength of spirit and unrelenting dedication to her tasks as mother and doctor. She worried that the baby in her womb might be born in pain, and she asked God to prevent that.
A few days before the child was due, although trusting as always in Providence, she was ready to give her life in order to save that of her child: "If you must decide between me and the child, do not hesitate: choose the child—I insist on it. Save the baby." On the morning of 21 April 1962 Gianna Emanuela was born. Despite all efforts and treatments to save both of them, on the morning of 28 April, amid unspeakable pain and after repeated exclamations of "Jesus, I love you. Jesus, I love you," the mother died. She was 39 years old. Her funeral was an occasion of profound grief, faith and prayer. The body of the new blessed lies in the cemetary of Mesero (4 km. from Magenta).
Gianna was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 24, 1994, and officially canonized as a saint on May 16, 2004. Gianna's husband Pietro and their last child, Gianna, were present at the canonization ceremony.
St. Gianna is a patron saint for mothers, physicians, and unborn children.
St. Gianna is a patron saint for mothers, physicians, and unborn children.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Pope Benedict: Only in God can we discover life's meaning
On the first day of his Easter vacation, Pope Benedict XVI told Christians to turn to the risen Christ if they wish to discover the purpose of their lives.
"Only if we turn to God, to pray, can we discover the deepest meaning of our lives, and our daily journey will be illuminated by the light of the Risen One," he told those gathered in the courtyard of the papal holiday residence at Castel Gandolfo, 15 miles southeast of Rome.
"Truly the Lord is risen! Hallelujah! The Resurrection of the Lord marks the renewal of our human condition. Christ has conquered death, caused by our sin, and brings us back to eternal life," the Pope said one day after celebrating Easter at the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Drawing upon various sources the Pope asked, "How can we meet the Lord and become His most authentic witnesses?”
Pope Benedict turned to St. Maximus of Turin for the answer, recalling his quote: ‘Whoever wants to reach the Savior, first must put his faith into the right hand of God and ... he must learn to constantly gaze with mind and heart upon the heights of God, where Christ is risen."
Pope Benedict then led those in attendance in praying the "Regina Coeli" or "Queen of Heaven."
In the weeks following Easter Sunday, the Regina Coeli is the standard midday prayer of the Holy Father and the wider Catholic Church. It replaces the usual noontide "Angelus" prayer. The "Regina Coeli" recalls the resurrection of Jesus Christ with special reference to his mother Mary.
The Pope concluded his address by looking forward to his forthcoming visit to Venice on this the feast day of the city's patron, St. Mark the Evangelist.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Whom are you seeking?
The following poem from the second century priest Melito of Sardes (Asia Minor) praises the Resurrection:
Trembling for joy cries all creation;
What is this mystery, so great and new?
The Lord has risen from among the dead,
And Death itself He crushed with valiant foot.
Behold the cruel tyrant bound and chained,
And man made free by Him who rose!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
An Easter Sermon of St. John Chrysostom
An Easter Sermon of St. John Chrysostom:Is there anyone who is a devout lover of God? Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival! Is there anyone who is a grateful servant? Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!
Are there any weary with fasting? Let them now receive their wages! If any have toiled from the first hour, let them receive their due reward; if any have come after the third hour, let him with gratitude join in the Feast! And he that arrived after the sixth hour, let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss. And if any delayed until the ninth hour, let him not hesitate; but let him come too. And he who arrived only at the eleventh hour, let him not be afraid by reason of his delay.
For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first. He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour, as well as to him that toiled from the first. To this one He gives, and upon another He bestows. He accepts the works as He greets the endeavor. The deed He honors and the intention He commends.
Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord! First and last alike receive your reward; rich and poor, rejoice together! Sober and slothful, celebrate the day!
You that have kept the fast, and you that have not, rejoice today for the Table is richly laden! Feast royally on it, the calf is a fatted one. Let no one go away hungry. Partake, all, of the cup of faith. Enjoy all the riches of His goodness!
Let no one grieve at his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed. Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again; for forgiveness has risen from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the Death of Our Saviour has set us free. He has destroyed it by enduring it. He destroyed Hades when He descended into it. He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh. Isaiah foretold this when he said, “You, O Hell, have been troubled by encountering Him below.”
Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with. It was in an uproar because it is mocked. It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed. It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated. It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive. Hell took a body, and discovered God. It took earth, and encountered Heaven. It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.
O death, where is thy sting? O Hades, where is thy victory?
Christ is Risen, and you, O death, are annihilated! Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down! Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is Risen, and life is liberated! Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead; for Christ having risen from the dead, is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!
A Prayerful Pause
Ave mundi spes Maria - Latin
Ave mundi spes Maria, ave mitis, ave pia, ave plena gratia.
Ave virgo singularis, quć per rubum designaris non passus incendia.
Ave rosa speciosa, ave Jesse virgula:
Cujus fructus nostri luctus relaxavit vincula.
Ave cujus viscera contra mortis foedera ediderunt filium.
Ave carens simili, mundo diu flebili reparasti gaudium.
Ave virginum lucerna, per quam fulsit lux superna his quos umbra tenuit.
Ave virgo de qua nasci, et de cujus lacte pasci res cćlorum voluit.
Ave gemma coeli luminarium.
Ave Sancti Spiritus sacrarium.
Oh, quam mirabilis, et quam laudabilis hćc est virginitas!
In qua per spiritum facta paraclitum fulsit foecunditas.
Oh, quam sancta, quam serena, quam benigna, quam amoena esse virgo creditur!
Per quam servitus finitur, posta coeli aperitur, et libertas redditur.
Oh, castitatis lilium, tuum precare filium, qui salus est humilium:
Ne nos pro nostro vitio, in flebili judicio subjiciat supplicio.
Sed nos tua sancta prece mundans a peccati fćce collocet in lucis domo.
Amen dicat omnis homo.
Ave mundi spes Maria - English
Hail, hope of the world, Mary, hail, meek one, hail, loving one, hail, full of grace.
Hail O singular virgin, who wast chosen to not suffer flames through brambles.
Hail, beautiful rose, hail, staff of Jesse:
Whose fruit loosened the chains of our weeping
Hail whose womb bore a son against the law of death.
Hail, O one lacking comparison, still tearfully renewing joy for the world.
Hail, lamp of virgins, through whom the heavenly light shone on these whom shadow holds.
Hail, O virgin from whom a thing of heaven wished to be born, and from whose milk feed.
Hail, gem of the lamps of heaven.
Hail, sanctuary of the Holy Ghost.
O, how wonderful, and how praiseworthy is this virginity!
In whom, made through the spirit, the paraclete, shone fruitfulness.
O how holy, how serene, how kind, how pleasant the virgin is believed to be!
Through whom slavery is finished, a place of heaven is opened, and liberty is returned.
O, lily of chastity, pray to thy son, who is the salvation of the humble:
Lest we through our fault, in the tearful judgment suffer punishment.
But may she, by her holy prayer, purifying from the dregs of sin, place us in a home of light
Amen let every man say.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Blessed Maria Gabriella: A saint for Christian unity
Today the Church recalls the memorial of Blessed Maria Gabriella. Her short life was dedicated to the cause of Christian unity. The following comes from the Patron Saints Index:Born to a family of shepherds. As a child she was described as obstinate, critical, protesting, and rebellious - but loyal, and obedient; she would say no to a request - but act on it at once. At 18 she became gentler, her temper abated, she became involved in prayer and charity, and joined "Azione Cattolic," a Catholic youth movement. At 21 she entered the Trappestine monastery of Grottaferrata. When she was accepted, her attitude finally became "Now do what You will."
When the community's leader explained a request for prayer and offering for the great cause of Christian Unity, Maria Gabriella felt compelled to offer her young life to the cause. Though she'd never been sick before, she suddenly developed tuberculosis. In a mere 15 months spent in prayer for Unity, it took her to her death.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Pope Benedict: Indifference to God brings indifference to evil
An indifference to God leads to an indifference to evil. That was the message from Pope Benedict XVI at his April 20 Wednesday Audience in St. Peter’s Square, his last before Easter.
On the eve of Holy Thursday, the Pope dwelt upon Christ’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane when the apostles slept as Jesus suffered the torment of his impending crucifixion.
Pope Benedict said of those moments, “It’s our very sleepiness to the presence of God that renders us insensitive to evil: we don’t hear God because we don’t want to be disturbed, and so we remain indifferent to evil.” He said that such a disposition leads to “a certain callousness of the soul towards the power of evil.”
The Pope was keen to stress that Christ's rebuke to his slumbering apostles – “stay awake and keep vigil” – applies to the entire history of the Church. Jesus message, the Pope said, is a “permanent message for all time because the disciples’ sleepiness is not problem of that one moment, rather of the whole of history, ‘the sleepiness’ is ours, of those of us who do not want to see the full force of evil and do not want to enter into his Passion.”
The next three days are the most sacred in the Christian calendar. Those three days, known in Latin as the “Triduum,” observe the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ nearly 2000 years ago in Palestine. The Pope observed, “The liturgies of these days invite us to ponder the loving obedience of Christ who, having become like us in all things but sin, resisted temptation and freely surrendered himself to the Father’s will.”
The next major event on Pope Benedict’s calendar will be his “Chrism Mass” tomorrow morning in St. Peter’s Basilica. There, around 1,600 clergy from the Diocese of Rome and Roman colleges will renew their ordination promises.
The Making of So Beautiful or So What by Paul Simon
The following comes from the Christian Post:
Paul Simon’s last album was entitled Surprise, but it’s his newest album that is quite surprising.
It’s all about God, Jesus, angels, and the afterlife. And the album cover looks like a multi-colored DNA helix, causing speculation that this album is really about a search for the meaning of life.
The lyrics of the album’s first cut, "Getting Ready for Christmas Day," are taken directly from a 1941 sermon by famed Atlanta preacher Rev. J.M. Gates.
“I took a big chunk of this guy’s sermon, which was recorded in 1941,” said singer/Songwriter Simon. “It was like it was meant to be there.”
The catchy, African-inspired and bluesy rhythm of that first track underscores the chorus:
Getting ready for the power and the glory and the story of the Christmas Day.
For more of this article please click here.
Saint of the day: Anselm
Today the Church remember St. Anselm. The following comes from the Patron Saints Index:St. Anselm was born to the Italian nobility. After a childhood devoted to piety and study, Anselm wanted to enter religious life, but his father prevented it, and Anselm became rather worldly for several years. Upon his mother's death, Anselm argued with his father, fled to France, and became a Benedictine monk at Bec, Normandy. Studied under and succeeded Lanfranc as abbot. Archbishop of Canterbury. Theological writer. Counsellor to Pope Gregory VII, Pope Urban II, and William the Conqueror. Opposed slavery and obtained English legislation prohibiting the sale of men. Fought King William Rufus's encroachment on ecclesiastical rights and the independence of the Church, and was exiled. Resolved theological doubts of the Italo-Greek bishops at Council of Bari in 1098. Strongly supported celibate clergy. King Henry I invited him to return to England, but they disputed over investitures, and Anselm was exiled again to return in 1106. One of the great philosophers and theologians of the middle ages. Doctor of the Church in 1720 by Pope Clement XI.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Archbishop Sheen’s sainthood cause moving ahead
Our Father from Catholic Core on Vimeo.
The beatification cause of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen will advance this May when Bishop Daniel J. Jenky of Peoria will present Pope Benedict XVI with the position paper summarizing the life and holiness of the famous television evangelist.
“America is in need of a saint like Archbishop Sheen. He brought so many people closer to Christ during his life here on earth and continues to do so even today through his many writings, television and radio shows,” explained Fr. Andrew Apostoli, the vice postulator tasked with preparing and advocating Sheen’s cause.
The formal filing of the position paper, called a “positio,” with the Congregation for Saints’ Causes is the initial step in the Vatican’s process to determine whether Archbishop Sheen should be beatified and canonized as a saint.
Sheen was raised in Peoria, Ill. and ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria in 1919.
Bishop Jenky became the Bishop of Competence sponsoring Sheen’s cause in 2002. He is also president of the Peoria-based Archbishop Sheen Foundation. The bishop will present the position paper on Sheen’s cause to the Pope on May 25 at the end of the weekly general audience.
In November 2010 the Diocese of Peoria suspended its promotion of Archbishop Sheen’s cause because of a dispute with the Archdiocese of New York over the final resting place of his remains. The diocese resumed its work in January 2011.
Msgr. Stanley Deptula, executive director of the Archbishop Sheen Foundation, said that once the Congregation for Saints’ Causes officially approves the paper they will begin the investigation into an alleged healing attributed to Sheen.
“The foundation believes the healing is a miracle granted through the late archbishop’s intercession,” Msgr. Deptula explained. Details about supposed miracles are often not discussed while the claim is under investigation by the Vatican.
Deptula and Apostoli will accompany Bishop Jenky to present the positio, as will Msgr. Richard Soseman, the foundation’s foreign liaison; Dr. Louis Varela, the foundation’s chairman of the board; and Maria Alicia Varela, a foundation board member.
Archbishop Sheen was a charismatic author and a radio and television personality. He broadcast his famous television program “Life is Worth Living” from New York City, where he was ordained an auxiliary bishop in 1951.
Sheen later served as Bishop of Rochester. After his death in 1979, he was buried in the crypt of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Relics of Don Bosco Arrive in Taiwan
After having travelled around Hong Kong and Macao, Don Bosco’s casket arrived in Taiwan, which is also a part of the Salesian Province of China. The relics stayed on the island between 7 and 10 April, arousing faith and enthusiasm in a large number of people.
The Salesians in Taiwan had been preparing to welcome Don Bosco’s relics since October, but given the small percentage of Catholics on the island, about 01.4% of the population, until the last moment they had not known what sort of turn out there would be. In addition, for the local culture the pilgrimage of a relic was something difficult to understand, and the customs and other formalities at first seemed rather complicated.
In fact the visit of the casket became a great celebration involving not only the Salesian community and Family, but very many Christians and people of other faiths or none.
On 7 April, the day the casket arrived in Taiwan, the President, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister sent bouquets of flowers and greetings for the occasion. During the previous week many groups and parishes in different parts of the island had begun to call and announce that they were coming to venerate the relics. In this way during the four days stay of the casket, the Don Bosco parish church open 24 hours a day for the occasion was never empty. On average each day 1000 people visited the church and venerated the casket so much so that the 4000 momentos of the visit were insufficient; priests were kept busy hearing confessions and about 20 Masses were said all well-attended.
The most moving occasion during the visit was on 9 April with the celebration of the Spirituality Day of the Salesian Family. At the National University of Taipei, Fr Domingos Leong and Sr. Tommasina Lee FMA gave two talks and then answered questions. Then in another session Fr Francesco Tsang and the Salesian Cooperator Wong Li Mang spoke about their personal experience. The day continued with a social event and then Mass with the renewal of their promise by 35 Salesians-Cooperators, a youth festival and a prayer vigil led by the youngsters until the evening.
Many people recalled that on the same day 125 years ago, in 1886, Don Bosco, during his visit to Barcelona, had dreamed about the future expansion of his work into countries in the Far East.
The following day after a special farewell ceremony led by Fr Simon Lam, Provincial of China, the casket began its journey to the “Mary Help of Christians” Province of Myanmar.
Monday, April 18, 2011
A Prayer of Surrender
"Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess You have given me. I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more."
St. Ignatius Loyola
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Youth challenged to create new Renaissance with social media
The following comes from the CNA:
The Secretary of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council on Social Communications says he wants to challenge young Catholics to “be geniuses and creators of a new Renaissance” using social media.
Monsignor Paul Tighe likened the blossoming of social media to the ancient architectural wonders created during the first Renaissance. “The magnificent churches of Rome were built during the first Renaissance using the new technology, art and engineering of the time. Young people can now do the same today using the wonderful new technologies at their disposal including new media,” he said in an April 15 interview with CNA.
The pontifical council Msgr. Tighe works for was established in 1948 by Pope Pius XII primarily to monitor and critique the film industry. Since then its work has expanded as modern forms of communications have proliferated. Presently the Council is helping to overhaul the Vatican’s presence on the Internet, bringing all the Church’s major news agencies together onto one website. That includes the newspaper “L’Osservatore Romano,” Vatican Radio and Fides news agency.
Msgr. Tighe now wants young Catholics to realize the potential of this digital age.
“The first thing is that for young people ‘new media’ isn’t actually new. It’s just everyday life to them. So I want them to have a sense of how things were before and how exciting this digital age actually is. It has big potential,” he said.
He also noted that the social media can be used to draw people to Christ. “It’s interesting how the new technologies are being used by young people as a way of seeking friendship with others. That’s not just a cultural phenomenon. It’s actually in our nature – made in the image and likeness of God - to seek friendship. I’d hope young people can then open up to that ultimate other, God, through the same means.”
Msgr. Tighe pointed to websites such as “Sacred Space” which, he says, provide online “silence and solitude” for anybody seeking God.
Meanwhile, the project to bring all the Vatican’s media outlets onto one website should be complete by Easter Sunday this year.
Saint of the day: Bernadette of Lourdes
Today we remember the holy visionary from Lourdes St. Bernadette! The following comes from the Catholic Pilgrims page:
Bernadette Soubirous is the saint of Lourdes, France. Visionary and messenger of the Immaculate Conception, she told us the very words of the Virgin Mary, spoken in the native Basque tongue of Southern France and Northern Spain. She spoke words teaching of the merits of prayer, penance, poverty and church. In the first and most widely recognized Marian apparition of modern times, a personal message was delivered also to Bernadette—She would not find happiness in this world, but only in the next.
She was to die twenty–one years later in 1879 after a prolonged and painful illness. She remained hidden in a convent about 300 miles from home, a refuge from the interrogations and the pilgrims that never ceased seeking her. At thirty–five, her strong–willed manner gave way to her frail body, and she finally entered into her eternal happiness.
While she took with her the knowledge of certain secrets the Virgin gave her, one secret remained hidden in our presence. The most spectacular of all the incorruptibles, Bernadette's miraculously preserved body remained buried in a damp grave for thirty years until the cause for beatification was taken up. To this day, the body of Bernadette is a profound source of inspiration and of mystery surrounding the ways of the Lord. The face of Bernadette is one of surreal beauty, and will remain for us always the face that gazed into the eyes of the Mother of God.Friday, April 15, 2011
What Would JPII Do?
The following comes from Zenit:
What would Pope John Paul the Great make of some of the world's problems today, and his own beatification?
To obtain a few insights, I asked John Paul II's biographer, George Weigel. Author of "Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II," the most comprehensive study of the soon-to-be beatified Pope, Weigel recently published its sequel, "The End and the Beginning," which tells the dramatic story of John Paul II's battles with communism as well as the late Pontiff's final years.
Weigel believes that with regard to Europe's ever-increasing spiritual and moral malaise, John Paul II would be doing "just what he tried to do for decades, and what Benedict XVI has tried to do since 2005 -- rouse Europe from its spiritual torpor, which is killing it."
To offer further insight into what he might have said today, Weigel suggests looking at one of John Paul II's last major statements on the continent: his 2003 apostolic exhortation "Ecclesia in Europa" (the Church in Europe). Weigel summarizes the text as an analysis of Europe's crisis of cultural morale rooted in the Continent's "abandonment of the God of the Bible."
In "The End and the Beginning," Weigel writes that the apostolic exhortation offers a "penetrating analysis of contemporary Europe's crisis of cultural morale" and the most "developed exposition" of the 21st-century implications of Catholic social teaching since his 1991 encyclical "Centesimus Annus."
Moreover, the papal biographer says that "Ecclesia in Europa" "stands as John Paul II's last gift to the world Church of his distinctive reading of the cultural, social, economic, and political signs of the times in the developed world."
Almost 10 years on, and that profound analysis remains just as relevant today. In a passage from it quoted in Weigel's book, John Paul II wrote of Europe's "growing need for hope, a hope that will enable us to give meaning to life and history and to continue on our way together." That need, the Pontiff wrote, has grown out of a "kind of practical agnosticism and religious indifference whereby many Europeans give the impression of living without spiritual roots and somewhat like heirs who have squandered a patrimony entrusted to them by history."
Europe's diagnosis
In "Ecclesia in Europa," John Paul II observed an "inner emptiness that grips many people," a widespread "existential fragmentation [in which] a feeling of loneliness is present," a weakening of the family and a "selfishness that closes individuals and groups in upon themselves." He also noted "a growing lack of concern for ethics and an obsessive concern for personal interests and privileges [leading to] the diminished number of births."
And despite the fall of communism just over a decade earlier, he lamented that Europeans hadn't found an expected new freedom but rather an existential angst: "One of the roots of the hopelessness that assails many people today is their inability [to] allow themselves to be forgiven," he wrote, "an inability often resulting from the isolation of those who, by living as if God did not exist, have no one from whom they can seek forgiveness."
But he stressed it was through "the biblical conception of man" that Europe had once drawn "the best of its humanistic culture, found inspiration for its artistic and intellectual creations, created systems of law and, not least, advanced the dignity of the person as the subject of inalienable rights." It was the Church, as the bearer of the Gospel, "that helped spread and consolidate these values which have made European culture universal."
At the end of the apostolic exhortation, John Paul II naturally closes on a hopeful note, but not without qualification. He suggests that Europe is not guaranteed a future, but must choose to have a future. "That would mean choosing to have children," writes Weigel, reflecting on the document's final passage. "That would mean choosing a firmer foundation for Europe's human rights commitments than pragmatism or utilitarianism. That would mean, above all, a Europe reclaiming the spiritual and moral patrimony of its biblical and Christian heritage, a crucial and irreducible part of Europe being Europe."
Economic crisis, war
On the global economic crisis, and in particular the vast fiscal deficits affecting the U.S. and Europe, Weigel believes John Paul would have clear insights into some of the causes. "He would quickly grasp the demographic character of the fiscal crisis in Europe: When you stop creating the human future through self-induced infertility, bad things are likely to happen," he said. "I like to think he would hope the U.S. could show a way forward for developed societies, all of whom are grappling with the fact that the welfare state as we have known it is simply unaffordable if it remains a preserve of the state."
What would John Paul II have made of the Arab Spring? Would he, for example, have supported the military action in Libya, ostensibly based on humanitarian grounds? Weigel responds by stressing that John Paul II "did not understand his role as Pope as that of global referee, determining when the use of armed force was legitimate; that was the responsibility of statesmen, as he understood things."
But he added: "I think he would be saddened by a maniac like Qaddafi, as he was saddened by other maniacs, including Saddam Hussein. He did speak to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) in 1992 about the 'duty' of 'humanitarian intervention' in cases of impending or actual genocide, but without specifying on whom that duty fell, or how it was to be met."
Weigel stressed that Benedict XVI has also said similar things, "without making the analysis of 'who' and 'how' any more precise." But he believes this is "a major hole in the Church's thinking that badly needs filling," and he added that "saying that 'war doesn't solve anything,' as the bishops of Libya recently said, is not a serious analysis of anything."
John Paul II's beatification on May 1 promises to be a great celebration, fitting for someone whom the Italian Cardinal Camillo Ruini this week described as a "giant man and Pope." John Paul II beatified more Catholics than any other pontiff in history (1,340) – principally to offer the faithful role models whom they could follow. But what would he make of his own elevation to the altars?
"Karol Wojtyla spent his entire adult life conforming himself to the will of God as that manifested itself through the Church," Weigel said. "He didn't want to be a bishop, but he accepted the task; he didn't want to be pope, but he accepted that. I expect that, with that characteristic twinkle in his eye, he'll accept what is being done to him on May 1."
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Actor Martin Sheen says his Catholic religion saved him
I came across this at the Spirit Daily site:
Charlie Sheen’s father Martin Sheen says his Catholic religion has taken him through very tough times.
Sheen, now 70, gave an interview about his upcoming film projects that appeared in last Saturday’s Irish Times.
Though he broke with the church for a while, Sheen says he came back into the fold after suffering a heart attack at the age of 40.
“It’s always a crisis that brings you back. And we begin to ask those two fundamental questions, if your gonna reflect on your life and take serious responsibility for it: who am I, and why am I here? And you reflect on those. I damn near died; I had the last rites,” he says.
“I started going to Mass again but it was out of fear and apprehension that I would die . . . and so it was another four years that I actually committed to come back. I came back to the Church of Vatican II, which I didn’t have a clue had gone on in my absence.”
Perhaps Sheen was thinking of his son when he spoke about how Catholicism can provide a concrete and real way forward when other vices fail.
“We all yearn for the sacred, we are always looking for a transcendence; some people go about it with drugs or alcohol or sex or power or ego, whatever, and when they prove not satisfying and we come to our senses, we begin to realize that there’s another costly journey,” says Sheen.
“It has to cost you something; if something worthwhile doesn’t cost you something, you are left to question its worth. And so I decided to go on that journey and, you know, I’m still at it.”
His latest role, in the Irish production Stella Days, sees him playing a Tipperary priest in the 1950s who loves music and film, but feels as if he has nothing in common with his parishioners. Father Daniel Barry seeks to raise funds for a new church by opening a cinema in the town, but meets opposition at every juncture.
Sheen’s mother was born and raised in Borrisokane, Co. Tipperary, and the Catholic faith is one that he follows as best he can, so the movie was a natural fit.
“I was raised Catholic, my parents were devout Catholics,” Sheen told The Irish Times. “My mother had family rosary most nights in the house, I remember growing up. But when something is given to you, it’s not unusual to let it slip through . . . I loved the church and the faith. But it wasn’t really something personal, it wasn’t costing me anything.”
No word yet on when Stella Days will be released in Ireland, or what the plans are for the film over here.
Check out a video interview here.
Pope Benedict: To be holy is to love God, others
The following comes from the CNS:Everyone is called to holiness, which is simply striving to imitate Christ, particularly in loving God and loving others, Pope Benedict XVI said.
Ending a long series of general audience talks about saints and doctors of the church, the pope spoke about the meaning of holiness and how it is achieved.
Addressing an estimated 12,000 people in St. Peter's Square April 13, Pope Benedict said there are three simple rules for living a holy life:
-- "Never let a Sunday go by without an encounter with the risen Christ in the Eucharist; this is not an added burden, it is light for the entire week."
-- "Never begin or end a day without at least a brief contact with God" in prayer.
-- "And along the pathway of our lives, follow the road signs that God has given us in the Ten Commandments, read in the light of Christ; they are nothing other than explanations of what is love in specific situations."
The pope said he knows most people, aware of their limits and weaknesses, think it wouldn't be possible to be a saint.
The doubts, he said, are one of the reasons the church proposes "a host of saints -- those who fully lived charity and knew how to love and follow Christ in their daily lives" -- to be remembered on specific days throughout the year. The saints come from every period of the church's history, every part of the world, every age group and every lifestyle, he said.
"I must say that, personally, for my faith, many saints -- not all of them -- are true stars in the firmament of history," the pope said. "But I also want to say that for me it is not just the great saints, who I know well, who show me the path to follow, but the simple saints -- the good people who I have known in my life and who will never be canonized."
The unnamed saints "are people who are, so to say, 'normal,' without visible heroism, but in their goodness each day, I see the truth of the faith, this goodness that has matured in the faith of the church. For me, their goodness is the surest form of apologetics for the church and a sign of where truth lies," the pope said.
"It is in the communion of the saints -- canonized and not canonized -- that the church lives," Pope Benedict said.
"We enjoy their presence, their company and we should cultivate the firm hope of imitating their journey and of joining them one day in the same blessed life, eternal life," he said.
Pope Benedict said the Holy Spirit wants to transform each and every Christian into "tiles in the great mosaic of holiness that God is creating in history."
"How great and beautiful and also simple is the Christian vocation seen in this light. All of us are called to holiness," he said.
Ending a long series of general audience talks about saints and doctors of the church, the pope spoke about the meaning of holiness and how it is achieved.
Addressing an estimated 12,000 people in St. Peter's Square April 13, Pope Benedict said there are three simple rules for living a holy life:
-- "Never let a Sunday go by without an encounter with the risen Christ in the Eucharist; this is not an added burden, it is light for the entire week."
-- "Never begin or end a day without at least a brief contact with God" in prayer.
-- "And along the pathway of our lives, follow the road signs that God has given us in the Ten Commandments, read in the light of Christ; they are nothing other than explanations of what is love in specific situations."
The pope said he knows most people, aware of their limits and weaknesses, think it wouldn't be possible to be a saint.
The doubts, he said, are one of the reasons the church proposes "a host of saints -- those who fully lived charity and knew how to love and follow Christ in their daily lives" -- to be remembered on specific days throughout the year. The saints come from every period of the church's history, every part of the world, every age group and every lifestyle, he said.
"I must say that, personally, for my faith, many saints -- not all of them -- are true stars in the firmament of history," the pope said. "But I also want to say that for me it is not just the great saints, who I know well, who show me the path to follow, but the simple saints -- the good people who I have known in my life and who will never be canonized."
The unnamed saints "are people who are, so to say, 'normal,' without visible heroism, but in their goodness each day, I see the truth of the faith, this goodness that has matured in the faith of the church. For me, their goodness is the surest form of apologetics for the church and a sign of where truth lies," the pope said.
"It is in the communion of the saints -- canonized and not canonized -- that the church lives," Pope Benedict said.
"We enjoy their presence, their company and we should cultivate the firm hope of imitating their journey and of joining them one day in the same blessed life, eternal life," he said.
Pope Benedict said the Holy Spirit wants to transform each and every Christian into "tiles in the great mosaic of holiness that God is creating in history."
"How great and beautiful and also simple is the Christian vocation seen in this light. All of us are called to holiness," he said.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Pope John Paul II's Feast Day Set for Ocotber 22
Pope John Paul II’s biographer is welcoming the announcement of a new feast day for the soon-to-be beatified pontiff. The Vatican has declared that Oct. 22, the day he became Pope, will now mark the occasion.
“I think it's an entirely appropriate date, for this was the day that Karol Wojtyla formally began his service to the universal Church and issued that ringing cry to freedom and evangelism: "Be not afraid! Open the doors to Christ," George Weigel told CNA.
As is customary with beatified persons, the feast day will be inserted into the Church calendar of only those places where Pope John Paul II lived and worked – the diocese of Rome and the dioceses of Poland.
In other places, local bishops will have to formally ask the Vatican for permission to mark the feast day. The same restrictions also apply to the naming of churches for Pope John Paul.
In a break with custom, though, the Vatican is giving Catholics throughout the world a year to celebrate a Mass in thanksgiving for the beatification.
In an April 12 statement the Vatican said this is due to “the exceptional character of the beatification of the Venerable John Paul II, recognized by the entire Catholic Church spread throughout the world.”
The Vatican has also unveiled the specific prayer, or collect, to be used at any feast day celebration or thanksgiving Mass. It reads:
“O God, who are rich in mercy
and who willed that Blessed John Paul II
should preside as Pope over your universal Church,
grant, we pray, that instructed by his teaching,
we may open our hearts to the saving grace of Christ,
the sole Redeemer of mankind,
Who lives and reigns.”
Weigel welcomed the new prayer.
“The evocation of the divine mercy, the face of the Father that John Paul II believed was being turned to the world in a special way at this moment of history … also brings to mind the late Pope's inaugural encyclical, ‘The Redeemer of Man,’” he said.
Pope John Paul will be beatified on May 1 and will then be given the title “Blessed.” “Beatification” is the second step in a three-stage process the Catholic Church has created for declaring a deceased person a saint.
Saint of the day: Margaret of Castello
Today the Church remembers Blessed Margaret of Castello. The following comes from Catholic Online:It must have been about the year 1293 when some women of Citta-di-Castello in Umbria, who had gone one day to pray in their parish church, found within, a destitute blind child of about six or seven, who had been abandoned there by her parents. The kind souls were filled with pity for the little waif, and, poor though they were, they took charge of her - first one family and then another, sheltering and feeding her until she became practically the adopted child of the village. One and all declared that, far from being a burden, little Margaret brought a blessing upon those who befriended her. Some years later, the nuns of a local convent offered her a home. The girl rejoiced at the prospect of living with religious, but her joy was short-lived. The community was lax and worldly; Margaret's fervor was a tacit reproach to them, nor did she bring them the profit they had anticipated. Neglect was succeeded by petty persecution, and then by active calumny. Finally she was driven forth ignominiously to face the world once more.
However, her old friends rallied around her. One couple offered her a settled home, which became her permanent residence. At the age of fifteen, Margaret received the habit of a tertiary from the Dominican fathers, who had lately established themselves in Citta-di-Castello, and thence forth, she lived a life entirely devoted to God. More than ever did God's benediction rest upon her. She cured another tertiary of an affliction of the eyes which had baffled medical skill, and her mantle extinguished a fire which had broken out in her foster parents' house. In her desire to show her gratitude to the people of Citta-di-Castello, she undertook to look after the children while their parents were at work. Her little school prospered wonderfully, for she understood children, being very simple herself. She set them little tasks which she helped them to perform; she instructed them in their duty to God and to man, instilling into them her own great devotion to the sacred Childhood, and she taught them the psalms which, inspite of her blindness, she had learned by heart at the convent. We are told that when at prayer she was frequently raised a foot or more from the ground, remaining thus for a long time. Thus she lived, practically unknown outside her own neighborhood, until the age of thirty-three, when she died amidst the friends who loved her, and was buried by their wish in the parish church, where many remarkable miracles took place. The cult of Blessed Margaret was confirmed in 1609.
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