Today is the feast of St. John Bosco (1815-1888), who was so devoted to St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), that he named the order that he founded: the Salesians of Don Bosco.

"If it is permitted to turn to the friends of God and ask their help and their prayers on our behalf while they are alive, why would it be less permissible to turn to them when they reign with God in heaven? Is it possible that those saints who gave their lives and their means to charity will no longer listen to those who call upon them now that they are blessed in heaven? But their capacity to love is much greater now than it was when they lived on earth. Is it possible that they cannot help us? But if they could help us when they were mortal, why can they no longer help us when they are glorious and immortal?"

~ St. John Bosco

Portrait of St. Francis de Sales, photographed in Annecy, France.

Taking the gentleness and kindness of St. Francis de Sales as his model, St. John Bosco worked with the street youth of Turin, Italy, and founded an order to carry on the work with young people. 

Pray for Sinners!

Our Lady asked us to do this, at Fatima and at Lourdes, repeatedly. We must pray for those who have rejected God and His laws...those who are throwing themselves headlong down the path toward eternal death.

St. Francis de Sales, whose feast was yesterday, offers us these beautiful words:

"Jesus looks upon the most dreadful sinners in the world lovingly when they have the least true desire to turn to Him."

Often we turn away from someone who is not like us, physically or spiritually...but let us pray for all poor sinners, especially the ones who seem the most hopeless....

Happy Feast of St. Francis de Sales!

(His tomb in the Basilica at Annecy, France)

"Children learn to speak by hearing their mother talk, and stammering forth their childish sounds in imitation; and so if we cleave to the Savior in meditation, listening to His words, watching His actions and intentions, we shall learn in time, through His Grace, to speak, act and will like Himself."

~ St. Francis de Sales

In his own inimitable way, this great doctor of the Church explains so simply why we meditate on Christ and anything relating to Him (His life, His sufferings, His Mother, His friends). This kind of contemplation will make us more Christ-like.

The Parents of St. Francis de Sales 

(portraits photographed in the Annecy museum)

"When grace speaks

it is time to act,

not to hold discourse."

~ St. Teresa of Avila

This quote makes me smile, because it so reflects St. Teresa of Avila's character. Stop talking and start doing. 

As we spend a few minutes each day in meditation, maybe Our Lord is telling us something. There is something He wants us to do, or maybe something He wants us to stop doing. 

If He is speaking to us through His grace in our souls, let us take a step forward today and act!

I have a sneaking suspicion that I've posted this quote before, but I've decided I don't care. LOL It's a really good one!

"Joy is composed largely of that confidence which permits self-surrender in the midst of the worries that harass us."

~ A.M. Avril, O.P., The Meaning of Christmas

When we meditate on the Omnipotence of God, for example, we surrender ourselves in spite of our difficulties, trials and worries. When we meditate on all the amazing things God has done through the entire history of the human race, we (again) surrender ourselves to the wonder of His Might (or the wonder of His Love, depending on your train of thought.) 

In these ways, we actually surrender ourselves to joy, because we are giving over our worries and concerns to His Omnipotent Power.

Dear Friends, it goes both ways.

As Catholics, we are asked to offer reparation (our prayers and sufferings) through Our Lady to her Adorable Son, to make up for the sins of the world.

But she also told the children of Fatima, that although we will have difficulties, she for her part will always be a true and comforting mother to us. She will console us in our trials and eventually be our guide to life everlasting with Almighty God.

"...You must not be sad. I will be with you always, and my Immaculate Heart will be your comfort and the way which will lead you to God."

~ Our Lady's words, quoted by Fr. John de Marchi, IMC, The True Story of Fatima, 1952.

As most of you know, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the Blessed Virgin Mary's appearance to the three children of Fatima. Have you seen the 1952 movie, "The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima"? Great family viewing, available on DVD!

The first part of this quote is actually shown in the movie, but the part about the grace of God shining into their souls isn't...listen to this beautiful wording by Lucia, one of the three visionaries:

"'You will have a great deal to suffer,' the Lady said, 'But the grace of God will be with you and will strengthen you.'"

"As she pronounced these words, she opened her hands and we were bathed in a heavenly light that appeared to come directly from her hands. The light's reality cut into our hearts and our souls, and we knew somehow that this light was God, and we could see ourselves embraced in it. By an impulse of clear and exterior grace we fell to our knees, repeating in our hearts: 'Oh, Holy Trinity, I adore You. My God, my God, I love You in the Blessed Sacrament.'"

~ Lucia dos Santos, as quoted in The True Story of Fatima by Fr. John DeMarchi, 1952.

"The light's reality cut into our hearts and our souls, and we knew somehow that this light was God, and we could see ourselves embraced in it...." Let us dwell on these words today....

"Holy prayer is a water of benediction, which refreshes the plants of our good desires and makes them flourish. It washes our souls from their imperfections, and extinguishes the fire of passion in our hearts." ~ St. Francis de Sales

(Waters flowing near the village of Eyeries in Ireland)

Finding Stillness even without a Monk's Cell

There are times, I believe, when every person who loves God thinks longingly of going somewhere for a little peace and quiet with Him. Although spiritual retreats are wonderful, not everyone has the freedom to go on one. And even if we do, what about the rest of the year? How can we find that stillness and peace of spending time with God, amidst the noise and bustle of 21st-century life and work?

"Those who lead like Martha a life of great activity may still enjoy the tranquility of Mary, if they are careful to refer all their works to God...In order not to lose the security of our habitation, we must seek it, not so much in a [monastic] cell, as in God Himself. Thrice happy are they who dwell in this House, which not only belongs to God, but is God Himself, for He will be their abiding rest throughout ages of ages."

~ Don Gaspar Gilli, The Month of Mary according to the Spirit of St. Francis de Sales,

imprimatur 1890.

In our meditation today, let us try to mentally find our peace in God Himself, referring all our works, all our joys, all our sufferings to Him, and resting in Him alone.

(The Blessed Virgin Mary, with St. Patrick & St. Brigid, represented in stained glass in the chapel on Lough Derg in Donegal)

St. Brigid of Ireland is considered the greatest Irish saint after St. Patrick himself. Renowned for her charity to the poor and selflessness, she even gave her father's treasured sword, encrusted with jewels, to a beggar. This of course did not make him very happy, as he was a pagan chieftain. Brigid's mother was a Christian slave. Her feastday is coming up on February 1st, and if we wish to make a novena to her, we should start the prayer tomorrow, on January 23rd. 

In these nine days of prayer, we can ask her to intercede with God for us, like the Blessed Virgin Mary did at the marriage feast of Cana...

"Dear St. Brigid, brilliant star of sanctity in the early days of our Irish faith and love for the omnipotent God Who has never forsaken us, we look up to you now in earnest, hopeful prayer. By your glorious sacrifice of earthly riches, joys and affections, obtain for us grace to 'seek first the Kingdom of God and His justice' with constant trust in His fatherly care. By your life of laborious charity to the poor, the sick, the many seekers for light and comfort, obtain for us grace to be God's helpers to the utmost of our power during our stay on earth, looking forward, as you did, to our life with Him during eternity. By the sanctified peace of your deathbed, obtain for us that we may receive the fullness of pardon and peace when the hour comes that will summon us to the judgment seat of our just and merciful Lord. Amen."

~ St. Anthony's Treasury, 1941.

The Whole Point of Catholic Meditation

is not actually to relax and reduce stress, although that is a happy byproduct. The true goal of meditation is to grow closer to God Who made us. For after all, we are all "infused with the breath of life by the same Almighty Creator." :) Let us take those few minutes each day to grow closer to Him.

St. Augustine is a confirmed expert in this area. Having lived scandalously before, he found that "his heart was restless until it rested in" God. He spent the rest of his life seeking to improve his relationship with His Creator.

I share a quote from this great philosopher and saint for us to reflect upon today:

"I beg of You, my God...Let me know You more and more in this life, that I may know You perfectly in Heaven. Let me know You more and more here, so that I may love You perfectly there, so that my joy may be great in itself here, and complete in Heaven with You."

~ St. Augustine

Today is the feast of St. Sebastian. He joined the Roman army in the early centuries of the Church because he wanted to be near the persecuted Christian prisoners and encourage them in their sufferings. 

"With courage no less daring than he had shown in his rescue of Mark and Marcellian, [two young brothers who had faltered in their courage, and whom Sebastian had exhorted to fortitude] but with his prudence and resourcefulness sharpened by experience, Sebastian carried on his unlawful apostolate. Many of the honored martyrs whom we read of today in the Missal owe to him their last moments of encouragement on the painful road to glory in Christ's kingdom."

~ Fr. Robert G. North, SJ, All-Stars of Christ, imprimatur 1949.

After the saint was executed himself (twice! read his story!), Fr. North writes about the conditions of the prisoners:

"After that there was no Christian soldier at the palace to encourage the faithful condemned to martyrdom. But Sebastian had not yet deserted his vocation of Catholic Action. Word of his heroism quickly passed from mouth to mouth through the catacombs. His memory lived as a bright presence in the dungeons of confinement. Each Christian who entered its barred doors heard echoing that brave, inspiring voice: 'To die for Christ means to be a king for all eternity.'"

When I was probably about twelve years old, I read Fabiola by Cardinal Wiseman. If you haven't read it yet, do! It's a fascinating novelized account of the Christian persecution under Emperor Diocletian in Rome. I remember thinking as a kid, "I never thought about the fact that all these martyrs would have known each other, and gone to Mass together in the Catacombs!" From that moment, I had a sort of spiritual "crush" on Saint Sebastian. He was brave and strong, and a hero in the truest sense of the word. 

Saint Sebastian, pray for us that we may have fortitude in our trials and tribulations like you had!

Do you have the opportunity to make a pilgrimage?

In 1878, Rev. Hilary Maurice Vigo wrote, in his book, The Immaculate Conception: The History, Trials, and Triumphs of the Work of God at Lourdes: 

"From the earliest ages of the Church there have been pilgrimages -- that is to say, devotional and penitential journeys from one's own home to distant countries and towns, there to visit the holy places upon which Heaven has shed its choicest favors, to pray before the relics of the Apostles, and of the Martyrs, or to meditate on divine truths in some renowned sanctuary. Hence do we find the pilgrimages to Rome, to the tombs of the Apostles, to Jerusalem, to St. James of Compostela, in Spain, and to the House of the Blessed Virgin in Loretto, crowned with holy celebrity.... How consoling to see the railroads [keep in mind that this book was released in 1878, we can now add "airplanes"] contributing, in the hands of Providence, to the glory of God and of His Holy Mother, and serving, as the Church prays in the benediction she pronounces upon them, to make the faithful run more rapidly in obedience to the laws of God, and in the way of His Commandments!"

As it turns out, the saints on today's calendar are St. Marius and Companions. St. Marius and his wife and sons went on a pilgrimage, and ended up giving their lives for an act of charity!

"Marius, a nobleman of Persia, with his wife Martha, and two sons, Audifax and Abachum, being converted to the faith, distributed his fortune among the poor, as the primitive Christians did at Jerusalem, and came to Rome to visit the tombs of the apostles. [circa 260 A.D.] The Emperor Claudius was then persecuting the Church, and by his order a great number of Christians were driven into the ampitheater, shot to death with arrows, and their bodies burnt. Our saints gathered and buried their ashes with respect; for which they were apprehended...." And for this act of charity, the whole family was martyred for the Faith.

~ Butler's Lives of the Saints, edited by Thurston & Attwater, imprimatur 1953.

What a special grace it is to be able to go on a pilgrimage, to show our faith openly, to visit the special places that are sacred to the history of Our Lord on earth, to His Mother, and to the Saints! It floods the pilgrim's heart with graces and consolations, and makes the Truth real to our children. If you have a chance to go on pilgrimage this year, make the sacrifices that it takes to go! You won't regret it...

Our Lady particularly said that she wanted the people to come in processions to Lourdes. And they do, to this day, by the millions each year...

Today is the feast of the Chair of St. Peter in Rome. This photo shows the view from inside the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, looking down at the chair of Peter.

May I just say here, that I LOVE Saint Peter? I "get" him. He is enthusiastic, he is excited, he is full of love and faith. 

On the other hand, he has to work on his prudence and humility, and the Scriptures give so many concrete examples of his journey to sanctity. When he jumped out of the fishing boat, smelling of his labors, wiped his hands on his robe, and followed Our Lord, he was not yet a saint. But he was on his way!

He turned his most abject failure, his denial of the Lord on the night when He needed him most, into a springboard for sanctification. His humility and his tears watered the seeds of his faith and love, and sprouted forth good deeds that will go down in history.

When he first came to Rome,

"To these disinherited, these vanquished people, these outcasts, Peter announces the love of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of Heaven. And when he has baptized them, when he has given them the Body and Blood of Christ for their food, when he has imposed his hands upon them, he says, 'You are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people; that you may declare His virtues, Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.' (I Peter 2:9) 

"What surprise among those who listened to these words, what emotion, what gratitude! Is it amazing that among the first Christians there were so many poor and so many women? Woman had been abased, crushed by paganism. What joy for her to receive Christ Who has brought her what neither Egypt, nor Greece, nor Rome had granted her -- her honor in purity and charity."

~ Rev. A. Galy, SM, The Friend of Sinners, imprimatur 1930.

How beautiful that St. Peter brought the uplifting influence of Christianity to the women (and men) of Rome! Thank you, St. Peter!

Imagine, my friends, a sailboat on a stormy sea...the waves swelling, the skies darkening, fear rising in the sailor's heart... and contemplate these words of today's saint - Saint Antony of the Desert (251-356 A.D.):

"Truly, my beloved, you know that when there is a fair wind, the captain of the ship boasts; but it is in the time of violent adverse winds that every skilled captain is revealed."

What stormy seas are you facing today in your life? We place our trust in God above all, but sometimes He doesn't show Himself. He wants us to demonstrate our love and faithfulness (our spiritual nautical skills?) by remaining on course even when (especially when) it's most difficult. 

As a meme on Pinterest says about God not answering us in times of trouble, "Don't you know that the teacher is always silent during a test?"

We are already two weeks into the New Year! Before we know it, the time will have passed us by again, and we will be asking "Where did 2017 go?" Canon Sheehan in one of his sermons said that we will feel the same way on our deathbed - "Where did my life go?" Therefore let us treasure each moment as a special gift and put it to good use.

"Another long span of life is passed for each of us, one of those multitudes of moments which men call years is at an end, and again it is my duty to remind you of a few solemn truths, which, if not periodically meditated upon, very soon lose their vast solemnity and significance....

"I pity the man who is self-satisfied in this world, who is too proud to examine himself, too blind to detect his faults, too puffed up by conceit to confess that he is human, who lives a life of self-complacency, and never hears the bitter warnings of remorse. 

"But there is something truly sublime about the soul, that in a good heart, and a very good heart, is ever striving to be better, is ever dissatisfied with itself....If therefore we feel remorse for our remissness during the past year, it proves, at least, that we are sincere, and to the sincere man all things are possible. The present is yet in our power and the future."

~ Sermons of P.A. Canon Sheehan, D.D., edited by M.J. Phelan, SJ, imprimatur 1920.

Pray with Simplicity and Confidence

"'They have no wine.' Mary speaks to Our Lord with the greatest possible reverence. She does not address Him in terms of arrogance or presumption, like many thoughtless and indiscreet persons when they ask, but she simply represents to Him the need of the guests, sure that He would hear her petition. What an excellent manner of prayer is this, to expose our necessities simply to God, and then abandon ourselves into His adorable Hands, certain that He will succor us in that way which is most to our advantage!"

~ Don Gaspar Gilli, The Month of Mary, According to the Spirit of St. Francis de Sales,

 imprimatur 1890.

I would ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to say to Her Divine Son of me, "she has no virtue." Then the dear Lord will kindly change the water of my actions into the true wine of virtue. 

"For virtue went out from Him, and healed all." (Luke 6:19)

What would you like to ask for today?

A January Victory

Did you know that the Blessed Virgin Mary is credited with a great American victory in the War of 1812? 

In January of 1814, nearly 20,000 seasoned British troops in 50 ships moved to attack New Orleans, which was defended by General Andrew Jackson and a straggling group of 6,000 militiamen.

"The people of New Orleans were terrified by the might of the enemy. They filled the churches and begged Heaven to help them. The Ursuline nuns promised Our Lady of Prompt Succor that if the Americans won the battle a Solemn High Mass would be offered in her honor every year on [the anniversary of the battle]. 

"In just twenty-five minutes the battle was over. The British suffered tremendous casualties...New Orleans was saved. Louisiana still belonged to the United States, and our country was free to expand to the west in a movement that eventually took us all the way to the Pacific."

~ Don Sharkey, The Woman Shall Conquer, imprimatur 1951.

"General Jackson did not hesitate to admit of a divine intervention on his behalf and went in person, together with his staff, to thank the Ursulines for their prayers and to express his appreciation to Our Lady of Prompt Succor."

~ Joan Carroll Cruz, Miraculous Images of Our Lady.

Today let us think on this 1960 prayer, asking the Blessed Mother of God to watch over us:

"O Mary, Mother of God, who amid the tribulations of the world, watches over us and over the Church of Your Son, be to us and to the Church, truly, Our Lady of Prompt Succor; make haste to help us in all our necessities, that in this fleeting life You may be our succor, and obtain for us ---(here ask the particular favor you desire) ---. Help us to gain life everlasting through the merits of Jesus, Your Son, Our Lord and Redeemer. Amen.

Today is the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord by St. John the Baptist.

"At that time John saw Jesus coming to him, and he saith: Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him Who taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29).

This day always makes me think of what a good priest said once: that the whole mission of St. John the Baptist was to point out the Savior when He came. Father went on to say that as a mother, (or as a parent, shall we say), my greatest job is to point out the Savior to my children. If I have shown my children the way to God, then I have fulfilled my mission. Food for meditation, eh?

We can even take this a step further, and see if God puts anyone else in our path for whom we can be a John the Baptist. Someone asks us about our Faith, about our church, about what we believe. Seize that opportunity, and point out the way!

This Lamb of God to Whom we point, following in St. John the Baptist's footsteps, is sacrificed every day on our altars at Mass. This should bring us great comfort and peace.

"In that silent hour [at Mass] the sacred and propitiatory Host is immolated to the justice of God, and His mercy is invoked. The Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, is offered to the Father to call down His blessings, and to obtain peace."

~ Rev. Hilary Maurice Vigo, The Immaculate Conception, 1878.

So what if, after 11 days of trying to spend a few minutes of meditation each day, it's no longer pleasant? What if we can't focus our minds on God because there is so much going on, or we're stressed, or we have a headache, or we just don't feel like it? What if there are no "warm, fuzzy feelings" when we pray - just a cold, blank feeling inside?

Don't give up! The fact that we *want* to feel the love of God, and want to do His holy Will, and want to have a strong friendship with Him, pleases Him even when we don't feel it! He is pleased with our efforts, and will reward them when He knows the time is right.

"If you have an ardent desire for the sensible love of God, a desire that cannot but be pleasing to Him provided you are at the same time resigned to be deprived of it, remember that according to St. John Chrysostom it can be obtained only by fidelity to prayer." (underlining is mine)

~ Fr. R. P. Quadrupani, Light and Peace, originally written in 1795.

"Laugh and grow strong." ~ St. Ignatius of Loyola

I came across this quote in my retreat notes. It is definitely food for thought. Why would this choleric, powerful soldier saint say this? I would venture to say that he is talking about the joy of God, the joy of our faith, the joy of knowing that a Loving Heavenly Father takes care of our every need. Imagine if we could laugh when the going gets rough...knowing that nothing happens to us without Almighty God's permission, and that He will permit nothing to happen to us that He will not turn to our greater good.

Therefore, laugh today,

and grow strong in your faith 

and in your progress toward eternal life!

Sometimes in our trials and tribulations, we turn to prayer and we can't think of anything to say. In those moments, sometimes all we can blurt out (mentally or vocally) is "I trust" or "Please help me" or even the beautiful name of Our Savior.

This was the last word of many of the saints on their deathbed.

"Jesus".

"It is the sweetest word that is given to human lips to utter; it is the solace of the living, and the hope of the dying; it is the one Word wherewith the holy soul, surcharged with tenderness and love, can give expression to its ecstatic emotions; and in It, the poor sinner finds in the depths of his despair and degradation and misery the highest hope and confidence and courage. It animates the weak, it strengthens the strong, it comforts the sorrowful, it multiplies sevenfold the joys of God's elect: it bids the sinner hope, the just rejoice."

~ Sermons of P.A. Canon Sheehan, D.D. edited by M.J. Phelan, SJ, imprimatur 1920.

"As we enter upon each new year, therefore, let it be with high-hearted hope. Here it is before us, a God-given opportunity. This span of days and the experiences which it is to bring have been planned by Providence as a means of grace and blessing to us. Despite all failure in the past, then, we will believe that the coming year is full of good for us; that pleasant and unpleasant things, duties hard and duties easy, trials and sorrows and temptations and surprises and disappointments and apparent failures, will prove to be God's means of bringing us to that final victory which above all other goods we most heartily desire."

~ Fr. Joseph McSorley, Be of Good Heart: A Plea for Christian Optimism, imprimatur 1924.

Onward to that FINAL VICTORY, 

with HIGH-HEARTED HOPE!

When Our Lady and St. Joseph finally find the Savior in the Temple, after looking for Him for three days, His Mother very understandably says, "Son, why hast Thou done so to us?"

Abbot Gueranger, OSB, in his classic work, The Liturgical Year vol. 3,  offers this inspirational thought:

"The Good Shepherd, who feeds His sheep with His own Flesh, replies, that He must needs do the Will of His Father Who is in Heaven. He is come to be our Life, our light, and our food: He, therefore, leaves everything in order to give Himself to us. But, whilst the Doctors in the Temple only saw and heard Him, we, in this living Bread [of Holy Communion], possess Him and are united with Him in sweetest union."

So, once again using our method of finding a few words to repeat in meditation...we could pull out the words, "He leaves everything to give Himself to us"....or "We are united with Him in sweetest union in Holy Communion"....

How much He has done for us! Can we not give Him a little something in return?

The most common subjects suggested for Catholic meditation are Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. These are, of course, referred to as the Four Last Things. Although they are very serious and can be considered heavy subjects, sometimes they give us a bird's eye view of the problems we experience on a daily basis.

For example: when I'm on my deathbed, is it really going to matter that I didn't close this big business deal? When I'm standing before the judgment seat of God, will I care about this traffic jam that is making me late to pick up my children from school? When I am rejoicing eternally in Heaven (hopefully), will it matter that the baby kept me up all night and I wasn't able to clean the house before company dropped in unexpectedly? The more we meditate on the four last things, the less we let ourselves be overwhelmed and exasperated by the little things in this life.

Father Lasance writes in his 1933 book, The Road to Happiness,

"In sorrow and suffering, in trial and temptation let us reflect upon the last things, and ask ourselves: How does this look in the light of eternity? What will this count for eternity?"

Then he reminds us of the comforting words of St. Paul:

"'I reckon that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us.' (Romans 8:18)" 

Happy Feast of the Epiphany!

"The Infant Jesus had His tiny hands crossed on His chest, as if He were praying, and all His features seemed to radiate joy and love. Seeing the Divine Babe of Bethlehem thus, the three Kings fell on their knees before Him and again adored and worshipped Him. Their hearts became inflamed with a burning mystical devotion for Him. And in a fervent silent prayer they offered to the Christ Child their kingdoms, their peoples, their families, all their possessions, and their own selves. They humbly begged Him to rule over their souls and thoughts and all their actions, to enlighten them and to give happiness, peace, and charity to the world. Tears of joy and devotion rand down their cheeks, while all they could say was:

"'We saw His Star -- we know that He is to reign over all kings -- and we have come to worship Him and to offer Him our gifts.'"

~ Raphael Brown, The Life of Mary as Seen by the Mystics, imprimatur 1951.

In the sermon we heard today, Father brought up a very interesting point. Before Our Lord Jesus Christ came to Bethlehem, the Chosen People, or those who worshipped the true God, were a very small portion of the population. They lived in one small part of the world, and the rest of the planet adored idols and were pagans.

Then Our Lord came, the true Light of the World, and told His followers, "Go forth and teach all nations." He manifested Himself to the Jews and to all the non-Jewish people in the world, and told everyone to spread the word.

The truth brings us joy, and brings us eternal life. "Now this is eternal life: That they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3) So when He manifested the Truth, He brought all those people joy. "And seeing the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." Matthew 2:10. He truly brought Joy to the world.

Painting by Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia

Another form of meditation is known as "contemplation" and involves using our imagination to place ourselves in a scene from the Bible. We can think deeply and meditatively on being there with the shepherds on a cold windy hillside when the angels came to announce the birth of the Savior. Or on this night, we can imagine being present in the stable on the night before the three Kings came (the feast of the Epiphany).

"The holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel appeared to [Mary and Joseph] and said: 'Divine Providence has ordained that three kings of this world shall come from the East in search of the King of Heaven, and shall adore the Word Incarnate in this very place. They are already ten days on the way and will shortly arrive.' Joseph and Mary therefore set about preparing the grotto for the visit of the Kings, and during the following days the Blessed Virgin saw in visions the Magi traveling together across the deserts east of the Holy Land.

"The three Kings, whose names (according to tradition) were Gaspar, Balthasar, and Melchior, ruled over what is now Iraq and Iran. Gaspar of Mesopotamia, the youngest, was light brown in appearance, Balthasar of Parthia was dark brown, while Melchior of Media, the oldest, was rather stout and had an olive-colored complexion."

~ Raphael Brown, The Life of Mary as Seen by the Mystics, imprimatur 1951.

How would Mary and Joseph feel, as a poor carpenter and his wife, knowing that mighty, wealthy kings from far away were coming to their poor shelter to worship the Infant Jesus? 

Somehow, growing up, I think I had the idea that meditation wasn't for people like me. The quotes I saw on the wonders of mental prayer seemed to all come from Saint Teresa of Avila. (Don't ask me why; so many saints have talked about its benefits, but I thought of it as her particular form of prayer.) So I thought, if and when I become a Carmelite nun who traipses around Spain reforming dozens of convents, then it would be my turn to meditate. 😏

Little did I know! All of us should meditate on God and eternity, and we should teach our children to do so...think of the benefits they could reap!

The great Father Lasance, in his 1933 book, The Road to Happiness, writes:

"The great difference between the good and bad Christian is that the one thinks well on the truths he believes, and by that means lets them sink deep into his soul and take root there, so that they bring forth in him the fruits of all virtues; whereas the other does not think, and therefore is hardly touched by the truths of the Gospel; they make no impression upon him because his faith is asleep, or rather dead, for want of consideration....Oh, that men would but think! What a reformation should we see in the world! Resolve to allow yourself daily some time to meditate upon the great truths that relate to God and eternity. 'Tis one of the best means you have to secure your soul."

The Feast of St. Genevieve of Paris

I found this image on the world wide web...at a site called awesomestories. It said, "Image of a painting of St. Genevieve, created in 1821 for the Louveciennes Chapel in Louveciennes, France." I don't mean to dabble in any copyright issues, so they get full credit for it. Isn't it lovely?

St. Genevieve lived approximately 422-500 A.D. She is credited with saving Paris, and is therefore one of its patron saints. In this picture, we see her deep in prayer...and her prayers had a very practical and visible outcome.

"Upon the report of the march of Attila with his army of Huns the Parisians were preparing to abandon their city, but St. Genevieve, like a Christian Judith or Esther, encouraged them to avert the scourge by fasting and prayer. Many of her own sex passed whole days with her in prayer in the baptistery...She assured the people of the protection of Heaven, and though she was treated by many as an impostor, the event verified the prediction, for the barbarous invader suddenly changed the course of his march."

~ Butler's Lives of the Saints, edited by Thurston & Attwater, imprimatur 1953.

Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus

Yesterday we talked about saying a few words that help us delve into the Infinity of God, slowly and thoughtfully, truly meditating on their significance.

What about the Name above all names?

"Jesus."

"My Jesus, Mercy."

"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me."

"My Jesus, my love."

Fr. Paul O'Sullivan, O.P., an Irish priest who published many small inspiring books, some of them while he was on mission in India, writes in his 1940's booklet, The Wonders of the Holy Name:

"Two things we must do. First of all we must understand clearly the meaning and value of the Name of Jesus...
"[It is] an all-powerful prayer. Our Lord Himself solemnly promises that whatever we ask the Father in His Name we shall receive. God never fails to keep His word...

"Secondly, we must get into the habit of saying it devoutly, frequently, hundreds and hundreds of times every day. Far from being a burden it will be an immense joy and consolation."

Happy Feastday, my friends!

Happy New Year!

I would like to focus on one excellent idea for a New Year's resolution. Daily meditation. Catholics have been meditating since the beginning, but the world has hijacked this idea and turned it into something where you just empty yourself, perhaps rock, perhaps hum, and try to make your mind a complete blank. True meditation consists of filling yourself with God. Filling your mind and your soul with His life and His being. Concentrating our little minds on His Immenseness, our little hearts on the ocean of His Love, our little souls on the magnificence of His Omnipotence.  

Maybe this little excerpt will help:

 "What do you have to do? Simply this: you have to make up your mind that every day you will spend a little time - say a quarter of an hour - being with God, being aware of Him. And how can anyone be aware of the Invisible? You try to make yourself quite quiet; and then, perhaps with the help of some book which seems to make God very real, you think a little about Him: you can praise and thank and love and be sorry and put yourself in His Hands. Some people find that they do not need that preliminary reading or thinking; they can fix their eyes for a moment on the tabernacle, for instance, and then can at once begin to say slowly over and over again some little phrase which for them individually is very full of meaning, very full of God - it might for example be..."My Lord and my God" - but whatever it is, it seems to plunge them into the infinity of God; and they repeat the phrase or a word from it as long as it does so help them, and then they go on to another......What is certain is that, if sometimes this prayer time is full of joy and happiness, at other times it will be very hard work indeed and full of distractions, and then you will be tempted to give it up as hopeless. That is the one thing you must never do: those are the times when the real work is done."

~ Fr. Gerald Vann, O.P. 

Gratitude is given to Fr. Richard Boyle, who quoted this in his December issue of "The Carpenter."

Here are some other examples of phrases to focus our minds on the Infinite:

"The Word made Flesh"

"Ask and you shall receive"

"Come to Me all you who labor and are burdened"

"Come, follow Me"

"I am the Bread of Life"

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life"

"Greater love than this no man hath"

"Before Abraham came to be, I Am."

"Take up thy cross daily, and follow Me."

"He that followeth Me, walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

"And your joy no man shall take from you."