Today, August 9th, is the feast of St. Jean Marie Vianney, the "Cure of Ars". Here is his incorrupt body, as we saw it in Ars, France, last July. The basilica where his body rests is named for his beloved Saint Philomena. Sr. Marie Helene Mohr writes in her book, Saint Philomena, Powerful with God:
"When we say 'the Cure of Ars' we automatically think 'St. Philomena'. The saintly priest whose direction was characterized by common sense, remarkable insight, and supernatural knowledge credited his power to the only woman in his life, his 'dear little Saint', the Virgin-Martyr, Philomena. To his memory and that of Philomena, a basilica now stands, marking the spot where his humble village church sheltered the confessional which drew to him vast crowds from far and near."

 In a tiny chapel near his home, this reliquary holds his incorrupt heart. I love the inscription in French around it...he is considered the patron saint of all the pastors "in the universe". Cure, (pronounced cyur-ay), in French means pastor.

This sweet engraving on the side of the basilica makes me smile. The patron saint of parish priests humbly offers the basilica to Saint Philomena. Bruce Marshall, in his book, Saints for Now, wrote: "He could not bring himself to believe that miracles could be operated through his intercession, and he was unwilling that others should attribute them to a merit which he was certain he didn't possess. He himself ascribed them to the intercession of St. Philomena."

My favorite anecdote was the one in which a mother begged and pleaded for the saintly priest to bless her sick child. When he did, and the child was miraculously cured, St. John Vianney fled to the sacristy, complaining, "Oh, how I wish St. Philomena had cured him at home!"

And here is what I really went to Ars to see...the statue of St. Philomena that St. John Vianney enshrined in a side chapel of his original church. Many crutches and canes rested there, left behind by those who were cured. St. John Vianney told the people, "Go to Philomena, whatever you ask of her, she will obtain for you." He would often say, "My children, Saint Philomena has great power with God, and she has moreover a kind heart; let us pray to her with confidence; her virginity and generosity in embracing her heroic martyrdom have rendered her so agreeable to God that He will never refuse her anything that she asks for us."

The following story moves my heart...especially when one has been there and seen where it all happened! A Monsieur Massiat was invited by a friend to go to Ars during the life of St. John Vianney, although he had not been to Mass or the Sacraments since his First Communion. Here is Mr. Massiat's own account of what happened, as quoted by Fr. Paul O'Sullivan, O.P., in his book, Saint Philomena the Wonder-worker:

"We got to the church. My friend put me in the seat facing the sacristy. Shortly afterwards the door opened and the Cure, vested for Mass, made his appearance. His eyes met mine for one instant, but that glance went right to my heart. I felt myself crushed beneath his gaze. I bent my head and covered my face with my hands. All during the Mass, I was immovable. When it ended, I attempted to lift my head and got up to leave the church. Just as I passed the sacristy door, I heard the words, 'Get out, all of you, all out,' and a long bony hand rested on my arm, and I felt myself drawn irrestistibly into the sacristy, as by an invisible force. The door closed on me. I felt myself again beneath that gaze that seemed to crush me. I blurted out a few confused words: 'Reverend Father, I have a burden on my shoulders that weighs me down.' Then I heard what seemed an angelic voice, such a one as I had never heard before, so sweet that it did not seem to proceed from mortal man.

"'You must get rid of the burden at once. Go on your knees, tell me your poor life. Our Lord will take the burden, my friend.' Then I commenced my Confession, it was the story of all my life since my First Communion. Little by little, I felt relieved, then consoled, and finally completely at rest. When I had finished the saintly priest added: 'Come back tomorrow, but now you will go to the altar of St. Philomena and tell her to ask of God your conversion.' I did not weep in the sacristy, but I confess that I wept abundantly at the altar of St. Philomena."

We are preparing for the 50-mile pilgrimage on foot to the shrine of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini in Golden, Colorado, (this picture is from last year's.) Preparing myself physically is a daunting task. :)But to prepare myself mentally and spiritually, I am reading "Travels of Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini", published in 1944. This volume is composed of her letters to the other nuns during her travels.

Here are some Words of Encouragement from this amazing woman:

"I don't feel ill, but I am not well, and I have no desire to do anything. Nevertheless I am in the happy position of being able to meditate freely. This is a great advantage for me, because I am able to pass the time conversing with the sweet Spouse of my soul. Oh, if everyone had the knowledge of the great and beautiful advantages of meditation and of speaking familiarly with Jesus, if they could experience these heavenly joys, they would certainly envy our happy life. Instead, how many poor creatures are there who do not want to know Him, in order to follow their own passions more freely, blinded by the smoke of the false pleasures of the world! In these circumstances, and at the sight of so many miserable and unfortunate creatures, how much better we are able to understand the great grace that God has given us by calling us to His Divine Service, or, to express it more accurately, to His love. Let us love Jesus, then...let us love Him very much."

Catholic meditation consists of placing ourselves in the presence of the Blessed Trinity, making the intention of what we mean to do by spending this time with God, and then focusing our mind on certain truths of our Faith, or inspiring words of God or His saints. At the end of the meditation time, we inwardly say a "colloquy" or prayer to Our Lord, thanking Him for all His benefits. And finally, St. Francis de Sales says to gather a little bouquet of the best thoughts we had, so that we may sniff them throughout the day....

Hope your day is full of the fragrance of holy thoughts!

God's Greatest Gift

Happy Feast of Corpus Christi, the beautiful feast of the Most Blessed Sacrament! Here is a photo of the precious hosts on the Hill of Slane in Ireland, before the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

"Even that privileged Apostle, that beloved Disciple, that heavenly Evangelist, though holding a pen or quill that was vibrant with the breath of the Holy Ghost, found it impossible to express adequately for mortal readers the Love that flooded the Heart of Jesus as He instituted the adorable Eucharist; and all that St. John could write of this sweet mystery was: 'Jesus, having loved His own who were in the world, loved them to the end.'"
 ~ Fr. M.D. Forrest, MSC,  Heart Afire: Devotion to the Sacred Heart

Father Forrest goes on to say that not only did Our Lord love us to the end of His mortal life, but He loved us to the furthest degree, as it were, the end, of His infinite Love, by giving us the incredible miracle of the Mass. To think that He loved us so much, worthless miserable creatures that we are, that He couldn't bear to leave us alone and helpless. St. John records His beautiful Words: "I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you."

On Saturday the 25th, please celebrate with me the 33rd anniversary of my First Holy Communion! May the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus forgive my many failures, and strengthen me to do His Will for the rest of my days!

Live in the Moment

"In our personal life there are two important times, the present moment and the moment of our death, and gradually the two are drawing together. Closer and closer they come until someday they shall meet, and then the moment of our death will be now." ~ Fr. James J. McNally, Make Way for Mary

(The death of St. Malachy in the arms of St. Bernard at Clairvaux, as depicted in St. Peter's Church in Drogheda, Eire. St. Malachy fervently prayed for the grace to die at Clairvaux (meaning he wanted to retire there), and on a visit to his friend St. Bernard, he became ill and died. We never know the day nor the hour!)

I love how the Catholic Church teaches us to look at death. Since everyone has to face it sooner or later (nothing is sure in life except death and taxes), how awful it would be to go through life in constant fear of something that is going to happen no matter what we do. It reminds me of how we view labor and childbirth. It's frightening and painful, but everyone looks to the result - a beautiful new baby in the world. As Catholics, we look to death; we know it will be frightening and painful, but we know that in the end we will find God -- the One we have been seeking since our creation.

I'm consoled by something a priest told us on an Ignatian retreat when talking about death and judgement. Our personal judgement will take place at the very moment of our death, in the very place of our death. So if we die in a car crash in the middle of Baseline and Central (Phoenix) or Smoky Hill and Buckley (Denver), or Routes 25 and 59 (Monroe, Connecticut), Our Lord Jesus Christ will appear to us right there at that exact moment and judge our eternity.

Somehow that comforts me. I won't be flown up to some huge tribunal somewhere, which I can't even picture, before a whole bunch of angels and saints I haven't met yet, at that first moment when I enter eternity. No, the same Lord Jesus Who comes to me in Holy Communion, and Whose Month of the Sacred Heart we're celebrating, will meet me at that infinitesimal second when my soul leaves my body. I pray that His Mother will come with Him too, to plead my cause....

Jesus, Mary, Joseph, we love Thee, save our souls!
From a sudden and unprovided death, O Lord deliver us!

Our Lady's Friend

Today is the feast of St. Bernardine of Siena. He was not only devoted to the Holy Name of Jesus, but also very close to the Blessed Mother. What a great month to celebrate his feast!


This Franciscan friar would tell his listeners in the middle of a sermon: "When you pray the Hail Mary alone without other prayers, with whom do you think you are speaking? You must know that when you 'hail' Mary, she immediately greets you! Don't think that she is one of those rude women of whom there are so many -- on the contrary she is utterly courteous and pleasant. If you greet her, she will answer you right away and converse with you..."

He also prayed: "O Lady blessed by all and above all things, you are the honor and the preservation of the human race! You are rich in merits and power above every other creature. You are the Mother of God. You are the Mistress of the Universe and the Queen of the World. You are our advocate and the dispenser of all grace...You are a model to which the good look, the consolation of your devoted people, and the beginning of our salvation. Yes, we confess that our tongue is too weak to sing your praises and your greatness. But you, O most sweet Mother, in your kindness have mercy on our littleness and grant us the grace of being able to praise you more worthily in Paradise forever and ever! Amen."          

I first read about him in a wonderful book called Mary Communes with the Saints by Raphael Brown. I highly recommend it!

(Photo taken in Whitefriars Church, Dublin, Eire)

The Noothgrush on my Toothbrush!

Now him I can do without! This is my favorite line from Dr. Seuss. I think that we all have a noothgrush on our toothbrush, or a bofa on our sofa, or a thorn in our side. If I decide to open this blog up to the outside world, I wonder what my readers would post as the noothgrushes on THEIR toothbrushes?

The noothgrush on my toothbrush today is that everyone's cancelling everything that was planned for today. Without exception. I'm trying to not be disappointed. I'm trying to be resigned to God's Will. I'm trying to be....*sigh* ... happy about it.

It really is okay. Life will go on. But I think the fact that I'm dieting isn't helping....because I could *totally* feel better if I just had an ice cream sundae from Friendly's. Too bad they don't have Friendly's out here.... :)

Haec Dies! This is the Day!

This is the Day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad! From St. Mary Magdalen Church in Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland:

 

Thanksgiving Prayer after Easter Communion:

 

"O good Master! Jesus, Rabboni, kindest of Friends, dearest and most pitying Lord, welcome, welcome forever! Blessed be Thy loving kindness, O glorious Risen One, beautiful in Thy majestic holiness, tender in Thy marvellous condescensions. O Divine Lover, how I thank Thee for having deigned this happy morning to meet my soul in Thy fragrant Garden of Prayer, for having shown Thyself to me in the white robe of Thy Sacrament, for having come to me, put Thine Arms about Thy poor weak child, and called me by my name. Lord, dearest Lord, I put my hands in Thy pierced ones and I give Thee all myself -- my body and my soul, my past, my present, and my future. I give Thee my faults and sins -- according to the Divine Liberality of Thy great Heart, as Thou didst teach SS. Gertrude and Mechtilde to do -- that Thou mayest blot them out, and Thyself make holiest compensation for them with Thine own  merits and sufferings, and by Thine own Divine power. It was one of Thine unselfish Joys in Thy Resurrection, that Thou mightest do so much for Thy friends. I give Thee my hopes, that they may flower into realization in Thee and under Thy loving care, Whose Infinite Wisdom reacheth from end to end mightily and ordereth all things sweetly. I give Thee my fears, that Thou, who didst console Thy broken-hearted Magdalen with such exquisiste Divine tenderness, mayest also comfort and deliver me and mine. I give Thee my sorrows, that Thou mayest unite them to Thine own, and alleviate them -- my joys, that, united to Thine and thankfully received by me, they may help me to the eternal joys Thou, my Risen Lord, art storing up for me in Paradise. I give my friends to Thee -- keep us all in Thy Sacred Heart; I give Thee mine enemies, that they may never be a source of sin or fault to me, or of grief to Thee. I beg of Thee to have pity on all poor sinners, and to meet all the dying this day as Thou didst Thy holy Magdalen.

 

"And now, O dearest Master, when I leave Thee, grant that I may spread abroad the good odor of Christ among Thine and my brethren, that I may be Thine Apostle as was Magdalen after Thy joyous Resurrection. Fill my soul, as Thou didst hers, with the unselfish joy of Thy Rising from the dead. And may all my thoughts, words, and acts this day be a sweet fragrance unto Thee!"

 

He is Risen as He Said, Alleluia!