Ballet for God

Tonight we were treated to a ballet performance by a young woman named Molly. She is 21 years old, and a lovely ballet dancer. I was pleased by her moves, her seeming to fly through the air, and her smiling face. She obviously loves what she is doing. I have a nephew who is close to her in age. I have seen him dance only on his YouTube videos. His forte is film making. Like Molly, Steven is awaiting a big break to move into his field of art--movie making. It may be that one day we will see Molly on a professional stage in Boston, New York or Toronto. One day too when the credits roll on a new film, I will see Steven's name closer to the top. He may start as Best Boy or gaffer, but his ideal is to be director. I remember him as an 8 year old, rounding up his cousins to "star" in one of his video productions. John Paul II, once an actor himself, wrote a beautiful Letter to Artists. Their work tells stories that words cannot adequately express. May they use their talents to give glory to God and to help the rest of us strive for that Beauty that is God.

A Feast to End the Month

Today is still May 30th, Sunday and the Feast of the Holy Trinity. I found a reading from Pope Benedict on the Trinity which is so clear. It was his talk given last year on Trinity Sunday. He says the "strongest proof that we are made in the image of the Trinity is this: love alone makes us happy because we live in a relationship, and we live to love and to be loved. Borrowing an analogy from biology, we could say that imprinted on his genome, the human being bears a profound mark of the Trinity, of God as Love."
One of the early Christian bishops, St. Gregory Nazianzen was also a poet. I found a few his poems printed in an older pamphlet from England. I presume permission from the publishers of this work to share it with you as we conclude the Feast of the Holy Trinity:
Glory to God the Father,
And to the Son who reigns over all.
Glory to the all-holy Spirit to whom all praise is due.
This is the one God, the Trinity,
who created all existence
Who filled the heavens with spiritual beings,
The land with creatures of the earth,
the oceans, rivers and springs
With water's living things.
From his own Spirit he gives life to all that lives
So that all creation can sing out praise
To the wisdom of the Creator,
The solitary cause of their life, and their enduring.
But more than all others,
And in all things,
Rational nature shall sing out
That he is the great king, the good Father.
And so Father, grant to me,
by spirit and soul,
By mouth and mind,
In purity of heart,
To give you glory. Amen. (from Saint Gregory Nazianzen: Selected Poems, Translated with and Introduction by John McGuckin, SLG Press, Convent of the Incarnation, Fairacres, Oxford, England, 1986)
Tomorrow is another beautiful feast, that of the Visitation. We commemorate Mary's visit to her cousin St. Elizabeth. For those of you who have ipods or phones we now offer an application of the Rosary. I think it is really cool--you can choose from a myriad of religious art or contemporary photos for your reflection, you can see words from the Scripture, and you can hear hymns sung by our Daughters of St. Paul Choir, and of course, you can pray along with the Sisters. Here's a link to get your download: www.downloadsforcatholics.com.
The Visitation is the second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. I can picture Mary and Elizabeth dancing for joy as they share their good news with one another. N.T. Wright's book "Luke for Everyone" highlights the theme of joy in this gospel episode (Luke 1:39--56). I enjoyed Bishop Wright's insights on this favorite mystery of the Rosary. The book is available at Pauline Books & Media.
Have a good rest of the week. May our visits bring Jesus and joy to those we meet, just as Mary's visit brought joy to Elizabeth and the baby in her womb.

Feast of the Holy Trinity

This weekend the Catholic Church celebrates the central mystery of our faith: the Blessed Trinity. The Trinity is the Three-in-One; One God in Three Divine Person, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As St. John says, "God is love." In the Trinity the Father, creator and life-giver, generates the Son, and the love between them is the Person--the Holy Spirit. Since God is beyond what any human mind could fathom, I can introduce you to this mystery of a God who is One, yet Three Persons. Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28: "Go, and...baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." In those words at the end of Matthew's gospel, we have Jesus naming the Persons of the Trinity. This Trinitarian God tells us through Jesus that he wants to live in us. In a very modern translation called The Message, Jesus says he wants to move into the neighborhood. It goes like this: "Because a loveless world is a sightless world. If anyone loves me, he will carefully keep my word and my Father will love him--we'll move right into the neighborhood! Not loving me means not keeping my words. The message you are hearing isn't mine. It's the message of my Father who sent me." Another translation says, "We will come to them and make our home with them." Whichever way I look at this passage, I am happy to know that God wants to "move into my neighborhood." I can ponder the Trinity Most Holy, and realize that God is community in a sense greater than any community on earth. Yet God wants to reside in our communities, in our very selves. That's a great consolation to me, that God loves me so much that he wants to move in. Although I cannot penetrate this mystery on Unity in Trinity, I adore it, and I accept it. And, I am reminded of this awesome reality whenever I make the simple Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Memorial Day

Americans have a day that opens the summer season with a holiday which marks the end of the lives of thousands who died serving our country. In the rural community where some of my family live, there is always a parade with flags, farm equipment, 4-H Club members, Veterans of Foreign Wars, servicemen and women and a band. For the folks in our small town, memory of our deceased loved ones is important. In the Church there is saying, "Life is changed, not taken away," when someone dies. One dies t this life as we know it, to awaken to the eternal life with God. When Jesus promised the Good Thief Paradise from the cross, he said, "This day you will be with me in Paradise." What a great promise!
As we enjoy our picnics on this holiday weekend, let us take some time to observe a memorial of those who have gone before us, especially those who died in our military service.
For books and religious music for your holiday time, visit http://pauline.org.

Movie Priests

Today in our community's morning prayer together we prayed especially for priests. Soon the special "Year of the Priest" celebrated by the church will conclude. Some people's image of a Catholic priest comes solely from Hollywood's depictions of Catholic priests. Our Sister Rose Pacatte contributes to the film reviews on St. Anthony Messenger's website. Here is a link to what Sr. Rose thinks about film priests: http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Jun2010/Feature2.asp#F1
One film depiction I consider honest and positive is that in Clint Eastwood's 2008 "Gran Torino." The young parish priest, Father Janovich, portrayed by Christopher Carley, perseveres in visiting the tough widowed veteran Walt Kowalski. Carley makes a believable, hard working parish priest. He respects Eastwood's character, while he works for justice in his racially mixed parish. Father Janovich never loses contact with Walt even when he becomes involved with neighbors threatened by a Hmong gang.
If you haven't seen the movie, see it and ponder what you think of how a priest is presented.

Apps

Yesterday I read a notice by a fellow Daughter of St. Paul, Sister Helena Raphael Burns, about Steve Jobs of Apple.
I do not have an Apple ipod, but I have had a Palm Pilot for several years. My Palm is in need of a new electrical attachment. However, I am very interested in ipod applications, and all things digital, since our publishing house, Pauline Books & Media, www.pauline.org, offers down loadable applications.
Sr. Helena referred to an article about Mr. Jobs in which a blogger complained that Apple is not progressive enough because it refuses to allow pornographic apps.
In a calm and rational defense published in the Wall Street Journal, Steve Jobs answered the young blogger that he would understand when he became a father. Jobs' argument is that we need to be protected against certain kinds of media. His statement reminded me of one made back in the 1970's by the Russian author Solzhenitsyn who told a group of American graduates that we need to be protected from an overdose of information. Or, as people who Twitter would say: TMI (too much information). I personally do not need to know everything, just what I need. Thanks to Mr. Jobs for taking a stand.

Martyred monks film nabs second prize at Cannes festival

Martyred monks film nabs second prize at Cannes festival

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Of Movies and Martyrs

Today I read two news feeds that tell of a film that depicts the story of seven Catholic monks who were martyred in 1996. The movie, "Of Gods and Men" by the French director Xavier Beauvois, won second prize, the "Grand Prix", at the Cannes Film Festival. I have not seen the film, but I am aware of the true story on which it was built. Seven Trappist monks lived at peace with their Muslim neighbors in the mountains of Algeria. Extremist groups began causing trouble. Even though the monks were advised to leave, they chose to remain at their posts, praying and working until death. In March of 1996, Muslim fundamentalists overran the monastery and killed each of the monks. Aware of that any day he may suffer a violent death, one of the monks wrote letter in which he forgave whoever would kill him. When I read his letter, I could not stop tears from flowing. A British film critic who saw the film in Cannes attested that "the audience wept" at the portrayal of quiet heroism and Christian love. I look forward to seeing the film when it reaches the USA. May its message of forgiveness and reconciliation penetrate our society.

May Brings Color and Variety

This week Ma has turned the landscape various shades of green and dotted it with pinks, purples and shades of white azaleas. Many of the trees are in full green, a sign that summer is just around the corner. Temperatures this week have risen too.
In my office space it is goo to be able to use natural light for much of the time.
The Church's liturgy is in a sense "in full bloom" today offering us three saints to venerate and remember: Pope St. Gregory VII, St. Bede the Venerable, and an Italian nun, St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi.
Gregory VII, also called Hildebrand, served as a valued aide to seven Popes. Then he too was named to the See of Peter. He was known as a "reformer", one who worked hard in a thankless job. Because he had to call certain clerics and political leaders to task, he was not always popular. History repeats itself, doesn't it? When a leader has to remind his followers to toe the line, his popularity status soon drops. However Hildebrand kept his eyes on the eternal goal, and did much good to the whole church.
St. Bede was an English monk known even before his death as a learned and holy man. His writings, including his history of the Church, still exist to teach us today.
St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi rounds off the trio of Saints offered for today. She died in 1607 in Italy where she had lived a life of intense prayer and good works in a Carmelite convent.
May all three of this saintly men and women intercede for our church and our world today.

Happy Birthday to the Church

Pentecost the feast we celebrate today is the birthday of the Church. Gathered in the Upper Room with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, the Eleven Apostles prayed. They were anticipating help from on high, but they had no clue what form it would take. Jesus had told them, "You will receive power from on high." Their prayers were answered with a "powerful, driving wind heard throughout the house", and the Spirit came to them in the form of tongues of fire.
Then Peter, who had betrayed Jesus, and had slunk away from him when Jesus was accused, turned into a convinced and convincing preacher.
The Apostles understood people from many different nations.
As Pope Benedict said in 1983, the tower of Babel divided people. The Spirit, Divine Love, unites us in the love of Jesus crucified and risen for us.
Like the first followers of Jesus, these can be very scary times for us too. The sins of members of the church, even clergy and religious, drive us to that same Upper Room. There we turn to prayer and ask, together with Mary, the first disciple and our teacher, that God will pour his Spirit on us today.
Happy Feast of Pentecost. May the Holy Spirit renew in me and in each of you a new Pentecost today.

Bernadine of Siena

I have a friend in San Bernardino, California. Today is the feast of St. Bernardine, the saint in whose honor the city is named after. Bernardine, a Franciscan Friar, died on May 20, 1444. Because he traveled through most of Italy and gave sermons that drew thousands of listeners, he is considered by some to be a Patron Saint of Italy. As a true follower of Christ in the spirit of St. Francis, Bernardine preached peace. There were battles in Italian cities which were divided between families that vied for power and prestige. Each family was proud of its distinct coat of arms. Even some of the churches displayed the coat of arms of families that may have donated to the upkeep of a particular church. Bernardine suggested that instead of boasting of this or that family's coat of arms, why not glory in the Holy Name of Jesus. He had tablets made which showed the letters I. H. S. This symbol became popular in Catholic Churches around the world even today. Trusting in the name of Jesus and preaching with an eloquence that carried his voice far and wide, Bernardine established peace where there had been warring factions, and brought inner peace to thousands who met Christ in the sacrament of reconciliation after his words drew them to confession.
If you ever visit the Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville, New York you will see the word Jesus inscribed on many of the trees on the grounds. St. Isaac Joques, one of the Jesuit missionaries who died evangelizing the Native Americans, used to carve the name of Jesus on the trees to draw people to Christ, and to plant peace among the tribes which warred among themselves. St. Isaac was killed on October 18, 1646 near what is now Auriesville, New York. (Auriesville is just an exit or two west of Albany off of US Interstate 90).
Both Saint Bernardine and St. Isaac realized in their own lives the power of the name of Jesus. As St. Paul said, "At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow...".
If you are looking for a way to travel and be a pilgrim at the same time, why not visit Auriesville's Shrine, and then travel over the border to Canada to visit the Shrine of the Martyrs at Midland, Ontario. St. Isaac and his companions had their headquarters in what is now Midland, near Lake George. Across the road from the Jesuit Church in Midland is the village of Saint Marie, a replica built on the site of the original Jesuit mission. The Province of Ontario maintains this site in the summer months. I have been to Auriesville and to Midland. In Fonda, New York near Auriesville is another, smaller shrine where Blessed Kateri Tekawitha was born. All of these places were sources of inspiration for me. Today's Saint spread love for the holy Name of Jesus. The North American Shrines I mention all sprang up because of the love of the many saints and martyrs for the Name of Jesus.

St. Matthias, One Who Stepped In

Today's Saint is one whom we know about from the first account of Church History, the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:15--26). Jesus had chosen 12 men to be his apostles. At the time of the Ascension, they were 11, since Judas had betrayed Jesus and had already died at his own hands. While the Eleven waited and prayed for the coming of the Holy Spirit after the Ascension, they decided to cast lots to see who should replace Judas. Matthias was chosen, since he was one who had been known as a follower of Jesus from the beginning. I look forward to meeting this saintly gentleman when I get to heaven. He is one of those unsung heroes who filled in when there was a need--the Apostolic group was to be 12. The number 12 was very significant to the early Christians. Some scholars think that St. Luke who wrote the Acts of the Apostles saw the Church as a new, reconstituted Israel founded not on twelve tribes, but on the twelve Apostles.
Matthias made the cut. His election fulfilled the requirement for the original group to be twelve. We do not know much else except that he was willing to step in to preach, to pray, and to serve. A tradition tells us that Matthias is the patron saint of tailors, carpenters, and of reformed alcoholics. At the moment I am not aware of exactly why he was chosen to be the patron of these occupations or states of life. What I do know is that as the 12th Apostle, he had the courage and the love for Jesus that was necessary to help plant the Church in the first century of Christianity. May St. Matthias intercede for all of us, so we will be ready to step in wherever the Lord wants to send us, even if it means just unloading a grocery cart for a frail person, or holding the door for a senior citizen

Ascension of the Lord Jesus

Today, 40 days after Easter, in various parts of the world, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. This year's gospel selection for the Mass is from St. Luke as is the first reading of the Mass from the Acts of the Apostles. He says that the Lord promised: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses...to the ends of the earth" (Luke cf. Luke 24:48--51; Acts 1:6--11 NRSV).
St. Matthew describes the same event with more detail: And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18--20). The gospel which I quote here is called "The Great Commission." When I served in the southern United States, I noticed that a number of churches advertised themselves as "Great Commission Churches." They were proud to say that they as a community were committed to telling people the Good News about Jesus and inviting them to be baptized and join in their communities for worship and prayer. As a baptized Catholic Christian I believe that my church is certainly a "Great Commission Church". As a member of my religious community, Daughters of St. Paul, I share in this Great Commission to teach people about Jesus.
With the various media of communications, we Daughters of St. Paul strive to carry out the Great commission to the people of today.
During this month of May when more of us pray the rosary, let us reflect on the second glorious mystery, the Ascension, and ask the grace to carry out this Great Commission with enthusiasm and dedication wherever we find outselves.

Damian of Molokai

On my first flight to Hawaii where I lived for three years, I was impressed to hear the attendant tell in brief the story of Father Damian. Our plane had lots of people headed for an island vacation. I was amazed that Hawaiians had adopted Damian as one of their own, and were very proud of what he did for them.
Today the Catholic church celebrates the feast of St. Damian of Molokai. Damian was born in Belgium and joined the Missionary order of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. He volunteered for the Hawaiian missions and was ordained in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu. He served on Hawaii--the Big Island--and on Oahu. At that time there seemed to be an epidemic of leprosy or Hansen's Disease. Since it was thought to be highly contagious, lepers were sent to a smaller island, Molokai to a settlement called Kalaupapa. The Hawaiian government assumed that the people could farm the land and support themselves, despite their disease. When Damian volunteered to be their pastor, he found sickness of body and rampant sickness of soul. Due in part to their illness, people found it close to impossible to farm the land. Many lived in rundown shacks because they did not have the energy to build houses. Fresh water was hard to come by. Morale and morality were at a low ebb.
Damian set to work to cure illness, build houses, schools, and a church.
He used his imagination and strength to fashion water pipes from bamboo to bring fresh water to the colony. His enthusiasm and energy set an example for people who until his arrival had little or no hope. Robert Louis Stevenson, the famous author, was not a Catholic, but he defended Damian who was criticized by a Protestant minister who referred to him as a sort of unwashed peasant. Stevenson's defence helped to spread the good news about the missionary priest's heroic efforts to do all he could for the people on Molokai. Mother Marianne of the Franciscan Sisters of Syracuse came and brought Sisters who would staff a hospital. Joseph Dutton, a native of Vermont and a Civil War veteran, came and offered his services full time. He became known as Brother Dutton. Doing what he could to bring hope to lepers, Father Damian made his life a sort of torch shining on a remote Hawaiian island. That torch beckoned people far and wide to come and help. Many did come and now Kalaupapa still has the leper colony which is much smaller. People in Hawaii never forgot the priest who became a leper with the lepers to bring Christ to them. May St. Damian pray for all of us, especially for all our Hawaiian people.

Mothers' Day and First Communion

Mothers' Day brings to mind many things: my own mother, my dear grandmother, and my First Holy Communion Day.
Both my grandmother and my mother have joined the Blessed Mother in heaven.
Today a friend of mine brought me to see a beautiful church in Cambridge, Massachusetts where she is a parishioner. the last child of the day's First Holy Communion group was being picked up as we stopped to see the church. The little girl was radiant in her white dress and veil, with a white shoulder cape that protected her from today's powerful winds. The young girl was all smiles as she joined her family in the car. She reminded me of my own First Holy Communion day, also Mother's Day many years ago in Ohio. My second grade mentality at the time understood something of the greatness of that day. However, as I grew older and understood more, I appreciate now and am more grateful than ever for that gift on Mother's Day many years ago. I pray that my mother and all mothers who have gone before us may be enjoying the radiance of the Son of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. And, I pray for all those little men and women who this month receive Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time. May it mark for each of them a beautiful, life-long journey of companionship with Christ.

An Almost Forgotten Saint

Today I was reminded about a favorite Saint of mine. His name is Benedict Joseph Labre'. He was tutored by an uncle who was a priest. Benedict felt called to be a monk, but after trying three separate monasteries and being turned away, he realized his vocation was elsewhere. He became a pilgrim, wandering the roads of Europe to visit and pray at the many religious shrines. Praying and adoration became his full time occupation. The streets were his monastery and the Blessed Sacrament his consolation. He kept in touch with God despite the often difficult surroundings.
Experts today describe Benedict as a very kind person who happened to also suffer from severe mental illness. Some say that his diagnosis today would be either bi-polar or schizophrenic. He begged for food and settled down in Rome near the Coliseum. He became a holy street person. His condition did not allow him to earn a regular income. He did have a writing kit which allowed him to keep in touch with his mother. Although he was "on the streets" he cared enough about her to write letters. He also cared for his fellow street dwellers. He would share the food he was given with more needy homeless. He died in Holy Week, April 16, 1783. When the local Romans heard of his death they shouted to one another, "Il Santo e' morto! The Saint has died."
In the Boston Museum of Fine Arts there is a painting of Benedict Labre' based on the death mask made of the 34 year-old holy man. He is invoked as the patron saint of the mentally ill and of those coping with a mentally ill family member. There is an organization you can turn to for more information on St. Benedict Labre'. Here is their web address: www.guildbjlabre.com. In the book I authored, "Tender Mercies, Prayers for Healing and Coping" from Pauline Books & Media, I present more about St. Benedict Labre' as well as prayers for his intercession. The Guild of St. Benedict Labre' provides spiritual support for the mentally troubled and for their families and close friends.
Mental illness is treatable--in many cases. Yet it is also a heavy cross to carry. May those who care for the mentally ill, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses and medical doctors, as well as family members be assisted by the intercession of St. Benedict Labre'.

What would you like to know?

The web is crammed with information of all sorts. Some of it is fun reading or viewing. Some of the information is trivia. Other information is vital. Have you ever wondered: Why do Catholics do this or that? Can Catholics be good scientists and real believers at the same time? What was Vatican II?
There are many books available from Pauline Books & Media products, or from the inventory our Centers carry from many publishers which hold answers to these questions.
Let me know what kind of (religious) answer you are looking for. With the help of other Sisters and a team of great consultants, we would like to help you.
I am counting on your answers which you can put in the comment section.
Thank you for reading this and God bless you!
Sister Mary Peter

Water

In Boston about 2 million of us area residents had a water crisis from Saturday evening until yesterday, Tuesday morning. A ten foot wide pipe carrying purified water to Boston and other communities burst the coupling. Water from two other reservoirs was used for bathroom use and fire hydrants. However that water had to be boiled. Local restaurants and coffee shops had a sharp decrease in business. Bottled water disappeared from retail shelves. And, even the simple act of brushing one's teeth forced a person to make sure the water used was boiled or purified. Compared to some of the flooding and other natural disasters occurring in the USA and other places, this water problem may have been a "blip" on the screen. Yet those few days of being careful of what came out of the faucet made me appreciate how great a gift it is to have clean running water so easily available. Thousands of people have to walk miles just to reach clean water, and then trek more miles to carry it home.
Jesus certainly knew what he was saying and how important water is to each of us when he said, "Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." (John 4:14) Again in John Chapter 7, Jesus said, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" (vs. 37-38)
Of course, Jesus was speaking of the deep spiritual thirst each person has for God. As St. Augustine put it, "Our hearts are made for Thee O Lord, and ever restless will they be until they rest in Thee."
How to quench this spiritual thirst? Pray for the "water gushing up to eternal life." Read the gospels, especially the gospel of John where Jesus makes the references to himself as the living water. Receive the Lord Jesus in the sacrament of the Eucharist where we partake even more fully of his life.
If you are reading this, and you are not a Christian, you may want to enquire about Baptism. It is the ritual whereby one who believes in the divinity of Christ, and in what he taught, and accepts it, is joined with Christ and his church. It involves submitting to a ritual which includes either the pouring of water on one's forehead, or total immersion in water, or sprinkling of water on a person. At the same time the minister (usually a priest or a deacon) speaks the formula: "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." My blog space is limited, which also limits this description. As I think about how precious is the gift of clean, ever flowing water, I thank God for the gift of Jesus who is our fountain of water, springing up to life eternal. I also pray for those people who suffer from drought that they may be blessed with abundant, yet gentle rain for all their needs.

A Time for Prayer and Healing

On Sunday I made a "meditative walk" in Larz Anderson Park a stone's throw from our convent. Since it was a retreat day for us Sisters, it was a good day to enjoy God's creation and how people can make beautiful things of it. There is a saying: God made the rivers, but he did not make the bridges. A lovely gazebo is nestled on the shore of the Larz Anderson pond. A creative landscape artist worked with nature to make something beautiful and useful. City dwellers were tending their small "Liberty gardens" hoeing and weeding the rectangles of fertile soil.
Friends were walking together, couples and families were relaxing on the grass. I enjoyed the mother duck and her energetic duckling. Two Canada geese were totally intent on lunch. They seemed oblivious to the people who passed them.
I prayed for those of you who read my blog, and for those who will pray for our church using the prayers I wrote. To read (and hear some of) them, go to http://www.pauline.org/ and click on the link on your right hand side called: http://Prayers for Our Church in Troubled Times/. God bless you! Sister Mary Peter