Mary Christmas!: Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25, 2019

J.M.J.

Jesus Christ is still present among His brothers and sisters two thousand years after His initial appearance. Article 7 of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium) from the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council (1962-1965) declared:

. . . Christ is always present in His Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations. He is present in the Sacrifice of the Mass, not only in the person of His minister, “the same now offering, through the ministry of priests, Who formerly offered Himself on the Cross”, but especially under the Eucharistic species. By His power He is present in the Sacraments, so that when a man baptizes it is really Christ Himself Who baptizes. He is present in His word, since it is He Himself Who speaks when the Holy Scriptures are read in the Church. He is present, lastly, when the Church prays and sings, for He promised: “Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20) .

Christmas affords us an excellent opportunity to reflect well on the Most Blessed Sacrament and to ask ourselves how we reverence the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of the God-Man, Jesus Christ.

Jesuit Father Segundo Llorente (1906-1989) was an outstanding missionary to the faithful of Alaska. A brilliant and humble priest, Father Llorente spent himself in the service of the indigenous of Alaska for decades.

Years ago, in a meditation entitled “Strange Things Happen on the Night of Christmas,” this Spanish religious offered his thoughts on the adoration due the Most Blessed Sacrament. This powerful essay, which was published in the February 1998 newsletter of the Catholic Society of Evangelists, seems more pertinent now than when it first was penned.

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A priest told me what happened to him once in his first parish. After the Midnight Mass on Christmas Day he personally locked the church. With the keys in his pocket he went to his room and had a good sleep. At 7:30 in the morning he got up and went back to the church intending to have one hour of prayer all to himself. He opened the side door leading to the sacristy, turned on a light and then turned on the lights for the church. As he opened the sacristy door and walked into the church, he literally froze. Strange people clad in the poorest of clothes occupied most of the pews and all were in total silence. No one so much as wiggled and nobody cared to look at him. A small group was standing by the Nativity Scene contemplating the manger in total silence.

The priest recovered quickly and in a loud voice asked them how they got in. Nobody answered. He walked closer to them and asked again. “Who let you in?” A woman answered totally unconcerned: “Strange things happen on the night of Christmas.” And back to total silence. The priest went to check the main door and found it locked just as he had left it. He was now determined to get the facts and turned his face to the pews; but they were empty. The people had vanished.

He kept this puzzle to himself for some time. Unable to hold it in any longer, he told me just what I have told you. Could I help with any plausible explanation? Let me hurry to say that the priest in question is a model of sanity and is as well educated academically as most of the priests I know, if not better.

My explanation was and still is as follows. Those were dead people who were doing their purgatory, or part of it, in the church. It is safe to assume that we atone for our sins where we committed them. Those people were immersed in total silence. Why? Consider the irreverences committed before the Blessed Sacrament; how many people act out in church: chatting, giggling, and looking around. After Mass some people gather in small groups around the pews and turn the church into a market place with no regard for Christ’s Real Presence in the tabernacle. Why did they vanish? They did not vanish. They simply became invisible; but they remained tied to their pews unable to utter one single word to atone for their disrespectful chatter while living.

The Blessed Sacrament is no laughing matter. There is a price tag to all we do or say. In the end it is God Who gets the last laugh—so to speak. Those people had to give the Blessed Sacrament the adoration and respect that Christ deserves. For how long? Only God can answer that. Why did the priest see them? So he could pray for them and for all other Poor Souls detained in other churches. Why other priests do not see these people? Well, perhaps they already know in theory that souls can be detained in churches as well as anywhere else, so they do not need a miracle.

Why were they clad in such poor clothes? To atone for their vanity while living. People often use clothes not so much to cover their nakedness but as a status symbol to impress others. But God is not impressed by, say, mink coats. Also people walk into church with hardly any clothes. In the summer months it is not unusual for people—mostly women—to go to receive Holy Communion in the most indecent clothing. The pastor may or may not put up with it; but God will have His day in court about this. Rags could be an appropriate punishment for these excesses.

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Absent an official declaration from the Church that the above episode recounted by Father Llorente is true, one may dismiss it. But the deeper meaning cannot be summarily rejected, namely, that the Sacred Heart of Emmanuel, Who comes to us, is really, truly and substantially present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar and is to be “praised, adored and loved with grateful affection at every moment in all the tabernacles of the world, even until the end of time. Amen.”

Our Lady, the Co-Redemptrix?: The Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 22, 2019

J.M.J.

On the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12, 2019, Pope Francis celebrated Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica. In his homily, given in Spanish, the Holy Father said, “When they come with stories that we had to declare this, or make this other dogma or that, let us not get lost in foolishness.” 

Pope Francis was referring to the proposal submitted by some clergy, consecrated and laity for the definition of a new dogma: Mary, the Mother of God, is the Co-Redemptrix.

In his Introduction to Mary: The Heart of Marian Doctrine and Devotion (Goleta, California: Queenship Publishing Company, 2006), Mark I. Miravalle, Professor of Theology and Mariology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville and a permanent deacon of the Diocese of Steubenville, explains how Our Lady is said to be the Co-Redemptrix, a term that has been used since the fourteenth century.

“The title, ‘Co-redemptix,’ refers to Mary’s unique participation with and under her Divine Son Jesus Christ, in the historic Redemption of humanity. The prefix, ‘Co,’ comes from the Latin ‘cum,’ which means ‘with.’ The title of Coredemptrix applied to the Mother of Jesus never places Mary on a level of equality with Jesus Christ, the divine Lord of all, in the saving process of humanity’s Redemption. Rather, it denotes Mary’s singular and unique sharing with her Son in the saving work of Redemption for the human family. The Mother of Jesus participates in the redemptive work of her Savior Son, who alone could reconcile humanity with the Father in His glorious divinity and humanity.” (94-95)

Mary’s entire existence has been one of cooperation with the Lord. So it was on Calvary. She who was preserved by God from Original Sin at the moment of her conception and heard from the mouth of Simeon that “you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Saint Luke 2:35) accepted the salvific death of her Son not with a “hands-off” approach but instead by embracing it. The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, in its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) of November 21, 1964, painted this picture of Our Blessed Lady’s collaboration with the Almighty, which included her heroic surrender to Christ’s ignominious death.

“Thus the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross, where she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of His suffering, associated herself with His sacrifice in her mother’s heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this Victim which was born of her.” (58)

Deacon Miravalle continued: “Mary uniquely participated in the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary and in the acquisition of the graces of Redemption for humanity (theologically referred to as ‘objective redemption’). Mary offered her Son and her maternal rights in relation to her Son to the Heavenly Father in perfect obedience to God’s will and in atonement for the sins of the world. Mary’s offering of her own Son on Calvary, along with her own motherly compassion, rights and suffering, offered in union with her Son for the salvation of the human family, merited more graces than any other created person. As Pope Pius XII confirmed in his encyclical On the Mystical Body, Mary “offered Him on Golgotha to the Eternal Father, together with the holocaust of her maternal rights and her motherly love, like a New Eve for all children of Adam.” (96)

Despite her enormous grief as she watched her Son die, Our Lady generously “yielded” Jesus to the purpose the Father through the Holy Spirit intended, namely the reconciliation of the human race to its Creator. Although what Mary did on Calvary was secondary and subordinate to what Christ did, it was, nevertheless, necessary because God made it so. In His unparalleled wisdom, the Lord required this all-encompassing—and real—sacrifice from Mary, who lived her fiat on Calvary with incredible trust in God as she had at the Annunciation.

During his homily, Pope Francis stated his preference for “disciple” to describe Our Lady rather than “Co-Redemptrix.”

When asked about Mary as the Co-Redemptrix, this correspondent answers that the notion, which has been taught for centuries, is within the common teaching of the Church. Any definition can only be decided by the Pope of the moment or an Ecumenical Council under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Our Lady's Newest Bishop: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Thursday, December 12, 2019

J.M.J.

Pope Francis has appointed the Reverend Father Donald Edward DeGrood as the Ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Sioux Falls.

We rejoice in this great news, and we promise to pray for Bishop-Elect DeGrood.

From the Website of the Holy See:

Il Santo Padre ha accettato la rinuncia al governo pastorale della Diocesi di Sioux Falls (U.S.A.), presentata da S.E. Mons. Paul Joseph Swain.

Il Santo Padre ha nominato Vescovo di Sioux Falls (U.S.A.) il Rev.do Donald Edward DeGrood, del clero dell’Arcidiocesi di Saint Paul and Minneapolis, finora Parroco della Saint John the Baptist Parish a Savage, Minnesota.

Rev.do Donald Edward DeGrood
Il Rev.do Donald Edward DeGrood è nato 14 febbraio 1965 a Faribault (Minnesota). Ha compiuto gli studi ecclesiastici presso il Seminario Saint Paul a Saint Paul, Minnesota.

È stato ordinato sacerdote per l’Arcidiocesi di Saint Paul and Minneapolis il 31 maggio 1997.

Dopo l’ordinazione è stato Viceparroco della All Saints Parish a Lakeville (1997-2000), Direttore Spirituale del Saint John Vianney Seminary (2000-2004), Parroco della Saint Peter Parish a Forest Lake (2004-2013), Parroco della Blessed Sacrament Parish a Saint Paul (2013-2015). Dal 2013 al 2017 è stato Vicario Episcopale per il Clero. Dal 2017 è Parroco della Saint John the Baptist Parish a Savage. È stato Membro di molteplici Comitati diocesani. È anche Membro del Board del Seminario Saint Paul.

http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2019/12/12/0995/02036.html#usa

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and George Herman "Babe" Ruth, Jr.: Memorial of Saint Sabas, Thursday, December 5, 2019

J.M.J.

In the October 1948 issue of Guideposts appeared an article by Babe Ruth. It arrived some weeks earlier--August 16th to be exact, the day on which the extraordinary athlete died.

What follows is an excerpt that details the importance of the Sacraments, Our Lady's intercession through Her Miraculous Medal and the good, honest guidance offered by a friend.

In December, 1946, I was in French Hospital, New York, facing a serious operation. Paul Carey, one of my oldest and closest friends, was by my bed one night.

“They’re going to operate in the morning, Babe,” Paul said. “Don't you think you ought to put your house in order?”

I didn’t dodge the long, challenging look in his eyes. I knew what he meant. For the first time I realized that death might strike me out. I nodded, and Paul got up, called in a Chaplain, and I made a full Confession.

“I’ll return in the morning and give you Holy Communion,” the Chaplain said, “But you don’t have to fast.”

“I’ll fast,” I said. I didn’t have even a drop of water.

As I lay in bed that evening I thought to myself what a comforting feeling to be free from fear and worries. I now could simply turn them over to God. Later on, my wife brought in a letter from a little kid in Jersey City.

“Dear Babe," he wrote, “Everybody in the seventh grade class is pulling and praying for you. I am enclosing a Medal which if you wear will make you better. Your pal–Mike Quinlan.

"P.S. I know this will be your 61st homer. You’ll hit it.”

I asked them to pin the Miraculous Medal to my pajama coat. I’ve worn the Medal constantly ever since. I’ll wear it to my grave.

May the Soul of George Herman Ruth, Jr., rest in peace. Amen.

Our Lady of Loreto and Pope Francis: Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Tuesday, December 3, 2019

J.M.J.

     Pope Francis recently decreed that the Feast of Our Lady of Loreto, which is celebrated on December 10^th, is now on the General Roman Calendar, meaning that the Feast may now be liturgically commemorated throughout the world on that same day.

     Since the Middle Ages, the Holy House of Nazareth has been venerated in Loreto, Italy, and is, in the words of Robert Cardinal Sarah, the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, even today “visited by many faithful pilgrims in order to nourish their faith in the Word of God made flesh for us.”

    Cardinal Sarah continued: “In the Holy House, before the image of the Mother of the Redeemer and of the Church, Saints and Blesseds have responded to their vocation, the sick have invoked consolation in suffering, the people of God have begun to praise and plead with Mary using the Litany of Loreto, which is known throughout the world. In a particular way all those who travel via aircraft have found in her their heavenly patron.”

     The Feast of Our Lady of Loreto “will help all people, especially families, youth and religious to imitate the virtues of that perfect disciple of the Gospel, the Virgin Mother, who, in conceiving the Head of the Church also accepted us as her own.”

     In the United States of America, this Feast join others with a distinctly Marian character during the middle of Advent: The Immaculate Conception (December 8^th); Saint Juan Diego (December 9^th); Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12^th).

     V. Our Lady of Loreto. R. Pray for us.

O Mother, Take Care Of Us!: First Sunday of Advent, December 1, 2019

J.M.J.

Saint John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

From Parochial and Plain Sermons Volume 5, Number 6.

We are not our own, any more than what we possess is our own. We did not make ourselves; we cannot be supreme over ourselves. We cannot be our own masters. We are God’s property by creation, by redemption, by regeneration. He has a triple claim upon us. Is it not our happiness thus to view the matter?

Is it any happiness, or any comfort, to consider that we are our own? It may be thought so by the young and prosperous. These may think it a great thing to have everything, as they suppose, their own way,—to depend on no one,—to have to think of nothing out of sight,—to be without the irksomeness of continual acknowledgment, continual prayer, continual reference of what they do to the will of another. But as time goes on, they, as all men, will find that independence was not made for man – that it is an unnatural state – may do for a while, but will not carry us on safely to the end. No, we are creatures; and, as being such, we have two duties, to be resigned and to be thankful.

Let us then view God’s providences towards us more religiously than we have hitherto done. Let us try to gain a truer view of what we are, and where we are, in His kingdom. Let us humbly and reverently attempt to trace His guiding hand in the years which we have hitherto lived. Let us thankfully commemorate the many mercies He has vouchsafed to us in time past, the many sins He has not remembered, the many dangers He has averted, the many prayers He has answered, the many mistakes He has corrected, the many warnings, the many lessons, the much light, the abounding comfort which He has from time to time given.

Let us dwell upon times and seasons, times of trouble, times of joy, times of trial, times of refreshment. How did He cherish us as children! How did He guide us in that dangerous time when the mind began to think for itself, and the heart to open to the world! How did He with his sweet discipline restrain our passions, mortify our hopes, calm our fears, enliven our heavinesses, sweeten our desolateness, and strengthen our infirmities! How did He gently guide us towards the strait gate! how did He allure us along His everlasting way, in spite of its strictness, in spite of its loneliness, in spite of the dim twilight in which it lay!

He has been all things to us. He has been, as He was to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, our God, our shield, and great reward, promising and performing, day by day. “Hitherto hath He helped us.” “He hath been mindful of us, and He will bless us.” He has not made us for nought; He has brought us thus far, in order to bring us further, in order to bring us on to the end.

The Holy Angels--Adoring Their Lord and Venerating Their Queen: Feast of Saint Andrew, Saturday, November 30, 2019

J.M.J.

Years ago, my Grandmother, who was my Mother’s mother, told me that she learned as a young child that the Holy Angels are “created spirits.” Her assertion reminded me that she, who was born in 1897 and had been taught well by her parents, the Priests and the Sisters, knew the distinction between God as “The Uncreated Spirit” and the Angels who had been created in time.

Such truths today are probably not widely known by Catholics of any age, never mind children. How we need to pray and fast for a fresh start!

  The existence of those created spirits, the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, “is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition.” (328)

In a passage that has become famous, the great Saint Augustine wrote: “‘Angel’ is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is ‘spirit’; if you seek the name of their office, it is ‘angel’: from what they are, ‘spirit’, from what they do, ‘angel.’” (329)

The Angels possess an intellect and a will as we do. Yet, their intellects have not been darkened and their wills have not been weakened by Original Sin as have ours.

The same Catechism reminds us:

Christ is the center of the angelic world. They are His angels: ‘When the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him . . .’ They belong to Him because they were created through and for Him: ‘for in Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.’ They belong to Him still more because He has made them messengers of His saving plan: ‘Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?’ (331)

And the Holy Angels have adored and served God with fidelity. They continue in this vein.

From the Incarnation to the Ascension, the life of the Word Incarnate is surrounded by the adoration and service of angels. When God ‘brings the firstborn into the world, he says: ‘Let all God’s angels worship Him.’’ Their song of praise at the birth of Christ has not ceased resounding in the Church’s praise: ‘Glory to God in the highest!’ They protect Jesus in His infancy, serve Him in the desert, strengthen Him in His agony in the garden, when He could have been saved by them from the hands of His enemies as Israel had been. Again, it is the angels who ‘evangelize’ by proclaiming the Good News of Christ’s Incarnation and Resurrection. They will be present at Christ’s return, which they will announce, to serve at His judgment. (333)

Each of us benefits from the presence and assistance of our Guardian Angel, whose mission is, according to the “Prayer to the Guardian Angel,” “to light, to guard, to rule and guide.” Again, the Catechism:

From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. ‘Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.’ Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God. (336)

We are obliged to recognize that there are other angels, who are not holy, who do all they can to tempt us and lead us to Hell. These are the demons who are under the exacting, ungentle and hateful tyranny of Satan. We rebuff their constant and maniacal efforts by sincere recourse to Our Lord, Our Lady, Saint Joseph and all the Angels and Saints as well as by the worthy and frequent reception of the Holy Sacraments of the Church.

As we read and hear Sacred Scripture during these Seasons of Advent and Christmas and note the continuous intervention of the Holy Angels, we can only marvel at who the Angels are and what they do. These “created spirits” proclaimed the Lordship of Our Lord Jesus Christ while they protected Him, Our Lady and Saint Joseph. And we know from faith and experience that their benevolent and timely help remains with us and overshadows us twenty centuries later.

Another Honor for the Queen of the Saints: Solemnity of All Saints, November 1, 2019

J.M.J.

Thank you, Pope Francis, for adding the Feast of Our Lady of Loreto--December 10th--to the General Roman Calendar as an Optional Memorial!

Let us rejoice.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-adds-feast-of-our-lady-of-loreto-to-roman-calendar-78209

O Holy Mother of God, Make Our Efforts for You Blossom: Thursday, October 31, 2019

J.M.J. 

A humble contribution, The Hope That Is In You: Reflections About Our Catholic Life, is now available in a Kindle edition on Amazon (www.amazon.com). 

Many thanks to Mrs. Carla Haiar for her excellent technical assistance.

O Mary, Queen of Heaven, We Thank You for Saint Thorlak!: Wednesday, October 30, 2019

J.M.J.

Thorlak of Iceland: Who Rose Above Autism to Become Patron Saint of His People by Aimee O’Connell. Illustrated by Sigurbjorg Eyjolfsdottir. Foreword by John C. Wilhelmsson. San Jose, California: Chaos to Order Publishing, 2018. Paperback. Large Print. xviii + 251. $19.95.

Another time and place, to be sure. But, oh, so relevant for our era!

This is how one could rightly sum up the milieu of Saint Thorlak of Iceland (1133-1193). Canonized on January 14, 1984 by Saint John Paul II (1978-2005), Saint Thorlak is remembered for his outstanding personal holiness and apostolic contributions, both of which are a marvel to consider.

Sanctity and a concern for those who suffer are always in vogue. Although in a location and century much different from ours, at least in part, Saint Thorlak, the Patron Saint of Iceland, gives witness to the perennial values that never become outdated regardless of surroundings or epoch.

Steeped in God’s grace, this humble man, who was ordained to the Holy Priesthood at the age of eighteen, did not allow the challenges of autism to frustrate his generous response to the Lord. He embraced his Catholic Faith and sought the Grace that comes only from Jesus Christ through Mary, His Mother.

Many intricate details of the life of Saint Thorlak, whose Feast is December 23^rd, have been lost to history. Nevertheless, we have what is required: sufficient knowledge to appreciate what the Creator accomplished through this priest and bishop. His tireless service edifies almost 900 years later.

I am grateful for a look at some biographical data about the authoress of this book that is provided on the Amazon author’s page: “Aimee O’Connell is the founder of the Mission of Saint Thorlak, an online apostolate inspired by its namesake ‘to understand, recognize, address and prevent spiritual starvation, letting people with autism lead us on our way.’ Aimee brings many perspectives to her writing: she is a Third Order Carmelite, a certified school psychologist, a wife and mother of three, and a person herself who has autism. She has worked in school and day treatment settings as a therapist, psychologist, advocate and consultant, and has authored several articles on autism and spirituality. Aimee currently devotes her days to the continuous discoveries and adventures of homeschooling with her children.”

I join my voice to the many who have thanked and congratulated Mrs. O’Connell on her patience and dogged research. In an age that desperately needs good examples and unfailing outreach to those with autism and all who carry the heavy Cross of Christ, Thorlak of Iceland: Who Rose Above Autism to Become Patron Saint of His People offers hope to all of us.

V. Saint Thorlak of Iceland.

R. Pray for us.

                                                                           

Marian Cooperation with God--A Pattern for Ours: Tuesday, October 29, 2019

J.M.J.

On the cusp of All Saints Day and All Souls Day, we read from Chapter 7, “The Communion of Saints,” in Karl Adam’s The Spirit of Catholicism. Our Lady is the Queen of those who have left this earth doing God’s will.

“And so the wonderful fact that God is not alone in the work of redemption, but that creatures too, in their measure, truly share in that work, is illustrated nowhere more clearly than in Mary. It is true that the fact that Mary had such privilege was due to grace alone, that she was called from eternity to be the Mother of God and was from the beginning immersed in Christ’s redeeming grace, so that she was conceived Immaculate, without stain of original sin. It was grace too, and grace alone, which gave her heart its ardent and complete devotion to the Savior and its maiden resolution, so that she ‘knew no man’ (Lk. i, 34) and as ‘Virgin of virgins’ was that closed door ‘through which no man shall pass, because the Lord the God of Israel hath entered in by it’ (cf. Ezech. xliv, 2). Yet the grace of God does not offer violence, but would be freely accepted. And therefore, however infinitely small Mary’s own activity may appear in comparison with the activity of God, there remains a human strand in the divine robe of our salvation, the ‘Be it done unto me’ of Mary.

“And the Catholic exalts Mary above all angels and saints (hyperdulia), because it has pleased God to give her decisive words this effective position in the work of redemption. The Fathers from the time of St. Justin Martyr continually urge this importance of Mary in the history of salvation, and contrast it with the sin of the first woman. Just as Eve’s consent to the serpent’s temptation brought sin and ruin, so did Mary’s consent to the angel’s message introduce redemption. So Mary possesses not only a personal relation to the Son of God and her personal salvation, but also a relation to the ‘many’ who are redeemed by her Son. She is mother not of the Redeemer alone, but also of the redeemed; and so she is the mother of the faithful. The Catholic acknowledges in heaven not only a Father, but also a mother. Though by her human nature she is infinitely distant from the Father, yet her special graces have raised her to a wonderful nearness to God, and as mother of the Redeemer she reflects God’s goodness and bounty with an inwardness and a truth that are possible to no other creature. When the Catholic speaks of his Heavenly Mother, his heart is full with all the strength of feeling that is contained in that word. Mary is as it were a gracious revelation of certain ineffable and ultimate traits in the nature of God, which are too fine and too delicate to be grasped otherwise than as reflected in the mirror of a mother. Ave Maria!”

A Son of God and Son of Mary: The 102nd Anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, Sunday, October 13, 2019

J.M.J.

The Radiance of Christ: The Priesthood of Monsignor Kenneth W. Roeltgen. Inspiration for Priests, Religious and Laity by Margaret Ann Fiore. Meadville, Pennsylvania: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc., 2019. Paperback. 148 pages. $19.95.

This work is a heartfelt tribute to the late Monsignor Roeltgen, whose priesthood is measured not so much in years (less than twenty-five) but rather in fervor as well as in souls encountered and fortified.

The pages herein trace the life and vocation—first, religious, and later, priestly—of Kenneth William Roeltgen, who was born on December 22, 1947. A devout boy from an observant Catholic family in New Jersey, Ken was a faithful son, student, altar boy and athlete, not to mention a kind youth towards his neighbors, particularly the elderly. He was indebted to his beloved parents, siblings and the Sisters of Notre Dame at Saint Leo Catholic School for a solid Catholic formation.

He answered God’s call to the Consecrated Life. On the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, September 8, 1965, he received the religious Habit of the Congregation of Saint Francis Xavier, also called the Xaverian Brothers. His name was “Meric.” From 1971 until 1976, Brother Meric, C.F.X., taught at Saint John’s High School in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts.

Discerning a divine summons to the Holy Priesthood, Brother Meric, now known again as Kenneth Roeltgen, in 1976 began his studies as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Washington, initially at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and subsequently at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. His Eminence William Wakefield Cardinal Baum, the Archbishop of Washington, ordained him to the Sacred Priesthood on May 19, 1979. The next day, Father Roeltgen offered his First Holy Mass in Saint Camillus Church in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Whether as the Associate Pastor of Little Flower Parish in Bethesda, Maryland, the Vocation Director of the Archdiocese of Washington, the Director of Continuing Education for the Clergy or a Procurator-Advocate in the Archdiocesan Marriage Tribunal, Father Roeltgen exercised a dynamic priestly ministry, springing from the virtues of charity and humility. The joy of Christ, which would become a hallmark of who Father Roeltgen was and what he did, was already observed by those whom he met.

Full disclosure: I was a newly-ordained deacon at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary when Father Roeltgen began his term as the Rector on July 1, 1988. The goodness, cheerfulness, welcoming spirit, approachability and hope in Jesus Christ expressed by Father Roeltgen to me and my brother seminarians called forth from us both confidence and love. We really trusted that our Rector was leading us in the path indicated by Holy Mother Church for those who were preparing to become priests.

My family and I were very thankful that Father Roeltgen attended my Ordination to the Priesthood on June 29, 1989, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, in Saint Joseph Cathedral in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The years as the Rector of “The Mount” were full for Father Roeltgen. He cooperated with the administration of Mount Saint Mary’s University in a plethora of projects. His good will, affability and competency were noted and appreciated.

Of course, his delight was to be hospitable to the seminarians and the visitors who often came to the Seminary. In December of 1995, Mother M. Teresa of Kolkata was one such guest.

In 1997, Monsignor Roeltgen left Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary to become the Pastor of Saint Stephen Martyr Parish, which is located in the Foggy Bottom area of Washington, D.C. Again, much activity, always rooted in the Sacraments, resulted. This would be Monsignor Roeltgen’s last assignment before the painful illness to which he freely and fully submitted and his death at the age of 54 on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 7, 2002.

Margaret Ann Fiore, whose life significantly intersected with that of Monsignor Roeltgen’s, has written a beautiful encomium that is filled with gratitude for this holy priest and his Christ-like efforts; however, the notable professional accomplishments of the authoress, who serves on the Rector’s Council of Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary and was the third president of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, play second fiddle to the considerable spiritual riches that she received from the personal example of Monsignor Roeltgen and his sagacious words.

Generously sprinkling this text with a helpful chronology, pictures, historical facts and testimonies of those who knew the subject, Miss Fiore presents various characteristics that Monsignor Roeltgen demonstrated throughout his years as a priest: ardent love for the Most Blessed Sacrament as evidenced in the daily celebration of the Mass and the daily Eucharistic Holy Hour; tender affection for Our Blessed Lady as seen in his daily recitation of the Most Holy Rosary and his poignant homilies that encouraged Marian veneration; abiding awareness of our Guardian Angels and the Poor Souls in Purgatory; genuine care for the sick and the dying; sincere esteem for the Holy Priesthood.

I happily recommend this volume, and I hope that its readership is wide and its influence even greater.

O Blessed Lady, Please Send More Nicholas Gilroys to Us: The Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (The Extraordinary Form), Friday, October 11, 2019

J.M.J.

Nicholas Gilroy: Viva Christo Rey by Father Stephen Gemme and Deacon George O’Connor. Middle-town, Delaware, 2019. Paperback. 177 pages.

This present work, composed of twenty-two short chapters, is the second book in the Nicholas Gilroy Series. Nicholas Gilroy: Viva Christo Rey follows the inaugural volume, Nicholas Gilroy: Our Lady and the Guardian. Both are available on Amazon (www.amazon.com).

Young Nicholas is a seminarian who returns for his second year in Saint Peter’s High School Seminary in Baltimore. He is a devout, studious and athletic sophomore, and he seeks to be a good example to his fellow seminarians, 140 in all, including his close friends, Jose, Luke and Adam Marshall, who is a former gang member.

Father Stephen Reynolds, the Seminary’s respected Vice Rector, is the instructor of a course about the Sacraments. Nicholas has eagerly awaited this class. The information imparted is very useful and absolutely necessary for the future of these seminarians. Father Reynolds concludes the first class by leading his students in the “Renunciation of Sin and Profession of Faith,” a liturgical text that comes from the Mass on Easter Sunday.

The Rector of the Seminary, Father David Kelly, introduces the seminarians to the first three-day Retreat of the academic year. Father Reynolds then offers a powerful meditation, presenting the seminarians with the figure of Saint Jose Sanchez del Rio, a fifteen year-old martyr during the Cristero War in Mexico. The Retreat ends with the Mass celebrated by Cardinal Daniel Patrick Murphy, the Archbishop of Baltimore, and a sumptuous banquet.

After the delicious meal, Father Reynolds informs Nicholas and Jose that they are invited to accompany him to Saint Juan Diego High School Seminary in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, for a student exchange program during the current school year. Although the boys are not obliged to accept, they unhesitatingly agree.

Having arrived in Mexico, the trio, met by Father Enrique Ramirez, the Rector of Saint Juan Diego High School Seminary, go to their new place. They are aware that they are in the land visited by Our Blessed Lady in 1531 during the famous apparitions to Saint Juan Diego.

Nicholas and Jose concur to perform some apostolic work at the Home of the Holy Family, an orphanage for about one hundred boys, ages one to seventeen, which is operated by the Missionaries of Charity, the Religious Institute founded by Mother M. Teresa of Kolkata. The two seminarians meet Javier Santiago, a senior at Saint Thomas Aquinas Academy, which is a private Catholic high school in San Miguel de Allende. Hailing from a wealthy family, Javier confides in Nicholas and Jose that he longs to become a priest.

When not receiving the Sacraments, praying, studying or playing soccer, Nicholas, Jose and Javier work at the Home of the Holy Family and quickly become soccer coaches for the orphaned boys.

On December 12^th, Father Reynolds, Nicholas and Jose, chauffeured by Pablo, the caretaker of the Home of the Holy Family, make the three-hour trip to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City to attend Mass there on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The devotion of the Mexican people on this special day is particularly palpable.

Although Christmas Day is different for Nicholas because he is apart from his family, he is grateful for the opportunity to attend, with Jose, the Christmas Mass celebrated by Father Reynolds in the Home of the Holy Family. And during the Christmas recess at the Seminary, Father Reynolds encourages the two boys to begin a Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe, complete with daily Eucharistic Adoration, the recitation of the Holy Rosary and the Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. The trio, along with Miguel, an orphan at the Home of the Holy Family, visit the home of Javier on January 6^th, the Feast of Los Reyes Magos—the Three Kings. Mr. and Mrs. Santiago and their four children heartily welcome Father Reynolds, Nicholas and Jose. But Mr. Santiago forthrightly expresses his desire to Father Reynolds: his son, Javier, must not become a priest.

Candlemas Day, February 2^nd, dawns. Mr. Santiago arranges a soccer match between the boys of the Home of the Holy Family and the students of Saint Sebastian High School in San Miguel de Allende, followed by a tamales party.

Father Reynolds schedules a pilgrimage for the spring break, with Pablo as the guide, for Nicholas, Jose and Javier to the Shrine of San Jose Sanchez del Rio in Saint James the Apostle Church in Sahuayo. The boys even walk to the town’s Cemetery where Saint Jose was martyred.  

The final four chapters of Nicholas Gilroy: Viva Christo Rey are filled with excitement and intrigue. Perhaps it would be best for this reviewer to stop here so to allow each reader the thrill of the last thirty-three pages. (And Chapter 1 has its share of mystery that will also engage the reader.)

Father Gemme and Deacon O’Connor weave a well-crafted story that is sure to edify. The two authors liberally sprinkle the text with helpful references to Catholic theology and spirituality. Let us hope that there will be a third volume.

Nicholas Gilroy is a pious, idealistic young man who is not unlike seminarians throughout the decades. We pray for many more of them.

Giving Attention to Our Lady’s Rosary: Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor, Monday, September 30, 2019

J.M.J.

There are many helpful quotations about the Rosary that are especially relevant during October. They may be incorporated into homilies, classes, Sunday parish bulletins and parish newsletters. Here are only a few quotations.

 

*“The Rosary is a prayer that always accompanies me; it is also the prayer of the ordinary people and the Saints . . . it is a prayer from my heart.” Pope Francis

*“Our Lady has never refused me a grace through the recitation of the Rosary.” Saint Pio of Pietrelcina 

*“The Rosary is the best therapy for these distraught, unhappy, fearful, and frustrated souls, precisely because it involves the simultaneous use of three powers: the physical, the vocal, and the spiritual . . .” Venerable Fulton Sheen

*“Cling to the Rosary as the creeper clings to the tree—for without Our Lady we cannot stand.” Saint Mary Teresa of Kolkata

*“Love the Madonna and pray the Rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother.” Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

*“The Rosary, precisely because it starts with Mary’s own experience, is an exquisitely contemplative prayer. Without this contemplative dimension, it would lose its meaning, as Pope Paul VI clearly pointed out: ‘Without contemplation, the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation runs the risk of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas, in violation of the admonition of Christ: ‘In praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think they will be heard for their many words’ (Mt 6:7). By its nature the recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord’s life as seen through the eyes of her who was closest to the Lord. In this way the unfathomable riches of these mysteries are disclosed.’” Saint John Paul II

*“Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day become a formal heretic or be led astray by the devil.” Saint Louis Marie de Montfort

*“The Holy Rosary is the storehouse of countless blessings.” Blessed Alan de la Roche

*“There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot solve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary.” Servant of God Maria Lúcia of Jesus and of the Immaculate Heart

*“The Rosary is the most beautiful and the most rich in graces of all prayers; it is the prayer that touches most the Heart of the Mother of God . . . and if you wish peace to reign in your homes, recite the family Rosary.” Saint Pius X

*“No prayer is more meritorious for the soul and more glorious for Jesus and Mary than a well recited Rosary.” Saint Louis Marie de Montfort

*“Today, together we confirm that the Holy Rosary is not a pious practice banished to the past, like prayers of other times thought of with nostalgia. Instead, the Rosary is experiencing a new Springtime. Without a doubt, this is one of the most eloquent signs of love that the young generation nourish for Jesus and His Mother, Mary. In the current world, so dispersive, this prayer helps to put Christ at the center, as the Virgin did, who meditated within all that was said about her Son, and also what He did and said. When reciting the Rosary, the important and meaningful moments of salvation history are relived. The various steps of Christ’s mission are traced. With Mary the heart is oriented toward the mystery of Jesus. Christ is put at the center of our life, of our time, of our city, through the contemplation and meditation of His holy mysteries of joy, light, sorrow and glory. May Mary help us to welcome within ourselves the grace emanating from these mysteries, so that through us she can ‘water’ society, beginning with our daily relationships, and purifying them from so many negative forces, thus opening them to the newness of God. The Rosary, when it is prayed in an authentic way, not mechanical and superficial but profoundly, it brings, in fact, peace and reconciliation. It contains within itself the healing power of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, invoked with faith and love at the center of each ‘Hail Mary.’” Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

*“Whoever spreads the Rosary is saved.” Blessed Bartolo Longo