The Holiness of Our Lady Assumed Body and Soul into Heaven Allures: Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Thursday, August 15, 2019

J.M.J.

Our Blessed Lady leads us infallibly to her Divine Son. Her sanctity attracts us. We want to become holier when we encounter Mary.

Ponder those whose names are listed below. Each has a connection to the United States of America, and each is being considered for Canonization.

Five are "Blessed," while seven are "Venerable," and seventeen are the "Servant of God."

BLESSED (5)

1. Father Solanus Casey (1870-1959) . . . born in Wisconsin . . . Franciscan Capuchin . . . priest simplex, that is, he did not enjoy faculties to hear Confessions . . . encouraged thousands of those who came to him for prayer . . . Spiritual Director . . . loved the violin . . . Feast Day: July 30^th

2. Sister Miriam Teresa Demjanovich (1901-1927) . . . born in New Jersey . . . Ruthenian Catholic . . .  Religious . . . Sister of Charity . . . mystic . . . as a novice, she anonymously wrote the spiritual conferences for the professed Sisters . . . her brother was a priest . . . died at age twenty-six . . . Feast Day: May 8^th

3. Carlos Manuel Cecilio Rodríguez Santiago (1918-1963) . . . born in Puerto Rico . . . layman . . . chronically ill from ulcerative colitis . . . excellent student whose health prevented him from continuing in school . . . loved the Sacred Liturgy, especially the Easter Vigil of the night of Holy Saturday, exclaiming, Vivimos para esa noche (“We live for that night”) . . . played the organ during Mass . . . translated some liturgical texts into Spanish . . . practiced poverty, owning only one pair of shoes . . . died at age forty-four from rectal cancer . . . the first Caribbean-born layman to be beatified . . . Feast Day: July 13^th/May 4^th

4. Father Stanley Rother (1935-1981) . . . born in Oklahoma . . . attended Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary . . . diocesan priest who had a mission in Guatemala and was martyred there . . . a relative of his lives in our Diocese . . . Feast Day: July 28^th

5. Father Francis Xavier Seelos (1819-1867) . . . born in Germany . . . Religious . . . Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer . . . ordained a priest in Baltimore . . . lived in Pittsburgh with Saint John Neumann . . . proposed as a candidate for the Office of Bishop but was excused by Pope Blessed Pius IX . . . having cared for the victims of yellow fever, he contracted the disease and died from it at age forty-eight . . . Feast Day: October 5^th

VENERABLE (7)

1. Bishop Frederic Baraga (1797-1868) . . . born in Slovenia . . . ordained a priest in Ljubljana . . . missionary to the United States . . . spoke eight languages fluently . . . grammarian of a Native American language, Ojibway . . . the first Bishop of Marquette, Michigan

2. Bishop Alphonse Gallegos (1931-1991) . . . born in New Mexico . . . Religious . . . Order of Augustinian Recollects . . . Auxiliary Bishop of Sacramento . . . ministered to street gangs . . . “The Bishop of the Barrios” . . . struck by a car and killed  

3. Mother Henriette Díaz DeLille (1813-1862) . . . born in Louisiana . . . Creole . . . a Religious Foundress . . . Sisters of the Holy Family . . . died at age forty-nine in New Orleans during the Civil War when the city was occupied by the Union Army

4. Father Patrick Peyton (1909-1992) . . . born in Ireland . . . lived in the United States for many years . . . Congregation of the Holy Cross . . . promoted the recitation of the Most Holy Rosary . . . “The Family that prays together, stays together” . . . confidant of many in Hollywood

5. Archbishop Fulton Sheen (1895-1979) . . . born in Illinois . . . attended Saint Paul Seminary . . . well-known via books, radio and television . . . encouraged priests to make the daily “Hour Hour” before the Most Blessed Sacrament . . . may be beatified before the end of 2019

6. Pierre Toussaint (1766-1853) . . . born in Haiti . . . lived in New York City . . . a former slave . . . husband to a former slave whose freedom he purchased as well as a father . . . hairdresser . . . attended daily Mass for sixty-six years in Saint Peter Church, New York . . . philanthropist

7. Father Félix Varela y Morales (1788-1853) . . . born in Cuba . . . ordained a priest at age 23 for the Diocese of San Cristóbal de la Habana . . . taught philosophy, physics and chemistry . . . argued for the abolition of slavery in Cuba . . . served as a priest in New York City and later as the Vicar General of the Diocese of New York . . . theological consultant for the U. S. Bishops who wrote the Baltimore Catechism . . . developed severe asthma . . . died in Saint Augustine, Florida

THE SERVANT OF GOD (19)

1. Sister Thea Bowman (1937-1990) . . . born in Mississippi . . . African-American . . . convert from Methodism . . . Religious . . . Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration . . . obtained the Ph.D. in English . . . advocated on behalf of Catholic African-Americans

2. Father Vincent Capodanno (1929-1967) . . . born in New York . . . Maryknoll Missionary . . . U.S. Navy Chaplain assigned to a Marine Corps unit . . . killed in action in Vietnam . . . Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipient . . . “The Grunt Padre”

3. Father Walter Ciszek (1904-1984) . . . born in Pennsylvania . . . Society of Jesus . . . Missionary . . . imprisoned in the Soviet Union for almost twenty-three years . . . remembered for With God in Russia (1964) and He Leadeth Me (1973)

4. Terence Cardinal Cooke (1921-1983) . . . born in New York . . . Archbishop of New York . . . founded “Courage,” an outreach to men and women with same-sex attraction and promoted the pro-life cause . . . suffered heroically with leukemia

5. Dorothy Day (1897-1980) . . . born in New York . . . wife and mother . . . a “freethinker” who converted to the Church . . . with Peter Maurin founded the Catholic Worker Movement . . . advocated “distributism” as a way between capitalism and socialism

6. Catherine de Heuck Doherty (1896-1985) . . . born in Russia . . . founded “Madonna House” in Ontario . . . cheerfully served the poor . . . friend of Bishop Dudley’s . . . related to the de Heuck Family from Aberdeen

7. Black Elk (1863-1950) . . . (Heȟáka Sápa) . . . born in Montana . . .  second cousin of Crazy Horse’s . . . convert to the Church . . . catechist . . . buried in Saint Agnes Cemetery in Manderson, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Reservation . . . the Cause for Canonization was begun in the Diocese of Rapid City

8. Cora Evans (1904-1957) . . . born in Utah . . . wife and mother . . . convert from Mormonism . . . mystic

9. Monsignor Edward Flanagan (1886-1948) . . . born in Ireland . . . priest in the United States . . . founded “Boys Town” . . . worked with young men in moral danger and those considered “troublemakers” . . . the subject of a famous Hollywood movie

10. Father Demetrius Augustine Gallizten (1770-1840) . . . born in the Netherlands . . . from an aristocratic family . . . traveled throughout the United States . . . was ordained by Archbishop John Carroll of Baltimore . . . honored as “The Apostle to the Alleghenies” 

11. Father John Hardon (1914-2000) . . . born in Pennsylvania . . . Society of Jesus . . . theologian . . . spoke at the Fatima Family Shrine in Alexandria during several summers during the 1990s . . . prolific author . . . his The Catholic Catechism (1975) and Modern Catholic Dictionary (1980) informed many

12. Mother Mary Alphonsa Hawthorne Lathrop (1851-1920) . . . born in Massachusetts . . . the daughter of American author, Nathaniel Hawthorne . . . wife and later widow . . . convert . . . the Foundress of the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne

13. Father Emil Kapaun (1916-1951) . . .  born in Kansas . . . a priest of the Diocese of Wichita . . . U. S. Army Chaplain during World War II and the Korean War . . . died under hostile circumstances in Korea . . . posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart . . . had a relative in our Diocese

14. Father Joseph Kentenich (1885-1968) . . . born in Germany . . . Religious . . . Pallottine Fathers . . . Priest . . . founded the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary . . . because of his opposition to Nazism, he was arrested by the Gestapo, eventually interred at Dachau . . . destined to die in the gas chamber but rescued by a S.S. guard . . . founded more branches of Schoenstatt . . . became the parish priest of German speakers in Milwaukee . . . died in Germany on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

15. Father Eusebio Kino (1645-1711) . . . born in Italy . . . Religious . . . Society of Jesus . . . Priest . . . missionary to New Spain . . . served in Mexico, Baja, California and present-day Arizona . . . he established 24 missions

16. Mother Mary Lange (1784-1882) . . . born in Cuba in a Haitian community . . . immigrated to the United States . . . Religious and Foundress . . . a member of the first Religious Order in the United States composed of women African descent, the Oblate Sisters of Providence . . . worked to provide girls with a Catholic education

17. Bishop Vincent McCauley (1906-1982) . . . born in Iowa . . . studied at Creighton and Notre Dame . . . Religious . . . Congregation of the Holy Cross . . . Missionary to peoples of Asia and Africa . . . Bishop in Uganda

18. Sister Blandina Segale (1850-1941) . . . born in Italy . . . settled with her family in Cincinnati at age four . . . Religious and Missionary . . . Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati . . . worked for many years in New Mexico

19. Father Augustus Tolton (1854-1897) . . . born in Missouri . . . a former slave . . . the first Catholic priest in the United States known to be black when he was ordained in Rome in 1886 . . . responsible for the development and construction of Saint Monica Church on Chicago’s South Side . . . died at age forty-three in Chicago during the heat wave of 1897

"Our Lady's Juggler" by Anatole France: Monday, May 6, 2019

J.M.J.

During this Month of Our Blessed Mother, please read "Our Lady's Juggler" by Anatole France (1844-1924):

https://www.accuracyproject.org/t-France,Anatole-OurLadysJuggler.html

Our Blessed Lady's Living Faith: Thursday, February 28, 2019

J.M.J.

Our Blessed Mother possessed a “living faith,” meaning that she believed actively all the truths revealed by God on the basis of His authority. If He revealed them, then that was enough for Our Lady.

Mary’s was a dynamic faith. The profundity and fervor of that faith intensified with each passing day.

Passionist Father Giacomo Pesce hailed the Ever-Virgin Mother of God as a “model of faith.” Mary possessed a faith that was heroic, prudent and fruitful. And her faith was proven. Just as silver is tried in the fire and gold in the furnace, and the Lord tests hearts (see Proverbs 17:3), so the faith of Our Lady was tried and shown to be splendid!

Mary believed deep within her Immaculate Heart that her Son Jesus was the Creator of the world even when He was weak and suffering in Bethlehem’s rustic cave. She knew Him to be the King of Kings while she and her chaste spouse, Saint Joseph, fled with the Child to Egypt in order to escape the treacherous grasp of King Herod. She was convinced that He was the Omnipotent One despite His neediness and subjection to others. She acknowledged Him to be the “Joy of Paradise” notwithstanding His infant tears. She admitted that He was the wisdom and the strength of God although He grew in age, wisdom and grace before God and men. She knew that He had descended from Heaven in order to conquer Satan and to redeem humanity—never mind His exhausting work as a carpenter at the side of His foster-father.

Why did Jesus, who miraculously multiplied the bread and fish, not provide the Holy Family of Nazareth with a plethora of money? Why did Jesus, the true Messiah, stir up hatred and aversion against Himself? Why was Jesus the target of more spying than any murderer or thief? Why did the Father allow His Divine Son to be so mistreated? Why did the Father not permit the Sacred Divinity of His Son to be recognized? Why did the Father allow His Divine Son to take on the likeness of sinners even to His ignoble death on the Cross?

Father Pesce marveled at the incredible faith of Mary. “All these questions Our Lady heroically overcame. In all these terrible trials, the Virgin Mary repeated: ‘Behold the handmaiden of the Lord!’”

In capturing his own wonderment, Father Pesce names ours, too. “We admire the Madonna who did not vacillate during the most difficult hours; on the contrary, she became a very brilliant beacon for all Christians.”

As sons and daughters of God the Father, brothers and sisters of God the Son and temples of God the Holy Spirit, we have inherited the magnificent faith of Mary our Spiritual Mother. With the abundant grace provided by the Lord, Our Blessed Lady went forward in faith. We treasure her example and seek to imitate it.

We rightly conclude with a prayer offered by Father Pesce: “Virgin Mary, we believe all that God commands us to believe. Reinvigorate our faith. Increase it in such a way that we believe with all our hearts.” 

Mary, model of faith, pray for us!

A Worthy Companion Along the Path to Heaven: Memorial of Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother, Religious, Wednesday, February 27, 2019

J.M.J.

"I will attempt day by day to break my will into pieces. I want to do God's Holy Will, not my own!" This inspiring motto for daily living was expressed by Francesco Possenti (1838-1862), known in the religious life as "Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother." This youthful Saint, touched profoundly by the Holy Spirit, exemplified the burning desire to embrace the Lord's plans--regardless of the cost--rather than his own.

For various reasons but especially due to his remarkable abandonment to Divine Providence and to the care of his beloved Madonna, Saint Gabriel, whose Feast is today, is an excellent companion for us as we prepare for Ash Wednesday.

Francesco Possenti was born on March 1, 1838 in Assisi, Italy, one of thirteen children. His early life as a young adult was marked with a strong love for "the world": theatre and hunting were among his pursuits.

Having decided that the Lord had other designs for him, Francesco entered the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ, commonly referred to as the "Passionists." He spent his days in prayer, sacrifice and contemplation of the Sacred Passion of Jesus and the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady. In time, Gabriel received Minor Orders in preparation for the Holy Priesthood.

Gabriel cultivated a tender affection for the Mother of God. He wrote:

"Love Mary! . . . She is lovable, faithful, constant. She will never let herself be outdone in love, but will ever remain supreme. If you are in danger, she will hasten to free you. If you are troubled, she will console you. If you are sick, she will bring you relief. If you are in need, she will help you. She does not look to what kind of person you have been. She simply comes to a heart that wants to love her. She comes quickly and opens her merciful Heart to you, embraces you and consoles and serves you. She will even be at hand to accompany you on the trip to eternity."

This religious died of tuberculosis in the Abruzzi region of Italy on February 27, 1862, just two days shy of his 24th birthday.

Many miracles were attributed to Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother after his death. In fact, the extraordinary Gemma Galgani (1878-1903), who one day would also be raised to the glories of the Altar, was healed and consoled by his intercession and even his mysterious presence in several visions.

On May 31, 1908, Pope Saint Pius X (1903-1914) beatified Gabriel. On May 13, 1920, Gabriel was canonized by Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922), who exhorted young men and women to pattern themselves after his sterling example. And in 1959, Pope Blessed John XXIII (1958-1963) named him the Principal Patron of the Abruzzi region.

Saint Gabriel's love for Jesus and Mary as well as his continual surrender to the Divine Will is a challenge to all of us who are preparing for the forty days of Lent, which abound in prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Our efforts are meant to make us, like Saint Gabriel, more conformed to the Crucified Christ Who laid down His life for each of us.

Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother, pray for us!

The Son of Mary Was Obedient Unto Death: Saturday, February 9, 2019

J.M.J.

“He humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.” (Philippians 3:8)

At a very tender age, many of us learned the sacred truth undergirding the solemn celebration of Christmas: the Second Person of the Most Blessed Trinity became incarnate to save us from the terrifying sin and everlasting death ushered into our human condition by Original Sin.

The Eternal Son of the Father willingly took on our human flesh. He is Jesus Christ, the God-Man and our long-awaited Redeemer.

There was nothing for the Son to gain for Himself by becoming man. He was already perfect—and perfectly happy. But He obeyed His Beloved Father and came to earth to pull us out of the spiritual misery caused by the disastrous sin of Adam and Eve.

By being miraculously conceived in His Ever-Virgin Mother’s chaste womb by the Holy Spirit, Jesus demonstrated His unbounded love for His Father and for us—His needy brothers and sisters.

The virtue of humility was clearly evident in all that Jesus said and did. He came to glorify His Father, not Himself. But in glorifying the Father, Jesus was glorified by His Father!

All disciples of Christ desperately require humility, that resplendent virtue which allows them to see: a.) themselves as the Lord sees them; and b.) their personal part to play in the Kingdom of God.

We must beg from God that authentic humility so that we may be pleasing to Him and more able to do whatever He desires of us.

The Servant of God Raphael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930) was the Vatican Secretary of State under Pope Saint Pius X (1903-1914). Born in London of Spanish lineage, this devout and learned priest recited the “Litany of Humility” daily after he offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

We may benefit greatly from this poignant prayer, which serves as a profound meditation on the splendor and necessity of humility.

---

O Jesus! meek and humble of Heart, hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved, deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being extolled, deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being honored, deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being praised, deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being preferred to others, deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being consulted, deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being approved, deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being despised, deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of suffering rebukes, deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being calumniated, deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being ridiculed, deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being wronged, deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being suspected, deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That in the opinion of the world, others may increase, and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

O Mary, my Mother, how greatly I love You! And yet, how little is my love! You teach me all that is necessary for me to know, because You teach me what Jesus is for me and what I ought to be for Jesus.

---

We ask the Prince of Peace to give to us the inspiring humility that shone through Him and His Mother. May we be all for the Baby Jesus, knowing that we are, and have, nothing apart from Him.

The Obedient Mary: Memorial of Blessed Pius IX, Pope, Thursday, February 7, 2019

J.M.J.

Our Blessed Mother’s constant practice of the virtue of obedience was nothing short of perfect. Her entire existence can be summed up in a simple but profound phrase: to do always the Will of God.

How may we characterize Our Blessed Lady’s stellar obedience?

Mary obeyed always. No one can point to a moment from her Immaculate Conception in the previously sterile womb of her mother St. Ann to her Coronation by the Most Blessed Trinity as the Queen of Heaven and Earth in which the Mother of God refused her Lord anything. Her answer was always “yes”—“yes” to love, to sacrifice, to hardship. God had only to ask, and Mary’s response was always the same: fiat—“Let it be done as You say.”

Mary obeyed unhesitatingly. Our Lady needed no time for deliberation on whether to obey. She responded immediately and affirmatively to the Lord without delay. Her delight was to obey God with all rapidity.

Mary obeyed selflessly. She never asked herself: “Is this in my best interest?” “Would I be hampered if I obeyed?” Such self-seeking questions were the farthest removed from her mind. She obeyed without selfish consideration of the future. She surrendered equally to both joys and sorrows.

Mary obeyed cheerfully. Who can imagine Mary with a “long face” when she was called to embrace some sacrifice? No, she was continually joyful in her obedience, no matter what God required of her. Mary’s was a deep joy that never escaped her soul.

If we wish to drawer closer to Jesus Christ, then we must take a page from His Ever-Virgin Mother’s Immaculate Heart and obey as she did. Our obedience, too, must be always unhesitating, selfless and cheerful.

This task is not easy, to be sure. Rather, it demands much from each of us. Yet, obedience is possible! And it is necessary if, like Our Mother, we are to inherit the Kingdom of God.

In our world where obedience is regarded as weakness and a lack of self-assertiveness, the example of Our Blessed Lady provides a necessary corrective. She is the beautiful model of obedience. She gladly exalted God’s Will in her life. We can even say that His Will became her will, so much did she yield to it.

In her own stirring example, Mary reminds us that obedience to God is where our treasure and unending happiness lie. By clinging to His Will instead of our own, we grow in the very life of God.

Our Blessed Mother never tired of obeying Her Divine Son. She did everything that she was asked by God. And all that she did was carried out with intense love for and gratitude to her benevolent Creator.

How was it that Mary understood the importance of obedience? What special insight did she have?

Having been filled with the Holy Spirit at the instance of her Immaculate Conception, Our Lady knew what was proper and just. Her decisions were blest because she made them humbly and with reference to Almighty God and His Eternal Law.

Are our decisions blest? Yes, if they are made humbly and with reference to God. By our daily prayer, frequent and worthy reception of the Holy Sacraments (especially Penance and the Most Holy Eucharist) and regular acts of charity and self-denial, our minds, too, become increasingly enlightened. Then, we see with the eyes of God and do as He wishes.

The virtue of obedience is within our grasp. We turn to Our Blessed Lady and seek her intercession so that we may behave as she did. Our reward will be like hers: Everlasting Life with the Most Blessed Trinity forever!

A Distinctly Marian Season: Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle, Friday, November 30, 2018

J.M.J.

The Church’s extraordinary wisdom is illustrated in numerous ways, one being the very existence of Advent. We are granted several weeks to make ready for the Solemnity of the Birth of Christ.

Such a period of prayerful preparation if sincerely “entered into” ensures that December 25th will not be just another day but instead a joyful, authentic commemoration of the first coming of Jesus over 2,000 years ago.

Mothers could tell us much about preparation. They are well aware of how to make ready for the birth of a child. The period of pregnancy helps mothers—and fathers—to adjust and anticipate the arrival of their son or daughter.

The Blessed Virgin Mary experienced the first Advent. She knew, thanks to the Archangel Gabriel, that the holy Child within her was “the Son of the Most High.” She intensely waited the appearance to the world of the One nestled in her chaste womb.

The long anticipation of the people of Israel rested with Mary.

The Chosen People had spent centuries preparing their hearts for the Messiah. Now, this unique woman, during her Advent of nine months, shouldered the hopes of Zion.

Our Lady’s pining for the Birth of the Savior is the pattern for us. Jesus Christ wants to be with us in our joys and sorrows. Therefore, to benefit from the annual celebration of Christmas, we commit ourselves to an Advent lived in the spirit of Mary. Here are some tried-and true Advent “exercises” to help us prepare for Christmas.

Prayer. Advent calls forth our prayer by reminding us that Jesus, Who came to redeem us from Original Sin, desires that we pray because He knows how our relationship with Him, His Father and Their Holy Spirit needs to be nourished. He taught His Apostles to pray. He teaches us to do the same.

+++Spend extra time in personal prayer, read Chapters 1-2 from the Holy Gospels according to Saints Matthew and Luke, go to Confession during Advent, receive the Most Holy Eucharist more often and more devoutly.

Self-denial. We are to be fortified in order to welcome Jesus again at Christmas. How pleased He will be if we show Him that we have cooperated with the Holy Spirit, thereby being genuinely converted to the principles of His Holy Gospel. Self-denial effects our detachment from the things of the world.

+++Deny yourself some legitimate pleasure, mortify your anger, stem your curiosity.

Service. The Birth of Jesus was about obeying His Father and serving us. Christ undertook His mission as the Suffering Servant Who selflessly laid down His life in adoration of His Father and in service of His brothers and sisters.

+++Visit an elderly person in a retirement home, extend kindness to a pregnant woman, offer some alms to a soup kitchen.

Holy Mary did not merely wait for the Birth of Jesus. Rather, she actively prepared for His coming. The spiritual fruits we enjoy this Christmas will be in direct proportion to how we, endowed with divine grace, prepare during this Advent to love and follow Jesus Christ our Lord.