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.