Category: Prayer

May - The Month of Our Lady - the Holy Rosary

4/5/2018

Our Blessed Mother, when she appeared to the three little shepherds in Fátima, introduced herself as,
“…the Lady of the Rosary…". She spoke of the need for us to amend our lives and to seek pardon for our sins, which, daily, offend Our Lord. She urged the daily recitation of the Rosary, a powerful weapon against the evils of Satan and, therefore, a bountiful source of Grace for those who love her Son and constantly call on Him for aid. Ever concerned for our spiritual wellbeing, and conscious of our tendency to forget even essentials, Holy Mother Church sets aside two months during which this great Prayer is ‘put in the spotlight’ so to speak, both this month of May and later, October.

The Rosary is, of course, a prayer for all people, suitable for all ages and levels of intelligence or level of education, and for all times and situations. It is not limited in its use. While it may, profitably, be recited in its entirety in church before the Blessed Sacrament, it may also be prayed wholly or in sections, for instance at home by Parents and Children, on the way to work, whilst working round the house etc.

In essence, the Rosary consists of four sets of Mysteries (i.e. Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious). Look here for starters. Whilst meditating on (i.e. considering mentally) each Mystery, one prays a decade, i.e. ten Hail Marys. Before each decade, comes the Our Father and after each decade comes the Glory be to the Father. The original 150 Hail Marys of which the Rosary was composed were associated with the 150 Psalms in the Prayer of the Church; by ‘telling their beads’, even those with no education or reading ability could unite themselves with the prayer of the Universal Church. This Prayer may be said on beads, on Rosary rings or even on one’s fingers, all basic counting aids. In the dark days of the concentration camps, for example, Rosary beads might even have been made from bread pellets threaded onto string.

The prayers of the Rosary might be compared to the incidental music of a good Family film which serves to heighten awareness of emotions and actions of characters in different scenes. Almost in the background, these prayers serve to aid those praying in focussing upon the most notable scenes from the Lives of Mary and Jesus in particular. Parents are warmly encouraged to teach their children this invaluable Prayer from a very early age. As our youngsters grow in stature and intelligence, their insights into the Mysteries will deepen. Our Blessed Lady will be their constant companion throughout a lifetime in which their Faith will be strongly challenged. It is a prayer which will stand them in good stead from infancy (obviously on a more basic level) to old age, when they will, please God, draw on the fruits of a lifetime’s Rosaries. How about searching this treasure trove together?! If not the internet, then our own Catholic Truth Society is the place to go!

Throughout the centuries, this Prayer has developed and been presented in several forms. For example, the Luminous Mysteries, originally developed by Malta’s Saint Ġorġ Preca, were introduced by Saint Pope John Paul II through his Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae. Other forms have focussed on particular episodes in the lives of Christ and His Mother. One example is the Seven Dolours Rosary in which one concentrates specifically on the seven sorrows of our Lady: - Simeon’s prophecy that Mary would suffer witnessing her Son’s Passion and Death (Lk. 2:34, 35); Herod’s massacre of the Holy Innocents, which led to the flight of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph into Egypt (Mt. 2:13, 14); The finding of the 12 year old child Jesus in the temple (Lk. 2:43-45); Jesus meets Mary as he carries His Cross to Calvary (4th Station of the Cross); Jesus’ Body being taken down from the Cross (13th Station); the burial of Jesus in the Tomb (14th Station). There is so much out there!

Divine Mercy Sunday (Liturgical Year B)

6/4/2018

The Divine Mercy image and the entry from the Diary of Saint Faustina, 1228 are used with the express permission of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M.

Last Sunday, Easter Sunday, the Universal Church proclaimed, “Christ is Risen, Indeed!” The Gloria and Alleluia were, once more, prayed at Mass. Pope Francis, in 2015, proclaimed an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, reminding us of something which we must never forget, namely the Ever Loving and Infinite Mercy of God, ours for the asking or, indeed, ours to refuse!

This Sunday, the Second in Easter, sometimes called ‘Low Sunday’ is, thanks to the Apostle of Divine Mercy, Saint Faustina Kowalska and to its institution by Saint Pope John Paul II, known as Divine Mercy Sunday. In preparation for this day we have, in our Parish, starting on the Day of Christ’s Redemptive Death, Good Friday, in union with Catholics throughout the world, prayed the Divine Mercy Novena. This nine days of prayer was requested by Our Lord. For an explanation of this Novena and the nine daily Prayer Intentions on the internet look HERE. From this website you may also download a smartphone App.

The Novena may, of course, be said at other times, too. The nine intentions can provide a basis for an Examination of Conscience. On the final day, Jesus’ words are particularly challenging: “Today bring to Me souls who have become lukewarm, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: “Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.” For them, the last hope (65) of salvation is to flee to My mercy.” (Diary of Saint Faustina, 1228). Are we Apostles of Divine Mercy to the lukewarm?

Of course, our final bliss in Heaven is dependent, not just on God’s Mercy but upon each of us having freely co-operated with his Grace. As the highest of God’s creations, we are endowed, from conception, with a spiritual Soul and Free-Will; we are capable of coming to know and understand His Will for us, aided in the formation of our Conscience by our Parents, Priests and Catholic schools and, as we mature (a status marked by the Sacrament of Confirmation) by our own careful study of the Teachings of the Church. We must pray, often, that we will clearly discern exactly what Vocation (or call) God is giving us. As we see, in following the news media, the traps set by Satan are numerous and, in some cases, presented under the guises of ‘Human Rights’ and ‘Love’, of which they are, in truth, a denial.

One might say that the “bottom line”, regarding our hope for Mercy, lies in the words we say, sometimes, sadly, with little thought, virtually every day of our Life: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” or, to put it another way “Do not forgive me if I refuse to forgive others”. That is not to say that to forgive is easy; ‘scars’ may well remain and it may be hard, if not impossible, to forget wrongs done to us. We have the beautiful example of Saint Pope John Paul II who, following Mehmet Ali Ağca’s attempt on his life, visited and publicly forgave his would-be assassin in prison. In the end, it is Satan who ‘thrives’ on hatred and unforgiveness.

As Christians, we are called to be merciful as God is merciful. That means that we must, as well as forgiving, not forget our duty to correct error; it is just as merciless to, for instance, fail to warn someone we know to be living in a sinful state as it is to refuse to forgive those who repent and ask forgiveness of us. It is NOT being judgmental and may see us fall in the ‘popularity ratings’ but this duty supersedes our possible inclinations. God, grant us the Graces we need to spread your Divine Mercy! Saint Faustina and Saint Pope John Paul II, Pray for us!

New Year

12/1/2018

On the First Sunday of Advent 2017 AD ('Anno Domini' i.e. 'The Year of Our Lord') we began our Liturgical New Year. As 2017 drew to a close, we remembered the Holy Innocents, massacred by Herod in his quest to destroy Jesus, also renewing our prayers for the innocent Unborn still being slaughtered through Abortion. We honoured the Holy Family of Nazareth, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the perfect model for all families. At midnight, as 2018 began, we were privileged to be invited to begin this new Anno Domini with Our Lord at Mass, receiving Him in Holy Communion. Later that day we celebrated Mary, the Holy Mother of God, through whose loving, ‘…Be it done unto me…’, Christ could come into the world, enabling mankind to make a new beginning on the road to Heaven, previously closed by Original Sin. Last Sunday we celebrated the Epiphany (or manifestation) of Our Lord. Three Kings (or Magi) representing the Gentile, or non-Jewish peoples, knelt down to adore the King of kings lying in the manger, offering gifts signifying His Kingship, His Divinity and His Saving Death.

New Year is a traditional time to make Resolutions which, hopefully, will improve our lives, either correcting faults or, perhaps, increasing the good efforts we are already making to correspond with God’s Grace. As part of this renewal process we were recently offered what perhaps, for some of us, served as a wake-up call, i.e. ‘How long is it since I went to Confession, admitted that I was in the wrong and asked to be reconciled with God?’. To this end we were offered a whole day during which we had the privilege and joy of Adoring Our Saviour, exposed in the Monstrance on the Altar and, through His Priests, of receiving the sure knowledge that, having repented of and confessed our sins, we are forgiven. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, like the Father of the Prodigal Son, Our Lord picks us up, telling us, through Father, ‘…your sins are forgiven you…Go and sin no more…’.

What form, for Catholics, might New-Year resolutions take if they are to rise above ‘run-of-the-mill’ ones (good as these may well be) and make a difference not only to our bodily but, more importantly, to our Spiritual Life? Regular Confession must surely be a priority on many lists! Are there opportunities to help not only ourselves and our Families but also others, of Faith or unbelieving, who, knowing that we are Catholics, look to us, consciously or not, for a lead?

Honouring the Holy Family highlights the fundamental Truth that our Families, core units of Society, living according to God’s Law, can and must be a force for change; resolutions provide many opportunities for the ongoing Religious formation of Parents and Children. In times when Marriage and the Family are under attack, our Witness is more crucial than ever!

A good starting point for decision-making is Prayer in the Home; do we encourage our Children to say morning and night Prayers and Grace before and after meals? If we are eating in a public venue will any of our fellow-diners be aware of our Faith as we say Grace Before Meals together? Do children have the best example of all, their Parents’ own prayers? How often do we pray as a Family, maybe saying the Rosary or the Chaplet of Divine Mercy each day? Do we discuss our wonderful Faith? One is never too young or too old to go ‘exploring’. Are resolutions needed here? How often do we take our children to Mass? Of course there are Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation but how often, hectic as life can be, have we considered going as a Family to Adoration and Mass on Saturday mornings during the year and also on weekdays during school holidays in addition to the days on which we are obliged to attend? Many of our children have the privilege of being Altar Servers and would, therefore, be given more opportunities to exercise this Ministry through serving at weekday Masses. How often do we and our Children go to Confession? Is it, for us, an indispensable part of our Catholic life? When out and about could we pay a visit to Our Lord in the Tabernacle when we happen to pass by a Catholic Church, just spending even a few minutes before the Blessed Sacrament? Practice will achieve far more than words! Could a spiritual 'extra' be the subject for a resolution?

What will you resolve to do this year?

Remembrance (Liturgical Year A - 32nd Sunday)

12/11/2017

Today we remember the souls of all those who have died in wars, especially those of the twentieth and twenty first centuries. Today’s date is the nearest Sunday to the date of the Armistice which ended World War 1 on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Many of our Parish families, looking back through their generations, will have discovered the names of those among their forbears who risked and, often, lost their lives fighting those who threatened life and liberty around the world. Whether we know these dead or not, we owe them a massive debt; they have a right to expect our prayers; their deaths bought freedom for countless millions of people, including ourselves, who came after them.

So how do we repay this debt? Certainly through offering Prayers, Masses and Sacrifices for the repose of their Souls; in the heat of battle many, possibly, would have died unprepared. Many may do so today. It is an act of Charity to pray daily that anyone now living apart from God will accept the Grace of Final Repentance, offered until they draw their final breath in this world.

There is yet another obligation placed on our shoulders. These men and women died in defence of Human Rights, fundamental to which is the Right to Life itself! It is, consequently, up to us, living in the 21st century, to oppose those who, as we well know, believe that they ‘know better than God’ and seek to impose ‘agendas’ which directly oppose the Laws of our Creator. Confusing Love with license, they can seriously mislead many. News of conflict is constantly on our TV screens; these conflicts do not necessarily involve force of arms and physical destruction. They may (depending on the issue) involve the killing of the Soul as much as the Body. There is a great and indeed ever present need to stand up for what is right.

Far more than words, the examples of lives lived maybe, at times, heroically in willing obedience to God’s Laws, can bring the unenlightened to see the Beauty and Wisdom of the Church’s Teachings. Today Catholics may well be required to be ‘counter-cultural’. If we were to live contrary to God’s Holy Will, that would set a bad example to others and would make a mockery of those who sacrificed their lives for us so that we might be able to exercise our Free Will unimpeded, to say nothing of mocking our Lord whose Passion, Death and Resurrection give meaning and purpose to our Prayers for the Faithful Departed.

It is truly good to condemn unjust aggression and to mourn and pray for those who strove against it on our behalf. As ever, if we are to be credible witnesses of the Truth, we must, ‘practise what we preach!’.

(Liturgical Year A – 31st Sunday)

3/11/2017

On 31st October, many people will have celebrated Halloween (Hallow e’en - from ‘Hallow’ - to make Holy). This somewhat secular occasion, nowadays with somewhat of an emphasis upon magic, was, long ago, a Christian event, namely the Eve of the Feast of All Saints. The Church has, through events such as the Night of Light, tried to restore this celebration to its Catholic roots; children have been encouraged to come to church dressed, perhaps, as the Saints after which they were named (Name-Saints) having, hopefully, with the help of their parents, done a little research on these illustrious forbears in the Faith. In the Light of Faith, they have looked towards the Light of Heaven.

On the first day of this month, we celebrated the Saints: those who have ‘…fought the good fight… finished the race… and… kept the faith’ (2 Tim.4:7). On the following day, we commemorated the Holy Souls in Purgatory, to whom the month of November is dedicated. We are all, living and dead, members of the Communion of Saints. Those in Heaven (the Church Triumphant) now intercede for us, (the Church Militant) and for the Holy Souls in Purgatory (the Church Suffering) who we can also help through our Masses, Prayers and Sacrifices. There is a very beautiful prayer, particularly appropriate for this month, which we can say for our Brothers and Sisters in Purgatory: the ‘De Profundis’ (‘Out of the depths I cry to thee, O Lord…’). This prayer may be found in the Prayer section of our Parish Website.

Perhaps November, with its emphasis upon those who have, ‘…gone before us…’ (i.e. the Holy Souls and the Saints), might provide a good starting point for research by parents and children into their Name-Saints. Our names do more than simply distinguish us one from another within our families. First names are traditionally called ‘Christian Names’ for a very good reason, in that they are primary evidence of our Christian heritage. This is a practice which has sadly lost its importance as secularisation has increased its grip on society. Indeed, when parents present their children for Baptism, they are reminded of the importance of giving them at least one such name. Which of our Christian forbears are we named after? When did they live, and where? What kind of lives did they lead? Can we identify with any of their faults and failings? How did they die? etc.

A picture of St. Maximilian Kolbe dating from 1939

Saints are, by no means, just figures from long ago. The Church has, in the last few years, canonised (i.e. recognised as being in Heaven and worthy of our imitation) a number of our Brothers and Sisters from more recent decades in history. Sister Josephine Bakhita from Sudan; St Pius of Pietrelcina, known as Padre Pio, who received the Stigmata (the Crucifixion wounds as borne by Christ); Maximilian Mary Kolbe, a Polish Franciscan Priest who gave his life in exchange for that of a Jewish prisoner in Auschwitz; Carmelite Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), a German convert from Judaism who, owing to her Jewish ‘roots’ also died in a concentration camp; Gianna Molla, from Italy, was a paediatrician who, rather than risk the life of her unborn daughter, put off cancer treatment and died shortly after her Birth; Pope John 23rd, who called the Second Vatican Council. More recently we have witnessed the Canonisations of Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa of Kolkata (Calcutta) and the two youngest Seers of Fátima, Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

This list barely ‘scratches the surface’ of a treasure trove of Christian Witnesses from all over the world. Here, expectant parents, those preparing to become Catholics, and Confirmation candidates will discover truly wholesome and inspiring role models, to be looked up to, imitated and prayed to as we strive to join them in Heaven. In an age when highly unsuitable role models may often be presented to children through the Media, there is an urgent need for them to, in some cases, rediscover their Catholic identity and purpose in life. They can best do this with the loving help of their first teachers, their parents!

(Liturgical Year A - 30th Sunday)

29/10/2017

The end of yet another Liturgical year is fast approaching. Throughout each and every one of these years as our knowledge and love of God, hopefully, grows, we are also preparing for a more significant ‘destination’, namely the end of our Earthly life, and life’s continuance eternally with our Creator in Heaven. Today we review the requirements for a successful realisation of our Created destiny.

The Entrance Antiphon (cf Psalm 104:3-4), speaks of the true joy which is only to be found through seeking and following our Lord in the particular circumstances in which we live, aided by unlimited Graces, ours for the asking!

In the First Reading (Exodus 22:22-26) we are left in no doubt as to the way we must treat others, with love, compassion and justice; as we expect God to regard us, so are we bound to regard our fellow humans. We are left in no doubt that (as in the parable of The last Judgement) our charity or lack of it towards others will determine the ‘verdict’ of our Loving and Merciful Judge on ourselves.

Through the Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 17:2-4, 47, 51 response v2), we declare our love for our Father, recognising that He alone can equip us for our lifelong struggle against evil. Just as a healthy diet, good exercise and, on occasion, medical intervention are essential in maintaining or restoring the health and strength of our bodies, so God’s Grace cannot be dispensed with if our souls are to stand firm against Satan’s temptations which assail us from so many directions and can, should we give in to them, undermine our spiritual health, even leading to the death of our soul.

In the Second Reading (1 Thessalonians 1:5-10) Saint Paul cites his practical Christian example which first moved his converts to seek and welcome the Gift of Faith. This example, subsequently lived out in their own lives, will cause many more to see the beauty of God’s Truth; in other words we must ‘practice what we preach’ if we are to play our own part in bringing others to God.

In the Alleluia verse (cf Acts 16:14) we ask the Father for the Grace which, alone, can ‘…open our hearts…’ and so bring about our personal conversion to and persistence in following the Way opened up by the Son.

Finally, in the Gospel (Matthew 22:34-40), our Lord, not in the least ‘caught out’ by the wiles of the Pharisees, again underlines the essential foundation of a holy life. Wholehearted love of God and Neighbour alone demonstrate our adherence to the Truth we proclaim and underpin our obedience to the rest of the Commandments.

In the following week we will look ahead to the happy fulfilment of a faithful life spent in love of God and Neighbour, namely Eternal Joy with God in Heaven. On Wednesday we will celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints, a Holy Day of Obligation. On that day we will contemplate those who have ‘...fought the Good Fight...’, ‘...kept the Faith...’ and now ‘…from their labours rest…’ We will rejoice in their Joy and ask for their help in our continued journey on Earth.

Although the following day, All Souls’ Day, the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, is not a Holy Day of Obligation, Mass on that day should surely, unless impossible, be a priority for us, as a profound expression of our love of Neighbour. Countless ancestors have already died and count on our assistance, to say nothing of people who have died with no one to pray for their souls. A Priest (who, generally, may say two Masses a day) may say three Masses for the Dead on this day. As we are told in Machabees 12:46, “It is a Holy and Wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins”. In Charity we must strive to help those who, whether we know them or not, have died and are now in Purgatory, undergoing that final Purification from sin, necessary if they are to enjoy Eternal Happiness. The Holy Souls are certainly on the way to Heaven but can no longer help themselves get there. As a beautiful hymn puts it, they are ‘…in prison for the debt unpaid of sins committed here…’ Our Loving Duty, emphasised by the dedication of the entire month of November to the Holy Souls, is to help them on their way. One day, please God, it will be our turn to look for this help!

“Come with me privately to a solitary place…” (Mark 6:31)

22/10/2017

This world is very demanding of one's time and energy. How many lives are 'governed' by personal organisers? How often does daily life at home revolve around TV schedules? What do the 'worldly-wise' hold out to us as goals or priorities in a 'successful' life? This list could go on and on. At times, therefore, one needs to step out of one's 'groove' and, detached from the general rush of everyday life, consider the 'bigger picture'.

We have, of course, the example of Jesus who, we read, sometimes withdrew to an isolated spot to pray, thereby making a retreat. (Mark 6:31; see also Mark 1:35-37; Luke 5:15-16). With family and job commitments many may despair of achieving such 'space' amid the cares of life.

Statue of Jesus Christ in Prayer,
Consolatta Cemetary, Lake Charles, Louisiana

If one is able it is good to make a week's retreat, conducted by Priests and Religious, distancing oneself from everyday distractions and spending more time contemplating the things of God, through daily Mass, talks, prayer and Spiritual-reading. For those of us with limited time it can be possible to go on retreats, lasting only a day or two. There are numerous monasteries and retreat houses to which one may go. For some ideas see this wonderful Web site.

Such options may well not necessarily be open to many of us. However, that does not prevent us from reaching out to tap the sources of Grace which God wills to give us. Mass and Holy Communion, the foundation of Catholic life, are widely available in our Parish on Sunday and offered twice daily during the week. In addition to this treasure, on weekdays and Saturdays, groups meet to pray Morning Prayer of the Church and the Holy Rosary. Maybe, at least once a week, time could be made for an extra Mass or, if time is really limited, to 'pay a visit' to meditate while the church is open.

A church can be a quiet and contemplative oasis in a noisy environment; many busy people, where churches are open all day, will pop in and, perhaps, just for a few minutes, pour out their hearts before Our Lord in the Tabernacle; they 'recharge their spiritual batteries' and can go on to face the rest of their day. For many of us, however, our 'retreat' times are those precious minutes before and after Sunday or Holy Day Mass. May we make the most of these opportunities!

"Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar - and to God what belongs to God."
(Matthew 22:21)

A Thought following the recent tragedy in Manchester

26/5/2017

On the night of last Monday, 22nd May 2017, many innocent people, including several young ones, were victims of a brutal attack by a terrorist who would, doubtlessly, had he not died in the suicide attack, have claimed to have carried out these murders ‘in the name of God’! The children of Fátima, two of whom have been recently declared Saints, were warned by Our Lady that evils perpetrated around the world were going to lead to war. Indeed, the First and Second World Wars followed in the ensuing decades, being sure signs of what happens when God is denied and free will is abused. God calls us to live holy lives and, thereby, attain Heaven, but the end of our earthly life’s journey depends on our choice:– to do God’s Will or fundamentally, and knowingly, to oppose Him in grave sin.

Frequently, in the news, we hear of outrages committed against fellow humans and, quite rightly, we unite, even with those with whom we might have been at odds, to aid the victims and condemn the murders. We need to pray that these terrible acts may serve as alarm calls to wake up a world which, although claiming to be ‘advanced’ and ‘civilised’ and frequently and loudly proclaiming human rights, is very selective in the application of those rights. Through wars and terrorist outrages it is being driven home just how deeply the human race is affected by Original Sin. Because of one’s fallen nature, it can, as has been consistently demonstrated, be very difficult not to espouse the ‘causes’ of those who either deny God altogether or, certainly, deny His absolute right to decree how we live our lives. Through God’s grace, lovingly and freely accepted, however challenged we may feel in doing so, we can turn the tide of evil.

So, what do we do? We start at the very roots, in our families, where new life and formation for life begins; ensure that our families are, indeed, seed beds of truth and love. We must strenuously oppose what is often described as the Culture of Death. Sadly, although very rightly expressing our disgust and horror at the carnage perpetrated against human beings around the world, many can overlook the daily denial of life to the most vulnerable humans, the unborn and, increasingly, the denial of the right to life, at the other end of the scale, to the old and terminally ill. These lives are being placed in jeopardy, partly because contraception and abortion have denied God His prerogative to create, through the love of husband and wife, new generations of children who would have grown, generated new demands for goods and services, reached adulthood and, in time, have further contributed to the economy, maybe become carers and perhaps married and had their own children. One risks unpopularity and mockery for opposing the culture of death.

If we buy a household appliance, we might read the manual, then decide to follow only those instructions we happen to agree with, while ignoring others, assuming that we know better than the maker. Then, when it breaks down, and we expect the manufacturer to replace or repair it, we should not be surprised to find our request refused, since we committed a breach of contract by knowingly failing to use the appliance ‘in accordance with the maker’s instructions’. Applying this scenario to life, we wish to get to Heaven, but we place our eternal happiness in jeopardy if we subscribe to what has been called ‘cafeteria Catholicism’, in which one selectively and knowingly obeys or rejects God’s laws, presuming that God will, in the end, ‘overlook’ our errors, or that we will, anyway, repent before we die. If we are to be ‘salt and Light’ in this world, all of us need to start by taking a long hard look at our own lives.

Holy Communion

12/5/2017

As we move from Lent to Easter and from Spring to Summer, everything brightens and emerging blossoms tell us of life breaking out against the numbing cold, damp and dark of Winter. This is, of course, an allegory of the victory of Christ over sin and death. Over these weeks many of our young Parishioners, having made their First Confessions, will receive a still greater share in this Victory; for the very first time they will receive their Saviour, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the most intimate way open to them this ‘side’ of Heaven; please God, these First Confessions and Communions will be the first of many Confessions and Communions in a life lived increasingly in love with and in service of Jesus.

On Good Friday, we recalled Our Lord’s being nailed to the Cross, hanging there for three hours then being laid, dead, in Mary’s arms; He was buried in the Tomb, in the eyes of many, gone for good! As we are hearing at the moment in the Gospels, in particular, Christ definitively proved that He is, indeed, God; He Rose from the dead, having atoned to the Father for the sin of Adam and Eve. As we recite, weekly, in the Creed, He soon confirmed the precarious Faith of the Apostles by sending the Holy Spirit; gone was the fear of reprisals for proclaiming the Truth. We are already hearing, not only of the bold proclamations of the Truth, but of the resistance to that truth, in the forms of beatings, imprisonment and death. Did the Church curl up and die? Not a bit of it! Energised by the Grace of God and by His Presence in Holy Communion, the Church has gone from strength to strength as, indeed, Christ promised it would. He promised, before ascending into Heaven, that He would be with us, “...until the end of time…”. Saint Paul, another of the fruits of the conquest of Good over evil, recalls us to this fact: If we live, faithfully, God’s Way, nothing can keep us from attaining Heaven.

Our Brothers and Sisters, in certain places in the world, are still suffering attacks, privation and death for living out the Faith which, in the ‘free’ world, so many treat so casually. Please God we will not fail our young people, the precious Church of the future. May they grow up in families where the Faith is an integral and growing part of life; may it never be allowed to come to be regarded like so many of the fashions and interests which they may well discard as they grow older.

Actions, as the Apostles demonstrated, speak louder than words. Enriched by regular reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, may our lives, ever more, be the examples which stimulate the growth of the Church!

The Call to Sanctity

5/5/2017

The Church, over the centuries, has held up certain men and women as indispensable role-models for us in our struggle to keep, lovingly, to the ways set for us in our lives by God. As Saint Josemaria Escrivá, Founder of Opus Dei (canonised in 2002) so often pointed out, Sanctity is not the exclusive preserve of a chosen ‘high-profile’ few who may have done momentous things, such as dying a Martyr’s death or working miracles. Even our Blessed Mother, although her Immaculate Conception, her consent to the Archangel Gabriel’s message (our salvation depended upon it) and her totally Perfect Life on Earth were certainly not ‘everyday’ happenings, lived what the world would consider to be an ‘unremarkable’ life. Mary was content to live in her ‘anonymity’ in the sure knowledge that, however much those around her might overlook her, the one Person who really mattered, God, saw all and was greatly pleased by it.

Saint Josemaria underlined the fact as did the Fathers of Vatican II, later, that we are all called to Holiness; from the most to the least prominent in the Human Race, all are created by God who Wills that, however long, short or ‘unnoticed’ their life is, they do their best to respond to the Grace of God.

The Little Flower, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, is another prime example; the sanctity of her life and the profundity of her writing on the ‘Little Way’ reinforce the breadth and the depth of the Call to Holiness. Saint Martin dePorres’ life is also well worth reading; illegitimate, of mixed-race and, so, at that time, looked down on, his life of Charity would certainly put many of us to shame in our attitudes to those whom the world (and we?) consider ‘beneath us’; Saint Gianna Molla, an Italian paediatrician, denied herself cancer treatment and, subsequently, died in order that her unborn Daughter could live; the Venerable Matt Talbot, an obscure working-man, conquered alcoholism. The list goes on and on.

If the great multitude of Witnesses to God seems a bit daunting and you are seeking inspiration for yourself and your Children, maybe the Saints named above might provide an ‘entry’ to an inspiring gallery of role-models. If not then how about researching your name-Saints; is there a particular Saint named as Patron of the Country in which you or your ancestors have roots? Those in various professions can usually find a Saint who worked in the same line. There are countless examples of Saints who, quietly, got on with being Husbands, Wives and Parents, the often ‘unsung heroes’ without whom other Saints would not have later come to exist.

Finally, don’t omit to read the lives of Saintly Priests, such as Saint John Mary Vianney or our own Saint Pope John Paul II; our Pope and Priests are in the ‘front-line’ of the battle against Satan. They, as well as we, need the assistance of the Saints.

The image depicts St. Josemaria Escrivá, Founder of Opus Dei (canonised in 2002)

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