A Good Lent

At midnight in New Orleans the call was heard: "Fat Tuesday is over!" and, I hope, the party-goers returned to their homes, to begin the Lenten season (what were the chances of that, do you think?).

Well, the Great Fast has begun.  May the Lord grant us every grace in this holy season as we perform works of prayer, penance and alms-giving, and seek to grow in holiness.  That is what this season is all about: growth in virtue and holiness.  Many people speak of giving something up for Lent, but I sometimes wonder if they know why?  Not to lose a few pounds or get rid of a habit, but to offer penance for our sins and bring our bodies and minds under control so we can be more faithful in our observance of the Gospel. 

Let us pray for each other, that what God wishes for us in this season may come to pass through our generous cooperation with his grace.

I wish you a good Lent.

The Holy Epiphany

 

How blessed you are, O Holy Infant, God made man. 

Revealed to the world through the adoration of the Magi:

You come, Divine Messiah, to save the world.

 

With the Holy Magi, we fall down and worship you

and offer you our hearts, our souls, our lives,

filled with love for our Eternal Father

and our neighbour.

 

Today, let us pray that assisted by the prayers of the Holy Magi,

SS Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar,

our lives may be an epiphany,

revealing Christ to the world

through zeal, charity, virtue and holiness.

The 12 Days: Twelfth Day

 

How blessed you are, O Holy Infant, God made man. 

You come with your wisdom

to reveal to mankind the Face of God.

 

Touch our hearts, O Blessed Son of the Father,

so they may be transformed with our desire

to see your Holy Face,

filled with love for our Eternal Father

and our neighbour.

 

Today, let us pray that we may seek God above all things

and orientate our lives to that desire.

The 12 Days: Eleventh Day

 

How blessed you are, O Holy Infant, God made man. 

You come shining forth with new light:

to reveal the love of the Father

and the way of truth.

 

Fill our hearts, O Divine Saviour, with your light,

transform our hearts,

cast out the darkness of sin,

to make them your worthy dwelling,

filled with love for our Eternal Father

and our neighbour.

 

Today, let us pray that we may embrace the light Christ brings,

so to radiate that light

in serenity, humility and joy.

The 12 Days: Tenth Day

 

How blessed you are, O Holy Infant, God made man. 

And blessed is your Holy Name,

in which we hear the word of salvation.

 

May our lives be devoted to you, Sweet Jesus,

your Holy Name imprinted on our hearts,

so we may proclaim that Name

filled with love for our Eternal Father

and our neighbour.

 

Today, let us pray that consecrated to the Holy Name,

we may worship the One who bears it,

serve him selflessly,

and imitate him humbly.

 

"O Jesus, be to me a Jesus"

The 12 Days: Ninth Day

 

How blessed you are, O Holy Infant, God made man. 

You inspire in your servants Basil and Gregory,

through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit,

the love of Christian friendship.

 

Make our hearts like theirs, O beloved Eternal Friend:

meditative, generous, patient,

filled with love for our Eternal Father

and our neighbour.

 

Today, inspired by the holy friendship of SS Basil and Gregory,

may we give thanks for the gift of friendship

and seek to live that love in Christ

so to be sanctified by that love

and assist our friends on the way of holiness.

The 12 Days: Eighth Day

 

How blessed you are, O Holy Infant, God made man. 

For you raised up Mary, the humble Virgin of Nazareth,

as Theotokos,

the Holy Mother of God

and Mother of all peoples.

 

Make our hearts like hers, O sweet Jesus:

loving, contemplative, poor in spirit,

devoted to the will of the Father,

filled with love for our Eternal Father

and our neighbour.

 

Today, let us pray that we may give ourselves completely

into the hands of the Holy Theotokos

so she, our Mother, may bring us to Christ

and make our hearts like unto His.

The 12 Days: Seventh Day

 

How blessed you are, O Holy Infant, God made man. 

You raised up your servant, Sylvester,

to rebuild your Church after persecution;

to be the chief Shepherd

and lead your people in strength and holiness  

Make our hearts like his, O gentle Jesus:

strong, prayerful, trusting,

filled with love for our Eternal Father

and our neighbour.

Today, let us pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis,

that like his holy predecessor Sylvester

he may lovingly, fearlessly and joyfully

watch over and protect the flock entrusted to his care.

The 12 Days: Sixth Day

 

How blessed you are, O Holy Infant, God made man. 

You were obedient to Mary and Joseph

and grew in wisdom.

 

Make our hearts like yours, O gentle Jesus:

obedient, humble, meek,

filled with love for our Eternal Father

and our neighbour. 

Today, let us pray that we may embrace the humility of Christ

so he may come to dwell in us

and confide in us the eternal mysteries.

The 12 Days: Fifth Day

 

How blessed you are, O Holy Infant, God made man. 

For you blessed the human family

by your divine presence

transforming it into the domestic church,

the place of the Hidden Years.

 

Take our hearts, O gentle Jesus, and live in them:

as you lived with Mary and Joseph,

fill us with love for our Eternal Father

and our neighbour. 

Today, let us pray that through the Holy Family of Nazareth

all human families may be blessed and safeguarded,

all Christian families may become beacons of light and grace.

The 12 Days: Fourth Day

 

How blessed you are, O Holy Infant, God made man. 

You crown the little ones, the Holy Innocents, with martyrdom

for dying in your place;

and in your mercy you lay down your life

and confer eternal life on them.

Make our hearts like theirs, O gentle Jesus:

simple and child-like,

filled with love for our Eternal Father

and our neighbour. 

Today let us pray that we may be heartened by the Holy Innocents,

cherishing the precious gift of life given to us,

joyfully living it as a hymn of praise.

The 12 Days: Third Day

 

How blessed you are, O Holy Infant, God made man. 

You called your Apostle, John, to be the Beloved;

the one who lay his head on your Heart

and saw the visions of your love.

Make our hearts like his, O gentle Jesus:

zealous, faithful, chaste,

filled with love for our Eternal Father

and our neighbour. 

Today, let us pray that we may seek to be like St John

abandoning ourselves to the Lord,

faithful even to the Cross.

The 12 Days: Second Day

 

How blessed you are, O Holy Infant, God made man. 

You instil in your disciple, Stephen, that faith

which proclaims the Gospel to all people;

that hope which brings the vision of heaven to earth;

that love which inspires the greatest sacrifice

 

Make our hearts like his, O gentle Jesus:

heroic, loving, pure,

filled with love for our Eternal Father

and our neighbour.

 

Today, let us pray that we may embrace the faith of St Stephen

so to be the salt of the earth,

the light of the world.

The 12 Days: First Day

 

How blessed you are, O Holy Infant, God made man. 

You come in all your power to embrace vulnerability:

to walk among us, to teach us, to save us.

 

Make our hearts like yours: gentle, meek, heroic,

filled with love for our Eternal Father

and our neighbour.

 

Today, let us pray that we may embrace the virtues of the Christ Child

so to love Him completely

and our neighbour selflessly.

In Battle, Forget the Sword, Get The Beads Out.....

 

From one remarkable Dominican to another: today's saint - Pope St Pius V.  What a pope!  Like his spiritual mother St Catherine of Siena, Pius was not afraid of a challenge, but surged forward in his mission to lead the Church in a difficult time.

 

Now Pius is a controversial figure.  I guarantee that if you go into a liturgy centre and begin to wax lyrical about him you'll find the temperature will plummet and you'll get very curt responses.  Historians will warn you that his excommunication of Elizabeth I of England was a bad idea because it made things worse for those she was persecuting (ironically some of these same historians may also lament Pius XII's "silence" disregarding that Pontiff's belief that a papal attack would have made things worse for those the Nazis were persecuting).  And then you'll get those who will say, "Don't mention Lepanto whatever you do!"

 

Well, I'm going to mention Lepanto!  Indeed I think we should all mention it and reflect on it.  We should all read Chesterton on it and praise it, not for its bloodshed of course, but for the outcome and the miracle God worked during that naval battle.

 

For one thing, Lepanto was the first call to ecumenical partnership between Catholics and Protestants made by a pope.  Realising the threat posed to Christianity by an Muslim invasion, Pius called on all Christian princes to put their differences aside and come together to meet the threat head on.  Few listened to him, and only a handful committed themselves to the Holy League.  In the end that small fleet of Christian ships led by Don Juan of Austria had to face a much larger fleet in the Gulf of Corinth and try and save Europe from invasion.

 

Pius, as a good Dominican, knew what he had to do: get the beads out and say his rosary!  And he asked all Catholics in Europe to join him in praying the rosary to save Europe.  We all know what happened - Our Lady of the Rosary in partnership with Don Juan and his crew overcame the threat.  It is said that Pope Pius had a vision of the moment of victory.  In thanksgiving, he designated the day of the victory, the 7th October, as the feast of Our Lady of Victories, later becoming the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

 

So the moral of the story is simple: when in battle, get the beads out.  A timely piece of advice as we struggle to keep abortion out of Ireland.  In that campaign the Muslims are not our enemies but our allies, and with them other Christians and men and women of good will.   We can all learn from Pius's example: we must turn to prayer in all our difficulties and ask for victory from our God, and people of all religious faiths can do that.

 

Let us note that on the morning after his election, after spending time with Our Lady, Pope Francis made his way over to St Pius's tomb to spend some time in prayer.  Was there a reason to do so? Perhaps, or perhaps, being the pious man that he is, the Holy Father wanted to greet one of the his saintly predecessors.  Whatever the reason, I am sure Pope St Pius looked down on the Pope and assured him of his prayers and presence as the new pontificate began - these popes stick together!

Prayers Please

Could I ask your prayers for some intentions please?  An actress is gravely ill and needs people to pray for her - perhaps you might pray to St Genesius for her.

 

Also a prayer for someone who is ill and for their family members who are trying to come to terms with it. 

 

Thank you. 

A Modest Proposal On The Feast Of A Pro-Life Saint

The Pro-life movement doesn't have a declared Patron, though Our Lady of Guadalupe tends to be regarded as the Patroness of Life.   Today's Saint would also make a fitting patron - St Gianna Beretta Molla, the mother who died in 1962 offering her life for her child.

I sure you all know her story: born into a devout Catholic home in 1922, studied to become a doctor after discerning she did not have a vocation to the religious life.  She married Pietro Molla and they had three children in quick succession. She balanced life as a wife, mother and doctor, with work in service of the Church, particularly Catholic Action and the Society of St Vincent de Paul.  She was renowned for her holiness and charity.

In late 1961 she became pregnant again, but a growth was also diagnosed in her womb.  Offered an abortion as the way to safe her life, she refused: apart from knowing there were other options available, she would not take the life of her unborn child - abortion is murder: if she had to sacrifice a life she would sacrifice her own rather than kill the baby.  A baby girl was born on Holy Saturday 1962, Gianna died a week later from complications.  She was canonised in 2004 by Blessed John Paul II in the presence of her husband and children - I think that may be a first.

Given the uphill battle we have now to keep abortion out of Ireland, we need St Gianna's intercession.  So now I am making a suggestion, from the day you read this post until the day Ireland is free of the threat of abortion, offer three Hail Marys seeking the intercession of St Gianna.  It is a simple offering, it will no more than a moment, but that daily offering may well help the unborn of Ireland.   Pass on the word.

Saint Gianna,

Wife, Mother, Doctor and exemplary Christian,

intercede with Christ, our Lord of Life

to help us in these times to proclaim the Gospel of Life;

to bring to an end the evil of abortion

and the conversion of those who promote it;

to help and console those women tempted to do it,

and to heal those who have had one.

Watch over Ireland in these critical days.

Amen.

Good Friday

O Blessed Lord,
crucified for our sake,
look upon us and grant us your grace.
Help us to overcome our sinfulness
and conquer our pride;
give us a share in your cross
so we may embrace that same humility
which made you obedient to the will of the Father.
All praise and honour to you,
Lord Jesus,
for your going to the cross for our salvation,
may you blessed and praised forever.
Amen

A Prayer For Our Families

On this feast of the Holy Family, we might take a moment to pray for all families, and for Christian families in particular.  This prayer is a consecration prayer from the Sanctuary of Loreto in Italy, where the Holy House of Nazareth, transported by Crusader knights from the Holy Land as the Muslims were invading, is venerated.  You might take a moment to say this prayer with me.

O Holy Family of Nazareth,
model of every family,
we bless and venerate you with joyful hearts
and consecrate ourselves to you
in order that our home be
the dwelling place of the presence of God,
in mutual and generous love.

O Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
who from the Loreto hills irradiate on the world
the light of faith and the power of love,
and guide it day by day
on the path of the Gospel
and of the Beatitudes.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, O Holy Family, bless our families.

On this holy day you might like to check out a few links.  Pope Benedict dedicated his Audience on Wednesday to prayer in the Holy Family, see here for the text of his wonderful talk.  The website for the Sanctuary of Loreto is very good and has the story of the translation of the Holy House and information on the life of the Shrine.  Here is another good website, of a new association founded by one of the members of our Fraternity, to pray for our children.  It is well worth a visit and joining - all you need do is offer one holy hour in the week for our children. 

Happy feast day!

Time For Prayer?

This will be a short post (famous last words).  Still on holiday in Europe, I was admiring some beautiful statues of St John Nepomuk, patron saint of the confessional Seal, and thinking that we priests should really be saying a few prayers to this martyr of the confessional, most especially if Enda, Alan and Frances have their way and "require" us to reveal what we have heard in confession.  As someone said to me, they will seek only a breach of the Seal for cases of chilld abuse, but then, later, it will be broadened to encompass any crime - anything for which one could be convicted in a court of law.  Perhaps.  I think at this stage saner people than the Taoiseach and his ministers realise this law would be unworkable, so I do not think it will happen.  But then again recent Irish governments have been full of surprises.

So, a thought hit me.  Pope Benedict has asked us to pray and make reparation for the sins and crimes of child abuse - our Friday Penances are being offered for that, and rightly so.  But perhaps we need to pray more intently for our priests - as I indicated in a previous post, but why not for courage for our priests that should the new law come into being they will be able to stand against it as did St John Nepomuk.  As I was praying to him the idea of promoting devotion to him came to mind, perhaps even a national novena?  A prayer could be easily composed and printed if offerings were forthcoming, and then sent to all the priests in Ireland, again offerings permitting, and also disseminated among the laity.  What do you think? I see the Church in Australia is now facing the same threat to the Seal - the Catholics there might row in too.  Perhaps we might all think about it, and pray about it, and I could do something when I get back to Ireland. If you have any ideas you know where to contact me - suggestions from brother priests would be most welcome.

I am going silent for a few days - need to take a break from blogging and the internet connection on the hotel computer is slow, very slow - if I am to keep working on it I might even lose my religion or my life!!!