Wisdom for Lent 2009

Thank you Joan for posting Fr. Costello’s note and thank you Fr. John Costello for passing this on!

 

Wisdom for Lent 2009

Wisdom for Lent 2009

Wisdom for the Lenten Season
from the Vice-Rector of the North American College

Modern life doesn't allow us the luxury of living for one thing. Multi-tasking is prized and even expected.

Opportunities are rampant and extensive. Needs are clamoring.

The temptation is to do everything - or nothing.

Of being frantic or overwhelmed. Or both.



Do you find life a bit fragmented?

Are there are too many things in life fighting for your attention?



Mother Teresa's incredible focus on the "one thing" made her a very powerful and compelling woman.

That's how saints are made.



What if our hearts were redirected to the "One Thing."

It takes an act of will and a choice.

Prayer keeps us focused on the "One Thing"

and slowly, all the other things find their place.



May this Lenten season bring the “One Thing” into clear focus

as you gaze on the beauty of the Cross,

the one thing which is the greatest source of life and love.

Thank you Fr. John Costello for passing this on!

Wisdom for Lent 2009

Happy Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Trust!

How Pro Sanctity Movement is celebrating the
Feast of Our Lady of Trust around the world:

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Our Lady of Trust in Wichita
5:30 Dinner, Evening Prayer, and discussion on Our Lady of Trust
148 S. Rutan Wichita, KS

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Pro Sanctity Movement of Rome celebrates Our Lady of Trust

Sunday, February 22, 2009 at 4:30pm in Largo Arbe 5
All are invited to attend Rosary and Holy Mass

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Come and Celebrate with us the Feast of Our Lady of Trust
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009, 3:00 P. M.

St. Jude Church - 1677 Canarsie Road, Brooklyn, NY
Refreshments will be served in the Parish Hall

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PRO SANCTITY CELEBRATES THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF TRUST
Sunday, February 22, 2009 from 2:00-4:30p.m.

Mary Our Queen Parish in Omaha
3535 S. 119th St.—Social Hall (downstairs)
Cost: Free Will Donation, Bring Snacks to Share

Presentation by Stacey Floersch and Sandy Kolb: "Welcoming Children in Confidence”

Prayer, Reflection, Refreshments and Children’s Program
Everyone is welcome, bring the family, friends and neighbors!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are Invited to the Feast of Our Lady of Trust
Sunday, February 22, 2009

5:00 p.m. Prayer Service, followed by Pot Luck Dinner

Pro Sanctity Center 205 South Pine Drive Fullerotn, CA, 92833

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O Immaculate Heart of Mary, true model of every holiness, give us the trust to become saints!

Happy Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Trust!

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

Day Nine Mary, Mother of Trust Virgin Mary, You are sweetness without end. I feel transformed, O Mother, when you smile at me. I admire the sunrise, the sunset enchants me, but nothing in the world is as radiant as you. You are model and guide on the journey of my life, you are my certainty in the world to come. Mother of Trust, my sweetness and my strength, look upon me, your child, never abandon me. And when, at the end of my life, I will dream new roads, may your light, Mother, illuminate my journey. I want to meet you. I want to venerate you. I want to lay my head on your heart and rest on it. Amen. (Servant of God Bishop W. Giaquinta, Founder of the Pro Sanctity Movement)

My dear children in Christ,
May Christ’s love burn in your hearts. Strive for conversion and keep in mind a firm determination: to ever-grow in the Trinitarian life so that the burning love of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit may abide in us, transform us making us Christ like, witnesses and apostles of holiness. Strive for holiness, be children of light, and be leaven of God’s love in your family, in the parish, at work…
May people recognize you as Pro Sanctity members from your life-style and the apostolic zeal with which you work to spread holiness and brotherhood wherever you live out your mission. I pray for each of you and ask Our Blessed Mother of holiness to sustain you and help you. The love of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit be with you all, and with your families.
Your father in Christ, Bishop W. Giaquinta (July 6, 1983)

A Closer Look at Our Lady of Trust: "Mary is wrapped up in her Son: Jesus is her all. Jesus rests in Mary’s arms. He invites us to go to Mary; to draw trust from her heart; to learn from Mary to walk in faith, hope and love; to hope against hope; to keep on loving even at the foot of the Cross. The embrace of Mary and Jesus expresses an invitation: to appreciate and strive to develop that tender bond of love uniting the Mother to the Son...a love that is poured out upon us, as their look directed toward those who look at the image seems to suggest."

"Mary pressing a cloth to the Child Jesus’ side: is she inviting us to reflect on the price her Son paid to bring about ‘the new creation’? Is Mary reassuring us that Jesus loves us infinitely, has given us His very life through the Sacraments of Mother Church, and that we, thus, have nothing to fear? She looks at us and looks... She wishes to free us from our fears, to transform us, and to unite us to her Son..." (Franca Salvo, Presentation on Our Lady of Trust, 2004)

"Make, O Lord, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Trust bring to our lives a renewed love for her, but above all, for You and for all our brothers and sisters." (Giaquinta)

Please share the graces you have received during this time spent with your Mother. Where has she led you? What resolutions have you made? How will you celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Trust?

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

Day Eight
So repeat this word often: trust.
Repeat it to us and to everybody,
O Mary, because all people must become saints. (W. Giaquina)

He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed preacher and apostle and teacher. On this account I am suffering these things; but I am not ashamed, for I know him in whom I have believed and am confident that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day. Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust with the help of the holy Spirit that dwells within us. (2 Tim 1:9-14)

“At this moment of awareness of our poverty, we lift our prayer to Our Lady, that she may help us understand. May she, who with Jesus, went out of the gates in a more complete and radical way, help us be doers, that is, persons who live and pay at their own cost for what they proclaim.” (W. Giaquinta, 1974)

A Closer Look at Our Lady of Trust: Let us look together at the picture, Mary is holding the Baby Jesus; her left arm surrounds her Son and her fingers rest gently on Jesus’ shoulder. Her right hand holds a white cloth which she presses to Jesus’ side. Was Mary anticipating the lanced side of Jesus from which the whole sacramental life of the Church would spring forth?

Jesus has His right arm around Mary’s neck; His left arm is turned toward Mary with His finger pointing out to the heart of His mother. Is Jesus inviting us to go to Mary to learn how to love and serve God?

Jesus and Mary are not looking at each other; their glance is upon the person who looks at the picture. Their glance conveys peace, inspires confidence and hope, fills the heart with tenderness... And this is the promise that Mary made to Sr. Clair Isabelle Fornari, “By means of her Son, every person who with trust looks at this image will be granted within themselves a particular tenderness and devotion to her.” (Franca Salvo, Presentation on Our Lady of Trust, 2004)

Please join the Pro Sanctity Movement as we turn to the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Trust and ask her for the trust to become saints! Please continue to pray for the preparation of the General Assembly of the Institute of the Apostolic Oblates. Pay attention words or phrases from the prayer today and let it lead you into an intimate dialogue with Mary, one that takes place between a mother and a child. Feel free to share your reflections and graces under comments.

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

Day Seven
If we will listen to this word of yours, the way will be easier, the goal closer, and our confidence more certain that we shall reach sanctity. (W. Giaquina)

“We wish to root in Mary our program of the universal call to holiness as well. This is why our official invocation is based on the principle of Trust, ‘O Immaculate Heart of Mary, true model of every holiness, give trust to become saints’. May the Most Holy Mary bestow upon us, and upon all souls, the confidence that we can truly reach holiness.” (Giaquinta, Program of Spiritual Life)

"From this moment holiness must be the goal of your every choice and decision. Entrust this desire and this daily commitment to Mary, Mother of Trust! This most pacifying title corresponds to the invitation, repeated in the Gospel and addressed to the Virgin by the Angel and then so many other times by Jesus to his disciples: 'Do not be afraid' (cf. Lk 1: 30). 'Do not be afraid, for I am with you', says the Lord. In the icon of Our Lady of Trust, in which the Child points to the Mother, it seems that Jesus is adding, 'Look at your Mother and do not fear'." (Pope Benedict XVI, Feb 2, 2008)

A Closer Look at Our Lady of Trust: The focal point of the composition is the space between the faces of Jesus and Mary and between their hearts. This space is an iconographic representation of the "Breath" of the Holy Spirit that rests on the Word made man, the Son of Mary, and that is poured out upon us.
The dark background of the painting represents the dimension of the divine that goes beyond time and space. The flowing robes of our Lady with their vibrant colors convey the honor that is given to her as the Theotokos, the God-bearer. The blue mantle symbolizes the Divinity; the red dress identifies Mary as the Mother of God; and the white scarf around Mary’s neck represents her acceptance of the mystery of salvation and the plan of God. Although the Baby Jesus is naked, He is warmed by the reassuring arms of His mother who wraps and covers Him with the white cloth.
In its strong yet gentle features, the face of the Theotokos is the face of Mother Church generating and molding God’s people into the image of her Son. In the heart of every person, in joyful moments as in sorrowful ones, two old affections are associated; two dear words are united to each other: Mother and Trust. These two words intertwine almost instinctively in a prayer: My Mother, My Confidence! (Giuliana Spigone)

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

Day Six
When sin entices us, stay with us and be our strength. When mediocrity absorbs us, do not leave us. When the ascent to the perfection of the Father makes us weary, whisper a word of help, O Mary: trust! (W. Giaquina)

“When we love ‘with our whole heart’, our daily life, our activities, even the most trivial, and our small and hidden sacrifices…, become a part of the ‘burdensome daily living’, which, when peacefully accepted, ‘frees us from the impurities of our mediocrity’ (P.S. Prayer) and renders us ever more perfected. Today we see the ‘measure of Christian life’ realized in Mary of Trust, ‘true model of holiness’. In Mary’s maternity we find the incentive, the support, and the encouragement we need to fulfill our journey ‘to Jesus, through Mary.’ She entrusts us to Jesus - this is Mary’s most meaningful gesture on this Feast of Trust before we begin the intense Lenten Season.”
“Jesus waits to get in-step with us and so walk with us the path to conversion; Mary, his mother and our mother, takes us to the threshold at the encounter with Him and tells us to ‘do whatever he tells you’ (Jn 2:5). She suggests this to us with sweetness and firmness at the same time, because she wants us to understand the importance of conversion as the necessary step to enter into communion with Christ; for it is impossible to respond to our specific vocation to holiness without walking on the footsteps of Jesus’ pierced feet…in imitation of the Eucharistic sacrifice, or without casting behind our shoulders all projects, expectations, opinion, or desires that do not correspond to Christ’s sentiments.” (Giuliana Spigone, Feb 2002)

A Closer Look at Our Lady of Trust: You wonder, “Why this preference for the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Trust?” There is a basic reason: as members of the Pro Sanctity Family, as people devoted to maximal love, as consecrated or committed members, we try to see the core of matters, to go deep into matters, to avoid remaining at the surface. We celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the Sunday preceding Ash Wednesday.” “Saturday is the priestly celebration of our Lady of Trust; Sunday is the celebration of the people of God, a priestly people, too, born from the ordained priesthood.” “Thank you, Jesus, for helping us understand it. Give us an intense love for You and for Your Mother; grant this love to us priests and to those who are born from our priesthood.” (Giaquinta, 1993)

Bishop Giaquinta's prayer for priests: Grant us the joy and the peace of Christ, Your Son. In hours of sadness and loneliness, teach us, as You taught John, to lay our head on the Heart of the Master. Raise up among us people who listen to Your word, and make all -- priests and faithful -- a family of love striving for holiness. May Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, unite our hearts, and may You, Father, teach us to invoke her with the confidence of sons: Mary, Mother of priests, pray for us. Amen.
Please pray for priests today!

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

Day Five
And we want it, O Mary. We ask it of you, we beg for it, O loving Mother. (W. Giaquina)

“On this foundation of Mary's love and powerful intercession for us we base the confidence we need not only for our own sanctification but also for our programs of holiness and apostolate for others.” “Moreover, the devotion to our Mother of Trust must be regarded as the remedy for discouragement, sadness, and depression - factors that may easily happen in spiritual life. We shall call these states of heart the poison of spiritual life, for they undermine its very essence. We may confidently turn to Mary for the help we need to overcome these attitudes, for Mary will supply the strength that we lack and the courage we need for the journey - she will be our dear Mother and companion.” (Giaquinta, Program of Spiritual Life)

A Closer Look at Our Lady of Trust:
“I asked the Franciscan sisters in Via Giusti - who were the ones who painted the images of Mary of Trust in the Seminary- to introduce the new element of the heart in the same image of Mary of Trust.
Several people helped, but I was not satisfied with the paintings. Finally the image that we have was painted: it is the original picture of our Lady of Trust with the Son pointing to Mary’s heart. Even though the image did not perfectly respond to what I was dreaming for, I was happy with it.” (W. Giaquinta)

"Just like the Patriarch of the People of God, so too Mary, during the pilgrimage of her filial and maternal fiat, 'in hope believed against hope.' Especially during certain stages of this journey the blessing granted to her 'who believed' will be revealed with particular vividness. To believe means 'to abandon oneself' to the truth of the word of the living God, knowing and humbly recognizing 'how unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways' (Rom. 11:33)." (John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, 26)

Please join the Pro Sanctity Movement as we turn to the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Trust and ask her for the trust to become saints! Please also pray for the preparation of the General Assembly of the Institute of the Apostolic Oblates. Pay attention words or phrases from the prayer today and let it lead you into an intimate dialogue with Mary, one that takes place between a mother and a child. Please share your reflection and graces under comments.

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

Day Four
But your motherly look which follows us, and your Immaculate Heart, which your Son points out to us, open our souls to a new feeling: the assurance of your help. (W. Giaquinta)

“Mary is our mother and, therefore, our trust….To invoke the Blessed Virgin with confidence is to admit our helplessness and to become rooted in holy humility.”
“We need our Mother because we are helpless; we need to turn to her with confidence as to the One who can supply strength against our helplessness. Paraphrasing one of St. Paul's statements we say, ‘I am not alone, but the grace of her is with me’ (1 Cor 15:10). Of this grace we are not merely hopeful, but certain, because we know that Mary has a great maternal love for us. We are sure about her love, and most of all, sure of the powerful mediation she exercises on behalf of the Mystical Body and consequently on our behalf.” (Giaquinta, Program of Spiritual Life)

A Closer Look at Our Lady of Trust: How did the veneration to Mary of Trust bloom and become veneration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Trust? Bishop Giaquinta, who studied in the Major Seminary in Rome, had a great devotion for Our Lady of Trust. He chose her as patroness of both the Apostolic Oblates and the Pro Sanctity Movement. In 1992 he explained:

"I had a desire in my heart to delve into the mystery of the relationship of Mary with us. As I was meditating on and deepening the bond between Mary and us, it came spontaneously to me to think of the heart of a mother, a heart that is on fire, in love with God and with us. So, I thought of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Trust! It is not a matter of having another celebration, but of trying to more deeply understand the meaning of our devotion and to express it to the best of our ability. The invocation that we well know 'O Immaculate Heart of Mary ... give trust...' says it all. It is the result of personal meditation or of a light from above. I desired to have a heart painted on the picture; I wanted to have an image that would represent my insight: Jesus pointing to the heart of Mary!"

And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. (Lk 2:19) Let us pray for the grace to experience Mary holding each of us in her heart, delighting in us with the love of a mother.

Please join the Pro Sanctity Movement as we turn to the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Trust and ask her for the trust to become saints! Please also pray for the preparation of the General Assembly of the Institute of the Apostolic Oblates. Pay attention words or phrases from the prayer today and let it lead you into an intimate dialogue with Mary, one that takes place between a mother and a child. Please share your reflection and graces under comments.

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

Day Three
And all the while, our suffering along the way, our own interior weakness and temptations press heavily to torment us and produce in our souls a feeling of faintness and sadness, which means only one thing: distrust - - in ourselves, in our ideal, in the means to attain it. (W. Giaquinta)

“Here we have the source of trust in Our Lady: her poverty, the richness of God, the certainty that what befalls her is an expression of love, an expression of the will of God. When all problems increase, when injustice seems obvious, how is it possible to think that also in these cases there is the will of God and His love that weaves through our life? To believe is the source of trust. These thoughts on Our Lady are not just words, because they are expressed concretely in her existence, an existence that one sees turned inside out by the word and will of God.” (W. Giaquinta, February 20, 1977)

A Closer Look at Our Lady of Trust: During World War I, more than 100 seminarians in the Major Seminary in Rome were forced into the Italian military. The seminarians placed themselves under the special care of Mary of Trust. They all returned home safely. To repay the goodness of their Queen, the seminarians put diadems on the crowns of Mother and Child! In the seminary today the Feast of Our Lady of Trust is celebrated on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday.

Please join the Pro Sanctity Movement as we turn to the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Trust and ask her for the trust to become saints! Please also pray for the preparation of the General Assembly of the Institute of the Apostolic Oblates. Pay attention words or phrases from the prayer today and let it lead you into an intimate dialogue with Mary, one that takes place between a mother and a child. Please share your reflection and graces under comments.

Today let us pray for the trust to believe that God can do marvelous things with our poverty and limitations. Let Mary be our model and show us how to cooperate with God's personal plan of love that He is inviting each of us to respond to!

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

Day Two
Although it is our duty to strive for perfection, it is also true that our mortal body makes the path difficult, and the enemies of our soul cease not from their attacks, while everywhere we are enticed to leave the difficult and straight way known by only a few travelers. (W. Giaquinta)

“The second element is openness to acceptance because the Madonna has the certainty that nothing happens by chance. Our Lady does not conceive of life’s events as happening by chance or that she has met up with blind fate. Chance does not exist – rather, there is the grand reality of the love of God, to this God who makes himself sweetly or strongly part of her life, and SHE LETS HIM TAKE OVER. (W. Giaquinta, February 20, 1977)

A Closer Look at Our Lady of Trust: In the Major Seminary in Rome, there is an identical picture of our Lady of Confidence. How can this be? Sister Claire had another spiritual advisor, Father Crivelli, who was the spiritual director of the German College in Rome. While visiting Foligno, Father Crivelli became seriously sick, but was suddenly healed as soon as Sister sent him the original painting. He was so moved by this healing that he wanted a copy of the image which he took to Rome and then to the local seminary. From this simple beginning the devotion spread so that by the 1830's Our Lady of Trust had become the patroness of the Major Seminary in Rome.

Our Lady of Trust protected the seminarians in times of crisis. In fact in 1837, the scourge of Asiatic flu claimed many lives. The seminarians and their families were put under the protection of Mary; not one of them contracted the disease! In thanksgiving, two crowns were fashioned in gold and placed on the images of Mary and the Child Jesus.

"Mary is the motive of trust; whatever moment we are living, in whatever difficulty we find ourselves, we turn to her: My Mother, My Confidence!" (Giaquinta)

Please join the Pro Sanctity Movement as we turn to the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Trust and ask her for the trust to become saints! Please also pray for the preparation of the General Assembly of the Institute of the Apostolic Oblates. Pay attention words or phrases from the prayer today and let it lead you into an intimate dialogue with Mary, one that takes place between a mother and a child. Please share your reflection and graces under comments.

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

WHY WE CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF TRUST: We, a small cell of the family of God, feel a deep filial love for our mother. We are constantly encouraged in the realization of our ideal by her presence and her example, so much so that we reverently address her with the title of Virgin of Trust. (Our Prayer)

Our Lady of Trust has long been the Patroness of the Apostolic Oblates and of the Pro Sanctity Movement. The gift of her protection and guidance was brought to us by the deep devotion of our founder, Bishop William Giaquinta, who came to know Our Lady of Trust while in the Major Seminary of St. John Lateran in Rome.

Please join the Pro Sanctity Movement as we turn to the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Trust and ask her for the trust to become saints! Please also pray for the preparation of the General Assembly of the Institute of the Apostolic Oblates. Pay attention words or phrases from the prayer everyday and let it lead you into an intimate dialogue, one that takes place between a mother and a child. Please post your reflection and graces under comments.

Day One:
Drawn by the need of your help in the many trials which engulf us in this life,
we come to your feet, O Virgin of Trust,
to pour out to the heart of a mother our wishes and failings. (W. Giaquinta)

In writings dated February 20, 1977, Bishop Giaquinta provides material for meditation expressed through his own thoughts on Our Lady of Trust: “It seems to me that the trust of Our Lady has its roots in a poverty open to acceptance. The Madonna knows she is a poor creature, but exactly for this reason she can count on the omnipotence of God: God, the all-powerful, has chosen her precisely because she was poor, and Our Lady has at the same time the awareness both of her poverty and of her richness that comes from trusting in the omnipotence of God.” (W. Giaquinta, February 20, 1977)

A Closer Look at Our Lady of Trust: Did you know that the original portrait of our Lady of Trust was actually called Our Lady of Confidence by the Italian painter Carlo Maratta (1625-1713)? Maratta gave the picture to the Abbess of the Convent of Poor Claire of St. Francis, now known as Venerable Clair Isabella Fornari. She embraced a life of severe penance and was favored with many mystical graces. She had a great devotion to sacred images, especially those of Mary. She treasured the picture Maratta gave her and would meditate on it during her prayer time. Our Lady promised Sister Claire that she would give special graces to all those who would venerate the image of our Lady of Trust throughout the ages. "My Heavenly Mother assured me," said the Abbess, "that she would give a special tenderness and devotion toward her to everyone who contemplated this image (the original and copies). (from History of Our Lady of Trust)

"Let us have trust in Mary who cares for us..." (Giaquinta)

Our Lady of Trust Novena 2009

FEAST OF OUR LADY OF TRUST - Sunday, February 22, 2009

PRO SANCTITY CELEBRATES THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF TRUST

Sunday, February 22, 2009

from 2:00-4:30p.m.

 Mary Our Queen Parish in Omaha

3535 S. 119th St.—Social Hall (downstairs)

Cost: Free Will Donation

Bring Snacks to Share  

Presentation by

Stacey Floersch and

Sandy Kolb  

"Welcoming Children in Confidence”

 

Prayer, Reflection, Refreshments

and Children’s Program

www.prosanctity.org - 402-289-1938

psm@prosanctity.org

 

Everyone is welcome, bring the family, friends and neighbors!

 

FEAST OF OUR LADY OF TRUST - Sunday, February 22, 2009

Fr. Carl and Fr. Tom in Rome, part 2

FROM FR. CARL ZOUCHA AND FR. TOM WEISBECKER

            They arrived in Rome on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 for some very important meetings with the Apostolic Sodales, please keep them in prayer!

 

Hi Teresa, Oblates, Sodales and Friends,

Thanks for your prayers.  Keep them up! 

A bit more about the trip.  The flight was good, as good as an all night flight can be.  3 or 4 other priests with their pilgrims from various parts of the U.S. were on the flight.  Found Dons Antonio and Tarcisius quickly outside the airport when we arrived.  Went to San Liborio, met the Indian priests, Frs. Matthew V., Joseph P, and Jose Matthew P., and Don Antonio.  It was probably 10 or so.  We got cleaned up and met at 11:00 a.m. to work out the schedule for the upcoming days.  We only got as far as a day and a half schedule.  No wonder they say to only expect to get one thing done a day in Rome.  Tom and I were smiling at each other at the process.  Then we had midday prayer, pranzo, and an hour rest before heading out to St. Paul's Outside the Walls at 4:00 p.m.  Tom, Fr. Matthew, Don Antonio & I took the subway to St. Paul's.  The rest went in the car.  Tuesday was Malta's Feast of the shipwreck of Paul on the island, and Don Paulo celebrated that feast in St. Paul's.  It was a graced moment as we are in the year of St. Paul.  Great way to start.  Prayed at the tomb of St. Paul.  Don Mario picked up the 4 of us who had taken the subway.  We stopped by his church, with its shrine to Our Lady of Trust, before arriving back to San Liborio for night prayer, and then to bed.

 

I was went with Dons Paulo, Anonio and Tarsisius by car to St. Peter's earlier than the rest.  We had to pick up the tickets for the audience with the Pope that a.m.  Don Antonio & I were dropped off and had to walk to the office in the plaza of the Vatican to get the tickets.  As we started walkking, I offered my arm to Don Antonio and he put his arm inside mine for support.  We did that throughout the day.  We couldn't communicate at all, but that spoke volumes.  The grandfather priest leading, but being supported by, the younger priest.  We went through security.  The Vatican guards saluted us and let us past.  We got our tickets and then had to walk to the other side of the plaza, in a bit of a mist and dampness.  By God's providence, we ran right into Dons Paulo and Tarcisius.  Don Paulo stayed out to give the tickets to the others who were coming with Don Mario.  We all got inside and had great seats by the center aisle to greet the Pope.  Two years ago, Teresa and I got to shake his hand.  I was hoping for the same.  We waited, prayed and visited with people around us.  But then we were informed by a guard in the center aisle that the Pope would come in by the side door.  The Pope spoke of an early Middle Age ascetic Church Father.  I didn't catch his name, but how he recommended to his followers the ladder to reach God and the steps being divided into three categories of renunciation of the things of the world, practicing virtues, and then contemplating God through the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity.  Then the usual summaries and naming the various groups from the various continents and countries and languages.  The exulberant atmosphere was wonderful.  Somehow, The Sodales' name was not mentioned, as it had been two years ago.  But the whole visit was great.

 

We went to Largo Arbe (sp?) for lunch with the Oblates.  It was very nice, and mutually encouraging.  We prayed in the Founder's room and recieved a gift from the Oblates expressing their support and prayers for our meeting.  We came back to San Liborio for a bit of rest, then evening prayer, adoration, the Rosary and Holy Mass.  We finished with some reflection time and set out the schedule for the next day (today)

 

We began today with breakfast (of course.  My pants are a bit tight after only three days with the Italians! Two other priests who live at San Liborio and study join us for meals, one Indian and one African)  We gathered in the Cenacle room for morning prayer.  Another Sodales, Don Arcangelo from Sicily, has joined us.  Oblate Rose joined us and has been translating for today.  Each country reported on their past year's activities.  Fr. Tom did a fine job for the American Institute.  We had a holy half hour before lunch, and our rest.  Fr. Tom and I went for a walk around the parish area.

 

We are starting our afternoon session soon, so I will be going.  Now the real work of writing the Commentary of the Constitution begins. 

 

Please pass this to the various Bethanys if you wish. 

Again, thanks for your prayers.

With love,

Carl

Fr. Carl and Fr. Tom in Rome, part 2

Our Lady of Lourdes

Words of the Founder:
"I have put under the maternal care of Our Lady all the diocesan and parochial work of our priests, the activity of the renewed Catholic Action and all the other apostolic organizations, the work that we want to develop for the benefit of young people, and these first pastoral visits in the Diocese. Our Lady of Lourdes, accepting our generous availability for apostolic work and our desire for personal holiness, assists each of us." (Through Images)

Like Bishop Giaquinta, let us entrust our apostolate and mission in the hands of our Mother. Mary meets us where we are at with our poor gifts and feeble attempts like a mother who receives with joy her child's first efforts to walk. It is not what we are doing that gives Mary delight, but the very fact that we, her children, have been called to be holy, today. Remembering that we are her children destined for eternal glory should open our hearts to be generous and courageous by sharing the message of holiness with others. In his book, The Cenacle, Bishop Giaquinta reminds priests that they "must not be afraid to be loved by Mary". This reminder is applied to priests in a special way, but it is also an invitation to all people because Mary is Mater Ecclesia, Mother of the Church. Go to your Mother and spend some time with her today!

"How wonderful it would be if we were able to lean our head on the heart of Mary just as a child would! One day, in eternity, we hope to be able to approach her and, with filial love and respect, kiss our mother and be kissed by her." (Giaquinta, The Cenacle, 73)

Please also remember to pray for the sick today. Here is an excerpt of Our Holy Father message to us on the World Day of the Sick:

The spiritual link with Lourdes, in addition, calls to mind the maternal solicitude of the Mother of Jesus for the brethren of her Son “who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and difficulties, until they are led into the happiness of their true home” (Lumen gentium, n. 62).

This year we direct our attention particularly to children, the weakest and most defenseless creatures, and, amongst them, to the sick and suffering children.

From all these children arises a silent cry of pain that calls on our conscience as men and believers. The Christian community, which cannot remain indifferent to such dramatic situations, perceives the impelling duty to intervene. The Church, indeed, as I wrote in the encyclical Deus caritas est, “is God’s family in the world. In this family no one ought to go without the necessities of life” (n. 25, b). I thus hope that the World Day of the Sick will also offer an opportunity to parish and diocesan communities to become increasingly aware that they are “God’s family”, and will encourage them to make the love of the Lord, who asks that “within the ecclesial family no member should suffer through being in need” (ibid.), perceivable in villages, neighborhoods and cities. Witness to charity is a part of the life itself of every Christian community.

All of this presupposes a disinterested and generous love, a reflection and sign of the merciful love of God who never abandons his children in affliction, but always provides them with admirable resources of the heart and intelligence, so that they can adequately address the difficulties of life.

The daily dedication and tireless commitment to the service of sick children constitute an eloquent testimony of love for human life, in particular for the life of those who are weak and who are in everything and for everything dependent on others. It is, indeed, necessary to affirm with vigor the absolute and supreme dignity of every human life. The teaching that the Church proclaims incessantly does not change with the passing of time: human life is beautiful and should be lived in fullness even when it is weak and shrouded by the mystery of suffering. It is to Jesus that we must direct our gaze: in dying on the cross he wanted to share the pain of all humanity.

A special greeting for you, dear sick and suffering children: the Pope embraces you with fatherly love, together with your parents and relatives; he assures you that you are especially remembered in his prayers, inviting you to trust in the maternal help of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, who last Christmas we once again contemplated while she held in her arms the Son of God made child. Invoking upon you and every sick person the protection of the Holy Virgin, Health of the Sick, to all of you from my heart I impart a special Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 2 February 2009 Benedictus P.P. XVI

Our Lady of Lourdes

Jesus' Altar, Tabernacle and Monstrance

I am so grateful to have received this from Franca the other day. I thought you might enjoy reading (or re-reading, as the case may be) it too. Love, Jackie L.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by Giuliana Spigone, A. O.
February 24, 2003

Jesus is always with us. He assured us, “[K]now that I am with you always, until the end of the world.”[1] Jesus remains always with us! Let us welcome Him; let us open wide the door of our heart to let Him in! Our heart has to be like an altar, a tabernacle, and a monstrance.

AN ALTAR
Let us make of our heart a table on which our offerings are placed; the same altar where every day Jesus offers Himself to the Father for us. We have to be an altar on which our poverty is offered. Let us place all we are and have on the altar of God; let us sacrifice ourselves, our selfishness, our pride, and all that belongs to us. The blessing of our heavenly Father will come upon our offerings and the Spirit will transform them into an oblation pleasing to God.

A TABERNACLE
Our heart must be like a tabernacle, a sacred place where the Lord lives, watches in silence, and murmurs words of goodness and love to the heart. “Taste and see how good the Lord is,” [2] the Psalmist sings. We have to experience the presence of the Lord within us and generously share it with others. Let us listen to what the Lord says to our heart about ourselves and about our brothers and sisters whom we are to love as He loves them.[3]

A MONSTRANCE
We want to make our heart like a monstrance, exposing Jesus to all we meet. Mary, the first monstrance, showed her Son to the Shepherds, the Magi, to all. Before Jesus was born, Mary brought Him to Elizabeth who rejoiced in Whom she saw. Elizabeth, in turn, became a monstrance herself and sang the first beatitude[4] and Mary responded with the Magnificat.[5] Together the two women - each bearing Jesus in her heart - sang a beautiful canticle of praise to the Lord.[6] May our own encounters with others reflect the mystery of the Visitation as we bring our Lord to a waiting world.

Therefore, let us say often:
Jesus, let my heart be
the altar where You sacrifice Yourself
the tabernacle where You watch over us
the monstrance where You manifest Yourself to the world. Amen.
[1] Mt 28:20
[2] Ps 34:9
[3] see Jn 15
[4] Lk 1:45
[5] Lk 1:46-55
[6] Lk 1:42-55

Jesus' Altar, Tabernacle and Monstrance

Newsflash!!!

Newsflash!!!

Father Scott Traynor, Pro Sanctity priest-friend and dedicated witness to the universal call to holiness, has a new blog.  You don’t want to miss it!! http://catholicgold.blogspot.com/

 

John Paul II asks you to ask yourself:

“What have I done with my Baptism?  How am I responding to my vocation? What have I done with my Confirmation? Have I made the gifts and charisms of the Spirit bear fruit?” (A Vatican II Examination of Conscience)

 

Invitation to trust:

“He Who could walk on water could also ride triumphantly upon what is still more fickle, unstable, tumultuous, treacherous – the billows of human wills, human purposes, human hearts.  (Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman)

 

Another invitation to trust:

“Lord Jesus, our Redeemer Who willingly accepted death so that all persons could be saved and enter into new life, we turn to You with trust in Your merciful love.”  (Bishop William Giaquinta)

 

Is this message for me?

“There are many wonderful things that will never be done if you do not do them.”  Charles Gill

 

Living Co-redemptive Love

“[God] continues to save souls and searches for instruments.  He wants my free co-operation, my instrumentality.  I give it to Him without dispute…If He wants me to share His active life, I will consume my strength for my brothers and sisters.  If instead He wants to take me into the mysteries of the silence of Nazareth, I will joyfully accept my obscurity.  I will try to climb onto the cross if my Lord calls me to the mysteries of the passion, and will accept glory if He wants that.  Always for others, though, because I must move only along the lines of co-redemption.  (Bishop William Giaquinta)

 

I have to remind myself:

“Don’t give God instructions.  Just report for duty!” (Nome Static)

 

Is Pro Sanctity pro life?

How could we say we promote holiness if we do not work to protect the right to life of our vulnerable brothers and sisters, whether they reside in their mother’s womb, a hospice bed, or a group home?  Our slogan – “All saints, all brothers and sisters” – only has meaning and credibility if we are pro life.

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY....Pope Benedict XVI

Poverty is fought if humanity becomes more fraternal as a result of shared values and ideals, founded on the dignity of the person, on freedom joined to responsibility, on the effective recognition of the place of God in the life of man.

 

Newsflash!!!

Look out! On FEBRUARY 17th, it's Analog Armageddon!

HD or HP?

By Kay Parlor

 

Look out!  On FEBRUARY 17^th, it’s Analog Armageddon! 

 

The other day, the Feb. 17^th date stated flashing on our television screen.  It was yet another in a long list of ways that the television industry has enlisted to inform us that all television transmissions will be digital as of that date.  Enough already!

 

It is no secret to those who know me well that I am not a fan of television.  I once heard someone say that if future archeologists excavated our homes centuries from now, they would conclude that we worshipped the T.V. based on arrangement of furniture facing it, number of sets in the house, etc.  That gives me pause.

 

I must confess that we have two sets in our home, one of which is a high-def-big-screen that the kids and I bought for my husband’s 50^th birthday.  Sadly, I succumbed to the marketing hype and now I have no one to blame but myself.  Yes, football is on in HD every weekend of the season in my home.  My dear husband folds the laundry during the games to justify sitting in front of it for so long.  He is much more in control than my 20 year old son, who will not only watch the game for nearly 4 hours but then watch Sports Center rehash EVERY MINUTE of it for another 3 hours!  In fairness, my husband can easily point to my own habit of putting HGTV on while I’m folding clothes and I often linger longer to watch the “reveal”.

 

Television viewing, like anything else, is not a “bad” thing as long as moderation is used.  When television interferes with our family time, our prayer life, getting to Mass, etc. we have a problem.  Some families have gone into debt to have the “theatre experience” in their homes.  Are we more concerned with HD (high definition) or HP (our Higher Power)?

 

As we begin a new year, it is good to take stock and see those areas in our life where we have let the pull of outside influences infringe on our placing God first in our lives.  What unhealthy idols have we latched onto?  Let’s pray for each other, that we can strive to overcome them!

 

Look out! On FEBRUARY 17th, it's Analog Armageddon!

Thank you to KVSSCatholic Radio!

November 15, 2008

Spirit Award KVSS DINNER!

Omaha’s Catholic Radio Station has a long, beautiful history with Pro Sanctity and Teresa Monaghen, praising God, Teresa and the Movement were chosen to be the recipients of this year’s Spirit Award. From many, many stints as a guest on the “Morning Show” with Bruce and Kris McGregor, to our own “Holiness Helpers Hour” every Friday at 10:00, to spiritual nourishment and direction for the staff, and countless other collaborative efforts, Catholic radio and Pro Sanctity have been a team “made in Heaven” for sure! Over two hundred people came out on a wintry November night to honor Pro Sanctity and support KVSS. Pro Sanctity members Kay and Rob Parlor and Tom and Rita Hejkal chaired the event, which was attended by numerous other members and friends of the Movement. Catholic radio was one of Bishop Giaquinta’s dreams; surely he is involved in this project from Heaven.

Special thanks go to Kay and Parlor and Rita and Tom Hejkal, who worked tirelessly on the Dinner plans with KVSS Catholic Radio.

Thanks to our Episcopal Moderator, Archbishop Elden Curtiss for being with us that evening and for his consistent support of both KVSS and Pro Sanctity!

We thank Mr. Director Jim Carroll, and the amazing staff of KVSS for the wonderful collaboration and support of the apostolate of holiness!

We thank Founder, Servant of God, Bishop Giaquinta for his inspiration and intercession from heaven!

Together we are working for a world of all saints, all brothers and sisters! Thank you!

Thank you to KVSSCatholic Radio!

In the spirit of the Holy Land Pilgrimage - Mother Teresa

A Simple Path

"They returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth"
You can pray to the Holy Family for your own family:
Our Father, who art in heaven, You have given us a model of life
in the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Help us, most loving Father, to make a new Nazareth
of our own families, where joy and peace will reign.
May it be deeply contemplative,
fervently Eucharistic and joyfully vibrant.
Help us to stay together through good and ill
thanks to our praying as a family.
Teach us to encounter Jesus
in every member of our own families
especially those who suffer and are wounded.
May the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus
make our hearts as meek and humble as His (Mt 11,29).
Help us to fulfill our vocation as a family in holiness.
May we love one another as God loves each one of us
more and more every day
and forgive each other's faults
as You forgive our sins.
Most loving Father, help us
to accept all You give to us
and give all You take from us
with a big smile.
Immaculate heart of Mary, cause of our joy,
pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels
be always with us,
guiding us and protecting us.
Amen.

Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), Foundress of the Missionary Sisters of Charity

 

In the spirit of the Holy Land Pilgrimage - Mother Teresa