Blogs 2019

Feast of Saint Andrew

and the

Christmas Novena

November 30th

We are celebrating Saint Andrew today, the first called by Christ. His brother, Peter also followed the call. We remember often St. Peter but few people are talking about his little brother, Andrew. This made me think that perhaps Saint Andrew is the one I should be asking for help with humility. Maybe Saint Andrew can help me with the ever-present need to be recognized, and extolled.

Since Cain and Abel, brothers and sisters have been fighting over toys, honors, and parental affections. Don’t you remember saying the words, “That’s mine!” or “I saw it first.” As we grow older, our bad habit continue - claiming “Dibbs” or calling shotgun for the passenger seat. It seems we are hard-wired to want that first spot in line.

I know I do, and I struggle.

As a child, my brother and I fought over a small pink dog with brass eyes. We both loved it – claimed it. I thought I settled the debate by shaving its fur, making it less attractive. The result was a fight, and continued for almost 50 years. I had logic on my side:

#1 – I am a girl, the dog is pink.

Certainly my brother, the first-born was not given a pink dog.

The dog was mine. Until hard evidence was produced – a picture dated 1966.

I can’t explain it, but I admit I was wrong.

Why do I think Andrew was first?

That's a good question.

I read these words from Pope Benedict,

He was truly a man of faith and hope; and one day he heard John the Baptist proclaiming Jesus as: "the Lamb of "God" (Jn 1: 36); so he was stirred, and with another unnamed disciple followed Jesus, the one whom John had called "the Lamb of God". The Evangelist says that "they saw where he was staying; and they stayed with him that day..." (Jn 1: 37-39).

Thus, Andrew enjoyed precious moments of intimacy with Jesus. The account continues with one important annotation: "One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah' (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus" (Jn 1: 40-43), straightaway showing an unusual apostolic spirit.

Andrew, then, was the first of the Apostles to be called to follow Jesus. Exactly for this reason the liturgy of the Byzantine Church honours him with the nickname: "Protokletos" [protoclete], which means, precisely, "the first called"."

I can’t imagine Saint Andrew following Peter around crying, “He’s mine, mine, mine, mine, mine! I saw Him first!”

That didn’t happen, Saint Andrew followed Jesus. Historians count Andrew as one of the four closest to Jesus, but Andrew was not present at the Transfiguration. That must have been disappointing.

Today is the time to follow Andrew. Time to take the back seat at the banquet until called to a higher place.

Time for patience, humility, and service.

Can I do that? Nope. Not on my own, I can’t. Today I admit my childlike ways and my selfish habits and call on Our Lord and Saint Andrew to accept the spot chosen for me.

Andrew followed Jesus who gave the best advice about leadership,

“Whoever wishes to be the great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.”

Matt 20:26-27

Please join the church in the Christmas Novena found above that begins on the Feast of Saint Andrew.

Pictures

Right -Cathedral of Saint Andrew

Left - Amalfi

Fresca from behind the altar of Saint Andrew's Cathedral

Who is like God!

The Feast of the Archangels

September 29, 2019

What we know about angels comes from Biblical stories and and rich religious tradition. We can study the Jewish and Christian thought on the nine choirs of angels and the specific purpose of each choir. Today, I wish to focus on the love of God that created an entire tier, three choirs of angels dedicated to mankind. The Choirs of Archangels, Principalities, and Angels who were created to guide, protect, and aid humans.

There is much debate on whether Michael, The Archangel, is from the choir of Archangels or whether the term “Archangel” denotes his leadership role, as in, leader, regardless of the choir membership. Saint Thomas Aquinas believed St. Michael to be of the last choir, an Archangel.

I love the concept that two-thirds of God’s angels are charged with the protection of Earth, its physical and spiritual reality and its population. God is creating mankind and building him a nest, Earth, to love Adam and his children. It is in the ultimate defense of man that Saint Michael takes his leadership role.

Theologians consider that it was God revealing the Incarnation of Jesus, God made man and the plan of Salvation, which caused the rebellion of the angels. Lucifer rejects God and God’s plan. Lucifer will not bow down and cries, “Non Serviam!” “I will never serve!”

Revelations unveils the scene, it is Mary, “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child and cries out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery.” Rev 12:1-2

As the great red dragon, the devil, appears ready to consume her child. This dragon sweeps a third of the stars from the sky, the fallen angels. Michael rises up. His name is also his battle cry, “Who is like God!” In truth and with love for us, this Archangel defends God and humanity. Michael defended us before our creation. Saint Michael and his legion of angels defeat the devil who is thrown down to Earth. The battle is followed by a “loud voice in heaven saying ‘Now the Salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Rejoice then, O heaven and you that dwell therein! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath because he knows that his time is short!’” Rev 12: 10-12

This is The Great Conflict, our battle with evil, but victory is ours. We are not alone! God prepared a place for us too, a place of protection and peace. Let us take refuge in the love and Mercy of our Great God and call upon him for protection, “I claim the protection of the Blood of The Lamb!”

Thank you, Archangel Michael

Please pray for us!

Thank you, Archangel Gabriel

Please pray for us!

Thank you, Archangel Raphael

Please pray for us!

All you Archangels,

Please pray for us!

Celebrating the Feast of St. Matthias

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Blog - Following the example of St. Matthias,

seizing victory from the jaws of defeat!

I remember hearing my high school coach yell, “Lift your chin!” and I knew exactly what he meant - I had given up. I was an expert at giving up. The tennis match had been mine, only one game from winning in three sets, but now at the end of five sets, defeat was guaranteed. Coach was soft-spoken, and his expectation of courtesy and demeanor on the court was legendary. Coaching from the sideline was prohibited. Players were to be humble in victory and generous in defeat. Hearing him yell, “Lift your chin!” was out of character.

I don’t remember how the tennis match ended, but the moment stuck with me. How often we accept defeat and give up? We often fail to respond with courage. Today is the day to change that in our spiritual lives. Saint Matthew shows us that this moment, this hour, this day, is always present to those who wish to follow Christ.

I can imagine the scene - Matthias (his Greek name not his Hebrew name) sits after a day of collecting taxes. Taxes taken from his own people. Tax collectors were hated because they were willing to do the Roman’s dirty work. The result was distrust and exclusion from the community. It was in this fallen state that Jesus calls him,

“Matthew, follow me.”

Today’s reading tells the story-

“As Jesus passed by,

he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.

He said to him, “Follow me.”

And he got up and followed him.

While he was at table in his house,

many tax collectors and sinners came

and sat with Jesus and his disciples.

The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,

“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

He heard this and said,

“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.

Go and learn the meaning of the words,

I desire mercy, not sacrifice.

I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Matt 9: 9-13

In biblical times, eating and drinking together made people family. In this custom of dining, Jesus welcomed sinners into the family of God.

It transformed them.

It transformed Matthew.

I wonder if every time the accusation of embracing tax collectors and sinners was made, there was a finger pointed at Matthew? Did he serve as a constant reminder of shame? Maybe, but Matthew learned that all of Jesus’ miracles are the same; instead of the sin tainting Him - Jesus healed and made clean. Matthew was the embodiment of God’s mercy, not shame.

We get to watch the transformation from sinner to saint in the Gospels. I love the artist, Caravaggio's image of the story. Head hung low, Matthew is quite the state; yet, he responds. He lifts his chin and he changes.

We can follow his lead and become a new creation.

We can lift our chin and win.

Coach would be so proud.

Feast - Exaltation of the Holy Cross

September 14th

"Behold,

Behold the wood of the Cross,

on which on hung our salvation.

O come, let us adore."

Today, we adore the Holy Cross of Jesus.

One might ask, "Why?"

It is because we are called to do as Jesus did,

and Jesus venerated His Cross.

In anticipation of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, I studied the conversion of Roman Emperor Constantine and his mother, Helena. I marveled at the series of events that culminated in the Roman Empire becoming Christian. I followed Saint Helena in her travels to Jerusalem to secure relics, aide struggling Christian communities, and build churches. The history is extraordinary and worthy of note on today's Feast, but I have decided to will focus not on the discovery of the True and Holy Cross of Jesus; but to contemplate the love Jesus shows us in His love of the Cross.

I love the scene in the film, The Passion of the Christ, when Jesus receives His Cross. It is beautiful.

Jesus embraces His Cross as if it was I.

Jesus carries His Cross as if it were I.

He carries me, and through His Crucifixion, I am saved.

Today's Gospel reading from John:

"Jesus said to Nicodemus:

"No one has gone up to heaven

except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,

so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him might not perish

but might have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world might be saved through him." John 3: 13-17

Jesus has not come into this world to condemn it but to save it.

He embraces me as His Cross.

Run into His Arms, He is waiting!

In researching this novena, I have been introduced to Father Dolindo Ruotolo. Father Dolindo (October 6, 1882 - November 19, 1970) was an Italian priest, stigmatist, who was known widely for his holy life and humble dedication to the church. Father Dolindo's cause for sainthood has begun, and he has been granted veneration as a Servant of God.

He also offered the following-

Rosary of Abandonment

God come to my assistance

Lord, make haste to help me.

Prayers -

Glory Be, Our Father, Hail Mary.

1st Decade

Repeat 10 times - "Jesus, You take over!"

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.