St. Francis's Christmas Miracle

Living nativities–those church-produced (predominantly Protestant) programs that recreate the birth of Jesus with live actors, animals and elaborate props–are wildly popular during the Christmas season, often moving audiences to tears as the birth of the God-Man plays forth in a reverent, tender, and visually-satisfying 3D manner.

We Catholics, however, can take credit for the first living nativity (excluding, of course, the Actual Event), and we owe it all to St. Francis of Assisi.

In 1223, a generous and spiritual landowner by the name of John Vellita donated a piece of land to Francis and his followers. Located on a rocky and windswept mountainside on the outskirts of the town of Greccio, the land afforded Francis and his brothers a grand view of the town below.

Inspired in part by his new surroundings, Francis made an unusual request of John Vellita that December. He wished to recreate the original Nativity scene of Bethlehem for the townspeople. What better way, Francis felt, to welcome the Christ Child than to actually see, hear, and feel the harsh and poor conditions that He was born into. Sentimental stories and artists' renditions were fine, but this "reenactment" would help people understand how God used the ordinary to bring about the most extraordinary happening in human history.

John Vellita eagerly agreed, and soon a manger was set up in a cave on the hill, fresh hay was scattered around, and a donkey and ox were brought up to complete the scene. A simple altar was erected, beneath which lay a wax figure of the Holy Infant.

At midnight that Christmas, Francis celebrated Mass surrounded by the curious townspeople, who had made the trek up the dark mountain with lit torches and faith-filled hearts. As Francis spoke the words of the Mass, emotion overtook him to the point that tears rolled down his face. The onlookers were awestruck at the love and joy and piety that engulfed the humble man at the altar.

Then the miracle happened.

Francis picked up the wax figure of the Baby Jesus, and to the spectators' wondrous delight, the Infant appeared to come to life. He smiled at Francis and stroked his wet cheeks. Francis sighed deeply and was manifestly overcome with joy.

St. Bonaventure, in his biography of St. Francis, reports that the hay used in that "living nativity" cured all sorts of diseases and pestilence in the cattle that ate it over the ensuing months.

Today there is a church on the site where the "Miracle of Greccio" took place. It continues to be a popular place of pilgrimage, especially during the Christmas season.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

"I am the Immaculate Conception."

Spoken by Our Lady to St. Bernadette at Lourdes in 1858.

Chesterton Talks Turkey

"A turkey is more occult and awful than all the angels and archangels. In so far as God has partly revealed to us an angelic world, he has partly told us what an angel means. But God has never told us what a turkey means. And if you go and stare at a live turkey for an hour or two, you will find by the end of it that the enigma has rather increased than diminished."  

All Things Considered (1908)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Angels and the Holy Souls

Catholic tradition has given us some fascinating teachings and thoughts on the role of our guardian angels after we leave this life for the soul-cleansing confines of purgatory. (Assuming, of course, that we make it there and not any lower.) 

According to early Church Fathers, the guardian angel leads the soul to purgatory and thereafter visits and consoles that soul until its release. The angel also helps the soul by inspiring friends and relatives left on earth to pray and offer Masses for their departed loved one.

Moreover, some spiritual writers believe that the angels reveal to the poor souls the identities of those who are praying for them on earth so that, in reciprocal fashion, the holy souls can pray for them. 

As St. Augustine tells us: “The departed may be informed by the angels of things happening in the world, insofar as this is permitted by Him to Whose judgment everything is subject.”

Some saints have even "visited" purgatory (via mystical experiences or spiritual bilocation) and witnessed for themselves the close relationship between the poor souls and their angels. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque wrote that during her experience she saw:

" . . . an immense space filled with flames and glowing coals and, amid these, a great number of poor souls in human form, raising their hands to Heaven and imploring mercy. But all the while their Guardian Angels were at their side, inspiring them with courage and comforting them in the most tender manner."  (The Guardian Angels, Our Heavenly Companions, 1956)

St. Lydwine was also shown purgatory, having "flown" there on several occasions in the accompaniment of her own guardian angel. On one of her visits she saw a sad-looking angel keeping company the soul of a man who had been languishing there for twelve years. When Lydwine "returned" to her earthly surroundings, she immediately offered her physical sufferings for the soul of that man. Several days later, the man's angel appeared to her. No longer sad-looking, the angel joyously declared that the man had been freed from purgatory, thanks to Lydwine's sacrificial acts.

And what about that last part? The "get out of jail" part? Well, the language in this passage is a little old-fashioned, but it gets the point across nicely:

"As soon as the hour of release has struck for one of the suffering souls, the Guardian Angel of that happy soul is commissioned by God to descend into Purgatory, to open the doors of its prison and to lead the delivered soul without delay into the eternal habitations of Paradise. The good Angel descends with the rapidity of lightning into the dismal prison of pain to carry out the work of release because his love for his cherished ward urges him to liberate the Poor Soul and to lead it to the sight and possession of God. The Guardian Angel is often accompanied by other Angels or by a whole multitude of Angels, and then the entrance of the released soul is truly a triumphant one."  (ibid)

It is worth remembering that our Tradition also teaches that those of us who had the most devotion to our guardian angels on earth will have the most assistance from them in purgatory.

St. Luke

St. Luke's gospel is my favorite among the four. I think it goes back to my childhood when my family converted to Catholicism and I remember being enchanted with stories about the Blessed Mother. Luke truly brings Mary to life in his gospel. In fact, he alone describes the Annunciation, Mary's visit to Elizabeth, Mary's Magnificat, the Presentation in the temple, and the story of Jesus' disappearance in Jerusalem. It is in Luke that we read the angel's words of greeting to Mary: "Hail Mary full of grace." And it is also only in Luke that we have the story of the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan. Lest we forget, St. Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles.

Spending a few minutes reading some of St. Luke's accounts in Scripture would be a prodigious way to honor his feast day today. Believed to be a physician by training (St. Paul refers to him as "Luke, the beloved physician" in Colossians 4:14), St. Luke is the patron saint of physicians and surgeons, as well as artists, butchers and students. In art he is often depicted with an ox, symbolizing the sacrifice Jesus made for all the world.

Angels and the Rosary

St. Alphonsus Liguori once said that each time we pray a Hail Mary we attract the angels and repel the devils. Now think about how many times we say the Hail Mary in the Rosary. Hmm. That’s a pretty effective pest repellent, I’d say.

As satisfying as it is to know we’re chasing away sulfurous little creeps when saying the Rosary, it might be more beneficial to focus on the real angels and unite our prayers with theirs, keeping in mind the important roles their kind played in the lives of Jesus and Mary. They were there for every event, major and minor, public and private. Indeed, the angels illuminate the very mysteries we meditate upon during this devotion.

In honor of this month's Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, I'd like to share this reflection from Pope Leo XIII:

The Angels revealed each of these mysteries [of the Rosary] in its due time; they played a great part in them; they were constantly present at them… Gabriel was sent to announce the Incarnation of the Eternal Word to the Virgin. In the cave of Bethlehem, Angels sang the glory of the new-born Savior. The Angel gave Joseph command to fly with the Child into Egypt. An Angel consoled, with his loving words, Jesus in His bloody sweat in the garden. Angels announced His resurrection, after He had triumphed over death, to the women. Angels carried Him up into Heaven; and foretold His second coming, surrounded by Angelic hosts . . .

What more divine, what more delightful, than to meditate and pray with the Angels? With what confidence may we not hope that those who on earth have united with the Angels in this ministry will one day enjoy their blessed company in Heaven?

(From the encyclical, On the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary, promulgated on Sept. 12, 1897)

Saint Therese of Lisieux

St. Therese had an intense devotion to her guardian angel. Following the examples and instructions of her parents and sisters, she spoke familiarly to her angel from earliest childhood. Throughout her short life she continued to have a deep and sweet love for her own angel and all the angels of God. Known as she was for her writings, it is only fitting that St. Therese penned a beautiful poem to her angel in 1897, the year that she died from tuberculosis.

Read more about "The Little Flower and the Holy Angels" on the Opus Sanctorum Angelorum website.

To My Angel Guardian

O glorious guardian of my frame!
In heaven’s high courts thou shinest bright,
As some most pure and holy flame,
Before the Lord of endless light.

Yet for my sake thou com’st to earth,
To be my brother, Angel dear;
My friend and keeper from my birth,
By day and night to me most near.

Knowing how weak a child am I,
By thy strong hand thou guidest me;
The stones that in my pathway lie,
I see thee move them carefully.

Ever thy heavenly tones invite
My soul to look to God alone;
And ever grows thy face more bright,
When I more meek and kind have grown.

O thou who speedest through all space
More swiftly than the lightnings fly!
Go very often, in my place,
To those I love most tenderly.

With thy soft touch, oh! dry their tears;
Tell them the cross is sweet to bear;
Speak my name softly in their ears,
And Jesu’s name, supremely fair.

Through all my life, though brief it be,
I fain would succor souls from sin.
Dear Angel, sent from heaven to me,
Kindle thy zeal my heart within!

Naught but my holy poverty,
And daily cross to give have I;
O Join them to thine ecstasy,
And offer them to God on high.

Thine are heaven’s glory and delight,
The riches of the King of kings;
The Host in our ciboriums bright
Is mine, and all the wealth pain brings.

So with the Cross, and with the Host,
And with thine aid, dear Angel Friend,
I wait in peace, on time’s dark coast,
Heaven’s happiness that knows no end.

(February, 1897)

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Devotion to the sorrows of Mary can be traced back to the 12th century, when the newly formed Servite Order embraced it as their primary devotion. In 1817, Pope Pius VII declared the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows as a feast day for the worldwide Church (not just certain regions, as had been the practice); and in 1913, Pope Pius X fixed the date of the feast as September 15.

In remarks made in 1980, Pope John Paul II reminded us: "Mary Most Holy goes on being the loving consoler of those touched by the many physical and moral sorrows which afflict and torment humanity. She knows our sorrows and our pains, because she too suffered, from Bethlehem to Calvary . . . Mary is our Spiritual Mother, and the mother always understands her children and consoles them in their troubles."

The Seven Sorrows of Mary

1. The Prophecy of Simeon ("and your own soul a sword shall pierce . . .")
2. The Flight into Egypt
3. Loss of the Child Jesus in Jerusalem
4. Meeting Jesus on the Way of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
6. Jesus taken down from the Cross
7. Jesus wrapped and laid in the tomb

“Truly, O Blessed Mother, a sword has pierced your heart.... He died in body through a love greater than anyone had known. She died in spirit through a love unlike any other since His.”      (St. Bernard)

The Watchmaker: More About St. Josemaria Escriva and the Angels

Between the years 1928 and 1940, St. Josemaria owned a faulty alarm clock that he couldn't rely on. Not wanting to spend what little money he had on repairing it, he instead asked his angel to get him up at the appointed time. Not once in all those years did the angel fail him, which is why St. Josemaria often referred to his guardian angel as “mi relojerico” (“my dear watchmaker”).

My post a few weeks back on St. Josemaria Escriva and the angels inspired me to do a little further digging into the life of the man whom, I admit, I really only knew as the founder of Opus Dei. My searching came up with gems like the above anecdote (related in an article by Bishop Alvaro del Portillo), as well as much, much more.

The life and wisdom of St. Josemaria are way beyond the scope of this blog. (Read his book, The Way, to see what I mean. It contains 999 points of meditation and prayer. For many of us, enough for a lifetime.) But for my limited purposes here, I thought it appropriate and doable if I shared some of his specific wisdom about the angels. May St. Josemaria's thoughts inspire us all toward a greater love and devotion to our own holy guardians.

“Familiarity with, and devotion to, the holy guardian angels is at the heart of our work. It is a concrete manifestation of the supernatural mission of Opus Dei." (St. Josemaria founded Opus Dei in 1928 on October 2, the Feast of the Guardian Angels.)

"Have confidence in your guardian angel. Treat him as a very dear friend–that's what he is–and he will do a thousand services for you in the ordinary affairs of each day."
The Way, 562

'Win over the guardian angel of the one you want to draw to your apostolate. He is always a great 'accomplice'."
The Way, 563

"If you would remember the presence of your guardian angel and those of your neighbors, you would avoid many of the foolish things you let slip into your conversation."
The Way 564

"You seem amazed that your guardian angel has done so many obvious favors for you. But you shouldn't be: that's why our Lord has placed him at your side."
The Way, 565

"You say there are many occasions of going astray in such surroundings? That's true, but aren't there any guardian angels as well?"
The Way, 566

"Turn to your guardian angel at the moment of trial; he will protect you from the devil and bring you holy inspirations."
The Way, 567

St. Edith Stein

Today is the feast day of St. Edith Stein, also known as St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Edith Stein, a Jewish convert to Catholicism, was a Carmelite nun who died in the gas chambers of Auschwitz in 1942. She is remembered for her intellectualism as well as for her unwavering faith and dedication to her fellow human beings, particularly in her last horrific days. Edith was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 11, 1998.

Right before her canonization, I was privileged to write about Edith Stein and the miracle that confirmed her sainthood for the now defunct magazine Catholic Heritage. In honor of today's feast, I'm reprinting the article I wrote back then. Never having heard of Edith Stein when I started the assignment, I soon became awestruck and inspired by this brilliant woman who viewed her martyrdom as the fulfillment of her Jewish heritage.

Read on after the prayer if you'd like to learn more about the life of this amazing woman who is now our intercessor in Heaven.

Saint Edith Stein, holy martyr, philosopher of the truth, defender of the human person against the evils of this age, enlighten our minds, illumine our hearts, fill our lives with the passion of your love for the Cross. Amen.

 

THE STAR OF DAVID CARMELITE:  REMEMBERING EDITH STEIN

by

Melaine Ryther

(originally published in Catholic Heritage, Sept. 1998)

“Come Rosa, we go for our people.” Gently leading her sister to the waiting S.S. police car, Edith Stein headed toward Golgotha. It was a journey that had been heralded fifty years prior by a chillingly prophetic event—her birth into the world on the solemn Jewish holiday, the Day of Atonement.

Edith Stein was born on October 12, 1891, in Breslau, Germany. The youngest of eleven children in a devout Jewish household, she consistently impressed the adults around her with her razor-sharp intellect. Her father died when she was two, leaving the family’s lumber business to his widow. Although the young girl bore many of her mother’s positive traits, piety was not one of them. In fact, from the ages of 13 to 22, Edith could muster no faith in God at all.

Quotable Wisdom from St. John Vianney

"The Devil writes down our sins - our Guardian Angel all our merits. Labor that the Guardian Angel's book may be full, and the Devil's empty."   (St. John Vianney, the Cure De Ars)

The Curé of Ars and the Angels

My previous post featuring St. John Vianney was short and sweet and seriously in need of a sequel considering the stature of the saint involved.

To that end, and in honor of the Feast of the Curé of Ars (August 4th), I’d like to reflect a bit on the life of this remarkable priest and share some of his more memorable quotes about the angels (including the fallen ones, with whom he had some up-close-and-personal dealings).

~~~~~

St. John Vianney was born on May 8, 1786, in the small French town of Dardilly. He was the oldest of six children born to his parents, Matthieu and Marie. The anti-religious and anti-clerical political atmosphere brought on by the French Revolution made it difficult at that time to practice Catholicism, but the Vianneys managed to keep their faith alive and thriving by opting to teach their children at home instead of sending them to the state-run public schools.

It was in this environment that John’s faith and piety developed. His zeal was such that he was horrified by the large numbers of priests that defected and signed oaths of loyalty to the state. He famously said in response, “Oh, if I were a priest, I should want to win ever so many souls for God.” That desire would soon be made a reality.

After his rise to power in 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte liberated the Church from state power, allowing church doors to reopen and Mass to be celebrated publicly once again. The road to the priesthood had been cleared for John, and at age 19 he entered the seminary. Life as a seminarian was a challenge, however, as academics, particularly Latin, proved difficult for John. Making matters worse, his studies were interrupted by a forced two-year stint in Napoleon’s army.

Upon his return to the seminary, John struggled again with academics and was almost dismissed by his superiors. But there were others in authority who recognized the value of John’s other gifts–his piety, asceticism, modesty, and power of recollection, to name a few. Given another chance to take his exams–this time in French instead of Latin–St. John passed with flying colors and in 1815 was ordained a priest.

At age 31, St. John was sent to the remote backwater village of Ars. Confronted with a staggering amount of immorality, religious indifference, and frivolity among his parishioners, John labored unceasingly to turn the tide back toward God. His success was nothing short of miraculous. It took 25 years, but eventually all 200 villagers “converted,” that is, were observing the 10 Commandments, the Precepts of the Church, and living a daily Christian life. His preaching became so famous for its eloquence and ability to touch even the most hardened hearts that many priests and bishops traveled from great distances to hear him.

But what St. John became most famous for was his ability as a confessor. He would hear confessions for 13-17 hours a day, sometimes hearing as many as 400 confessions in a day. With unparalleled powers of discernment and the ability to read hearts, St. John was able to pinpoint a sinner’s source of trouble and prescribe the exact means to treat or remove it. He also shared extreme empathy with penitents and would sob at the thought of souls being lost forever due to sin.

His long hours in the confessional left him little time for anything else, including eating or sleeping, and he often got by on a few hours of sleep and a couple of boiled potatoes. These sacrifices were nothing to St. John, though, as he regularly performed acts of self-inflicted penances. In fact, if someone gave him a loaf of bread, he would trade it for a crust from a beggar. He was known for giving easy penances in the confessional, saying “I give them a light penance and perform the rest myself.”

St. John also obtained many graces for his beloved Ars through his great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, the Blessed Mother, and St. Philomena. One of the things the Curé soon became known for were miraculous cures, not only of the soul but the body as well. But his modesty made him uncomfortable with the attention these acts gained him, and so he made a pact with St. Philomena that he would send all healing requests to her and that he in turn would spread her devotion. St. Philomena reportedly appeared to St. John on occasion, as did the Blessed Virgin. He remarked, “With Our Lady and Saint Philomena we get on well together.”

St. John’s holiness and the good he did for the people of Ars caught the attention not only of Heaven, but (not surprisingly) of the other place as well. For 35 years, from 1824 to 1858, the Curé was subjected to an onslaught of spiritual and physical harassment from the devil, many instances of which were verified by witnesses. The attacks ranged from horrible manifestations, to pulling St. John out of bed by his ankles, to hideously screaming and/or singing in the middle of the night. One morning the Curé’s bed was set on fire while he was hearing confessions. St. John’s comment was, “Unable to catch the bird, he sets fire to the cage!”

The devil did all he could to prevent St. John from getting the rest he needed to do his miraculous work in the confessional. He would go on for hours producing harrowing, ear-wrenching noises, or he would sing, "with a very cracked voice," the Saint said, or whistle for hours on end. Sometimes he would produce a noise as of a horse chomping and prancing in the room. He would bleat like a sheep, growl like a bear, or meow like a cat. At times he would shout under the Curé's window: "Vianney! Vianney! potato-eater!" The Saint, for his part, developed a remarkable sense of humor about these supernatural assaults, saying, “Oh! the grappin’ [his nickname for the devil] and myself? We are almost chums.” In 1845 the devil ceased his physical attacks, but not before revealing that if there were three such priests as the Curé on earth, his (Satan’s) kingdom would be broken.

St. John’s life continued with days full of charity, austerity, and works of wonder. But finally at the age of 73, on July 29, 1859, his severe daily routine proved too much and he collapsed for the last time. The bishop presided over his funeral, which 300 priests and more than 6,000 people attended. In 1925 he was canonized by Pope Pius XI, who then in 1929 declared him “Patron Saint of Parish Priests.”

In 1904 St. John’s body was exhumed and found to be incorrupt. His body is on display above the main altar in the Basilica at Ars.

 The thoughts and sayings of the Curé of Ars are ever popular, and there are volumes upon volumes available containing his sermons and other words of wisdom. Below are some of St. John’s thoughts about the holy angels, to whom he had a great devotion. (There are a few thoughts on the devil as well.)

~~~~~

The first thing about the angels that we ought to imitate, is their consciousness of the Presence of God.

 ***

Ah! if we had the eyes of angels with which to see our Lord Jesus Christ present on the Altar and looking at us, how we should love Him!

*** 

With what humility should we assist at Mass, if we realized that our Guardian Angel was kneeling beside us, prostrate before the majesty of God! With what eagerness should we not ask him to offer our prayers to Jesus Christ!

 ***

Our Guardian Angels are our most faithful friends, because they are with us day and night, always and everywhere. We ought often to invoke them.

*** 

The Angels take great pleasure in helping us with our enterprises, when they are in accordance with God's will.

 ***

If you find it impossible to pray, hide behind your good Angel and charge him to pray in your stead.

 ***

We ought to ask the Blessed Virgin, the angels, and the saints to pray for us that we may receive the good God as worthily as it is possible for us to receive Him. (Sermon on Holy Communion)

 ***

The devil writes down our sins—our Guardian Angel all our merits. Labor that the Guardian Angel's book may be full, and the devil's empty.

*** 

Do not try to please everybody. Try to please God, the angels, and the saints—they are your public.

 ***

Like the saints, let us be very zealous in fulfilling all our duties; let the devil never find us doing nothing, lest we should yield to temptation.

*** 

God , the Blessed Virgin, the angels and saints are about our path; they are at our side and see all we do.

*** 

After thanking our Guardian Angel who has remained by our side during our sleep, we should ask him for his protection during the day.

*** 

How happy is that Guardian Angel who accompanies a soul to Holy Mass!

*** 

We must take great care never to do anything before having said our Morning Prayers.... The devil once declared...that if he could have the first moment of the day, he was sure of all the rest.

*** 

What a comfort to you it is to know that when we go out of the house, we are never alone en route.

*** 

When we are walking in the streets, let us fix our eyes on Our Lord bearing his Cross before us; on the Blessed Virgin who is looking at us; on our Guardian Angel who is by our side.

 ***

It is our angels who ask God to grant us a deep sorrow for our sins.

*** 

Offer your temptations for the conversion of sinners. When the devil sees you doing this, he is beside himself with rage and makes off, because then the temptation is turned against himself.

*** 

Blessed are they who are tempted! It is when the devil sees that a soul is tending towards union with God that he redoubles his efforts.

 ***

If we did like St. Remigius, we should never be angry. Being questioned by a Father of the desert as to how he managed to be always in an even temper, replied: "I often consider that my Guardian Angel is always by my side....."

*** 

If we could only see the JOY of our Guardian Angel when he sees us fighting our temptations!

*** 

In the Sacraments, it is God himself who comes to annihilate our enemy. The devil, seeing Him in our heart, throws himself despairingly into the bottomless pit; which explains why he does all he can to draw us away from them, or to make us receive them badly.

*** 

All the angels and saints are engaged in trying to prevent us from committing sins.

*** 

What happiness it is to a Guardian Angel to have the care of a pure soul. When the soul is pure, all the Court of Heaven looks upon it with joy.

Laughing Angels

The Laughing Angel

Reims Cathedral

While adults often use fancy language and convoluted reasoning to explain things they don't really understand, children prefer a more straightforward and logical approach. Collected from various sources, these quotes are sure to make an angel or two smile.

"Angels have a lot to do and they keep very busy. If you lose a tooth, an angel comes in through your window and leaves money under your pillow. Then when it gets cold, angels go south for the winter." - Sara, age 6

"I only know the names of two angels, Hark and Harold." - Gregory, age 5

"What I don't get about angels is why, when someone is in love, they shoot arrows at them." - Sarah, age 7

"My guardian angel helps me with math, but he's not much good for science." - Henry, age 8

"Angels talk all the way while they're flying you up to heaven. The main subject is where you went wrong before you got dead." - Daniel, age 9

St. Bridget of Sweden

 "If we saw an angel clearly, we should die of pleasure."

 St. Bridget of Sweden

Today is the feast day of St. Bridget of Sweden. Sometimes known as Birgitta, Bridget was born in approximately 1303 into a wealthy yet pious family. As was the custom at the time, she married young, at age 13, and went on to have eight children with her husband, Ulf  Godmarsson, who was also a good and devout man.

From an early age Bridget claimed to have visions and religious inspirations. These intensified after the death of her husband, prompting Bridget to throw herself into religious projects. She is most famous for founding the Order of the Holy Savior (The Brigittines). She voluntarily lived an austere life, looked after the poor and sick, and used her outspoken personality to give advice to the popes regarding political and ecclesiastical problems of the time.

Bridget left behind many writings, most notably her "Revelations" about Christ's sufferings and future events. She died in 1373 in Rome, on her way home from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Bridget is the patron saint of Sweden. 

St. Birgitta, fearless in the service of God, pray for us.
St. Birgitta, patient in suffer­ing and humiliation, pray for us.
St. Birgitta, marvellous in thy love towards Jesus and Mary, pray for us.

Giving the Angels Their Due

We seem to read and talk a lot about what our guardian angels do for us. Maybe what we should be focusing on is what we should do for them.

St. Bernard tells it to us straight: "Reverence for his presence, devotion for his benevolence, confidence in his care. Always remember that you are in the presence of your Guardian Angel."

Yikes. (Any other red faces out there to join mine?)

Sure, it's easy to forget our angel. He's invisible and, well, we're not. We're stimulated by things we can see, hear, touch and taste. And even when we can see someone near and dear to us, how often do we still ignore them, are rude to them, or upset them one way or the other? Lots.

Being the infinitely patient otherworldly beings that they are, our angels no doubt cut us a lot of slack. But that doesn't mean we should ever quit trying to honor and love them to the best of our ability.

In deference to our 21st century byte-sized attention spans, here are some bulleted suggestions for giving our angels their due respect:

• Pray to them. A thought, a thank you, the Guardian Angel Prayer you probably learned as a child . . .these are all good. In fact, Pope John XXIII was in the habit of saying the Guardian Angel Prayer five times a day!

• Be respectful and modest in your words and deeds. As St. Bernard liked to remind his followers: "Never do in the presence of your angel what you would not do in my presence."

• Remember them on their designated feast days. The Feast of the Guardian Angels is October 2 and the Feast of the Archangels is September 29. Think what a kick it would be for the angels if you attended a Mass on those days in their honor.  

• Honor the angels of people you meet. This one takes a little getting used to, but think about it a minute. You say hello to someone you pass on the street, right? And doesn't that person have an angel accompanying them? Yesss . . . So send that angel a mental hello. The key word here is mental.

• Learn more about them. Read good Catholic books on the angels. Beware of anything that looks too New Agey. (You may end up attracting the attention of another type of spirit "friend.") A great place to start is the Bible's very own Book of Tobit, which tells the story of how St. Raphael the Archangel disguised himself as a human in order to lend help to Tobit and his family.

The guardian angels are our most loyal and loving lifetime companions. It's high time we start giving them their due.

St. Isidore's Angel

Today is the feast of St. Isidore the Farmer (1070-1130). St. Isidore was a poor Spanish farmhand who worked his whole life for a wealthy and kind landowner on an estate outside of Madrid. Isidore was known for his charity toward those even poorer than himself, as well as for his deep religious habits such as rising early to attend church before starting his work. Legend has it that at times Isidore's guardian angel would help plow the fields while Isidore was at Mass, so as to not let the farmhand fall behind on his obligation or overburden the other workers.

Now before you start thinking, uh huh, it's about time my angel starts doing something for me, like the dishes, keep in mind that Isidore's angel covered him so he could GO TO MASS, not catch the latest Celebrity Apprentice, or whatever the equivalent was back then (Lords and Serfs: Feudal Wars ?).

The main reason Isidore was graced with spectacular supernatural help is that he was already really, really holy--Mother Teresa holy. Still, that doesn't mean every extremely virtuous person is going to experience an extraordinary angelic intervention. That decision ultimately rests with God, and, you guessed it, we'll never know the reasons why or why not.

Frustrating, isn't it? Especially if there's a whole sinkful of pots and pans waiting.

Our Lady of Fatima

All of this angelic activity talked about so far was a prelude, of course, to the visits Our Lady would make the following year to the children, in which she would convey her requests of penance, prayer and devotion to her Immaculate Heart.

Most Catholics are familiar with the story of Our Lady of Fatima, or at least have heard of it. Here’s a quick refresher course on what happened:

On May 13, 1917, three children were tending a flock of sheep near the town of Fatima, Portugal. The children were Lucia dos Santos (age 10) and her cousins Francisco (age 9) and Jacinta Marto (age 7). The children had finished praying a rosary and were starting to play when they saw a brilliant light. Thinking it was lightning, they began to head toward home. Suddenly they saw another flash, this one illuminating the whole area, and that’s when they saw, standing over a small holmoak tree, “a lady brighter than the sun” with a white rosary hanging from her hands.

The beautiful lady asked the children to pray for peace and to make sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. She also requested that they return to this same spot on the 13th of each month for five consecutive months.

During these subsequent appearances, the Blessed Mother requested frequent recitation of the Rosary, increased devotion to her Immaculate Heart, daily acts of reparation and sacrifice, and prayers for the conversion of Russia. At the October 13th appearance, she revealed herself as “Our Lady of the Rosary.”

During Our Lady’s last appearance on October 13, 1917, over 70,000 people who had gathered at the now infamous apparition site witnessed a spectacular solar event, commonly called the “The Miracle of the Sun.” Witnesses described the sun as “spinning,” “dancing,” “trembling,” zig-zagging and even careening toward them at times. Reportedly, the phenomenon did not hurt anyone’s eyes, and the wet clothes and ground from previous rain showers quickly and inexplicably dried up in a matter of minutes. The Catholic Church officially recognized this occurrence as a miracle on October 13, 1930.

The final component of the Fatima story is “The Secret,” a message from Our Lady to the children that actually consisted of three parts. The first two were revealed in 1941 in a document written by Lucia, and consisted of (1) a terrifying vision of hell and (2) a prediction that while World War I would soon end, another, more devastating war would occur if mankind did not stop offending God and if Russia did not convert. The third secret remains more controversial in that while the Vatican officially made it public in the year 2000 and declared that it pointed to the assassination attempt of Pope John Paul II, some believe that it is not the “real” secret or at least not the full secret and that the Vatican is hiding the true message, which they believe describes apostasy, satanic infiltration of the Church, and the end of the world.

As today is the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, it would benefit all of us to reflect on the happenings at Fatima, their historical impact, and their relevance to us today. To that end, here are some helpful resources:

Fatima: A Grace for Mankind

The World Apostolate of Fatima (The Blue Army)

And be sure to check out this trailer for the 2009 movie, The 13th Day, a critically acclaimed film distributed by Ignatius Press that the National Catholic Register calls "the best film ever made about Fatima--the most beautiful and effective, as well as one of the most historically accurate."

Happy Mother's Day

On that special day when we welcome our child into the world and "officially" become a mother, something else very special transpires in the delivery room (aside from hubby's pale green skin slowly returning to a normal color).

Our child receives his or her very own guardian angel.

According to St. Thomas Aquinas and other early Church Fathers, up until the time of birth an unborn child is protected by its mother's guardian angel. When the baby finally becomes physically detached from mom (yes!), he or she is assigned their own angel who will accompany them throughout their life.

I can just imagine the conversation as the exchange takes place: "He's all yours now. Watch out, he's a kicker."

New Year's Resolutions

"People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."

             - Mother Teresa