6 Important Sayings of Saint Padre Pio for us today

1. "Always remain close to the Catholic Church, because it alone can give you true peace, since it alone possesses Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament,  the true prince of Peace.

2. "On this earth, everyone has his cross. But we must act in such a way that we are not the bad but the good thief."

3. "In the spiritual life, you must take one step forward each day in a vertical line, from the bottom up."

4. "The proof of love is to suffer for the one you love."

5. "It would be easier for the earth to exist without the Sun, than without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass."

6. "Let's approach Holy Communion with holy love and fear. May the entire day be preparation  and thanksgiving for Holy Communion."

Credits : The Examiner, Mumbai
                Vol - 162, No. 21
                May 21, 2011
               "Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina"
               A True Face of Jesus Christ by Fr. Michael Fernandes OFM. CAP
               Page 8

Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus 2014 Dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

                                       A Share in his riches

Introduction : "June is the Month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus".

When Jesus Christ invited the crowds, "Come to me all you who labor and are overburdened and I will give you rest .... for I am gentle and humble in heart (Matthew 11:28) he made no idle promise. That heart is still as humble and gentle now as then with an inexhaustible capacity to understand our suffering and pain and help us bear our load.

Touching his Heart :

Even when the individual did not ask to be singled out, Jesus Christ still gave his personal attention. On some occasion he was on his way to a dying child when he was caught in a jostling throng. A woman with an embarrassing haemorrage edged her way through the crowd towards him.

"If only I can touch his cloak" she told herself, "I shall be saved". (Matthew 9:21)

Jesus Christ however turned and saw her and acknowledged her faith with warmth.Even though, he was on urgent business he would not let this woman disappear into obscurity again. She had touched his heart as well as his garment and that heart went out to her in so human a way that it revealed its hidden divinity.

Search for the Stray :

So concerned was he for the individual that Jesus Christ taught his disciples to be the same. "Will a Shepherd not leave the ninety- nine on the hillside he asked and go in search of the stray" ?? ( Matt 18:12)

It was the stray he cared for most.

Nothing deterred the Shepherd - Heart of Christ,not even the religious leaders who disapproved of his healing on the Sabbath. Jesus Christ by passed their disapproval since as he said himself the whole of the Law is fulfilled in loving and it was for our sake that the Sabbath was made not the other way round. (Matt 22: 36-40 and Mark 2:27)

So, he did not hesitate to heal the man with the withered hand and to straighten the woman bent nearly double for eighteen years. These miracles were his way of showing his even greater power to cure the internal withering and maladies of the soul in sin. It was after such events that the Pharisees went out and plotted how to kill him.

Love to the End :

Not even their murderous schemes, however could defeat Jesus Christ. As he hung from the cross he prayed for them to his Father : "Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing. (Luke 23:34)

In that moment, he had totally absorbed into his "Dying Heart", not only the leprosy of the leper, the bleeding of the woman, the withered limbs and twisted spines of those bent double. He had even absorbed the hatred of those who wished him dead.

All these he transformed into a power for good that burst from his heart when he died. It was upon his heart that the last wound on his body was inflicted, when a Roman Soldier ripped it open with a spear.

Even in death, that heart remained open, emptying itself to the last drop of blood.

Saint John Chrysostom writes movingly :

"The Soldier pierced his side : he breached the wall of the holy temple and I found the treasure and acquired the wealth". This Month Jesus Christ invites all who labour and are overburdened to acquire a share in that wealth too. It flows from his wounded heart specially for you.

Credits : Don Bosco's Madonna, Mumbai
              June 2008 Vol. 10 No 2
              A Share in his Riches by T. Oliver Pages 18-19

Corpus Christi Sunday 2014 - Dedicated to the Real Presence of Jesus Christ 22nd June 2014

                                              Faith in His Presence

Introduction :

When the two disciples who had walked with Our Lord to Emmaus looked back afterwards at their experience; they must have realized that never again could they think of Jesus Christ as simply absent. The Risen Lord is always present in the Upper Room,on the Emmaus road,beside the Sea of Galilee, on top of Mount Olivet, everywhere.

Old Testament Presence :

The presence of the Lord is one of the great themes of the Old Testament by which the teachers of Israel were unconsciously preparing for Christ. It began in the desert in a tent or tabernacle. The word "Tabernacle" means "Tent", where Moses kept the Ark of the Covenant. This was called the "Tent of Meeting" and there Moses would come to consult the Lord.

New Testament Presence :

In the New Law, the presence of the divinity is given a new centre in the person of Jesus Christ. For Christians who are Catholics therefore, the first tabernacle of God is the "Flesh of Christ". When in the Middle Ages, the Church began to develop its devotion to the Body of Christ in the Sacrament; it often built the place of reservation in the form of a tent, even if the material was stone or wood and this place became the new "Tabernacle" of God.

Just as the disciples at Emmaus learned their lesson about the divine presence from their experience on the road, so most of us learn it from our experience of the "Tabernacle".

The Sacrament of Presence :

As we know, there are many ways in which Christ becomes present to us, but at the centre of them all and maintaining our belief in all the others stands the tabernacle.

The "Reserved Sacrament" is for us, the Sacrament of Presence.

A Deeper Notion of Presence :

This also helps us to appreciate how in its higher forms "Presence" should be mutual. It is one thing for Christ to be present to us in the tabernacle; it is another thing for us to be present to him.

Indeed here, we see one of the great purposes of the tabernacle. It is not just to bring his presence to us, since he is present to us already in so many ways; but this form of his presence is intended precisely to bring about our presence to him. It is really in view of this mutual sharing of presence that the "Reserved Sacrament" is called the Sacrament of Presence.

Mutual Presence :

Finally, we discover here how the tabernacle fulfils a role which the Mass by itself cannot do.

There is so much happening during " The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass" and we are hopefully active in the liturgy in so many ways that rarely during Mass do we have the peace and quiet to concentrate on the wonder of this mutual presence between Our Lord and ourselves.

This then is what we can do more easily before the tabernacle.

Credits: Don Bosco's Madonna Mumbai
             July 2007,Vol 9 No 3
             "Faith in his Presence" by Raymond Maloney
             Pages 18-19

Notes : To know more about the "Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist"

Log on to http://www.therealpresence.org/

Feast of Our Lady of Fatima 13th May 2014

There is a star on the tunic of all Fatima Images. The star is a special and distinctive mark on the statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Mother Mary is the Morning Star not through herself, but through the reflection of the Redeemer.

In describing what Our Lady looked like at Fatima, Sister Lucia noted :"She always has a star on her tunic .....The tunic of Our Lady was white and the star was yellow."

Mother Mary at Fatima was a wake up call to people at a time when disillusionment and frustration was at its peak. At that time, when World War 1 was leading to the ruin of the world, Mary was leading all those lost in darkness to Jesus Christ, the true light through repentance.

Mary appeared at Fatima six times on the 13th of every month from May to October in 1917 except in August. It is reasonable to reflect upon the possibility that this star has a "Special Significance" as it was the only adornment on her white garments.

Mother Mary in her message had already warned of the danger of World War 2 and moreover of the Holocaust, a dark history no one would like to recall.

Our Lady of  Fatima, the Queen of the World brought a message of hope to a world mired in the darkness of the First World War. Acting as an intercessor with the King of Kings, she promised peace for the world if her requests were heeded.

The Message of  Fatima known and lived promises that a period of peace will be granted to the world. Mary is honoured only in the light of Jesus Christ.

Let us therefore as true children of God pay heed to the call of Our Lady of Fatima, Our Mother to make this world a better place to live in.

Credits : The Examiner, Mumbai
              October 13,2012
              Vol. 163, No 41
               The "Star" Our Lady of Fatima
               by Father Calistus Fernandes
               Pages 9-10 

Note : Please read the following "Catholic Classic" - Fatima in Lucia's own words to know more about Our Lady's Peace plan from Heaven.

FATIMA IN LUCIA’S OWN WORDS          

http://www.walkingwithourjesus.com/fatima.htm

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima

http://www.santuario-fatima.pt/portal/index.php?lang=EN

  

Divine Mercy Sunday 2014 - Merciful Jesus Christ, I trust in You 27th of April 2014

Introduction :

"I desire that the first Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy". Words of Jesus Christ, the Divine Mercy to Saint Faustina. Ask of my faithful servant that, on this day he tell the whole world of my great mercy; that whoever approaches the "Fount of Life" on this day will be granted complete remission of sins and punishment.

"Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to my Mercy. (Diary 300).

Our Lord asked Saint Faustina to pray and to work to have established a Feast of the Divine Mercy on the Sunday after Easter. This would be a day of total forgiveness of sins for those who approach the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance.

It would be an "Annual Celebration" like the day of Atonement. All Sins and Punishment would be washed away in his infinite mercy.

The Texts of the Liturgy for that Sunday focus on the forgiveness of sins. The Gospel is of Jesus Christ appearing in the upper room and bestowing the authority to forgive sins; and the other readings also refer to Mercy. (Psalm 118 and 1 Peter 1 : 3-9)

Divine Mercy Sunday Celebrations across the world :

In Poland, the Sunday after Easter is celebrated as the "Feast of the Divine Mercy". Each year, Cardinal Macharski of Cracow used to write to his priests and people to make "Mercy Sunday" a solemn occasion of celebrating God's infinite mercy towards us.

The Archdiocese of Manila in the Philippines has named the Second Sunday of Easter as the "Feast of the Divine Mercy" in its ordo for 1987 (The official calendar for the liturgy of Mass and Office).

At the Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge,Massachusetts the Sunday after Easter is "Mercy Sunday" a day of a great gathering of pilgrims for celebrating the Eucharist,Reconciliation, preaching on Mercy, and praying the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy.

Happy Divine Mercy Sunday to one and all.

Credits : Now is the Time for Mercy by Father George Kosicki C.S.B.

Check out this awesome site on Divine Mercy Sunday with regard to what to do before the Feast Day as well as on the Feast day itself.

http://www.divinemercysunday.com/                

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Easter Sunday 2014- A New Way of Living Dedicated to the Risen Christ

Christ is Risen !! Peace to you !! Today, we celebrate the great mystery, the foundation of "Christian Faith" and hope : Jesus Christ of Nazareth the Crucified One has risen from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures.

Let's imagine for a moment a scene in First Century Galilee. A middle aged man from a small village who considers himself ordinary has heard of an extraordinary preacher who is travelling around the region. He has healing powers -people have seen this but more than that, he speaks of a different way of living ;a way of living which involves loving each other as "Human Beings ".

He is caught by the story of this man and manages to slip away one day to listen to him. Hearing him, he falls in love with his dream and takes it home in his heart.

Wanting to know the Truth :

And then he hears of his death. An immense sadness fills him. He was very special. Some people said he was the "Son of God". In his heart he almost believed it. But now he's dead.

Imagine his face when a few days later the rumour flies through his village that he has risen from the dead. People have seen him; the tomb is empty!!

He hears the Apostles in Jerusalem proclaiming his resurrection and he is awestruck!! He realizes first hand how the Apostles seem to be transformed men proclaiming the "Risen Christ".

He wants to hear everything: How he had met the doubting disciples after rising and sharing meals with them : how he had shown them the marks of his cruel death on his risen body. All these details have new importance for him because he has risen from the dead.

What helps to keep him going is a special meal called the "Eucharist". Jesus Christ began it the night before he died and asked his followers to do this in his memory. (Luke 22:29)

He loves this gathering because Jesus Christ is so richly present at it- in himself and the others gathered there, in the stories concerning him which are told or read; in the sharing where his message throws light on his daily life;and in the meal itself where he meets him face to face and nourishes him and brings him into the mystery of his life and suffering and resurrection.

The Man in the story has no name. Let him have your name. The Risen Jesus Christ desires to relate with you as he related with him. As the Poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins puts it : "Let him Easter in us".

Happy Easter to you all.

Credits :

Don Bosco's Madonna, Mumbai

April 2008 Vol 9 No 12


 

Good Friday 2014- Transformed by the Crucified Christ

On Good Friday, we often meditate and reflect on the last words of Jesus Christ on the Cross. In the 4 Gospels there are seven sayings attributed to the dying Christ - one in Matthew and Mark, three each in Luke and John. Good Friday Meditations focus on the passion and suffering of Jesus Christ and on the loving compassion of our "Merciful Saviour".

I propose a further meditation on Jesus's words from the Cross.

1. My God, My God why have you forsaken me ??

These words are recorded in both Matthew and Mark and in them alone. They are from the opening verse of Psalm 22 and a text that Jesus Christ would have known well. As he is nailed to the Cross the words appropriately express the pain and abandonment that he must have felt. Throughout human history it is likely that everyone at some time in life, will express the same sentiment.

2. Father Forgive them, for they do not know  what they do :

Luke records these as Jesus's first words as he is nailed to the Cross. They show the extraordinary compassion of our "Saviour", fulfilling his own instruction to his disciples and to us to forgive our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

3.  Truly, I say to you today you will be with me in Paradise :

These words also are found only in Luke, an expression of hope and compassion given to one of those crucified with Jesus Christ who asked to be remembered by him when he was glorified. The Man's faith in Jesus Christ is met with a promise of fulfillment.

4. Father, into your hands I commend my Spirit:

The Final Words recorded by Luke,a quote from Psalm 31 are also surely well known to Jesus Christ. They express the other side of abandonment which is "TRUST" even in the darkest hour.

5. Woman, behold your Son. Son, Behold your mother :

These Words from the Cross are recorded in John's Gospel. Jesus Christ is speaking to his own mother and to the one known as the "Beloved Disciple". His concern is to establish a new family relationship for his mother, giving her someone to care for her.

It is perhaps the most intimate moment recorded from the crucifixion. Our relationships specially with those we love and with whom we share a life history but also with all whose lives intersect with ours, matter.

Jesus Christ creates a new bond among us.

6. I Thirst :

These words found only in John are related to John's account of Jesus's description of himself as "LIVING WATER".

There is at once, a very human and a spiritual aspect to this cry. On the one hand, Jesus Christ suffers and thirsts as would all humans, but beyond this there is the theme of the deepest human longings for God and for God's transforming, loving, and life - giving presence in our lives.

7.  It is Finished !!

John's final words from the dying Jesus Christ are a cry of victory. Jesus Christ, the incarnate love of God has loved to the very end. He has loved inspite of betrayal, torture, humiliation, and suffering. He has loved enough to die as we all will die.

Credits : Don Bosco's Madonna Mumbai
              March 2010 Vol 11 No 11