Father Julian's Reflections

St. Francis DeSales Cathedral
Father Julian's Reflections from the Parish Bulletin



Bulletin Pages for January, February, March

People, Places and Paraphernalia of the Catholic Church (part 1)



After my talk with the above title, many parishioners have told me they enjoyed the information I shared with them, but wondered how on earth they are going to remember all the interesting details that I shared during the one-hour talk. So, without any pictures, here is the exact text I put together to help you remember the information about the people, places and paraphernalia of the Catholic Church. This will take 7 parts, but keep every page over the next few weeks, and save them together.

The notes appear here in the website in their entirety - in 7 parts



So many people who are not familiar with the Catholic Church end up with a hundred questions about what they see during a funeral, a wedding or a visit to a church. I hope this general overview answers some of the questions people ask, and clarifies some misconceptions about what we do, why we do it, and so much more.



Whenever a church is built, a momentous occasion is when the foundation stone is laid. It will be forever remembered as being officially the first stone that was placed in the whole structure.



When churches are built, a lot of care is taken to make sure that the place is reverent, welcoming to worship, with the main landmarks visible and well designated and appropriate items used to give worship to God. Blueprints are kept in a safe place, for future reference and any eventual renovations.



Pope Benedict XVI is the present head of the Catholic Church, stationed in the Vatican, Rome. He is the Vicar of Christ and represents Jesus here on earth. The last 6 Popes that preceded him were: Pius XI (1922-1939), Pius XII (1939-1958), Blessed John XXIII (1958-1963), Paul VI (1963-1978), John Paul I (1978, 33 days) and John Paul II (1978-2005.)



Like all Bishops, the Pope carries his crosier, sometimes in the shape of a cross, but most often it is a crooked staff like the one shepherds carry when grazing. All Bishops also wear their miter when functioning in their church, which along with the crosier, they symbolize their role as shepherds. Normally Bishops concelebrate with the Pope or a popular Cardinal when they visit the Vatican. They also concelebrate when attending a function led by another presiding Bishop, like an ordination. Bishops also wear a pectoral cross, which they keep in their chest pocket when not celebrating in Church, with the chain visible under their jacket.



Cardinals are chosen from the Bishops and those below the age of 80 can be elected Pope, when a conclave is held in the Sistine Chapel. Cardinals wear a bright red vestment, with a matching biretta, zucchetto, and red-laced alb or surplice. They are usually responsible of their own Diocese or Archdiocese, which are normally the largest dioceses in big cities. Bishops wear similar vestments to those of Cardinals, but are purple in color. They are responsible for a Diocese which can be as big as an entire country, or as small as a section of a state which happens to be thickly populated. They normally confer the sacrament of Confirmation in their parishes, ordain their priests and celebrate various diocesan functions in their respective churches, normally Cathedrals.



A zucchetto is a skull-cap that a Pope, Cardinal, Bishop or monk uses on his head. It is of course of a different color, depending who wears it. The Pope’s zucchetto is white, a Cardinal’s is red, while a Bishop’s is purple. A monk may wear one that is either brown or black, as do some priests. A biretta is another ornamental hat that Cardinals, Bishops and priests use on some occasions and at special functions. A Cardinal who is chosen for such an honor is symbolically given a biretta by the Pope on the day of their installation.



The pallium is part of the vestment for the Pope, also worn by Cardinals and Archbishops. It is worn around the neck, symbolic of the jurisdiction delegated to them by the Vatican. It is woven from lambs raised by Trappists monks, and the lambs and the wool is presented to the Pope on the feast of St Agnes on January 21. It is woven from real wool, with 6 black crosses. Every Archbishop is personally presented with his pallium on the feast of Sts Peter and Paul A galero, or red hat is usually worn by the Pope or Cardinal on special formal occasions.

Whenever a cardinal dies, his ornamental galero is hung from the ceiling in the Cathedral where he had served before



People, Places and Paraphernalia of the Catholic Church (part 2)



Priests are responsible of a parish, and care for the people entrusted to their care, celebrating Mass, funerals, weddings, baptisms and other celebrations in their respective parish churches or missions chapels.

Deacons are ordained to proclaim the Gospel, and also to help the priest in administering the sacraments, especially weddings and baptisms. They are recognizable from the way they were their stole, which is across their chest. There are transitional deacons, who will eventually be ordained priests; and there are the permanent deacons, who are married or single men.



Friars or Monks are priests or brothers who belong to a particular religious order. They are recognized from the habit they use, usually a long brown or gray robe with a cincture. They normally live in a Monastery and take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Monks can be the followers of St Francis of Assisi (called Franciscans or Capuchins,) St. Augustine (Augustinians,) St. Dominic (Dominicans,) St. Ignatius of Loyola (Jesuits,) St. John Baptist De la Salle (Christian Brothers, ) or Carmelites, Vincentians, Marianists, Salesians, Trappists, Benedictines, or other Orders. There are also various Orders of Brothers, who like the monks and friars take the vows of Charity, Chastity and Obedience, live in a Monastery, do a lot of religious and social work, but are never ordained as priests. Yet their work is just as valuable, especially if they live in a Monastery. Some of them may be ordained in later years, but frequently they remain brothers, probably because they are not up to indulge in lots of studies and prefer to use their hands and other talents they are gifted with. Sisters or Nuns are the female counterparts of the monks and they too dedicate their lives to various works of charity, social work, and contemplative way of life. They too take the vows of charity, chastity and obedience, and are recognizable by their habit, although most of them do not use it anymore. They are involved in various ministerial and social work within parishes, in schools and orphanages, hospitals, helping the poor, unwed mothers, abused children and others.



Altar servers have an important role in serving Masses and other functions at the altar. Both boys and girls are allowed to serve, especially in carrying the candlesticks, holding the book for the celebrant, washing the priest’s hands, holding the communion plate and, their favorite role, ringing the bells at the elevation.

Choirs are prominent in every Catholic Church. St Augustine said that whoever sings, prays twice. The choir members embellish the liturgy and add so much to beautify the celebrations, from a children’s choir, Adult Choirs, Folk Groups and even Spanish Folk Groups. A Cantor leads the hymns when there is no choir. The cantor usually sings the Responsorial Psalm, the Alleluia, besides an opening hymn, an offertory hymn, a communion hymn and a recessional hymn, as well as other parts of the Mass.



Sacristans have an important duty to help set up for Masses and other liturgical functions in churches. Some sacristans work full-time, while others just help as volunteers, setting up the altar for the daily and weekend Masses, as well as funerals. Sacristans can be religious, sisters or lay people, and are usually very faithful in their duties, priding themselves in keeping the church as clean and as spotless as possible.



Let us now return to our communities and explore the many types of churches and places of worship that we see around us. There are 4 major basilicas in Rome, St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican is by far the most recognizable church in Christianity. But the Mother Church is actually the Lateran Basilica also in Rome. St Paul outside the walls and St Mary Major are the other two Basilicas in Rome. A Basilica is an honor given to some important and illustrious churches. Another title given to churches is ‘Sanctuary.’ A Cathedral is the mother church of any Diocese, where the Bishop usually lives and celebrates important functions. Your typical American church has pews on each side of the middle aisle, with the main altar visible from everywhere. The offertory table in the center aisle, situated towards the back is for the gifts which will be brought up at the offertory.



Most churches would have a crucifix hanging in the middle, above the altar, and the tabernacle in the center, behind the altar of sacrifice. Baker City Cathedral has an apse, which is like an alcove, and since most churches are designed in the shape of a cross, the apse is like the head of the cross. The Tabernacle is the most prominent and most important place in any church, where Jesus resides, and which should be given its due respect, reverence and recognition. Some churches still have an altar rail, as they used to have before the changes that occurred after the Second Vatican Council. The altar rail is not required anymore. Some churches also have a baldacchino under which the tabernacle or the main altar is positioned. It is a form of a canopy or mini cupola. The baldacchino is also the name given to the canopy held above the Blessed Sacrament during processions like the feast of Corpus Christi.



People, Places and Paraphernalia of the Catholic Church (part 3)



Missallettes are used in most churches, so that people can follow the readings during Mass. Other people carry their own prayer books, like the Magnificat series, also available for children. Confessionals are another common presence in any Catholic church, where people go to confess their sins. In most cases, people have the option to go behind the screen or face to face with the priest. Communal Penitential Services are also held usually during Advent and Lent, but the common practice of individual confession is kept in every church.



The Presidential chair is where the priest or celebrant sits in the sanctuary area during the Mass, at least during the readings and after communion. The Bishop who celebrates Masses in his Cathedral, usually has a special chair reserved for him, sometimes placed under a canopy or in a place by itself. This chair is also called a cathedra.

The altar of sacrifice is the main altar where the Liturgy of the Eucharist is celebrated. It can be very elaborate, as is the case in St Peter’s basilica in the Vatican, or simple and plain as is found in some Mission churches.

Other shapes and designs of altars may be used, made of marble, wood, and wrought iron, sculpted or other artistic designs that still look reverent and conducive to prayer.



When the Offertory starts, a corporal is placed in the middle of the altar. The word corporal comes from the Latin corpus (meaning body,) because the Body of Christ will be placed there during the Mass. It is a square shaped piece of linen cloth, with a small red cross embroidered in the middle. It is folded into nine smaller squares. A pall is occasionally used over the chalice. Some priests do not use it at all, but it was originally used to keep flies or bugs away from the chalice with the wine/Precious Blood. The Chalice is made of gold or any good precious metal, but the inside of the cup has to be gilded in gold. The paten goes with the chalice, and that’s where the host is placed, although recently the priest’s host as well as the people’s hosts are placed in a ciborium. Purificators are made of linen, and are used by the priests or Eucharistic Ministers to wipe the chalice after people receive the Precious Blood from the chalice. They are washed by volunteers of the parish or members of the Altar Society, who clean them regularly and return them to the Sacristy.



A ciborium is a container for the hosts, usually a large ornamental container to hold enough hosts for a large congregation. Left-over hosts are placed and kept inside it covered with a lid, and placed in the tabernacle. Other modern types of ciborium (plural ciboria) are also used, and especially if a church has many communion stations, they are usually stacked up on each other inside the tabernacle. The credence table is not usually visible around the altar, but is an important item where all the Mass paraphernalia are placed before and during the Mass. On it are placed the chalices, as well as other Eucharistic cups to be used for the Precious Blood, the communion plates, the wash basin and finger towel, and the cruets, if not brought up in a procession at the offertory. The wash basin is used during the offertory (known as the Lavabo) when the priest washes his hands or fingers, and dries them with a towel or a small napkin. A larger bowl and pitcher may be also used when a Bishop is celebrating.



The two elements of the Eucharist are bread and wine, and when they are blessed on the altar during Mass, they become the real Body and Blood of Jesus. They are not just symbols, but the real presence of Jesus in each of the species. Various types of water/wine cruets are used during the Mass, and are usually brought up to the altar at the offertory procession. Quite a selection of wine is used around the world, but it has to be approved by the local Bishop, and many wineries specialize in what is called sacramental wine, made especially for churches.

The processional Cross is carried by an acolyte or altar-server at the beginning of Mass, along with the candle-sticks, and again at the end of the Mass.

The Communion plates are used by the altar-servers during communion, to prevent from any consecrated host from falling on the ground. The altar servers usually hold the plate under the chin of the communicant when receiving on their tongue, and under the hands of the communicant when receiving in the hand. The priest or ministers wipes clean the communion plate as soon as communion is over, so that any flakes from the Body of Christ that may have fallen on them will be purified instantly.

The Pyx is the container which priests and Eucharistic Ministers use to carry the Sacred Hosts, when visiting the sick and the homebound at home, nursing homes or hospitals. The Pyx can be also carried in a burse, which ministers can carry around their necks.



People, Places and Paraphernalia of the Catholic Church (part 4)



The Sacramentary has a lot of markers and bookmarks to be used during the Mass and other functions. The main parts of the Mass, like the Eucharistic Prayers are marked with special tags, as are the Eucharistic prayers for Masses with children, and for Masses of reconciliation. Altar-severs have another important role during the Liturgy of the Word, when they hold the book for the bishop or priests during the Introductory Rites, opening and concluding prayers, read from the Sacramentary.

The Lectionary is the other important book that is used during the celebration of Mass, and has all the readings that are read during the 3-year cycle on Sundays (Years A, B, C,) and the two-year rotation on weekdays (Year 1 and Year 2.) The Lectionary is placed on the pulpit.

Lectors or Readers use the pulpit or lectern to read the 1st and 2nd readings on any Sunday Liturgy. They also sometimes read the Prayers of the Faithful, when a Deacon is not present. The Deacon proclaims the Gospel from the same pulpit, and then the priest or deacon preaches the homily from the same place. The entire Liturgy of the Word centers around the pulpit.

A special Book of the Gospels is sometimes used for the proclamation of the Gospels. The Deacon or the Lector carries the Book processionally towards the altar and places it on the altar until the reading of the Gospel, when the Deacon or priest picks it up and takes it to the pulpit from where he proclaims the Gospel.

A Prie-Dieu or kneeler is used for an individual person to kneel on. Prie-Dieu is French for “before God.”

Albs are used by Priests and Deacons, usually tied at the waist by a cincture. Stoles are worn around the neck, or diagonally for deacons. Chasubles or vestments are used by Priests during the celebration of the Mass. Priests who con-celebrate at a Mass may use a chasuble or a stole, corresponding with the liturgical color of the day.

Chasubles come in 4 different colors. White is used for Christmas and Easter, other feasts of holy people or Marian celebrations. Purple is used during Advent and Lent, and in some countries for funerals. Red is used for the feasts of the apostles and martyrs, Palm Sunday and Good Friday, as well as Pentecost and Masses of the Holy Spirit as well as during confirmations. Green is used during Ordinary time. Many old ornamental chasubles are seen in Museums, also called fiddle-backs. They have intricate embroidery and are usually much heavier than the modern ones.

The deacon on the other hand can use a dalmatic, which is worn on top of the alb and stole. Usually there are matching vestments so that the priest and deacon will have the same ‘look’ and style of design.

A Sanctuary Lamp is used near the tabernacle to show that the Blessed Sacrament is reserved there. It is lit continuously to show that Jesus is present. The sanctuary lamp is normally a large candle that lasts for a whole week, and is covered with a red glass cover. It can be hanging or standing, depending on the space available.

The thurible or censor is used during Solemn Masses, funerals, processions, and Benediction. A charcoal is burned and placed inside the thurible, held by the thurifer. During processions, it is held by swinging the thurible on the side. Once the charcoal is burned in the thurifer, some of the incense is placed on it, creating smoke and also a nice fragrance, depending on the quality of the incense. Various companies and especially monasteries make their own incense, most of them pretty expensive.



A Monstrance is used during the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Adoration and Benediction. It is an ornamental reliquary where the Sacred Host is placed in a lunette in the center, for solemn adoration. Monstrance comes from the Latin ‘monstrare’ meaning to show off or display. When Solemn Benediction is given, the priest wears a cope, which in a way is similar to a cape. During the act of Benediction with the Monstrance, the priest also wears a humeral veil to hold the Blessed Sacrament with. It is usually placed on his shoulders by an Acolyte or an altar-server.

The Aspergillum is the holy water sprinkler, which is frequently used in various blessings. Most of them have a container of holy water, which the altar-server carries, but others are easier to carry, almost like a pen filled with Holy Water, which a priest can carry in his pocket.

Candle-sticks used to be ornamental and placed on the altar during the Mass. Nowadays, frequently they are carried by acolytes or servers, and placed closed to the altar during Mass.

Candles and candelabras are frequently used for decorative purposes near the altar and to further accentuate the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. The Paschal Candle represents the presence of the Risen Christ, and is used during the Easter season, as well as during Masses of Baptism and Christian Burial. It is blessed every year at the Easter Vigil, and is incensed as an old tradition.



People, Places and Paraphernalia of the Catholic Church (part 5)



Votive candles are an important item in any Catholic Church, as people frequently come in a church to pray for a particular intention and to light a candle before their favorite statue. While leaving a suggested donation, they light a small candle that may light up to 10 hours, or even longer, sometimes for an entire week, depending how large the candle is. Most often these candles are red or white, but nowadays they come in a variety of colors.

The Advent wreath is a popular tradition using 4 or 5 candles, lit during the four Sundays of Advent. Three purple candles are lit on the first, second and fourth Sundays of Advent, with the themes Watch, Prepare and Behold. A rose or pink colored candle is used for the third Sunday, which has as a theme Rejoice! Sometimes a white candle is added on Christmas. The Advent wreath started in the Scandinavian countries when farmers brought in their carts for the winter, and decorated them with greens. Eventually they placed candles around them.



The Ambry is a special place where the oils are kept in the sanctuary area. It is a small cabinet with three glass containers that hold the oils that are blessed by the Bishop in the Cathedral on Holy Thursday. The containers are marked:

O.I. Oleum Infirmorum – Oil of the Sick

O.C. – Oleum Catechumenorum – Oil of Catechumens

S.C – Sacra Chrisma – Sacred Chrism

A priest would carry a small container with the holy oils, especially the Oil of the Sick, in case of emergency.

The Oil of Chrism is used for Baptisms, Confirmations and the consecration of priests and Bishops at their ordination or consecration.

The Oil of Catechumens is used during Baptisms of newborn babies, as well as the reception of new adult Catholics at the Easter Vigil.

The Chrism Mass is held annually on Holy Thursday in the Cathedral of each Diocese. In some areas, where traveling for a priest is a problem or difficult, the Mass is held earlier in the week. During the Mass, the priests of the Diocese concelebrate with their Bishop, and towards the end, the Bishop blesses the oils that will be used in the parishes. The oils are later distributed into small bottles or containers and given to the priests to use in their parishes for the respective sacraments.



Many churches have the symbols of the 4 Evangelists as a painting, stained glass window or sculpture. The 4 Evangelists who wrote the 4 Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John each have a symbol, which are an angel, a lion, a bull and an eagle.

The symbolism of each creature is described as such:

St. Matthew’s symbol is a human angel, showing the manhood of Christ. Matthew starts his Gospel with the genealogy of Jesus, showing the human descent of Jesus from Old Testament characters.

St Mark is symbolized by a winged lion, showing royalty and courage. His Gospel starts with John the Baptist roaring in the desert like a lion.

St Luke is symbolized by an ox or bull, symbolic of the sacrifice, service and strength. Christians should sacrifice themselves for Christ.

St John has an eagle, and since his Gospel is of a higher theological nature, he soars like an eagle. His Gospel show’s Christ’s divine nature.

The 4 symbols are mentioned in the book of Ezekiel: “Figures resembling four living creatures; their form was human, but they had four faces and wings. On one side was the face of a man, on the right side was the face of a lion, on the left side the face of a lion, and on the back the face of an eagle“ (Ezekiel 1: 4-10)

Bells are used frequently in churches. Some are used to call the people for worship, large bronze ornamental bells hanging in belfries, like the ones in Maltese churches. Others are rung just before a Mass starts, to let the people know that the priest is processing towards the altar, although nowadays a hymn announces this. Altar-servers ring the bells three times during a Mass. The first time is when the priests blesses the hosts and wine, placing his hands on them, becoming the Body and Blood of Christ. The second time is when the priests elevates the Body of Christ, and the third time is when the priest elevates the Precious Blood of Jesus.

The Anointing of the sick is given to people who are sick, near death, but also before a surgery or in cases of mental distress. The patient is anointed on the forehead and the palms of the hand with the Oil of the Sick.

Special Masses are also held in Hospital Chapels or Nursing Homes when the residents or patients are anointed by the priest.



People, Places and Paraphernalia of the Catholic Church (part 6)



Reliquaries or Relics are revered by the church as very unique decorations where the relics of the saints are preserved.

There are three kinds of relics:

First class relic – a piece of a bone fragment of a particular saint.

Second class relic - a piece of clothing which that saint used in his/her lifetime.

Third class relic – a piece of cloth touched with a first class relic.



Statues are a prominent and important item in any Catholic Church, which are displayed inside and outside any church. Many of them are taken out in a procession once a year. Statues are more popular in some countries, where even smaller replicas of the larger originals are for sale, and so people venerate them even in their homes, placing flowers and candles in front of them, and even show them off in windows when the feast of a particular saint is being celebrated.

Processions are very popular, especially in Christian countries, where access to public streets is easy and possible. In Malta, Spain, Italy and other South and Central American countries processions with statues are frequent in parishes, as well as on Corpus Christi, Good Friday and Our Lady of the Rosary.

The collection which is taken up during the Mass is a way showing the people’s support of the work of the church. Many people use the weekly envelopes while others donate cash, but it is a way of showing their appreciation for all that the church does for them. People collaborate with their pastor through their giving of their time, talent and treasure. People are also very generous during earthquake or flood relief collections.

Ushers are ready to take up the collection after the Prayers of the Faithful and the Liturgy of the Word ends. The collection is normally taken up before the Offertory, and the money is brought up with the gifts of water, wine and hosts.

Ashes are used on Ash Wednesday as people are marked with the sign of the cross, reminding them to repent and believe in the Gospel. Various forms are used by the priest, deacon or minister while imposing ashes on people’s foreheads: Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return.

Or Turn away from sin, and believe in the Gospel Or Repent and believe in the Good News of Jesus Christ



A pall is placed on the casket during a Mass of Christian burial. It is symbolic of the white baptismal garment that a baby wears on his or her baptism day.

When the person deceased is a veteran, before the casket is brought into the church, as well as after the Mass, the casket is usually draped with the national flag of that particular country. The flag is then folded ceremoniously and given to an immediate member of the family.

Sacristies are special places close the altar where priests, ministers and servers are vested before a celebration.

Vestments are stored, as are books, thuribles are lit, candlesticks adjusted, chalices and ciboria stored, and much more is done. Plenty of drawers and cabinets imply that things have to be organized and kept in order.

The Stations of the Cross are a must in every Catholic Church. The 14 stations, made from plaster, wood, paintings or other material are usually hung on the side walls, usually 7 on each side. Stations are prayed usually during the Fridays of Lent. Stations are also placed outdoors, in prayer gardens, retreat houses and outdoor chapels.

The Stations started when people wanted to visit the Holy Land, but couldn’t because of the distance, and so the 14 stations were erected in churches, allowing people to pray and reflect on the passion of Christ.

The Brown Scapular is known to have been traditionally given to St Simon Stock in the 13th century. It is worn by devotees of the Blessed Mother as a protection and as a way to show filial affiliation with her.

The Chi Rho is an old symbol that has appeared on many tombstones, altars and other Christian landmarks.

The Chi Rho is actually the first two letters of the name of Christ in Greek (Christos.) Chi Rho looks like an X and a P but is actually a Ch and R

The Fish Symbol (Greek: Ichtus) is an acronym for Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior. This is another popular symbol engraved on many altars and monuments from the time of Christ

IHS is a monogram of the name of Jesus in Greek – IHSOUS. The letters also represent the phrase Iesus Hominum Salvator It is also used to symbolize In Hoc Signo (In this sign of the cross, we shall conquer) used by King Constantine. English translators have also used I Have Suffered, and In His Service.



People, Places and Paraphernalia of the Catholic Church (part 7)



The Easter Lily is a very popular flower during the Easter Season, mainly because it blooms during the month of April, when Easter usually occurs every year. The Easter Lily was discovered by an English missionary on Ryukyu island off the coast of Japan. He took some bulbs with him and they bloomed on Easter week, and have since become known as the Easter Lily.

The Christmas poinsettia was discovered in 1828 by the Ambassador of the USA to Mexico, General Joel Poinsett, who found out that the Aztecs were using this flower for cosmetic and medicinal purposes. He took some of the plants to South Carolina and the poinsettia became an instant hit with Americans.

The Fleur-de-Lys is a stylized flower that is used for decorative purpose. Fleur means flower, and Lys means Iris. The three petals of heraldic design have been frequently associated with the Trinity. Moreover, there has also been an association to Mary, starting with the Song of Solomon’s “lily among thorns,” a direct reference to Mary. It was also used in relation to the virtues of purity and chastity.



The Jerusalem Cross is an interesting interpretation of the Gospel cross, with the four crosses, one in each quadrant, representing the four Gospels. It is also known as the Crusaders’ Cross, because it was on the banner that Pope Urban II gave to the crusaders at the beginning of the First Crusade

The Tau Cross is of ancient origin although it is mostly associated with the Franciscans. It is also called the Egyptian Cross, the Advent Cross or the St Francis Cross. St Francis had proclaimed to his monks that their habit should resemble the image of Christ on the cross, especially when their arms are open.

The keys of St. Peter are symbolic of authority, especially those given by Jesus to St. Peter as the first Pope of the church. The keys are frequently included in the coat-of-arms of the Popes, as well as the Vatican flag.

Palm branches are distributed on Palm Sunday, a week before Easter, to symbolize what the people in Jerusalem did 2000 years ago to welcome Jesus. Many people use the palm branches to make crosses, which they keep in a prominent place in their homes, or they place them on gravesites in the cemetery, as a sign or respect and remembrance.

European countries, like Malta, Italy and others do not have many palm trees, and so use olive branches instead.

The Greek Orthodox on the other hand use pussy-willow branches instead of palm branches.

The Maltese Cross is the famous 8-pointed cross adopted by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, also known as the Knights of Malta. It is used as a symbol of heraldry, and worn as jewelry, symbol of fire-fighters and there is also a flower known as the Maltese cross.

The 8 points of the Maltese cross symbolize the 8 Beatitudes Jesus preached about in his Sermon on the Mount. They also represent the 8 obligations the Knights profess as their sacred duty to the Order:

1. To live in truth 2. To have faith

3. To repent of sins 4. To give proof of humility

5. To love justice 6. To be merciful

7. To be sincere and whole-hearted 8. To endure persecution



The Claddagh Ring comes from the town of Claddagh in Ireland and is frequently exchanged as a wedding ring or used as item of jewelry. The three symbols are: the Heart, symbolizing LOVE, the Crown symbolizing LOYALTY and the Hands, symbolizing FRIENDSHIP.

Known as the Passion Flower, (passiflora coerulea) this flower is frequently mentioned as the ideal flower representing the passion of Christ. The 10 petals represent the 10 faithful apostles (excluding Judas and Peter,) the 3 stigmata represent the nails, and the tendrils represent the whips used for the flagellation.

The thin purple petals make up the crown of thorns, while the pointed tips of the leaves represent the lance used to pierce Christ’s side. The color of blue and white represent heaven and purity. The flower grows everywhere except for the Antarctica and Africa.

End of Series – Father Julian



I hope you were able to keep all these 7 parts of my overview of people, places and paraphernalia of the Catholic Church. There may be other things and objects that we use, but I shared with you the most popular and most common things you may see in any Catholic Church.

Bulletin Page for January 17, 2010

NOW THAT'S GOD



It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The creeks and streams were long gone back into the earth. It was a dry season that would bankrupt several farmers before it was through.

Every day, my husband and his brothers would go about the arduous process of trying to get water to the fields. Lately this process had involved taking a truck to the local water rendering plant and filling it up with water. But severe rationing had cut everyone off. If we didn’t see some rain soon...we would lose everything. It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of sharing and witnessed the only miracle I have seen with my own eyes. I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year-old son, Billy, walking toward the woods.

He wasn't walking with the usual carefree abandon of a youth but with a serious purpose. I could only see his back. He was obviously walking with a great effort ... trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house. I went back to making sandwiches; thinking that whatever task he had been doing was completed. Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful stride toward the woods. This activity went on for an hour: walking carefully to the woods, running back to the house.



Finally I couldn't take it any longer and I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey (being very careful not to be seen...as he was obviously doing important work and didn't need his Mommy checking up on him). He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked, being very careful not to spill the water he held in them ... maybe two or three tablespoons were held in his tiny hands. I sneaked close as he went into the woods. Branches and thorns slapped his little face, but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much higher purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site.

Several large deer loomed in front of him. Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. A huge buck with elaborate antlers was dangerously close. But the buck did not threaten him...he didn't even move as Billy knelt down. And I saw a tiny fawn lying on the ground; obviously suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hand. When the water was gone, Billy jumped up to run back to the house and I hid behind a tree.



I followed him back to the house to a spigot to which we had shut off the water. Billy opened it all the way up and a small trickle began to creep out. He knelt there, letting the drip, drip slowly fill up his makeshift "cup," as the sun beat down on his little back. And it came clear to me: The trouble he had gotten into for playing with the hose the week before. The lecture he had received about the importance of not wasting water. The reason he didn't ask me to help him. It took almost twenty minutes for the drops to fill his hands. When he stood up and began the trek back, I was there in front of him.

His little eyes just filled with tears. "I'm not wasting," was all he said. As he began his walk, I joined him...with a small pot of water from the kitchen. I let him tend to the fawn. I stayed away. It was his job. I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save another life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, other drops...and more drops...and more suddenly joined them. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, himself, was weeping with pride.



Some will probably say that this was all just a huge coincidence. Those miracles don't really exist. That it was bound to rain sometime. And I can't argue with that... I'm not going to try. All I can say is that the rain that came that day saved our farm...just like the actions of one little boy saved another.

I had to share this to honor the memory of my beautiful Billy, who was taken from me much too soon... But not before showing me the true face of God, in a little, sunburned body.

A Grateful Mother



Bulletin Page for January 10, 2010

Being Optimistic in 2010

We should mark the start of a new year — a new decade, no less — with a pause in our daily lives. Yes, it’s been a tough year with the economic problems, with the ongoing threat of terrorism, and with many people, even in our own neighborhoods, reaching a poverty level never experienced before. Many of us have bad stories to tell, but let’s look towards the future with a little dose of optimism.

The best way to get over a bad event is to "look suffering straight in the eye, acknowledge and respect its presence, and then to get busy as soon as possible focusing on things we choose to focus on," according to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, in his book "Finding Flow." I know that it’s easier said than done, but why should we be optimistic? If for no other reason than because sitting around moping will not get us anywhere — and neither will blaming everything that's gone wrong on the person who came before. What does work is optimism, a belief that the future will be better, that we can affect our future and that, with hard work, we can change our lives individually, as families, as communities, as parishes, and as a nation.

Such optimism allows us to set positive goals, concentrate, focus, work hard,

and never ever give up on our dreams.



In the century before the birth of Christ, the Roman poet Juvenal wrote about the Roman people as longing for only "bread and circuses." His view was that the people who once were involved in creating the future of their nation cared then only for the day's food and their entertainment. We have to understand that our lives are part of a greater story. As part of this greater story, we are the link between our nation's incredible history and our nation's possibly bright future. The question we might want to ask ourselves is: Are we using all of the talents and blessings God has given us to serve him and improve the lives of our families, our communities, our nation and our world?

God wants so much more for us and from us than simple bread and circuses. He wants us to use all the gifts that he has given us, to serve him, serve our nation and improve the world. If we all used our gifts and talents — what a year — what a decade it could become. Some people look only for what’s interesting, and not for what’s important in life. Sacrifice and work for them are words that exist only in the dictionary. So let’s make this year special, by looking positively on everything we plan to accomplish.

May God grant you this New Year -----

Enough tears to keep you human, warm and sensitive.

Enough humor to laugh at yourself rather than others. Enough setbacks to keep you humble. Enough goodness to be called a person of integrity. Enough accomplishments to keep you confident and eager. Enough patience to teach you the virtue of waiting. Enough discipline to be moderate in eating and drinking.

Enough silence in your life that you become more prayerful.

Enough insight in how you see God, but also in how God sees you. Enough friends to give you life, strength and support. Enough grief and sorrow to make you both sensitive and loving. Enough hope to teach you to trust God. Enough care to comfort the disturbed, but also to disturb the comfortable. Enough strength from your faith, family and friends to support you. Enough warm and wonderful memories to give you comfort.

Enough divine and human qualities to forgive oneself and forgive others.

Enough common sense for you to make healthy decisions.

Enough determination to make each day better than yesterday.

Bulletin Page for January 3, 2010

Resolutions for the New Year

Take full responsibility for your life. Stop blaming others. See yourself as the cause of what happens to you.

Do things you like to do. Don't stay in a job you don't like. Participate in life at the highest level you can.

Stop terrorizing yourself with your thoughts. Be gentle and kind and patient with yourself.

Watch what you say. Avoid self put-downs. Stop being critical of yourself and others.

Take care of your body. Give it exercise and good food.

Be willing to create a life-style that generates and nourishes self-esteem. Associate with others with high esteem. Acknowledge yourself frequently. Keep a diary of your successes and accomplishments.

Avoid comparing yourself with others. Remember that it's who we are, not what we do, that's important.

Give yourself permission to do nothing periodically. Schedule time by yourself.

Frequently take deep breaths. Discover the benefit and pleasure of breathing fully.

Eat first class frequently. Don't look at the right side of the menu.

Stop trying to change others. Focus your attention on being the way you want others to be.

Stop feeling guilty and saying "I'm sorry". See mistakes as valuable lessons and avoid judging yourself.

Consciously generate positive thoughts and feelings of self-love in place of old thoughts of inadequacy.

Be willing to laugh at yourself and at life. Stop taking yourself so seriously.

Accept compliments from others without embarrassment. Don't invalidate their positive thoughts about you.

Be kind to your mind. Don't hate yourself for having negative thoughts. Gently change your thoughts.

Keep your awareness and your thoughts focused in present time instead of living in the past or future.

Acknowledge others frequently. Tell them what you like and appreciate in them. Invest money in yourself. Go to seminars, workshops and courses that develop your talents.

Make a list of 10 things you love doing and do them frequently.

Treat yourself as you would treat someone you really loved. Praise yourself.

During this New Year, always remember. . . . .

The most satisfying work ...... Helping Others
The most endangered species ...... Dedicated Leaders
The greatest natural resource ...... Our Youth
The greatest shot in the arm ...... Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome ...... Fear
The most effective sleeping pill ...... Peace of Mind
The most crippling failure disease ...... Excuses
The most powerful force in life ...... Love
The worlds most incredible computer ...... The Brain
The worst thing to be without ...... Hope
The most powerful relationship tool ...... The Tongue
The two most power-filled words ...... "I Can"
The most powerful communication …... Prayer
The greatest asset ...... Faith
The most worthless emotion ...... Self-pity
The most prized possession ...... Self-esteem
The most contagious spirit ...... Enthusiasm
The most beautiful attire …... SMILE

Wishing everyone a blessed,

peace-filled and healthy New Year

Bulletin Page for December 27, 2009

To end this decade, let’s go back to the Year 1909



The year is 1909, 100 years ago. And what a difference a century makes!

Here are some statistics for the year 1909:



The average life expectancy was 47 years.

Fuel for the few cars that were around was sold in drug stores only.

Only 14 % of the homes had a bathtub.

Only 8 % of the homes had a telephone.

There were only 8,000 cars in the USA, and only 144 miles of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most big cities was 10 mph.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.

The average wage in 1909 was 22 cents per hour.

The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year.

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2,000 per year.

A dentist could earn $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95% of all births took place at home.

90% of all doctors had no college education! Instead they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and the government labeled them ‘substandard.”

Sugar cost four cents a pound.

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering their country for any reason.

The 5 leading causes of death were:

1. Pneumonia and influenza, 2. Tuberculosis, 3 Diarrhea, 4. Heart Disease, 5. Stroke.

The American flag had 45 stars.

The population of Las Vegas was only 30 people.

Crossword Puzzles, canned beer and iced tea hadn’t been invented yet.

There was no Father’s Day or Mother’s Day.

Two out of every ten adults couldn’t read or write.

Only 6% of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Marijuana, heroin and morphine were all available over the counter at the local drugstore. Back then, pharmacists would say: “Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is in fact, a perfect guardian of health.”

18% of all households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the entire USA.

95 % of the taxes we have now did not exist in 1909.



A New Year’s Day Blessing

(from a poem of the first Native American Indians)



May the Lord bless your sight: that it will always be as clear as the full moon.

May the Lord bless your thoughts: that they may be pure and fresh as ice on a lake.

May the Lord bless the work of your hands: that it may be as fruitful as corn that ripens in the fields.

May the Lord bless your family: that they may be as carefree as otters and as industrious as bees.

May the Lord bless your days on earth: that they may flow calmly as a river after the rapids.

May the Lord bless your tears: that they may be soft as maple trees when the birds return to their nests.

May the Lord bless your life and your death: that you may spend your days protected by His powerful and generous hands.

We wish you all a HAPPY AND HOLY NEW YEAR !

Bulletin Page for December 20, 2009

Cherishing and Living Christmas

Do you believe that Christmas was illegal in Massachusetts between 1659 and 1681? If caught doing any kind of celebrating at Christmas time, the fine was 5 shillings, that’s the equivalent of a dollar, an exorbitant fine at that time. In fact it was only around the 1850s that Christmas became legal in all the US states.

Stephen Nissenbaum, in his 1996 book entitled "The Battle for Christmas," claims that the Puritans were behind this strange legalization abolishing the celebration of Christmas, and those who did defy the law and celebrate, were involved in rowdy behavior, excessive eating and drinking, the mockery of established authority and aggressive begging which involved threats and violence! Two classic works helped change the trend 150 years ago, precisely "The Visit from St. Nicholas," written in 1822 by Clement Clare Moore, and "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, published in 1843. These two works truly helped reshape the image of Christmas from an excuse for raucous behavior to a symbol of wholesome, family love.

Moreover, the origin of the Christmas Tree can be traced to more than 200 years ago, precisely the year of the French revolution, when Napoleon invaded the rest of Europe. It was actually the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge who was visiting a family in Ratzeburg, Germany. He wrote later in a magazine that what he saw was "a custom worth imitating that pleased and interested him" - a small evergreen tree placed on a table in a parlor. What surprised him even more is what he saw underneath the tree - presents from the children to the parents! You’ve read it correctly, handmade presents made by the children themselves, and kept as a surprise until Christmas Eve, at which time they were presented to the parents "with kisses and embraces.".

Nowadays Christmas has become our most celebrated festivity, and a major economic indicator since many stores need the Christmas season to make their yearly sales projections. As Christians we celebrate first and foremost the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, and pastors, priests and ministers scratch their heads every year how to best celebrate a Christian spirit in the midst of the worldly commercialism that has inundated the way we live like a tidal tsunami.

Of course the Nativity story goes back to 2000 years ago, and the first presepio or Nativity scene was created by St. Francis of Assisi in the 13th century. Many Christmas hymns and Gregorian chants were written hundreds of years ago, while Silent Night was written in 1846. The first Christmas card was created in 1846, while the poinsettia was discovered in 1828. These traditions are very meaningful and they form the backbone of any Christmas celebration. The stories behind these traditions give us a sense of history. Even secular symbols have a religious connection, like the holly, the candy cane and Santa Claus.

Yet, as we hear familiar quotes like "Keep Christ in Christmas" and "Jesus, the Reason for the Season," it is important that we share the meaning behind our Christian symbols with our children, this way they can share them with their own children, years from now. It is our duty to cherish Christmas and to live its spirit every day of our lives. I remember two stories from my years in New York that shocked me to no end. The first one is seeing Christmas Trees thrown out on December 26th! Couldn’t they keep it at least until New Year’s Day? The second situation happened at a huge CD store and as was my custom, 2 days after Christmas I headed to New York City to take pictures and stroll around the stores. When I headed for the Christmas CDs section, I see the owner telling an employer…."Now get this junk out of here, as quickly as you can." I was so offended and even though I complained to the owner, it got me nowhere. So, let’s remember to keep the Christmas spirit for as long as we can. Cherish Christmas and live its spirit throughout 2010.

Bulletin Page for December 13, 2009

A Brooklyn Christmas miracle

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.

The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted table cloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church. By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. 'Pastor,' she asked, 'where did you get that tablecloth?' The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria. The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again.

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home, which was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job. What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving.

The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike. He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between. The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

True Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid - Who says God does not work in mysterious ways.



Bulletin Page for December 6, 2009

MANHATTAN DECLARATION

On November 20th, 2009, a group of prominent Catholic and Christian clergy, ministry leaders and scholars released the Manhattan Declaration, which addresses the sanctity of life, traditional marriage and religious liberty. The 4,700-word declaration issues a call to Christians to adhere to their convictions and informs civil authorities that the signers will not—under any circumstance—abandon their Christian consciences. The Declaration was signed by more than 150 Orthodox, Catholic and evangelical Christian leaders and it is worth reading and reflecting on.

This is a summary of the Manhattan Declaration, devised and signed by prominent Catholic and Christian leaders, affirming their belief in life, in marriage and religious liberty. For the entire Declaration go to www.manhattandeclaration.org

Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family. We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are (1) the sanctity of human life, (2) the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife, and (3) the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Human Life - The lives of the unborn, the disabled, and the elderly are ever more threatened. While public opinion has moved in a pro-life direction, powerful and determined forces are working to expand abortion, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide, and euthanasia. Although the protection of the weak and vulnerable is the first obligation of government, the power of government is today often enlisted in the cause of promoting what Pope John Paul II called “the culture of death.” We pledge to work unceasingly for the equal protection of every innocent human being at every stage of development and in every condition. We will refuse to permit ourselves or our institutions to be implicated in the taking of human life and we will support in every possible way those who, in conscience, take the same stand.

Marriage - The institution of marriage, already wounded by promiscuity, infidelity and divorce, is at risk of being redefined and thus subverted. Marriage is the original and most important institution for sustaining the health, education, and welfare of all. Where marriage erodes, social pathologies rise. The impulse to redefine marriage is a symptom, rather than the cause, of the erosion of the marriage culture. It reflects a loss of understanding of the meaning of marriage as embodied in our civil law as well as our religious traditions. Yet it is critical that the impulse be resisted, for yielding to it would mean abandoning the possibility of restoring a sound understanding of marriage and, with it, the hope of rebuilding a healthy marriage culture. It would lock into place the false and destructive belief that marriage is all about romance and other adult satisfactions, and not, in any intrinsic way, about the unique character and value of acts and relationships whose meaning is shaped by their aptness for the generation, promotion and protection of life. Marriage is not a ‘social construction,’ but is rather an objective reality ‘the covenantal union of husband and wife’ that it is the duty of the law to recognize, honor, and protect.

Religious Liberty - Freedom of religion and the rights of conscience are gravely jeopardized. The threat to these fundamental principles of justice is evident in efforts to weaken or eliminate conscience protections for healthcare institutions and professionals, and in antidiscrimination statutes that are used as weapons to force religious institutions, charities, businesses, and service providers either to accept (and even facilitate) activities and relationships they judge to be immoral, or go out of business. Attacks on religious liberty are dire threats not only to individuals, but also to the institutions of civil society including families, charities, and religious communities. The health and well-being of such institutions provide an indispensable buffer against the overweening power of government and is essential to the flourishing of every other institution - including government itself - on which society depends.

Unjust Laws - As Christians, we believe in law and we respect the authority of earthly rulers. We count it as a special privilege to live in a democratic society where the moral claims of the law on us are even stronger in virtue of the rights of all citizens to participate in the political process. Yet even in a democratic regime, laws can be unjust. And from the beginning, our faith has taught that civil disobedience is required in the face of gravely unjust laws or laws that purport to require us to do what is unjust or otherwise immoral. Such laws lack the power to bind in conscience because they can claim no authority beyond that of sheer human will.

Therefore, let it be known that we will not comply with any edict that compels us or the institutions we lead to participate in or facilitate abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide, euthanasia, or any other act that violates the principle of the profound, inherent, and equal dignity of every member of the human family.

Further, let it be known that we will not bend to any rule forcing us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality, marriage, and the family.

Further, let it be known that we will not be intimidated into silence or acquiescence or the violation of our consciences by any power on earth, be it cultural or political, regardless of the consequences to ourselves. We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God’s.



Bulletin Page for November 29, 2009

The Pastor and his son

Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at the church, the Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out Bibles. This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their Bibles, it was very cold outside, as well as pouring down rain. The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, 'OK, dad, I'm ready.'

His Pastor dad asked, 'Ready for what?'
'Dad, it's time we gather our Bibles together and go out.'
Dad responds, 'Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain.'
The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, 'But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?'
Dad answers, 'Son, I am not going out in this weather.'
Despondently, the boy asks, 'Dad, can I go? Please?'
His father hesitated for a moment then said, 'Son, you can go. Here are the Bibles, be careful son.' 'Thanks Dad!'

And with that, he was off and out into the rain. This eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a Bible. After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down to his VERY LAST Bible. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand the Bible to, but the streets were totally deserted.. Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered.
He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer. Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch! He rang again and this time the door slowly opened.

Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady.. She softly asked, 'What can I do for you, son?' With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, 'Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that * JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU * and I came to give you my very last Bible which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE.' With that, he handed her his last Bible and turned to leave. She called to him as he departed. 'Thank you, son! And God Bless You!'

Well, the following Sunday morning in church Pastor Dad was in the pulpit. As the service began, he asked, 'Does anybody have testimony or want to say anything?'
Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet. As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face, 'No one in this church knows me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live. So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck.. Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, 'I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away.' I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly... I thought to myself again, 'Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me.' I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder.

When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you! The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, 'Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU.' Then he gave me this Bible that I now hold in my hand.

As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't need them any more. You see, I am now a Happy Child of the KING. Since the address of your church was on the back of this Bible, I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in hell.' There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and honor to THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated. He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love and honor for his son... Except for One. Our Father also allowed His Son to go out into a cold and dark world. He received His Son back with unspeakable joy, and as all of heaven shouted praises and honor to The King, the Father sat His beloved Son on a throne far above all principality and power and every name that is named.





Bulletin Page for November 22, 2009

What we should be grateful for

As people living amidst this incredible beauty here in the Northwest, there is so much to be thankful for as we approach the season of Thanksgiving. I cannot imagine my life if I had not come to the USA in 1981, and even to Oregon in 2003. New York had its own charm and peculiarities, while the Northeast was just about spectacularly beautiful in the fall with the maple trees turning all shades of yellow, orange and flaming red. But here in Oregon we get the sparkling tamaracks and birch trees which turn everything into gold. But there is so much more to be grateful for at this time of the year…

- For newborn babies who are given a chance to live, hoping that one of them 50 years from now will find a cure for cancer…

-For young people who are so enthusiastic about sports, drama, cell-phones, texting and much more that the technological age has produced, that they will never forget the love their parents share with them, the education they received from their teachers, and the faith they find in their churches….

- For our seniors who remember the painful past, that we will never forget the sacrifices they made when they were living at an age when their luxury item was an outhouse, a warm pair of shoes, crayons, comics and if you’re lucky, a typewriter.

- For many couples who sacrifice their lives for their children, without getting as much as a Thank You, while they appreciate any gifts that strange fictitious bearded man brings to them with quotes like ...."I know for sure that Santa exists, because my parents cannot possibly afford all these gifts!"

- For hospitals and schools, for cars and bicycles, for computers and IPhones, for air-conditioners and heaters, for traffic lights and pedestrian crossing, for life guards and search-and-rescue helicopters, for pets we keep at home and for animals we can admire at zoos.

- For places of worship, for gorgeous Cathedrals and mission chapels, for nurses and sisters who dedicate their lives to teach, nurse wounds and help the needy, for missionary priests who leave their families and homeland to minister to people in the USA who have no priests of their own, and for those who are studying for the priesthood, that they will persevere in their vocation.

- For doctors and medical scientists who keep experimenting in trying to find new medicines, create new vaccines and perform painless surgeries.

- For inventors who invent new gadgets, so that our life can be easier to go through, faster when we travel and more comfortable in our daily lives.

- And for all of us to be grateful for the many blessings we frequently take for granted.



Bulletin page for November 15, 2009

Piano lessons

At the prodding of my friends, I am writing this story. My name is Mildred Hondorf. I am a former elementary school music teacher from Des Moines, Iowa. I've always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons - something I've done for over 30 years. Over the years I found that children have many levels of musical ability. I've never had the pleasure of having a prodigy though I have taught some talented students. However I've also had my share of what I call "musically challenged" pupils. One such student was Robby. He was 11 years old when his mother (a single Mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys!) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby. But Robby said that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano. So I took him as a student. Well, Robby began with his piano lessons and from the beginning I thought it was a hopeless endeavor.

As much as Robby tried, he lacked the sense of tone and basic rhythm needed to excel. But he dutifully reviewed his scales and some elementary pieces that I require all my students to learn. Over the months he tried and tried while I listened and cringed and tried to encourage him. At the end of each weekly lesson he'd always say, "My mom's going to hear me play someday." But it seemed hopeless. He just did not have any inborn ability. I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled but never stopped in. Then one day Robby stopped coming to our lessons. I thought about calling him but assumed because of his lack of ability, that he had decided to pursue something else. I also was glad that he stopped coming. He was a bad advertisement for my teaching!

Several weeks later I mailed to the student's homes a flyer on the upcoming recital. To my surprise Robby (who received a flyer) asked me if he could be in the recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and because he had dropped out he really did not qualify. He said that his mother had been sick and unable to take him to piano lessons but he was still practicing. "Miss Hondorf . . . I've just got to play!" he insisted. I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital. Maybe it was his persistence or maybe it was something inside of me saying that it would be all right. The night for the recital came. The high school gymnasium was packed with parents, friends and relatives. I put Robby up last in the program before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing piece myself. I thought that any damage he would do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my "curtain closer."

Well, the recital went off without a hitch. The students had been practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked like he'd run an eggbeater through it. "Why didn't he dress up like the other students?" I thought. "Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?" Robby pulled out the piano bench and he began. I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen Mozart's Concerto #21 in C Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo....from allegro to virtuoso. His suspended chords that Mozart demands were magnificent! Never had I heard Mozart played so well by people his age. After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescendo and everyone was on their feet in wild applause. Overcome and in tears I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in joy. "I've never heard you play like that Robby! How'd you do it?

"Through the microphone Robby explained: "Well Miss Hondorf . . . remember I told you my Mom was sick? Well, actually she had cancer and passed away this morning. And well . . . she was born deaf so tonight was the first time she ever heard me play. I wanted to make it special." There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening. As the people from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed into foster care, I noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy and I thought to myself how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil. No, I've never had a prodigy but that night I became a prodigy. ... of Robby's. He was the teacher and I was the pupil. For it is he that taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing in yourself and maybe even taking a chance in someone and you don't know why.

Unfortunately Robby was killed in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April of 1995.

Bulletin Page for November 8, 2009

The Value of a Soldier

I want you to close your eyes and picture in your mind the soldier at Valley Forge, as he holds his musket in his bloody hands. He stands barefoot in the snow, starved from lack of food, wounded from months of battle and emotionally scarred from the eternity away from his family surrounded by nothing but death and carnage of war. He stands though, with fire in his eyes and victory on his breath. He looks at us now in anger and disgust and tells us this......

“I gave you a birthright of freedom born in the Constitution and now your children graduate too illiterate to read it.

I fought in the snow barefoot to give you the freedom to vote

and you stay at home because it rains.

I left my family destitute to give you the freedom of speech and you remain silent on critical issues, because it might be bad for business.

I orphaned my children to give you a government to serve you and it has stolen democracy from the people.

It's the soldier not the reporter who gives you the freedom of the press.

It's the soldier not the poet who gives you the freedom of speech.

It's the soldier not the campus organizer who allows you to demonstrate.

It's the soldier who salutes the flag, serves the flag, whose coffin is draped with the flag that allows the protester to burn the flag!!!”

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.



The Military

The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's; but he has never collected unemployment either. He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away.



He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing. He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must. He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional. He can march until he is told to stop or stop until he is told to march.

He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity.



He is self-sufficient. He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry. He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts. If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low. He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands. He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job. He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay and still find ironic humor in it all. He has seen more suffering and death then he should have in his short lifetime. He has stood atop mountains of dead bodies, and helped to create them. He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed. He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful. Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom.



Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years. He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding. Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.

Bulletin Page for November 1, 2009

Saints and married couples

In almost 27 years, Pope John Paul II canonized 482 people and beatified 1,338 men and women, many of them the first canonized saints or blesseds in their countries. All 482 of those saints were martyrs, clerics or members of religious communities when they died—except St. Gianna Beretta Molla (married) and St. Giuseppe Moscati (single).

Of the 1,338 people whom Pope John Paul II beatified, all were martyrs, clerics or members of religious communities when they died—except for 14 single people and the married Frederic Ozanam, Lazlo Batthyany-Strattmenn, Charles of Austria, Giuseppe Tovini, Gianna Beretta Molla and Luigi Beltrame Quattrocchi and Maria Corsini (husband and wife). The latter were also parents of two priests, one nun and another daughter.

By October 12, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI will have canonized 28 people— but no one who was married when he or she died. By mid-August 2009, Pope Benedict XVI had approved the beatifications of 191 women and men—all reflecting the categories mentioned above except for Eurosia Fabris (Mamma Rosa) and Louis Martin and Zélie Guérin (parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux and four other nuns).

Among these by the way, was the first saint from my home country of Malta, St. George Preca, beatified by John Paul II in 2000 and canonized by Benedict XVI in 2008. For the Church's first 300 years, most of the saints whom it recognized were martyrs—with exceptions such as the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.

The early church canonized apostles, Popes and Bishops. Later, the Church began recognizing hermits (Anthony of Egypt), virgins (Macrina the Younger, who died in 379), monks (Benedict of Nursia), bishops (Martin of Tours), founders of religious communities (Francis of Assisi and Dominic, for example) and missionaries (Francis Xavier). People who were married when they died have been overlooked for centuries!

John Fink's 1999 book Married Saints (Alba House) concentrates mostly on 23 married saints in the worldwide liturgical calendar. Except for four married couples (Mary/Joseph, Elizabeth/ Zachary, Ann/Joachim and Isidore/ Maria de la Cabeza), only five of these 23 saints were married when they died. Fink's other book, from 2009, Future American Saints? Men and Women Whose Causes Are Being Considered describes 51 people with a U.S. connection who have completed the diocesan level of review and are one miracle away from being beatified.

All were clerics or members of religious communities when they died, except Pierre Toussaint, Virginia Merrick, Dorothy Day and Catherine de Hueck Doherty. Only Toussaint was married when he died. The two American-born saints are St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Katharine Drexel, the former married and eventually, when widowed became a nun. But let us not forget many other couples who were married, widowed and became religious, like St Elizabeth of Hungary, St Helen, the mother of King Constantine who ended the persecutions, St Rita of Cascia, and even St Elizabeth of Hungary, having three children of her own.

Let us pray for more married couples to be canonized. I know of many holy people who were married, lived a very holy and devout life, sacrificed so much for their children, and we remember them all on All Saints day, but should be honored with a feast in their own right.

Bulletin Page for October 25, 2009

More inspirational gems

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. (Winston Churchill)



Marriages may be made in heaven,

but a lot of the details have to be worked our here on Earth.



A Winner is big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.



Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.



A true commitment is a heart-felt promise to yourself from which you will not back down.



Our words reveal our thoughts; manners mirror our self-esteem; our actions reflect our character; our habits predict the future.



God never consults your past to determine your future.



Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not: unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.



Many things will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart….pursue those.



The U.S. Constitution doesn’t guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it.

You have to catch up with it yourself.



Success is not measured by what a person accomplishes, but by the opposition they have encountered, and the courage with which they have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.



Friendship is the only cement that will hold the world together.



Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.

(St. Francis De Sales)



It is better to be divided by truth that to be united by error.



Men and women are limited not by the place of their birth, not by the color of their skin,

but by the size of their hope.



Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.



Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.



A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.



The greatest use we can make of our life is to spend it on something that outlasts it.



What a bargain grandchildren are! I give them my loose change and they give me a million dollars’ worth of pleasure.

Bulletin Page for October 18, 2009

45 Lessons Life Taught Me

I thought you would enjoy this list of lessons that were written by a 95 year-old woman, who kept writing these lessons she learned in life over her long life. I am sure there are quite a few that you can apply to your life.



1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.



6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.



11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.



16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.



21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.



26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.



31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.



36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.



41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Bulletin Page for October 11, 2009

The First of Everything

The arrival of the first snowflakes every September or October reminds me of many firsts in my life, including the first time I saw snow in December 1981 when I was in New York, precisely at a Christmas Altar Society Dinner, where all the 150 women present went crazy when they saw me so excited at the sight of snow.

Now looking back at 28 years of ploughing, shoveling, sloshing through tons of snow, I still rejoice when I see those Elkhorn and Wallowa peaks don their winter outfit as they show off their antimacassars for everyone to see. If you’ve never heard this word before, it’s a very descriptive work that happens to contain my last name in it....Cassar! It actually describes the covering one would put on a couch where the head or arms rest, to protect couches and sofas from unnecessary stains and unsightly soiling. It also refers to the white sprinkling you see on mountain tops, especially when the first snow falls. Now I’m sure everyone will think of me whenever you look at those snow-covered peaks, called antimacassars.

As you journey with me in this recollection, try to recollect your own firsts. The earliest I remember of my own childhood is at age 4 when I started nursery school. My first day of school was very special as I attended a school run by nuns, who used to pull me out of class during the lunch break and take me with them to the refectory. Later I found out that this was not because I was a trouble-maker, but because some of the nuns had a crush on me! Being an altar-boy for the first time happened in 1956 when I was only 4, where I had to carry the boat with the incense during a Corpus Christi procession. Unfortunately, touching the charcoal that the thurifer had placed in the boat turned my surplice from snow white to chimneysweep black, causing my mother to turn…..well, at least gray. Serving my first Mass was a few years later, after learning all the responses in Latin, of course before Vatican II.

My first trip outside Malta took place in 1966 when I was chosen as an altar-boy to serve at the Vatican during the summer months. Of course I treasure the photo they took of me kissing the ring of the fisherman, Pope Paul VI. My first day in the Minor Seminary in 1966 saw me being seated on the same bench of another boy who would become the Prime Minister of Malta since 2004. My first days in the Major Seminary and the University of Malta were in 1970, leading to my Ordination in June 1977. My first parish was my own home parish, dedicated to St Julian, and my first trip to the USA was in the summer of 1979, where I served as a supply priest in Massapequa Park, Long Island, New York. From this time on, I experienced many other firsts.

Riding a bike to get around was a novelty for me, as was watching color TV, going to New York City, seeing the Twin Towers and the Empire State Building, watching baseball, saying Mass in English, preaching in English, riding a speedboat, riding a car at 55 mph, riding on a Jumbo Jet across the Atlantic, all of which happened in that summer of 1979. Then returning for good to the USA in 1981, many other firsts took place over the years, like teaching myself to play the flute in 1981, getting my drivers license in February 1984, driving 100 miles non-stop in 1985, doing a little cross-country skiing in 1987, teaching myself calligraphy in 1988, coming to Oregon in 2003, becoming a Pastor at the same time, learning to cook, buying a digital camera in 2006, learning water coloring in 2009, and so many other firsts. So many things are now taken for granted, but I remember the exuberance I felt when I saw the first mountain, the first river, the first deer, even other novelty milestones like riding a horse in 2004, shooting a gun in 2005 and milking a cow in 2006.

These are just some that pop into my head - may I suggest you all make a list of a few landmark firsts in your lives, especially couples who are married, cherishing the birth of a baby, buying a new house, getting a first job. Of course my fondest memories goes back to 2003 when I came for the first Chrism Mass at the Cathedral, and was mesmerized with the stained-glass windows…..until I saw that wall. Little did I know that 4 years later I would be responsible for taking it down!

Bulletin Page for October 4, 2009

The Rosary Beads

Jim Castle was tired when he boarded his plane in Cincinnati , Ohio, that night in 1981.The 45-year-old management consultant had put on a week long series of business meetings and seminars, and now he sank gratefully into his seat ready for the flight home to Kansas City, Kansas . As more passengers entered, the place hummed with conversation, mixed with the sound of bags being stowed. Then, suddenly, people fell silent. The quiet moved slowly up the aisle like an invisible wake behind a boat. Jim craned his head to see what was happening, and his mouth dropped open. Walking up the aisle were two nuns clad in simple white habits bordered in blue. He recognized the familiar face of one at once, the wrinkled skin, and the eyes warmly intent. This was a face he'd seen in newscasts and on the cover of TIME. The two nuns halted, and Jim realized that his seat companion was going to be Mother Teresa! As the last few passengers settled in, Mother Teresa and her companion pulled out rosaries.

Each decade of the beads was a different color, Jim noticed. "The decades represented various areas of the world," Mother Teresa told him later, and added, "I pray for the poor and dying on each continent." The airplane taxied to the runway and the two women began to pray, their voices a low murmur. Though Jim considered himself not a very religious Catholic who went to church mostly out of habit, inexplicably he found himself joining in. By the time they murmured the final prayer, the plane had reached cruising altitude. Mother Teresa turned toward him.

For the first time in his life, Jim understood what people meant when they spoke of a person possessing an 'aura'. As she gazed at him, a sense of peace filled him; he could no more see it than he could see the wind but he felt it, just as surely as he felt a warm summer breeze. "Young man," she inquired, "do you say the rosary often?"

"No, not really," he admitted. She took his hand, while her eyes probed his. Then she smiled. "Well, you will now." And she dropped her rosary into his palm. An hour later, Jim entered the Kansas City airport where he was met by his wife, Ruth.

"What in the world?" Ruth asked when she noticed the rosary in his hand. They kissed and Jim described his encounter. Driving home, he said. "I feel as if I met a true sister of God." Nine months later, Jim and Ruth visited Connie, a friend of theirs for several years. Connie confessed that she'd been told she had ovarian cancer. "The doctor says it's a tough case," said Connie, "but I'm going to fight it. I won't give up." Jim clasped her hand. Then, after reaching into his pocket, he gently twined Mother Teresa's rosary around her fingers. He told her the story and said, "Keep it with you, Connie. It may help." Although Connie wasn't Catholic, her hand closed willingly around the small plastic beads. "Thank you," she whispered. "I hope I can return it." More than a year passed before Jim saw Connie again. This time her face was glowing, she hurried toward him and handed him the rosary. "I carried it with me all year," she said. "I've had surgery and have been on chemotherapy, too. Last month, the doctors did second-look surgery, and the tumor's gone. Completely!" Her eyes met Jim's. "I knew it was time to give the rosary back."

In the fall of 1987, Ruth's sister, Liz, fell into a deep depression after her divorce. She asked Jim if she could borrow the rosary, and when he sent it, she hung it over her bedpost in a small velvet bag. "At night I held on to it, just physically held on. I was so lonely and afraid," she says, "yet when I gripped that rosary, I felt as if I held a loving hand." Gradually, Liz pulled her life together, and she mailed the rosary back. "Someone else may need it," she said. Then one night in 1988, a stranger telephoned Ruth. She'd heard about the rosary from a neighbor and asked if she could borrow it to take to the hospital where her mother lay in a coma. The family hoped the rosary might help their mother die peacefully. A few days later, the woman returned the beads.

"The nurses told me a coma patient can still hear," she said, "so I explained to my mother that I had Mother Teresa's rosary and that when I gave it to her, she could let go; it would be all rosary in her hand." "Right away, we saw her face relaxed. The lines smoothed out until she looked so peaceful, so young. A few minutes later, she was gone." Fervently, the woman gripped Ruth's hands. "Thank you."

Is there special power in those humble beads? Or is the power of the human spirit simply renewed in each person who borrows the rosary? Jim only knows that requests continue to come, often unexpectedly. He always responds though, whenever he lends the rosary, "When you're through needing it, send it back. Someone else may need it."

Jim's own life has changed, too, since his unexpected meeting on the airplane. When he realized Mother Teresa carries everything she owns in a small bag, he made an effort to simplify his own life. "I try to remember what really counts - not money or titles or possessions, but the way we love others," he says. May God bless you abundantly. May Mother Mary ask her Son Jesus to shower you with grace. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please join us every Sunday at 9 AM, when we recite the Rosary as a parish community before the 9:30 AM Mass.

Bulletin Page for September 27, 2009

More Words of Wisdom

The core problem is not that we are too passionate about bad things, but that we are not passionate enough about good things.



Seek to do good ad you will find that happiness will run after you.



There is only one way to succeed at anything, and that is to give everything. (Vince Lombardi)



In your hands you hold the seeds of failure or the potential for greatness. Your hands are capable, but they must be used and for the right things to reap the rewards you are capable of attaining. The choice is yours.



The only difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is extraordinary determination. (Mary Kay Ash)



I am grateful for all of my problems. After each one was overcome, I became stronger and more able to meet those that were still to come. I grew in all my difficulties. (J. C. Penney)



Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. (Denis Waitley)



Four short words sum up what lifted most successful individuals above the crowd: a little bit more. They did all that was expected of them and….a little bit more.



Three billion people on the face of the earth go to bed hungry every night, but four billion people go to bed every night hungry for a simple word of encouragement and recognition.



Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. (Helen Keller)



Ninety percent of those who fail are not actually defeated. They simply quit.



How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these. (George Washington Carver)



Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. (Thomas Edison)



Do a little more than you’re paid to. Give a little more than you have to. Try a little harder than you want to. Aim a little higher than you think possible, and give a lot of thanks to God for health, family and friends. (Art Linkletter)



Hope never dies where faith is strong, and faith grows strong in the presence of hope.

(Chad Witmeyer)



The message is clear: plan with attitude, prepare with aptitude, participate with servitude, receive with gratitude, and this should be enough to separate you from the multitudes.



Real optimism is aware of problems but recognizes solutions’ knows about difficulties but believes they can be overcome; sees the negatives, but accentuates the positives, is exposed to the worst but expects the best; has reason to complain, but chooses to smile.

(William Arthur Ward)



We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. (Winston Churchill)



Marriages may be made in heaven, but a lot of the details have to be worked out

here on Earth.

Bulletin Page for September 20, 2009

The pros and cons of Mass Media

Back in the 1970s, when I was still in the Seminary, a famous book came out from Canadian sociologist Marshall McLuhan, entitled "Understanding Media." It was a revolutionary book at that time, as he analyzed how the mass media prevalent at that time will be taking over the entire world, turning the world into a global village. We marveled at the fact that what was happening in China on a specific day will be visible on the same day in the USA. The media, especially newspapers, radio and TV will be revolutionizing the world. Little did we know of what was to come in the next 30 years.

All of these names developed in the last 30 years, and even though some of them may sound prehistoric, believe it or not, they are a product of the last 30 years....CNN, Home Computers, lap-tops, the Internet, e-mail, cell-phones, digital TV, Remote controls, Compact Discs, DVDs, Blackberries, Iphones, Ipods, Twitter, Web-Cams, digital cameras, downloading movies, XM radio, Sirius, Facebook, MySpace, You Tube, PowerPoint, and on and on.

Of course we all know how beneficial these inventions are, and if used properly, could help connect us to one another, making our world even smaller than a global village. However on the other hand, if and when used improperly, these gadgets can be detrimental to our society, to families and individuals, destroying friendships and relationships. Pope John Paul II issued an interesting letter on the use and the ethics of the Internet, in which he encouraged everyone to use the Internet for spreading the Gospel of Christ. Pope Benedict issued recently an encyclical on social issues in which he repeated the dangers of these means of communication if used irresponsibly.

I can personally testify how much my life has improved with having all my articles catalogued in different folders on my computer. I truly appreciate the ease of writing an e-mail to a friend in Malta, New Zealand or Timbuktu, and having it read a few minutes later. I cherish the incredible joy of taking hundreds of digital photos of nature, wildlife, scenery, etc, and seeing them on a screen, while sharing them with others around the world within a few seconds. I truly am fascinated with the possibility of creating illustrated informative talks with my PowerPoint presentations, and with a simple lap-top and projector, taking them with me wherever I want to go.

However, there are also many pitfalls and dangers that these gadgets have created. The lack of privacy, the mischief created by hackers and the availability of improper websites are creating havoc in many families. Communications between members of each family has drastically decreased as individuals indulge themselves into hours of surfing on the web, while blocking other family members completely from their lives. Facebook and MySpace are recent innovations sharing personal information and welcoming exclusive friends to read all about your life. And yet, there is other information that is shared, which at times may be indecent, improper and scandalous.

Cell phone technology is another incredible invention. I read recently that in Malta there are more cell-phones than people, which of course means that some people have two or more. Without underestimating their ease of use and their beneficial presence, they can also be a deadly weapon when used while driving. Our young people especially use them to send text messages and this has produced a new way of communicating with each other, not to mention Twitter which exploded with popularity in 2009. Yet the popularity of cell phones is causing havoc within families as wives want to know who their husbands are calling, who’s sending e–mails to whom, who’s sharing private pictures with whom....in other words, privacy and confidentiality are out of the window, and so much subtle damage is being done with these gadgets. With mounted web-cams you can eaves-drop on friends and who knows what else. Computers can tell you which websites your spouse was looking at a week ago, three days ago......and I’m afraid this is just the tip of the iceberg. I pray and hope that our technological world will slow down a bit.

Bulletin Page for September 13, 2009

Words of Wisdom



What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.



Faith believes in spite of the circumstances and acts in spite of the consequences.

(Adrian Rogers)



Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly – until you learn to do it well.



You can’t be a smart cookie if you have a crummy attitude. (John Maxwell)



We are free up to the point of choice; then the choice controls the chooser.



Most people who fail in their dreams fail not from lack of ability but from lack of commitment.



The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.



Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing (Albert Schweitzer)



It is neither wealth nor splendor, but tranquility and occupation which give happiness.

(Thomas Jefferson)



Reputation is what others think about you; character is what God knows about you.



A nation is destroyed when people try to:

- get rich without wanting to work,

- seek pleasure while overlooking their conscience,

- show off without having a character,

- Sell and buy without reference to the 10 commandments,

- love God without doing any sacrifice. (Gandhi)



Input influences outlook, outlook influences output and output determines outcome.



Each of us will one day be judged by our standard of life, not by our standard of living; by our measure of giving, not by our measure of wealth; by our simple goodness, not by our seeming greatness. (William Arthur Ward)



All that we love deeply becomes a part of us (Helen Keller)



It’s the little things that make the big things possible. Only close attention to the fine details of any operation makes the operation first class.



Wealth is not measured by just what we have, but rather by what we have for which we would not take money.



A good marriage is when you’re married not to someone you can live with, but to someone you really cannot live without. (Dr. Howard Hendricks)



No one can make you feel inferior without your consent (Eleanor Roosevelt)



Until you make peace with who you are you will never be content with what you have.

(Doris Mortman)

Bulletin Page for September 6, 2009

60 Years back

I was reflecting on how things have changed in the past 60 or so years. Of course I wasn’t born yet in 1949, but from what I hear my parents talk about as I was growing up, in Malta things were much different than they were here in the USA. This is in no way a comparison between the USA and Malta, but you have to understand that 4 years earlier Malta was being bombarded from all sides by the Germans and the Italians during World War II. My parents were teenagers during the war and suffered a lot like many of the natives there. They were married in 1948, and had 3 children within 3 years, my first sister born in 1949, my second sister in 1950 and myself in 1952. Two more were to follow in 1955 and 1964. We had a simple home which was filled with love, faith and hope in a future which gave us many blessings.

Malta is part of Europe, and became independent in 1964, and joined the European Union in 2004. Linguistically we have our own language, and culturally we are part of Europe. An island 18 miles by 8, there are presently 400,00 people living on this tiny island, 60 miles south of Sicily, all of whom are Roman Catholic.

When I look at my two nephews and realize how lucky for them to be living in this day and age, I flashback and see how life was in 1949. Then compare life with what it was like here in the USA 60 years ago. Some households did not have running water and there were still communal water or water fountains from which people could get running water. Electricity was something fairly new and innovative as were telephone, a luxury my father could afford in 1957, mainly because he was a policeman. I remember many neighbors coming to make a phone-call to doctors from our house at all hours of the day. Television was only introduced in 1958 and of course it was black and white, and the few stations we had were all in Italian. Even Mr. Ed spoke Italian, as did Beaver, Lucy, Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, and the boys who owned Rin-Tin-Tin and Lassie. Again my father bought a TV set in 1958 and so many men used to come and watch soccer matches at our house, especially on weekends. Color TV was introduced in Malta in 1981.

A typewriter was a great luxury back then, and if you wanted to make copies, you had to use those carbon papers. If you were lucky enough to put in 6 copies at once, the 6th copy usually comes out so blurred that you couldn’t decipher an a from a z. But we managed, and we survived. Of course in this age of computers, children have no idea what a typewriter is used for. Ovens were becoming more popular too, but many people in Malta used to take their Sunday meal to the local bakery to be placed in the large bread oven, and then you’ll pick it up after three hours or so. Washing machines were non-existent back then and were only introduced in the 1960s. Driers still do not exist, because people just hang their clothes on line on our flat roofs, and they dry within an hour since the sun is so hot, especially in the summer. Most houses have flat roofs and we of course walk on them, and as children we use to play on them, and the hanging of clothes to dry was always an annoyance to us children. The when the rainy season arrived in September, we had to make sure that the roofs were kept clean and tidy as the rain that falls percolates into a well, built under each house. The water stays there until we use it for washing, watering plants, and if the well is kept very clean, it could be used also for drinking, as if you’re drinking Perrier or Evian.

60 years back is not that far, but oh how much has changed! Imagine going back to 1949 and mentioning the words e-mail, Internet, Ipod, Blackberry, Cyberspace, Twitter, CDs, and so much more that we cannot live without in 2009. If only we can go back in time and realize how happier we were. Especially because we did not have what we have today, and we didn’t need what we must have today.

Bulletin Page for August 30, 2009

EVEN MORE GEMS IN A SENTENCE



Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry at day time, and too sleepy to worry at night.



Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent

(Victor Hugo)



Do not quarrel the first time with your husband. If you do, it will never end.

If you don’t, it will never begin.



To keep your marriage brimming with love….whenever you’re wrong, admit it; but whenever you’re right, shut up!



I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.

(Abraham Lincoln)



There is no limit to what a man can do, or where he can go, if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.



Joy is not the absence of suffering, but the presence of the Lord.



God never asks us about our abilities or inabilities, but always about our availability.



The 7 ages of man: SPILLS, DRILLS, THRILLS, BILLS, ILLS, PILLS and WILLS.



Life is a mixed bag of blessings and disasters. Living is the art of storing enough Joy to tide us over the rough spots.



Doing an injury puts you below your enemy; revenging one makes you but even with him; forgiving him sends you and sets you above him. (Benjamin Franklin)



The reason a dog has so many friends: he wags his tail, instead of his tongue.



In youth, death is an enemy to be feared; in middle age, death is a fact to be faced; in old age, death is a friend to be greeted.



The pessimist is one who sees a difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist is one who sees an opportunity in every difficulty.



There is nothing that develops character in a young boy like a pat on the back, as long as it’s given often enough, hard enough and low enough. (Bishop Fulton Sheen)



There are three kinds of people: those who make things happen; those who watch things happen; and those who wonder what happened.



4 people

There is a story about 4 people: EVERYBODY, SOMEBODY, ANYBODY and NOBODY. There was an important job to be done. EVERYBODY was asked to do it. EVERYBODY was sure SOMEBODY would do it. ANYBODY could have done it, but NOBODY did it. SOMEBODY got angry about that because it was EVERYBODY’s job. EVERYBODY thought ANYBODY could do it, but NOBODY realized that EVERYBODY wouldn’t do it. It ended up that EVERYBODY blamed SOMEBODY when actually NOBODY asked ANYBODY.

Bulletin Page for August 23, 2009

MORE GEMS IN A SENTENCE



In written English, 12 most used words are, in order of frequency:

the, of, and, to, a, in, that, is, I, it, for, as.

The word most used in conversation is I. The most frequently written letter is e; the most frequently used initial letter is T.



Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you’d have preferred to talk.



When you want something down, well done, give it to a busy person.



Much harm may be done by indiscreet praise. But the chief harm is always done by blame.



Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you.

You’ll only double trouble, and trouble others too.



There are only 2 rules for good manners. One is always think of others, and the other is never think of yourself.



The biggest source of man’s unhappiness is his ignorance of Nature.



One great thing about vacations is that they make you feel good enough to go back to work, and poor enough so that you have to.



There is no comparison between that which is lost by not succeeding,

and that which is lost by not trying.



One ought every day to hear a little music, read a good poem, see a picture, and if possible, speak a few reasonable words. (Wolfgang Goethe)



If all the trees were pens, and all the oceans full of ink, they would not suffice to describe the wonders of the Almighty.



A sharp tongue, a dull mind, haughty eyes and inattentive ears are usually found

in the same head.



Can anyone explain to me why is it that goods sent by a car is called a shipment, while goods sent by a ship is called a cargo?



For the interested, everything is interesting. For the bored, everything is boring.



I noticed that the wicked people of this world usually hang out together, even when they hate each other – and this is their strength. Good people on the other hand, are scattered – and this is their weakness. (Yevgeny Yevtuschenko)



Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living. We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount (Gen. Omar Bradley)



The most gleaming trophy a great man can claim in his life is the discovery of a few truths, and the destruction of a few errors.



A man who works with his hands is a laborer; one who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; and he who works with his hands, his brain and his heart is an artist.

Bulletin Page for August 16, 2009

Cold and Hot

I recently borrowed from the library a funny movie "Some like it hot" with Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe, and until I watched the movie I thought that "Some like it hot" was only a proverb. For those who live in Eastern Oregon, their time is here to enjoy two full months of hot weather, mainly in July and August, although parts of June and September may be just as warm. I am grateful to be in Eastern Oregon, mainly because I like it cold. I love the colder temperatures, the snow, even though we have to shovel those endless steps in front of the Cathedral, I certainly prefer the winter than the summer. Mainly because in Malta, growing up, it was very hot in the summer months, and I gathered enough heat in my body to keep me warm for at least a hundred years. But for us who love the cold weather, we can’t really complain, because the warm season is very brief, while for those who love the warmer temperatures, they only have two months to relish, rejoice and relax in the warmth.

You may have noticed me that I rarely wear sweaters, am always in short sleeves, even in the winter months, and obviously you all know what my favorite footwear is - sandals. Maybe partly because of the monastic heritage where monks wear sandals, or because in Malta just about everyone wears sandals, they are comfortable, and in imitating the many saints, every time you look at a picture or a stained-glass window, they’re always wearing sandals or are in bare feet. But I also know that the harsh winters here in Oregon can be brutal, and you will freeze if you’re not wearing enough clothing, hats, gloves, etc. In my home country, houses are not heated. We actually do not need heat, because the coldest temperatures ever recorded were between 35 to 40 degrees. However, when the temperature is 40 degrees outside, (which is very rare,) inside a house, it can plummet to 45 or 50 degrees, and the only way to stay warm is to put more sweaters on, use an electric heater (which could be expensive) or simply just keep moving.

Inside the Cathedral, summer is no fun at all, as the temperatures can go up to 90 degrees in the afternoon. That is why we halted the 6 PM Mass on Saturday in mid-June until early September. I remember when we were doing the renovation 2 years ago that it was pretty warm between 5 and 8 PM, but we survived. To help reduce the heat, every Sunday morning, I get up between 3 and 4 AM to open the doors of the Cathedral, to let some cooler air in – it’s nature’s way of air-conditioning Baker City, and it is highly efficient and convenient. Of course I’m always nervous about more pigeons coming inside the Cathedral when the windows and doors are open, but I also learned that they sleep in the dark, and are up and around by daylight. Sometimes all you need is 15 to 30 minutes of open doors to circulate enough cool air and eliminate the oppressive heat that gathers inside the 101-year old Cathedral. But it’s a very effective way to cool off the church for the Sunday morning Masses.

Some people ask me why we don’t air-condition the Cathedral. It really is not necessary because we only have 2 warm months here, and because I cool it every Sunday morning, no one ever complains that it’s stifling hot. The only time that it gets warm is when we have the Mass on August 15 in the evening, a holy day, and whenever we have a wedding, which are becoming rarer than ever, mainly because I tell the bride right away if she requests a summer wedding that it has to be before 10 AM, or otherwise before June or after September. Sometimes they insist that they want it in the afternoon, but when I tell stories of brides with their make-up melting on their wedding dress, and flowers wilting during the service, then they believe me and change their minds. So, if you have a daughter or a son for marriage, plan it between October and May, and it will be beautiful! And if you think it’s hot on Sundays, come with sandals.

Bulletin Page for August 9, 2009

GEMS IN A SENTENCE

Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you’d have preferred to talk.



Most of the world’s useful work is done by people who are pressed for time, or are tired or do not feel well.



The trouble with doing something right the first time is that nobody appreciates how difficult it was in the first place.



The problem in America is that there are many sinners who think they are saints, and very few saints who think they are saints.



Teaching kindergarten is like trying to keep 30 pieces of cork underwater

– with one hand, all at the same time!



Our greatest glory consists not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.



Children have never been known to listen and obey their parents,

but they never fail to imitate them.



In the successes and disappointments in life, remember that all passes away. So when you are successful in something, don’t feel superior – and when you fail, don’t despair.

(Rudyard Kipling)



It takes a big man to admit when he’s wrong, and an even bigger man to keep

his mouth shut when he’s right.



Errors should be reasons for growth, not excuses for discouragement.



If you want your children to improve, let them hear the nice things you say about them to others.



Next to LAZY, the worst label you can have is POTENTIAL,

because people would expect too much of you.



The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.



Do not follow where the path leads, but rather go where there is no path and leave a trail.



An average person eats 60,000 lbs of food during his lifetime

– that’s the combined weight of 6 elephants!



An average person walks a total equivalent of 4 times around the globe in his lifetime.



Today, well lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,

and every tomorrow a vision of hope.



The best wealth is health!



No one can deny this truth: a closed mouth is often evidence of an open mind.



For those who believe in God, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not believe in God, no explanation is possible (From the movie “The Song of Bernadette”)

Bulletin Page for August 2, 2009

The character of a person

Pope John Paul I reigned for only 33 days in 1978. If he had reigned for a longer period of time, I’m sure the world would have known and heard about many stories, humorous but didactic nonetheless. Before he became Pope, known as Albino Luciani, he was the Cardinal of Venice, and before that he wrote a few books, including one named “Illustrissimi.” It comprises a series of letters he wrote to fictitious people who are dead, but are well known. In his letter to Hippocrates, he writes this hilarious description of how to check a person’s character.



The best place to discover people’s temperaments is in a cheap restaurant. Or to be exact, in a cheap restaurant where a thirsty man who has ordered a glass of beer has it brought to him with a big fly struggling in it.



Is the customer an Englishman? Phlegmatically he puts the glass down on the table; calmly he rings the bell and orders: “Another glass of beer, cool and clean, please.” Having drunk it he pays and goes out, neither moved nor upset. If anyone is upset it is the waiter, not because of the fly but because of the tip he didn’t get.



Is the glass of beer served to a Frenchman? He sees the fly and goes berserk. He slams down the glass, swears and shouts at the owner and the waiters, goes out slamming the door and in the street carries on ranting against the restaurant, the beer and the fly.



An Italian comes in, looks at the fly, and smilingly flicks his middle finger at it to chase it off the surface of the beer. He jokes with the waiter: “Look, I asked you for a drink and you’ve brought me something to eat,” but he drinks it all the same and leaves, forgetting to pay the bill.



Now it’s the turn of a German: he sees the fly, keeps the glass raised to the height of his nose and frowns, shuts his eyes, puts back his head a little, and being highly disciplined, sends down both beer and fly in a single gulp.



An American comes in. He is much amused to see the fly in the foam of the beer and takes out his glasses. So wholly taken up is he with the sight that he would forgot to drink if the waiter, having noticed the fly, didn’t change the first glass of beer for a second, with effusive apologies.



Last of all is the Eskimo. He’s never seen a fly and thinks that before him is a favorite local dish, a specialty. So he eats the fly and throws away the beer.

What is Charity?

It is SILENCE – when your words would hurt.

It is PATIENCE – when your neighbor is irritable or short.

It is DEAFNESS – when a scandal flows.

It is THOUGHTFULNESS – for the fears and woes of others.

It is PROMPTNESS – when duty calls.

It is COURAGE – when misfortune falls.



12 things to remember

The value of time The success of perseverance The pleasure of working The dignity of simplicity

The worth of character The power of example

The influence of life The obligation of duty

The improvement of talent The wisdom of economy

The virtue of patience The joy of originating

Bulletin Page for July 26, 2009

Memos from your child

1. Don’t spoil me. I know quite well that I ought not to have all that I ask for. I’m only testing you.
2. Don’t be afraid to be firm with me. I prefer it - it makes me feel more secure.
3. Don’t let me form bad habits. I have to rely on you to detect them in the early stages.
4. Don’t make me feel smaller than I am. It only makes me behave stupidly “big.”
5. Don’t correct me in front of people if you can help it. I’ll take much more notice if you talk quietly with me in private.
6. Don’t make me feel that my mistakes are sins. It upsets my sense of values.
7. Don’t protect me from consequences. I need to learn the painful way, sometimes.
8. Don’t be too upset when I say “I hate you.” It isn’t you I hate, but your power to thwart me.
9. Don’t take too much notice of my small ailments. Sometimes they get me too much attention I don’t need.
10. Don’t nag. If you do, I shall have to protect myself by appearing deaf.
11. Don’t forget that I cannot explain myself as well as I should like. This is why I’m not always very accurate.
12. Don’t make rash promises. Remember that I feel badly let down when promises are broken.
13. Don’t tax my honesty too much. I am easily frightened into telling lies.
14. Don’t be inconsistent. That completely confuses me and makes me lose faith in you.
15. Don’t tell me my fears are silly. They are terribly real and you can do much to reassure me if you try to understand.
16. Don’t put me off when I ask questions. If you do, you will find that I stop asking and seek my information elsewhere.
17. Don’t ever suggest that you are perfect or infallible. It gives me too great a shock when I discover that you are neither.
18. Don’t ever think it is beneath your dignity to apologize to me. An honest apology makes me feel surprisingly warm towards you.
19. Don’t forget that I can’t thrive without lots of understanding love, but I don’t need to tell you, do I?

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o

Doubt sees the obstacles – Faith sees the way.

Doubt sees the darkest night – Faith sees the light of day.

Doubt dreads to take a step – Faith soars on high.

Doubt questions: “Who believes? - Faith answers “I do.”

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o



Because I have received kindness, I have been spurned to be kind.

Because I have caught the smile of another’s lips, I have found myself smiling.

Because I have known the joy of receiving, I rejoice in giving.

Because I have felt pain, I know what pity is.

Because I have tasted humiliations, I know what consideration is.

Because I have seen Christ suffering, I have had the courage to go on.

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o



6 most important words: I ADMIT I MADE A MISTAKE

5 most important words: YOU DID A GOOD JOB

4 most important words: WHAT IS YOUR OPINION?

3 most important words: I LOVE YOU

2 most important words: THANK YOU

1 most important word: YOU

1 least important word: I

Bulletin Page for July 19, 2009

IF JESUS CAME TO YOUR HOUSE TODAY



If Jesus came to your home to spend a day or two –

If he came unexpectedly, I wonder what you’d do.

Oh, I know you’d give your nicest room to such an honored Guest,

And all the food you’d serve Him would be the very best.

And you would keep assuring Him you’re glad to have Him there –

That serving Him in your home is joy beyond compare.



But – when you saw Him coming would you meet Him at the door,

With arms outstretched in welcome to your Heavenly Visitor?

Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in,

Or hide some magazine, and put the Bible where they’d been?

Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn’t heard,

And wish you hadn’t uttered that last, loud, hasty word?



Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out?

Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about?

And I wonder - if the Savior spent a day or two with you,

Would you go right on doing the things you always do?

Would you go right on saying the things you always say?

Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?



Would your family conversation keep its usual pace,

And would you find it hard each meal to say table grace?

Would you sing the songs you always sing, and read the books you read,

And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed?

Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you’d planned to go,

Or would you, maybe, change your plans for just a day or so?



Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends,

Or would you hope they stay away until His visit ends?

Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on,

Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?

It might be interesting to know the things that you would do,

If Jesus came in person to spend some time with you.



A very useful prayer

Lord, help me to remember that nothing is going to happen to me today,

that you and I together cannot handle.



Six Mistakes to avoid

(written by Cicero, 20 centuries ago)

1. The delusion that individual advancement is made by crushing others.

2. The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected.

3. Insisting that a thing is impossible simply because we ourselves cannot do it.

4. Refusing to set aside trivial differences.

5. Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and studying.

6. Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.



Bulletin Page for July 12, 2009

Welcome Jesus into your life…..

When I am filled with pride and stubbornness, let me welcome in the humility of Jesus.

When lying keeps me from Jesus, let me welcome in the Spirit of Truth.

When selfishness hurts another, let me welcome in your compassion, Lord.

When I live in darkness, let me welcome in your spirit of light, Lord.

When I refuse to forgive or ask to be forgiven, let me welcome in your mercy, Lord.

When anger and fighting disturb our family, let me welcome in your peace, Lord.

When I disobey and talk back, let me welcome in your respect for authority, Lord.

When I dislike and talk about others, let me welcome in your love, Lord.

When I fail to use my talents, let me welcome in your generosity, Lord.

When I fail to pray and talk with you, let me welcome in your sacred presence, Lord.

Lincoln’s Guidelines

Abraham Lincoln laid down some guidelines for good government, which are being shared with you, because they apply to all facets of our lives. Here they are:

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot life the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

You cannot help the poor y destroying the rich.

You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

You cannot establish security or borrowed money.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and independence.

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.



Do this, and everyone will love you…..

If you open it, close it.

If you turn it on, turn it off when finished.

If you unlock it, lock it up when done.

If you break it, admit it.

If you can’t fix it, call in someone who can.

If you borrow it, return it.

If you value it, take care of it.

If you make a mess, clean it up.

If you move it from its place, put it back where it belongs.

If it belongs to someone else and you want to use it, ask for permission.

If you don’t know how to operate it, leave it alone.

If it’s none of your business, don’t ask questions.

If it ain’t broke don’t break it.

If it will brighten someone’s day…..say it!



Bulletin Page for July 5, 2009

On Good and Evil

To render evil for good – that is to resemble the devil.

To render evil for evil – that is to resemble the animals.

To render good for good – that is to resemble man.

To render good for evil – that is to resemble God.



o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o



A sorrow that’s shared is but half a trouble.

But a joy that’s shared is a joy made double.

Friendships double our joys and divide our griefs.



From Mother Teresa

Jesus is pleased to come to us –

As a truth to be told,

As a life to be lived,

As a love to be loved,

As a way to be walked,

As a joy to be given,

As a sacrifice to be offered,

As a peace to be spread.

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o



Parents Creed

Help me to guide this child of God,

Whom you have entrusted to me.

Help me to make his life worthwhile,

To give him the ability to see

That beauty abides in the common place

In the things that around him lie,

In the glories of the rising sun,

In the myriad of stars in the night-time sky.

For in the sereneness of night,

When man’s daily work is through

He renews the strength for the morrow

For the tasks he hopes to pursue.



DID is a word of achievement.

WON’T is a word of retreat.

MIGHT is a word of bereavement.

CAN’T is a word of defeat.

OUGHT is a word of duty.

TRY is a word of hour.

WILL is a word of beauty.

CAN is a word of power.

o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o – o



Lord, forgive what I have been,

Bless what I am, and direct what I shall be.



I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining

I believe in love, even when I feel it not,

I believe in God, even when He is silent.

Bulletin Page for June 28, 2009

A child’s definition of love



Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne, and they go out and smell each other.



When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis. That’s love.



When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.



Love is when you go out to eat and you give somebody all your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.



Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don’t yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings.



Love is when Mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him to make sure it tastes OK.



Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening the presents and listen.



Love is when you tell someone something bad about yourself and you’re scared they won’t love you anymore. But then you get surprised because they not only still love you, they love you even more.



Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day.



My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep every night.



Love is what you first feel before all the bad stuff gets in the way.



Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty, and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.



Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.



Love is when a puppy licks your face, even after you left him alone all day.



You shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it you should say it a lot.



Love is what makes you smile even when you are tired.



Beatitudes for Special People

Blessed are you who take time to listen to difficult speech, for you help us know that if we persevere, we can be understood.

Blessed are you who walk with us in public places, and ignore the stares of strangers, for in your friendship we feel good to be ourselves.

Blessed are you who never bid us to “hurry up”, and more blessed, you who do not snatch tasks from our hands to do them for us, for often we need time rather than help.

Blessed are you who stand beside us as we enter new and untried ventures, for our hesitancy will be outweighed by the times when we surprise ourselves and you.

Blessed are you who ask for our help and realize our giftedness for our greatest need is to be needed.

Blessed are you who help us with the kindness of Jesus, for often we need the help we cannot ask for.

Blessed are you when you assure us that what makes us individuals is not our particular disability or difficulty, but our beautiful God-given personhood which no handicapping conditions can confine.

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for your understanding and love have opened doors for us to enjoy life to its full and you have helped us believe in ourselves as valued and gifted people.

Bulletin Page for June 21, 2009

A Prayer for Fathers

God our Father, we give you thanks and praise for fathers young and old.

We pray for young fathers, newly embracing their vocation;

may they find the courage and perseverance to balance work, family,

and faith in joy and sacrifice.

We pray for our own fathers who have supported and challenged us;

may they continue to lead in strong and gentle ways.

We remember fathers around the world whose children are lost or suffering;

may they know that the God of compassion walks with them in their sorrow.

We pray for men who are not fathers but still mentor and guide us

with fatherly love and advice.

We remember fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers who are no longer with us, but who live forever in our memory and nourish us with their Love. AMEN.



The value of a father

A father is one who……

- Works hard, when others tend to just take it easy…

- Teaches his children patiently, when others can’t handle children at all or

are impatient with them…

- Can bar-B-Cue like a first-class chef, when others can’t even fry an egg or

boil some spaghetti…

- Can fix a bike, a pair of roller-skates, or even a Barbie doll, all while trying to make

a long-distance business call to New York.

- Can teach a four-year old how to play baseball, when others don’t want to be

bothered with any sports…

- Makes sure to remind the family about saying Grace before meals,

when many others just jump right in…

- Has an answer to every question, when others just shrug their shoulders,

saying “I don’t know…”

- Is determined to install that piece of software, when others just give up or

start cursing Microsoft…

- Spends hours helping the children with their homework, when others

brush them off saying they’re tired…

- Loves and cares for his wife and children with unconditional love, when others think only of themselves…

Does God exist?

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: 'I don't believe that God exists.'



'Why do you say that?' asked the customer. 'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.'



The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.



The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: 'You know what? Barbers do not exist.' 'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber. 'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!' 'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.' 'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me.'



'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'





Bulletin Page for June 14, 2009

Always remember……

Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself to others.

It is because we are different that each of us is special.



Do not set your goals by what other people deem important.

Only you know what is best for you.



Do not take for granted the things closest to your heart.

Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.



Do not let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past nor in the future.

By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.



Do not give up when you still have something to give.

Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.



It is a fragile thread that binds us to each other.



Do not be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.



Do not shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find.



The quickest way to receive love is to give love; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly. In addition, the best way to keep love is to give it wings.



Do not dismiss your dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope;

to be without hope is to be without purpose.



Do not run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going. Life is not a race, but a journey, an exciting, creative adventure.



The benefits of struggling

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared, and he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making progress, it appeared as it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no further.



Then the man decided to help the butterfly; so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body, and small shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he had expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.



What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we could never fly.

Bulletin Page for June 7, 2009

A Tragedy or a Blessing

Years ago in Scotland, the Clark family had a dream. Robert Clark and his wife worked and saved, making plans for their 9 children and themselves to travel to the United States. It had taken years, but they finally saved enough money and had gotten passports and reservations for the whole family to get on a new liner to the United States.



The entire family was filled with anticipation and excitement about their new life. However, 7 days before their departure, the youngest son was bitten by a dog. The doctor sewed up the boy but also hung a yellow sheet on the Clark’s front door. Because of the possibility of rabies, they were quarantined for 14 days.



The family’s dreams were dashed. They would not be able to make the trip to America as they had planned. The father, filled with disappointment and anger, stomped to the dock to watch the ship leave – without his family on board. The father shed tears of disappointment and cursed both his son, the dog who bit him, and God for their misfortune.



Five days later, the tragic news spread throughout Scotland and the world – the mighty Titanic had sunk. The unsinkable ship had sunk, taking hundreds of lives with it.

The Clark family was to have been on that ship, but because the son had been bitten by a dog, they were left behind in Scotland. When Mr. Clark heard the news, he hugged his son and thanked him for saving the family. He thanked God for saving their lives and turning what he felt was a tragedy into a blessing.



Although we may not always understand, all things happen for a reason.

A special recipe

Ingredients:

1 part of knowing who you are,

1 part of knowing who you aren’t,

1 part of knowing hat you want,

1 part of knowing who you wish to be,

1 part of knowing what you already have,

1 part of choosing wisely from what you have,

1 part of loving and thanking for ALL you have.



Instructions:

Combine all ingredients together gently and carefully, using faith and vision.

Mix together with strong belief of the outcome until finely blended.

Use thoughts, words and actions for best results. Bake until Blessed. Give thanks again.

It makes sense…..

If the grass is greener on the other side, you can bet that the water bill is higher too.

You have to wonder about humans, they think God is dead and Elvis is alive!

A skeptic is a person who, when he sees the handwriting on the wall, claims it’s forgery.

Sorrow looks backwards, worry looks around, while faith looks upwards.

The tongue must be heavy indeed, because so few people can hold it.

Some marriages are made in heaven, but they ALL have to be maintained on earth.

A successful marriage isn’t finding the right person – it’s being the right person.

Gods wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts!



Bulletin Page for May 31, 2009

It’s never too late to learn something new….or old

If you will take the time to read these, I promise you'll come away with an enlightened perspective on life. Some people were asked to share what they’ve learned in life. The subjects covered affect us all on a daily basis.



I've learned.... that the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned.... that when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned.... that just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' truly makes my day.

I've learned.... that having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned.... that being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned.... that you should never say ‘no’ to a gift from a child, no matter how insignificant.

I've learned.... that I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned.... that no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned.... that sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned.... that simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned.... that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned.... that we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've learned.... that money doesn't buy class.

I've learned.... that it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned.... that under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned.... that to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned.... that when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned.... that love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned.... that the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned.... that everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned.... that no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned.... that life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned.... that opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned.... that when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned.... that I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.

I've learned.... that one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned.... that a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned.... that when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've learned.... that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned.... that the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.



Try to remember these little gems, and put them to work in your daily lives.



Bulletin Page for May 24, 2009

Priests and Religious

The number of diocesan priests has grown in recent years, unlike the number of priests in religious congregations. This is one statistic to be found in the most recent edition of the Statistical Yearbook of the Church, published in one volume in Latin, English and French. The yearbook actually covers a seven-year span, from 2000 to 2007.



Priests

The number of diocesan priests went up 2.5% in that time, increasing from 265,781 to 272,431. The number of religious priests decreased by about that same percentage, such that there were just more than 135,000 in 2007. The American continent accounts for a decrease of 3,000 religious priests. Speaking of percentages, only in Europe is the number of priests clearly in decline. There they went from representing 51% of the worldwide total to 48%. Nevertheless, in some countries of Eastern Europe, especially Poland, the number of priests is markedly growing. Italy, France and Spain still have about half of all European priests, and of these, almost half are in Italy.

Asia and Africa continues to see an increase in the number of priests. In Africa, about half come from just four countries: Congo, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. America and Oceania are holding about stable in their numbers. America has just less than 30% of the worldwide population of priests, while Oceania has less than 1%. The number of permanent deacons saw a marked increase from 2000 to 2007, with 29% more, bringing their number to 35,942.



Religious

The number of men religious who are not priests has also gone down slightly, decreasing from 55,057 to 54,956. By continents, this decrease is seen mostly in Europe (a decrease of 13.82%) and in Oceania (a decrease of 15.8%), though in America the numbers have maintained steady and in Asia and Africa, there has been an increase of 31.10% and 9.16%, respectively. Still, the number of men religious in Europe continues to represent 34% of the worldwide number, with notable increases in Ukraine, Romania, Hungary and Austria. Women religious, meanwhile, decreased in number by about 50,000 during that seven-year span, bringing their total number worldwide to approximately 750,000. Almost 42% of those reside in Europe, with the majority in France, Spain and Italy.

Seminarians

The number of priests promises to continue to grow, given that the number of seminarians also went up from 2000 to 2007. The number of those studying for the priesthood increased by some 4.8%, reaching 116,000. This growth is particularly thanks again to Africa and Asia, where the number went up 21.32% and 20.35%, respectively. Nigeria, Congo, India and the Philippines had particularly notable growth. In Europe, on the other hand, the number of seminarians is on the decline, going down 17%. A notable decrease occurred in Spain and Belgium, but also in Eastern Europe (Hungary, Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia).

Catholics continue to represent about 17% of the world population; in 2007, there were 1.147 billion baptized Catholics, up from 1.045 billion in 2000. Europe is about 40% Catholic, though the number of the baptized there increased only a bit more than 1%. In America and Oceania, the increase in the number of Catholics was less than overall population growth. The opposite was true in Asia and Africa.

Bulletin Page for May 17, 2009

A Prayer for Mothers

All loving God, we give you thanks and praise for mothers young and old.

We pray for young mothers, who give life and count toes and tend to every need; may they be blessed with patience and tenderness to care for their families and themselves with great joy.

We pray for our own mothers who have nurtured and cared for us;

may they continue to guide us in strong and gentle ways.

We remember mothers who are separated from their children because of war, poverty, or conflict;

may they feel the loving embrace of our God who wipes every tear away.

We pray for women who are not mothers but still love and shape us with motherly care and compassion.

We remember mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers who are no longer with us but who live forever in our memory and nourish us with their love. AMEN.



Kindness leads to Happiness

Scatter seeds of kindness everywhere you go;

Scatter bits of courtesy – watch them grow and grow.

Gather buds of friendship; keep them till full-blown;

You will find more happiness than you have ever known.



Let me give

I do not know how long I’ll live - But while I live, Lord, let me give,

Some comfort to someone in need - By smile or nod – kind word or deed,

And let me do what ever I can - To ease things for my fellow man.

I want nothing but to do my part - To “lift” a tired or weary heart,

To change folks’ frowns to smiles again - Then I will not have lived in vain;

And I’ll not care how long I live, - If I can give, and give, and give.

A Retirement Prayer

I am scared, Lord God. Who am I without a title? Without a schedule?

Without my job?

Teach me, Lord God. Show me who I am.

Remind me that I am not my job, nor was I ever so.

Open my eyes to the beauty that surrounds me. Open my heart to the love. Open my arms to family members and friends I was always too busy to embrace. Open my mind to the vast world of knowledge that lies before me.

Open my ears to the cries of those who desperately need my assistance.

Fill me with compassion, Lord God. Let me transform these doubts of mine into acts of goodness and charity. Calm my fears, Lord God. Remind me that I am vital, that I am needed, that I matter, that I am loved. Teach me to embrace this precious freedom I have been granted. For the first time in a long time I can choose to spend my days as I wish, to explore whatever I wish, to travel wherever I wish. Help me live this time wisely, Lord God. Lead me on the path to meaning, to satisfaction, to joy, to peace. Stay with me, Lord God. Let me know You are near. Amen.



Rules for a Happy Marriage



1. Never both be angry at the same time.

2. Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire.

3. If one of you has to win an argument, let it be your mate.

4. If you have to criticize, do it lovingly.

5. Never bring up mistakes of the past.

6. Neglect the whole world rather than each other.

7. Never go to sleep with an argument unsettled.

8. At least once a day try to say one complimentary or kind thing to your life’s partner.

9. When you have done something wrong, be ready to admit it and ask for forgiveness.

10. It takes two to make a quarrel, and the one in the wrong is the one who does the most talking.

Bulletin Page for May 10, 2009

BEING A MOTHER...

After 17 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, 'I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.'

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been alone for 20 years, but the demands of my work and my two boys had made it possible to visit her only occasionally. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.

'What's wrong, aren't you well,' she asked? My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.

'I thought it would be pleasant to spend some time with you,' I responded. 'Just the two of us.'

She thought about it for a moment, and then said, 'I would like that very much.'



That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last birthday on November 19th.

She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's. 'I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed,' she said, as she got into that new white van. 'They can't wait to hear about our date'.

We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. 'It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,' she said. 'Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor,' I responded.

During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation - nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We talked so much that we missed the movie.

As we arrived at her house later, she said, 'I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.' I agreed.



'How was your dinner date?' asked my wife when I got home.

'Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,' I answered.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her.

Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: 'I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son.'

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: 'I LOVE YOU' and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till 'some other time.'



- Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby.... somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, 'normal' is history.

- Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct ….somebody never took a three-year-old shopping.

- Somebody said being a mother is boring ....somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit.

- Somebody said if you're a 'good' mother, your child will 'turn out good'....somebody thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee.

-Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother.... somebody never helped a fourth grader with his math.

- Somebody said you can't love the second child as much as you love the first ....somebody doesn't have two children.

- Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery....somebody never watched her 'baby' get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten …or on a plane headed for military 'boot camp.'

- Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married....somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.

- Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home.... somebody never had grandchildren.

- Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her.... somebody isn't a mother.



Bulletin Page for May 3, 2009

The Seed

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you." The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."



One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing.



Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!



When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!" All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!" When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!"



Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. "How could he be the new CEO?" the others said. Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.

* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.

* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.

* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment.

* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective.

* If you plant hard work, you will reap success.

* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.

* If you plant faith, you will reap a harvest.

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

"Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You Back"



Remembering the Basics



In the next few weeks, I will be sharing with you some of the basic prayers and devotions of our Catholic Faith. I know that some of these prayers are popular and well-know by many, but I’m including them just the same.



The Sign of the Cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.



The Our Father. Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary. Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death Amen.

Glory Be. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The 7 Sacraments – Baptism, Penance, Eucharist, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Marriage, Anointing of the sick.



The 10 Commandments

1. I am the Lord your God; you shall not have strange gods before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord's day
4. Honor your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
10. You shall not covet you neighbor's goods.

The Great Commandment. You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your strength. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27)



Act of Contrition O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life.



Another version of the Act of Contrition. My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against You, whom should love above all things. I firmly intend, with Your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In His name, my God, have mercy. AMEN.


The Mysteries of the Rosary

Joyful Mysteries (Monday and Saturday)

1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
3. The Nativity of Jesus
4. The presentation in the temple
5. Jesus is lost and found in the temple

Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday and Friday)

1. The Agony in the Garden
2. The flogging at the pillar
3. The crowning of thorns
4. Jesus is condemned to death
5. Jesus dies on the cross

Glorious Mysteries (Wednesday and Sunday)

1. The Resurrection of Jesus
2. The Ascension of Jesus
3. The Holy Spirit descends on the Apostles
4. The Assumption of Mary
5. Mary is crowned Queen of heaven and earth

Luminous Mysteries (Thursday)

1. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River
2. The first miracle at the Wedding at Cana
3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom
4. The Transfiguration
5. The Institution of the Eucharist

ANIMA CHRISTI

Soul of Christ, make me holy.

Body of Christ, save me.

Blood of Christ, fill me with love.

Water from Christ's side, wash me.

Passion of Christ, strengthen me.

Good Jesus, hear me.

Within your wounds, hide me.

Never let me be parted from you.

From the evil enemy, protect me.

At the hour of my death, call me.

And tell me to come to you.

That with your saints I may praise you.

Through all eternity. Amen.

Corporal Works of Mercy

1. To feed the hungry
2. To give drinks to the thirsty
3. To clothe the naked
4. To visit the imprisoned
5. To shelter the homeless
6. To visit the sick
7. To bury the dead

Spiritual Works of Mercy

1. To admonish the sinner
2. To instruct the ignorant
3. To counsel the doubtful
4. To comfort the sorrowing
5. To bear wrongs patiently
6. To forgive all injuries
7. To pray for the living and the dead

The 7 Precepts of the Church

1. Take part in Sunday masses and on Holy Days. Don’t do unnecessary work on Sundays.
2. Receive the sacraments frequently.
3. Study the Good News of Jesus.
4. Follow the marriage laws of the Church.
5. Support the people of God with your contributions
6. Do penance at certain times
7. Support the missionary efforts of the Church

Blessing before meals: Bless us o Lord, and these thy gifts, which we have received from thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. AMEN.



Grace after meals: We give you thanks, almighty God, for all your blessings, which we have received from thy bounty, through Christ our Lord.



The 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit: 1. Wisdom 2 Understanding 3. Counsel

4. Fortitude 5. Knowledge 6. Piety 7. Fear of the Lord



The Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, patience, kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control

(as quoted in Galatians 5:22)



Hail Holy Queen (Salve Regina) - Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

Pray for us, o Holy Mother of God; that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.
The Apostles Creed - I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Act of Faith - O my God, I firmly believe that you are one God in three divine persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe that your divine Son became man and died for our sins, and that he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the holy catholic Church teaches, because in revealing them you can neither deceive nor be deceived.

Act of Hope - O my God, relying on Your almighty power and infinite mercy and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Your grace and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer. Amen.

Act of Love - O my God, I love you above all things with my whole heart and soul because you are all good and worthy of all my love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of you.
I forgive all who have injured me and ask pardon of all whom I have injured. Amen.

Act of Resignation - O Lord, my God, from this day I accept from your hand willingly and with submission, the kind of death that it may please you to send me, with all its sorrows, pains, and anguish. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

A Daily Offering - Eternal father, I offer you everything I do this day: my work, my prayers, my apostolic efforts; my time with family and friends; my hours of relaxation; my difficulties, problems, distress which I shall try to bear with patience. Join these, my gifts, to the unique offering which Jesus Christ, Your Son, renews today in the Eucharist. Amen.

Prayer before a Crucifix - Behold, O Kind and most sweet Jesus, before Thy face I humbly kneel, and with the most fervent desire of soul, I pray and beseech Thee to impress upon my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, true contrition for my sins and a firm purpose of amendment. With deep affection and grief of soul, I ponder within myself, mentally contemplating Thy five wounds, having before my eyes the words which David the Prophet spoke concerning Thee: "They have pierced my hands and my feet, they have numbered all my bones."

Stations of the Cross

1. Jesus is condemned to death on the Cross.
2. Jesus accepts his cross.
3. Jesus falls for the first time.
4. Jesus meets his sorrowful Mother.
5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross.
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.
7. Jesus falls the second time.
8. Jesus meets and speaks to the women of Jerusalem.
9. Jesus falls the third time.
10. Jesus is tripped of his garments.
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross.
12. Jesus dies on the cross.
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross.
14. Jesus is buried in the tomb.

THE DIVINE PRAISES

Blessed be God.

Blessed be His Holy Name.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.

Blessed be the Name of Jesus.

Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.

Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.

Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy.

Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception.

Blessed be her Glorious Assumption.

Blessed be the Name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.

Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse.

Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.

The Memorare - Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother; to you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful; O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me. AMEN.

Prayer to Your Guardian Angel - Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom his love commits me here, ever this day (night) be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. AMEN.

Prayer to the faithful departed - Eternal rest grant unto them o Lord. And let the perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. AMEN.

Prayer of St. Patrick
Christ be with me
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me
Christ above me,
Christ on my right
Christ on my left,
Christ where I lie
Christ where I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

Prayer of St. Theresa of Avila – Let nothing disturb you, nothing frighten you. All things are passing. God never changes. Patient endurance attains all things. Whoever possesses God lacks nothing – God alone is sufficient.

Come Holy Spirit - Come Holy Spirit. Fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your spirit and they shall be created. And you will renew the face of the earth. Let us pray: O God, you have instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit. Grant that through the same Holy Spirit we may always be truly wise and rejoice in his consolation. Through the same Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Angelus (Prayer recited at Sunrise, Noon and Sunset)
The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. (Hail Mary)
Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
Be it done according to your will. (Hail Mary)
And the word was made flesh.
And dwelt among us. (Hail Mary)
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God. That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech you, o Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Your Son, was made known by the message of an Angel, may be brought by His Passion and Cross to the Glory of the Resurrection, through the same Christ, our Lord. AMEN.

Rosary – Fatima Prayer - Prayer recited during the Rosary, between each decade, suggested by the Blessed Mother during her apparition in Fatima, Portugal in 1917: “Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to heaven, especially those who have most need of Your mercy.”

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy

The Lord said to Blessed Faustina: "You will recite this chaplet on the beads of the Rosary in the following manner:"

First of all, you will say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Apostles Creed.

Then: On the Our Father Beads you will say the following words:

Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

On the Hail Mary Beads you will say the following words:

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

In conclusion three times you will recite these words:

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.



Prayer for Life - O God, our Creator, all life is in your hands from conception until death. Help us to cherish our children and to reverence the awesome privilege of our share in creation. May all people live and die in dignity and love. Bless all those who defend the rights of the unborn, the handicapped and the aged. Enlighten and be merciful toward those who fail to love, and give them peace. Let freedom be tempered by responsibility, integrity and morality. Amen.

Prayer for the sick - Father of goodness and love, hear our prayers for the sick members of our community and for all who are in need. Amid mental and physical suffering may they find consolation in your healing presence. Show your mercy as you close wounds, cure illness, make broken bodies whole and free downcast spirits. May these special people find lasting health and deliverance, and so join us in thanking you for all your gifts. We ask this through the Lord Jesus who healed those who believed. Amen.









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