Catholic Writing and Publishing – Page 19

Many climate change proponents deny one absolute: the truth of life

October 1, 2019/2 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

By Larry Peterson

You cannot embrace the child’s home and then kill the child.

The drums of climate change are pounding harder and harder every day. School children are being indoctrinated about the cataclysm poised to destroy the Mother Planet. Purveyors of the “existential threat” about to waste us are in our face 24/7. We hear about the “science” of climate change and that we should embrace it. If we do not, we are labeled “deniers.” We have been told that Miami will be underwater in three years and the world will end in ten. The projected Ice Age of the year 2000 is not happening, and trouble is coming to get us.

In religion, if you deny a tenet of faith such as the divinity of Jesus Christ, you would be classified as a heretic. It seems we have finally advanced the theory of climate change into the Church of Climate Change. Yes, it is a theory, and a theory means MAYBE or POSSIBLY (evolution is a theory — not a fact; gravity is a law — it is a fact).

The climate change hysteria reached new heights September 18, 2019. That was the day that NBC, the National Broadcasting Company, presented to the world the Climate Change Confessional, a place where climate change “deniers” can confess their climate change “sins.” Yes, they can admit their sins anonymously, cleansing their consciences of harm they caused against the planet.

God gave Moses the Ten Commandments about 3500 years ago. Now, in the 21^st century, NBC has given the world six Climactic Commandments:

Thou shalt not use plastic, including straws, bottles, etc.
Thou shalt not eat meat (cows, pigs, turkey, etc.)
Thou shalt not use energy (natural resources such as oil, natural gas, coal, etc.)
Thou shalt not use transportation (cars, planes, all vehicles propelled by fossil fuels)
Thou shalt not use paper (Does that mean toilet paper? Itmust mean paper plates.)
Thou shalt not waste food (i.e., leftover kale must be eaten).

Those are the first six commandments of climate change. More are sure to follow. The good news is, there are “climate sins” posted anonymously by others for you to reference. Sort of an examination of your climate conscience. Yes, my friends, you can unburden yourself of your “climate sins” in the NBC “Climate Confessional” — and do it anonymously. The concept is not new; we Catholics have been going to Confession for 2000 years. (The big difference is a priest will give his life rather than violate the Seal of Confession. I don’t know if an NBC employee would go that far).

Many people proclaim that they believe in God. Many proclaim the Bible as God’s word. I am a Catholic, but this piece is non-denominational. It is for any and all who believe in a Creator. Many who proclaim God proclaim their fears about climate change and want to save the planet. Mother Earth is their home — it is my home. It is every living being’s home. So that makes sense — let us be kind to our home.

However, I believe that many of those who are pro-abortion also proclaim that they believe in God. It follows that they all believe in His creation, the universe, wherein our planet resides. The following Democratic candidates are all in when it comes to climate change. They are also all in when it comes to being pro-abortion. They are all hypocrites and include:

Joe Biden (Catholic)
Robert Beto O’Rourke (Catholic)
Cory Booker (Baptist)
Kamala Harris (Baptist)
Amy Klobuchar (United Church of Christ)
Bernie Sanders (Jewish)
Elizabeth Warren (Methodist)
John Delaney (Catholic)
Andrew Yang (Christian Reformed Church)
Pete Buttigieg (Episcopalian)

These Democratic candidates running for president are all in favor of abortion. Most of them believe in abortion up to birth. As the father of a stillborn daughter who did not survive past the sixth month of pregnancy, I consider that infanticide. The definition of infanticide is as follows:

Infanticide [in-fan-tuh-sahyd], noun

the act of killing an infant
the practice of killing newborn infants
a person who kills an infant

Proclaiming your belief in God and His creation and wanting to protect it is a noble thing to do. But you cannot leave out the most important part of God’s creation and make believe it is NOTHING just to save your politics. It is not only hypocritical; it is downright shameful.

All the religions listed above proclaim and teach the Ten Commandments. They are the Law, handed down by God himself to Moses on Mount Sinai. That is the way it is and had been so for over three thousand years. If you want to reject it and mock it, knock yourself out. But don’t stand there and proclaim your godly ways when you willingly are ready to destroy God’s most precious creation, a newborn child. Yes — the most important and magnificent creation of the very God you proclaim.

The Bible says that God made the universe out of nothing. It took Him six biblical days, and he began with light and then the heavens and the planets and the land and the oceans and the plants followed by the living things and finally, on the sixth day, He made His masterpiece, the human being, both man and woman — and told them to be fruitful and multiply. God looked at what He had done and was pleased. Then, on day seven, He took a well-deserved nap.

So I ask how people of faith can embrace the parts of Creation that they can use for their advantage, i.e., climate change, and reject with a dogged determination the Commandment that says “Thou shalt not kill.” You cannot because doing so makes you all “deniers.” The science is in — the science is fact — human life begins at the moment of conception. You cannot embrace the child’s home and then kill the child.

Yes — all you promoters of infanticide and partial-birth and third-trimester abortion are the real deniers of truth. You have compromised your integrity and character for a political agenda.

NBC might consider referring those they have directed to Climate Confessionals to the pastors of their respective churches. When they get there they can ask them their opinions on Climate Confessions.

The Story of Our Lady of Bonaria and the Miracle of the Chest Lost at Sea

September 3, 2019/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

By Larry Peterson

There are numerous miracles that have taken place within the 800-year-old Mercedarian Order including that of St. Peter Armengol, who gave himself over to the Muslims to save another. He was hanged from a tree, only to be found alive six days later. He told everyone that the Blessed Mother had held him up the entire time. When they took him down, he smelled like roses. Another was St. Raymond Nonnatus, the saint who was never born. (Click on his name for the fascinating story.)

The other morning, I attended Mass which was offered by my friend, Fr. Daniel Bowem, a Mercedarian priest. After Mass, he, I, and several others had breakfast together. During breakfast, Father Daniel began to tell a story. It was about Our Lady of Bonaria, who became the Patroness of Sardinia. It was a story I had never heard.

Tradition says that on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 1370, a ship sailing from Spain to Italy was caught up in a terrible storm off the coast of Sardinia. The sailors were sure the boat was going to sink, so they began throwing cargo over the sides to lighten the load.

The last crate was unbelievably heavy, and the sailors could barely lift it. As soon as they managed to get it over the side and it hit the water, the storm stopped, the winds subsided, and the sea turned calm. They tried desperately to retrieve the crate, but it disappeared. Days later, and unknown to the sailors, the crate washed up on the shore of Sardinia at the foot of a hill called Bonaria.

There was a large crowd of people on the beach when the big wooden box floated onto the shore. They all hurried to see what it might be. Try as they may, they could not open nor move it; it was too heavy. A child in the crowd cried out, “Call the Mercedarians. They will be able to open it.”

The nearby church and monastery had been under the care of the Mercedarians since 1335. The people hurried to the church and asked the friars to come with them to see the mysterious crate. When the friars arrived at the beach, they were able to lift the box without hardly any effort.

They then carried it to the church, and in front of a large crowd of curious people, opened it up without a bit of trouble. What they found inside the box amazed everyone there. It was a statue of Our Blessed Mother holding the Christ Child. In the Virgin’s left hand was a candle. The candle was lit.

Unknown to those present they had just witnessed the fulfillment of a prophecy. When the church was built in 1330, Father Carlo Catalan was the ambassador to the Aragonese Court. During the dedication, he told the monks, “A Great Lady will come to live in this place. After her coming, the malaria infecting this area will disappear, and her image will be called the Virgin of Bonaria.”

The friars, recalling the words of the priest, named the statue “Our Lady of Good Air.” They named it this because of the winds that had blown the statue across the sea to them. Due to the miracle word spread quickly among the people.

To this day sailors invoke the Blessed Virgin as their protectress, and the devotion is practiced in many places around the world. The founder of Argentina, Pedro de Mendoza, named the capital of the country after Our Lady of Bonaria calling it Buenos Aires (Holy Mary of the Fair Winds).

In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI, on the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, visited the shrine and gave a canonical coronation to the famous statue. He also bestowed the Golden Rose on the Shrine.

Pope Francis made a repeat Apostolic visit to Sardinia in September 2013.

Finally, it should be noted, the Mercedarians have staffed and continually cared for the Shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria for over 680 years.

Our Lady of Bonaria, pray for us.

Give me Silence or Give me Death—Defender of the Seal of Confession; Father Fernando Olmedo Reguera

August 6, 2019/1 Comment/in Catholic Theme, Catholic Writing and Publishing, Defending the Faith/by Larry Peterson

On July 1, 2019, the Vatican issued the Note of the Apostolic Penitentiary (this is a tribunal in the Roman Curia that deals with mercy and forgiveness) about the inviolability of the Sacramental Seal aka the Seal of Confession.

A Sacrament is of God—not man.

The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore, it is a crime for a confessor in any way to betray a penitent by word or in any other manner or for any reason. (CCC 2490)

De Desconocido – Bustamante, Crisóstomo de (19–). Posiciones y artículos para el proceso de beatificación y canonización o declaración de martirio de los religiosos capuchinos asesinados en Madrid y el Pardo. pp. 13–18., Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Fernando Olmeda Reguera was born in Santiago de Compostela (in the northwestern part of Spain) on January 10, 1873. Following his religious calling, he joined the Capuchin Order of Friars Minor and was ordained to the priesthood on July 31, 1904.

When the Spanish Civil War began on July 17, 1936, Father Reguera was serving as the provincial secretary for the Capuchin Order. As with many priests and religious, he was forced to go into hiding. He moved among the homes of different friends and tried his best to stay under the radar. He also carried on his priestly ministry as discreetly as possible. However, he was apprehended during the first week of August 1936, when the Civil War was three weeks old.

Father Reguera was taken to an old fortress outside Madrid. The jails cells at the fort were quickly being filled with Catholics, religious and laypersons alike. Father Reguera’s initial admission to the jail included a severe beating from the soldiers. It would not be his last.

Father was given permission to hear the confessions of the other prisoners, especially the ones who were about to be executed. He gladly heard the confessions. Since he was 63 years old, many of the others imprisoned with him were much younger. So, besides being a priest, he presented a paternal quality which proved to be of extra comfort to the doomed prisoners. It may have been a small blessing, but it was still a blessing.

Father Reguera quickly discovered that his captors wanted much more from him. He was brought into the commandant’s office and told he would have to write down all that he had heard in the confessional. He was told his only other option was death. He adamantly refused and was severely beaten again. They gave him some time and asked him again to cooperate. He refused and was beaten — again.

They finally realized that Father Fernando Olmeda Reguera would never break his vow to protect the Seal of Confession. He would be of no more use to them. A makeshift populist tribunal condemned Father Reguera to death. His crime: “not revealing the secrets other prisoners had told him in confession.” He was taken outside the fort and executed by firing squad on August 12, 1936.

Father Fernando was beatified by Pope Francis in Tarragona on October 13, 2013. His remains are entombed in the Basilica of Jesus of Medinaceli in Madrid.

Blessed Fernando Olmeda Reguera, please pray for us.

These are the words of Pope Francis, as quoted in the Apostolic Penitentiary:

Reconciliation itself is a good that the wisdom of the Church has always safeguarded with all its moral and juridical strength with the sacramental seal. It, although not always understood by the modern mentality, is indispensable for the sanctity of the sacrament and for the penitent’s freedom of conscience; which must be certain, at any time, that the sacramental conversation will remain in the secret of confession, between one’s own conscience that opens to the grace of God, and the necessary mediation of the priest. The sacramental seal is indispensable and no human power has jurisdiction, nor can lay any claim to it. (emphasis mine)

From St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio):

Confession is the soul’s bath. You must go at least once a week. I do not want souls to stay away from confession more than a week. Even a clean and unoccupied room gathers dust; return after a week and you will see that it needs dusting again!

From Jehovah’s Witness to Catholic Priest: an Interview with Father Daniel Bowen, O. de M.

June 4, 2019/0 Comments/in Catholic Theme, Catholic Writing and Publishing, Faith/by Larry Peterson

Father Daniel Bowen, O. de M., distinctly remembers how every Sunday when he was growing up his mom would take him and his two brothers to Kingdom Hall. Their mom was a Jehovah’s Witness, and this was their church. It was as far removed from the Catholic church as one could imagine.

Young Daniel believed in God but was filled with doubts. By the time he became a teenager, he had decided he had enough of “church” and told his mom he did not want to go anymore His father told his wife that Daniel did not have to go if he did not want to. Daniel seized the moment and stopped going. After all, he came first—all else came second.

The years passed by and Daniel more or less forgot about God. Once in college, he became more self-absorbed about his own needs and what might make him happy. Then he met a Catholic girl named Lisa.

Lisa told Daniel that if he wanted to date her, he would have to go to Mass with her. He did, and he liked it. Then she introduced him to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. That was it. The young man, as the saying goes, was “hooked.”

Eventually, Daniel and Lisa took different life paths. The Holy Spirit had seized hold of Daniel Bowen and was not about to let go. On August 15, 2015, the Solemnity of the Assumption, Daniel Bowen was ordained a priest. He now serves as Vocation Director for the Mercedarian Friars U.S.A.

Fr. Daniel Bowen, O. de M., on his ordination day. Used with permission.

Read Fr. Daniel’s inspiring story: the beautiful testimony of a man who took his leap of faith holding hands with the Holy Spirit.

It was my pleasure to interview Fr. Daniel about his vocation.

When and how did you receive your call to become a priest? Was there a moment in time or an event when you heard the Holy Spirit calling you?

People began to ask me the question: Did I ever think about being a priest. I hadn’t, and so I had to ask God about it. It took a few years to figure it out, and then seminary to figure it out the rest of the way. No man knows for sure until he is laying on the ground before a bishop on the day of his ordination. It is totally a Holy Spirit thing, and prayer is an essential part of it all.

Tell me your number one reason for being a priest.

To know, love and joyfully serve God, and to love my neighbor as myself. To be a servant to God’s servants. All for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

What attracted you to the Mercedarians (The Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy)?

The Order was founded by the Blessed Virgin Mary, so this Marian aspect was most attractive to me. Also, the fourth vow, the Redemptive Vow, the willingness to lay down one’s life for another in danger of losing their faith – this “all in” aspect always spoke profoundly to my heart.

According to the General Rule Of Survey from the Univ. of Chicago, in 2015, among those 18 to 34 years old, 30 % do not have any religion at all. Many do not believe in God. Secularism seems to have infected many the world over. As the Vocation Director for the Mercedarians, your job must present quite the challenge. How is this going for you?

I am still working on getting my wings, so to speak. Yes, it can be seen as a challenge, but I prefer to see it as an opportunity. God still calls people to Himself. Christ’s death and resurrection is completely relevant to every generation, even those who feel it does not need to apply to them. First is helping others know that our Lord, the God of love and mercy is real and necessary to live a life of complete fulfillment. To help them realize the Christian faith is about relationship — God’s desires us to be in an intimate relationship with Him. And then to facilitate an encounter with Him. Once men know this, then they can begin to find what the mission and plan that He has for their life. Could God be calling me to be a priest and/or a consecrated religious? And if the answer is yes, then one is best to find out if this is truly His calling, and if so acting on it.

What advice would you give to a young person who is considering religious life?

It is a great gift given by God to some, not all. It is a precious calling to be intimate with God and others in a way that no other lifestyle can match. It is a summons to love fully and without holding back. To proclaim boldly to our world that not only God exists, but He knows and loves us. That I am willing to forsake the goods of this life and world, in order to embrace, here and now, the blessing that God desires for us in heaven. My advice: Go for it!!! Do not be afraid, or put it off, go find out if this is God’s will for your life. If it is you will have the best life. If it is God’s will, then there will be a peace and deep, profound joy that will be under it all.

How do you, as a priest, deal with negativity about the Catholic Church in the media, when asked about it by a layperson?

Some people were negative towards Jesus in His life here on earth. It is no different today. The Catholic Church is the body of Christ, yes there is a very human element, but there is also a divine element present here, that should not be so easily dismissed. For all her faults, and only the Lord knows why He permits them, the Church is the most charitable and truth-bearing place on the planet. She is the spouse of Christ, and so must be present to continue to bring Christ’s authentic presence, so that all generations may have the opportunity to encounter Him. Staying close to our Lord in prayer is key to keeping one’s head above water, especially when our faults are clearly manifested — keeping our hearts, minds, and souls on the Lord. Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your job?

Helping others to believe that the faith is real, and then to fully surrender one’s life to it. Seeing people fall deeply and madly in love with our Lord, and seeing that transformation take place is most rewarding. Experiencing the good work our Lord is able to accomplish through people who desire Him to work in their lives is a beautiful blessing. Challenging is seeing those who fall away from the faith, or keep saying no to God, seeing the resulting destruction this does to that person and to others and knowing how much it hurts our Lord, this is challenging. But following Christ is a summons to love, and it is an invitation that one must be free to choose or reject. Otherwise, it really isn’t love is it?

Photo courtesy of Fr. Daniel Bowen, O. de M. Used with permission.

I thank Fr. Daniel for taking the time to do this interview. May God bless him as he moves forward in his priestly ministry.

When Jesus Rose from the Dead where was the Blessed Mother? Ask Pope St. John Paul II

May 7, 2019/0 Comments/in Catholic Theme, Catholic Writing and Publishing, Easter, Resurrection/by Larry Peterson

When Easter morning arrived, someone was missing. That someone is the very linchpin of the salvation story. That someone is the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is nowhere to be seen or heard. Where was she?

We will hear from the Gospel of John 20:1-9 how

Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciples He loved and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him.”

So where was Our Lady when Jesus rose from the dead? She was His mother. She was nearby throughout the Passion and watched Him carry His cross. She watched as they drove the nails through His hands and His feet. She stood agonizingly and helplessly by as He was raised on the cross. For three hours she stood there watching every drop of blood leave her boy’s body. She was at the foot of the cross when He died.

The following week, on the Second Sunday of Easter ( Divine Mercy Sunday), the Gospel is once again from John, this time 20: 19-31. This is when, with the doors locked, Jesus appears to all of them (except “doubting” Thomas). Once again, the Mother of our Savior is never mentioned. Why is that?

No mom should ever have to witness such cruelty heaped upon her own child. Who could have loved Him more than she? Doesn’t it seem absolutely unquestionable that the first person who Jesus appeared to after He rose was His Mother? Yet there is not a single mention of the Blessed Virgin in the Resurrection narratives.

In the year 431 A.D, the Council of Ephesus affirmed the Dogma of the Divine Maternity. This explains to us that the greatness and majesty that was bestowed on Our Lady was wrapped into a bundle of pure Love from God. He was the Father of her child. She was the mom. Every drop of Jesus’s DNA comes from His mom. The Father and Son are God. Jesus Christ is truly Human and Divine, separate yet one. Yet she is not mentioned in the Resurrection Gospel readings.

From the CCC 496: Mary’s Virginity:

From the first formulations of her faith, the Church has confessed that Jesus was conceived solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, affirming also the corporeal aspect of this event: Jesus was conceived “by the Holy Spirit without human seed.” The Fathers see in the virginal conception the sign that it truly was the Son of God who came in a humanity like our own …

Back to the question: Where was our Blessed Mother, the Mother of the Risen Christ, her only Child, on Easter Sunday? We can turn this question over to none other than St. John Paul II. The Holy Father, speaking from Vatican City on May 21, 1997, said:

The unique and special character of the presence of the Virgin at Calvary and her perfect union with the Son in his suffering on the Cross seem to postulate a very particular participation on her part in the mystery of the Resurrection.

The Blessed Virgin, who was present at Calvary and at the Cenacle,

was probably a privileged witness to the Resurrection of Christ, in this way completing her participation in all the essential moments of the paschal mystery. Embracing the risen Jesus, Mary is, in addition, a sign and an anticipation of humanity, which hopes to reach its fulfillment through the resurrection of the dead. (emphasis mine)

If St. John Paul II said she was there, she was there. AMEN.

Meet Dr. Lena Frances Edwards: Pro-Life, African American, Catholic Mother of 6 Changed the Face of Medicine in America

March 4, 2019/3 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

Lena Frances Edwards was born in Washington, D.C., on September 17, 1900. Her father, Thomas Edwards, was a dentist and an oral surgeon. Her mom, Marie Coakley Edwards, was a homemaker. They were not only African American, but they were also devout Catholics.

Lena’s mom devoted her time to instilling the faith into her four children. Teaching them civic responsibility, developing personal self-worth, and following a philosophy she called “Lift as you Climb,” Marie Edwards left no stone unturned in doing her best to raise well-rounded youngsters. In 1917, Lena graduated as the valedictorian at Dunbar High School. Mom had taught her well.

Lena then attended Howard University and earned her baccalaureate in three years; she moved on to Howard University Medical School and graduated from there in 1924. While in medical school she and a fellow student, Keith Madison, became a couple and upon graduation they married. Between 1925 and 1939 they would have six children. Following her mom’s example, Lena raised them with their Catholic faith always at the forefront of all they did.

After completing their internships at Freedman’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., Lena and Keith moved to Jersey City, New Jersey, to establish their medical practices. During Lena’s early years of practice, she had to work from home and delivered most of her patients’ babies from the small clinic she had set up there.

It was during this time that she also became a public speaker about women’s health issues and an advocate for natural childbirth. She was also a staunch defender of life at all stages. She spoke about public health and social issues at local churches and the YWCA. She helped organize the People’s Charitable League, which included a day-care center. She provided clients at the day-care center with ongoing medical visits.

Her career changed when she was granted admitting privileges to Margaret Hague Hospital in Jersey City. Unfortunately, because of her race and her gender, she was prevented from being given a residency in obstetrics and gynecology until 1945. When she finally decided to sit for the National Board Examinations, she had to fight to garner the necessary hospital endorsements. Obstacles to her advancement were always in front of her, and with prayer and grit, she always seemed to knock them down.

In 1954 Dr. Edwards returned to Washington, D.C. and took a position teaching obstetrics at Howard University. In due time she was offered the position of department chair, but she rejected the offer because of her strong religious objections to abortion.

While in Jersey City, she had focused on treating poor Eastern European immigrants. Now, in the nation’s capitol, she turned her attention to working with the poor blacks. She became part of the Urban League, the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs, the Social Work Advisory Committee, and the Catholic International Council. She also served on boards for groups who assisted unwed mothers, as well as local maternal welfare organizations.

In 1960. Lena moved to Hereford, Texas to help in starting Our Lady of Guadalupe Maternity Clinic for poor Mexican migrant women. She served there until 1965 when a heart attack cut her career short. She went back to Washington and resumed work at the Office of Economic Opportunity and Project Head Start. Lena retired in 1970, her heart too weak to allow her to continue working.

During her life, Dr. Lena Edwards was foremost a devout and ardent Catholic woman. In 1947, she became a member of the Third Order of Saint Francis. Her son, Thomas, joined the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement and was ordained a priest in 1962. He was the first African American priest to be ordained in the Society of the Atonement.

In 1964 Dr. Lena Frances Edwards was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the government’s highest peacetime honor, honoring her lifetime of work and service for those in need. She continued to lobby against abortion and programs that she felt demeaned and hindered the progress of the poor.

Dr. Edwards, always fortified by her Catholic faith, overcame many obstacles considering the prejudice and discrimination that was so prevalent during the first half of the twentieth century. She was truly a remarkable woman and a shining example to all people, no matter what their ancestry. She passed away in Lakewood, New Jersey, on December 3, 1986.

The Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I) Take a peek inside the Love that is the Holy Trinity

January 1, 2019/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Faith, Inspirational, Prayer/by Larry Peterson

I attended Christmas Day Mass at 8 a.m. in my church: Sacred Heart in Pinellas Park, Florida. We have a Mercedarian priest, Father Mike Donovan, who has been with us for several months and he was the celebrant. Father used the Roman Canon in this Mass. (Canon is the word used that refers to the fundamental part of the Mass that occurs after the Sanctus and before Communion.)

Before 1970, the only canon used during the Mass was the Roman Canon. Today’s standard missalettes carry six canons; Eucharistic Prayers I thru IV and two Eucharistic Prayers for Reconciliation. The altar missal used by the priest has nine: the ones mentioned and there are three for children’s Masses. It seems the one most commonly used today is Eucharistic Prayer II.

The Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I) was put in place by St. Gregory I in the seventh century. It remains virtually unchanged to this day. However, since the new versions of the Eucharistic Prayers were included in the Novus Ordo Mass, it seems that Eucharistic Prayer I is rarely used. I do not know why this is, but the Roman Canon certainly has withstood the test of time.

In the Roman Canon, there is a rare beauty captured by the words written, and these words create visuals that can carry us to a different place. If you focus, listen, and read quietly along with the priest, you may actually get a tiny glimpse into heaven itself. Just let yourself feel the words grab you and transport you to a different realm.

When you “arrive” you may be able to peel back the veil and take a peek behind it. You might watch as the greatest love story ever told or imagined is taking place. It is the story of the perfect LOVE that exists within God and among the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit Who is God. This is about the most profound mystery of our faith and how this perfect LOVE is about to be shared with us. It is the greatest of gifts imaginable, and all of us who choose to accept it are about to receive it. But how does the Canon of the Mass take us there?

I have before me a copy of the Breaking Bread Missalette for 2018. I also have a copy of the St. Joseph Daily Missal from 1956. One is post-Vatican II; the other is pre-Vatican II. The Roman Canon is the same in both. So let me share just one of the visuals I have mentioned. First, we should all be aware that all of the canons are directed to God the Father.

We believe that through the consecrated hands of the ordained priest, Jesus is going to sacrifice Himself to His Father for us. The Father will accept this Gift of His Son’s human life and return His Risen Son back to us in Holy Communion. This is the Great Mystery of our Faith.

I will only mention a few words from this magnificent seventh-century document that I believe capture it all. After the words of consecration are said, and the Body and Blood of Jesus are on the altar, we all recite the mystery of faith. Then the priest continues:

Therefore, O Lord [referring to the Father] as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed Passion, and the glorious Ascension into heaven of Christ, your Son, our Lord, WE, your servants and your holy people, offer to your glorious majesty from the gifts that you have given us, this pure victim, this holy victim, this spotless victim, the holy Bread of eternal life and the Chalice of everlasting salvation [emphasis mine].

We move down and read of Abel the just, the sacrifice of Abraham, and the offering of the priest, Melchizedek. So try to picture what happens next when God the Father hears our prayer:

In humble prayer we ask you, Almighty God; Command that these gifts be borne by the hands of your holy Angel to your altar on high in the sight of your divine majesty, so that all of us, who through this participation at the altar, receive the most holy Body and Blood of your Son, and may be filled with every grace and blessing …

(Through Christ our Lord. Amen).

As we watch the angel take our gifts up to heaven and then return them to us from our Father, we finish with the following words (how many of us really think about them) before the Communion Rite begins:

Through Him, and with Him, and in Him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever. AMEN.

All the Eucharistic Prayers are beautiful, but I must admit I do love #1 the most.

Humility—What is it? Where is it? Who has it? How do we attain it? Let’s ask St. Benedict

December 4, 2018/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Faith/by Larry Peterson

What is humility? The dictionary defines it as: (noun) “modest opinion or estimate of one’s own importance, rank, etc.”

The opposite of humility is pride. Pride is defined as: (noun) “a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.”

Apparently, in this modern, self-absorbed world the pride factor has taken over. There used to be a slogan that said, “Sticks and stones can break your bones, but names can never hurt you.” It seems that slogan has been thrown into the dustbin of antiquity. The new slogan seems to be, “That was offensive. I demand an apology.” (or something like that).

It seems that more than half of the human race smothers itself to death with self-absorption. This condition may warrant a journey back in time to visit one of the greatest of Catholic saints; his name is St. Benedict of Nursia. Benedict’s work was so important in the evangelization of most of Europe that in 1964 Pope (now Saint) Paul VI proclaimed St. Benedict the Patron Saint of Europe.

Benedict authored the Benedictine Rule. Included in these rules are the Twelve Steps of Humility. Let us see what this saint has to say about humility. Since Benedict wrote in detail about each step, what follows will be a brief synopsis of each one.

Benedict introduced his Twelve Steps with this preface:

“Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)

How to be Humble:

Step one: The Fear of God. Man must keep the fear of God always before his eyes and never forget His commandments. The fear of God means reverence for God, and by offending God, we offend ourselves.
Step 2: Not My Will, but Yours, O Lord (John 6:38). This means to be humble we must avoid taking pleasure in our own wants and desires but always strive to do God’s will before all else.
Step 3: He was obedient even unto death (Philippians 2:8). Humility requires us to be obedient to authority which includes our parents, our priest, lawful authority, etc.
Step 4: Embrace Suffering Patiently and Obediently. “For he that will save his life shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25)
Step 5: Confess our sins and faults. This means we should regularly confess our sins to a priest through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Step 6: Be content with lowliness. We should accept that we are sinful and frail and when left to ourselves we are not much, but to God we are of precious value — so much so that he suffered and died for us.
Step 7: Understand our Interior Mediocrity. “It is a blessing that you have humbled me so that I can learn Your commandments” (Psalm 119:71, 73).
Step 8: To Keep the Rule. This is to remind the Benedictines to keep the Rule of their Order. It reminds us to keep the rules of Holy Mother Church.
Step 9: Silence and Solitude. We should always avoid speaking ill of others and try to embrace silence and solitude whenever God provides it for us.
Step 10: Keep Your Peace in Times of Laughter. This pertains to us laughing and making fun of others, something we should never do.
Step 11: Speak Calmly and Modestly. We should train our tongue so that the words we speak are foremost, pleasing to God and never
Step 12: Everlasting Humility and Meekness. We should strive to live our lives, day and night, by bearing whatever problems or adversities we are experiencing thereby allowing God’s kindness and gentleness to shine through us.

Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val was Secretary of State to Pope (now Saint) Pius X. He wrote the famous Litany of Humility. We might pray that more people embrace the gift of humility. We certainly need more of it.

Alzheimer’s Disease—The Ultimate Enemy of the Lifelong Love Story

November 6, 2018/1 Comment/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Inspirational/by Larry Peterson

If you and your spouse have lived within a marriage that has been filled with an unconditional, unselfish, love for each other, then you have been truly blessed. Giving of oneself to another “no matter what” creates a connection that can never be broken, and it leaves behind a journey that has been sheathed with laughter, joy, comfort, and compassion powered by that love.

This was God’s plan, and many have embraced it and lived it and reaped the rewards of truly being ONE. Loving someone more than yourself can be a hard thing to do and many have tried but failed. But far more have tried and succeeded by emptying themselves for each other.

I have two dear friends –better yet, I shall call them the BEST friends anyone could ever have. Their names are Mike and Roberta, and we met 35 years ago when our sons were playing youth baseball. Their friendship was unconditional, unquestioned, and given freely without reservation. They were unhesitatingly there for my family and later, after my wife, Loretta had passed, for me.

As is the way of things time never waits for anyone and keeps moving forward. Now Roberta looks at the dying person in the bed before her and realizes that part of herself is lying there too. Suddenly their lives together scroll before her. The courtship, the wedding, the birth of their child, the laughter, the good times and the bad, the crying, and so forth. This is when having God in your life is crucial. Hope springs eternal and therein lies the truth of the power of faith.

My friend, Mike, was raised in an orphanage in Philadelphia. Long ago, his mother dropped him off in front of the place on a snowy Christmas Eve. She left him standing there with a note pinned to his jacket. He was four years old. When he turned eighteen, he was dismissed from the orphanage, given a few bucks, and offered “best wishes and God’s blessings.”

He walked away from that place and immediately joined the United States Marine Corps. From that day forward, Mike, who was a trucker, has walked, talked, and looked like a Marine. Most of all he has loved his family and his country as completely as he could.

Roberta, who was a florist, was one of three sisters and was also from Philadelphia. Her life looks like different chapters in a novel whose genre could be considered “urban legend melodrama.” She was one of three sisters and was abused as a child. She lost her first husband to diabetes when she was thirty-one years old. Her father, an alcoholic, was burned over 75% of his body, and Roberta cared for him until he recovered and could somewhat function on his own.

Then she turned to alcohol, which ultimately led her to Alcoholics Anonymous. Mike was also attending AA, and that is where they met. He became her sponsor, and he was relentless in his quest to get her to stop drinking. She eventually did, and they got married. (Neither of them has had a drink in over 50 years).

A half-century of climbing and struggling down into the valleys and over the mountains of the journey called “life” has passed. They never wavered, stood tall, and together stared down and conquered all obstacles in their path. They raised a son who grew up to be the chief pilot for a well-known airline. Mike and Roberta are a living definition of the word marriage.

One more challenge stands before them. The only problem is, this time only one of them can confront the challenge. And, upon completing that challenge, that person will be alone.

Mike has been attacked by the cruel demon known as Alzheimer’s disease. It began erasing his memory some years ago, and it has relentlessly worked its evil 24/7. Today Mike is in a memory care unit inside a nursing home. He remembers nothing, yet his face lights up and he smiles ear to ear when his dear Roberta walks into the room. He thinks she is his “mommy.” Except she is not. He also has lost the ability to swallow and can no longer eat or drink.

His lover and best friend is now faced with the task of watching him leave her forever. She has asked hospice to keep him pain free and as comfortable as possible. The journey of the long goodbye has reached the last turn before arriving at the station. All that Roberta can do is embrace what was and know that his spirit will always be with her. Then she can take comfort in knowing that one day, holding hands, they will stand together again.

May God bless and have mercy on all Alzheimer’s victims and their families.

Blessed Anna Maria Taigi— a Shining Example for Wives and Moms Everywhere

October 2, 2018/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

Blessed Anna Maria Taigi--- a Shining Example for Wives and Moms Everywhere

Photo Credit: Flickr/Terry Morgan-Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (1769-1837)

This is about an ordinary housewife and mother to seven children. She is proof that an intimate life of the soul with God is just not for the consecrated and those who have taken vows, but is truly for all people who reach out to Him and do their best to follow Him. Her name is Anna Maria Taigi.

She was born on May 29, 1769, in Siena, Italy. Her father was a pharmacist but had lost his position and his money and was forced to take a job elsewhere. He decided to move the family to Rome, where he found a job as a household servant. Anna began attending a school run by the Filippini Sisters and was there from 1774 through 1776.

When Anna completed her education, she found whatever work she could to help her parents. Her primary job became that of a housemaid. She received her Confirmation in the Basilica of St. John Lateran in 1780 and her First Holy Communion in her parish church in 1782.

Anna met a butler from Milan by the name of Domenico Taigi. They were married on January 7, 1789. The couple went on to have seven children. Three of the children died when they were quite young. Little Pietro lived to be two years and one month old, while Luigi died at a year and a half old. Margherita died at birth, and of the four surviving children Camillo lived to be 42 and Alessandro lived to be 35. Maria remained unmarried and Sofia, who had been widowed, was left to raise six children.

Anna quickly discovered that her husband, although a man of high moral standards, had an explosive temper. He was never physically abusive to Anna, but he could be a screaming tyrant at times, and that brought intense pressure to the family and even scared them.

Anna suffered internally from her husband’s temper tantrums, but those anger outbursts also helped her to develop the virtues of patience, humility, and forgiveness. She learned that a smile and silence calmed him down much quicker than confrontation. The fact of the matter was, Domenico Taigi did love his wife deeply, and her constant patience with his behavior eventually saw him become much more tolerant of things that had previously caused him to get hostile.

Anna was somewhat vain and loved jewelry and nice clothing. One day while she and her family were at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Anna was overcome with the need to begin a new life of austerity. She was able to see the state of her soul and what effects her sins had on it. She immediately began a new life of obedience, submission, patience, humility, and self-renunciation.

Anna believed that marriage was one of the greatest missions from Heaven. For the remainder of her married life of 47 years, she calmly interacted with her husband, soothing his temper and providing all things for her family. She was the ideal housewife and always fulfilled her duties as a wife and mother, managing the daily routines of the household. She welcomed the life of humility in giving of herself to all those around her. This was Anna Maria’s vocation of extraordinary holiness in the ordinary world of marriage, family, and motherhood.

Shortly after her experience in St. Peter’s, Anna entered the Secular Trinitarians. She frequently visited hospitals and worked with and helped the incurably ill. It was during this time she began to experience frequent visions of the future. There began to appear to her a golden globe which became as a sun of matchless light, and in this globe all things were revealed to her.

The globe stayed with her the rest of her life. In it, she saw into people’s souls and could predict the future. She became a teacher, prophet, and theologian. She could see the whole world as one piece, as if it were flat like the façade of a building. She became acquainted with Cardinals and even knew Monsignor Giovanni Mastai who would become Pope Pius IX. Pope Leo XII held her in high regard. The Blessed Mother gave a prayer to Anna that she wanted recited. Pope Pius VII granted an indulgence of 100 days to anyone who recited it once a month, under the usual conditions of a plenary indulgence.

Blessed Anna Maria Taigi is the patroness of housewives, mothers and families. She is also the patroness of victims of verbal and spousal abuse. She was beatified by Pope Benedict XV on May 30, 1920.

Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, please pray for us.