Will You Pray for Me?

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Will You Pray for Me?

To be one of the best at what you do is very good. No . . . check that . . . it is GREAT! And it can be devastating when that’s taken from you.

Once, there was a performer who worked on the world stage. He sang and acted in some of the best theaters on the globe. Europe, the Americas, China . . . he would jet from city to city and country to country.

One day, at a dental visit, he found out he had life-threatening cancer. He and his family’s lives were about to change. First, his career was over; the treatment he would go through would be drastic. He would have a large part of an organ removed and reconstructive surgery over 12 hours. Then, he would undergo very large doses of chemo and over a month’s worth of daily pin-point radiation. As his oncologist put it, “We are going to take you to the brink of death—actually, just past—to kill the cancer, then help you to come back. But I’m not going to lie: you’re going to go through hell. It’ll be up to you and God to come out the other side.”

How would you react to a situation like this?

Well, he stopped everything and called friends, family, and organizations he was in—giving them the news. Then, he did something that had the greatest effect. He asked for prayers. He knew that he wouldn’t have the strength, endurance, or ability to make it through without.

The surgery happened, the chemo happened, and the radiation began. There were many, many hiccups along the way. A feeding tube became dislodged; a trach-tube reinsert was botched, causing him to mentally pray as he was fading away to unconsciousness, “Into Your hands, I commend my spirit.”

He was burnt beyond belief. He was sleeping 18 hours a day, and . . . he was ready to give up. With six excruciating days of radiation to go, he mentally said, “That’s it. I’m done. Lord, I can’t pray for myself anymore. I’ll pray for others, but I’m done. Do with me what you want.”

That’s when it happened. As soon as his heart and mind fully realized what he’d prayed, all the weight was lifted. He had an actual feeling of being “lifted.” To many people, the phrase “lifted in prayer” is just an old cliché. But to him, it was very real, physical, visceral. He could feel the prayers from friends, family, parishes, abbeys, monasteries, and convents from around the world—literally lifting him up! He still felt every open sore, every burn mark, every blister. But he was now able to bear it all—with a smile.

As his case progressed, doctors—not two or three but five—all declared they had never seen anything like his progress. They declared (in his file), “something supernatural . . . it’s a miracle.” It all came down to giving over to prayer. Not just any prayer but prayer from others, specifically intercessory prayer.

Fast forward: Today is day 1497 since I had over ½ of my tongue removed and a part of my wrist put in its place. In the four years and one month since my surgery, I have sung the Ave Maria in the Grotto at Lourdes, France, twice. I’ve had three award-winning books published by a great publishing house, and I’ve restarted my path in the Permanent Diaconate in the Kansas City–St. Joseph Diocese.

I now KNOW, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the effects of prayer … are real.

Copyright 2023 Ben Bongers

Giving Back to the Giver

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Giving Back to the Giver

We tend to think of our lives as entirely our own, to do with completely as we please, but they’re not. Our lives are a total gift from God, given to us out of God’s love for us, out of God’s desire to share his life with us. “Already to exist is a work of love!”[1] The fact that you’re here, that you’re alive, is, in itself, a sign of God’s love for you. You didn’t have to exist; innumerable others could have existed in your place. But God chose you. God chose to give you the gift of life, to offer you a share in the divine life. God chose you for a unique place within the Body of Christ. God chose you for a unique mission of love within the Body of Christ, a mission that no one else can fulfill.

Surrendering your life to God is then, in reality, merely offering back to God, in gratitude, the gift that you have already been given. Surrendering your life to God is an acknowledgment of that gift, and an offer to allow God to use your life in whatever way God wills for the good of the rest of the Body of Christ. To surrender your life to God is to offer yourself as a channel, a conduit, for the divine love.

Surrendering your life and your heart to God can begin right now, today, with a simple prayer. Maybe something like the following, or something similar, expressed in your own words:

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of my life. I give my life back to you in love and gratitude for that gift. Do with my life as you will. Use me as your instrument in the world. Help me to see and fulfill the mission of love you have planned for me.

Learning to completely surrender our lives and our hearts to God is actually a lifelong process. We may sometimes feel the gravitational pull of our egos, seeking to draw us back into our old self-centered ways, away from God and our mission of love. That’s why it’s good to pray some version of this prayer of surrender on a regular basis: as a repeated expression of our love for God, as an ongoing request for God’s guidance and grace, and as a reminder to ourselves of the commitment that we have made to God and to our God-given mission.

[1] Hans Urs von Balthasar, Heart of the World. Translated by Erasmo S. Leiva. San Francisco: Ignatius, 1979, 26-27.

* This article is an excerpt from Rick’s latest book, The Book of Love: Brief Meditations (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVSXX6P9/)

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Copyright 2023 Rick Clements

A Move Yet Still Home

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A Move Yet Still Home

Last spring, I moved with my family to Kansas, which is my ninth lifetime state (I also studied abroad and lived in London for four months, so if you count that, I’m in the double digits). Only recently did I begin to appreciate the blessing that being Catholic truly is.

Like most cradle Catholics, I’ve always had God in my life. Growing up, weekly Mass and CCD were omnipresent. As we’ve grown our own family, those same traditions have persisted. Regardless which state or city we moved to, a Catholic parish and the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist was always available.

Prior to this move, we lived in Florida, and our parish there was something special. Not only were we close enough to walk or bike ride to Mass, but that parish felt alive in a special way. The list of ministries was lengthy, and there were always events or service projects we could be a part of. I volunteered with faith formation, participated in the moms’ ministry, Walking with Purpose, and Bible study. There were monthly socials after a daily Mass, quarterly family events after the Youth and Family Mass (where kids served as ushers and lectors), and no shortage of friendly conversations in the parking lot. To say we loved this family-friendly parish would be an understatement.

When the news came that we were moving to Kansas for my husband’s new job, my heart sank knowing we had to leave our parish. It really had become a second home for us. I knew we wouldn’t find a parish like that in Kansas. I had lived in seven other states in my life, and that parish is unique.

My husband and I traveled to Kansas for a weekend to get to know the area and do some house hunting, and we visited the local Catholic Church for Sunday Mass. My heart was hardened before I walked into the sanctuary. I simply knew it wouldn’t be as good as our old parish.

I looked around and proceeded to judge everything. The tabernacle wasn’t prominent enough. The crucifix was too small. The choir performed instead of inviting us to participate. The priest was old and unenthusiastic. Everything I saw I disliked, and I wanted to be back in Florida.

Then the homily began. I don’t remember the readings for that Sunday, nor do I remember the beginning of the homily. What I do know is that God spoke directly to me that day through his faithful servant’s words.

He reminded us that we don’t come to Mass every week because of the priest or the social time. We come because Jesus meets us here, body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Eucharist. No matter which church we are in, he comes to us there.

Bam. My hardened heart softened. I was struck, and instantly humbled at my own arrogance and pride. Tears flowed down my face as I really let Jesus into my heart. Jesus reminded me that I’m there for him. Not the priest, not the building, and not the socialization. It doesn’t matter which parish I belong to, because Jesus is there for me, and I come to meet him. That’s all that matters.

I looked back on all the states and all the parishes and finally fully appreciated the gift I have in the Catholic Church. While I do still miss my old friends and the community of the parish in Florida, my heart remains grateful for his presence that I’m able to receive, regardless of where I live.

Maria Riley 2023

“Hey St. Joseph, can you help us bring all the absentee fathers home?”

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“Hey St. Joseph, can you help us bring all the absentee fathers home?”

 

When God chose Joseph, He knew what He was doing.

When God chose Joseph of Nazareth to be the foster father of His only Son, He certainly knew what He was doing. That is because this humble carpenter became the most excellent husband and father who ever lived.

I call St. Joseph the “Shadow Saint.” That is because we know so little about him. He never spoke a word that was recorded. He never wrote anything that was saved on parchment. It does not matter. This young man, a “righteous Jew” faithful to the law, was confronted with being engaged to a woman pregnant with someone else’s child. The reality was a terrible thing for him to bear. What he left behind was a legacy of how a man should love a woman and their child and how to care for them.

He would not let Mary be harmed.

Young Joseph was a man of faith, and God was with him. The penalty for his betrothed could have been death by stoning. Joseph would have none of that. His Mary would not be harmed. He loved her. So he took her in and married her. The child she carried would be his.

St. Joseph’s example of selflessness is something that needs to be talked about with admiration, respect, and pride. It might be used as a guide for so many who have fathered children and abandoned them in this secular-driven world.

There is a crisis of fatherless children in America. Next to the disrespect and disregard for unborn life, this could be the most dangerous threat to our society. Fatherlessness is an ongoing tragedy that found its roots planted when Roe vs. Wade was passed in 1973. When the destruction of human life was “legalized” the downward spiral of respect for life followed.

 

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Many children live without their fathers.

A disconnected father factor is involved in many aspects of life today. Yes, many homes still have fathers but many children live in homes with absentee fathers and the societal effects are felt all across the spectrum of American life.

Statistics show that in fatherless homes poverty is 4 times higher than average, teen pregnancy increases by a multiple of seven, abuse and neglect are much more widespread, and drug use is more prevalent. The list goes on and on.

 

St. Joseph is the perfect example for men, young and old.

St. Joseph could be used as a shining example for all men to emulate. He was poor, he was chaste, and he respected women, especially his teenaged bride. He was a man of faith and stayed true to the laws of God and man. Foremost in his life was his faith in God. This was his strength. This is what fortified him. Faith is the common denominator missing in so many lives today.

Joseph of Nazareth is an example of how one should respect the law. We could explain to young people how he had to put his pregnant teenage wife on the back of a donkey and then walk over rocky, dusty roads for more than 80 miles, a journey that probably took three days. And why did he do this? He did this because he was required to go to Bethlehem for the census and it was the law.

The story of young Joseph, taking his teenage wife and baby boy, and escaping Bethlehem because King Herod wanted to kill his son, Jesus, would amp up any young person’s pulse. Herod’s soldiers were hunting the poor guy’s child. His wife was recovering from childbirth. He had to make it to Egypt. And he did for his family. This is what a REAL man would do.

Joseph did whatever he had to do to take care of his wife and son. He worked hard to keep a roof over their heads, to feed them, clothe them, and protect them. He did not care about himself. His family came first, no matter what. He would have gladly died for them if necessary. He was a real MAN. His sacrifice and efforts for his wife and son allowed them to survive so they could fulfill the salvific narrative. THANK YOU  St. Joseph

 

We need to follow his example and celebrate his life.

His faith, courage, integrity, and love of God resonate like the smashing of cymbals and the banging of drums for all of us to hear. We need to follow his example. We need to celebrate his life. We need to honor his commitment to his responsibilities. We should cherish his devotion to family.

I realize the possibility of teaching about this quiet hero in public schools might be a pipe dream. Still, I would hope Catholic schools would use him FREQUENTLY as an example for students to look up to and respect as a role model for what a husband and dad should try to follow.

St. Joseph, two thousand years after his death, is still the finest role model for not only husbands and fathers but for all men for all time.

St. Joseph, pray for us all.

Copyright©Larry Peterson 2023.
Image: Pexels

 

A Beacon of Hope

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A Beacon of Hope

 

“And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Matthew 16:18 (Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition Imprimatur)

The idyllic seaside town of Lahaina on the island of Maui disappeared on August 8, 2023. 

An early morning brush fire, believed extinguished, suddenly erupted into a towering inferno that evening.

Fueled by hurricane winds, the wildfire roared down tinderbox slopes of the West Maui Mountains at more than a mile a minute (1), consuming eons of human history, dislocating thousands of people, and incinerating hundreds of human lives.

When the smoke cleared and helicopters were able to fly over the devastated site where Lahaina once stood, a lone white church spire still rose above the blackened rubble. Maria Lanakila Catholic Church stood alone, the only surviving structure for many blocks, and appeared undamaged.

Maria Lanakila means Our Lady of Victory in the Hawaiian language. It’s one of Most Reverend Larry Silva’s “cathedral churches” in the Diocese of Honolulu, which encompasses all of the islands of Hawaii (2).

Late in the evening on August 12, Bishop Silva flew to Maui. He toured the ruins on August 13, and celebrated a mass for the victims at Sacred Heart Chapel in Kapalua, about nine miles north of Lahaina (3).

“[Bishop Silva] …reported that the pastor, Father Kuriakose Nadooparambil, a priest of the Missionaries of Faith congregation, ‘was allowed to go in (to the church) with a police escort, and he reported that not even the flowers in the church were wilted or singed. There was only a covering of ash on the pews.'” (4)

Church officials acknowledge that there may be hidden structural damage that remains unknown until a full engineering inspection can take place. (5)

Bishop Silva also told Hawaii Catholic Herald that “‘One of my friends, who often serves as my liturgical master of ceremonies when I am on Maui, told me that his uncle, uncle’s wife, their daughter and their grandson all were burned to death in their car, while they were trying to escape. My friend and his wife opened their home to other relatives who lost their home and suspects they will be living there for a couple of years.'”(6).

I also have close friendships in West Maui, nurtured through almost ten years of participation in the Maui Writers Foundation, and many family time-share vacations less than four miles from Lahaina.

I spent the first forty-eight hours frantically trying to reach my granddaughter’s hula teacher. She was dancing a starring role at Old Lahaina Luau late into the night, when we saw her last a few months ago. She got up early each morning to gather plumeria blossoms, and patiently teach a five-year-old girl authentic Hawaiian culture.

I finally received a text that with a new infant growing in her womb, she had managed to escape with her parents, her husband and her adolescent daughter. “It just happened so fast,” she said. They had traveled back roads to reach refuge with cousins on the south side of the island. They had lost everything they owned.

My husband and I worried for weeks about a couple who are also long-time friends. Their names kept appearing on ever-shorter lists of those “unaccounted for.” Their names were still there just two days ago and I was losing hope, when I received an email from them recounting how they had lost their business and had learned that their insurance will not cover any of their damages. But at least they’re still alive.

This morning, as I began to write this post, I received news that my treasured concierge, who had connected me with so many wonderful Lahaina people for almost 20 years, had been found by her brother, deceased in their Lahaina childhood home.

Their cousins, who also survived, had stopped by in the midst of the fire to hurry her along. She just wanted to run back into the house one more time, and said she’d be right behind them (7).

Where is Maria Lanakila in all of this? Who is Our Lady of Victory?

This was the sixteenth honorary title bestowed on Mary by a supreme pontiff or an ecumenical council. Declared by Pope Saint Pius V to commemorate the allied Christian victory over Ottoman Turks at Lepanto on October 7, 1571, the title reflects the success of a massive rosary prayer campaign (8).

Pope Gregory XIII changed the name of the October 7 liturgical celebration to Feast of the Holy Rosary in 1573 (9). That is the Marian mass we continue to celebrate, four-hundred-and-fifty years later.

We can offer our rosaries in days ahead to help the people of Lahaina.

Maria Lanakila, Our Lady of Victory, pray for us. Please succor the suffering souls of the victims, and comfort the sorrowful survivors of the Lahaina fires. May they all find hope, and strength for the future, through your motherly care.

Amen.

©Copyright 2023 by Margaret King Zacharias

Featured Image: Joel Bradshaw, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Inset image: Howcheng, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Notes:
  1. Official “gale force” windspeed of 67 mph at the time of Lahaina fire is documented here: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/drought-wind-mauis-wildfires-turned-historic-tragedy-rcna99196# and here: https://www.reuters.com/graphics/HAWAII-WILDFIRES/DRIVERS/gdvzwwgwrpw/
  2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_parishes_of_the_Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Honolulu
  3. https://thedialog.org/national-news/maria-lanakila-catholic-church-survives-maui-wildfire-not-even-the-flowers-in-the-church-were-wilted-or-singed/ quoting Hawaii Catholic Herald
  4. https://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.php?ID=195341 and https://thedialog.org/national-news/maria-lanakila-catholic-church-survives-maui-wildfire-not-even-the-flowers-in-the-church-were-wilted-or-singed/ quoting Hawaii Catholic Herald
  5. https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/08/11/hawaii-news/maria-lanakila-still-stands-but-waiola-church-is-gone/
  6. https://thedialog.org/national-news/maria-lanakila-catholic-church-survives-maui-wildfire-not-even-the-flowers-in-the-church-were-wilted-or-singed/ quoting Hawaii Catholic Herald
  7. https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/08/25/hawaii-news/latest-lahaina-fire-victims-on-official-list-include-boy-7/am
  8. https://www.canticanova.com/articles/ot/artba1.htm
  9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_the_Rosary

The Power of a Heartfelt Prayer

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The Power of a Heartfelt Prayer

As a spiritual director, I know the power a prayer can harness.  All types of prayer, ranging from prayers of the heart, spontaneous prayers, and those prayed over a group, when prayed with a heart of faith, pack the same punch.

Shortly after becoming a spiritual director, a woman diagnosed with a terminal illness reached out for assistance. At the time, she wanted to rekindle her walk with God and face the imminent future with a heart of faith. During the looming diagnosis, we talked about her relationship with God through the years and how important it was at this particular time. Our sessions were sometimes difficult for both of us, especially as the diagnosis timeframe was ticking away. When we first met, I wondered why God had given me such a difficult assignment so quickly after graduation. I didn’t feel confident enough in what I was doing. However, I was more than willing to allow the Spirit to take over all of my senses in the hopes of being guided. When the words became difficult, we prayed silently in the company of one another. On days when panic, fear, and anger were present, we went against one of the rules of how a spiritual director should behave, and allowed the occasional hug to comfort us both.

In preparation for one of our sessions, I began to write a prayer specifically for this woman. I intended to share it with some prayer warriors and give a copy to the woman so she could share it with friends, family, and those at church. To write this prayer, I researched other prayers that contained scripture for healing and miracles.  Once I had a handful of ideas, I placed them all together and moved them around until I felt like I had the perfect structure. On the first read-through, the prayer felt right. It flowed gently and got right to the point.

I wanted to help this woman in any way I could, and being a strong proponent that you can pray away anything in life, I was determined to do just that. After all, I had nothing to lose and the power of God’s love to gain.

Not long after I presented the prayer and began lifting the need daily to God, I received a note that her recent tests showed all evidence of the illness gone. I firmly believe that the power in this prayer offered in true faith “prayed away” the sickness. I offered gratitude to our Heavenly Physician and tucked the prayer into my bible for safekeeping.

Years passed before another situation surfaced, requiring powerful prayer for a friend’s spouse. I shared the prayer with the family and began praying daily. It was not two weeks before I received news that the fatal diagnosis was an error. Perhaps, aligned with God’s Will, we prayed it away.

In more recent months, a family member received news of an illness and without hesitation, I began the healing prayer.

As I reflected on these instances, I wondered why I was keeping this powerful prayer a secret all this time. I had offered it to those involved who needed the healing work of our Father, but past that, the prayer remained in my bible. Today, I know in my heart that the prayer was written with the leading of the Spirit, and I am called to share it with as many as I can.
I offer this healing prayer so you can enlist your prayer army and in the hopes of aligning with God’s Will, pray away the difficulties life sometimes dishes out. As you pray, replace N. with the name of the person for whom you are praying.

God’s word says the prayer of faith shall heal the sick. I come to you, God, in faith and ask that You heal N. from sickness. Jesus, I want Your word to penetrate the depths of ­­­­N.’s heart. Thank you that Your word brings life and healing to ­­­­N.’s whole body. Jesus, I ask that you open N. up today to Your blessings, healing, and miracles. Let all worries leave his/her heart. I know you are a God who cares, who loves N. deeply, and will never let him/her go.  In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Copyright 2023 Kimberly Novak
Images: Canva

Retreat and Discernment

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Retreat and Discernment

Our gospel reading this weekend reports that “Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.” (Matthew 17:1) (1)

Other passages in scripture also demonstrate how our Lord retired into the wilderness, alone or with spiritual companions, as an integral part of his spiritual rhythm. He used these respites to focus on prayer, and to replenish his energies during a demanding physical ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing.

Retreats and spiritual direction offer refreshment for our own lives as Catholics, too. Recently, I participated in a first formal one-day orientation to the teachings of St. Ignatius.

For many years, my primary resource for discernment has been Authenticity: A Biblical Theology of Discernment, written by Thomas Dubay, S.M. (2)

That reading provided a welcome foundation for what I experienced at “Image & Imagination in Prayer,” an Ignatian retreat sponsored by Emmaus House in Urbandale, Iowa on July 22.

Emmaus House was founded in the Diocese of Des Moines by Jesuit priests in 1973, at the invitation of then-Bishop Maurice Dingman. At first, Emmaus House served the diocese by providing spiritual direction and retreats exclusively for Catholic clergy. But it quickly expanded to offer these resources for members of the Catholic lay community as well as some Protestant clergy. (3)

I was intrigued by how original spiritual methods developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola in the 16th century anticipated several techniques employed by archetypal psychologists today.

Swiss physician C. G. Jung, the founder of archetypal psychology, studied Ignatius’ teachings in the early 20th century, and gave a series of lectures about their value in Zurich between 1933 and 1941. English translations of these lectures have been published only recently, in January of 2023.

Both approaches focus on events in ordinary daily life. Both are designed to bring forth the full flowering of human individuality. Both honor the integrity of images and feelings as they emerge from a person’s inner being, and use “active imagination” to help deepen relationship with the unique divine spark alive in each of us.

What Dubay calls outer verifications occurred throughout my one-day introduction to Ignatian method. I crossed paths with dear friends from different parts of the diocese as well as from different eras in my life; and encountered new acquaintances who wandered in my direction for a purpose we discovered together only as we met.

Under leadership of spiritual director Amy Hoover (4), we contemplated a series of readings and questions offered for private prayer and reflection. Then time was provided for optional sharing with individual retreat partners at our tables.

Reported movements of the Holy Spirit permeated the retreat throughout the day. These repeated, meaningful ‘coincidences’ — simultaneous events without any causal relationship — are what Jung called “synchronicities.”

In one humorous example, intending to excuse myself for a trip to the coffee table during a break, I commented to my companion, “I think I need some sugar.”

Snickers bars immediately dropped down from above our heads, right in front of our faces, like manna from heaven.

We both looked up to see the refreshment hostess making rounds with a bag of candy. But how did she manage to arrive at our table — one of more than twenty in a large parish hall — to be there at the exact moment I spoke?

Later, we were asked to write what we noticed about a picture postcard. While I had written about the display of creation — seasonal weather, contrasts in foliage, moss growing on ancient stones — one of my table mates had first noticed that “there’s no human being here.” She had placed herself and her husband taking a walk, right into the picture, as her focus for the scene.

Another companion among us had been seized first by curiosity about the path’s curve into a distance that lay behind bushes and trees. He had written with poetic insight about what might lie unseen around the bend.

Most dioceses in the United States publish a list of trained spiritual directors and local retreat opportunities, often right on their websites. If you haven’t yet experienced these gifts of our faith, it might be worth exploring what resources are available near you.

Scriptural readings for the Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola on July 31, and for the Feast of Transfiguration of the Lord on August 6, are rich with vivid images for further contemplation on your own, too.

I pray that each of us can experience a personal transfiguration this August. May we feel the awe and wonder that enlightened Peter, James, and John two thousand years ago, when they witnessed our Lord in earnest conversation with Moses and Elijah on Mount Tabor.

©Copyright 2023 by Margaret King Zacharias

Featured Photo: View frim summit of Mount Tabor ©Copyright 2023 by Margaret King Zacharias 

NOTES:

  1. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080623.cfm.
  2. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1977, originally published by Dimension Books.
  3. https://www.theemmaushouse.org/history.
  4. https://www.theemmaushouse.org/eighth-annual-ignatian-retreat

Not to Worry—If Another Pandemic Strikes, Catholic Saints are Ready to Protect Us

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Not to Worry—If Another Pandemic Strikes, Catholic Saints are Ready to Protect Us

 

The Catholic Church has patron saints for many causes. There are so many, they even had to be alphabetized. Under the letter A, there are 23 named saints, such as Saint Agatha, the patroness of bakers and nurses, and the great Saint Augustine of Hippo, the patron saint of printers and brewmasters. Under G, there is Saint George, responsible for fifteen patronages, including butchers, shepherds, and Boy Scouts.

We Catholics have protectors against pandemics

You get the idea; we Catholics have a lot of patron saints, and almost every facet of life experience seems to be covered. We can always turn to Saint Jude, the patron of impossible causes, if it looks impossible.

Since the coronavirus pandemic has passed, we might sleep better at night knowing there are saints in the queue, ready to go to war against any and all attacks by invisible microbes and virulent demons looking to bring us down. Here are a few examples:

 

  • Saint Quirinus of Neuss: patron saint against bubonic plague and smallpox

Quirinus was born in the first century and died in the year 116 A.D. Legend has it that he was a Roman tribune and was ordered to execute Alexander, Eventius, and Theodolus. These men had been arrested on orders of the emperor. Their crime: being Christian. But Quirinus witnessed miracles performed by the three men. Instead of executing them, he embraced the faith and was baptized into the faith along with his daughter, Balbina. He and Balbina were decapitated for being Christian and buried in the catacomb on the Via Appia.

We move ahead 1300 years. Documents from Cologne, dated 1485, say Quirinus’s body was donated in 1050 by Pope Leo IX to his sister, the abbess of Neuss. Soon after, Charles the Bold of Burgundy laid siege to Neuss with his army spreading from western Germany, the Netherlands, and as far south as Italy. The citizens of Neuss invoked Quirinus for help, and the siege ended. Wellsprings popped up and were dedicated to him. He was then called on to fight against bubonic plague and smallpox.

There is a saying by farmers associated with Quirinus’s feast day, March 30: “As St. Quirinus Day goes, so will the summer.” 

 

  • Saint Anthony the Great: patron saint against infectious diseases

Saint Anthony the Great was one of the greatest saints of the early Church. Anthony was one of the first monks and is considered the founder and father of organized Christian Monasticism. He organized disciples into a community and these communities eventually spread throughout Egypt. Anthony is known as Anthony the Great, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, and Anthony of Thebes. He is also known as the Father of All Monks. His feast day is celebrated on January 17.

Saint Anthony the Great is also the patron saint for those fighting infectious diseases. We might all call on him now, since infectious diseases will always be attacking us.

 

  • Saint Edmund the Martyr: patron against pandemics

Saint Edmund is the acknowledged patron saint against pandemics. He died in 869, and hardly anything is known about him. Yet there are churches all over England dedicated to him. Saint Edmund cannot be placed within any ruling dynasty, yet the Danes murdered him in 869 when they conquered his army. In addition to being the patron saint against pandemics, Saint Edmund the Martyr is also the patron of torture victims and protection from the plague.

 

We might mention a few more saints who are patrons of those suffering from familiar illnesses and afflictions:

  • Saint Damien of Molokai: patron saint of those with leprosy (Hansen’s Disease)
  • Saint Dymphna: the 15-year-old Irish girl who is the patroness of those suffering from emotional disorders.
  • The Fourteen Holy Helpers: patron saints against epidemics, bubonic plague, aka the Black Death
  • Saint Matthias: patron saint of alcoholics and those with smallpox
  • Saint Tryphon: patron of those fighting off bed bugs, rodents, and locusts.

 

The list seems endless, so if you ever need a patron saint for anything, check this list of patron saints by occupation and activity. 

Most likely there is a saint just waiting for your call.

 

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Copyright ©Larry Peterson 2023
Images: Pexels

Corpus Christi: We Are the Body of Christ, and You Are What You Eat

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Corpus Christi: We Are the Body of Christ, and You Are What You Eat

 

We have all heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” If that’s true, I am parts pizza, BBQ, peanut butter, and have coffee with a side of wine for blood!

So, IF we, Catholics, parishioners, Christians … are the “Body of Christ,” what are we made of—and most importantly, why does it matter?

First, let’s change the word “eat” to “consume.” We are formed by more than just what we eat. Everything we read, watch, listen to, and surround ourselves with has a bearing on who and what we are. If I eat a lot of greasy food, play a lot of high-intensity adrenaline-filled video games by myself, never get up from the couch or walk more than 100 feet a day, and smoke cartons of cigarettes while drinking nothing but energy drinks, my life expectancy goes from 82 years to 56.

But if I eat balanced meals, take time to shut down and refresh, get moderate exercise, and have a community of friends—neighbors, church family, clubs, and so on—suddenly I will be living a longer, and most importantly, happier life.

Now, that’s the outside life. Let’s talk about the inside life—the soul life. When we receive the Eucharist, we do not consume just a piece of bread or a sip of wine. No. We are receiving Jesus himself, in all his divine glory, sort of like a spiritual superpower; let’s call it “Jesus Juicing.” We begin to transform from the inside—out and become more like Him; better able to love and serve others. When our inside, our soul, begins to strengthen from “Jesus Juicing,” we find we have more peace, more wisdom, more self-control. But it not only benefits us, but the larger Corpus Christi, or Body of Christ, the Church! Remember, WE are the Body of Christ, the Corpus Christi. WE are the Church.

 

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Being in a community isn’t a solo event. We are being nourished so we can help others. A great example is a group called New Roots for Refugees, run through Catholic Charities. My wife and I are avid gardeners. Last weekend we went to the New Roots for Refugees plant sale. Refugees from many different countries work together, growing vegetables and flowers that are then sold to gardeners—or after maturing—the fruits and vegetables are sold to eat. Interacting with these beautiful souls, we the Corpus Christi are being nourished by not just by the plants, but by “Jesus Juicing!” We’re strengthening our ties with people in need in the Body of Christ, and doing what we are all called to do—loving and serving each other.

So, there are 3 important things to remember on the feast of Corpus Christi:

  • We don’t need to just strengthen our outside-selves, but also our inside-selves with “Jesus Juicing.”
  • When we take care of the inside-selves, it will change the outside-selves.
  • We are not built to be a solo act. We are strengthening through “Jesus Juicing” to be of service to others.

Questions:

  • Are you allowing yourself to be changed?
  • How will you be of service to our Corpus Christi?

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Copyright 2023 Ben Bongers

Photos copyright 2023 Ben Bongers, all rights reserved.

Blood Circulating in the Body of the Cosmic Christ

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Blood Circulating in the Body of the Cosmic Christ

All human beings are born to share forever in the eternal circulation of love that is the divine life. But to participate as fully as possible in the divine life, we have to learn to selflessly give and receive the gift of self in love. That’s what we’re here to learn how to do. And the more fully we learn to do that, the more fully we can share in the divine love and life and bliss.

But how could we humans possibly share in the divine life of God? How could we, who are finite beings, be united with the infinite God? There is an infinite chasm between us finite human beings and God. We cannot leap over the abyss separating the finite from the infinite. We need a lifeline of some kind to be thrown across to us from the shores of infinity, a bridge of some sort that will span the abyss and enable us to cross over into the divine realm. Jesus Christ is that lifeline; Jesus Christ is that “vaulting bridge” who spans the abyss separating us finite beings from the infinite God. Jesus has forever united the human with the divine in himself, thereby making space for all human beings (indeed, the entire cosmos!) within the divine life of God.

Think about it: God and humanity, the infinite and the finite, united in the one person of Jesus Christ, in such a way that the path for us to transcend our finitude and participate in the infinity of Being, to share in the divine life of God forever, has been opened up to all human beings and to the entire cosmos. Seemingly impossible; seemingly incredible. But if it is true (which it is), then this one person would be the answer to the riddle of human existence. That is why our individual destinies are determined by our answer to the single most important question confronting us in life: Yes or No to Jesus Christ, which is a Yes or No to love and therefore a Yes or No to God and to our ultimate fulfillment as human beings. We were all born to be “blood circulating in the Body of the cosmic Christ,” in Balthasar’s beautiful phrase. By uniting ourselves to the Body of Christ, we are united with God and with all the other members of that Body. By uniting ourselves to the Body of Christ, we join in the eternal circulation of love that is the divine life and find therein our ultimate fulfillment.

* This article is an excerpt from Rick’s latest book, The Book of Love: Brief Meditations (https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/thebookoflove/)

Copyright 2023 Rick Clements

Photo by Alexandru Acea on Unsplash

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