Our Luminous Eucharist

April 6, 2024/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Eucharist, History, Saints/by Margaret Zacharias

Our Luminous Eucharist

St. Pope John Paul II, in his 2002 apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, added five new mysteries to the traditional Rosary. He called them “luminous,” and referred to them as Mysteries of Light, because they “demonstrate the light of God manifested through Jesus.” (1)

‘”… It is during the years of his public ministry that the mystery of Christ is most evidently a mystery of light: ‘While I am in the world, I am the light of the world’ (Jn 9:5).'” (2)

The culminating mystery is titled Institution of the Eucharist. We’ve just finished celebrating that fifth luminous mystery on Holy Thursday, to open the great Triduum of Easter 2024.

From the beginning of the church, many saints, theologians, and mystics throughout the world have devoted themselves to private prayer before the blessed sacrament in adoration and discernment.

The scriptural words of Jesus about his body and blood are clear and specific, but even during his earthly lifetime, many of his followers abandoned him because they were so difficult to accept (John 6:53-66).

As John A. Harmon S.J. has demonstrated, knowledge of the properties and development of doctrines about the body and blood of Christ have evolved over time. (3).

The thirteenth century was a period of flourishing growth for both.

At the University of Paris, St. Albert the Great (1200-1280), the mentor of St. Thomas Aquinas, was translating Aristotle and “… established the study of nature as a legitimate science within the Christian tradition.” (4)

Blessed Carlos Acutis’ list of eucharistic miracles includes no less than twenty-three that occurred between the years 1194 and 1297.

Ten are bleeding hosts, including two of the most reliable, Santarem, and Bolsena which was witnessed by St. Thomas Aquinas and Pope Urban IV. One is St. Clare’s remarkable defense of her convent against barbarian invaders with prayers and the blessed sacrament exposed in a monstrance. (5)

Today, April 6, is the traditional feast day of a more obscure thirteenth-century abbess who has been almost — but not quite — forgotten by history.

Although her feast been celebrated for more than 150 years (6), her name does not appear in the Proper Calendar for the Dioceses of the United States of America (7) nor on an extensive list of historical saints at Catholic Online (8).

She’s known, however, in Galway Cathedral (9); to the students of Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio (10); Our Sunday Visitor’s Simply Catholic in Indiana (11); EWTN; (12) the Encyclopedia Britannica (13); and she appears in Catholic Encyclopedia (14).

At his General Audience at St. Peter’s Square in Rome on November 17, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about this humble woman, who was orphaned at the age of five and raised by Augustinian nuns.

“… She is little known but the Church is deeply indebted to her, not only because of the holiness of her life but also because, with her great fervour, she contributed to the institution of one of the most important solemn Liturgies of the year: Corpus Christi …

“She is St. Juliana de Cornillon, also known as St. Juliana of Liège …

“When Juliana was 16, she had her first vision which recurred subsequently several times during her Eucharistic adoration. Her vision presented the moon in its full splendour, crossed diametrically by a dark stripe. The Lord made her understand the meaning of what had appeared to her. The moon symbolized the life of the Church on earth, the opaque line, on the other hand, represented the absence of a liturgical feast for whose institution Juliana was asked to plead effectively: namely, a feast in which believers would be able to adore the Eucharist so as to increase in faith, to advance in the practice of the virtues and to make reparation for offences to the Most Holy Sacrament …” (15)

The Vision of Saint Juliana of Mont Cornillon (b. c. 1191-1193, d. 1258) Philippe de Champaigne (1602-1674), Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham Public Domain, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Juliana kept her visions secret for twenty years before she began to speak about them, first with two close friends who shared her devotion, and then her confessor, Canon John of Lausanne.

Her bishop, Robert de Thorete, established the first liturgical feast of the Body and Blood of Christ in his Diocese of Liège in 1246. (16) With support from St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Urban IV established Corpus Christi as a solemn liturgical feast for the entire Roman Catholic Church in 1264. (17)

But Our Lord first entrusted his mission to one solitary woman, on her knees in adoration before his luminous presence. St. Juliana persevered through many obstacles for over forty years, and she lived to see it fulfilled.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.

Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.

Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14-16 (18)

St. Juliana of Liège, pray for us.

(Lüttich is the German spelling of French Liège) Insert: Kath. Pfarrkirche St. Gordian und Epimachus, Merazhofen, Stadt Leutkirch im Allgäu, Landkreis Ravensburg Chorgestühl, 1896, Bildhauer: Peter Paul Metz. Unmodified Photo: by Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Feature image: Map of Liège (Belgium) in the 16th century engraved on copper by Julius Milheuser in 1627 and published

by Johannes Blaeu in Amsterdam in 1649, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Images of St. Juliana of Lieges:

St.-Juliana-at-Blessed-Sacrament-with-Moon-Champaigne-sainte-Julienne-Barber-Institute-Birmingham.jpeg

St.-Juliana-of-Kath.-Pfarrkirche-St.-Gordian-und-Epimachus-Merazhofen-Stadt-Leutkirch-im-Allgau-Landkreis-Ravensburg-Chorgestuhl-1896-Bildhauer-Peter-Paul-Metz.jpeg

Notes:

https://www.nationalshrine.org/blog/a-guide-to-the-luminous-mysteries-at-the-

basilica/#:~:text=Instituted%20by%20Pope%20John%20Paul,of%20God%20manifested%20through%20Jesus.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252575/the-reasons-st-john-paul-ii-gave-for-adding-the-luminous-mysteries-to-

the-rosary

https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/history-of-eucharistic-adoration-development-of-doctrine-in-the-

catholic-church-4086#

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Albertus-Magnus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucharistic_miracle
https://www.galwaycathedral.ie/news/saint-month-st-juliana-

liege#:~:text=Juliana%20was%20canonised%20in%201869,of%20Liège%2C%20pray%20for%20us.

https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/proper-calendar
https://www.catholic.org/saints/stindex.php
https://www.galwaycathedral.ie/news/saint-month-st-juliana-

liege#:~:text=Juliana%20was%20canonised%20in%201869,of%20Liège%2C%20pray%20for%20us.

https://www.ignatius.edu/news/june-2022/st-juliana-s-line-through-the-moon
https://www.simplycatholic.com/st-juliana-of-liege/
https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/st-juliana-of-cornillon-6285
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Feast-of-Corpus-Christi
https://catholicism.en-academic.com/18765/St._Juliana_of_Liege
https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2010/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20101117.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juliana_of_Liège
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_Corpus_Christi
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/5

Saint Joseph: A Man for All Women

March 13, 2024/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Faith, Family Life, Saints, Spiritual Life/by Mary McWilliams

Saint Joseph: A Man for All Women

Forget all your impressions and expectations of the “leading man” or “action hero.” Only one man can truly be described as the “strong, silent type.” For all the winning generals in history, it was a humble carpenter who outwitted the evil King Herod, putting an end to the plan to disrupt salvation history. For all the outstanding preachers and theologians who so deftly interpret the word of God, just one groom waiting for his betrothed to enter his home understood so clearly and personally God’s messages to him and the world. For all the loving husbands past and present, one cherished his wife’s purpose and mission so much he made it his own. Out of all the devoted fathers who ever lived, only one was chosen to successfully raise and protect the Savior of the World.

That’s why St. Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, foster father to the Son of God, and head, provider, and protector of the Holy Family is not just a man’s man, but a woman’s man―at every stage, difficulty, and season of her life.

Scripture presents St. Joseph as a man of faith and action. In Meet Your Spiritual Father, author Mark Miravalle lists 13 “major New Testament references” to his life (pp 25-26). St. Joseph’s success in all these life and death missions can be boiled down to a knowledge of Scripture and love of God, which gave him the willingness and confidence to act. Unlike the young Samuel who did not know the Lord and therefore, did not recognize His voice when He repeatedly called him (cf. 1 Samuel 3:7), God’s word through His messenger angels provided clarity to St. Joseph to respond immediately (cf. Mt 1:20-25, Mt 2:13-15).

St. Joseph, therefore, is a great intercessor, leading women to clarity for action and to delve into the Word of God. He brings devotees ultimately to know and hear God’s voice. The Litany of St. Joseph provides no fewer than 24 roles and wonders this great and underappreciated man is known for, all of which are beautifully and comprehensively detailed in Fr. Donald Calloway’s book, Consecration to St. Joseph.

St. Joseph was the strength center of his family. Women―single and married, with children and without, who are providers, protectors, and caretakers―are also often expected to be the strength center of their lives. In the most supportive of environments, parenting takes wisdom, patience and many other virtues that few of us have even on a good day. Many mothers are the head of the family. St. Joseph, ever the provider and protector of the Holy Family, listened for and heeded the Divine messages he received. He knew that the Father would lead him; he just needed to listen. It could only be Joseph’s unyielding devotion to the Lord and study of scripture that led him without hesitation to listen to the angel who spoke to him in a dream, understanding its significance to mankind (cf. Matthew 1:21-23).

Single women who desire to be married can ask for St. Joseph’s intercession to find a good man. God chose Joseph specifically for Mary. He wants to choose a good man for each woman, but He wants to be asked. Single women can ask St. Joseph to pray on their behalf to the Holy Spirit to reveal and discern when the right man comes along. St. Joseph saw Mary’s grace-filled and sinless soul, and his prayerful intercession can help women see themselves as the beautiful and pure souls that God created.

Women who are without fathers, either through abandonment or death, can find comfort in St. Joseph. God entrusted him to care for the Blessed Virgin and the Son of God. If he can take care of them, he can take care of every girl feeling the loss of her father. Any girl or woman who misses her father can ask St. Joseph to be her foster father and help lead her to the Father of us all.

Aging raises uncomfortable issues―added dependence on family and strangers, financial strain, and health difficulties. Thoughts, not just of dying, but how we will die become more prominent. These are frightening thoughts as we relinquish more control over our daily lives. St. Joseph lived his life with chastity and dignity. Pray for his guidance entering later years, to look upon a life with humility and benevolence, seek the peace of Jesus Christ with the assistance of a strong confessor, and to prepare for a happy death.

St. Joseph, pray for us women.

Photo: Stained glass window of Mary & Joseph by Valentine D’Ogries. Photo by Mary McWilliams

References:
Consecration to Saint Joseph. Donald H. Calloway, MIC. 2020, Marian Press. Stockbridge, MA.
Meet Your Spiritual Father: A Brief Introduction to St. Joseph. Mark Miravalle. 2015, Lighthouse Media, Sycamore, IL & Marian Press, Stockbridge, MA.

Roses and Ashes

February 3, 2024/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Faith, Inspirational, Lent, Poetry, Praise, romance, Saints/by Margaret Zacharias

Gather ye Rose-buds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.

Robert Herrick, “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” 1648

In a rare, but not unprecedented, synchronicity this month, St. Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday will fall on the same day. These two dates last came together in 2018, and they will do it again in 2029. According to the Fayetteville Observer, this convergence seems to happen approximately three times in every one-hundred-years. The Twentieth Century also recorded three occurrences, in 1923, 1934, and 1945. (1)

The origins of our contemporary St. Valentine’s Day celebration are hidden in history. Even Roman Catholic sources record an astounding variety, of what can perhaps best be regarded as legends. He may have been a priest, a bishop, and/or a physician. It’s unclear whether the stories that have been combined under this saint’s name include the life one man, or the lives of two.

There is some evidence that, on an actual occasion, a prisoner named Valentine left a letter for his jailer’s daughter signed, “from your Valentine.” He’s said to have healed the child of her blindness; we all prefer to believe he did. He may well have converted her to Christianity. He might have converted her father, too. Plausible evidence does exist that a man named Valentine was imprisoned and martyred for his Christian faith. Other tales suggest that the little girl, and possibly her father, died with him. (2)

One fact is clear, that the official liturgical calendar of the United States makes no reference to a saint’s feast on February 14. On the USCCB website, it’s marked only with a purple dot indicating a day of Lent. There is no alternate reading for a saint’s feast day. (3)

Another mystery is how a saint, whom most legends report died as a martyr for his Faith, came to be a symbol of chocolate, flowers, and every other sort of indulgent romantic concupiscence.

Ash Wednesday, on the other hand, is a reminder of the death we all will experience. The Latin counsel memento mori, “remember you will die,” dates back to the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, from sometime before his death in 399 B.C. (4).

The use of ashes as a symbol of penance and anointing for death by the Hebrews is documented in the Old Testament books of Esther 4:1, 484-465 B.C.; Job 42:6, 700-500 B.C.; Daniel 9:3, circa 550 B.C.; and Jonah 3:5-6, circa 500 B.C. (5)

Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale, Illustration from The Book of Old English Songs and Ballads, Circa 1920; Public

domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A solemn recognition of Ash Wednesday has been practiced since the earliest days of Christianity. The words, “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” from Genesis 3:19 (6), have been spoken through millennia in both the Eastern and Roman Catholic churches. They are still used for Ash Wednesday services in many Protestant churches today, as well.

But the question remains. What meaning can we discern from this mysterious union of love with death, that seems to appear as a trinity in multiple centuries?

For one answer, we might turn again to scripture, and discover that Song of Songs is the only one of three writings classified by biblical scholars as ‘Wisdom books’ that appears in Protestant bibles. Our Catholic Bibles contain all three, with the Book of Wisdom and the Book of Sirach included (7). Here is another trinity.

The Song, also called Canticle of Canticles, is a romantic poem that evokes all the sensual joys of earthly lovers, as metaphors that describe God’s desirous love for us. In Christian churches it is read as allegory (8). The determination of the bride to reach her lover, and the strength of their bond, represent the Sacrament of Matrimony on earth and Christ’s love for His Bride, the Church, in eternity.

When the cross of ashes, death, and dust is marked on our foreheads again this year — and the day wavers from joy, to penance, and grief — may we remember the powerful lover who awaits us, and continue to sing the Canticle:

“… Set me as a seal upon your heart,

as a seal upon your arm;

For Love is strong as Death …

Deep waters cannot quench love,

nor rivers sweep it away …

… You who dwell in the gardens,

my companions are listening for your voice–

let me hear it!

Swiftly, my lover,

be like a gazelle or a young stag

upon the mountain of spices.”

Song (Cant.) 8:6-7, 13-14 (9)

John William Waterhouse, Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May; 1909, Public domain, via Wikimedia
Commons.

Featured Photo: John William Waterhouse, Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May,1908, Public domain, via
Wikimedia Commons.

Footnotes for Roses and Ashes and Sources for Further Reading

https://www.fayobserver.com/story/news/live-wire/2018/02/06/live-wire-when-was-last-time-ash-wednesday-and-valentines-day-were-same-date/15307391007/#

For a few different perspectives, see:

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/will-the-real-st-valentine-please-stand-up

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Valentine

https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/history-of-st-valentine.html

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021424.cfm
https://dailystoic.com/what-is-memento-mori/#:~:text=Memento%20Mori%20—%20(Latin%3A%20remember,but%20dying%20and%20being%20dead.”

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Socrates

https://catholicstraightanswers.com/what-are-the-origins-of-ash-wednesday-and-the-use-of-ashes/

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/3

https://www.artesianministries.org/bible-study/why-are-catholic-and-protestant-bibles-different/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_of_Songs

9. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/songofsongs/8

Everyday Holiness

November 4, 2023/0 Comments/in Blessed Mother, Catholic Writing and Publishing, Faith, Humility, Saints/by Margaret Zacharias

Everyday Holiness

When I received the news that my first published short story had not only been accepted, but also chosen as the opening gambit for a travel writing anthology that included pieces by several well-known authors, my first thought was, “I have to call Mom and tell her I got the lead. She’ll be so excited.” And then I remembered.

The woman who nurtured my first crayon scribbles, and typed my long-procrastinated school term papers on an old manual typewriter, had already been absent for fifteen years by then. Even now, thirty-four years after her death, I still get the same urge to call and tell her, whenever there’s happy family news.

Anyone who has ever lost a beloved family member, or cherished friend, understands.

This past week we’ve celebrated two special liturgies that traditionally open the month of November. They encourage us to honor all the saints in heaven, and to remember our beloved dead.

The Roman Catholic liturgical calendar gives a rhythm to our lives, alternating ordinary days with special feasts and dramatic seasons: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter and Pentecost.

But we don’t just remember our lost loved ones on the Solemnity of All Saints or at a Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed.

The simplest things can suddenly trigger a memory: the smell of a favorite family meal simmering in the kitchen; a glimpse of the lamp burning late into the night while a parent stays up late to pay bills; a toddler’s smile greeting us in the morning over a crib rail; the precious small gift from a thoughtful friend who somehow always knew just what we needed, and when.

Amidst many speeches that marked my oldest son’s baccalaureate ceremonies, the university dean who spoke at his academic awards assembly made a particular point for the new graduates. His words held a wisdom that has remained with me.

“It’s not this ceremony that’s important,” he said. “Or that splendid certificate that you’re about to receive. We’re celebrating all the mornings over the past four years that you got out of bed and went to class, all the nights you studied in the library instead of partying, all the papers you wrote with extra care, everything you did that led up to this day. Yes, today you’ll be ascending the stage, you’ll hear lots of applause, and your families are gathered here to celebrate with you. But it’s those ordinary days, the good choices you made one after another, the habits you established, that are your most important awards. They’re what you’ll take with you wherever you go for the rest of your lives.” (1)

In our Mass readings this weekend both liturgies contrast humility and charity with arrogance and entitlement.

Today’s Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo incorporates an Alleluia verse that is also used to celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus:

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, For I am meek and humble of heart.” Matthew 11:29ab. (2)

In the Gospel reading, our Lord advises us “. . . do not recline at table in the place of honor . . . when you are invited, go and take the lowest place . . .” Luke 14:1, 7-11. (3)

Readings for the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time contrast a mother’s affectionate care and a child’s implicit trust, in the Responsorial Psalm 131: 1,2,3, with Our Lord’s condemnation of arrogant scribes and Pharisees, in the Gospel from Matthew 23: 1-12. (4)

St. Charles Cares for the Plague Victims of Milan by Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678), St. James Church, Antwerp, Belgium, public domain via Wikimedia Commons

St. Charles Borromeo was born in a castle on the shores of Lake Maggiore. His father was a Count of Lombardy whose aristocratic family’s shield bore the motto, “humilitas.”

His mother was Margherita de Medici, whose younger brother became Pope Pius IV. (5).

The paintings featured here commemorate St. Charles Borromeo’s assistance to the poor during a famine in Milan; and his refusal to leave the city after an outbreak of the plague. He remained behind in his own episcopal see while many other bishops and clergy fled. He stayed to pray for his people as their archbishop, and administered the sacraments to plague victims.

Even while he was serving as a papal representative to the Council of Trent, and performing as a leading figure in the Counter-Reformation, St. Charles Borromeo never forgot his family motto, humility; or the Jesus who washed his own apostles’ filthy feet.

Both of these paintings, and many more found in museums and churches across Europe (6), document St. Charles Borromeo’s devotion to the humble Virgin Mary. Her vivid presence in so many of his portraits reveals the close relationship they shared in his charitable work, in his intercession for the people of Milan, and in his dedication to the universal Church.

This November — while we’re preparing for Thanksgiving and the Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe — may we, too, remember to practice the extraordinary virtues of ordinary everyday holiness.

Feature Photo: Intercession of Charles Borromeo Supported by the Virgin Mary by Johann Michael Rottmayr (1656-1730) in the collection of Karlskirche, Vienna Austria, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Notes: