February 2026

Jubilee Year of Saint Francis on the 800th Anniversary of His Death 

February is the month dedicated to the Holy Family

February 7-14, National Marriage Week

February 11, World Day of the Sick. "The compassion of the Samaritan: loving by bearing one another's pain”

Let your face shine on your servant. 

JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH, SON, MOTHER, AND HEAD OF THE HOLY FAMILY,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

Dear faithful readers, just when you thought it was safe to go outside in the new calendar year, it's time to turn another page on the calendar. At the same time, we are privileged to see that we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on the 2nd. 

Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all peoples; a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.

(Luke 2:29-32)

May we, too, go in peace these days. Jesus is the Peace the world does not give. 

As usual, it's another busy month. This month is dedicated to the Holy Family, and not only can we invoke Jesus, Mary, and Joseph each and every day, we can also invoke beloved Saint Francis of Assisi, especially as the Holy Father proclaimed a Jubilee Year of Saint Francis to commemorate the 800th anniversary of il Poverello's death. Have you ever been to Assisi? If not, you might add it to your list of travel destinations. You will not be disappointed. And get ready for Ash Wednesday and the holy season of Lent, coming soon to a theatre near you. Mark your calendar for February 18, that would be Ash Wednesday. Then comes the first Sunday of Lent on the 22nd, a day to also commemorate Saint Peter's Chair. Have you ever been to Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome to see the golden chair of the rock on which the Church is built? While there you can also see the bones of Saint Peter, the Scavi, if you book in advance. If not, you can certainly see that on your Italian pilgrimage. You are going to be busy. Don't be too busy, however, to skip out on a gelato, or three or more. Yum.

Some other notables are February 10 to commemorate Saint Scholastica, whose twin brother is Saint Benedict. If you are keeping up with the daily reading of the Holy Rule, you will find yourself still in Chapter 7, Humility, the fourth step, all the way to Chapter 23, on Excommunication. The same day, the 10th, that is, sees the Shipwreck of Saint Paul, the birth of the Maltese Church. Up for the 11th is the ever-popular 6th-century Irish Saint Gobnait, the patron saint of bees, beekeepers, and the sick. "Least is the bee among winged things, but she reaps the choices of harvests" (Sirach 11:3). On the 26th we have Saint Alexander of Alexandria who hopefully was never confused about his name and where he was from. One never knows, though. 

What is one way to prepare for Lent? First, go to Chapter 49 of the Holy Rule of Saint Benedict, where our holy father exhorts us, among other things, "to add to the usual measure of our service something by way of private prayer and abstinence from food and drink, so that each of us will have something above the assigned measure to offer God of his own will with the joy of the Holy Spirit" (RB 49:5-6). Keep reading because we can also deny ourselves needless talking and idle jesting and still look forward to holy Easter with joy and spiritual long (RB 49:7). How will you make this Lent one of joy? And don't forget to look to Chapter 48 on The Daily Manual Labor. It is there that we find that we are to read the whole of a book straight through (RB 48:15). What spiritual reading will you tackle this season? 

Last and not least, kind of, what follows is the customary Ash Wednesday offering by Cardinal Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

Fast of judging others; feast on the Christ indwelling in them.

Fast on emphasis on differences; feast on unity of life.

Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the reality of light.

Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify.

Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.

Fast from anger; feast on patience.

Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism.

Fast from worry; feast on trust.

Fast from compliance; feast on appreciation.

Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives.

Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayer.

Fast from hostility; feast on nonviolence.

Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.

Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal truth.

Fast from discouragement; feast on hope.

Fast from facts that depress; feast on truths that uplift.

Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiasm.

Fast from suspicion; feast on truth.

Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire.

Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence.

Gentle God, during this season of fasting and feasting, gift us with Your presence, so that we can be a gift to others in carrying out Your work. Amen.

Since we will move into the Lenten desert this month, how about we hear from the Desert Mothers and Fathers. We go to them, then, for a word or two ....*

Abba Gregory said, "These three things God requires of all the baptized: right faith in the heart, truth on the tongue, temperance in the body.

Abba Poemen said, "Teach your heart to guard that which your tongue teaches."

Another of the old men questioned Amma Theodora saying, "At the resurrection of the dead, how shall we rise?" She said, "As pledge, example, and prototype we have Him who died for us, and is risen, Christ our God.

Abba Pambo said, "If you have a heart, you can be saved."

Abba Paul said, "Keep close to Jesus."

Amma Syncletica said, "There are many who live in the mountains and behave as if they were in town, and they are wasting their time. It is possible to be a solitary in one's mind while living in a crowd, and it is possible for one who is a solitary to live in the crowd of his own thoughts. 

Amma Sarah said, "If I prayed God that all men approve of my conduct, I shall find myself a penitent at the door of each one, but I shall rather pray that my heart be pure towards all.

Abba Sisoes said, "Seek God, and do not seek where He dwells."

Abba Arsenius said, 

"If we seek God, He will shew Himself to us, and if we keep Him, He will remain close to us.

Abba Anthony said, "Our life and our death is with our neighbor. If we gain our brother, we have gained God, but if we scandalize our brother, we have sinned against Christ.

Abba Or also said, "If you have spoken evil of your brother, and you are stricken with remorse, go and kneel before him and say: "I have spoken badly of you, let this be my surety that I will not spread this slander further." For detraction is death to the soul.

Thankfully, we have more than a few saints to commemorate this month. May they intercede for us as we begin our Lenten journey. All saints, please pray for us.

SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI,

SAINT BRIGID,

SAINT HENRY MORSE,

BLESSED BENEDICT DASWA,

BLESSED CANDELARIA OF SAINT JOSEPH,

SAINT ANSGAR, BISHOP,

SAINT BLAISE,

SAINT LAURENCE OF CANTERBURY,

SAINT DUNSTAN OF CANTERBURY,

SAINT THEODORE OF CANTERBURY,

SAINT WERBURG,

SAINT ANNE LINE, NEE HEIGHAM,

BLESSED ANTHONY OF PAVONIO OP,

BLESSED BARTHOLOMEW OF CERVERIO OP,

BLESSED PETER OF RUFFIA OP,

SAINT GILBERT OF SEMPRINGHAM,

SAINT JOHN DE BRITTO,

BLESSED MARIE-EUGENE GRIALOU,

SAINT CATHERINE DE RICCI,

SAINT JOHN OF LEONISSA,

SAINT AGATHA, VIRGIN, MARTYR,

SAINT PAUL MIKI AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS,

SAINT MEL,

SAINT JEROME EMILIANI,

SAINT JOSEPHINE BAKHITA,

SAINT CUTHMAN OF STEYNING,

SAINT TEILO,

SAINT APOLLONIA,

SAINT SCHOLASTICA, VIRGIN,

SAINT PAUL,

OUR LADY OF LOURDES,

SAINT GOBNAIT,

BLESSED REGINALD OF ORLEANS OP,

SAINT JULIAN THE HOSPITALLER,

SAINT HUMBELINE, 

SAINT CATHERINE DE RICCI,

BLESSED JORDAN OF SAXONY OP,

BLESSED JAMES MILLER,

SAINTS CYRIL, MONK, AND METHODIUS, BISHOP,

SAINT CLAUDE LA COLOMBIERE,

BLESSED NICHOLAS OF PAGLIA OP,

SAINT ONESIMUS,

THE SEVEN HOLY FOUNDERS OF THE SERVITE ORDER,

SAINT FINTAN OF CLONENAGH,

BLESSED WILLIAM RICHARDSON,

BLESSED JOHN OF FIESOLE OP,

SAINT JACINTA AND FRANCISCO MARTO,

SAINT CONRAD OF PIACENZA,

BLESSED ALVAREZ OF CORDOBA OP,

BLESSED CHRISTOPHER OF MILAN OP,

SAINT PETER DAMIAN, BISHOP, DOCTOR,

SERVANT OF GOD BLANDINA SEGALE,

SAINT ROBERT SOUTHWELL,

SAINT PETER,

SAINT POLYCARP, BISHOP, MARTYR,

BLESSED JOSEPHA GIRBES,

BLESSED THOMAS MARIA FUSCO,

BLESSED CONSTANTIUS OF FABRIANO OP,

SAINT ETHELBERT,

BLESSED MARIA ADEODATA PISANI,

SAINT WALBURGA,

SAINT ALEXANDER OF ALEXANDRIA,

SAINT GREGORY OF NAREK, ABBOT AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH,

SAINT OSWALD,

BLESSED VILLANA DE BOTTI,

PRAY FOR US.

*All quotations come from The Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The Alphabetical Collection, translated by Benedicta Ward (Cistercian Publications, 1984).

This month's photo: Welcome to a full moon on February 1, 2026. When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you set in place.

© Gertrude Feick 2026

December 2025

Jubilee Holy Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope

December is the month dedicated to Advent and the Coming of Christ.

Maranatha!

OUR LADY, MOTHER OF JESUS,

IMMACULATE MARY,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

Dear Faithful Readers, Happy New Liturgical Year and welcome to the most holy season of Advent, on this first day of December 2025, the month dedicated to Advent and the coming of Christ. Come, and save us, Lord our God; let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. Alleluia, alleluia. 

The holy season of Advent is a time of preparation, a time to be still, a time to free ourselves from the obstacles that limit our experience of the presence of Jesus who has already come, who will come, and who continuously comes. One way to go about that is by embracing the wisdom of Abba Antony. As the story goes, "Someone asked the Abba Antony, 'What sort of practices do I need to maintain in order to please God?' In reply the elder said, 'Practice what I am prescribing for you: Wherever you go, keep God right before your eyes-always. Whatever you're doing, hold on to the testimony of the holy Scriptures. Wherever you're living, don't be in a hurry to move on. Keep these practices and you'll be saved.'"* Stay awake. Wait. Wait for the Lord. Be still and know that He is God. Recognize His presence at all times and in all places. And you will be saved.

At the same time, it is in this holy season that we anticipate Christmas with the great "O" Antiphons, listed here in part, traditionally sung before and after the Canticle of Mary at Vespers from December 17-23. May we proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Come, Lord Jesus, come. 

O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High ... 

come and teach us the way of prudence.

O Adonai and Leader of the house of Israel ...

come and redeem us with outstretched arm.

O root of Jesse, who stands as a sign among the people ...

come to deliver us and tarry not.

O Key of David, opening the gates of God's eternal Kingdom ...

come and free the prisoners of darkness!

O Rising Dawn, splendor of eternal Light and Sun of Justice ...

come and illuminate those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.

O King of the nations and their Desire, the Cornerstone who binds two into one:

come and save mankind, whom you fashioned from clay.

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver ...

come and save us, O Lord our God!

United in faith and prayer, we go forth with words to inspire us ...

To prepare our hearts to welcome the Lord who, as we say in the Creed, will come one day to judge the living and the dead, we must learn to recognize His presence in the events of daily life. Advent is then a period of intense training that directs us decisively to the One who has already come, who will come and who continuously comes.

(Pope Saint John Paul II, 1920-2005, General Audience, December 18, 2002)

The world might have expected the Son of God to be born in an inn; a stable would certainly be the last place in the world where one would look for Him. The lesson is: divinity is always where you least expect to find it. So the Son of God made man, is invited to enter into His own world through a back door.

(Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, 1895-1975)

You too, are mothers of the Child who has been born for you and in you ... Keep watch in your care for the newborn Child.

(Guerric of Igny, 1070/80-1157)

The whole of Christ's life was a continual teaching: His silences, His miracles, His gestures, His prayer, His love for people, His special affection for the little and the poor, His acceptance of the total sacrifice on the cross for the redemption of the world, and His resurrection are the actualization of His word and fulfillment of revelation.

(Pope Saint John Paul II, Catechesi Tradendae, 9)

When it is sincere and comes from the heart, deep emotion is the most eloquent response [to] a great love or a great sorrow ... No word or gesture or gift can substitute for it because it is the best gift. It means opening oneself to the other.

(Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M., Cap., preacher to the papal household)

Strict with myself, I want to be only kind and gentle with my neighbor. To live in interior union with our God, and to make of all the monotony, triviality, and simple duties of my life so many prayers for others.

(Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur, 1866-1914)

At this Christmas when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving others with God's own love and concern.

(Mother Saint Teresa of Calcutta, 1910-1997)

Strive to preserve your heart in peace; let no event of this world disturb it.

(Saint John of the Cross "The Mystical Doctor," 1542-1591)

All my works, Lord, are truly nothing without your grace and mercy, which you so generously shower on all creatures, and this without number or measure. Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God (Rom 11:33).

(Venerable Thomas a Kempis, 1380-1471)

But because I ask for silence,

don't think I'm going to die.

The opposite is true;

it happens that I'm going to live.

(Pablo Neruda, 1904-1973)

No one heals himself by wounding another.

(Saint Ambrose of Milan, 339-397)

No one, whether shepherd or wise man, can approach God except by kneeling before the manger of Bethlehem and adoring Him hidden in the weakness of a new-born Child.

(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 563)

Let us imitate blessed Stephen as far as God gives us the grace to do so. Let us not only love our friends but also our enemies, because there is nothing whereby we can so well redeem our sins, overcome the devil, and please God.

(Saint Caesarius of Arles, 468/70-542)

Now Christmas is come

Let us beat up the drum,

And call all our neighbors together,

And when they appear, 

Let us make them such cheer

As will keep out the wind and the weather.

(Washington Irving, 1783-1859)

BLESSED CLEMENTINE ANUARITE,

SAINT ALEXANDER BRIANT,

SAINT RALPH SHERWIN,

SAINT EDMUND CAMPION,

SAINT BIBIANA,

SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER, PRIEST,

SAINT JOHN DAMASCENE, PRIEST, DOCTOR,

SAINT CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA,

SAINT GERARD OF MAYO,

SAINT JOHN ALMOND,

SAINT BIRINUS,

SAINT NICHOLAS, BISHOP,

SAINT AMBROSE OF MILAN,

SAINT JUAN DIEGO CUAUHTLATOATZIN,

OUR LADY OF LORETO,

SAINT EULALIA OF MERIDA,

SAINT MELCHIADES,

SAINT EDMUND GENNINGS,

SAINT JOHN ROBERTS,

SAINT EUSTACE WHITE,

SAINT POLYDORE PLASDEN,

SAINT SWITHIN WELLS,

POPE SAINT DAMASCUS I,

SAINT MARIA MARAVILLAS OF JESUS,

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE,

SAINT FINIAN OF CLONARD,

SAINT LUCY, VIRGIN, MARTYR,

SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS,

SAINT VIRGINIA CEBTURIONE BRACELLI, 

BLESSED URBAN V,

SAINT CHAEROMON,

SAINT JANE FRANCES DE CHANTAL,

SAINT ADELAIDE,

SAINT GATIAN,

BLESSED MARY OF THE ANGELS,

SAINT OLYMPIAS,

BLESSED SCUBILION,

SAINT FACHANA OF KILFENORA,

SAINT FLANNAN, BISHOP,

SAINT DOMINIC OF SILOS,

SAINT JOHN OF KETY, PRIEST,

SAINT THORLAK THORHALLSSON,

SAINT STEPHEN, THE FIRST MARTYR,

SAINT JOHN, APOSTLE, EVANGELIST,

SAINT ANYSIUS,

THE HOLY FAMILY,

POPE SAINT SYLVESTER I,

PRAY FOR US.

* See Tim Vivian, Becoming Fire: Through the Year with the Desert Fathers and Mothers (Cistercian Studies/Liturgical Press, 2024), entry for December 2, p. 370.

This month's photo: The Light has come into the world; He is wrapped in swaddling clothes. For you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays (Malachi 3:20a).

© Gertrude Feick 2025

Holy Saturday

Jubilee Holy Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope

April is the month dedicated to the Divine Mercy

The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens,

that He might fill all things.

DIVINE MERCY, SHIELDING US FROM THE FIRE OF HELL,

I TRUST IN YOU.

OUR LADY OF SORROWS,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

Pilgrims of hope, we wait.

Something strange is happening-there is a great silence on the earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

However, as the Lord takes Adam by the hand, He says ...

Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light ...

I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only person and we cannot be separated.

(From an ancient homily on Holy Saturday, in Office of Readings, Holy Saturday)

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. 

Pope Saint John Paul II offered this about Holy Saturday:

On Holy Saturday, the Church, once again, identifies herself with Mary: all her faith is gathered in her, the first believer. In the darkness that envelopes creation, she remains alone to keep the flame of faith alive, preparing to welcome the joyful and surprising announcement of the Resurrection. In memory of the Mother of the Lord, the Christian community on this aliturgical day is called to devote herself to silence and meditation, nourishing in expectation the blessed hope of a renewed encounter with the Lord.

(Pope Saint John Paul II, Wednesday General Audience, April 3, 1996)

Let us be silent this day and ask Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows to pray for us so that we, like her, be strengthened in our faith. 

Solitude can be very rewarding and full of blessing because in the silence of the inner being, 

one finds God.

(Venerable Fulton Sheen)

BLESSED JAMES OLDO,

SAINT ALPHEGE,

BLESSED ISNARD OF CHIAMPO, OP,

BLESSED SIBYLLINA BISCOSSI, OP,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: From the archives, February 6, 2023. Praise God in His holy place, praise Him in the mighty heavens. 

© Gertrude Feick 2025

Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

July is the month dedicated to the Precious Blood of Our Lord

Readings for the Rule of Saint Benedict for the Week: Ch 42 Silence after Compline - Ch 47 Announcing the Hours for the Work of God

Only goodness and kindness follow me.

BLOOD OF CHRIST, INCARNATE WORD OF GOD,

SAVE US.

MARY, MOTHER OF HOPE,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

The Lord, our justice.

(Jer 23:6)

For He is our peace ...

He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, for through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

(Ephesians 2:14, 17-18)

Welcome to the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. May the peace of Our Lord be with us. Thank you for tuning in. Today, and throughout this week, whether you are near or far, rest in the peace of the Lord; He is our peace. Go ahead, listen to Jesus: "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while" (Mark 6:31). May we have "the grace to set aside time to be with the Eucharistic Lord in silence and prayer, and to find rest in the heart of Christ." And since Saint Benedict reminds us this week to diligently cultivate silence at all times, especially at night (Rule of Saint Benedict, 42:1), may the last word we speak before settling in for the night be Mary, "O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary." Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

On the newsy news front, my brother in Indianapolis has sent a few reports of the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. The closing Mass was this morning at the Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts, and last night to some 50,000 people on their knees before the Blessed Sacrament during the nightly Holy Hours. How cool is that. There was also an "unbelievable" procession through downtown Indianapolis on Saturday. Give God the praise for the witness of these members of the faithful.

And now a word or two from our voices for the week. 

I am slowly going through a delightful little book by Elizabeth A. Johnson, Come, Have Breakfast: Meditations on God and the Earth (Orbis, 2024). Not a book I would normally select, it was recommended by a trusted mentor, and then gifted by a longtime friend. So, I am giving it a go and finding it just what the doctor ordered. I include, then, a couple of passages I've marked.

Rather than suppressing the gifts of the other, love brings about their flourishing. Rather than stifling the power to act freely, love promotes its growth.

(Elizabeth A. Johnson, Come, Have Breakfast: Meditations on God and the Earth, p. 20)

As God's good creation, the world becomes a free partner in its own becoming while the Creator enables its existence at every moment. To put this succinctly, God creates the world by empowering the world to make itself. Far from compelling the world to develop according to a pre-destined plan, the Spirit continually calls forth to a fresh and unexpected future.

Be imaginative for a moment. It is as if the Creator gave the world a push saying, "Go, have an adventure, see what you can become. And I will be with you every step of the way."

(Elizabeth A. Johnson, Come, Have Breakfast: Meditations on God and the Earth, p. 21)

As swimmers dare

to lie face to the sky

and water bears them,

so would I learn to attain

freefall, and float

into Creator's Spirit's deep embrace,

knowing no effort earns

that all-surrounding grace.

(Denise Levertov in Elizabeth A. Johnson, Come, Have Breakfast: Meditations on God and the Earth , p. 143) 

Always seek this beautiful virtue of humility, which the Blessed Virgin will teach you. She will make you live in the truth, so that you might love and serve only the Lord.

(Saint Maria Maravillas of Jesus, 1891-1974)

Do not be afraid. Open your hearts to Christ. The deepest joy in life is the joy that comes from God and is found in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is the hope of the world. Jesus Christ is your hope and mine!

(Pope Saint John Paul II, Teleconference with the Young People, Los Angeles, CA, September 15, 1987)

An echo from an earlier post, worth a repeat performance ...

Joy, with peace, is the sister of charity. Serve the Lord with laughter.

(Saint Padre Pio, 1887-1968)

And some parting words from "The Good Pope."

It's your Church, Lord, I'm going to bed. ☺

(Pope Saint John XXIII, when turning in for the night)

SAINT LAWRENCE OF BRINDISI,

SAINT MARY MAGDALENE,

SAINT BRIDGET OF SWEDEN,

SAINTS PHILIP EVANS AND JOHN LLOYD,

OUR LADY, MOTHER OF DIVINE GRACE,

SAINT CHARBEL MAKHLOUF,

SAINT DECLAN,

SAINT JOHN BOSTE,

BLESSED ROBERT LUDLAM AND NICHOLAS GARLICK,

BLESSED JOHN SORETH,

BLESSED MARIA MERCEDES PRAT,

SAINT JAMES,

SAINT ANNA AND JOACHIM, PARENTS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY,

SAINT TITUS BRANDSMA,

BLESSED ROBERT SUTTON,

BLESSED RUDOLPH ACQUAVIVA AND COMPANIONS,

SAINT PANTALEON,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: All the days of my life.

© Gertrude Feick 2024

Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

June is the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart

Readings for the Rule of Saint Benedict for the Week: Ch 13 The Celebration of Lauds on Ordinary Days - Ch 18:6 The Order of the Psalmody

Vigorous and sturdy shall they be.

    HEART OF JESUS, OUR PEACE AND OUR RECONCILIATION,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

MARY, MOTHER OF HOPE,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

We are always courageous, although we know that while we are home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.

(2 Cor 5:6-7)

Welcome to the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, still in the month of June dedicated to the Sacred Heart. Happy Father's Day to all fathers and soon to be fathers. We also remember our fathers who have died. May they, and Saint Joseph, pray for all of us. 

Thanks to today's "Meditation of the Day," in my monthly missal,* I was introduced to Blessed Stefan Wyszynski's (1901-1981, Polish archbishop, cardinal, and teacher of Pope Saint John Paull II) book, Sanctify Your Daily Life: How to Transform Work into a Source of Strength (EWTN, 2018). In the passage, the Cardinal speaks of the seventh day, the Sabbath, the Lord's Day, a day a rest from labor. We know from the Book of Genesis that God rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. And He blessed the seventh day, sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which He had created and made (see Genesis 2:1-3). God rested and blessed that day; Our Lord gifted that day of rest to us. Blessed Stefan comments: "From the moment this blessing was linked with rest from labor, the seventh day has had a double task in the history of God's world: the giving of worship to God and the granting of rest to the tired body and mind ... It is not enough for the human heart to devote the whole day or even six days of the week to binding sheaves: for it to be fully satisfied there must be a possibility, either in the evening or at the end of the toilsome week, for him to offer his sheaves to God." If we look to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we find what the Church teaches us: "'Just as God rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done,' human life has a rhythm of work and rest. The institution of the Lord's Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives" (CCC 2184). Saint Benedict, in his chapter the Daily Manual Labor, has something to say too: "On Sunday all are to be engaged in reading except those who have been assigned various duties. If anyone is so remiss and indolent that he is unwilling or unable to study or to read, he is to be given some work in order that he may not be idle" (RB 48:22-23). Today, and this week, then, may be a time to reflect on your work and your rest. Are there things that hinder your worship to God? Are you getting rest so that you can fully engage, with energy and joy, in your service to God and others? What is the state of your health and well-being? Certainly, everyone has obligations and responsibilities that include family life, employment, community involvement, and so on. However, our minds and bodies need a rest. Blessed Stefan continues with this: "The fulfillment of one's duties toward God and the fulfillment of the needs of the mind and the heart are the main aims of freedom from work, a freedom that should do good to both soul and body." We have been gifted with freedom. Might your soil need more cultivation? How might you yield a richer harvest? God, give us the grace and courage. I believe, help my unbelief.

And here come the voices for the week. The first two are from Saint Cyprian, here with his treatise on the Lord's Prayer, one of my favorites. And it is certainly fitting as Jesus teaches us how to pray in this Thursday's Gospel (Mt 6:7-15). After the Bishop and Martyr, we hear from Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Cardinal Robert Sarah, il poverello Saint Francis of Assisi, the Holy Father Pope Francis, and Saint Richard of Chichester who had a life that was anything but dull.

When we pray, our words should be calm, modest and disciplined. Let us reflect that we are standing before God. We should please Hime both by our bodily posture and the manner of our speech. It is characteristic of the vulgar to shout and make a noise, not those who are modest. On the contrary, they should employ a quiet tone in their prayer.

(From a treatise on the Lord's Prayer by Saint Cyprian, bishop and martyr, in Office of Readings, Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time)

My dear friends, the Lord's Prayer contains many great mysteries of our faith. In these few words there is great spiritual strength, for this summary of divine teaching contains all our prayers and petitions. And so, the Lord commands us: Pray then like this: Our Father, who art in heaven.

(From a treastise on the Lord's Prayer by Saint Cyprian, bishop and martyr, in Office of Readings, Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time)

Jesus taught us how to pray, and He also told us to learn from Him to be meek and humble of heart. Neither of these can we do unless we know what silence is. Both humility and prayer grow from an ear, mind, and tongue that have lived in silence with God, for the silence of the heart God speaks. 

(Saint Teresa of Calcutta, No Greater Love, in Robert Cardinal Sarah with Nicolas Diat, The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise, p. 45)

In the presence of God, in silence, we become meek and humble of heart. God's meekness and humility penetrate us, and we enter into a real conversation with Him. Humility is a condition and a result of silence. Silence needs meekness and humility, and it also open for us the way to these two qualities. The humblest, meekest, and most silent of all beings is God. Silence is the only means by which to enter into this great mystery.

(Robert Cardinal Sarah with Nicolas Diat, The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise, p. 48)

Humble yourselves that you may be exalted by Him! Hold nothing back of yourselves for yourselves, that He who gives Himself totally to you may receive you totally!

(Saint Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226)

If I turn something negative into positive, I win! But that can only happen with the grace of Jesus.

(Pope Francis to African Youth, 2015)

Thanks be to Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ

for all the benefits which Thou hast given us,

for all the pains and insults which Thou hast borne for us:

O most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother,

may we know Thee more clearly,

love thee more dearly,

and follow Thee more nearly.

Amen.

(Saint Richard's Prayer)

SAINT RICHARD OF CHICHESTER,

SAINT BOTOLPH,

SAINT ALBERT CHMIELOWSKI,

SAINT OSANNA ANDREASI,

SAINTS ALBAN, JULIAN AND AARON,

THE IRISH MARTYRS,

SAINT JOHN RIGBY,

SAINT OSANNA ANDREASI,

SAINTS JOHN FISHER, BISHOP, AND THOMAS MORE, MARTYRS,

SAINT PAULINUS OF NOLA,

BLESSED M-JOSEPH CASSANT, MONK, PRIEST,

SAINT ROMAULD, ABBOT,

SAINT ALOYSIUS GONZAGA,

PRAY FOR US.

*Magnificat, June 16, 2024, pp. 255-257.

Today's photo: This beauty comes as gift from Germany. Vielen herzlichen Dank, meine liebe Moni. It is good to give thanks to the Lord.

© Gertrude Feick 2024

Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

June is the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart

Readings for the Rule of Saint Benedict for the Week: Ch 7:35-59 Humility

Let Your ears be attentive.

HEART OF JESUS, SOURCE OF ALL CONSOLATION,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

MARY, MOTHER OF HOPE,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

Where are you? ... 

Who told you that you were naked?

(Genesis 3:9, 11)

Welcome to the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time in the month of June dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It's certainly a nice place to be, that is, in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. You can't go wrong there. At the same time, it is also nice to be in the Immaculate Heart of His Mother, Mary. Place yourself in the heart of both Son and Mother. All will be well and all manner of things will be well, Julian of Norwich (c.1343-1416) tells us.

Thoughts are scattered today. Here, there, and everywhere as it goes. Just like the breeze. The lines included above from the Book of Genesis come from the first reading for Mass today. (Genesis 3:9-15). There, God goes looking for Adam and his wife who were hiding in the garden. It was at the breezy time of the day. ☺The couple was afraid, because they were naked, so they hid from God. So, God poses the questions, even though He knows the truth. At this breezy time of the day, then, just what was blowing around? Hmmm. When I read this account, something that comes to mind is the blame game. "It was 'her' fault," or, "It was 'his' fault." I think of the Family Circus cartoons I used to love. There it was the "Not me," game. The mom (Thelma), or dad (Bil) would ask who did this or that, and the children would respond, "Not me." It occurs to me too that in such a scene there was a little ghost in the photo. Was is the "Not me" ghost? I will have to take a look. I just did and found that I still love the cartoon, especially now as I smile and see the "Not me" ghost in a few scenes. Classic. Bil walks in the door carrying his tennis racket and asks two of his four children in the entryway. "Who left my racket out in the rain?, " asks Daddy. "Not me." Not me," are the responses of the two little boys, Billy and Jeffy. At the same time, the "Not me" ghost stands on the counter. Um huh. In any case, I reminded about the importance of taking responsibility for what I have done or haven't done. Instead of pointing the one finger at someone else, I am better to look at the three fingers pointing at myself. Take ownership and responsibility. No blaming allowed. The grace of God will carry us on. Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give the glory. Please, help us to do your holy will. For, as Jesus tells us in today's Gospel (Mark 3:20-35), whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. No hiding allowed. 

Keep going, faithful readers. We are not discouraged, Saint Paul tells us in the second reading at Mass (2 Cor 4:13-5:1). "Although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For any momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal. For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven" (2 Cor 4:16-5:1). Together, united, "we are always courageous ... for we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor 5: 6-7). As in the words of the psalmist: "Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it" (Ps 127:10).

Our voices for the week are varied. All come from saints who promoted Eucharistic devotion. Except for the first voice, that comes from Cardinal Robert Sarah in his powerful book, The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise, Ignatius 2017. I pick it up now and then.  I didn't know where to begin with the number of passages I've marked so far. Let's start with this one, that, as it turns out, might be responded to by a visit to the Blessed Sacrament.

It is necessary to leave our inner turmoil to find God. Despite the agitations, the busyness, the easy pleasures, God remains silently present. He is in us like a thought, a word, and a presence whose secret sources are buried in God Himself, inaccessible to human inspection.

The language that everyone understands is love.

(Saint Joseph Freinademetz, 1852-1908)

It is at the foot of the altar that we find the strength we need in our isolation.

(Saint Damien de Veuster, 1840-1889)

My dear ones, the visit to the Blessed Sacrament is an extremely necessary way to conquer the devil ... the devil is deathly afraid of fervent Communions and frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament

(Saint John Bosco, 1815- 1888)

Make my tongue, O Lord, like a swift arrow to declare they marvelous works.

(Saint Anthony of Padua, "Ark of the New Testament," Doctor of the Church, 1195-1231)

Jesus Eucharistic is a conqueror ... He wants to subject the universe to His gentle sway.

(Saint Peter Julian Eymard, 1811-1868)

In other years on the date I write this, June 9, which this year falls on a Sunday, the Church commemorates Saint Ephrem (306-373), Deacon and Doctor. Saint Ephrem was a poet and a theologian, famous for, among other things, "not only for the beauty of expression of his homilies but also for his hymns, which have spread far beyond his native Syriac church and are in use in East and West alike." The following is from one his hymns used as the patristic reading for the June 9 Office of Readings. And here, Saint Ephrem too, speaks of the Eucharist.

In Your sacrament we daily embrace You and receive You into our bodies; make us worthy to experience the resurrection for which we hope. We have had Your treasure hidden within us ever since we received baptismal grace; it grows ever richer at Your sacramental table. Teach us to find our joy in Your favor! Lord, we have within us Your memorial, received at Your spiritual table; let us possess it in its full reality when all things shall be made new.

(From a sermon by Saint Ephrem, deacon, in Office of Readings, June 9)

From the following line-up, you see that there are several saints to commemorate this week. Pray to them, they will help you respond more fully to the universal call to holiness. Included is Saint Anthony of Padua, Patron Saint of Lost and Found. And how fitting it is to turn to Saint Anthony when something is lost. It's like he immediately gets to work. Just this last week, in the midst of a busy day, I misplaced my Carmelite scapular. After Mass, I asked Saint Anthony to please get busy and find it. Not surprisingly, in less than an hour, a sister appeared holding it ... she found it in the laundry! Go, Saint Anthony, go! Thank you. Saint Simon Stock, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, pray for us.

SAINT EPHREM, DEACON AND DOCTOR,

SAINT COLUMBA,

SAINT JOSE DE ANCHIETA,

BLESSED EDWARD POPPE,

SAINT BARNABAS THE APOSTLE,

SAINT ONUPHRIUS,

BLESSED ALPHONSUS MAZUREK AND COMPANIONS,

BLESSED HILARY JANUSZEWSKI,

SAINT ANTHONY OF PADUA, PATRON SAINT OF LOST AND FOUND,

SAINT DAVNET,

SAINT LIDWINA,

SAINT ALICE OR ALEYDIS,

SAINT GASPAR BERTONI,

SAINT ELISHA, PROPHET,

BLESSED MARIA CANDIDA OF THE EUCHARIST,

SAINT METHODIUS OF CONSTANTINOPLE,

BLESSED PETER SNOW AND RALPH GRIMSTON,

BLESSED GERARD, CISTERCIAN MONK, OLDER BROTHER OF BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX,

SAINT GERMAINE COUSIN,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: To my voice in supplication.

© Gertrude Feick 2024

Saturday of Holy Week (Holy Saturday)

The Month of April Dedicated both to Devotion to the Eucharist and Devotion to the Holy Spirit

In other years: Saint Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth (2nd century)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 55:15-22 The Clothing and the Footwear of the Brothers

He descended into hell.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

JESUS, FREEDOM FOR THE IMPRISONED,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

FROM ALL EVIL,

DELIVER US O HOLY SPIRIT.

Christ became obedient for us

even unto death, death on a cross.

(Traditional Responsory for Holy Saturday)

Welcome to Holy Saturday. I had the poem from Mary Oliver for today; then I prayed with the Office of Readings and an ancient homily. I begin with it and then go to Mary Oliver. It is all part of the story during this sacred Paschal Triduum.

Something strange is happening-there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and He has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.*

GETHSEMANE

The grass never sleeps.

Or the roses.

Nor does the lily have a secret eye that shuts until morning.

The cricket has such splendid fringe on its feet,

and it sings, have you noticed, with its whole body,

and heaven knows if it ever sleeps.

Jesus said, wait with me. And maybe the stars did, maybe

the wind wound itself into a silver tree, and didn't move,

maybe

the lake far away, where once He walked as on a 

blue pavement,

lay still and waited, wild awake.

Oh the dear bodies, slumped and eye-shut, that could not

keep that vigil, how they must have wept,

so utterly human, knowing this too

must be part of the story.**

All who sleep in the earth will bow low before God;

All who have gone down into the dust 

will kneel in homage.

And I will live for the Lord;

my descendants will serve you.

The generation to come will be told of the Lord,

that they may proclaim to a people yet unborn

the deliverance you have brought.

(Ps 22:30-32)

SAINT DIONYSIUS,

PRAY FOR US.

*From an ancient homily on Holy Saturday in Office of Readings, Holy Saturday.

**Mary Oliver (1935-2019), "Gethsemane," in M. Oliver, Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver (Penguin, 2017), p. 129.

Today's photo: The cross in our cemetery as seen through the church window March 10, 2019.

© Gertrude Feick 2023