St. Lucy's Day in the morning

These days with all the girls in school, we have to celebrate St Lucy's Day on the weekend. So here's a look at five years ago when we homeschooled and life was slower paced.

Isabella woke up on time, and served the apple raspberry coffee cake she made yesterday with gourmet coffee to her parents in bed.
We sang:

"Wake up! Lucia comes today,
So be glad!
Lucia comes in bright array,
To open our hearts for Christmas Day.

San Padraig

 This St Patrick's Day,. May God keep the Irish holy and free, wise enough to reject the scourge of abortion which has afflicted this country. May St Patrick intercede to protect his people from domination from European Union which seeks to impose the Culture of Death. Support Youth Defence, the Irish Pro-life Organization which fights to keep Ireland abortion-free. They are on Life on the Rock this week on EWTN. 


My Corned Beef is on the boil, my Irish Soda Bread is filling the house with its fragrance as it rises in my oven, and my little girl is enjoying our CCC video, "Patrick, Shepherd of the Emerald Isle". Buy it here. 
Listen to Ag Criost an Siol and see if you agree about its rare beauty. 
Even before I saw this translation, I knew this was a song of longing for intimacy with Christ in Heaven. It's a blessing to be a daughter of St Patrick. My Grandma Helen Heslin is from Mohill, Co. Leitrim. From Grams did I inherit a passion about music, poetry and the Catholic faith.May I be worthy of the fine legacy she and my mother left me. 

Te mor gra, Grams, and Mom, I'll see you in the Paradise of Graces.

Ag Criost an Siol
Ag Críost an síol

Ag Críost an fómhar

I n-iothalainn dégo dtugtar sinn

Christ's is the Seed

Christ's is the Harvest

Into God's barn

May we be brought.

Ag Críost an mhuir

Ag Críost an t-iasc

i liontaibh dégo gcastar sinn

Christ's is the sea

Christ's is the fish

In the nets of God

May we be caught.

O fhás go haois is ó aois go básdo

dhá láimh a Críostanall tharainn

From Birth to age

and from age to death,

May your two arms,

O Christ, be around us.

O bhás go críochní

críoch ach ath-fhá

From Death to the end

Not the end but a rebirth,

I bPárrthas na

nGrást go rabhaimíd

In the Paradise of Graces

May we be.

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

On March 25^th, when St. Bernadette asked the name of the beautiful Lady in the Grotto, She replied "I am the Immaculate Conception." Our Lady did not say: My name is the Immaculate Conception or  I am she who is immaculately conceived. She simply said: I am the Immaculate Conception. The manner of prayer shown by Our Lady at  Lourdes  confirms Her statement. Because Mary is the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady's entire being gives glory to God. She is unable to do anything but give glory to God. At  Lourdes , Our Lady prayed the Rosary with St. Bernadette, She did not pray the Our Father; She doesn't need daily bread or forgiveness. She did not pray the Hail Mary; She is the one being addressed in the Hail Mary. But She did pray the Glory be to the Father, because She will never miss an opportunity to give glory to God.

 from Mary Vitamin

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord: my friend and mentor Gerry Mannato

Mentor, Teacher, Friend in the Spirit of God: Gennaro Mannato

     As high school junior, my first job was working as a desk sitter at St Philip Neri Parish in Northport for the illustrious wage of $1.25 an hour. I wasn’t prepared for a major crisis; I was merely told how to answer the phone, and never to leave my post at the rectory. Nothing serious had happened in four months, until one Friday evening, a call caught me unaware. The caller, a woman, was very agitated, and demanded that I go up the hill to the Charismatic Prayer Meeting and tell Gerry Mannato some bad news. “Tell him his wife is dying, and he needs to come home right away.”                               Reluctantly, against orders, I ran up the hill and arrived breathless in the school cafeteria, wondering how I was going to give a man I barely knew the worst news of his life. Thirty people were singing a hymn of praise, faces aglow, hands uplifted, while I hesitated in the back of the room, wondering how to reach Gerry without breaking up the meeting. The crowd parted, and he came to me, with a look of concern on his face, and asked me, “What’s the matter?” I blurted out, “I work at the Rectory, and a woman just called, saying you have to go home right now, your wife is dying”.

     If someone had told me this news, it is likely that the only reaction they would elicit would be a brief “thanks” as I flew out the door. Gerry’s reaction was completely different. He put his arm around me with deep compassion in his eyes, saying, “I’m so sorry that you had to be the one to tell me this”. Tears sprang to my eyes, and a friendship which would endure three decades, was born.

     Soon afterwards, I was praying after Mass in the rear of the church, when Gerry tapped me on the shoulder. “I noticed the way you pray, and I think you might want to join our prayer group”, he suggested. He couldn’t have chosen a more grateful young woman. I was searching for a way to deepen my faith, in the 1970’s, when the Church was in the Post Vatican II whirlwind. At that time, a teen interested in spiritual growth was sent to RAP groups, which offered little spiritual nourishment. There was no Catholic TV or radio, few books, and no purity programs for teens.  This “I’m OK, you’re OK approach”, failed to feed the great spiritual hunger which reading “The Story of a Soul” had awakened in me at age 15. I wanted more of Jesus, and though I knew He was at Mass, thanks to my mother’s teaching, I needed guidance to build a mature spiritual life. Gerry filled that gap, unbidden, but so welcome.  

     In time, I became a regular at his prayer group, and attended a” Life in the Spirit Seminar”. I began to read Scripture, and learn to listen to the ‘still, small voice’ of Our Lord as I made important decisions about my future. I wanted to be a journalist and chose a Catholic college where I would deepen my knowledge of the faith. When I returned home and entered the working world, I started attending Gerry’s prayer support for the Renew Program in his home. Each week, I looked forward to his prayerful discussions, where his eyes shone with joy as he described how God was working in his life.

One night was particularly memorable; it was a dreary February evening and  the Feast of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple. Gerry played a song from Michael Card called, “Now that I have held you in my Arms” a reflection on the Nunc Dimitis of Simeon. Suddenly, the joy of beholding the infant Jesus in person illuminated the gloom of that winter night. I drove home singing, and Candlemas, became one of my favorite feast days.

     As part of Gerry’s prayer group, I attended Forty Hours Adoration for the first time, and discovered the joy of meeting Jesus in Exposition of the Holy Eucharist. Gerry was there as an example and a mentor, gently encouraging me to live fully for Christ as he offered prayers for our pastor, Fr Tom Colgan, and the entire parish to embrace their faith more fully. He shared details of his day to day life, which included gardening, Italian cooking and regular exercise, and taught me how to life a truly integrated life, caring for body, mind and soul. If he experienced moments of loneliness, he never showed it, despite retirement and widowhood, his calendar was full. He enjoyed being a Grandpa, giving us updates on his twin grandsons, attended charismatic events, and intellectual pursuits. Soon I followed his lead, and ran two Renew groups, one for teens and the other for young adults.

      In later years, Gerry moved to East Patchogue, and became active in the parish community of St Joseph the Worker. He lived three decades as a widow, and despite statistics of widowers living short lives, his was a long and happy life, never marrying until he was called home last month at the ripe old age of 86.

I was saddened by the news, until I recalled one of the last times I saw Gerry. It was February 2, 2000. He had come to our new church St John’s in Center Moriches as part of a millennial celebration of the Feast of the Presentation. The church was aglow with hundreds of candles, reflecting the light in Gerry’s eyes as he praised the Lord with his whole heart and soul. I can see him now embracing his wife and his best friend, Jesus, singing;

“Now that I’ve held Him in my arms,

My life can come to an end,

I’ve seen your salvation: a light to the Gentiles,

 And the glory of His people Israel”.

 

Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta :

The feast of the Immaculate heart of Mary, cause of our joy, is drawing near. Our preparation for the great day should be that of deep, humble gratitude to God. Let us ask two special graces from Our Lady:

The grace of perseverance in our beautiful vocation, and delicate love for God’s poor. The greatness of Our Lady was in her humility. No wonder Jesus wanted to live so close to her. We learn from him and from her one lesson: To be meek and humble of heart.

Thirsting For God, 120.
Source: Mary Vitamin

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord; Candlemas

The Christmas season officially ends today, forty days after Our Lord's birth, He was presented in the Temple as the firstborn male.
In Mass this morning, Fr Tito said that the Annunciation was Mary saying, "be it done to me according to Thy will" and, in the Presentation, Our Lady says, "be it done to HIM according to Thy will". He said this was much more of a sacrifice to her, to give back to God the person she loved most in the world. Just as Abraham was willing to sacrifice his long promised son, Isaacc, the one on whom God's promises depended, Our Lady actually did offer her Son to be killed in sacrifice for sin.
I am reminded every time I pray the Joyful Mysteries, that every one of Mary's joys was tinged with sorrow. The joy and pride of showing off your firstborn child is a cherished memory of many a mother. I remember bringing Gabriela to Mass for the first time, and the crowd that gathered around to congratulate Francisco and I. We beamed with pride. Imagine if one of the friends had said, "your daughter is going to die in a car crash, and your heart will be broken". How would you react to such a dire prediction snatching away the joy of this moment?
Simeon brought incredible joy and wonder to St Joseph and Our Lady with his recognition of Who Jesus was, and what He would bring to Israel.
But his prophecy of a sword piercing Our Lady's heart would soon bring them back to the paradoxical honor of being the parents of the Lord incarnate. My favorite song about this is Michael Card's "Now that I've held Him in my Arms". See the video here.
Let's remember today that our children are only loared to us for a time, and to keep to our task of preparing them to serve the Lord in whatever manner He chooses; religious life, marriage, or martyrdom.

 Let's consider it an honor to carry out our parenting duties as we raise souls to give Him glory.

Fr Angelo, FI on The Solemnity of All Saints

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that Thy faithful people may ever rejoice in honoring all Thy Saints, and may be defended by their unceasing prayers (post-communion prayer, Solemnity of All Saints).

After Holy Communion has been received during the Mass for the Solemnityof All Saints, the priest asks Almighty God that the prayers of the saints be a defense to all the faithful. All the saints are our elder brothers and sisters who have been victorious over sin and death through Christ's death and resurrection. Their garments have been washed inthe Blood of the Lamb (cf. Ap 22:14). They have passed through the fire and have come out the other side unscathed (cf. Dn 3:26). Now they are present to us in the Holy Spirit as our defenders and protectors.

But we must want to be protected. He who loves danger will perish in it(Eccl. 3:27). And danger is everywhere. We have a real enemy who isbent upon our destruction and all of sacred history is a chronicle of this endless war. Our enemy is our constant foe and our better in theart of war. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places (Eph6:12). We are not strong enough to resist this enemy, unless we want tobe protected by one who is stronger. So the Lord walks with us in the midst of our peril: His truth shall compass thee with a shield: thou shalt not be afraid ofthe terror of the night. Of the arrow that flieth in the day, of the business that walketh about in the dark: of invasion, or of the noonday devil (Ps 91:5-6).

Thus the Solemnity of All Saints is a feast in which we rejoice in the victory of the saints and in their protection. It is also a yearly occasion when we see played out before us the great conflict of the ages between light and darkness. The cosmic battle raging in our hearts is characterized by a particular violence because the opposing forces of history have, in our time, crossed the last river and met for one final wreck on the field of Armageddon. This is no prophecy of the last days, only the recognition of the signs of our times. This is the age of Satan unchained. It is the hour of darkness. But a voice pierces that darkness and it says: Who is like God. Only the saints can teach us to place ourselves under the protection of humility.Thus in our own day, we celebrate the victory of the saints every year and even while thus celebrating we are engaged in the struggle between light and darkness.

Halloween means "Holy Evening." The name is not, as sometimes asserted derived from the druid feast of Samhain. The name belongs to the light and we should reclaim it from the darkness.It is a night that belongs to the saints. And yet it has been claimed by the Prince of this World and very often even those who profess to be the friends of God follow the spirit-piper into the abyss of the pagan festival of darkness.

Over a decade ago at our friary in Griswold, Connecticut we resolved to fight on the side of the Saints and reclaim October 31 for the light. We celebrated a triduum of Masses from October 29-31, culminating in the celebration of the vigil of All Saints on the very night when the darkness seemed to hold sway. We offered our Communions in reparation for the sins committed against Almighty God around the world during Halloween and we encouraged our children place themselves in the shoes, tunics, habits and armor of the saints: to do more than play make-believe, but to make their costumes into "sacramentals, " so to speak, so as to invoke the presence of the saints and imbibe their virtues.

Over the years, unfortunately, the ideas of reparation for sin and real spiritual combat have taken second place to the opportunity of providing clean and wholesome family fun as an alternative to the usual compromises with the spirit of this world. And in the process of thus providing we have been sucked in by the spirit of unreality. Myths canpoint upward, but they can also lead astray, become a distraction from the real work needed to be done and from the very real danger at hand. I have to offer my mea culpa for leading the way in this. I apologize.We live in very dangerous times, in which not only the godless serve thePrince of this World, albeit knowingly and willingly, but in which also the pious and religious use all kinds of holy pretexts for acting in self-serving and worldly ways. We sometimes sacrifice our interior lives on the altar of conformity and groupthink, substituting the external forms of religion for a deep and uncompromising conversion.

In some ways Halloween at the friary has become like so many other things, a way to separate ourselves from those who do otherwise and create our own little culture of isolation. And in the end our eveningis really not as different from the worldly ways of Halloween. That is not to say that the children should not have an opportunity for fun, but that we should all have a greater sense of our opportunity to find holiness and conversion; to find light and the generosity to sacrifice ourselves for the lost souls of the world, among whom we should place ourselves as members of the same family, because in fact we are. Who is to say how lost anyone is compared to anyone else, except Him whose searing judgment we should all fear?

And so Halloween remains a yearly enactment of the cosmic war between light and darkness, and even among the hosts of God, we are not sureal ways if we are completely on the side of light. The enemy inserts his influence wherever he finds an opening, and we are generally lackadaisical in regard to protecting ourselves from his influence. We need to want to be protected.

Sometimes the prophetic voice of conscience is not a welcome sound. Sometimes we ignore the voice that God sends us, or discount its seriousness and its power. Sometimes we don't want to listen because we really do not want to be challenged or are afraid to leave our comfort zone. When "sometimes"becomes too many times our spiritual hearing is stifled by another voice, a voice of complacency, pride, self-interest and deception. Itis then we loose our desire to be protected.We cannot afford to loose the protection that God offers us.

The Solemnity of All Saints is our opportunity to pray for protection as we do in the prayer from the Mass. We need to turn to the saints, our friends, and show them our gratitude by spitting into the darkness and turning our back on it forever. We need to be grateful to the voice of light and kiss the feet of God's messenger: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings (Is 52:7). Weneed to want to be protected and make decisions that are in accord with that desire.

The Solemnity of All Saints originated in 609 when the Byzantine emperor Phocas gave the Roman temple, the Pantheon, to Pope Boniface IV, who,"after the pagan filth was removed," consecrated it to Holy Mary of the Martyrs. Pope Gregory III transferred the celebration of this event and extended its significance to All the Saints in the 8th century. It just so happened that the celebration corresponded more or less to the time of the druid harvest festival of Samhain, which was also a festival of the dead.

This history is a parable of life. The emperor paid his dues to God and the Church honored the Blessed Mother and the Martyrs. And God protected his people. But the enemy is always right around the corner, looking to wedge himself through any open crack and claim God'sterritory for himself.

On Halloween we need to do more to repent of our own sins and make good on the promises we have made to God to serve Him with all our hearts andto be instruments of forgiveness and mercy for souls lost in the darkness. We are to bear the torch of God's holiness to others, but we cannot do this unless we guard our hearts and beg the Blessed Mother, Queen of Martyrs, and all the saints to protect us.

Be mindful therefore from whence thou art fallen: and do penance and do the first works. Or else I come to thee and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou do penance (Ap 2:5).It would be a grace to go back to our old triduum and the simple spirit of reparation with which we began our celebration of Halloween. Try to spend some quiet time, if possible, before the Blessed Sacrament, on the night of the celebration. Make a visit to Jesus, andin his Holy Name ask for the grace to do penance and to make reparation for the sins of the night of darkness. As for the grace to want to be protected and give thanks for the godly voice that calls us back to our first love.

View Fr Angelo's original post on AirMaria.com

All Hallows Eve Schedule at the Marian Friary of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Holy Mass is at 6:00 p.m. with costume judging to follow.
Game Booth is open after Mass until 9:00.

Bonfire & field activities will start around 9:00
Food:
Please bring:
a dish to share.
In order to keep the clean-up simple, please bring snack-type food in disposable containers, such as cheese & crackers, chips, veggie trays, fruit, cookies, etc.
a bag of candy for the game booth.

Please try to avoid products that contain peanuts as several families who come to the friary have children with peanut allergies.
Costume Judging:
7 & under - on the stage in the Multi-purpose room.
8+ - under a 2nd tent next to the Game Booth tent.

There is some flexibility within the age groups.
Please keep in mind that in order for a child in the 7 & under group to be qualified for judging he should be able to ideally answer the following questions about his saint:
What century did he live in?
Country of origin?
Was he a religious or lay person?
If religious, what order was he with?
If lay person, was he married?
What symbols is he associated with (ex. lamb - St. Agnes)?
What is he known for?

All Hallows Eve Celebrations

Its so crazy here, my girls are sick and we are wrapping up 40 Days for Life this week. We hardly have time to plan for All Hallows Eve.

Thankfully the Marian Friary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Griswold, CT has a wonderful All Hallows Eve Mass on Saturday at 6PM which is followed by a festival complete with bonfire to keep the event holy with the right balance of holiness and spookiness.

Here's what I'll be bringing to the party, thanks to Totus Tuus Family Homeschool.

Feast of the Little Flower St Therese of Lisieux

The Last poem written by St. Therese
Soon, soon, to heaven that waits for us, my soul shall swiftly fly.
O Thou who can'st to smile on me at dawn of life's beginning!
Come once again to smile on me.... Mother! the night is nigh.
I fear no more thy majesty, so far, so far above me,
For, I have suffered sore with thee; now hear my heart's deep cry!
Oh! let me tell thee face to face, dear Virgin! how I love thee;
And say to thee forevermore:
thy little child am I.

HT Mary Vitamin

Feast of the Archangels Gabriel, Michael and Raphael

Happy feast day to my three archangels Gabriela, my daughter, Ralph, my dad, and Michael my nephew.
Now I'm going over to Servant of the Word to read the prayers and readings of today with my daughter while we eat a celebratory brownie!

Happy Birthday, Blessed Mother!

Rosary.com re-opened

Blessed Solemnity of the Assumption!
In honor of this great feast, Chris Cash of The Catholic Company has announced the re-opening of Rosary.com Since the Rosary is one of my favorite prayers I am thriled!

More than just a Rosary store, it also will offer resources and articles on the Rosary.
Go over and visit today in honor of Our Lady's Assumption.

Feast of Our Lady of Mt Carmel

O Most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein You are my Mother.
O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech You from the bottom of my heart to succor me in this necessity. There are none that can withstand Your power.
O show me herein You are my Mother. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.
O show me herein You are my Mother. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.
O show me herein You are my Mother. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in Your hands.
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in Your hands.
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in Your hands.
Amen

Feasts of the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts

I spent these days at a pro-life conference with Fr Thomas Euteneuer of Human Life International, hearing him explain the crucial role played by prayer in the battle against abortion, and with my mother who is battling cancer.

I realized once again, how dependent I am on the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

May they continue to protect and guide our family and yours.
May our dedicated prayers bring about the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart in our lifetime.


Tune into AirMaria for beautiful homilies on the Sacred and Immaculate hears from Fr Angelo and Fr Igantius at the Marian Friary of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Corpus Christi Procession in Chicago

Polish Easter Customs

Swieconka
The blessing of the Easter food or the ‘Swieconka’ is a tradition that is very dear to the heart of every Pole. Grateful to God for all his gifts of nature and grace, and as a token of this gratitude, we have the food sanctified with the hope that when spring comes, the season of the Resurrection, we will also be blessed by God’s goodness and mercy.
Traditions vary from region to region and from family to family. They have changed and evolved with each passing generation. Traditionally, the food is brought to the church in a basket decorated with a colorful ribbon, sprigs of greenery are added, and a linen cover placed over the top. The food is blessed by the parish priest on Holy Saturday morning. If it is absolutely necessary, the food can also be blessed at home. After the blessing, the food is usually set aside until Easter morning when the head of the house shares the blessed egg, symbol of life, with his family and friends. Having exchanged wishes, they all continue to enjoy the rest of the meal.
The foods traditionally blessed by a priest for Easter can be placed in three categories:
• Easter bread and cakes of all kinds, particularly a yeasty cake called babka
• Meat products, ham, veal, suckling pig, sausage, bacon and so on.
• Dairy products, butter, cheese, eggs - some without their shells, others, decorated, called
(Pisanki).
Each of the foods has a deep and symbolic meaning
• Butter - often shaped into a lamb (Baranek Wielkanocny} or into a cross. This reminds us of the good will of Christ that we should have toward all things
• Babka (Easter bread) - a round or long loaf topped with a cross or a fish, symbolic of Jesus, who is the true Bread of Life
• Horseradish with grated red beets ('Chrzan') - symbolizes the Passion of Christ still in our minds but sweetened with some sugar because of the Resurrection
• Eggs (Jajka) and (Pisanki - decorated with symbols of Easter, of life and prosperity.) Eggs are considered a symbol of the resurrection, the emergence of a new life
• Sausage (Kielbasa) - spicy sausage made of pork products, indicative of God's favor and generosity
• Ham (Szynka) - symbolic of great joy and abundance. Some prefer lamb or veal. The lamb also reminds Catholics that the Risen Christ is the 'Lamb of God'.
•Smoked Bacon (Slonina) - a symbol of the abundance of God's mercy and generosity
• Salt (Sol) – a necessary element in our physical life, symbolic of prosperity and justice, to
remind us the people are the flavor, the salt of the earth
• Cheese (Ser) – ball shaped, as the symbol of the moderation Christians should have at all times
• In some regions a candle is also inserted into the basket to represent Christ, the Light of the world.

Ite ad Joseph

Happy feast of St Joseph!

Here are photos of the St Joseph's table at the Academy of the Holy Family where I am subbing this month. It was made by the students and their cooking teacher, Loretta Palliardi.

All the delicious pastries, fresh breads and mouth-watering handmade Italian ices were sold to students and faculty. Here is a quote from an article explaining the tradition of the St Joseph Table in Italy.

"Sicily's most important saint is Giuseppe (Joseph), Father of Jesus, whose day is celebrated on March 19. Many activities are scheduled, including the very unique one called the St. Joseph's Table. This ancient tradition goes back to the Middle Ages. At that time there was an exceptionally severe drought in Sicily. No rain fell for an extended period of time, no crops would grow, and countless people died of famine. The peasants prayed to God for rain, and they also prayed to St. Joseph to intercede with God on their behalf. They promised that if God caused it to rain, they would have a special feast honoring God and St. Joseph.

By miracle, the rains came and the crops were planted. With the harvest, the people prepared a feast of foods from their crops. This has become known as the Tavola di San Giuseppe. Through the centuries, people who have prayed for a favor and been granted the favor use this festivity to show their thanks. The "favor" requested must not be for personal gain or benefit. Some common requests are the safe return of a loved one from a war (very common request during World War II), or that a loved one will be cured and survive from a serious, life threatening illness or accident. "

Tonight my daughters and I will be attending a Missa Cantata at the Marian Friary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Griswold, which you can watch as it will be streamed at AirMaria.

How blessed we are to have a Catholic community so rich in traditon!

St Bernadette Soubirous

This February 11th was the 151st anniversary of the apparitions of St Bernadette at Lourdes.
Thirty years after her death, her body was exhumed and found to be in a perfect state of preservation; her skin is even soft to the touch. Read about this miracle at Catholic Online.
The world needs the message of prayer and penance even more now than then. The Holy Father had declared a year of jubilee to celebrate the anniversary of Our Lady of Lourdes.
The girls and I have been very sick for three weeks, and tonight we watched "The Song of Bernadette" and prayed the rosary (a day late, we lost track of the date) in thanksgiving for our slow return to health.
Please pray the rosary for our president and for the world.

Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord: Candlemas

In All Generations Shall Call Me Blessed, Fr. Stefano Manelli quotes from Fr. Laurentin, who gives a precise explanation of the Presentation:

“The presentation of Jesus in the Temple is not a standard biblical scene. It was not at all customary to recount the presentation of a hero. The only precedent is in chapter one of the first book of Samuel, and Samuel’s presentation is quite different. It is not tied to a prescription of the law. The timing is different: in
I Sam. 1:22-24 it takes place after Samuel is weaned, while in Luke it takes place 40 days after Jesus’ birth. Samuel remains there forever (I Sam. 1:22), while Jesus returns to Nazareth (2:39). The significance of the act is quite different, for the presentation of Jesus, according to Luke, has an apocalyptic and theophanic character. He who bears the divine names of Holy, Lord, and Son of God, visits the temple as a poor child, but he is recognized by the witnesses as the 'Salvation' (lystrosis, 2:38) of Israel . The newness shines forth everywhere, and always in the same direction. Across the anecdotal diversity the great themes converge.”
(Academy of the Immaculate: 1995), 235
Source: Mary Vitamin