THE WAY OF THE CROSS

The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also called the Way of Sorrows, Via Dolorosa in Latin, is the devotion to the Passion of Jesus, his journey from Gethsemane toCalvary, the final hours of his life. 

For centuries Catholics have been praying the Stations of the Cross, which originated from a desire to replicate holy places of prayer in Jerusalem. The Franciscans were granted permission in the 17^th century by Pope Innocent XI to place the stations in their churches, with the number of stations varying from 11 to 30.  By the 19^th century the right was extended to all the bishops with the number of stations fixed at 14.

The Stations are prayed throughout the year by many but are offered on Fridays during Lent in a communal form led by a priest or deacon.  Meditating upon the Stations of the Cross is considered a form of reparation for what Jesus endured for us in those last hours.  

Jesus made this journey for us…to free us from our sins, not His.   As we walk with Him during the stations, the reality of what He endured for us reaches into the depth of our very soul.  We are transported in time to a garden where He was betrayed for a few coins and later condemned to die while others were set free, accepting His holy cross, the weight of that heavy cross.   

A crown of thorns, scourging at the pillar, where were you?  Were you in the crowd on the road to Calvary watching as He fell once, twice and yet a third time under the weight of His holy cross?  Are you reaching out longing to touch Him, to wipe his brow with your veil, offer Him a drink of water, to free Him of his suffering, his divine destiny?  Do you listen to the slanderous insults, the jeering crowd, the mockery they make of this holy man and long to silence them?  Only to hear our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, whisper his last words, “It is finished.  Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”

God so loved the world that He sent His only son to die for us.

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise you.

Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.

 Join us for the prayerful reflection of the Stations:

 February 24, 2012 – Traditional Stations of the Cross at 7:30 p.m.

March 2, 2012 – Stations of the Cross from Mary’s Point of View at 7:30 p.m.

March 23, 2012 – Outdoor Stations of the Cross at 5:45 p.m.

Feast Day: February 17

Between the years 1225 and 1227, seven young men fromFlorencedecided to dedicate their lives to the service of God.  They became the Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin, popularly known as the 'Laudesi' or Praisers.  It was a time of instability and low morals even for those who had religious practices.  On the feast of the Assumption, as they were deep in prayer, they saw her in a vision and were inspired by her to withdraw from the world into solitude and to live for God alone.  For some, this meant leaving their families since two of these men were married and with children.  The bishop approved the withdrawal of these seven men from society, and arrangements were made for the well-being of their dependents.

As these solitaries gave themselves up to prayer for life, again they had a vision of our Lady, who bore in her hand a black habit while an angel held a scroll inscribed with the title of Servants of Mary.  She told them she had chosen them to be her servants, that she wished them to wear the black habit, and to follow the Rule of St. Augustine.  From that date, April 13, 1240, they were known as the Servants of Mary, or Servites, and their practices took the form like that of the mendicant friars.

In 1259 the order was recognized by Alexander IV, and it wasn’t until 1304 that it received the explicit and formal approbation of Bd. over sixty years after its foundation.

Eventually as this ministry grew in service and devotion, in 1852, members of this ministry came to theUnited Statesand settled inNew YorkandPhiladelphia.  InWisconsinin 1870, two American provinces developed under Father Austin Morini. 

While in prayer, what is stopping you from giving yourself to the Holy Spirit and letting God answer your troubled heart?

Feast Day:  February 11

The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a 14 year old peasant girl in 1858, in a grotto near Lourdes, France. Bernadette Soubirous had gone to gather firewood with her sister and a friend, the Thursday before Ash Wednesday in cold, threatening weather. 

The girls crossed a canal but Bernadette, who suffered from asthma, remained on the other side afraid the cold water would bring on an attack.  She decided to chance the crossing and as she began to shed her stockings, heard a sound and looked toward the grotto behind her losing all power of speech for at the entrance, above a rose bush, was a golden cloud followed by a Lady, young and beautiful. 

Bernadette fell to her knees and recited the Rosary.  This was to be the first of 18 times Our Lady would appear to her.

During one of the apparitions, Our Lady asked that a chapel be built at the grotto and told Bernadette to drink from the grotto fountain.  There wasn’t a fountain.   Our Lady told her where to dig and a spring flowed from that spot.  A spring, whose water, which has a blessed healing power for which no scientific explanation can be identified, has cured many.

Much has been written about the miracles that occur at Lourdes. People travel thousand of miles for the healing power of the water. 

Perhaps you have a bottle of water from the grotto near Lourdes.  I do.  A friend brought it back to me upon visiting Lourdes for a healing from cancer. My friend, also underwent chemo and radiation therapy, and currently is cancer free. 

Was it the holy water from Lourdes or the chemo and radiation that healed my friend? 

Only our Blessed Mother and our God know the answer. 

Born Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco, the youngest of three sons, John Bosco came from a poor, farming family in Castelnuovo d’ Asti, Piedmont, Italy.  John knew early on through a dream that his vocation was to lead and help youth.  His outgoing personality and his ability to amuse children with magic captured the attention of the young boys bringing them to church.  Poverty prevented him from schooling, but in 1830, at the age of 15, Fr. Joseph Calosso saw great promise in John and helped to support his education. 

As a young chaplain, he followed the teachings of St. Francis de Sales and believed in teaching methods that focused on love not punishment.  He developed the Oratory for boys which grew into more youth centers, founded the Society of St. Francis de Sales and some of those missionaries started houses in South America. With Maria Domenica Mazzarello he started the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, a congregation of nuns dedicated to the care and education of poor girls.  Though other clergy of the time found his work threatening, accusing him of stealing the young from their parishes, John continued his work with the underprivileged.  Even politicians saw his teaching of young men a threat to their State’s political structure by possibly inciting a revolution. 

The patron saint of magicians, school children and youth, John Bosco’s feast day is January 31.  He gave his very best to those children who had the least. He knew that the loving care and attention of an interested adult was essential to the healthy growth of every child.

Do you have a little bit of John Bosco’s zeal in you?

Feast Day – January 25

St. Paul, born Saul of Tarsus renamed Paul on his conversion, never met Christ.  Often called the “Great Evangelizer”, he was not one of the 12 disciples; he was the antithesis, the opposite, persecuting Christians until that miraculous day on the road toDamascus.

On that day, as Saul nearedDamascusa “great light from the sky” flashed around him, blinding him as he heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”  He asked “Who are you sir?” and the voice replied “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.”   The men traveling with him heard the voice but did not see anyone.  For three days Saul was unable to see. 

He was led by the men to the house of Judas inDamascuswhere Ananias, who knew the evil Saul inflicted on Christians reluctantly visited him laying hands on him and restoring his sight.  For in a vision the Lord said to Ananias, “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings and children ofIsrael, and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.”

Antonin Sertillanges, a Dominican monk, is quoted as saying “Conversion means a willingness to see the truth of things and conform one’s conduct to it” and that is exactly what happened to Paul.  From that day forward, he proclaimed the good news presenting “everyone perfect in Christ” that we were saved by Him.  No fall is so deep that the power of Divine Grace cannot descend to it, lifting one up changing the way you see everything.  

How many Catholics living in this world, have drifted in thought or action, to a place of self-righteousness or indifference, eventually away from the church?  Many of us have drifted away at one time or another.  Do you know someone who doesn’t attend Mass or someone who is looking for a way back to the church?   Do you know someone waiting for a “sign” that will touch their hearts? 

Why don’t you take a moment and talk to them about “Catholics Come Home”, a compassionate message of Christ’s love for us, inspiring, educating and welcoming inactive Catholics back home? 

The Feast of the Epiphany

On January 6^th, twelve days after Christmas, we as Catholics, celebrate the Epiphany.  The Epiphany is the day the Magi came to give Jesus the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Though it is a common misconception that there were only three wise men, it is uncertain how many there truly were.  The biblical Magi represented the non-Jews of the time period that came to appreciate Jesus and give Him gifts.  The Epiphany symbolizes the public acceptance of Jesus as the Savior, Son of God, and Messiah.

The Wise Men traveled through the desert to pay homage to the Prince of Peace, the King of the world.  They were guided by a star to the place of Jesus’ birth.  Pope Benedict said during a celebration of the Epiphany at the Vatican that, “the Epiphany is a mystery of light, symbolically suggested by the star that guided the Magi on their journey.  The true source of light, however, the ‘sun that rises from on high’, is Christ.”

The Magi were guided by the true light of Christ and the light that brought promise.  The celebration of the Epiphany helps us remember to publicly accept Jesus, because wise men did so, they walked the desert to accept the Lord, even though King Herod pursued them in order to kill the young King.  They show us that although it is sometimes hard to show others our love for Christ, it is always the right thing. 

The Epiphany falls on a Friday this year and  is observed on Sunday, January 8, 2012.

Feast Day – November 10

Pope Leo the Great was born in Rome and was ordained archdeacon of the Roman Catholic Church by St. Celestine.  Under the rule of Pope Sixtus III, Leo had a large part in the governing of the Church. Upon the death of Sixtus III, Leo was chosen as Pope, being consecrated on St. Michael’s day in 440.

Pope Leo began his reign during a time of great trials for the Church.  The Eastern monks and bishops followed the heresy promoted by the Byzantine court.  Namely, that Jesus was not both fully human and fully divine, but was divine in a human “shell.”   After three years of effort, Pope Leo brought about the condemnation of this heresy by the Council of Chalcedon, with all signing his tome exclaiming, “Peter has spoken by Leo.”

Pope Leo’s next challenge was dealing with Attila and his Huns who were burning cities in Italy on a march to Rome.  Leo went out bravely to meet Attila and amazingly turned him back.  His chiefs were told when they asked why they were turning back, that he, Atilla, had seen the personages of Saints Peter and Paul standing behind Pope Leo.  Atilla was so impressed, he withdrew. Two years later the Vandals did take the city but, again, Pope Leo saved the city from complete destruction.

Pope Leo died in A. D. 461, after guiding Christ’s Church for twenty years.  This week, think about what makes a person “Great.”  Would you be worthy of the name?

All Saints Day and 20^th Century Saints

Canonizations during the term of Pope John Paul II have provided modern examples of the people we would like to be.  Saints have taught us through example that people can be heroic and have courage in sharing the light of God.  Few of us will be called to die for our faith, and 20^th century saints show us how to be a model of our Catholic Faith.

Maximilian Kolbe, who Pope John Paul II declared “The Patron Saint of Our Difficult Century”, is one noted saint.  He shows us the possibility of finding God in troubled times and using Christian charity and selfless love to better this world.  A Franciscan priest during World War II, Kolbe sheltered refugees, including 2,000 Jews.  He was arrested and sent to Auschwitz.  In July 1941, a man in Kolbe’s quarters escaped.  As punishment, ten men were chosen to go to the imprisonment block to be starved.  Kolbe was not one of them, but on being chosen one man yelled, “My wife, my kids!” and Kolbe took his position.  In the starvation cell, Kolbe celebrated mass every day and gave communion to the prisoners.  He kept the spirits of others up and as the last one remaining, he was killed with an injection of carbolic acid.  Despite his tragic death St. Maximilian Kolbe shows us that by keeping up our faith we can touch the lives of those around us.

Gemma Galgani of Italy was the fifth of eight children.  When she was young, her mother and four siblings all died from tuberculosis.  Gemma studied to become a nun, but was turned down due to her poor health.  At the age of twenty, Gemma contracted spinal meningitis but was miraculously healed.  After the death of her father, she was left in charge of her remaining siblings and even through these hardships, she was most frequently seen praying for those in need.  When she contracted tuberculosis she claimed she was being spoken to by guardian angels, Mary, and Jesus.  Even though some blamed her illness for these “visions”, St. Gemma Galgani still kept her faith and shared it with others.

Most people in our society are not faced with dying because of their faith, but with finding faith and keeping faith through hard times, like Maximilian and Gemma.  When faced with illness or hardship, look to our 20^th Century Saints for example and make a saintly choice of your own.

TASTE OF THE AMERICAS
A Celebration of Community

 Taste of the Americas, an event at Transfiguration Catholic Church, has become invaluable to the Hispanic community.  This festival not only brings us authentic meals from many countries of Latin America but gathers many cultures under the same roof.   It exposes culture and tradition from countries like Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico as well as the United States.   This integration between the communities, joined together by God, becomes one and diversities do not exist.  The unity, compassion and tolerance are proclaimed by all.  It’s at the table of the Lord where everyone is nourished and fed not only physically but spiritually.  The essence of the diversity among His people is where God is glorified.  All who participate unite as the body of Christ.

 At the table of the Lord is where everyone brings their talents, culture and charity towards one another.  A person or group of people feature their talents to express a little of the home they carry in their hearts.  Their charitable actions help the community reach its plenitude by all who open their hearts and become part of such a wonderful event.  The wisdom of tradition is remembered and it becomes alive.  The old and the new complement each other and grow in wholeness.

It reminds us that we are all sons and daughters of God, made in His image, with the same love.  It reminds us to celebrate the important values of our being.  It lets us stay in the moment and just be with one another.  It brings the community to live the faith that we all proclaim and the love shared all; the love that God pours into each heart.

What a joyful way to celebrate and be part of another country without leaving your community.

Frances Xavier Cabrini was the first American citizen to be canonized.  Born in 1850 in Lombardy, Italy, she was devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and wanted to become a nun but was turned down by religious orders because of her frail health.

In 1868, Frances became a teacher and eventually the director of the House of Providence, an orphanage for girls in Codogno, Italy.  She still had a fervent desire to become a nun.  Frances and five young women, under her direction, finally took their vows in 1877.

In 1880, she founded the Institute of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and became known as Mother Cabrini.  Instead of beginning her missionary work in China as she wanted to, she went to New York at the request of Pope Leo XIII to minister to the poor children and the Italian immigrants. Caring for the sick was not part of her mission, but they needed hospitals, so Mother Cabrini and her missionary sisters successfully opened hospitals in New York, Chicago and Seattle.

Mother Cabrini died of malaria at the age of 67.  She had established 67 missions for ministering to the poor, the uneducated, and the sick in the United States, Europe and Latin America. 

Pope Pius XII said of Mother Cabrini at her canonization, “Although her constitution was very frail, her spirit was endowed with such singular strength that, knowing the will of God in her regard, she permitted nothing to impede her from accomplishing what seemed beyond the strength of a woman.”

As Advent approaches, take a moment to consider how you may reach out and touch the lives of those less fortunate.

Source:  Saint of the Day & www.mothercabrini.org