Blessings

 Ever since the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith came out a declaration that the Church can't bless homosexual unions there's been an uproar.  At first, I wondered why because I know that it takes centuries for the Church to do anything.  So I never expected a change regarding the sacrament of marriage.  A man and a woman have to be open to having children to receive the sacrament of marriage.  

Some of the arguments by the critics of the CDF are worthy, however.  I think the best one is that the Church allows the blessing of animals, of sacramentals, and people.  It is common to bless people who are leaving on a mission or some extraordinary endeavor.  So if the Church can bless animals and ships, why can't it bless two people in friendship.

Actually, IMHO, the Church should.  However, the Church cannot bless sin.  It can't bless two people living together before marriage, that would be blessing fornication or sodomy.

The point is that the Church has to protect the sacrament of marriage.

Veritas Mask

 I was so blessed at Mass this morning.  The Eucharistic Prayer never meant so much to me as it did today.  I woke up early and was reading Luke 22: 14-20.  I was struck by the coincidence that I had read these very words.  It was awesome.  Especially resonating were the words "new covenant" and "Do this in memory of me."  

Then watching people go to Communion, I notice someone wearing a mask with a Dominican Shield on it.  I knew immediately who she was.  It was a Facebook friend who lives in Florida.  I remembered that her son lives around here, so she was visiting him.

Lastly, I received the sacrament of the sick after Mass.  I'm having a medical procedure tomorrow.

Three blessings!  

Beautiful...But.

I watched the pope give his unprecedented ubi and orbi blessing today.  The world is in the midst of a pandemic, COVID 19.  It was beautiful.  So beautiful.

But.

I am happy I didn't tell my kids about it.  They would have been turned off because they wouldn't have understood what was going on.  My criticism is that the commentary wasn't explanatory.  This was for the world, meaning non Catholics.  They would have seen worshipping pictures, statues of the cross, what is Adoration?

If Catholics don't want the explanation (and I bet there's much for them to learn too) they can turn the sound down or off.

Priestly Blessing for the Community

LECTIO: NM 6:22-27

The LORD said to Moses:
“Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them:
This is how you shall bless the Israelites.
Say to them:
The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon
you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and
give you peace!
So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites,
and I will bless them."

STUDIUM:

These are well-known blessings, used often.  They are the specific words of God's blessing that the priests are to say over the congregation. I like the last line best, "I will bless them."  Get that.  The priest says the words and God Himself does the blessing.

   This sums up God's design for the people--holiness and well-being.

MEDITATIO:

May God, the source and origin of all blessing, grant you grace, pour out his blessing in abundance, and keep you safe from harm throughout the year. 

ORATIO:

I pray to start and continue walking closer to Thee, my Beloved.

CONTEMPLATIO:

Shalom

RESOLUTIO:

Once again!!!  Try to do the nine first Fridays.

Luck v. Blessings

Boy! Am I in a good mood!  I just won three games out of three playing cribbage this afternoon. All three games came down to the wire and in all three I counted first.  That's pure luck.  And I had good hands.  That's luck too.

And that!  Boys and girls, is the difference between luck and a blessing.  A blessing is a grace from God.  Luck is the card hand you're dealt.

Small Blessings

You will never guess what woke me up at 3:09 AM?  I thought I heard music.  My first thought was, "No it couldn't be."  My next thought was that the music could be my iPhone alarm, which I had set for 6:00 AM.  But it was only 3:00 AM.  Was it my imagination?  Was the television left on?  Did I make a mistake in setting my alarm?

Well, by that time, I knew I wouldn't get back to sleep, so I got up to investigate.  The music was Away in a Manger.  Our Christmas tree is still up and there's still Christmas decorations scattered all over the room.  I went to the snow globes and their music was off.  Away in a Manger now switched to Silent Night.  Eventually, I ascertained that the music was coming from a Christmas tree decoration.  I was surprised.  I knew a few ornaments made noises, but I didn't remember any that played songs, never mind, had a repertoire of songs.  O Little Town of Bethlehem gave the offending decoration away.  Oddly enough, the second my fingers touched the ornament, the music stopped.

Now what?  As long as I was up I read the First Meditation for Week Four, Day Five, in St. Louis de Montfort's True Devotion Consecration to Mary.  I also prayed Morning Prayer.

Since I was now up for good, I thought I had better shut off my iPhone alarm.  I also saw, as I picked up my phone, that my scrabble partner had made her move during the night.  So I played my tiles.  She immediately placed her tiles.  She's up at 4:00 AM!

So we played scrabble.

I did de Montfort's Second Meditation.

I gave myself a manicure.

I finished reading Life of Pi.

I wrote this post.

Now it's time to get ready for the day.  I'm going to a T.O.P.S. workshop today and I'm driving.  "Lord, protect my passengers because I'm pretty tired."

Voce Sotto

After Mass this morning, my friend were conversing in the church parking lot.  As we talked, I saw a man get in the car, we were standing in front of.  We moved aside.  He started to move and stopped.  We were chatting, so I really didn't pay that much attention to him.  I guess I thought he was just waiting for an opening in the traffic to proceed.

My friend and I continued our conversation, beside his car.  I thought the man was looking at us, but I didn't give it any thought.  After some time, I said to my friend, (voce sotto) "What is this man's problem?  Why doesn't he go?"

Guess what.

He heard me.  He responded, "I've been waiting for a break in your conversation, to ask you a question."

I was embarrassed because I thought I was speaking in voce sotto.

While I stood there with an open mouth, he explained that he noticed I was wearing a religious tee shirt.  He asked me if I were interested in Bible studies.  I told him that I belonged to two Bible Studies groups in two different parishes.

Then he handed me a present.  It's an audio Bible.  It looks like a small radio, but it only contains the Bible.  I thanked him and he moved on.

I guess God wanted to bless me.

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Back to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival, thanks to RAnn's This That n the Other Thing.  We blogger's do this every week.  We also answer one question, which is "What am I thankful for?"  So many blessings, thank God, so many.  But I'll single out people.  All the people that surround me, family and friends--even virtual ones, are all a blessing.  Deo Gratias.

Monday -- I blogged about a walk and a joke.

Tuesday -- Why Christ is my king.

Wednesday -- I did a book review on Monk Dawson.

Thursday -- Something happened Wednesday night that really pissed me off.  But Thursday morning I went hiking and my mood turned around.

Friday -- Wither the weather.

It would be fun to look and see what's going on at RAnn's.

The Blessings of Children

Father George told the story of a young man who had been married awhile and lost his job.  He started selling drugs for a living.  His wife was scared and prayed and talked him into going on a Curcillo.

He was touched by the Holy Spirit and turned his life around, much to his wife's joy.  When his wife became pregnant, after having 3 children, he was thrilled.  He called his mother to tell her.

His mother responded with silence.  He said, "Aren't you happy for us?"  His mother said something about dropping them out like pigs.  This was shocking because his mother had eight children!

Anyway, angry words were spoken and the son hung up on his mother.  There was no contact for about a month.  The mother finally called and apologized, and no more was said.

The couple ended up having fifteen children!

The mother in her old age ended up needing 24 hour care.  She's in a nursing home.

Guess who visits her.  Who reads to her?  Who bring her gifts?  Who spends time with her?  Who sends greeting cards?  Who telephones her?  Who watches over her?

Who're her prides and joys? 

More on the Brindle Trail

This post is an addendum to Brindle Trail because I wrote that in a rush this morning.  I was rushing to get to my assigned time for Adoration.  I am afflicted with a crazy blessing.  I see crosses everywhere.  I know it's because the crucified Jesus is ever present in my mind.  And crosses are just a natural phenomenon.  It's a common architectural structure.  ETC!

However, they pop out at me as if they were neon signs.  I'm use to it.

It started about eight years ago.  I was driving home late at night and my car headlights focused on a cross by the side of the road.  It was a cross highlighted by neon.  It seemed to be a neon cross.  But I knew it most probably was a mailbox post.  My eyes were playing tricks on me.

A couple of minutes later, another neon cross popped into view.  It was in the back yard of a house on the corner.  There was a spotlight on their garage that was shining down on a cross.  What the heck was that about?

I was almost home and was approaching an intersection when I noticed the traffic sign.  It was one of those telling motorists that an intersection was ahead.  Those traffic signs abound!  I've seen them zillion of times.  I know they're cross shaped.  How come this one was shining?

I didn't really wonder what the matter was.  I was calm.  I thought that maybe I was becoming a religious fanatic.  But if I were, it felt kind of a nice place to be.

I decided to thank God for reminding me that He is everywhere.  Now every time I see a cross, I say "Thank you Jesus for loving me."

BTW, that night eight years ago was explained naturally.  The first cross was a mail box post.  (It's still there, cross shaped.)  The cross in the back yard was a clothes line post.  (That spot light on the garage has never been left on again.  And I've been looking for it for eight years.)  Lastly, the intersection sign is a frequent reminder to thank Jesus.

Back to the Brindle Trail.  Crosses were in the branches.  Crosses were in the fence posts, bridges, and tree trunks.  Did you ever notice that crosses were at the tops of all pine trees?

Neither did I.

Brindle Trail

Nothing has been posted for a few days because nothing has moved me enough to write.  Until last night, that is.  As I was going through my steps for my daily examen, I was counting my blessings.  I immediately thought of today's hike through the woods, with the Trail Hikers.  We went to Gilbert Woods and hiked the  Brindle Trail.

It was awesome.  Meditatively inspiring, comes to mind.  It truly was a blessing.  The temperature was warmer than it has been in days, although there were patches of snow, here and there.  Buds were showing on tree branches.  The birds are coming back.

We even saw a butterfly!

Really Look at that Gift Horse

The other day I was given a little spiritual direction, that I am still bummed about.  My temperament is such that I'm not bothered by much.  It just rolls off me.  Why?  I dunno.

Maybe I'm just lazy.

Maybe I'm selfish and not worried about anything that doesn't affect me.

Maybe I'm such a people pleaser that I don't want anyone mad at me.

heh.

Hey, maybe I just trust God to handle everything.

I never thought much about why I'm like this, except to consider it a blessing.  I always considered it a gift.  I thought it was a gift from God.

Whenever I read or hear about "forgiveness," I feel my eyes glaze over.  I have no one to forgive.  No one has ever done anything to me that I've taken offense to.  I may think that something someone said was stupid, but I wasn't hurt.  I have ranted and raved, but I can't remember why, of for what reason. Isn't this a grace?

It turns out that I'm fooling myself.  It would be a wonderful grace to hate someone, and then forgive them, and love them.  Forgiving is something I've never been given the grace to do because my personality is such that I'm not offended so easily.

                 No offense = Nothing to Forgive       Offended+Forgiveness= Blessings

I just thought of something.
Before I was a little self-righteous: I love everybody; never met a person I didn't like.  OK, maybe I was a little too proud of what was just my temperament.

But!  Now I forgive myself.  ;-D

Prison Blessings

My "cloistered brothers" and I were discussing blessings tonight.  We were impressed how many blessings there are all around us.  But one needs "eyes that see, and ears that hear." Proverbs 20:12.  Even events, that we once perceived as tragedies, and the worst days of our lives, in retrospect were a necessary part of what we needed to get closer to God.  We see that now.

Even prison.  One "cloistered brother" said he doesn't regret a minute of being in prison.  He found God.  He loves God.  He wants to spend the rest of his life learning about God, praying to Him, and serving Him.  And if he weren't in prison, he doesn't know if he'd be able to do that.  The prison is his monastery.  

Blessing of the Houses

When I told the Dominican Sisters of St. Niklausen, that my "cloistered brothers" pray for them after Evening Prayer, they got very excited, and exclaimed that they pray for us, too.

You see, this is a Bethanian Tradition, to add this Blessing of the Houses to Evening Prayer.  We pray for each other.  In this way, we are always one--united in prayer.  

You are welcome to pray with us.

BLESSING OF THE HOUSES

St. Dominic and St. Mary Magdalen
Bless our Sisters of Mont

Our Lady of Grace and St. Teresa of the child Jesus
Bless our sisters of St. Sulpice de Favieres

Jesus in the Eucharist and St. Rose of Lima
Bless our sisters of Nukerke

Our Lady of Peace and St. Niklaus of Flue
Bless our sisters of St. Niklausen

Mother Mary of Mercy
Bless our sisters of St. Morillon

Holy Face of Christ and Our Lady of Consolation
Bless our sisters of Turin

St. Mary Magdalen
Bless our sisters of Venlo

Our Lady of Mercy
Bless our brothers and sisters in the fraternities of Norfolk

Yves Congar
Bless our Southern Province

Mother Admirable
Bless our novitiates

Our Lady of Bethany
Bless the mission

Our Lady of the Church
Bless our Lataste Fraternities

St. Francis and St. Clare
Bless our Franciscan Sisters of Milwaukee

Mother of God
Bless our sisters in West Springfield

Risen Lord
Bless our Sisters in the USA

St. Dominic
Bless our brothers at Santa Sabina and throughout the world

Our holy founders
Bless us

Blessed Pere Lataste, Apostle of Prisons
Bless us

Pilgrimage--Day Four

The big day finally arrived.  Pere Lataste's Beatification was here. We began the day as usual.  Breakfast, and then we prayed Morning Prayer in the chapel.  A bus picked us up and brought us to eat at a new place--the Metropolis.  It's bigger than the diocesan center.

Tomb of Pere Lataste

Afterwards, the bus took us to the Motherhouse of the Dominican sisters of Bethany and the tomb of Pere Lataste.  His chapel is very simple: an all white small room.  In the middle of the floor is a rectangle; this is the tomb of Pere Lataste.  If there weren't a vase of flowers in the center of it, everyone would be walking on it.

One wall has a faint picture of Mary Magdalene and a corner has faces.  These are self portraits--some are of my "cloistered brothers."  I made sure I took a lot of pictures of these.  My "cloistered brothers" will get a kick out of them.

There we met the Vice Postulator, Pere Jean Marie Gueullette, op.  I also met a friend, Father Prakash Anthony Lohale, op.  Since Father Prakash didn't speak anymore French than we did, we stayed together.  We walked around the cemetery visiting Mother Henri Dominique's grave and the other sisters'.

From the Mother House of the Dominican Sisters of Bethany, we went to eat at the Metropolis.  There Father Prak introduced us to Father Vivian Boland, op.  Another one to add to our non-French speaking entourage.  We all ate dinner together.

Across from where we ate was a huge auditorium where the beatification was to take place.  As we walked in, we were given scarves.  On each scarf was stamped the image of Pere Lataste.  Surprisingly, we had reserved seats.  I sat in the third row.  The auditorium was filled to over capacity.   I was told that it held 5000 people and the crowd was estimated to be 5200.

What a joyous occasion! My "cloistered brother," Rocco would say, "Un...believable!"  I will remember this Mass as long as I live.  What an experience!  It truly is the experience of a life time.

Mass began.  The cross, the altar servers, the candle bearers, the incense swingers, and then Ruth, and fr. Remy, and the Lataste family carrying the reliquary, containing some bones and other artifacts from Pere Lataste, the Lector, bishops, the Master General of the Order of Preachers, Sister Sara and Sister Pia Elizabeth, and Cardinal Angelo Amato.     It was a very auspicious procession, very serious, quite somber--except for Ruth.  She was smiling radiantly. Her grin lit up her face.

The main celebrant of the Mass was Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Saints, who was acting in place of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI.

The music was a little Taize style.  The incense flooded the atmosphere.  I loved it.  The Archbishop of Besancon welcomed everyone.  There were a lot of priest up on the altar.  It looked like about 50 bishops.

When I saw the Master General of the Order of Preachers, Father Bruno Cadore, I remembered something, and my heart dropped to my stomach.  I remembered that I had promised a couple of people that I would get rosaries for them and have them blessed by Cardinal Amato, and the Master, and Pere Lataste.  I had broken my promise.  I was at the tomb of Pere Lataste and could have easily placed the rosaries on his tomb and prayed for his blessing.  But I didn't give my two friends a thought--not a second!  How could I have been so self-absorbed, so self-centered, selfish, so-so-so stupid!  And now here I was down below the altar/stage, out of reach of the Master and Cardinal Amato.  There was no way they could bless the rosaries.  I had blown my chance with my thoughtlessness.  I am such ninny. I hated myself.

However soon I was lost in a dance.  A beautiful interpretive dance quieted the crowd. And the excitement of the people, the music, incense, prayers, singing, etc.  I forgot about my broken promise about getting the rosaries blessed.

During the Mass, a slide show of all the Bethany communities was shown.  And Our Lady of Mercy Chapter was in it!  And I was in it!  At first, I didn't understand how these pictures were taken, but then I remembered that La Vie Catholique came to Our Lady of Mercy Chapter and took pictures for the publication.  They must have given the Beatification committee these photos.

The recessional music was my "cloistered brothers" singing "I've been redeemed."  Everyone was clapping and swinging their scarves in the air.  You would have thought our team had won the soccer tournament.

Then something caught my eye.  I saw Ruth run up the aisle.  I looked at her and then she dropped to her knees.  What?  Why?  Ah...I saw that she was kneeling in front of Pere Lataste's reliquary.

The reliquary.  THE RELIQUARY!

I ran up to the reliquary, too.  Two very stern looking priests were standing guard beside it.  I took the rosaries out of my pocket and motioned to one of the priests that I wanted to place the rosaries on the reliquary.  The priest nodded assent.  So I carefully, but definitely, placed the rosaries on Pere Lataste's reliquary.  I prayed for Pere's intercession and blessing.  I also thanked God for being so good to me.

I could barely believe it.  I felt so blessed.  Deo Gratias.  A couple of hours ago I was despondent because I had broken my promise.  Now God did something better.  It was something better because the reliquary contained first class relics.  And I placed the rosaries on them.  Do you know what that makes the rosaries?  They are now second class relics because they have touched Pere Lataste's relics.

God is so good.

As I was relating this blessing to my group of friends, guess who walked by?  Father Bruno Cadore, the Master General of the Order walked by.  I stopped him and asked him to bless the rosaries.

HE DID.

Deo Gratias!  Oh Lord I am not worthy that You should bless me so much.  I felt humbled by God's generosity.

I am sure that my friends will be pleased and happy when I tell them the story and give them the rosaries.

The blessings continue.  We ate our supper and Sister Renata had a surprise for us.  She had Pere Lataste's rosary.  Yes!  Really!  You see, when he was dying he gave Mother Henri Dominique his rosary.  Mother Henri Dominique passed the rosary to the next Prioress General.  Ever since then, the Prioress General of the Dominican Sisters of Bethany has Pere Lataste's rosary.  Sister Pia Elizabeth let Sister Renata have it for the night.

We showed everybody.

We wanted so much to go home and pray on Pere Lataste's beads.  But when we arrived home, we all agreed that we were too tired.  We did promise to meet in the chapel, after breakfast, and then we'd pray a Rosary.

My Franican Rosary

Tradition has it that St Francis and St Dominic met in Rome when they were both there to seek ratification for their new Orders from the Pope. The two Orders have regarded themselves as 'first cousins', even 'brothers', ever since. Where possible, Franciscans come to Dominican churches to preach on the feast of St Dominic and Dominicans go to Franciscan churches to preach on the feast of St Francis. Hence, I find it perfectly fitting, if not desirable, to count among my friends, Franciscan Friars, Franciscan Sisters, and Lay Franciscans. My Cardinal Archbishop, is a Capuchin Franciscan. We're all family.

Then when I met Brother Vito Martinez, OFM Cap, my world expanded to include Br. Vito, the rest of his Novitiate, and his world of formation. We are united in prayer.

When Fr. Vito undertook the apostolate of making rosaries. My interest was really piqued.

I make rosaries

. I've tried to make rosaries in the past. OK. I've made one. This one was for a friend making her final profession. I ordered a sterling silver cross with her name engraved. The beads were black and white. The medallion in the middle was Our Lady of Pompeii. It was very Dominican. I had Fr. Richard Fleck, OP, bless it.

The Rosary fell apart.

My craftsmanship was at fault, of course, not the Dominican blessing.

I fixed it for her. Then, again...and...again.... Every time I saw her, she handed me her Rosary to be repaired.

I went out and bought her, her own needle nosed pliers. :-/

I've never made another, although I fix people's rosaries, all the time. Since I do it for free, no one dares complain.

Anyway, I read on Br. Vito's blog that he was making a traditional 15 decade Dominican Rosary for a Dominican nun. Well, I wanted one. That's a lie. I coveted.

I asked; and I received. Br. Vito generously agreed to make a 15 decade traditional Dominican rosary. Imagine. This is great because we Lay Dominicans are buried in habit. We are not allowed to wear full habit, (we wear the scapular for ceremonies) unless it's our shroud. I have a habit. I have a belt. I was dreading making myself the Rosary. And I was going all the way, and making a 20 decade. But God had mercy on me, and brought Br. Vito in my life. Now, I have better.

Did you read what Pope Benedict XVI said about the Dominicans and Franciscans, just this year? He talked about the two Orders being intertwined in love. He spoke of their founders' zeal and apostolic mission. Their unique reading of the times and how this is carried forward today. As in a Franciscan making a Rosary for a Dominican. :-)

Did you know that until the promulgation of "Inter Oecumenici in 1964," the blessing of Rosaries was a reserved blessing, and only priests of the Dominican Order could bless them. That is why the older Roman Rituals did not contain a blessing for Rosaries. However, since Vatican II, any priest or deacon may bless a Rosary using formulas in use from 1964 to 1984 or the formula found in the new Liber Benedictionum of 1984 (LB 506):

May this Rosary and the one who uses it be blessed, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen. That's why I had Father Reynold Rynda, OFM Cap bless my Rosary. See pix.

Having a Franciscan make and bless a Dominican Rosary is the best of both worlds. You can't get any better than that. Note that Franciscan historian Luke Wadding (1588-1657) dates the origin of the Franciscan Crown to the year 1422. He tells the story of a young novice in the Franciscan Order who, previously accustomed to express his devotion to the Blessed Virgin by adorning her statue with a wreath of fresh flowers, was prevented from continuing this practice in the novitiate. In distress, he considered leaving the Order. But the Blessed Virgin appeared to him and instructed him to recite a rosary of seven decades in honour of her seven joys; thus, he might weave a “crown” more pleasing to her than flowers on her statue.

From that time, the practice of reciting the “Crown of the Seven Joys“ became general in the order. Thus it became known as the Franciscan Crown—or the Seraphic Rosary.

Legend tells us that St. Dominic was taught the Rosary from the Blessed Mother. Legend tells us that St. Dominic prayed the Rosary before he preached. Legend tells us that St. Dominic said the Rosary was the best weapon against heretics.

It is fact that the Dominican Pope, Pius V, had his navy pray the Rosary before the Battle of Lepanto. It is fact the a Lay Dominican, Bartolo Longo used the Rosary effectively and built the Shrine of Pompeii. Miracles occur there, today. It is a fact that the Dominicans helped spread devotion to the Rosary.

And it is a fact, that the first time I use my Dominican Rosary, the first decade will be prayed for Fr. Reynold and his intentions, since he blessed my Rosary. The second decade will be for Br. Vito and his intentions. The rest of my rosary intentions are personal.

In Spiritu Patri Dominic et Francis