Malasadas Sunday

Saint Anthony's had the most beautiful hydrangeas in front of the altar.  Look at the different colors.  During the months of July-September, St. Anthony's sanctuary is decorated with parishioners' beautiful hydrangeas.  The people cut them from their garden and bring them in water to the church basement for arranging.  Aren't they beautiful?  Isn't this a beautiful gesture for the parishioners to do?

Hydrangeas grow beautifully on Cape Cod.  I used to have beautiful hydrangeas, too.  Last year, someone stole them.  Yes, someone dug up the entire plants.  All that was left were holes.

Today, was special at St. Anthony's in East Falmouth.  It was Malasadas Sunday!  Malasadas is a sweet fried dough that Portuguese people make.  Most of the people at St. Anthony's are Cape Verdean.  The Council of Catholic Women was making and selling malasadas for their scholarship fund.  I bought four.  Two for me and two for hubby.  They were delicious with coffee for breakfast.

Lucky Toes

John Harvard

Coming from Mass this morning, the lady leaving in front of me, stopped.  She touched the feet of the statue of St. Anthony and I could tell she was praying.

Because I'm me, I immediately thought of the Boston tradition of touching the toe of John Harvard.  Tourists often have their picture taken with the statue.  It's a tradition that if you rub the toe of the statue, you'll have good luck.

St. Anthony of Padua 

We Catholics call "luck", "blessings."  So I imagine devotees of St. Anthony touch his feet to ask for a blessing.

The difference between the two is that the people who rub John Harvard's foot are carrying on a time honored tradition that doesn't really mean anything.  People who touch the toe of a saint are praying.  They are combining a mental prayer with a tactile touch.  The hitting upon two senses help to deepen the prayer.  It's a spiritual aid.  Looking at a picture will deepen your thoughts.  Holding rosary beads not only helps to count, but also to focus.  Hence, the object (the statue) of the toe touch not only makes the difference, but the intention of the touch.

Bostonians also know another difference.  It is also a time honored tradition, for students to urinate on John Harvard's toe, at night.  Tourists touch and rub the toe during the day, and students pee on it, during the night.

These were my thoughts, leaving Mass, on a Sunday morning.

St. Anthony pray for me.

Praying for Persecuted Christians

It's early Saturday morning and the Feast Day is as cold as the sky.  I'm on the Cape and the ocean is a white/blue.  So is the sky.  In fact, there's no horizon line.  From the shore to the white sun in the sky, is all white/blue.  I shivered as I looked at it, praying morning prayers.

Today is the feast of Sts. Isaac Jogues, John De Brebeuf, and companions, and the thought of their martyrdom, has also made me shiver.  Even Fr. Francis Moy, s.j. has the same reaction.  As a fellow Jesuit as these martyrs, who were fearfully tortured, (and went back for more), Fr. Moy says his heart drops.  I wonder at their courage and faith.  I find myself praying "Oh Lord, don't ever let that happen to me."  Then, I sheepishly gulp, "according to Your Will, O Lord."

Good grief!  I'd need an avalanche of grace to be a martyr.  I don't mind the dying; that will happen, anyway.  It's the torture that worries me.  God help and forgive me.

Today's meditation in Magnificat is by Joseph Chihwatenhwa, a Huron who was converted by the martyrs.  The date is 1640:

...I am the one who, in derision, am everywhere called "The Believer."  They think they are speaking evilly of me; but that name is my greatest glory.  I am that man.  I have kinsmen in your village, and you know them.  I make public profession of following the good instructions which these Blackrobes, my teachers, have given me.  We have no sense, as many as there are of us.  Our thoughts do not extend farther than this life.  Those of us who believe place our hopes upon an eternity of good things which are surely prepared for us hereafter.

Couldn't Joseph Chihwatenhwa's words be spoken to people today?  You don't think...

Nah, ....

but?

do you think we Believers could be martyred, today?

Let us pray for all Christians in the Middle East, and everywhere the church is persecuted, especially for the two Jesuits who have been missing for two months in Syria.

Happy Birthday Catholics

Summer is here.  At least my own official summer on the Cape has arrived.  At Mass this morning, I had a pleasant surprise.  St. Anthony's is my summer parish.  I found that the tabernacle had been moved.  It is in the center of the sanctuary.  I like it better because now no matter where I sit I can see it.  Today I sat under this window.

It is Pentecost.

The parish was having a festival for the Holy Spirit.  This is a Cape Verdean parish and the Portuguese Club is the place to go.  That's where the action is.

I also feel like I've been infused by the Holy Spirit.  I'm starting to get hyper over my trip to France for the beatification.  I'm leaving in four days!!! The beatification of Pere Lataste is in a week.  

Just think, Father Lataste beatification really started when he witnesses the conversion of women prisoners.  They were touched by the Holy Spirit.  He was blessed by the Holy Spirit.  His work was guided by the Holy Spirit.  Father Lataste's beatification is the work of the Holy Spirit.  You can't hold back the Holy Spirit.  Deo Gratias.

Thank You for All Priests

Last Friday when I went to see Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, O.P. give his talk,( 2009 Speaker Series at Christ the King Parish), there was a question and answer session afterwards. One of the comments made at that time bothered me. The comments more than bothered the pastor of St. Anthony's. He said he almost wanted to go over and fight.


What she said was callous. I'm sure she wasn't thinking. In praising the Dominicans, of whom, Father Timothy belonged, she critized all parish priests. She said she lives in San Francisco, California, and travels about 70 miles to go to church. She does this every Sunday because the Dominicans there preach so wonderfully and seem to energize the community, unlike the parish priests.

As a Lay Dominican, I thank the young lady and appreciate her praise of my brothers, the friars. However, as a Lay Dominican, I also feel that I must speak up ( a la St. Catherine of Siena)and defend the parish priest.

It is not difficult to craft homilies to a particular people, if your parish belongs to the academic community. Many people go to the priory, or monastery, etc., to go to Mass. The people who attend these Masses and travel to these locations are often all of the same mind set. A preacher can really hone in on their particular needs.

As Father Costello of St. Anthony's was telling me, it is hard to hit everyone in his congregation. His parish consists of the world. Tourists from God knows where, locals, old, young, Cape Verdeans, rich, poor...you get the idea, make up his parish. And every one of them wants excellent preaching, every week. They want the perfect prayer for every occasion. They expect the priest to be present when they need him. They want the priest to like what they like, and not like what they don't.

The hardest expectation to live up to is that people want them to be human and be a "party animal" when occasions call for that; yet, people want priests to be just like Jesus.

Instead of critizing the parish priest, people should offer to help, try to be non-judgemental, and assist the priest. If a priest moves you to prayer because he celebrates Mass so wonderfully. Thank God for the blessing of this priest. If you think the priest is boring, then pray for him. Ask St. John Vianney to intercede for blessings to fall on the priest. All priests need us to pray for them.

If you have a chance to see the last speaker in the 2009 Summer Speaker Series, I recommend that you do. Many people attended Father Timothy's and the audience was very welcoming to everyone. The cost is free. What more do you want?

The 2009 Summer Speaker Series is held by the parishes of Christ the King, St. Anthony's, and Our Lady of Victory. The above picture is Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, O.P., with Msgr. Daniel Hoye,the pastor of Christ the King, in the background.