Antonietta Pray for Katie

 To Christians, when someone dies, it is not the end of life.  It is the beginning of a new life--eternal life.   If Jesus' Resurrection doesn't convince you, there are these scripture verses.  

Christians often ask for prayers for this or that, and even for one another.  Presently, I am soliciting prayers for a friend's wife, who is in dire condition in ICU.  Her name is Katie Field. Please pray for Katie Field, her seven children, and husband, Brandon this morning at your worship service. Her condition is dire, she needs a miracle, and your prayers make such a difference.

 In addition to asking for your prayers, Catholics also ask Mary and the saints to join in our prayers.  Remember, Mary and the saints, living in eternal life, are more alive than we are, and will pray too.

The family has also asked that when we pray, we specifically ask for the intercession of Venerable Antoinietta Meo.  Antoinietta died when she was seven and is considered venerable.

Every one dies and in heaven is considered a saint.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us: 

 In the communion of saints, “a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. Between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things.”

In this wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus recourse to the communion of saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin (CCC1475).

In other words, we pray for those in purgatory and heaven and they pray for us--communion of saints.  But how do we know whether someone is in Purgatory, heaven or hell?  The church has a process to determine without a doubt whether or not someone is definitely in heaven.  This is the canonization process.  

The process to prove sainthood requires a lot of paperwork and investigations.  If miracles have incurred through a saint's intercession, the Vatican investigates.  

Antonietta is interceding for Katie Field.  Everyone is asking for Antonietta's intercession. Hopefully, through God's grace, Katie will be healed and the Vatican will add that miracle to Antonietta's canonization process.  This is why, I ask you to pray for a miracle to heal Katie, through the intercession of Antonietta Meo.

Tzadikim

 Tzadikim refers to 36 righteous people named in the Talmud.  If you google Tzadikim you might run across 36 named and 36 hidden names.  But they are righteous witnesses that exemplify what people should emulate.  When one gazes at a picture of say, Lubavitcher Rebbe, one senses what fear of heaven should be, love of God, and love of God's people.

I can't help but think of saints.  Tzadikim usually are images of rabbis or historical figures like Maimonides.

March Madness

 

This is a game I'm playing with my grandchildren.  We're learning about these saints.  That's the point, not the game.  We roll dice to see which saint will win.  The winning isn't important.  It's learning about each saint.

Who Am I?

I am the only saint directly canonized by Jesus, Himself.  I was assured of a place in Heaven by Him.  I confessed to Him in an open confessional.  My face was closest to Jesus in His last hours of death than anybody else.  I offered Him words of comfort while He died in agony.  Who am I?

Answer: Dismas

St. Casimir

Here's a Godincidence.  While on vacation, last week, I went to the Religious Education Congress in Los Angeles.  Lithuania was featured in a booth there.  Being half Lithuanian and having no living Lithuanian relatives, I've lost contact with that part of my heritage.  When I saw that booth, I gravitated towards it.  I took pictures and picked up the literature.  This morning I was sorting through all the pamphlets, flyers, postcards, etc. and for some reason, I stopped sorting and actually read about St. Casimir.

Later, I pick up my Divine Office and who is the saint of the day?  Saint Casimir.

The remains of St. Casimir lie in this silver casket
elevated above the altar in the chapel of
 St. Casimir, at the Cathedral of Vilnius.

Who is he?  He is the patron saint of a few countries, but definitely honored in Lithuania.  He was born to be king.  He was born to Casimir IV, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania and Elizabeth of Austria of the Hapsburg royal family.  He was the third child in a family of eleven children.  He was educated at court, since he was to be king.

He lived a saintly life of concern for the poor and pious devotion. His goodness was noted by all.  Unfortunately, he died at the age of 26 from tuberculosis.  He was buried in the Cathedral of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

Prayer to St. Casimir

Saint Casimir, Patron of Mary's land,
who did honor the Blessed Virgin with hymns;
who while kneeling at night
at the door of the church,
did pray for her aid;
you loved purity so dearly
that for it you even forsook
all earthly comforts and honor.
Our holy Patron, obtain for our land
the flowers of purity
that by their sweet smell
they may draw us to your ways.
Saint Casimir, unwilling to leave your land,
yet, when it was in danger,
you aided our armies.
With aching hearts, we beg you --
help our fatherland to rise to noble life.
Help us to return without delay to our land
consecrated by the blood of martyrs,
by innocent tears and boundless anguish.
Amen.

Pop Quiz

This was inspired by the new web site Crux. Today they have a quiz on How Well Do You Know Your Saints.  I got two wrong.  How well do you know these saints?

(1)  This saint was our first pope.

     Paul
     Benedict
     Peter
     Francis

(2)  This saint founded the Order of Preachers.
     Ignatius
     Dominic
     Thomas Aquinas
     Catherine of Siena

(3)  This mother prayed for the conversion of her son, St. Augustine.
     Monica
     Theresa
      Martha
      Agnes

(4)   Christmas is this saint's favorite day.
     James
     Stephen
     Benedict
     Nicholas

(5)  Patron of lost things.
      Rocco
      John
      Anthony
      Charles

(6)  Founded Sisters of Charity in India
      Mother Teresa of Calcutta
      Sister Teresa of the Cross

      Sister Theresa Lisieux
      Mother Theresa of Avila

(7)  The Cure of Ars
     Joan of Arc
     Guillaume
     John Vianney
     Martin de Porres

(8)  Angel who overthrew Satan
     Gabriel
     Cherub
     Joseph
     Michael

(9)  The mother of God.
      Mary
      Martha
      Suzannah
      Elizabeth

(10)  The Apostle of prisons
      Jean-Joseph Lataste
      Wayne Nobles
       Zachary Turner
       Abraham

Answers:  (1) Monica  (2)  Dominic  (3)  Monica   (4)  Nicholas  (5)  Anthony  (6)  Mother Teresa of Calcutta  (7)  John Vianney   (8)  Michael   (9)  Mary   (10)  Jean-Joseph Lataste
     

Do Catholics Pray to Saints?

The Argonauta Book Club meeting went well.  The Argonauts didn't eat very much, but that just means that the people at Work will.  (I'll bring the left-overs to work today.)  I was telling everyone about my plans to go to the beatification of Pere Marie Jean Joseph Lataste, O.P.  This was an opportunity to explain the process of sainthood.  But more than that, it brought up the subject of religion.

Three of the Argonauts are married to Catholics.  One said that her Catholic husband always attended the Episcopal Church's Mass with her.  But he said that's as low as he will go.  (There was an "o-o-oh, tsk, tsk.) Another said that her husband attends his Catholic Mass once in awhile, and he never goes to her Universalist church.  The last Argonaut lady said that her husband always attends Sunday Catholic Mass but he won't go with her to her church.  (I didn't choose to enter into the fray.)

But my Episcopal friend in discussing "how low" her husband's standards had fallen was explaining that there were very few differences between Catholics and Episcopalians.  One diff was that Episcopals don't pray to saints (since I had been talking about the beatification of Fr. Lataste.)

"Oh...oh, do Catholics pray to saints, I was asked."

I explained it's not the same as when we pray to God.  I said that Catholics think of saints as friends just as I was talking to my Argonaut friends,  Catholics may talk (which is a definition of prayer) to saints.  After all, we believe that death is the beginning of a new life.  So we're not praying to dead people, but to people alive with Christ.  Our friendships don't end in death; I'll consider the Argonauts my friends in heaven.  And I'll be talking with them then, too.

The Difference Between a Blessed and a Saint

If you ever had a chance to look at the Order of Preacher's Liturgical Calendar, you'd see a lot of people with the title Blessed.  You most probably have never heard of any of them.  They're certainly not on the Church's calendar of saints.

Why?  That's the difference between "blessed" and "saint."  A "blessed" is for a local community; a "saint" is for the universal church.  In the explanation of the process, Sanctorum Mater, you'd read that a "blessed" has to have an approved miracle, and is honored in his cult, or community.  Such is the case with Pere Marie Jean Joseph Lataste, O.P.

What is Beatification?

Beatification is an official declaration by the Pope that a person (called a Servant of God) practiced the Christian virtues to a heroic degree during his or her sojourn on earth. Before the Servant of God under consideration is beatified, a thorough examination of his or her life, virtues, and reputation for holiness is conducted. If the Servant of God did not die a martyr’s death, there must also be one confirmed miracle attributed to his or her intercession. Beatified persons are called Blesseds. They may receive the veneration of the faithful within certain limits set by the Church, but may not be venerated in an organized public manner throughout the whole Church.

  

From Blessed to Saint

A Blessed may be canonized after the occurrence of one more miracle attributed to his or her intercession. Mother Teresa will always remain Mother for those who knew her, hence many people call her “Blessed Mother Teresa,” but officially she is now known as “Blessed Teresa of Calcutta” and later, God willing, as “Saint Teresa of Calcutta.”

So Pere Marie Jean-Joseph Lataste, O.P. has always been thought of as a saint.  To us, he is the Apostle of Prisons.  Later, God willing, he will be declared a saint, but he still is the Apostle of Prisons, whether venerable, blessed, or saint.  He is truly a servant of God.

Catholics Pray to Saints

My spiritual brother, Tom, over at his blog, "Disputations" has a posting about Catholics praying to saints.

It's a common expression. Pray to St. Anthony when you lose something. Pray to St. Jude when you're desperate. Pray to St. Dominic before you lector. Pray to St. Thomas Aquinas before a test. Pray to St. Rocco to be cured. Pray to St. Gerard for a baby.

I always thought that it is understood that you are praying for that saint's intercession to God. But I guess many don't look at it that way. Too bad because that's one of the reasons I'm glad I'm Catholic. I have all these saints to pray to.

Ora pro nobis.