New Tees

The  Hope of Bethany Pro-Chapter's apostolate is helping ex-cons.  They support prison programs for prisons and also help the families of prisoners.  A Stitch in Time Textiles is a new business started by two ladies who were once in prison.  The chapter had them make tee-shirts for them.  The emblem is beautiful  It is not stenciled, but rather embroidered.

                             Beautiful, no?

Patron of Sailors, Bl. Peter Gonzalez Telmo

Bl. Peter Gonzalez Telmo, O.P.

Shrine's altar to hold relic of patron of sailors: Since the earliest days of the Church, relics of martyrs and saints have been venerated by the faithful. In keeping with this tradition, to this day Catholic Churches around the world all have a relic inside their altar.

This new shrine in Boston, Our Lady of Good Voyage Shrine, is a welcome sight.  It is welcome, not only because of it's great vista, but also because it's the first church to be opened in Boston for 60 years! And there is a relic inside its altar from Seville, Spain.

Much to my surprise here is a saint (Blessed) I never heard of.  Shame on me.  Double shame because he's a Dominican.  Bl. Peter Gonzalez Telmo ministered to sailors and their families, in Spain and Portugal.  This article, from The Pilot, says he once was pretty worldly but had a religious experience and not only repented but joined the Dominicans.  (Good choice!)

He is known for his ministry to sailors and their families.

"What's very interesting is that for centuries the reliquary of Blessed Peter has been closed," noted Father Jonathan Gaspar, priest secretary to Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley and Director of the Office of Divine Worship for the Archdiocese of Boston, "but they have agreed to open it and give us a relic for our chapel."

IOW

IOW is internet slang for "in other words."  It occurred to me, as I was pray ing, that God and I have our own intimate, personal slang.  I carry on a conversation with God, just as if he were my constant companion, all day.  Well, He is.  And this is my preferred prayer.  I often pray formal prayers, e..i. Rosary.  But I "yak" to Him all day.  Even when doing Lectio Divina, I point out things and ask questions.

I'm comfortable with God and share my thoughts and heart with Him.  Yes, He talks back.  Not audibly, but I sense in my heart, i.e., feelings of consolation, a sense of trust, comfort.   My thoughts shoot out to Him, like internet slang

 I don't even need words.

Think of Jeremiah's conversation with God, "You will be in the right, O Lord, when I lay charges against you; but let me put my case to you." Jeremiah 12: 1.  Even though He's God and knows what I'm going to say before I say, I reiterate it.  It helps me, not Him. In this way, I find myself walking with God, all day.  It makes me continuously conscious of Him. 

The Charles River Link Trail

This is a hiker.  It's Don, one of my fellow Trail Hikers.  Today we walked around the Charles River Link Trail, Medfield, MA.  It's on the grounds of the old Medfield State hospital.

I'm amazed when I look around the old hospital grounds.  I try to picture the bustling life that once lived and worked there.  Time marches on.  It started in 1892 as the Medfield Insane Asylum.  It was the state's first facility for dealing with chronic mental patients.  It was built to be a village with little cottages.  The name was changed to Medfield State Hospital in 1914. The property was pretty much self-sufficient.  It raised its own livestock and produce, and generated its own heat, light, and power.  It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 and was officially closed in 2003.

It saddens me to see such grand, brick structures abandoned.  The broken windows and decrepit condition speak despair.  I get the same feelings when I look at the canyons of brick factories in Lawrence and Lowell, or the huge building and parking lot that was once General Motors in Framingham.  The people employed there never would have imagined that these strong, stalwart edifices would one day sit abandoned and condemned as unsafe.

But I wasn't there for the buildings.  We were hiking in the woods around the property.  We went to the area known as the Narrows.  Besides seeing the wooded area,  we also saw a deer swimming against the current of the Charles River.  I took about 5 pictures--none of them any good!

We saw a bluebird, not a usual sight. When we ran into some skunk cabbage I had an urge to pick it up and throw some at people.  That's what my friends and I did when we were children.

But I've matured.  Regardless of what Don's antics are in the picture.

'Second Chance Month'—A Bipartisan National Movement

'Second Chance Month'—A Bipartisan National Movement: Update 3/31/2017–U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) introduced a resolution that would designate April 2017 as 'Second Chance Month.' 'We applaud Sen. Portman for his resolution declaring April as Second Chance Month,' said Craig DeRoche, Prison Fellowship®'s senior vice president of advocacy and public policy. 'As America’s largest outreach to prisoners and their families, Prison Fellowship was founded on the conviction that every person has God-given dignity and potential. We join over 50 organizations in celebrating Second Chance Month this April to unlock brighter futures for the millions of Americans who have repaid their debt to society."

Sen. Portman is the author of the Second Chance Act.

Goat Rock

We went into the Warner Trail near Lakeside Pavillion.  It was a moderate hike but we walked for three hours.  Time flies!

It was hilly and rocky.  This rock formation is called GOAT Rock.  Only a goat could climb them.  I didn't even try.

Beautiful day.

Easter Morning Rant

It's Easter morning and I'm all set for that bunny to show up.  While waiting, I wanted to post Catholic Easter greeting on my page, Give Faith a Chance.  Every beautiful Easter expression that was Catholic wouldn't let me share it!  I got the message "the privacy settings won't permit sharing."

Listen Catholics, if you want privacy, open a page for family and friends, ONLY.  Set that page to "privacy" settings.  Otherwise, let your Catholic faith be spread.  Jesus commanded us to evangelize, not keep your faith private!!

Well, at least the Holy Father agrees with me.

BTW, rejoice.  He is risen!  Truly, He is risen.