Rendered Speechless

 

                    How can anyone answer heart beats?  Each beat speaks volumes.

The pregnant women are holding amplifiers on their babies to broadcast their babies' heartbeats.

Praying From the Heart

 Offhandedly, in talking about praying with the love of Jesus meaning more than glibly spouting off words, this quote was used:

Si cor non orat, in vanum lingua laborat.

"If the heart does not pray, then the tongue labors in vain."

St. Bernadine of Siena is reputed to have said this.  These words are over the entrance to one of the four Franciscan hermitages in the Rieti Valley in Italy.  St. Francis established four hermitages in this beautiful Italian village, in the shape of a cross.

The Lord says:

     "These people come near to me with their mouth
           and honor me with their lips,
           but their hearts are far from me.
      Their worship of me
           is made up only of rules taught by men..."
                                       Isaiah 29: 13

A Cup of Suffering

 All the Apostles were martyred, except John.  He died in exile on the island of Patmos.  This is history.  This fact, made me often wonder what Jesus meant when he said to John and his brother, James (sons of Zebedee), You will indeed drink from my cup...". Matt 20: 23.  Is living in exile a martyrdom?  Maybe.

However, today I was reading about churches in Rome and came across the mention of a small church near the Basilica of St. John of the Latin Gate.  This church commemorates St. John being boiled in oil!  How's that for drinking a cup of suffering? Matt 20:23 

From the Breviary of St Pius V: “In ferventis olei dolium missus beatus Joannes Apostolus, divina se protegente gratia, illaesus exivit, alleluia. - Cast into a pot of boiling oil, the blessed Apostle John, protected by divine grace, came out unharmed, alleluia.” From its first appearance in the late 8th-century, it is known as the feast of St John “before the Latin Gate”, even though the walls of which the Latin Gate are a part were built 200 years after St John’s time. 

Just the fact that this is not well known, has me wondering about its veracity.  The Eastern Catholic Churches seem to have a lot of traditions and legends which seem implausible to me.  However, that's me.

What about you?

Next door to the Basilica of St. John of the Latin Gate, is the small oratory known as “Saint John in oleo”, said to be on the very spot where the pot of oil was set up; it is attributed to Donatello Bramante, the original architect in charge of rebuilding St Peter’s Basilica in the early 16th-century.

All You Wanted To Know

 The authors are what first attracted me to the book, The Devil..."alive and active in our world."  Corrado Balducci wrote the book and Jordan Aumann, O.P. translated.

Carrado Balducci is a well know theologian, whom I pay attention to, especially on UFOs.  Jordan Aumann is no slouch as a theologian, either, but the fact that he's a Dominican, made me choose this book to read.

Balducci tells us that God created the universe and that includes UFO's and angels.  This book has nothing to do with UFOs, but I like to point out how diverse and open Balducci is.  Although, when it comes to devils, it doesn't take much convincing. Satan's always prowling around like a roaring lion...

The Devil..."alive and active in our world," explains how we are all vulnerable to temptations.  But thanks to God, we have the grace and means to resist the fallen angels. The devil doesn't win, unless we let him. That's the beginning.

Part One of the book, explains the Fall, the nature of devils, and evil.  Part Two proves the existence of devils through Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium of the Church. The rest of The Devil..."alive and active in our world," explains the work of the exorcist--diagnosis, procedures, and suggestions.  You could say this book has all you wanted to know about the devil.  I found it interesting and useful.

George and Michael

 The prayer to St. Michael has always been a favorite of mine.  I first heard it as a child in the 1950's.  We prayed it at the end of every Mass.  Then with the liturgical changes brought by the Vatican II Council, it didn't fit in the liturgy.  

I still pray it now and then.  And sometimes, since my friend, Jordi, introduced to St. George, I also invoke the intercession of St. George.

St. Michael the Archangel, 
defend us in battle. 
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. 
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, 
and do thou, 
O Prince of the heavenly hosts, 
by the power of God, 
thrust into hell Satan, 
and all the evil spirits, 
who prowl about the world 
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen. .

The prayer to St. Michael was inspired by a dream Pope Leo XIII had.  The dream was so horrific that when the pope awoke, he composed this prayer and asked that everyone pray it.

The prayer was more or less forgotten until the reign of Pope John Paul II.  He tried to promote interest in the prayer, again.  He once went on a pilgrimage to Monte Sant'Angelo in Foggia, Italy, where he said, "I have come to venerate and invoke St. Michael the Archangel, that he may protect and defend the Holy Church at a time when it is difficult to give authentic Christian witness without  compromise and accommodation."

I hope and pray that the entire Church will once again regularly recite the prayer to St. Michael.  

Plus, it wouldn't hurt to ask the intercession of St. George, the martyr and soldier of God.  St. George is the patron saint of over 100 countries.  If he can protect countries, surely he can protect people.  He is depicted riding a horse spearing a dragon with a lance.  St. Michael doesn't ride a horse.  He spears Satan with a lance, too.

O St. George,
faithful servant of God and invincible martyr;
favored by God with the gift of faith,
and inflamed with an ardent love of Christ,
You fought valiantly against the dragon
of pride, falsehood, and deceit.
Neither pain nor torture, sword nor death
could part you from the love of Christ.
I fervently implore you
for the sake of this love
to help me by your intercession
to overcome the temptations that surround me,
and to bear bravely the trials that oppress me,
so that I may patiently carry the cross
which is placed upon me;
and let neither distress nor difficulties
separate me from the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Valiant champion of the Faith,
assist me in the combat against evil,
that I may win the crown promised to those
who persevere to the end.

Some enterprising business person, please make a holy card that depicts both saints together.

Overwhelming Love

 Once again, I tried reading Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross.  Someone said if I read the first nine chapters, my life would be changed.  So, I tried, again.

The edition I read was published in 2002 by Riverhead Books, New translation by Mirabai Starr.  My first problem was that I didn't know if the introduction, the forward, the Preface, the Prologue, and/or John's introduction, were included in the nine chapters.  

I start with the forward and read for half an hour.

Nothing.  No change in my life.

The next day, I skipped everything and began reading at chapter one, page 35.  The chapters are my style--a page or a page and a half.  I read for half an hour.

Nothing.  What am I missing?  St. John of the Cross waxes poetically about what union with God is like.  Doesn't everyone know this and want this? 

He doesn't tell us how.  Where do we get the ticket to ride?

I guess, keep praying for an intimate relationship to the Lord.  Pray, read scripture, read spiritual books, listen to homilies, and podcasts, and other religious themes, and hopefully one day, you will feel God's love overwhelm you.

It is quicker to go to a charismatic revival and get slain in the spirit.  Sorry, St. John of the Cross.

Influencers

Art lives in the world.  Most of the time, society influences art.  Once in a while, someone has eyes that see, and ears to hear, and creates something that will influence society.     

The Code of Hammurabi is the first artwork that I can remember.  This was the first complete legal code written on a sculpture.  Hammurabi lived 1792-1750 BC. 

                                                                                 I also think of Guernica by Pablo Picasso.  This was an anti-war protest painting that vividly depicted the horror of war during the Franco and Nazi era.

There is also the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe.  Many believe that this story laid the groundwork for the American Civil War.

Recently, I was reading about the Albigensian and Cathar heresies.  They believed that mankind was basically bad.  Dominicans preached against this heresy.  All that God created is good.  Dominicans preached with words.  St. Francis wrote a poem and sang.  His way of preaching influenced more people.  Maybe, it was both ways.  Some people are influenced by speeches, sermons, and arguments.  Others by art.

Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon of St. Francis of Assisi

 Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord, All praise is Yours, all glory, all honor and all blessings. 

To you alone, Most High, do they belong, and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.

Praised be You my Lord with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor,
Of You Most High, he bears the likeness.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
In the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
And fair and stormy, all weather's moods,
by which You cherish all that You have made.

Praised be You my Lord through Sister Water,
So useful, humble, precious and pure.

Praised be You my Lord through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night, and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You my Lord through our Sister,
Mother Earth
who sustains and governs us,
producing varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
Praise be You my Lord through those who grant pardon for love of You and bear sickness and trial.

Blessed are those who endure in peace, By You Most High, they will be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Death,
from whom no-one living can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Blessed are they She finds doing Your Will.

No second death can do them harm. Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks,
And serve Him with great humility.