I THIRST

Hunger and thirst are two very common human experiences all of us can relate to, and it is no wonder that Christ in instituting the sacrament of the Eucharist provided us with the way to satiate our ultimate thirst and hunger.  But it is those words on the cross that keep reverberating throughout history and that continue to echo in the hearts of all human beings "I THIRST."  Those two brief words have been the source of many inspirations and even spiritual paths within the Church, we cannot forget how those simple words inspired Mother Teresa to establish some of the pillars of her newly founded religious congregation, so much that even nowadays in every religious chapel of her congregation those words are inscribed in the wall right next to the crucifix to remind her nuns of the centrality of those simple words.  But what do they mean?  It is certainly not possible to fully describe their meaning, but my attempt here is to provide some glimpses into their meaning.  First of all, the most obvious meaning is that of a physical experience of thirst.  Jesus certainly experienced that on the cross, as he has lost so much blood, and as the words of the Psalm (22) remind us: "My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;  you lay me in the dust of death. "  This is the same thirst Jesus experienced when he met the Samaritan woman, "When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)"  

But as we know the thirst of Jesus was beyond the physical thirst, it was a thirst for communion with us, a thirst born out of love for us, a love that we cannot even comprehend, a thirst for a well being and for our salvation, a thirst for union with us, a thirst to satisfy the yearning and thirsts of our restless heart, knowing very well like St. Augustine well expressed it once, "You have made us for yourself, Oh Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you."  Jesus had a deep thirst for you and for me, a thirst for our happiness, a thirst to save us from our self-centeredness, a thirst to save us from our ignorance and lead us into the way of truth, a thirst for justice, a thirst to restore justice and peace,"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied,"  a thirst to satiate our deepest thirst, as he answered the Samaritan woman, "Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water,” and later on Jesus continues"whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  But what is this water that Jesus speaks about?  In John 7, Jesus says, "Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”[c] 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified."  Jesus thirst to share His Holy Spirit with us, the Spirit is the superabundant grace of God, like flowing rivers that no heart could ever exhaust, this is the living gift of God to all those who believe and welcome Him.  

And because Jesus thirsts to share His very self with us, he can also be said to be thirsting for our love as Mother Teresa would often say.  There is Jesus in the tabernacle, waiting for us so to speak, thirsting to be corresponded in a finite way to His infinite love, and for that reason Jesus would exclaim in his fourth apparition to Saint Margaret Mary,  "Behold the Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming Itself, in order to testify Its love; and in return, I receive from the greater part only ingratitude, by their irreverence and sacrilege, and by the coldness and contempt they have for Me in this Sacrament of Love. But what I feel most keenly is that it is hearts which are consecrated to Me, that treat Me thus." Jesus thirsts for your love and mine.

And yet there is at least another thirst in the heart of Jesus that is the "raison the etre" of the other thirsts, for is an existential thirst, a thirst for life, a thirst for love, a THIRST FOR THE FATHER, in His humanity Jesus had a thirst to worship the Father in all things, Jesus had a thirst to obey the Father and to love His will, His deeper thirst was to glorify the Father and love Him with His whole being, Psalm 42 expresses this experience " As the deer yearns for streams of water, so my soul yearns for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" 

And it is on the cross that Jesus expresses this thirst in its more substantial meaning.  Jesus' thirst for the Father, is expressed clearly at that moment, but this thirst for the Father does not stop there, Jesus also wants to share His thirst with us, He wants to unite us with Him in His thirst, to have the same desires and love for the Father, to have the same desires to worship Him in all things and through all things, and it is because of that reason that Jesus has left us the sacrifice of the Mass, Jesus wants to unite us with Him also in Calvary, and for that reason the priest at the end of the eucharistic prayer says raising the paten and the chalice "With Him, in Him and through Him....," at that moment we have the opportunity to join our sentiments to those of Christ, and by entering into communion with Him, we can also experience the same thirst that bursts from His Sacred Heart.   Jesus wants to transform our hearts into sacred hearts that thirst equally to glorify the Father, that not only look at the Father as the source of life, as the source of our existence in whom he move, operate, and have our being, but as the very reason and goal of our existence, that is, we have to thirst existentially to be in union with Him for all eternity, to enter into that Trinitarian life and share the love and and life of God forever.

Dear Jesus, I want to love you more deeply, increase my thirst for you, increase my thirst to spend time with you and to receive as often as I can the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist.  Jesus increase in me that thirst for the Father, increase in me that thirst to do His will and to love Him above all things, to seek only His glory and not my own, to trust in His ways and not my ways.  Jesus increase my thirst for the living waters of your Spirit, help me to be worthy of receiving that pure water in the vessel of my heart, and help me to never seek to satiate my thirst with anything that does not conform to your perfect will.  When I thirst let it be for You alone Lord. Amen.

God's love in action, Fr. Damien

When Fr. Damien arrived in Molokai to assemble a prefabricated Church for the lepers, he spent the first few weeks sleeping out under the trees, because he was unable to cope with the stench in the hovels of the lepers.  He certainly wouldn't dare preach to them about God's love for them, because as they saw it, that would be offensive.  But slowly he opened his heart to the grace of God which enabled him to see the suffering Jesus in them.  In no time, he was washing them, bandaging them, and burying them.  He came to love them, and though him, they came to believe that God loved them.  He smoked a pipe to counteract the stench, but soon he was passing the pipe around for others to have a smoke.  He ate food with them from a common bowl, out of which they scopped the food with hands that had no fingers.  He caught the disease himself, and he was happy to be able to live and to die for them.  Thus, St. Damien followed Jesus' commandment of love given to us:  This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

The wounded heart

THE WOUNDED HEART

If only the heart was right
we could give so much more
But alas, the heart is often empty.
It is often cold and unwelcoming
It is often hard and unyielding.
It is often weighted down with worry.
It is often sad and lonely.
It is often in darkness.
It is often wounded,
and it is sometimes broken.
We have to heal the wounds of the heart
in order to be able to love.
Lord, touch our hearts and heal them,
so that we may be able to bear the fruits of love.

Novena to St. Joseph

JMJ
AMDG
As we know St. Joseph is the patron saint of fathers, workers, those who are suffering, those who are close to death, and of course patron saint of the Universal Church. St. Joseph is an outstanding example of faithfulness, loyalty, and above all of perfect conformity with God's will. I would love to share a beautiful Novena that I found on the EWTN site.

http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/novena/joseph.htm

The Mother

The most important person on earth is a mother.

She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral.

She need not.


“She has built something more

magnificent than any cathedral –

a dwelling for an immortal soul,

the tiny perfection of her baby’s body…


“The angels have not been blessed with such a grace.

They cannot share in God’s creative miracle to

bring new saints to Heaven. Only a human mother can.

Mothers are closer to God the Creator than any other creature;

God joins forces with mothers in performing this act of creation…


“What on God’s good earth is more glorious than this; to be a mother?”

— Cardinal Mindszenty

Words of Wisdom

1 * Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're
the statue!

2 * Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
them.

3 * Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle
of it.

4 * Drive carefully... It's not only cars that can be recalled by their
Maker..

5 * If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague

6 * If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably
worth it.

7 * It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning
to others.

8 * Never buy a car you can't push.

9 * Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you
won't have a leg to stand on.

10 * Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

11 * Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

12 * The second mouse gets the cheese.

13 * When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

14 * Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

16 * Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.

17 * We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and
some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they
all have to live in the same box.

18 * A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

St. Jerome and the Lion

He was sitting—so runs the story—with some of his [28] monks in the cell of Bethlehem, when a lion entered the open door. The brethren all jumped up in a fright, and tumbled as fast as they could through the window, while Jerome stayed quietly in his chair and waited. The lion looked at him doubtfully for a moment, then limped towards him, holding up a paw. This Jerome took, and examined carefully. At first he could see nothing, the soft pad was so badly swollen; but at length he detected a thorn, near one of the nails, and managed to pull it out with a pair of pinchers. He next boiled some water, in which he soaked some dried herbs, and bathed the sore place till the swelling began to go down, when he tied a linen rag round it, so that the dirt might not get in and inflame the wound afresh. As soon as he had finished, and the look of pain had disappeared from the lion's eyes, Jerome expected him to depart, but instead the huge beast stretched himself out comfortably on the floor. Jerome pointed to the door; the lion wagged his tail happily, and took no notice. This happened several times, till at last Jerome gave up the struggle and went to bed, the lion on the floor sleeping beside him. Next morning Jerome said to this visitor: "You seem to intend to live for ever in my cell"—the lion wagged his tail again—"but learn that no one here spends his time in idleness. If you stay here, you must be ready to work"—the tail wagged a second time—"and you will therefore accompany my donkey daily to the forest to defend her from robbers and savage wolves, when she brings back the firewood needful for the monastery."

THE LION REFUSES TO DEPART.

So for many months the lion and the donkey might have been seen setting off side by side every morning to the forest, and the lion lay down and watched while an old man heaped up the donkey's panniers from the stack of wood which he had gathered in readiness. The work took some time, but when the panniers could hold [31] no more the donkey gave itself a shake, and the lion jumped up, waiting till she began to move. The journey back to the monastery was much slower than the one to the forest, as the donkey had to be very careful not to make a false step. If she had stumbled and fallen, she would have found it very difficult, with her loaded panniers, to get on her feet again, and even the lion could not have helped her.

But one morning a terrible thing happened. The sun was very hot, and when the lion lay down as usual he fell sound asleep, and never heard two men creep up behind the old man and the donkey and tie a cloth over the mouths of both man and beast, so that they could not utter a sound. Then the robbers drove them away, wood and all, to the caravan which was waiting at a little distance.

At last the lion awoke, and gave a great yawn, and stretched himself. He lay still for a few minutes, till suddenly he noticed that the shafts of light that fell through the trees, struck the ground in a different way from usual.

"It must be later than I thought," he said; "they never look like that till the sun is going to set. Has the donkey been waiting for me all this time? Poor thing, how tired she must be! But why didn't she wake me?" and he rose to his feet and turned towards the old man's hut, but no donkey was there.

"She must have gone home," he said to himself again; "but then—where is the old man?" and bending his head, he examined the soil carefully.

"These are human footprints, I am sure they are," he exclaimed in his own language; "more than one man has been here. And here are the donkey's. She was stolen while I was asleep, and I, who was set to guard her, have been unfaithful to my trust! How shall I face the holy father who cured my wound?"

[32] However, there was no use waiting or trying to track the lost donkey; the thieves had got too long a start, and with bent head and heavy heart the lion followed the road home, and entered, as he had done once before, the cell of his master.

"Wherefore are you here, and where is the donkey?" asked Jerome sternly. In answer, the lion bowed himself to the earth, with his tail between his legs, awaiting his sentence.

"I had faith in you, and you have put me to shame," continued Jerome, "and as it is quite plain that you have eaten the donkey, you must take her place, and for the future the panniers will be put upon your back, and it is you who will fetch the wood from the forest."

And the lion, when he heard, wagged his tail in relief, for he had been very much afraid that his master would send him away altogether.

Now it was at the end of the summer that the donkey had been stolen, and as soon as the spring came round the caravan went past again, the camels laden with swords and silks from Damascus for the cities of Egypt. The lion was standing behind a group of trees, while another old man was piling up the panniers with wood, when the crackling of twigs caused him to turn round, and a little way off he beheld the long train of ugly, swaying creatures, with the donkey walking at their head. At the sight of his friend he gave a bound forward, which knocked over the old man, and sent the wood flying in all directions, and so frightened the camel-drivers that they ran away to hide themselves. As to the rest of the caravan he drove them before him into the monastery, keeping his eye carefully on the riders; and if anyone's hand so much as moved towards his side where his short sword was buckled, the lion had only to growl and to show his teeth for the hand quickly to move away again.

[33] In this manner they proceeded till the monastery was reached, and Jerome who was seated in his cell, unfolding the copy of a new book, beheld their arrival with astonishment. What were all these people doing here, and why was the lion with them? And surely that was—yes, he was certain of it—his old donkey, which he imagined was dead months ago. So he hastened out of his cell to the court-yard, where the merchants, who by this time had dismounted from their camels, fell on their knees before him.

"O holy father, if you are the lord of this lion, bid him spare our lives, and we will confess our sin," they cried. "It was we who stole the donkey, while her guardian, the lion, was sleeping; and behold, gladly will we restore her to you, if we may go our way."

"It is well, go in peace," said Jerome, and the merchants needed no second bidding.

Joyful indeed was the donkey to be at home again; and the next day she got up early and trotted off to the forest by the side of the lion, throwing up her head and sniffing the air as she went, from very delight at being freed from captivity. And the heart of Jerome rejoiced likewise that, after all, his trust in the lion had not been in vain.

That is the story of the lion of St. Jerome.

Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

1.O my Jesus, Thou said "Verily I say unto you, ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you", behold I knock, I seek and I ask for the grace of ..... (Pater, Ave, Gloria)

Sacred Heart of Jesus I put all my trust in Thee.

2.O my Jesus, Thou said "Verily I say unto you, whatever you shall ask the Father in My Name, He will give it to you", behold in Thy Name I ask the Father for the grace of ..... (Pater, Ave, Gloria) Sacred Heart of Jesus I put all my trust in Thee.

3.O my Jesus, Thou said "Verily I say unto you. Heaven and earth shall pass away but My words shall not pass away" behold I encouraged by Thy infallible words, now ask for the grace of ..... (Pater, Ave, Gloria)

Sacred Heart of Jesus I put all my trust in Thee.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, to whom one thing alone is impossible, namely not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of Thee through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Thy and our tender Mother.

Recite the 'Hail Holy Queen' and add, 'St. Joseph, foster Father of Jesus, pray for us'
(This novena prayer was recited by Padre Pio, everyday)

Litany of the Sacred Heart

Litany of the Sacred Heart

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy;

Christ, hear us,
Christ, graciously hear us,
God, the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us
God the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us
Holy Trinity one God, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, hypostatically united to the Word of God, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, infinite in majesty, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, Tabernacle of the most High, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, full of kindness and love, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, King and centre of all hearts, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, wherein are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, wherein abides all the fullness of the Godhead, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father was well pleased, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, desire of the eternal hills, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, patient and abounding in mercy, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, rich unto all who call upon Thee, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, source of life and holiness, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, atonement for our iniquities, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with reproaches, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, bruised for our sins, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, made obedient even unto death, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, pierced by the lance, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, Victim of sins, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, salvation of all who trust in Thee, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, hope of all who die in Thee, Have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, delight of all the Saints, Have mercy on us
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Let Us Pray

O Almighty and Eternal God, look upon the Heart of Thy dearly beloved Son, and upon the praise and satisfaction He offers Thee in the name of sinners and for those who seek Thy mercy; be Thee appeased, and grant us pardon in the Name of the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son,

Who livest and reignest with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.

A Secret to Happiness

I am going to reveal to you a secret of sanctity and happiness. If every day during five minutes you will keep your imagination quiet, shut your eyes to all the things of sense and close your ears to all the sounds of earth so as to be able to withdraw into the sanctuary of your baptized soul (which is the temple of the Holy Spirit) speaking there to the Holy Spirit saying:

" Come, Holy Spirit "
O Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore thee. Enlighten, guide, strengthen and console me. Tell me what I ought to do and command me to do it. I promise to be submissive in everything that thou shalt ask of me and to accept all that thou permits to happen to me, only show me what is thy will.

If you do this, your life will pass happily and serenely. Consolations will abound even in the midst of trouble, for grace will be given in proportion to the trial, as well as strength to bear it, bringing you to the gates of paradise full of merit. This submission to the Holy Spirit is the secret to sanctity.

(Cardinal Mercier)

Marian Pilgrimage to Spain and France, May 2011

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE

VIRGIN MARY AND S. IGNATIUS

Sunday, May 15 – Saturday, May 28, 2011

LOS ANGELES/LOS ANGELES - $3699.00

( Airline taxes & Flamenco Show included)

Optional Insurance $271.00

Single room supplement $595.00

Sunday, May 15, 2011

DEPART LOS ANGELES

Our spiritual journey begins as we depart Los Angeles on AF69 at 6:45pm on our non-stop flight to Paris

Monday, May 16, 2011

PARIS/BARCELONA

Arrive Paris Airport at 2:15pm and connect with AF1948 departing Paris at 3:45pm, arriving Barcelona at 5:25pm. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed to Spain by your tour guide and driver. Transfer to the hotel.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

BARCELONA

We will spend all day in Barcelona visiting the Basilica of the Holy Family and later we will have a panoramic tour of Barcelona with its elegant tree-lined Ramblas and Plaza de Cataluna, historic buildings. We will have free time on our own to walk and enjoy the center of the city. Evening Flamenco Show.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

BARCELONA/MONTSERRAT

This morning we drive to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montserrat to visit the Monastery and see the Statue of Our Lady and the cave where tradition says the statue was found. We will spend some time at this beautiful sanctuary before returning back to our hotel.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

BARCELONA/ZARAGOZA

Today we depart Barcelona and drive towards Zaragoza to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of the Pillar, the second most popular pilgrimage site in Spain. Visit the magnificent altar in the Basilica, built on the site where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the Apostle James. We see the Chapel of the Virgin, Assumption of the Virgin Mary marble statue and other numerous chapels and artworks inside the Basilica.

Friday, May 20, 2011

ZARAGOZA/JAVIER/LOYOLA

Depart Zaragoza in the morning and we drive to Javier, home of the Javier Castle where Jesuit missionary St. Francis Xavier was born. Afterwards we stop in Pamplona where St. Ignatius was wounded. On to Loyola in the Basque country, where we find the Sanctuary of Loyola as well as St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Family Castle.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

LOYOLA/LOURDES

Today after Mass at the Sanctuary we depart Loyola and enjoy the drive in the country side of Spain and later France. We arrive Lourdes in the afternoon. After dinner join pilgrims from around

the world in the nightly rosary and candlelight procession.

Sunday, May 22 –

Monday, May 23, 2011

LOURDES

During our stay in Lourdes, we visit the historical and spiritual sites associated with Bernadette, the visionary child of Lourdes. We will have a walking tour of the Shrine’s ground, the Basilica of St. Pius X, Boly Mill, the Soubirous family home, the Basilica of the Rosary and the miraculous spring and healing baths. There will be an afternoon tour to Bartres. We will spend time in prayer and meditation and join the nightly rosary and candlelight procession.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

LOURDES/LYON/LA SALETTE

Early morning transfer to Pau Airport to take our Air France flight to Lyon. Upon arrival at Lyon airport, we will be met by our bus driver and drive towards La Salette to visit the Marian shrine of

Our Lady of La Salette where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Melanie and Maximin in 1846.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

LA SALETTE/LYON

Today we depart La Salette and make our way back to Lyon. Lyon is listed as a World Heritage Site. Visit the beautiful Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere that sits upon a hill offering a wonderful panorama of the city.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

LYON/ARS/PARAY LE MONIAL

Our spiritual journey will continue as we visit Ars to see the Basilica where the incorrupt body of St. John Vianney lies..Then on to Paray Le Monial , home to the devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Visit the chapel of the Visitation where Jesus exposed His Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque during a number of apparitions. Return to Lyon.

Friday, May 27, 2011

LYON/ LE PUY EN VELAY

Today we continue our journey in France and call on Le Puy en Velay. The most striking attraction is the Cathedral of Notre-Dame du Puy. In this place many pilgrims start their walking journey to Santiago de Compostela. Each morning there is a blessing for any such pilgrims. Visit to the chapel of St. Michael. Return to Lyon.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

LYON/PARIS/LOS ANGELES

Transfer to Lyon Airport to take our Air France flights to Paris and then to Los Angeles. Arrive Los Angeles at 4:00pm

Itinerary is subject to change without notice.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 562 9247591

or email: frfercuenca@gmail.com

The Face of Christ by Claude Mellan

THis is an amazing engraving of Christ based on the story of the Sudarium of the Veronica.
Veronica , filled with compassion for the suffering of Jesus on the road to Calvary, wiped his sweating face with a cloth. An image of his features was miraculously transferred to the fabric. Mellan (1598-1688) has achieved something like a miracle of a different sort. In a single line and starting from the tip of Jesus' nose, Mellan has engraved the entire face, the folded veil, and the lettering below. The modulations in direction, from thick to thin, model the image in chiaroscuro (light and dark). Thus the shapes and volume of the engraving are achieved.
Mellan studied engraving for five years in Paris before travelling to Rome in 1624. He remained in Rome for twelve years, refining the Italian engraving style he found in the work of Francesco Villamena and Agostino Carracci. He learned to dispense with cross-hatching and model forms just by controlling the swelling and tapering of his lines.

How Old is your Church?

THIS IS A MOST INTERESTING QUESTION!!!

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WILL ASTOUND MANY OF YOU!

If you are a LUTHERAN, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex-monk of the Catholic Church, IN THE YEAR 1517.

If you belong to the CHURCH OF ENGLAND, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII IN THE YEAR 1534, because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to re-marry.

If you are a PRESBYTERIAN, your religion was founded by John Knox in Scotland
IN THE YEAR 1560.

If you are a member of the CONGREGATIONALIST, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland IN THE YEAR 1582.

If you are a BAPTIST, you owe the tenets of your religion to your founder, John Smyth, who launched this denomination in the city of Amsterdam IN THE YEAR 1605.

If you are of the DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH, you recognize Michaelis Jones as your founder, because he originated your religion in New York IN THE YEAR 1628.

If you are a PROTESTANT EPISCOPALIAN, your religion was an offshoot of the Church Of England, and your offshoot was founded by Samuel Seabury in the American Colonies in the 17th Century.

If you are a METHODIST, your religion was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England IN THE YEAR 1744.

If you are a UNITARIAN, then Theophilus Lindley is the founder of your church, in London IN THE YEAR 1774.

If you are a MORMON (LATTER DAY SAINTS) your modern religion was started by Joseph Smith in Palmyra, New York, IN THE YEAR 1829.

If you worship with THE SALVATION ARMY, your sect began with Willian Booth in the city of London IN THE YEAR 1865.

If you are a CHRISTIAN SCIENTIST, you recognize that your religion was begun by Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy IN THE YEAR 1879.

If you belong to one of the religious organizations known as "CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE", or "PENTECOSTAL GOSPEL", Or "HOLINESS CHURCH", or "PILGRIM HOLINESS CHURCH", or "JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES", Or any of the MULTIPLE THOUSANDS OF STOREFRONT CHURCHES, then your religion is one of the thousands of new sects founded by men WITHIN THE PAST 150 YEARS!

If you are a ROMAN CATHOLIC,
Then you know that your Church was founded IN THE YEAR 33
BY JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD,
AND IT IS STILL THE SAME CHURCH!!!

Holes in the fence

There was once a boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
On the first day the boy drove 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled.
He discovered that it was easier to hold his temper than to drive nails into a fence. Finally, a day came when he didn’t need the hammer and nails at all. Proudly, he went to tell his father. This time the father suggested that each day he kept his temper, the boy should pull out a nail from the fence.
The days passed, until eventually the boy was able to tell his father that at last all the nails were gone. The father took the boy by the hand and led him to the fence. “You have done well — but look at all the holes in the fence! It will never be the same again. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there.”

Anoche Cuando Dormia

Anoche cuando dormía
soñé, ¡bendita ilusión!,
que una fontana fluía
dentro de mi corazón.
Di, ¿por qué acequia escondida,
agua, vienes hasta mí,
manantial de nuestra vida
de donde nunca bebí?

Anoche cuando dormía
soñé, ¡bendita ilusión!,
que una colmena tenía
dentro de mi corazón;
y las doradas abejas
iban fabricando en él,
con las amarguras viejas,
blanca cera y dulce miel.

Anoche cuando dormía
soñé, ¡bendita ilusión!,
que un ardiente sol lucía
dentro de mi corazón.
Era ardiente porque daba
calores de rojo hogar,
y era sol porque alumbraba
y porque hacía llorar.

Anoche cuando dormía
soñé, ¡bendita ilusión!,
que era Dios lo que tenía
dentro de mi corazón.

Antonio Machado

Prayer for New Archbishop of Los Angeles

His Eminence Cardinal Roger M. Mahony is asking all Catholics to pray for the appointment of his successor as archbishop of Los Angeles. Here is the official prayer:

Lord God, you are our eternal and guide. In your mercy,
grant to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles a shepherd
who will walk in your ways and who watchful care will
bring us your blessing.

In your love for us, give us the joy of receiving a shepherd
who will be an example of goodness to your people and
who will fill our hearts and minds with the truth of the Gospel.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, you Son, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for-
ever and ever. AMEN.

The Dark Night

THE DARK NIGHT

Songs of the soul that rejoices in having reached the high state of perfection, which is union with God, by the path of spiritual negation.

One dark night,
fired with love's urgent longings
--ah, the sheer grace!--
I went out unseen,
my house being now all stilled.

In darkness, and secure,
by the secret ladder, disguised,
--ah, the sheer grace!--
in darkness and concealment,
my house being now all stilled.

On that glad night,
in secret, for no one saw me,
nor did I look at anything
with no other light or guide
than the one that burned in my heart.

This guided me
more surely than the light of noon
to where he was awaiting me
--him I knew so well--
there in a place where no one appeared.

O guiding night!
O night more lovely than the dawn!
O night that has united
the Lover with his beloved,
transforming the beloved in her Lover.

Upon my flowering breast,
which I kept wholly for him alone,
there he lay sleeping,
and I caressing him
there in a breeze from the fanning cedars.

When the breeze blew from the turret,
as I parted his hair,
it wounded my neck
with its gentle hand,
suspending all my senses.

I abandoned and forgot myself,
laying my face on my Beloved;
all things ceased; I went out from myself,
leaving my cares
forgotten among the lilies.

Cell Phone Etiquette Rules

Do we really need to talk about this? You’d think with over a decade of living with cell phones that we had already figured out by now how to be respectful toward others and how not be rude and unconcerned about the dignity of others. Sadly still today things at times seem to be getting worse. Here are some rules that we can practice during Lent, to exercise Christian Charity.

1. TURN OFF YOUR CELL phone when going to Church, a conference, a class, the library, the movies, a museum, a public performance, and please respect not only those carrying out the services and the performances, but also those attending, who do not appreciate the distractions, the noise and the selfishness of those who fail to turn their cell phones off. It is considered even ruder to answer the phone after having distracted everybody with your cell. Texting in Church is also considered disrespectful to God and to those who are praying around you.

2. When talking in public places, like restaurants, shopping malls, buses, planes, make sure you DO NOT SPEAK TOO LOUDLY, MODULATE YOUR VOICE. Please DO NOT CARRY OUT PRIVATE or INAPPROPRIATE CONVERSATIONS in public. Observe the 10-foot Proximity Rule: maintain a distance of at least 10-feet from the nearest person when talking on a cell phone.

3. If you are meeting with someone, please GIVE THAT PERSON YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION, and DO NOT RUDELY INTERRUPT THEM. If you get a call, do not answer it, you can press ignore it or let it roll to voicemail, you can always retrieve the message or return the call later, unless you know with certainty that it is REALLY important or you are actually expecting a call due to an emergency (in that case warn the other party that you may have to answer a call because you are expecting an urgent message). Have you ever carried out a really interesting conversation in which you were talking about something really important and meaningful to you only to be interrupted by the other person: “Sorry, have to get this!”? Some people have lost a potential job for answering their cells during an interview, some others have lost a date for being rude and making a bad first impression, and some others have lost potential contracts during business presentations due to their lack of courtesy.

4. DO NOT TEXT OR TALK WHILE DRIVING, this is not only rude, but you also endanger your life and the lives of others. Similarly DO NOT TEXT WHILE TALKING TO SOMEONE, please respect that person.

5. SPARE US FROM LOUD AND ANNOYING RINGTONES, I guess the word annoying says it all.

6. RESPECT CASHIERS, WAITERS, WAITRESSES, CLERKS, AND OTHER WORKERS, they are people too, and although they may not be your friends, they still deserve your respect. How many times have we seen people carrying out conversations on their cells while talking with the cashiers/clerks at fast food restaurants, stores, malls, banks, etc? That is simply rude.

7. APPLY YOURSELF THE GOLDEN RULE, do not do to others what you would not want them to do to you. Being a Christian begins with small acts of charity and courtesy.

Blessings

Fr. Fernando, OMV J

Asking for Mercy

Pope John Paul II refers to the need to pray for mercy with a new urgency for our own times: "At no time… especially at a moment as critical as our own — can the Church forget the prayer that is a cry for the mercy of God… The Church has the right and the duty to appeal to the God of mercy 'with loud cries' " (Rich in Mercy, 15).
To St. Faustina, Jesus revealed this same message once again. He gave her three new ways to ask for mercy on the strength of His passion: the Chaplet, the Novena, and prayer at three o'clock; and He taught her to transform her daily life into a continuous prayer for mercy. Through her, He calls us all to ask for His mercy:
Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion (Diary, 1146). Beg for mercy for the whole world (570). No soul that has called upon My mercy has ever been disappointed (1541).

Prayer to be Merciful to Others

This prayer gives us a true measure of our mercy, a mirror in which we observe ourselves as merciful Christs. We can make it our morning invocation and our evening examination of conscience.
O Most Holy Trinity! As many times as I breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many times as my blood pulsates through my body, so many thousand times do I want to glorify Your mercy.
I want to be completely transformed into Your mercy and to be Your living reflection, O Lord. May the greatest of all divine attributes, that of Your unfathomable mercy, pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor.
Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbors’ souls and come to their rescue.
Help me, that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors’ needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings.
Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all.
Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks.
Help me, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. My true rest is in the service of my neighbor.
Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor. I will refuse my heart to no one. I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most merciful Heart of Jesus. I will bear my own suffering in silence. May Your mercy, O Lord, rest upon me.
You Yourself command me to exercise the three degrees of mercy. The first: the act of mercy, of whatever kind. The second: the word of mercy — if I cannot carry out a work of mercy, I will assist by my words. The third: prayer — if I cannot show mercy by deeds or words, I can always do so by prayer. My prayer reaches out even there where I cannot reach out physically.
O my Jesus, transform me into Yourself, for You can do all things (163).