Saint of just desserts? -

IMAGE: Saint Agatha, patron of bakers, bell-ringers and those with diseases of the chest.
Early depictions of Saint Agatha were misinterpreted. Her martyrdom involved the removal of that which she displays on a salver. In latter times this was misinterpreted as loaves of bread.
Life would be quite dull though without the odd mix-up.
Being a bit of a tom - boy in my youth, I wanted to choose a confirmation name that sounded like a boys name- or was a boys name, but not noticeably so. You know like the Polish Marion or Marian?
So I chose Hillary.
I can't remember reading much about him, but years later I learned that my patron had been a holy hermit. So far, so good...but I also found that he was smelly in the extreme - no doubt a trait he used to keep unwanted visitors away. (Something which would be considered uncharitable today.)
I know what my kids would call that kind of smell, because one day at the dinner table they had a kind of play off as to who could say the most horrid thing.
It started with one blowing a raspberry at the other, and culminated in one declaring to the other "And YOU have BODY OGRE!"
(I think my dear heavenly patron; Hillary, maybe had the sort of body odour which could be classed as body ogre because it scared people away, but then he had no access to deodorant adverts, or any relatives around him brave enough to point it out.)
"That's enough!" I bellowed, now tell me who wants meringue for dessert?"
Two of them nodded, the third disappeared from the dining room.
A little later my A.W.O.L. (absent without leave) child wandered back into the kitchen in a monstrous mood.
" I want my boomerang!" He demanded.
Presuming he had gone off earlier to search for one - I gently reminded him that I had not now or ever bought him any kind of Boomerang.
His vocal chords screwed up as tightly as his angry little tear-stained face as he continued to sob; "The others have one, where is mine?"
I suddenly felt an affinity with one who had the gift to interpret tongues, In a flash of enlightenment I realised that what he had wanted was not a "boo - merang" but a "Fruit - meringue."
Easy mistake I guess...?
By now I was indulging the thought of one small child wearing a raspberry and cream meringue for a halo.
Fortunately, my mum, had the forethought of giving me the middle name "Mary". A saint who so abounds in patience (Mary)she is able to share it out so to speak;- she was able at my request to slap me upside the head and enable me to calmly serve out the meringue.

Patron Saints are great helpers in life!


IMAGE: Holy family shrine St. Annes Ormskirk
When my daughter was about seven, she was asked to bring to school a picture and some information about her patron saint.
Her Friend was quite angry when he discovered that his Saint turned out to be an angel. Well, they wear dresses don't they?
To help him understand that Saint Michael was not in the least girly, I made an illustration of this Saint for him. I tried to give it some drama, as many depictions of Michael may seem a little dull to a seven year old.
It was around about this time that I made the decision to celebrate each year the patron saints of my children by making them each a special cake. It was efficacious for the twins, as they had something they could each celebrate separately - unlike their birthday. It also gave them cause to value their patron Saints. They began to ask many question about them, and ask if they would have the same qualities when they "grew up."
So their patron saints became role models of sorts.
So far, so good... well, except for this morning.
This morning, John had a particular reason for asking which saint was celebrated today, as it was his Friend Harry's birthday.
But at six a.m. one doesn't always remember these things, least of all what day it is.
His fresh faced enthusiasm and earnest look forced me from my cosy bed. I squinted like Miss Marple at the dates on the calendar.
(I could just about make sense of the shapes made by the tiny, tiny lettering.)
"It's the feast day of....Saint Augustine of Canterbury!" I beamed, quite relieved that I had triumphed without the aid of my reading glasses.
John jumped off the bed and ran down stairs to his dad yelling; "Dad!....Dad!... I know whose saints day it is today!"
I could hear my husband responding with the same enthusiasm:
"Wow! you do? Who is it John?"
And the reply:
"Today it is Saint Disgusting of Cranberry!
(Is he the saint of Just "desserts" I wonder?
I think I'll call on him if that "Boo - hoo" meringue ever comes back.)
IMAGE: - sorry, seems no one wanted to paint Augustine. If I find his image I'll pop it in at a later date.)
ST AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY (Source Wickipedia)
Augustine of Canterbury (c. first third of the 6th century – 26 May 604) was a Benedictine monk who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 598. He is considered the "Apostle to the English" and a founder of the English Church.[3]

Augustine was the prior of a monastery in Rome when Pope Gregory the Great chose him in 595 to lead a mission, usually known as the Gregorian mission, to Britain to convert the pagan King Æthelberht of the Kingdom of Kent to Christianity.

King Æthelberht converted to Christianity and also allowed the missionaries to preach freely, giving them land to found a monastery outside the city walls.

Augustine died in 604 and was soon revered as a saint.

Rejoice not over me, O my enemy

(Photo: Pieta by Giovanni Bellini)


(Photo:Saint Edmund Jennings, priest and Martyr)
Matt.26
[31]

Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me this night; for it is written, `I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

Christianity has undergone persecutions throughout its history; As Jesus said no servant is greater than his master, we too must expect suffering and persecution, to some degree.

The greatest persecutors to our faith today are the false promises of an earthly utopia.
Access to leisure, pleasure, and its pursuits, attempt to anaesthetise us from this reality. These substitute comforters distract us from the consoler our soul yearns for. The Spirit of God.
We are deceived when the inevitability of middle age and our subsequent dotage are coated with a veneer of glamour by the media. The pursuit of eternal youth spawns a culture where leaving anything such as moral wisdom to the younger generation, or any kind of material or spiritual wealth are values that belong to a former age.
Consequently our youth have been served a great injustice. They are being betrayed by those who should nurture them.
As a recent example of this subversive trend, Here is a link to the eighty -year old priest who was arrested at Notre Dame for his peaceful protest to maintain Catholic values at the University for future generations: Under the benign guise of justice for all, the ideology of communist thought where all are equal, has besmirched the thinking of many regarding the roles of men and women within the church. Both sexes are undermined, and the beauty of true woman hood, and manhood have become distorted.
There is a subtle dissent which has confused truth and falsehood.
Today amongst the faithful Catholic congregations, there has arisen a kind of "Cold War" which serves to persecute the Clergy, and undermine the faith of the laity.
That's why we are in such need of good, holy shepherds who are not afraid to guide their flocks in spirit and in truth as Jesus did.
(PHOTO: Father Ralph Sherwin - Martyr and Saint.)
The darkness of night in which the followers of Jesus "fell away" was born of the jealousy and resentment toward Him because of His divine power to work miracles. Those who should have recognised him as a fellow high priest and clung to him, spread distrust and rumour.
Now, just as then, we have a situation where our Shepherds - our priests and ecclesiae, our religious are being attacked more viciously by the "night" - (the darkness where things take place unseen.)

What a prize for Satan is a priest who publicly falls from grace, (as some have in the most unthinkable ways) - the whole church suffers. Distrust and suspicion work away to create doubt and confusion.
The reputations of innocent and faithful priests become objects of derision.

In an age when "TRUST" has become a "five - letter" word, Jesus has manifested the message of DIVINE MERCY which exhorts us to "TRUST IN HIM".

(Photo: Saint Bernard tormented by the devil - book of hours of Etienne Chevalier.)
Now is the time for us to take ownership of our belief in God rather than man, and be fully confirmed in our faith.
Man is flawed and weak, but God is Truth.
Truth must prevail, for it is the measure of goodness and perfection.
We need to pray for our priests and all religious. If we have not played our part by praying for our clergy, then perhaps mediocre pastors (and worse) are all we deserve.
As baptised Christians, we have entered into a priesthood where praying for one another and forgiving one another are basics of our faith.

1Pet.2
[9] But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

(Photo: Pope Benedict 16th.)
Providentially, in these difficult times God has given to us our present Pope Benedict XVI, who is reaching out like the good shepherd in Ezekiel. 34:

" As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness."

He is trying to jog our memories to lead us back to the right path.

We have to be aware that Satan wants for us to loose hope, he wants for us to lose faith in the promises Christ. He wants us to be caught up in our criticism of others in order to spread despondency, division and doubt.
He works to scandalise the priesthood, that he might discourage vocations. He wants less priests available to consecrate the Eucharist, and to administer the sacraments. Thereby preventing the strength we draw from them.

Our baptismal priesthood is a union with God, as intimate as a marriage: The attitude of the man in Sirach 23: 18 describes a foolish spouse who has become unfaithful and so lost awareness of his own sin, and of his accountability to God.
The passage is as poignant today as was then:

Sir.23
[18] A man who breaks his marriage vows
says to himself, "Who sees me?
Darkness surrounds me, and the walls hide me,
and no one sees me. Why should I fear?
The Most High will not take notice of my sins."

In these times when our Church and its pastors are being persecuted on all sides, we must not loose hope, we must remain faithful.
When a grain of wheat falls to the ground and is surrounded by darkness it undergoes a transformation. The chaff is left to wither, but the centre emerges with new roots and shoots, its form becomes transfigured. The Church too will be renewed in the same way. This darkness will not last indefinitely. Prayer will always overcome the darkness, just as the crucifixion was followed by resurrection.

Mic.7
[8] Rejoice not over me, O my enemy;
when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
the LORD will be a light to me.

Why May is Mary's month

"The mood of springtime informs the church's interior;
nature's blossoming, the warm air of May evenings, human gladness in a world that is renewing itself -- all these things enter in.

Veneration of Mary has its place in this very particular atmosphere, for she, the Virgin, shows us faith under its youthful aspect, as God's new beginning in a world that has grown old.

In her we see the Christian life set forth as a youth-fulness of the heart, as beauty and a waiting readiness for what is to come."

SOURCE: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, "Seek That Which is Above"
(This new film on the Apparitions at Fatima looks promising: the 13th day for the trailer.

And this week, God taught me...

Today is the feast of Saint Joseph, Catholics honour him as the patron of workers, the patron of a holy death, patron of chastity, and the protector of the holy family of Nazareth.
A practice has grown up around Saint Joseph, of burying statues of him in the grounds of houses which are proving difficult to sell.
Sorry to say, but a hunk of plaster which looks like an old carpenter buried under the rockery has no truck with God. It might make the lime-loving aubretia thrive, and therefore make the property a bit prettier, but this practice is mere superstition.
It's not something Catholics would or anyone else should try because it has no power whatsoever.

Saint Joseph is not the patron of house conveyance or real estate, but because of his unique relationship with Jesus here on earth, he may be able to help if you ask him.
Two other qualities of Saint Joseph which are worth honoring are his silent contemplation of God, and his discretion. (He had some difficult choices to make early on in his early betrothal to Mary - and a few years later when Herod threatened their safety.)

(PHOTO: Problem house with a split personality)
















.

Today my Friend called.
I hadn't seen her for a while - but she made up for that by telling me in great detail everything she had done in the last month. She condensed the whole thing into a two hour time slot, not allowing herself pause for breath Much of this chat time was spent on my front door step; and the darkening sky and chilly wind did not slow down her chin as it wagged, on - and - on and on.
(I was certainly feeling a draft from somewhere!)
Every now and then I would interject - "Come in and have a cup of tea...?" But she wouldn't as she was "Already late for Adoration."
Finally I gave her an umbrella as the clouds precipitated into drips of water.
"Just remember God loves you" she went on," and he will be glad with your work, and you must praise God for it...and...and..."
I returned a wave of greeting to my postman as he smiled on his way past my gate.
The small pause gave me a moment for inspiration - " Veronica!" I said, "My neighbours will think you are one of those aggressive doorstep evangelists with their foot jammed in my door!.. if I pay you will you please go away?"
Knowing there is often truth in a jest, she chuckled, gave me a hug and went on her merry way.
Jesus said to Saint Faustina that talkative souls tire him. Probably because a soul will not be able to hear Him speak to them, if they are not silent before Him.
I love my friend Veronica, but ear-ache can be an unwanted side affect of the relationship. Think I might try out the "silent prayer" thing for a while, asking Saint Joseph to help me be more discreet when a Friend stays a little too long!

Having realised that "mum" is able to make plaster figures, one of the boys asked me to make him one of Saint Joseph and Jesus - his reasoning was, because that would be just like him and his dad. (I wish!)
To which the other twin said " And I want the Sacred Heart mum, but he has to be this big..." (about four foot - over a meter high!)
"When we get a bigger house" I said.
Matthew, pondering recently on Jesus' agony in the garden asked "Was it the garden of Blackberries?" Well I suppose to an English child olives do look a bit like big black berries ...
Anyways, as he's the child of mine who loves Saint Joseph - here is his night-time tribute prayer to the dear foster father of our Saviour;

Dear Saint Joseph,
when I grow up,
help me to be a:
Big
Strong
Holy
man like you.
Amen.

Enough said!