St. Gertrude: Interceed for our beloved dead

Yesterday was a rather busy day so I didn't get around to blogging about St. Gertrude, whose feast was yesterday. She is a favorite of mine because of her devotion to the sacred heart of Jesus and because of her persistent prayers for the souls in purgatory.

In an age when many people are confused about purgatory, it is extremely important that we pray for them. We, the Church militant, must pray for them, the Church suffering, so that they will enter into the Church triumphant.

It's important because so few people actually seem to do it these days. Of Catholics, I wonder how many actually pray for the souls of the departed with intent. Funeral Masses become, tragically, a time to "rejoice that person X is now in heaven" while the purpose of a funeral Mass is to prayerfully bring person X to God. That means praying for the soul of person X at that moment and following.

A great book, North of Hope, profiles an elderly priest, Monsignor Lawrence, who prays faithfully for hundreds of souls a day:

I am currently praying for seven hundred and five departed souls....The list begins with my grandfather Lawrence, who died when I was seven, and it extends down through the years to Hubert Humphry. A man at my age can't support that many faithful departed. I can't get through the list anymore. Ever since my heart attack I get up into the four hundreds and I fall asleep. Now what I want to know is, Frank, why doesn't the Church impose a sunset law on prayers for the dead? (451)

This is a very sincere man, a genuine priest, who does what he knows he must do in praying for those who have died. We see in him a man who recognizes the need to pray for them. Listen to this, what he says about his father: "He was a shoo-in for heaven, everybody knew that. I haven't once skipped my daily prayer for him since his funeral, and that was sixty-four years ago."

Along with the Monsignor here, we ought to continue in our daily practice of prayer for the dead.

St. Gertrude said that praying for the souls of the dead is perhaps the most important thing we can ever do on earth. That single act is more important than all the social justice business we could ever find (which is important, or course!)

For example, in building a house for the poor, we give shelter to someone for at least some of his/her earthly life; in praying for the dead, we bring someone to eternal life in paradise.

Again, we must respond to the commands from the Gospels and embrace the social teachings of the Church. But we must also not neglect to take to heart the commands to pray for those who have died.

The following prayer was written, under inspiration, by St. Gertrude, along with the promise that in saying this prayer, 1,000 souls from Purgatory are released each time it is said.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.

Let's pray it!

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini and immigrants

As I mentioned in the post before, today is of course the feast of the first American saint, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. I wrote something about her last year on this date. (As a side note: it's hard to believe my daily blogging, or close to it, has been going on for a year now. Wow.)

Anyhow, I am posting below an e-mail from Antonio Cube from the USCCB, who came to St. Meinrad a few weeks ago, about health care for immigrants.

On this, the feast of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, patroness of immigrants, perhaps we should consider our moral duties as Catholics in this department.

The Church tells us that we need to permit undocumented people in this country to be included in health care coverage. This is a matter of Catholic Social Teaching. And basic human rights.

For instance, the 5-year ban on immigrants using programs like Medicaid should change.

There are 12 million immigrants whose human rights we must consider.

You can send a note to your senators right here. It doesn't take long at all.

Here's the email:

Dear Senator: Please include Immigrants in Health-care
Justice For Immigrants Action Alert
Ask Your Senators to Include Immigrants in Health-care

Background: On November 7, the U.S. House of Representatives passed health-care reform legislation which permits undocumented immigrants to access health-care coverage using their own funds. The legislation also provides subsidies to legal immigrants who make up to 400 percent of the poverty level to help them purchase health-care. The legislation did not lift the five-year ban on legal immigrants accessing federal health-care programs such as Medicaid.

The U.S. Senate must now take up health care legislation. In legislation passed by the Senate Finance Committee, undocumented immigrants are barred from purchasing health care in the new health care exchange, even if they use their own money. The Senate bill also does not lift the five-year bar on legal immigrants accessing Medicaid, impacting about 600,000 legal immigrants per year. The Senate has yet to "merge" the bills reported out by various Senate committees into one bill.

Action: We must communicate to our Senators that immigrants should not be left out of health-care coverage. We must urge them to:

• Permit undocumented immigrants to use their own money to purchase health-care coverage in the new health-care exchange; an
  
  
• Lift the five-year ban on legal immigrants accessing federal means-tested health programs such as Medicaid.
  

Please call (202-224-3121) or write your Senators (U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510) with the above message. Below please find talking points and a sample letter for your use.

TALKING POINTS:

• I ask that you support the inclusion of immigrants in health-care legislation now being considered by the U.S. Senate. Specifically, I ask that you support permitting undocumented persons to use their own money to purchase health-care coverage through the new health-care exchange. I also ask that you support lifting the five-year bar on legal immigrants accessing health care through the Medicaid program.
  
  
• By permitting undocumented immigrants to purchase health-care coverage, the cost of health-care for all Americans will decrease. They will be able to access preventive care, thus reducing uncompensated care costs passed through to Americans in higher insurance rates or taxes. Immigrants are younger and healthier than U.S. citizens, and thus will pay into the system without using health-care services as U.S. citizens.
  
  
• Legal immigrants, who work and pay taxes, should be able to access the programs they help pay for. Poor immigrants near the poverty level will be unable to afford health-care coverage, even if they do qualify for subsidies provided in the bill. Co-pays and deductibles make purchasing health-care a burden on working poor legal immigrant families, who have to purchase other necessities to support their families.

St. Martin about St. Brice: "If Jesus could deal with Judas, I can deal with Brice"

Today Mother Church celebrates the feast day of St. Brice of Tours along with St. Francis Xavier Cabrini. More on the latter one later.

I love the story of St. Brice, born in 370. As a child, he was an orphan for some time before St. Martin of Tours agreed to take him in and raise him in the monastery. As Brice grew older, the two did not get along with one another. We don't know how much of it was "playful" dislike and how much was serious dislike, but it was well known that the two butted heads often.

After Martin died, Brice, already a priest, succeeded him and became the fourth bishop of Tours. There was one moment, after Brice had been ordained to the priesthood) when Martin was asked how he could put up with Brice. Martin's response: "If Jesus could deal with Judas, I can deal with Brice."

Interesting, isn't it, how God can put two saintly people in close proximity to each other who at the same time can't stand one another. Each was holy but not in the same ways. Each has a room in the house of saints in heaven, but I bet they're in different wings.

St. Brice of Tours: Pray for Us!

"The Holy Spirit will haunt you"

A brother seminarian shared his vocation story today.

He talked about how the Holy Spirit has a way of making sure we go where we need to be, especially in consideration of one's vocation.

"The Holy Spirit will haunt you."

What an interesting way to put it. I like it.

French fry sandwich

Just read this from the "Hotline" section of the Herald Times.

QUESTION: Where in Bloomington can I get a french fry sandwich?

E.Q., Bloomington

ANSWER: King Gyros, 2000 S. Walnut St., will make a delicious french fry sandwich on pita with lemon juice and tzatziki sauce (see photo) on request. In an emergency, a sandwich made from bread or pita and french-fried potatoes — called a “chip butty” in the U.K. — can be fashioned from just about any restaurant that sells sandwiches or burgers and fries; just order a meatless sandwich, a side of fries, and assemble it yourself.

This sounds like it's worth a try! Two of my favorite foods together: bread and french fries.

St. Josaphat, "thief of souls"

Today is the feast day of St. Josaphat, the first Eastern saint to be canonized.

Josaphat was born in 1580 and was a merchant until 1604, when he became a monk in the Ukrainian Order of St. Basil. It was at that time that he took the name Josaphat. Five years later he was ordained a priest. He was in his 30s when he was named bishop of Vitebsk.

When he became Bishop, he found that a large group of his flock wanted to split from Rome. While Josaphat was indeed a priest in the Byzantine rite, he was of course faithful and obedient to Rome. He worked towards unity as best he could, trying to reconcile his flock with the universal Church.

He was quite good at it, too. He was well known for going around and addressing the issues people had with the universal Church. He would listen to people, but then he had an impeccable ability to bring them back to the Church. He would explain the wisdom of Holy Mother Church, which left people no choice but to yearn to belong to her once again!

His opponents called him the "thief of souls", for he could save anyone!

Well, almost everyone. Some disgruntled clergy began a movement and decided to pick their own bishop. Things got very messy, with clergy aligning themselves on both sides. Josaphat decided to address them all in the city, but when he arrived there, he found an angry mob not at all interested in listening to him. When the mob encircled him, Josaphat was beaten and shot to death It all happened on this day in 1623.

He died for the unity of the Church. May we continue to work as best we can for the unity of the Church. So many deep wounds of division are still among us.

Let's pray for St. Josaphat's intercession that we might attain unity in our parishes, our diocese, our universal Church, the whole of Christianity, and the whole world.

Jumping Josaphat!

On this, the feast of St. Josaphat, we might start to wonder about this phrase: Jumping Josaphat!

It has nothing to do with this saint, but it does have to do with the man whom we encounter in the Bible and after whom St. Josaphat selected his monastic name.

From this website:

Jumping Jehoshaphat: Jehosaphat was a wealthy king of Jerusalem. One day an army from the east march on Jerusalem to take his gold. Jehosaphat told the people not to worry that the battle would be his and Judas's on the following day. The people let out a joyous cry "Great Jumping Jehosaphat". I am not sure exactly the meaning of the saying other than total joy at not having to go to war!!

Use this phrase today!

In consideration of St. Martin of Tours and his patronages

Update on 11/11 11:44pm: I just got word that the St. Martin is patron saint of alcholoics and wine makers because of the German date of winecorking which coincides with St. Martin's feast day.

I don't think we'll have goose for dinner here on the Hill, but it is the tradition of Holy Mother Church on this, the feast of St. Martin of Tours.

One interesting way to learn about how we can attain holiness is to look at the lives of the saints. One way to do this is to look at what they are patrons of, and to see if we can't find out why.

Today Holy Mother Church celebrates the feast of St. Martin of Tours, who is the patron saint of reformed alcoholics, the poor, beggars, horsemen, geese, innkeepers, soldiers, and wine growers and makers.

Let's see if we can find some information as to why St. Martin is patron of these people and things, one by one.

What an interesting life to study and to use as an example!

• The Poor/Beggars: One famous story is told that while Martin was in the military, he was doing nightly rounds in France one cold day in the winter. He encountered a poor, naked beggar who was literally freezing to death. Martin had nothing to give the man, except the clothes on his own back. Martin gave freely, offered his best to the beggar, and went on his way. That night he dreamed that he had clothed Christ himself.
  
  
• Horsemen/Innkeepers: Logically, we learn from the story above that Martin was a hospitable man; he gave of himself for others. We are meant to learn something from this, that we ought to always help when we can and treat others as we would Christ. Horsemen and innkeepers are in a special position to benefit from this lesson.
  
  Every year, a celebration in the basilica near Tours takes place. It is in Tours after all where St Martin's remains are. In countries from Germany to the Netherlands to Austria and to Switzerland, processions take place that culminate on this day. They are typically led by a 'St Martin' on a horse.
  
  
• Soldiers: Martin joined the army when he was 15. He fought for three years, until he converted three years later. While the Church teaches that there are times when defense may well be called for (She is particular about when and how), Martin couldn't reconcile his faith with his actions in the military. How fitting that today, Veteran's Day, ended up being his feast day. We might offer a prayer for those who have served our country and those now serving us.
  
  Martin is known as a "soldier saint" because after leaving the military, he took on the ultimate fight against evil. We, as the Church Militant, are reminded today that we share in this battle.
  
  
• Geese: The goose is a symbol often associated with Martin. After Martin had finished his time in the army, he went on to Gaul to found a monastery, the first one in Gaul. He led this monastic community for ten years and many sought him out, recognizing in him holiness and proximity to Christ.
  
  When the bishop of Tours died, the people choose Martin to be their next bishop. (The process was different in those days). Martin didn't want the job; he thought there were other, more qualified folks for this important position. So he hid!
  
  The problem: he had a pet goose, and it kept honking, so that people knew exactly where Martin was. They found him and he became bishop of Tours in 371...reluctantly.
  
  Thus, it is customary in the Church to eat a goose on St. Martin's feast day and throughout winter.
  
  
• Reformed Alcoholics/Wine makers and growers: I can't find much on this. Little is known about Martin's parents, except that they were pagans and far from perfect. Seems likely that they struggled with drinking. Don't know. More research is needed on this and I'm tired!
  
  
• Parishes: There are more parishes in the world with St. Martin as their patron saint than any other saint. I don't think he is officially the patron of parishes, but he might as well be. Many say it was Martin who came up with the idea of dividing settlements into parishes of the Church.
  

Let's ask for St. Martin's prayers in these, his "specialties"!

St. Leo the Great: "Christ Lives in His Church"

Today Mother Church commemorates St. Leo the Great, an early Church Father. He is, I believe, one of two pope who have the designation "Great", Gregory I being the other.

St. Leo, at first as a deacon and later as Pope, worked for unity in the Church. Pope Sixtus III died while Leo was in Gaul, and it was that same year, 440, that he became Pope. He worked for unity right away: the Huns, of course led by Attila, were set to destroy Rome. Pope Leo went out and met Attila and worked out a peace agreement. Also notable were his efforts to curb the false teaching that was taking place inside the Church by false teachers.

Here is an image of a paiting called "The Meeting of Pope Leo and Attila", by Francesco Solimena:


We might offer a prayer to him now, as Pope Benedict works for unity especially with the Anglican community. And we might offer a prayer for the Church where her own members are oftentimes false teachers, a reality that brings nothing but disharmony to Christ's Church.

We get a taste of his desire for one true Church in the sermon exceprt I share below, from his sermon entitled "Christ Lives in His Church".

I think it's particularly worthwhile to reflect on because St. Leo the Great is frequently remembered for his famous sermons and explanations of the faith. One story goes that during the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the 600 some bishops gathered felt as though St. Peter was speaking when Pope Leo addressed them.

My emphases.

My dear brethren, there is no doubt that the Son of God took our human nature into so close a union with himself that one and the same Christ is present, not only in the firstborn of all creation, but in all his saints as well. The head cannot be separated from the members, nor the members from the head. Not in this life, it is true, but only in eternity will God be all in all, yet even now he dwells, whole and undivided, in his temple the Church. Such was his promise to us when he said: See, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.

And so all that the Son of God did and taught for the world’s reconciliation is not for us simply a matter of past history. Here and now we experience his power at work among us. Born of a virgin mother by the action of the Holy Spirit, Christ keeps his Church spotless and makes her fruitful by the inspiration of the same Spirit. In baptismal regeneration she brings forth children for God beyond all numbering. These are the sons of whom it is written: They are born not of blood, nor of the desire of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

In Christ Abraham’s posterity is blessed, because in him the whole world receives the adoption of sons, and in him the patriarch becomes the father of all nations through the birth, not from human stock but by faith, of the descendants that were promised to him. From every nation on earth, without exception, Christ forms a single flock of those he has sanctified, daily fulfilling the promise he once made: I have other sheep, not of this fold, whom it is also ordained that I shall lead; and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

Although it was primarily to Peter that he said: Feed my sheep, yet the one Lord guides all the pastors in the discharge of their office and leads to rich and fertile pastures all those who come to the rock. There is no counting the sheep who are nourished with his abundant love, and who are prepared to lay down their lives for the sake of the good shepherd who died for them.

But it is not only the martyrs who share in his passion by their glorious courage; the same is true, by faith, of all who are reborn through baptism. That is why we are to celebrate the Lord’s paschal sacrifice with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. The leaven of our former malice is thrown out, and a new creature is filled and inebriated with the Lord himself. For the effect of our sharing in the body and blood of Christ is to change us into what we receive. As we have died with him, and have been buried and raised to life with him, so we bear him within us, both in body and in spirit, in everything we do.

Beautiful, no? I love that last part especially: "For the effect of our sharing in the body and blood of Christ is to change us into what we receive."

Other writings are available online here.

St. Leo the Great: Pray for us!

Communion and mission

Tonight's Gardener conference focused on the relationship between Eucharistic communion and Eucharistic mission. You can't have one without the other.

Fr. John Wall, pastor emeritus of Old St. Patrick's Church in Chicago, presented the lecture. The theme was parish "revitalization." When Fr. Wall arrived at Old St. Patrick's, there were four registered members. It sits right there in the middle of interstates, and everyone had left. There were folks who came in, of course, who weren't on the books; about 40 during the week and about 150 on the weekends.

Father talked about the need to grow, to convert, to welcome. He emphasized the fact that the Church is not a member-driven organization (not just about the needs of the members) but rather a mission organization that seeks to do everything Christ did one earth. Christ is alive, through the Church.

Father talked about the three things we must start with in approaching the task of giving new life to a parish that seems to have lost all that it once was:

1. Understand that the Divine is present in the parish. (story of Philip and Nathaniel)
   
2. Understand that the Divine is at work in the parish.
   
3. Understand the way in which the Divine works in the parish. (new life; resurrection)
   

Of course, when I say "understand", action must follow. To know that the Divine is present in the parish, well, one would want to go out and share that reality. Same with the way the Lord works in the parish. And then, we must realize and respond to our role in bringing new life to the parish. It's an effort that that is called mission, and it requires communion.