NEW MARTYRS

The Vatican  has recently announced 6 young lay women who are being considered for canonization.  Two are martyrs- an example to all young women today that one can be “a normal youth”, yet still be in love with the Lord and willing to die for Him. They were born a year apart and died a year apart.

The first young woman is  SERVANT of GOD SANTA SCORESE who was born in Bari, Italy in 1968 and murdered in 1991. Santa attended university studying education. She Santa  was very active in Christian apostolate and also worked with the Red Cross, especially involved  with children who had suffered from polio  and muscular dystrophy.   

She also became a member of the Focolare Movement and became a "Gen". In 1985, at the age of 17, she went to Rome to the Genfest, the gathering of the members of the movement of  Servant of God Chiara Lubich (foundress).

Santa lived the Gospel by dedicating her  life to the poor, the suffering, the lonely, making herself completely available to others. She was a member of the pastoral council, taught catechism and sang in the choir and participates with commitment in the initiatives of the Catholic Action.

Available to others, understanding of friends and ready to help those in difficulty, she became  a reference point for everyone.

At first she  decided to  consecrate herself to Christ and to the Immaculate Conception at the Institute of the Missionaries of the Immaculate "Father Kolbe" of Bologna, but over time she felt called to live in a very personal way her relationship with the Lord, and to continue her commitments to study and live a Christian life at home.

Meanwhile, a deranged young man begins to undermine her, persecute her, threaten her. For  several years he does not give her respite, he follows her everywhere, phones her, and threatens her, all of which takes away her serenity.

Late in the evening of Friday 15th March 1991, upon returning from a catechesis meeting, the irreparable happens. Sheltered by the night, that young man waits for her under the door of the house and  beats her to death.

With parents and sister

Santa  was no different from any other girl.  She loved life, yet was extraordinarily eager to seek after the "Truth”.  She fought an "inner struggle", alternating serenity and sweetness with lack of feeling and desolation. Her struggle was full of questions, graduated achievements and awareness leading to the joy and the increasing gratitude to the Lord who loves without reservations.

Santa wrote on December 30th, 1988: "Oh my God, I am in front of You, your power and your boundless love. Thank you!  You called me and I answered; now I can see all great things You have done and You still do every day in myself. Little by little You are reaching the bottom of my heart and my soul looks for You every time it needs to revive.

With friends (in middle)

Please, teach me to love, to be a kindhearted person for You and all the world.

Let me sing my Magnificat reminding everything You have done in myself and allow me to walk with Our Lady along the way leading to the endless life!" 

She was longing to involve most people in her Love for Christ.

"Thank You for loving me, for making me feel Your presence in me. I’m experiencing Your love in sorrow and in joy. Really, I feel I’m growing up, but the most beautiful observation is that I’m doing it with You."

                                                                   Diary: 10th August 1986

DIVINE MERCY

Jesus speaks to St. Faustina:

On one occasion, I heard these words: My daughter, tell the whole world about My Inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. 

The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. 

Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy. (Diary 699)

ALLELUIA

Egino Weinert- Cologne_ (2012)

ALLELUIA  ALLELUIA  ALLELUIA

HE IS RISEN

AS HE PROMISED!

SACRED REFUGE

Rogier Van der Weyden

Oh! Sacred Feet, all gashed and torn,
   Bruised by the hammer's cruel blows,
Bathed in the life-blood dripping down
   From anguished Heart in bitter throes;
I press You to my lips in tears,
   With contrite sorrow, fervent sigh.
Dear precious Wounds, God's bleeding prayers,
   Ah! plead for me when death draws nigh.

Oh, Mangled Hands, transfixed and wan,
   in suppliance raised to Heaven above,
Pierced by the nails that torture wrung,
   From breaking Heart of burning love;
I press You to my lips in tears,
   With contrite sorrow, fervent sigh.
Dear precious Wounds, God's bleeding prayers,
   Ah! plead for me when death draws nigh.

Oh! Sacred Refuge, tender Side,
   Rent by the lance with cruel thrust,
There, where His Heart is, let me hide,
   There, where His love is, let me trust.
I press You to my lips in tears,
   With contrite sorrow, fervent sigh.
Most Holy Wound, allay my fears,
   Receive my soul when death draws nigh

--"Prayer to the Five Wounds," The Little Treasury of Leaflets,

                                                                           vol.IV (Dublin: Gill, 1914) 893-894.

Carravagio

-------------

FROM THE SIDE OF JESUS

 Why did blood and water flow from Christ's side? 

Many physicians such as those at the Mayo Clinic, posit that the water was the fluid located in the pericardial sac surrounding the heart:

Clearly, the weight of historical and medical evidence indicates that Jesus was dead before the wound to his side was inflicted and supports the traditional view that the spear, thrust between his right ribs, probably perforated not only the right lung but also the pericardium and heart and thereby ensured his death.

                        (On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ by William D. Edwards, MD, et al)

.

It is clear by historical and medical evidence that Jesus was dead before the wound to his side was inflicted and supports the traditional view that the spear, thrust between his right ribs, probably perforated not only the right lung but also the pericardium and heart and thereby ensured his death. 

If the spear pierced through the outer pericardium wall and into the heart, then the watery fluid and blood could have poured out through the wound. It emphasizes the reality of Christ's death and His very humanity. The idea of the Resurrection was very important to the early Christian community. Paul specifically wrote: "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins." (1 Corinthians 15:17) 

The blood and water signify two important matters: redemption (blood) and the imparting of life (water). Jesus' redeeming death accomplished  redemption for us, giving us the forgiveness and washing away of our sins that we might have life.  As we are cleansed by His blood, we can receive more of the divine life by drinking of Him, the fountain of life.

"If you desire further proof of the power of this blood, remember where it came from, how it ran down from the cross, flowing from the Master’s side. The gospel records that when Christ was dead, but still hung on the cross, a soldier came and pierced His side with a lance and immediately there poured out water and blood. Now the water was a symbol of baptism and the blood of the holy Eucharist. The soldier pierced the Lord’s side, he breached the wall of the sacred temple, and I have found the treasure and made it my own. So also with the lamb: the Jews sacrificed the victim and I have been saved by it."

                                                           From the Catecheses by St. John Chrysostom , bishop 

THE FINAL BLOW

Jesus’ death after only three to six hours on the cross surprised even Pontius Pilate.  The fact that Jesus cried out in a loud voice and then bowed his head and died suggests the possibility of a catastrophic terminal event. What exactly was the final blow? 

Eugene Delacroix, "Christ on the Cross," c 1853-56, pastel

Jesus’ death may have been hastened simply by his state of exhaustion and by the severity of the scourging, with its resultant blood loss and pre-shock state.

He even needed help carrying His cross, yet there is never any evidence in the Gospels to even hint that He was less than a normal man of good health.

One must remember why He was on that cross -  the weight of the sins throughout human history- which continues to this day, most probably was more then His Body could take.

While death on the cross may have been caused by any number of factors, and likely would have varied with each individual case, the two seemingly most prominent causes of death probably were hypovolemic shock -

a condition in which severe blood or fluid loss makes the heart unable to pump enough blood to the body,  

and exhaustion asphyxia.  The ability of Jesus to cry out with a loud voice indicates that asphyxia was probably not the major causative factor.

The finality of death upon the cross often was accomplished by the breaking of the legs of the victims, which caused still more traumatic shock and prevented an individual from pushing up in order to fully respire. In an effort to get the bodies off the crosses before the Sabbath day, the soldiers therefore came, and broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with Him: but when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already.  When the soldier pierced His side “there came out blood and water” (John 19:32-34).

The traditional view that the spear, thrust between his right ribs, probably perforated not only the right lung but also the pericardium and heart and thereby ensured his death.

Much speculation has centered on the exact location of the puncture wound and thus the source of the resulting blood and water. However, the Greek word (pleura) that John used clearly denotes the area of the intercoastal ribs that cover the lungs. Given the upward angle of the spear, and the thoracic location of the wound, abdominal organs can be ruled out as having provided the blood and water.

A more likely scenario would suggest that the piercing affected a lung (along with any built-up fluid), the pericardial sac surrounding the heart, the right atrium of the heart itself, the pulmonary vessels, and/or the aorta. Since John did not describe the specific side of the body on which the wound was inflicted, we can only speculate about which structures might have been impaled by such a vicious act. However, the blood could have resulted from the heart, the aorta, or any of the pulmonary vessels. Water probably was provided by pleural or pericardial fluids which surround the lungs and heart.

St. John Paul:  From the very beginning the Church has contemplated the pierced heart of the crucified Christ from which came blood and water, the symbols of the sacraments which constitute the Church; and, in the heart of the Word incarnate, the Fathers of the Christian East and West saw the beginning of the whole work of our salvation, the fruit of the love of the divine Redeemer, whose pierced heart is a particularly expressive symbol.

ALL OR NOTHING

Yesterday was the third anniversary of the death of a young Irish nun who perished along with 5 postulants of her order in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake which struck Ecuador, killing 480 people in 2016.

As we like to say:  there are no coincidences in heaven  When our Abbess was here recently she told us how  the youngest novice at our Abbey was given her name. Have you heard of SISTER CLARE CROCKETT, Mother Abbess asked us?  Just the week before I had told the community how I had chanced on a movie recommended  by Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland (see Blog 3/5/19 on sacred music). It turns out Lisa, as Sister Chiara ( the Italian for Clare) is now called, was a friend of Sr. Clare of the Order of the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother, and like all who knew her, the death of the 33 year old nun greatly affected her.

 Her Order stated: “We discovered that her loss afflicted us, while her memory filled us with joy.” It became obvious that the 33-year-old had left a lasting impression on everyone she met; the Irish “live wire” was infectious with her energy, joy, and love of Jesus. Soon the Servant Sisters were inundated with messages revealing how Sr. Clare had helped them: “Strangers who spoke to us of conversions, vocations discovered or recovered, and special grace.”

As a result the Order decided to gather testimonies and stories relating to the life of Sr. Clare and make a documentary. The young Clare had a passion for acting and desire to become famous. Then as she grew older she shared with great enthusiasm how “Jesus Christ stole my heart.”

It is no surprise that everybody loved her. She resonated joy and love  for Christ, and a desire to share this love with everybody she met. While people gravitated towards her, one participant in the documentary simply states: “She didn’t want them to come to her but to the Lord.”

One girl says: “I owe a lot to her for the salvation of my soul.” The testimonies of the teens she worked with are gripping, as she obviously gave the youth a love of the Lord. 

The documentary, All or Nothing: Sr. Clare Crockett can be found now on Youtube. It is well worth watching and very fitting for Holy Week-  a body given for her people.

A CHURCH BORN FROM BLOOD

Thomas à Kempis, in the Imitation of Christ, speaks of resting in Christ's wounds.  "If you can not soar up as high as Christ sitting on his throne, behold him hanging on his cross. Rest in Christ's Passion and live willingly in his holy wounds. You will gain marvelous strength and comfort in adversities You will not care that men despise you. . . Had we but, with Thomas, put our fingers into the print of his nails and thrust our hands into his side! If we had we but known ourselves his sufferings in a deep and serious consideration and tasted the astonishing greatness of his love, the joys and miseries of the life would soon become indifferent to us."

Theologically, the wounds were the channels through which Christ's blood was spilled.  This "precious blood" sealed for Christians a new covenant to replace the old covenant of Moses.  Whereas once a sacrificial lamb was offered to God in atonement for sins, now divine blood from the only victim pure enough to atone for all of humanity's transgressions was offered.  Thus, Christ's death was a perfect sacrifice that destroyed the power of sin, and therefore death, over humanity. 

The blood is linked with the Eucharistic blood received at Mass and the water with the cleansing of original sin at baptism (the two sacraments necessary to achieve eternal life).  Thus, the Church, just as Eve issued from the side of Adam, is considered to be mystically born of Christ's wounds via the sacraments.  The blood of Christ's sacrifice will wash and therefore purify and redeem the Church.

“A suggestive word was made use of by the Evangelist, in not saying pierced, or wounded His side, or anything else, but opened; that thereby, in a sense, the gate of life might be thrown open, from whence have flowed forth the sacraments of the Church, without which there is no entrance to the life which is the true life. That blood was shed for the remission of sins; that water it is that makes up the health-giving cup, and supplies at once the laver of baptism and water for drinking.”  (St. Augustine, Tractates om John 120.2 ca.
406 A.D.)

HEALER OF OUR WOUNDS

Holy Week of 2018, Our Holy Father Pope Francis  offered meditations on Jesus' pierced hands, feet and side as a way of getting back to the ancient tradition of meditating on the Sacred Wounds of Jesus.  

Sometimes, the pope said, artists want to focus more on Jesus' post-resurrection glory, so they will make a crucifix of gold and adorn it with jewels. But when one is feeling lost or frightened or in pain, he said, look at a crucifix "before the glory" and recognize how Jesus "annihilated himself" to defeat evil and death.

The Pope said that  we should pray to enter through Jesus' wounds and arrive deeper and deeper, to His Heart. "Enter into his wounds and contemplate the love in His heart for you, and you, and you, and me, for everyone."

A devotion to Christ's wounds "may sound a bit medieval," the pope said. In fact, meditating on "the five sacred wounds" became popular in the 12th and 13th centuries, but it also enjoyed a resurgence in the 20th century with the growing attention to the Divine Mercy devotions of  St. Faustina Kowalska. The Polish nun wrote in her diary that Jesus told her, "When it seems to you that your suffering exceeds your strength, contemplate my wounds."

Great Benedictine saints Mechtilde, Gertrude and Bernard of Clairvaux  have guided the faithful in prayers focusing on each wound from the crucifixion. And the beautiful prayer we all learned to pray after Communion:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds hide me.
Let me not to be separated from you.
From the wicked foe, defend me.
At the hour of my death, call me
and bid me come to you
That with your saints I may praise you
For ever and ever. Amen.

 (Anima Christi- attributed to St. Ignatius Loyola)

Lucas Cranach the Elder- 1470

"We are not asked to ignore or hide our wounds," the Pope said. "A church with wounds can understand the wounds of today's world and make them her own, suffering with them, accompanying them and seeking to heal them. A wounded church does not make herself the center of things, does not believe that she is perfect, but puts at the center the one who can heal those wounds, whose name is Jesus Christ."

SACRED WOUNDS

During Holy Week we meditate on the  “five wounds of Christ,” but according to some revelations (St. Gertrude the Great, St. Catherine of Siena, among others) Jesus suffered many more. The five wounds refer to the wounds He received specifically from crucifixion: His hands and feet, and then the piercing in His side with a lance.  We must remember, He was flogged, beaten, crowned with thorns, and carried His own cross.

(German- 1500)

St. Gertrude  received many supernatural experiences of Christ during her 46 years of life and was a key person in the development of devotion to Jesus’ Sacred Heart.

During one of these mystical visions, Christ revealed to her the number of wounds he received in total during his passion: 5,466. In the fourteenth century it was customary in southern Germany to recite fifteen Pater Nosters each day (which thus amounted to 5475 in the course of a year) in memory of the Sacred Wounds.

St. Bridget of Sweden was told by Christ in one of her visions: "I received 5480 blows upon My Body.”  (I suppose if you add the five precious wounds we normally associate with the passion to St. Gertrude’s number, you come out with St. Bridget’s total.)

St. Bernard of Clairvaux was told By Christ that the most painful wound He bore was His shoulder, from the heavy cross.

The final wound was in the side of Jesus' chest, where, according to the New Testament, His body was pierced by the Lance of Longinus in order to be sure that He was dead. The Gospel of John states that blood and water poured out of this wound (John 19:34). Although the Gospels do not specify on which side He was wounded, it was conventionally shown in art as being on Jesus' side, though some depictions, notably a number by Rubens, show it on the left.

The five main wounds He suffered,  are symbolic of all the wounds, and special devotion to them arose very early on. St. John is said to have appeared to Pope Boniface II (d. 532) and revealed a special Mass, the "Golden Mass", in honor of Christ's Five Wounds. These Five Wounds that are most often produced in the stigmatics who imitate Him best,  St. Francis of Assisi and St. (Padre) Pio among them..

EXAMPLE OF JESUS

Emil Jacques (U. of Notre Dame)

In 1994, Pope St. John Paul II promulgated a document prepared by the Congregation for the Clergy to encourage and guide priests in their pursuit of holiness, while setting forth certain norms of priestly conduct:

Celibacy, then, is a gift of self "in" and "with" Christ to His Church and expresses the service of the priest to the Church "in" and "with" the Lord.

It would be entirely immature to see celibacy as "a tribute to be paid to the Lord" in order to receive Holy Orders rather than "a gift received through His mercy", as the free and welcomed choice of a particular vocation of love for God and others.

The example is Christ, who in going against what could be considered the dominant culture of his time, freely chose to live celibacy. In following Him the disciples left "everything" to fulfill the mission entrusted to them. For this reason the Church, from apostolic times, has wished to conserve the gift of perpetual continence of the clergy and choose the candidates for Holy Orders from among the celibate faithful…

To lovingly safeguard the gift received amidst today's climate of irritating sexual permissiveness, they will find in their communion with Christ and with the Church, in their devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and in considering the example of holy priests of all times, the strength necessary to overcome difficulties they may find along their way and act according to that maturity which gives them credence before the world.

PASSIONATE LOVERS

Servant of God Catherine Doherty (see Blog 2/21/14) , a well known mystic of the 20th century, had a special love for the priesthood and the enduring need of priests to be holy. She said once, “I wish I could tell every priest that I share his pain and joy, whatever it may be, because I love the priesthood passionately.” 

 The Priesthood as I see It (1951)   

Catherine with St. John Paul II

In fact, a time will come when you, like your Master, will have to be naked poor; you will follow a naked Christ unto his Cross.

And you will be crucified, too, by the flesh that will still be with you; by the devil who will not let you be; by the lukewarm and indifferent amongst your flock; by the rich and greedy in our front pews; by the unbelievers and the scoffers outside; and by your own weakness and fears.

Then you will be as one dead—a piece of clay—for the Master sculptor to work his masterpiece in you. You will feel the touch of his divine fingers, pounding, molding, hurting the clay that is you. It will be God the Father making you unto the likeness of his Son, the Man of Sorrows.

You will know darkness as few people know it. It will be a palpable, touchable, heavy darkness, that will encompass you on all sides. There will be nary a pinpoint of light in it, and at times it may almost suffocate you.

Bl. Fr. Jerzy Popielusko

You will have to keep on walking, living, having your being in that darkness, perhaps for the span of your whole natural life. You will have to walk in it by the light of your faith only. And what is more, while your soul is steeped in this utter darkness you yourself will have to be a light to a thousand feet.

Doubts and fears, temptations and even sin, will try to walk with you. Often you will be misunderstood by those above you, and those below. There will be some who will want to use you as a tool of their own design. Others will stone you with ridicule. And through all this you seemingly will be alone.

At your word sinners will rise from the death of sin and, who knows, may become great saints of God and his love. In truth you will bring, not peace but a sword. You will be a sign of contradiction that will make men think and live. You will be a minister of fire, ordained to spread that fire on the earth. You will also be a minister of restlessness, the dispenser of a new hunger and thirst.

You will be poor, and your poverty will enrich millions.

You will be chaste with the chastity of an immense and burning love for a God who has reserved it for himself—from a few—specially consecrated sons. Your chastity will heal lust in many hearts, and will give you the power to command its demons out of many parts of the world. For you will make your own the words, Deus meus et omnia (my God and my all).

Loneliness will be your constant companion. Yet your presence will be a blessing to all, and will disperse loneliness in others…

You will be hungry with many hungers but you will fill souls and hearts with the Bread of Life. You will slake the infinite thirst of men for God, with the living waters of Truth.

You will pray, and heaven will listen, hell tremble, and death hear.

At your word, a child of sin will become a child of God. A youth will become a soldier of Christ, a sinner a saint. Hungry men will be filled, dying ones sped homeward in peace.

Ven. Augustus Tolton (Sylvia Castellanos)

You will open your mouth and teach, and the fullness of Truth will come out of it. The Word will take flesh again and walk amongst men, and many shall arise and follow him.

Your hands will heal, and bless, and help. Your presence will bring joy and peace. You yourself will walk in peace, and be an artisan of its lasting city. You will know much, and be humble.

You will pray much and then pray again. For you will know that prayer is your strength, and that of your flock. You will fast and do penance, and you will be a vessel filled to the brim; many will come to drink from these hallowed waters.

You will be all things to all men. You, like Christ, will be lifted up, for men to see and follow you. But you will not mind being crucified naked on a Cross, because Christ will be on the other side, and you will be lost in the ecstasy of being with him, of being his own.

POWERLESS JESUS

Mother Marie des Douleurs,  (1902-1983) Foundress of the Congregation of the Benedictines of Jesus Crucified, writing for priests in the 1930s,   placed these words in the Heart and mouth of Our Lord:

Juan de Juanes  (1550)

“I have need of this body of priests  who continually will live their Mass,
who will continue My Passion. 

My immolation must go on until the end of time;  I must find priests who will hand over to Me
their bodies, their souls, their whole being so that in them,  I may be the one whom nearly no one accepts to recognize, the Crucified. 

You whom I have chosen  and marked for this mission glorious above all others,  will you not understand, will you too go away? 

My Heart thirsts for you. 

Do you not see all the souls torn away from Me?
If my priests do not continue Me, I am alone and powerless.”

CHRIST'S SPECIALISTS

I am meeting you, priests called by Christ to serve him in the new millennium. You have been chosen from among the people, appointed to act in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. Believe in the power of your priesthood! By virtue of the sacrament, you have received all that you are. When you utter the words "I" and "my" ("I absolve you ... This is my body ..."), you do it not in your own name, but in the name of Christ, "in persona Christi", who wants to use your lips and your hands, your spirit of sacrifice and your talent.

At the moment of your ordination, through the liturgical sign of the imposition of hands, Christ took you under his special protection; you are concealed under His hands and in His Heart. Immerse yourselves in His love, and give Him your love! When your hands were anointed with oil, the sign of the Holy Spirit, they were destined to serve the Lord as His own hands in today’s world. They can no longer serve selfish purposes, but must continue in the world the witness of His love…

The faithful expect only one thing from priests: that they be specialists in promoting the encounter between man and God. The priest is not asked to be an expert in economics, construction or politics. He is expected to be an expert in the spiritual life...  For this to happen, priests need to be trusting in Divine Mercy…

If you live by faith, the Holy Spirit will suggest to you what you must say and how you must serve. You will always be able to count on the help of her who goes before the Church in faith. I exhort you to call upon her always in words that you know well: "We are close to you, we remember you, we watch."

PASTORAL VISIT  OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI
                                                             Warsaw Cathedral, 25 May 2006

PRIESTS INVITED TO KNOCK

I have had several emails from a woman who is the great, great (and maybe more greats) grandniece of Venerable Archdeacon Bartholomew Cavanagh the curate at the time of the apparition at Knock in Ireland.  She first wrote to ask if I had heard of Knock-  well, what Catholic goes to Ireland without seeing Knock?

More on  the curate later.  For now my main concern is priests during this time of Lent- so I borrow from Prior Mark Kirby of Silverstream in Meath, Ireland, who yearly makes the pilgrimage to pray at Knock. Who better to understand the plight of priests in our Church today, than one who has dedicated his life for the salvation of priests.

“It seems to me that Our Lady desires that Knock should become a place of pilgrimage for priests. A dimension of Knock, not yet fully developed, is that it must become a place of healing for priests, a place where Mary can restore them to purity and to holiness of life by drawing them into her company. Knock invites all priests to share their lives with Mary by opening their homes and their hearts to her, and by living every moment in her presence.

Just as Saint John, obeying the word of Jesus from the Cross, took Mary into his home, so too must every priest shelter her in the space that is most personal to him. The gift of sacred intimacy with the Blessed Virgin Mary, suggested by the apparition at Knock, may well be among the heavenly secrets reserved by her for this time of trial for the Church...

She would have her priest sons wash themselves in the Blood of the Lamb, and unite themselves to her Son, Priest and Victim, in the mystery of His Sacrifice. Yes, Knock is for all people, but I believe that it was, from the beginning, destined to be a place of healing and of abundant graces for priests...

Knock invites priests to remain in adoration before Mary's Son, the Lamb Who was slain. Knock invites priests to wash themselves in His Precious Blood by seeking absolution from all their sins. Knock invites priests to follow Saint Joseph and Saint John by consecrating themselves to Mary as Virgin Bride and Mother."

May 2012

FORGIVENESS

With the crises in our Church whereby so many priests and Bishops  have failed to uphold their sacred duty to act as Christ to their people, there is great emphasis on the wounded, suffering victims of the sins by priests against them.  But I feel we also need to remember the priests themselves  who have grievously sinned- how will they be saved?  Only by our prayers and their remorse, begging forgiveness of their victims, of the whole Church and of the Lord whom they have betrayed.

“Save all  Your priests, O Jesus,
for they are  Your chosen friends,
and each one is precious in Your sight,
even when he has fallen into the worst sins against You,
harming souls, and bringing sorrow and shame upon Your Church.
Save them all! Let not one of Your beloved priests be lost,
that Your Church may say in all truth, and with a holy joy:
"To me, O God, Your friends are made exceedingly honorable."
Amen.

                                    (In Sinu Jesu)