Since we are travellers and pilgrims in the world, let us ever ponder on the end of the road, that is of our life, for the end of our roadway is our home (St Columban, 8th sermon).
This post includes material I used on 12 February 2009.
The core of the stories about St Valentine is that this young Roman priest, who was what we would now call a diocesan priest, was martyred for officiating at weddings when Emperor Claudius II, ‘the Cruel’, forbade them because he was engaged in so many wars and needed the young men to fight in them.
In the Philippines (where I was at the time) St Valentine’s Day is almost always referred to as ‘Valentine’s Day’. Indeed the ‘St’ is left out in most English-speaking countries. For many young people it is simply a day to express innocent friendship. For many married couples it is a day for renewing their love for one another. But for many unmarried young adults it is, quite frankly, a day for fornicating. This would be the case in many other countries, as would adultery.
Marriage is more and more under attack in the West. I can think of no better patron saint for priests and married couples involved in strengthening marriage than St Valentine.
And I also think that the Church should put more emphasis on marriage than on the family, since the sacrament of matrimony is the foundation of the family and the vocation to be a spouse is more fundamental than the vocation to be a parent. In God’s plan, parenthood is meant to be a consequence of the two, husband and wife, becoming one.
Above is in the shrine of St Valentine in the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, known to everyone in my native city, Dublin, as Whitefriar Street Church. It belongs to the Carmelite Friars (OCarm).
The website of the friars contains a number of photos of the shrine along with a history of how the relics of St Valentine came to be there. It also includes this beautiful prayer.
Prayer to
St Valentine
Saint
Valentine,
true servant who shed his blood in defence of the sacraments and faith in Jesus Christ, intercede for us today, we pray.
Gain for us the strength to be steadfast like you in witnessing to the true faith to the end of our days, and help us never to lose hope in the Lord who is always near us.
Intercede for those men and women who are preparing for marriage: help them to know one another and the true meaning of the sacramental bond they are preparing to enter.
Intercede for those who are joined together in the sacrament of marriage, that they may never give up when trials come their way but may remain faithful to each other, and to the Lord who blessed their union.
May your love for the Lord be an inspiration for our love for each other, for the love between husband and wife, and for the love and charity we extend to all whom we meet. Amen.
Though the feast of St Valentine is no longer on the general calendar of the Church that came into effect late in 1969 when the 'New Mass' was introduced by Pope St Paul VI, it is still on the calendar where the Traditional Latin Mass is celebrated, using the Roman Missal of 1962 approved by Pope St John XXIII.
There are many churches named after St Valentine, particularly in the Region of Trentino-South Tyrol (Trentino-Alto Adige in Italian). Below is that in Malé in that region.
GospelMatthew 5:13-16 (English Standard Version Anglicised: India)
Jesus said to his
disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how
shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be
thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor
do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives
light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before
others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your
Father who is in heaven.
A city set on a hill cannot be hidden (Mt 5:15; Gospel).
One of the darkest periods in the history of the world was 1939 to 1945 when much of the world was at war. At the heart of the darkness was Nazi Germany, where freedom had been almost entirely suppressed. But not quite. Between June 1942 and February 1943 a small group of students at the University of Munich with their philosophy professor Kurt Huber formedThe White Rose, a non-violent resistance group working against Hitler and the Nazi regime.
Among the leaders were Sophie Scholl and her older brother Hans. They were executed within minutes of each other by guillotine. Both were devout Lutherans. It is said thatshe was influenced by the writings of St John Henry Cardinal Newman. Others in the group, such as Willi Graf, were devout Catholics. Not all were Christians but they shared a commitment to speaking the truth, even if it cost them their young lives. Most were in their early 20s.
One German Catholic who had a great impact on the group was Blessed Clemens August Graf von Galen, Bishop of Münster, Germany, who died just after being made a cardinal in 1946, a giant of a man physically (6 feet 7 inches /2.01 m tall), morally and spiritually. He was known as 'The Lion of Münster'. In a series of sermons in 1941 he denounced some of the policies of Hitler, including that of euthanasia. Hans and Sophie Scholl used one of these in a leaflet that The White Rose printed and distributed secretly.
It was while distributing leaflets - the movement produced a total of six, their only means of communication - at the University of Munich, that Hans and Sophie were caught and then executed.
The members of The White Rose are remembered and honoured today and a number of films have been made about them.
Hans and Sophie Scholl and their companions knew that their lives were in danger. But their Christian faith led them to be the salt of the earth . . . the light of the world. Through them at least some experienced the truth of the words of Isaiah 9:2 quoted in Matthew 4:16, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.
Salt is of use only when it is mixed with other things. The light of the sun doesn't exist for itself, for us to look at it. If we did we would be blinded. It is meant to light up everything around us, as we are meant by being salt and light to bring others to taste and see the joy of knowing Jesus the Risen Lord.
Not many are called, as some of the members of The White Rose were, to be the salt of the earth . . . the light of the world by laying down their lives. But those in The White Rose got their Christian faith, their moral values from others who for them were the salt of the earth . . . the light of the world. Some of them, including Sophie and Hans Scholl, had belonged to various Nazi movements for young people but saw through the false values being promoted and left.
In other words, they had been formed in solid values by others, older persons such as parents, some teachers perhaps. others trying to live honest and upright lives as followers of Jesus, 'missionary disciples', as Pope Francis calls us to be in Evangelii Gaudium No 120, without even being aware that they were such. The Pope reminds us there: In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples.
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If you google 'Sophie Scholl' or 'The White Rose' on YouTube you will find many videos about the movement. The FilmSophie Scholl - the Final Days (with English subtitles), directed by Marc Rothemund and starring Julia Jentsch as Sophie, was made in 2005. The trailer is below.
I find the opening scene incredibly poignant: two young German women living under a tyranny and singing along with American singer Billie Holiday with Teddy Wilson and his orchestra (here). The Nazis were very ambivalent towards jazz music and would have considered Billie Holiday and Teddy Wilson Untermenschen - less than human - because they were African-Americans.
Praise our Lord
Music by William Byrd, sung by Voces8.
Praise our Lord all ye Gentiles, praise him all ye people,
Because his mercy is confirmed upon us, and his truth remaineth for ever. Amen. (Psalm 117 [116]).
Traditional Latin Mass
Septuagesima Sunday
The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 02-05-2023 if necessary).
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 10:1-5. Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16.
A study of
abortions in the United States from 1995-2011 found that
67% of women who were told their baby would have Down syndrome decided to
abort. This number is much higher in other countries. BBC reports that 90% of
women in England whose babies are diagnosed with Down syndrome choose to abort .
. . We see that trend in other countries as well. For instance, the Life Institute reports that in Iceland, nearly 100% of babies with Down syndrome are
aborted. And in Germany, more than 90% of babies with Down syndrome are aborted.
Pope Francis
Since everything is
interrelated, concern for the protection of nature is also incompatible with
the justification of abortion. How can we genuinely teach the importance of
concern for other vulnerable beings, however troublesome or inconvenient they
may be, if we fail to protect a human embryo, even when its presence is
uncomfortable and creates difficulties? “If personal and social sensitivity
towards the acceptance of the new life is lost, then other forms of acceptance
that are valuable for society also wither away” (Laudato Si’, No
120).
Lala with Jordan
L'Arche, Cainta, near Manila. I have known both for many years.
Second Reading. 1Corinthians
1:26-31
For consider your
calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not
many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.But God chose what is foolish in the
world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the
strong;God chose what is low and despised in the world,
even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,so that no human being might
boast in the presence of God.And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who
became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification
and redemption,so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts,
boast in the Lord.”
Lala and Hachiko, each looking more content than the other!
Sadly, this beautiful dog died not long afterwards, choking on a chicken bone.
Traditional Latin Mass
Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany
The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 1-29-2023 if necessary).
GospelMatthew 4:12-23 [or 4:12-17] (English Standard Version
Anglicised: India)
Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he
withdrew into Galilee.And leaving Nazareth he went and lived
in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and
Naphtali,so that
what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
the
way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people dwelling in darkness have
seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on
them a light has dawned.”
From that
time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand.”
[While
walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called
Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were
fishermen.And he
said to them, “Follow me, and I will make
you fishers of men.”Immediately they left their nets and followed him.And going on from there he saw two other
brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with
Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.Immediately they left the boat and their
father and followed him.
And he went throughout
all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel
of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the
people.]
Last Sunday in the Philippines was the Feast of the Santo Niño (Holy Child). The gospel was Matthew 18:1-5, 10 in which Jesus tells us,Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I saw his words come to life nine years ago at the end of Mass in Holy FamilyHome for Girls in Bacolod City. I lived in that city from 2002 until 2017.
In January 2014 four new girls arrived at the home. One, whom I'll call 'Josie', was aged 14 and was profoundly deaf. Her main way of communicating was Sign Language. The Sisters, staff and some of the girls began to learn some Sign Language. The other three new girls included two aged ten and one aged six.
At the end of Mass I saw 'Josie' sitting and quietly crying. I wasn't quite sure why. One of the ten-year-old new girls, rather small for her age but very lively and whom I'll call 'Grace', went over to 'Josie' and put her arms around her to comfort her. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
The majority of the girls in Holy Family Home have had horrific experiences, in most cases within their own wider family circle. They truly know what it is to be dwelling in darkness.
['Josie' was able to go home in 2016. We discovered that she had some hearing and, with hearing aids, she has improved her speech and hearing considerably. The other three girls were still at Holy Family Home when I left the Philippines in June 2017].
In my latter years in Bacolod City I used to celebrate Mass again in Holy Family Home on to mark the feast of St Agnes, 21 January. Each year we combined a celebration of St Agnes the Martyr (c.291 - c.304), patron saint of chastity, of young girls and of rape victims, and Blessed Laura Vicuña(1891 - 1904), a patron of abuse victims who offered her life for the conversion of her mother and whose feast day is 22 January.
Each year I told the girls that the life of Blessed Laura, whose father died when she was young, was so like their own and that she became a saint in the midst of and through her sufferings, especially the cruelty of her stepfather who wasn't married to her mother. Despite her young age she had the maturity, generosity and holiness to offer her life so that her mother would return to the Lord. She told this to her mother when she, Laura, was dying. It was the physical abuse of her stepfather that led to her death. Laura's prayers were answered.
Laura understood the stark reality of the words of Jesus in today's gospel: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. She also understood the power of God's mercy. In Holy Family Home I frequently made myself available for confession and many of the girls would come. Sometimes I girl would ask me if I could hear her confession.
Holy Family Home exists because of the sins of adults against girls, some only small children. It is a place where most of the girls have been among those who are dwelling in the region and shadow of death. I have brought many visitors there and the one word they nearly all have used to sum up their experience is 'joy', a joy they find among the girls and among the Capuchin Tertiary Sisters of the Holy Family and the staff. Those who live there are a testimony to the truth of the words of Isaiah that we listen to in the First Reading and the Gospel this Sunday and that we listened to at the Mass During the Night at Christmas:
The second part of today's gospel tells us of the call of the first disciples who were later called to be apostles, the brothers Simon Peter and Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee, James and John. Immediately they left their nets . . .Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. Yetwe know from the gospels that they continued to fish from time to time and to encounter stormy weather.
In the Philippines most fishermen are poor and go to sea in very small boats. In some countries larger boats go far from land and often encounter very dangerous weather. And a very large percentage of international seafarers are Filipinos.
In our prayers to day let us remember our fishermen, our seafarers and those involved in rescue work at sea. Let us also remember the members of a number of European navies who in recent years have saved countless refugees travelling in unsafe boats from north Africa to southern Europe. Tragically, many refugees never make it.
Traditional Latin Mass
Third Sunday After the Epiphany
The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 1-22-2023 if necessary).
GospelJohn 1:29-34 (English Standard Version Anglicised: India)
The next day John the Baptist saw Jesus coming towards him,
and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of
the world!This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man
who ranks before me, because he was before me.’I myself did not know him, but for
this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”And John bore witness: “I saw the
Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.I myself did not know him, but he who
sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit
descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’And I have seen and have borne witness that
this is the Son of God.”
Fr Barry Cairns, a Columban priest born in New Zealand in 1931 who is still enthusiastically testifying in Japan that this is the Son of God tells a story in a number of our Columban magazinesof one of his parishioners, Mr Dismas Shigeru Kato, who is doing the same in his 90s.He became a Catholic as an adult. Only about one person out of 200 in Japan is a Catholic. Father Barry tells us about his parishioner when they were both younger.
I would like to introduce Mr Dismas Shigeru Kato. He was born 91 years ago in a small fishing village called Kushimoto in Wakayama Province of Japan. In his youth and when drafted into the wartime army he built up a massive debt for alcohol at different bars.
Then he got married. His wife was very patient with him. Mr Kato worked for the Kansai Electric Power Company. He cared for external power lines. He was paying off his debts bit by bit.
Then Mr Kato became a Christian, first with the local Protestant Church and later the Catholic Church where he was baptized. He chose as his baptismal name Dismas, which is the traditional name of the penitent brigand on a cross beside Jesus at his crucifixion.
At this time I was pastor of Kushimoto which was one of the smallest parishes in Japan. It was definitely a mission of primary contact to the un-evangelized! At Sunday Mass we had 5-10 people attending. However after Mass, 50 non-Christian children from the village came for Sunday school. Mr Kato's daughter, Majimi, was the only Christian.
It was here that Mr Dismas Shigeru Kato really shone in the darkness. For the children we used a projector showing a film strip about a small Catholic boy in Africa. Remember this was before TV came into the village. The film strip was in colour and most extensive with many episodes. Mr Kato would study each episode during the week and in the darkness needed for the projector could tell the story without looking at the script. Each character in the story was given in its own distinctive voice. It was a masterful and captivating presentation. I often heard the children discussing both the developing story and its Christian message.
At this time too Mr Kato was giving witness in another field. The Kansai Electric Company had a trade union seminar. The subject was traffic safety. During the open discussion Mr Kato stood up and said: ‘As many of you know I am a Christian. You have probably heard that Christ 2,000 years ago was strong on love of others. A modern aspect of love of neighbour is safe driving. Let the driver be concerned and respectful for others who use the road. Aggressive, dangerous driving can be a form of self-centredness. Careful, considerate driving is a form of love of neighbor. Let this be our motive for safe driving.’
A moment of spontaneous reflective silence was followed by massive applause. This was a new, different, and appealing approach.
The provincial section of the newspaper featured Mr Kato and his talk emphasising motivation for safe driving instead of just keeping rules for their own sake.
At 91 Shigeru Kato has moved into a Catholic-run retirement home. Here he is a leader of a group who pray the Rosary together.
I pray for more like Mr Kato to evangelize this nation of Japan.
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Mr Kato's life, where his Catholic Christian faith permeates everything he does, reflects the spirit of the Letter to Diognetus, written in the second century, which speaks of how we Christians are meant to live in the world. We can get a flavour of it here.
For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe . . . They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed.
People in many countries, and many here in Ireland itself, were utterly shocked and disheartened at the many voters here in recent referendums - one in 2015 that re-defined marriage as no longer necessarily involving a man and a woman, the other in 2018 to do with the sacredness of the life of the unborn child - who saw no connection between their faith and the way they voted. We can never separate the reality that through our baptism we become the beloved sons and daughters of God the Father, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ and of one another, from the reality of our daily lives and our lives as citizens. Everything is meant to be permeated by that marvellous truth in which we find our deepest identity, the truth that by baptism we are the beloved sons and daughters of God the Father.
Kinasai-omoniwo-oumono
Composed by Saburo Takada
This Japanese hymn is
based on Matthew 11:28-30.Come to me, all
who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon
you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
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