A Saint for the Poor, Needy, and Afflicted: What it Means to Be Totally Yours.

Posted on April 27, 2012 by

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He walked barefoot through the streets while singing praises to God. A knapsack was strung across his shoulders, a hand-carved cross was held in his hands, and a rosary swung from his belt. He erected crosses in places where he preached. He once spent a year pushing wheelbarrows of dirt and stone up a man-made hill in an effort to construct a life-sized Calvary; only to be ordered to tear it down. He once was poisoned but did not die. 

Such was the life of St. Louis Marie de Montfort, who lived a life filled with frequent prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament, love for the poor, joy in humiliation and persecutions, and promotion of consecration to Jesus through Mary. This troubadour priest preacher set out to proclaim the news of the love of God and to place emphasis on the maternal care of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the poor, needy, and the afflicted.

He has been criticized by many as having a flamboyant way of preaching and writing. However, to others, such as myself, his words are delightful, bold, and contain inspiration for living a deeper spiritual life.They are also a great source to help examine one’s conscience. It doesn’t take long to see why he is among my favorite Saints!

Letter to the Friends of the Cross

What it means to take up one’s cross is explained by St. Louis Marie de Montfort in his letter to the Friends of the Cross:

“Let him take up his cross,” the one that is his. Let that man (or woman) so rare “far beyond the price of pearls,” take up his cross joyfully, embrace it lovingly, and carry it courageously on his shoulders, his own cross, and not that of another – his own cross which I, in my wisdom, designed for him in every detail of number, measure and weight; his own cross which I have fashioned with my own hands and with great exactness as regards its four dimensions of length, breadth, thickness and depth; his own cross, which out of love for him I have carved from a piece of the one I bore to Calvary; his own cross, which is the greatest gift I can bestow upon my chosen ones on earth; his own cross, whose thickness is made up of the loss of one’s possessions, humiliations, contempt, sufferings, illnesses and spiritual trials, which come to him daily till his death in accordance with my providence; his own cross, whose length consists of a certain period of days or months enduring slander, or lying on a sick-bed, or being forced to beg, or suffering from temptations, dryness, desolation, and other interior trials; his own cross, whose breadth is made up of the most harsh and bitter circumstances brought about by relatives, friends, servants; his own cross, whose depth is made up of the hidden trials I shall inflict on him without his being able to find any comfort from other people, for they also, under my guidance, will turn away from him and join with me in making him suffer.

“Let him take up,” that is, let him carry his cross and not drag it, or shake it off, or lighten it, or hide it. Instead, let him lift it on high and carry it without impatience or annoyance, without intentional complaint or grumbling, without hesitation or concealment, without shame or human respect.

“Let him take it up” and set it on his brow, saying with St. Paul, “The only thing I can boast about is the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Let him carry it on his shoulders like our Lord that it may become the source of his victories and the scepter of his power: “Dominion is laid upon his shoulders.”

Let him set it in his heart, where it may, like the burning bush of Moses, burn day and night with the pure love of God without being consumed!

“The cross”: let him carry it, for nothing is so necessary, so beneficial, so agreeable, or so glorious as to suffer something for Jesus Christ.”

Totus Tuus

St. Louis Marie de Montfort died in 1716 at the age of 43.  His writings continue to be an ageless source of Marian devotion and love for the Cross of Jesus.“Totus tuus” or “Totally Yours”, was Montfort’s personal motto, which also became the motto of the late Blessed John Paul II. Lay and religious alike have performed his version of Consecration to Jesus through Mary. The word consecration means to set be set aside for the purpose of serving the Lord. The Consecration to Jesus through Mary is a beautiful exercise that helps one to become more prayerful and focused on Jesus than ever before.  Information on how to do this consecration is widely available on the internet and is open to anyone, even non-Catholics. And if you are wondering: This is a Marian devotion and not Marian worship!  Many who have taken up this exercise can testify that their spiritual lives in Jesus have been enriched!

April 28 is the Feast Day of St. Louis Marie de Montfort. The Youtube video posted above is the Act of Total Consecration according to the method of St Louis de Montfort (1673-1716).

Totus Tuus banner that appeared in the piazza at St. Peter's Basilica during my recent visit to the Vatican. (c) 2012 The Catholic Counselor Lady.

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For the Chief Cook and Bottle Washer

Posted on April 26, 2012 by

An infamous chief cook and bottle washer, my Mom in 1965. (c) 2012 The Catholic Counselor Lady.

A saint for housekeepers

I was actually very surprised when I read about today’s Saint (April 26).  It is Saint Zita. And to be quite honest, I have never heard of this lady who was born in the village of Monte Sagrati, Italy in 1218.  But the information that immediately caught my eye is that she is the patron of housekeepers. She was another saint who reaffirms taking great pride and patience in her menial tasks. Once again it is celebrating the little things in life that make such a big difference in the spiritual.

It was from my grandparents that I first heard the term “chief cook and bottle washer” as I helped my mother around the house. My Mom taught me how to cook and clean. From there I launched my first professional occupation: that of keeping a home tidy. At times it can feel like an unending and thankless position. It is the type of thing that is noticed mostly when it is not done. And it is something that has been a primary obligation and a thread throughout my entire life in spite of all of my endeavors. It seems like the need to throw in a load of wash and to clear a dirty dish has always hung over my head, or at least for as long as I can remember. However, I am thankful to God that from time to time my help cometh from the Molly Maids and an occasional coerced offspring.

Homemakers are experts at multitasking

Multitasking is second nature to motherhood and women. Sorry if I offend any feminists, but take it up with anyone who tries to juggle kids, housework, and even a career.These things are not easily accomplished.This is why I appreciate that we have patron Saints for this sort of thing. I can see why many women who have managed to make it to the doctoral level find it much easier to tell everyone that they simply cannot cook. What I hear they are really saying is that they do not cook. There is a difference. I often wonder about the competency of an “educated” professional who finds difficulty in reading and following a recipe. Just saying. Unfortunately my own domestic achievements are not something that I feel comfortable bragging about.  You probably have heard: “never trust a skinny cook.” What if that cook happens to find time in between making the crème brulee and changing dirty diapers to get to the gym?  Again, I’m just saying.

Faith celebrates everyday life

I particularly appreciate the common sense that the Church has in celebrating the accomplishments of those who are in the trenches of everyday life. Sure, many of us might dream of being missionaries or big city executives, but the fact of the matter is that someone must get the house clean and take care of the babies in the meantime. St. Zita is a tribute to those in this vocation. The irony is that the small and seemingly insignificant parts of our lives, are really important and valued in spite of how we might feel. So if you find yourself soiled with soggy gold fish crackers, covered in dust bunnies, and buried under dirty dishes with one hand in the clutch of a toilet bowl brush — Hold your head up high!

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Good News for a Change

Posted on April 24, 2012 by

St. Mark the Evangelist is often depicted as a lion

Relaxing the mind and soothing the soul?

I have heard some say that they have decided to stop watching the news.This is because it is filled with so much negativity.The popular media is often bent towards the scandalous. Some say that a caring person can end up depressed by turning on the television at 6 pm. Then the rest of the programming lineup is filled with pseudo-documentary shows about murderers, drug dealers, gangsters, cheating spouses, aloof big foots, theories about alien invasions, and the end of the world. I noticed a new recent series features biographies of children who kill.  Changing the channel finds another program about bug infestations. I can’t say that this is stuff to relax the mind and soothe the soul.

Not only the news, but TV is often laced with commercials that show violence and destruction. One example is to think of the not so subtle types of ads and movie promotions that appear during major sports events. While designed to be funny and entertaining, one after another things being blown up and people in situations that compromise their morality flash on the screen. Everything is in a fast manic pace. And we are supposed to laugh?

Effects of television violence

“The effect of media violence on behavior has become a significant policy and public health issue,” according to a 2008 study by psychologists Feshbach and Tangney of George Mason University. The American Psychological Association (APA) asserts that media violence affects children in three major ways:  (1) they become desensitized to the pain and suffering of others; (2) they become more fearful of their environment; and (3) more likely to become hurtful and aggressive (Tompkins, A, 2002 Dec 14, “The Psychological Effects of Violent Media on Children,” AllPsych Journal.). Violence also has an impact on families and adults. In fact, the issue is a very old one and according to a 1999 statement by Jeffrey  McIntyre of the APA, “To argue against it is like arguing against gravity.”

 Must we face it?

Some might say, this is life, suck it up and deal with it. A fact of life is bearing one’s Crosses and facing challenges. However as a journalist, I know there is a lot to be said about how one chooses to present material.  Also we have control over whether or not to watch. It is also interesting to compare news and history as it is given from a faith perspective versus a secular one.

It is always a breath of fresh air to find something positive.

We can look at the tradition of the Saints and find many tragic histories; however each contains an uplifting message about the power of God and the joy of following His will.  When we turn to Sacred Scripture the underlying message is also positive.  Although the Bible, and in particular the Old Testament most definitely has scandal and destruction, the whole message points towards redemption.  In the New Testament, most definitely there is nothing flowery or cute about a young man being scourged and nailed to a cross.  However, the word, “Gospel” actually means “good tidings” and the “Good News” that God sends to the world through His Son, Jesus Christ.

An author of the Good News for today.

Long before there were computers, televisions, video games, and even the printing press, people had to go by word of mouth to learn of events.  There were few writers and their handwritten documents were kept in places of worship.  Authors, inspired by the Holy Spirit wrote down the life and ministry of Jesus Christ so that the “Good News” would be available to future generations.  St. Mark, the Evangelist, one of the authors, is traditionally ascribed to be the writer of the second Gospel.  April 25 is observed as the feast day of St. Mark in the Church. 

As a young man, St. Mark witnessed the lives of the earliest Christians of Jerusalem. He was close to the Blessed Virgin and the Apostles. He went on missionary journeys with his cousin, St. Barnabas and with St. Paul.  On the basis of St. Peter’s accounts, St. Mark as a secretary and interpreter to the first Pope, wrote down Jesus’ life and ministry.  St. Mark is also attributed to having founded the Church in Alexandria.  St. Mark is the patron of the city of Venice where his relics are believed to be at the basilica of St. Mark.

The Gospel of Mark is known to be the oldest and the shortest of the four Gospels.  Its emphasis is on a scandal:  “The crucified Messiah”.  Yet this scandal brings us to the Good News with Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension.

The New Evangelization

The Gospel according to St. Mark ends with the great commission of Jesus:  “Go into the world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15).  The late Blessed John Paul II used the term “New Evangelization” in his encyclicals, speeches, and writings to address the need for Catholics and other Christians to relaunch evangelization in the face of the Modern World.

Pope Benedict XVI as Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger on the New Evangelization wrote:

“To evangelize means: to show this path—to teach the art of living. At the beginning of his public life Jesus says: I have come to evangelize the poor (Luke 4:18); this means: I have the response to your fundamental question; I will show you the path of life, the path toward happiness—rather: I am that path.

The deepest poverty is the inability of joy, the tediousness of a life considered absurd and contradictory. This poverty is widespread today, in very different forms in the materially rich as well as the poor countries. The inability of joy presupposes and produces the inability to love, produces jealousy, avarice—all defects that devastate the life of individuals and of the world.

This is why we are in need of a new evangelization—if the art of living remains an unknown, nothing else works. But this art is not the object of a science—this art can only be communicated by [one] who has life—He who is the Gospel personified.”

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Recognizing a Hoodlum

Posted on April 22, 2012 by

Jesus of Nazareth as portrayed by Robert Powell in famous movie

Whether or not we want to admit it, each one of us is prejudiced and has preconceived notions of how people should look and how they might behave. One relevant example is the recent controversy pertaining to young people who cover their heads with hoodies. Although there is really nothing inherently wrong in a hooded sweatshirt, in recent years many people associate this act as being linked to crime and juvenile delinquency. Some schools even now forbid the wearing of this type of garment in their dress code. Unfortunately threats to security are profiled. Experience, culture, teachings, and the natural instinct to protect oneself can make one wary of certain types.

We can’t always judge someone by their appearance. 

Irony exists in the fact that as a middle-aged woman, I myself might occasionally wear my sweatshirt hood on the street when being caught up in a gust of cold Chicago wind and rain on my walk to the drug store. I remember as a kid sitting around the campfire with my sweats pulled up over my head in the wilderness.This form of stretchy cotton/polyester is not only warm and comfortable, but also usually cheap. On the other hand, some designer and sports sweats can be quite pricey as everyone knows. Some kids indeed might actually be wearing this type of garment to keep their heads warm in cold climates. Others might put them on to show their team spirit. 

Interestingly, the use of various types of hoods traditionally has been associated with honor. It is characteristic of the coveted doctorate graduation gown. Also many religious orders have habits that include the wearing of a hood. Many of the Saints and even the Blessed Virgin Mary have been depicted having something on their head.  We might all recall seeing many images of Jesus with such.  In fact, the infamous veil of Veronica was used to wipe Christ’s face.

Sometimes it is difficult to recognize people.

Some people make a living by trying to weed out suspicious looking characters. Anyone who has gone through airport security knows this. As a woman with two children, I have been pulled out of the line to be “specially” screened by physical pat down on numerous occasions, with my husband waiting by patiently. When my son was a toddler, his stuffed animal was even frisked and scanned. I’m always amused by the language used to inform me of my special selection. Either I was yelled at or approached like I had won the lottery. I remember a Franciscan friend of mine who wore a habit through security was detained because of his suspicious looking rosary making tool.

We have all seen and heard of millionaires who dress and look like homeless. Even movie stars try to hide under shades and big hats. Would anyone be able to pick out a secret agent who had an ear piece and a trench coat? What about identifying someone who might look like a member of the Mob? I remember seeing a lot of Godfather look alikes in Rome.

Recognizing Jesus

A familiar story in the Gospel is when the Disciples are on the road to Emmaus and don’t recognize Jesus. An interesting point of this Sunday’s Gospel (April 22, 2012) is that the Disciples realize Jesus being present amongst them once He breaks bread (Luke 24:35-43):

The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way,
and how Jesus was made known to them
in the breaking of bread.

While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have.”
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them

The recognizing of Jesus through the breaking of the bread foreshadows what those of us believers experience when we participate in Communion.  The Eucharist is known as the source and summit of the Christian life.  It is through the Eucharist that we receive graces to know Jesus on much deeper levels.

Jesus can be known to us in our hearts

We can receive Him through the Eucharist. We can know Jesus on an intimate level in our hearts. We can also recognize Him in the face of strangers and of those in need. Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta loved the poor because she could see the face of Christ in them.Through her works she was able to love Jesus through others.  Unfortunately many people fail to realize that each human being was created in the likeness and image of God.  It is an exercise to recognize the face of Jesus even in the most unlikely neighbor.

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Help Through the Storm

Posted on April 20, 2012 by

(c) 2012 Catholic Counselor Lady. My daughter having a lot of fun during a time with no "Fun do."

When my daughter was younger she used to pronounce the word “Thunder” as “Fun do”. However, fun was not what she had in mind at all when her little lips produced these words. Usually the house was shaking and it sounded like a freight train was going to run through the living room.  I remember my Grandfather describing thunder as the angels bowling in heaven. Thunderstorms in the Midwest are quite dramatic. And almost always they happen in the dark. Even If it is the middle of the afternoon, it is still dark.  I witnessed thunder and lightning during a blizzard in Chicago last year for the first time of my life.

My memory of storms

I don’t know if it is due to shortcomings in my memory, or the way that things were reported in the past, but these days it seems like the frequency of violent storms such as with hurricanes and tornadoes are on the uprise. I remember few hurricanes if any occurring in my childhood. The most significant tornado in my world was from the movie Wizard of Oz. However, it seems that once I hit young adulthood, the news became splattered left and right with natural disasters. An article that appeared in Science Daily (July 30, 2007) states that the “frequency of Atlantic hurricanes doubled over the last century.”

I was surprised to learn that tornadoes actually are more common in the United States than in any other country (Wikipedia). My son, who loves to travel, pointed out to me that many travel advisories are often issued to tourists coming into our country on how to be prepared and cope in the event of a tornado or hurricane. Americans and their storms must make an impression on the rest of the world. Tornadoes commonly occur in the Midwest and in Florida where the area is known as “Tornado Alley” and during certain times of the year. However in recent years we have seen some devastation in places that usually don’t get hit as bad.

Storms can occur in other ways in life

There can be storms related to climate change and environmental instability and there can be storms in our lives due to events in everyday life. It can be sunny outside but still some could be having a lot of “Fun do” going on inside of their minds and hearts. The possibilities are endless in terms of what might upset a person.  In psychology, something that bothers a person from the past can manifest itself as a form of depression; while something that bothers or worries a person about the future often is seen as anxiety. In other words, depression is past focused and anxiety is future focused.  This is why often a goal of therapy is to help a person to be grounded in the present moment. This is also an emphasis of many spiritual writers as well. Jean-Pierre Caussade in his classic work Abandonment to Divine Providence writes extensively on how to live fully in the present moment.  I know that I have mentioned this in at least another blog.

Suggestions on how to get through the emotional storm

One of the most obvious and at the same time most difficult to do is to remain calm. A person suffering from panic attacks might feel as though they are going to die or have a heart attack right on the spot. However, this is merely the body’s way of going into overdrive to initiate a fight or flight response to a potential threat. Sometimes however, people have difficulty turning off the “overdrive” function even after a threat is long past.  Believe it or not, this type of anxiety is best dealt with through acceptance, facing the situation for what it is, and realizing “that this too shall pass.”

Be sure to exercise and get rest when going through a lot of stress and storms. These two sound like they are at the opposite ends of the spectrum, but exercise and rest are actually twins for good health. In a natural way, exercising helps to work out the adrenaline produced from stress. The exertion helps to create good chemicals in the brain that can lead to greater feelings of well-being and even euphoria.

Most of all be sure to play and pray

My mother-in-law in her Japanese accent always tells my family, “Be sure to play”. I love puns and “plays” on words, so to me, this interchange of “play” with “pray” is quite interesting!  It is true that we all need to have recreation through tough times too.  However, most importantly we need to remember to pray.

Actually to pray unceasingly (I Thessalonians 5:17) is great advice given by St. Paul.  Many don’t know what it means to pray unceasingly.  It is having one’s mind and heart open to God through all of one’s activities of the day in addition to any formal prayers of petitions, supplications, and devotions done.  Such might sound like a lot of work. But really, it is about being mindful of God and seeking to do His will through all things.  This also helps one to live fully in the present moment.

Jesus walks on the sea in the middle of the storm

This Saturday’s Gospel is from St. John 6:16-21 which recounts how Jesus walked on the sea in the middle of a strong storm:

When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea,
embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum.
It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
When they had rowed about three or four miles,
they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat,
and they began to be afraid.
But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”
They wanted to take him into the boat,
but the boat immediately arrived at the shore
to which they were heading. 

This was a storm of memorable proportions that occurred like all storms: “when it was evening.”  However, what is significant to note is that not only does Jesus tell them, “Do not be afraid”, but also that once they encountered Jesus “the boat immediately arrived at the shore to which they were heading.”  Such is a message that assures us that we will reach our destination through the storm once our eyes are on God.

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Something Must Have Happened

Posted on April 17, 2012 by
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Most people probably would agree that it takes a lot of motivation to accomplish anything.  Motivation can come from within and outside of oneself.  Often it is a combination.  Something makes an impression through our senses that seems to collide with our experience. It becomes relative to us and it becomes important.  Scriptures say that a person’s heart can be found where his or her treasure lies.  Basically motivation can be found in what makes a person tick and helps him or her to keep on ticking.  It can have biological, emotional, sociological, cognitive, and/or spiritual sources. There are many different theories of motivation ranging from survival to self-actualization.

Motivation to change

One aspect of helping a person heal from an addiction is aiding the person to develop his or her level of motivation. There is a whole process of determining if the person has any motivation to change at all and to what extent a person is about to make a change. It is debated whether or not a person must reach “rock bottom” to change.  Most often however, something or some thought makes an impression on the person.  Most long-term success occurs when a person is not coerced, but rather does something by free will.  In fact, in my studies I remember reading that a pushy counselor does not have very good success rates.  

Something must have happened

After visiting Rome, I am struck with the amount of Churches that happen to dot that cityscape. Rome is known to have over 900 Churches. Something must have motivated people to build big Churches and so many of them.  It appears to have been a huge investment of time, money, resources, labor, and even prayers. Some even took several centuries to build and have been rebuilt many times. If something that has made an impression, there is always evidence. The building of the Churches was so important that it spread throughout the whole world and even to our current culture. People like to brag about what is important to them.  If one wants to strike up a conversation with someone, talk about their interests.  It is also known that so many were motivated to the extent that they lost their lives for the sake of Christianity.  A famous quote by historian Tertullian is that “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”

Smitten by His splendor

Years ago when my friends and I were in the dating scene, we used to joke about finding someone with whom we could “be blinded by his splendor.”  Although we always added the condition that he must not also be a “legend in his own mind.”  Anyone who has ever fallen in love, knows what it is like to be preoccupied with the beloved.  The whole of life is observed through the lens of the beloved.  In other words, one develops a one-track mind.

In the spiritual sense, many Saints have had the experience of being smitten by the splendor of God. St. Francis of Assisi is known to refer to Jesus as “My All in all.”  St. Paul the Apostle fell off his proverbial horse and was blinded.  Something of that sort struck me about the Disciples upon hearing the reading pertaining to St. Thomas in Chapter 20 of the Gospel according to St. John:

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nail marks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.

As the story goes, St. Thomas was not impressed with what the other Disciples told him pertaining to Jesus’ Resurrection.  However, after actually feeling the sacred wounds of Jesus’ hands and side, he exclaimed, “My Lord and My God!”  Something definitely made an impression on him and from that day forward he believed.  And the faith that the others received without feeling or seeing also made an impression on them as can be evidenced by history and thus the many Churches. I think it is interesting to learn that St. Thomas was also called Didymus which means “twin.”  We can wonder who that twin was. We can see that in some ways, we are all like a twin of St. Thomas.  We need physical evidence for proof that something must have happened.  This is where I make my point.  We do have lots of physical evidence.  Look around us and look at our culture.  Something must have happened to make such an impression on history.

This is why it is often a useless point to try to prove the historical existence of Jesus when so much is evidenced in what has happened and has been built before us.  Something must have happened in the fullness of time.

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If These Walls Could Talk

Posted on April 15, 2012 by

(c) 2012 The Catholic Counselor Lady. The Walls of St. Peter's Basilica, Rome

There is no place like home.

 I love to travel but always feel better once I am back at my own house and in my own bed.  Perhaps because it is the long journey back that seals the sentiment for me.  A 10-hour plane ride in economy class is not a picnic.  In addition, my mind, nervous system, and digestive tract take days to reach equilibrium due to the 7-hour hour time difference.  I find it is always more difficult to adjust on the trip home rather than going there.  Going I am excited.  Coming home– I am exhausted.  But this trip is definitely easier and quicker crossing the ocean by plane than by ship!  With all of the focus on the Titanic these days, I am much more content with a 10-hour plane ride.  I also know that I could end up in Timbuktu in a 10-hour car trip from Chicago.  Its mind-boggling these days to know that it is possible to wake up in Rome and by evening to be back in my own bed in Chicago.  

But I do I like Rome.

 It’s by far my favorite place to visit.  And this is not an exaggeration.  I have shared in my past blog that I love meandering around the streets of Rome and popping into the old Churches in each of the piazzas.  I also reiterate that Rome has a way of making the mind think of history.  The city is in a time warp where one can still see very old ruins of a thriving civilization.

If only the walls could talk. 

Think about what the walls have witnessed through the centuries!  I often ponder how buildings can outlive people and generations. It is interesting how archeologists can look at a crack or a fragment of pottery and try to recreate what might have happened in a particular place.  I am always intrigued to figure out how ordinary people lived.  The buildings and in particular the Churches form the backdrop of their activities.  Granted, a building can crumble and fall, but the Churches provide a touch with eternity.   It is through the places of worship while on this earth that we can feel an interconnection with those Saints who have passed on to Heaven.  We can also learn from the faults of the sinners.  The Churches are the places where the people were baptized, married, worshipped, fellowshipped, and prepared for heaven.  No wonder they are at the center of every piazza.

Back home on Divine Mercy Sunday

I arrive home on Divine Mercy Sunday.  This is a solemnity that is observed in the Catholic Church the Sunday after Easter.   It began under Blessed John Paul II as a devotion as requested by Jesus to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska of Poland. According to Blessed John Paul II:  Jesus said to Sr. Faustina one day: ‘Humanity will never find peace until it turns with trust to Divine Mercy.’ Divine Mercy!  This is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the risen Christ and offers to humanity.  Basically the Church emphasizes Jesus’ mercy on this day for even the most hardened sinners.

According to the website for the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy in Chicago: 

The message of The Divine Mercy is simple.
It is that God loves us – all of us.
And, he wants us to recognize that His mercy
is greater than our sins, so that we will call
upon Him with trust, receive His mercy,
and let it flow through us to others.
Thus, all will come to share His joy.

A historical building in Chicago

With all of my meanderings in Rome, I should also mention that there are historical treasures closer to home.  Chicago has its own Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy which was designated as such by Cardinal Francis George in 2007.  The Sanctuary is located at St. Stanislaus Kostka parish.  I have featured this parish on the other pages of my blog as it is currently undergoing extensive renovation. It is not only a spiritual treasure but a historical treasure in Chicago formed in 1867.  Please feel free to browse to my blog and the internet to find out more information about this parish which is in need of prayers and financial assistance.

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Roaming in Rome

Posted on April 13, 2012 by

(c) 2012 The Catholic Counselor Lady. The crypt of St. Monica in the Basilica of St. Augustine, Rome

This week has been a fun short visit to Rome, Italy. We had the opportunity to attend the Papal Easter Mass, an item that most definitely has been on my bucket list. The rest of the week was spent wandering around Rome. It is the kind of place where one can roam.

All of the streets meet at piazzas. The streets are set up in such a way that people meet each other when walking around. The piazzas are social places. This is unlike the streets of cities in the United States where the streets are usually part of a grid that do not meet. I find that the U.S. has an individualistic/loner type of mindset. However, the streets of Italy are made for people to get out, greet, and socialize.

As mentioned before in other blogs, one of my favorite activities in Rome is to walk around and pop into the various street Churches. Just about every road leads to the center of a piazza where there is at least one Church. One common feature of these Churches is that often they look kind of bland and non-imposing on the outside but are quite grand and impressive on the inside. All of them have a patron and many of them have relics of Saints.

Just at the corner of the street from the hotel is the Church of St Susanna which I discovered is one of the oldest Churches in Rome. Who would have thought it? As I meandered outside my immediate surroundings, there I found a Church built upon the ancient ruins that dated back to the middle of the second century. St. Felicity also appears there.

After descending one of the hills overlooking the Vatican, we would wander upon a Basilica called St. Mary of Trastevere. Trastavere was built in the 300s. It is noted to be the first Church where Mass was openly celebrated. This Church was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and is most notable for its beautiful mosaics.

Another precious discovery was the Basilica of St. Augustine which contained the relics of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine. She is noted to be the patron of all mothers who pray for the well being of their children physically, spiritually, and emotionally. St. Augustine, a doctor of the Church, was noted to be a wild guy in his early days. His mother prayed for his conversion and he became one of the most noted fathers of the early Church.

I obtained a prayer card there that read:

Prayer to St. Monica
God, Holy Father,
mercy for those who trust in You,
You granted Your servant Monica
the invaluable gift for reconciling
the souls with You and with one another.
With her life, her prayers and her tears
she took her husband Patrick
and her son Augustine to You.
In her we praise Your gifts;
by her intercession
give us Your Grace.

O Saint Monica,
who spiritually nourished your children
giving them birth so many times
as you saw them becoming estranged from God,
pray for our families, for young people
and for those who can’t find the path of sanctity.
Obtain for us fidelity to God,
the perseverance in longing for Heaven
and the capacity to lead to the Lord
those He puts under our care. Amen.

My son Jonathan particularly enjoyed discovering the Church of Gesu (Jesus!), which is the Rome home Church of the Jesuits. Treasures there included the crypts of St. Francis Xavier and St. Ignatius. St. Ignatius happens to be the patron of my son’s high school. So he enjoyed finding this particular parish.

These finds are just the tip of the iceberg as there are actually over 900 Churches in Rome. It would be neat to be able to visit and blog about each one, but I realize that to do such would take probably three years if I wrote on one a day! Oh well, all the more excuse to come back to Rome soon!

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Domenica di Pasqua – Celebrazione eucharistica dal Santo Padre

Posted on April 8, 2012 by

(c) The Catholic Counselor Lady. Easter Message of Pope Benedict on April 9, 2012

This year my family and I went to Rome and experienced our first Papal Easter Mass. One hundred years ago in the Spring of 1912 my great grandmother Maria Theresa emigrated from Gimigliano, Italy to Niagara Falls, NY. Now, in 2012 I find myself in Italy for a little visit. I can’t help but wonder what her world was like back then. I know that she most likely did not have the opportunity to stay at the St. Regis in Rome. Her circumstances were surrounded with issues of survival and the search for a good life in a new country. Her son Joseph, my grandfather was unable to visit Italy during his lifetime. However, I am sure that he would have loved the opportunity. I can just see him enjoying the fried zucchini flower blossoms and pasta Bolognese. My sister has been in Rome in the past. My husband, kids, and I have been here on several occasions but this is the first time for Easter.

My journey began on Good Friday. Although it is a privilege to be able to take an overnight flight from Chicago to Rome, at times it felt very uncomfortable and a luxurious way of roughing it. Airports have a way of herding passengers like cattle. My coach class ticketed flight took almost 10 hours to get directly to Rome and gave me literally a pain in the coccyx, digestive distress, and insomnia from sitting still for so long. Good Friday is a day of fasting and abstinence in the Church, so it actually was a good thing the plane food was terrible, especially if the veggie plate was requested and turned out to be curried chick peas and a gluten free breakfast cookie.

After a bumpy landing with plane fuel that smelled like burnt dirty socks, we arrived in Rome on Holy Saturday. I was able to enjoy a nice cappuccino and a plate of lasagna for lunch. Jet lagged we were overjoyed to obtain ‘free” tickets for seats at the Papal Mass from the hotel concierge for 25 euros each. So Easter morning we were up at 6 am (which was really still 11 pm the day before in Chicago time) to get ready for the Mass. After a nice breakfast at the hotel, we were on our way to the Vatican with a taxi driver who must have been from the Grand Prix speeding over cobbled streets of Rome. We arrived at 8 am for the 10:15 am Mass. We had purple tickets which meant we had a seat in the piazza. The crowd literally filled the piazza and spilled into the streets.

Rome has a quality to it that makes a person feel like they are stepping back in time. Probably because so much history is on every corner. The landscape has been depicted in so many classical paintings. So my thoughts easily drift to the past, my roots, and any connection that might exist.

I like Rome not only because of my family connection but also because of the spiritual connection. There are Churches literally on every corner and so many contain relics and stories of famous saints. I found it particularly wonderful to hear and see so many languages and countries represented at the Mass. It is like the center of the world to many of the faithful. I can still hardly believe that I was able to attend.

Afterwards was a quick lunch at a trattoria where the owners were a ma and pop team who were literally running around frantic at the crowd that had descended upon their little restaurant. Ma, wearing a pasta sauce splattered white t-shirt complete with a 3 inch crucifix, came out shouting at the staff, customers, and her husband in Italian. They soon modified their menu to exist of only the choice of vino and/or water to drink; and spaghetti or lasagna, paired down from an original one page menu. And one better have only cash to pay, no credit cards! I know if such happened in Chicago, the staff would have quit and the customers would have left. But our little pasta and house vino ended up being tasty and the experience although chaotic quite delightful and one to remember.

So I sit here on my sore coccyx this afternoon to take a little break as my jet lagged brain tries to share my observations of this little pilgrimage. Sorry if I happen to focus on food a lot. That can happen so easily on a trip to Italy at the end of Lent! As soon as I figure how to upload pictures from my Ipad to this blog, I will share. But for the meantime you will have to sit in anticipation.

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Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes

Posted on April 6, 2012 by
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There is an old saying that states we never quite know what someone else is experiencing or feeling unless we walk in their shoes.  Whenever someone is suffering it is of great comfort to find someone who “knows” what we are going through and can relate.  As human beings we like to commiserate.

 In my past studies I have learned that an effective counselor is one that is able to listen, has compassion, and is genuine.  In psychology, client-centered therapy focuses on unconditional positive regard for the client.  This helps the client to gain confidence and ability to find inner resources to heal.  Client-centered theory is very humanistic because it acknowledges and celebrates our strengths and weaknesses as humans. Although a client-centered approach can be a very positive one, a step beyond is to focus on God as the source of healing; and for that matter, God as the source of all grace. 

It is not always easy to find someone who has gone through exactly what we have gone through. Actually, it is impossible for us to experience “in every way” what another experiences.  Recently I heard a song called The Hurt and the Healer by MercyMe.  A great line of this song  recants, “The Hurt and the Healer collide.” I have included the link to this song above.  To me, this is what happened when Jesus took on the Cross. He really did bear all of our sufferings. 

He experienced what each and every one of us experience. He took on the pain of the whole world.  The physical manifestation of that is the Cross. He participated, in every way  physical, mental, and spiritual sufferings and pains.  It is well known that stress can cause all sorts of physical, mental, and spiritual side effects.  The story of his Crucifixion in the Holy Scripture takes us through His agonizing prayers, sweating drops of blood,being abandoned, to His trial, to His scourging, to lugging a Cross up a hill, being nailed to that infamous Sacred Tree and physically dying.

The Scripture reading for Good Friday contains so many beautiful passages. Among them we find:

For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help. (Hebrews 4:15-16).

Good Friday is when the Church observes Jesus’ Crucifixion on the Cross. It is a very Holy Day. Tradition states that He was nailed to the Cross at noon and His human body died at 3 pm. His Resurrection is on Easter morning.  The Resurrection celebrates Jesus’ victory over these sufferings.

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