Sunday, June 30, 2019

The strongest assistance in my weakness

Hope has been the sole companion of my life,
the greatest aid in doubts, the strongest assistance in my weakness;
hope, but not the hope in men,
such as is thought to bring greater happiness and instead
brings greater disaster,
but hope in Christ, supported by the celestial promise that
He will strengthen the weakest of men
with a greatness of soul and divine help.

Pope St. Pius X

The First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church

In July of the year 64, more than half of Rome was destroyed by a fire that lasted for nine days. Rumor blamed the tragedy on the Emperor Nero, who was said to have set flame to the grand city. On the third day of the fire, dressed in theatrical costume and singing with his lyre, he surveyed the flaming ruins (“Nero fiddled while Rome burned” is the often-used phrase).More and more people began to blame Nero for the desolation. Alarmed, the emperor shifted the blame to the Christians, and had them seized and tortured to death in public. Some were burned as living torches at evening banquets, some crucified and others were fed to wild animals.

Though the Romans were hardened to cruelty by the display of the gladiator’s arena, the brutality toward the Christians caused horror and pity in many of those who witnessed the scenes. According to the historian Tacitus, many Christians were put to death even though no one believed them to be guilty

Saturday, June 29, 2019

How to make peace

The peacemakers are pronounced blessed, they namely
who make peace first within their own hearts, then
between brethren at variance.
For what avails it to make peace between others,
while in your own heart
there are wars of rebellious vices?

St. Thomas Aquinas

Sts. Peter and Paul

Peter, who was named Simon, was a fisherman from Galilee. Jesus gave him the name Peter, which means ‘Rock,’ because he was to become the rock upon which Christ would build His Church. Among the Twelve, Peter was the first to recognize the divinity of Christ and to publicly profess that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. Chosen by Our Lord to shepherd His flock, he led the Apostles as the first Pope.

Peter and the apostles James and John were often taken aside by Our Lord and were witnesses to the more profound mysteries of Christ's divinity: His Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, His agony in the Garden. Peter's triple denial of Our Lord during the night after the Last Supper filled him with intense sorrow.

Peter became head of the Church in Rome and was martyred in the year 64. He was crucified upside-down at his own request, because he claimed he was not worthy to die as his Lord. He was buried on Vatican hill, and St. Peter's Basilica is built over his tomb.

Paul is known as the Apostle of the Gentiles. Before receiving the name Paul, he was Saul, a Jewish Pharisee who zealously persecuted Christians in Jerusalem.

Saul was traveling to Damascus to persecute Christians when he was surrounded by a light from heaven. He was blinded and fell from his horse. He then heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He answered: “Who are you, Lord?” Christ said: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

Saul continued to Damascus, where he was baptized and his sight was restored. He took the name Paul and spent the remainder of his life preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Paul was imprisoned and taken to Rome, where he was beheaded in the year 67. He is buried in Rome in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

In speaking of St. Peter and St. Paul, Augustine of Hippo said of them: “Both apostles share the same feast day, for these two were one; and even though they suffered on different days, they were as one. Peter went first, and Paul followed. And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles' blood. Let us embrace what they believed, their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching, and their confession of faith.”
Second Photo by: Wolfgang Moroder

Family Tip - Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Family Tips...Enrollment of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as King in your home
“To restore all things in Christ” ~ Saint Pius X

This devotion was introduced to the world by Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey with approval of several popes such as St. Pius X, Benedict XV and Pius XI. Fr. Mateo, a priest from Chile, traveled the world, including the United States, in 1940.

 Stained glass of Our Lord revealing His Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alocoque
Benefits of this devotion
Our Lord’s promises:
1)   “I will bless every place where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored.”
2)   “I will give them all the graces necessary for their state in life.”
3)   “I will establish peace in their families.”
4)   “I will comfort them in their trials.”
*The above promises were taken from the 12 promises made by Our Lord to St. Margaret Mary Alocoque in 1673.

How to make it happen:
1)   Obtain a beautiful picture or statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
2)   Ask your priest to come to enthrone the Sacred Heart in your home.
Note: In the event a priest is not available, there may be a lay member or “promoter” in charge of this apostolate in your parish. Even the father or mother of the house may lead the prayers in this simple, yet powerful, ceremony.
3)   If possible, make this a special occasion by inviting some of your friends and family.
      This will help others pick up the same idea for their own homes.
Image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus4)   Print up the prayers for the participants to follow. (click here for prayers)
5)   Prepare some refreshments for after the Enthronement ceremony.

The ceremony
The steps in the ceremony are:
1)   An opening hymn or prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus;
2)   An explanation of the meaning of the Enthronement;
3)   The blessing of the image or statue of the Sacred Heart by the priest;
4)   Placement of the image of the Sacred Heart in a place of honor in the home;
5)   The Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart;
6)   A closing hymn (optional).




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Friday, June 28, 2019

Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Header-Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, animated with a desire to repair the outrages unceasingly offered to Thee, we prostrate before Thy throne of mercy, and in the name of all mankind, pledge our love and fidelity to Thee.
The more Thy mysteries are blasphemed, the more firmly we shall believe them, O Sacred Heart of Jesus!
The more impiety endeavors to extinguish our hope of immortality, the more we shall trust in Thy Heart, sole Hope of mankind!
The more hearts resist Thy Divine attractions, the more we shall love Thee, O infinitely amiable Heart of Jesus!
The more unbelief attacks Thy Divinity, the more humbly and profoundly we shall adore It, O Divine Heart of Jesus!
The more Thy holy laws are transgressed and ignored, the more we shall delight to observe them, O most holy Heart of Jesus!
The more Thy Sacraments are despised and abandoned, the more frequently we shall receive them with love and reverence, O most generous Heart of Jesus!
The more the imitation of Thy virtues is neglected and forgotten, the more we shall endeavor to practice them, O Heart, model of every virtue!
Sacred Heart of Jesus-Oval ImageThe more the devil labors to destroy souls, the more we shall be inflamed with desire to save them, O Heart of Jesus, zealous Lover of souls!
The more sin and impurity destroy the image of God in man, the more we shall try by purity of life to be a living temple of the Holy Spirit, O Heart of Jesus!
The more Thy Holy Church is despised, the more we shall endeavor to be her faithful children, O Sweet Heart of Jesus!
The more Thy Vicar on earth is persecuted, the more will we honor him as the infallible head of Thy Holy Church, show our fidelity and pray for him, O kingly Heart of Jesus!
O Sacred Heart, through Thy powerful grace, may we become Thy apostles in the midst of a corrupted world, and be Thy crown in the kingdom of Heaven. Amen.



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Also Read:

He will be crowned

Blessed the one who continually
humbles himself willingly; he
will be crowned by the One
who willingly humbled himself for our sake.

St. Ephrem the Syrian

St. Irenaeus of Lyon

Irenaeus was born around the year 125 in a province in Asia Minor. He was a brilliant student and well versed in the Holy Scriptures, which led him to serve as a priest under St. Pothinus, the first bishop of a local church.

His fellow clergy thought highly of him, so highly, in fact, that in 177 when the persecution of Catholics in Lyon in France began, they sent him away to Rome because St. Pothinus wanted to preserve him from martyrdom.

Irenaeus returned to Lyon and became a bishop. He remained a bishop for about twenty years, wrote several works against heresy and dedicated his life to evangelizing. He died around the year 202, and is known as one of the most distinguished theologians of his time.

Thursday, June 27, 2019

The Sanctuary Lamp: The Light that Symbolizes the Eternal Sacrifice

Header - The Sanctuary Lamp

I am the light of the world: he that followeth me, walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12)

The wisdom and beauty of the Holy Catholic Church are marvelously expressed through a universe of symbols.
Consider the sanctuary lamp. In every church where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved, the eye meets that suave flickering flame, indicating the Real Presence.

  
What does the silent sanctuary lamp calmly say to the soul? What does it symbolize?
The warmth of its welcoming flame draws us closer to Our Lady and Our Lord. As if held aloft by Angels, the lamp is suspended, not attached to this earth, preparing souls to receive Divine grace. Its subtle light envelopes the faithful, creating a state of spirit in which all Catholic souls feel united.
At the same time, the wick burns serenely, spending itself to the point of destruction, offering itself to God, which symbolizes sacrifice.
The sanctuary lamp creates a pleasing and temperate atmosphere adequate to man. Its subtle light enhances the church and is not even slightly overpowering.
The flame's panoply of discrete shadows projects a respectful warmth and depth. It has nothing in common with the frenzied lights of a discotheque or the cold neon lighting prevalent today.
For the sake of contrast, imagine a neon light in place of the sanctuary lamp. The mere thought causes unrest. The harsh neon light destroys shadows.

What else does the sanctuary lamp say to the soul?
Imagine a dark church illuminated by a single sanctuary lamp. When a church is empty and Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is alone, the lamp pays homage to its Creator. The flame keeps constant vigil, like a faithful soul who kneels before God in adoration while so many abandon Him or turn against Him.
If the light could speak, it might say this: "I remain faithful. I am Thine, O Lord. Although I am the least of men, I belong to Thee, I exist for Thee alone. In the worst uncertainty, in the worst isolation and darkness, I will follow Thee come what may. I am confident that my fidelity means something to Thee."
The dominant note of the lamp speaks of the relationship between Creator and creature, Redeemer and redeemed. It is a resting place for the Catholic soul. Like three bells in perfect harmony, it echoes Our Lord's words: "I am the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6).



 
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Let us learn to keep a perfectly even temper

Let us learn to keep a perfectly even temper,
so important to our spiritual life, and
a harmonious state of mind so that
we may face all situations without anxiety.

St. Joseph Marello

St. Cyril of Alexandria

Cyril was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 376, and was the nephew of Theophilus, the patriarch of the city. When his uncle died in 412, Cyril took his position on the see of Alexandria.  He soon began a series of attacks against the Novatians, a religion started by the antipope Novatian. He closed their churches and drove Jews from the city.

In 428, Cyril discovered that the priest/monk Nestorius, the Archbishop of Alexandria, was preaching heretical theology. Cyril sent the heretic a mild expostulation, but to no avail. Both parties then appealed to Pope St. Clementine, and Cyril was appointed to depose Nestorius. In 431, Cyril presided over the Third General Council at Ephesus, attended by some two hundred bishops, which condemned all the tenets of Nestorius and his followers. However, upon the arrival of Archbishop John of Antioch and forty-two followers who believed Nestorius to be innocent, they held a council of their own and deposed Cyril. Emperor Theodosius II had both Cyril and Nestorius arrested but released Cyril on the arrival of papal legates who confirmed the council's actions against Nestorius and declared Cyril innocent of all charges leveled against him.

Two years later, Archbishop John, representing the moderate Antiochene bishops, and Cyril reached an agreement and issued a joint condemnation, and Nestorius was forced into exile.

Cyril died in 444 at Antioch. He was named a Doctor of the Church in 1882.

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Novena to St. Paul for the Conversion of America (June 26 – July 4)

Novena-to-St-Paul-Apostle-for-conversion-America
Novena Intention: St. Paul, pray that America follows in your footsteps.

O glorious St. Paul, after persecuting the Church you became, by God’s grace, Her most zealous Apostle.
To carry the knowledge of Jesus, our Divine Savior, to the uttermost parts of the earth, you joyfully endured prison, scourgings, stonings, and a shipwreck, as well as all manner of persecutions, culminating in the shedding of the last drop of your blood for Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Obtain for us the grace to labor strenuously to bring the Faith to others and to accept any trials and tribulations that may come our way. Help us to be inspired by your Epistles and to partake of your indomitable love for Jesus, so that after we have finished our course we may join you in praising Him in Heaven for all eternity.
Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
St. Paul the Apostle, pray for us!

Heaven on earth

God is as really present in the consecrated Host
as He is
in the glory of Heaven.

St. Paschal Baylon

St. Anthelm of Belley

Anthelm was born in 1107 near Chambéry, France. He was a good and generous man, but more materialistic than a priest ought to be. His eyes being opened to this spiritual defect while visiting the Charterhouse of Portes, he underwent an interior conversion. Requesting admission to the order, he was vested in the habit of St. Bruno in 1137.

Only two years after joining the order, he became the seventh Prior of the Grande Chartreuse. His growing reputation for wisdom and holiness attracted many to the order, including his own father and brother.

The salutary effect of his influence was also felt during the Schism of 1159 when western Christendom was divided. One group favored the claims of the true pope, Alexander III, the other supported the antipope, "Victor IV.” His work for the papal cause gained him the bishopric of Belley, though the holy man longed for nothing more than a monastic cell.  He fervently, even tearfully, pleaded with the Pope not to appoint him bishop, but to no avail, and in 1163, he was consecrated bishop over the diocese of Belley.

Until his death in 1178 at the age of seventy-two, Anthelm fearlessly reprimanded the clergy for their fallen standards concerning priestly celibacy and labored tirelessly and uncompromisingly for the reform of the clergy.

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Mary and the Simple Country Wife


What charity requires


St. William of Vercelli

William was born in 1085 at Vercelli in the Piedmont region of Italy of noble and wealthy parents. When he was still very young, he determined to renounce the world and become a hermit.

He built his first hermitage on Monte Solicoli, and then went to Monte Vergine. Many disciples came to him there, attracted by the sanctity of his life and the many miracles he performed. From among this first group of followers, a community soon formed. William became their Abbot and a church dedicate to Our Lady was built on the site. For this reason, the mountain became known as Monte Vergine or the Mount of the Virgin.

After a while, however, their ardor growing tepid, the monks began to complain that William’s rule was too strict and life too austere. He therefore decided to leave Monte Vergine. He traveled south and founded a new hermitage on Monte Laceno, then others at Basilicata, Conza, Guglietto, and Salerno. He also became an adviser to King Roger I of Naples. William died at Guglietto on June 25, 1142.

The first congregation of Monte Vergine dissolved. The monastery, however, remained and came into the hands of the religious of Our Lady of Monte Cassino, who wear the white habit of St. William in commemoration of the founder of the monastery.

The following extraordinary fact is recorded about the Monte Vergine monastery, where the monks still lead a life of penance and austerity. According to the rule, it is not permitted to eat meat, eggs, milk, or cheese. If someone tried to violate this regulation, storm clouds would appear in the sky and the lightning would destroy the illicit foodstuff that had been brought into the monastery. This happened on many occasions, and always with the same result. It is the way God chose to show that He desires the traditions of penance and austerity of the great St. William to be maintained.

Monday, June 24, 2019

When you have received Him

When you have received Him,
stir up your heart to do Him homage; speak to Him
about your spiritual life,
gazing upon Him in your soul where He is present
for your happiness; welcome Him
as warmly as possible, and behave outwardly
in such a way that your actions
may give proof to all of His Presence.

St. Francis de Sales

Nativity of St. John the Baptist

The Church usually observes the day of a saint's death as his feast, because that day marks his entrance into heaven. To this rule there are two notable exceptions, the birthdays of Blessed Mary and of St. John the Baptist, both born free of original sin (as John was cleansed of original sin in his mother’s womb). “I tell you, among those born of woman no one is greater than John…”  Jesus said.

John’s purpose was to prepare the way for the Redeemer.
Photo by: GFreihalter

Sunday, June 23, 2019

The Church has no fashions

Fashions that will greatly offend Our Lord will appear.
People who serve God should not follow fashions.
The Church has no fashions.
Our Lord is always the same.

St. Jacinta Marto

St. Thomas Garnet

Born in 1575 in the Southwark section of the City of London, Thomas was the son of Richard Garnet, a Confessor of the Faith, and nephew of the famous Jesuit missionary and martyr, Father Henry Garnet.

In his youth, he was a page to the Count of Arundel. At sixteen, he entered the College of St. Omer in the Low Countries and, two years later, was sent to Spain. He continued his studies at the College of St. Alban in Valladolid and was ordained to the priesthood in 1599. After his ordination, he returned to England and, under the alias of Thomas Rokewood, spent nearly six years wandering up and down the country ministering to the faithful and bringing souls back to the Catholic Faith.

About 1605, Thomas was arrested and falsely accused of participating in the Gunpowder Plot, the failed plan to assassinate James I. He was tortured for information, the authorities hoping to extract information about his famous uncle, Father Henry Garnet, Superior of the English Jesuits, who was implicated in the Plot because he refused to break the Seal of Confession.

After roughly nine months, he was released and deported to Flanders. There he entered the Jesuit Order, and just a year after his deportation, he returned to England. He was arrested after refusing to swear allegiance to the monarch as head of the Church of England, known as The Oath of Supremacy. He was hanged at Tyburn in 1608 as a traitor to the crown.

“I wandered,” he said during his trial, “from place to place to recover souls which had gone astray and were in error as to the knowledge of the true Catholic Church.”

Before he died, he publicly reaffirmed himself as a Jesuit and a priest. He was canonized in 1970 and is included among the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.
Photo by: Quodvultdeus

Saturday, June 22, 2019

When the devil tempts you

When the devil again tempts you to sin,
telling you that God is merciful,
remember that
the Lord "showeth mercy to them that fear Him" but
not to them who despise Him.

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

Sts. John Fisher and Thomas More

The lives of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher are very closely linked, and thus it is quite appropriate that the Church celebrate their feasts together. They are both renowned Englishmen martyred within two weeks of each other for the same cause of defending religious liberty, the sanctity of marriage and Papal authority against State usurpation. They were both associates of King Henry VIII before his apostasy, and it was at his hands that they both suffered martyrdom.

Sir Thomas More was a distinguished statesman in the English Parliament. First and foremost, however, he was a faithful Catholic, a loving husband, and a devoted father. More was widely known for his “unfailing moral integrity, sharpness of mind, his open and humorous character, and his extraordinary learning." He was a close friend and confidant of Henry VIII, and the King himself eventually promoted Thomas to the prominent office of Lord Chancellor. However, the two were alienated when Thomas refused to compromise his conscience and faith when Henry openly defied Church teachings and divorced his wife to marry Anne Boleyn, choosing instead to renounce the King’s friendship, his own public career, wealth and worldly prestige. Thomas was consequently imprisoned in the Tower of London and eventually condemned and beheaded on July 6, 1535. He was named patron saint of statesmen and politicians by Pope John Paul II.

A friend of St. Thomas More’s, St. John Fisher also had a close connection to Henry VIII, having once been his tutor, and was a friend of the royal family. As the Bishop of Rochester, he was known as a man of great leaning and deep and unshakable faith. He was supported by the King and appointed to the lifetime position of Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. However, he too fell into disfavor with Henry when he also opposed the King’s unlawful divorce of Queen Catherine of Aragon. Bishop Fisher courageously warned Parliament of Henry’s encroaching powers over the Church in England in direct disregard of the Papal audit, and publicly preached against the divorce from the pulpit at the same time as Sir Thomas More was resigning his high office. By thus calling down the King’s fury on himself, the holy Bishop of Rochester suffered multiple imprisonments in the Tower, during which time he was made a Cardinal by the authority of Pope Paul III – an appointment which Henry rejected. Fisher was condemned to be hung, drawn and quartered; and, although originally sentenced to be killed on June 24, the feast of St. John the Baptist, the King had a superstitious fear of executing him on that feast because of the strong resemblance of the deaths of these two saints, and instead had him beheaded – ironically just like John the Baptist after all – two days earlier, on June 22, 1535.

Thomas More and John Fisher were beatified together by Pope Leo XIII in 1886, and canonized together by Pius XI in 1935. One a layman and statesman, the other a priest and bishop – they stand together as models and heroes of religious freedom against encroaching government powers.

Friday, June 21, 2019

Do you love God?

He who wishes to love God
does not truly love Him
if he has not
an ardent and constant desire
to suffer for His sake.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga

To Honor a King: Feast of Corpus Christi in Toledo, Spain

Header - Feast of Corpus Christi, Toledo Spain by Felipe Barandiaran

As an ancient Spanish proverb has it, there are three Thursdays that shine more than the sun:
Holy Thursday, Ascension Thursday and Corpus Christi.

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The morning is bright.  I climb on foot –panting - the steep slopes of the city.   My car has been left by the river, for if driving around Toledo is usually a complex task, on Corpus Christi it is impossibility, since the city’s narrow streets are closed.  I am short of breath, because the city is located on top of a steep hill, defended by the Tagus River and medieval walls.
As I walk, I join many other Toledo residents and visitors who hasten, like me, to attend the grand procession.
Although the winds of vulgarity that sweep today's world have banished the good habit of dressing better on Sundays and holy days, in Toledo today, all wear their best.  Every lady is arrayed with some new garment, and I enjoy watching them, enchanted as they show one another their outfits for this special occasion.
As I approach Zocodover Square, the nerve center of the small town, high up, I hear a volley of mortars indicating that the Pontifical Mass is over and the procession is beginning to exit the Cathedral through the Llana door.
People are stationed throughout the entire route. Only those participating in the actual procession – half of Toledo – and some guests have been able to attend the Mass inside the cathedral.
 Impatient but quiet, the “other half” of Toledo masses right up against the walls in order to clear the way for the procession.
The road is dotted with wet sand and aromatic plants (lavender, rosemary and thyme), and the balconies adorned with rich, embroidered veils and flags, colorful shawls, garlands, lanterns and cheerful flower baskets.
As a sign of respect and to protect the Blessed Sacrament, traditional white canvas awnings made by weavers guilds cover the streets, and extend from one house to another.
Now I can see Civil Guards on horseback leading the procession. Behind them march the City Hall drummers and the Civil Guard band.  Then, the "beadle" follows dressed in black, carrying a staff with the same height as the monstrance in order to make sure there is proper clearance.  He insures no mishap will hinder the splendor of the procession.  This grave gentleman is followed by a fifteenth century processional cross, a gift from King Alfonso V of Portugal, known as “the African.”
Displaying my ‘Press’ card, I walk quietly in the opposite direction of the procession. The whole itinerary is protected by cadets of the Infantry Academy, a legendary institution that defended the Alcazar fortress in the 1936 war against communism.
Feast of Corpus Christi - Image 1
The procession forms two parallel lines, having in the center the priors, chaplains and dignitaries of each guild preceded by their corresponding standard and carrying a staff, medal or element that distinguishes them from the other members .
I pass by the Gardeners’ Guild. They are followed by boys and girls who have made their First Communion, groups of the Lay Apostolate and Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, and more than twenty brotherhoods with their respective banners, the Hospitality of Lourdes, and third order members of religious congregations.
Feast of Corpus Christi - Image 2
With the rhythm of its instruments, the City Council music band draws tears of emotion.  I press forward, as I want to get to the door of the Cathedral. There is little room.  The wonderful symbiosis between the public and the procession, teeming with life brings a sublime order of calm and poise to the city.
I can now see the women religious of apostolic life, the Knights of the Order of Malta, the Chapter of the Mozarabic Knights, of the Holy Sepulcher, the Noblemen of Illescas, the Knights of Corpus Christi, and others who proudly display their distinctive crosses on their capes.
The seminarians, the regular and secular clergy, the Brotherhood of the Holy Charity, the famous Cross of Mendoza, pass by with the acolytes and the Chapter leader.
Feast of Corpus Christi - Image 3
Luckily, I am already facing the Cathedral, next to the military company which forms the line of honor.  From the outer walls hang forty-eight huge seventeenth century Flemish tapestries with Eucharistic allegories, woven especially for this celebration.
The famous Toledo monstrance, commissioned by Cardinal Cisneros to Enrique de Arfe, a great sixteenth century silversmith, is about to cross the threshold of the Llana door. I feel people around me holding their breath. The thrilling silence that precedes the monstrance’s appearance gives way to an apotheosis of applause, drowned only by the roar of the twenty-one firing guns (due to the King) and the solemn ringing of bells. The military formation salutes the Blessed Sacrament as the band furiously plays the Royal March. Through the cloud of incense that envelops us, the Blessed Sacrament advances slowly.  God is with us!
Feast of Corpus Christi - Image 4
The rich Gothic monstrance, made with over 400 pounds of silver and almost 40 pounds of gold, is mounted on a carriage with flowers and escorted by the cadets of the Infantry Academy.  Behind it follows the second part of the procession, which includes the highest dignitaries: the Archbishop Primate and his entourage, the regional and provincial authorities, the City Mayor with his staff and the university faculty.  Closing the procession parades the Honor Guard of the Infantry Academy, with its flag and music band.
The monstrance stops at a small podium set up at the crowded Zocodover Square and a blessed speaker delivers the great sermon of Eucharistic praise. When he finishes, the crowd accompanies the procession back to the cathedral, devoutly chanting the popular hymn of adoration:

Let us all sing to praise the Love of loves,
O come sing to the Lord,
God is here indeed! Come o ye adorers,
To worship Christ the Redeemer!
Glory be to Jesus Christ!
Bless the Lord, heaven and earth.
Honor and glory to Thee, o King of Glory,
Forever love of Thee, o God of love!

*         *         *

Indeed, the sun shines in Toledo.  But He Who makes the sun shine is elevated in the monstrance, and that’s why the Blessed Sacrament dazzles far more as He passes through the streets of Toledo!



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St. Aloysius Gonzaga

Aloysius was born in the Italian province of Lombardy in 1568, the first-born son of a Marquis and the lady of honor to the Queen of Spain. When he was seven, he experienced a spiritual awakening: he made a vow of perpetual virginity, keeping his eyes downcast in the presence of women to safeguard himself from possible temptation, and dedicated most of his time to prayer, especially the Office of Our Lady.

When he was just eleven years old he fasted in the manner of a monk, eating only bread and water three days a week, practiced austerities and taught poor children the catechism. The next year, he received his First Holy Communion from the hands of the great saint and cardinal, Charles Borromeo.

By age fourteen, Aloysius had resolved to join the Society of Jesus and become a missionary. He was to suffer much from his family's strenuous opposition to this decision, particularly from his father, who hoped Aloysius would join the military. However, he persevered, and his father finally relented.

In 1585, the seventeen-year-old Aloysius was admitted into the Jesuit novitiate in Rome where he took the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience two years later. While the young Gonzaga was ordained a deacon at twenty, he was never to realize his dream of becoming a priest and missionary in this life.

As had been foretold to him in a vision, Aloysius died on the octave of Corpus Christi in 1591 after contracting the plague while caring for the sick in the Jesuit hospital. He was twenty-three years old. He was canonized in 1726 and his relics remain under the altar dedicated to the Jesuit founder in the Church of St. Ignatius in Rome. The virtue that had so marked him in his youth – purity – and which he preached and practiced to a heroic degree during his short life, became the spiritual crown by which he will be forever known.
Second Photo by: Philippe Alès

Thursday, June 20, 2019

The reward of faith

Faith
is to believe what you do not see;
the reward of this faith
is to see what you believe.

St. Augustine of Hippo

St. Silverius

Born in Italy, Silverius was son of Pope Hormisdas, who had been married before becoming one of the higher clergy. He was only a subdeacon, when, upon the death of Pope St. Agapetus in 536, the Ostrogoth King Theodehad of Italy forced him on the Catholic Church. Soon afterwards, Silverius was formally accepted as pope by the Roman clergy.

Silverius soon incurred the wrath of the Empress Theodora. He refused to accept and recognize the heretical Eutychian patriarchs – Anthimus of Constantinople, Severus of Antioch, and Theodosius of Alexandria – who had all been excommunicated and deposed from their episcopal sees by the previous pope. Silverius is said to have remarked that by his signing the letter of refusal to Theodora's imperial request, he was also signing his own death warrant. And so it proved to be.

Theodora had Silverius kidnapped and imprisoned on the island of Ponza, and the empress nominated her supporter, Archdeacon Vigilius, for the papal throne. Vigilius was named pope, but upon taking the position, he ceased to support the Empress’ heresy and became a strong defender of orthodoxy.

In 537, after a reign of just a year, Silverius died of neglect during his imprisonment. He is now recognized as the patron saint of the island of Ponza, where he died.

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

How to acquire the spirit of God

We should strive to keep our hearts open
to the sufferings and wretchedness of other people,
and pray continually that God may grant us that spirit of compassion
which is truly the spirit of God.

St. Vincent de Paul

St. Romuald

Romuald was born into a noble Italian family in 956. He spent his youth wildly in comfort and laziness. One day, when he was twenty, he saw his father kill another man in a duel. He fled to a monastery in disgust, and he stayed there for three years before deciding to travel, and spending the next thirty years building monasteries and hermitages in Italy.

On one occasion, Romuald was falsely accused of a scandalous crime. The accuser was a young nobleman whom the holy monk had previously rebuked, and Romuald’s fellow monks believed the young rake. Romuald was severely reprimanded, forbidden to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass and excommunicated, an unwarranted sentence which he endured for six months without complaint.

Of the monasteries established by Romuald, the most famous was called Camaldoli. There he developed an order he called “Camaldolese Benedictine,” where he brought together the monastic and hermitical ways of life.

Romuald died on June 19, 1027 at the monastery of Valdi-Castro, which he founded. Eventually, his father too became a monk. He gave up his wealth and followed his son to spend the rest of his life doing penance for his sins.

Miraculous Recovery

I walked into the kitchen and saw my mother hang up the phone, a worried look on her face.
“What is it, Mom?”
“It was your sister. She said one of the ambulance drivers for the medical office she works for is in a deep coma because of a gas leak in his trailer last night.”
“Wow… Will he recover soon?” I asked hopefully.
But as the weeks wore on, the young man failed to give any sign of life, and the doctors began to lose hope. The next time my mother asked after him, the decision had been made to disconnect life support.
Hearing of this decision, I felt a sudden rush of confidence: I remembered America Needs Fatima was launching a national drive to promote the Medal of Our Lady of Graces, a special devotional given to St. Catherine Labouré in an apparition of the Blessed Virgin in 1830. Coined to the exact specifications of Our Lady, so many blessings, graces and miracles have been granted to those who wear it, that it has consequently become known as the “Miraculous Medal.” 
“We need to get a Miraculous Medal to him!”  I told my mother. She enthusiastically agreed. My sister thought it a good idea, and asked a colleague of the sick man to deliver a medal to the hospital to be placed under his pillow (regulations forbade any metal on patients).
As we prayed, and shortly after the devotional was placed under his head, something incredible happened: the comatose began mumbling! The decision to disconnect life support was put on hold.
A few weeks later, the young man was released from the hospital and soon returned to work. He warmly thanked my sister for sending him the devotional and confided in her that he believed the Miraculous Medal saved his life.
By Andrea F. Phillips

Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Feast: June 27)

Header-Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
 Pray for 9 consecutive days - June 19th to June 27th


MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP, you are the dispenser of every grace that God grants us in our misery.
For this reason He has made you so powerful, so rich, and so kind that you might help us in our needs.
You are the advocate of the most wretched and abandoned sinners, if they but come to you.
Icon-Our Lady of Perpetual HelpCome to my aid for I commend myself to you.
In your hands I place my eternal salvation; to you I entrust my soul.
Count me among your most faithful servants. Take me under your protection; that is enough for me.
If you protect me, I shall fear nothing: not my sins, because you will obtain for me their pardon and remission; not the evil spirits, because you are mightier than all the powers of Hell; not even Jesus, my Judge, because He is appeased by a single prayer from you.
I fear only that through my own negligence I may forget to recommend myself to you and so lose my soul.
My dear Lady, obtain for me the forgiveness of my sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance, and the grace to have recourse to you at all times, Mother of Perpetual Help.

Say Three Hail Marys

O MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP, grant that I may ever invoke your most powerful name, which is the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying.
O Purest Mary, O Sweetest Mary, let your name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay not, O Blessed Lady, to help me whenever I call on you, for, in all my temptations, in all my needs, I shall never cease to call on you, ever repeating your sacred name, Mary, Mary.
O what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what emotion fills my soul when I utter your sacred name, or even only think of you.
I thank God for having given you, for my good, so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. But I will not be content with merely uttering your name; let my hope in you prompt me ever to hail you, Mother of Perpetual Help.



Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Some things we need to forget

Forget the services
you have rendered to others, but not
those rendered to you.

St. John Bosco

St. Gregory Barbarigo

Gregory Barbarigo was born in 1625, of a very ancient and distinguished Venetian family. A brilliant student, he embraced a diplomatic career and accompanied the Venetian Ambassador, Contarini, to the Congress of Munster in 1648. He was later ordained to the priesthood and became the first Bishop of Bergamo consecrated by Pope Alexander VII. Eventually he became a Cardinal with authority over the diocese of Padua. Through his efforts the seminaries of both Padua and Bergamo were greatly increased.

Gregory worked unceasingly toward the Counter-Reformation – the movement by the Council of Trent as a response to the Protestant Reformation specifying Catholic doctrine on salvation, the sacraments, and the Biblical canon.

Gregory died at Padua of natural causes in 1697. He was canonized in 1960 and his body is buried in the Cathedral of Padua.
Photo by: Wolfgang Moroder

Monday, June 17, 2019

Bad company

If I had to advise parents, I should tell them
to take great care
about the people with whom their children associate …
Much harm may result from bad company,
and we are inclined by nature to follow what is worse
than what is better.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

St. Albert Chmielowski

Born on August 20, 1845, Albert belonged to a wealthy, aristocratic Polish family. Involved in politics from a young age, at eighteen he lost his leg during an uprising against Czar Alexander III of Russia.

Albert had a great talent for painting, and eventually became a well-know and rather popular artist. But he soon became aware of the suffering of the poor of the city, and felt compelled to help those in need. He abandoned his art and became a Secular Franciscan to dedicate his life to helping those in need. In 1887, he founded the Brothers of the Third Order of Saint Francis, Servants of the Poor, known as the Albertines or the Gray Brothers. Then, in 1891, he founded a community of Albertine sisters, known as the Gray Sisters. The Albertines organized food and shelter for the poor and homeless of any age or religion, dedicating their good works to God.

Albert died on Christmas Day, 1916.  He was canonized on November 12, 1989.

Sunday, June 16, 2019

Holy Trinity Sunday


Header-The Holy Trinity
The doctrine of the Holy Trinity, which states that God is One in three Persons – Father, Son and Holy Ghost – is central to our Catholic faith. This awesome teaching is so far beyond human understanding that it could only be known through revelation.
Yet as lofty and mysterious as it is, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity does not contradict our reason, nor totally elude our grasp. The great St. Patrick, when evangelizing Ireland, made the mystery “palpable” by using the humble shamrock, with its three leaves on the one stem, as an example.
Thus God is a pure, eternal, omnipotent and omnipresent spirit with one nature and one substance, but three distinct persons, the second of which, the Son, became man to redeem mankind from the original stain of Adam and Eve.

Pray: Novena to the Holy Trinity

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Scriptural Examples
Image 1 - The Holy TrinityWhilst the triune nature of God was known in the Old Testament, the clarity with which the mystery of the Holy Trinity is revealed in the New Testament is truly remarkable.
In St. Luke’s Gospel (1:35), the Archangel Gabriel says to the Virgin Mary: “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”
At Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, it is the Father Himself Who gives witness to the Son: “And lo, the heavens were opened…And behold a voice from heaven saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matt. 3:16.
And while Jesus often speaks of His Father to His Apostles, He also distinctly mentions the Spirit to them in such passages as John 15: 26: “But when the Paraclete comes, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he shall give testimony of me.”
Later, as Our Lord commands His disciples to spread the Gospel throughout the world, the triune nature of God shines forth in full splendor in the baptismal formula He entrusts to them: “Going therefore, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Matt. 28:19. Notice one name but three persons.
Even Satan, while tempting Him in the desert, endeavored to pry from Jesus His true identity: Was He the Son of God? Matt.4:3, 6.

The Trinity Attacked, and Defined, through the Centuries
Image 2 - The Holy TrinityThroughout the history of the Church, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity has been challenged by multiple heresies. Thus, as early as 259 AD, Pope Saint Dionysius was already defending the Trinitarian doctrine against the heretical errors of Sabellius who held that God had three “faces” or “masks” rather than being three distinct persons within the Godhead.
One of the most extensive declarations of the Church on the Blessed Trinity dates from 675 AD and was issued in Toledo, Spain, at that time in the throes of an Islamic invasion, whose Koranic claim branded Christians as idolaters because they adored Jesus Christ as God.
In 1213, in face of the Albigensian heresy which believed in a good and an evil source to creation, the Fourth Lateran Council defined: “We firmly believe and profess without qualification that there is only one true God, eternal, immense, unchangeable, incomprehensible, omnipotent, and indescribable, the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit: three persons but one essence, and a substance or nature that is wholly simple.”
Thus has the Church defended, and defined, the Trinitarian Dogma down through the centuries and into modern times.

Our God, not Distant, but a Friend
And so, through divine revelation and the definitions of the Church’s Magisterium based upon this same Revelation, we can know who our God is: one in substance, three in personhood, eternal, creator of all things visible and invisible, all powerful, everywhere present.
But such an awesome Creator is not distant from His creation. Our God is Love, and Love, by its very nature, is communicative. A marvelous aspect of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, which has inspired and drawn the saints through the ages, is what is called the “indwelling of the Trinity”.
Image 3 - The Holy TrinityThis doctrine teaches that not only is God present everywhere in a general way, but with those who keep His commandments, and live in His grace, He establishes an intimate relationship.
Our Lord Jesus pointed to this “indwelling” at the Last Supper when He said: “I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete to be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth whom the world can never receive because it neither sees him nor knows him; but you know him, because he is with you, he is in you.”
And just so we don’t think the Spirit alone dwells in us, Jesus clarified: “If any one loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make our home with him.” John 14: 16, 23. So, not only the Holy Spirit, but the Father and the Son dwell in a soul keeping “His word”.
The indwelling of the Holy Trinity begins at Baptism and continues so long as that soul remains in God’s friendship and grace. Serious sin “expels” this presence, but can be regained with repentance, and a sincere sacramental confession.
Just as with any other relationship, we can grow in friendship with our three divine guests by prayer and the practice of the Christian virtues. The saints took this friendship all the way to deep union, a state that gave them uncommon love, joy, trust and fearlessness in all they did, even the gift of miracles. This divine friendship is offered to each and every one of us.
Indeed, the doctrine of the Most Holy Trinity is central to our faith, and our awesome patrimony.


 By A.F. Phillips

 Pray: Novena to the Holy Trinity

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St. Lutgardis

Born in the Netherlands in 1182, Lutgardis was sent to a Benedictine convent at the age of twelve because her merchant father had lost the money meant for her dowry, and marriage without it seemed unlikely.

She was fond of worldly things, and had no inclination toward a religious life. However, one afternoon she had a vision of Our Lord, Who showed her His sacred wounds and asked her to love Him and Him alone.

Lutgardis immediately renounced all worldly pleasures and became a religious. She often saw Christ while engaged in prayer, and was allowed to share in His sufferings: her forehead and hair were often made wet with drops of blood when she meditated on The Passion.

Desiring to live under a stricter rule, Lutgardis later joined a Cistercian convent at Aywieres. There she spent the final thirty years of her life, becoming known as a mystic with the gifts of healing and prophecy. During the last eleven years prior to her death she was totally blind, an affliction which she treated as an extraordinary gift from God because it reduced the distractions of the outside world.

Before she died, Our Lord appeared to her to warn her of her approaching death, and asked her to prepare for this event in three ways. She was to give praise to God for what she had received, pray constantly for the conversion of sinners and rely in all things on God alone. She died soon after the vision on June 16, 1246.

The heart of the most Holy Virgin Mary

The Father takes pleasure in looking upon
the heart of the most Holy Virgin Mary, as
the masterpiece of His hands; for we always
like our own work, especially when it is well done.
The Son takes pleasure in it as the heart of His Mother,
the source from which He drew the Blood that has ransomed us;
the Holy Ghost as His temple.

St. John Vianney

Resentment

We should blush with shame
to show so much resentment at what is done or said against us,
knowing that so many injuries and affronts
have been offered to our Redeemer and the saints.

St. Teresa of Avila

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Irresistible Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus


Header-Irresistible Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O my Jesus who didst say: “Indeed I say to you, ask and it shall be given you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you.” Here I am, knocking, seeking, and asking the grace (mention your request).
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,I place all my trust in Thee.
 
O my Jesus who didst say: “Indeed I say to you, whatever you shall ask the Father in My name, it shall be granted to you.” Here I am, asking Thy Father in Thy name for the grace (mention your request).
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee.

O my Jesus who didst say: “Indeed I say to you, heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass.” Here I am, and supporting myself on the infallibility of Thy words, I ask Thee the grace (mention your request).
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee.

Prayer:
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom only one thing is impossible and that is not to feel compassion for the wretched, have pity on us, miserable sinners, and grant us the grace which we ask Thee through the Immaculate Heart of She who is Thy tender Mother and also ours. Hail Holy Queen…  
Saint Joseph foster father of Jesus, pray for us.



Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to Families
Who Honor His Most Sacred Heart:

  1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
  2. I will establish peace in their families.
  3. I will bless every house in which a picture of My Heart shall be exposed and honored.
  4. I will console them in all their difficulties.
  5. I will be their refuge during life and especially at the hour of death.
  6. I will shed abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.
  7. Sinners shall find in My Heart a fountain and boundless ocean of mercy.
  8. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
  9. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
  10. I will give to priests the power of touching the hardest hearts.
  11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out.
  12. I promise thee, in the excessive mercy of My Heart, that My all-powerful love will grant to all who communicate on the first Friday of the month for nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My displeasure nor without the sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.



Memorare:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen. [back to novena]




Also Read:

The only thing you can take with you

Remember when you leave this earth, you
can take with you nothing that you have received
– only what you have given:
a heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.

St. Francis of Assisi

St. Germaine of Pibrac

Germaine was born in 1579 in Pibrac, a village in southern France. Her mother died soon after her birth, leaving the child in the care of her husband. Germaine’s father, who had no love for her on account of her right hand being paralyzed and deformed, eventually remarried. Her new step-mother was abusive, forcing her to sleep in the stable or in a cupboard under the stairs. She gave the sickly girl scraps and isolated her from her healthier step-siblings.

As soon as she was old enough, she was charged with the care of the family’s flock of sheep. During this time, surrounded by nature as she was, Germaine became closer to God, and attended Mass as often as she could. If she heard the church bells toll for the beginning of Mass, she would plant her crook and her distaff in the ground, commend her flock to her guardian angel and hurry to receive Holy Communion.

When she returned, she would find that though she had left the flock unattended, not one of the sheep in her flock had strayed or fallen prey to the wolves that often lurked nearby.

One winter day, when the ground was still frozen, her step-mother chased her with a stick, accusing her of concealing stolen bread in her apron. But when Germaine let her apron fall, summer flowers tumbled onto the hard ground. Her parents realized the deformed girl had been touched by God, and showing her kindness at last, invited her to live with them in the house. Yet she refused, and continued to live as before until one morning in 1601, she was found dead in the little cupboard under the stairs. She was twenty-two years old.

Germaine was buried in the church of Pibrac. Forty-three years after her death, her body was accidentally exhumed and was found incorrupt and flexible.

Friday, June 14, 2019

St Anthony, a Mule and the Eucharist


The Irresistible Argument of Miracles: Saint Anthony, A Mule and the Eucharist
 
Stained glass of the mule kneeling before Saint Anthony holding the Holy EucharistSaint Anthony (1195-1231) worked hard to convert those who did not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist because he genuinely felt sorry for them. He saw that they were depriving themselves of the most precious gift of the Eucharist, and he believed that no one could long survive without this spiritual nourishment.
Often, he was called to defend the dogmas of our faith to heretics, especially the Albigensians, who were multiplying in the South of France and the North of Italy.
However, theological arguments alone were not enough to convince those minds closed by pride and ignorance. Our Saint presented them with the irresistible argument of miracles.
During his travels through a city called Rimini, Saint Anthony engaged in conversation with a particularly stubborn heretic. This man obstinately refused to admit the mystery of transubstantiation, for he perceived no change in the sacramental species after the words of consecration.
In vain, Anthony presented proofs drawn from both Scripture and Tradition. When his efforts failed before the stubborn obstinacy of his doubter, he decided to alter his strategy.
“You possess,” he told the man, “a mule that you ride often. I will present a consecrated host to it; if it falls on its knee before the Blessed Sacrament, will you recognize the real Presence of the Savior under His Eucharistic appearance?”
“Certainly,” responded the unbeliever, who felt confident that the outcome of such a proposition would be to the apostle’s detriment.
The two men agreed to meet again in the market square three days later. They then went their separate ways, each to prepare for the spiritual showdown in his own way.
The heretic, in order to insure victory, deprived his beast from all food for the three days. Our saint employed gentler methods, preparing for his assured victory by doubling his accustomed time in prayer.
At the set day and time, Anthony left the Church, carrying a ciborium in his hands. The skeptic arrived leading the famished animal by the bridle.
A considerable crowd had gathered on the square, curious to attend such a remarkable sight. With a smile on his lips, the doubter, believing victory already to be his, set a sack of oats before the animal.
As all watched in breathless anticipation, the hungry animal turned away from the proffered food and turned toward the Sacred Host held high by the Miracle Worker. With a graceful motion uncharacteristic of his breed, the beast of burden bowed low to the ground, giving due reverence to his Creator. It did not straighten or stand up again until it had received permission from the Saint to do so.
It is easy to imagine the effect the miracle produced. A cheer rose up from the assembled crowd, many making the sign of the Cross to seal their belief in what they had just witnessed.
The heretic honored his word and converted. Several others who had shared his stubborn unbelief also embraced this most marvelous proof of Our Savior’s True Presence among his creatures.

“I will be with you always, even to the end of the world.” (Matt. 28:20)
Painting of the mule kneeling before Saint Anthony holding the Holy Eucharist, with a large crowd around, most kneeling.