The Good News

Around 1411 Andrei Rublev, a Russian monk, painted this extraordinary icon depicting the three travelers who visited Abraham an Sarah (Genesis 18) as the Holy Trinity. The whole icon shines with golden light. The three angels are of equal size and dignity; all are clothed in heavy blue to signify divinity. Their faces are identical, representing their oneness. They are seated at a table to show both the hospitality of Abraham and how we are to welcome the Lord into our lives. Though their heads are inclined toward one another, the three angels face outward, inviting the viewer to join the circle of love. ”As we place ourselves in front of the icon in prayer, we come o experience a gentle invitation to participate in the intimate conversation that is taking place among the three divine angels and to join them around table. The movement from the Father toward the Son and the movement of both Son and Spirit toward the Father become a movement in which the one who prays is lifted up and he...

Jn. 1:45-51   Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”  Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” I have always enjoyed this picture and I think of it often when I am at mass to help me focus on...

 ”Most of our life is unimportant, filled with trivial things from morning till night. But when it is transformed by love it is of interest even to the angels”  —— Dorothy Day Have a blessed day

Let us be present to the now. It’s all we have and it’s where God will always speak to us. The now holds everything, rejects nothing and, therefore, can receive God too. Help us, God, to be present to the place we most fear, because it always feels empty, it always feels boring, it always feels like it’s not enough. Help us find some space within that we don’t try to fill with ideas or opinions. Help us find space so you, loving God, can show yourself in that place where we are hungry and empty. Keep us out of the way, so there is always room enough for you. Good God, we believe that you are here and your presence gives us hope. We thank you for each day of our lives. We thank you for so many further chances to understand, to forgive again, to trust again, and to love. We thank you that we live now, that our problems are soul-sized. We ask that you teach us and lead us, that you put the thoughts into our mind that you want us to think, the feelings in our hearts that you want u...

In 1264, Saint Thomas Aquinas composed a complete liturgy for the newly created Corpus Christi feast day. Six hundred years later, Cesar Frank set a verse to one of his hymns to music. It begins with the words Panis Angelicus (Latin for ”Bread of Angels”) It has been sung by several performers and is quite beautiful. The hymn reminds us that the Eucharist was made not for angels, but for man. Only we have the privilege of this close Communion with Jesus. I hope that many of you, by now, have been able to get back to receiving the body of Christ in the Catholic Churchs or that you soon will be able to. Here is a link to the music and hymn of ”Panis Angelicus” and the translation. https://youtu.be/zEUThBIKPXI Panis angelicus Fit panis hominum; dat panis coelicus Figuris terminum O res mirabilis! manducat Dominium Pauper, pauper, Servus et humilis, Pauper, pauper Servus et humilis. TRANSLATION: Heavenly bread That becomes the bread of all mankind; Bread from the angelic ...

Here is a little info on St. Julian St. Julian/Juliana of Norwich (1342–1416) is a Benedictine nun who lived as a recluse in Norwich, England. Little is known of her life with certainty. At the age of 30 she was suddenly struck by a severe illness which almost took her life. During this illness she received a series of visions of Jesus Christ in sixteen separate revelations. When she recovered from her illness the visions stopped. Fifteen years later, Our Lord appeared to her to give her the meaning of her visions. St. Julian wrote her visions down in a book called  Revelations of Divine Love , the earliest surviving book in the English language known to have been written by a woman. After these revelations she began to live a solitary life as an anchoress in a little cell built into the wall at the church of St. Julian in Norwich, not far from London. During her life the Church was in schism, and England was caught in a long war with France. The book contai...

In the  Transfiguration , Raphael tells a story of revelation, faith, and healing. He shows how the moment of Revelation on Mount Tabor sheds light on the scene below, the healing of a boy with a demon. It’s the story in the Gospel immediately following the Transfiguration of Jesus. Heaven sheds its light below as Christ, embraced by the bright cloud and flanked by Moses and Elijah, is the apex of the scene. Below we see the apostles and even further down we see others gathered to view a possessed boy and his family. From top to bottom, the colors shift from a cool, heavenly glow to warmer, earthly tones. Raphael shows us the disciples as they meet the desperate family. The boy’s face contorts with suffering. His body is torn, one arm up and one arm down, as if he’s being pulled towards both Heaven and Hell. Raphael depicts the family as a focused unit. Their intensity and upward hands signal their united act of faith. Opposite them, the disciples are overwhelmed by the...

This is a copied from “Living the Liturgical Year With Catholics” https://liturgicalyear.wordpress.com/2010/09/21/come-follow-me/ Come, Follow Me! Today we celebrate the feast of St. Matthew,  the apostle.  He’s an interesting character because as a tax collector for the Roman authorities, he was hated by the Jews.  He was among the low of the low of society, and yet he became the evangelist to the Jewish people and among the most memorable names in the bible.  I also think Matthew was a remarkable man for his prompt, faithful response to Jesus’ call. We first meet him  when “… Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.  He said to him, ‘Follow me.'”  Matthew “got up and followed him.” (Mt 9:9-10) Matthew’s immediate response challenges us all.   He just got up & followed Jesus.  No hesitation, he just went.   Jesus invites us to do the same.  “Come follow me,” He calls....

                                        Here is an image and a prayer by St. Therese of Lisieux "O Jesus, who, in Thy cruel Passion didst become the 'reproach of men and the Man of Sorrows,' I worship Thy divine Face. Once it shone with the beauty and sweetness of the Divinity; but now, for my sake, it is become as 'the face of a leper.' Yet, in that disfigured Countenance, I recognize Thy infinite love, and I am consumed with the desire of making Thee loved by all mankind. The tears that flowed so abundantly from Thy Eyes are to me as precious pearls that I delight to gather, that with their worth I may ransom the souls of poor sinners. O Jesus, whose Face is the sole beauty that ravishes my heart, I may not see here below the sweetness of Thy glance, nor feel the ineffable tenderness of Thy kiss, I bow to Thy Will—but I pray Thee to imprint in me Thy divine likeness, and I implore ...

This is a link from instagram of Francis Chan. Maybe you have seen news if him around social media   sites. He is an evangelical preacher formally a pastor of the Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, California. He recently went viral with a talk about Holy Communion. It was pretty awesome in the fact that he was discovering the Catholic history and doctrine. When I relocate that clip I will post it also https://www.instagram.com/p/B8dSg0_AMN5/?igshid=bvddm6v7kevr

Saint John Bosco was a believer and strong advocate of Guardian Angels. He always told the young homeless boys he cared for to ignore the devil and to not be afraid of him. The devil trembles and flees at the sight of your guardian angel. This advice is just as good for us. When we are tempted, let us remember to call upon your guardian angel for help.