Larry Peterson's Blog, page 2

Servant of God: Anna Louise Lateau--her only Nourishment for 12 years was the Holy Eucharist

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME


Anna Louise Lateau   mysticsofthechurch.comBy Larry Peterson

On January 13, 1850, a baby girl was born to Adele Pissens Lateau and her husband Gregory. They named the child Anna Louise. Three months after Louise was born her dad passed away from smallpox. A healthy, powerful, 29-year-old metal worker, Gregory’s body was no match for the smallpox demon that ravaged him. His family was left in a terrible spot.
Adele had almost died giving birth to Louise and was still, for the most part, bedridden. The oldest child, Rosina, who was only three-years-old, actually tried her best to take care of her mom and two sisters. It was an unbelievably heroic attempt on the part of this small child. Her sister, Adelina, was only two and Louise, just three months old.  To make matters worse than they already were, Louise also contracted smallpox. Neighbors, fearing the dreaded disease, avoided the Lateau household and the family was virtually abandoned. How frightened Adele and her babies must have been.
A local doctor had been monitoring the Lateau family and told a local workman, Francis Delalieu, about the family. He asked him if he could check in on them. A week later, Francis, entered the home to check on the occupants. What he found horrified him. The one child was wrapped in dried out, smelly bandages, all the children were filthy and the mom was lying in bed in a state of despair. Francis, a kind, and decent man, immediately took charge of the house.
Francis immediately went and acquired food and the necessary provisions to care for the family. He treated baby Louise with extra loving care and, in effect, became “parental”. He cared for the family for the next two and a half years during which time Adele regained her full strength and the children were healthy. That entire transformation in itself was miraculous.
When Louise was eleven-years-old her mom allowed her to become a housemaid. Soon after she was trained as a dressmaker. When Louise was sixteen-years-old a cholera epidemic struck Bois-D’Haine. Louise began caring for six of the victims and even assisted in burying the dead. She had no fear of catching the disease. That was not to be as she also came down with the illness. Louise remained seriously ill into 1868 and on April 15th of that year, she received last-rites. It was ten days after this that the stigmata began to appear.
Louise noticed blood was dripping from her side. As was her personality, she said nothing. The following Friday the blood appeared again but this time it was also coming from the tops of her feet. On Friday, May 8, the bleeding began to come from the front and back of both hands and on Friday, September 25, the crown of bleeding spots appeared on her forehead.
She confided to her parish priest about it and, although quite stunned, he downplayed the entire phenomena. He asked her to not say anything about it. However, the experience for Louise continued every Thursday night until Friday evening for the rest of her life. Louise continued to work hard for the family as long as she could.
In 1871, Louise ceased to eat, drink and sleep. He only food was the Holy Eucharist which she received from attending daily Mass. The Bishop of Tournai, Joseph Labis, opened an investigation into Louise’s inexplicable spiritual journey. Quickly word spread even traveling abroad. Crowds began to gather around the little house on a daily basis. That was the way it would be from then on.
Louise Lateau told her pastor of her visions which consisted of the Pasion of Christ, the Virgin Mary and even some of the saints. She would go into ecstasy and remain that way for hours, oblivious to everything going on around her. She would seemingly remain painless as the phenomena continued and would have no recollection of the events that had happened while she was in ecstasy.
Renowned scientists and doctors were called in to examine and evaluate the young woman. None could find a rational explanation for her condition. Some of the atheistic and secular-minded scientists and doctors insisted what people were witnessing was nothing more than hysteria, blood anomalies or madness.
Anna Louise Lateau passed away on August 25, 1883. She was 33-years-old.  Her burial place became a place of pilgrimage and over the years there has been evidence of miracles happening through Anna Louise’s intercession.
This negative input into Louise’s narrative was effective at putting her cause for canonization on hold for over a century. The cause for sainthood must always be meticulously evaluated. She was declared a Servant of God but her cause for canonization was not opened in Rome until 1991. To date, the investigation has not moved forward.
Servant of God; Anna Louise Lateau, please pray for us.
                                      copyright©Larry Peterson 2018 All Rights Reserved

The Betrothal of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Joseph is tied to the Protection of the Unborn Children, Marriage and Family

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME

 The Holy Family  
By Larry Peterson

January 22, is the day the Catholic Church in America sets aside all else and joins in prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.  Traditionally, in the pre-1955 Church calendar, this day was set aside to honor the “Betrothal of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Joseph”. Today, this Mass is still celebrated by some religious orders using the Latin rite.
This is such a beautiful thing for the Church to do. By simultaneously, joining together the Day of Prayer for the Unborn with Roe vs. Wade and the Betrothal of Our Lady, it heralds the beauty of Motherhood, and it trumpets the profound, spiritual importance of marriage and family.
From the Gospel of Matthew 1: 18; “When Mary was engaged to Joseph, before their marriage, she was discovered to be pregnant---by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.”
From Matthew 1: 23: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name Him Emmanuel.”
In the old testament, Jewish marriages happened in stages. First came the betrothal. At this ceremony, the couple gave their consent. They were now considered truly married. However, before they would actually move in together as a husband and wife, there was a period of time where they spent time away from each other. This could be up to a year, and it was during this separation that the “newlyweds.” were to learn from older married couples how to be good, Jewish spouses.
In his1989 Apostolic Exhortation, Redemptoris Custos, Pope St. John Pual II, used the following words to describe the marriage ceremony of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph: “According to Jewish custom, marriage took place in two stages: first, the legal, or true marriage was celebrated, and then, only after a certain period of time, the husband brought the wife into his house. Thus, before he lived with Mary, Joseph was already her husband.”
When God does things, He sure is meticulous. Mary and Joseph were, according to the law, married. There are those who say that Jesus was born out of wedlock. If the betrothal had not taken place, that might be accurate. But under the law, they were married. There are some would have you believe that Mary was no different than an unwed mother. This is false. 
The Blessed Mother was a married woman at the time of the Annunciation. She even asked the Angel Gabriel, “How can this be since I know not man?” And she is told it will be by the Holy Spirit. The Angel also informs Joseph. Therefore, within the Holy Family,  the sanctity of marriage and family is fully protected.
Since Roe vs. Wade and Doe vs.Bolton on January 22, 1973, more than 60,000,000 lives have been eradicated. The number is incomprehensible. Yet there are so many who justify this by using the rare examples of teenage rape or incest, out of wedlock pregnancies, Downs Syndrome, deformities, lack of finances, etc. We could also say the Blessed Virgin Mary's pregnancy was abnormal or irregular. Afterall, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ total DNA comes from a woman. Biologically, Jesus is not the son of Joseph, the Nazarene carpenter. But this man define’s fatherhood, and his example screams out to all men;  Love and protect the child and his/her mom, no matter what. Be loyal and true.Give them your name if you must.
Fittingly, on the 45th Anniversary of the two most ignominious Supreme Court decisions ever handed down, as we pray for the protection of the unborn, we can look to the marriage of Joseph and Mary, a marriage established by God and made perfect by His Son.
Lastly, it is hard to even imagine a better husband or father than a simple carpenter named Joseph. He is an example for all mankind.
We ask the Most Holy Family to pray for all the unborn and children everywhere.


                                              copyright©Larry Peterson 2018

During Respect Life Week, St. Gerard Majella: the patron of unborn children and expectant mothers, will be very busy.

St. Gerard Majella      Nashastudiya | CC BY SA 4.0
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME

By Larry Peterson

*This article appeared in Aleteia 1/21/2018

The Annual March for Life will take place in Washington. D.C. on Friday, January 19. Tens upon tens of thousands will march in defense of the unborn. Many expectant women, unsure of their situation, will not.   If you are one of them you might turn to St. Gerard Majella, the Patron Saint of Unborn Children and Expectant Mothers. Many a miracle has been attributed to this young man’s intercession.
Gerard was the youngest child born to Domenico and Benedetta Majella. They already had three daughters and Gerard was their only son. The date was April 6, 1726. The Majellas were a hard-working Italian family and, Benedetta, brought her children to Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Graces as often as she could. Gerard, only three, loved the statue of the “pretty lady with the baby.”
When Gerard got a bit older, he would run off to the shrine by himself. The first time he came home he yelled out, “Mama, mama, see what I got from the little boy.” In his hand, he held a small roll of bread. No one paid much attention but after several days of coming home with bread, his mom decided to follow him and see what he was up to.
What she saw stunned her because the statue of Our Lady of Graces apparently came to life and the Child she was holding scampered down to play with Gerard. She quickly left and , sure enough, when Gerard came home he had another small loaf of bread with him. Benedetta kept this to herself.
Gerard’s dad died when the boy was twelve, and the family was left in poverty. Gerard’s father had been a tailor so his mom sent him to her brother so Gerard could learn to sew and be a tailor like his father. However, after a four-year apprenticeship, Gerard was offered the job as a servant for the local Bishop of Lacedonia. Needing the money, he took the position.
The Bishop kept hearing stories about Gerard and his kindness, and how he would always stop and visit the poor in the clinic, how he always helped others and would even bring the poor leftovers from the bishop’s table. The young man was gaining a reputation just by being himself.
When the Bishop passed away, Gerard returned to his trade as a tailor. He divided his earnings among his mother, the poor and in offerings for the souls in purgatory. By the time he was 21 years-old, he had established a steady business. His mom was quite worried about her son. He looked thin and frail because he was always fasting and doing penance. She begged him to eat, and he told her, “Mama, God will provide. As for me, I want to be a saint.”
Gerard tried to join the Capuchins, but they thought him to sickly to endure the demands of the order. Finally, after much pleading and nagging, he was accepted as a lay brother into the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer aka the Redemptorists.
As a lay brother he would never be a priest, say Mass or hear confessions. He would live under the same roof and wear the same habit and share the prayers. He also would take the vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience. He would be a caretaker to the monastery. He embraced this role and served them well acting as gardener, sacristan, porter, cook, carpenter and, of course, the tailor.
But there was always the children. They flocked to Gerard to hear his amazing stories and learn how to pray. Once, when a large group was sitting around listening to him, a little boy fell off a cliff. When they reached the child, they thought he was dead. Gerard said to the boy's father, “It is nothing.”  Then he traced a cross on the boy's forehead, and he awoke. It was just one of Gerard’s many miracles that were witnessed by people.
 Gerard had tuberculosis and died on October 16, 1755 . He was 29 years-old. Many miracles were attributed to his intercession. One stands out as the reason he has come to be known as the patron of mothers. A few months before his death he was visiting a family. He dropped his handkerchief, and one of the girls picked it up to return it to him. He told her to keep it for one day she would need it.
Years later, as a married woman, she was about to give birth and the doctor was sure the child would not survive. She remembered the handkerchief and asked for it. When she held it to her womb, the pain disappeared and she gave birth to a healthy baby. There was no explanation.
In 1893 Pope Leo XIII beatified Gerard. And on December 11, 1904, Pope St. Pius X canonized him in Rome. He was now St. Gerard Majella.
St. Gerard;  please pray for all those pre-born children in danger of losing their lives and for all expectant moms everywhere.
                                      copyright©Larry Peterson 2018

Greeting the New Year---the Catholic Way*

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018   courtesy updatepedia.com
By Larry Peterson

According to Georgetown University , as of October 2017, there are 1.28 billion Catholics in the world. 70.4 million of them are in the United States. The USA has a population of approximately 330,000,000 people. That works out to about 22% of the American population being Catholic.
From the Pope down to the vagrant, each of us is an individual creation made by God. We are all unique. Incredibly, we will all be judged individually. And, as Catholics, we will be held to a higher standard. After all, we proclaim to be part of the Mystical Body of Christ which is filled with the deposit of faith. No matter how we lived our lives, the common denominator for all of us will be; How much we loved each other and our neighbor.
Based on that, here are some points to consider if we focus on, before all else, pleasing God in the New Year, the Catholic Way: ü  Never forget that you are God’s individual creation and therefore a gift He has bestowed on the world. Be humbled by the fact that He does have you in the palm of His hand. Without Him you are nothing.ü  Be happy with who and what you are. God made you and loves you. If you feel you need to change to please Him, you can do it. Just ask for His help.ü  The choices you make are your responsibility. Sometimes our choices hurt us. Embrace them and learn from them and move on. Thank God for the experience.ü  Sometimes NOT getting what you want or what you think you need is a blessing. If you trust God, you will thank Him. When “one door closes another opens.” ü  Always count your blessings---not your troubles.ü  Always do your best. The “best” is all God expects from each of us.ü  You can make it through whatever comes along. ü  Prayer is the most powerful of weapons and can be your greatest ally in all diversity.ü  Don’t take things too seriously---especially yourself.ü  The key to happiness is to give of yourself, not to “get’ for yourself.ü  Miracles happen; you are one---I am one—we all are one.ü  Temptation is everywhere. It is okay to say “NO.”ü  Finally, never fail to help a neighbor, whoever it may be---even a stranger.
We all will experience “highs and lows” during the coming year. As Catholics, we have the armor of the church to shield us and the angels and saints to help us fight our battles with the evil one. St. Michael the Archangel will always ‘defend us in battle”. St. Anthony will help us find lost items. St. Jude will help us through seemingly impossible barricades. Good St. Joseph is ready to help all men be good fathers and husbands. St. Monica will help moms and St. Dymphna will help those with experiencing emotional difficulties or suffering from Alzheimer's disease. And, of course, the Blessed Virgin Mary is always there for all of us.
Virtually every day of the calendar year honors a particular saint, and that saint has been assigned a special task; such as St. Padre Pio who is the patron of adolescents and volunteers or St. Maximilian Kolbe, martyred in the Holocaust, who is the patron of drug addicts. Help is always available when you are Catholic.
Lastly, we have in place for our salvation the most beautiful thing this side of heaven; the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We can actually be at the foot of the Cross and then witness the resurrection. It is there for all of us every day if we so CHOOSE. Then there are the sacraments, always available to build us up and restore us to where we should be.
Yes—being Catholic is very cool. We even have the Rosary.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2018 --“No Fear”
                                       copyright©Larry Peterson 2017

This article also appeared in Aleteia on December 29,2017* 

Francis Delalieu; A Good Samaritan--He saved a future Servant of God and her family from death and then he seemingly vanished.

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME

The Good Samaritan  en.wikipedia.orgBy Larry Peterson

One of the most famous Gospel readings is from Luke, Ch 10: 29-37; we all know it as the Parable of the Good Samaritan. When Jesus is asked which of the three was a neighbor to the robber's victim, Jesus said, "The one who treated him with mercy. Go and do likewise."  What follows is about someone who may be one of the greatest of  Good Samaritans of all time, a man we know almost nothing about.

Servant of God and Stigmatist; Anna Louise Lateau, passed away at the age of thirty-three. What is extremely interesting is the fact that Anna Louise would never have lived into her fourth month of life if it wasn't for a stranger whose name was Francis Delalieu.

The Lateau family was literally near death. The father, Gregory,  had died from smallpox just three months after Louise had been born. Adele, with three little children, was still bedridden after having a very rough time giving birth to Louise. Louise, still an infant, had also contracted smallpox. The oldest child, Rosina, was trying to be the in-house caregiver which included taking care of two-year-old Adelina.

The local doctor, overwhelmed with this smallpox epidemic, had stopped by about a week after Gregory's death to check on the family. He did his best to show three-year-old Rosina what to do. He knew it was hopeless and was sure he would soon come by and find them all dead. He told his friend, Francis Delalieu, about the family.

Try to imagine how this newly widowed, mother of three babies with no money was feeling. The despair and hopelessness must have been unbearable as she watched her three children quietly dying before her eyes. Weakened to a point where she was unable to get out of her bed, she was probably just praying that she would not be the first to die, leaving them alone. And suddenly the front door opened and there was Francis Delalieu. God was listening after all.

Francis immediately took charge. First, he cleaned up the children. Then he reassured them and left to acquire food and necessities. This man, this stranger, surely had the love of Jesus in his heart. He was risking his own life by being in a smallpox-infected household. He was spitting into the eye of the storm as he cleaned, fed and cared for the little children. This was, after all, 1850 and not 2017. They did not even have running water.

I have been (as have many others) a primary caregiver to someone seriously ill. Some caregivers are helping to nurse their loved one back to health after a serious surgery or accident. The upside to this type of caregiving is that an end is in sight because a reachable goal is possible ie; recovering from open heart surgery.

Then there is the alternative of caring for someone who is terminally ill. The goal in these cases is to help your loved one live as peacefully and as comfortable as possible until God calls them home. And then you have a person like Francis Delalieu. The only possible motivation he might have had to step into this situation was that of a Good Samaritan. He simply LOVED his neighbor.

Who was this man? Who was this stranger who came into a household that was a breeding ground for smallpox and had three babies with a bedridden mom living there who were near death? Who does this kind of thing simply out of kindness and compassion? Who would stay for almost two and a half years until the mother and children were once again healthy? Francis Delalieu is that person. There are many like him but most are unheralded and unheard of.

All we can seem to find out about Francis Delalieu is that he was a farmhand or a laborer and that he lived in or around the small town of Bois d' Haine, in Belgium. That is about it. It is known he took  Adele Lateau and her children under his care and nurtured them all until they were well. After that period of time Francis seems to have vanished. At least there is no record of him after that point in time which would be around 1853.

Anna Louise Lateau was gifted with the Stigmata in the year 1868. For the rest of her life, her nourishment was only the Holy Eucharist and a few glasses of water per day. She became one of the most famous stigmatists of the 19th century. Francis Delalieu was just an unknown man who stepped up and took care of his neighbor, just like the Good Samaritan in Jesus parable. I am sure his reward has been great in heaven. When God is involved, all things are possible.


                                    Copyright©Larry Peterson 2017

I am a Grandpa and YES! Just like Francis P. Church, I Believe in Santa, too

photo courtesy  hollywoodreporter.com

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME

By Larry Peterson


Most folks do not know much about a man by the name of Francis Pharcellus Church. Heck, most people have never even heard of him. However, to me, he is one of the greatest newspaper editors of all time. That is because he took on a skeptical world and dared try to prove the existence of Santa Claus.
Francis Church was born in Rochester, New York, on February 22, 1839. At the age of 21, he graduated from Columbia College (now Columbia University). Francis had considered a career in law but opted instead for a life in journalism.
During the Civil War, he worked as a war correspondent. Together, with his brother, William, he worked on The Army and Navy Journal.  In 1869 Francis and William launched a literary publication called Galaxy Magazine. Contributors to Galaxyincluded Mark Twain and Henry James. But it was his position at the  NewYork Sun that would propel him to fame. And all he had to do was reach into his heart and write what he was feeling and believing.
A letter had arrived at the editorial office of the New York Sun. The letter read: Dear Editor---I am eight years old. Some of my friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it is so. Please tell me the truth. Is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O’Hanlon  115 W. 95th St.

Francis P. Church just happened to be the lead editorial writer for the paper. He had a reputation as a man who was cynical, was an agnostic, and overall, more or less a grouch. Ironically, he was given the task to answer. 
What follows is the exact letter written by Francis Pharcellus Church and printed in The New York Sun on September 21, 1897. 



    Father Christmas  postcard circa 1919
Is There A Santa Claus?From the editorial page of The New York SunSeptember 21, 1897_______________________________________________Dear Editor---I am eight years old. Some of my friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in THE SUN, it’s so. Please tell me the truth. Is there a Santa Claus?Virginia O’Hanlon115 W. 95th St._______________________________________________Dear Virginia, your friends are wrong. They have been affected by the scepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes Virginia, there isa Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginia. There would be no child-like faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence.We should have no enjoyment except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your Papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen andunseeable in the world.
You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and  picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah Virginia, in all this world, there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God he lives!  And he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten time ten thousand years from now , he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
Francis Pharcellus Church, a cynic, and grouch, latched onto a hidden faith and gave Virginia and all those children from 1897 and after,  the joy of believing in Santa Claus. I think that Santa is God’s Christmas angel and HE allows him to do his thing every Christmas Eve. Go ahead; I dare you---prove me wrong. 
  MERRY CHRISTMAS MERRY CHRISTMAS                                             copyright©Larry Peterson 2017

Hanukkah—We Catholics should give this sacred Jewish Holiday more respect

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME


Menorah   en.wikipedia.org
 By Larry Peterson


The great feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12th.  In 2017 there is also another great religious holiday that commences on that same day. We Catholic/Christians hardly ever notice this day even though it is the most widely celebrated Jewish holiday in the United States. I refer to Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah). Hanukkah ends at sundown on Wednesday, December 20.
Virtually all of our faith is rooted in Judaism. Jesus was called “rabbi” and taught in the temple. St. Joseph was a “righteous Jew” who practiced his faith diligently abiding by the rules as best he could.  Our dear Blessed Mother was a Jewish girl given over to the temple hierarchy at the age of three. 

When the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer #1) is used by the priest offering Mass, “Abraham, our father in faith” is mentioned right after the consecration. Yes, our Catholic faith is most definitely descended from Judaism (no need to mention the Apostles).
What follows is about Hanukkah and some of the history and customs behind it. It is also meant to question why so many of us Catholic/Christians do not appreciate the profound connection between Judaism and Catholicism. Let us begin with the Bible and John 10: 22-35. This begins with the Feast of the Dedication . This is known today as the Festival of Lights aka Hanukkah. Verse 35 has Jesus saying, “---and scripture cannot be set aside---.”
In our Catholic Bible the Old Testament, 1 Maccabees 4:59,  reads; Then Judas and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel decreed that the days of dedication of the altar should be observedwith joy and gladness on the anniversary every year for eight days from the 25th day of  the month of Chislev.” This is today’s Hanukkah. And John has Jesus referring to it in his gospel. Jesus was celebrating Hanukkah. It follows that if Jesus celebrated Hanukkah, we Catholic/Christians owe it some respect.
Here is some basic information about Hanukkah:
.Hanukkah is the Jewish eight-day, wintertime “festival of lights”. This holiday celebrates the rededication of the Temple after Judah Maccabee and his brothers liberated Judea from pagan domination.
.The Menorah is a candelabra with a new candle lit each day of the celebration. The Catholic connection to Hanukkah lies in the fact that this Holiday comes from 1 and 2 Maccabees. These books are not in the Hebrew Bible or the Protestant (King James) Bible. But they are in the Catholic and Orthodox Bible.
.“Gelt” is Yiddish for coins. Gelt has been part of Hanukkah observances for centuries. Today, chocolate is often substituted for gold coins. There are those who say that chocolate gelt is similar to the European tradition of exchanging gold-covered chocolate coins in honor of the miracles of St. Nicholas.
.In 2013, the holidays of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah joined together on the same day, November 28. It was so unusual for this to happen they even had turkey-shaped menorahs in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. For many of today’s millennials, they may still be around when this clash of Holidays happens again. That will happen on November 27, 2070. As for me, I probably will miss that parade.

The following two (or three) blessings are said each night before the menorah is lit. Note the similarity to our Offertory prayers said over the bread and wine.
1) Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light.
2) Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time.
 3) Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.
HAPPY HANUKKAH and MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone.
                                        copyright©Larry Peterson 2017
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Saints Flora and Mary--Betrayed by their Families and Martyred for their Faith

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME

By Larry Peterson

Many people have suffered the heartache and pain of being betrayed by someone close them, oftentimes a family member. There is a saint we can all turn to for spiritual and moral support when or if this ever happens to us. Her name is Flora and she and her best friend, Mary, died together for the faith they loved.

During the 9th century, the Muslims invaded and conquered large parts of what is today, Spain. One area was known as Al-Andalus. It was from this conquered area where forty-eight Christians were put to death for their faith. These are known as the Martyrs of Cordoba. These people were executed from 851 to 859. They were all convicted of violating Sharia law, their crimes ranging from apostasy to blasphemy (apostasy is proclaiming another faith other than Islam and blasphemy is denouncing Muhammad or anything Muslim. All carry the death penalty).

Among these brave Christians who stood tall for their faith while knowingly facing such horrendous consequences were two young women; one was named Flora, the other, Maria.

Flora's was born to a Muslim father and a Christian mom. When she was still a child her father died and her mom raised her as a Christian. She had an older brother who was Muslim and as she grew older he tried to convert her to Islam.  Flora was adamant that she would not turn against Jesus. Her brother, exasperated, turned her into the authorities. Flora was sent to a prison and a Muslim scholar was assigned to convert her to Islam. Somehow Flora escaped and made her way to Christian settlements.

During this same time, Mary had been born to a Christian father, who was also a deacon in the church, and a Muslim mom. Her mom had been baptized a short time after getting married. Mary's parents, fearing being charged as "apostates", left their home and headed to a town considered a safer place, Fronianus.  It was shortly thereafter that Mary's mother died.

Mary's dad, fearful for his daughter's safety, sent her to a convent in a place called Cuteclara. While praying at St. Acislus Church she met Flora, who arrived around the same time. They had much in common. Flora's Muslim brother wanted to have her killed as an apostate. Mary's dad had just been executed.

A genuine and deep friendship quickly developed between the two young women and they became inseparable.  The convent's Mother Superior told Maria how her two sons were executed by the Muslims thirty years earlier and how they had made her watch them as they suffered and died. Maria was horrified and the story was foremost in her thoughts. Flora and Mary, fortified by their profound Christian faith and the strength they shared through their deep friendship, decided to turn themselves into the Muslim authorities. They would suffer and die together for Jesus.

In the culture of that time to be branded a prostitute was considered worse than death. The Muslim court, in an attempt to break the two women, sentenced them to a brothel so they would have to endure the shame and humiliation of being a prostitute. Flora and Maria never wavered from their values and faith. They were beaten and scourged but never gave in. The authorities gave up and they were taken out and beheaded. Both girls are listed in the Roman Martyrology.

St. Flora is known as the patron saint of those who have been betrayed. After her dad passed on Flora's own brother tried to convert her to Islam and, having failed, turned her over to the authorities knowing full well she would be put to death. I cannot imagine having my own brother turn me in knowing I would suffer death at the hands of an executioner. Flora did pray for her brother before she was killed. A role model of forgiveness for us all

                                 copyright ©Larry Peterson 2017

St. Margaret of Scotland--This Remarkable, Pious Woman, is Patroness to Mothers, Large Families, Widows and Deceased Children

St. Margaret of Scotland   en.wikipedia.org
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME

By Larry Peterson

In the year 1066, a displaced English princess, named Margaret, sought refuge in Scotland. Her father had been overthrown by the Danes and before she was born had gone into exile. While still very young  Margaret returned to England to live in the court of her great-uncle, Edward the Confessor.

A weak leader, Edward could not protect his kingdom. Margaret's mother, Agatha, took Margaret and her other two children, Edgar and Cristina, and fled north to escape the invading Norman armies.  It was not long after that the Normans conquered England and overthrew Edward. He was replaced by William of Normandy aka William the Conqueror.

Tradition has it that Agatha decided to leave northern England and travel back to the continent. However, a raging storm drove their ship north to Scotland where they landed at a spot which is today called St. Margaret's Hope. Before long they all arrived at the palace of King Malcolm.

 Margaret, about eighteen years of age at the time, soon found herself in the court of  Malcolm III of Scotland (also known as Malcolm the  Canmore, meaning "Great Chief").  Malcolm III was already a widower with two sons.  (And yes, this is the Malcolm in Shakespeare's, Macbeth).

Margaret was not only naturally sweet and charming, she was also a pious and devout Catholic. King Malcolm fell completely in love with her and they were married in Dunfermline, Scotland in 1070. One of the first things Margaret began to do was to read the Bible to her new husband. It is said the daily readings and stories she read to her husband helped "civilize" the king, setting in place the conditions for the growth of the Catholic faith in Scotland.

Margaret initiated religious reforms striving to make the church practices conform to those of Rome. She followed the advice of the future Archbishop of Canterbury, Lanfranc, and became known as an exemplar of the "just ruler" which was her husband and children. Their youngest son, David, grew up to be considered a "holy ruler'".

Margaret became deeply involved in charitable works and actually served orphans and the poor every day before she herself, ate. She even washed the feet of the poor in imitation of Jesus. At midnight she would get up and attend church services. She invited the Benedictine order to establish a monastery at Dunfermline in 1072 and was responsible for having ferries built to assist pilgrims traveling back and forth across the river to worship. Margaret also initiated the restoration of the monastery at Iona and was responsible for the release of fellow English exiles, captured during the invasion.

Margaret was as devout in her private life as she was in public. She was totally "genuine". Much of her time was spent in prayer, devotional readings, and doing ecclesiastical embroidery. All of her hard work and devotion to God had a profound effect on her once volatile husband. The king who could not read was so impressed with his wife he had her prayer books decorated with gold and silver. One of these, a pocket gospel with grand pictures of the evangelists, is kept at the Bodleian Library in Oxford.

Malcolm never understood the long-term effects of his wife's many endeavors. He loved her so much he just let her do as she wished. However, heartache came to Margaret unexpectedly. During the Battle of Alnwick on November 13, 1093 Malcolm and their eldest son, Edward,  were killed in battle against the English. Margaret's son, Edgar, had the unenviable task of informing his mom.

Her constant fasting and offering of herself to Jesus had taken its toll. Not yet fifty, she died three days after her husband and son were killed. In recognition of her personal holiness, fidelity to the Church, implementing religious reform and her ongoing works of charity, Pope Innocent IV, canonized Margaret a saint in June of 1250.

  In  Proverbs 31: 10-12,   Lemuel, King of Massa, was given this advice by his Mother:
"When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life."
King Malcolm III of Scotland had such a wife.

St. Margaret of Scotland, pray for us.

                                        Copyright©Larry Peterson 2017 All Rights Reserved

The "Doorkeeper" ---If I could be at Ford Field, I would definitely “take a knee”.

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME


Blessed Solanus Casey---en.wikimedia. org By Larry Peterson

On November 18, 2017, a great event will take place at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, the home-field of the NFL's, Detroit Lions. Upward of 70, 000 people are expected to fill the stadium and they are not going to be there for a football game. Millions from around the world will be watching the event on television or whatever type of device they may have and they will not be tuned into the World Cup. This will be the largest Catholic event to take place in Detroit in 30 years. And, more than likely,  this event will receive barely a mention by the Mainstream Media. It is the way of things in 2017.

It does not matter. It does not matter because this day transcends any political motivation or bias. This is the beatification ceremony for Venerable Solanus Casey.  This is the day we celebrate a working man who, against all odds, became a priest and will enter the final chapter on his road to being canonized a saint, an American born saint.  This simple, unpretentious man, known as the "Doorkeeper",  was the kindly priest who shed his ego so he might serve others. This was not a birth defect. Rather, like all those elevated through the process of sainthood, he had that beautiful quality of foremost loving God before all else---no matter what.

  The sixth child of sixteen children,  Bernard Francis Casey,  was born to poor, Irish immigrants in Oak Grove, Wisconsin, 1870. His family and friends called him Barney. When Barney was a young boy he contracted diphtheria and this left him with a permanently raspy sounding voice. Barney was never going to be a singer but that never mattered to him. he had always felt the calling to the priesthood. Unfortunately, there was a 'bump' in the road for Barney. He had to go to work to help support the family.

Barney Casey did what he had to do to earn money. He worked as a lumberjack, a prison guard, a streetcar operator and even as a hospital orderly. He did whatever job he had to the best of his ability always keeping his serving God as his primary goal. Consequently, his education was put on hold and it took him five years to get back to high school. When he did it was at St. Francis High school seminary in Milwaukee. He spent five years studying before being able to join the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. When he was accepted he took the name Solanus, after St. Francis Solanus.

Brother Solanus became Father Solanus Casey at the age of 33. He had to fight to get through his studies but he managed. However, upon ordination, he was given the title, "Sacerdos Simplex", which means, simple priest. He would not be allowed to preach or hear confessions. Father Casey never complained. 
For more than 20 years Father Casey lived at St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit. His primary job was that of "doorkeeper". He became the finest "Doorkeeper" who ever lived and, unexpectedly, also became known for his service to the sick and for the advice he would give to the visitors who came by. After a while, people began attributing cures and other blessings to Father Casey's interaction with them. 
Father Solanus Casey died in 1957. He was a man who opened and closed doors for people. A man who had no ego and was happy to serve God in the simplest of ways. A man who, because miracles have been attributed to his intercession, will be Beatified before tens of thousands of people in a football stadium on November 18, 2017, while millions more around the globe will watch the ceremony via televison. If I could be at Ford Field, I would definitely “take a knee”.
Blessed Solanus Casey, please pray for us. And THANK YOU for your wonderful example of how to live.

                                      copyright©LarryPeterson 2017