island life- in a monastery

As I had written in a blog before Holy Week, I was off to SE Arizona with two of our Oblates. Southeast Arizona has some of the top birding spots in the world and on this trip we visited five. The convergence of four distinct bioregions-the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, and the Sierra Madre and the Rocky Mountains-provides a prime mix of habitats for more than 400 species of birds.

It was a wonderful trip, in which I added 35 birds to my life list. My goal on this trip was 25-30 new species so I exceeded that goal. There were many highlights but perhaps the most exciting was the spotting of a SLATE THROATED REDSTART in the Chiricahua Mts. (8500+ ft). This bird has been sighted in the USA only a handful of times, so was immediately reported to the Arizona Birding Assoc.for inclusion in the listing. A few hours later as we descended the mountain we saw cars, racing to the top, perhaps to get a glimpse of our bird. Seeing reports the next day, it seems our lovelyhad flown to another area as it has not been seen since.

I flew from Seattle to Tucson where I had a layover awaiting Martha and MaryAnne to fetch me the next day to begin our journey to Madera Canyon- a magnificent area in the mountains only about 1 1/2 hours SE of Tucson. We were fortunate to hook up with "The Desert Harrier", one of the best guides I have ever had. He took us on a 4 hour walk though amazing but gentle country. I saw 15 new birds there alone.

Broad-billed HB (B. Stripling)

Magnificent HB (C & M Perkins)

At our cabin we were graced with some new hummingbirds (Broad -billed and Magnificent), painted redstarts and many acorn woodpeckers. Being a bit tired from the morning, we toured the area by car, stopping at the base of the Florida Canyon. I was determined to find some scaled quail, so tried to imitate them by calling (more of a dying scream I am sure). Soon overhead soared a GREY HAWK (one of the birds we missed in Texas last year). We were sure it was looking for whatever was on its last breath, as it flew low and slow.

Hooded Oriole (Tom Benson)

Grey Hawk (Kyri)

Not five minutes later, MaryAnne (the non-birder among us) cried: what is that yellow bird in the tree? Behold, another bird missed in Texas, the glorious HOODED ORIOLE.

After 3 too short days we drove south to Patagonia (birding again at the Patton Place) and then north and south again to the San Pedro River Valley, where we were treated like royalty for 3 days and nights. Each day we drove into other valleys, and while not as many birds as in the other areas, some were gems: Violet -crowned hummers and Cordilleran flycatchers.

We then drove east to Portallocated at 5400 feet elevation in the heart of the Chiricahua Mountains, where we had 5 days with a Road Scholar group. We added to our list the shy NORTHERN PYGMY OWL and the world's lightest owl, the ELF OWL, which weighs in at 1.4 Oz. We saw them nightly outside our lodge (as well as javelinas, sometimes as many as a dozen).

Elf Owl (Terry Sohl)

N. Pygmy Owl

On that high mountain we saw several very colorful warblers: RED-FACED and the OLIVE (which looks more like a pumpkin than an olive!). TheBLUE-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD was daily at our deck feeders and later, several flycatchers were added to the list: the DUSKY-CAPPED and the BUFF-BREASTED.

Our last day we spent at the Amado Territory Inn (another treat) and birded Buenas Aires Wildlife Refuge which comprises 118,000 acres of protected grasslands, streams, and cienegas (marshlands or wetlands) for threatened and endangered species. And, with over 300 species sighted, it is, one of Arizona’s premier birding areas. Here we tried to find the rare five-stripped sparrow (spotted that day by someone) but unfortunately we came across a water- filled hole too deep for us to cross in the car so only went a bit further by foot. We left Arizona just as the temperature was rising (not normal for April) but happy with the many treasure we found in desert and mountains.

Red-faced Warbler

Blue-throated HB (Destombe)


Olive Warbler (James Ownby)

Yesterday Pope Francis (with Pope Emeritus Benedict present) canonized two pillars of the Catholic Church, two popes who had an impact that goes beyond our Church and have influenced people around the world.

St. John XXIII, known as “the Good Pope” had a great sense of humor. He was a man so comfortable about himself that he constantly made jokes about his height (which was little), his ears (which were big), and his weight (which was considerable). When he once met a little boy named Angelo, he exclaimed, “That was my name, too!, but then they made me change it!”.

Asked to describe the two new saints, Pope Francis said St. John was "a bit of the 'country priest,' a priest who loves each of the faithful and knows how to care for them; he did this as a bishop and as a nuncio. He was a man of courage... He was a man who let himself be guided by the Lord" and like our present Holy Father he embraced the poor.

.From his teens when he entered the seminary, he maintained a diary of spiritual reflections that was subsequently published as Journal of a Soul (one of my all time favorite books). The collection of writings charts his efforts as a young man to "grow in holiness" and continues after his election to the papacy. It remains widely read to this day.

He initiated the Second Vatican Council from whence came changes that reshaped the face of Catholicism including, a comprehensively revised liturgy, a stronger emphasis on ecumenism, and a new approach to the world.

Like St. John Paul, his feast day is not celebrated on the date of his death as is usual, but on the October 11, the first day of the opening of Vatican II.

St. John Paul II, known as a globetrotter, made 104 trips outside Italy. More than any pope, St.John Paul recognized the emotional and symbolic value of conferring sainthoods as he sought to spread Catholicism around the world. He canonized 482 saints- more than all his predecessors combined. To do this, he streamlined the canonization process, reducing to five years the waiting period after a person’s death before the canonization process can be initiated. Every country this day has a patron, thanks to him.

St. John Paul II is recognized as helping to end Communist rule in his native Poland and eventually all of Europe. He significantly improved the Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, Islam, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion.

As for St. John Paul, Pope Francis said, "I think of him as 'the great missionary of the church," because he was "a man who proclaimed the Gospel everywhere." His feast day is to be celebrated on the anniversary of his papal inauguration, 22 October 1978.

Divine Mercy Sunday, the day of the canonizations, a celebration instituted worldwide by St. John Paul "showed his intuition that a new "age of mercy" was needed in the church and the world".

Pope Francis embraces Pope Emeritus Benedict before the Mass

Recently, we had a small group of children and adults visit one of our bogs. The leader later wrote to tell us what they found. “Chorus frogs, amphipods, snails, dragonfly and damselfly nymphs.Your wetland is most certainly a "home pond" for long-toed salamanders...there may be only one or two other home ponds for these delicate amphibians in San Juan Co." (Russel Barsh- Lopez Island)

(A Rare Moss)

We have known for years that we had some “rare” species on our lands, but it is always good to have the experts tell us what they are and where they are to be found. In 2006 Jean Y. Kekes of Charlton, NY found a rare (for North America) species of at the water edge of our land.It is a rare arctic-boreal, maritime moss, most often found in Europe, notably in Great Britain. It was only the second U.S. occurrence of Bryum marratii (Marrat's bryum moss or Baltic bryum).

I did a little research on some of the finds in the bog.

Long-toed Salamander

The distribution of the LONG-TOED SALAMANDER is primarily in the Pacific Northwest. It lives in a variety of habitats, including temperate rainforests, coniferous forests, montane riparian zones, sagebrush plains, red fir forests, semiarid sagebrush, cheatgrass plains, and alpine meadows along the rocky shores of mountain lakes. It lives in slow-moving streams, ponds, and lakes during its aquatic breeding phase. The long-toed salamander hibernates during the cold winter months, surviving on energy reserves stored in the skin and tail.

Although the long-toed salamander is classified as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN, many forms of land development threaten and negatively affect the salamander's habitat.

When threatened, the long-toed salamander will wave its tail and secrete an adhesive white milky substance that is noxious and likely poisonous.

Two life-history features of amphibians are often cited as a reason why amphibians are good indicators of environmental health or 'canaries in the coal mine'. Like all amphibians, the long-toed salamander has both an aquatic and terrestrial life transition and semipermeable skin. Since they serve different ecological functions in the water than they do in land, the loss of one amphibian species is equivalent to the loss of two ecological species.The second notion is that amphibians, such as long-toed salamanders, are more susceptible to the absorption of pollutants because they naturally absorb water and oxygen through their skin. The validity of this special sensitivity to environmental pollutants, however, has been called into question. The problem is more complex, because not all amphibians are equally susceptible to environmental damage because there is such a diverse array of life histories among species.

Red-legged frog

Also found is theRED-LEGGED FROG a species of amphibian, whose range is the coastal region stretching from southwest British Columbia to southern Mendocino County in Northern California, and is protected in British Columbia, Oregon and California. As a member of the genus Rana, this species is considered a true frog, with characteristic smooth skin and a narrow waist. This frog requires still waters for breeding, and is rarely found at any great distance from its breeding ponds or marshes.


Melody after her First Communion

We were blessed to have a First Holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday, an
event which always touches our hearts and souls. These photos by our Intern, Tari, say it all!

GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY is the Fourth Sunday of Easter in the Catholic liturgical calendar. The name derives from the Gospel readings on this day which are taken from the 10th chapter of John. In this reading Christ is described as the Good Shepherd who, by dying on the Cross, lays down His life for his sheep.

In recent times the feast day has also become known as VOCATIONS SUNDAY, a day on which prayers are said for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. This year the theme ‘Vocations: Witness to the Truth’.

In his message for Vocations Sunday Pope Francis says: “A vocation is a fruit that ripens in a well cultivated field of mutual love that becomes mutual service, in the context of an authentic ecclesial life. No vocation is born of itself or lives for itself. A vocation flows from the heart of God and blossoms in the good soil of faithful people, in the experience of fraternal love. Did not Jesus say: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn. 13:35)?”

In this year’s message, The Holy Father calls for heroes who will go into the great harvest where many people are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ‘And the harvest will be plentiful’.

This year the feast also falls on MOTHER'S DAY.

The images I present here are all by the Palestinian Christian artist, ZAKI BABOUN, who was born in Bethlehem (where he still lives) in 1962. I could not find much else about him, but know he is very active in organizations which promote peace. Bethlehem is a town well-known for shepherds who came from there and obviously a subject dear to his heart. And a town we often associate with peace. I love this artist's vivid colors, which to me convey joy, and there is a serenity to his art which speaks of peace and gentle care. Gifts we all could use.

Holy Family Living at Nazareth

I chose the artist to portray the mysteries of Our Blessed Mother for this month, dedicated to her, because of his love for her. Artist SIDNEY MATIAS was born in 1969 in the city of Mauá, São Paulo in Brazil. He has duel citizenship – Brazilian & Italian. He is a painter, sculptor and writer and has been a member of the lay Marianist community in Campinas, Brazil since 1999. He practices his dedication by exploring Mary as an educator, protector, and role model. He begins his work by meditating on a Scripture passage for inspiration. Each piece shows how the love we have for our faith can find expression. In his Holy Family, Mary seems to joyfully bewildered by the exploits of her Son.

Annunciation

Vistitation

A strong sense of Brazilian culture infuses Matias’s work and contributes to his style, demonstrated by his vivid color choices and use of intricate shapes. Matias’s art has been used on Christmas cards, chapels, murals, mosaics and illustrations. He said he feels “like a missionary, an evangelist using my art to try to inspire people to live like Mary.”

In most of his works, Mary seems to be keeping a secret, which she will only share with those who love her Son.

First Miracle

Apocalyptic Woman

Pope Paul VI with Mother Benedict

On May 10 it was announced that Pope Francis will declare POPE PAUL VIblessed at a beatification ceremony in the Vatican on October 19, 2014. The Holy Father issued a decree acknowledging a miracle attributed to the intercession of his predecessor, clearing the way for his beatification. Pope Paul VI was born Giovanni Battista Montini on Sept. 26, 1897 in Concesio, Italy, and died on August 6, 1978. His pontificate from 1963 to 1978, was between the two great Popes, John XXIII and John Paul II, whom Pope Francis declared saints on April 27 in the Vatican.

The attributed miracle involves an unborn child in the 1990s in California, who was found to have a serious health problem that posed a high risk of brain damage. The child’s bladder was damaged as well. Abortion was offered as an option, but the mother refused, instead taking advice from a nun who was a friend of the family. The mother prayed for Paul VI’s intercession using a fragment of the pope’s vestments that the nun had given her.
Ten weeks later, the results of the medical tests showed a substantial improvement in the child’s health, and he was born by Caesarean section in the 39th week of pregnancy. He is now a healthy adolescent and considered to be completely healed.

Our American foundation has always had a direct connection to Pope Paul as he was most instrumental in our Foundress making her way to American soil.

Having obtained the permission of the Papal Nnuncio of Paris, Cardinal Angelo Roncalli, the future Pope St. John XXIII, Mother Benedict Dusstraveled to Rome to meet with Cardinal Giovanni Montini, who later became Pope Paul VI. She finally met with Pope Pius XII, who gave her permission to begin the founding of a contemplative order in the U.S. In 1946, Mother Benedict and Mother Mary Aline Trilles de Warren arrived in New York with just $20 in their pockets.

Although Mother Benedict met with many obstacles, she also received support from many in the Church, especially Pope Paul VI. Through a friendship of many years, Pope Paul VI offered wisdom and practical advice, suggesting from the beginning that if the new monastery was to attract the dedication of American women, the nuns must each be encouraged to have a professional basis in their religious life.

Pope Paul VI also asked Mother Benedict to maintain the Latin chants and that the abbey maintain the tradition of hospitality to all people.

Pope Paul is most remembered for Humanae Vitae (Human Life) an encyclical written in 1968. Subtitled On the Regulation of Birth, it re-affirms the orthodox teaching of the Catholic Church regarding married love, responsible parenthood, and the continued rejection of most forms of birth control.

I myself met Pope Paul VI in a semi private audience in the late 60s when I was living in Europe. Pater Doktor Spellucci was the Holy Father’s secretary for German affairs and made sure I was able to attend special Masses and audiences when I was in the Vatican. I was able to touch the hand of the saintly pope as well as get many photos, an event vivid in my mind after all these years.

With a friendship that began here on earth, I am sure Lady Abbess Benedict is rejoicing with him!

SISTER MARY JEAN DARCY, O.P. was born in Anacortes, Wa. (as the Eagle flies just a few miles from our Island) in 1914. She was the youngest of nine children. She attributes her gifts to: "the imagination came from my father and his wonderful heritage of Irish fantasy, and the technical skill from my mother, who had incredibly skillful hands".

She graduated from Anacortes High School in 1931and spent one year at the University of Washington, after which she entered the Dominican novitiate at Everett (the motherhouse has since been moved to Edmonds), Washington, where she made profession in January 1934. She then returned to college at the Jesuits' Gonzaga University in Spokane receiving a BA. Three years later she was awarded a Master of Fine Arts from California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland.

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She once wrote: The only truly brilliant thing I have ever done was to enter the Dominican Order, that vast storehouse of sanctity, learning and charity which allows even a very small depositer to take out great fortunes of spiritual and intellectual assistance".

"During my novitiate years, my Novice-Mistress made up her mind that there was no reason at all why I should not cut out silhouettes". From a single sheet of paper, Sister Mary Jean started cutting continuous flowing silhouettes. By the 1940s, she was recognized as one of the leading American paper cutters. Sister Mary Jean gained a deserved reputation as both a published author and artist.

Our Lady of Seattle

"...perhaps Our Lady- who is my general manager- understands that I am not the rugged sort who can get along entirely on my own, sufficient unto myself and unconcerned what the rest of the world thinks. It makes me very happy to receive letters from Mexico and Iceland and India from people who have read my books, and to know that my silhouettes are hanging on the walls of a convent near the South Pole and in a rectory in Denmark and in Bankok and Ireland. Last year I met a young Dominican student from Hong-Kong who says he learned to read English from one of my books, and there is a young couple in the midwest who each year make up the family Christmas card with one of my silhouettes as background and their lovely children in front. A mission chapel in Louisiana has two of my pictures on the walls, beautifully enlarged and painted by the parishioners; and every Christmas there are the wonderful letters from people all over the world, more than outweighing the inevitable scars and struggles of a tough profession.

Ladder to Heaven

There still remains the identifying question as to whether I am a silhouettist who also writes books, or an author who also illustrates. It will be simplest if I just say that I do not know, and have no strong feeling either way".

Perhaps her enduring legacy was to train artist Dan Paulos, who has carried on the tradition of paper cutting and has himself become an internationally known artist. (more on his lovely work later).

Sister Dorcy’s final book, “Spring Comes to the Hill Country,” was collaboration with Paulos. One of her cuttings is housed in the Smithsonian Institute. A close friend of our has many of her original paper cuts. We have "hinted" that we know some nuns who would like one or two!

Spring Comes...

Sister Mary Jean Dorcy died May 5, 1988 after a long struggle with acute arthritis and lung ailments. She had been bedridden for the last 10 years.

Shaw Island Llama/Alpaca Club

After 15 years I have finally "resigned" from 4-H on Shaw. I worked with the children and llamas (alpacas included) for 10 years and birders for 7 years. This year most of the children are moving off island after school ends, so I said it is time!

The Llama Club was a wonderful experience, as I learned mostly from the kids themselves as they interacted with their animals. When we started there was very little in terms of info on how to go about this. We started with two boys (cousins) doing only showmanship where the child is judged on how he well he handles the llama. The animal itself is not judged, though must be well groomed.

The following year we had two more islands join us, which made the competition more fun. In 10 years we had 8 national judges who loved working with the kids. They could not tell one club from another as there was so much positive interaction. The older kids would help the younger ones and there was a lot of fun between clubs- I am told unheard of on the mainland.One year we won the coveted Black & White Ribbon, given to the best barn or exhibit at the fair. It is a state award and not always given. The judge was amazed at how well the kids performed but especially how they interacted.

The Black & White Award

It was not an easy thing to get 10 kids and 10 animals on the inter-island ferry, but for one year, it always went smoothly, thanks to caring parents and ferry crew. The bad year was when 2 llamas and 4 alpacas were left behind with a father driving the trailer. He was clueless regarding handling so it was a few bad hours but we got it all sorted out with help at the fair end. Carl was able to unload the animals but then slept in the truck, catching the early morning ferry next day. There were articles & letters in the news the next day, we had apologies from Olympia, etc. etc. all due to bad loading by ferry crew.

John teaching his llama to kush

Amy haltering her alpaca

After a few years the kids decided they would like to try an obstacle course, which meant a lot more training, but the kids loved it! They put their llamas over jumps, through hoops, into wading pools, always trying to simulate a course found in nature if the animals were being used for packing.

As a way of practice before the fair, the kids walked their llamas in the annual Shaw 4^thof July parade, always a bit hit!

Ian on Show Day

Samuel Showing

Becca unloading her llama

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The Shaw Birding Club (which I have written about in past Blogs) was a lot of fun. We met most Saturdays, scouring the Island for birds. The projects through the years were varied: what do birds eat, where are they found, when do they arrive or leave, etc. etc. Then came the “famous” CROW project, which gave them a single species to focus on, and last year they built their blind to study the Steller’s jays.

Birding at Sea

Best of Show

One girl who has birded with me the longest, is doing her graduation project on the Birds of Shaw Island and is excited about the family’s move, as she is already scouting new birds.

Always nice to pass on the baton- or in this case bird seed?

2013 Jay Project

Earlier this month we did a Blog on Sister Mary Jean Dorcy and mentioned her "disciple" Dan Paulos who carried on her work and has gone beyond her giftedness in his art. His great devotion to the Blessed Mother is evident in his work, so I thought it a good way to end this month devoted to her.

DANIEL THOMAS PAULOSis a master. He was introduced to the cut paper or silhouette art form in grade school, and later studied the secrets of the art of papercutting under the famed Sister Mary Jean. "It took him less than two years to accomplish what it took me thirty to do," she once said.

He was born in 1949 in Iowa to a large Greek-Italian family. As a young boy in Catholic school, he

became intrigued by the artistic cuttings of Sr. Mary Jean Dorcy. At her prodding, he learned the art of serigraphy (a print made by the silk-screen process) and began producing hand-pulled serigraphs of her favorite silhouettes, as well as his own. Papercutting in religious art goes back to the sixteenth century, but has been almost a lost art in our more modern centuries.

Mary the Servant

The persistence of Sister Mary Jean drove Dan to restrict his paper-cuttings to spiritual imagery, concentrating mostly on the healing power of motherhood. “I think the role of the Catholic artist may be, in a quiet way, to convert a person, not so much to Catholicism, but to love of God and his mother,” he has said. Dan works mainly with images of the Blessed Virgin, Christ, and the Holy Family, though in recent years we see more saints. His artistic rendering of Mary expresses not only delicacy and joy, but focuses also on Our Lady's strength of presence and her spiritual power.

Our Lady of Auschwitz

Dan also gives us new images of old favorites such as "Our Lady of Perpetual Help,""Lourdes," or "Our Lady of Guadalupe." He gives a stirringly personal touch to the "Our Lady of Auschwitz" and the "Apache Madonna." (two of my favorites)

Apache Madonna

Dan, who lives in Albuquerque, N.M., says he is married to his career. “I work from when I get up until I go to bed. God has been good to me, and has given me very good projects on which to work.”

About 90 percent of Dan’s original cuttings have been gifts to museums, churches and friends in many places throughout the world. His originals are hung in museums, not only in United States and Canada, but Europe, South America, and Japan.

Through his art Dan speaks of the strength of the Mary as our mother and protector, the compassionate woman of the Magnificat. His "Paper Madonnas"tickle our consciences, prompting us "to go out and see what we can do to help raze bigotry, selfishness and fear." And this is how Dan Paulos understands his mission in life: "to create for the glory of God.” He is noted for his generous heart. One artist said: I know he will tirelessly devote himself to helping another artist, without, envy, selfishness, or expecting a return on his time and effort.

Bl. Mother Teresa

St. Bernadette

His book, "Behold The Women," describes the contribution made by Catholic nuns to our world. It is filled with moving testimonials, wonderful pictures and sincere recollections by many notable people. All proceeds benefit the work of St. Bernadette Institute of Sacred Art.

More of his lovely art can be seen at:TRINITY.COM

Dan Paulos

Last week I took two of our Shaw children to a parish on the mainland north of us so they could be confirmed. Our charismatic Seattle Archbishop was on hand for the ceremony, even though it was a small group of 25. If I could sum him up it would be “joyous energy radiating Christ".

ARCHBISHOP JAMES PETER SARTAIN was born June 6, 1952 in Memphis, Tennessee, the youngest of five children, as well as the only boy. He is the first priest of the Diocese of Memphis to become a bishop. He selected as his episcopal motto: "Of You My Heart Has Spoken"(Ps. 27:8).

The Archbishop studied chemistry for one year before transferring to St. Meinrad (Benedictine) College in Indiana, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1974. He then earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology at the Angelicum in Rome.

He was ordained to the priesthood on July 15, 1978, after which he returned to his studies in Rome. He earned a Licentiate of Sacred Theology with specialization in sacramental theology from the Pontifical University of St. Anselmo in 1979. This is the active cradle of Benedictine study.

In 2000, he was appointed the sixth Bishop of Little Rock, Arkansas, by (St.) Pope John Paul II.

Due to the increasing Hispanic population in Arkansas, Archbishop Sartain took a course in Spanish in San Antonio, Texas, in 2001, and established Hispanic ministries throughout the state. He also ordained Arkansas's first Mexican-born priest. He worked to increase vocations. The diocese had ten seminarians and no ordinations in 2000, but fifteen seminarians and two ordinations in 2005

In 2006, he was appointed as bishop of the Diocese of Joliet. In 2010, he was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle.

Like Our new Holy Father his message often focuses on the general need for humanity to fully manifest God's love by living for what is good, beyond themselves. His words to the youth had them riveted in their seats. His final message was:

this is not graduation, but a jumping off place for the rest of your lies!

St. Joseph's, Ferndale, WA Confirmation 2014

In April Our Holy Father started a series of short talks at his general audiences to explain the gifts Jesus would leave to the disciples after He left them. This week I present these talks as preparation for PENTECOST.

… Dear Brothers and Sisters: Today we begin a series of catecheses on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is himself the “gift of God” (cf. Jn 4:10), the presence of God’s love in the Church and in our hearts. Based on a messianic prophecy of Isaiah, the Church has traditionally distinguished seven gifts of the Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. The first of these is WISDOM. As a spiritual gift, this wisdom is an interior light, a grace enabling us to contemplate all things with the eyes of God and a heart docile to the promptings of the Spirit. Born of closeness to God in prayer and loving communion, it helps us to recognize with joyful gratitude his providential plan for all things. Christian wisdom is thus the fruit of a supernatural “taste” for God, an ability to savor his presence, goodness and love all around us. How much our world needs the witness of such wisdom today! Let us pray for this gift, so that, rejoicing in the Holy Spirit, we can be true men and women of God, transparently open to his own wisdom and the power of his saving love.

(Dr. He Qi)

The Holy Spirit’s gift of UNDERSTANDINGallows Christians to obtain “intimacy with God” and helps them understand things as God understands them.

When the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts and enlightens our minds, he makes us grow day by day in the understanding of what the Lord has said and accomplished.

One can read the Gospel and understand something, but if we read the Gospel with this gift of the Holy Spirit, we can understand the depths of God’s words.

The Holy Spirit’s gift of understanding differs from human understanding, the “intellectual prowess” that varies from person to person. What a beautiful gift the Lord has given us. It is the gift with which the Holy Spirit introduces us into intimacy with God and makes us sharers in the plan of love which he has for us.

Jesus told his disciples He would send the Holy Spirit to help them understand everything He had taught them. This kind of understanding is a “grace” which “awakens in a Christian the ability to go beyond the outward appearance of reality and to probe the depths of the thoughts of God and his plan of salvation.

This gift does not mean that a Christian can “comprehend all things” and have “full knowledge of the designs of God,but rather, it helps the Christian to “read inwardly” and “understand things as God understands them.

While human understanding and prudence are good, Jesus Christ desired to send the Holy Spirit so that everyone might understand “with the mind of God.

Our Holy Father Pope Francis

Continuing his weekly catechesis on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, Pope Francis devoted his May 7 general audience to the gift of COUNSEL.

The gift of counsel helps Christians “understand the proper way to speak and behave and the path to follow,” Pope Francis said. “But how does this work? From the moment we welcome and host Him in our hearts, the Holy Spirit immediately begins to make us sensitive to His voice and to direct our thoughts, our feelings and our intentions according to God’s heart.”

“At the same time, He increasingly brings us to turn our inward gaze upon Jesus as a model of how to act and relate with God the Father and our brothers and sisters,” he continued. “Counsel, then, is the gift by which the Holy Spirit makes our conscience capable of making a concrete choice in communion with God, according to the logic of Jesus and of his Gospel.”

Pope Francis emphasized the importance of prayer for the gift of counsel:

We always return to the same point: prayer. Prayer, praying is so important. Praying those prayers that we all know from childhood but also praying with our words, praying to the Lord: ‘Lord, help me, advise me, what should I do now?’ With prayer we make room for the Spirit to come and help us in that moment, he advises us all on what we must do. Prayer, never forget prayer, never. Nobody notices when we pray on the bus, on the streets, we pray in silence, with our hearts, take advantage of these moments to pray. Pray for the Spirit to give us this gift of counsel.

Alexander Sadoyon - Armenia

In recent catechesis, we examined the first three gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding and counsel. Today we think about what the Lord does, He always comes to support us in our weakness with a special gift, the gift of FORTITUDE .

There is a parable told by Jesus, which helps us to grasp the importance of this gift. A sower goes out to sow; not all the seed he sows, however, bears fruit. What ends up on the street is eaten by birds; what falls on stony ground or among thorns sprouting, but is soon dried by the sun or choked by the thorns. Only what ends up on the good soil can grow and bear fruit (cf. Mk 4.3 to 9 / / Mt 13:3-9 / / Luke 8.4 to 8 ) .

As Jesus himself said to his disciples, the Father is the sower, who sows the seed of His Word abundantly. The seed, however, often clashes with the aridness of our hearts and, even when welcomed, is likely to remain sterile.

Instead, with the gift of fortitude the Holy Spirit frees the soil of our heart from torpor, uncertainties and all the fears that can stop it, so that the Word of God can be put into practice, in an authentic and joyful way.

This is a real help, this gift of fortitude it gives us strength and frees us from many obstacles.

There are difficult moments and extreme situations in which the gift of fortitude is manifested in an extraordinary, exemplary way. This is the case of those who are facing particularly harsh and painful experiences, that disrupt their lives and those of their loved ones.

The Church shines with the testimony of so many brothers and sisters who have not hesitated to give their lives, in order to remain faithful to the Lord and His Gospel.

Even today there are numerous Christians in many parts of the world who continue to celebrate and witness to their faith with deep conviction and serenity, and resist even when they know that this can result in them paying a very high price.

All of us know people, people who have experienced difficult situations, so much pain, let us think of those men and women who have a difficult life, who fight for the survival of their family, educate their children.

They do this because the Spirit of fortitude helps them.

How many, many men and women - whose names we do not know - honor our people, honor our Church because they are strong in carrying forward their lives, their work, their family, their faith - these our brothers and sisters are saints!

Every day saints! Hidden saints among us! They have the gift of fortitude in carrying on in their duty as people, mother, father, brother, sister citizen. We have so many - so many.

Let us thank the Lord for these Christians who are the hidden saints among us. It is the Spirit within who carries them forward and it would do us good to think of these people. If they do this, if they can do this then why not me and we ask the Lord to give us the gift of fortitude.

With this, we must not think that the gift of fortitude is only necessary on some occasions or in certain situations.

This gift must be the base note of our being Christians, in our ordinary everyday lives. As I said we must have fortitude in our everyday life as Christians we need this fortitude to carry on in our lives, our families our faith. Paul, the Apostle Paul, said something that it would do us all good to hear: "I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me" (Phil. 4:13).
In our everyday life, in difficult times it would do us good to say this "I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me". The Lord always gives us strength, Lord never gives us more than we can handle, "I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me".

Dear friends, sometimes we may be tempted to allow ourselves be overtaken by laziness or despondency, especially when faced with the hardships and trials of life. In these cases, do not lose heart, but invoke the Holy Spirit, so that with the gift of fortitude He can lift our hearts and communicate new vigor and enthusiasm to our lives and our following Jesus.

Sadao Watanabe (Japan)

“When we speak of KNOWLEDGE, we immediately think of the human capacity to learn more about the reality that surrounds him and to discover the laws that govern nature and the universe. The knowledge that comes from the Holy Spirit, however, is not limited to human knowledge: it is a special gift, which allows us to grasp, through creation, the greatness and love of God and His profound relationship with every creature."

“When our eyes are enlightened by the Spirit, they open to the contemplation of God in the beauty of nature and the grandeur of the cosmos, and lead us to discover how everything speaks to us of Him and everything speaks to us of His love.” Before all of this, the Spirit leads us to praise the Lord from the depths of our hearts and recognize, in all that we have and are, a priceless gift from God and a sign of His infinite love for us.”

“The gift of knowledge places us in profound harmony with the Creator and allows us to participate in the brightness of His gaze and His judgment.” And it is in this perspective that we can grasp in man and woman the summit of creation, as the fulfillment of a plan of love that is imprinted in each of us and that makes us recognize each other as brothers and sisters.”

"This gift helps Christians avoid two errors in thinking about creation. The first is considering ourselves masters of creation, rather than welcoming it as a wonderful gift that God has given us, so that we care for it and we use it for the benefit of all.” The second is the temptation to limit ourselves to creatures, as if they can provide the answer to all our expectations.”

“Safeguard creation because if we destroy creation, creation will destroy us! Never forget this!”

Adam Stalony Dobrzanski- Polish

Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, we now turn to the gift of PIETY. Through this spiritual gift, we experience ever anew, with joy and gratitude, the loving relationship with God our Father which has been granted us in Jesus his Son. It is this loving relationship which grounds and perfects our authentic worship of God. The love poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit leads us to perceive the Lord’s presence and love in our lives, and moves us to respond joyfully in prayer and adoration. Piety is not mere outward religiosity; it is that genuine religious spirit which makes us turn to the Father as his children and to grow in our love for others, seeing them as our brothers and sisters, members of God’s family. Let us ask that, through this gift of the Holy Spirit, we may always be ready to offer a helping hand to others, in the joyful awareness of that solidarity which is born of our communion with God in the unity of Christ’s body, the Church.

Our Lady's Island, Wexford, Ireland

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:2-4

Iain McKillop- Guildford Cathedral, England

We have finished another Easter Cycle, ending with Pentecost. Now what?
We need to remember how the Apostles and disciples were after the Holy Spirit came upon them.

After Pentecost, they were different people. No longer did they flee like sheep without a shepherd. Instead, they set out to tell the world about Jesus. They understood what their true calling was and how they were to live.

We call this time after Pentecost, ORDINARY TIME (which for most of us mortals is not ordinary). It is to differentiate the periods of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, the Great Triduum, and the Easter season ending on Pentecost from the rest of the year. These great seasons are called extraordinary time.

Extraordinary time is so designated because its chief purpose is to celebrate the specific historic, supernatural acts of God in history that result in our salvation. So now rather than moving from season to season, in Ordinary Time we move simply from Sunday to Sunday.

We still have plenty of feasts (Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi and Sacred Heart coming up) and perhaps more emphasis on the many saints we commemorate, who lived lives following in the footsteps of Jesus.

Kathleen Atkins Wilson-USA

Because of our use of "ordinary", many people think that Ordinary Time refers to the parts of the Church year that are unimportant, when in essence it is given this name Ordinary Time simply because the weeks are numbered. The Latin word ordinalis, which refers to numbers in a series, stems from the Latin word ordo, from which we get the English word order. Thus, Ordinary Time is in fact the ordered life of the Church.

The rhythm of the liturgical seasons reflects the rhythm of life, with its celebrations of anniversaries and its seasons, so now Sunday by Sunday, the Church marks her journey through the year as she processes through time toward eternity. Ordinary Time, with its emphasis on daily living in the world, is a great opportunity for us to live un-ordinary lives!

A few weeks ago our new Chaplain arrived. He is originally from Jagdalpur, India in the State of Chhattisgarh. Just this week the Vatican announced that Nov. 23 will be the canonization of the founder of Father Mathew's order.

I love this Blessed- not knowing much about him- as there are some lovely art portraits of him- surround by BIRDS.

BL. KURIAKOSE ELIAS CHAVARA, T.O.C.D., was the co-founder and first Prior General of the first congregation for men in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, now known as the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, and of a similar one for women, the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel.

Bl. Kuriakose Elias Chavara a pioneer of education, tried to do away with the caste distinction in Kerala and make it possible for all the children irrespective of caste creed to sit together and study.

He was born in Kainakary, Kerala, India in 1805. In his childhood, Kuriakose attended the village school studying language and elementary sciences. He entered the seminary at the age of 13 and was ordained in 1829.

Bl. Kuriakose joined with two other priests, Thoma Palackal and Thomas Porukara to lead a monastic life. On December 8, 1855, Father Kuriakose and ten other priests took vows in the Carmelite tradition. He was nominated as the Prior General of the Monastery. The congregation became affiliated as a Third Order institute of the Order of Discalced Carmelites.

Bl. Kuriakose introduced Retreat Preaching for the laity for the first time in the Kerala Church. He popularized devotions and piety exercises such as Rosary, the Way of the Cross and Eucharistic Adoration.

Bl. Kuriakose was also a social reformer and played a large role in educating the people of the lower ranks of Indian society. He started as school at Mannanam in 1846. He first introduced the system called "A school along with every church" which was successful in making free education available for everyone. He also founded the first printing press of the Indian Catholic Church at Mannanam.

He believed that intellectual development and the education of women was the first step towards overall social welfare. Hence, he founded the first religious congregation for women in 1866, with the help of an Italian missionary, Father Leopold Beccaro, O.C.D., the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel.

He died in 1871, aged 66, at Koonammavu, of natural causes. Many miraculous favors were reported through the intercession of Bl. Kuriakose. St Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception, F.C.C., who became the first female saint of India, testified in 1936 that Father Kuriakose had appeared to her twice during her illness and relieved her suffering.

The main work of the Congregation is education aiming at the intellectual, social, economic, moral and spiritual advancement of people, especially women and children. It works today in eight countries with almost 5,000 members.

Bl. Kuriakose will be canonized with another Indian, Bl. Eufrasia Eluvathingal of the Sacred Heart.

NEW BIRDS

FOUR POPES- TWO SAINTS

RARE THINGS AT OLR - WHO KNEW????

FIRST COMMUNION

THE GOOD SHEPHERD- A TRIPLE CELEBRATION

THE MARY MONTH OF MAY

ANOTHER SAINTLY FRIEND

MARY CLOSE BY

THE END IS HERE

SCISSORS AND PAPER

SPIRIT SPEAKER

THE GIFTS of the SPIRIT- WISDOM

THE GIFT of UNDERSTANDING

COUNSEL

FORTITUDE

KNOWLEDGE

A SPIRIT of LOVE

PENTECOST

AFTER PENTECOST

INDIAN SAINTS