The Sign Of Wonders

The Sign Of Wonders

Vincent Travers OP

Do you watch football live on television? Have you noticed the number of players who make the sign of the cross as they jog on to the field of play? Is the sign of the cross something important or is it superstition? Is it for good luck? Lots of people make it. yet haven’t the faintest idea of its significance. The sign of the cross is a wonderful prayer. It’s a prayer in honour of the Father. Son. and Holy Spirit. It is a prayer said more often than any other prayer. It is simple. It is short. It is easy to remember. It is just fifteen words. It takes a few seconds. When made reverently, it is a profound act of faith in the mystery of the Blessed Trinity. It is a way of life. It is a way of living.

In the Name of the Father

When we make the sign of the cross we touch our foreheads with our fingers and say. ‘In the name of the Father’. We profess that God is our creator, that God made the world and everything in it. That God is creating us in this very instant, that if God were to withdraw his life-giving act. even for an instant, we would instantly cease to be. We would return to the nothingness out of which he drew at the dawn of our creation.

Each of us is God’s unique creation, a once-off, never to be repeated. When God created us. angels stood in awe and wonder and declared, “We’ve never seen one like this before”. Each of us is heaven’s first. Each of us is God’s final attempt and unprecedented act of creation. ‘In the name of the Father’ is a prayer of thanksgiving. We thank God for the wonder of all creation, and “for knitting me together in my mother’s womb” as scripture so colourfully expresses it.

In the Name of the Son

When we make the sign of the cross our fingers come to rest on our hearts. The heart is a symbol of love. Lovers draw hearts and put arrows through them as a symbol of undying love and affection. When we touch our hearts, we profess our faith in the second person of the Blessed Trinity. We believe that Jesus, bom in a stable was God in human flesh and died on the cross. He died to save us for himself. He is our Saviour. Salvation is his gift. We cannot save ourselves. Salvation is a gift we receive with grateful hearts.

In the name of the Holy Spirit

When we make the sign of the cross we move our fingers from one shoulder to the other. The shoulder is a symbol of strength. We lean on a shoulder when we
need support and give our shoulder to others to lean on when they need our support. When we say “and of the Holy Spirit” we lean on God’s shoulder. We profess God’s dwelling within us. that our souls are the tabernacles of the Holy Spirit. The simple movement of hands from one shoulder to the other is a sign that we will try to love God with all our strength and serve him. and each other, as best we can.

Join Hands

Finally we join our hands. We interlock our hands and the interlocking symbolize that just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit arc united with each other, we desire to be united with the Three Divine Persons, and with one another.

Driving Force

There is a world of spirituality in the sign of the cross. No one has achieved greatness or anything of lasting value without a driving force in their lives. The sign of the cross, repeated again and again during the course of the day is the driving force that keeps us focused on the things in life that truly matter. Each time we make the sign of the cross meaningfully, we quietly remind ourselves that we are made for glory, that we are destined for everlasting life, that there are no exceptions, that God has a reward beyond our wildest dreams and imaginings. This is a great mystery of faith. Mystery is an embarrassment to many a modern mind. But mystery is the pulse beat of poets and prophets, mystics and contemplatives. Life without mystery is prose without poetry, body without soul, head without heart. Religion without mystery ceases to be mystery. Religion begins with wonder and ends with amazement.

God’s Whisper

The sign of the cross reminds us that we are all God’s children regardless of religion or nationality or state in life. Once we recognize our dignity as children of God then there is no other way to live. It is an incredible way to live. There is no better way to live.

Question Box

Question 1 We have been told we are getting a deacon for our parish. What are the differences between priests and deacons?

Answer:

The title deacon comes from the Greek word diakonia meaning “servant”. There are 3 Orders in the Church: the Order of Bishop, Priest and Deacon. All 3 are ordained and deacons are specifically ordained for service. Deacons are assigned by the Bishop to ministries for which the Bishop perceives a great need, and for which the deacon may have special gifts or talents. Deacons can be married, but once they are ordained, they cannot get married or remarry. They can baptize, marry outside of Mass, and bless things and people. They cannot celebrate Mass, hear confessions or anoint the sick. At Mass, they lead the Penitential Rite, proclaim the Gospel, are permitted to preach, prepare the altar and the gifts, distribute commu¬nion, especially the wine and give the dismissal at Mass. Historically, the deacons were the ones who were responsible for caring for the poor, the sick, and the widowed in the Early Church.

Question when carrying the cross, that he met Mary and that Veronica wiped his face?

Answer:

The Bible does not mention Jesus stumbling when he carried the cross, but we can assume that he did. since the Roman soldiers enlisted Simon of Cyrene to help him with this arduous task. The idea of Jesus falling three times which we see in The Stations of the Cross has a dramatic precedent, triples being a regularly used literary form in drama. The 3 falls bring out in dramatic fashion the extent of Jesus’ suffering before his death on the cross. The Stations of the Cross also known as The Way of the Cross is a popular devotion used to reflect upon Jesus journey to Calvary. The Stations grew out of imitations of Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem which is believed to be the actual route Jesus travelled on his last journey. One of the most touching of the scenes is when Veronica in an act of compassion wipes away the sweat and blood from the face of Jesus. St Veronica is not mentioned in the Bible but is known to us by Christian tradition. Her veil is one of the Vatican’s treasures and is housed for security in a remote Capuchin monastery in Manopello in the Appenine Mountains. The veil is believed to have been miraculously imprinted with an image of the Holy Face. That Jesus met his mother we cannot doubt as she was beside him. when at the foot of the cross, he gave her into the care of John.

One of my favourite periods of our history is the decade between 1920 and 1930, known affectionately as “The Roaring Twenties”. The era of the 1920s was a boisterous period, charac¬terised by rapidly changing lifstyles, financial excesses, and the fast pace of technological progress that changed Western society and Western culture particularly in major cities such as Berlin, Paris. London, Chicago, and Sydney. In France, the decade was known as the “annees follies”, (“Crazy Years”), emphasising the era’s social, artistic and cultural dynamism.

Life in the Roaring Twenties

The Roaring Twenties was a decade of great economic growth and widespread prosperity, driven by the United States which had successfully transitioned from a wartime economy to a peacetime one. A boom in construction, and the rapid growth of consumer goods such as automobiles and electricity in North America and Western Europe, gave them the ability to provide loans for a boost in the economies of a few other developed countries such as Australia as well. The improvements of the economics of these countries and technological advances which created labor and time-saving devices, reduced the drudgery of everyday life, giving many people more free time and money to spend on things such as.

The rapid progress made in transportation by automobiles, trains, ocean liners, airships and aeroplanes opened up countries and the world, enabling ordinary people to travel world-wide as never before.

New music and dances were fast paced and energetic, like the optimistic I920’s themselves. African American jazz music from its birthplace in New Orleans to Chicago. New York, and Kansas City, influenced popular culture, and dancing began to actively involve the upper body for the first lime. Young people took to throwing their arms and legs in the air with reckless abandon in a new dance craze called the Charleston. Music and dance were an escape from the horror of war. and an opportunity to release pent up emotions created by the restricted lifestyles forced on the public by the war effort.

The new woman

Because of the work they did during the First World War – taking on the jobs vacated by men fighting it the role of women began to change. They began earning more equality during this decade, getting more access to higher education, jobs in the workplace and a changing domestic role. Woman’s fashion in both clothing and hairstyles changed dramatically too; particularly with the young and more affluent of society’s women.

The Movies of the time popularised the image of the fun-loving and free-thinking woman throughout the US and Europe. The 1920 movie The Flapper introduced the term by which these free thinking women became known. The title character, Ginger, was a wayward girl who flouted the rules of society.

Ginger had so much fun that a gen-eration of lonely young women wanted to be like her. Flappers did what society did not expect from young women. They danced to the music of this new age Jazz. they smoked, they wore makeup, they spoke their own language, and they lived for the moment. Flapper fash¬ion followed the lifestyle. Skirts became shorter to make dancing easier. Corsets were discarded in favour of binding their chests to flatten them. The straight -shape¬less. short dresses were easy to make and blurred the line between the rich and everyone else. They cut their hair into short bobs; rebel-lion against the older generation’s veneration of long feminine locks.

The Era Of The Silent Movie

The cinema was the most exciting development of the time in America and in Europe. It influ¬enced people in a number of ways; both in terms of fashion and the way in which people behaved.

During the early 1920s, every movie was silent. Cinemas used to employ musicians to play the piano or electric organ during the films.

Looking for icons and worship¬ping them became a major symbol of the ‘Roaring Twenties’. The influence of these movie stars con¬tributed to the increase in popularity of the cinema. The Italian. Rudolph Valentino, was a very popular actor and his role in The Sheikh (1921) influenced the way some men dressed. He was a star and appeared in many of the early films, earning SI million. When he died suddenly in 1926 his fans were grief stricken.

Charlie Chaplin was also a very influential figure and was one of the founders of the United Artists film company in 1919 along with actress Mary Pick ford, and actor Douglas Fairbanks. He was also a famous actor, starring in silent films such as The Tramp (1915) and The Kid (1921). He preferred the craft of the silent movie rather than the ‘talkies’ that arrived with the first talking picture The Jazz Singer in 1927. starring Al Jolson.

But it may be that women like American actress. Clara Bow were the Hollywood stars that had the most influence on society at the time. She rose to stardom in silent film during the 1920s, playing the part of a flapper in a number of films. The most famous being It. made in 1927. Her films influenced many young girls to behave in the same way. Her fans wanted It, so they copied her look and behaviour.

But not every girl enjoyed the flappers’ way of life. Poor women could- not buy the new fashions and they didn’t have the time to go out to enjoy social events. In America, African American women could not benefit from the changing lifestyle either. Also, many older women were outraged by the Flappers flirtatious behaviour and some even formed an Anti-Flirt Club!

Art styles of the 1920s

Two art movements. Surrealism and Ail Deco had their genesis during the 1920s. Surrealism is a cultural and philosophical movement that began in the early 1920s. and is best known for its visual artworks and writings. Artists painted unnerving, illogical scenes creating strange creatures from everyday objects and developed painting techniques that allowed self expression, mixing dreams with reality. The most important centre of the movement was Paris. From the 1920s onward, the movement spread around the globe, eventually affecting the visual arts, literature, film, and music of many countries.

Art Deco is a style of visual arts, architecture and design that is characterised by use of materials such as aluminium, stainless steel, lacquer, inlaid wood, sharkskin, and zebra skin. The bold use of zigzag, stepped forms, sweeping curves, chevron patterns, and sunburst motifs, influenced everything from buildings and decor to sculpture and beautiful jewellery. It first appeared in France just before World War I. but continued to develop into a major style in western Europe and the United States during the 1920s and 1930s.

The End of the Roaring Twenties

On October 29. 1929. also known as Black Tuesday, stock prices on Wall Street collapsed adding to a looming worldwide depression. The Great Depression as it was later called, put millions of people out of work across the world and lasted throughout the 1930s; halting an era of unprecedented affluence and excess, and putting an end to the decade long party that was the Roaring Twenties.

America’s Other Anthem

Oh beautiful, for spacious skies For amber fields of grain. For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain. America! America! God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea’

The swearing in ceremony of an American President, held every four years, concludes with the singing of “The Star-spangled Banner,” the National Anthem of the United States. Another honoured tradition of the same ceremony is the singing of what is often described as America’s unofficial anthem. “America the Beautiful” instantly recognisable to every American, is sung with pride and deep emotion at major national events, such as for example after the terrorist attacks on New York on 11 September 2001. To this day, the author of this patriotic poem enjoys honoured status throughout her native land. On 28 March 1929 Katharine Lee Bates died at her home in Wellesley in the State of Massachusetts, just five months short of her seventieth birthday. She had been Professor of English Literature at the prestigious university called Wellesley College, and was respected as a scholar, writer and poet.

The bespectacled professor, known as Miss Bates to students and others alike, enjoyed her childhood years in the resort of Falmouth, for as an adult she returned on vacation there every year of her life, and chose to be buried there. Katharine entered Wellesley College at the age of nineteen, graduating in 1880 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. From then until retirement in 1925, she taught English, first at the College preparatory school, and then in the university itself. She never married, and was often photographed with her collie Hamlet and parrot Polonius.

Captivated by the beauty of her Country

“America the Beautiful” was com¬posed in 1893. In that year Miss Bates travelled by train to lecture at a summer school in Colorado. Some of the sights from that trip across the continent would Find their way into her most famous poem. During a break from lectures she joined others in a drive in a prairie wagon to the summit of Pike’s Peak in Colorado Springs. She was enthralled by the vista of rolling plains, their acres of ripening wheat rippling like the waves of the sea, all framed by noble peaks and set under the vast blue vault of the summer skies. Captivated by the beauty of her country, she hastily scribbled the words which would later form the basis for “America.”

The poem was initially published in the magazine The Congre¬gational ist. to commemorate Inde¬pendence Day on July 4th. and quickly caught the public’s fancy. From time to time there were attempts to set the words to music (including to the tune of Auld Lang Syne), but by 1926 it had become evident that the most popular setting was to the tune “ Matcrna”, composed by Samuel A. Ward in 1882 as he rode the ferryboat from Coney Island to New York City. Ward died in 1903 without ever knowing of the fame that would attach to his music.

Calls to adopt “America” as National Anthem

Also in 1926 there were calls from some quarters to adopt “America” as the country’s national anthem in place of “The Star-Spangled Banner”, composed at the time of the Civil War sixty years before. Its supporters argued that it was more melodic, easier to sing, and less militaristic. “Banner” defenders however were loud in their praise of its long and proud history1. The argument was settled in their favour when in 1931 President Herbert Hoover signed into law the Bill which confirmed its official status as the national anthem of the United States.

In 1925 Miss Bates had retired from active teaching. By now universally known and admired, she lived quietly with her pets in her Curve Street home in Wellesley. It is her creation— “America the Beautiful”— with its stirring rhythms, its solemn and melodious air, and inspiring tribute to the homeland, which is the lasting memorial to the gentle and patriotic spinster.

Let Them Both Grow Till The Harvest

Jesus put another parable before the crowds: ‘The Kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel among the wheal, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the darnel appeared as well. The owner’s servants went to him and said, “Sir, was it not good seed you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from? ” “Some enemy has done this.” he answered. And the servants said, “Do you want us to go and weed it our? ” But he said “No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them grow till harvest: and at harvest time / shall say to the reapers: First colled the dameI and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn:’ Matthew 13:24-30

God’s ‘Streaky’children

A preacher put this question to a class of children: “If all the good people in the world were red and all the bad people in the world were green, what colour would you be? Little Linda Jane thought mightily for a moment. Then her face brightened and she replied: “Reverend, I’d be streaky!! Little Linda Jane’s response reminds me of some words of wisdom my mother gave us as children: There is some good in the worst of us and some bad in the best of us.’ We all make mistakes: we all fall short; we arc not all that we could be or all that we arc called to be. in our attitudes, our words and our actions. And just as there is good and evil, ‘wheat and darnel* in each one of us we can say the same is true for every community, every institution, every church, every religion, every race and ever)’ nation. But it is important to remember too that in spite of the presence of ‘darnel’ in our lives, at the core we are still good, essentially good, made in the image and the likeness of our heavenly father.

While sin has wounded us it has not destroyed our essential good¬ness. When we are ‘good’ we expe¬rience a coming home to the truth of ourselves, when we are ‘bad’ it is an experience of losing touch with home, with what is best in us. Perfect goodness is always beyond us. What we can aspire to in life is that the red hue of goodness in us will grow stronger and brighter and the green hue of evil will weaken and fade.

Farming Wisdom.

In a way that is the wisdom of the farmer in the gospel – he is aware of the presence of the ‘darnel* in his field but he is not going to rush in to try to eradicate it. He tolerates it for the sake of all that is good in his field and he is confident that the ‘wheat* will survive and will grow even stronger because of its strug¬gle with the darnel. He is confident
that one day the ‘wheat* will out¬grow and dwarf the ‘darnel* and that harvest time will be time enough to separate them.

Being trusted can make us blossom.

As a young Priest I had recently been assigned to work in the inner city of Dublin, and one day I was out on the roof of the Youth Centre doing some repairs, when a young man, by the name of Pat came by offering to help. “I’m just out of the ‘Joy* (Mountjoy),*’ he said, “and you’ll never see me back there again.” In spite of my own doubts and misgivings I passed him the hammer and quipped. “I bet you are a dab hand better with this than I am.’* This was to be the beginning of a special working relation-ship and friendship that greatly enriched my life and ministry over the next seven years. In spite of obvious shortcoming and tailings with which he struggled (and sure, don’t we all have them anyway!). Pat was to become my right hand man. Whatever about his past and the circumstances of his upbringing he had a good heart, a generous spirit and strong desire to give of his best. Sometimes he would put me to shame in the very down to earth, practical and personal care he showed to some of the elderly in our Dominican Day Care Centre. The elderly folks loved him too for his charm, constant good humour and fun. Being trusted always seemed to bring out the best in him. Looking back, it has often struck me that if I had given in to my misgivings on that first encounter 1 would have missed, and not only me but many in that inner city com¬munity. a truly great treasure which Pat turned out to be.

Slow to Judge

Sometimes, like the servants in the gospel, we can be too quick to write people off: one mistake and they arc out of our lives, or out of our community or out of our church. We want nothing more to do with them. When Jesus looked at people he just didn’t see their mistakes he tried to dream of their possibilities. He dared to believe that we are a lot bigger than the little person who is operating in us when we are mean, narrow-minded, greedy or violent. He always looked with great compassion on the presence of the ‘darnel’. As far as he is concerned ‘some enemy has done this’. In other words the darnel often sprouts up because of fear and insecurity, the result of oppression or persecution, inequality and injustice, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. In a real sense it is not the ‘darnel’ but the causes of it that need to be addressed. For Jesus, the ‘darnel’ doesn’t represent what is best in us: we are capable of better than that, and he believes in our capacity to grow in goodness. So he is not going to rush to judge¬ment on any human life. That can wait until the end because only then can one see the full picture.

Be Patient with one another.

This challenge to bear with ourselves and with one another, in spite of our failings, is beautifully captured in the prayerful lyrics written by Sim Wilson in ‘Please be Patient with Me.’ “Please be patient with me. Cod is not through with me yet. When God gets through with me I shall come forth, I shall come forth like pure gold. If you should see me and I’m not walking right, and if you should hear me and / ‘m not talking right, please remember that God is not through with me yet; when he gets through with me I’ll be what he wants me to be. Please be patient with me, God is not through with me yet.”

In the July month the world is en fete with holidaymakers seaside bound. Should you find yourself on Wexford shore this summer among those seeking sunshine, rest and relaxation, take a trip to Hook Head. For centuries the Hook lighthouse has been a guiding light for seafarers. In places its white walls blackbanded are four metres thick, withstanding wind and weather, over 800 years of winter storms.

Wexford men: Going down to the sea in ships

Robert Meyler. Edward Cheevers, Patrick Cavanagh and two companions, five sailors from Wexford town, were likely familiar with the Hook, leading them home safely from stormy sea. They were each of them simple men of faith. As brightly as Hook light shining on dark waters, they let their own light shine out. that seeing their good deeds, all people might glorify the Father in heaven. It happened this month in the year 1581 that together with Matthew Lambert, a baker from Wexford town, they were executed for their Catholic faith.

Rebellion: He raised up a stormy wind

Matthew’ Lambert was arrested together with this group of sailors, his fellow townspeople, because they had assisted Viscount Baltinglass, James Eustace and his chaplain. Wexfordborn Jesuit. Fr Robert Rochford. in their efforts to flee the country. The late 1570s were marked by a scries of disturbances that troubled the peace of the English administration in Ireland. In an expedition financed by Pope Gregory XIII. James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald landed in County Kerry in mid 1579. Proclaiming war against the heretical Queen Elizabeth who had been excommunicated by Pope Pius V in 1570, he was killed within a month of his arrival. Against the backdrop of the Desmond rebellion which had erupted in Munster in the autumn of 1579, Viscount Baltinglass incited a revolt in support of the papacy in July 1580. He was unable to capitalize on his initial success against government forces at Glenmalure,county Wicklow in August 1580 and later joined with the muster Fitzmaurice rebels. The November massacre of the spanish garrison which had embarked at smerwick harbour in kerry in september death a futher blow to the faltering campaign.

Martyrs: They cried to the Lord In February 1581, Baltinglass tried to leave the country through Wexford port. But so devalued was his currency that on arrival in the town he was unable to secure the support of any people of means in his attempted escape. Matthew Lambert gave him shelter and the five Wexford sailors tried unsuccessfully to secure safe passage for Baltinglass and Fr Rochford his chaplain. Their efforts landed them in prison. While records of their trial were destroyed by the fire which engulfed the Four

Courts in 1922 John Howlin documented events in a work published before his death in Lisbon in 1599. During preliminary pro¬ceedings it is suggested that Lambert was threatened with torture. When questioned on his loyalty to pope or queen, he made a brief profession of faith. He said that he was a Catholic, believing what the church believed and that he did not comprehend the con¬troversies. By this simple ‘I believe’ he convicted himself and was sentenced to death as a trai¬tor. Howlin. who may have witnessed events first hand, asserts that the sailors were tortured but continued to profess the Catholicfaith throughout their ordeal. They too were condemned and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered. The executions were carried out in Wexford sometime between 5 and 25 July 1581. Matthew Lambert, baker and Robert Meyler, Edward Cheevcrs and Patrick Cavanagh. sailors were beatified by Pope John Paul II on 27 September 1992.

He guided them to their desired haven.

Beyond a few details of their trial and execution, we know little or nothing about this group of work¬ing men: the names of tw o of them
are even lost to history. Matthew Lambert is described by Howlin as *a simple completely unlettered man’. Together with his companion martyrs, they were perhaps ill- instructed in the faith. Nevertheless they were members of a ‘con¬sciously Catholic’ community, as Patrick Corish describes it. which was taking shape in Ireland in the wake of the Counter-Reformation. They stand for the countless men and women through the centuries – the hidden people of God – who. faced with difficult choices, have home active witness to the Gospel even at cost of their lives.

Caesar’s Sword

Approaching the end of the sec¬ond decade of the twenty-first century, the world is convulsed by sectarian violence. Much of this violence is directed against minority Christian communities of every denomination, many of whose members are confronted with the same impossible choices. ‘Under Caesar’s Sw ord’ is a glob¬al collaborative research project, a joint initiative of Notre Dame and Georgetown University and the Religious Freedom Institute in the United States. Its recent report, ‘In Response to Perse¬cution’ documents the global extent of persecution suffered by Christians at the hands of both state and other actors in countries across the world. The organiza¬tion Open Doors estimates that over 7,000 Christians died for their faith in 2015 alone. In one appalling incident in February that year the so-called Islamic State executed twenty-one migrant workers, mostly Egyptian Coptic Christians and one Ghanaian, on a beach in Libya. In the sight of such horror, we invoke the inter¬cession of all Christian martyrs, praying for peace in the world and understanding among the nations as w’e make the psalmist’s prayer our own. ‘And He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad because they were quiet, so He guided them to their desired haven.’

The Garden This Month

Deirdre Anglim

Scarlet, orange and yellow nas¬turtium adorn the low wall. Their luscious green leaves hold diamond droplets after rainfall. Creeping jenny strays onto the path near the clothes line. Bees swarm around the purple hebe. Scent of honeysuckle fills the air. Cerise dancing ladies lift their faces to the sun. Pink and white mallow hushes bloom at the gran¬ite wall. Hydrangea in shades of yellow’ and pink dominate the flower bed in the back garden.

My hanging baskets this yearare filled with trailing fuchsia, creeping jenny, petunia, geranium and thyme.

Golden alyssum has returned to the garden after an absence of several years. It was rediscovered at a garden fete earlier this year.

All I have to do is maintain this glorious display. May I suggest a plan of action?

Wander through your garden. Deadhead any faded flowers where necessary. Be careful when removing old blossom from azalea or rhododendron that you don’t damage the new buds underneath. Take note of those perennials you no longer enjoy. Plan to remove /replace them. Lift and discard any tired out speci¬mens. Pyracantha. hebe. and cotoneaster can be trimmed once they have finished flowering. Aim to keep the bottom of the bush wide and taper the top. Pace your¬self. Ask for help if you need it.

Weed every day. They appear overnight so root them out wherever you see them. Please do kneel down when you are hand weeding. Use the kneeler or an old cushion. Wear your gardening gloves all the time.

Water flowers, shrubs, plants, and vegetables daily. Use the garden hose to gently water every flower, tub. container, and shrub in your garden. Hanging baskets can dry out even on wet days. Drench hydrangea and gladioli frm top to root. Allow the water to soak in throughly. everning watering allows the mouisture to be absorbed overnight. on very hot dats you may need to water early in the day too. Yes, I Know I am an optimist If we do get a lot of rain, collect the rainwater in that old barrel/ bin to use later.

Strawberries, cabbage, lettuce and onions are being grown by a family member in his own plot. I look forward to tasting all of these in a few weeks time.
That quince cutting I planted has rooted!

Satoko Kitahara “The Ragpicker Saint”

Margaret Smith

There are many “rags to riches “stories, but the story of Satoko Kitahara is the exact opposite. Born in 1929, this daughter of a wealthy, aristocratic family lived a life of luxury until 1940 when Japan entered the Second World War. Then she found herself working at the Nakajima aircraft factory in Tokyo. It was dangerous work, but, having survived every enemy bombing raid, she found she had tuberculosis when the war ended.

Once recovered, she studied pharmacy but, one day, she saw two nuns entering the Sacred Heart Church in Yokohama. Although not a Catholic, she followed them inside. There she found herself staring at the statue of Our Lady. Entranced by her beautiful face, Satoko discovered that the nuns, from the Mercedarian Order, had been imprisoned during the war yet, despite the harsh treatment they had suffered, they bore no grudges against the Japanese people. She decided to embrace Cath- olicism, being baptised on 30th October 1949 and, after her Confirmation, she took the names Elizabeth, Mary.

A meeting with a charismatic Franciscan, Father Zeno, was to change her life dramatically. This man spent his days begging, not for himself though, but for the poor who lived in squalid conditions in a shanty town in Tokyo’s harbour area, known as Ant Town. After the priest had taken her there she wrote that she “could not sleep”. She had experienced life that she never knew existed, a place where “thousands lived in unbelievable destitution less than a kilometre from my home”.

She was determined to help and when Father Zeno asked her to organise some Christmas celebra- tions she taught the children to sing Christmas verses and persuaded the adults to perform a tableaux of the Christmas events, all of which was recorded and shown on television. From then on, Satoko spent time teaching the inhabitants of Ant Town, both young and old, basic grammar, numeracy, music and hygiene.

Surprisingly, this did not seem to impress the leadership of Ant Town. One in particular, “The Professor” was still to be convinced of her true intentions. As far as he was concerned, she was little more than a “do-gooder” who would soon return to her comfortable lifestyle. Satoko decided that the only way to prove the doubters was to become a “rag picker” herself.

She tramped the street alongside them with her own rag picker’s bas- ket yet this didn’t have the desired effect. Some claimed that she was a woman of superior breeding whose mind had been affected by the hor- rors of war. She persevered though. Each morning after Mass, often taking some of the children with her, she spent her days collecting what she could and never leaving Ant Town until the young had been bathed and fed.

Faith in the Rosary

During this time of hardship and challenge, she never lost faith in the power of the Rosary. She encour- aged others to join with her, many of whom were to become converts. Her work attracted the media who described her as “The Rag Picker Saint” and “Mary of The Ant Town” without realising the significance of her name. In Japan, Mary normally refers to the Blessed Virgin, a reference which seemed more then appropriate as Satoko was rarely seen without her Rosary.
Living in Ant Town, her administrative abilities frequently helped in disputes and negotiations with the authorities. An attempt to evict the inhabitants of Ant Town was thwarted, Satoko claimed, by her Rosary prayers.

Sadly, recurring tuberculosis led to failing health and she was forced to leave her friends in order to recuperate. During this time, her reputation for sanctity spread with many more Ant Town dwellers deciding that they wanted the God of Satoko to be their God and who were wel- comed into the faith.
Satoko decided to become a Mercedarian Sister but on the very day she was to enter the convent, she fell ill once again. Her doctor advised that she be taken to Ant Town where, “she will probably die but if she dies at Ant Town, she will die happy”

Her last task was to organise the purchase of land for a “new” Ant Town. A friend told her “We’ve done it thanks to your prayers, all you have to do is to ask your God to get you well so you can take your place in our “new” town”. It never happened. Satoko died on 23 January 1858 and almost fifty years later, in 2015, the little girl who exchanged riches for rags, became the Venerable Satoko Kitahara.

On Being A Golden Oldie

Aideen Clifford

Is it fun being old? That was the question my grand-daughter put to me as she finalised her home work which consisted of an inter- view with her granny about life long ago. I had diligently filled her in on my growing up, school days, my family, my home life as it was some seventy years ago and some of my replies left her astounded.

“No television? No wifi?” She was puzzled.

Then she grew all caring and kind and concerned about me.

“But” she said “I suppose you were very poor?”

I assured her that poverty didn’t come into the matter, just nobody had those luxuries then as they had not come on the market. She felt sorry for me to have had such a deprived childhood, how boring and dull life must have been, devoid of the only form of worth- while recreation: so her final ques- tion in the interview naturally fol- lowed. What a change life must be for me now, to have TV, an iPad, a Laptop. I must be having the life of Riley, all the programmes I could see; all the games I could play on the iPad; all the eMails I could send; truly old age for me just must be fun fun, fun. She was saddened when I told her that ‘fun’ was not quite the word I would apply to getting old.

Fun? No. But there are, never- theless, other words, nice words, that are used when talking or writ- ing about old age. We are described as SENIOR CITIZENS implying thereby that we have not only clocked up more miles on the years’ timetable but have become wiser, more superior in the process. Then there are other nice words like ‘MATURE’ that suggest that perhaps once we may have been a bit silly or irresponsible but now none of that we are sensible, steady, dependable citizens, since we are people of RIPE old age. Another word considered kind but are we plums or blackberries? But leave it to the songs to gild the lily; to make growing old into some idyllic state, remember the poetic words ‘silver threads among the gold’ to describe the horribly mundane process of the greying of one’s hair, or the many other ditties that speak of ‘the roses still bloom- ing in your cheeks’. Sounds good, but in reality there is little to com- mend the state of being old, an inevitable state we all know, yet something that actually creeps up on you until one day you realise that you can no longer walk as fast, sleep as well, work as hard, remember as clearly, hear as well. Then you know you’ve got there. Join the club, you are now old.

Upsides of being old

But is it all black? Not at all, it has its upsides too, not too many maybe, at least, on the physical side but in other ways. Think of all the running and rushing about you do in your young days, watching the clock, meeting the deadlines, getting that appointment, now there’s no reason for any of that anymore, you have time. Time for yourself, to join a club, to go to a night class, to use your travel pass to explore new places, time for others too, to look up that long forgotten cousin, to visit that housebound neighbour, to enjoy the grandchildren. A certain amount of freedom too. You no longer worry about what the neighbours think; you don’t care anymore; not much envy left in your life either, as you realise that those you once thought had all the luck, all the roses, had the thorns too. There’s great cama- raderie also among those no longer young, a feeling I suppose like soldiers in the trenches,’ we’ve weathered the bad times together, so let’s make the most of what remains’.

Easy to rate the damage, the physical damage, the years have done: easy too, to evaluate the havoc wrecked in matters of health. Yes, havoc, only the lucky ones manage to wage a successful battle in this area, but it is not so simple to examine how time has changed our mental attitudes, our outlook, our values, our opinions our priorities. Have we become more tolerant, or do we still condemn the conduct of those whose lifestyles differ from ours? Do we make an effort to be pleasant to those around us or are we grumpy and cranky? Have we become more patient, more patient not only with our own age-related failings but with those of others too? What matters most to us now? Does that word ‘success’ still have the same meaning? Or are there other more important words, like friendship, appreciation, kindness?

God Desires Us

Stephen Cummins OP

“What was really easy was falling in love with this person, was falling in love with Jesus Christ. That was the most surprising thing.”

It may surprise you to know that these are the words of a con- temporary young English actor, Andrew Garfield. Garfield is one of the main actors in Shusako Endo’s film, “Silence”. The film, directed by Martin Scorsese, is based on the factual life of a 17th century Portuguese Jesuit ministering in Japan. In preparation for the film, Garfield completed the 30 Day Retreat, known as the Exercises. My opening quote comes from an interview he gave on doing the Exercises.

In reading the full interview I am reminded of some texts from the gospel of St. John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them.” What does it mean to be ” drawn” to the Father? Perhaps we can change the word “drawn” to “attracted” or even “seduced”. We have been formed to think of coming to God by our efforts alone. We live good lives to ‘earn’ God’s love or approval. The emphasis here is on our efforts. God is distant and needs to be pleased by our efforts. It can be a very infantile relationship. So, let’s turn it around! What if it is God who is attracting or seduc- ing us? What if the focus is on God’s wide and crazy love for us to the point that he is, as a lover, attracting and desiring us? Our role now, is not one of effort and pleasing a distant God, but, of falling in love with God in Jesus. This is what happened to Andrew Garfield.

Traces of God can be found anywhere

Garfield decided to do the Exercises as a way to enter into the character he was acting. His initial motivation was functional and professional. In the process, he was seduced by God. What does this tell us? It tells us two things: to relax when we approach the things of God, and, to be open to be found by God anywhere. God is not confined to so-called ‘holy places’. An actor finds that the preparation of making a film is the place and moment that he is attracted to God in Jesus. It is with Jesus he is falling in love. It is not an idea or a feeling about God which attracts him. It is the person of Jesus. This is a real per- son touching the life of an actor! How beautiful. It bears out one of the hallmarks of our Dominican spirituality: the traces of God can be discovered anywhere. The emphasis here is on discovery and unfolding and not about earning or striving by our own efforts alone. We are simply asked to keep vigil: to be awake to the promptings of the one who is seducing us and to whom we are being attracted. It is the same as falling in love with another human person. One desires and one is desired. Here, God desires us. What a liberation this can be, if only we let it happen!

Elsewhere St John draws a similar tender image of being attracted by God. “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.” John 1:8. Here we have the tenderness between the Father and Son. Jesus, coming from the Father, has revealed God to us. Elsewhere in John we read, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” John 14:9. When you put these texts of St. John together, what is your feeling or sense or image? I have two responses: one of regret and one of humble gratitude. Regret for all the damage done in the name of God in Jesus. Regret for the hurt and unhealthy spirituality force-fed to people who were and are still being presented with a distant God. A God who only asks passive compliance. A God who rewards and punishes. Secondly, I am humbled by the wild and wide desire of God for us. A God who pours himself out in Jesus, the compassionate face and healing hands of God. A God who actual- ly desires us as we are. May I invite you this month to let your- self relax into this God who desires you. Give time to God’s desiring, seducing and attracting you!

If you are interested in reading the full interview with Andrew Garfield, and you have access to a computer, please go to thinking-faith.org and enter Andrew
Garfield.

Triple Filter Test

Unknown Author

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?”

“Hold on a minute,” Socrates replied.” Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”

“Well, no,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and…” “All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now, let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?”

“Umm, no, on the contrary…”

So, Socrates continued, you want to tell me something bad about my friend, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left – the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?””No, not really.” “Well,” concluded Socrates,” if what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?”

Saint Martin Replies

• Belfast Sincere thanks to St Martin for an amazing recovery for my grandson’s cat. This was very important because my grandson suffers from depression and his little pet is very important to him. For this and many other favours received over the years I am very grateful.
• Clare My friend’s son in the US was finding it very difficult to sell his house despite having dropped the price. I sent him a copy of the St Martin magazine. The next day he got an offer above the first asking price. While waiting to move he viewed a house that was way over what he could afford but he put the St Martin magazine in the hot press saying “I will put I it in your hands”. Within a few weeks the price dropped and he was able to buy! I think he does not know what to believe but his mother and I do! Thank you St Martin for your intercession on his behalf.
• Anon I would be forever grate- ful if you could find space in your magazine to publish my grateful thanks to St Martin for all the favours he has granted me over the past 46 years. Most recently for problems solved when we could see no solution to them. Please tell people never to give up praying or having faith in its power no matter how impossible the solution might seem. He has been my best friend and always will be there for me for my own children and for their children. Also thanks to the Sacred Heart, Our Lady, St Joseph, St Anthony and St Jude – all my friends.Midlands My daughter, living on her own, had had a lot of trouble with her next door neighbour and he took her to court. Coming up to the third court appearance I had been doing the St Martin Novena which I finished on the Sunday morning. That night the neighbour withdrew his complaint before the next court session on the following day. I attribute this completely to St Martin’s intercession. My grateful thanks for his help always.
• Antrim Please publish my long overdue thanks to St Martin, Our Blessed Mother and the Sacred Heart of Jesus for many favours received over the years,for employment for my son and two sons-in-law and my daughters and good health and contentment for my children and grandchildren. Thank you St Martin, you have never failed me. I will also be forever grateful to you for giving me the strength I needed after my husband died.
• Wexford This letter is long overdue for my heartfelt thanks to St Martin, the Sacred Heart and Our Lady for many, many favours received examinations, health concerns, healthy pregnancies and the safe delivery of my two chil- dren. My granny introduced me to the St Martin magazine when I was nine years old and now I am in my fifties. I promised publication for all the help over the years. St Martin never lets me down. Thank you so much.
• Antrim I had been praying to the Sacred Heart and St Martin for my husband who was undergoing tests and had to have an operation. Thank God as a result of all the praying by ourselves and the extended family the outcome was positive. I promised publication with my grateful thanks. There is nothing like prayer at all times but especially when we are troubled. Thank you from us both.
• Anon I would like to thank St Martin for all he has done for me and my family all these forty years and more. I visited St Martin’s Chapel when in Dublin recently and asked him to inter- cede with Jesus and Mary for a special health problem which has been bothering me for many years. I felt so miserable on that day but after leaving the Chapel I suddenly felt great and ever since then I am feeling much better. It is just not bothering me anymore and I want to say a million thanks to St Martin, Jesus and Mary or helping me. Please stay with me and my family always.
• Wexford I promised dear St Martin a letter of thanksgiving. I thought I had lost my card for accessing payment and I panicked but as it turned out I had only mislaid it. St Martin guided me to the place it was and I know he found it for me. I have been asking him to help me since I was a schoolgirl and I do not know what I would do without his help.