13 June 2013 St Anthony of Padua, priest and Doctor of the Church A Franciscan, renowned for his profound knowledge of theology. The Evangelical Doctor because he based all he said on texts of the Gospels. He died in Padua. (Fr James Socias, ‘et al’ [Eds], “Daily Roman Missal”, p1547) PAX St Anthony in a Homily on Christ as our peace said: ‘Pax’, Latin for peace also stands for the Holy Trinity. The letter P is for ‘Pater’ (Father); A, the first letter of the alphabet refers to the First-born Son; and X, a consonant of letters K and S, refers to the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son. Ref: Bob and Penny Lord, “Miracles of the Eucharist”, Vol 2, p305 St Antony, Preacher of Penance ‘Preaching and Penance’: a great binomen of pure evangelical origin. It is put to you again through the luminous example of Anthony, because it is completely valid and urgent in our days, although they are different from his. Times change. Methods and forms of pastoral action change according to the Church’s sage directives. But the fundamental principles remain. Likewise unchanged are the nature and problems of man, the apex of divine creation, yet seems to be always exposed to the dramatic possibility of sin. That means there is urgent need to announce the kerygma of salvation, unchanged in its content, ‘to man of today as well’; ie, there is need to preach salvation. There is urgent need as well today to offer the instrument ‘to sinful man’ -- the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Penance and reconciliation. After the great themes of evangelization, of catechesis and family, it has seemed fitting to examine this grave matter under all its aspects. It is a subject which engages a great part of the Church’s life and activity. Ref: Cf “Prayers and Devotions from Pope John Paul II”, pp223-4 Fatima: The second apparition On the morning of this day in 1917, Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco with a few dozen curious people went to the Cova da Iria. Precisely at noon the Lady appeared above the holm oak again. Everyone saw a small white cloud float down from the eastern sky and hover over the tree where the children were kneeling in ecstasy. ‘My Lady’, Lucia began in a fearful voice, ‘what do you want of me?’ “I want you to come here on the 13th day of next month, to pray the rosary every day; and to learn to read.” Lucia asked for the cure of a sick person. The Lady said, “If she is converted, she will be cured within a year.” ‘I want you to take us to Heaven’, Lucia said with childish simplicity. “Yes”, the Lady replied, “I will take Francisco and Jacinta soon, but you must remain for some time. Jesus wishes to use you to make me better known and loved; to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart.” Lucia was suddenly sad. ‘Must I stay here alone?’ “No, my child”, the Lady replied gently. “And would that make you suffer? Do not be disheartened. My Immaculate Heart will never abandon you, but will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.” As she said these words, the Lady again opened her hands on the three children and communicated to them the same immense light that had overwhelmed them last month. Francisco and Jacinta seemed to be in that part of the light which rose towards Heaven and Lucia in the rays which spread over the world. In the palm of the Lady’s right hand, they saw a Heart ringed by thorns which seemed to pierce it. They believed it to be the Immaculate Heart of Mary grieved by the sins of humanity and seeking reparation. As the Lady rose into the sky, Lucia stood up and cried: ‘Look! There she goes!’ The bystanders saw the little cloud of light drift away into the eastern sky. Then they noticed the leaves of the holm oak bent towards the direction the Lady had taken as if her garments had trailed across them. The leaves gradually returned to normal position after some hours. Ref: Francis W Johnston, “Fatima, The Great Sign”, 1980, p29 The heart as foundation of salvation The Popes did not speak formally of the hearts of Jesus and Mary as the core or foundation of salvation but John Paul II, the best theologian of the Hearts among them gave the following principles as keys and bases of this doctrine: 1. By His vision of Incarnation (and Redemption) as Consecration. Christ God- made- Man (ie, God consecrating humanity), is the source of all the consecrations (according to Jn 17:19). “I consecrate Myself that they may be consecrated” which are not another or different consecration, but the extension of His divine (hypostatic) self-consecration of his humanity born from Mary (“‘under the heart of Mary’, repeats John Paul II”): Consecration accomplished by His self-sacrifice till death. In this ‘admirable exchange’, Mary, who was the unique human cause of His becoming Man, was also the first to receive God who “is love” (1 Jn 4:8, 14) and became heart by Mary, gave her in turn a perfect and maternal heart, in His divine Image. This mystery was accomplished in the Redemption. Here, “the piercing of the Heart of Jesus was the piercing of the Heart of Mary” (Lk 2:35). (“John Paul II in Canada”, 15 September 1984; “Manila Conference, 1987”, p175) Then Jesus gave the blood of His body, and Mary the blood of her heart and soul. The cry of the Son’s heart was the cry of His mother’s heart, facing the intolerable violence of sin. (“John Paul II in Canada”, 15 September 1984, p175) 2. By His Pneumatology as principle of all consecration. The Holy Spirit who is the Heart of the Trinity by the procession of love, is the immediate and proximate source of all the consecrations. “The heart of Jesus was formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary then the heart was conceived.” (“John Paul II”, “Angelus”, 2 June 1985; “Manila Conference, 1987”, p174) 3. The invisible love of God was made humanly visible by the Heart of Jesus and in the heart of Mary His mother, as the feminine and maternal image of the Holy Spirit ... Because of a three-fold affinity to Mary and the Holy Spirit ... as mother of the Church, and as link of unity, where Mary is, the Holy Spirit is. Mary comes where the Holy Spirit is, as His (her) created sign, icon, expression, and instrument: His Incarnation was described with some poetic exaggeration and far-fetched expressions by St Maximilian Kolbe. Ref: R Laurentin, in “Alliance of the Two Hearts”, pp157-8 • Dedication of Our Lady of Sichem, near Louvain in the year 1604 by Mathias Hovius, Archbishop of Mechlin. The image of the Blessed Virgin seen in this church, was originally placed in the hollow of an oak-tree. — Justus Lipsius de Virg. Aspricol., c. 4. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com) • Dedication of the church Our Lady of Sichem near Louvain, Belgium 1604. (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html) • Dedication of the Church of Our Lady of Sichem, Belgium (1604). (www.divinewill.org/feastofourlady.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html) • Our Lady of Sichem, Belgium. 1604. The original Sichem was an Israeli town. Christians built a church dedicated to the Virgin in the 5th Century, but the Christian population was later wiped out by Muslims. In the "Little Office of the Virgin Mary" for Wednesday mornings, one line of prayer states, "I will rejoice, and I will divide Sichem and I will mete out the vale of tabernacles." (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Our Lady of Sichem near Louvain. (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html) • Our Lady of Fatima (2nd Apparition: "I am the Lady of the Rosary"). (http://mariedenazareth.com)