Patroness for a Priest

"Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?  Whom are you looking for?" She thought it was the gardener and said to him,"Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him."  Jesus said to her, "Mary!"  She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher.  Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.  But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"  Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and then reported what he told her." ~John 20:15-18

A first priestly blessing for my family

This past weekend my family was graced and blessed to attend a beautiful Holy Hour Vigil of Prayer, an Ordination Mass and the First Mass of Fr. John Baumgardner.  The Ordination Mass happened to fall on the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene.

At the beautiful holy hour vigil held at Saint Francis de Sales Seminary, the priest spoke to a full chapel about the Magdalene and how she will be the special patroness for Fr. John.  He said, "As Jesus told Mary Magdalene not to cling to Him, so we, too, must not cling to Fr. John.  We must let him go in freedom to serve the Lord as he has been called.  Neither his family nor any future parishioners he may come to know should cling, so that he may be open to love all.  And this is hard for a priest, too.  But out of obedience the priest must go where he is sent."

In his homily at the ordination, Archbishop Listecki also spoke of Mary Magdalene.  He said that she possessed two essential characteristics:  faith and love.  Because she had confidence in the person of Jesus she was faithful at the foot of the cross and her love for him opened her eyes upon hearing her name spoken in a loving manner.

Then, the Archbishop addressed the ordinand directly:  "John, I know the same voice called your name.  His invitation, framed in love, was to join the priesthood and become an apostle announcing His life, death and resurrection which is the only hope."  

Holy Father, May Fr. John Baumgardner be blessed with a long and holy priesthood under the patronage of St. Mary Magdalene!  May she guide his every step with her faithful love.  May he ever hear the voice of Jesus calling his name and leading him along the path to sanctity as he, himself,  leads so many souls along that same path.  Amen.

Holy Fire

I recently heard of an astonishing religious experience that has been occurring regularly for thousands of years.  I'm still scratching my head over how I  had never before heard of this astounding occurrence but am so grateful to now be in the loop.

Each year on Holy Saturday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the Orthodox Patriarch enters the tomb of Christ where a mysterious fire ignites from the slab of the tomb and quickly is shared among the thousands of faithful both in and outside of the church.  The church becomes alive with fire, excitement and joy! The flame is said to be warm, not hot, for the first thirty-three minutes (one minute for each year of Christ's life on earth).  Men are shown holding the fire directly in their faces and yet their beards don't scorch.  But, after thirty-three minutes the fire becomes naturally hot like any other fire.  

But here's something even more miraculous.  The fire isn't contained in the church building alone but it's shared around the world asking only for prayers for peace in Jerusalem in return.  For the first time this year it came to America on board a Russian Airline. There is a facebook page, Come Receive the Holy Fire!, that tracks the flames arrival in each destination, whether that be a church or a private home.  Those posting share pictures and practical details such as how to safely travel with the fire and how to keep it burning in the home. The excitement of those posting the receipt of the Fire is palpable.  This is truly a grace-filled gift of faith!

While there is much speculation that this annual ancient fire is a fraud and the fire could be produced with phosphorus, I believe that anything that comes from the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, from the very place where Jesus was buried and rose from the dead, and is shared with the world, is miraculous in itself.  

When my friend, Mary Anne, and her daughter Evanka, shared facebook posts about the Holy Fire that they had received from Abouna Moses, a monk at Holy Resurrection Monastery in St. Nazainz, Wisconsin, I was enthralled and eager to learn more about it.  Mary Anne generously offered to share the flame with us so my daughter, Mary and I, took her up on that offer and drove out to her house where we very carefully transferred the fire in a lantern and in a Seven Day Our Lady of Guadalupe Candle that Mary Anne shared with us.  I knew that I would only be able to keep the fire burning for that one evening in my home and would need to snuff it out for safety before bedtime so I decided to light every candle I had in the house with the Holy Fire.  Now each time I re-light my candles I will remember that the wicks had burned with the Holy Fire and I will enjoy the graces all over again. 

Imagine!  Flames from the tomb of Christ burning in my humble home!  If that isn't a miracle I don't know what is! 

My family used this opportunity of having the Holy Fire in our home to relight our children's baptism candles and to renew our baptismal vows with this special Easter Holy Fire.  Although not all of our children could be there, we lit all of their candles and prayed for them just as we did at their baptism.  We found a beautiful handout with scripture readings, prayers and vows tucked inside each candle box and used those for our prayer.

I am so filled with excitement and joy over this grace-filled blessing from God.  What a wonderful opportunity to learn something new, to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to grow more deeply into the faith!  Alleluia!  Christ is Risen!

I highly recommend that you spend a few minutes reading about and watching a video of the Holy Fire.  You will be entranced!  It is so amazing!  Perhaps you can search out a source of the Holy Fire where you live and can bring the Flame to your own home.  You can learn more about the Holy Fire at these links:

http://www.holyfire.org/eng/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/photos-of-the-holy-fire-at-church-of-the-holy-sepulchre-in-jerusalem/2017/04/15/9a9a97e2-2204-11e7-a0a7-8b2a45e3dc84_gallery.html?utm_term=.cb5750adba83

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VebCJM_72Pg

Here's the prayer format that we used for our Baptismal Vow Renewal:
A Renewal Celebration of Baptismal Vows

A Renewal Celebration of Baptismal Vows by Rev. Joseph Champlin

Prior to the actual renewal of baptismal vows, parents or godparents might read one or two biblical passages to remind participants of the meaning of baptism and of God’s presence through these inspired words.

Here are two excerpts which are commonly used at baptism:

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans:

Are you not aware that we who are baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  Through baptism into his death we were buried with him, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life.  If we have been united with him through likeness to his death, so shall we be through a like resurrection. (Romans 6:3-5).

A reading from the Gospel according to Mark:

One of the scribes came up, and when he heard them arguing he realized how skillfully Jesus answered the.  He decided to ask him, “Which is the first of all the commandments”  

Jesus replied:  “This is the first:  ‘Hear, O Israel!  The Lord our God is Lord alone:  Therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

This is the second:  ‘‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

There is no other commandment greater than these.”  The scribe said to him:  “Excellent teacher!  You are right in saying, ‘He is the One, there is no other than He.’  Yes,‘to love Him with all our heart, with all our thoughts and with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves’ is worth more than any burnt offering or sacrifice.”  Jesus approved the insight of  this answer and told him, “You are not far from the reign of God.”  And no one had the courage to ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:28-34)

After a period of silent reflection or group discussion on the readings, a parent or someone from the family next could explain the meaning of baptism for this child in these, or similar words, and lead all present in the renewal rite which follows.

Leader:

Some time ago we presented N…. for baptism.  By water and the Holy Spirit he (she) received the gift of new life from God, who is love.  On our part we have made it our constant care to bring N...up in the practice of the faith.  We have tried to see that the divine life which God gave be kept from the poison of sin and might grow always stronger in N….’s heart.  We share a common faith, the faith of the Church, and it was in this faith N….was baptized. At that time we rejected sin and professed our faith in Christ Jesus.  Now that you, N...are older and your faith makes you ready to accept this responsibility, we ask you to renew the vows of your own baptism.  

Leader:  Do you reject sin, so as to live in the freedom of God’s children?

Child:  I do.

Leader:  Do you reject the glamor of evil, and refuse to be mastered by sin?

Child:  I do.

Leader:  Do you believe in God, the Father almighty,, creator of heaven and earth?

Child:  I do.

Leader:  Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?

Child:  I do.

Leader:  Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?

Child:  I do.

Leader:  This is our faith.  This is the faith of  the Church.  We are proud to profess it, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

All:  Amen.

Leader:  You have renewed the vows of your baptism.  You are called a child of God, for so you are.  In confirmation you will receive the fullness of God’s spirit.  In holy communion you will share the banquet of Christ’s sacrifice calling God your Father in the midst of the Church.  In your name, all of us, sharing a common sonship, now pray together in the words our Lord gave us.

All:  Lord’s Prayer

Leader:  May God the almighty Father, who filled the world with joy by giving us the only Son, bless N...May he (she) grow to be more fully like Jesus Christ, our Lord.

All:  Amen.

Leader:  May almighty God, who gives life on earth and in heaven, bless the parents of N...May they always show their gratitude for the gift of life and  grace in N….by loving and caring for this child.

All:  Amen.

Leader:  May almighty God, who has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, generously bless all of us who are his faithful children.  May we always live as God’s people, and may the Lord bless all here present with his peace.

All:  Amen.

Leader:  May almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless us.

All:  Amen.s

Year of St. Mark the Evangelist

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Each January for the past few years I have enjoyed participating in Jennifer Fulwiler's Saint Name Generator where, after saying a short prayer I click a button and a saint comes forward to accompany me for the coming year. This year St. Mark the Evangelist is my prayerful companion.  I find it especially providential that the Gospel readings at daily Mass just happen to be from Mark so I have been paying extra close attention to them.  I've also spent the past month reading and reflecting upon the Gospel of Mark, the shortest of the four Gospels to be written, in my daily prayer time.  What a great way this has been to immerse myself in learning about my friendly saint and the Lord as well!

In researching St. Mark I found so many different stories and they all seemed to contradict each other. In the end I'm not sure what is really the truth of his life but will share what I found to be the most fascinating aspects about the saint.

St. Mark had traveled with Paul and Barnabas and was possibly a source of contention dividing the two in their evangelic travels.  In the end, all made peace and Mark was known to be a great help in spreading the good news of Christ.

St. Mark was a close friend and possibly a relative of St. Peter during the early years of Christianity, and it was from Peter that St. Mark learned about the life of Jesus.  St. Mark payed close attention to Peter's preaching and recorded everything that he learned from our first Pope, and that's where I feel that I just may have something in common with my 2017 patron.  Most of the blog posts that I share here are taken from my notes written while listening to moving homilies or talks given by great priests.  In addition, St. Mark is a patron of imprisoned people, so there's a connection with the title of this blog, too.

In St. Mark's Gospel he mentions a man with a water jug at whose house the disciples were to prepare the passover.  That house may have belonged to Mark's mother, Mary.  His Gospel also mentions a man who ran away naked from the Garden of Gethsemane. There is speculation that St. Mark may have been the man with the water jug and the man fleeing from the Garden.  He is also mentioned as having been present at the wedding at Cana where water was changed to wine.

St. Mark is identified with a lion because he begins his Gospel with St. John the Baptist described as a "voice crying out in the wilderness." St. Mark was martyred in 68 AD when he was dragged through the city of Alexandria for two days until he died.  His relics can be found in Alexandria and at St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice.  St. Mark's Feast Day is April 25th.

St. Mark is the patron saint of stained glass window makers, although I haven't been able to make a connection as to why that might be so other than the fact that he painted pictures with his words.  But with that patronage I've decided that this will be the year that I will work on making more sea glass mosaics under his guidance.  From the time I started collecting sea glass ten years ago I had always thought that I'd like to make a mosaic of the Virgin Mary but never thought I would be up to the task and had no idea about how to begin on my own.  So it must have been St. Mark's influence that caused me to discover a lovely mosaic of Mary and Jesus made by a woman from Helsinki that was shared in a sea glass group on facebook, and upon seeing it I knew that I, too, could piece together the same image.

My friend Christi of Lumen Christi Art who designed and helped me to make a Sea Glass Tree of Life mosaic two years ago had sent her Milwaukee Journal Sentinel entry for Christmas Artwork, the icon of "Mother of God of Tenderness," as a Christmas card this past year. Of the icon she wrote:  "Christ draws our attention to His mother and there is an additional detail of love where we see that Jesus' arm is around His mother's neck.  The little face tenderly pressed against His mother's face is Christ Immanuel, the Glory of God and Creator of all."  

Using Christi's icon and my new friend from Helsinki's art as examples I have begun the work under the patronage of St. Mark.  Our Lady's face was certainly the most difficult part so far and I'm nervous about bringing Jesus' face to life after the difficulty I had with His mother's face.  I'm sure that if I would try to replicate this mosaic I would make lots of changes the second time around to improve it, but for a first effort on my own I'd say it's going pretty well and I am learning a lot.  I only have so much glass available to me so using limited supplies poses a challenge, as well.  My mosaic definitely has more of a folk art feel than classic art but I am enjoying the work and the deep prayer that accompanies the task.  The image below is my humble beginning.  I'll be sure to share the finished project in a future post.

Prayer (source)

“O glorious St Mark, through the grace of God our Father, you became a great Evangelist, preaching the Good News of Christ. Obtain for me I pray you, lively faith, firm hope and burning love; patience in adversity, humility in prosperity, recollection in prayer, purity of heart, a right intention in all my works, diligence in fulfilling the duties of my state of life, constancy in my resolutions, resignation to the will of God and perseverance in the grace of God even unto death. Through the same Christ Our Lord, Amen.”

Here's a nice reflection on St. Mark by my friend, Fr. James Kubicki, SJ from the Apostleship of Prayer.

The Language of Love with Fr. Tim Kitzke

Fr. Tim Kitzke at Roses for Our Lady's May Crowning

On May 20th, his 26th anniversary to the priesthood, Fr. Tim Kitzke, the pastor of four parishes (including 7 churches), spiritual advisor for many groups within the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, and newly appointed Vicar General of the City of Milwaukee, a role in which he hopes to bring peace and hope to the city which has been beleaguered by violence, came to speak to the de Chantal Society at Saint Francis de Sales Seminary.   The de Chantal Society is led by Susan McNeil of the Nazareth Project and Lisa Brielmaier of Saint Francis de Sales Seminary, and their mission is to "spiritually form and inspire Catholic women who, like St. Jane de Chantal, are integral to families, vocations and the Catholic Church."  Following thirty minutes of silent Eucharistic adoration, Fr. Tim's talk was lively and inspiring and within it he gave us three challenges for the spiritual life.

The Language of Love by Fr. Tim Kitzke

Fr. Tim said that whenever he's preparing a homily or a talk, the Lord gives him little signs to help him in his preparation, and recently these signs came through a little girl, Magdalena, or Lena, for short, who accompanies her mother  when she meets Fr. Tim for spiritual direction.  

Peacemakers

Fr. Tim said that his office is not child-friendly, and in it he has a large portrait of Our Mother of Perpetual Help that is on the floor leaning against the wall.  When Madgalena was a toddler and was learning how to crawl she used that picture of Our Mother of Perpetual Help to hold onto as she was learning to stand.  Fr. Tim, feeling nervous about the picture, told himself, "Tim, it's just a thing, let it go."  And the next thing he saw was little Lena looking at the image on the painting, and then she took her pacifier out of her mouth and tried to put it into baby Jesus' mouth!  He said this was a great symbol!  We're supposed to be pacifiers if we're living the language of love.

When Jesus ascends to heaven it's not to leave us as orphans, but so that we can take our proper role.   If Jesus were still here living in the world and walking among us, we wouldn't want to be listening to Fr. Tim, he wouldn't have a job. We'd be sitting at the feet of Christ, hanging on to His every word. But because Jesus ascended, we have to become peacemakers.  It's our first challenge. 

If you say that you love Jesus Christ, then you have to find peace in your heart before that peace can go out to others.  We have so much to worry about-the world, the Church, our children-but Jesus wants us to pray first of all for real peace to begin in our own hearts.  We have to find peace so that we can be peace and then we can find ways to pacify the world.

Open Doors

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After Lena tired of sharing her pacifier with Jesus, she went to every door and tried to push it open.  That's our second challenge.  We're to open doors for others, and whatever door you open, open it wide.  We have a tendency, like the disciples, to stay behind locked and closed doors for fear.  But we need to engage, to open up our hearts to possibility.  Fear is paralyzing.  It closes our heart off.  There's an old Portuguese Proverb that says:  "A life lived in fear is a life half-lived."

Our demons come and they wake us up in the middle of the night causing us to lose sleep.  You have to cast out fear and get rid of whatever is demonic in your life.   Name your demons.  Give them a name  For example, there's the demon of self-loathing. Ask him to please leave.  And then pray to St. Michael the Archangel for his help.  Think about our baptismal promises.  Do you reject Satan?  The demonic powers have personal power.  They know the chinks in our armor and they know what will set us off into tailspins of fear.  We have to open the doors of our house to grace and peace.

Think of Jesus facing the demon in the desert, and in death, and when he descended into hell.  Why did Jesus have to go to hell?  One thought is that he had to face the devil in his own territory as an example to the disciples.  Another thought is that he went to hell because he was looking for Adam and Eve.  He had to go to the lowest part of hell to find them because they started this mess.  And there he found Adam with apple juice caked on his chin and Eve with tears crusted over her bereft eyes.  He tells them, "You weren't created for this.  Come with Me now."

When you wake up in the middle of the night tormented by demons, go to the medicine cabinet, and after you get over the shock of seeing yourself in the mirror, tell yourself, "You weren't created for this."

Use the Keys

After Lena found that pushing on the doors wasn't going to open them, she dumped out her mother's purse, found the keys and took them to the doors and tried to use them to unlock the doors.  Like Lena, we have the keys, it's the Church.  The Lord said to Peter, you are the rock and upon you I will build my Church.  We are challenged to use the keys of the Church to open and release fear, doubt, and anxiety.

Read holy scripture, pray the rosary or other devotions, spend quiet time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, go to Mass twenty minutes early or stay twenty minutes after Mass to pray.  Spiritual reading and coming to the de Chantal Society are also keys that will help us to live a spiritual life.  These are the keys that will help us to face the devil in battle.

Facing Failure

When Lena found that the doors were still locked and that her mother's keys didn't open them, she threw them down and jumped into her mother's lap.  Like Lena, we're going to face failure in the spiritual life.  We're going to obsess and face difficulties.  But the spiritual life is not a matter of success.  It's a matter of fidelity.  Half of life is just showing up!  So sometimes we just have to jump into our Mother's lap-into the arms of the Church and our Mother Mary's arms.  Yes, sometimes you will fail, but learn the language of "I kept trying." Sometimes you have to just let go and trust.  Faith is often a walk in the dark.

Fr. Tim said that after 26 years of the priesthood he's discovered that the more you let go, the better it is.  Somehow God works things out.  That's why we call it the mystery of grace. God will write straight with the crooked lines of our lives.

Realize that there have been people who have gone before you that know the way.  The saints give us an example and encouragement.  Aren't we lucky as Roman Catholics to have the saints?  We have a body of witnesses to walk with us.  They have a ladder of love that will take us to heaven.  

What the World Needs Now

Fr. Tim shared a story about his mother and how, in her last years on earth, he and his three siblings would all go to take care of her in her home.  They would clean her house, do the laundry and cook for her.  Fr. Tim went every Monday but one week his sister filled in for him.  The next week he asked his mom who cleaned better and his mom told him that he did.  So he called his sister to brag and she said, "That's odd because mom told me that I clean better!"  So Fr. Tim went back to his mom and asked her why she told both of them that they clean the best and she replied, "Oh Timmy, I only tell you what you need to hear!"

We all need to hear that we are loved unconditionally and irreplaceably.  As  St. Augustine says, God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us and He wants to help you.  Bask in the love of God.

If we take this seriously we can learn a new language, the language of love.  Or, as Fr. Tim has been frequently saying in his homilies and talks, what this world needs now is love, sweet love.

The next de Chantal Society meets on November 18th and 19th, 2015 at Saint Francis de Sales Seminary, 3257 S. Lake Drive in Milwaukee, with Bishop Richard Sklba.  The hour of adoration, benediction and spiritual formation is always followed by a wine and cheese or coffee and cake social.  It's a wonderful time for women to be uplifted and to visit with old friends, as well as to make new friends.  Visit their website here for more information.

Tree of Life Sea Glass Mosaic Final Post-Mary as the Tree of Life

"Happy the soul in which Mary, the Tree of Life, is planted; happier the soul in which she has acquired growth and bloom; still happier the soul in which she yields her fruit; but most happy of all: the soul which relishes and preserves Mary's fruit until death, and for ever and ever. Amen." ~St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of Mary

Tree of Life Mosaic with natural lighting

Christi Jentz and I completed our Tree of Life Sea Glass Mosaic this past weekend!  We began the project last June with the passage from the book of Revelation in mind, but as I prayed over this project during the past seven months, I came to feel that St. Louis de Montfort's explanation of  Mary as the True Tree of Life who bore the fruit of the tree, Jesus, to be more meaningful to my heart than the Revelation passage, although that is still very fitting and very beautiful.

I renewed my Marian Consecration on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.  While attending the noon Mass on my work lunch break on my consecration renewal day, I was pleased to hear Father speak about consecration and the need to renew the offering of our complete self, our bodies, mind and spirit to the Lord.  Father had no idea, of course, that I was thrilling from his words, feeling that this was a confirmation from God that my consecration must be pleasing to Him.

And the fact that we completed the mosaic in time for my Marian Consecration also felt like a little confirmation of my thoughts regarding the Tree of Life as a sign of Mary's self-giving for Christ.   For the past seven years as I bent down upon the shores of Lake Michigan to gather the small shards of glass, I always felt that each piece of glass I collected was a small prayer of praise to God from me, and a gift of love to me from Him.  So shaping the glass into a Tree of Life Mosaic became a meaningful prayer of completion.  It became a way that I could give the gift of sea glass back to Him, through my love for Mary and my desire to draw ever more closely to the Heart of Jesus.

What a glorious day this day of Consecration is-presenting myself to Jesus through Mary on the day that she presented Jesus to God, and then seeing that gift symbolized in this beautiful work of art, made with small, found pieces of glass arranged with love by the hands of artisan Christi Jentz, who patiently taught me as I worked beside her, just as our Lord learned his artisan craft of carpentry by working beside the ever-patient St. Joseph.  The Presentation has come full circle, hasn't it?  Mary and St. Joseph presented their Son as a gift, and I, in turn, present the offering of my life and my love for sea glass as a gift to glorify both Mary and Jesus.  How amazing this life of faith truly is and how much there is to ponder in the words of St. Louis de Montfort and his book The Secret of Mary!

Tree of Life Mosaic with white background

"Chosen soul, provided you thus carefully cultivate the Tree of Life, which has been freshly planted in your soul by the Holy Spirit, I can assure you that in a short time it will grow so tall that the birds of the air will make their home in it. It will become such a good tree that it will yield in due season the sweet and adorable Fruit of honour and grace, which is Jesus, who has always been and will always be the only fruit of Mary." ~St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of Mary

Tree of Life mosaic with blue background

"This tree, once planted in a docile heart, requires fresh air and no human support. Being of heavenly origin, it must be uninfluenced by any creature, since a creature might hinder it from rising up towards God who created it. Hence you must not rely on your own endeavours or your natural talents or your personal standing or the guidance of men. You must resort to Mary, relying solely on her help." ~St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of Mary

flowers in springtime details

"The person in whose soul this tree has taken root must, like a good gardener, watch over it and protect it. For this tree, having life and capable of producing the fruit of life, should be raised and tended with enduring care and attention of soul. A soul that desires to be holy will make this its chief aim and occupation." ~St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of Mary

leafing out in summer details

"You must guard against grubs doing harm to the tree. These parasites are love of self and love of comfort, and they eat away the green foliage of the Tree and frustrate the fair hope it offered of yielding good fruit; for love of self is incompatible with love of Mary." ~St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of Mary

autumn color details-if you look closely at the top orange triangle in this section, you will see that it is a seed, like a tiny mustard seed....

"You must offer yourself to Mary, happily lose yourself in her, only to find God in her. If the Holy Spirit has planted in your soul the true Tree of Life, which is the devotion that I have just explained, you should see carefully to its cultivation, so that it will yield its fruit in due season. This devotion is like the mustard seed of the Gospel, which is indeed the smallest of all seeds, but nevertheless it grows into a big plant, shooting up so high that the birds of the air, that is, the elect, come and make their nest in its branches. They repose there, shaded from the heat of the sun, and safely hidden from beasts of prey." ~St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of Mary

winter ice details

"Yet you need not be alarmed when the winds blow and shake this tree, for it must happen that the storm-winds of temptation will threaten to bring it down, and snow and frost tend to smother it. By this we mean that this devotion to our Blessed Lady will surely be called into question and attacked. But as long as we continue steadfastly in tending it, we have nothing to fear." ~St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of Mary

"You must not allow this tree to be damaged by destructive animals, that is, by sins, for they may cause its death simply by their contact. They must not be allowed even to breathe upon the Tree, because their mere breath, that is, venial sins, which are most dangerous when we do not trouble ourselves about them." ~St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of Mary

"It is also necessary to water this Tree regularly with your Communions, Masses and other public and private prayers. Otherwise it will not continue bearing fruit." ~St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of Mary

the last of the sea glass from seven years of collecting

the last of the sea glass from seven years of collecting

with the soon-to-be finished project in the background

our next project-Mother and Child

For more on this Tree of Life project see the initial post here, a follow-up here, another follow-up here, and Christi's blog here.

Bishop Donald Hying's Installation Mass

"What a blessing it is, our Catholic faith.  What a blessing it is, Jesus Christ and his Church and His Holy Word."  ~Bishop Donald Hying

The day that the invitation arrived in the mail, I was so overcome with joy that I could hardly contain myself.  Although Bishop Hying had asked me a few weeks earlier if my husband, Paul, and I would come to his installation in Gary to which I immediately replied "YES", there was something special about receiving that beautiful invitation, holding that card in my hand,  that made me realize that this was real, and that reminded me once again how deeply blessed I am that God would bring such a special, saintly and holy man into my life.  Although we had attended his episcopal ordination a little over three years ago I was still surprised that he would include me in this historic and beautiful event.  He is so holy and saintly and his life is so amazing that I feel very insignificant in comparison, and yet, his humility would never allow him to let on to me or to anyone else that he is anything other than ordinary.

It was with great anticipation and excitement that Paul and I took advantage of the arrangements that were being made for Bishop Hying's friends from Milwaukee to ride together on Coach buses to Gary, Indiana for the luncheon and Installation Mass on January 6th, 2015.

Unlike his episcopal ordination day when the temperature in Milwaukee was 102 degrees, the day of his installation was bitter cold with wind chills well below zero.  We found the comfort of riding on the warm bus to be very welcome.  A bonus of the bus ride was the opportunity for all of the passengers to pray the rosary together for Bishop Hying and then to watch his most recent film, CRUX, by Ahava Productions.  I highly encourage purchasing this magnificent film, to enjoy, and then to share with a friend.  It's available as a download or on a dvd at the Ahava Productions website.

When we arrived at the hotel where the luncheon was held we were delighted to see Bishop Hying waiting at the door to greet us!  A quick handshake and hug, and a peek at his ring to see if he was wearing his new one yet (he wasn't-he was still wearing the ring that his family gave to him at his episcopal ordination), and we moved along to the hall for a most delicious lunch that was awaiting us.

The luncheon was over all too soon, and once again 80 excited pilgrims climbed back onto the buses for the 30 minute ride from the suburban hotel to Holy Angels Cathedral in Gary.  As we approached the Cathedral I peered through the dirty bus windows and was struck and dismayed by the extreme poverty of the neighborhood surrounding the Cathedral.  Roofs were caved in on houses, and windows were boarded up or smashed, even the windows of a hospital.  When the steel industry left Gary in the eighties, it seems that it took much of the spirit of the city away, as well. The only business that appeared to be open was a little liquor store.  And our beloved Bishop Hying will be living and working right in the midst of that, which I'm sure is right up his alley as he has a great love for the poor and suffering.  He will bring a light to that neighborhood, God's light of joy and love, a light which seems to be sorely needed in Gary.  And yet, despite the decay of the buildings, it was obvious through everyone we met in the Diocese, that there is a love and beauty in the hearts of the people of Gary, a love that will surround Bishop Hying and fill his time in Gary with joy and happiness.

an abandoned Frank Lloyd Wright home (source)

The abandoned Ambassador Hotel in Gary (source)

Holy Angels Cathedral photo courtesy of Kevin Driscoll,  Catholic Young Adult Ministry-Diocese of Gary

Finally we arrived at Holy Angels Cathedral and the beauty and immensity of it caught me by surprise, especially since I had seen pictures of it online.  It is so much more beautiful in real life and pictures just don't do it justice.  What a contrast to the neighborhood!  The Cathedral, built in 1906 and designated a cathedral in 1956 when Gary became a diocese, was beautiful and well-maintained. My eye was immediately drawn to the soaring blue of the stained glass windows.  Paul and several other men on the bus were asked to carry a few boxes of Bishop Hying's belongings into the rectory. I went into the Cathedral, planning to save a seat for Paul and wave to him when I'd see him enter.  I was quickly escorted to a seat in the front of the Cathedral on the side of the altar.  When Paul joined me, he mentioned that Bishop Hying was waiting inside the rectory in a room filled with his boxes. Always quick with a humorous comment, the bishop joked that he didn't plan to unpack any of them, but would just use them for furniture!

photo courtesy of Terry Boldin

 Bishop Hying offers a huge smile to his family as he passes them during his entrance into the Cathedral.
Photo courtesy of Darlene Hying 

And then the Mass began!  Magnificent music accompanied the 25 bishops, and I don't know, probably about 70 priests and deacons, to the altar.  I stood on tiptoe straining my neck to see everyone, wishing I could stand on top of my pew for a better view, but of course, I didn't.  Most touching was the sight of Cardinal George who has been suffering from the effects of cancer.  From my vantage point I could see him pretty clearly throughout the Mass and my heart just ached for him. When Bishop Hying raised the host during the consecration and prayed "This is my Body, broken for you" I couldn't help but feel as though Cardinal George, kneeling at a prie dieu with his head in his hands, obviously drained, was physically praying those words with his whole body.  What a beautiful witness to suffering, very much like Pope John Paul II, that his presence contributed to the Mass. Please keep him in prayer.

Cardinal George is on the right

photo courtesy of Terry Boldin

I was very much struck by the fact that Bishop Hying read his homily.  In the seven years that I have known him, he has never read his homilies, but has always delivered them from memory, using only a few notes or perhaps coming up with what he was going to say on the spur of the moment.

Near the end of his moving Epiphany homily he said, "I'll let you in on a secret.  I'm completely deaf in my right ear.  So I'm glad the angel is on the left side of the Cathedra so I'll hear what the angel is saying to me."  Beautifully touching was when Bishop Hying mentioned that Bishop Melczek, his predecessor, would always be our bishop, our father, our brother and our friend and will be remembered during the consecration prayers at Mass as Bishop-emeritus, so that the diocese will continue to pray for him.  To the priests he said, "You will always have my heart and my cell phone number."  And to the lay leaders,volunteers and lay faithful he said "How I wish I could sit down in the kitchens of every home to get to know all of you and have a chat. That will happen I hope, one person, one kitchen, and one cup of coffee at a time."

the homily

reading his text

photo courtesy of Terry Boldin

photo courtesy of Terry Boldin

The entire Mass was filled with beauty and joy, and, although it lasted a full two hours, the time just flew, and all too soon we were once again climbing aboard the bus to head home.  My heart, so overjoyed for the good fortune of my friend, Bishop Hying, and God's obvious love for him in calling him to serve the Diocese of Gary, was suddenly sorrowing.  It was all over and I didn't have a chance to give him a final hug good-bye, as the bus needed to remain timely in its departure from Gary.

I'm grateful that Gary is a short three hour drive from Milwaukee and am hopeful that I'll be able to make future visits to Bishop Hying.  I pray that his time in Gary, which he remarked during the Mass that he sincerely hopes will be at least for the next 25 years, is filled with blessings and joy. Everyone we encountered in the Diocese of Gary was warm and welcoming to the visitors from Milwaukee and I am certain that Bishop Hying feels very welcome there, as well as deeply and immediately loved by all, for LOVE NEVER FAILS.

It's worth your time to watch the entire installation Mass below or here at this link, and in particular, to listen to Bishop Hying's beautiful homily.  The commentary offered throughout is fascinating and informative.  You will need to click ahead to 1:56:03 for the beginning of the Installation Mass.

I also encourage you to read this touching good-bye tribute from Archbishop Listecki found here and this well-written and interesting interview with Bishop Hying written by Jerry Davich of the Chicago Post Tribune found here.