Malta Minute's - A 60 Second Catechism Lesson

As more people are discovering the Order of Malta they are sharing their feelings of what we should be doing and how we should be doing it, particularly with regard to the "tuitio fidei" portion of our motto. Here is a link to one initiative started a few years ago by the American Association. It is a series of one minute lessons on the Catechism. These Malta Minutes can be heard on Catholic radio stations around the country. https://avemariaradio.net/resourc…/archives/search-results/…

Novena in honor of Blessed Gerard

Day 1 - Founder and Superior of the Pilgrims' house. With the Bull Pie postulatio voluntatis of 15 February 1113, Pope Paschal II placed the newly founded Hospice under the protection of the Holy See. In it, he described Gerard as the "Founder and Superior of the Jerusalem Hospital" (Institutor ac praepositus Hierosolymitani Xenodochi). The word "xenodochium" stood for much more than "hotel" means today. It was a shelter for strangers, for visitors, and for pilgrims. Assistance to pilgrims in the Holy Land thereby became a responsibility of the Knights of Saint John at that time, as it later became along the "Way of Saint James" to Compostela or during the Holy Year 2000 in the Roman Basilicas of Saint Peter, Saint John Lateran, Santa Maria Maggiore and Saint Peter outside the Walls. In Gerard’s shelter, pilgrims were cared for in both body and spirit. So that their journey might be without incident, both the House and several of the roads used by pilgrims were watched and protected from the very beginning by armed men under the command of Gerard; but the fundamental element was spiritual fortification. In this, Gerard was the model - a man of action and a man of prayer.

Prayer Jesus Christ, Lord of time and of eternity, grant that all people may recognize the light of your truth; 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
grant that we may understand events in the light of the Holy Spirit and with your help persevere in goodness and compassion 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
grant that we may recognize people’s needs in our own day and come to their aid. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
send helpers to our side and do not abandon us in our earthly pilgrimage. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer

Pater... Ave... Gloria... 

Pray for us, Blessed Gerard 
R.: that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray.
Direct our actions, O Lord, with your inspiration and accompany them with your aid, that all our works may at all times begin in you and through you reach their end. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Day 2 - Provider and Almoner. The term "provider" (provisor: Paschal II, 1113) describes Gerard as a man capable of planning and foreseeing what the pilgrims, the poor and the sick would need and where help was required. Prudent organization put Gerard in the best possible position to fulfill his duties as an "almsgiver" (elemosinarius: in a document of Count Adalbert de Perigord, 17 September 1116). In today’s world, we stand in need of efficient organization of the Order and its aid services which are active throughout the world. But organization must not become an end in itself or be smothered in paperwork. Its objective must be to act to bring assistance promptly and effectively. We must never forget what the Lord says to us: whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you ... let your alms be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you (cf. Mt 6:2).

Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, friend of the poor and of the sick, grant to all people in this world an increase of peace and freedom. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
give us a ready ear and open hand for those in want. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
grant that we may never be entangled in worldly considerations, techniques, and statistics. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
grant that all our projects and planning may be for the love of our neighbour. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer

Pater... Ave... Gloria... 

Pray for us, Blessed Gerard
R.: that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray:
Almighty and merciful God, let not the concerns of this world keep us from hastening toward your Son but let the guidance of heavenly wisdom make us into his companions, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Day 3 - Father of the Hospital. In the year 1120, King Baldwin of Jerusalem described Gerard as the "father" (pater) of the Jerusalem Hospital. A good father watches over his children with love and also with strictness when required. He is present when his family needs him. Gerard directed his foundation and regarded his paternal responsibility as a gift from God, as a talent to be used. In our day we must never presume to set ourselves up as fathers, teachers, or instructors on our own account (cf. Mt 23: 9-11), but rather see our duties as parents, as superiors, or as academics as a responsibility before God and man: All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted (Mt 23:12).

Prayer Jesus Christ, God and man, Son of the Father, help our families to see ever more clearly their duties as the domestic Church. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
help couples to remain united in fidelity in a world hostile to marriage. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
help parents and children to understand one another. Lord hear our prayer. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
help academics, researchers and teachers to fulfil their duties responsibly in your sight. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer

Pater... Ave... Gloria... 

Pray for us, Blessed Gerard
R.: that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray:
O God, in love of you and of our neighbour you have established everything that the sacred laws decree; grant unto us that, in keeping your commandments, we may enter into eternal life. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Day 4 Guardian of Christ's Poor. Gerard was called the "guardian of Christ’s poor" ("procurator pauperum Christi", in a document of Bishop Ademar di Rodez, 1120). Procurator can mean administrator or governor, but also representative who acts on someone’s behalf in court. Through his works, Gerard was the defender of the poor, the weak, the abandoned. The term "Christ’s poor" shows us that "obsequium pauperum" is a service rendered not only to the poor but also to Christ himself: "for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me" (Mt 25: 35-37).

Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, Saviour, Redeemer, let us recognize you in the poor, the sick and the stranger. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
bless and protect all the goods of the earth and give to all their daily bread. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
call forth vocations for your service alone. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
grant unto us the strength of the Holy Spirit to give of ourselves for the persecuted and oppressed whether it suits us or not. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer

Pater... Ave... Gloria... 

Pray for us, Blessed Gerard
R.: that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray:
O God, you show to those in error the light of your truth that they may return to the right path; grant that all who profess the Christian faith may reject those things which are contrary to that name and follow such things that are appropriate to it. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Day 5 - Servant of God. "Dei servus", helper, servant of God (in a document of the Bishop Ademar di Rodez, 1120): this description of Blessed Gerard is a description often used by the Church for her members, the baptized. During the beatification process, as a declaration of heroic virtue, of an exemplary life, the candidate is accorded the title of "Servant of God". The servant of the servants of God, "servus servorum Dei", is also one of the titles of the Holy Father. We are all therefore servants of God; by his actions, Gerard demonstrated this fact to us in an exemplary fashion.

Prayer Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, Messiah, preserve us from arrogance and selfishness. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
keep us in your service. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
grant that we may know our duty in the Church and in the world and to fulfill it. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
direct our hearts and minds toward the things of heaven. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer

Pater... Ave... Gloria... 

Pray for us, Blessed Gerard 
R.: that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray.
O God, you dispose the hearts of the faithful as one in their desire; grant that your people may love what you command and desire what you promise, that amid the varied changes of this world, our hearts may be fixed where true joys may be found. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Day 6 - Servant and Helper of the Hospital. Gerard described himself in 1101 as "servant (servus) of the Hospital of Holy Jerusalem" in a document given to Pope Paschal II and the Patriarch Daimbertus; and again, in 1110, to the Abbots of Cluny and of Moissac as "servant and minister of the Hospital". "Servus" means not only "helper" or "servant", but also "slave", although we should keep in mind that even though slaves were not freemen, they were not, according to Roman Law, entirely without rights. "Minister" is not a term of authority, as we might be led to think; minister in this context is to be understood much more as one who carries out the Lord’s will. Helper, servant, slave, assistant, executor of the Lord’s will: who would be that today? Gerard was and is thereby a call upon our obedience to God, to the Church, and the Superiors in our Order.

Prayer Jesus Christ, obedient unto death, even death on a cross, strengthen and sustain us as your followers. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
grant that we may recognize our responsibility for human life from its beginning. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
bless all those who provide service in hospitals, homes for the aged, and hospices. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
help all people to serve you and their neighbour in the strength of the Holy Spirit. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer

Pater... Ave... Gloria...

Pray for us, Blessed Gerard
R.: that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray:
Almighty and everlasting God, who in the paschal mystery established the covenant of reconciliation with all mankind, grant that we may show forth in our live s what we solemnly pro fess. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Day 7 - Lord. In Blessed Gerard’s time, the title "Lord" (Dominus) was used only for popes, bishops, emperors, kings and other distinguished persons; and yet Gerard was also called Dominus (in a document of 1112 regarding a foundation established for the honour of God by several bishops which was dedicated to the Holy Sepulchre and the Hospital). The title "Lord", as a term of honour, can only be justified if we recognize that all power and glory and honour belong to God alone, as we sing in the Gloria of the Mass: "You alone are the holy one, you alone are Lord, you alone are the most high, Jesus Christ" (Tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus altissimus Iesu Christe). Perhaps it is time to reflect upon these words and our own relationship with the one Lord, Jesus Christ.

Prayer Jesus Christ, holy one, Lord, most high,may we recognize you in our lords the sick. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
grant that we may see our responsibility as you would see it. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
grant that all who hold office and authority in politics and business may contribute to the good of all. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
send your Holy Spirit that we may rightly judge our strengths and our weaknesses. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer

Pater... Ave... Gloria...

Pray for us, Blessed Gerard 
R.: that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray:
Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that we who have received the grace to know the Lord is risen, may, through your Spirit’s love, rise to newness of life. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Day 9 - Christ has died, Christ is risen. With the reform of the liturgy in years following the Second Vatican Council, the acclamation "mortem tuam annuntiamus, Domine, et tuam resurrectionem confitemur", rendered as "Christ has died; Christ is risen", became our profession of faith after the consecration. This phrase repeats the original credo of the Church, the confession of the death and resurrection of the Lord. It was with this faith too that Blessed Gerard worked in Jerusalem near to the place where the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ occurred, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem that embraced the traditional sites of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord: "... and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain..." (1 Cor 15:14). In our own day we must again become aware of this Easter faith that Gerard lived. During Easter, we the baptized are most intimately joined with Christ. "God raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph 2:6); "so if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God" (Col. 3:1-2).

Prayer Lord Jesus Christ risen from the dead, strengthen us in faith, in trust and in love. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
make the Holy Land a land of peace between peoples where your praises may sound. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
send us your Spirit that we may proclaim your death and profess your resurrection until you come in glory. Lord hear our prayer. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
welcome our dead in your heavenly Jerusalem. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer

Pater... Ave... Gloria... 

Pray for us, Blessed Gerard
R.: that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray:
Let your people, renewed in youth of spirit, O God, rejoice always that those who now take delight in the glory of being your adopted children, may look forward with certain hope to the day of resurrection. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Day 9 - Blessed Gerard, pray for us. We know little about Blessed Gerard. We revere him as the founder of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. There are documents which testify to Gerard’s activity and legends that sought to embellish it. Through Gerard, "the Jerusalem Hospital" has been for 900 years the basis for defence of the faith and service of the sick ("tuitio fidei et obsequium pauperum"). More than in life, Gerard has, like many saints, perhaps had greater effect after his death, after his "heavenly birthday" as the Church was accustomed to call the day of one’s death. The Order of Saint John has given witness to this with its traditions, its international potential, its new initiatives and with the noble character of its particular spirituality. "Our confraternity will be everlasting since the ground in which this flower has taken root is the misery of the world and since there will always be people, please God, who will give of themselves to lessen suffering and make this misery more bearable." These are likely not the words of Gerard, but they have been attributed to him. It falls to us here and now, as it did to Gerard, to reduce the suffering in our time, to make misery more bearable, so that Jesus Christ may be glorified in all.

Prayer Jesus Christ, "my Lord and my God" (Jn 20:28), strengthen in your service our Holy Father Benedict, all bishops, priests, deacons and all members of the Order. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
assist our Grand Master Frà Matthew and all those in authority in the Order to live out their calling and their mission in the present day. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
raise up suitable and devout vocations for the Hospitaller Order of Saint John . 
R.: Lord hear our prayer
let us be faithful and joyful in your service and once our earthly life is ended, lead us to your Easter glory. 
R.: Lord hear our prayer

Pater... Ave... Gloria... 

Pray for us, Blessed Gerard
R.: that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray:
God of unchanging power and everlasting light, look with favour upon the mystery of the entire Church, and bring to fulfilment your eternal plan of redemption; then may the whole world observe and know that the fallen have been lifted up, what has grown old is made new and that all has been restored to wholeness through Christ, the source of all things, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Collect for the Feast of Blessed Gerard - 13th of October.
O God, who exalted blessed Gerard because of his care for the poor and the sick, and through him founded in Jerusalem the Order of St John the Baptist, give us the grace of seeing, as he did, the image of your Son in our brothers and sisters. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

NIHIL OBSTAT
Roma, 26 Marzo 2001
† DONATO DE BONIS
Vescovo Tit. Castello di Numidia
Prelato del Sovrano Militare Ordine di Malta

http://www.comendadorasdemalta.org/en_novena.asp

2014 Requiem Mass Homily for Grand Priory of England

HOMILY PREACHED AT THE ORDER OF MALTA REQUIEM, ST JAMES'S SPANISH PLACE, ON 26TH NOV 2014 BY THE REV'D DR ANTONY CONLON, CHAPLAIN TO THE GRAND PRIORY OF ENGLAND

REQUIESCANT IN PACE

One of the principal signs of genuine religion is charity. The very last command that Our Lord gave to His disciples on the night before his death on the cross was “Love one another as I have loved you… By this love you have for one another everyone will know that you are my disciples”. (John 13: 34-35). Regarding charity shown to those most in need Christ also said “…insofar as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me” (Matt. 25: 40). The basis of God’s judgement of us and the measure of our reward will be decided upon our response to these words of our Saviour. Seeking to put this teaching into practice Christians have sought and found ways through the centuries to make charity effective and to alleviate suffering in all its multiple manifestations. It has motivated individuals, pioneering novel methods of care and also founding fraternities to extend and continue the work into the future. To be truly meritorious, the primary motive for the relief of suffering should be love of God and of others or His sake. It is essentially seeing Christ in every indigent and vulnerable person and treating them as though we were caring for Him. Over the centuries the notion of care at every level extended to the very extremity of life and beyond. In many countries confraternities were formed to arrange the funerals of paupers and condemned criminals, imitating the charity of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. It also embraced praying for the deceased. Wherever the Catholic faith reigned supreme, charity towards neighbour and belief in its continuity and effect beyond the grave became a permanent feature of Catholic worship. Everywhere, chapels and chantries were endowed by nobles and high ecclesiastics specifically for that purpose. Again confraternities flourished to provide a focus for such devotion and every parish and religious community had its obit roll and yearly emphasis in November on prayers for the Holy Souls.

This is still one of the most consoling aspects of our Catholic faith. Effective charity towards each other does not end with death. The soul cherished by the community and loved by family, friends and fellows continues to benefit from their prayers in its journey to God after death. This is what we intend when we consider and engage in prayer for the deceased. We want that love and respect which we felt for them in life to carry on bringing them support and comfort beyond the grave. In the sadness of our bereavement it also comforts us to know that any loosening of the ties of love in this life can be mended by prayer directed to God for the departed. Because our effort to procure eternal peace for the deceased takes the form of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass there can be doubt of its effectiveness. Opportunities of prayer for the dead through the Mass should never be neglected. One day, we shall be the ones needing it. 

Few writers have been able to express this so movingly and eloquently as Blessed John Henry Newman. His spiritual legacy is one of deep faith and intellectual conviction of the most elevated kind. He never tired of explaining and teaching the faith. During his life he was part of a religious fraternity and was able to correspond with so many on matters of faith. He also wrote poetry with religion as its theme. Probably his most famous work, later set to music by Sir Edward Elgar, is the “Dream of Gerontius”. It is the story of a soul’s passing from this earth to judgement and its realisation that though redeemed and longing to live in the blessed sight of God it must undergo a process of further purification in order to be completely at home in heaven. 

Newman’s poem is in the form of a dialogue between Gerontius and the Angel who conducts him through and beyond the gateway from earthly life to a world of spiritual intensity unfamiliar until the moment of death. The soul travels but is aware of those left behind; especially their prayers for the departed. “I hear the voices that I left on earth…the friends… who say the Subvenite with the priest”. In the final verses of the poem the Angel comforts Gerontius with the reminder that his time of waiting will not be a lonely one for “Angels to whom the willing task is given, shall tend and nurse and lull thee as thou liest: and Masses on the earth and prayers in heaven, shall aid thee at the throne of the most Highest”. 

Dear confreres and brethren gathered here this evening, this is the holy and charitable enterprise in which we are all engaged. In our thoughts and prayers are individuals whom we have known and loved in life. Each of us will have a particular memory that is most personal to us alone and by which the flame of affection is kindled in our minds and hearts. In a wider sense we may also be aware of the contribution to the general good made by those for whom we are praying. Especially within the traditions and purposes of our Order, founded for the relief of the misery of poverty and sickness and the defence of the Catholic faith, our deceased members have played their part both by their practical support and their prayers. Like the devoted servants praised in the Gospel, they have used their talents for the benefit of others and to enhance the good name of the Order. The form of the Mass we follow reflects the purity of a rite developed from apostolic times and with which, since the very foundation of our Order until recent decades all our confreres were conducted to the grave. The chants and prayers provide a solemn and sombre reflection upon the inevitability of death while offering assurance that to all of us who seek pardon for ourselves and for others mercy is within reach. As the Mass is the source of all sanctity it is also the sign of our corporate solidarity with, in and through Christ. May all here present derive both consolation and comfort from these rites and may the souls of those for whom they are offered, be blessed with pardon everlasting peace. May those souls in turn, who achieve the heavenly reward for which we pray, be mindful of us in their future blessed state and aid us to reach that redemption of which the Mass is both the means and the supreme sign.

Itero del Castillo, Burgos Spain

Itero del Castillo (Burgos): The Hospital of San Nicolás de Puente Fitero, located beside a bridge over the Pisuerga River in an area controlled by the Order in the Middle Ages, has been restored and converted into a hostel for pilgrims by the Confraternita di San Jacopo de Compostela, of Perugia, in close collaboration with the Spanish Association of the Order of Malta. The Order continues to collaborate with the Confraternita through the CISOM (Italian Aid Corps of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta), whose volunteers will be on duty 23-30 May and from 26 July to 8 August. (The hostel, attended by volunteers of other organizations, will be open from early May to mid October). For more information consult www.Confraternitadisanjacopo.it.

During the Jacobean Holy Years, the Spanish Association of the Order of Malta maintains a First Aid Station in the Cloister of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. It is staffed by volunteers of the Association and teams of volunteers from other national associations and humanitarian organizations of the Order. The First Aid Station will be open from 1 July until 17 October. For more information, consult the Spanish Association of the Order of Malta, email: ordenmalta@cece.es. **This information is several years old, it is advisable to check with the Spanish Assoc. for current dates.**

What is the Mass

From The Catholic Gentleman 

Let’s begin with what the mass is not. 

The mass is not a community meal designed to strengthen our unity and “gather us in.” 

Feelings of unity and community can be strengthened at any number of events, including potlucks or Church picnics. At most, feeling unified with our brothers and sisters in Christ is a nice byproduct of the mass, but it is certainly not its chief end.

Second, the mass is not about you. 

It is not about having a wonderful “weekend experience,” as one new parish based program claims. Nor is its purpose to make you feel good about yourself, to encourage you, to inspire you, or to make you feel included and welcomed. You simply aren’t the audience—God is, and the mass is all about him.

So what is the mass essentially? It is first and foremost a sacrifice. 

In fact, it is the once for all sacrifice of Christ on Calvary, that transcends time and space, made present for us again in an unbloody manner. It is the perfect sacrifice that all the Old Testament sacrifices prefigured (See Malachi 1:11). In it, Jesus Christ lovingly offers himself in an act of oblation to God the Father on our behalf. He adores God the Father, he atones for our sins, he offers thanks and praise, and he intercedes for our needs.

The Mass, Prayer, and Rosary

From the book The Lord of the World by Msgr. Benson,

Percy sat back, trembling.

"Yes, my son. And what do you think should be done?"

Percy flung out his hands.

"Holy Father—the Mass, prayer, the rosary. These first and last. The world denies their power: it is on their power that Christians must throw all their weight. All things in Jesus Christ—in Jesus Christ, first and last. Nothing else can avail. He must do all, for we can do nothing."

If you have not read this book yet you must. It is one of the best.

The Mass, Prayer, and Rosary

From the book The Lord of the World by Msgr. Benson,

Percy sat back, trembling.

"Yes, my son. And what do you think should be done?"

Percy flung out his hands.

"Holy Father—the Mass, prayer, the rosary. These first and last. The world denies their power: it is on their power that Christians must throw all their weight. All things in Jesus Christ—in Jesus Christ, first and last. Nothing else can avail. He must do all, for we can do nothing."

If you have not read this book yet you must. It is one of the best.

Order of Malta Grand Chancellor: ‘It’s a tragedy that thousands of years of Christian culture are being destroyed’ | CatholicHerald.co.uk

Order of Malta Grand Chancellor: ‘It’s a tragedy that thousands of years of Christian culture are being destroyed’ | CatholicHerald.co.uk

Order of Malta Grand Chancellor: ‘It’s a tragedy that thousands of years of Christian culture are being destroyed’ | CatholicHerald.co.uk

Order of Malta Grand Chancellor: ‘It’s a tragedy that thousands of years of Christian culture are being destroyed’ | CatholicHerald.co.uk

Commanderie of Homps of the Order of Malta

The Commanderie of Homps in the Aude region of southern France was an important commandery of the Order of Malta in this port ciy on the Canal du Midi.

Tomb of the commanders prior to restoration work.

Commanderie of Homps of the Order of Malta

The Commanderie of Homps in the Aude region of southern France was an important commandery of the Order of Malta in this port ciy on the Canal du Midi.

Tomb of the commanders prior to restoration work.

Blessed Anna Maria Taigi - An Example for the Synod on the Family

One thing I haven't seen or heard coming from the Synod on the Family taking place in Rome is for those in troubled marriages or families to look to the examples of the saints who found holiness in just those circumstances. Lots of talk about "new methods" very little about the tried and true. In fact for the past 50 years all we have done is try to find new ways of communicating the Faith with a secular world that doesn't care or want to hear what we have to say. It reminds me of an old Bloom County cartoon where Opus the Penguin who was always concerned about his weight was trying several fad diets. His friend Milo would chide him by saying, "how about eat less and exercise more?" And Opus would always reply, "no, I'm going to try..." hoping that this time the result would be different.

Yet how many saints, canonized or not, have found holiness in their own lives through the examples of the saints before them? Since I haven't seen anyone else mention it yet may I suggest the book on the life of Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, Wife, Mother, Mystic. She is just one of many saints or blesseds to endure a difficult marriage or home life. The book is available at TAN Books or other retailers. There is also a good article online based on the book found here. (This article is good, I can't vouch for anything else on the website being good or not.)
 An excerpt:

At age 20, on January 7, 1790, she married Domenico Taigi, who was a poor porter or “servant” of the chef for Prince Chigi. Domenico’s morals and piety were very good, but he had a terrible temper. Or, as the decree for Anna’s Beatification puts it “his [Domenico] manners were rough and uncultured and his temperment undesirable.” His brusque and turbulent manner and quick temper caused Anna much suffering, but it also caused her to exercise her virtue of patience, meekeness, humility and forgiveness. She learned that a smile and silence often appeased his wrath. He never was physically abusive to her, but he certainly was a tyrant at times. Nevertheless, he loved her deeply, as once can easily detect the frank and sincere testimonies that he gave during the official process of her Beatification. As the years progressed she bore seven children, three of whom died in childhood. The remaining two boys and two girls grew to maturity with her ever attentive concern for both their religious and moral upbringing, along with their secular education. - 

"The poor, the great of the world, the princes of the Church came to her for advice or help. They found her in the midst of her household cares and often suffering from illness. She refused neither her last crust of bread nor the most precious moments of her time, yet she would accept neither presents nor praise."Her most powerful friends could not induce her to allow them to favor her children beyond the conditions in which they were born. When she was at the end of her resources she told God about it, and God sent what was necessary. 

"She thought it good to live from day to day, like the birds, A refugee queen in Rome wished to give her money. 'Madame,' she kindly said, 'how simple you are. I serve God, and He is richer than you.’"She touched the sick, and they were cured; she warned others of their approaching end, and they died holy deaths. She endured great austeri­ties for the souls in Purgatory, and the souls, once set free came to thank her .... She suffered in body and soul. ... She realized that her role was to expiate the sins of others, that Jesus was associating her with His sacrifice, and that she was to be a victim in union with Him. The pains of Divine Love have an intoxication that no words can explain. After Holy Communion there were times when she sank down as though smitten by a prostrating stroke. To tell the truth, her state of ecstasy was continual because her sense of the presence of God was continual. ... All pain was sweet to her .... She went her way, her feet all bloody; with shining eyes she followed the Royal Way.” 

"Behold, then, the spectacle God raised to men's sight in Rome during that long tempestuous period which began at the time the humble Anna­ Maria took to the way of saints. Pope Pius VI dies at Valence; Pius VII is a prisoner at Fontainebleau; the Revolution will reappear before Gregory XVI reigns. Men are saying that the day of the Popes is over, that Christ s law and Christ Himself are on the wane, that science will soon have relegated this so-called Son of God to the realm of dreams . . . . He will work no more miracles.” 

"But at precisely this time God raised up this woman to cure the sick .... He gives her know­ledge of the past, present and future. She declares that Pius VII will return to his seat in Rome. She sees even beyond the reign of Pius IX She is God's answer to the challenge of unbelief." -

Blessed Anna Maria Taigi - An Example for the Synod on the Family

One thing I haven't seen or heard coming from the Synod on the Family taking place in Rome is for those in troubled marriages or families to look to the examples of the saints who found holiness in just those circumstances. Lots of talk about "new methods" very little about the tried and true. In fact for the past 50 years all we have done is try to find new ways of communicating the Faith with a secular world that doesn't care or want to hear what we have to say. It reminds me of an old Bloom County cartoon where Opus the Penguin who was always concerned about his weight was trying several fad diets. His friend Milo would chide him by saying, "how about eat less and exercise more?" And Opus would always reply, "no, I'm going to try..." hoping that this time the result would be different.

Yet how many saints, canonized or not, have found holiness in their own lives through the examples of the saints before them? Since I haven't seen anyone else mention it yet may I suggest the book on the life of Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, Wife, Mother, Mystic. She is just one of many saints or blesseds to endure a difficult marriage or home life. The book is available at TAN Books or other retailers. There is also a good article online based on the book found here. (This article is good, I can't vouch for anything else on the website being good or not.)
 An excerpt:

At age 20, on January 7, 1790, she married Domenico Taigi, who was a poor porter or “servant” of the chef for Prince Chigi. Domenico’s morals and piety were very good, but he had a terrible temper. Or, as the decree for Anna’s Beatification puts it “his [Domenico] manners were rough and uncultured and his temperment undesirable.” His brusque and turbulent manner and quick temper caused Anna much suffering, but it also caused her to exercise her virtue of patience, meekeness, humility and forgiveness. She learned that a smile and silence often appeased his wrath. He never was physically abusive to her, but he certainly was a tyrant at times. Nevertheless, he loved her deeply, as once can easily detect the frank and sincere testimonies that he gave during the official process of her Beatification. As the years progressed she bore seven children, three of whom died in childhood. The remaining two boys and two girls grew to maturity with her ever attentive concern for both their religious and moral upbringing, along with their secular education. - 

"The poor, the great of the world, the princes of the Church came to her for advice or help. They found her in the midst of her household cares and often suffering from illness. She refused neither her last crust of bread nor the most precious moments of her time, yet she would accept neither presents nor praise."Her most powerful friends could not induce her to allow them to favor her children beyond the conditions in which they were born. When she was at the end of her resources she told God about it, and God sent what was necessary. 

"She thought it good to live from day to day, like the birds, A refugee queen in Rome wished to give her money. 'Madame,' she kindly said, 'how simple you are. I serve God, and He is richer than you.’"She touched the sick, and they were cured; she warned others of their approaching end, and they died holy deaths. She endured great austeri­ties for the souls in Purgatory, and the souls, once set free came to thank her .... She suffered in body and soul. ... She realized that her role was to expiate the sins of others, that Jesus was associating her with His sacrifice, and that she was to be a victim in union with Him. The pains of Divine Love have an intoxication that no words can explain. After Holy Communion there were times when she sank down as though smitten by a prostrating stroke. To tell the truth, her state of ecstasy was continual because her sense of the presence of God was continual. ... All pain was sweet to her .... She went her way, her feet all bloody; with shining eyes she followed the Royal Way.” 

"Behold, then, the spectacle God raised to men's sight in Rome during that long tempestuous period which began at the time the humble Anna­ Maria took to the way of saints. Pope Pius VI dies at Valence; Pius VII is a prisoner at Fontainebleau; the Revolution will reappear before Gregory XVI reigns. Men are saying that the day of the Popes is over, that Christ s law and Christ Himself are on the wane, that science will soon have relegated this so-called Son of God to the realm of dreams . . . . He will work no more miracles.” 

"But at precisely this time God raised up this woman to cure the sick .... He gives her know­ledge of the past, present and future. She declares that Pius VII will return to his seat in Rome. She sees even beyond the reign of Pius IX She is God's answer to the challenge of unbelief." -

Historical Video of the Order of Malta in Palermo

Description sequences: Tripoli with the ship arrives in the city of Palermo, a delegation of the order of the Knights of Malta Grand Master Fra 'Ludovico Chigi Albani; the Grand Master is received by the Marshal Balbo; Piazza Castello is inaugurated the plaque which commemorates the ancient deeds of the order of chivalry; The following day, the delegation visited the village Olive groves; the apostolic vicar officiates the ceremony of consecration of the new church dedicated to St. John of the Knights; cheers to the representation of the Knights of Malta which is dedicated to charity, in time of peace, and hospital assistance in time of war;


Descrizione sequenze:arriva a Tripoli con la motonave città di Palermo una delegazione dell'ordine dei cavalieri di Malta con il Gran Maestro Fra' Ludovico Chigi Albani ; il gran Maestro viene ricevuto dal maresciallo Balbo ; in piazza Castello viene inaugurata la lapide che ricorda le antiche gesta dell'ordine cavalleresco ; il giorno seguente la delegazione visita il villaggio Oliveti ; il Vicario apostolico officia la cerimonia di consacrazione della nuova chiesa intitolata a san Giovanni dei Cavalieri ; applausi alla rappresentanza dell'ordine dei Cavalieri di Malta che si dedica alla beneficenza, in tempo di pace, e all'assistenza ospedaliera in tempo di guerra

Historical Video of the Order of Malta in Palermo

Description sequences: Tripoli with the ship arrives in the city of Palermo, a delegation of the order of the Knights of Malta Grand Master Fra 'Ludovico Chigi Albani; the Grand Master is received by the Marshal Balbo; Piazza Castello is inaugurated the plaque which commemorates the ancient deeds of the order of chivalry; The following day, the delegation visited the village Olive groves; the apostolic vicar officiates the ceremony of consecration of the new church dedicated to St. John of the Knights; cheers to the representation of the Knights of Malta which is dedicated to charity, in time of peace, and hospital assistance in time of war;


Descrizione sequenze:arriva a Tripoli con la motonave città di Palermo una delegazione dell'ordine dei cavalieri di Malta con il Gran Maestro Fra' Ludovico Chigi Albani ; il gran Maestro viene ricevuto dal maresciallo Balbo ; in piazza Castello viene inaugurata la lapide che ricorda le antiche gesta dell'ordine cavalleresco ; il giorno seguente la delegazione visita il villaggio Oliveti ; il Vicario apostolico officia la cerimonia di consacrazione della nuova chiesa intitolata a san Giovanni dei Cavalieri ; applausi alla rappresentanza dell'ordine dei Cavalieri di Malta che si dedica alla beneficenza, in tempo di pace, e all'assistenza ospedaliera in tempo di guerra

Historical Video at the Magistral Villa of the Order of Malta

Historical video from 1936 at the Magistral Villa of the Order of Malta on the Aventine Hill showing a gathering of knights attended by the Grand Master Prince Chigi-Albani and the motorcade with the guests leave the villa at the end of the ceremony.

 

Giornale Luce B0913 del 1936 Descrizione sequenze:visione dei grandi giardini della Villa del Sovrano Militare Ordine di Malte

Historical Video at the Magistral Villa of the Order of Malta

Historical video from 1936 at the Magistral Villa of the Order of Malta on the Aventine Hill showing a gathering of knights attended by the Grand Master Prince Chigi-Albani and the motorcade with the guests leave the villa at the end of the ceremony.

 

Giornale Luce B0913 del 1936 Descrizione sequenze:visione dei grandi giardini della Villa del Sovrano Militare Ordine di Malte

The Castle of La Couvertoirade

The name of Couvertoirade first appeared in the 11th century by a simple mention in the charter of the Abbey of Gellone (St. Guilhem le Desert.) The Templars were present at La Couvertoirade from the second half of the 12th century. Due to the good quality of the land for agriculture and sufficient water supplies together with a solid rock foundation for building a fortress the Templars settled here in the second half of the 12th century.

The village developed at the foot of the Church and the nearby castle, both built upon the same rock. The Templar's continued the agricultural activity of their predecessors: bread, cereal crops and livestock of sheep for milk, meat and wool.

After the abolition of the Templars at the Council of Vienne in 1312, the Commandery of Sainte-Eulalie to which the Couvertoirade belonged, passed that same year into the hands of the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem. In 1328 the village had between 540 and 600 inhabitants.

During the second half of the Hundred Years War the Commander of Sainte-Eulalie, then Grand Prior of Saint-Gilles, decides to fortify all the villages of the Commandery. The walls encasing the village were built in only four years from 1439 to 1442.

The Larzac region saw an era of prosperity after the end of the Hundred Years War, in 1453. In the second half of the 15th century many new homes were build in the territory.  But a new more destructive storm than the previous one was on the horizon: the Wars of Religion.

During this period the Commander remained in the Castle with a small garrison armed with muskets and led by a captain. This precaution was not in vain and in 1562 the Bishop of Lodève had to come personally with a troupe to unlock the place besieged by the Huguenots.

The last Commander of Sainte-Eulalie and therefore the couvertoirade will be the Commander of Riquetti Mirabeau who was in Malta during the sale of the commanderies of the Order of Malta that were now considered national property. At this time the castle was already in very poor condition and a small portion served as housing for the farmer of the Commander.

As everywhere the village was affected by a rural exodus but the quality of its heritage allowed it to rebound and it opened to tourists in an early stage from the second half of the 19th century.

There was a video produced by Tourism Aveyron on the chateau which was quite good.




Le village va se développer au pied de l’église et du château voisin, tous deux construits sur le même rocher. Sur ce Causse les templiers vont poursuivre l’activité agricole de leurs prédécesseurs : culture des céréales panifiables et élevage des ovins pour le lait, la viande et la laine.

Après l’abolition de l’ordre du temple au concile de Vienne de 1312, la commanderie de Sainte-Eulalie dont fait partie la Couvertoirade passe la même année aux mains des hospitaliers de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem. En 1328 le village compte 135 feux, soit entre 540 et 600 habitants.

C’est dans la deuxième moitié de la guerre de cent ans que le commandeur de Sainte-Eulalie, alors grand prieur de Saint-Gilles, décide de faire fortifier tous les villages de la commanderie. Les murailles enserrant le village seront construites en quatre années seulement, de 1439 à 1442.

Le Larzac connaîtra une ère de prospérité après la fin de la guerre de cent, en 1453. Sur ce territoire un certain nombre de maisons de la deuxième moitié du XVe siècle en témoignent encore. Mais un nouvel orage plus destructeur que le précédent s’annonce : les guerres de religion.

Pendant cette période le commandeur installe à demeure, dans le château, une petite garnison armée de mousquets avec à leur tête un capitaine. Cette précaution ne sera pas inutile et en 1562 l’évêque de Lodève devra venir en personne avec une troupe pour débloquer la place assiégée par les Huguenots.

La paix retrouvée le village se développe désormais à l’extérieur des murailles dans le barri. Mais il y aura encore une dernière alerte, en 1702, au moment de la révolte des Camisards dans les Cévennes proches. Ce sera la dernière.

Le dernier commandeur de Sainte-Eulalie et donc de la Couvertoirade sera le commandeur de Riquetti Mirabeau qui, lors de la vente des commanderies de l’ordre de Malte considérées comme biens nationaux se trouvait à Malte. A cette époque le château était déjà en très mauvais état et une petite partie servait de logement au fermier du commandeur.

Comme partout le village sera touché par l’exode rural mais la qualité de son patrimoine lui a permis de revivre et il s’est ouvert au tourisme de façon précoce dès la deuxième moitié du XIXe siècle.