Care of Widows, A Lesson for Uncle Joe Biden

Remember when Joe Biden attacked the Republican plans to get rid of Obamacare and leave people like his aged mother to try and pick a health insurance plan on her own. Here is what St. Paul would have to say about the issue. From today's Office of Readings is the letter of St. Paul to Timothy, 5:3-25,

Make the following rules about widows, so that no one may incur blame. If anyone does not provide for his own relatives and especially for members of his immediate family, he has denied the faith; he is worse than an unbeliever.

So as I said when he made the comment, even though Biden twisted around the Republican plan, let's assume it was true that his mother would have to pick her own plan, why wouldn't Joe help her make such a critical decision? Are we really to believe that he would leave her to make this important decision without his guidance? So either he is a liar or he has denied his faith.

Blessed Peter of Imola

Very little is known of the life of Blessed Peter of Imola whose memorial we celebrate today. He was born in 1250 at Imola, in Italy, into the noble Pattarini family who had been the lords of Linasio for over 100 years and part of the Ghibelline faction. Peter was an excellent scholar and become a well-known lawyer and jurist. The respect held for his legal opinion is evident by the fact that his name is found on many important documents which are still preserved in Imola, giving his interpretation of the laws of his time. In 1289 he became a court magistrate and eight years later was to use all his skills and experience to negotiate a peace between the rival Guelph and Ghibelline factions in Romagna. The Guelphs were predominately from wealthy mercantile families who supported the Pope while the Ghibellines tended to come from families with wealthy agricultural estates who supported the Emperor.  It was no easy task and took several years but at last Peter was able to persuade the Ghibellines to leave Romagna.

After successfully mediating this conflict and crowning what had been a successful secular career, Peter sought a new vocation dedicated to charitable works in helping the poor and the sick. He began working in one of the Order of St. John’s hospitals in Florence and was invested as a knight in 1310. His administrative skills were welcome and appreciated and put to good use as he assumed greater responsibilities working in the hospital. His talents were not unnoticed and after some years he was chosen Grand Prior of the Order in Rome. He again returned to Florence to the Commandery of St. James in Campo Corbellini. 

We do not know for certain if he became the Commander of St. James or assumed other duties. Nevertheless he continued performing great charitable works serving the sick who were either home-bound or in the hospital. Blessed Peter died in Florence on October, 5, 1320 and his loss was felt by everyone who knew him. He was buried in the Church of St. James in Campo Corbellini which still belongs to the Order.

One of the most remarkable stories about Blessed Peter occurred after his death. One day in preparation for the feast of St. James, the Church was being decorated by the brothers and a priest had placed a ladder against the tomb of Blessed Peter and was working high against the wall hanging some decoration. The priest lost his balance and the ladder began to fall. Suddenly the tomb of Bl. Peter opened slightly and his hand reached out and steadied the ladder, no doubt saving the life of the priest who was on it. This miracle was authenticated by several witnesses. Blessed Peter’s relics were later translated under the main altar of the Church in a reliquary that Commander Fra Augustine Mego had made for it, and the miracle-working arm was kept in a separate little box. After the flooding of the Arno river in 1557 the documents and reliquary were submerged and greatly damaged. However the box containing his arm survived and was still venerated with skin and nails intact centuries later.

Prayer:

O God, who gave to blessed Peter, Prior of our Order, the gift of healing discord and division, grant to us through his prayers the grace of striving for peace and so being called the children of God. Through the same Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(From: The Missal with readings of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, 
London 1997)

Top photo of the exterior of the Church of St. James is used with gracious permission of the photographer at http://www.flickr.com/photos/33115454@N04/5519987412/

Former Priory of the Order of Malta For Sale in Burgundy

Own a piece of SMOM history, a 15th century former Priory in Burgundy is for sale.  http://www.patrice-besse.co.uk/monastery-for-sale-france/burgundy/priory-for-sale/

Cardinal Pacelli w/Decoration of Order of Malta

Here is a fine portrait of Pope Pius XII while still Cardinal Pacelli wearing the decoration of Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of Malta.

What St Stephen of Hungary can teach us about manners | CatholicHerald.co.uk

What St Stephen of Hungary can teach us about manners | CatholicHerald.co.uk

The Life of Sr. Marie de Mandat-Grancey

I received a wonderful book for Father's Day, The Life of Sr. Marie de Mandat-Grancey, which finally gives us a detailed look at the person responsible for the discovery of the House of Mary at Ephesus and how she used her family inheritance to purchase and restore the house where Mary lived with St. John the Apostle. It is an interesting book not only for the obvious reason regarding the discovery of this shrine of Our Lady but also Sister Marie's life as a Daughter of Charity and how their work serving the sick and poor is closely connected to our own with the Order of Malta.

Visit the Sister Marie Foundation website for more information. On July 1st on EWTN, Fr. Groeschel will be talking about this book and the status of Sr. Marie's cause for canonization. The book is available for ordering from the website, your local religious bookseller, or my Amazon link on the right side of the blog.

Memorial of Blessed Gerland

Blessed Gerland served in a little church at Caltagirone in Sicily, caring for widows and orphans devotedly and without thought of himself. He died about 1271 and is still honoured at Caltagirone, where his relics are venerated in the Basilica of San Giacomo.

A courtier Knight follows a hermit Knight [Bl. Gerard Mecatti]. Can there be a greater contrast? And yet, both lived by the same Rule and according to the same spirit: that flexible and strong spirituality of Saint John of Jerusalem which adapts itself to circumstances and makes sanctity possible everywhere and always to anyone who has the courage to enter on its path and pursue it. Therefore, no one among us has the right to hide behind the difficulties of his social position in order to live in worldly lukewarmness and looseness. There have always been saints everywhere, at all times and in all the classes of society. But, alas! everywhere and always the great number of indifferent, inconstant, flabby and weak people has been able to create the impression that sanctity is impossible. As if anything is not feasible, with persistence and the grace of God ! If there are few saints, it is because there are few "men". The Knight of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem is indeed a man. Therefore, he must be a saint!

(From: Ducaud-Bourget, Msgr. François: The Spiritual Heritage of The Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Vatican 1958)

Prayer:

Lord God, who brought blessed Gerland from the north to Sicily and inspired him to wear a hair shirt in place of the armour of the knights of our Order, arouse in us a zeal like his so that our lives may always aim at perfection. 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. Amen.

(From: The Missal with readings of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes, & of Malta, London 1997)
For some historical information on the Order of Malta in Sicily visit, http://www.regalis.com/malta/maltasicily.html

Fall of Constantinople in 1453

May 29, in 1453 marked the end of the siege which began on April 6th and the final fall of Constantinople to the young Ottoman sultan Mahomet II. This event is seen by many historians as the end of the "Middle Ages" and the the resulting flight of many of the empire's intellectuals to Italy as the beginning of the Renaissance period. It was a great blow to Christendom and opened the way for further Muslim agression and invasions into Europe. Despite this great success of Mahomet II he was later prevented by the valiant knights of St. John on Rhodes from conquering their island.

Extraordinary Form of the Mass at St. John Vianney Seminary

This past Saturday the Extraordinary Form of the Mass was celebrated for the first time in the chapel of the St. John Vianney College Seminary at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

St. John Vianney is a wonderful place for young men discerning a vocation to the priesthood. Currently there are 135 young men from several Dioceses studying there. Even those that do not continue on to the priesthood will have received a very Catholic formation which will serve them and society very well in whatever other vocation they follow.

Like many seminaries SJV went through a difficult period in the 1980's but beginning with the arrival of the Archbishop Harry Flynn in the 90's and the appointment of solid Rectors it has really turned around.

Georgetown Scandal