On July 22, 2013, during the flight to World Youth Day, Pope Francis said that “Youth are the future.” He quickly added that “the aged are also essential.”
He stated that he did not want World Youth Day to be a meeting with young people in isolation because when we isolate them, we do them an injustice.
Like us, he said, they belong to a family, a culture, a country, and faith. To know who we are, and where we are going, it’s helpful to know where we came from.
We begin November by celebrating the feast of All Saints.
On All Saints Day, we remember and we honor both the canonized and non-canonized saints of the Catholic Church. Both invite and inspire us to imitate their Christ-like lives.
In No. 2013 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it says, “All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity.
“All are called to holiness: In order to reach this perfection, the faithful should use the strength dealt out to them by Christ’s gift so that doing the will of the Father in everything, they may whole heartedly devote themselves to the glory of God and to the service of their neighbor.”
Once when I visited a hospital, an urgent call came over the public address system: “If a Catholic priest is present, please come to the main desk immediately.” I hurried to the main desk. The receptionist asked me to talk to a lady who had just given birth to a still-born baby. She and her husband were grieving. I tried to console them.
In the 15th century in a village near Nuremberg, Germany, Albrecht Durer and his brother Albert dreamed of attending art school.
But Albrecht Sr., their father who supported 18 children, understandably couldn’t afford to send them. So the two brothers made an agreement. Albrecht would attend art school while Albert worked in the mines to pay his expenses. When Albrecht graduated, he would use his artistic talents to pay for Albert’s tuition and other expenses.
The Renaissance painter Titian painted an inspiring picture of Mary’s Assumption into Heaven.
Mary is dressed no longer in blue, but in the flaming red of victory. Escorted by angels, she rises majestically in the heavens into the glory of God.
The apostles stand below gazing upward with wonder and joy. The picture is so vivid that it almost appears to be a photograph.
Independence Day is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It is also known as the Fourth of July.
It is associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, political speeches, and ceremonies. On Independence Day we also celebrate other events concerning the history, government, and traditions of the United States.
Sonora Louise Smart Dodd is known as the “Mother of Father’s Day.” In 1909, she heard a sermon on the need to set aside a day to honor mothers. She agreed, but she wondered why there wasn’t a day to honor fathers.
Her father, William Jackson Smart, left indelible marks of love on her heart.
He was a Civil War veteran and a widower for 21 years who heroically raised Sonora and her five younger brothers after their mother died while giving birth to her brother Marshal.
On June 2, we celebrate Corpus Christi, the feast of the Eucharist. In Latin Corpus Christi means the Body of Christ. The full Latin name of this feast is “Corpus et Sanguis Christi’’ — “The Body and Blood of Christ.”
In some countries and sometimes in our diocese, during this feast there are edifying processions when the sacred host is carried outdoors or around the church.
Enrico Caruso, the great tenor, grew up in poverty. His mother sacrificed to pay for his first singing lesson. However, his voice teacher told him, “You can’t sing. Your voice sounds like the wind in the shutters.”
Enrico walked home discouraged, with shaky steps and tearful eyes. “Mamma” he sobbed, “My teacher said that I can’t sing! I want to quit singing lessons.”
Enrico’s mother hugged him and said, “My son, you’ve got a great voice. Don’t give up. Someday you’ll be a great singer!
A mother overheard Danny, her five-year-old son, talk with his friend Jeremy whose father recently died. “Where did your dad go when he died?” asked Danny. “Mom said that he went to Heaven,” replied Jeremy.
“What’s Heaven?” asked Danny.
Jeremy answered, “Mom said that Heaven is a place where we go after we die. Everyone will be happy. We’ll see Jesus, his mom, my grandma, grandpa, dad, and others we know who died. I can’t wait to go there!”
“Wow! Wow!’ said Danny, “But how did your dad get to Heaven? His car is still here.”
“I don’t know,” replied Jeremy. “I’ll ask mom. She knows everything!”
