First Saturday Parish Rosary at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 9/5/2015

"God is good... all the time!  And all the time... God is good!"  Those phrases - familiar to many Christians, regardless of denomination - are our Fr. Exsequel's catch phrases; it's how he always begins his homilies.  Each time he offers Mass, I expect to hear it; I enjoy hearing it; I feel encouraged after hearing it... and at today's First Saturday Rosary, the consoling message of God's goodness was our central focus and "lesson", courtesy of the meeting's featured Saint of the Month.

A photo of St. Therese Couderc

Before beginning the Holy Rosary, I shared the life and a relic of St. Therese Couderc (d. 1880) with the parishioners who were present.  St. Therese was a simple French woman who founded the Sisters of the Cenacle to evangelize and educate people by conducting spiritual retreats. This founder also happened to be a mystic-soul who had a profound experience that left an indelible mark on her soul: she once had a vision in which she saw everything that God created - living and inanimate - each stamped with the word "GOODNESS" in letters of gold.  Through this vision, St. Therese saw, in a mysterious way, the innate goodness present in all creation and how everything the Lord makes is a source of tremendous blessing.

So for St. Therese Couderc, the phrase "God is good..." would not just be a simple statement of truth, but she took it up a notch by striving to embody goodness; God, Himself... as well as by endeavoring to recognize that same goodness in everything around her, especially in people in whom goodness was not so apparent (there were many such people in her life).  This was St. Therese's guiding principle to sanctity and we are challenged to do the same.

Our prayer meeting proceeded and ended, in the usual manner - very uplifting - after which most of us took a short walk over to the main church for the Saturday evening Vigil Mass.  And who just happened to be the presiding priest tonight?  Fr. Exsequel, of course.  The Holy Spirit would not have arranged things any other way... and I found myself smiling broadly after Father mounted the pulpit and began proclaiming his usual catch phrases.  Yes, indeed.  "God is good... all the time!  And all the time... God is good!"

   

My Rosa Mystica pilgrim statue flanked

by relics of the Blessed Mother's veil and a

bodily-relic of St. Therese Couderc.

St. Rose of Lima - She Really Was Beautiful!

A stylized portrait of St. Rose of Lima,

as depicted on an old holy card.

St. Rose of Lima.  Just saying the name evokes images in my mind of a woman whose beauty was perhaps comparable to that of her namesake - the Rose - which is, without dispute, one of the loveliest of all flowers, if not the most beautiful.  For readers out there who are not familiar with her incredible life, Isabel [Rose] Flores y de Oliva was a laywoman and mystic from Peru; the daughter of a Spanish soldier and a mixed-race native woman.  She was a stigmatic who lived and died in the city of Lima, where she became well-known for her charitable service towards the sick and the poor; her ascetic lifestyle; and the many miracles she performed.  Rose died on August 24, 1617, being only 31-years-old, and was canonized a Saint in April 1671; the first canonized person of the Americas.

I've read several biographies about St. Rose, and besides commonly mentioning the loftiness of her personal sanctity and the quirky things about her voluntary penances (self-flagellation, extreme fasting, sleep deprivation, etc.) there was another thing that was often written about her - she was described as having been an exceptionally beautiful woman.

Of course, back in St. Rose's time, there was no such thing as a camera... and the painting style in old Peru seems to have been somewhat rustic; nice... but not doing true justice to the painted subjects. The fact is St. Rose never sat for an artist during her lifetime; she was adamant about not making any fuss over her looks.  The lone portrait in existence (left), that is reported to preserve her true features, was painted by an artist who was summoned to her deathbed shortly after the Saint passed away. Her eyes did not completely close after she died and the artist captured this on his canvas. Again, it's a nice portrait - decent - but I'm sure the rustic style of it doesn't fully capture the loveliness that was said to grace St. Rose's features.  Now fast-forward to 2015...

Once again, modern science and technology, working with religion, have harmoniously come together to bring us something remarkable!  Using the sacred relic of St. Rose's skull, preserved and venerated in the Basilica of Lima, a team of South American forensic experts were able to reconstruct the probable features of the Saint, which was recently unveiled for the entire world to see... and guess what?  St. Rose was indeed beautiful; stunning, in fact.  So the Saint's biographers had it right all along with no exaggeration on their part.  The computer-generated portrait of St. Rose of Lima is shown below so readers can judge for themselves as to what they think of it.  Whatever the reader's opinion, it's definitely a big improvement to the holy card image seen above and the 1617 portrait.

To view forensic reconstructions of the features of other famous Saints, click here and here.  I personally think, we Catholics, owe the respective scientists who made these facial reconstructions possible, a debt of gratitude for allowing us to see the unique "faces of holiness" of our spiritual heroes, as they truly were - human and totally relatable... but exceptional temples of the Holy Spirit.  Thanks be to God.

The skull of St. Rose of Lima, as venerated in

the Basilica of Lima.  It was used by forensic

experts to reconstruct the probable features

of this Saint who is so loved throughout

the world.

Saint of the Month - September 2015: Blessed Maria (Lopez y Rivas) of Jesus

Bl. Maria (Lopez y Rivas) of Jesus

Strength in Meekness

Memorial: September 13th

Born in Tartanedo (Guadalajara), Spain, this Blessed first saw the light of day on Aug. 18, 1560. When still a young child, Maria Lopez y Rivas lost both parents and was raised by her paternal grandparents. She was recorded as being highly intelligent and devout, even from her childhood, and was fortunate to have a wise confessor who expertly guided her on her quest for personal holiness.

At age 17, despite frail health, Maria applied with the Discalced Carmelites, via the illustrious founder of the Order - St. Teresa of Avila (d. 1582).  Apparently, St. Teresa sensed something uniquely special about the young maiden, since she immediately accepted her for the monastery of Toledo, where she entered as "Sr. Maria of Jesus" in August, 1577.  It wasn't a smooth transition, though.

Seeing the delicate constitution of the new novice, a debate arose within the convent as to whether or not Sr. Maria should remain with them.  The controversy escalated to the point where St. Teresa, herself, had to intervene by writing a letter that read, "Think well about what you are doing, because if you do not admit Sr. Maria of Jesus to profession, I shall have her come to Avila; and the monastery that will have her will be the most fortunate of all. On my part, I would like to have her always with me in my monastery, even if she had to stay in bed all her life."  After being so strongly supported by their very own founder, how could they turn the young novice away?  Sr. Maria of Jesus was professed with the Discalced Carmelites on September 8, 1578, and thus began her long and fruitful spiritual career as a nun.

An artistic rendering of St. Teresa
(seated) conferring with Bl. Maria

St. Teresa's letter proved to be highly prophetic... from age 23, Sr. Maria of Jesus successively held various important posts during her lifetime - Mistress of Novices, Sub-Prioress, and eventually Prioress; offices that she fulfilled admirably despite her poor health and the fact that she was often caught up in deep mystical raptures. She had a profound love for the Blessed Sacrament, and for the crucified image of Our Lord. During one of her sublime ecstasies, Sr. Maria begged Jesus to allow her a taste of His bitter Passion and He saw fit to bestow on her the Sacred Stigmata, along with an invisible crown of thorns, the pain of which she felt for the rest of her life.

Sr. Maria's fame of sanctity spread beyond the convent walls and many came to her for prayers and advice, including St. Teresa of Avila, who continued to remain one of her closest friends and supporter.  In fact, St. Teresa trusted her so much, she asked her to proofread her manuscript for the spiritual classic, "The Interior Castle".  The Saint referred to Sr. Maria of Jesus as her "little scholar"... and she once stated, "Mary of Jesus not only will be a saint, but she is one already."  Such was the high regard St. Teresa of Avila held towards her protege.

Sr. Maria of Jesus, on her part, did not disappoint St. Teresa; she modeled her leadership of the Toledo monastery after the excellent example and lessons she learned from the holy founder.  She, herself, was a capable Prioress and a worthy role-model for her sisters in Carmel.

"If you have to go on living, it is because

you have to live for others.  As for taking

rest, eternity awaits you."

~ Words of Bl. Maria of Jesus

Despite the admiration she received from many in her 63 years as a nun, Sr. Maria's life was not without trials.  Her virtues were especially tested during a long, dark period in her life when she was slandered by another nun and deposed as the Prioress in the year 1600.  Furthermore, she was treated with suspicion by the other nuns and by the Provincial of the Discalced Carmelites.  It was a painful trial that lasted nearly 20 years, but her unwavering faith and humility, and her emulation of Christ Crucified, gave her the strength and the peace to bear her moral and physical sufferings with a patience that was truly remarkable.  In the end, Sr. Maria of Jesus persevered and was vindicated; holding no resentment towards those who wronged her.

The tomb-shrine of Bl. Maria of Jesus in

the chapel of the Discalced Carmelites in

Toledo.  Her body is incorrupt.

Sr. Maria’s life ended peacefully on September 13, 1640; she was 80-years-old.  Her sanctity was further confirmed by a supernatural fragrance of flowers that surrounded her virginal body in death, and which was again detected when her corpse was exhumed and discovered mysteriously incorrupt and flexible years later.  The Church Beatified this valiant holy woman in 1976, raising her up as one of the many shining stars that now brightens the Carmelite Order.  May she be for us an inspirational model of perseverance in our own personal trials.

A Reflection
In the face of trials and obstacles, let us follow the example of the Saints - have Faith, be Prayerful, and maintain Silence.  All shall be well.

A Short Prayer

Lord, fill us with Patience and Humility in our moments of trial and darkness.  Like Bl. Maria of Jesus, may we also exercise the Faith and Fortitude necessary to peacefully see our challenges through.  Amen.

"... it is a great crime not to have trust

in God.  He is omnipotent!"

~ Words of Bl. Maria of Jesus