Jaki Day: April 13th in Rome

Information here

Liturgical "Slow Food Movement"

http://whosoeverdesires.wordpress.com/2010/02/14/the-slow-food-movement-and-the-liturgy/

'The Liturgical Slow Food Movement says we should cherish our tradition and savor the details of the banquet. It’s an invitation to take seriously what our fast food culture would tell us to forget or dismiss—even down to the materials of the “tableware,” how they’re washed, who “does the dishes.” It challenges us to spend a bit more time with prayers that might not, at first, roll naturally off the tongue. And it suggests that perhaps all those little ceremonies sometimes omitted for efficiency’s sake—washing the hands, pouring the wine and water into the chalice—add up to something beautiful and are worth an extra minute or two each day.'

Thank you, young Jesuits. O;)

New Benedictine Abbey in the U.S.

More on this happy event at: Diocese of Tulsa website

Want more priests & religious? Offer your own children!

LU MONFERRATO

The little village of Lu, in northern Italy, is located in a rural area 90 kilometres east of Turin. It would still be unknown to this day if some of the mothers of Lu had not made a decision that had important consequences in 1881.

The deepest desire of many of these mothers was for one of their sons to become a priest or for a daughter to place her life completely in God’s service. Under the direction of their parish priest, Msgr. Alessandro Canora, they gathered every Tuesday for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, asking the Lord for vocations. They received Holy Communion on the first Sunday of every month with the same intention. After Mass, all the mothers prayed a particular prayer together imploring for vocations to the priesthood.

Through the trusting prayer of these mothers and the openness of the other parents, an atmosphere of deep joy and Christian piety developed in the families, making it much easier for the children to recognize their vocations.

When the Lord said, “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Mt 22:14), we can understand that many are called, but only a few respond to that call. No one expected that God would hear the prayers of these mothers in such a dramatic way.

From the tiny village of Lu came 323 vocations: 152 priests (diocesan and religious), and 171 nuns belonging to 41 different congregations. As many as three or four vocations came from some of the families. The most famous example is the Rinaldi family, from whom God called seven children. Two daughters became Salesian sisters, both of whom were sent to San Domingo as missionaries. Five sons became priests, all joining the Salesians. The most well-known of the Rinaldi brothers is Blessed Philip Rinaldi, who became the third successor of St. John Bosco as Superior General of the Salesians. Pope John Paul II beatified him on 29 April 1990. In fact, many of the vocations from this small town became Salesians. It is certainly not a coincidence, since St. John Bosco visited Lu four times during his life. The saint attended the first Mass of his spiritual son, Fr. Philip Rinaldi in this village where he was born. Philip always fondly recalled the faith of the families of Lu: “A faith that made our fathers and mothers say, ‘The Lord gave us our children, and so if He calls them, we can’t say no.’”

Fr. Luigi Borghina and Fr. Pietro Rota lived the spirituality of Don Bosco so faithfully that the former was called the “Brazilian Don Bosco” and the latter the “Don Bosco of Valtellina.” Pope John XXIII once said the following about another vocation from Lu, His Excellency, Evasio Colli, Archbishop of Parma: “He should have become pope, not me. He had everything it takes to become a great pope.”

Every ten years, the priests and sisters born in Lu used to come together from all around the world. Fr. Mario Meda, the long-serving parish priest of Lu, explained that this reunion is a true celebration, a feast of thanksgiving to God who has done such great things for Lu.

The prayer that the mothers of Lu prayed was short, simple, and deep:

~

“O God, grant that one of my sons may become a priest!

I myself want to live as a good Christian

and want to guide my children always to do what is right,

so that I may receive the grace, O God, to be allowed to give you a holy priest! Amen.”

From the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy

One happy bishop!

I think Sayedna Gregory looks the happiest of all -- is that possible???? (Hint: "yes") New postulants for the first community of Maronite Sisters outside of Lebanon, an historic occasion in the Universal Church. (The other Abounas present look pretty happy too!)