August 26, 2012 - OUR LADY OF CZESTOCHOWA

Today, August 26, 2012, is the Feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa or Queen of Poland as She is called since centuries ago. Today, She is known to be one of the two "Miraculous Black Madonna" in the world. Our Lady of Montserrat of Spain is the other one.

My journey to Eastern Europe in the year 2000 covered visits to Czechoslovakia, Poland, Austria and Hungary. The total ambiance of these places had a discriminating allure so intricately difficult to explain, yet, so soothing to unravel within the senses of my being. Every place had a charm all its own - a hold on me quite removed from the plush and grandeur of Paris, London or Spain. Why? I searched for answers rather exhaustively and pinpointed three  plausible reasons: my long-time devotion to the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague, my inherent love for music which Vienna represents and the mind-boggling World War II atrocities committed in these places especially in Auschwitz.

"Jasna Gora" or "Bright Mountain" is referred to as the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poland.

August 9, 2012 - PARIS SOJOURN

Tomorrow, August 10, 2012, I will be on a Paris sojourn with my daughters Marissa and Cielo and my niece, Ritz, daughter of my sister, Glory. The sights and sounds of the City of Light has enraptured me in its web of Renaissance architecture and contemporary edifices, fascinating melting-pot of art, culture, fashion and culinary excellence. It is a cosmopolitan city of many wonderful things for the eyes to see, the ears to hear and magnificent array of time-honored crafts hands have created and a surplus of nuances for emotions to  surge and hearts to embrace. The very ambiance of the place where people of diverse origins, color, creed or attire meet and inter-act in a manner amicably with respect and understanding, consideration and assistance overwhelms me! Yet, Paris also is the capital of France where social reforms have ignited revolutions of such magnitude to effect political and social living.

What keeps me breathless with wonder and amazement is the old-world charm of the Renaissance structures of cathedrals and buildings coupled with the sweeping elegance of bold Modern Art. However, to me, the medieval masterpieces in painting and other art forms outshine the contemporary look although a certain harmony pervades in their contrasting features. With more than 2,000 monuments, breath-taking sanctuaries for worship and prayer which are masterpieces in themselves, I, nay, anyone can be easily carried to Cloud 9.

Most important of all, my visit to Paris always includes a pilgrimage to 140 Rue de Bac where our Blessed Mother appeared to St. Catherine Laboure in the chapel of the Convent of the Sisters of Charity on July 18, 1830, the first of several encounters. She leaned her hands on our Lady's lap as she was told of the great suffering that would come to the Church. In addition, she was told of a mission she was to undertake.

On November 27, 1830, our Blessed Mother appeared to her in an oval frame standing on a globe wearing many rings of different colors which shone rays of light. Around the margin of the oval were the words, "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee." A large letter, M, was encircled with 12 stars and a stylized Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary. Our Lady said, " All who wear this medal will receive many graces." The medal which was struck upon instructions received by St. Catherine Laboure became known as "The Miraculous Medal" because of the reported cures and healing which number by the millions.

St. Catherine Laboure died at age 70 on December 31, 1876. Her body was exhumed after 57  and was found unravaged by natural law of death with her blue eyes open. I first saw her in 1975 and through the 18 times I have so far visited her, St. Catherine's body is still incorrupt and her eyes still blue. 

Another pilgrimage site in Paris is St. Vincent de Paul. But his story deserves a blog all its own.... for next time.  

Aug.1, 2012 - ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI

Today, August 1, 2012, is the Feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori, a lawyer, philosopher and theologian who founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer or "The Redemptorists." 

He was born on September 27,1696 in city near Naples, Italy. A brilliant student, he became a lawyer who won every case he handled. Despite his success in his profession, he felt an emptiness within. At age 27,  after practicing law for eight years, he lost his case for the first time and decided to quit. Against his father's wishes, he entered the seminary and was ordained a priest at 30. He lived his first few years as a priest with the homeless and marginalized youth of Naples. He founded Evening Chapels as centers of prayer, preaching and community social activities. Upon his death, there were 72 Evening Chapels established with over 10,000 active participants.

His priestly life was somehow marred, if one would call it that, by a condition known as "scruples" which was an  obsessive concern with one's sins and a compulsive performance of religious direction. St. Ignatius Loyola had been known to suffer from "scruples," too and described the condition as a "groundless fear of sinning that arises from erroneous ideas."

St. Alphonsus Liguori was canonized in 1839 and was elevated to being a Doctor of the Church in 1871.

The Church of St. Alphonsus Liguori in Rome is between the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the seat of the Bishop of Rome and the Basilica of St. Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiorre), the largest church dedicated to our Blessed Mother in the world. The shrine dedicated to St. Alphonsus Liguori is the repository of the original icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help or as She is also called, "Mother of Perpetual Succour."

It is recorded that the icon was fished out of the waters near the island of Crete by a fisherman who kept it in his home for some time. Then one night, he dreamed the "Lady" telling him that She desired to be venerated in the church between St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major. St. Matthew's church fitted the instructions so that in 1499, the icon was venerated there for 300 years. Then during the 60-year period of turmoil in Rome, the little church of San Matteo was destroyed and the icon hidden away. The Redemptorists built a church in the site in honor of their founder St. Alphonsus Liguori. Pope Pius IX gave the title Mother of Perpetual Help to the icon and also bestowed its custody to the Redemptorists in 1866.

My first visit to the Church of St. Alphonsus Liguori in Rome was in 1976. The original icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help hung above the main altar. The image was painted on a piece of wood measuring about 4 ft by 3 ft. I learned that the icon had existed for several centuries which accounted for its slight discolorization and dire need for restoration.

I have been a devotee of Our Mother of Perpetual Help since my college days when I tried to consistently attend the Wednesday novena at Baclaran in Manila. Only inescapable reasons would cause me then to miss the devotions at Her national shrine. To think that through all those years, I never knew the specifics of the icon until that 1976 talk with the pastor in Rome.