In celebration of today’s
Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi,
our friars would like to share a podcast interview created by OSV Newsweekly: A Franciscan on Francis,
by Jessica Marsala of OSV Daily Take.
In it, Most Reverend Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., Bishop of the Diocese of Savannah and a friar of Our Lady of the Angels Province, reflects on Pope Francis and the life of St. Francis of Assisi.
Our Lady of the Angels Province Jubilarian Celebration
September 28, 2016 11:30 a.m. Mass
St. Peter ‘s Roman Catholic Church, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
Many Our Lady of the Angels Province friars gathered to celebrate our Jubiliarians, at a special Mass and Umbrian-Style Feast, hosted at our pastoral ministry of St. Peter’s Parish, by our friars serving there. Fr. Santo Cricchio, OFM Conv., who celebrated his 25th Ordination Anniversary this year, presided at Mass, while Fr. Martin Kobos, OFM Conv., who celebrated his 40th Ordination Anniversary this year, preached the homily. For 2016, Our Lady of the Angels Province had 30 Friar Jubilarians and many were on hand for this Province-side fraternal celebration.
Three of the Jubilarians who all Celebrated their 40th Ordination Anniversary on in 2016: Fr. Paul Miskiewicz, OFM Conv., Fr. Martin Kobos, OFM Conv. and Fr. Curt Kreml, OFM Conv.
Franciscans from around the world celebrate both the Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi (October 3rd) and his Feast Day (October 4th). The definition of “transitus” is the “transit of a person or property en route from one place to another.” For Franciscans, TRANSITUS marks the night Francis left his earthly life, to move onto a life in heaven with Our Lord Jesus. He died, on the evening of October 3, 1226, a small man in his forties who had wanted to live a simple life in service to God. Traditionally Saints’ Feast Days mark the date of death and are remembered with special mention, prayers, and scripture readings. For us the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4th is so much more. It is a day filled with celebration and joy; blessing animals (often on the closest weekend), gathering for meals and enjoying the fellowship of our brothers and those we serve. Just as with all of the saints, it is the day Francis obtained Eternal Life.
In his time the message of St. Francis of Assisi attracted many followers across Europe. Francis could have led a life of luxury and earthly power. He was born into a wealthy cloth merchant family in Assisi, Italy around 1181 or 1182. As a young man he spent his days admiring Troubadours who traveled across Europe and performed their poetic songs to audiences. He also partook in raucous celebrations and planned on becoming a knight. His forays as a warrior against nearby Perugia ended in capture and imprisonment. The time in isolation allowed Francis to reflect on what God really wanted him to do in life.
Today, in the 21st century, there are three Franciscan First Orders (Friars Minor aka O.F.M with brown habits and short hoods, Capuchin Franciscans aka O.F.M. Cap. with dark brown habits and long hoods, and the Conventual Franciscans aka O.F.M Conv. with grey/black habits). The Conventual Franciscans, the Order to which our friars belong, span the globe. We are recognized by our grey (often almost black) habits, the three knotted cord representing the Vows of Poverty, Chastity & Obedience, and with “O.F.M. Conv.” following printed names of the members. The friars of Our Lady of the Angels Province serve up and down the East Coast of North America, as well as in several other countries and many celebrations took place in our friaries, shrines & ministries throughout our province commemorating these days; so important to all Franciscans.
This weekend, at many of our ministry locations, the faithful will gather for a Blessing of the Animals. Please join us at a ministry nearest to you as we celebrate St. Francis’ love for all of God’s creatures. He called animals “brother” or “sister,” and he exhorted them to praise God. This tradition is a strong one in many sects, beliefs and denominations, but for Franciscans it is a part of one of our most beloved celebrations of the year.
2015 Blessing of the Animals – Syracuse, NY
Lord God King of heaven and earth, Thou the Word of the Father by whom all creatures were given us for our support: look down, we beseech Thee, on our lowliness. As Thou hast given us these animals to assist us in our labors and needs so mayest Thou in Thy great goodness and mercy bless them from above, guard and preserve them; and, while Thou givest Thy servants temporal benefits, mayest Thou grant us thy continual grace so that we may praise Thy holy name with thanksgiving. Amen
The Legend of Saint Francis & the Wolf of Gubbio
In the Italian town of Gubbio, a wolf was eating livestock, and attacking people. After the fierce predator killed a shepherd, his brother and his father, who had tried to defend the town, the mayor sent three of his best guards to find and slay the wolf. Only one guard and the wolf survived the encounter. The mayor asked Francis to help them, as they had heard that he could talk to animals and that God talked to him.
Francis wanted to help but first prayed with his companions for a solution and rested with great hope. When Francis met the mayor, he knew there was a great hatred for the wolf, and the people of the town wanted revenge. Francis was asked to kill it or send it to their enemies. A compassionate and peace loving many, Francis listened but wanted to meet the wolf and hear his story. That night he prayed for the wisdom to find a solution that would benefit everyone.
When Francis found the wolf, he made the sign of the cross and called the wolf to meet him in peace under the grace of the Lord. “Come Brother Wolf, I will not hurt you. Let us talk in peace.” The wolf froze, then walked to Francis and sat on his haunches, to listen as Francis described the pain of the town, “Why did you kill the livestock and people?”
The wolf told Francis he had been injured and could not keep up with his pack. He would rather eat deer and rabbits, but he was hungry and could only catch the slow livestock of the town. The wolf also told Francis that he only killed the men while fighting back, but left their bodies alone. The wolf felt remorse for the pain he had caused, but he needed to eat.
Francis prayed as the wolf watched closely, then he proposed to the wolf that the townspeople could feed the wolf and then the wolf would stop killing the people and their livestock. Francis knew the townspeople could let go of their fear and hate if the wolf asked for forgiveness.
As they entered the town square, Francis called out, “Come countrymen, the wolf will not hurt you. Let us talk in peace. I have spoken with the wolf and he apologizes for his actions and wants to make amends. This will be your wolf. He can’t be killed or passed off to Spoletto or Perugia. He will serve the town as a defender as long as he will live.” Relatives of the dead harbored a hard place in their hearts for the wolf and found it hard to accept the proposal or grant forgiveness, but through the help of Francis, they found compassion for the wolf and all began to address him as Brother Wolf. Word spread and soon the people of Gubbio were proud of Brother Wolf. He lived under the care for the town for two years, until he died.
2016: The Friars and Sister serving in the Brooklyn, NY area gather to celebrate together.
2016: Our Lady of the Angels Province Minister Provincial, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. celebrated the Transitus and the Feast of St. Francis with our Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody Friars who serve in our Catholic Chaplaincy at the University of Aberdeen (Scotland). Friar Maximilian Martin, OFM Conv. and Friar Jakub Czajka, OFM Conv. organized the Transitus to be held in the University’s Pre-Reformation 15th-century King’s College Chapel. On the Feast Day, the Bishop of Aberdeen, His Lordship Hugh Gilbert, OSB, joined Friars and students. Fr. James preached at both the Transitus and Feast Day celebrations.
La Basilica dei Santi XII Apostoli: Fr. Donald Kos, OFM Conv. (pictured second from left at the altar) was joined by many of his confreres, living in and serving the people of Rome, including our Order’s Minister General, the Most Reverend Fr. Marco Tasca, OFM Conv. (pictured second from left at altar) and Our Lady of the Angels Province friar and Assistant General of the CFC: Conventual Franciscan Conference, Fr. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv. (pictured in center of front row of left choir stalls).
September 18, 2016: A special La Basilica dei Santi XII Apostoli noon Mass was held the celebration for the 80th Birthday of Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Donald Kos, OFM Conv. and the 25th Ordination Anniversary of the Assistant General of the CEO (Conferentia Europae Orientalis – translated: Conference Eastern Europe), Fr. Jacek Ciupiński , OFM Conv.
Taken in the courtyard of the our Order’s Curia Generalizia: Fr. Keven Hanley, OFM Conv. (Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody of Our Lady of the Angels Province friar serving as a Vatican Confessor), Fr. Jacek Ciupiński, OFM Conv. (Province of the Immaculate Mother of God – Warsaw friar serving as Assistant General of the CEO), Fr. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv. (Our Lady of the Angels Province friar serving as Assistant General of the CFC), Fr. Donald Kos, OFM Conv. (Our Lady of the Angels Province friar serving as Judicial Vicar of the Ecclesiastic Tribunal of Vatican City State), Fr. Victor Manuel Mora Mesén, OFM Conv. (Our Lady of the Angels Province friar residing in the Convento S. Massimiliano Kolbe, Rome and a member of the Executive Committee for the Revision of the Constitutions of the Order – CERC), Fr. Tim Kulbicki, OFM Conv. (Our Lady of the Angels Province friar serving as Guardian of the Convento S Antonio alle Terme, Rome, also a member of the CERC)
More on Friar Donald: a native of Holyoke, Massachusetts, he began his Franciscan life at the Conventual Franciscan – Mount Saint Lawrence Novitiate (Becket, MA), professing his Simple Vows in 1954 and Solemn Vows in 1957. After earning his B.A. in Philosophy at St. Bonaventure University (NY-1958), he moved to Rome where he earned his S.T.D in Theology at the Pontificia Facoltà Teologica San Bonaventura Seraphicum (1962), his J.C.D. – Doctor of Canon Law at the Pontificia Università Lateranense (1966) and his Diploma in Canon Law at the Tribunal Apostolicum Rotae Romanae (1970).
He has spent all of his years in ministry in service to our Order in Rome since his December 23, 1961 Ordination to the Priesthood, at our La basilica dei Santi XII Apostoli(Basilica of the Twelve Holy Apostles). His Rome assignments included Assistant General of the Anglo-American Coetus, Postulator General of the Order, Vicar General of the Order, Guardian of the Convento S Antonio alle Terme, Referendouro of the Signatura Apostolica, Judge of the First Instance of the Vatican Tribunal, Correspondent on Congregation of the Apostolic Penitenzeria, Procurator General and he continues to now serve as the Judicial Vicar of the Ecclesiastic Tribunal of Vatican City State.
On January 28, 2016, Friar Donald received the “Pro Ecclisia et Pontifice” Cross of Honor Award from Pope Francis in recognition of distinguished service to the church. He joins an illustrious list of recipients that include Mother Angelica, Princess Benedikte of Denmark, George Weigel and Queen Sofía of Spain.
Congratulations Friar Donald! On September 18, 2016, Fr. Donald Kos, OFM Conv. was re-appointed Judicial Vicar of the Ecclesiastic Tribunal of Vatican City State for the triennium. Pictured here is the official Papal notification from the Secretary of State.
Profession of Religious Vows of Peter Damian Fehlner, OFM Conv.: The candidate approaches the Minister Provincial (the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv.), kneels before him, folds his hands between the Minister’s palms resting on the book of the Gospels, and recites the formula of profession. Witnesses: Friar Jim Moore, OFM Conv. (Guardian of the St. Bonaventure Friary Post Novitiate) and Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv. (Guardian of the St. Joseph Cupertino Friary, in which Friar Peter Damian resides) {Novice, friar Emmanuel Wenke, OFM Conv. kneeling at center}
On Saturday, September 17, 2016, Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner, OFM Conv. professed Solemn Vows in the St. Joseph Cupertino Friary Chapel (Ellicott City, MD), in the company of many of his confreres, as well as some visiting seminarians from the Diocese of Savannah. Friar Peter began his life as a Franciscan as a member of our community. For the past few decades, he has been a member of another Order but on Saturday returned “home” to us and is assigned to the St. Joseph Cupertino Friary which serves the needs of the pilgrims to the Shrine of St. Anthony. We welcome him home and ask for you to keep him and all of our friars in your continued prayers. For more pictures from the day, please visit our Province Facebook page.
Statement on World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski
Chairman, Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Bishop Oscar Cantú
Chairman, Committee on International Justice and Peace
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
September 1, 2016
Today marks the one-year anniversary of Pope Francis’ call for Catholics to observe the World Day of Prayer for the Care for Creation. We would like to invite all faithful to join the Pope to pray for the care of creation, united with our Orthodox and Christian sisters and brothers of other denominations who already celebrate this day. We also respectfully invite members of all religions to join in prayer, particularly our Jewish and Muslim friends who, like us Catholics, see Abraham as our “father in faith.”
In his encyclical, Laudato si’, Pope Francis called us to live out an “integral ecology,” which in simple terms means having right relationships with God, other human beings and the good things of the Earth. When one relationship suffers, all the others will suffer as well.
The foundational relationship in our lives is the one with God, who invites us to turn to him in daily prayer. It also reminds us that amidst the great challenges of global climate change, pollution in our local communities, and the deepening ecological and social crises all around us, we can relate to a Creator who is greater than any challenge and for whom “all things are possible” (Mt 19: 26). We can turn, then, in confidence to our Lord in prayer and ask for his grace and assistance.
In friendship with Christ, we begin to look upon creation in a renewed way. Pope Benedict XVI spoke of a certain “reciprocity” between God and our care for creation, a concept which is developed further by Pope Francis in Laudato si’: as we care for the environment, we encounter God, and in this encounter we are moved to care for creation. We are reminded of the Pope’s insistence on practicing what we preach (and pray), and the need for Christians to be visible witnesses of the care for creation. We are called to an “ecological conversion” (no. 217), which must be rooted in Jesus’ invitation to a change in lifestyle, reverence for others and a renewed simplicity of life. These personal transformations pave the way for the work we must do together in order to address the global concerns of our day.
Finally, we would like to suggest a few tangible ways in which we can turn our prayer into witness. In Laudato si’, Pope Francis reminds us of the “nobility in the duty to care for creation through little daily actions,” and suggests various practical steps such as recycling, turning off unnecessary lights and using public transportation (see no. 211). So many of these “daily actions” occur in the context of our families and in our places of worship and work. We can begin, in these ordinary settings, to care in deeper ways for the good things God has given us. This attitude of stewardship, forged in daily life, will, in turn, allow us to participate in the greater national and international efforts to care for the Earth and for future generations.
As we expand our work together as good stewards, it must be marked by care and respect for the dignity of every human being, especially the poor. Those who are impacted the most by our poor environmental decisions often lack the influence to have their suffering addressed. As Christians and people of good will, we must seek out their voices and extend our hands in help, making their pleas our own.
The World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation is also an occasion for spending time with family and friends as we transition into the beauty of the fall season. We invite you to integrate experiences of creation into your day so that you never lose your wonder in beholding God’s unmatched artistry. Whether we take a walk in a local park, visit a place of striking natural beauty, or even celebrate a festive meal in which we enjoy the “fruits of creation” grown in our own gardens, we can come together with loved ones to pray and give thanks to our Creator for the abundance of blessings given to us this day, and for our life with him always.
____________________
The Canticle of the Creatures ~ St. Francis of Assisi
Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, and the honor, and all blessing,
To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no human is worthy to mention Your name.
Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day and through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor;
and bears a likeness of You, Most High One.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather,
through whom You give sustenance to Your creatures.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night,
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains and governs us,
and who produces various fruit with colored flowers and herbs.
Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love, and bear infirmity and tribulation. Blessed are those who endure in peace for by You, Most High, shall they be crowned.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no one living can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin. Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will, for the second death shall do them no harm.
Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks and serve Him with great humility.
Steps toward opening Carrollton Hall on the property of our ministry of the Shrine of St. Anthony (Ellicott City, MD) to the wider public began in earnest in early spring of 2015. As part of the restoration of the building, on August 30, 2016 a replica of the original cupola was placed on roof. The original was used to help ventilate the building with access through the attic. The new one is also lighted – with the same access.
Our Lady of the Angels Province Friars: Minister Provincial – the Most Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. & Director of Carrollton Hall – Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv.
Note: In early December 2014, Maryland state officials announced that Carrollton Hall (12280 Folly Quarter Road, Ellicott City, MD 21042) was one of nine statewide recipients of historic preservation tax credits from a fund administered by the Maryland Historical Trust. The program began in 1996 as part of the Maryland Department of Planning and for several years has been made available to religious and other non-profit organizations. In January 2015, Carrollton Hall was officially entered into the National Register of Historic Places!
Friar Tim gets some help feeding the turtle from two of his smallest (and most adorable) parishioners.
St. Ann Roman Catholic Church shares a rich history with the city of Baltimore and a rich present with its sister parish of St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church (parish established on parish in 1872). They two parishes also share a pastor, in Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Timothy Dore, OFM Conv.
St. Ann’s Church was erected because of a promise made by Captain William Kennedy, commander of The Wanderer, one of the most famous Baltimore clipper ships, when he was caught in a raging storm off the coast of Vera Cruz in 1833. He made of vow to God that they were able to return safely, he would build a church as a testament of gratitude. The story goes that the captain survived, gave up his life at sea and made good on his vow. In 1872, he and his wife bought the land and paid for the construction of a church, naming it Saint Ann; patron saint of sailors (According to French tradition, Mary Magdalene crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Marseilles, France to spread the word of Jesus’ death and resurrection. She is said to have brought St. Ann’s remains with her. The legend continues that St. Auspice buried Saint Ann’s body in a cave. When barbarians invaded, the cave was filled with debris and forgotten until it was dug out by minors six hundred years later during the reign of Charlemagne. Sailors and minors of France were very devoted to St. Ann. Their devotion spread throughout Europe and eventually to the New World.). The Captain and his wife are buried under the
The cornerstone was laid in 1873, the same year Captain Kennedy and Mrs. Kennedy died. Although neither of them lived to see the church completed, they are both buried under the main aisle of Saint Ann Church. They both died in 1873.
The Church was completed in 1874 and a school and convent were also added. In 1925 the anchor of The Wanderer was restored and placed in a stone cradle beside the cornerstone. The historic, cultural and architectural significance of this church is well documented in the church archives, and the Church of St. Ann’s continues to be a neighborhood landmark,home to a predominately African American welcoming faith community, the continues a rich history of mission in East Baltimore.
Blessed Mother Teresa of Kolkata (Calcutta) will be canonized on September 4, 2016. She was of Albanian decent, born on August 26, 1910 in Skopje (now called Mecedonia) and named Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. As a young missionary sister, she began her work in Calcutta in 1929. Her works of mercy earned her many honors including the 1971 Pope John XXIII Peace Prize, 1973 Templeton Prize for “Progress in Religion,” 1979 Nobel Peace Prize, 1983 Order of Merit (from Queen Elizabeth), 1987 Gold Medal of the Soviet Peace Committee and the 1997 United States Congressional Gold Medal. She founded her Missionaries of Charity in 1950 and her deep and unconditional love for the poor, at risk and abandoned of the city. This beloved saint of the gutter died September 5, 1997, at the age of 87.
On October 19, 2003, she was declared Blessed by St. Pope John Paul II. One of the faithful who will be in attendance at her canonization in Rome will be our Minister Provincial, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv., who shared a unique friendship with Mother Teresa.
The following is an article written by Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. in honor of her beatification, with ecclesiastical approval of the Archdiocese of New York (September 5, 2003). Located online: published on September 8, 2004 by Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. in Marian Devotion where he also spoke on Militia Immaculatae which St. Maximilian saw capable of transforming the world.
Mother Teresa and the Miraculous Medal
Mother Teresa of Calcutta, renowned for the worldwide mission of charity that she began in 1946, used a simple “tool” as a symbol of that charity: the “Miraculous Medal.” A common sight it was to watch Mother take a fistful of such medals, kiss them, and hand them out to the poor. Queues of people would form outside her convents when word would spread that Mother Teresa had come to town. One by one she would welcome young and old, the sick and the needy, lay and clergy, the significant and the insignificant. Rarely would any leave without Mother pressing Miraculous Medals into their hands.
On her last visit to the South Bronx of New York in June 1997, sitting in a wheelchair less than three months before her death, Mother cradled a full basket of these medals on her lap. Her sisters kept refilling the basket as Mother gave sizeable quantities to each priest greeting her after Mass. Noteworthy was the reverence with which she handled these religious sacramentals, and the earnestness with which she suggested they be used as tools for spreading the Gospel message of love.
Why did Mother Teresa pass out Miraculous Medals? What are they? What connection do they have to the work of her sisters, the Missionaries of Charity (whom Mother affectionately called MCs)? Since Mother herself oversaw the yearly distribution of tens of thousands of Miraculous Medals in the final decade of her life, and since her MCs continue to circulate 1.8 million Miraculous Medals annually, a brief look at this phenomenon seems well indicated.
Eighty years before Mother was born, the Miraculous Medal had its origin. The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared on the 18th of July and on the 27th of November, in the year 1830, to a young Daughter of Charity, St. Catherine Labouré, on the Rue du Bac in Paris. Our Lady’s parting message to the visionary was that a medal be cast and distributed with a depiction of her Immaculate Conception on the front, and a tableau of Calvary on the back. Within ten years of the apparition—generally regarded as the beginning of the modern era of Marian phenomena—the medal became so widespread and popular, and occasioned such numerous healings and conversions, that people began calling it the “Miraculous Medal”—a nickname which continues to the present day. French missionaries spread the Medal and its miraculous reputation worldwide in the mid-19th century. In 1842, the conversion of the rabidly anti-Catholic agnostic Alphonse Ratisbonne through the use of a Miraculous Medal gained international celebrity. In the first half of the 20th century, the Conventual Franciscan Friar and later Martyr of Charity at Auschwitz, St. Maximilian Kolbe, championed the mass distribution of Miraculous Medals. St. Maximilian called the Medal: “our weapon with which to strike hearts” and “a bullet with which a faithful soldier hits the enemy, that is evil, and thus rescues souls.”
If St. Maximilian Kolbe can be considered the foremost advocate of the Miraculous Medal in the first half of the 20th century, a good case could be made to designate Mother Teresa the foremost champion of the Medal in the second half of the 20th century. She inherited the Kolbean insight that the Medal was an effective tool for evangelization—spreading the Gospel of Love. How does the Medal encapsulate the Gospel message of perfect charity? A look at the symbolism of the front and back of the Medal is like reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Lessons about Jesus Christ, His Church, the Redemption, the Eucharist, the Divine Mercy, Grace, Original Sin, Mary, Death, Judgement, Heaven, and Hell are all to be learned by studying the images impressed on the Medal.
The obverse (front) of the Miraculous Medal depicts the scene from the Book of Genesis 3:15, known as the Protoevangelium, the “first gospel,” where God prophesies that a Woman and her offspring will eventually crush the head of the ancient serpent, who had tricked Adam and Even into committing Original Sin. Standing atop the earth, with her foot on the crawling snake, Mary is depicted as the Immaculate Conception—a doctrine explained by the words of the prayer framing Our Lady in an oval: “O Mary conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to thee.” Mary, the New Eve, the first of our human race to be freed from Original Sin (at the very instant she was conceived in her mother’s womb), offers us the graces from God to overcome the influences of evil that slime their way though our frail lives. These graces that she mediates from God to us are symbolized by the rays that come from her fingers. Notice that not all of her fingers have rays emanating. She explained to St. Catherine that the absent rays represent graces which God offers but we refuse. All in all, the front of the Miraculous Medal is a mini-catechism about the great struggle between good and evil that engages the human race—a struggle in which Mary stands out as first prize of the victory won by Christ and as our God-given Mother channeling to us the graces necessary to share in the same victory.
The reverse (back) of the Miraculous Medal depicts the scene from the Gospel of John 19:25-27, where the Cross of Jesus Christ, with Mary at its foot, stands uppermost in the mystery of Divine Charity—redemptive love without limits. Surrounded by an oval of 12 stars, symbolizing the 12 Tribes of Israel from the Old Testament and the 12 Apostles of the New Testament, the Cross on the Miraculous Medal represents hope—a hope which Mary understood and which Mother Teresa conveyed each time she pressed the Medal into the hands of the poor. At the base of the cross is a horizontal bar, and this is regarded as a symbol of the Altar; for it is on the Altar at Mass that the Sacrifice of Calvary continues to be present in the world of today and down through the ages. The initial M at the foot of the Cross and the Altar indicates the way in which Mary gathers the faithful to receive the graces of Redemption and partake of Holy Communion with her attitude of faith and stance of total consecration to Christ and His mission of charity.
Beneath the Marian monogram are the two hearts—the Sacred Heart of Jesus encircled with thorns and the Immaculate Heart of Mary pierced by a sword. The covenant of these two Hearts in the blood of suffering and sacrifice would ultimately become an alliance in glory. The glorified Jesus, ascended into Heaven, and the Immaculate Mary, assumed body and soul to the same abode, live now united in one eternally synchronized heartbeat of love for humanity—called to share someday in the fullness of life and love.
On the Cross, Jesus said to his beloved disciple (and to all of us until the end of time) “Behold your Mother” (Jn. 19:27). He then cried out “I thirst.” Mother Teresa did not fail to see the connection between those phrases. Jesus thirsted for His love to be received and spread. Mary on Calvary understood her Son’s thirst, received His love, returned his love, and spread it. The motto of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity is precisely “I thirst”—their mission to satisfy the thirst of Jesus as He cries out to them in the poorest of the poor—their goal to return Jesus’ love by their love the way Mary did. As simply as she could, Mother Teresa adopted the Miraculous Medal as a beautiful tool to symbolize the return of love for Love: Love is repaid by love alone.
Taking a Miraculous Medal in her gnarled and toil-worn fingers, Mother Teresa often would ask the sick person “Where does it hurt?”; then she would gently press the medal on that spot. “Let Our Lady kiss where it hurts,” she would be heard to say. Then she would tell the sick person: “Repeat after me: ‘Mary Mother, be a mother to me NOW.'” She would stress the word “now,” and repeat the phrase, as she caressed the sick with Our Lady’s medal. For Mother Teresa, this was a “medal of charity”—a sign of God’s single interest in each and every person at each and every moment “now” of life. She gave to the Miraculous Medal a new apostolic thrust, and refocused the Medal’s spirituality and theology through the prism of her holy mission of charity.
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee, so that the thirst of Jesus might be satisfied, and His world become something beautiful for God, a kingdom of love, where you, O Mary Mother of Jesus, can be a mother to me and to all, now and forever. Amen.
Father James McCurry, O.F.M.Conv., is also the past-president of the Mariological Society of America, former National Director of the Militia Immaculata in the United States, a recognized Kolbean scholar, and Mariologist, as well as a published author and guest speaker who appears regularly on EWTN.
There are many special celebrations happening in honor of Mother Teresa’s September 4th Canonization, throughout our province. At one of our newest pastoral ministry locations, St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, in Baltimore, MD, they will welcome Fr. Jack Lombardi who worked with Mother Teresa in India many years ago, to celebrate the 11:45 a.m. – September 4, 2016 Mass, at the site of the convent of the Missionaries of Charity, with refreshments to follow. The next weekend, Saturday, September 10, 2016, the canonization will be again celebrated as the Missionaries of Charity will host the 11:00 a.m. Mass to be celebrated by Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore. The sisters, invited clergy, friends and parishioners will celebrate the special Mass of Thanksgiving follwed by a luncheon and short film on the life of Mother Teresa. This event is open to all. Please call the sisters at Gift of Hope Cenvent (410-732-6056) for more information.
Our Lady of the Angels Province friar and Parochial Vicar of our pastoral ministry at Holy Cross Catholic Church (Atlanta, GA),
Fr. Abelardo Huanca Martinez, OFM Conv has become a citizen of the United States of America!!
Congratulations, Friar Abelardo!
Father of all, Look upon your servant Abelardo and help him to grow in Your love. Be pleased with his work and service. Bless our flag and let it always remind him of the principles for which it stands. Give Your peace to all, and help us to work together in harmony. We ask this through Christ, our Lord! Amen
