Shining Through Everywhere:

God is always here. As we grow closer to God, we grow in our awareness of that presence—we recognize that “the world is transparent, and God is shining through everywhere.”

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Faith, which sees the love of God revealed in the pierced heart of Jesus on the Cross, gives rise to love. Love is the light ... the only light that can always illuminate a world grown dim and gives us the courage needed to keep living and working.

- Pope Benedict XVI (Deus Caritas Est - God is Love, #39)

Sts. Peter and Paul

Peter: St. Mark ends the first half of his Gospel with a triumphant climax. He has recorded doubt, misunderstanding and the opposition of many to Jesus. Now Peter makes his great confession of faith: "You are the Messiah" (Mark 8:29b). It was one of the many glorious moments in Peter's life, beginning with the day he was called from his nets along the Sea of Galilee to become a fisher of men for Jesus.

The New Testament clearly shows Peter as the leader of the apostles, chosen by Jesus to have a special relationship with him. With James and John he was privileged to witness the Transfiguration, the raising of a dead child to life and the agony in Gethsemane. His mother-in-law was cured by Jesus. He was sent with John to prepare for the last Passover before Jesus' death. His name is first on every list of apostles.

And to Peter only did Jesus say, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the nether world shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:17b-19).

But the Gospels prove their own veracity by the unflattering details they include about Peter. He clearly had no public relations person. It is a great comfort for ordinary mortals to know that Peter also has his human weakness, even in the presence of Jesus.

He generously gave up all things, yet he can ask in childish self-regard, "What are we going to get for all this?" (see Matthew 19:27). He receives the full force of Christ's anger when he objects to the idea of a suffering Messiah: "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do" (Matthew 16:23b).

Peter is willing to accept Jesus' doctrine of forgiveness, but suggests a limit of seven times. He walks on the water in faith, but sinks in doubt. He refuses to let Jesus wash his feet, then wants his whole body cleansed. He swears at the Last Supper that he will never deny Jesus, and then swears to a servant maid that he has never known the man. He loyally resists the first attempt to arrest Jesus by cutting off Malchus's ear, but in the end he runs away with the others. In the depth of his sorrow, Jesus looks on him and forgives him, and he goes out and sheds bitter tears.

Paul: If Billy Graham suddenly began preaching that the United States should adopt Marxism and not rely on the Constitution, the angry reaction would help us understand Paul's life when he started preaching that Christ alone can save us. He had been the most Pharisaic of Pharisees, the most legalistic of Mosaic lawyers. Now he suddenly appears to other Jews as a heretical welcomer of Gentiles, a traitor and apostate.

Paul's central conviction was simple and absolute: Only God can save humanity. No human effort—even the most scrupulous observance of law—can create a human good which we can bring to God as reparation for sin and payment for grace. To be saved from itself, from sin, from the devil and from death, humanity must open itself completely to the saving power of Jesus.

Paul never lost his love for his Jewish family, though he carried on a lifelong debate with them about the uselessness of the Law without Christ. He reminded the Gentiles that they were grafted on the parent stock of the Jews, who were still God's chosen people, the children of the promise.

In light of his preaching and teaching skills, Paul's name has surfaced (among others) as a possible patron of the Internet.

Comment:

We would probably go to confession to Peter sooner than to any of the other apostles. He is perhaps a more striking example of the simple fact of holiness. Jesus says to us as he said, in effect, to Peter: "It is not you who have chosen me, but I who have chosen you. Peter, it is not human wisdom that makes it possible for you to believe, but my Father's revelation. I, not you, build my Church." Paul's experience of the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus was the driving force that made him one of the most zealous, dynamic and courageous ambassadors of Christ the Church has ever had. But persecution, humiliation and weakness became his day-by-day carrying of the cross, material for further transformation. The dying Christ was in him; the living Christ was his life.

Connections:

We are connected through the Scriptures as followers of Jesus Christ. We are connected through the sacraments as people of life, as members of the nurturing Body of Christ, as people who forgive and who are forgiven.

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The solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul invites us to reflect on the way taken by Peter and Paul as
they followed Christ from the day of their calling to that of their martyrdom here in Rome.

- Pope John Paul the Great (Homily for Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, June 29, 1995)

Always Look:

Sometimes it’s easy to see where God is. At other times it’s more difficult, but it always helps to look.

Unity – Faith:

Division in relationships is always painful. Division in Christian communities reduces the witnessing of our faith in Christ who teaches us to preach unity and peace. All divisions are the result of divisions within our hearts. If we are united in God, we will be God’s peace and unity to others.

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For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God.

- St. Irenaeus of Lyons (130-202)

God’s Presence:

The more we take time to reflect on our lives, the more we will recognize God’s presence—the new people and pathways, the liturgies and life events that make us aware that “God is shining through everywhere.” With alertness to God’s presence will come growth in God’s spirit of love.

Truth – Persuasion?:

People who are morally blind and intellectually proud will often be cynical and non receptive to the Good News of Salvation. No amount of dialogue would persuade them. Thus, be gentle and non-judgmental towards them. A sincere witness to the Gospel would be more effective than words.

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The Lord calls himself the vine and those united to him branches in order to teach us how much we shall benefit from our union with him, and how important it is for us to remain in his love. By receiving the Holy Spirit, who is the bond of union between us and Christ our Saviour, those who are joined to him, as branches are to a vine, share in his own nature.

- St. Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)

We Are the Body of Christ:

We receive the Body of Christ, but…we already are the Body of Christ; we must become so much like Jesus himself that we do his work and carry his light and life into our world.

Judgmental:

When was the last time someone praised you? Do you receive more negative remarks than affirmations daily? If we are not at peace with ourselves, we will not be able to see the good in others. Jesus wants us to be just and objective in our judgments on others. Learn to see others with the “eyes of Christ.”

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To meditate is to consider, to contemplate God as your Father, and yourself as his child in need of help, and then to give him thanks for all that he has given you and for all that he will give you.

- St. Josemari Escriva (1902-1992)

Where We See God:

We hear God in a baby’s laugh, see God in a starry night, a new snowfall or the sudden beauty along the highway when we’re driving. We come to know that it is God—not luck or coincidence—who put an unexpected, wonderful person in our path today.

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Let the Good Shepherd find his erring sheep and not disdain to bear it, sick and tired of wandering trackless wilds, on his shoulders. Let him save it not only by calling it back, but also by carrying it along. Let the Lord seek his human image, wash away from it all accumulated uncleanness that has stained it and so brighten up the mirror of the human heart.

- St. Prosper of Aquitaine (390-465)

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Jb 38:1, 8-11
Ps 107:23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31
2 Cor 5:14-17
Mk 4:35-41

Have you ever been seasick? Hello, I’m Franciscan Father Greg Friedman, with the “Sunday Soundbite” for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Listening to today’s first reading and Gospel might recall some unpleasant experiences on board a ship, especially in a bad storm. In the first reading, Job isn’t at sea, except in his emotional state. But God is addressing this ancient holy man out of the midst of a fierce storm. God asks Job to think about the power of the sea and its waves. That power, God says, is kept in check by God’s greater power!

Switch to the Gospel—here the disciples and Jesus are sailing in a bad storm, and the boat is in some danger. When the disciples wake him with the warning that they’re in danger of sinking, the power of God described in the first reading is brought to bear, as Christ calms the wind and the waves.

Now I’ve never been in a really bad storm at sea. Nor have I been seasick, although I’ve been with a friend who was pretty miserable on a relatively calm sail across Lake Erie. But I have been tossed about by emotional winds and waves in my life. And—like the disciples—I’ve wondered if Jesus cared that I was sinking. So this Sunday, I’ll be taking the Gospel to heart, and I hope you will too!

Scripture:

•Who shut within doors the sea, when it burst forth from the womb… (Job 38:8)

•These saw the works of the LORD and his wonders in the abyss. (Psalm 107:24)

•He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (2 Corinthians 5:15)

•They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?” (Mark 4:41)

Reflection

•How is God a presence in your life?

•How do you live and die in the name of Jesus?

•Where do you see Jesus present in the world?

In whatever way we live—whether we wake or sleep, we eat or drink, we mourn or sing—all the while we are dying. (Thomas More)

Sacramental People:

We are a sacramental people. We see all life as a blessing that reveals something about our God. We know that bread, wine, water and oil can be holy things—and that work, smiles, sunsets and a perfect day at the county fair can be holy too.

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Faith tells us that God has given his Son for our sake and gives us the victorious certainty that it is really true: God is Love!

- Pope Benedict XVI (Deus Caritas Est - God is Love, #39)

Forgiveness:

As Jesus was a loving, forgiving person and as the Spirit breathes peace and reconciliation through our lives, so too we must be forgiving people. In our homes, our workplaces, our cities, our parishes, are we people who forgive and forget, again and again? God is. We must be too.

Sacred Heart of Jesus:

This feast celebrates the infinite compassion and mercy of God, Our Lord. It is because of such unconditional love that our faults, failures and sins have not destroyed us. We are each challenged to have a heart that feels for others when they hurt us.

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Devotion to the Sacred Heart has a twofold object: It honors first with adoration and public worship the Heart of flesh of Jesus Christ, and secondly the infinite love with which this Heart has burned for us since its creation, and with which it is still consumed in the Sacrament of our altars.

- St. Peter Julian Eymard (On the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus)

Who Was First?

Q: How is it that after so many years of traditional teaching, some people are acknowledging Mark the Evangelist as author of the first Gospel instead of Matthew? I read something about “internal evidence.” Is there such doubt about authorship, or is “internal evidence” more convincing than early Church history?

A: This problem may arise from what people mean by “the first Gospel.” The attribution of the four Gospels to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John was reported by Papias, a bishop who died as a martyr around 125 A.D.

Most modern biblical scholars think that the Gospel of Mark was the first of the four Gospels to be completed (about 70 A.D.) and that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke borrow a good deal of material from Mark. The Gospel of John is usually considered the last of the four Gospels, having been completed around the year 95 A.D.

The Gospel of Matthew is the first Gospel in the sense that it has long been copied or printed first in collections of the four Gospels. That does not mean, however, that it was completed first.

Although the Book of Genesis is printed first in the Old Testament and without doubt describes its oldest events, the Book of Amos was probably completed 200 years earlier, in the eighth century before Christ’s birth.

If the Gospel of Matthew was not written first, then why is it printed first? The Gospel of Matthew is in some ways a more “churchy” Gospel than the other three—indeed, the only one to use the Greek word ekklesia (“Church”). The liturgy has used this Gospel more than those of Mark, Luke or John. Why? Jesus is most clearly a teacher in Matthew.

Gifts From a Loving Father:

We recognize the treasures we have—our beautiful world, our family and friends, our work, hobbies and interests,…and the larger community of the faithful, and our own creativity, personality, strengths and weaknesses. We see all these things as gifts from a loving father.

Meaningful Prayer:

To pray meaningfully, we must first learn to praise and thank God for all the blessings He has given us, then beg Him to reveal His Will to us, and give us the strength to live in His ways. Pray also for the salvation of all peoples. God will always bless us abundantly.

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We are born to love, we live to love, and we will die to love still more.

- Saint Joseph Cafasso (1811-1860)

Everything Is a Blessing:

We look at the world around us, the people we know, and the events and experiences of our own lives, and we realize that everything is a blessing, everything is a gift, everything can show us God.

"Greatest Love":

Loving God is the greatest of all the commandments. First, because Jesus says so! Second, God is the greatest and the most important of all beings in our lives. Thus, He must also be the centre, foundation and goal of everything that we live for. If we love Him fully, we will know how to love others just as fully.

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There is no more evident sign that anyone is a saint and of the number of the elect, than to see him leading a good life and at the same time a prey to desolation, suffering, and trials.

- Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591)

Reckless words pierce like a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing

-unknown

Our Gifts:

We know that each of our gifts says something about the God who gave them and that taken all together they help open our minds to God’s overwhelming generosity and to God’s plans for us.

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Faith, hope and charity go together. Hope is practiced through the virtue of patience, which continues to do good even in the face of apparent failure, and through the virtue of humility, which accepts God's mystery and trusts him even at times of darkness.

- Pope Benedict XVI (Deus Caritas Est - God is Love, #39)

Sacraments and Life:

Our sacraments do not exist on some spiritual plane with no connection to the real world. They are perfectly connected to everyday life. The sacraments are all about welcoming, strengthening, inspiring, nourishing, forgiving, healing, justice and service. They are about life.

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To Saint Jude, Holy Saint Jude, Apostle and Martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invoke your special patronage in time of need. To you I have recourse from the depths of my heart and humbly beg to whom God has given such great power to come to my assistance. Help me in my present and urgent petition, in return I promise to make your name known and cause you to be invoked. Saint Jude pray for us and all who invoke your aid. Amen.

- Prayer for the Feast of St. Jude the Apostle

Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (B)

Ex 24:3-8
Ps 116:12-13, 15-16, 17-18
Heb 9:11-15
Mk 14:12-16, 22-26

Hello, I’m Franciscan Father Greg Friedman, with the "Sunday Soundbite" for the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

Some years ago I was privileged to attend a Passover Seder with a Jewish family. It was a truly special night, since my hosts welcomed guests who had recently come from a country behind the then-crumbling Iron Curtain. It was their first Seder as truly free people.

My Seder hosts understood a timeless truth: that they were celebrating God’s liberating deeds in the Exodus, as well as God’s continuing care down through the ages. Eating the Seder meal is a way to experience the power of that liberation, as our special guests that night knew better than any of us.

Our Scriptures today emphasize the Jewish roots of our Eucharist. We hear how Moses and the people celebrated their liberating covenant with God. Our second reading connects that covenant with Jesus, our high priest. We hear in the Gospel how he asked his disciples to prepare the Passover meal, a meal where he would give them his body and blood as food.

It's rare we Christians have the chance to welcome to the Sunday Eucharist at our parish people who have escaped tyranny and oppression, but it's our faith that each Mass allows those present to experience liberation—from selfishness, from sin, from the burdens of human existence. May we celebrate each Eucharist aware of the liberating presence of Jesus Christ.

God at Work:

Sacraments put the skin on God. They help us see, hear, touch, smell, taste and feel our God. We listen to the Word, see and taste the Eucharist, smell the perfumed oil, feel the hands touching our heads or the water pouring over us, and we recognize a deeper reality—that God is at work here.

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Without the spiritual nourishment that comes from the Body and Blood of Christ, human love always remains contaminated by egoism. However, communion with the Bread of heaven converts hearts and infuses in them the capacity to love as Jesus has loved us.

- Pope John Paul the Great (Solemnity of Corpus Domini - the most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, June 17, 2001)

Truth and Love:

God shares truth and love with the world in ongoing revelation. Beauty exists in the quiet heartbeat of the beloved. We learn to stop and attune our soul to listen, to be watered in the presence of God.

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I sacrifice all my goods and residence, but I will not deny my faith in any way because I want to save my soul.

- Blessed Pavol Gojdic (1888-1960)

"The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside her knowing you can't have her, see her, or perhaps never to have to the chance to be with her at all....."

what do you think?hmm.....

The Inner Voice:

To be heard, the inner voice of our wisdom requires a daily shower of stillness and prayer. In addition, awakened senses are needed, as is a deep trust of God’s love and enduring goodness. Trusting and reverencing the still, small voice of inner truth is precious to God, others and us.

Faith - Relationships:

Jesus wants us to value relationships as sacred and not to be used for ulterior motives e.g. self-gain or self-gratification. Thus, He says, “if you look at a woman lustfully, you have committed adultery with her in your heart.” Ponder on this truth and value relationships as God’s gifts.

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If my efforts stop just one sin from being committed, I shall consider them worthwhile.

- St. John Regis (1597-1640)

Our Identity:

We discover our primary identity when we praise God and recognize we are clothed in garments of salvation. We learn to appreciate who we are through our profound relationship with God.

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Dear God, please don't let me be too hungry or too thirsty. Help me to please my mother. And help me to please you.

- St. Germaine Cousin (1579-1601)

Surrender:

Perfection is not possible in this life, and it should not be the goal. Desire for God and surrender to God’s Spirit are the goals providing the roots for deeper union with our Creator. From a stance of utter trust, surrender and faith in God’s holy embrace, we flower and bear fruit; watered with grace, we grow with the Spirit.

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O happy band of pilgrims,
If onward you will tread,
With Jesus as your Fellow,
To Jesus as your Head.
The cross that Jesus carried
He carried as your due;
The crown that Jesus wears
He wears it for you.
O happy band of pilgrims,
Look upward to the skies,
Where such a light affliction
Shall win you such a prize.
To Father, Son, and Spirit,
The God Whom we adore,
Be loftiest praises given,
Now and for evermore.

- Blessed Jo­seph the Hymn­o­graph­er (830-883)

St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)

The gospel call to leave everything and follow Christ was the rule of Anthony’s life. Over and over again God called him to something new in his plan. Every time Anthony responded with renewed zeal and self-sacrificing to serve his Lord Jesus more completely.

<>His journey as the servant of God began as a very young man when he decided to join the Augustinians, giving up a future of wealth and power to be a servant of God. Later, when the bodies of the first Franciscan martyrs went through the Portuguese city where he was stationed, he was again filled with an intense longing to be one of those closest to Jesus himself: those who die for the Good News.

So Anthony entered the Franciscan Order and set out to preach to the Moors. But an illness prevented him from achieving that goal. He went to Italy and was stationed in a small hermitage where he spent most of his time praying, reading the Scriptures and doing menial tasks.

The call of God came again at an ordination where no one was prepared to speak. The humble and obedient Anthony hesitantly accepted the task. The years of searching for Jesus in prayer, of reading sacred Scripture and of serving him in poverty, chastity and obedience had prepared Anthony to allow the Spirit to use his talents. Anthony’s sermon was astounding to those who expected an unprepared speech and knew not the Spirit’s power to give people words.

Recognized as a great man of prayer and a great Scripture and theology scholar, Anthony became the first friar to teach theology to the other friars. Soon he was called from that post to preach to the heretics, to use his profound knowledge of Scripture and theology to convert and reassure those who had been misled.

Comment:

Anthony should be the patron of those who find their lives completely uprooted and set in a new and unexpected direction. Like all saints, he is a perfect example of turning one's life completely over to Christ. God did with Anthony as God pleased—and what God pleased was a life of spiritual power and brilliance that still attracts admiration today. He whom popular devotion has nominated as finder of lost objects found himself by losing himself totally to the providence of God.

Quote:

In his Sermons, Anthony says: "The saints are like the stars. In his providence Christ conceals them in a hidden place that they may not shine before others when they might wish to do so. Yet they are always ready to exchange the quiet of contemplation for the works of mercy as soon as they perceive in their heart the invitation of Christ."

Bloom With the Spirit:

A life sharing the fruits of the spirit with the world is whole, holy and a healing balm. Within each of us are moments of peace, kindness, generosity, forgiveness and faithfulness. In order for our life to fully bloom with graces of the Holy Spirit, we know that time must be spent in prayer, silence and communion with God.

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Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak. We are full of words but empty of actions, and therefore are cursed by the Lord, since he himself cursed the fig tree when he found no fruit but only leaves. It is useless for a man to flaunt his knowledge of the law if he undermines its teaching by his actions.

- Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1232)

Love and Be Loved:

Before we can give love away, we must know we are loved. To share joy, we need to have the experience of joy and delight within our soul. For peace and patience to flower, we must be patient and accepting of others and ourselves. The unparalleled gift of kindness is nurtured by gentleness and generosity of thought and deed.

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A person must be prepared in his soul to speak the truth, both in denouncing and correcting shortcomings and in praising virtue, to such a point that he is willing in that cause even to face death.

- Saint John of Sahagún (1430-1479)

HaPpy BRtHdAy to Me !!!!

T hank you all for coming and sharing my day.

H ope comes from loving, and loving from loved ones and friends.

A fter you all leave, I'll be left with the stars,

N ear stunned by the grace with which such a day ends.

K now that all your presence helps fashion my way.

Y ou all are the fields on which my life depends,

O pening vistas no heart can convey,

U nloosing sweet music that now will be ours.

A little thank you says so much

And adds that special personal touch

It also lightens up ones day

In countless many little ways

For all your very sincere special thoughts

And the gratitude that you all have brought

This little verse is to let you see

I appreciated all your thoughtfulness to me!

hehehehz...

Many joys and blessings on this day.

Many thanks for the presents given.

Many appreciation for the love, care, blessings and wishes outpoured.

Thank you all....for remembering me..on my special day...hope you guys enjoyed the little treat of mine =)

To the special you....sincerest thanks, gratitude and appreciation from the bottom of my heart.....thank you for making time despite your busy schedule...you made my birthday celebration more meaningful....

it didnt require you to do anything or much....your simple wish of "Happy Birthday" topped with the beautiful sweet smile of yours.. and your mere presence throughout the day is good enough to transcend me up to the highest heavens...this is the greatest gift i would have already received...

I thank God for you....for the gift of these wonderful memories that I'll have for reminiscence.......I'll cherish every single moment that I've spent with you...good or bad....happy or sad....a day will never go by without a thought of you on my mind and in my heart... =D

Give God Thanks:

Offer a simple thank-you to God for the life you have been given, for the things you have chosen for yourself, for the things others have chosen for you and for the circumstances that have occurred over which you had no control. God is with you, always.

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Through Baptism we are inserted into Trinitarian communion. Every Christian is baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; he is immersed in the life of God. What a great gift and a great mystery!

- Pope John Paul II the Great (Trinity Sunday, 2005)

Feast of the Most Holy Trinity (B)

Dt 4:32-34, 39-40
Ps 33:4-5, 6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22
Rm 8:14-17
Mt 28:16-20

It begins with a doctrine, but ends with intimacy. Hello, I’m Franciscan Father Greg Friedman, with the "Sunday Soundbite" for the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity.

Most Catholics can recite the doctrine of the Trinity: three distinct and equal divine persons, yet one God. That statement hints at the mystery contained in the truth. Trying to explain or even understand it fully is impossible. However, today's Scriptures place us squarely in the midst of the mystery. If we listen with our hearts we end up with a very personal portrait of God.

In our first reading, from the experience of the Exodus, we hear Moses recalling—with a note of pride—some of the great things God did for the people. Proudly Moses asks: Did anything like this happen before? Has any other nation had such an experience of divine power?

A personal God, who intervenes on behalf of the people with deeds of power: That relationship becomes intimate as St. Paul tells us in the second reading: We've been "adopted" by God, through the power of the Holy Spirit. We share the suffering and the glory of Jesus Christ. The Good News of today’s Gospel, is that Jesus is Emmanuel, "God with us"—and that intimacy continues "until the end of the ages."

Invited into the intimacy hidden in the mystery of the Trinity, we can only respond with a heartfelt "Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

Scripture:

•This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other. (Deuteronomy 4:39)

•May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in you. (Psalm 33:22)

•The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God… (Romans 8:16)

•And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20b)

Reflection:

•How do you experience the Holy Trinity in your life?

•How do you pray? To the Father, Son or Spirit?

•When or how has the Spirit been present to guide you?

•When have you asked Jesus to be near you or a loved one?

•When have you rested in the Love of the Father?

A Christian spirituality informed by a proper understanding of the Trinity is wholly oriented to a God who is its source and end. It is a way of living through participation in the very life of God by communion with the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit, and communion with all creatures. Prayer, ascetical discipline, apostolic discipline, the rigors of study, marriage and family life, the works of mercy, and especially the celebration for the paschal mystery in word and sacrament—all increase participation in divine life. Deeper participation in the love of God is, of course, recognized in the fruits borne in our being for others as God is for us.

Know Each Other and Ourselves:

All human persons have a beauty within that they express through actions and in relationship with others. God contemplates every person’s inner beauty with reverence. God invites us to know each other and ourselves with the same sense of wonder and awe.

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Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises us to Heaven.

- St. Ephrem of Syria (306-373)

Shaping the Soul:

Each person has a distinctive personality that brings a rich garden of diversity and experience into their families and communities. Belief systems, the culture one lives in and one’s own unique life experiences shape and form the soul.

Faith – mystery:

God’s revelations are full of mysteries. A mystery is a Truth about God that we cannot fully comprehend because we are limited and finite human beings, while God is almighty and infinite. Yet, God’s gift of faith makes it possible for us to accept His Truth wholeheartedly.

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O Lord, grant us that love which can never die, which will enkindle our lamps but not extinguish them, so that they may shine in us and bring light to others. Most dear Savior, enkindle our lamps that they may shine forever in your temple. May we receive unquenchable light from you so that our darkness will be illuminated and the darkness of the world will be made less. Amen.

- St. Columba (521-597)

Is Drinking Alcohol O.K.?

Q: I would like to know what the Church thinks about drinking alcohol. I am not an alcoholic. I like to have a few drinks on the weekend at home. I am very confused and wonder if God looks down on this or not. I have searched and searched the Bible for some answers, but there just don’t seem to be any.

A: Since alcohol is part of God’s creation, it should be used responsibly and in moderation. The Scriptures have many positive references to wine, such as Isaiah 25:6, “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.”

The Scriptures also give warnings about the misuse of alcohol. Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is arrogant, strong drink is riotous; none who goes astray for it is wise.”

The key issue here is honesty. Is alcohol the center of your life, something around which you frequently make decisions to ensure its availability? Or is it incidental, something that you can take or leave?

If you can honestly say that it is incidental and those closest to you would agree, then I do not think you need to worry. If you cannot honestly say that, then you need to deal with this realization, using the help of a professional or a group like Alcoholics Anonymous.

Some medical conditions require people to refrain from drinking alcohol. Alcoholism is a disease for which there is no cure but which can be managed.

Never Alone:

Although you may have had life experiences of loneliness, pain or even trauma, and God may have appeared at times to be absent, you have never been truly alone. Every human person is held in this inclusive and primary embrace of the Creator from conception.

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The Christian who prays does not claim to be able to change God's plan or correct what he has foreseen. Rather, he seeks an encounter with the Father of Jesus Christ, asking God to be present with the consolation of the Spirit to him and his work.

- Pope Benedict XVI (Deus Caritas Est - God is Love, #37)

God Alive in You:

You are unique, distinct and utterly irreplaceable. There is no other human person who has ever lived in the same way you have or will live as you have in the future. The magnificence of God is alive within you and has been since the moment of your conception.

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The proper way of serving others leads to humility. The one who serves does not consider himself superior to the one served, however miserable his situation at the moment may be. Christ took the lowest place in the world - the Cross - and by this radical humility he redeemed us and constantly comes to our aid.

- Pope Benedict XVI (Deus Caritas Est - God is Love, #35)

Transform Me:

Master Gardener, you will come alive more fully in my life when I surrender to your loving will and design for my life that we create together. Allow me to give you permission to transform me into your ambassador on earth.

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To educate the children well, we must love them, and love them all equally.

- St. Marcelino Champagnat (1789-1840)

Daily Encounters:

Master Gardener, you are already present in every moment of my daily life. Teach me to discover and appreciate your presence in the people and places I encounter every day.

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Can there be a more fitting pursuit in youth or a more valuable possession in old age than a knowledge of Holy Writ? In the midst of storms it will preserve you from the dangers of shipwreck and guide you to the shore of an enchanting paradise and the ever-lasting bliss of the angels.

- St. Boniface (680-754)

The Charismatic Gifts

by Rev. William G. Most

The ordinary charismatic gifts, the invisible gifts that help us fulfill our state in life, are widely given. The extraordinary are given when and to whom the Spirit wills, as St. Paul tells us in 1 Cor 12.11. They are not routine today, though they were in the first generation Church, as we see from 1 Cor 12-14.

Some have claimed that these extraordinary graces are ordinary and were ordinary for the first centuries. But the Patristic texts cited for this view are few. Fairly clear are those of Tertullian (an early pentecostalist who eventually left the Church), St. Hilary, and St. Cyril of Jerusalem. Already by the fourth century, however, St. Augustine had to argue that the accounts of miracles in the early Church were not mere fables. In the East, St. John Chrysostom also noted that the age of the charismatic gifts as a regular occurence had long since ended. It is clear from the history of the early Church that as soon as Christians could point to the rapid spread of the Faith and the witness of martyrs in order to make converts, God began to give the charismatic gifts less frequently‹they were always by their nature extraordinary, and long before the time of Augustine and Chrysostom, they were no longer necessary on a large scale.

Thus, it is not true that extraordinary charismatic gifts are simply actualizations--putting to work--of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that all Catholics have. Remember, the special charismatic things belong to one category, the seven Gifts to another. One cannot suppose graces from one side of this divide will actualize those from the other side.

Still further, the possession of extraordinary charismatic favors does not even prove those who have them are in the state of grace. We think of the frightening words of Our Lord Himself in Mt 7. 22-23: "Many will say to me on that day: Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, and in your name cast out devils, and have done many marvels in your name? And then I will admit to them: I never knew you: depart from me you workers of iniquity."

Vatican II, Lumen Gentium 12 said of the extraordinary gifts: ". . . they are not to be rashly sought, nor should one presumptuously expect of them the fruits of the apostolic works; but the judgment as to whether or not they are genuine, and as to their ordered use pertains to those who are in charge in the Church . . . ." When these gifts are used with careful discernment of spirits and obedience, they are "fitting and useful for the needs of the Church" (Ibid.).

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

by Rev. William G. Most

We turn now to the Seven Gifts of the sanctifying category. They are: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord.

They each perfect certain basic virtues. Four of them perfect the intellectual virtues. Understanding gives an intuitive penetration into truth. Wisdom perfects charity, in order to judge divine things. Knowledge perfects the virtue of hope. The gift of counsel perfects prudence.

The other three gifts perfect virtues of the will and appetites. The gift of piety perfects justice in giving to others that which is their due. This is especially true of giving God what is His due. Fortitude perfects the virtue of fortitude, in facing dangers. Fear of the Lord perfects temperance in controlling disordered appetites.

To illustrate the difference between things done with the Gifts and those done with the ordinary virtues, we will take up the gift of counsel.

There are three kinds of guides a person may follow in making his decisions:

1) The whim of the moment. Aristotle in his Ethics 1. 5 says that to act that way is a life fit for cattle, who do just what they happen to feel like doing.

2) Reason, which in practice is always aided by actual graces, which God gives so generously. For example, suppose I see three options open to me, all of which are moral. Ideally I would make at least mentally a list of the good points and of the bad points of each. The I would look over the whole board, and pick what gives the best effect for me. Or if I come to think I need penance for my sins, I would ask: How much have I sinned, so I can know how much penance? What kind of penance will fit with my health? With the obligations of my state in life? And after several steps, a decision is reached. This method is called discursive, since it moves from one step to another.

3) In the third and highest way, a soul does not go from one step to another, in a discursive process, but the answer is, as it were, dropped fully made and complete into his mind by the Gifts. This was the case of Our Lady, for example, at the Annunciation. If she had been operating in the ordinary mode, she might well have reasoned: Now my people have been waiting for centuries for the Messiah (as soon as Gabriel said He would reign over the house of Jacob forever, even any ordinary Jew would have known that He was the Messiah). Now He is here. I should share this news with others, especially the authorities in Jerusalem. And what about my husband, Joseph? In a short time he will not be able to avoid dark thoughts. But the Gospel shows she did none of these things. God needed to send a special angel to tell Joseph. so the Gifts can lead souls to points not contrary to reason, but far more lofty than what reason would suggest.

Cf. the following from St. John of the Cross: (Ascent 3.2.10; cf. Living Flame 1.4; 1.9 and 2.34): "God alone moves the powers of these souls . . . to those deeds which are suitable, according to the will and plan of God, and they cannot be moved to others. . . . Such were the actions of the most glorious Virgin, our Lady, who, being elevated from the beginning [of her life] to this lofty state, had never the form of any creature impressed on her, nor was moved by such, but was always moved by the Holy Spirit."

But there is a danger: a soul could mistake its own desires for action of the Gifts, since the reasons are not clear to it. Two points must be kept in mind: 1) The full and apparent action of these gifts does not appear until one is well advanced in the spiritual life (hidden assistance by them can come earlier). 2) Ordinarily an inspiration via the Gifts leaves the soul not fully certain--a signal to consult a director or superior. Uncommonly they will give certitude, but only when a decision must be made on the spot, and there is no time to consult.

When a soul acts with usual actual graces God is the most important actor, yet the faculties of the human do churn out the result--hence it is easy to suppose the work is done basically by that soul. But under the action of the Gifts, the soul is more passive, and its own faculties contribute even less.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit in General

by Rev. William G. Most

Grace is any gift from God to us. There are two great categories or groups of graces: sanctifying and charismatic.

Sanctifying graces are those that are aimed at making the recipient holy. They include: actual grace, a grace He sends me at this moment, to lead me and to enable me to do a particular good thing here and now, and habitual grace (also called sanctifying) which actually does make the recipient holy. It gives the soul the radical ability to take in the face to face vision of God in the next life. Increase in sanctifying grace means an increase in that capacity -- for since the vision is infinite, our capacity can never reach the limit of growth.

The other category is called charismatic. These graces are not aimed directly an making the recipient holy. They are for some other sort of benefit to the individual or the community. There are two kinds of charismatic graces: ordinary and extraordinary.

Where do the Gifts of the Holy Spirit fit in? There are two groups of them, one in the sanctifying, one in the charismatic category.

In the "sanctifying" category, we find the seven gifts, which are given along with sanctifying (habitual) grace.

In the "charismatic" category, we find both the ordinary gifts -- e.g, the gift to be a good parent or a good teacher -- and the extraordinary gifts, those which are or seem miraculous, such as the gifts of healing, tongues or miracles.

Questions and Answers on the Holy Spirit

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is God and the third Person of the Blessed Trinity.

(a) The Holy Spirit is also called the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of Love.

From whom does the Holy Spirit proceed?

The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.

(a) The Holy Spirit does not proceed from the Father and the Son by spiritual generation. Only the Son proceeds from the Father by generation. This is one of the mysterious truths that we know only from revelation.

Is the Holy Spirit equal to the Father and the Son?

The Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and the Son, because He is God.

(a) Because of the oneness of nature in the Blessed Trinity, the Father is entirely in the Son and in the Holy Spirit; the Son is entirely in the Father and in the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit is entirely in the Father and in the Son. No one of the three divine Persons is outside the other, for none precedes the other in eternity, nor surpasses the other in power, nor exceeds the other in any way. This indwelling of one divine Person in the others is called circumincession.

What does the Holy Spirit do for the salvation of mankind?

The Holy Spirit dwells in the Church as the source of its life and sanctifies souls through the gift of grace.

(a) Although the sanctification of mankind, like all other outward works of God, is performed by all three Persons of the Blessed Trinity, it is attributed to the Holy Spirit, the third Person. The sanctification of mankind is attributed to the Holy Spirit because He is the love of the Father and the Son and because the sanctification of man by grace shows forth God's boundless love.

The Holy Spirit in the Trinity and His Mission

by Rev. William G. Most

We already said the most essential things about the Holy Spirit in explaining the first article of the Creed. Let us add a few things here.

He makes holy the souls of the just by His presence. But a Spirit is not present in the sense of taking up space. We say a Spirit is present wherever it causes an effect. In the soul, the Holy Spirit transforms it, making it basically capable of taking in, after death, the infinite streams of knowledge and love that flow within the Holy Trinity. Thus we are really "sharers in the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). This is a dignity so great that any earthly honor is insignificant beside it.

He comes with his Seven Gifts. These make the soul capable of taking in the special lights and inspirations He sends in a much higher way than what is had in ordinary graces. We do not notice much of any effects from these Gifts until we have advanced rather far in the spiritual life, for great docility and purity of heart are needed.

On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down visibly on the Apostles. He gave them the power to speak in strange tongues to the crowds that came to Jerusalem for that Feast. He also transformed them, from selfish and timid men into giants of courage and faith.

The First Pentecost - A Story

The Greek traveler stood bewildered in the Jerusalem crowd. What was happening? All about him Jews from many nations milled excitedly and pointed to a group in the center of the square.

The traveler had heard that the Jerusalem holidays were exciting, but he was not prepared for this. The crowd was electrified. What was that group up to? He tried to weave his way closer.

"You are drunk!" someone shouted at the group.

The traveler heard one of them, the big man with the gray-streaked hair, respond: "We are not drunk. We are stunned with joy because we have had an experience like Israel had at Sinai."

The Greek traveler wondered what he meant by that.

"Why not own up?" heckled another. "You've been to the wine bottle once too often."

Then the big man raised his hand for silence. The crowd fell quiet.

"Do not judge by appearances," he began. "Listen to our words. At Sinai, God called Israel to be a community of faith. God called our ancestors there to be a holy nation. That meant they should form a community that would worship God and live a worthy life. God also summoned them to be the light of nations, that is, to be a missionary witness helping all people to know God."

"I think I can agree with your first point," ventured a Pharisee in the crowd, "but I don't really believe God wanted us to be missionaries."

"My friend, you have forgotten the meaning of the story of Jonah," the big man remarked. "He was a preacher told by God to go on a missionary trip to Nineveh. Recall that Jonah resisted the call at first until God overcame him. Jonah was an example of how Israel, too, resisted the call."

"Who is that man?" the traveler asked of no one in particular.

"His name is Peter," a tradesman replied.

"He is their leader," said a woman nearby.

A young woman in the crowd, moved by Peter's sincerity, asked, "How is it you were speaking in a language we all could understand when you burst upon us here in the square? How did you manage to unify all of us who speak so many different tongues?"

"Perhaps I can explain this best to you," Peter answered, "by comparing this to the old story of the Tower of Babel. That was a tower of human pride that resulted in a breakdown in communications. The people at Babel could not understand each other.

"Our Master, Jesus, asked us to spend time in prayer to await his Holy Spirit. We followed his word and meditated for nine days in the Upper Room. Into that tower of prayer this day came the Holy Spirit, whose greatest work is to bring all people to unity in Christ. At Babel, people babbled. Here we speak a message that will unify people in mind and heart."

"Is that why you said you've had an experience like that which Israel had at Sinai?" asked an elderly man.

"Exactly," replied Peter. "The difference is that what happened at Sinai was but a shadow of the promise and reality that has happened here today. It is because of Jesus, who died and rose for us, that it has happened. Because of him and his Spirit, we really can be a community of faith and a light for the nations."

"How can we have this experience?"

"Is there any hope for us?"

"Go on, tell us more."

"As I look out over the vast crowd in this square," answered Peter, "I think of a world full of dead bones. I know that my comrades and I must go into this valley of the dead and bring life. Don't you remember the story of Ezekiel and the dry bones?"

[God] said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "Lord GOD, you know."

Then he said to me: "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!…I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin,...and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD."

The traveler listened to Peter's voice as it carried over the square. It is like a wind, he thought, bearing good news to the world.

On that Pentecost day, Peter asked the people to repent, to change their way of life, to seek a new life in Christ. And they did respond. The Holy Spirit of Jesus moved into the valley of dry bones and brought three thousand to life.

A new Church began!

"Your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams," Peter exclaimed.

That's what happened. The young let loose a flood of heart-expanding ideals across the earth. The old suddenly realized that their dreams of a happier tomorrow were no longer foolish thoughts, but a reality come true.

—From the book The Story of the Church: Peak Moments from Pentecost to the Year 2000
by Alfred McBride, O.Praem.

"To be a Christian, then, is to be chosen and sent by God to speak by word and action: to "go into the whole world," the world of family and social life, of business and politics, and there to "teach" and "proclaim" and "cure."

For this the Holy Spirit is given to every baptized member of the Church. And the Spirit is given to be visible, to be expressed in each one: To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."

What About Limbo?

Q: Three years ago my unbaptized granddaughter was murdered. She was two years old.

I know what the Bible says regarding Baptism, but the thought of her soul not ever being in heaven has taken control of my thoughts so much that I am frequently depressed.

Are unbaptized souls in a state of eternal happiness outside heaven or do they go to hell forever? I pray for my granddaughter’s soul.

A: I am very sorry to learn of your granddaughter’s murder and your anxiety over whether she can be saved. Thanks for writing.

I cannot imagine that a good and just God would allow a murdered, unbaptized two-year-old to be anywhere except in heaven.

The Order of Christian Funerals, approved by the Holy See for use in the United States, includes two prayers for children who died before Baptism:

“O Lord, whose ways are beyond understanding, listen to the prayers of your faithful people: that those weighed down by grief at the loss of this child may find reassurance in your infinite goodness....”

“God of all consolation, searcher of mind and heart, the faith of these parents is known to you. Comfort them with the knowledge that the child for whom they grieve is entrusted now to your loving care....”

The way we pray indicates what we believe. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: “As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them.

“Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all [people] should be saved, and Jesus’ tenderness toward children which caused him to say, ‘Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,’ allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism.

“All the more urgent is the Church’s call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism” (#1261).

Even according to earlier Church teaching, your granddaughter would be not in hell but in limbo, a state of natural happiness without enjoying God’s presence.

Why was there a teaching about limbo, anyway? It filled a gap. If you believe that Jesus Christ came for the salvation of all people and if you believe that Jesus sent the apostles to preach the Good News inviting people to be baptized, then you might tend to think that only baptized people can be saved.

If you do that, then you need a place for good people who were never baptized. Limbo was that place. The 1992 Catechism, however, maintains a very deliberate silence about limbo. We should take note of that.

Your granddaughter has been at peace for three years now. I hope that you too can be at peace—even as you ache for her presence.

Protected Path:

Whatever path we walk, the loving hand of the Creator is there to guide us. And we have the assurance and protection of a God who loved us and knew us in the secret of darkness, before we saw the light, in our mother’s wombs.

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We continually close our doors; we continually want to feel secure and do not want to be disturbed by others and by God. But Christ will come for us just as he passed through the closed doors to reach his disciples at Pentecost. The Lord is always within hearing. We can inwardly draw away from him. We can live turning our backs on him. But he always waits for us and is always close to us.

- Pope Benedict XVI (Pentecost, 2004)

Pentecost (B)

Acts 2:1-11
Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Rm 8:8-17
Jn 20:19-23 or Jn 14:15-16, 23b-26

Hello, I’m Franciscan Father Greg Friedman, with the “Sunday Soundbite” for the Feast of Pentecost. Shortly after Easter one year, a woman in my parish who had been received into the Church at the Easter Vigil told me how welcomed she felt in the Catholic family. The sense of openness and tolerance she experienced was especially important to her.

It’s a characteristic of Catholicism to see God’s goodness in all of creation, in various human endeavors, and in the cultures and histories of human beings wherever the Gospel is preached. While we haven’t always lived up to that ideal, I was happy that my new parishioner experienced something of that spirit.

That universal dimension is also one of the themes of Pentecost. The dramatic story of the descent of the Holy Spirit tells us how the Holy Spirit can break down walls we may put up between peoples, races, cultures. What we see as obstacles, the Spirit can use to create a new unity, a reversal of the Babel story in Genesis, when people let human arrogance lead to disunity, as one human language fractured into many different tongues.

Today, across our world, a myriad of voices, different languages, and many cultural expressions will celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. Let’s join our voices with that Pentecost chorus.

Scripture:

•And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4)

•When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. (Psalm 104:30)

•For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, (1 Corinthians 12:13)

•Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:21, 22)

Reflection:

•Is Jesus’ mission on Earth possible without the Holy Spirit?

•Is Jesus’ mission possible without you?

•How have you encountered the Holy Spirit?

•How does God renew the face of the earth?

I become a new man and this new man, spiritually and mystically one identity, is at once Christ and myself. The language of the New Testament and the teaching of the Church explain, to the mind of the believer, that this spiritual union of my being with Christ in one “new man” is the work of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Love, the spirit of Christ.

Time Out:

Time is a gift from God we need to reclaim. Will the world suffer if we miss one sports event, one episode of our favorite soap, one movie, one meeting? Take a break from the national news once. In that hour of silence, listen to the heart. Reflect on creation. Say, “Thank you, God.”

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If only the mind of man might be directed not toward persecutions and religious conflicts but toward a rebirth of Christianity and civilization!

- Pope Paul VI (On the canonization of Saint Charles Lwanga and companions: 22 Martyrs of Uganda)

Can an adult ever really "leave" the Catholic Church?

Some would say that no one can "leave the Church," anymore than one can "leave" his or her family. When the prodigal son left home to seek his own way without his father's interference, he may have left the house, but he didn't stop being a member of that family.

He may have been a remiss and ungrateful son; he may never have written or come for a visit on the holidays. But he never stopped being a son of that father or a part of that unique family. He could no more forswear this family than he could reject his DNA. As they said of James Joyce, "You can take the boy out of the Church, but you can't take the Church out of the boy." Those who have left the Church may be "non-practicing Catholics," but they're still Catholics.

Click here to read a full article on this topic.

What good does the Anointing of the Sick do?

In the sacrament we pray that the sick be healed in body, in soul and in spirit. God alone knows what kind of healing the sick need most: that a wound be healed; that a fear turn to confidence; that loneliness be embraced by the support of a praying community; that confusion in the face of all the whys—why me, why suffering, why now—turn to insight.

The Sacrament of Anointing does not remove the mystery of human suffering. Yet its celebration gives us a window into the mystery of a loving God. Our loving God raises up the crucified Son to display his victorious wounds, sitting triumphant at the Father's right hand.

Click here to read a full article on this topic.

Divine Sparks:

All of us have a spark of God in us. What we do with that divine spark is our spirituality.

Holiday Joy:

There is a school of thought that suggests that if you find a job that you like, you will not have to work one day in your life—every day will be a holiday. I might add to this saying, “When we learn that work can be a prayer, every day of our lives will be a holy day.”

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He who lives from faith not only loves God, but feels impelled to make others love him. Hence the fever of saints to sacrifice their whole selves for the salvation of souls. And hence those wonders of charity and zeal that we read about in their lives and that call forth the admiration of every age.

- Blessed John Baptist Scalabrini (1835-1905)

Consider what depths of mercy lies in the justice of God! For, according to human justice, he who pleads guilty is punished, but in the divine court, he is pardoned.

- St. Josemaria Esctriva' (1902-1975)