Today’s psalm response comes from a beautiful psalm of praise, Psalm 146. The first line of the response punctuates my day:

Praise the LORD, my soul;
I will praise the LORD all my life,
sing praise to my God while I live.

You see, at the age of 12, I started voice lessons with my second teacher. For the next 35 years, week in and week out, through junior high, high school, college, work, marriage, babies & beyond, I went to my lesson. It was like going the gym where only Verdi & Puccini could give me the proper work out. The music was hard, but I loved the challenge. Even when I hadn’t practiced too much, we just picked up where we left off the week before. No lesson was ever the same – even if the songs were. She was a great teacher and mentor.

I grew to love her much.

Singing is one of my greatest pleasures. I sing when I’m happy; I sing when I’m sad; I’ve sung my children to sleep; and, on a rare occasion when I have the chance, I still sing to wake them up. Singing allows me to express the hidden parts of me where no words suffice.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above,” (Jas 1:17) and my voice is a gift from my heavenly Father. I do not take it for granted. Since being home with my children, I have put that gift to His service in a whole bunch of ways in the Church. Before singing, I pray to Our Lady, Queen of the Angels, to let the angels sing through me and touch the hearts and minds of those who hear it so that they will be drawn closer to Jesus and give glory only to God. When someone compliments me after singing, “You sound like an angel,” I praise the Lord knowing that prayer has been answered.

Jackie was also a gift from my heavenly Father for which I will be eternally grateful. She passed away last Wednesday, and she will be buried today. A bittersweet goodbye awaits me because she is free of the Alzheimer’s disease that robbed her of herself. But now she sings in freedom with the heavenly choirs, praising and blessing God.

Rest in peace, my dear friend. Thank you for this amazing life-long gift you gave me. Every note I sing will have a part of you in it,

All you angels and saints, pray for us! Anne

Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Anthony of Padua, Doctor of the Church, and one of the most well-known and loved saints in history. This thirteenth century dynamo is most often invoked by those who seek lost items.  My grandmother called on him all the time!

Much is known about Saint Anthony, and you can learn about his life here.  Today, I want to focus on what I think is one of the coolest things – in sort of a weird way…Saint Anthony’s incorrupt tongue.

Saint Anthony was known to be a great preacher. When townsfolk heard of the arrival of this travelling friar, they would come from far and wide to hear him preach. Author Joseph A. Keller writes in his 1899 book Miracles of Saint Anthony of Padua:

Endowed with great natural gifts, enjoying excellent health, a powerful voice, combined with great eloquence, an admirable delivery, a perfect knowledge of the Scriptures and theology, he was, soon after his ordination, sent to preach in France, Italy and Portugal.

Although in his youth he had never spoken anything but Portuguese, he, like the apostles after Pentecost, received that wonderful gift of tongues, [12] which not only enabled him to preach even with eloquence in French and Italian, but to make himself under stood by people from all parts of the world.

An instance of this may be given: When ordered by the Holy See to preach the Lenten sermons at Rome he was perfectly understood by the immense multitude from all nations, whom the renown of his great sanctity and marvelous gifts had attracted. This same gift was of most frequent occurrence during his missionary career.  (source)

Psalm 16:10 says that God “will not suffer his faithful ones to undergo corruption.” Throughout Church history, incorrupt bodies have served as supernatural evidence of saintliness. Saint Bernadette, Saint John Vianney, Saint Vincent de Paul, Saint Francis Xavier, and Saint John Bosco, among others, serve as examples. Saint Anthony, being such a gifted orator, I see it as fitting that his organ of speech should be preserved, speaking volumes about his holiness.

The Messenger of Anthony shares with us some interesting facts:

The tongue is one of the most fragile parts of our body. After death, it is the part of our body that decays first. It is therefore significant that precisely this part of the Saint’s body should be one of the best preserved.  The discovery of the Saint’s incorrupt tongue occurred in 1263 making this year the 750th anniversary of this discovery.

Pope Gregory IX instituted a regular beatification process which was concluded at lightning speed. Indeed, Saint Anthony’s canonization was the fastest on record, taking less than 12 months. It is reported that during the canonisation ceremony, the bells of all the churches in Lisbon, Anthony’s home town in Portugal, started ringing without anyone having touched them.

In 1263 a new building to house his tomb was almost complete and so it was decided to move the saint’s coffin to the new church. On this occasion the friars also decided to undertake a recognition on his body. This was an important operation, and was undertaken in the presence of religious authorities and 12 laymen who represented the most authoritative citizens of Padua. The Minster General of Franciscans came from Rome – this was Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, a great theologian who was himself later to become a saint.

When the casket was opened something unusual was noticed just below the skull: it was a portion of flesh of a fresh reddish colour. This was the Saint’s tongue which was found to be perfectly preserved. At this point, Saint Bonaventure expressed his joy and surprise with words that have been incorporated into the Antiphony of the Office of the February 15 Feast: O blessed tongue, you have always praised the Lord and led others to praise him! Now we can clearly see how great indeed have been your merits before God.

In 1981, the saint’s coffin was opened and an examination conducted by scientists from the University of Padua. It had been many centuries since the last recognition and the friars wanted to see the state of the relic’s preservation.

The examination produced results of great historical, medical and anthropological value and quite a few surprises as well! One of these was the discovery that the cartilaginous tissue supporting the vocal cords, along with other organic material connected with Anthony’s vocal apparatus, was still remarkably preserved. In 1263 Saint Bonaventure had found the tongue incorrupt, but we, in 1981, also found that other parts of the Saint’s body connected with his vocal apparatus had been preserved from corruption. With this new information, the miracle of the conservation of the Saint’s tongue received added proof. (source)

God gave St. Anthony a “well trained tongue” (Is 50:4), and in only a way that God can, it still speaks today!

St. Anthony of Padua, pray for us! Anne

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Barnabas the apostle. Although not technically an apostle, most consider him among them. Born a Levite of Jewish parents on the island of Cyprus, Barnabas lived and settled in Jerusalem around the time of the crucifixion. Many believe that the grace of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost converted him and motivated him to sell all his property and donate the proceeds to the Church. A powerful preacher of the early Church, he is counted among the prophets and doctors of Antioch.

The name Barnabas is most often recalled as associated with St. Paul’s. When Paul, the former Saul who persecuted Christians, returned to Jerusalem, the local Christians did not believe the veracity of Saul’s conversion. It was Barnabas who vouched for Paul and gained him access and acceptance into the community. Interestingly, they did not unite in ministry and mission until several years later when Barnabas journey to Antioch and witnessed the fire of the Gentile converts. Barnabas called on Paul to join him in Antioch to preach and teach the gospel.

From Antioch, the men set out to convert the Gentile world, travelling to Cyprus, Asia Minor, Perge in Pamphylia, Iconium, and Lystra, among other cities. In spite of meeting great persecution and violence, they believed God had used them successfully in their mission to spread the faith to the Gentiles.

Barnabas’ and Paul’s work in Antioch gave the Church its first council – the Council of Jerusalem. Believers from Jerusalem arrived in Antioch and preached the necessity of circumcision for salvation, meaning that all, including the Gentiles, must partake of this practice. (I’m sure we all remember the fuss this caused.) In wisdom, Barnabas and Paul knew this would be a huge stumbling block for non-Jewish converts, so they travelled to Jerusalem for clarification of this teaching. When Peter spoke, the decision was final. Thus the teaching Magisterium of the Church was born.

Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch briefly, but parted ways and evangelized different parts of the world upon their departure from Antioch. Little else is known of Barnabas after that time, but his effects are long-lasting.

Catholic Encyclopedia summarizes his legacy well:

With the exception of St. Paul and certain of the Twelve, Barnabas appears to have been the most esteemed man of the first Christian generation. St. Luke, breaking his habit of reserve, speaks of him with affection, “for he was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of Faith”. His title to glory comes not only from his kindliness of heart, his personal sanctity, and his missionary labours, but also from his readiness to lay aside his Jewish prejudices, in this anticipating certain of the Twelve; from his large-hearted welcome of the Gentiles, and from his early perception of Paul’s worth, to which the Christian Church is indebted, in large part at least, for its great Apostle.

St. Barnabas, pray for us! Anne

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, one of my personal faves and, in my opinion, one of the more intimate feasts of the Church year.

It’s all about love! This feast and devotion was established in 1675 at Jesus’ request through St. Margaret Mary Alocoque.  In establishing this devotion, Jesus expresses a simple desire: to be loved, and through the observation of this feast and its devotion, he invites us to respond:

“Behold the Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself, in order to testify its love; and in return, I receive from the greater part only ingratitude, by their irreverence and sacrilege, and by the coldness and contempt they have for Me in this Sacrament of Love. But what I feel most keenly is that it is hearts which are consecrated to Me, that treat Me thus. Therefore, I ask of you that the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi be set apart for a special Feast to honor My Heart, by communicating on that day, and making reparation to It by a solemn act, in order to make amends for the indignities which It has received during the time It has been exposed on the altars. I promise you that My Heart shall expand Itself to shed in abundance the influence of Its Divine Love upon those who shall thus honor It, and cause It to be honored.”

The Church sets aside this day every year to venerate the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Additionally, the Church dedicates the entire month of June to Jesus’ Sacred Heart. How can we go deeper in our love for Jesus during this special time and love Him such a way as to console his heart?

In yesterday’s meditation in the Magnificat, Elisabeth Lesuer gave us a clue.  She wrote a beautiful reflection on Jesus’ invitation to love during this time of the Sacred Heart. It touched me deeply. I pray it will do the same to you and that it will prompt you to generously love Jesus in each moment of your day.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!  Anne

EWTN gives a terrific summary of the feast.

During the month of the Sacred Heart, [I Resolve] to meditate every day on the beauty, love, and holiness of the Heart of Jesus. To offer in a spirit of reparation part of the suffering and deprivation I now endure, consecrating the rest to other intentions: the conversion and holiness of those who are dear to me, the salvation of others, the good of the Church. In the absence of all conscious joy, to establish myself more firmly than ever, by God’s grace, in complete serenity. Never to show by irritation or by outward exhaustion, which is more likely for me, the moral and physical fatigue caused by certain difficulties and long illness. To do everything to preserve and improve my health, and to make of this disagreeable concern, my practice of self-denial.

To learn from the Heart of Jesus the secret of love for others and deep knowledge of them: how to touch their wounds without making them sting, and how to dress them without reopening them; to give myself to them and yet maintain my privacy. To disclose truth in its entirety and yet to make it know according to the degree of light that each can bear. The knowledge needed for this ministry only comes from Jesus Christ, by encountering him the Eucharist and in prayer.

Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur
Magnificat, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 91-92

My prayer these days has been very dry and scattered.  Not at all my desire, but nonetheless the place I find myself.  As the summer days change the rhythm of life, I’m trying to be more disciplined in meditating and really listening to God.  Of course, it requires my being still – not my strong point.

Yesterday morning, the Holy Spirit directed me to Psalm 134 and to page 512 of St. Faustina’s Diary, Divine Mercy in my Soul .

Psalm 134 commands us to bless the Lord – not invites, nor cajoles, but commands.  Why? Because praise and blessing lift the heart, mind, and spirit in a way that nothing else does, and it’s easy to grow lazy in blessing God.  What follows this laziness is often an inward focus, examining our worries and not our blessings.  In order to live the abundant life God has prepared for us and to grow in holiness and hope, we must keep your eyes, “fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” (Heb 12:2)  We must pray as the psalmist does, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (Ps 103:2)  In this gaze and blessing lie the clear path through the narrow gate (Mt 7:13).  Thank you, Holy Spirit, for reminding me of this truth.

St. Faustina’s words jumped off the page.  The past 6 months have been very challenging for a whole bunch of reasons. The weight of the cross is causing me to stumble, and I can’t seem to get out of my own way.  In her diary, St. Faustina begins the year in which she would die at age 33, by thanking God for the suffering she would endure as she travelled the road to death saying, “For all this, I thank You as of today because, at the moment when You hand me the cup, my heart may not be capable of giving thanks.” (Diary, 1449)  Oh, how very true!  Can’t we all relate to that?  We can embrace Jesus saying, “Oh Father, let this cup pass me by,” but following it with, “but not my will but yours be done” (Lk 22:42) doesn’t flow quite as easily from our lips. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for reminding me of this truth.

The Old Testament daily mass readings of yesterday, today, and the days ahead come from the book of Tobit who suffers greatly, even to the point of praying for death.  As hard as it is, Tobit does not abandon God but remains faithful in his hope and faith.  I encourage you to stay attuned this week by following along with the daily mass readings and reflecting on Tobit’s journey through his trials and the mighty work that God performs through them.  I don’t know about you, but  I sometimes think that Tobit is second to Job in the Old Testament in terms learning from one’s suffering.

So today, whether you are in a place of joy and peace or a place of sorrow and pain, praise and bless God thanking him in advance for the hard stuff that will happen, because he purifies us in that process and draws us closer to himself.  Isn’t that really where we all want to be?

St. Faustina, pray for us!  Anne

Song for the day:  Still by Watermark

Psalm 134

O come, bless the LORD,
all you servants of the LORD
You who stand in the house of the LORD
throughout the nights.
Lift up your hands toward the sanctuary,
and bless the LORD.
May the LORD bless you from Zion,
the Maker of heaven and earth. (Ps 134)

Divine Mercy in my Soul 
St. Faustina

1449 Welcome to you, New Year, in the course of which my perfection will be accomplished.  Thank You in advance, O Lord, for everything Your goodness will send me. Thank You for the cup of suffering from which I shall daily drink. Do not diminish its bitterness, O Lord, but strengthen my lips that, while drinking of this bitterness, they may know how to smile for love of You, my Master. I thank You for Your countless comforts and graces that flow down upon me each day like the morning dew, silently, imperceptibly, which no curious eye may notice, and which are known only to You and me, O Lord. For all this, I thank You as of today because, at the moment when You hand me the cup, my heart may not be capable of giving thanks.

1450 So today I submit myself completely and with loving consent to Your holy will, O Lord, and to Your most wise decrees, which are always full of clemency and mercy for me, though at times I can neither understand nor fathom them. O my Master, I surrender myself completely to You, who are the rudder of my soul; steer it Yourself according to Your divine wishes. I enclose myself in Your most compassionate Heart, which is a sea of unfathomable mercy.