Dom Francis professes his Solemn monastic vows...

Yesterday was a triple celebration in my community as the day was the Solemnity of the birth of Saint John the Baptist, the day we commemorate the founding of my monastery ( it was founded in June 24, 1964 ), and the celebration of the Solemn monastic profession of our brother Dom Francis Martinez Muro, OSB.

The day was filled with blessings when we all of our communoty brothers shared the joys of these blessings with Dom Francis and his invited family members and relatives as well as his friends and friendsof the monastery. The celebration of the profession was a solemnly conducted and a banquet at our refectory shortly followed afterwards.

The day did not end , not until after the community witnessed a celebration of talents that converged in an evening recreation of monks with Dom Francis and his guests.

The following photos are just but few of the numerous ones taken during the Profession ceremonies and the evening recreation and party.

the presentation...

Today is the feast of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple.

The Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple is the celebration of this time when our Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself to come and dwell among us, not only fulfilling the Law and Prophets, but also submitting Himself to persecution, torture and death in order to redeem each of us.

Scripture tells us that after the days of her purification were complete, according to the laws of Moses, our Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Joseph took the Child Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to present Him to God. As it was written in the law, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord" (Ex 13:2).

In the monastery, we celebrate this feast day as a Solemnity (holiday for the monks- means no work,- schedule looks like a Sunday schedule) because on this date falls the foundation anniversary of the Benedictine community for women in our neighborhood: the Monastery of our Lady of the Desert!...

The sisters are cooking today for the 4PM banquet.

Last night, at seven Pm, four postulant monks were presented to the Chapter as they started their year-long Novitiate on the eve of the feast of the Presentation of our Lord.

The four monks who were clothed with their Holy Scapulars were brother Johnpaul (American) who is now Dom Michael, OSB ; brother Henry (Korean) who is now Dom Evagrius, OSB ; and brother John baptist (Vietnamese) who retains its name and is now Dom John The Baptist, OSB.

The ceremony of the presentation was a moving one as Dom Michael couldn't stop his tears specially in the part when the Abbot did the symbolic and solemn washing of the feet of the three monks presented to the Congregation.

The evening party followed shortly at the refectory with the mother of Dom Evagrius together with her lady Korean friend as our guests of honor.

the presentation

the washing of the feet

the kiss of peace and warm reception to the novices

the evening party

Saturday Reflections on the 1st Week of Advent…the Immaculate!

Today is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.

What does the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception say?
It says that: …from the first moment of conception, when Mary was conceived in the womb of her mother St. Anne, she was completely free from original sin.

All of us were conceived with original sin. Mary was never conceived with original sin. That is what the feast of the Immaculate Conception means.

It means that Mary was prevented from any stain of sin from the first moment of her conception.

Does that mean that Mary does not need redemption from Jesus Christ? No.

When Mary was delivered from original sin, it was by the merits of redemption of Jesus Christ. Mary was saved from original sin not for her sake but for the sake of Jesus Christ.

Why was Mary freed from original sin from the first moment of her concepcion?

It is because the Father wants to have a perfect instrument, a stainless container to contain the body of Christ for nine months.
If Jesus would get a body from one who had sins, His dignity would be stained.

The Father prepared Mary and prevented any sin from touching Mary because this woman would become the container of Jesus Christ and the Father wanted the container to be totally pure from the first moment of her conception. Mary was immaculately conceived not because of her but because of Jesus.

Why de we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception?

Mary is a human being like all of us. Mary is not a goddess. We don’t worship or adore Mary.

Mary is a human being like all of us and we are proud because a human being like one of us was chosen by God to stainless, to be immaculate, to sinless.

But why?

A fellow human being and creature of God was blessed. And this should make us even proud to have a human being like Mary who was blessed by God. That’s why we are proud of Mary.

We cannot adore Mary because adoration belongs to God.

We cannot kneel down to worship Mary because worship belongs to God. But we are grateful, we are proud, of a beautiful sinless woman like her because she is one of us-human.

Mary was chosen, sinless, stainless. We are proud of her. Mary gives us every opportunity, every occasion to stand ten feet tall because she is one of us.

Perhaps and I guess we can no longer imitate Mary in her innocence. Perhaps we can no longer imitate Mary in her sinlessness.= we have committed enumerable sins. But even if we cannot imitate Mary in her innocence, we can still imitate Mary in her obedience to God.

We, who have been made ugly by sins, who have so many bruises, so many scars of sins, can still be made beautiful if we will follow the obedience of Mary.

No longer innocent, we do not ask the Lord to restore our innocence. That is too late. But we can ask Him to make us more obedient so that in being obedient, we become more beautiful before God and before the Church.

A King in Jesus Christ...

We have reached the final Sunday of the Church's liturgical year. For the last several weeks, the Church has invited us to ponder the four last things.

The world as we know it will come to a dramatic end. Jesus Christ will come again in all His glory and majesty. He will conduct the final judgment of the world. Finally, Christ's kingship will be definitively established for all ages.

This Sunday, Christians around the world celebrate the high point of creation when mankind and all that is, even death itself, will be subjected to Christ who, in the words of St. Paul, "delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power" (1 Cor 15:24).

The notion of kingship during Christ's public ministry is complicated. On the one hand, Jesus did not seek the title "king" because He knew that its meaning would be radically misunderstood by His disciples.

In John's Gospel, after the miracle of the loaves and the fish, the crowds wanted to name Jesus king, but He cleverly slipped away from their midst and avoided this crowning.

On the other hand, Jesus did come to establish a kingdom. The first words on His lips in Mark's Gospel are "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand" (Mk 1:15).

Jesus speaks constantly of the Kingdom of God, as when He likens it to the fisher's net or the pearl of great price.

St. Paul, in this Sunday's second reading, highlights that God the Father "delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Col 1: 13).

t is clear that Jesus is not a king in the usual, earthly sense. He did not come to establish political or military power. He did not come to govern a country or raise an army. There are no $5 bills with His image on them.

His kingdom is different: "My kingdom is not of this world" (Jn 18:36). Christ's reign is of a spiritual nature.

Christ the King did wage a war. Instead of using arrows, chariots and armies, Jesus used a simple cross and the gift of His love, offering His life to the Father on our behalf.

Instead of parading around in a crown of gold, He donned a crown of thorns. As King, He crushed earth's three biggest tyrants: sin, Satan and death.

Not that these forces of evil have vanished from the earth. In fact, they are still very present in our world, causing all kinds of destruction.

But their despotic power has been broken. They do not have the final say for those who believe in the King of kings and Lord of lords. When we offer our lives to Christ, we are set free from the bondage to these tyrants.

One of the most striking characteristics of Christ's tactics as king is the lack of force. He commands no one to be a member of His kingdom.

Though He bought my freedom, He does not compel my obedience. I am really and truly His subject only if I acknowledge Him as my Lord and Savior.

Only if I freely surrender my will to Him in an act of faith do I become a member of His kingdom. In the end, Jesus is King of hearts. He draws me to Him with the cords of love.

As we come to the conclusion of the Church's year and ponder the end of the world, it is good to remember that we are standing before a mystery.

It is not possible for us to fully comprehend Christ, His presence in this world and His role as king of heaven and earth.

Yet, those with faith know that great peace and comfort is given to those who surrender their hearts and lives to Jesus.

In the end I shall say, "Lord, help me to believe in You, love You with every fiber of my being, and allow You to reign over my heart, amen."

All Saints' Day: honoring holy men and women

Today is a Solemnity instituted by the Church to honour all the saints, known and unknown, and, according to Urban IV, to supply any deficiencies in the faithful's celebration of saints' feasts during the year.

In the early days the Christians were accustomed to solemnize the anniversary of a martyr's death for Christ at the place of martyrdom.

In the fourth century, neighbouring dioceses began to interchange feasts, to transfer relics, to divide them, and to join in a common feast; as is shown by the invitation of St. Basil of Caesarea (397) to the bishops of the province of Pontus.

Frequently groups of martyrs suffered on the same day, which naturally led to a joint commemoration.

In the persecution of Diocletian the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each.

But the Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all. The first trace of this we find in Antioch on the Sunday after Pentecost. We also find mention of a common day in a sermon of St. Ephrem the Syrian (373), and in the 74th homily of St. John Chrysostom (407).

At first, only martyrs and St. John the Baptist were honoured by a special day. Other saints were added gradually, and increased in number when a regular process of canonization was established; still, as early as 411 there is in the Chaldean Calendar a "Commemoratio Confessorum" for the Friday after Easter.

In the West, Boniface IV, 13 May, 609, or 610, consecrated the Pantheon in Rome to the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs, ordering an anniversary.

Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in the Basilica of St. Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary for 1 November.

A basilica of the Apostles already existed in Rome, and its dedication was annually remembered on 1 May.

Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration on 1 November to the entire Church.
Texts credit to Catholic Encyclopedia


Now, on the lighter side:
Yesterday, I found myself slouching on the sofa of the lobby of St Vincent's hospital while waiting for the Ct Scan of Sr Kateri to finish, and since the TV set was switched on, I could not help myself but view the program just to pass te time and for the heck of it, and then my camwhore in me started pushing me again to take images of the early morning's live news at the tv, and so a slideshow came up.

the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary-Holy day of Obligation

According to Roman Catholic doctrine and the traditions of the Catholic Church, the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mary, the mother of Jesus) "having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory."

This means that Mary was transported into Heaven with her body and soul united. The feast day recognizing Mary's passage into Heaven is celebrated as The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Roman Catholics.

This doctrine was dogmatically and infallibly defined by Pope Pius XII on 1 November 1950 in his Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus.

In those denominations that observe it, the Feast of the Assumption is commonly celebrated on August 15.


Question for your Reflections: How can the Bodily Assumption of Mary be reconciled with the Bible, which seems to be totally silent about it?

.....Catholics agree that no Christian teaching can contradict anything in the Bible.
The Assumption of Mary is a belief of this sort. We believe in it as a part of the received Tradition, passed down from the Apostles and because it is utterly plausible and consistent with Mary's role as the "Theotokos" ("God-bearer") and immaculate sinless one, who was granted a singular grace from God in order to bear God himself in her body.

If indeed she was free from sin, then it follows that she would not undergo the decay of death, which was the penalty for sin.

But for the fall of man, no one would have died.
Mary is the exception, for very good reason, and the forerunner of the resurrection that all who are saved will experience (1 Corinthians 15:12-23 cf. Mt 27:52-53).

Moreover, there are parallels in Holy Scripture of others going straight to heaven (bodily) without dying: Enoch-Heb 11:5 ; cf. Gn 5:24 , Elijah- 2 Kings 2:1, 11 , and many during the Second Coming: 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17.

Pope Pius XII, in his apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus, November 1, 1950, proclaimed this Dogma in the following words:
---"By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we proclaim, declare and define as a Dogma revealed by God: The Immaculate Mother of God, Mary ever Virgin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul in the glory of Heaven"---

the monastery celebrates the feast of Saint Benedict

so, the day is almost over...and with everybody happy, tired, drunk and sleepy, the celebration of our patron saint's feast ended with a big happy impact in our hearts...
and before the day gets to an end, let me post the images of the day's merry making for your delight.

the Foods served at the banquet were superbly deliciously cooked by two Mexican cooks Dom Patricio and Dom Benedicto.
Click image to enlarge. hit back button to return to the main page.





the guests while taking their food from the buffet table:




The guests at the refectory enjoying their 'mexican food'.

July 11, Feast of our Holy Father St. Benedict, Patron Saint of Europe and Father of Western Monasticism

my dear friends, tomorrow is the feast of Saint Benedict: our Patron Saint and the Patron Saint of all Benedictine monasteries for men and women all over the world...
so, it is but fitting and proper to feature him in here now...so, please take time to read and know more about him:

Quick Facts About St. Benedict

*Born c. 480, Nursia [Italy]
*He came from a noble family of Rome
*Twin brother of St. Scholastica
*Studied in Rome, but was dismayed by the lack of moral discipline and the lazy attitude of his fellow students
*Fled to the mountains and lived as a hermit in a cave in Subiaco for three years
*He was asked to head a group of monks in the nearby monastery
*His discipline was such that an attempt was made on his life; some monks tried to poison him, but he blessed the cup and rendered it harmless
*Blessed Benedict returned to his cave, but continued to attract followers and eventually established twelve monasteries
*Founded the monastery at Monte Cassino, where he wrote the Rule of his order
*Had the ability to read consciences, prophesy and forestall attacks of the devil
*Destroyed pagan statues and altars, drove demons from grave sacred to pagans

*At one point there were over 40,000 monasteries guided by the Benedictine Rule

*Benedict died in 547 [Monte Cassino] while standing in prayer before God

*When the man of God was keeping watch and praying, he saw the whole world gathered as though into one sunbeam. (Dialogues 2:35)

Saint Benedict has the reputation of being the messenger of peace, the maker of unity, the master of civilization, and especially the herald of Christianity and the author of monasticism in the West. When darkness seemed to be spreading over Europe after the fall of the Roman empire, he brought the light of dawn to shine upon this continent. For with the cross, the book and the plow, Christian civilization was carried, principally through him and his disciples, to the peoples who lived in those lands which stretch from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from Ireland to Poland.

With the cross, that is, the Law of Christ, he strengthened and developed the institutions of private and social life. Through the “Work of God,” that is, through the careful and assiduous conduct of prayer, he taught that divine worship was of the greatest importance in the social order. And so he sealed that spiritual unity of Europe in which the various nations of different ethnic origins and languages felt themselves to be united into one people of God. And so this unity, learnt from so great a master, which the disciples of St. Benedict so faithfully strove to achieve, became the principle element in that period of history called the middle ages. All people of good will in our times must strive to recover that unity, which as Saint Augustine says, is “the form of all beauty,” and which alas has been lost in the vicissitudes of history.

With the book, that is, with the culture of the mind, this venerable patriarch from whom so many monasteries have drawn their name and their spirit, spread his doctrine through the old classics of literature and the liberal arts, preserved and passed on to posterity by them with so much care.

And lastly, with the plow, that is, through agriculture, he changed the waste and desert lands into orchards and delightful gardens; and joining work with prayer in the spirit of those words, ora et labora, he restored the dignity of human labor.

Not without reason, then, did Pope Pius XII call Saint Benedict the “Father of Europe,” for he inspired the peoples of this continent with the love of order upon which their social life depends.


The Saint Benedict Medal

St. Benedict was the father of Western Monasticism. He was born in Nursia, Italy, in 480. Beginning in 520, he founded twelve monasteries in the region of Subiaco. The foundation at Monte Cassino (529) became the cradle of his Order. His twin sister was St. Scholastica. Benedict died march 21, 542.
St. Benedict had a profound veneration for the Holy Cross and for our Saviour Crucified. In virtue of the Sign of the Cross he wrought many miracles and exercised great power over the spirits of darkness.

In consequence of the great veneration in which St. Benedict was held from the early middle ages, it followed that a medal was struck.
His medal has exceptional powers against the demons of Hell.

The Medal of Saint Benedict is one of the Sacramentals of the Church. The value and power of the Medal must be ascribed to the merits of Christ Crucified, to the efficacious prayers of St. Benedict, to the blessing of the Church, and specially to the faith and holy disposition of the person using the Medal.


Description


The front of the medal shows St. Benedict holding a cross in one hand and the book of his Rule in the other. Flanking him on each side are the words: Crux S. Patris Benedicti (The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict).
Below his feet are these words: Ex S M Casino MDCCCLXXX (From the Holy Mount of Cassino, 1880). On that date , Monte Cassino was given the exclusive right to produce this medal.
Inscribed in the circle surrounding Benedict are the words: Ejus in obitu nostro presentia muniamur (May his presence protect us in the hour of death).

The other side of the medal is where the real exorcistic force reveals itself. In the center is the Cross. Benedict loved the Cross and used it to drive away demons.

The vertical beam of the Cross has five letters: C.S.S.M.L., meaning Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux (May the holy Cross be for me a light).

The horizontal beam of the Cross also has five letters: N.D.S.M.D., meaning Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux (Let not the dragon be my guide).

The four large letters at the angles of the Cross: C S P B stand for Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti (The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict).

Encircling the Cross in a circle around the right margin are these letters: V.R.S.N.S.M.V., meaning Vade retro Satana; nunquam suade mihi vana (Begone Satan! Suggest not to me thy vain things).

Around the left margin of the circle are these letters: S.M.Q.L.I.V.B., meaning Sunt mala quae libas; ipse venena bibas (The drink you offer is evil; drink that poison yourself).

At the top of the circle is the word PAX (Peace).


Use
No special way of carrying or applying the Medal is prescribed. It may be worn around the neck, attached to the scapular or the Rosary or simply carried in one's pocket.
Often it is placed in the fields, the foundations of buildings or attached to automobiles to call down God's blessing and the protection of St. Benedict. No particular prayer is prescribed, as the devout wearing itself is a continual silent prayer.