Wednesday, 30 April 2025

Sermon First Week of Lent 2025 Father Aleks Mazur, SAC

Sermon Sermon First Week of Lent 2025 
Father Aleks Mazur, SAC

First Reading: Deuteronomy 26: 4-10.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 91: 1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15.
Second Reading: Romans 10: 8-13.
Verse Before the Gospel: Matthew 4: 4b.
Gospel: Luke 4: 1-13.

Sermon Sermon First Week of Lent 2025 Father Aleks Mazur, SAC St. Agnes Waterloo

(Note: This sermon really struck me. It was an excellent sermon. It is posted here with permission.)

We know from the Book of Exodus that the Israelites, after leaving Egypt, spent 40 years in the desert on way to their Promised Land. Thank God, we have this AI nowadays. Today I asked my computer: How long it would take to walk through the Sinai desert? The answer I got was: Walking across the entire Sinai Trail, a 550 km route, can take approximately 42 days. Wow, 42 days! How come it took 40 years for the chosen people of God to cross the distance? 

Some people say, the Israelites needed all that time to reform themselves, to abandon their slave-like mentality. They were supposed to enter their promised land as free people. During all those 40 long years they were tempted and their failed, several times. 

They complained: the life was better off in Egypt. Yes, we were slaves but we had plenty of food there.

Because of that only the second generation of Israelites, born free in the desert, could walk into the Promised Land. 

In our Gospel today the devil is tempting Jesus. Jesus spent 40 days in the desert to get ready for His mission. The devil tried 3 times and failed. Jesus won.

In each of the three temptations what the devil is saying to Jesus is, "Come on, use what you have to get what you want." And in each case Jesus overcomes the temptation by replying, "No, we can only use godly means to satisfy our God-approved needs."

Note that people are tempted only with what they need or want. And nowadays there are more and more things we want. And many of the things we want are those we really don’t need. And that’s a great opportunity for devil. They are also things we need but not always determent to get them in a decent way. And that’s another great chance for the devil. 

I would like to expand today the meaning of the first temptation. So, now let’s mention just briefly the second and the third temptation.

In the second temptation the devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and promises to give him authority over them if only Jesus would worship him. In a way, the devil is telling Jesus: I am offering you a prime time to reach the world-wide audience where you can publicize your message, almost for free. Remember that Jesus was about to begin his public life and was looking for a way to get the whole world to know him and accept his message. 

Look, I am offering you a great help, be loyal to me, says the devil. Jesus says no. The end does not justify the means. "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him'".

In the third temptation the devil asks Jesus to throw himself down from the pinnacle of the temple as a way to prove that he was the Son of God. Jesus wanted to convince the people that he was the one. The devil suggested this sensational sky jump. 

Here are all our bargaining prayers. I change my life, if you God do this to me, I will go to church, I will do this or that, if you grant this…  Jesus said no to this temptation. "Do not put the Lord your God to the test". The God of Jesus Christ is not a business partner. He wants your unconditional trust and love and He will give what He knows is best for you. 

And now let’s go back the first temptation. In the first temptation, Jesus had fasted for forty days in the wilderness and at the end of it he was very hungry. The devil puts an idea into his head: "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread" . Notice that the first thing the devil does is sow a doubt in his mind: "if you are the Son of God." "Are you really sure God is with you?" 

The same thing happened in the garden of Eden. The first thing the Tempter said to Eve was, "Did God really say you should not eat of any fruit of the garden". Temptation often begins with a doubting thought. Did God really say this or is it one of those Sunday school fairy tales? Jesus overcame the temptations by refusing to entertain such doubts and by standing on the word of God.

After his fasting Jesus needed to eat. So, the devil tempted him with food. It is not a sin for Jesus to eat after fasting. The sin may lie in how the food, and everything else for that matter, is obtained. Jesus refuses to take the devil's shortcut. The means we employ to satisfy our needs must be in accordance with the word of God. Feeding on God's word is ultimately more important than feeding on bread. "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone'".

Fasting is a great school of character. Fasting is also one of the main Lenten observances. But what is this fasting exactly about? I think we need some clarification. There are practically 2 things regarding fasting: no meat and less food. 

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops mandates abstinence from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. This abstinence from meat applies to those age14 and older. In addition to that there is also an obligatory eating less on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday for Catholics aged 18 to 59. 

We are talking here about eating only one full meal and two smaller meals, practically a snack. 

Please know that several people are exempt from fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday: those who are ill, including individuals suffering from chronic illnesses. Diabetics and pregnant women and those nursing are also exempt.

What about other Fridays? In the past Catholics used to abstain from meat every Friday. Friday was and is still considered a penitential day. We are supposed to reflect that in one way or another. The bishops in Canada give us here an option: first, we can give up meat on Fridays. This is the first option which can be substituted by other practices, like visiting the elderly, giving to the poor, helping the marginalized, praying extra, and so on. 

We like to have an option, right? But, generally speaking, we don’t like to be told what to do, especially what to eat and what not to eat. I know some people struggle with that. You, may ask, why do we have to follow such rules, first place. Wouldn’t be better to let people be free and they can decide what to do? In a perfect world and an ideal church, that would be better. But the world is not perfect and we are not ideal.

We are creatures of habits… If we knew how to use our freedom, there will be no need for rules, commandments and precepts. But freedom is a hard job, it requires a lot of responsibility. It is much easier to dream about good food in Egypt, than to face the hardships of freedom in the desert.

That’s why we have those precepts in the Church, like Sunday obligation and fasting.

I know many people who decide, by their own initiative, to give up certain food on Fridays during Lent. As a matter of fact, some do that all Fridays during the whole year. There are even those who try to eat only bread with water. on certain days. These however are their own, personal choices. 

My Brothers and Sisters, whatever we do special during Lent, like fasting for example, may it help us to be strong and to stay away from temptations. Jesus shows us that we should never trade off our faith in God or our moral principles for other things, because what we get by following devil is at the end only shame, disappointment and bitterness. Instead, the faithfulness to God is more precious than anything in this world.
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Tuesday, 29 April 2025

Conclave Step by Step through the Papal Interregnum - Mgr Charles Burns and Mgr Denis Carlin - CTS Explanations 2025 Edition

Conclave Step by Step through the Papal Interregnum 2025
Monsignor Charles Burns O.B.E.
Monsignor Denis Carlin 
ISBN 9781860828560
CTS Booklet EX48

Conclave Step by Step through the Papal Interregnum - Mgr Charles Burns and Mgr Denis Carlin - CTS Explanations 2025 Edition

I read a previous edition of this volume, and have tracked down at least 2 even older editions. This specific edition was released in 2025 as both a free eBook and audio from the Catholic Truth Society. I was very glad when I noticed the CTS had this new edition available for the Conclave in 2025. I stumbled across the previous edition of this booklet, from the Conclave in 2013, while researching The Election of a Pope by Charles Burns. This particular volume looks like a scaled down version of his earlier works.  This volume was made available as a PDF for download on the Catholic Truth Society’s website. The other volume The Election of a Pope went through a few editions I found versions from 1963 (H456), 1997 (H500) 2009 (Classics 341). Those three editions are much more extensive than this volume. But this volume deals specifically with a conclave after Pope Francis passed away, and is very concise and to the point. 

The description of this edition of this booklet states:

“On 21st April, 2025, The Holy Father, Pope Francis, died. After nine days of official mourning in the Church, the Cardinals will meet in Conclave to elect a new successor of Peter.

Bound by oaths of secrecy, they can never reveal what is said behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel, but what can be told about the Conclave – how it is conducted, who fills the many important offices needed to facilitate the process, and what actions are taken behind closed doors – Mgr Charles Burns, OBE explains.

Revised and updated by Mgr Denis Carlin following the death of Pope Francis, this fascinating guide will take you step by step through the interregnum period, from the moment the Camerlengo (the papal household chamberlain) declares ‘Sede Vacante’ (the Holy See is vacant) until white smoke billows from the chimney above St Peter’s Square, signalling the election of a new pope.”

The chapters in this volume are:

Introduction
Why Such Interest?
Death of a Pope
The Grand Electors
Before the Conclave
The Conclave Begins
Voting for the Next Pope
Casting Their Votes
Counting the Votes
Double Checking
Impasse
Some Statistics
Election Archived

The introduction of this booklet states:

“The Papacy is a dynasty: it claims to be an unbroken succession of Popes, onwards from the Apostle Peter in the first century of the Christian era, so is possibly the oldest institution surviving continuously to the present day.

Unlike royal dynasties, however, the next in line to the papacy is unknown until he is elected to the office. The election of a new Pope arouses interest worldwide, not only within the Roman Catholic Church, but indeed with many of other faiths and of none.

The public gaze will soon be focused on the Vatican, where the Cardinals assemble in seclusion to decide the succession. For centuries this has been termed the Conclave, derived from the Latin words cum and clave, meaning ‘under-lock-and-key’. Literally they are locked in and others are locked out.”

This is not a long volume. I read it over an afternoon sitting in the sun. It was a very engaging read. Once I started I could hardly put it down. On the title page we are informed that:

“A basic outline prepared by  
Monsignor Charles Burns O.B.E.
Residential Canon of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican Ecclesiastical Adviser at the British Embassy to the Holy See”

Taking a quick look at the other volume I have the writing style is quite different. This volume was written with a specific conclave in mind. And in fact several roles for the conclave, and of leadership at the time are named, but almost always in brackets so that it could be read again with future conclaves in mind. The revisions and updates for the 2025 edition were by Monsignor Denis Carlin. For example:

“Only the following remain in office for the duration of the vacancy and may exercise their ordinary prescribed faculties (office holders at the time of the death of Pope Francis are named in parentheses): the Dean of the College of Cardinals (Giovanni Battista Re) and the Camerlengo (Kevin Farrell) to organise the Conclave. The Major Penitentiary (Angelo de Donatis), the Vicar of Rome (Baldassare Reina), the Archpriest of St Peter’s and Vicar General of Vatican City (Mauro Gambetti), for matters concerning the pastoral care of souls [14]. The Substitute of the Secretariat of State (Archbishop Edgar Peña Para), the Secretary for Relations with States (Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher), the Secretaries of the Curial Departments and the Papal Almoner (Konrad Krajewski) also remain in office, all answerable to the College of Cardinals [20, 22]. The Papal Representatives abroad continue at their diplomatic missions and their accreditations do not lapse [21].”

The numbers in square brackets:

“The norms for a valid election to the papacy are set out in the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, dated 22 February 1996, published in the Acta Apostolicæ Sedis. The numbers given here within brackets refer to the relevant paragraphs to facilitate cross-checking with the official authentic text.”

I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume. Some of them are:

“The death of a Pope, whether sudden and unpredicted, or preceded by infirmity and advanced age, does not cause a crisis, nor would his free and clearly expressed resignation, which does not require to be accepted and confirmed by anyone. In both these circumstances, procedures are in place to replace him. There are, however, no procedures for deposing an impaired, mentally deranged, senile, comatose, or a manifestly immoral one. The papacy is vacated only by demise or renunciation.”

“The rules are the following and must be implemented and adhered to closely by the Grand Electors, it being their right and duty to ensure this due process of Canon Law by their personal oath of commitment.”

“The Apostolic Constitution confirms that the maximum number of electors should be restricted to one hundred and twenty [33]; but this norm appeared to be abrogated by the mere fact that after recent consistories for the creation of new Cardinals the aggregate number has sometimes exceeded the legal limit.” 

“The principal protagonists with special roles in the process of the election are the following (office holders at the time of the death of Pope Francis are listed in parenthses): Dean of the College of Cardinals; Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church; Major Penitentiary; Vicar of the Diocese of Rome; Archpriest of St Peter’s; Vicar General for Vatican City State; former Cardinal Secretary of State (Pietro Parolin); former President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State (Sr Raffaella Petrini); Senior Cardinal Deacon (Dominique Mamberti) Junior Cardinal Deacon (George Koovakad); Master of Papal Liturgical Ceremonies (Mgr Diego Giovanni Ravelli); Secretary of the College of Cardinals (Archbishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari).”

“On the morning of the fifteenth day after the vacancy of the Holy See, and not later than the twentieth, the Cardinal Electors concelebrate a Votive Mass in St Peter’s Basilica Pro eligendo Papa (for the election of a Pope) [49]. Later that afternoon, they assemble in the Pauline Chapel, the smaller of the internal chapels of the Vatican Palace, constructed during the pontificate of Pope Paul III (1534-1549), and process chanting the Latin hymn Veni Creator to the Sistine Chapel, where the election will be held and total seclusion guaranteed through careful preparations and stringent technical checks of the entire area [51].”

“The only valid form of electing the Pope is by scrutiny, a two-thirds majority of the votes cast being required to elect a candidate, or two-thirds plus one when the total number of Electors does not divide into three equal parts [62]. For instance with a full electoral college of one hundred and twenty voters, a two-thirds majority of eighty would be required, whereas with their number reduced to say one hundred and fifteen, the necessary majority would be seventy-six plus one.”

“The longest interregnum recorded was prolonged for two years, nine months and two days, from the death of Pope Clement IV on 29 November 1268, until the election of his successor Pope Gregory X on 9 September 1271. A previous one had lasted for two years, three months and one day, the interval between the pontificates of Pope Honorius IV (1285-1287) and Pope Nicholas IV (1288- 1292). They were exceptions.”

“In modern times the actual conclaves have been of very short duration: it took only two days to elect Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli/Pope Pius XII (1939-1958), Albino Luciani/Pope John Paul I (1978), Cardinal Josef Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2013), and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergolio/Pope Francis (2013-2025) following interregnums ranging from fourteen to nineteen days. It took three days to elect Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini/Pope St Paul VI (1963-1978) and Cardinal Karol Wojtyła/Pope St John Paul II (1978-2005), both after an interregnum of seventeen days.”

This booklet was a wonderful read. The writing was clean and crisp. It was informative, and even entertaining. I could not put it down. I read it one afternoon and on the next listened to the audio version. This volume was modified for the 2025 papal election. It could be used again in the future; as all that would need to be updated are the names associated with specific titles, and the number of Electors at the time. I am thankful for the CTS making this available so quickly. The only thing I would have loved more was if an EPUB version was available as well as the PDF. An excellent little volume, I have already recommended it to a few friends and family who have asked questions about the process. I can easily recommend it. 

At the time of writing this review the eBook is available here, and the audio here.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.


Books by Monsignor Charles Burns:
The Election of a Pope
…

Books in the CTS Explanations Series:
Marriage Annulment in the Catholic Church
Jehovah’s Witnesses
Does the Church oppress Women?
Organ Transplant – and the definition of Death
Abortion
Be Yourself An Explanation of Humility - William Lawson SJ
Gene Therapy – and Human Genetic Engineering
Prenatal tests
Gift of life and Love
Islam
Euthanasia
Infertility
Homosexuality
Cloning and Stem Cell Research
Contraception and Chastity
Freemasonry and the Christian Faith
Intelligent Life in the Universe
Spirits, Mediums & The Afterlife






Conclave Step by Step through the Papal Interregnum - Mgr Charles Burns and Mgr Denis Carlin - CTS Explanations 2025 Edition
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Monday, 28 April 2025

Walk with Jesus: Stations of the Cross Henri - J.M. Nouwen and Helen David

Walk with Jesus: Stations of the Cross
Henri J.M. Nouwen
Helen David (Illustrator)
Orbis Books
ISBN 9781626981164
eISBN 9780883446669
ASIN B00Q5C2EAQ

Walk with Jesus: Stations of the Cross Henri - J.M. Nouwen and Helen David

First some background between 2001 and 2006 I read about a dozen volumes by Henri Nouwen. My Mentor at the time was a huge fan, and have a large print of the Rembrandt print from The Prodigal Son in his office and spoke on the volume and parable often. When I returned to the Catholic Church, I went on a retreat and the spiritual director advised against reading any Nouwen or Merton. 19 years later on retreat at the same retreat house a different priest recommend a Nouwen volume. I had never read this one previously. In 2025 I picked it up and read and prayer through it during Lent. 

The description of this volume states:

“Inspired by the drawings of Sister Helen David, Henri Nouwen sees in these images the ongoing passion of Christ in our world today. Stark and moving, her drawings--of an abandoned child, of a political prisoner behind bars, a peasant burdened by a load of firewood, a mother grieving for he murdered son--still do not lead us to despair. Rather, as Nouwen notes, they "help us unite our own broken humanity with the humanity of the men, women, and children portrayed . . . . This union become possibly through the suffering and risen body of Jesus. In and through Jesus, our world can become one because in this divine love he embraces all of us, and desires that we all be one, as he and his father are one."”

The chapters in this volume are:

Publisher's Note for the 25th Anniversary Edition
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction: I Walk With Jesus
I. Jesus Is Condemned
II. Jesus Carries His Cross
III. Jesus Falls for the First Time
IV. Jesus Meets Mary
V. Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
VI. Jesus Meets Veronica
VII. Jesus Falls for the Second Time
VIII. Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
IX. Jesus Falls for the Third Time
X. Jesus Is Stripped
XI. Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross
XII. Jesus Dies on the Cross
XIII. Jesus Is Taken from the Cross
XIV. Jesus Is Laid into the Grave
XV. Jesus Rises from the Dead
Concluding Prayer

A Sample station is:

“III
Jesus Falls for the First Time


This little Vietnamese boy is left behind. Why? Maybe his parents were killed, abducted, or put in camps. Maybe they tried to escape from the enemy and got caught in an ambush. Maybe they were boat people who drowned. Maybe, maybe…but their child is left alone. As I look into these eyes gazing into an empty future, I see the eyes of millions of children crushed by the powers of darkness. This small, tender child needs to be held, needs to be hugged, kissed, cuddled. He needs to feel the strong, loving hands of his father, hear the tender words of his mother, and see the eyes of those who say: “How beautiful you are.” Where will this boy be safe? Where will he know that he is truly loved? Where can he run to when he gets scared and confused? Where can he let his tears flow freely, his pain be received, his fearful dream be dispelled? Who tickles his feet? Who squeezes his hand? Who rubs his cheeks? He sits there, vulnerable, lonely, forgotten. He is left behind by a humanity that can no longer hold on to its future.

All over the world, children fall under the weight of violence, war, corruption, and human anguish. They are hungry, hungry for affection and food. In the cold halls of institutions, they sit…waiting for someone to pay attention. They sleep with strangers who use them to satisfy their own desires. They roam the streets of the big cities, trying to survive alone or in small bands. There are thousands, yes, millions of them all over the world. They have not heard the voice that says: “You are my beloved, on you my favor rests” (Luke 3:22).

Nowhere is our fallen humanity so painfully set before us as in these children. They reveal our sins to us. Abandoned and alone, they tell us that we have lost the grace to love our own.

What will become of these children when they grow older and become the men and women of the future. Will they grab the gun in a desperate search for revenge? Will they withdraw into lifelong silence in the wards of mental hospitals, or be locked behind bars as dangerous criminals? Will they become terrorists, gang leaders, drug smugglers, pimps, or prostitutes? Or will they discover that beyond and behind all human manipulations there are hands that hold them safe and offer a love that has no conditions?

Jesus fell under his cross. He continues to fall. Jesus is not the conquering hero who undergoes suffering with staunch determination and an iron will. No, he who was born as a child of God and a child of Mary, adored by shepherds and wise men, never became the proud self-possessed leader who wanted to lead humanity to the great victory over the powers of darkness. When he had grown into maturity, he humbled himself by joining penitent men and women and receiving baptism in the river Jordan. It was then that he heard that voice deeply entering his heart: “This is my Son, the Beloved, my favor rests on Him” (Matt. 3: 17). That voice carried him through life and shielded him from bitterness, jealousy, resentment, and revenge. He always remained a child and said to his followers: “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3). Jesus is the innocent child falling under the heavy burden of the cross of human anguish—powerless, weak, and very vulnerable. But there we can touch the mystery of the compassionate heart of God that embraces all children, around as well as within us.

I know that I am a child, a child who, underneath all my accomplishments and successes, keeps crying out to be held safe and loved without conditions. I also know that losing touch with my child is losing touch with Jesus and all who belong to him. Each time I touch my own child, I touch my powerlessness and my fear of being left alone with no one to give me a safe place. Jesus falls beneath the cross to allow me to reclaim my child, that place in me where I am out of control and in desperate need of being lifted up and reassured. The abandoned children of the world are in me. Jesus tells me not to be afraid, to face them in my heart and suffer with them. He wants me to discover that beyond all emotions of rejection and abandonment there is love, real love, lasting love, love that comes from a God who became flesh and who will never leave his children alone.”

I highlighted a number of passages while working through this volume. Some of them are:

“Throughout his many books Henri Nouwen promoted a central, consistent theme: that the Christian life is a matter of following in the footsteps of Jesus.”

“In particular, he came to see how the suffering of Jesus is reflected in the contemporary sufferings of those on the margins.”

“Walk with Jesus, a book that reflected Henri's journey up to that point, and one of the first books he wrote in Toronto, had a special place in his heart.”

“These reflections, made in response to Sister Helen David's Stations of the Cross, were written mainly during a three-and-a-half week stay at York Central Hospital in Richmond Hill, Ontario.”

“I have looked long and intensely at these paintings and have come to realize, more and more, that the suffering as well as the joy that we witness in so many countries today are nothing less than the ongoing revelation of the unfathomable mystery of Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday.”

“It has been a real grace for me to reflect on Sister Helen David's Stations. What most moved me was that these Stations were created not to make us feel guilty about human suffering far away from us, but to help us unite our own broken humanity with the humanity of the men, women, and children portrayed in these paintings.”

“There is immense pain in the wide world around us; there is immense pain in the small world within us. But all pain belongs to Jesus and is transformed by him into glorified wounds that allow us to recognize him as our risen Lord.”

“But what does it mean to walk with the poor? It means to recognize my own poverty: my deep inner brokenness, my fatigue, my powerlessness, my mortality. It is there that I am connected with the earth; there that I am truly humble. Yes, it is there that I enter into solidarity with all who walk the earth and discover that I, too, am loved as a very fragile, precious person.”

“As I walk the long, painful journey toward the cross, I must pause on the way to wash my neighbors’ feet. As I kneel before my brothers and sisters, wash their feet, and look into their eyes, I discover that it is because of my brothers and sisters who walk with me that I can make the journey at all.”

“He wants me to discover that beyond all emotions of rejection and abandonment there is love, real love, lasting love, love that comes from a God who became flesh and who will never leave his children alone.”

“To receive help, support, guidance, affection, and care may well be a greater call than that of giving all these things because in receiving I reveal the gift to the givers and a new life together can begin.”

“In every part of his body he feels the pain of hard labor, and, as he closes his eyes and holds his hand before his face, he sees nothing but an empty future. His heart becomes very dark. He wonders why he goes on living when all his efforts come to nothing. He sees himself as a failure, and he blames himself for not being the husband, the father, and the friend he had hoped to be.”

“The hands of the poor begging for food, the hands of the lonely calling for simple presence, the hands of the children asking to be lifted up and held, the hands of the sick hoping to be touched, the hands of the unskilled wanting to be trained—all these hands are the hands of the fallen Jesus waiting for others to come and give him their hand.”

“Jesus bore our suffering. The stripped body of Jesus reveals to us the immense degradation that human beings suffer all through the world, at all places and in all times.”

“But Jesus points in the other direction. Life is an increasing call to let go of desires, of success and accomplishment, to give up the need to be in control, to die to the illusion of greatness. The joy and peace that Jesus offers is hidden in the descending way of the cross. There lie hope, victory, and new life, but they are given to us where we are losing all.”

“People are dying every day, every hour, every minute. They die suddenly or slowly. They die on the streets of big cities or in comfortable homes. They die in isolation or surrounded by friends and family. They die in great pain or as if falling asleep. They die in anguish or in peace. But all of them die alone, facing the unknown. Dying is indeed a reality of daily life.”

“We all must die. And we all will die alone. No one can make that final journey with us. We have to let go of what is most our own and trust that we did not live in vain.”

“To love truly is to be willing to embrace sorrow. To love God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your strength is to expose your heart to the greatest sorrow a human being can know.”

“This Holy Saturday is the most quiet of all days. Its quiet connects the first covenant with the second, the people of Israel with the not-yet-knowing world, the Temple with the new worship in the Spirit, the sacrifices of blood with the sacrifice of bread and wine, the Law with the Gospel. This divine silence is the most fruitful silence that the world has ever known. From this silence, the Word will be spoken again and make all things new.”

“The long palm leaves that they flourish manifest their sense of victory and triumph. Yes, there is sadness, but gladness too. Yes, there is grief, but joy as well. Yes, there is fear, but also love. Yes, there is hard work, but celebration follows. And, yes, there is death, but also resurrection.”

“I look at you, and you open my eyes to the ways in which your passion, death, and resurrection are happening among us every day.”

“Thank you, Lord, for speaking to me. I do so desire to let you heal my wounded heart and, from there, to reach out to others close by and far away.”

“As your passion, death, and resurrection continue in history, give me the hope, the courage, and the confidence to let your heart unite my heart with the hearts of all your suffering people, and so become for us the divine source of new life.”

I hope that sample station and those quotes give you a feel for this volume. I was able to read it in an afternoon and pray through it. I might work for a retreat but do not see it working in a normal parish setting. It is however great for personal reflection. 

I really enjoyed this volume and it was an excellent return to Nouwen’s works. It has a much deeper Memento Mori feel about it than some stations; as can be seen by some of the quotes above. I can recommend it easily. 

Walk with Jesus: Stations of the Cross Henri - J.M. Nouwen and Helen David Sample 1

Walk with Jesus: Stations of the Cross Henri - J.M. Nouwen and Helen David Sample 2

Walk with Jesus: Stations of the Cross Henri - J.M. Nouwen and Helen David Sample 3

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan! 

Books by Henri J.M. Nouwen:
Intimacy 
Creative Ministry 
With Open Hands 
Pray to live: Thomas Merton: a contemplative critic 
Out of Solitude: Three Meditations on the Christian Life 
Aging: The Fulfillment of Life 
Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life 
The Genesee Diary 
The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society 
Clowning in Rome: Reflections on Solitude, Celibacy, Prayer, and Contemplation 
In Memoriam 
The Way of the Heart 
A Cry for Mercy: Prayers from the Genesee 
Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life 
Making All Things New: An Invitation to the Spiritual Life 
A Letter of Consolation 
Gracias: A Latin American Journal 
The Living Reminder: Service and Prayer in Memory of Jesus Christ 
Lifesigns: Intimacy, Fecundity, and Ecstasy in Christian Perspective 
Behold the Beauty of the Lord 
Letters to Marc About Jesus 
The Road to Daybreak: A Spiritual Journey 
Henri Nouwen (Modern Spiritual Masters): Writings Selected With an Introduction by Robert A. Jonas 
In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership 
Seeds of Hope: A Henri Nouwen Reader 
Beyond the Mirror: Reflections on Death and Life 
The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming 
Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World 
Show Me the Way: Daily Lenten Readings 
Here and Now: Living in the Spirit 
Our Greatest Gift: A Meditation on Dying and Caring 
The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom 
Can You Drink the Cup? 
Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith 
Adam: God's Beloved 
Sabbatical Journey: The Diary of His Final Year 
The Only Necessary Thing: Living a Prayerful Life 
A Spirituality of Fundraising (Henri Nouwen Spirituality) 
Turn My Mourning into Dancing 
Spiritual Direction: Wisdom for the Long Walk of Faith 
Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit 
Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life 
…

Walk with Jesus: Stations of the Cross Henri - J.M. Nouwen and Helen David

Walk with Jesus: Stations of the Cross Henri - J.M. Nouwen and Helen David

Walk with Jesus: Stations of the Cross Henri - J.M. Nouwen and Helen David
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Sunday, 27 April 2025

Louis Marie de Montfort - Alan J. Frost - CTS Biographies

Louis Marie de Montfort
Alan J. Frost
Catholic Truth Society
ISBN 9781860822780
ISBN 1860822789
CTS Booklet 680

Louis Marie de Montfort - Alan J. Foster - CTS Great Saints

I discovered the books and booklets of the Catholic Truth Society in 2018. Since that time I have read over 430 different titles, and many of them more than once. This is one that was original part of the CTS Great Saints Series, but is not part of the CTS Biographies. This volume was originally published as part of the CTS Great Saints Series, which is a subset of the CTS Biographies. This books is currently out of print. This booklet was first published in 2004. There is also an newer biography of this saint in the CTS Great Saints Series; Louis Marie de Montfort: His Life, Message and Teaching by Paul Allerton SMM that was published in 2016, I discovered this volume while working on the review of that one, both are marked as part of the CTS Great Saints Series.

The descriptions of this volume is:

“In 1716, aged only 43, this French priest, prophet and preacher died, almost a household name in his own time. Equally shunned and admired, De Montfort strove all his life guiding the lost to Jesus, through Mary. His like has been seen in every generation, especially in our own increasingly secular world – Mother Theresa of Calcutta, Maximillian Kolbe, and even Pope John Paul II, himself greatly influenced by de Montfort’s important writings. The Apostle of ‘True Marian Devotion’ de Montfort is best known for his act of total consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary as practiced today by millions.”

This booklet is an excellent volume on this saint and it is part of a wonderful series and I can easily recommend it. The chapters in the booklet are:

Introduction
His Life
Reflection on His Life
His Writings
His Canonisation
His Legacy
Bibliography

I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume some of them are:

“Louis Marie de Montfort, like many seemingly 'destined' for sainthood, had a manner of life that was different, we might say other-worldly, from an early age. He grew to become an outstanding and passionate preacher of the message of the Rosary. He was also someone with a special calling, being occasionally blessed with the gift of prophecy.”

“Through all his trials and tribulations, and the depth and detail of his writings, the thrust of his teaching is that the simplest and fullest way to Jesus is through Mary: ad Jesum per Mariam.”

“From an early age, he showed a remarkable horror of sin, and a love of prayer. This would be displayed in formal settings and in solitary wanderings by streams and woods, singing cantiques to God he wrote himself even as a young boy.”

“As he grew, he continued to spend time alone in prayer rather than playing lads' games with his fellow pupils, and privately he submitted himself to regular mortification from his teenage years (wearing a hair-shirt, and iron armlets under his sleeves). He also prayed daily in his parish church, Saint-Sauveur, to Our Lady, to make him day by day more like her Son.”

“Throughout his schooling he proved himself a brilliant student, and when he reached eighteen, expressed a wish to continue his studies in Paris, with a view to entering the seminary of Saint-Sulpice.”

“His sole possessions were a crucifix and a rosary, and though some biographers have speculated that he also stripped himself of his full name on this journey, he continued to sign himself 'Louis Marie Grignion', though he would refer to himself as 'le Pere de Montfort,'”

“We begin to get a picture of one of those rare people who seem literally too good to be true, but true he was, in every sense.”

“Montfort, nevertheless, always accepted what came to him as God's will. Even so, within himself there was a constant need to be certain that he was doing the right thing (whatever that might be). This would eventually, in 1706, lead to him walking to Rome to go straight to the top, so to speak, to know his purpose for certain through God's Vicar on earth”

“He had already gathered some twenty very poor girls of the hospital into a little company. They helped the similarly poor and the disabled. He gave them the name 'Sagesse', and in 1703 this group became the first of the two Orders he founded, the Order of the Daughters of Wisdom.”

“He sat down to his meagre supper as usual at the hospital and found a note by his bowl informing him he was dismissed. It is conjectured that others' ambitions and jealousy were the explanation, and there was always in Montfort' s life the inability of people around him and his superiors to cope with his saintliness.”

“Meanwhile, the poor of Poitiers, who had nothing to do with his sudden leaving in any sense, petitioned their bishop for Montfort's return. More then this, in 1704, 400 of them signed a similar petition to M. Leschassier, who must have thought he had rid himself of responsibilities over Montfort, who continued to write to him irrespective.”

“In the year of 1706 Montfort felt an irresistible urge to go to Rome to know from the Pope himself, the Lord's true purpose for him. So he set out, on foot all the way, hoping for an audience. He undertook this huge journey without any money and carrying only his religious essentials of a Bible, a breviary, a crucifix, rosary and image of Our Lady.”

“Though he met with success in numerous and significant conversions, not least of a prominent townswoman and vociferous heretic, Madame de Mailly, and though he even moved the soldiers of the La Rochelle garrison to tears with his preaching, he was the victim of an attack in the form of the poisoning of his broth one evening. He did recover, but he was seriously weakened, for he had been a man of considerable strength when he wished to use it, in physical labour or in carrying a sick tramp to a place of refuge.”

“Although he had set up his first Order in 1703 (The Daughters of Wisdom), and at a local level had set up small Associations, such as The Daughters of the Cross, The Company of Virgins, The White Penitents, The Friends of the Cross, and The Soldiers of St Michael, he had not yet established a community of priests.”

“What do you say about a man like St Louis-Marie de Montfort? Surely the word 'superhuman' is not out of place. In his physical trials that he imposed on himself everyday, in his work, in his fasting, in his self-denial, in his mortifications, ~e undertook much more than any reasonable human being could ask, or could emulate.”

“Is it excusable, or just an excuse, to say that this was all 300 years ago? Things are so different now, times so changed, the world an altered place, so how could anyone be expected to be his sort of saint. And the Church tut-tuts or downrightly forbids where mortifying the flesh is concerned, while 'sacrifice' is hardly ever spoken of as part of a Catholic's devotion to Christ.”

“Yes, the world has changed, but what has time to do with an immortal soul that is the gift of God, that is the spiritual temple of pure, innocent love. The potential loss of which in others drives all our known and unknown saints in this life, whenever they lived and shall live, whatever the primitive or technologically-advanced times they might be born into.”

“In a nutshell it is 'ad Jesum per Mariam', to Jesus through Mary. This is the underlying theme and teaching of 'The Secret of the Rosary', 'The Secret of Mary', and 'True Devotion to Mary', all stemming from his initial work 'The Eternal Wisdom'.”

“Though the Order grew, up until the late 1800's the Company of Mary confined itself to the north-western area of France. Perhaps it was echoing Montfort's own obedient response to the direction of Pope Clement XI in 1706 to their founder. In 1871 this changed with a mission to Haiti. Then persecution by the French government led to a spread of the congregation to Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands and England. This dispersion has continued and today the Montfort Missionaries are found in over thirty countries across the globe.”

This is the second short biography from the CTS on this saint I have read. Both are excellent. This one is packed full of great information, and only partially overlaps the other. I really appreciated the section going through an outline of each of the Saints books. And I found the section on the miracles for canonization fascinating. Over the years I have done a few different versions of the Consecration to Mary, and plan to work through the CTS edition at some point. But reading more about the man and his life was absolutely fascinating. 

This is I believe the only volume published by Alan Frost, for the CTS. Like the other biography of this saint this one reminds of the style reminds me of J.B. Midgley who wrote numerous volumes for the CTS and whose works grew my addiction to the books and booklets from the CTS. The writing is engaging and informative, it is the story of the saint’s life but also about his works and his legacy. It is an excellent biography and one I can easily recommend, another great resource from the Catholic Truth Society.
  
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.


Note: Midgley wrote the first and last volume in this series that I am aware of alphabetically, and the first three I read were by his pen. I have now read all books I have found marked as part of the CTS Great Saints Series but I keep finding more like this volume occasionally. 

Louis Marie de Montfort - Alan J. Foster 
Martin de Porres - Glynn MacNiven-Johnston
Patrick Missionary to the Irish - Thomas O’Loughlin 

Louis Marie de Montfort His Life, Message and Teaching - Rev Paul Allerton SMM - CTS Great Saints

Louis Marie de Montfort - Alan J. Foster - CTS Great Saints







St Thérèse of Lisieux: Transformation into Love - Jennifer Moorcroft - CTS Biographies

Dominic and the Order of Preachers - Father Richard Finn, OP - CTS Biographies

Dominic and the Order of Preachers - Father Richard Finn, OP - CTS Biographies



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Saturday, 26 April 2025

A Mom with Blue Feathers - Corinna Turner - An unSPARKed Story

A Mom with Blue Feathers
unSPARKed Prequel Story
Unseen Books
ISBN 9781910806951
eISBN 9781910806968
ASIN B0F46NKBG6

A Mom with Blue Feathers - Corinna Turner - An unSPARKed Story

That was a long awaited story from the masterful pen of Corinna Turner. For a long time now other volume in this and other series have announce this one as ‘coming soon’. I am not certain Turner knows what that means, but the story was well worth the wait. What an AMAZing story!

I keep saying it, because it is so true, this series keeps getting better and better, this is a wonderful addition to the series. This is another masterfully crafted piece! As soon as I finished it I out it back on my to be read pile to read it again, this time with my son. This story was AWEsome it is a great read in a FANtastic series. I have read stories in this series over 40 times now. And my son has read all of them more than once as well. We have also been ordering them for my nephew his cousin, as he finished each we order him the next. We also pick up a copy for his former school library, as they have the whole series, and it is very popular there. That shows how highly we regard these stories and Turner’s writings.

I first read a story by Turner in 2015, and read the first in this series in 2017. Since then, I have read books by her a total of 76 times, and unSPARKed stories 40 of them. I have also read a number of the unSPARKed stores in Anthologies. This story is the twelfth novel in the series and is available as an eBook and in print format. This book and series are excellent for teens, young adults and adults. The series keeps getting better and better! It has real staying power. My son and I have read most volumes at least three times each.

When I am recommending this series, which happens often, I frequently describe it as a mashup of Mad Max, Lost World, and Jurassic Park, and I have recommended it to many, all who have enjoyed them. In many ways it is like 50 years after Jurassic World Dominion. We have even bought a full set for my son’s school library and know from the Librarian that they are very popular.

unSPARKed is a series set in a not-too-distant future. Dinosaurs once again roam the earth. Just because a scientist could do something, did not mean they should have done it. Most people live SPARKed, in cities with walls and electrified fences. There are two groups of people who live unSPARKed, farmers who have electric fences around their farms and live in community with their close neighbours. The other are Hunters who live most of the time out on the road or off road in HabVI’s Habitat Vehicles. 

The description of this volume is:

“CAN JOSH SURVIVE HIS BIRTHDAY?

An unSPARKed prequel set 7 years before the main series.

When Joshua is separated from his family on the eve of his eleventh birthday his dad, Isaiah, and his Uncle Z know they may never see him again alive.

With the Habitat Vehicle out of action, Isaiah soon faces the most difficult decision of his life. Should he leave his brother Zechariah to work on the stranded vehicle alone while he sets off on foot in a desperate search for his son?

Meanwhile, alone in the dinosaur-infested wilderness, young Joshua is putting into practice all the survival skills his dad has taught him—until an unexpected encounter with a deadly predator sets the stage for the most unlikely alliance imaginable.”

About the series we are informed:

“CAN HUMANS AND DINOSAURS CO-EXIST?

In a Jurassic future, humans no longer have dominion over the earth. Most people live in cities, behind high electric fences, but some choose the freedom of life unSPARKed, close to nature. If you like Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, and Mad Max, you’ll love this pulse-pounding, futuristic, dino-dystopian series with a western twist. Since 2017, award-winning author Corinna Turner has been writing the unSPARKed series. Check it out today!”

Often the chapters in these books are the narrators name. This time there are numerous sections per chapter each a first person narrative. And each chapter counts up the number of days. Starting with a significant incident. The narrators are:

Joshua 
Isaiah

It is not new to the series having part of the story in Isaiah’s voice, but this is only the second time we have had it. And the other time, was just as dangerous for Joshua. And the title of the story, and the story we are given in this volume is mentioned often throughout the series. 

This story takes place over fifteen days; fifteen very long and intense days for Joshua, his father and his uncle. The story starts on the eve of Joshua’s eleventh birthday. There is a huge twist right near the beginning. After Joshua is separate in the wild, and the HabVI is stuck. All three; Joshua, his father Isaiah, and his uncle Zachariah are each dealing with their own stress, and frustration with the situation they find themselves in. They are each trying to live by the Hunter code, and rules that have been hammered into them since they were young. But Josh is lost and unSPARKed and all three are desperate. There are a lot of prayers thrown up to Saint Desmond the hermit to intercede for the family, and this terrible situation.  

Wow what a story! The next story in the series is A Nest of Piranha’saurs and I can freely admit we are both desperate for Corinna to write and release it. From the ending of Weigh the Odds it can go a few ways and it is hard to wait. We can only hope the next volume A Nest of Piranha’saurs drop sooner rather than later. We are so thanklful this story was released to hold us over. I am already planning to go back and reread this excellent tail, er I mean tale. I believe Turner has 2 or 3 more novels planned for the main series. 

This is another AWEsome read in a MASTERfully written series. It is a great read by a gifted and talented author, and one of our favourite contemporary YA and Catholic authors at that! A volume we can easily recommend for fans of the series, fans of science fiction or really anyone who just loves a very well-crafted story. We can highly recommend this book and series!  

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Corinna Turner:
I Am Margaret Series:
0.0 The Underappreciated Virtues of Rusty Old Bicycles (A prequel)
0.5 Brothers (Prequel)
1.0 I Am Margaret
1.5 How Snakey Got His Name (Short Story)
2.0 The Three Most Wanted
3.0 Liberation
4.0 Bane's Eyes
5.0 Margo's (Attempted) Diary & Notebook
5.5 An Unexpected Guest
6.0 The Siege of Reginald Hill
6.5 Buttons (Short Story)
7.0 A Saint in the Family
I Am Margaret The Play - Fiorella de Maria
...

Yesterday and Tomorrow Series:
Someday
Tomorrow's Dead
...

unSPARKed Series:

Mandy Lamb Series:
Mandy Lamb and the Full Moon
Contributed to:
Secrets: Visible & Invisible 7 Amazing Stories - Catholic Teen Books
Gifts Visible & Invisible 8 Christmas Stories for Teens
Treasures: Visible & Invisible 8 Stories for Teens
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