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Saint Homobonus

I was blessed to take stewardship of a relic of St. Homobonus recently. His relic arrived in Saint-like fashion on All Saints Day!

Saint Homobonus lived in the 12th century. He was a married layman and became a tailor and merchant, having taken over his father’s business. Therefore, he is considered the Patron Saint of business people. He died on November 13th, 1197, while attending Mass. The name Homobonus is derived from Latin homo bonus, which means “good man”. Indeed, Saint Homobonus was a good man, spending much of his wealth in helping the poor. His fellow citizens petitioned the Pope for his canonization, and he was raised to the altars as a Saint less than two years later.

Today, November 13th, we celebrate his feast day.

Saint Homobonus, Pray for us!

Can the Saints Hear us?

As All Saints Day approaches, I wanted to offer some thoughts on why we as Catholics believe in the Communion of Saints (Communio Sanctorum), and why in particular we believe that our prayers to them and friendship with them is efficacious.

There are a couple arguments against these uniquely Catholic beliefs, which I would like to address in their honor:

Why pray to the Saints if we can go directly to God?

The better question to ask is: Why has God used Angels (messengers), Prophets, and Apostles, family and friends, to relate with us throughout the entire history of human existence if He can go directly to us Himself? And the response to this is very simple…. He wants to.

This is the same response to why we work with the Saints and Angels in a similar way to communicate with God. – He wants us to.

Granted, we do go directly to God as well, and He does communicate with us directly at His discretion (like when he talked with Moses face to face Exodus 33:11). This is not a strict either / or. Our relationship with God and His family is both / and.

Sometimes we don’t know why God chooses to do things certain ways, because “His ways are higher than mine” (Isaiah 55:8-9). But even when we don’t understand, we believe that He knows what is best for us. He has our best interest in mind.

It is evident in Scripture that God wants us to work with each other and for each other. Take for instances when Jesus was still just a baby:

(Matthew 2:13) When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up”, he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt.”

God could have done things a lot different to get the Holy Family to go to Egypt. He could have sent the angel to Mary, as He had just sent the angel Gabriel to her before. Why Joseph? Or why did He use an angel? God could have talked directly to Mary (like He did with Moses). But we can see that God LOVES to use His creation in this way. He wanted Joseph to be an integral part of His Holy Family. God always uses His angels as messengers. And He always uses people in the same way. He wants us connected and working together. That’s why Saint Paul refers to us as the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). We are a Body with different members able to do different things to all help in achieving the same goal – the sanctity of our human race!

God created the earth as a reflection of what Heaven is like. And so we know that Heaven isn’t too far from earth. Family is family. Jesus is our brother through Baptism. God is our Father. We are not orphans, but Children of God. God created us to work with each other. When God made Adam, He said “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). So, how we relate to our mothers and fathers, our sisters and brothers, our friends, etc. That is not different than how we should relate in Heaven to God and the Angels and Saints. But just all in their proper order.

We have a different relationship with our dads as we do with our brothers. And the same is true with God and the Saints. I would never worship a Saint. I only worship and praise God. But Jesus wants us to have relationships with His family, His mother Mary, His friends the Saints. God wants us to know the Angels also. They are given to us by God for our help(Matthew 18:10). All of these things God has given to us to work together in order to Glorify Him through Christ Jesus.

Once a person dies, how can we communicate with them since they cannot hear us?

We believe that death does not separate us from our family and friends in Christ. On the contrary, we believe that when we die in a state of Grace and friendship with God, then our ability to pray for each other only increases!

Saint Paul says (Romans 8:38) “For I am convinced that neither death nor life… will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” As humans, we are both body and soul. When we die, our soul still exists. Only our physical body is gone, but the “person” is still alive. Especially for those who have died in the Grace and friendship of God. So when Jesus said, “the Kingdom of God is among you”, He is saying that if we order our lives in Christ now, then this is how Heaven is.

Additionally, Jesus admonishes the Pharisees when He tells them “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living” speaking of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Mark 12:27). So we know that the Saints in Heaven are living in this same way.

In all of this, our greatest desire is to Love God. This is the first and greatest Command – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart”. If we accept Christ and what he did for us (the Cross), and we do our best to Love Him, then really everything else falls into place. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you”. (Matthew 6:33)

Meditating on the Transfiguration of Jesus (Mark 9, Matthew 17, and Luke 9). This is where we can see the meaning of Jesus being God and man. Because He brings Heaven to earth for our benefit. This was His primary mediation. Jesus takes His best friends, Peter, James and John, with Him up a mountain. Then Jesus is transfigured before them, and His clothes became dazzling white, and He was with Moses and Elijah talking with them. It is like God introducing His Old Testament friends to His New Testament friends. Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets. Moses brought the Law (the Commandments) and Elijah was one of the greatest Prophets (even John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah). So these two figures represent together the Love of God – because Jesus says the Law and the Prophets hang on the Love of God. When Jesus was asked what the Greatest Command was He replied “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment.And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

So we see that in Loving God with all our hearts, just as He commands, it is a fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets (Moses and Elijah). The Transfiguration, therefore, was a demonstration of the Kingdom of God, the union of earth and Heaven. The Law and the Prophets meeting the New Church. You could think of the Transfiguration as God lifting the veil a little, to give us a peak at what He sees. Heaven is where are hearts are – (Matthew 6) “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. And although Moses and Elijah had lived long ago, they were still alive in Christ, and fulfilling their mission through the Love of God.

Jesus told us to pray – “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven”. This is what Jesus meant, that in the Love of God, the Kingdom and the Will of God will be done on earth just like in Heaven.

As members of the Body of Christ, the Saints still actively participate in helping us to make it to Heaven with them! Our relationship with God is much more complete and better when we work with His friends. Jesus comes closer to us, the closer we are to His friends. . Jesus is the Bride-Groom and we are His Bride. The Saints are the wedding guests. If we truly love our Lord Jesus, then it is important to know and love His friends.

So I hope that this helps to explain why we pray to the Saints. If I pray to the Saints, it is only in addition to my prayers to God. I love God with all my heart. I am relating to them like I would with my brother and sister. I love my dad more and differently than my siblings. I treat my dad differently – with more respect, etc. But I know he would be hurt if I didn’t have a relationship with my other family members also. Together we make my dad even happier… sometimes. Haha! Sometimes we cause more trouble together also. But everything has its time. Sometimes I do just think of God and pray only to Him. (Alone time with my Father). But when it is appropriate, God sees it as a beautiful thing to have me thinking of Moses and Elijah, or St. Francis and St. Therese. Sometimes it helps to talk with them also. And just like you and me writing each other. That leads me to think of God more, and in new ways. To the Glory of God through Christ!

Therefore, I want to urge you to consider saying a prayer to the Saints this All Saints Day. They are sure to bring you closer to Our Lord Jesus. May His Kingdom come, and His Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Amen!

Happy All Saints Day.

-Your Family in Christ at All Saints Museum

The Drink of Angels

“After I had eaten, I didn’t feel at all well so he (her guardian Angel) brought me a cup of coffee so good that I was healed instantly and then he made me rest a while” – from the diary of St. Gemma Galgani.

There you have it. Coffee. The drink of choice given by Angels.

Enjoy!!

Sacred Heart First Friday Devotion

Today being the First Friday of the month, I had an idea I’d like to share.

If you are a parent or know a parent with children in a Catholic School, I suggest contacting the school leadership to have them offer First Friday Mass throughout the year. If started in October, this would be exactly 9 First Friday’s before school ends in June.

Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alocoque (1647-1690), a French nun in the Visitation Order, and gave her the special task to spread devotion to His Most Sacred Heart.

He said: ““I promise you, in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the first Friday for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance; they shall not die in my disgrace nor without receiving the sacraments; my divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in that last moment.” — Our Lord to St. Margaret Mary

Our Lord made several other promises, among which are that “Tepid souls shall become fervent” and “Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection”.

What an incredible gift to give to our children! Please prayerfully consider this.

Here is more info about the devotion:
https://www.americaneedsfatima.org/Our-Lord-Jesus-Christ/the-nine-first-fridays-devotion.html

The Feast of the Assumption

Happy Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Today we celebrate when Mary, at the end of her earthly life, was taken up body and soul into her new home in Heaven.

Thank you, Mother Mary, for always saying YES to our Lord. Help us to imitate you, to make God the center of our lives. Help us to love Jesus like you did.

By the power of God, please bring all the holy souls in Purgatory to their final resting place in Heaven. Amen!

All Saints Museum has an On-line Exhibit dedicated to Mary. Please visit it in honor of her. Thank you!

Words from God the Father

Some harsh words from God the Father in dialogue with St. Catherine of Siena as dictated by her while in a state of ecstasy to her secretaries.

“And I would that you know that, more darkness and division have come into the world amongst seculars and religious and the clergy and pastors of the holy Church, through the lack of the light of justice, and the advent of the darkness of injustice, than from any other causes.”

“Neither the civil law, nor the divine law, can be kept in any degree without holy justice, because he who is not corrected, and does not correct others, becomes like a limb which putrefies, and corrupts the whole body, because the bad physician, when it had already begun to corrupt, placed ointment immediately upon it, without having first burnt the wound. So, were the prelate, or any other lord having subjects, on seeing one putrefying from the corruption of mortal sin, to apply to him the ointment of soft words of encouragement alone, without reproof, he would never cure him, but the putrefaction would rather spread to the other members, who, with him, form one body under the same pastor. But if he were a physician, good and true to those souls, as were those glorious pastors of old, he would not give salving ointment without the fire of reproof. And, were the member still to remain obstinate in his evil doing, he would cut him off from the congregation in order that he corrupt not the other members with the putrefaction of mortal sin. But they act not so today, but, in cases of evil doing, they even pretend not to see. And do you know why? The root of self-love is alive in them, wherefore they bear perverted and servile fear. Because they fear to lose their position or their temporal goods, or their prelacy, they do not correct, but act like blind ones, in that they see not the real way by which their position is to be kept. If they would only see that it is by holy justice they would be able to maintain it; but they do not, because they are deprived of light.”

I do believe that these words apply now more than ever before. Many Priests and Bishops simply will not correct or reproof others, a clear neglect of the Spiritual Works of Mercy – to Instruct the Ignorant and to Admonish the Sinner.

This neglect causes such confusion and conflict.

Take as an example the actively homosexual person who dies. We’ve seen in recent news this very case being debated by a few of our Bishops. There is an intersection between the Corporal Work of Mercy to bury the dead, and an obligation at the same time to the Spiritual Works of Mercy to Instruct the Ignorant and Admonish the Sinner (the deceased person’s partner or family as an example). There needs to be greater teaching about this intersection between the Works of Mercy. Justice demands this teaching and clarification – the light whereby right Mercy can be applied. If we neglect the Spiritual Work of Mercy in this example situation, then we cause great scandal which could lead to the destruction of many souls – and what did it cost? We bury one dead person, but neglect hundreds whose souls may be dead. Yet, with a balanced approach we can still bury the dead appropriately if we also consider the Spiritual Works of Mercy.

Surely today’s Gospel “I desire Mercy not sacrifice”, is made more clear in the light of the Father’s words to St. Catherine. True Mercy applies the ointment only after having treated the wound.

God bless, and may All Saints pray for us. Amen.

Saint Gemma Triduum

Hello All Saints Museum family!

In honor of Saint Gemma Galgani, Patron Saint of All Saints Museum, whose Feast Day is April 11th, I want to encourage you all to say a Triduum Prayer to her. She won’t fail you. Begin it this weekend to end on her special day!

Saint Gemma Galgani was an Italian Mystic born March 12, 1878. She is well known for her devotion to the Passion of Christ, and therefore is a wonderful Saint to venerate during Lent and through Easter. She is one of the few Saints to receive the Stigmata (which are the wounds of Christ). Saint Gemma Galgani died on April 11^th, 1903.

Please learn more about her by checking out my dear friend’s website – http://www.stgemmagalgani.com/

You may also be interested in seeing our Saint Gemma Galgani Exhibit, and of course also our Live Wax Museum Exhibit, click on Saint Gemma’s name.

Saint Gemma, Pray for us!

Visible Faith

All Saints Museum Family,

Happy Lent! I hope your Lent has been fruitful so far. Keep the faith and the good works!

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith” (Ephesians 2:8), so we know this is Sanctifying Grace which is given by the Sacraments. And faith is “the evidence of things unseen” (Hebrews 11:1), which makes perfect sense because the Sacraments show us visibly the truth which is happening invisibly. Therefore the Sacraments are the visible signs of our faith, evidence of the Grace within us – that is the “participation in Divine Life” (CCC 1997). And moreover this is proof that “faith alone” doesn’t save us, because the Sacraments are in themselves works- that is outward signs, but the Grace is freely given by God. Not our own works, but the work of God through us, through our faith. Jesus came to do the work of His Father, and He sent us to continue His work! (see John 17:18 and John 20:21). And the work of God is this – to believe in Jesus (see John 6:29). Therefor it is neither faith alone nor works alone which saves us, but by Grace through faith – visibly manifest by the works we do in Christ.

In this season of Lent, I encourage you to receive especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation. How wonderful a Sacrament – God’s work in our Heart to Heal and Forgive and impart His Free Gift of Grace. Amen.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

All Saints Museum family.

On behalf of the Museum, I would like to wish you all a warm and peaceful Christmas and a New Year full of renewed devotion to the Saints. We have updated our Holy Card Project to include cards from our collection for November and December.

Enjoy, and please keep All Saints Museum in your prayers.

God bless,

October Saints – Holy Card Project Updated

All Saints Museum family.

As we continue to add to our Holy Card Project we will keep you updated. Like September, October also has some real power-house Saints including Saint Therese of Lisieux, Saint Francis of Assisi, and Saint Teresa of Avila.

Enjoy, and please keep All Saints Museum in your prayers.

God bless,