THE CANONIZATION MASS - 2
Concelebrating the Mass today with the Holy Father were 5 Cardinals, 10 Archbishops, 13 Bishops and 20 Priests concelebrated. Among the 48 concelebrants, were 6 members of the Congregation for the Causes of Sainthood: Cardinal Jean-Claude TURCOTTE, Archbishop of Montreal; Cardinal Crescenzio SEPE, Archbishop of Naples; Cardinal George PELL, Archbishop of Sydney; Cardinal Stanisław DZIWISZ, Archbishop of Kraków; Mons. Francesco Giovanni BRUGNARO, Archbishop of Camerino-San Severino Marche, and Mons. Carlos López HERNÁNDEZ, Bishop of Salamanca.
Six new saints
for the Church
17 OCT 2010 (RV) - Tens of thousands of people joined Pope Benedict in St Peter’s Square today as he canonized six new Saints of the Church.
Australia’s first native-born saint, Mary of the Cross MacKillop, was one of those canonized in the solemn Eucharistic liturgy.
Some 5,000 pilgrims, along with Cardinal Archbishop George Pell of Sydney, came to Rome to see St Mary, a nineteenth century nun, raised to the “honor of the altar” at Sunday’s Canonization.
A daughter of Scottish Catholic Immigrants, she overcame many obstacles in founding a religious institute of women dedicated to St Joseph of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Once excommunicated by the bishops of Australia because of malicious accusations which fuelled their suspicion of the new form of religious life she founded – which was independent of the auspices of a single diocesan ordinary – St Mary remained steadfast in her trust in Divine Providence and in her selfless concern for the marginalized.
The event also saw the canonization of Canada’s first native male saint, André Bessette, a lay brother of the Congregation of Holy Cross.
A delegation of over 5,000 pilgrims came from Canada and the United States to participate in his official declaration as a saint of the Universal Church.
St André spent over 40 years as the porter of Notre Dame College in Montréal after he entered religious life. He was known as an affable, simple and devout religious who inspired countless persons to integrate their faith into their daily lives and seek the face of Christ in the poor.
During his lifetime, many miracles were attributed to the intercessory prayer of this humble and loving religious brother.
Motivated by his devotion to St Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary, he received permission to found a simple oratory in the Canadian city.
Today, the Oratory of St Joseph in Montréal, is an enormous sanctuary and the destination of many North American pilgrims who are in search of healing and reconciliation and venerate St André’s mortal remains.
Along with St Mary and St André four other blessed became officially recognized as saints on Sunday.
A 15th century Polish priest, St Stanislaw Soltys, who was a Canon Regular of the Lateran; St Cándida María de Jesús Cipitria y Barriola, foundress of the 19th century Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus in Spain); St Giulia Salzano, foundress of the 19th century Congregation of the Catechetical Sisters of the Sacred Heart in Italy; and St Battista Camilla Varano, a 15th century reformer of the Order of St Clare in Italy.
The Pope reminded the tens of thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square on a beautiful autumn morning that Jesus also invites each of us to follow Him in order to inherit eternal life.
"Let us be drawn by these shining examples, let us be guided by their teachings, so that our existence might be a canticle of praise to God", he said. "Let the Virgin Mary and the intercession of the six new Saints whom we venerate with joy today obtain for us this grace."
Reliquaries for each of the new saints were on a pedestal next to the altar.
THE RITE OF CANONIZATION
After the antiphon and opening prayers, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Sainthood introduces the new saints:
The faithful are then invited to listen to words and thoughts expressed by each of the six new saints. Each reflection is followed by a prayer and hymn in honor of the new saint. Then comes the formal rite of canonization. The Prefect formally requests that the Blesseds be recognized as saints in the Universal Church.
The Holy Father formally proclaims the new saints.
The choir chants a hymn of praise. The Prefect for Sainthood Causes formally asks the Holy Father to publish the Apostolic Letter regarding the new saints, and the Holy Father replies: 'We so order it".
The canonization rite is followed by the Gloria.
NB: Illustrations in the libretto
by Jean Bourdichon, Tours, France, 1503-1508
fron the Grandes Heures d'Anne de Bretagne
Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Paris
Here is a translation of the Holy Father's homily:
Dear brothers and sisters:
We renew today in St. Peter's Square the feast of holiness. With joy, I address my heartfelt welcome to you who have come, some from far away, to take part in the celebration.
A special greeting to the cardinals, bishops and superiors-general of the institutes founded by the new saints, as well as to the official delegations and all civilian authorities.
Together, let us seek to receive what the Lord tells us in the Sacred Scripture just proclaimed. The liturgy this Sunday offers us a fundamental teaching: the need to pray always, without tiring.
Sometimes, we get tired of praying, we may get the impression that prayer is not so useful in life, that is hardly effective. And so we are tempted to dedicate ourselves to activity, to use all human means to reach our purposes, and we do not turn to God. But Jesus affirms that we must always pray, and he does this through a specific parable (cfr Lk 18,1-8).
It is about a judge who does not fear God and has no respect for anyone, a judge who does not have a positive attitude, but only seeks his own interests. He does not fear the judgment of God and he does not respect his neighbor.
The other personage is a widow, a person in a situation of weakness. In the Bible, the widow and the orphan are considered the neediest categories because they are defenseless and without means.
The widow goes to the judge to ask for justice. Her chances to be heard by him are virtually nothing, because the judge despises her and she is incapable of putting any pressure on him. She cannot even appeal for help from religious leaders, because this judge does not fear God. And so, this widow seems devoid of any chances.
But she insists. She calls on the judge tirelessly. She is importunate, and in the end, she succeeds in getting the judge to act. At this point, Jesus reflects, using an a fortiori argument: If a dishonest judge can ultimately allow himself to be moved by a widow's pleas, how much more does God, who is good, listen to those who pray!
Indeed God is generosity himself, he is merciful, and therefore, is always ready to listen to prayers. Therefore, we should not despair but always be insistent in prayer.
The conclusion of the Gospel passage speaks of faith: "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (18,8). It is a question that is intended to inspire an increase of faith on our part.
In fact, it is clear that prayer should be an expression of faith, otherwise it is not prayer. If one believes in the goodness of God, we cannot pray in a truly adequate way. Faith is essential as the basis for a prayerful attitude.
That was the case with the six new saints that are proposed today for the veneration of the Universal Church: Stanisław Sołtys, André Bessette, Cándida María de Jesús Cipitria y Barriola, Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Giulia Salzano and Battista Camilla Varano.[
C]He says the following in Polish:
St. Stanisław Kazimierczyk, a 15th-century religious, can be an example and intercessor even for us. His entire life was linked to the Eucharist. Above all, in the church of Corpus Domini in Kazimierz, today part of Cracow, where alongside his mother and father, he learned faith and piety; where he made his religious vows with the Canons Regular; where he worked as priest and educator, always attentive to the care of the needy.
But he was especially linked to the Eucharist through an ardent love for Christ present in the bread and wine, reliving the mystery of his death and resurrection in the bloodless sacrifice of the Holy Mass, through the practice of love for neighbor, of which Communion is both source and sign.
In French, he said:
Brother André Bessette, of Quebec, Canada, and a religious of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, knew poverty and suffering very early. But they led him to have recourse to God in prayer and an intense interior life.
As a doorman at the Notre Dame College in Montreal, he showed a charity that was without bounds and sought to comfort the distress of those who came to confide in him. Though unlettered, he understood where the essential of his faith lay. For him, to believe meant to submit freely and with love to divine will.
Completely inhabited by the mystery of Jesus, he lived the beatitude of pure hearts and personal rectitude. It was this simplicity which enabled him most to see God.
He caused the construction of the Oratory of St. Joseph on Mont Royal, of which he would be the faithful custodian until his death in 1937. The shrine has been witness to innumerable healings and conversions.
"Do not seek to be relieved of your trials," he used to say, "but ask for the grace to bear them well".
For him, everything spoke of God and his presence. May we, in his example, seek God with simplicity in order to find him always at the heart of our life! May the example of Brother Andre inspire Christian life in Canada!
He spoke next in Spanish:
"When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (cf Lk 18,8). Today we can say Yes, with firmness and relief, when we contemplate figures like Mother Cándida María de Jesús Cipitria y Barriola.
That young woman of simple origins had a heart on which God had put his seal, which would lead her early on, with the guidance of her Jesuit spiritual directors, to take the firm resolution that she would live 'only for God'.
A decision she kept faithfully, as she herself recalled when she was about to die. She lived for God and for what he wants most: to reach everyone, to bring to all the hope that does not waver, especially those who need it most.
"If there is no room for the poor, then there is none for me, too", she used to say, and with meager resources, she was able to induce her sisters to follow Jesus and dedicate themselves especially to the education and promotion of women. Thus was born the Daughters of Jesus, who have in their founder a model of elevated life to emulate, and a passionate mission to pursue in the numerous countries where they work according to the spirit and ardent desires of Mother Candida's apostolate.
In English, he said:
"Remember who your teachers were – from these you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."
For many years, countless young people throughout Australia have been blessed with teachers who were inspired by the courageous and saintly example of zeal, perseverance and prayer of Mother Mary McKillop.
She dedicated herself as a young woman to the education of the poor in the difficult and demanding terrain of rural Australia, inspiring other women to join her in the first women’s community of religious sisters of that country.
She attended to the needs of each young person entrusted to her, without regard for station or wealth, providing both intellectual and spiritual formation.
Despite many challenges, her prayers to Saint Joseph and her unflagging devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to whom she dedicated her new congregation, gave this holy woman the graces needed to remain faithful to God and to the Church.
Through her intercession, may her followers today continue to serve God and the Church with faith and humility!
He gave the rest of the homily in Italian:
In the second half of the 19th century, in the region of Campania, southern Italy, the Lord called on a young elementary schoolteacher, Giulia Salzano, and made her an apostle of Christian education, founder of the Congregation of the Catechist Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Mother Giulia understood well the importance of catechesis in the Church, and uniting her pedagogical preparation to spiritual fervor, she dedicated herself to that activity with generosity and intelligence, contributing to the formation of persons of every age and social rank.
She would tell her sisters that she wished to give catechism until the last hour of her life, demonstrating herself that "if God created us to know him, to love him and to serve him in this life", nothing should come before this task.
May the example and intercession of St. Giulia Salzano sustain the Church in her perennial task of announcing Christ and forming authentic Christian consciences.
St. Battista Camilla Varano, a Poor Clare nun of the 15th century, bore witness to the very end to the evangelical sense of life, persevering especially in prayer. Having entered the convent in Urbino at age 23, she became a leading player in that vast reform movement of Franciscan female spirituality which was meant to fully recover the charism of St. Clare of Assisi. She promoted new convents in Camerino, Fermo and San Severino and was elected abbess several times.
The life of St. Battista, totally immersed in the profundity of the divine, was a constant ascent along the way to perfection, with heroic love for God and her neighbor. Her life was marked by great suffering and mystical consolations. She had decided, in fact, as she herself wrote, "to enter into the Most Sacred heart of Jesus and drown in the ocean of his most bitter sufferings".
At a time when the Church was suffering a laxity in practices, she resolutely followed the way of penitence and prayer, inspired by the ardent desire to renew the mystical Body of Christ.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us thank the Lord for the gift of holiness, that it may shine forth in the Church, and which today we see in the faces of these brothers and sisters of ours.
Jesus invites each of us to follow him in order to have the legacy of eternal life. Let us be drawn by these luminous examples and be guided by their teachings, so that our existence may be a canticle of praise to God.
May we obtain this grace through the Virgin Mary and the intercession of the six new saints whom we venerate today with great joy. Amen.
Benedict XVI: Six new saints show
that faith and holiness abide
Vatican City, Oct 17, 2010 (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict celebrated Sunday’s canonization Mass of the six newest saints in the Church as a “feast of holiness.”
Alluding to the day’s Gospel readings, he declared that their prayerful lives are “shining examples” and proof that faith still can be found on earth.
The Vatican estimated attendance in St. Peter's Square at 50,000 as Pope Benedict XVI recognized the holiness and heroic virtue of six Catholics.
In the Rite of Canonization, the Holy Father declared as saints Fr. Stanislaw Soltys, Br. Andre Bessette, Sr. Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria Y Barriola, Sr. Mary Of The Cross (Mary MacKillop), Sr. Giulia Salzano and Sr. Battista Camilla da Varano.
During his homily at the Mass, the Pope spoke of the celebration as a renewal of "the feast of holiness." Referring to Sunday's Gospel message in that context, he said that its "fundamental teaching" is "the need to always pray ceaselessly."
Pope Benedict noted that although the faithful might at times consider prayer tiresome and ineffective, being tempted to use human means to reach their goals, the Lord underscores the importance of prayer as in the parable in the Gospel reading.
In the passage from St. Luke, Jesus tells the story of the widow who must appeal to a dishonest judge to obtain justice. With persistence, she succeeds despite his contempt for her. The Lord asks how much more God will answer those who pray if this judge was convinced by the prayer of the widow.
"God in fact is generosity personified," said the Pope, "he is merciful, and therefore he is always willing to listen to prayers. Therefore we must never despair, but always persist in prayer."
He added that the Gospel reading’s concluding question of whether Jesus will find faith when he returns is an inspiration to an increase in faith, which is "essential as the basis for prayerful behavior.”
The Pontiff said the six new saints offered for veneration sought to be such an inspiration.
Remembering each of the new saints, he paused particularly on Spain's St. Candida Maria de Jesus to answer that final question of the Gospel passage. Today, he explained, one can see "with relief and conviction" that there is faith on earth in the contemplation of figures such as her.
Known for her commitment to prayer, in 1871 St. Candida founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus in Salamanca, Spain, to teach children and assist women. The order continues to function in Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.
Pope Benedict gave thanks to God for the gift of holiness "which shines in the Church and is visible today on the faces of these our brothers and sisters."
Noting Jesus's invitation for all to follow Him to obtain eternal life, he exhorted the faithful to be "drawn by these shining examples ... guided by their teachings, so that our existence might be a canticle of praise to God.
"Let the Virgin Mary and the intercession of the six new saints whom we venerate with joy today obtain for us this grace," he asked
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 18/10/2010 22:24]