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GOOD
DEAR FRIENDS May is known as the
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Our Lady has 117 titles. She selected this title at Fatima:
“I am the Lady of the
Rosary”
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St. Francis de Sales said the greatest method of praying is to Pray the Rosary.
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St. Thomas Aquinas preached 40 straight days in Rome, Italy on just the Hail Mary.
Photo: lumenchristi.org
Photo: nbcnews Paulo Cunha/EPA Fatima
month of Mary. Many people join in with their families and friends to pray the Rosary.
Upon this Rock magazine is published monthly by EuropeAxess Media, Gibraltar. Editor: Fr. S. Chipolina: editor@uponthisrock.gi. Production Editor: A. Sargent angela@europeaxess.com. Upon this Rock magazine is entirely supported by advertising and donations. It is run in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar by EuropeAxess Media Ltd. as a not-for-profit project. For Advertisers: This magazine is hand-delivered to homes, churches, hospitals and many businesses around Gibraltar every month. To discuss your advertising requirements, or promote your church group or charity, call Tel: +350 200 79335 email: angela@ europeaxess.com. Editorial is selected by EuropeAxess Media in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar. Neither of these parties is responsible for the accuracy of the information contained herein, nor do the views and opinions expressed herein necessarily reflect the views and opinions of either party. Advertisers are not endorsed by virtue of advertising in this magazine. EuropeAxess Media Ltd. reserves the right to refuse space to any submissions or advertisements. Efforts have been made to establish copyright owners of images, but if we have used your material, and have not credited you, please contact us to discuss restoration. The magazine is online at uponthisrock.gi. You’ll find exclusive Christian gifts in the WebShop. COVER PIC: Christ The King Prayer Group. Photos: Upon This Rock
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REASONS TO
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Photo “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” campaign
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John Vianney, patron of priests, was seldom seen without a rosary in his hand.
Photo: a Roman era scourge, as would have been used on Christ. Pope Adrian said that by praying the Rosary it has the affect of turning this weapon on the Devil.
“The rosary is the scourge of the devil” Pope Adrian VI
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“The rosary is a treasure of graces”
Pope Paul V
PRAY THE ROSARY DAILY
“The Rosary is THE WEAPON”
Pope Leo XIII wrote 9 encyclicals on the rosary.
Photo CNS- Catholic Press Service
9 8 7 Padre Pio the stigmatic priest said:
Pope John XXIII spoke 38 times about our Lady and the Rosary, he prayed 15 decades daily.
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St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort wrote: “The rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the Heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer,
Very shortly our Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes will celebrate the feast of our Lady of Europe in another Shrine so dear to all of us, the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. Mary the mother of Jesus, and indeed our mother, guides us gently but surely to an encounter with Jesus. Marian devotion must be at the very core of our Christian discipleship. By following Mary we will always find Jesus. I pray that during the month of May we will all pray the rosary as often as we can, meditating with Mary on the life of her son Jesus. And that in this way, we may receive the grace which is so freely and generously poured out on us through this true treasure of prayer. God bless you all Fr Stuart
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Wherever
people
(cf. Jn 14:9). Jesus of Nazareth, by his words, his actions, and his entire person[1] reveals the mercy of God.” We need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy. It is a source of joy, serenity, and peace. Our salvation depends on it.
What is a Papal Bull? A papal bull is a particular type of letter or charter issued by the Pope. It is read outside the main door of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It is named after the lead seal (bulla) that is attached to the bottom of the document, to authenticate it. A bulla was originally a circular plate or boss of metal, so called from its resemblance in form to a bubble floating upon water (Lat. bullire, to boil). Over time the term came to be applied to the leaden seals with which papal and royal documents were authenticated in the early Middle Ages, and by a further development, the name, from designating the seal, was eventually attached to the document itself. The lead is inscribed with the name of the reigning pope on one side and representations of the heads of St. Peter and St. Paul on the other side.
The example of a Papal Bull shown here was signed and sealed by Pope Francis naming Most Rev Julian Leow Beng Kim as Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur.
What is a Jubilee Year? The ultimate derivation of the word jubilee is disputed, but it is most probable, as with many Christian traditions, that it dates back to the Jewish faith, and that the Hebrew word jobel, to which it is traced, meant “a ram’s horn”, the loud noise emitted by blowing the rams horn was a very audible signal accompanying the announcement of an important time. Later on, passing through the Greek iobelaios, or iobelos, the word became confused with the Latin jubilo, which means “to shout”, and has given us the forms jubilatio and jubilaeum, now adopted in most European languages. The concept of ‘joy’ is not alien to the Jubilee Year, as during such a year sinners and debtors could be awarded special pardons on full confession and when determined to mend their ways, the a Holy Year of Jubilee often reflects a 50th Anniversary. Why a Year of Mercy? The Jubilee which was announced by Papal Bull on the 11th April is to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. Pope Francis explained “‘Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy’. These words might well sum up the mystery of the Christian faith. Mercy has become living and visible in Jesus of Nazareth, reaching its culmination in him. The Father, ‘rich in mercy’ (Eph 2:4), after having revealed his name to Moses as ‘a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness’ (Ex 34:6), has never ceased to show, in various ways throughout history, his divine nature. In the ‘fullness of time’ (Gal 4:4), when everything had been arranged according to his plan of salvation, he sent his only Son into the world, born of the Virgin Mary, to reveal his love for us in a definitive way. Whoever sees Jesus sees the Father
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Mercy: the word reveals the very mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Mercy: the ultimate and supreme act by which God comes to meet us. Mercy: the fundamental law that dwells in the heart of every person who looks sincerely into the eyes of his brothers and sisters on the path of life. Mercy: the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to a hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness.
At times we are called to gaze even more attentively on mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the Father’s action in our lives. For this reason I have proclaimed an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy as a special time for the Church; a time when the witness of believers might grow stronger and more effective. When will it start? The Holy Year will open on 8 December 2015, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. This liturgical feast day recalls God’s action from the very beginning of the history of mankind. After the sin of Adam and Eve, God did not wish to leave humanity alone in the throes of evil. So he turned his gaze to Mary, holy and immaculate in love (cf. Eph 1:4), choosing her to be the Mother of man’s Redeemer. When faced with the gravity of sin, God responds with the fullness of mercy. Mercy will always be greater than any sin, and no one can place limits on the love of God who is ever ready to forgive. I will have the joy of opening the Holy Door on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. On that day, the Holy Door will become a Door of Mercy through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons, and instils hope. What sign will be given? On the following Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent, the Holy Door of the Cathedral of Rome – that is, the Basilica of Saint John Lateran – will be opened. In the following weeks, the Holy Doors of the other Papal Basilicas will be opened. On the same Sunday, I will announce that in every local Church, at the cathedral – the mother church of the faithful in any particular area – or, alternatively, at the co-cathedral or another church of special significance, a Door of Mercy will be opened for the duration of the Holy Year. At the discretion of the local ordinary, a similar door may be opened at any Shrine frequented by large groups of pilgrims, since visits to these holy sites are so often grace-filled moments, as people discover a path to conversion. Every Particular Church, therefore, will be directly involved in living out this Holy Year as an extraordinary moment of grace and spiritual renewal. Thus the Jubilee will be celebrated both in Rome and in the Particular Churches as a visible sign of the Church’s universal communion. Why was that date chosen? Pope Francis said ‘I have chosen the date of 8 December because of its rich meaning in the recent history of the Church. In fact, I will open the Holy Door on the fiftieth anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. The Church feels a great need to keep this event alive. With the Council, the Church entered a new phase of her history. The Council Fathers strongly perceived, as a true breath of the Holy Spirit, a need to talk about God to men and women of their time in a more accessible way. The walls, which too long had made the Church a kind of fortress, were torn down and the time had come to proclaim the Gospel in a new way. It was a new phase of the same evangelization that had existed from the beginning. It was a fresh
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P o p e F r a n c i s a n n o u n c e s a n E x t r a o r d i n a r y J u b i l e e , a Ye a r o f M e r c y
there are Christians,
should find an oasis of MERCY. message that she herself live and testify to mercy. Her language and her gestures must transmit mercy, so as to touch the hearts of all people and inspire them once more to find the road that leads to the Father. The Church’s first truth is the love of Christ. The Church makes herself a servant of this love and mediates it to all people: a love that forgives and expresses itself in the gift of one’s self. Consequently, wherever the Church is present, the mercy of the Father must be evident. In our parishes, communities, associations and movements, in a word, wherever there are Christians, everyone should find an oasis of mercy. Where can I read the full text of the Papal Bull? Google ‘Vatican, Year of Mercy’ and in the first page of results click on ‘Misericordiae Vultus’ to change language on that page, click on the ‘Multimedia’ link.
His Holiness paid special honour to the Pascal Candle, symbol of the Light of Christ, as part of the celebration of Vespers in a packed St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday the 11th April.
undertaking for all Christians to bear witness to their faith with greater enthusiasm and conviction. The Church sensed a responsibility to be a living sign of the Father’s love in the world. How long will it last? The Jubilee year will close with the liturgical Solemnity of Christ the King on 20 November 2016. On that day, as we seal the Holy Door, we shall be filled, above all, with a sense of gratitude and thanksgiving to the Most Holy Trinity for having granted us an extraordinary time of grace. We will entrust the life of the Church, all humanity, and the entire cosmos to the Lordship of Christ, asking him to pour out his mercy upon us like the morning dew, so that everyone may work together to build a brighter future. How much I desire that the year to come will be steeped in mercy, so that we can go out to every man and woman, bringing the goodness and tenderness of God! May the balm of mercy reach everyone, both believers and those far away, as a sign that the Kingdom of God is already present in our midst! What should the Faithful do? The Church is commissioned to announce the mercy of God, the beating heart of the Gospel, which in its own way must penetrate the heart and mind of every person. The Spouse of Christ must pattern her behaviour after the Son of God who went out to everyone without exception. In the present day, as the Church is charged with the task of the new evangelization, the theme of mercy needs to be proposed again and again with new enthusiasm and renewed pastoral action. It is absolutely essential for the Church and for the credibility of her
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As we watched the quiet ceremony live on TV or via the Internet, His Holiness presented a bound copy of the document to each of the Cardinals who had come to Rome to receive it.
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Renewal
S
A new Life in the
pirit
Gibraltar’s Christ the King prayer group have continued in their mission to do just that, one soul at a time. To lead them in this Spring’s Life in the Spirit Seminar, they found a gentle, humble Curate, from the Republic of Ireland, and I was privileged to be able to ask him a few questions. How do you come to be here in Gibraltar Father Mark? “I was in Medjugorie, with a group from Ireland, and there was a group from Gibraltar in the same house, well it made sense to come together for prayer and that sort of thing, and at the end of the time there one of them asked me if I would come to Gibraltar and we exchanged contact details. To be honest, I never gave it another thought. But sure enough, then the invitation came through, and after consulting with a friend of mine in Canterbury, I decided to take up the challenge. Anna Breen expands on this, “We met Father Mark by chance, as he was staying in the same house with his group from Ireland. He invited us to join their group for their evening prayer meeting and we were touched by the depth of his prayer and the quality of his preaching. He then agreed to hear our confessions and I think each one of us will remember
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On June 1st 2014, at the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Conference in Rome, Pope Francis charged the Renewal to “Bring the grace of the baptism in the Spirit to the whole Church.” that particular confession for a long time to come.”
Do you travel around giving retreats a lot Father? Not at all! In my diocese in Ireland we have a few Charismatic groups, and I go around to them. Which Diocese is that? The Ancient Diocese of Ossory, in County Kilkenny, in the Republic of Ireland. It is one of the oldest in Ireland, established in the year 549. The boundaries are roughly the same as the ancient Irish Kingdom of Ossory, whose first king, Aengus Osrithe, flourished in the 2nd century. Was that not before England was Christian? The coming of Christianity to Ossory is associated with St. Kieran of Saighir, the “firstborn of the saints of Ireland” his foundation at Saighir Kieran flourished for many centuries. Not far distant in Aghaboe, St. Canice founded a monastery in the 6th century which grew in importance. When were you ordained priest? I am not a parish priest, I’m a Curate, there are two of us in my parish, I was ordained 14 or 15 years ago, I had always wanted to be a priest, my earliest memory is being in church, and as the Priest lifted the Eucharist, saying to my mother ‘One day I’m going to do that!’ On the day of my ordination one of my friends told me that when I was three an a half years old, I told her I was going to be priest, I don’t
remember that though.
What message would you have for our readers Father? God loves us. We doubt, and we see the sacrifices the Lord made and we doubt, but he saved us to give us Life, and he calls us into the fullness of being, and by living in us and though us we become created in his love and likeness. God created us as individuals, when you have heard God call your name it is the most wonderful thing. Remember what it was like when they called your name out in school, maybe there was a prize, for writing or something, and everybody is waiting to see who it will be, and it’s your name, what was that feeling like? Or at the Oscars, when they go to the Oscars, everybody is talking, who will it be, who will get it, and the looks on their faces when they hear their name. Well, if you have heard God call your name, it feels REALLY special, it allows you to come into being like a little bud, like a rose, to blossom. And our response is ‘I’m available’. When you were giving your homily at Mass before, you mentioned how important is to ‘be available’. Yes, in our community, people try always to be there for each other, like when my Father died
at twenty minutes past eleven in the morning, by one thirty, we had received two flans, six plates of sandwiches, and a pile of other food, people came to the door or gave them to a friend to give to us, but by whatever means, they were delivered, and someone had come in and was making tea in the kitchen. People from outside sometimes find this a bit disconcerting, when something bad happens in their family, neighbours arrive and there is a woman they barely know taking over their kitchen! But it is our way, if a friend or neighbour needs us, we go out of our way to be there for them.
What would you say was the best advice for those who have just completed their ‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar?
Step out! Step out in Faith. Be There! When I was growing up I never saw a dead person, nobody died, your mates in school did not die, the first person I saw that was dead was my Grandfather, and he was an old man, so that was all right. But now, with the drugs and everything, well, it seems a year does not pass but a young person has decided that this is not the world for them. And I have to go and sit with the family. Well what do you say, in a situation like that? What can you say? So I get in my car and I drive through the rain, and I tell God, “I’ll go, but you have to do the work, because I don’t know how to console this child’s mother!” And I go, and there is always a Word, there is always something you can do, something you can say, and its not me, it is the Lord working there. Even when we doubt, we have to trust, and to step out and be there for each other.
The whole group are pictured on the front cover of this month’s magazine, here are a few of their Testimonies
Jeannine Simmonds All I can say is ‘Thank You’ to my prayer family. Two small words but they are heartfelt, because without any of you, this weekend would not have been
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Father Mark Concon talks to Angela Sargent and we share some Testimonies from members of the Group the success and blessing it was. Thank you Fr. Mark, you are an absolute blessing to our little community, there was so much joy on Sunday. May the Lord continue to hold you close to His heart and continue to shower you with those wonderful gifts. God bless and guide you always. Susan Gomez Thank you Joanne, and the rest of the Core Group, for your hard work in organising such a blessed weekend, full of the Lord’s graces and outpouring of The Holy Spirit. Thanks to Fr. Mark for such a special Seminar and I hope God will bring you back to us soon. ‘My soul proclaims the greatness of The Lord, my spirit exults in God my Saviour’. Luke 1:46 These words from the Magnificat have been in my heart since yesterday. The Lord has truly revealed His greatness this weekend. The Mighty One has done great things for us, Holy is His name. May God bless you all. Susan xx Another Participant said. A truly blessed weekend for all. Our Lord hasn’t spared his
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generosity, what an abundance. A big Thank You to both you and Jeannine for taking charge over the organisation and running of the seminar. Well done. God Bless Pamela Cantos Hi Joanna and all, thanks for all the hard work to everyone in all the different ministries. HOW GREAT IS THE LORD!!! How he transforms us, mere human beings, with all our baggage, into his instruments, putting together a wonderful orchestra so that we can perform and give to other what we once received when we said “Yes Lord come into my life and help me, things are not in the order they should be.” I always forget from one Seminar to the next HOW GREAT IS OUR LORD!!! GOD BLESS XX Michelle Holliday Hi Joanna, It has been such a beautiful weekend for all of us! God has showered us all with his peace and joy which could be seen on all of our faces. Well done to you and Jeannine
who had the lion’s share of responsibility and stress, yet managed to lead us all gently and efficiently throughout the whole weekend. God will not be outdone in generosity and he always gives us back so much more than we give him. Thank you Fr. Mark for your gentle loving way of serving God and us, and I hope you will come back again to Gibraltar very soon! GB Michelle xx Joanna Lett Good evening all... As I sit down to unwind after a very exciting and blessed weekend, I can only describe what I’m feeling using the words of Father Mark, “A sober intoxication of the Holy Spirit!” Like that little girl that Father mentioned in one of his talks, today we have all felt so comfy in our Lord’s arms! Amongst all the giggles I saw every one of our guys falling like flies, [resting in the Spirit] I thought, ‘how wonderful to see all of you resting.’ And the greatest gift for me has been feeling our Lords heart beating so loudly in my heart and telling
me how much he loves me as I too rested for the first time! Again I have to thank all of you for working so hard especially our order ministry as they looked after our every need. And those who have prayed for us all from their homes, as they are perhaps elderly or sick we really appreciate your help. Angela thanks for interviewing Father, and Joanna for being there manning the shop. Please thank Moira as well as I don’t have her email. And of course a huge thank you again for our Father Mark who agreed to come to Gibraltar and blessing us all as a group. You have no idea what a huge impact you have made in our lives. May God continue to use you as you enrich peoples lives with your wisdom, love and humour! I don’t think this is the last you’ll be seeing of Christ The King. As I said on Friday one of my favourite psalms is “This is the day that The Lord has made, Let us be glad and rejoice in it” so tonight I am rejoicing in the abundance of love and blessings we have all received Goodnight and God Bless x x
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Anne Mesilio
Our Lady and the
R
oses
Flowers belong to Mary, Mother of God, especially now in this month of May.
F
lowers will joyfully acclaim her through countless May altars of devotion. I’m being nostalgic here as this delightful custom of the 50’s and 60’s seems to have faded in popularity somewhat. “Oh Mary we crown thee with blossoms today… Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May”. May is an enchanting month, wherein new life and age old hope spring forth anew to gladden every heart. From earliest times, man saw the universe as an unpainted canvas, upon which he would interpret the mysteries of life, and thus begin to understand them. Flowers were used as symbolic ideals with which to interweave the spiritual and daily way of life. To better contemplate and understand these wonders, flowers and herbs were planted together in ‘Mary Gardens’. People saw Mary’s attributes in herbs and flowers growing around them and named many plants after her. Legends about flowers grew and people sought
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to connect to events in her life. We find reference in old garden books, folklore, poetry and all sorts of manuscripts to ‘Mary Gardens’. There are at least one thousand flowers and herbs named after Our Lady. Fragrant herbs and flowers reflect Mary’s spiritual sweetness, soothing and healing herbs reflect her heavenly mercy, while bitter and sour herbs mirror her bitter sorrows. They symbolise qualities and episodes in her life at a time when spiritual life and daily life were intimately connected. People in those far off times saw the universe as a way to know, love and serve God through Mary, His mother that most perfect of creatures. Some of the legends associated with Our Lady and flowers are full of wonder and innocence. One such legend for example, is that the tiny flower columbine sprang up wherever
her feet touched the ground on her way to visit her pregnant cousin Elizabeth. These became known as ‘Our Lady’s shoes’. The lily of the valley, whose sweet smelling white flowers resemble tear drops, said to be shed by Our Lady at the foot of the Cross are known as ‘Our Lady’s tears’. The humble, sweet, shy and retiring violet became known as ‘Our Lady’s modesty’, and the bright yellow flower of the marigold became ‘Mary’s gold’. The Iris or Sword Lily is the emblem of Our Lady’s seven sorrows. Fables and legends abound concerning the origin of the rose. The etymology of the name itself has never been satisfactorily explained (and I think it matters not) but it could come from an old Arabic word for flower. Somehow this translates as THE flower, very fitting indeed for one who has become Flower of Flowers.
From the earliest times in the Church the rose came to symbolise Mary. Considered a flower rich in expression, it encompassed her purity, glory and sorrow. Numerous varieties and their legends are associated with her. These include: the Rosa Alba turning pink when Mary blushed during the angels visit at the Annunciation, the Christmas rose which sprang up to provide flowers for a poor shepherd girl who had no gift for Baby Jesus, and the rose of Jericho marked the spot where the Holy Family
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love of God, was meaningful and beautiful. The ‘Blessed’ John Henry Cardinal Newman (18011870) was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI at Cofton Park, Birmingham, on 19th September 2010. This was the culmination of the Holy Father’s visit to the UK. Cardinal Newman was an important figure in the religious history of England in the 19th century. Of Mary he says, “She is the most beautiful flower ever seen in the spiritual world. It is by the power of God’s grace that from this barren desolate earth, there
rested during the flight into Egypt. Mary is our Rosa Mystica, mystical rose. The word rosary comes from ‘crown of roses’ the best gift we can give Mary as we meditate the mysteries of joy, sorrow and glory. Each Hail Mary prayed adds another rose
ever sprung up at all, flowers of holiness and glory; and Mary is the Queen of them all. She is the Queen of spiritual flowers; and therefore is called the Rose, for the rose is called of all the flowers the most beautiful. But, moreover, she is the Mystical or hidden rose.”
to her crown. Modern man is too concerned with finding happiness in material possessions, where money rules. There is a lesson for us in these sad days, far from the times of a simpler truth in which the most common thing in creation, devotion to and
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Our Lady of Europe
Women of Grace Thanksgiving Mass “...women impregnated with the spirit of the Gospel can do so much to aid mankind in not falling.”
Pope Paul VI
On Saturday 18 April, Monseigneur Charles Azzopardi concelebrated a special thanksgiving Mass with with Father Mario Luis Almario Martin, for members of the Women of Grace apostolic group. When Monique Risso first started working through Johnette Benkovic’s ‘Woman and the Abundant Life’ Study Programme with three friends, they met in her front room. Now, blessed with the enthusiastic support of Bishop Ralph and Fr. Charlie in Gibraltar, and Fr. François Sainte-Marie and Fr. Mario and their Bishop in Spain, there are now fifty-nine current and former pupils, both in Gibraltar, La Línea de La Concepción, Pueblo Nuevo de Guadiaro and most excitingly, using Google ‘Hangouts’ Monique is facilitating an online group with members not just in Gibraltar but also in California, England, and Mexico. After graduation, many women have felt empowered to go on and take on further challenges, developing their spiritual lives along diverse paths, and so
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we have seen alumni joining the Franciscans as Lay Sisters, signing up for Life in the Spirit seminars, and one starting a ‘Play and Pray’ group for young children. It had been in Monique’s heart for some time to have a Thanksgiving Mass said in gratitude for the huge success of these groups, and the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe was her venue of choice, but the catalyst for putting that desire into action came on a shopping trip. She noticed a packet of six tea-light sized candles, shaped in the form of a pink rose, and each in their own glass container, seen on the Altar above. The whole concept for the thanksgiving Mass fell into place for her, as she visualised these candles being lit from the Paschal Candle at the Shrine, itself a symbol of the Light of Christ. A representative from each group was chosen to take the light back to where they are studying and to keep it burning. While some of the women who take the course have, after completing it, returned to their own prayer group, others have
Divine Mercy Women of Grace Graduate
stayed together to continue working through a series of meditations for a further year. This has been adapted from Johnette Benkovic’s ‘School of Mary’. Graduation of Divine Mercy Women of Grace On Saturday the 28th March Fr. François Sainte-Marie presided over a beautiful and emotional Mass in the Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Pueblo Nuevo de Guadiaro. Their graduation was early in the academic year, because, in spite of the fact that the ladies
who met on Saturday mornings did not start their course until October last year, during a meeting after Christmas to schedule their Spring term course dates and diarise the graduation day the ladies discovered that due to heavy work, travel and family commitments from April onwards, they would not be able to meet as a group at all after Easter! Determined that each and every one should be able to take part to the greatest degree possible, and that they would all be together for the graduation, extra sessions
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Pray for the Success of the International Mass at Lourdes
Gibraltar pilgrims once again have the huge honour to process with Our Lady of Europe on May 5th at this important Shrine.
For several years now Gibraltar has been punching above her weight, sending large delegations of pilgrims to Lourdes in numbers which much bigger nations would be happy to muster. The long held devotion to Our Lady of Europe has spread internationally not least due to the efforts of the diocesan clergy and our friends in Lourdes, who have all worked to promote the devotion.
of the Year of Mercy to mark 50 years since the closing of Vatican II in 1965, reminds us of another jubilee in Gibraltar.
Fr. Stuart - Jesus’ love and trust for us Our Lady of Eur ope - in Gibraltar, Lourde s & Algatocín Two Saints - Canon isation of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II Lay Franciscans - Admissions Ceremony for Candidates Teaching - The origin of the JOY TO ALL MEN
were slotted in and ladies met to watch the video lectures by Johnette Benkovic to ensure no one should miss out. And so, in the first sunshine after the heavy rains, Anna Breen, Louise Cruz, Mandy Gaggero, Geraldine Mackenzie Gaggero, Cornelia Hasek, and Yvonne Sacarello received their Graduation Certificates, signed by Johnette Benkovic, and their course facilitator, Angela Sargent. All their hard work had paid off and even Fr. Françios, understanding the critical date issue, pulled out all the stops arriving back from visiting his family in Canada just the day before, and still suffering from jet-lag, he celebrated Mass for them, a beautiful and moving ceremony. There is no doubt that the challenging aspect of the course is its academic nature, with real homework comprising of lessons to be completed at home during the week, and then shared in the group at the weekly meetings. These meetings are led by facilitators, who have themselves
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Over half a century since we got the Shrine back as a place of worship. The announcement
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Feast of Corpus Christ
AND PEACE TO MAN
KIND
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This year Fr. Stuart Chipolina will be leading the pilgrimage/ retreat with around 75 people taking part. The air travel option was booked up as soon as it was made available and many will be making the journey by road. The 2014 photo above shows the Gibraltar contingent leading the candle-lit procession.
On the eve of his departure to attend the Second Vatican Council in Rome, Bishop Healy, Bishop of Gibraltar at the time, celebrated the Holy Eucharist in the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe. This Mass, celebrated on 28th September 1962, was the first one to be held there for two hundred and fifty eight years. On the 28th May this year we will accompany the statue of Our Lady of Europe to her home at the Shrine, leaving St. Bernard’s Church at 6.30pm. This is an opportunity to give
thanks to Our Lady for her continuing love, protection, and guidance as we live in peace and prosperity on this tiny Rock.
completed the course, and help to guide the next intake through the material. However, although many ladies are nervous about keeping up the weekly commitment, all those who have graduated have found it very worthwhile, don’t want to stop studying and are ready to recommend it to their friends, one commented, “I have found this a safe place to talk about my faith.” If you would like to enquire about the 2015/2016 Women of Grace Courses starting in September, please call Monique Risso on 56001313 to put your name down.
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Franciscans New Professions to the Secular Franciscan Order
On Divine Mercy Sunday, April 12th, Christine Frendo accepted six candidates into the Divine Mercy Fraternity of the Gibraltar Secular Franciscan Order
The beautiful and joyful event took place at St. Bernard’s Church, appropriately, before the San Damiano Crucifix. Profession is the solemn ecclesial act by which the candidate, remembering the call received from Christ, renews the Baptismal promises, and publicly affirms his or her personal commitment to live the Gospel in the world according
to the example of St. Francis, and following the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS). The profession of Aileen Borastero, Dianne Fisher, Marie Carmen Latin, Nicole Lopez, Olympia Reyes and Joanna Torres was accepted by the minister of the local fraternity, Christine Frendo, in the name of the Church and the OFS.
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Profession does not only commit those professed to the fraternity, but also in the same way it commits the fraternity to be concerned with their human and religious wellbeing. The History of the San Damiano Crucifix
“Go repair my Church, which as you see is falling completely in ruin” – when the image of Christ in the crucifix at San Damiano miraculously spoke these words to St. Francis, he was awakened to new zeal. He first concentrated on repairing the church buildings of San Damiano and nearby churches. But his great “repair” to the Church was the founding of the Franciscan Order, which began
with the followers that Christ began to send to him shortly after the vision. An unknown Umbrian artist painted the original crucifix in the twelfth century. As we can see, it is strikingly iconographic in character; because of this, many identify the artist as a Syrian monk, since there were known to have been Syrian monks in the area at that time. In 1257 the Poor Clares left San Damiano for San Gorgio, taking the crucifix with them. It was placed on public view for the first time in modern times in Holy Week of 1957, over the new altar in San Giorgio’s Chapel in the Basilica of St. Clare of Assisi.
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The Symbolism in the Icon
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The most striking element of the San Damiano Crucifix is the figure of Christ. It is not the body of a corpse, but of God Himself, incorruptible unto eternity and the source of life, radiating the hope of the Resurrection. The Savior looks directly at us with a compassionate gaze, regal, triumphant, and strong. He does not hang on the Cross, but rather seems to be supporting it, standing in His full stature. His hands are not cramped from being nailed to the wood, but rather spread out serenely in
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an attitude of both supplication and blessing, which our iconographer has further emphasized by Jesus’ tranquil and gentle expression. This iconographic Crucifix does not express the brute horror of death by crucifixion, but rather the nobility and gentleness of eternal life. Above His head is a portrayal of the Ascension: Christ emerging from a red circle, holding a golden cross which is now His sceptre. A host of angels welcome him into heaven, while at the very top of this scene the right hand of God
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The Catholic Family
E d i t o r i a l s e l e c t e d b y D r. M o n i q u e R i s s o
Pope Francis is sharing the Church’s vision for the Family during his public audiences, in January he spoke about the importance of Mothers. Let us continue with the catecheses on the family, and in the family there is the mother. Every human person owes his or her life to a mother, and almost always owes much of what follows in life, both human and spiritual formation, to her. Yet, despite being highly lauded from a symbolic point of view — many poems, many beautiful things said poetically of her — the mother is rarely listened to or helped in daily life, rarely considered central to society in her role. Rather, often the readiness of mothers to make sacrifices for their children is taken advantage of so as to “save” on social spending.
Pope Francis visits a shantytown on the outskirts of Rome It also happens that in Christian communities the mother is not always held in the right regard, she is barely heard. Yet the centre of the life of the Church is the Mother of Jesus. Perhaps mothers, ready to sacrifice so much for their children and often for others as well, ought to be listened to more. We should understand more about their daily struggle to be efficient at work and attentive and affectionate in the family; we
“A society without mothers would be a dehumanized society.”
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should better grasp what they aspire to in order to express the best and most authentic fruits of their emancipation. A mother with her children always has problems, always work. I remember there were five of us children at home, and while one was doing one thing, the other wanted to do another, and our poor mama went back and forth from one’s side to another, but she was happy. She gave us so much. Mothers are the strongest antidote to the spread of self-centred individualism. “Individual” means “what cannot be divided”. Mothers, instead, “divide” themselves, from the moment they bear a child to give him to the world and help him grow. It is they, mothers, who most hate war, which kills their children. Many times I have thought of those mothers who receive the letter: “I inform you that your son has fallen in defence of his homeland...”. The poor women! How a mother suffers! It is they who testify to the beauty of life. Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero said that mothers experience a “martyrdom of motherhood”. In the homily for the funeral of a priest assassinated by death squads, he said, recalling the Second Vatican Council: “We must be ready to die for our faith, even if the Lord does not grant us this honour... Giving one’s life does not only mean being killed; giving one’s life, having the spirit of a martyr, it is in giving in duty, in silence, in prayer, in honest fulfilment of his duty; in that silence of daily life; giving one’s life little by little. Yes, like it is given by a mother, who without fear and with the simplicity of the martyrdom of motherhood, conceives a child in her womb, gives birth to him, nurses him, helps them grow and cares for them with affection. She gives her life. That’s martyrdom”. End quote. Yes, being a mother doesn’t only mean bringing a child to the world, but it is also a life choice. What does a mother choose, what is the life choice of a mother? The life choice of a mother is the choice to give life. And this is great, this is beautiful. A society without mothers would be a dehumanized society, for mothers are always, even in the worst moments, witnesses of tenderness, dedication and moral strength. Mothers often pass on the deepest sense of religious practice: in a human being’s life, the value of faith is inscribed in the first prayers, the first acts of devotion that a child learns. It is a message that believing mothers are able to pass on without much explanation: these come later, but the seed of faith in those early precious moments. Without mothers, not only would there be no new faithful, but the faith would lose a good part of its simple and profound warmth. And the Church is mother, with all of this, she is our mother! We are not orphans, we have a mother! Our Lady, mother Church, is our mom. We are not orphans, we are children of the Church, we are children of Our Lady, and we are children of our mothers. Dearest mothers, thank you, thank you for what you are in your family and for what you give to the Church and the world. And to you, beloved Church, thank you, thank you for being mother. And to you, Mary, Mother of God, thank you for letting us see Jesus.
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History of the San Damiano Crucifix cont. (continued from page 13) the Father is extended in benediction. Beneath this scene is the Latin inscription described in the Gospels, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” Angels
Around the crossbar we see a company of holy angels, looking in awe upon the Divine Sacrifice. Their hand gestures indicate their animated discussion of this wondrous event. Side figures To the left of the central figure of Christ at the foot of the cross stand, the Holy Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist stand at the foot of the cross “His Mother and the disciple whom He loved.” To the right stand Saint Mary Magdalene, Saint Mary Cleophas, and the Centurion. The Centurion holds a piece of wood, indicating his building of the synagogue (Luke 7:1-10); the little boy behind him is his son, healed by Jesus. In the lower right and lefthand corners of this scene are small figures of the Roman
soldier Longinus and the Jewish temple guard Stephaton – one holding the lance that pierced the Savior’s side, and the other holding a stick with a vinegarsoaked sponge. Rooster
Near the border of the Cross on the right, just below the level of Christ’s knees, you will find a small rooster. This recalls the denial of Peter, who wept bitterly, and reminds us that we should not be presumptuous of the strength of our faith. San Damiano saints at the foot of the cross
At the very bottom of the Cross the original artist depicted several saints. Their visages in the original cross were damaged over the centuries and are now unrecognizable.
In this recreation of the icon, the iconographer has chosen to identify and depict these saints as the four most beloved saints of the Franciscan Order: Saint Francis, Saint Clare, Saint Anthony of Padua, and Saint Bonaventure. Truly, as Saint Basil the Great wrote, “With a soundless voice the icons teach those who behold them.” The Prayer of Saint Francis before the Cross at San Damiano
“Most High glorious God, bring light to the darkness of my heart. Give me right faith, certain hope, and perfect charity, insight and wisdom, so I can always observe Thy holy and true command. Amen.”
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