SAINTS CORNER - A Story From the Modern Era: Blessed Chiara Badano

Hello there! It's Julia! A lot of the time, the saints we hear about lived during days when people still carried swords to battle. They're so old, we don't have photographs of them! But there are many saints who have died in the last 50 years, and one in particular is close to my heart, and I would like to share it with you.

The story takes place in Italy. A young couple, the Badanos, had been praying for a child for eleven years. Finally, they had a little girl in 1971, and her name was Chiara. She was like every other girl. She loved to go to parties, and play tennis, and hang out with friends. But there was something very special about Chiara that drew her friends to her - the light of Christ was shining in her heart. She joined a movement of Catholics and became very close to the founder - Chiara Lubich. Chiara Lubich gave Chiara Badano the name "Luce", which is Italian for "light". She was always close to Jesus.


One day, while Chiara was playing tennis, her shoulder began to hurt very badly. They went to the doctor and found that it was cancer. Chiara had to go to the hospital to receive treatment many times, but it got worse and worse as the days went on. People wrote letters to Chiara to encourage her, and people would even visit her. Her smile lit up the room.

One day, the doctors told Chiara she would not live. She was happy to be going to Jesus. She and her mother picked the dress she would wear at her funeral - a white one to show she was a bride of Christ. They picked the songs and spent time together. Then, on October 7, 1990, Chiara returned to Jesus. She was only eighteen years old. Chiara gave Jesus all her suffering and sadness and turned it into love for Christ. She said, "I have nothing left, but I still have my heart and with that I can always love."

Chiara is only one year older than my father. Her mother, Maria Teresa Badano, is still alive, and she speaks about her daughter. Take the time to pray for Chiara's intercession, because she died as a child. Blessed Chiara Badano, pray for us!

Making Sacrifices for Others

Now that school is out, we have much more time on our hands. Of course, we always have lots of time on our hands. But this year is different. This year, we can't go to the pool or hang out with friends. We have to stay inside our neighborhood and maybe go to Mass on Sundays if we are in an area that's opening up. While all this is happening, we have to be with our families 24/7, and sometimes we get a little tired of them, right? After all, it's only normal. As hard as being together all the time may seem, this is your chance to make sacrifices and become one step closer to our goal: heaven. It could be the small things, like cleaning the bathroom like setting the table before being asked. Or, it could be something big. 

Now, I'm sure you've heard of Saint Therese of Lisieux (and if not, click here). Saint Therese is famous for doing little things that in the moment didn't seem like much. She didn't faithfully serve a queen, and most of the time the little sacrifices she made didn't require too much pain or effort. But little sacrifices like Therese's did make a difference, and some are even remembered today. For example, once there was a sister in Therese's convent that was very rude to her. Therese's sacrifice in that moment was to smile. Therese recognized that every person is a child of God, a little son or  daughter of the king, and should be treated with respect, no matter how they looked at others. 

Another saint who made a sacrifice was Blessed Chiara Badano. She is such an amazing saint and an inspiration to so many people, including me. And she made a lot of sacrifices in her life. One I like to remember when I'm making sacrifices for others takes place in a hospital. Chiara had cancer, and she had to stay at the hospital a lot. She couldn't walk without a lot of pain, and even the slightest move was hard for her. One day, she heard that there was another patient in her ward that had to walk every day to exercise his legs. The patient was grumpy and did not want to because it was tiring and it hurt. But Chiara laid all her hurt aside to help that patient. And do you know what she did? She walked back and forth, back and forth through the ward with the patient every day until he got better. No matter how hard it was for her, she made that sacrifice for God. 

As you can see, even the littlest sacrifices make a big difference, and every sacrifice moves your focus away from yourself and towards God. 

Good Friday

Good Friday Meditation

YOU ARE THE SAVIOR. The moment has come. All night, You were up, standing before important leaders. You know what will happen, but You are silent. You could save Yourself, still. You refuse. You came down to this earth for this purpose: to save the people of the earth. You accept the cross and start forward when it is placed on Your shoulders. You stumble and fall over and over. Each time, it is harder to get up. A crown of thorns presses in on your forehead. You are tired, weak. Everything is hard. You can see the top of the hill. The jeering crowds mock You on Your way to the top. Finally, You are stripped and laid on the cross. Every time the hammer strikes a nail, You feel a wave of overbearing pain. All of the pain You felt was for me. You are up on the cross, now, between two criminals and surrounded by crowds. Most of them scoff at You and mock You, but You can see a few who are weeping and wailing. The pain is endless, and finally it ends. Oh, Jesus, every time the hammer hit the nails, it was my fault. You stretched Your arms out on the cross willingly for me. You are a merciful God, and You are the savior. You took all the pain for everyone. All the sins of the world were carried on Your shoulders. You are the Savior. You have saved the world. You are the king. You are the sacrifice. You are the savior.


“Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit’; and when He had said this He breathed His last.”





-Luke 23:46

Good Friday Passion Lunch

Good Friday

Passion Lunch

Olives - The Garden of Olives


Luke 22:39-46
Then going out he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. When he arrived at the place he said to them, “Pray that you may not undergo the test.” After withdrawing about a stone’s throw from them and kneeling, he prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.” And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him. He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground. When he rose from prayer and returned to his disciples, he found them sleeping from grief. He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test.”


Peppermint Patties - Silver Coins Given to Judas


Matthew 27:3-4


Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, deeply regretted what he had done. He returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.”


Hershey’s Kisses - Judas’ Kiss


Luke 22:47-48


While he was still speaking, a crowd approached and in front was one of the Twelve, a man named Judas. He went up to Jesus to kiss him. Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”



Cheese Cubes on “Swords” - The Betrayal of Jesus


Luke 22:49-54


His disciples realized what was about to happen, and they asked, “Lord, shall we strike with a sword?” And one of them struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said in reply, “Stop, no more of this!” Then he touched the servant’s ear and healed him. And Jesus said to the chief priests and temple guards and elders who had come for him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? Day after day I was with you in the temple area, and you did not seize me; but this is your hour, the time for the power of darkness.”


Hard Boiled Eggs - Peter’s Denial


Luke 22:55-62


They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter sat down with them. When a maid saw him seated in the light, she looked intently at him and said, “This man too was with him.” But he denied it saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” A short while later someone else saw him and said, “You too are one of them”; but Peter answered, “My friend, I am not.” About an hour later, still another insisted, “Assuredly, this man too was with him, for he also is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “My friend, I do not know what you are talking about.” Just as he was saying this, the cock crowed, and the Lord turned and looked at Peter; and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” He went out and began to weep bitterly.


Ritz Crackers, Peanut Butter and Pretzels - Crown of Thorns


John 19:1-3


Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged. And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, and clothed him in a purple cloak, and they came to him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck him repeatedly.


Water - Pilate Washes His Hands


Matthew 27:22-25
Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus called Messiah?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” But he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” They only shouted the louder, “Let him be crucified!” When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. Look to it yourselves.” And the whole people said in reply, “His blood be upon us and upon our children.”


Pretzel Rods - Jesus’ Cross


John 19:17-19


and carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.”


Salt and Vinegar Chips - Vinegar given to Jesus on the Cross

John 19:28-30


After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.” There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.



Amen.

Palm Sunday at Home

This Palm Sunday is different from any we have ever had. We have no choice but to stay at home. Many of us feel lost, and Palm Sunday doesn't feel as special as it usually is, since we aren't going to Mass. But even though we're not in the church building, we can still celebrate this feast. Here are some ideas, but feel free to make up your own!

1. Family rosary walk - taking a family rosary walk is a good way to set the day apart from other days.
2. Dressing up - if you've been watching Mass in your pajamas for the past few weeks, try wearing whatever you would normally wear to Mass, to remind yourself that this day is different!
3. Print out images of palms - many churches aren't giving out palms this year, so to remind yourself what day it is, print out pictures of palms or palm crosses and cut them out. 
4. Continue to watch Mass - make sure to watch Mass! Even though you can't physically be there, you can spiritually be there. Remember to make a Spiritual Act of Communion!
5. Fast - if you feel compelled to do something bigger, then you can always fast to remind yourself that this is a Sunday set apart from the rest. 
6. Make sacrifices - make sacrifices to commemorate the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.

If you have any other ideas, please email them to me, and I will put them up! God bless you!

Young Saints to Remember

Sometimes, we may feel like we don't have much influence in our world. But these eleven young saints shook their world with their incredible witness to Christ.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

1. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati - From a very early age, he had a strong faith in God. He was always helping the needy and trying to share his faith. He loved the poor and spent time with them, helping them. He loved art and music, and he enjoyed climbing mountains. When he was 24 years old, he contracted polio and died. 
2. Blessed Chiara Badano - Chiara was the long-awaited daughter of Ruggero and Teresa

   

   Blessed Chiara Badano

   Badano. She was always thinking of others from a very early age. She liked to listen to music, sing, dance, hike, swim, and was very devoted to tennis. When she was 17, she got cancer, and she had to go to the hospital. Her treatments were very painful, but she offered everything to Jesus. She spent her time in the hospital cheering up the other patients until her death in 1990, at the age of 18. 



Saint Stanislaus Kostka

3. Saint Stanislaus Kostka - Stanislaus' family was very well off, but Stanislaus left all the riches he could have had to serve Jesus. His older brother Paul was not kind to him, and he wanted him to enjoy worldly things more than his faith. One day, Stanislaus got very sick and thought he was going to die, but Mary came to him and told him to become a Jesuit, and so he did. Nine months into being a Jesuit, Stanislaus fell ill with malaria and died at the age of 17. 



Saint Clelia Barbieri

4. Saint Clelia Barbieri - Clelia was always focused on God, as her family taught her. She was very pious and holy. Her father died when she was eight, so Clelia had to do many things to help her mother in their home. She founded a new religious order in her early twenties - The Little Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows. They taught the Catholic faith, helped the sick and the poor, and sewed. When she was twenty, she fell critically ill with tuberculosis. She recovered long enough to actually set her order up and get it running. When she was 23, she died of tuberculosis. Saint Clelia lives on miraculously to this day - religious communities, specifically the first one she started, can hear her singing along with them in their prayers from heaven. 



Saint Dominic Savio

5. Saint Dominic Savio - Dominic was born in Italy and always had a close relationship with Jesus. He was a very peaceful person, and he was always the peacemaker at school. He also knew another saint - John Bosco - very well. Saint John Bosco was amazed at Dominic's piety. He died of tuberculosis at the age of 14. 



Saint Philomena

6. Saint Philomena -  Not much is known about Philomena, but she is a saint anyway. Everything we know about this courageous young saint comes from visions Philomena granted to Sister Maria Luisa de Gesu. Philomena was the daughter of a Greek king who converted to Christianity with his daughter. When she was 13, Philomena promised herself to Jesus, and decided never to get married. Because she was so beautiful, the infamous Emperor Diocletian fell in love with her. When Philomena refused him and was tortured. She was whipped, drowned, and shot with arrows, but each time she was tortured, the angels came to her rescue and healed her. The emperor had her decapitated when she was still only 13. 



Saint Dymphna

7. Saint Dymphna - Dymphna was born to a pagan father and a Christian mother. When she was 14, her mother died, and her father wanted to remarry. However, he wanted his new wife to look exactly like his past wife. His advisors told him to marry his daughter, because no woman as beautiful as his wife could be found. When Dymphna heard of this, she and her priest fled to what is now Belgium. Her father followed her and, when he saw he couldn't persuade his daughter to marry him, cut off her head. Dymphna was only 14. 



Blessed Jose Sanchez del Rio

8. Blessed Jose Sanchez del Rio - Jose was a very joyful young man who loved Jesus very much. He asked Jesus to allow him to become a martyr. He joined the Cristeros, a group of people working to defend freedom of religion. Jose was captured. They tried to convince him to give up his faith, but he said no. Jose was martyred at the age of 14. 



Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto

9. Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto - Francisco and Jacinta Marto lived in Portugal. Their job was to herd their family's sheep. They often played with their cousin Lucia while she herded her sheep too. One day, Mary came to visit the three children. They were told to pray the rosary every day, and to pray also for the conversion of Russia, which was facing communism. They returned to the place where Mary had come every thirteenth day from May 13th to October 13th, and every time more people showed up. In the final apparition, Mary made the sun "dance" in the sky. Less than two years later, Francisco died of influenza at the age of 10. Jacinta died one year later of influenza when she was 9. Their cousin Lucia became a Carmelite nun and died in 2005. She is not yet a saint, but she is a blessed.



Saint Agnes of Rome

10. Saint Agnes of Rome - Agnes was a very beautiful girl, and from a very young age, all the boys in her town wanted to marry her. Agnes refused all of them, because she had made a promise to God that she would never get married, she would only love Jesus. When the governor's son was refused by Agnes, he went and told his father that she was a Christian. She was brought before the governor, and he tried to promise her wonderful things, but Agnes refused. He put her in chains and sentenced her to death. She was beheaded in 304, when she was only 12 or 13 years old. Because the story of Saint Agnes was so long ago, there are many different versions. But a few things always stay the same: she is always remembered in the stories for her purity, youth, and joy. 



Saint Pedro Calungsod

11. Saint Pedro Calungsod - Pedro was a young catechist who assisted missionaries. He was especially close to Padre Diego. He went from the Philippines to the Ladrones Islands in the Western Pacific, teaching the natives about Jesus. The missionaries became popular on the islands. One native got angry at the popularity of the missionaries, and he spread some rumors. Some people began to believe him because of random coincidences. Pedro and Padre Diego gathered some children and adults to teach them the truths of the Catholic faith. Pedro and the Padre Diego decided to baptize a baby with the mother's consent. When the father found out, he began throwing spears at them. Pedro could have easily left, but he wanted to stay with the Padre Diego. A spear was caught in his heart. Padre Diego gave him final absolution before he died. 

These eleven saints can inspire us to be sacrificial, joyful, pure, and holy in our everyday lives. God bless you!

Gaudete Sunday

Yesterday was Gaudete Sunday, and it is a special day. You will notice some changes in the church building. For one thing, the pink candle is lit. Also, banners and the altar cloth, as well as the priests' vestments are pink (the liturgical term for this pink color is rose). And there's this special word - Gaudete. What does it all mean?

To start off, Gaudete is Latin for "rejoice". Advent is typically a time of hope and preparation, but it is nice to have a celebration of joy in between all the hoping and waiting. 

Gaudete Sunday is not just for Sunday. It is for the whole week - Sunday through Saturday. 

Your challenge for this week is to exercise the virtue of joy. Smile at as many people as you can. Be joyful! Also, continue practicing the virtues of hope and patience, because although it is a special week, it is still Advent, so we should still be practicing these virtues. 

God Bless!