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Welcome to Saint Michael Parish

On Divine Mercy Sunday, May 1, 2011

106 N. Washington Street Canton, Pennsylvania 17724 (570) 673-5253 Office — (570) 673 5630 Fax email: stmichaelparish@frontiernet.net Prayer Line – stmichaelprays@aol.com Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 8:30a.m. — 1:30p.m. Reverend Michael S. McCormick, Administrator Deacon William Graham, Permanent Deacon

St. Michael Church St. John Nepomucene Church 107 N. Washington St., Canton 133 Exchange Street, Troy

St. Aloysius Church Ralston

Weekend Masses

Sunday: 8:00a.m.St.Aloysius,Ralston 9:30 a.m. St. Michael, Canton

11:15 a.m. St. John Nepomucene, Troy

Daily Mass

9:00 a.m. – Mon., Wed. and Fri., Canton Rectory

5:30 p.m. – Tues., St. John Nepomucene, Troy Confessions (also available by appointment)

Sun 7:30 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. St. Aloysius, Ralston Sun. 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. St. John Nepomucene, Troy Wed. 6:15 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. St. Michael, Canton

Eucharistic Adoration

Wed - 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., St. Michael, Canton

First Friday after Mass - 12:00 p.m., St. Michael, Canton

Religious Education Classes

Canton – After the 9:30 Sunday Mass Troy – Before the 11:15 Sunday Mass

ST. MICHAEL MISSION STATEMENT

“As members of the parish community of Saint Michael, Saint John and Saint Aloysius, we are rooted in a relationship with Jesus Christ passed on to Our Holy Father and in com- munion with our Bishop. We joyfully proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and his real presence in the Eucharist. We serve the Lord through acts of faith, hope and charity by the graces given through the Sacraments. It is our intention to carry out this mission so that we may be the face of Jesus Christ in the world.”

Baptism: The sacrament of Baptism is celebrated by ap- pointment. All parents must attend a baptismal prepa- ration meeting prior to the Baptism. Please call the office to schedule dates.

R.C.I.A. Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults: Prepara- tion is offered for adults who wish to enter the Catholic Church and adult Catholics who wish to complete the Sacraments of Initiation. Please call the parish office for more information.

Marriage: A meeting with the parish priest should pre- cede all other wedding plans. Couples contemplating marriage should contact the parish office six months to a year before the date of the intended marriage.

Anointing of the Sick: Through this sacrament the be- liever is strengthened by Christ’s grace through the anointing of holy oils. All who are seriously sick, hos- pitalized, or having surgery can receive this sacrament. Please contact the parish office if you wish to receive this sacrament.

Sponsorship Cards: Those parishioners who have been asked to be sponsors for baptism or confirmation can receive sponsorship cards at the parish office. In order to receive a card, parishioners should be baptized and confirmed Catholics, attend Mass regularly, married in conformity with the laws of the Church and be regis- tered in the parish for at least 90 days.

LITURGY SCHEDULE

From Father Mike’s Desk

Saturday, April 30, 2011 Saturday in the Octave of Easter NO MASS

Sunday, May 1, 2011 DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY 8:00 a.m. Ralston † Isabel Kripp (Mr. & Mrs. Donald Gephart) 9:30 a.m. Canton † Joanne Strozyk (Susan Schiess) 11:15 a.m. Troy † Easter Mass Intentions

Monday, May 2 Athanasius, bishop, doctor of the Church NO MASS

Tuesday, May 3, 2011 PHILIP AND JAMES, APOSTLES 5:30 p.m. Troy - I.H.O. Dixie Weaver (Sue Duncan)

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 Easter Weekday 9:00 a.m. Canton † Edward Richard 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Canton - Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

Thursday, May 5, 2011 Easter Weekday 9:00 a.m. Canton -† Edward Richard

Friday, May 6, 2011 (First Friday) Easter Weekday 9:00 a.m. Canton † Easter Mass Intentions 12:00 p.m. Benediction

Saturday, May 7, 2011 Easter Weekday NO MASS

Sunday, May 8, 2011 THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER 8:00 a.m. Ralston † Isabel Kripp (Joe & Frank Carwale and

Kim & Ted Cooley) 9:30 a.m. Canton † Eddie McCormick (M/M George Schoonover)

11:15 a.m. Troy † Easter Mass Intentions

May 8th Liturgical Ministers

9:30 a.m. A. Herman, R. Polcrack - J. Wynne - L. Taylor, T. Beers - S. Beers, J. Ross, J. Rushin, J. Rushin 11:15 a.m. S. Pazzaglia, P. Blade - D. McClure - B. Szczech, L. Bell - B. Andrien, R. Brown, D. Updyke, G. Calkins

Dates to Remember

May 1 May 5 May 4 May 8 May 15 May 16-18 Fr. Mike away at Convocation May 19 Knitting/Crocheting group, 6:00 pm, rectory May 30 Memorial Day, office closed

May Day - Devotion to Mary Knitting/Crocheting group, 6:00 pm, rectory St. Michael A&R meeting, 7:00 pm, rectory First Holy Communion & Mother’s Day Catholic Communications Campaign 2nd offering

St. Michael Parish Offering, March April 16 & 17, 2011

Dear Family, All praise, honor and glory to God for a beautiful Easter Trid-

uum! I am truly blessed to be a part of such a wonderful par- ish. Your prayerful and joyful participation in all the celebrations of the past two weeks have inspired me to try to be a better priest and shepherd. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, parishioners. I am most grateful to everyone who worked so hard to make each church so beautiful: My brother and fellow clergyman Bill Gra- ham, the decorators, the "guys" who cleaned up outside St. Mi- chael Church and the rectory, Cathy Asbury for all her behind the scenes work, our Altar Servers, and all of you for your prayer and support.

At this time I want to acknowledge Roman and Joan Shuman for their special dedication to the parish. Joan, who has beautifully decorated St. Michael’s for many years, has passed the baton off to Beth Cole. That means Roman gets a break and Jeff will be kept busy. Thank you Roman and Joan. You are awesome and loved! Another change affecting our parish is that Christina Fleury will no longer be the accompanist and choir director in Canton. Christina continues to take the steps she needs to take to enter the con- vent. Thank you for sharing your talent with our parish. You cer- tainly helped us lift our hearts in prayer and worship of our Lord Jesus. Matt Black will now be leading us in musical prayer. He also plays at St. John's. Thank you, Matt, for taking on double duty.

This weekend we begin the beautiful month of May by honor- ing our Blessed Mother, Mary. I would like to take this opportu- nity to encourage you to pray the Rosary throughout this month which is traditionally dedicated to the Mother of our Lord. If you do not have a Rosary, please take one of the free Rosaries available in the vestibule at St. Michael's. I especially want to encourage the Family Rosary. Gather together once a day, or at least once a week, to pray the Rosary together. If your children have short at- tention spans, you can shorten each "decade" to just three Hail Mary’s. That way it takes about 5 minutes or so. Of course, the regular Rosary only takes about 20 minutes. Mary revealed to sev- eral saints that when you pray the Rosary with others, each person not only gets the graces of their own prayers, but also the graces for each person. In other words, if 5 of you pray together, our Lord and His Mother will bless each of you as though you each had indi- vidually prayed 5 Rosaries! The power of the Rosary increases exponentially when prayed with devotion, reverence, and faith in groups. Souls are saved. People who have fallen away from the faith return. Miracles, large and small, will happen when God's people gather in faith to pray. Next to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Rosary is one of our most powerful forms of prayer. Give it a try, and keep your eyes open for God's answers to your prayers.

That's all for now, except remember --You are Loved by Jesus, Mary and me.

fm

Weekly Offertory Easter Flowers Easter Offering Catholic Social Services Care & Education of Priests Capuchin Sisters

Building & Maintenance

Thank you for your generosity

$3,035.67 $65.00 $115.00 $25.00 $7.00 $30.00 $54.00

ST. MICHAEL’S PRAYER LIST

Mike Acresti, John Adams, Gracie Adams, Bill Asbury, Carol Bennett, Richard Blasz, Tom Blasz, Desiree Bleam, Terence Carman, Ruth Carson, David Chaapel, JoAnn Colton, Rosemary DeWitt, Joseph A. Dorsey, Dave Duncan, Tim Duprel, Eva Fitzwater, David Foust, Dennis Foust, Betty Ann Graeley, Ruby Hansell, Peter Hamm, Bruce Harvey, Tammy Hipple, Denise Ives, Jacqueline Kniffin- Zangari, Jennifer Leahy, Ronald Lee, Christine Lovell, Carol Macelhaney, Randy May, Dorris McClure, Karen McNett, Carol Mehall, Ruth Meuse, Audrey O’Kula, Cheryl Orr, Casey Ostaszewski, Patti Owens, Ed Payne, John P. Pazzaglia, Pauline Pazzaglia, Tom Rabbittino, George Rausher, Fred & Helen Reed, Dave Reese, Ilene Roberts, John Shaffer, David Siverinac, Mike Skipper, Vickie Smithkor, Toby Stanton, Brandon Steltz, David Syczmanek, Barbara Szczech, John Vasil, Daisy Wright, Jeff Wynne, Dustin Zimmer

St. Agnes School

102 Third Street Towanda, PA 18848 (570) 265-6803 www.edline.net/pages/StAgnes Pre-K (3 & 4 year olds) to Grade 6, Middle States Accredited.

St. Agnes School wishes to thank the following donors for their generous contributions to the school:

In memory of Alice Burchill: Mr. & Mrs. Jack Fox, Mr. Ja- mie McLaren, and Mrs. Laurie Ludwig

In memory of Richard Fairchild: Hurley's Fresh Market, Mr. & Mrs. Fred Gerrity, and Mrs. Olga Mehalchick

In memory of Carlyle Wood: Mr. & Mrs. Steven Lemasters, Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence Tama, Mr. & Mrs. Michael Walsh, and Mr. & Mrs. John DeWan

May 1st—May 6th Readings Divine Mercy Sunday

Acts 2:42-47 Ps 118:2-4,13-15,22-24 1 Pt 1:3-9 Jn 20:19-31

Monday

Acts 4:23-31 Ps 2:1-9 Jn 3:1-8

Tuesday

1 Cor 15:1-8 Ps 19:2-5 Jn 14:6-14

Wednesday

Acts 5:17-26 Ps 34:2-9 Jn 3:16-21

Thursday

Act 5:27-33 Ps 34:2,9,17-20 Jn 3:31-36

Friday

Acts 5:34-42 Ps 27:1,4,13-14 Jn 6:1-15

Saturday

Acts 6:1-7 Ps 33:1-2,4-5,18-19 Jn 6:16-21

PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR FIRST HOLY COMMUNION CLASS ST. MICHAEL CHURCH

Michael Asbury Emily Ditzel Jessie Marie Gilliland Kaydee Larcom Matthew Polcrack ST. JOHN NEPOMUCENE CHURCH Shayanna Gold

FIRST FRIDAY

Mass will be celebrated this Friday at 9:00 am in St. Michael Church fol- lowed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with Benediction at noon. Spending time in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a beautiful way to honor our Lord and Savior at any time, but especially during the holy season of Easter.

Easter Flower Intentions: Kathleen Spencer, Wil- liam (Monty) Spencer, Margaret Acresti and Gerry Spencer by Mr. & Mrs. William Spencer. The Morris and Scott Families by Mrs. Harold Morris. The McCauley Family, the Congdon Family and the Blade family by Mr. & Mrs. Sid Congdon.

Word of Life: How much the world is in need of the mercy of God today! In every continent, from the depths of human suffer- ing, a cry for mercy seems to rise. ... In those places where there is less respect for life and human dignity, one needs the merciful love of God, in whose light we see the ineffable value of every single human being. Mercy is needed to ensure that every injus- tice may find its solution in the splendor of truth. So today, in this Sanctuary, I solemnly wish to entrust the world to Divine Mercy. I do so with the burning desire that the message of God’s merciful love, proclaimed here through Saint Faustina, may reach all the inhabitants of the earth and fill their hearts with hope. ... May the binding promise of the Lord Jesus be fulfilled: from here has to come out “the spark that will prepare the world for his final coming.” ~ Blessed Pope John Paul II, Homily in La- giewniki, Poland, August 17, 2002

Faith in Action: May 22nd & 29th we will be collecting dia- pers for the Endless Mountains Pregnancy Care Center. All sizes are welcome, but size 4 is the most needed. St. John’s Youth Group raised $265 from their bake sale for Catholic Charities for earthquake/tsunami relief in Japan. Good Job, guys!

First Annual Flea Market, Saturday, June 18th - 9 am-2 pm

Cleaning out the Attic, Garage, Basement, or the Barn? To reserve your space, or for more information, call Dawn Manley at (570) 297-1202. Beverages and snacks will be for sale in the hall. If you have items to donate to the parish table call Kim at 673-8910.

“Words of hope when life gets hard.” A unique Christian card company

Praying for You ~ Note Cards ~ Difficult Times ~ Specialty cards Special pricing available for church ministries.

Nancy Beahm - Owner - 673-4838 www.prayfullyyours.com revinedbyhim@yahoo.com

BRANN, WILLIAMS, CALDWELL & SHEETZ Attorneys and Counselors at Law

1090 WEST MAIN ST., TROY, PA 16947-0277

PHONE (570) 297-2192

120 TROY ST., CANTON, PA 17724-0146

PHONE (570) 673-5495

TERRI KELLEY Realtor 297-1503

NORTHERN TIER REAL ESTATE

www.northerntierrealestate.com

TROY, PA — 297-2513

P.D. Pepper Funeral Home

Services with love, warmth, and understanding

Springbrook Drive, Rt. 14 south, Canton, PA 17724

(570) 673-4333

SPECIALIZED CREMATION OPTIONS CUSTOM CEMETERY MONUMENTS

BARRETT LAW OFFICES Patrick J. Barrett, III Attorney and Counselor at Law

228 S. Main St. Athens, PA 18810 570-888-0297 Fax 570-888-4142 barrettathens@cqservices.com

17-21 Troy St. - PO Box 157 Canton, PA 17724 570-673-5180 or 570-364-5799 Fax: 570-673-5780 patbar.law@frontiernet.net

Canton Antiques & Such 35 West Main Street Canton, PA 17724

Hours: Monday & Tuesday by chance Wednesday through Saturday 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Sunday closed

570-673-5118 www.rockwellfeeds.com

“Serving The Community With Dignity and Respect”

MORSE & KLEESE FUNERAL HOME, INC.

Areas Most Affordable Prices · Locally Owned and Family Operated · Telephone Inquiries Welcome Inflation Proof · Pre-Need Planning Available · Personalized Cremation Service Available KENNETH H. ROBERTSON, SUPERVISOR/OWNER

Saint Michael Altar & Rosary Society

Wishes everyone a joyful Easter Season.

94 N. CENTER ST.

570-673-3193 CANTON

Trinity Family Health Care

―Serving all your health care needs –naturally!‖

Paul J. Hamburger, B.S., D.C.

S

Sherwood

570-673-8961

www.sherwoodpch.com

3995 Rou

PRIVATE ROOM WITH PRIVATE BATH

PO Box 42 26 West Main Street Canton, PA 17724

13 State Street

Phone 570-673-5445

Sylvia Betzer Proprietor

Restaurant & Store 16867 Route 14 Troy, PA 16947 570-673-5651 www.milkywayfarms.net

Towanda, PA 18848 (800) 326-9953 · www.empccfree.com

Doctor of Chiropractic 996 West Main Street, Troy, PA 1947 570-297-0471 - 570-297-5434 (Fax) St. Michael Parish member, attends St. John Nepomucene Church, Troy

In thanksgiving for prayers answered Deacon Bill & Mary Graham

Retirement & Personal Care Home, Inc.

te 414 · Canton, PA 17724

Providing the region with fresh and local dairy products since 1962

CHEVROLET New & Used

BUICK

Northern Tier Sustainable Meats

Quality Dairy Products

Cars Trucks SUVs

Junction of Routes 6 & 14 Troy, PA 16947

570-297-2148

GM Parts Service Alignment Tires

Your Bank for a Lifetime

Court House Square, Troy Toll-Free: 1-877-838-2517

4423 Leona Road Columbia Crossroads, PA 16914 Phone/Fax 570-297-4711 PA030014 St. Michael Parish member, attends St. John Nepomucene Church, Troy

www.cnbankpa.com

Member FDIC

The Clothing Store

(upstairs at Hoover’s) Selections for Men, Women & Kids! ALSO FEATURING FLAME RESISTANT CLOTHING & SPECIAL WORKWEAR

JJim’s Sporting Goods Hunting & Fishing Licenses Guns-Scopes-Ammo-Boots-Liberty Gun Safes 23 W. Main St. - Canton, PA 17724 570-673-3387 Phone - 570-673-7918 Fax Since 1972 jimssg@frontiernet.net www.jimssportinggoods.com

Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Rom. 10:13

Vinnie’s Pizza 2 Canton Street Troy, PA 16947 297-3220 or 297-3035

816 Canton St., Troy, PA ·

(570) 297-3445

B. MATTHEWS TRUCKING LLC. AND GARAGE Dump and Winch Truck Hauling Tires and PA Inspections for cars and Heavy Duty Trucks Heavy Duty Truck Parts 570-673-4911 Garage 570-673-3176 Office for Trucking

110 W Main St Troy, PA 16947 Office - 570-297-3030 Fax - 570-297-4093

Daniel E. Gilliland, Supervisor Gerald W. Vickery,Jr., Founder

Descriptive & Prescriptive not Predictive

I was thinking about this weekend's Gospel passage for Mass from Luke 21:5-19.

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, "All that you see here--
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

Then they asked him,
"Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?"
He answered,
"See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
'I am he,’ and 'The time has come.’
Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end."
Then he said to them,
"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.

"Before all this happens, however,
they will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

Here is where my mind went:

Just a cursory reading of history reveals that there has  never been an age without trial and turmoil.
What century has not seen wars? 
Each generation has experienced plagues: leprosy, bubonic plague, small pox, polio, aids.
And there has never been a time when a true Christian has not been ridiculed and rejected, whether by friends, family, or state.
One of these days, those who predict the end of the world will be correct.  So far, they have been wrong about 2010 times.


So what does this Scripture mean for us?  Well, it describes the situation at the time of Jesus, the time of Luke and all times until this current age.  The signs are always there and fall into two categories. The first category of signs is the evidence of evil,  it's many manifestations, and the suffering it causes.  The second category includes the many signs of God's loving presence and the peace, deliverance, courage and salvation He brings.


These scary readings in the Bible, known as apocalyptic literature, are meant to be words of encouragement to a persecuted people.  They contain hope as they proclaim the presence of God and His ultimate victory.  That ultimate victory is ours if we remain faithful.  They help us move from our suffering to finding the finger of God in our lives.  We can read the signs of the times and ask, "What is God saying in each event of our lives."


Then they prescribe the antidote to the ills of the world.  The antidote is One-- Jesus!  No philosophy, no government, no quasi-spirituality, no guru, no false religion can cure those ills.  Democracy, Republicans, Democrats, Capitalism, psychology, psychiatry, socialism, globalism, boycotts, unions, laws, communes, diets, hypnotism, paradigm shifts, treaties, lower taxes, higher taxes, protestantism, positive thinking, exercise programs, military might and technological advances have done little to change human nature and the "signs of the times".


Let us turn to Jesus each moment of our lives.  Fly to Him in the Blessed Sacrament.  Approach Him with confidence.  Ask for His forgiveness and the grace to persevere.  Hand in hand with His Mother, Mary, enter His most holy Presence in the Sacrifice of the Mass.  Let Him heal your pain, your memories, your thoughts and your opinions.  There is one antidote.  The antidote is One -- Jesus.  Become One with Him.

TTFN

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

I am about to begin a new chapter in my life.  It is nothing unusual in the life of a priest, but that does not mean that it is easy.  I have been transferred from Our Lady of Lourdes parish to St. Michael Parish.  St. Michael the Archangel Parish is about an hour away from my current location.  It is also about an hour away from the nursing home where my Grandmother has resided for the past 8 weeks. I have been her primary care giver for the last 16 years.  Dementia and a bad fall necessitated her move to a place where she would have continuous care.  It broke my heart, but I now know it was the best thing I could do for her.

So now that I no longer have charge of her day to day care, the Bishop has asked me to take this new assignment.  It will be the first time in my priesthood that I have not been associated with a church dedicated to our Lady.  I have had a strong devotion to St. Michael ever since I was around 3 years old when I learned "St. Michael the Archangel was named after me".  I also thought sunny days meant that God was shining His love directly on and only for me!  I outgrew that notion some time in my late 40's...

Now I know it is directly on me, I can share it with others without any loss of light, warmth, love or attention.  Amen.

Please pray for me that I will be a good pastor.  Please ask God to give me strength and zeal for the task and protection from the wickedness and wiles of the evil one.

Sadducees...

The Sadducees were sad, you see
They didn't believe eternity...

A bit of a rough week for this poor sinner.  My grandmother is in congestive heart failure.  My nephew was arrested and jailed for breaking and entering, and I refused to post bail.  I am packing for the move to my new assignment.  And I am saying what seems like an endless barrage of goodbyes.  Emotionally, I am on a roller coaster.  One moment I am near tears as I comfort someone who is upset that I am leaving.  The next moment I am so excited to be going to my new parish!  Then I feel guilty that I am so excited!

What a nut!  Between those silly and sad Sadducees and my own goofiness I am sure to keep laughing!

But, unlike the Sadducees, I do believe in eternity.  "For the Christian, life is changed not ended."  So, when it comes to Granny, I know she is ready to meet the Lord.  Compared to me, her time in purgatory will be very quick.  I have had the comfort and the privilege of giving her the Sacrament of the  Anointing of the Sick several times.  Personal pain and grieving are a given.  Glorifying and thanking God for this wonderful woman is assured.  Life is temporal and eternal.  God's love is Immortal!

As for my nephew, pray, pray, pray!  He is basically a pretty sweet young man.  He is usually kind and considerate.  But... no church, no real faith, and a sense that he has a right to anything he wants.  I suspect drugs, but it is just a suspicion.  He was, however, caught red-handed breaking in.  Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death.

While I am on the subject of prayer, I would like to ask any readers (if there are any LOL) to pray for several women who have asked for my intercession.  These women are beautiful, faithful young Catholic wives who have not been able to conceive.  I have prayed over many women to conceive, and God has granted that request 13 times so far to woman who were told that they could only conceive by artificial insemination if at all.  All 13,  as well as the current women for whom I am praying, have refused morally unacceptable means in favor of trusting God and His will in this matter.  What an inspiration they are to me!

That is it for now...  God Bless You!

About Today

About Today
The Holy Guardian Angels

Memorial, 1969 Calendar, celebration October 2
1955 Calendar, celebration October 2

Today is the feast day of the Guardian Angels and, as St. Bernard of Clairvaux said in his sermon: “… let us be devoted and grateful to such great protectors; let us return their love and honor them as much as we can and should.”

Pope Clement X elevated the Feast of Guardian Angels to the rank of an obligatory double to be celebrated on October 2. Pope Leon XIII raised this feast to the rank of a double major in 1883.

The Church teaches that we all receive a guardian angel at birth, an angel assigned to guide and protect us, to watch over us. So let us remember in this day and all days to come, that we are not alone in the world, we have our guardian angel watching over us.

“And so the angels are here; they are at your side, they are with you, present on your behalf. They are here to protect you and to serve you. But even if it is God who has given them this charge, we must nonetheless be grateful to them for the great love with which they obey and come to help us in our great need.”

“Even though we are children and have a long, a very long and dangerous way to go, with such protectors what have we to fear? They who keep us in all our ways cannot be overpowered or led astray, much less lead us astray. They are loyal, prudent, powerful. Why then are we afraid? We have only to follow them, stay close to them, and we shall dwell under the protection of God’s heaven.”

From a sermon by St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Roman Office of Readings

Prayer to the Angel of God

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day (or night), be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

Prayer Source: Enchiridion of Indulgence, June 29, 1968
Image Source: This picture is in the public domain

Excerpts from the English translation of The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) ©1974, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

St. Jerome, Priest & Doctor of The Church

Today we honor this great saint who was so instrumental in preserving and translating the Sacred Scriptures.  When I realized it was his "day" I was almost afraid to preach.  LOL.

Profile

Born to a rich pagan family, he led a misspent youth. Studied in Rome. Lawyer. Converted in theory, and baptised in 365, he began his study of theology, and had a true conversion. Monk. Lived for years as a hermit in the Syrian deserts. Reported to have drawn a thorn from a lion’s paw; the animal stayed loyally at his side for years. Priest. Student of Saint Gregory of Nazianzen. Secretary to Pope Damasus I who commissioned him to revise the Latin text of the Bible. The result of his 30 years of work was the Vulgate translation, which is still in use. Friend and teacher of Saint Paula, Saint Marcella, and Saint Eustochium, an association that led to so much gossip that Jerome left Rome to return to the desert solitude. He lived his last 34 years in the Holy Land as a semi-recluse. Wrote translations of histories, biographies, the works of Origen, and much more. Doctor of the Church, Father of the Church. Since his own time, he has been associated in the popular mind with scrolls, writing, cataloging, translating, which led to those who work in such fields taking him as their patron - a man who knew their lives and problems.

Here are a few web pages of this great saint's writings:

	The Perpetual Virginity of the Virgin Mary: Against Helvidius - http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf206.vi.v.html A certain Helvidius said that since Jesus had brothers, Mary was not a virgin after his birth. He also maintained that this demonstrates that marriage is better than virginity. Jerome takes the opposite view.
	The Life of Hilarion - http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf206.vi.ii.html In HTML, with notes, at Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
	The Life of Paulus the First Hermit - http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf206.vi.i.html St. Jerome's first published work. From the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, second series, vol. 6.
	The Life of Malchus, the Captive Monk - http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf206.vi.iii.html In HTML, with notes, at Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
	Against Jovinianus - http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf206.vi.vi.html In two books, each in its own file, with notes. The first book is entirely taken up with Jovinian's assertion that virginity is no better than marriage. The latter book examines Jovinian's propositions about abstinence, degrees of sin, the sinlessness of believers, and degrees of punishment or reward in the afterlife.
	The Dialogue Against the Luciferians - http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf206.vi.iv.html A literary dialogue between "Orthodoxus" and "Helladius the Luciferian". The introduction from A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, second series, vol. 6, sets the stage. Lucifer, a bishop, and his party, against the decision of a council of the Church and against SS. Jerome and Athanasius, wished to show no mercy to penitents who had fallen into Arianism.
	Lives of Illustrious Men - http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf203.v.html And he does mean men. Ernest Cushing Richardson translation. With notes and introduction ("previous"). From the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, second series, vol. 3.
	To Pammachius Against John of Jerusalem - http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf206.vi.viii.html Unpublished during Jerome's lifetime. An ugly little chapter in Church history. Epiphanius of Salamis, a heresy-hunting bishop, had castigated Jerome's bishop John of Jerusalem for Origenism. Epiphanius then urged Jerome to repudiate John, ordained Jerome's brother by force, and Jerome was effectively excommunicated for approximately four years.
	Against the Pelagians - http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf206.vi.ix.html Dialogue Between Atticus, a Catholic, and Critobulus, a Heretic. In three books, with introduction, notes, and author's prologue.
	Against Vigilantius - http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf206.vi.vii.html Jerome turns on his former friend, who had objected to reverencing relics, vigils, the practice of sending alms to Jerusalem, and an exaggerated (in the opinion of Vigilantius) esteem for virginity.
	Apology for Himself Against the Books of Rufinus - http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf203.vi.xii.html W.H. Fremantle translation, from the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, second series, vol. 3. Presented as three books, with notes and links to contents, previous, and next.

ANGELS AND ARCHANGELS

It is a most extraordinary gift our Heavenly Father has given us in the knowledge and friendship of His holy angels.  As we celebrated Mass this morning on the Feast of St. Michael and the Archangels, I was struck by the beauty of the readings.  Angels were as certainly ascending and descending on us as they were on The Son of Man (John 1:51).

I had a silly remembrance from my childhood.  When I would go swimming I had the habit of cupping my hands and slamming them into the water to make "bubbles".  As a little boy, I used to imagine that the bubbles were Angels in the water.  Then as the water angels would tickle my skin I really thought that the real angels were there with me.  I would do this over and over, all the while splashing and laughing.  I haven't been swimming for a long time, but you can bet that next time I go, I will revive this ancient and venerable practice of water angels while praising God with splashes and laughter.