La fille ainée de l'eglise

   I owe so much to the French saints & to French Christians whose writings have resounded through the world. My patron saint, Thomas Aquinas, studied & taught in Paris; St. Therese of Lisieux, the next thing to a patron saint, has, since her relics were brought through the diocese a decade ago, constantly pulled me out of the muck. Sixteen years ago, during my trip to France, I'd get off the train in each city & go to a nearby church or cathedral to the Lady chapel in each to pray. In Paris, I stumbled across the chapel in which St. Catherine Labouré beheld Our Lady & received instruction to have the Miraculous Medal made and circulated throughout the country & the world. On at least two occasions when I had a severe fall while wearing the medal, Our Lady has prevented terrible injury from occurring.

Familiarity breeds contempt

  The substance of the Holy Father's Maunday Thursday homily is excellent. But perhaps one reason people have contempt and indifference for Holy Church and for the Second Person of the Trinity is the terrible habit of casually employing when referring to Our Lord. Where is the reverence? It seems rarely present in papal locutions in the last thirty years -- as if Our Lord needed the kind of PR makeover that hitherto was the province of Protestantism. "At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess" -- but in the media world, the reverence due the Holy Name & God Incarnate is not habitual -- even for the sovereign pontiff and successor of St. Peter. Holy Father -- return reverence to your homilies and messages! We need to relearn the majesty & sanctity of the Holy Name!