Introduction

My dear brothers and sisters, St Peter, at the end of his Second Letter to all Christians, which is found towards the end of our New Testament, says something about St Paul's New Testament letters. He says that some passages in those letters are "hard to understand" (2 Peter 3:16). The section from the Letter to the Ephesians that we listened to is one of those passages.

In the Greek original, those 14 verses, which are so long, complicated, and overflowing with deep theological terms and phrases, are all one, single sentence. What was Paul thinking? Why would he write such a dense beginning? Did he want the Christians in Ephesus to have trouble understanding him? Not exactly.

The beginning of this letter isn't meant to be clear explanation of doctrine. Rather, it's more like a hymn of praise to God for his wonderful goodness. Paul doesn't explain God's loving plan of salvation in these lines; he proclaims it, and he proclaims it with awe, respect, and delight. But for that very reason, it is worth a closer look - just as it's worth looking carefully through a treasure chest even when all the gold and jewels are piled all together instead of neatly arranged.

And when we do take a closer look, we find one key idea that gives a certain unity to everything else - the idea of God's choice. Twice in these 14 verses, Paul mentions that we have been chosen by God in Christ. This is what really amazes him, for three reasons: the fact of God's choice, the bounty of God's choice, and the purpose of God's choice.

Part I: The Fact of God's Choice

The simple fact that God chooses us is the first thing that amazes Paul. As one commentator has put it: "It would not be so wonderful that man should choose God; the wonder is that God should choose man." After all, what does God have to gain from choosing us, from giving us the gifts of his grace and his very own divine life through the sacraments? He has nothing to gain; but we have everything to gain. Because God chose to create us, and then he chose to redeem us after we had rebelled against him, we have hope. The happiness that we long for, that we were created to enjoy, is a real possibility for us, because God hasn't given up on us; he has chosen to stick with us. He knows our names. There is a famous story about a peasant who lived in the French town of Ars back in the 1800s. This peasant was too old to work anymore, so he would come to the church every day and sit down in the front pew.

He would just sit there quietly, sometimes for hours on end. One day, the parish priest, who happened to be St John Vianney, whom the Church is celebrating in a special way during this Year for Priests, asked this peasant what he was doing. The peasant said that he was praying. So, then the priest asked him how he prayed. The peasant glanced at him and said: "I look at the Lord, and he looks at me." That God, our Creator, our Redeemer, the eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing Lord of the universe, who knows how sinful and rebellious we are - that he loves and cares for us so much that he wants to sit with us like that... This is the amazing fact of God's choice.

Part II: The Bounty of God's Choice

The second thing that amazed St Paul was the bounty of God's choice. When someone offends us, we consider ourselves big-hearted if we simply refrain from taking vengeance on them. But God went far beyond just tolerating us. St Paul describes the "inheritance... of glory" that God has chosen to offer us in Christ. God has begun preparing a room for us in his own heavenly mansion. He has chosen us not just to squeak into the last nose-bleed seats of the sold-out stadium, but to sit with him in the owner's box for all eternity. Imagine if a criminal attempted to murder a king. His attempt fails, and he is arrested and thrown in prison, down in the depths of the dungeon. He deserves his punishment. Most likely, he would be grateful just to still be alive.

Now imagine that the king shows up at the prison door, opens it, and walks into the cell. He tells the prisoner that he can go free. The prisoner is overjoyed and quickly leaves the prison cell, only to see the guard lock the door again, with the king still inside. The criminal is shocked, and the guard explains to him that the king took the punishment on himself so that he (the criminal) could go free and have a second chance at life. So then imagine that the grateful criminal climbs the slimy steps out of the dungeon. When he gets into the courtyard he is greeted by one of the king's officials. The official leads the criminal up to a beautiful rooftop apartment in the royal palace and gives him the key, saying: "The king has desired to give you these rooms as your own, and he has also named you a royal counsellor and with a lifetime salary and access to the whole royal palace." That would be a very generous king, to do so much for a criminal who had tried to murder him, but it is only a pale image of what God has done for us. By our sins, we have attempted to murder God, to banish him from our lives. And yet, through Christ's cross he has given us much, much more than any earthly king could ever even imagine this is the bounty of God's choice.

Part III: The Purpose of God's Choice

The third thing that amazed Paul about God's choice was its purpose. He writes that we have been chosen to be "holy and without blemish" in God's presence. The Greek word for "holy" is hagios; it means "set aside" from everyday things for a special function or mission.

A church, for example is a holy place, because it has an extraordinary role to play in the world. It is the place where the human and the divine come together though the sacraments. It is the place where earthly life is linked with heaven. Every Christian, according to St Paul, is like that; someone with an extraordinary role to play in the world, someone who brings earth and heaven together.

We are different; we have been set aside. We are not just passive wallflowers in God's Kingdom. No, he has come to dwell in our hearts and has invited us to be his warriors, his messengers, his ambassadors. We have been chosen to be holy; to be elite knights of Jesus Christ, angels of light and wisdom in this dark and foolish world. He didn't have to give us this mission, but he chose to, because he wanted to give our lives a meaning far beyond what we could have given it on our own. And secondly, he chose us to be "without blemish," amomos in the Greek. This is the word used to describe the animals that were used for religious sacrifice in the Old Testament. Only the best, only the most excellent animals were offered to God, because that's what God deserves. But here St Paul is saying that God is the one who makes us "without blemish." He is the one who makes us worthy of being his followers; he himself supplies what we need to become saints. It is his grace that purifies our hearts of greed, lust, laziness, dishonesty, and every form of selfishness. And it is his grace that fills us with wisdom, joy, courage, peace, and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This is the plan and purpose of his choice; this is why Jesus came to earth.

Conclusion: A Meeting of Choices

In this Mass, and especially through Holy Communion, Jesus will renew this beautiful choice that he has made of each one of us. He will come to each one of us individually, saying our name, pouring his royal treasure of grace into our hearts, and giving us the strength we need to be his faithful followers in the coming week. When he does, let's renew our choice of him, confident that he alone is more than enough to fill all our desires for meaning, forgiveness, happiness, and love. As we continue with this Mass by praying the Creed, let's pray it from the heart, re-affirming our belief in this amazing Lord who loves us so much that he died for our sins, and re-affirming our commitment to live as he would have us live. 

The Structure of The Divine Office or Liturgy of The Hours

Each 'Hour' (the name for the different prayer times) has a similar structure. There is an Introduction, a hymn, some psalms, a reading from Scripture, and some prayers, followed by a Dismissal. Over the course of two weeks, we pray all 150 psalms, nearly 40 of them every week.

Starting The Divine Office or Liturgy of The Hours

The first Office of the day starts with an Invitatory. This is Matins, except for Sunday, when we start the day with Lauds, because we pray Vigils on Saturday evening. The person leading the liturgy for the week, known as the Hebdom, says, 'O Lord, open my lips', and the others reply, 'And my mouth shall declare your praise'. All then say the Glory Be. The Hebdom then gives an antiphon, which the others repeat, and then the Hebdom recites a psalm, with the others repeating the antiphon at the end of each verse. As with all psalms, it ends with the Glory Be. The rest of the Hours start with an Introductory. The Hebdom says, 'O God, come to my assistance', and the others reply, 'O Lord, make haste to help me', followed by the Glory Be.

Matins or The Office of Readings

This is the first and longest of the liturgies. In the Roman Office it is called the Office of Readings. It starts with the Invitatory. After the Invitatory, we sing a hymn. Hymns and psalms are usually sung with one side of the choir singing one verse, and the other side singing the next. Following the hymn we chant three psalms. Someone then reads a passage from Scripture. This is a bit longer than readings at Mass and is arranged so that over a two-year cycle we read most of the Bible. After the reading there is silence for meditation on the reading. An important part of praying Scripture is silent meditation. After a pause to meditate on what has been read there is a responsory. This is followed by a second reading. The second reading is not from the Bible. Instead, it is usually taken from one of the early Church Fathers, often a commentary on the passage of Scripture in the first reading. On saints' days, the reading is either about the saint or from the saint's writings. Again, the reading is followed by silent prayer. After a pause to meditate on what has been read there is a responsory. Then the Hebdom says the Collect for the day, followed by 'Let us bless the Lord', to which the others reply, 'Thanks be to God'.

Lauds/Morning Prayer

Lauds, or Morning Prayer, starts with the Introductory, as described above. The Cantor starts to chant a hymn, appropriate to the day, saint or feast. After that we chant one psalm, a canticle (song) from the Old Testament or New Testament, then we chant other psalms all ending with the Glory Be. The Lector then reads a short passage of Scripture. After a pause to meditate on what has been read there is a responsory. This is a line sung by the cantor and repeated as a response by the rest of the others, followed by another line from the cantor and the others repeating the second half of the response, and then the cantor sings, 'Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit' and the others again repeat the response. Then we sing the Benedictus (Lk 1:68-79), also called the Gospel Canticle, ending with the Glory Be, after which the Hebdom reads the intercessions from the breviary. Next the Hebdom says, 'Our Father', and we all join in the prayer. Then the Hebdom reads the Collect for the day and gives the blessing.

Vespers/Evening Prayer

Vespers is similar to Lauds in its overall structure. Hebdom starts the Introductory. The Cantor starts to chant a hymn, followed by two psalms. Next is a canticle from the New Testament. The psalms and the canticle each end with Glory Be. After the psalmody we have a short Scripture reading, followed by a responsory. The Gospel Canticle for Vespers is the Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55), ending with the Glory Be. As with Lauds, the Gospel Canticle is followed by the intercessions. The Hebdom says 'Our Father', and the others join in. Then the Hebdom reads the concluding prayer. The dismissal is the same as for Lauds.

Compline/Night Prayer

The final Office of the day is Compline. This has very little variation from day to day, the only changes being the hymn, Scripture reading, and concluding prayer. After the Introductory by hebdom, followed by silence moment, a pause to reflect on the day, the Hebdom starts the penitential rite. Then comes the hymn, followed by one or two psalms.After the Scripture reading the responsory is, 'Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit', repeated by the others, 'You have redeemed us, Lord God of Truth', with the response, 'I commend my spirit', and the Glory Be with the full response. The Gospel Canticle for Compline is the Nunc Dimittis (Lk 2:29-32). Then follows the concluding prayer for the day and give the blessing.

God Permits Thorns for a Reason

My dear brothers and sisters, this lesson is based on the Second Reading of Sunday's reading. There we learn that St Paul was not perfect; in fact, no saint was perfect. St. Paul tries to tell us that all saints were human beings, just like us and had to face problems, hardship, suffering, and temptation, just as we do. They did not live carefree lives; in fact, it was their very challenges and failings that God used to make them into saints.

He says that although God has given him extraordinary mystical experiences, God has also given him a "thorn in his flesh, an angel of Satan to beat him." Paul prayed repeatedly for God to remove this thorn, but God refused, in order "to keep him from being too elated." 

My dear brothers and sisters, we live in the secularized world. The secular people don't often talk about the devil, and when we do, it's usually to make a joke. But Jesus didn't just make jokes about the devil.

In fact, the Bible tells us that undoing the devil's work was the primary reason Jesus came to earth in the first place: "This was the purpose of the appearing of the Son of God, to undo the work of the devil" (1 John 3:8). 

The Divine Office, also called the Liturgy of the Hours, the Opus Dei or, in English, the Work of God. Divine Office is the arrangement of psalms, Scripture, and prayer that monks and others use in order to pray constantly. St Paul urged the Thessalonians, 'pray constantly' (1 Th 5:17). Psalm 118 contains several references to prayer in the course of keeping God's Law. The psalmist says, 'At midnight I will rise and thank you' (Ps 118:62). He also says, ' I rise before dawn and cry for help' (Ps 118:147). Further on he says, 'Seven times a day I praise you' (Ps 118:164). This gives rise to the seven prayer sessions of the day. 

My dear brothers and sisters, may you have a question why did Jesus, who is God, and therefore all-powerful, allow himself to fall asleep just when things were getting really tough, really scary, for his followers? This is a question we all have to face sooner or later.

Maybe we won't be on a boat during a storm that threatens to sink us, but each one of us will run up against some kind of storm before we die. In fact, in this fallen world, it is safe to say that the storm is the norm. All of us have our own storm.

It may be the long and painful sickness of a loved one, the death of beloved child, damage caused by a family member's addictions and infidelities, the ravages of war, a debilitating natural disaster, financial ruin, or maybe just intense, heart-sickening loneliness.

Why does an all-powerful God go to sleep in our boats and let these storms rage against us? The Catechism tells us clearly that we will not understand God's ways fully until we meet him face to face on the other side of death. Here I quote the text from the Catechism no 324: "The fact that God permits physical and even moral evil is a mystery that God illuminates by his Son Jesus Christ who died and rose to vanquish evil. Faith gives us the certainty that God would not permit evil if he did not cause good to come from that very evil, in ways that we shall fully know only in eternal life." But we can understand God's ways partially, if we understand God's agenda for our lives. God's agenda for our brief journey through the earth isn't perfect comfort and unbroken pleasure. Rather, he wants us to achieve the wisdom, courage, joy, and inner balance of spiritual maturity. In other words, he wants us to get in shape for heaven.

And that involves learning to trust in him more than in ourselves, learning that we are not all-powerful. That's hard to learn, because it goes directly against the spiritual DNA we have all inherited from original sin. And so, sometimes, God goes to sleep in our boats and lets the storm rage, so that we will come to know and accept the reality of our limitations and the truth of our dependence on him.

Job Gets Schooled

Let us see the classic Old Testament example of someone having trouble accepting God's agenda. The story of Job. In the First Reading, we get an example of God's efforts to teach Job this invaluable lesson in wisdom. Job has been complaining about all the bad things that have been happening to him. And God answers by reminding him that the Lord is master even of those bad things, that he controls and limits them according to his omnipotent wisdom. The ocean, in the Old Testament, because of its mystery, power, and unpredictability, was often used as a symbol of evil and chaos. But God tells Job that he has "set limits for it, and fastened the bar of its door." God doesn't explain to Job all the reasons behind everything he does and permits.

He can't! How can we who are finite, limited creatures demand to understand all of the Creator's infinite wisdom with perfect clarity? And so instead of an exhaustive explanation, God simply reminds Job that he is all-powerful and that he will never abandon his children.

The Psalm takes up the same theme.

It poetically explains how God "calmed the storm to a gentle breeze" and brought the terrified sailors "to their desired haven", even when from a merely human perspective, everything seemed lost. And then the sailors "gave thanks to the Lord for his kindness and wonderful deeds." In other words, through the experience of their helplessness in the face of suffering they discovered more fully God's greatness and goodness. It was a necessary step towards their spiritual maturity. Of course, the greatest example of this is in Christ's own death and resurrection. God didn't will the sins that caused our Lord's immense, painful, and humiliating sufferings. But God's love was powerful enough to turn those hideous wounds into the doorway to heaven, and he can do the same for us - that's his agenda.

Prayer: Antidote to Modern Seductions

My dear brothers and sisters, let us learn how to accept our limitations and dependence on God. It's hard, especially in today's world, which is so technologically advanced that it tends to put an almost religious-quality faith in human potential. There are still some problems that we haven't yet solved, but this myth of scientific progress tries to convince us that it's only a matter of time until we solve them. Not so, not so: we cannot make heaven on earth; we cannot save ourselves. Remember the story of Job. Also, remember why Jesus came to be our Savior. Because we can't save ourselves. This deep religious faith in science is seductive for two reasons. First, because it's so popular in today's culture. It's built into advertising campaigns, movie screenplays, and television scripts. It's even the motivation behind activist groups that promote things like abortion and homosexual marriage.

They try to solve unwanted pregnancies and unwanted sexual orientations not by seeking God's help to follow God's design for human happiness, but by trying to redefine or re-engineer what it means to be a human being. Second, this faith in scientific progress is seductive because it flatters us, it tells what the devil told Adam and Eve: "You shall be like gods." But of course that's just as much a lie today as it was at the beginning of history. And so God continues to give us opportunities - storms - to learn to trust in him, to surrender to him our self-deification illusions. How can we take maximum advantage of these opportunities? The very best way is to learn to pray better. It was by going to Jesus, asleep in the back of the boat, that the Apostles discovered his greatness and survived the storm.

Prayer is how we go to Jesus.

Prayer is the school where we learn the beauty and wisdom behind God's agenda. Prayer is the gymnasium where we exercise and strengthen the faith that allows Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to become the Lord of lives not just in theory, but in practice.

Today, as Jesus renews his commitment to us in this Mass. let's ask him to be our strength amidst the storms of life, and let's promise that this week, we will renew our commitment to becoming experts in prayer.

Christ Sees the Church as a Kingdom, not as a Club

My dear brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ's favourite topic, it could be argued, was "the Kingdom of God." His first public sermon began with "The Kingdom of God is at hand," and from then on, he kept talking about it, as in today's Gospel. If there is a Kingdom, there must also be a King, and if there is a King, there must be subjects. That's how he sees the Church, as a Kingdom, not merely as some kind of club.

Today we can ask ourselves if that's how we see Church. When we pray, "Thy Kingdom come," do we mean the same thing that Jesus meant when he taught us that prayer? God's Kingdom is the realm where hearts obey him out of faith and love. 

The kingdom of this world is the realm where hearts obey themselves out of self-centeredness, egoism, and fear. If we really want to help Christ redeem the kingdom of this world by transforming it, through his grace, into the Kingdom of Christ, we have to keep hearkening to the King and carrying out his commands, even when they are uncomfortable for our selfish tendencies. Obeying someone else, though, is almost always a challenge for us sinners.

The Devil Is Real

Introduction

My dear brothers and sisters, ever since the fall of Adam and Eve, as today's First Reading shows us, Satan had been the "ruler of this world" (John 12:31). The law of sin, injustice, and selfishness had governed human affairs, even though the presence and promise of God kept hope and love alive. But with the arrival of Christ, we are faced with someone who repeatedly outmatches Satan. He casts out demons effortlessly, 

These deeds Christ performed in the open air, for all to see. And they were so extraordinary, that the leaders in Jerusalem sent some representatives (the "scribes" mentioned in today's Gospel) to investigate. And when they discovered the Lord's amazing works, they had to offer some kind of explanation.

They could not, however, explain Jesus' special powers as coming from God, since that would require them to accept his teaching as well.But his teaching contradicted much of their own, and so to accept it would be to relinquish their status and influence.So, they attributed his works to a pact made with the devil – one of whose names was "Beelzebub."

Jesus calmly but clearly points out the absurdity of their claim. His consistent reversal of the devil's conquests shows that he is not only at odds with the ancient enemy, but also more powerful than him.

This is why, ultimately, we don't have to be afraid of the devil. With Christ on our side, the devil can't really harm us. But he still tries to – he tries to separate us from God and the protection of Christ, so that he can then lead us back into the slavery of his lies and deceptions. This is what St. Peter meant when he wrote in his First Letter to all Christians: "Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). The devil is real – a fallen angel, with an army of other fallen angels. This is clear from the Bible…… And also from the Catechism.

Catechism no. 391. Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy. Scripture and the Church's Tradition see in this being a fallen angel, called "Satan" or the "devil". The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: "The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing."

And it will make all of us a little bit wiser if we understand the five different ways that the devil tries to upset the work of God in our souls and in the world.

Part I: Possession

The rarest and most dramatic way that the devil tries to disturb our relationship with God is through demonic possession. Most of us have seen Hollywood depictions of people who are possessed. The Hollywood version usually emphasizes the strange and frightening effects of possession, and sometimes exaggerates them. But they don't really explain what possession is.

Possession is when a devil concentrates its activity within a person's body. When this happens, a person undergoes periods of "crisis" occasionally, when the devil temporarily takes control of the person's body. The devil can never take over a person's soul or make a person sin – God protects our freedom from that kind of attack.

But sometimes God does permit a demon to exercise control from within, over a person's body – that's possession. This is why, during times of crisis, a possessed person can show extraordinary physical strength, or speak and understand languages that the person never learned or exhibit other strange phenomena.

Almost always, cases of possession originate when a person gets involved with the occult, spiritism, or witchcraft. When someone does that, they open the door to the influence of evil spirits – fallen angels that are in rebellion against Jesus Christ, but who at first make themselves seem friendly to gain influence.

The Church has a special ritual that is used to free someone from possession - it is called exorcism. Exorcism consists of a series of prayers and sacramentals, performed by a priest officially designated by the bishop. This ritual makes the demon suffer so much that, eventually, if the person is cooperative, the demon will just give up and leave.

Part II: Obsession, Oppression, and Infestation

There are also some other extra-ordinary ways that the devil tries to interfere with our lives. Sometimes, God permits the devil and his fallen angels to cause frightening physical disturbances in certain places, or even to our own bodies. These can take the forms of loud or strange noises, slamming doors or windows, or even more alarming effects.

St. John Vianney, a holy parish priest who lived in 19th-century France, for example, was dragged around his room by the devil. One time the devil even set his bed on fire. Luckily, the saintly priest was hearing confessions at the time. Later, when he was told what happened, his only response was to say that since the devil couldn't catch the bird, he set the cage on fire!

When these physical disturbances are concentrated in certain places, they are called infestations. When they directly affect someone's body (not from within, as in possession, but from the outside) they are called demonic oppression.

When they bother someone's mind, they are called demonic obsession - this happens even to saints. Many saints, towards the end of their lives, were assailed by blasphemous thoughts, for example. These thoughts appeared suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere. But they battered the saints' minds intensely and repeatedly. That's what happens in demonic obsession. Blessings, holy water, and other prayers and sacramentals are sturdy defences against this kind of devilish attack.

Part III: Temptation

These extra-ordinary kinds of devilish activity are dramatic and frightening. But they are much, much less frequent, and much, much less dangerous than the devil's favourite tactic for disturbing us: simple, ordinary, regular temptation. Possession, infestation, oppression, and obsession can frighten us, but they usually lead us to exercise our faith to get rid of them. Temptation, on the other hand, tries to lead us into sin - and only sin can really damage our souls and interfere with our friendship with God.

How does temptation work? We all have a fallen nature, and we live in a fallen world. As a result of this, we have ingrained tendencies towards selfishness, greed, lust, depression, anger... (the theological word for these tendencies is "concupiscence"). These tendencies, when they are not curbed and formed by virtue, can get us into trouble. They can blind us to God's will, to what is right. Or they can overpower our desire to do what is right, to live as Christ teaches us to live.

Temptation is an invitation to do just that - to choose our own, fallen, natural, self-centred preferences over what God wants for us, over God's wise and loving will. But since, objectively speaking, God's will is always the best thing for us, temptations always involve some kind of lie, some kind of deception.

Look at what happened in the Garden of Eden, just before the passage we heard in today's First Reading. The devil tempted Adam and Eve by lying to them. He told them that God's warning about the forbidden fruit - that they would die if they ate it - was false.He told them that if they ate the fruit they would become like God - that too was false.

But how did he convince them? He turned their attention to the luscious appearance of the fruit, so that they would forget that God himself was the one who made the fruit, and made them, and gave them all the good things that they were enjoying!

He made them doubt the goodness of God, and this opened them to accept his other deceptions. This is still the devil's favourite tactic: make us doubt God's wisdom, goodness, or mercy, so that we disobey God's plan for our happiness and choose our will instead of his will. He wants us to say, "My will be done" instead of "Thy will be done."

Conclusion: Defending Ourselves against the Devil's Attacks

How can we defend ourselves in the face of these temptations? That's the most important question - much more important than worrying excessively about demonic possession and oppression. First, we need to use all the normal and most basic means to build up our friendship with Christ that the Church is constantly reminding us of daily, heartfelt prayer, the sacraments, especially Communion and Confession, and a daily effort to follow Christ's teaching and example in our words, actions, and relationships. But there's one other thing that is truly essential, and that we too often overlook. Temptation always begins in our minds, with a thought, an invitation to choose our will over God's will. And so, we need to form the habit of reflection, of interior silence, of discerning the origin of our different thoughts.

Any time we have a thought that disturbs our interior peace, we must pause and ask ourselves: Where did that thought come from? Simply taking the time to reflect and to ask that question is often enough to unmask the devil's lies and return to the light of Christ. Thoughts that make us discouraged and depressed, or anxious and revengeful, or self-centred and rebellious, can never come from the Holy Spirit. And if they don't come from the Holy Spirit, they either come from our fallen nature or from the evil spirit. Thoughts that come from the Holy Spirit always move us towards what is noble, good, true, and lovely, and they bring peace to the depths of our souls.

But we can't tell the difference unless we learn to reflect, quietly and honestly, on what occurs in our minds and hearts. We should create time and space for quiet reflection in our daily lives. And when, despite our reflection and discernment, we still feel a strong pull to do what is wrong, we can think of the crucifix, which reminds us that God is completely trustworthy, that there is no limit to his goodness, love or mercy, since he gave his life for us while we were still sinners.

When we remind ourselves of that, it will be much easier to do what Jesus so passionately wants us to do, as he showed us in today's Gospel: to embrace and obey God's wise and loving will.

The scribes in the Gospel this Sunday could not bring themselves to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Despite all the signs Jesus showed them, they still reject him, and even plan for his death. This is known as the unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit. The Apostle St. John explains it: "Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh; such is the deceitful one and the antichrist" (2Jn 1:7). They accused Jesus of having the power to perform miracles that came from Beelzebul. If this accusation had spread among the people, that would surely lead to his loss of credibility. Luckily, Jesus always has his way of defending himself and cleverly avoids their evil plans.

The idea of rejecting Jesus and the will of God is such a frightening thought. For we are now living in a world that has developed a culture that rejects God. We can become victims of this kind of culture. St. Timothy warns all Christ's followers on this: "A time will come when people will not listen to accurate teachings. Instead, they will follow their own desires and surround themselves with teachers who tell them what they want to hear. People will refuse to listen to the truth and turn to myths" (2Tim 4:3-4).

Against this frightening situation, we need to have a defense to keep our souls safe and strong. Our only best defense is Jesus himself. Hence, remaining close to him at all times is important. But being close to someone is not only a matter of being related by blood. Family and blood relation is quite vital in the life of every human being. But Jesus said that it is not an absolute priority. In fact, the best way to be close to Jesus is not by blood relation, but by obeying and doing the will of God. Obedience to God is the perfect way to be truly close to Him. Jesus said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. [For] whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

This statement directly points to Mary as the perfect model of obedience and holiness. She is surely the Mother of Jesus, not only on account of her physical motherhood, but more so because of her complete and unconditional obedience to God. Her obedience is steadfast and unceasing throughout her life, and it has never been withdrawn even in those most difficult moments, particularly at the foot of the cross. This is what makes Mary truly the mother of Jesus. St. Maximilian Kolbe explains the reason for her intimate relationship with Jesus: "Mary's will does not differ from the will of God. Calling upon her without reserve, you manifest a love for the will of God, for her will is so perfect that in nothing does it differ from His. Thus you give glory to God that He created such a perfect creature and took her for His Mother." St. Augustine puts it this way, "Mary, full of grace, first conceived Jesus in her heart before she conceived Him in her womb."

St. Thomas Aquinas has this to say: "Obedience unites us so closely to God that in a way transforms us into Him, so that we have no other will but His. If obedience is lacking, even prayer cannot be pleasing to God." When we obey God, we fuse our will to His will, and we practically and intimately become one with Him. Such is the example shown to us by the Blessed Mother. Her absolute 'fiat' to God's will all throughout her life effectively united her with God, thus transforming her from being a simple maiden of Nazareth into the 'Woman Clothed with the Sun."

Obedience is never attractive to people especially in these modern times. It is not easy, and definitely not a good idea to surrender or subordinate one's will to another. This explains the rejection of many towards obedience to God's will. Immersed in the spirit of pride and self-sufficiency, modern man would always choose to follow his own plan and impose his will, even against the will of God.

The attitude and behavior bring in more self-inflicted misery and disaster upon humanity. The rejection of God and His laws results in untold suffering and pain for the whole world. The only way for the world to survive is for people to return to God and once more obey His will and His laws. 

A Covenant Sealed in Precious Blood

Today we celebrate not only the gift of the Eucharist, the Body, and Blood of Our Lord, but the covenant sealed through Our Lord's Precious Blood.

In today's First Reading the old covenant that the Lord established with the people of Israel is sealed with the blood of a sacrifice. The old covenant involved the shedding and sprinkling of blood. The altar represented God, and by sprinkling the blood on it and the people a communion of life was established that would be maintained for as long as they followed the precepts stipulated.

The Lord didn't need to do it, but, after the sins of humanity, the people of Israel did. That covenant was repeatedly renewed in Jewish worship through the sacrifice of animals and the shedding of their blood, with the hope of atoning for having transgressed the covenant. This covenant and the sacrificed blood that sealed were just a foreshadowing of the covenant to come.

When God became man, he chose to become that sacrifice, to shed his blood to establish a new and everlasting covenant. If the blood of animals produced a spiritual benefit for those who were offering it, today's Second Reading reminds us how much more spiritual benefit comes from the blood of Christ, who sacrificed himself for the sins of the world.

Moses in the First Reading ratified the covenant with the blood of bulls; the Second Reading reminds us that Jesus has ratified the new covenant with his blood. It's one thing to sacrifice something of value and make amends; it's a whole other level to sacrifice your very self, body, and blood. In ancient religions sacrifices were made and then partaken of, eating the food or animal sacrificed, to express communion with the deity to which the sacrifice was being made. 

Lesson: The Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity

My dear brothers and sisters, we always start our prayers by making the Sign of the Cross to remind us of the greatest mystery of our faith: the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. It's not a mystery as seen on TV where CSI checks a crime scene, fingerprints and DNA evidence, witnesses: it's something so big that it doesn't fit into our head. We couldn't have ever figured out on our own that God was Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

God revealed himself to us as the Most Holy Trinity. Jesus came and said he was God's Son, and that meant God was his Father. And Jesus promised to send his Spirit after he ascended into Heaven, so the Holy Spirit was God as well. This is something so mysterious that we believe it because Our Lord taught it to us and we believe in him.

Moses in the book of Deuteronomy reminds the Israelites, as he reminds us, that this great mystery of faith is God's initiative. God chose to reveal himself to us as he is: the one true God. At the time of the Israelites, every nation had its god, and they all believed along with the big wars of nations there were always big wars between the gods as well, big gods and little gods: a whole pantheon of gods.

God revealed himself to the Israelites as the one and only God, and he showed it by going into Egypt, which had, according to the Egyptians, the most powerful gods, and he took Israel out of Egypt showing his power and made them into a nation with him as their God. The nation of Israel showed the world that not only was their God the most powerful God; he was the One and Only God.

That revelation was a preparation so that one day God would send his Son and reveal to us that not only was there One God alone, which was what the Israelites believed, but that God is the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It's the greatest mystery of our faith.

St. Paul at his letter to the Romans describes what happens to us at Baptism. On the day you were baptized, a minister poured water on your head (or immersed you in the water) three times, and each time he poured it he said: "I baptize you in the name of the Father ... and of the Son ... and of the Holy Spirit."

At that moment you received the Holy Spirit, who made you into an adopted son of God. God became your Father. Jesus became more than your best friends: he became your big brother. The Holy Spirit was poured into your heart so you'd call God Abba "Daddy!" Whenever we start our prayers, we remember this day of our baptism by making the Sign of the Cross and remembering the Holy Trinity and how God came into our hearts through our baptism.

Near the end of today's Gospel Our Lord tells the disciples to go out and baptize everyone in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, but it also says the disciples "doubted." "Doubted" is translated from a Greek word used only one other time in the Bible: when Our Lord pulls Peter out of the water into which he was sinking: "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:31). Peter stepped out onto the water with the faith he could muster but was overwhelmed.

The Eleven in this moment of "doubt" are about to witness the Risen Lord's Ascension; they don't know what's going to happen next. In other accounts of the Ascension from their questions, they think what we call today the Second Coming was going to happen then and there. The mystery of God is what we believe, and it is what we, as believers, share. We may not completely understand the Most Holy Trinity, but we believe.

Everything we do as believers we do in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Lord reminded the Eleven, and he reminds us, that it is in the power of the Most Holy Trinity and counting on his presence that we spread the Gospel and baptize. There's no reason to doubt.

To understand this lesson, here I gave two story as illustration. Sirst is story of St. Augustine who walk at the seashore and the second illustration is about the inside of the trinity.

Saint Augustine on the Beach

Every time we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, we always remember the story of St. Augustine. Here is the story.St. Augustine was a great thinker and theologian, and one day he was walking on the beach, trying to understand the Holy Trinity. He saw a boy on the beach who was taking water from the sea in a little shell and pouring it into a hole dug in the sand.

He asked the boy, "What are you doing?" The boy answered, "I'm moving the ocean into this hole." St. Augustine replied, "That's impossible." The boy looked at him and said, "That's easier than trying to understand the Holy Trinity."

God had sent that boy to show St. Augustine that the Trinity was too big to understand completely or on our own. Pope Benedict XVI has a seashell on his Papal coat of arms in part because of this story of St. Augustine.

The Trinity Inside

From ancient times the way a Christian professed his faith and received Baptism was to learn and recite the Creed. The Creed, even today, is built on an affirmation of faith in the Most Holy Trinity. It begins with One God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth. It continues with Jesus Christ, his Only Son, Our Lord. It doesn't leave out the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life. Faith in the Trinity is the bedrock of our Christian identity.

Thank Each Person of the Most Holy Trinity

• Thank God the Father for creating us and revealing himself to Israel as the One True God.
• Thank God the Son for obeying his Father in Heaven and coming down and becoming man to show us that God was Our Father and enabling us to become his adopted children.
• Thank the Holy Spirit for transforming us into God's adopted children and for bringing the Holy Trinity into our hearts and helping us to understand and live this great mystery of our faith.

This Week and Try Spot the Most Holy Trinity

Throughout Church History, many artists have depicted the Most Holy Trinity in icons and symbols. Why not contemplate a work of art this week that depicts the Trinity? Many works of Christian art show the Trinity, even if God is not the central focus of the work.

One icon worth contemplating is the Trinity by Andrei Rublev, which depicts the Trinity inspired by the three strangers who visited Abraham. ChurchPop.Com has a list of sixteen depictions. You can see all here: https://www.churchpop.com/16-beautiful-artistic-depictions-of-the-blessed-trinity/

Don't just give that image a quick look; contemplate it. Read up on it. Try to penetrate the symbolism. If you have children, have them draw how they imagine the Holy Trinity to be. 

Human life is a journey. All human beings without exception are walking towards eternity, namely Heaven, the eternal Jerusalem. The Church describes the human journey with a spiritual practice called pilgrimage. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that pilgrimage, in addition to reminding us of our pilgrimage to Heaven, is also important and appropriate for the renewal of prayer, seeking living sources to animate the forms of Christian prayer as the Church.

Pilgrimage is a description of a journey undertaken for a specific purpose, and here it is a spiritual purpose or intent, getting closer to God and being more able to pray. The basic intention is spiritual. It is not surprising that in the Church tradition, there is the term homo viator, we are pilgrims, on a journey. The Church encourages her people to go on pilgrimage.

In the Old Testament tradition, Jerusalem was first and foremost a place of pilgrimage. It was where the ark of the covenant was placed, hence the purpose of the pilgrimage. Jesus also made a pilgrimage there (cf. Luke 2:41-42; John 11:55-56), as if Jerusalem was the destination of his mystical journey (cf. Luke 9:51).

In the life of the Church, this tradition of pilgrimage continues. Not only Jerusalem but also places where there were important events in the life of Jesus became places of pilgrimage. Here the holy land has a special place because of its proximity to the Jesus event, and its close connection to God's saving event through and in Jesus Christ. Later the places of saints and martyrs as well as Marian apparitions and important churches became places of pilgrimage. In making pilgrimages, people live the eschatological dimension, the image of a pilgrimage to Heaven, the dimension of conversion and worship, as well as the apostolic dimension and communion as the Church.

On 15 May 2024, Saint Anna's parish organized a pilgrimage to the churches in Macau. There were 9 churches visited namely Our Lady of Penha's Chapel (Trappistine Sisters' Chapel), St. Lawrence's Church, St. Joseph's Seminary Chapel, St. Augustine's Church, St. Dominic's Church, Cathedral Church: Nativity of Our Lady's Church, St. Lazarus' Church, St. Michael's Chapel, St. Anthony's Church, and Ruin of St. Paul. These churches have a historic value in the diocese of Macau. Some of the churches were founded in the 16th century by the Portuguese. It was the Portuguese who brought Christianity to Macau.

That morning around 8 o'clock we met at Hong Kong Port. 20 people participated in this pilgrimage to Macau. After we gathered, we immediately left by bus to Macau. Around 9 o'clock we arrived at Macau port but because of the long queue at the immigration, we left the port at 10 o'clock. We took a public bus to "Centro". From 'Centro" we went to Penha Church, the first Church we visited. This Church was built on the top of the hill. From this church, we could see the city of Macau.

In Penha, our pilgrimage opened with a holy mass. After mass, we continued with the rosary in the chapel. After that, we went to the grotto of Mary of Lourdes to sing Ave Maria. Before leaving the Penha's Church we did not forget to take a group photo.

We then continued our journey to Saint Lawrence's Church. On the way, I reminded all of us to keep silent and keep praying the rosary along the way. The journey downhill from the top of the hill to Saint Lawrence's Church.

Once at St. Lawrence's Church, we took a group photo in front of the church and then entered the church to pray privately. After we finished praying, we continued our journey to St. Joseph's Seminary Church.

Upon arrival at St. Joseph's Seminary Church, we took a group photo and then entered the Church to pray privately. After praying privately, we visited the seminary museum. Inside the museum, we could see a historical movie of the seminary and ancient liturgical items such as mass kits, liturgical books, liturgical clothes, and statues.

We were still going down the hill. We walked to St. Augustine's Church. This Church is next to the convent of the Society of Jesus. As usual, we took a group photo first and then entered the church to pray privately. After praying we went to the restaurant because we were hungry.

Full and well-rested, we continued our journey to St. Dominic's Church in "Centro". This Church was very crowded as it is in the tourist center. The church was built in 1587. After a group photo, we went in to pray. The atmosphere in this church was uncomfortable because there were so many tourists and we were not allowed to sit to pray.

We left Saint Dominic's Church and walked towards the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Cathedral Church of the Macau Diocese. This Church was built in 1622. This church is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. We can see this above the entrance which says "SS.M.V. Marie Nascenti".

After visiting the Macau cathedral, we continued our journey to Saint Lazarus Church. But unfortunately, the Saint Lazarus Church is closed. We just prayed outside the church and didn't forget to take a photo together. This is the seventh church we have visited.

Now we will visit the Chapel of Saint Michael. This small chapel is in the middle of the cemetery. This chapel is dedicated to Saint Michael, the Archangel. Why is it dedicated to Saint Michael? In Church Tradition, 3 figures are the protectors of souls in the throes of death, namely Saint Joseph, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Saint Michael. This chapel is very striking because it is painted in bright green.

We continued our journey towards St Anthony's Church. This year, the diocese of Macau, in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Saint Magdalene of Canossa, designated the Church of Saint Anthony to be one of the churches where pilgrimages are made to obtain indulgences.

We continued our journey towards St Anthony's Church. This year, the diocese of Macau, in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Saint Magdalene of Canossa, designated the Church of Saint Anthony to be one of the churches where pilgrimages are made to obtain indulgences. This is the last church we visited. To close our pilgrimage in Macau we visited the icon of the city of Macau, namely the ruins of St Paul's Church. After we were satisfied with taking photos in front of the ruins of St. Paul's Church, we went down to the bus stop to Macau Port to return to Hong Kong. 

Sharing from one of the pilgrimage participants to Macau:

One day Pilgrimage to Macau churches was a deeply enriching journey. Each church had its unique character and contributed to the spiritual fabric of Macau. The architectural beauty, religious significance, and the opportunity for personal reflection made it a memorable journey that deepened my understanding of Macau's rich spiritual heritage.

Throughout the pilgrimage, you can find moments for quiet reflections, embrace the spiritual significance, and offer prayers at each church. At the same time enjoy the breathtaking panoramic views of Macau, including its skyline, harbor, and the surrounding natural beauty.

Visiting the churches in Macau is worth a visit. It allows you to disconnect from the fast-paced world and find solace in the quiet, sacred spaces. It's a chance to nourish your soul, seek spiritual inspiration, and immerse oneself in the rich spiritual, cultural, and historical tapestry of the city.

I offer my gratitude to Fr. David and the two Brothers for the opportunity to embark on this pilgrimage and experience so much peace, renewed faith, and a deeper connection with God. (Yvette Fernandes) 

The Holy Spirit gives us New Life

My dear brothers and sisters, imagine if our lives were somehow different. Imagine if we had a new life, if we didn't have to always rely on ourselves. Imagine if we had an alternative power source that we could tap into, a power source that slowly transforms us into the person we truly want to be.

Today we celebrate the Pentecost Sunday, through the readings we are reminded that to be a baptized Christian living in friendship with God means that we do have this power source. His name is the Holy Spirit, and he is the third person of the Blessed Trinity. He is the bond of love between God the Father and God the Son.

In the first Pentecost we heard about how the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages of the mighty acts of God. Then the psalm asked God: "Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth." We can add to that, "Lord, send out your spirit, and renew my life, and the lives of those I love." 

True Love Is Self-Giving, not Self-Getting

My dear brothers and sisters, following Christ is not complicated. In fact, today Jesus reduces the essence of what it means to be his follower into one sentence. This sentence is his New Commandment, a commandment that summarizes everything he has taught: "Love one another as I have loved you." If we do that, we are on Christ's path, and we will experience the joy and meaning that only God can give.

And to make it even simpler (because he knows that we tend to complicate things unnecessarily), Jesus explains exactly what he means by the word "love," a word the Devil is always trying to distort: "A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends."

In other words, love is self-giving, and so, the greater the self-giving, the greater the love. When we put our lives at the service of others, when we live in order to give and not to take, when we are willing to suffer so that someone else can rejoice, then we may call ourselves his disciples. But Jesus went even further in order to make sure we would understand. He didn't explain the meaning of true love just with words; he also explained it with his deeds, with his own suffering and death.

He accepted mockery, humiliation, torture, rejection, injustice, misunderstanding, betrayal, and finally death, not because he was too weak to resist, but to show us what love really is: self-giving, self-forgetful generosity.

Jesus Christ hanging on the cross; bearing the weight of our sins; thinking not of himself but of the men and women he came to save, even pleading for their forgiveness up until the very end; giving without counting the cost, even without asking for something in return - this is God's idea of love. It is ours?

Aragorn and Arwen

My dear brothers and sisters, if you are fans of Peter Jackson's 2001 movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, you will get a glimpse of an unusual love story. For you who never know that movie, let I breakdown little bit.

Aragorn, the heir to the throne of the great Kingdom of Gondor, is anxious and fearful about his responsibility to defend Middle Earth against the evil menace of Sauron. In the midst of his melancholy and doubt, Arwen, the beautiful Elf-Princess, finds him and comforts him.

They have known each other for a long time, and it is clear that they are in love. But Arwen is an Elf, and elves are immortal. So, if she were to marry Aragorn, a mere human, she would have to give up her immortality.

That has made them hesitate to pledge themselves to each other, even though their love is deep. As she tries to encourage Aragorn, Arwen realizes that only the power of true love can give him the strength he needs to fulfill his mission.

She reaffirms her love for him, but she sees that it is not enough just to tell him that she loves him. She has to show it. In that moment, she overcomes all of their previous hesitations and decides that she will give herself completely to him, sacrificing her immortality out of love, and she says in a passionate whisper: "I choose a mortal life."

In the movies, we always recognize that true love is costly - it's about giving oneself more than indulging oneself. Somehow, that's what makes it beautiful. This is what Jesus meant when he told his parable about the grain of wheat.

If it falls into the ground, gets buried, and dies, it ends up becoming a new plant and producing hundreds of new grains of wheat. But if it refuses to die, to sacrifice, to give of itself, it remains just a single grain of wheat.

Reversing the Angle on Our Relationships

Reversing the angle on our relationships is an idea of true love. This is not pie-in-the-sky; it's practical. For example, it gives us a way to see our relationships from God's perspective. From a merely human perspective, we tend to look at our relationships in terms of what we get out of them.

This person is enjoyable to be around; this person rubs me the wrong way; this person is always asking favours. But when we understand that the path to true wisdom and lasting joy is Christ-like love, self-forgetful, self-giving love, those considerations begin to take a back seat.

When we are self-centred, we tend to be passive and reactive. But when we are Christ-centred, we tend to be proactive. We see relationships in terms of what we can give to them, and that's much more dynamic and energizing. Imagine starting the week by making a list of things you want to do for people.

It would change the whole tone of our week; we would be lighting lights instead of dodging shadows. This week: think of one small thing you can do to ease the burdens of your spouse; think of one small thing you can do to make your boss's or coworker's job just a little bit easier; think of one small thing you can do to bring some encouragement and joy into your parents' lives; think of a friend or relative who is suffering, and think of one small thing you can do to help support them. Is it really so simple? Yes.

This is what self-giving looks like in real life. It is within all of our reach, if we are willing to step out of our comfort zones. Jesus did it for us on the wood of the cross, today, this week, let's promise to do it for him on the pavement of our daily lives.

Month of Mary

In Catholic tradition, the month of May is dedicated to Mary. Mary is chosen by God above all other women. Mary's faith and obedience paved the way for the Incarnation. Her example teaches us faith, obedience, humility, and most of all, how to love. According to St. Thomas of Villanova, "If in this world any creature ever loved God with whole heart, with whole soul, and with whole mind, she was the creature."

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines Mary's unique role as being honored above all other saints, including the Apostles. At the foot of the cross, her heart broke for Jesus, yet she accepted God's will not only for her Son but for herself in her new role as mother to us all. (John 19:25-27) So, not only is she the mother of Jesus, and thus, the Mother of God, but she is also the Mother of the Church.

The pious practice of honoring Mary during May has been especially promoted by the Popes. Pius XII made frequent reference to it in his great Encyclical on the Sacred Liturgy Mediator Dei. He characterized it as one of "other exercises of piety which although not strictly belonging to the Sacred Liturgy, are nevertheless of special import and dignity, and may be considered in a certain way to be an addition to the liturgical cult: they have been approved and praised over and over again by the Apostolic See and by the Bishops"

In his 1965 encyclical, Pope Paul VI delighted in honoring Mary in May because of the "rich benefits to the Christian people." Why? Because "the person who encounters Mary cannot help but encounter Christ likewise. For what other reason do we continually turn to Mary except to seek Christ in her arms, to seek our Savior in her, through her, and with her?"

"In the end, we should realize the great gift we have as Catholics. Honoring Mary seems natural to us. We honor our mother in heaven as easily as we honor our mothers on earth," Bishop Pohlmeier said. "From all mothers, we learn a great deal. From Mary, we learn the greatest thing, how to love God himself." As we honor our earthly mothers in May, let's honor our heavenly mother as well. "During May we pray with our mother that we may love Jesus as she does."

The ways Mary is honored in May are as varied as the people who honor her. It's common for parishes to have a daily recitation of the Rosary during May, and many erect a special May altar with a statue or picture of Mary as a reminder of Mary's month. Additionally, it's a long-standing tradition to crown the statue of Mary in May. Often, the crown is made of beautiful blossoms representing Mary's beauty and virtue. It's also a reminder to the faithful to strive to imitate our Blessed Mother's virtue in our own lives.

We can and should be doing the same in our homes. When we echo the customs and traditions of the Church in our homes – our domestic churches – we participate more fully in the life of the Church.

If you haven't already, I encourage you to erect a prayer corner in your home. No matter how fancy or simple it is. The main point is that it's a place designated for God, and more specifically, for spending time with him. Just as you need a proper atmosphere to sleep, you also need a proper atmosphere to pray.

For May, give Mary a special spot in your prayer corner. It can be a statue or picture, but place there some representation of our Blessed Mother. Make it appealing and a real tribute to her beauty and virtue.

Honor Mary because she is our Mother - your mother, my mother, everyone's mother - and because she cares for all of us day in and day out, interceding for us in even the smallest things. For that, she deserves a whole month in her honor.