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Early
on the morning of December 2nd, Benedict
XVI visited the Roman hospital of St.
John the Baptist, which belongs to the
Sovereign Military Order of Malta and
specializes in treating people suffering
from neurological disorders.
The Holy Father celebrated
Mass then went on to visit the reanimation unit, an advanced structure
for the cure and rehabilitation of patients recovering from comas.
In his homily, delivered
before patients and their families gathered
in a hall of the hospital, the Pope gave
assurances of his spiritual closeness and his daily prayers, inviting
them to "find support
and comfort in Jesus, and never to lose
trust."
"God visits
us mysteriously in suffering and sickness," said the Holy
Father, "and if we abandon ourselves to His will, we may
experience the power of His love. Hospitals and nursing homes,
precisely because they are inhabited by people tried by pain, can
become privileged places in which to bear witness to the Christian
love that nourishes hope and gives rise to fraternal solidarity."
Benedict XVI then
recalled how, at its origins, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
- of which Fra' Andrew Bertie is the current grand master - was
dedicated to helping pilgrims in the Holy Land by means of a Hospice-Infirmary,
and how "it sought to cure the sick, especially the poor
and marginalized. One testimony of such fraternal love," he
added, "is this hospital which, having been built in the 1970s,
is today a center of high technology and of solidarity where, alongside
the healthcare staff, many volunteers work with generous dedication."
The Holy Father told
the doctors, nurses and volunteers who work in the hospital that
they "are called to provide an important service to the sick
and to society, a service that calls for abnegation and a spirit
of sacrifice.
"In each sick
person," he added, "may you know how to recognize and
serve Christ Himself. Show Him, with your gestures and your words,
the signs of His merciful love."
Pope also took advantage
of his visit to the hospital "ideally" to present his
Encyclical "Spe salvi" to the Christian community of
Rome. And he invited his listeners to study the text "so as
to discover the reasons for that 'trustworthy hope, by virtue of
which we can face our present, ... even if it is arduous'."
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Seventeen members, family and friends accepted the invitation to
join the Order of Malta on an International Pilgrimage to the Holy
Land during October 2007. Members of the Sovereign Council
and over 1300 members of the Order from around the world participated
at the request of the Pope, to show our support and concern for
the the suffering Christians and other inhabitants of the
land where Jesus walked.
Our group of seventeen
quickly became good friends as we traveled by foot and in our small
mini bus like a family. Traveling together to visit the sacred
sites and sharing our thoughts, prayers and verses connected to
these sites, helped us to achieve the full spiritual experience. We
searched for the remnants of the “Stations of the Cross” as
we walked together along the Via Dolorosa amidst the hustle bustle
of daily life in what is now the Muslim Quarter, lined with small
shops and stalls. In the same area we explored one of the
most ancient churches in Jerusalem, the 5th century Church of St
John the Baptist. Many of the Christian knights were taken care
of in this church, said to be where the Knights Hospitalliers were
founded. During the Crusades they built their own hospital
north of the church. The entrance to St John the Baptist, now a
Greek Orthodox monastery, is well hidden through a small doorway
along the busy Christian Quarter Road.
In The Church of
the Holy Sepulchre we had the opportunity to visit Christ’s
Tomb, the Golgotha and spend time exploring the chapels and just “be” in
one of the most important churches in Christendom. Our boat
trip on the Sea of Galilee gave us the opportunity to see the peaceful
shores where so much of Jesus’ public activity was carried
out.
We gathered on three
occasions to celebrate Mass with the International Order of Malta
Pilgrimage: at the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Garden
of Gethsemane in Jerusalem and the Basilica of the Annunciation
in Nazareth. An incredible experience to all come together
in response to the request of Pope Benedict XVI that “Weapons
be silenced and hate yield to love, offense to pardon, and discord
to unity!”
Our pilgrimage gave
us the opportunity to fulfill every believer’s dream to visit
the Holy Land. How blessed we were to have such a wonderful “family” to
experience the joy, love, sorrow and sadness that comes with the
visit to these sacred places and walking in the footsteps of Jesus.
We all owe a special
thanks to Conrad Esser and every member
of the Order of Malta pilgrimage who contributed
by their participation… blessings
and love to all.
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Dear Confrères and Consœurs,
The excitement
around the Lourdes 2008 Jubilee is truly building as the new
year approaches. I have two things I want to
share with you.
1. The Western
Association Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2008
Our Western
Association preparations for the 2008 pilgrimage are also
continuing and within the next few weeks those
who responded affirmatively to the pre-registration form
will receive the formal 2008 Lourdes pilgrimage registration
packet. Please return the forms promptly since space
is limited and participation will be based on a first come/first
serve basis.
2. Prayer
for the Jubilee of the Apparitions
Our
good friend, Père Régis-Marie de la
Teyssonniere, Chaplain of Honor of Our Lady of
Lourdes, was recently visiting the Bay Area,
at the direction of Bishop Perrier, as part of his
year-long, five-continent tour to announce the 150th
anniversary celebrations of the apparitions at Lourdes. Père
Régis asked me to make certain each of our
Western Association members received the Jubilee
Prayer. In reciting this prayer, we are joined
as one with the worldwide Lourdes Family:
Prayer
Lord,
you prepared Mary
to be the Mother of your Son
by her Immaculate Conception.
You kept her free from all sin.
For the fidelity
of her "Yes", from the Annunciation
to the Crucifixion,
we thank you, Lord.
In
Lourdes, Lord,
you prepared Bernadette
to give witness
to the Apparitions of the Virgin.
By the openness and her courage,
her humility and her courage,
she thwarted all the traps of the cunning
and of the naysayer.
For what you made real in Bernadette,
we thank you, Lord.
And
now, Lord,
as we prepare for the
Jubilee Year of the Apparitions,
prepare us for this time of great joy.
Help
us to listen to the words
of reconciliation and peace.
Open our hearts, our eyes, that we
may
embrace the poor and distressed.
That
this Jubilee Year
will be a time of Grace
for those who come
to the Grotto of Lourdes
and for those who join with us in prayer.
Like
Bernadette,
we want to receive the Eucharist
and to deepen our relationship with
Christ
and to live by the Holy Spirit
more and more during this Jubilee Year,
that we offer through the Intercession
of Mary,
your humble servant, and with the people
who have gone before us,
who have proclaimed her Blessed.
Gloria
Patri et Filio et Spirtui Sancto,
sicut erat in principio, et nunc et
semper,
et in
sæcula sæculorum. Amen.
Please
pray this prayer daily for everyone who goes to Lourdes
during this special year of Jubilee.
Confraternally,
Kevin
J. White KM
Director, Lourdes Pilgrimage
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Most Holy Redeemer Aids Support Group has created a volunteer program
for the Knights and Dames of Malta that will make a tremendous
difference to those they serve.
This Aids Support
Group is in great need of our help. Basically are you willing
to be an Angel Driver?
Would
you be willing to assist
with the transportation needs of HIV / AIDS
patients with doctor appointments, outpatient
medical procedures, hospital discharge,
and numerous other needs? Often
requests for transportation assistance come
with little advance notice.
Right
now there is an unusual need. There is
an AIDS patient in Oakland that must receive
treatment that is only available at a hospital
in San Francisco. He is no longer able
to take public transportation. When
he reaches the hospital in SF he may need
assistance at the hospital.
As
it is now a staff member from MHR-ASG must
drive from San Francisco to Oakland, then
to San Francisco and then back to Oakland
and then back to San Francisco to the office.
Is there an Angel Driver who lives in the
East Bay who could do this for us?
The
Knights of Malta and MHR-ASG Angel Drivers
program works as follows.
We are creating an e-mail list of Knights
or Dames who have expressed an interest in
being an Angel Driver. When
a requirement comes up you will receive an
e-mail outlining the particulars.
If
you are interested and your schedule permits,
you can contact MHR-ASG for the next steps. Beyond
that there is no obligation.
www.mhr-asg.com/
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Along with our care for the sick and the
poor, we are called also to defend our
faith – a task that
is both more challenging and more needed
today than in the past. Here are some activities
of our Association in this vital area:
Activity of a Chapter
In the Orange County area the Knights and
Dames are reading and discussing the United States Catholic
Catechism for Adults published by the United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops. After the monthly Mass, Tom Markel,
KM, presents a 6-7 page PowerPoint presentation on the assigned
reading, and the members of the Order discuss it and reflect
on the main points. An assignment is then made for the
next monthly meeting of 2-3 more pages from the Catechism.
Presentations
The chairman of the Western Association’s
Defense of the Faith Committee, Tom Dillon,
KM, gave a presentation about the Association’s
Defense of the Faith Committee to the Grand
Commander of the Sovereign Order of Malta,
His Excellency Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre
del Tempio di Sanguinetto; the Receiver of
the Common Treasure, His Excellency Marchese
Gian Luca Chiavari; and His Excellency Antonio
R. Sanchez-Corea from the Sovereign Council
in Rome when they visited the Order’s
office in San Francisco on August 6, 2007.
A presentation about
Defense of the Faith was also given to the Provisionals in Southern
California on January 27, 2007, by Tom Dillon, KM; this presentation
was given by Maria Grant, DM, to the Provisionals in San Francisco
on October 13, 2007.
The Defense of the
Faith Committee had its annual meeting in San Francisco at the
Order’s office on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Along
with the President of the Western Association of the Order of Malta,
His Excellency Richard Madden, KM, and Chancellor, William Regan,
KM, representatives to the Defense of the Faith Committee from
various regions worked on the language in the Western Association’s
Policies and Guidelines book for submission to the Board for its
September 28, 2007, meeting. There will be a meeting of the
Chairs of the Defense of the Faith chapters in the spring on the
campus of Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California—the
date is yet to be determined.
Noteworthy
The
timetable
for
the Quotes
and
Editorial
Comments publication
of
the
Defense
of
the
Faith
Committee
has
been
changed. It
will
now
be
published
at
the
beginning
of
Advent
and
the
beginning
of
Lent.
The 2008 theme for
the Order of Malta is “The Church in Mission Nourished by
the Eucharist.”
It is worth noting
that the 49th International Eucharistic Congress will be held in
Québec City from June 15 to 22, 2008, hosted by His Eminence
Marc Cardinal Ouellet. The theme of the Congress is “The
Eucharist, gift of God for the life of the world.” This
ties in very well with the Order of Malta’s 2008 theme. For
more information, please visit www.cei2008.ca.
The third annual
Order of Malta retreat will be held at Thomas Aquinas College from
June 13 to 15, 2008.
The following websites
may be useful for anyone interested in Defense of the Faith.
Zenit – www.zenit.org
Vatican – www.vatican.va
Vatican Information Service – www.vis.pcn.net
Catholic Answers – www.catholic.com
Scripture Catholic (Catholic apologetics) – www.scripturecatholic.com
Catholic Culture – www.catholicculture.org
Catholic Links – www.ecatholichub.net
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PHASE II –
Order of Malta Home Renovation Program in New Orleans,
Louisiana
September 2007-
April 2008
From
March 2005 to April 2006, over 250 members
of the Order of Malta from all across the
US participated in Phase I of the Order
of Malta Home Renovation Program in New
Orleans. Thanks to a successful partnership
with Rebuilding Together, Catholic Charities
of New Orleans and the New Orleans Marriott
our volunteers worked none different one-week
work sessions in Treme, Gentilly, and New
Orleans East. Sixteen families have moved
back in their homes as a result of the
great work done by our Order of Malta volunteers.
So successful was the program that we have
decided to extend it for six more sessions – Sept & Dec
2007 and Jan/Feb/March/April 2008.
The
exact work weeks are listed below, along
with all of the other information about
the program. One of the major differences
in Phase II will be the overall size and scope of the project. In Phase I our
volunteers were working on homes with major damage requiring extensive and
expensive repairs. Teams of 30-40 volunteers
would work all week, and the house would
still be weeks from completion. In Phase
II we will be working in houses that only
need a week’s worth of finishing work before the family can move back
in. We are only accepting 25 volunteers per week.
Our efforts will be concentrated in the Treme / Esplanade Ridge section of New
Orleans. Very near downtown / French Quarter, this entire neighborhood will positively
be re-built.
We
need six teams of volunteer workers, 20-25
per team, one team for each of the six
weeks listed below. Volunteers will arrive
on their own (usually) on Sunday afternoon,
and check into the New Orleans Marriott
( Canal Street). We work (usually) Monday – Thursday
from 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM. All three
meals will be provided, and there will
be a farewell party on the last night.
If
you can help, please contact Bill Regan
at the Malta Office (415) 788-4550.
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