165 AND STILL AS BEAUTIFUL AS EVER! QUANT' È BELLA!

MIRAD, HERMOSA COMO SIEMPRE!
SHE'S GORGEOUS, RIGHT?

This is the center piece of the exhibit hall in which there was a collection of statues and images of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  This exhibit was meant to give meaning to the fact that Mary has many names and many children all over the world.  She is The Woman of Women.  She is Black, Brown, Yellow and Red.  She is Caucasian, Asian, Indigenous and Aboriginal.  We know that women all over the world are mothers.  They all have different names, but they are all recognized by the one that they wear as a badge of honor, Mama.  The same is true of the Mother of Mothers, God's Mother, Our Mother, Mary.
Saturday, the 17th of September, 2011 was a very significant day at the Southern California parish of St. Christopher.  It was a day when the entire parish celebrated the 165th anniversary of the Apparition of Our Mother Mary at La Salette in France.  The thought above is one that was carefully elaborated and developed by the homelist, Father Arlan Intal, MS of the Province of Our Mother of Hope, based in the Philippines.  He was very effective in his delivery.  He even kept everyone so interested for the length of his reflection that there was not a single twitch from anyone in the pews during the entire thing.
There was another very serious point of reflection made by the good father.  He pointed out that in 1846 just as now, Mary's suffering and hardship-stricken sons and daughters often cry out, "Lord, where are you now?  You see that I am sick;  you know that I am short of resources; you see my baby hungry; where are you, Lord?  Why do you abandon me?  This is an age-old attitude.  It is one that Mary came to La Salette to change.  She came to La Salette crying bitterly because her sons and daughters were bringing suffering to to her and her Son by their foul lives.  She came to remind us that if we suffer, it is because we partake of the evil of sin.  She came to show us that we are not the only ones suffering.  She and her Son are right alongside us suffering.  When we cry out, "Lord, where are you now?" the answer, according to the Weeping Mother of God and of us humans, "I am right here, beside you, suffering with you so that you do not have to carry the entire burden."  Know that, My People; believe that, My People and your lives will be made better.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
El día Sabado, 17 Septiembre inicio una temporada de celebración para todos que viven la espiritualidad Saletina.  Aquí en Alta California, USA uvo una celebración muy viva con baile foclorico, dramatizaciones de historias bíblicas y una muestra publica de differentes caracterizaciones de la Virgen Maria, particolares a varios lugares a travez del mundo.  Continuan estas cosa manana, accompaniadas de buena comida apreciada in varios paises de l'Ámerica Latina.  Ereis invitados.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Come parte della celebrazione del anniversario de l'Apparizione a La Salette, abbiamo creato un centro per la esibizione dei quadri presentati dalle delgazioni presenti a La Salette durante le settimane scorse.  Pongo questo bramito in Italiano perche è l'imagine della gente Romana che ha causato piu reazione fra tutte le foto.  La seconda era quella della Svizzera e la tercera, quella grande al centro, fatta da un giovane de 17 anni negli Stati Uniti.  Vedremo se la opinione sara diversa domani.  Francamente, non lo credo.  Comunque, se cambia, ve lasciero sapere.  La festa celebrativa, in ogni modo, e un raggio de luz nella la vita della parrochia.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
For the Alumni of the La Salette schools, there is not too much to report.  There is however a need for prayers that has been expressed by the few who came.  One of the alumnae who came had a companion who is facing a challenging life change, so keep her in mind.  Mention her nickname to Mama Mary for good measure.  It is Addie.


In the next day or two we will be going to spend a few moments with Father Maurice Cardinal.  He is still in recovery stages from his surgery, but he is doing quite well for the situation in which he finds himself.  We will let you know how he is doing.


We now leave you in peace.