Legion of Mary Philadelphia Senatus

(The fourteenth in a series of meditations on the  Mysteries of the Rosary by Rev. Addisalem T. Mekonnen, Spiritual Director of the Philadelphia Senatus).

What do you believe is more important in the end, the judgement of people, or the judgement of God

Pop culture has made the TV show “American Idol” become the success it has because it taps into our interest in the search for a superstar to become the next up-and-coming popular artist in the music industry. “American Idol” has three judges that scrutinize the artist, and if he or she gets their votes, the artist is able to move forward in the competition.  After receiving the approval of those three judges, the artist then needs the votes from the live and TV audiences in order to continue moving forward toward eventually winning the contest. In the process, the artists get plenty of feedback from the judges that helps them develop their talent and become a light to foreign nations and the glory of America.

Our Lady and St. Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the Holy Temple in obedience to the Law of Moses regarding the redemption/consecration of the firstborn son to the Lord.  Both our Lady and St. Joseph judged that, although Jesus is the Messiah and Son of the Most High, they nevertheless abided by the Law and presented Jesus in the Holy Temple according to the will of God. They offered up two turtles doves as an offering as required by the Torah. It was Simeon who, through the light of the Holy Spirit, proclaimed the universal significance of the Lord for Jews and Gentiles alike.  After all, Jesus who now comes to be “redeemed” in the Temple by sacrifice will one day sacrifice Himself for the redemption of the human race – not in the Temple, but on the Cross.  Through the prayer of Simeon, we hear announced that Jesus our Lord is “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel” (Lk 2:32).  The Presentation also presents us with the prophetess Anna who, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, also bears witness to Jesus as the Savior of the world.

There are then three “judges” – the Holy Spirit, Simeon, and Anna – as to Jesus’ identity and His role in the context of salvation history.  They testify to the dramatic effect Jesus has not only upon Israel, but upon the whole world.

 Therefore, all of us, like our Lady and St. Joseph, as much disciples of Christ as both of them, are called to ponder this mystery as they did with a living faith.  And then we are called to “vote” for Christ by the way we live out our baptismal consecration and actively participate in the Paschal Mystery which is our redemption and consecration. 

Consequently, if we make judgements upon ourselves concerning our sins in Confession then we are enabled to bear witness to Christ as our Light, and then participate in His light.  And if afterwards we take up our cross and follow Him, then we receive a participation in His glory, like the saints in heaven.

Fr. Addisalem Mekonnen

(The twelfth in a series of meditations on the  Mysteries of the Rosary by Rev. Addisalem T. Mekonnen, Spiritual Director of the Philadelphia Senatus).

How are we able to see with eyes of faith the silver lining in our own life ?

It was after our Blessed Mother realized God’s mysterious plan for her to be the Mother of the long awaited Messiah, that she began to see the silver lining in not only her life but also the life of the whole human race and offer up her “fiat”. Our Lady saw how the silver lining was slowly becoming visible also for her cousin St. Elizabeth, who was called barren in her old age before God blessed her with John the Baptist who would become the precursor of his cousin, our Blessed Lord. Led by the Holy Spirit, Our Lady went in haste, not to simply see the silver lining but rather to live and rejoice in it, as the dark clouds became a thing of past memory. It was the eternal Son who radiated the light of the Holy Spirit in order that both Our Lady and St. Elizabeth saw how God gives them a good reason to offer up praise and thanksgiving to Him for all of their blessings.

The song of Mary is in fact the song of every Christian, if we are willing to see with eyes of faith, the silver lining in our own personal relationship with Jesus Christ in and through His bride, Holy Mother Church. I believe the Holy Spirit calls us to ask Him to help us see the silver lining in our life by writing down all of the blessings God has given us.

We can write “Blessed be God forever” and then add whatever that particular blessing is in the same sentence. Take for example, “Blessed be God forever since now I am able to serve the good Lord for another year here at Nativity”.  After we make our personal canticle we should be brave and share that canticle with a close trusted family member or friend. Making our own personal canticle, most especially in seasons of Calvary, is a simple way of seeing a silver lining with eyes of faith.  Although Jesus promised that the forecast would be filled with dark clouds, nevertheless, it too will pass and the light of the Holy Spirit will soon become our joy. This joy, too, will be for a season on earth but the interior peace of being a disciple of Christ will one day in heaven become an exterior eternal season of joy.

Fr. Addisalem Mekonnen

There are a couple upcoming opportunities to participate in a Legion of Mary Evangelization Day. Participants go two by two to visit homes in the Parish neighborhood and share their love for the Catholic Faith. See the tab under “Upcoming Events” for more information.

A day to listen, learn, pray, and share the mystery of the Blessed Mary, Mother of God.

When: SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2020

Where: St. Helena Parish,
Empress Room
1489 Dekalb Pike
Blue Bell, PA  19422

Schedule of the day:

8am Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:30am First Talk
11am Holy Mass
12pm Lunch
1:15pm Second Talk
2:30pm Holy Hour

               SPEAKER: Msgr. Michael Magee, S.S.L., S.T.D., S.T.L. Professor of Systematic Theology and Sacred Scripture at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary

          HOMILIST: Deacon Gregory Maskarinec
Earned  his M.A. in religious studies from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary  

RSVP:  before February 15, 2020, at 215-499-7841 or 267-918-2536 leaving your name and how many are attending with you.

EMAIL: aapeck2@gmail.com or joannstanger@verizon.net

A donation of $15 per person to cover lunch cost is required at the door.

(The eleventh in a series of meditations on the  Mysteries of the Rosary by Rev. Addisalem T. Mekonnen, Spiritual Director of the Philadelphia Senatus).

Do you agree with the modern proverb “if something is too good to be true it probably isn’t”? 

Just imagine the Pennsylvania lottery raised the prize money to one billion dollars and it was stated the odds are one in a billion that someone could win this time around. Let’s say you never played the lottery but you got a ticket as a gift from your best friend.  However, you are not interested in winning and you didn’t even check your ticket. Your friend comes over to your house and asks you if you checked your lottery ticket and you say no. Your friend checks your ticket and then screams out loud that you just won a billion dollars without even buying a ticket.  You think to yourself that perhaps this is too good to be true, so this can’t be happening. What needs to be judged is not simply the truthfulness, but rather the goodness of what has been given to us. I read in the newspaper that 70% of lottery winners are more likely to declare bankruptcy within three to five years than the average American. Also, studies have shown that winning the lottery does not necessarily make you happier or healthier. We might all think that if we only had more money, most or all of our problems, or at least the majority of them, would be solved, but the truth is, it could actually multiply our problems in ways we didn’t imagine.

Everything God created is good but the temptation we experience is to use the good that God gives us to serve ourselves rather than Him and so it no longer becomes good or true to the purpose God created it for in the first place. Consequently, the good that we pray for could end up becoming harmful to our relationship with God and others.  However, when we use the good he gives us according to his will, our desires are fulfilled in ways we could not imagine.

Similarly, I can imagine that our Lady wanted to be a consecrated virgin for God and it was her hope to serve God secretly in the holy Temple offering up prayers and fasting for the coming of the Messiah. Our Lady can relate to us in that God didn’t simply give her exactly what she wanted in her prayers, but rather called her to surrender to what He willed to give her in order for her to become the Mother of God. Our Lady had good desires because God planted those seeds, but God couldn’t think of a greater good to give than the Gift of Himself. In the Annunciation, our Lady is greeted by the archangel Gabriel “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women…” according to St. Jerome’s Vulgate which is his translation of the Holy Bible. This greeting perhaps at first made her think this is too good to be true but then she realized that it’s not only true but that God’s will is greater than our simple desires or understanding as we try to serve Him faithfully in whatever He calls us to do with the help of His grace.

Fr. Addisalem Mekonnen