Hope Beyond

The Sacred Art of Dying with the Saints   The Little Poor Man whispered, “Welcome, Sister Death!” What gracious words, as to a friend, even in the hour of his passing! St Francis of Assisi loved all nature – animate and inanimate, animals and birds, spirits and powers, even life and death – all creation shared in the same Divine Largesse of Jesus Christ. As fellow creatures of God, they were all his kin, and he greeted them with hospitality – the healthy and beautiful people as well as lepers and “...the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind” (Luke 14:12-14). Even the littlest delights of life were not excluded as Francis faced mortality. According to his biographer, Tommaso da Celano, Francis longed for Mostaccioli – sweet, almond cookies – that he had once enjoyed. This was conveyed to a wealthy benefactor, Lady Jacoba de Settesoli, who hurried from Rome to bring the delicious treat to her dying friend. Although Fra Angelico is officially the patron saint of artists, especially painters, St Francis chose the artistry of being. Abiding constantly in the Incarnate Word, Il Poverello’s singing and exuberance of life showed Christians of all ages the Ars Vivendi – the art of living – as well as of dying, the Ars Moriendi. Another great artist of the sacred way, St Augustine of Hippo, directed the faithful: "Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to His love, and the future to His providence." Whatever the form of sacred artistry, those who are disciples share one communion and aim: that Jesus Christ be known and loved. Moreover, the same tools of resolution are employed by those great artists and saints who consecrate the world itself to God: poverty, charity, simplicity, meekness, humility, and love of being despised, for the sake of the Lord Jesus. My late husband was an educator and poet, as well as a husband and father. The sacred art of living mattered to him, as it does to me, but I am no artist. After forty years of creative tension, we were blessed to be together when the hour of final division came. His was a hard death after long suffering and illness. Even so, because Christ was so close to us both in that moment, his passing was the zenith of our married life together. A great teacher to the very end, my late husband’s final word, barely audible, was “Love!”  Shortly before his end, he was no longer aware of familiar surroundings. Confused and agitated, he struggled to get out of bed. With his best professorial voice, he insisted: “Let me get up! I must stand up for the King!” Then, he added enigmatically: “...And I won’t be your king, unless you let me get up!” Our eldest daughter answered, equally cryptically but with gentle authority: “Dad, you must lie back down now. Jesus is the King, and He is coming to you. You’re supposed to lie down, just quietly, and wait for Him.” Staring vacantly for a moment, he finally spoke, still in a commanding but fainter voice: “Alright, then. So be it; we’ll let the Story dictate the action.” And with this final self-directive, he lay back down and waited. It did not take long before Sister Death came to call. The terrifying black hole of death has been too often romanticized; it is not easy to die. Nor is it easy to accept the love of Jesus, from whom people find courage to live! The courageous saints conformed their unique lives according to the pattern of Christ Jesus and his teaching. As living manifestations of the Beatitudes, they embodied that mysterious art form of dying to self. They show us how to live joyously in the Kingdom of God, and we tremble in our hope to join them. Each generation of the Church’s Faithful builds cumulatively upon the model given us by the earlier saints. Drawing on their presence and example, all people now living belong to the very real Communion of Saints and draw strength and inspiration through their intercessory prayers and sacred artistry. With what gratitude we return the blessing with the familiar prayer: “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.” Ruth D. Lasseter SDC Associate Indiana, USA

The Apostolic Letter, Drawing New Maps of Hope, has been issued by Pope Leo XIV to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Conciliar Declaration Gravissimum educationis. This significant document highlights the extreme importance and current relevance of education in human life. Far from being merely a secondary task, the text emphasizes that education “forms the very fabric of evangelization” by acting as the concrete means through which the Gospel becomes an educational gesture and a relationship. Educational communities are called to be revitalized amidst a landscape of rapid change and uncertainty, choosing to build bridges rather than walls. Even in a complex, fragmented, and digitized educational environment, the original potency of Gravissimum educationis remains clear. Confronting dramatic global emergencies, such as poverty, migration, and various forms of inequality, compels the Church to renew its educational commitment. Indeed, education, as recalled in an Apostolic Exhortation, “is one of the highest expressions of Christian charity”. The letter advocates for refocusing on the "cosmology of Christian paideia," a vision capable of inspiring all aspects of education. Crucially, the principles outlined in the Apostolic Letter reaffirm the necessity of placing the person at the center of the educational process, thereby safeguarding human dignity. This vision is closely linked to the prophetic legacy of the Global Compact on Education by Pope Francis, which seeks to form alliances across institutions in universal fraternity. Ultimately, Drawing New Maps of Hope is presented as an urgent mandate for Catholic educational institutions navigating the difficulties of the present time. Read The Apostolic Letter - Drawing New Maps of Hope

As the year begins to darken and nature grows still, we are gently reminded of the frailty and brevity of human life. The Church invites us not to avoid the thought of death, but to face it with faith, trust, and hope. Throughout November, we honour the saints who now live in God’s presence, while also praying for the departed who still need our intercession. In this act of remembrance, we affirm that we belong to one spiritual family, the communion of saints, bound together in a love that does not end. Christian hope assures us that love is stronger than death, giving us strength even in seasons of loss. Jesus proclaims, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), offering us the promise of life beyond the grave. The saints whose lives we revisit throughout the year show us that holiness is possible for ordinary people who place God at the centre of everything. Their example teaches us that death is not a final page, but the opening of a new chapter with Christ. As the liturgical year closes and the feast of Christ the King approaches, we are reminded to live each day in the light of eternity, with hearts full of gratitude and purpose. St Paul urges us to persevere, assuring us that nothing done for God is ever wasted. Although the Jubilee of Hope nears its conclusion, the call to live in hope continues, pointing us toward the day we will meet the One who loves us endlessly. With the Psalmist we pray for the wisdom to “number our days” (Psalm 90:12) so that we may walk as pilgrims of hope, ready to enter the eternal feast when the Bridegroom calls.

The power of prayer originates in God alone. We have this truth on the best of authority. “The Kingdom of God is within you,” declared our Blessed Lord. St Paul ratified this when he taught the early disciples in Corinth, “...Your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit that you received from God and lives within you” (1 Corinthians 6:19).  Paul goes on to state that we don’t own ourselves; we belong to God, who alone creates purity of heart, if we allow Him to do so and ask nicely. (God is gentle and will not impose, without an invitation.) The missionary work of authentic discipleship, like prayer, arises from a pure heart. While it is the unique combined ability to think, to pray, to create, and to control our instincts that makes us human beings, we habitually refuse these “worship aids.” St Paul recognized this reality when he wrote to the Romans 7:18-25: “The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.” Such irrational proud self-sufficiency that blinds us to authentic prayer and the divine foundation of missionary discipleship! The detour away from authentic prayer (from our bad attitude or just impatience, perhaps?) is when the progressive narrative of any marriage, family, center, parish, or Christian community addresses the challenge of discipleship with smug confidence: “How can I make this project go forward and grow in prosperity? How can I – yes, almighty me! – successfully teach children and other ignorant humans, who may not know their right hand from their left?” The great Carmelite doctor of the Church, St Teresa of Avila, cut through this lie of self-sufficiency when she taught her nuns that: “Prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.” How far, how very far, does this truth extend through all stages and in all relationships of a human life? Simply, we are to be friends with the Reality of God, to remain in the Love of the Blessed Trinity, through Jesus Christ. The extension of this is the final command of our Divine Master: “Love one another.” We have the Magisterium and Sacraments of our Catholic Church to guide us in how to implement and connect us with the supernatural tradition, which is both ancient and ever new. We are not alone, not orphans. By their lifestyle on earth and intercession from heaven, the saints of past generations help us with both our life of prayer and missionary calling. Additionally, the holy angels, with their eternal emanation from the Blessed Trinity, pray with us and for us. Prayer is most powerful (and most completely fused with Mission) when one becomes a living vessel of the Beatitudes (manifest in the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy). We pray for one another and with one another, in the Divine Wounds, through the love that is within us, on the condition that we remain in His love. Therein is the seed of the Word. The prayers of a catechist (or parent or friend) amounts to a cry of love for another: “Dear Lord, let him grow.” And for a family, centre, or parish: “Lord Jesus, be present among us and teach through us.” Shortly before I came to Malta in 2013 to learn about the missionary apostolate of the Society of Christian Doctrine, I felt afraid. Needing guidance and hope on where to begin introducing St George Preca’s spirituality into the USA (where rugged self-sufficiency is considered a virtue and humility a weakness), I reached out to a trusted bishop with the question: “Do you think I can do this?”  Faithful, true, and devoid of false optimism, his answer was like a lightning bolt: “No, you cannot. However, God working within you may be able to do so.” He gave me an enduring directive: “Pray constantly. Pray especially against self-deceit.” Later, in reading more deeply into the writings of St George Preca, I learned two central realities: “God does not need you” and “it is your intention that matters.” The divine superfluity continues and comforts, even in the face of shortcomings or even miserable flops! Yet, needed or not, successful or failure, how lovely to be invited to be part of the Great Story, which recalls that nothing is lost or wasted with God. All human beings are invited to share in the freedom of the Christian gospel! Empowered by the mandate of love and accompanied by many prayers, we may even find the courage to receive the Love of Jesus Christ. Then, we can dare to hope that others will come to share with us – to learn and teach, to play and to live. “Let the little children come unto me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14). Ruth D. Lasseter SDC Associate Indiana, USA

On the third Sunday of October, the Church celebrates Mission Sunday to remind us of our missionary calling. It reminds us that every Christian is sent to proclaim the Word of God through both word and example. This is the duty of every Christian, who at Baptism received the responsibility to bring Jesus to all those they encounter. Jesus himself is the Missionary sent by the Father to bring to humanity all that the Father wished to reveal. Through his mission, he reconciled creation with the Creator. It is Jesus himself who, after fulfilling his mission on earth, sends us to continue his work: “As the Father sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21). Every Christian is a mission, for through each person God the Father wishes to accomplish something beautiful among humankind. The wish of St George Preca, “that the whole world may follow the Gospel”, reflects the missionary zeal that inspired him to found the Society of Christian Doctrine (SDC), through which the Gospel continues to spread. By God’s grace, the SDC is today present in Malta and Gozo, England, Poland, Albania, Kenya, Peru, Cuba, the Philippines, and Australia. Let us continue to pray that the Lord God may continue to work through the Society so that Jesus may be ever more known and loved.   O God, Father of the blessed Jesus Christ, following your Son’s exhortation, we ask you to send workers into the world to teach people who are in ignorance of the faith; so that everyone comes to know you, the only true God and the same Jesus Christ that you sent to the world to be its Savior. We know that you want all human beings to achieve salvation and we also know that without your grace no one can do anything. Therefore, we confidently invoke your holy name over us. Only one thing is necessary for us human beings: to achieve the salvation of our soul. And we can only achieve this if we are subjects of your mercy before your eyes. We find rest in knowing that you are always merciful and forgiving, so we surrender our spirit into your hands. All honor and glory be to you forever, almighty one. Amen.  

On the occasion of the canonisation of the young Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, the Society of Christian Doctrine (SDC), through Preca Publications, has published Robert Aloisio’s book Għaxra Oħra Żgħar imma Kbar (Another Ten Young but Great Ones). This is the sequel to a book Aloisio published five years ago, Għaxra Żgħar imma Kbar (Ten Young but Great Ones). Both books deal with the lives of young people, many of them contemporary, who bore witness, through their words and actions, to their faith in Christ. The book is ideal for all adolescents and for those who accompany them, as it clearly shows that it is indeed possible to live well even today, in the 21st century. Acutis and Frassati were young saints. Today, many might ask: can one really be a saint nowadays? And what are the children and young saints of the twenty-first century like? Yes, there are holy children and young people—and they are certainly not boring! They are joyful, creative, fascinating... cool! Boys and girls, young women and men, who speak to us through the goodness of their lives. This book aims to be a modest expression of gratitude to these young brothers and sisters of ours, ten youths from different countries and cultures. Yet the saints are not there merely to be admired, but to be imitated. Apart from Pier Giorgio Frassati, the book also presents six other young people whose holiness has been officially recognised by the Church, among them: Isidore Bakanja, a 22-year-old African youth who was killed by his Belgian employer and declared Blessed in 1994; Marcel Callo, a young French worker killed by the Nazis and declared Blessed in 1987; Anuarite Nengapeta, a 25-year-old African nun martyred during a civil war and declared Blessed in 1985; and Laura Vicuña, a 13-year-old Chilean girl declared Blessed in 1988. Together with these, Aloisio includes three other well-known young saints: St Aloysius Gonzaga, St Maria Goretti, and St Thérèse of the Child Jesus. These young saints teach us a faith born of trust, like that of a child in their father, at a time when people have grown doubtful and suspicious of everything. They teach us enthusiasm, simplicity, freshness. They teach us not to be complicated. They teach us humility and trust in others. For children read hearts, not words. Above all, they teach us to believe. For they were all children and young people who truly believed. They were young in age but great in faith, ten others young but GREAT ONES! At the end of the book, there is also a short interview with Antonia, the mother of Carlo Acutis, and a series of quotations from the writings and sayings of these young saints. Robert Aloisio is a member of the Society of Christian Doctrine and author of several books, including Il-Papiet Kbar ta’ Żmienna (The Great Popes of Our Time) and Għoxrin Ġgant tas-Seklu Għoxrin (Twenty Giants of the Twentieth Century). The book Għaxra Oħra Żgħar imma Kbar is available from Librerija Preca.  

From The Rosary, Roses of Prayer for the Queen of Heaven by Rev. Daniel A. Lord S.J. Mary is the lovely Mother of the world. She is the beautiful Queen of Heaven. Now the sweetest gift that people give toa mother and a queen is a bouquet of flowers. Mary, since that first Christmas, has beenwonderfully good to all her children. So, we love to give her roses. Since she is in heaven, it is hard to give herroses from our gardens. Yet we do this when we decorate hershrines. Always we can give her our Rosary, abeautiful bouquet of prayers. So we lay the Rosary in the arms of ourQueen and Mother. Often we call the Rosary our "beads." Almost every Catholic carries these beads in his pocket or in her purse. Little children love to say them with their parents. When Catholics die, usually their beads are twined through their fingers, and they are buried with them. Great saints have called their beads a ladder leading up to heaven. But simple, uneducated people loved them too. Today, good Catholics say them when they walk, in street cars, while they wait for friends, at night in their rooms, driving their autos, wherever they have a minute to think of Jesus and talk to Mary. Like all the great saints, Saint Dominic deeply loved God's Mother, Mary. He dedicated his splendid priests, the Dominicans, to her. Dominic taught men to love the name of Jesus. He longed to make them know and love the sweet Mother of Jesus. He wanted them to pray to her, to think of her, to recall the wonderful life of Jesus and Mary. Mary loved her son, Dominic. So she gave him a string of beads like a necklace. She taught him how to use it. She asked him to give it to the world. And from that day on, men and women have used the Rosary when they pray to God's Mother.