On this very snowy Saturday I had to cube bread -covered with a peanut butter/
veggie oil mixture three times because it seemed there was never enough
for all the hungry sparrows, black birds, and pigeons. Yes, I love them all
because they are God's creatures after all. They may not be what some bird
feeders are looking for-- but then I am not into the exotic -- I am into the
hungry. I think the saints would approve -especially St. Francis.
I enjoyed reading "Saints, miracles and canonization" by Father Robert L. Kinast
in the CUB last. He reminded me that every day in my prayers I ask God to give
the miracles needed for canonization to: Mother Teresa, Mother Cecelia, Blessed
Margaret, Frs. Haddad, Solanus, Damian, Cieslak, and Merton and especially
Sr. Miriam Teresa Demjanovich. Why these?
1. Mother Teresa surely doesn't need my prayers, but I love to be reminded
of her anyways.
2. Mother Cecelia is not even up for sainthood but I love her because in her
later years she devoted her concerns to the animal condition. I have a book
about her called "A Nun Goes to the Dogs" and loved it.
3. Blessed Margaret lived in the Middle Ages but only recently has her story
surfaced. Born deformed to Italian nobility, her parents treated her shabbily
and even abandoned her. What a story, what a beautiful human being.
4. Everybody who knows about Fr. Damien and his work with the lepers
cannot but help being enamored with this kind, generous soul - exposing
himself willingly to the horrible disease of leprosy which of course he got.
5. I must have read something very good about Frs. Haddad, Solanus and
Cieslak to have included them among those I'm praying for recognition by
the church- even though I have since forgotten the particulars.
6. Father Merton, I believe, in his later life would have spoken for suffering
animals. Sadly, concern for animals is very low on the priority scale of Catholics
and Christians generally. I could never understand why. This idea of their
not having souls is such a sad reason for treating them badly, and guess what
Pope John Paul admitted they have souls. Immortal or not - what's the problem?
Why are we mistreating them?
And Sister Miriam Teresa Demjanovich I pray to especially. Born in 1901- a
year after my mother's birth, I share her ethnicity and church background.
Though I was baptized Byzantine as she and grew up in the Byzantine Rite as
she, I am disappointed that the Byzantine hierarchy has labeled her Ruthenian.
On the Catholic News Agency internet site they wrote that her parents were
Slovaks from Eastern Slovakia -as mine. However, the most important thing
is that she is being considered for sainthood.
Born in Bayonne NY- even from her early years- she showed great concern for the
needs of her family and put aside her desire to become a Carmelite to care for her
ailing mother. After her death, she decided her calling was to the Convent Station
Sisters of Charity where she soon stood out as leading an exemplary life of prayer.
She wrote copiously on the spiritual life and her book "Greater Perfection" was
published and read widely by people who read spiritual books. She even prepared
writings on the spiritual life which the chaplain used in his talks to the Sisters
though they were unaware that Sr. Miriam Teresa had written them because
she wanted to remain anonymous.
As the Wikipedia account so well summarizes: "Teresa's life in religion was short,
but filled with much work and suffering. Like Therese of Liseux, she apprently lived
a long time in a short space. She died May 8, 1927" (from apendicitis) I have known
about her since 1950. Indeed the process is slow -especially because of this private
soul whose existence was basically a very close and personal relationship with her
God. I receive "The Sister Miriam Teresa League of Prayer Bulletin" quarterly.
I will continue to pray for her until she reaches sainthood- if that is God's will.
