LEAVES Website for July-August 2024 Issue
Excerpted from “Leaflets” column:
Dear friends and readers of LEAVES,
Greetings and thank you so much for all your dedication and prayers. LEAVES is really a family where everyone prays for one another. Prayers help each LEAVES family member to grow in faith and in their relationship with Jesus.
Hardly a day goes by without some readers sending us letters requesting prayers for various intentions, and also telling us that they are praying for the readers of LEAVES. They also let us know how much they appreciate the magazine and are always waiting impatiently for the next issue to arrive. I am really convinced that you are God sent to us. Thank you for your prayers and sacrifices. You constantly help our Mariannhill Missionaries in their mission calling wherever they are sent. You are really re-evangelizing those around you.
We often hear today the word “re-evangelization.” Very often the dioceses where you come from are involved in some form of re-evangelization program. Not too long ago, as I was looking through my bookshelf for something to read, I came across a book written by a well known professor from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Dr. Scott Hahn. I am sure many you have heard of him before.
The book I have is entitled: EVANGELIZING CATHOLICS with the subtitle: “A Mission Manuel for the New Evangelization.” It is published by Our Sunday Visitor. Dr. Scott Hahn holds the Father Michael Scanlan Chair of Biblical Theology and New Evangelization at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He has been teaching there since1990.
In a nutshell, the author refers to the New Evangelization, as “a call to every man, woman, and child to fall in love, grow in love, and walk in love, with the God who loves us.” Hahn also reminds us that “one must understand that on an academic, as well as on a practical level, it is important since “New Evangelization is the task to which Christ, through His Church, calls each and every one of us.” And that includes you and me.
After about 2.000 years, Lumen Fides (the Light of Faith), a first encyclical letter on the light of faith in the history of the Catholic Church was written by two popes. It was started by Pope Benedict XVI and completed by Pope Francis. It is a directive or blueprint for the mission that lies ahead. But those two popes were not alone. Every pope from the last 50 years had prepared, in some way, the drawing up of this blueprint.
Enlightened by the Second Vatican Council, and its papal namesake, Pope St. Paul VI started using the theme of evangelization. He began visiting different countries as a preacher and a teacher. In other words he saw himself as what Hahn refers to as “a missionary in chief,” not only a prince of the Church. His intention was to bring the Good News to “the four corners of the world,’’ as Hahn puts it. Then Pope St. John Paul II continued what Pope St. Paul VI had started. He visited many countries, meeting heads of state, and Catholics, encouraging them to a greater relationship with God.
Dear friends of LEAVES, I feel that you do the same thing, through your sharing in LEAVES with your surrounding brothers and sisters. I would just simply like to ask you to continue your work of re-evangelization wherever you are and be always attentive to the call and incentives of the Holy Spirit. We support your efforts by our prayers and daily devotions.
Speaking of devotions, the month of July is often referred to as the Month of St. Anne. St. Anne was the mother of Mary and the grand mother of Jesus. I actually never knew my grandmothers. They both were dead when I was born.
As a young boy and a young man, I always felt sorry that I didn’t have a grandmother, while so many of my friends and classmates had their grandmothers around them. I was often a bit jealous of them. But, what can you do? I couldn’t create them. Nor could I steal one either!
But one day, on the day my ordination, I was told something very special. I was born on my grandfather’s farm in the province of Quebec in Canada. My grandfather was a widower. And at that time he was living with my dad and three sons and one step-daughter on a farm not too far from the Vermont border. When my parents got married they lived on the same farm with my grandfather, along with my uncles and my young aunt.
About two years after my parents lived there, my Mom became pregnant. When it was time to give birth to me, my father went to get a midwife. She was related to my mother and she was living not too far from where my parents lived. So she came over to help deliver me. I was my Mom’s first child.
On my ordination day, the midwife came to the ceremony. I knew her very well. Sometimes we would go to her home and spend the day with her family. So on that day, she said to me: “Father, did you know that when you were born, your mother dedicated you to St. Anne?” I had never heard about this. Then she added: “Remember that. Do not hesitate to ask St. Anne for help whenever you are in need of something.”
My Mom had never told me she had dedicated me to St. Anne. From that day on, St. Anne gradually became very special to me. She has become, in some way, my grandmother! Whenever I need something I ask her for help. Whenever someone else comes to me to pray for a favor, I always refer that person to St. Anne. And she always lends an attentive ear to me. So, today I must admit I don’t miss a grandmother as much as I did when I was younger. I always have St. Anne I can go back to – Fr. Michael Sheehy, C.M.M.
History of St. Anne’s Holy Relics
(This history accompanies the True Relic we at Mariannhill have had for around 90 years.)
Here at our Monastery, we have a true relic of St. Anne, which was given into the care of the Mariannhill Fathers in America in the early 1930’s.
Tradition tells us that the body of St. Anne — Mary’s holy mother, Christ’s own grandmother — was moved several times, for fear of desecration by unbelievers, before being lost to history. Tradition held that it was moved from Jerusalem to somewhere in southern France.
In the reign of Charlemagne, “Hammer of the Franks,” the deaf, dumb, and sightless son of a wealthy nobleman, the Baron de Cazeneuve, went to Apt, France, to attend the re-consecration ceremonies, which were also to be witnessed by the Emperor in thanksgiving for his victory against the Moors.
At the climax of these ceremonies, young de Cazeneuve suddenly threw himself on the ground, seemingly in a fit. Charlemagne, who had credited his victories to the Mother of God, was moved to give orders to dig where the youth indicated. A chapel was uncovered, below the church that was being re-consecrated. In it was a long-sealed crypt.
It was young Cazaneuve who announced what lay inside the crypt — though an inscription in Latin revealed the same truth. “In this crypt,” said the young man, mute from birth, “is the body of St. Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
His sight and hearing were, at the same time, miraculously restored — St. Anne’s first miracle of comparatively modern times, but by no means the greatest of the multitude of miracles wrought for those honoring her true relics ever since.
From Apt, France, all such precious fragments have come — including the True Relic given into the care and custody of the Mariannhill Fathers in America in the early 1930’s.
Prayer to St. Anne
(This prayer accompanies the True Relic we have at Mariannhill.)
With my heart full of the most sincere veneration, I prostrate myself before thee, Glorious St. Anne. Thou art that creature of privilege and predilection, who by thy extraordinary virtues and holiness didst merit from God the high favor of giving life to her who is the Treasury of all graces, blessed among women, the Mother of the Word Incarnate, the most holy Virgin Mary. By virtue of so lofty a privilege, thou deign, O most compassionate saint, to receive me into the number of thy true clients, for so I profess myself and so I desire to remain throughout my entire life.
Shield me with thine effectual patronage and obtain for me from God the power to imitate those virtues wherewith thou wast so plentifully adorned. Grant that I may know and weep over my sins in bitterness of heart. Obtain for me the grace of most active love for Jesus and Mary, and resolution to fulfill the duties of my state of life with faithfulness and constancy. Save me from every danger that confronts me in life, and help me at the hour of death, that so I may come in safety to paradise, there to sing with thee, O most happy mother, the praises of the Word of God made Man in the womb of thy most pure daughter, the Virgin Mary. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be, three times.
An indulgence of 300 days, once a day.
A plenary indulgence once a month, on the usual conditions, for the daily repetition of this prayer
(s.c.Ind., March 20, 1886: S. P. AP Oct. 10, 1934).
Excerpted from “Our Family Album”:
St. Anthony Helps Find
Things throughout Life
I have been reading the wonderful LEAVES magazine for years and have noted the large number of people who have donated money in honor of St. Anthony! Well, now it is my turn. My donation is in honor of this amazing saint who has virtually found everything I ever lost in my lifetime.
It all began at my First Communion. When I went up to receive Communion for the first time, someone stole my precious gift from my family, a beautiful, white Mass missal with a very special, plasticized cover with gorgeous illustrations.
Somehow I got the impression that my missal could never be returned, but St. Anthony would not let me lose another important belonging for the rest of my life – a tall order, but St. Anthony has come through for me from that point on, and I am now 80 years old!
The latest help St. Anthony gave me was the retrieval of two cellphones and a set of keys that I thought I would never see again! Please accept my humble donation – Sheila P.
St. Therese Comforts
Terminally-Ill Friend
My dear friend Roxanne died Jan. 2, 2022 (St. Therese’s birthday) due to metastatic breast cancer which turned into bone cancer. St. Therese was her most beloved saint and she prayed daily to her even before her illness.
I did not know much about St. Therese, but in the last four months of Roxanne’s life I learned a lot about her. I started to read, “The Story of a Soul” and I learned about her “Little Ways.”
I was blessed to have Roxanne as my friend. As her pain and illness progressed, she prayed more and more. Sadness and anger pervaded my soul, but not Roxanne’s.
My friend was suffering so much and I could not understand; however, Roxanne’s faith never wavered for a second. She died peaceful in her husband’s arms with her children.
As I read more about St. Therese, I am beginning to understand. Roxanne was praying for the strength and dignity that St. Therese displayed. Throughout Roxanne’s illness she never complained and she had grace, dignity and strength. She was more concerned about her husband and children.
At Roxanne’s funeral, the church smelled of roses. We believe that Roxanne is with St. Therese – Name Withheld.
Always Best to Ask
God to Take Control
I had worked in my profession for over 30 years, but never found it enjoyable. I should have thought of my position as a “career” but instead, considered it a “job,” which provided for my family.
Eventually the walls of my position started to cave in. I had been expecting this for years, but continued to develop new business opportunities. I could no longer tolerate the organization and asked God to do whatever He felt was necessary. This is important because up until this time I prayed for God to protect my position and let me endure.
Within two weeks of asking God to take the reins, I was laid off. Obviously there was anxiety and concern over losing my job, but there was also a small sense of relief that He was at work. My spouse was also very supportive throughout this time.
Fast forward a few years and getting laid off was one of the best things that could have happened. I left my chosen profession completely (since I never liked it) and started working for myself in a completely new area.
While the money is less now, I am much happier with my day-to-day life. I should also add that my last paycheck from my old employer allowed us to make our final mortgage payment. So, in addition to getting a new start working for myself, we also became debt free at the same time.
The lesson I learned was to not pray for what we want, but to ask God to take over. He is not a genie that grants wishes. I have read many testimonials to this effect, but to have it happen to yourself is nothing short of a miracle.
God answers all our prayers in the way that is best for us. Sometimes He provides a different result than expected. Sometimes He tells us to wait. Sometimes He says no because there is something better down the road. In the case of my job, He said, “Yes, time to finally move on.” – S.M.
Excerpted from Blessed Engelmar Testimonies:
A Life of
Blessed Engelmar
There is now available a booklet of the life of Blessed Engelmar Unzeitig, C.M.M. You may receive a free copy of it by sending a stamped (postage for one ounce), self-addressed envelope to us at: LEAVES, P.O. Box 87, Dearborn, MI 48121-0087.
Thanks for all the answers to prayers offered up to God, Jesus, Mary, Mother of Jesus, Ss. Anne, Anthony, Rita, Jude, Teresa, Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Francis, Martha, Philomena, the Holy Spirit and Bl. Engelmar, the LEAVES people, the priests and missionaries of LEAVES, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mary, Queen of Hearts, our guardian angels, our loved ones and friends in purgatory. Pray for Carol, Cole, Rod, Louie, Madison and Katelyn. Pray for guidance each day with God and Jesus – Carol.
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Please accept my donation in thanksgiving for St. Anthony’s Bread. He found a very important key for me, and other lost items, as well. Also, please accept another donation to keep LEAVES in print as my thanks for the intercession of Bl. Engelmar, St. Ann and so many of the dear angels, saints, holy souls, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, our heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit. The LEAVES family members are in my daily prayers. My family needs their prayers, too. I love LEAVES. It helps me so much. Thanks and prayers – Theresa.
Prayer for Bl. Engelmar
Jesus, with the help of your Mother Mary, Bl. Engelmar Unzeitig’s faith grew stronger, his hope more sure and his love more ardent in the concentration camp of Dachau. He became an intercessor for his own country and for the entire world.
Hear our prayers and grant what we ask through Bl. Engelmar’s intercession, so that you may be glorified in your martyrs and saints. We ask this in your name and in the name of all the martyrs of the 20th century.
Amen.
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Whoever receives favors through the intercession of Bl. Engelmar is asked to report them to the following person:
Postulator General
c/o Mariannhill Mission Society
23715 Ann Arbor Trail
Dearborn Heights, MI 48127
Novena in Honor of
Abbot Francis Pfanner
Abbot Francis Pfanner founded Mariannhill Monastery, and 100 years ago its monks became the Congregation of Missionaries of Mariannhill. He was not only a great missionary, but also a holy man. The cause for his beatification has begun. We have available a novena in his honor and will send you a free copy of it when you send a stamped (postage for one ounce), self-addressed envelope to us at: LEAVES, P.O. Box 87, Dearborn, MI 48121-0087.
God Will Find You
Fr. John Powell, a professor at Loyola University in Chicago, writes about a student named Tommy in his “Theology of Faith” class:
Some 12 years ago, I stood watching my university students file into the classroom for our first session of “Theology of Faith.” That was the day I first saw Tommy. My eyes and my mind both blinked. He was combing his long, flaxen hair which hung six inches below his shoulders.
It was the first time I had ever seen a boy with hair that long. I guess it was just coming into fashion then. I know in my mind that it isn’t what’s on your head but what’s in it that counts, but on that day I was unprepared, and my emotions flipped. I immediately filed Tommy under “S” for strange … very strange.
Tommy turned out to be the atheist in residence in my “Theology of Faith” course. He constantly objected to, smirked at, or whined about the possibility of an unconditionally loving Father/God. We lived with each other in relative peace for one semester, although I admit he was for me at times a serious pain in the back pew. When he came up at the end of the course to turn in his final exam, he asked in a cynical tone, “Do you think I’ll ever find God?”
I decided instantly on a little shock therapy. “No!” I said very emphatically.
“Why not?” he responded, “I thought that was the product you were pushing.”
I let him get five steps from the classroom door, and then called out, “Tommy! I don’t think you’ll ever find Him, but I am absolutely certain that He will find you!” He shrugged a little and left my class and my life.
I felt slightly disappointed at the thought that he had missed my clever line – He will find you! At least I thought it was clever. Later I heard that Tommy had graduated, and I was duly grateful.
Then a sad report came. I heard that Tommy had terminal cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to see me. … When he walked into my office, his body was very badly wasted and the long hair had all fallen out as a result of chemotherapy. But his eyes were bright and his voice was firm, for the first time, I believe. “Tommy, I’ve thought about you so often; I hear you are sick,” I blurted out.
“Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer in both lungs. It’s only a matter of weeks.”
“Can you talk about it, Tom?” I asked.
“Sure, what would you like to know?” he replied.
“What’s it like to be only 24 and dying?”
“Well, it could be worse.”
“Like what?”
“Well, like being 50 and having no values or ideals, like being 50 and thinking that booze, seducing women and making money are the real biggies in life.”
I began to look through my mental file cabinet under “S” where I had filed Tommy as strange. (It seems as though everybody I try to reject by classification, God sends back into my life to educate me.)
“But what I really came to see you about,” Tom said, “is something you said to me on the last day of class.” (He remembered!) He continued, “I asked if you thought I would ever find God and you said, ‘No!’ which surprised me. Then you said, ‘But He will find you.’ I thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly intense at that time.” (My clever line. He thought about that a lot!)
“But when the doctors removed a lump from my groin and told me that it was malignant, that’s when I got serious about locating God. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging bloody fists against the bronze doors of heaven. But God did not come out. In fact, nothing happened. Did you ever try anything for a long time with great effort and with no success? You get psychologically gutted, fed up with trying. And then you quit. Well, one day I woke up, and instead of throwing a few more futile appeals over that high brick wall to a God who may be or may not be there, I just quit.
“I decided that I didn’t really care about God, about an afterlife, or anything like that. I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more profitable. I thought about you and your class and I remembered something else you had said: ‘The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to go through life and leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you had loved them.’ So, I began with the hardest one, my Dad. He was reading the newspaper when I approached him
“Dad.”
“Yes, what?” he asked without lowering the newspaper.
“Dad, I would like to talk with you.”
“Well, talk.”
“I mean. It’s really important.”
The newspaper came down three slow inches. “What is it?”
“Dad, I love you. I just wanted you to know that.” Tom smiled at me and said it with obvious satisfaction, as though he felt a warm and secret joy flowing inside of him. “The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I could never remember him ever doing before. He cried and he hugged me. … We talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning. It felt so good to be close to my father, to see his tears, to feel his hug, to hear him say that he loved me.
“It was easier with my mother and little brother. They cried with me, too, and we hugged one another, and started saying real nice things to one another. We shared the things we had been keeping secret for so many years.
“I was only sorry about one thing – that I had waited so long. Here I was, just beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to.
“Then, one day I turned around and God was there. He didn’t come to me when I pleaded with Him. I guess I was like an animal trainer holding out a hoop. ‘C’mon, jump through. C’mon, I’ll give you three days, three weeks.’ Apparently God does things in His own way and at His own hour. But the important thing is that He was there. He found me! You were right. He found me even after I stopped looking for Him.”
“Tommy,” I practically gasped, “I think you are saying something very important and much more universal than you realize. To me, at least, you are saying that the surest way to find God is not to make Him a private possession, a problem solver, or an instant consolation in time of need, but rather by opening to love. You know, the Apostle John said that. He said: ‘God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him. …’
“Tom, could I ask you a favor? You know, when I had you in class you were a real pain. But (laughingly) you can make it all up to me now. Would you come into my present “Theology of Faith” course and tell them what you have just told me? If I told them the same thing, it wouldn’t be half as effective as if you were to tell it.”
“Oooh, I was ready for you, but I don’t know if I’m ready for your class.”
“Tom, think about it. If and when you are ready, give me a call.”
In a few days, Tom called, said he was ready for the class; that he wanted to do that for God and for me. So we scheduled a date. However, he never made it. He had another appointment, far more important than the one with me and my class.
Of course, Tommy’s life was not really ended by his death, only changed. … He made the great step from faith into vision. He found a life far more beautiful than the eye of man has ever seen or the ear of man has ever heard or the mind of man has ever imagined.
Before he died, Tommy and I talked one last time. “I’m not going to make it to your class,” he said.
“I know, Tom.”
“Will you tell them for me? Will you … tell the whole world for me?”
“I will, Tom. I’ll tell them. I’ll do my best.”
So, to all of you who have been kind enough to read this simple story about God’s love, thank you for listening. And to you, Tommy, somewhere in the sunlit, verdant hills of heaven – I told them, Tommy, as best I could.
If this story means anything to you, please pass it onto a friend or two. It is a true story and is not enhanced for publicity purposes.
With thanks,
Rev. John Powell, Professor
Loyola University, Chicago
Pope St. John Paul II’s Prayer for Peace
O almighty and merciful God, you cannot be understood by one who sows discord. You cannot be accepted by one who loves violence. Look upon our painful human condition, tried by cruel acts of terror and death. Comfort your children and open our hearts to hope, so that our time may again know days of serenity and peace.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer when
Leaving Home
Into the way of peace and prosperity, may the almighty and merciful Lord lead us and may the Archangel Raphael be with us along the way, that we may come to our home again in peace, and health and gladness.
Amen.
Stars
By Margaret Peterson
Flung across a darkened sky
Upon a summer night
Are countless stars created by God
To fill the heavens with light.
Mere man could never fashion one,
Yet God in all His power
Created countless many stars
To fill each nightly hour.
Stars lift our thoughts to more than us.
We lose our introspection
And lift our thoughts to our Creator,
Our God of great affection!
His love for us shines forth at night.
Clouds may dim the view,
But darkest clouds cannot block out
His love for me and you!
My Friend
By Sr. Marcella LaKoske, O.P.
The tree that scratched my window
is nowhere to be found.
They came and cut it down,
branches, trunk, roots right to the ground.
I wish I had been present
when they so boldly came
and took my friend away.
I’d really know who to blame.
I did not mind the scratching
upon my window pane.
The tree was part of God’s creation
and led down to the lane.
There’s nothing now but bits of grass
where once my tall tree stood.
It grew from just a seedling
and God saw that it would.
I’ll get another friend in time
and though I may not live to see it grow,
God will take care of it.
This much I really know.
Simplicity
By Grace E. Easley
Lord, I would ask one thing of Thee,
The gift of true simplicity:
A cheery fire, a rocking chair,
Enough to eat, enough to wear.
A tiny cottage built upon
A spot that I can call my own,
A garden and a shady tree,
A dog to keep me company.
A bed, a lamp, a book or two,
An old friend and perhaps a new,
A song to sing, a prayer to pray,
A grateful heart for every day.
A welcome mat that’s out to all,
Whenever neighbors come to call,
A pot that’s big enough to hold
Enough to fill another bowl.
A place where I may put the seed
For all the birds who come to feed,
A tiny dwelling made to hold
Them safely from the winter cold.
My needs are small, my wants are few,
A little, Lord, will more than do,
And since all things are mine in Thee,
… Then this is quite enough for me.
Double Trouble
By Bernice Laux
If mother Eve already knew
what the darn apple would do,
why did she let Adam eat
of the apple so sweet?
She could have said, “Adam, no!
Drop it, Adam. Let it go!”
If she loved Adam at all
why let Adam also fall?
Our little Eve was stalling
while poor Adam was falling.
Now both Adam and Eve
the garden did leave.
So, the first man and wife
led a miserable life.
If only one had fallen away,
would things be different today?
So, it was double trouble
that burst the bubble
of what might have been,
if they had run from sin!
Excerpted from “Leaflets” column:
Dear friends and readers of LEAVES,
Greetings and thank you so much for all your dedication and prayers. LEAVES is really a family where everyone prays for one another. Prayers help each LEAVES family member to grow in faith and in their relationship with Jesus.
Hardly a day goes by without some readers sending us letters requesting prayers for various intentions, and also telling us that they are praying for the readers of LEAVES. They also let us know how much they appreciate the magazine and are always waiting impatiently for the next issue to arrive. I am really convinced that you are God sent to us. Thank you for your prayers and sacrifices. You constantly help our Mariannhill Missionaries in their mission calling wherever they are sent. You are really re-evangelizing those around you.
We often hear today the word “re-evangelization.” Very often the dioceses where you come from are involved in some form of re-evangelization program. Not too long ago, as I was looking through my bookshelf for something to read, I came across a book written by a well known professor from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Dr. Scott Hahn. I am sure many you have heard of him before.
The book I have is entitled: EVANGELIZING CATHOLICS with the subtitle: “A Mission Manuel for the New Evangelization.” It is published by Our Sunday Visitor. Dr. Scott Hahn holds the Father Michael Scanlan Chair of Biblical Theology and New Evangelization at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He has been teaching there since1990.
In a nutshell, the author refers to the New Evangelization, as “a call to every man, woman, and child to fall in love, grow in love, and walk in love, with the God who loves us.” Hahn also reminds us that “one must understand that on an academic, as well as on a practical level, it is important since “New Evangelization is the task to which Christ, through His Church, calls each and every one of us.” And that includes you and me.
After about 2.000 years, Lumen Fides (the Light of Faith), a first encyclical letter on the light of faith in the history of the Catholic Church was written by two popes. It was started by Pope Benedict XVI and completed by Pope Francis. It is a directive or blueprint for the mission that lies ahead. But those two popes were not alone. Every pope from the last 50 years had prepared, in some way, the drawing up of this blueprint.
Enlightened by the Second Vatican Council, and its papal namesake, Pope St. Paul VI started using the theme of evangelization. He began visiting different countries as a preacher and a teacher. In other words he saw himself as what Hahn refers to as “a missionary in chief,” not only a prince of the Church. His intention was to bring the Good News to “the four corners of the world,’’ as Hahn puts it. Then Pope St. John Paul II continued what Pope St. Paul VI had started. He visited many countries, meeting heads of state, and Catholics, encouraging them to a greater relationship with God.
Dear friends of LEAVES, I feel that you do the same thing, through your sharing in LEAVES with your surrounding brothers and sisters. I would just simply like to ask you to continue your work of re-evangelization wherever you are and be always attentive to the call and incentives of the Holy Spirit. We support your efforts by our prayers and daily devotions.
Speaking of devotions, the month of July is often referred to as the Month of St. Anne. St. Anne was the mother of Mary and the grand mother of Jesus. I actually never knew my grandmothers. They both were dead when I was born.
As a young boy and a young man, I always felt sorry that I didn’t have a grandmother, while so many of my friends and classmates had their grandmothers around them. I was often a bit jealous of them. But, what can you do? I couldn’t create them. Nor could I steal one either!
But one day, on the day my ordination, I was told something very special. I was born on my grandfather’s farm in the province of Quebec in Canada. My grandfather was a widower. And at that time he was living with my dad and three sons and one step-daughter on a farm not too far from the Vermont border. When my parents got married they lived on the same farm with my grandfather, along with my uncles and my young aunt.
About two years after my parents lived there, my Mom became pregnant. When it was time to give birth to me, my father went to get a midwife. She was related to my mother and she was living not too far from where my parents lived. So she came over to help deliver me. I was my Mom’s first child.
On my ordination day, the midwife came to the ceremony. I knew her very well. Sometimes we would go to her home and spend the day with her family. So on that day, she said to me: “Father, did you know that when you were born, your mother dedicated you to St. Anne?” I had never heard about this. Then she added: “Remember that. Do not hesitate to ask St. Anne for help whenever you are in need of something.”
My Mom had never told me she had dedicated me to St. Anne. From that day on, St. Anne gradually became very special to me. She has become, in some way, my grandmother! Whenever I need something I ask her for help. Whenever someone else comes to me to pray for a favor, I always refer that person to St. Anne. And she always lends an attentive ear to me. So, today I must admit I don’t miss a grandmother as much as I did when I was younger. I always have St. Anne I can go back to – Fr. Michael Sheehy, C.M.M.
History of St. Anne’s Holy Relics
(This history accompanies the True Relic we at Mariannhill have had for around 90 years.)
Here at our Monastery, we have a true relic of St. Anne, which was given into the care of the Mariannhill Fathers in America in the early 1930’s.
Tradition tells us that the body of St. Anne — Mary’s holy mother, Christ’s own grandmother — was moved several times, for fear of desecration by unbelievers, before being lost to history. Tradition held that it was moved from Jerusalem to somewhere in southern France.
In the reign of Charlemagne, “Hammer of the Franks,” the deaf, dumb, and sightless son of a wealthy nobleman, the Baron de Cazeneuve, went to Apt, France, to attend the re-consecration ceremonies, which were also to be witnessed by the Emperor in thanksgiving for his victory against the Moors.
At the climax of these ceremonies, young de Cazeneuve suddenly threw himself on the ground, seemingly in a fit. Charlemagne, who had credited his victories to the Mother of God, was moved to give orders to dig where the youth indicated. A chapel was uncovered, below the church that was being re-consecrated. In it was a long-sealed crypt.
It was young Cazaneuve who announced what lay inside the crypt — though an inscription in Latin revealed the same truth. “In this crypt,” said the young man, mute from birth, “is the body of St. Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
His sight and hearing were, at the same time, miraculously restored — St. Anne’s first miracle of comparatively modern times, but by no means the greatest of the multitude of miracles wrought for those honoring her true relics ever since.
From Apt, France, all such precious fragments have come — including the True Relic given into the care and custody of the Mariannhill Fathers in America in the early 1930’s.
Prayer to St. Anne
(This prayer accompanies the True Relic we have at Mariannhill.)
With my heart full of the most sincere veneration, I prostrate myself before thee, Glorious St. Anne. Thou art that creature of privilege and predilection, who by thy extraordinary virtues and holiness didst merit from God the high favor of giving life to her who is the Treasury of all graces, blessed among women, the Mother of the Word Incarnate, the most holy Virgin Mary. By virtue of so lofty a privilege, thou deign, O most compassionate saint, to receive me into the number of thy true clients, for so I profess myself and so I desire to remain throughout my entire life.
Shield me with thine effectual patronage and obtain for me from God the power to imitate those virtues wherewith thou wast so plentifully adorned. Grant that I may know and weep over my sins in bitterness of heart. Obtain for me the grace of most active love for Jesus and Mary, and resolution to fulfill the duties of my state of life with faithfulness and constancy. Save me from every danger that confronts me in life, and help me at the hour of death, that so I may come in safety to paradise, there to sing with thee, O most happy mother, the praises of the Word of God made Man in the womb of thy most pure daughter, the Virgin Mary. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be, three times.
An indulgence of 300 days, once a day.
A plenary indulgence once a month, on the usual conditions, for the daily repetition of this prayer
(s.c.Ind., March 20, 1886: S. P. AP Oct. 10, 1934).
Excerpted from “Our Family Album”:
St. Anthony Helps Find
Things throughout Life
I have been reading the wonderful LEAVES magazine for years and have noted the large number of people who have donated money in honor of St. Anthony! Well, now it is my turn. My donation is in honor of this amazing saint who has virtually found everything I ever lost in my lifetime.
It all began at my First Communion. When I went up to receive Communion for the first time, someone stole my precious gift from my family, a beautiful, white Mass missal with a very special, plasticized cover with gorgeous illustrations.
Somehow I got the impression that my missal could never be returned, but St. Anthony would not let me lose another important belonging for the rest of my life – a tall order, but St. Anthony has come through for me from that point on, and I am now 80 years old!
The latest help St. Anthony gave me was the retrieval of two cellphones and a set of keys that I thought I would never see again! Please accept my humble donation – Sheila P.
St. Therese Comforts
Terminally-Ill Friend
My dear friend Roxanne died Jan. 2, 2022 (St. Therese’s birthday) due to metastatic breast cancer which turned into bone cancer. St. Therese was her most beloved saint and she prayed daily to her even before her illness.
I did not know much about St. Therese, but in the last four months of Roxanne’s life I learned a lot about her. I started to read, “The Story of a Soul” and I learned about her “Little Ways.”
I was blessed to have Roxanne as my friend. As her pain and illness progressed, she prayed more and more. Sadness and anger pervaded my soul, but not Roxanne’s.
My friend was suffering so much and I could not understand; however, Roxanne’s faith never wavered for a second. She died peaceful in her husband’s arms with her children.
As I read more about St. Therese, I am beginning to understand. Roxanne was praying for the strength and dignity that St. Therese displayed. Throughout Roxanne’s illness she never complained and she had grace, dignity and strength. She was more concerned about her husband and children.
At Roxanne’s funeral, the church smelled of roses. We believe that Roxanne is with St. Therese – Name Withheld.
Always Best to Ask
God to Take Control
I had worked in my profession for over 30 years, but never found it enjoyable. I should have thought of my position as a “career” but instead, considered it a “job,” which provided for my family.
Eventually the walls of my position started to cave in. I had been expecting this for years, but continued to develop new business opportunities. I could no longer tolerate the organization and asked God to do whatever He felt was necessary. This is important because up until this time I prayed for God to protect my position and let me endure.
Within two weeks of asking God to take the reins, I was laid off. Obviously there was anxiety and concern over losing my job, but there was also a small sense of relief that He was at work. My spouse was also very supportive throughout this time.
Fast forward a few years and getting laid off was one of the best things that could have happened. I left my chosen profession completely (since I never liked it) and started working for myself in a completely new area.
While the money is less now, I am much happier with my day-to-day life. I should also add that my last paycheck from my old employer allowed us to make our final mortgage payment. So, in addition to getting a new start working for myself, we also became debt free at the same time.
The lesson I learned was to not pray for what we want, but to ask God to take over. He is not a genie that grants wishes. I have read many testimonials to this effect, but to have it happen to yourself is nothing short of a miracle.
God answers all our prayers in the way that is best for us. Sometimes He provides a different result than expected. Sometimes He tells us to wait. Sometimes He says no because there is something better down the road. In the case of my job, He said, “Yes, time to finally move on.” – S.M.
Excerpted from Blessed Engelmar Testimonies:
A Life of
Blessed Engelmar
There is now available a booklet of the life of Blessed Engelmar Unzeitig, C.M.M. You may receive a free copy of it by sending a stamped (postage for one ounce), self-addressed envelope to us at: LEAVES, P.O. Box 87, Dearborn, MI 48121-0087.
Thanks for all the answers to prayers offered up to God, Jesus, Mary, Mother of Jesus, Ss. Anne, Anthony, Rita, Jude, Teresa, Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Francis, Martha, Philomena, the Holy Spirit and Bl. Engelmar, the LEAVES people, the priests and missionaries of LEAVES, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mary, Queen of Hearts, our guardian angels, our loved ones and friends in purgatory. Pray for Carol, Cole, Rod, Louie, Madison and Katelyn. Pray for guidance each day with God and Jesus – Carol.
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Please accept my donation in thanksgiving for St. Anthony’s Bread. He found a very important key for me, and other lost items, as well. Also, please accept another donation to keep LEAVES in print as my thanks for the intercession of Bl. Engelmar, St. Ann and so many of the dear angels, saints, holy souls, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, our heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit. The LEAVES family members are in my daily prayers. My family needs their prayers, too. I love LEAVES. It helps me so much. Thanks and prayers – Theresa.
Prayer for Bl. Engelmar
Jesus, with the help of your Mother Mary, Bl. Engelmar Unzeitig’s faith grew stronger, his hope more sure and his love more ardent in the concentration camp of Dachau. He became an intercessor for his own country and for the entire world.
Hear our prayers and grant what we ask through Bl. Engelmar’s intercession, so that you may be glorified in your martyrs and saints. We ask this in your name and in the name of all the martyrs of the 20th century.
Amen.
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Whoever receives favors through the intercession of Bl. Engelmar is asked to report them to the following person:
Postulator General
c/o Mariannhill Mission Society
23715 Ann Arbor Trail
Dearborn Heights, MI 48127
Novena in Honor of
Abbot Francis Pfanner
Abbot Francis Pfanner founded Mariannhill Monastery, and 100 years ago its monks became the Congregation of Missionaries of Mariannhill. He was not only a great missionary, but also a holy man. The cause for his beatification has begun. We have available a novena in his honor and will send you a free copy of it when you send a stamped (postage for one ounce), self-addressed envelope to us at: LEAVES, P.O. Box 87, Dearborn, MI 48121-0087.
God Will Find You
Fr. John Powell, a professor at Loyola University in Chicago, writes about a student named Tommy in his “Theology of Faith” class:
Some 12 years ago, I stood watching my university students file into the classroom for our first session of “Theology of Faith.” That was the day I first saw Tommy. My eyes and my mind both blinked. He was combing his long, flaxen hair which hung six inches below his shoulders.
It was the first time I had ever seen a boy with hair that long. I guess it was just coming into fashion then. I know in my mind that it isn’t what’s on your head but what’s in it that counts, but on that day I was unprepared, and my emotions flipped. I immediately filed Tommy under “S” for strange … very strange.
Tommy turned out to be the atheist in residence in my “Theology of Faith” course. He constantly objected to, smirked at, or whined about the possibility of an unconditionally loving Father/God. We lived with each other in relative peace for one semester, although I admit he was for me at times a serious pain in the back pew. When he came up at the end of the course to turn in his final exam, he asked in a cynical tone, “Do you think I’ll ever find God?”
I decided instantly on a little shock therapy. “No!” I said very emphatically.
“Why not?” he responded, “I thought that was the product you were pushing.”
I let him get five steps from the classroom door, and then called out, “Tommy! I don’t think you’ll ever find Him, but I am absolutely certain that He will find you!” He shrugged a little and left my class and my life.
I felt slightly disappointed at the thought that he had missed my clever line – He will find you! At least I thought it was clever. Later I heard that Tommy had graduated, and I was duly grateful.
Then a sad report came. I heard that Tommy had terminal cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to see me. … When he walked into my office, his body was very badly wasted and the long hair had all fallen out as a result of chemotherapy. But his eyes were bright and his voice was firm, for the first time, I believe. “Tommy, I’ve thought about you so often; I hear you are sick,” I blurted out.
“Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer in both lungs. It’s only a matter of weeks.”
“Can you talk about it, Tom?” I asked.
“Sure, what would you like to know?” he replied.
“What’s it like to be only 24 and dying?”
“Well, it could be worse.”
“Like what?”
“Well, like being 50 and having no values or ideals, like being 50 and thinking that booze, seducing women and making money are the real biggies in life.”
I began to look through my mental file cabinet under “S” where I had filed Tommy as strange. (It seems as though everybody I try to reject by classification, God sends back into my life to educate me.)
“But what I really came to see you about,” Tom said, “is something you said to me on the last day of class.” (He remembered!) He continued, “I asked if you thought I would ever find God and you said, ‘No!’ which surprised me. Then you said, ‘But He will find you.’ I thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly intense at that time.” (My clever line. He thought about that a lot!)
“But when the doctors removed a lump from my groin and told me that it was malignant, that’s when I got serious about locating God. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging bloody fists against the bronze doors of heaven. But God did not come out. In fact, nothing happened. Did you ever try anything for a long time with great effort and with no success? You get psychologically gutted, fed up with trying. And then you quit. Well, one day I woke up, and instead of throwing a few more futile appeals over that high brick wall to a God who may be or may not be there, I just quit.
“I decided that I didn’t really care about God, about an afterlife, or anything like that. I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more profitable. I thought about you and your class and I remembered something else you had said: ‘The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to go through life and leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you had loved them.’ So, I began with the hardest one, my Dad. He was reading the newspaper when I approached him
“Dad.”
“Yes, what?” he asked without lowering the newspaper.
“Dad, I would like to talk with you.”
“Well, talk.”
“I mean. It’s really important.”
The newspaper came down three slow inches. “What is it?”
“Dad, I love you. I just wanted you to know that.” Tom smiled at me and said it with obvious satisfaction, as though he felt a warm and secret joy flowing inside of him. “The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I could never remember him ever doing before. He cried and he hugged me. … We talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning. It felt so good to be close to my father, to see his tears, to feel his hug, to hear him say that he loved me.
“It was easier with my mother and little brother. They cried with me, too, and we hugged one another, and started saying real nice things to one another. We shared the things we had been keeping secret for so many years.
“I was only sorry about one thing – that I had waited so long. Here I was, just beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to.
“Then, one day I turned around and God was there. He didn’t come to me when I pleaded with Him. I guess I was like an animal trainer holding out a hoop. ‘C’mon, jump through. C’mon, I’ll give you three days, three weeks.’ Apparently God does things in His own way and at His own hour. But the important thing is that He was there. He found me! You were right. He found me even after I stopped looking for Him.”
“Tommy,” I practically gasped, “I think you are saying something very important and much more universal than you realize. To me, at least, you are saying that the surest way to find God is not to make Him a private possession, a problem solver, or an instant consolation in time of need, but rather by opening to love. You know, the Apostle John said that. He said: ‘God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him. …’
“Tom, could I ask you a favor? You know, when I had you in class you were a real pain. But (laughingly) you can make it all up to me now. Would you come into my present “Theology of Faith” course and tell them what you have just told me? If I told them the same thing, it wouldn’t be half as effective as if you were to tell it.”
“Oooh, I was ready for you, but I don’t know if I’m ready for your class.”
“Tom, think about it. If and when you are ready, give me a call.”
In a few days, Tom called, said he was ready for the class; that he wanted to do that for God and for me. So we scheduled a date. However, he never made it. He had another appointment, far more important than the one with me and my class.
Of course, Tommy’s life was not really ended by his death, only changed. … He made the great step from faith into vision. He found a life far more beautiful than the eye of man has ever seen or the ear of man has ever heard or the mind of man has ever imagined.
Before he died, Tommy and I talked one last time. “I’m not going to make it to your class,” he said.
“I know, Tom.”
“Will you tell them for me? Will you … tell the whole world for me?”
“I will, Tom. I’ll tell them. I’ll do my best.”
So, to all of you who have been kind enough to read this simple story about God’s love, thank you for listening. And to you, Tommy, somewhere in the sunlit, verdant hills of heaven – I told them, Tommy, as best I could.
If this story means anything to you, please pass it onto a friend or two. It is a true story and is not enhanced for publicity purposes.
With thanks,
Rev. John Powell, Professor
Loyola University, Chicago
Pope St. John Paul II’s Prayer for Peace
O almighty and merciful God, you cannot be understood by one who sows discord. You cannot be accepted by one who loves violence. Look upon our painful human condition, tried by cruel acts of terror and death. Comfort your children and open our hearts to hope, so that our time may again know days of serenity and peace.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer when
Leaving Home
Into the way of peace and prosperity, may the almighty and merciful Lord lead us and may the Archangel Raphael be with us along the way, that we may come to our home again in peace, and health and gladness.
Amen.
Stars
By Margaret Peterson
Flung across a darkened sky
Upon a summer night
Are countless stars created by God
To fill the heavens with light.
Mere man could never fashion one,
Yet God in all His power
Created countless many stars
To fill each nightly hour.
Stars lift our thoughts to more than us.
We lose our introspection
And lift our thoughts to our Creator,
Our God of great affection!
His love for us shines forth at night.
Clouds may dim the view,
But darkest clouds cannot block out
His love for me and you!
My Friend
By Sr. Marcella LaKoske, O.P.
The tree that scratched my window
is nowhere to be found.
They came and cut it down,
branches, trunk, roots right to the ground.
I wish I had been present
when they so boldly came
and took my friend away.
I’d really know who to blame.
I did not mind the scratching
upon my window pane.
The tree was part of God’s creation
and led down to the lane.
There’s nothing now but bits of grass
where once my tall tree stood.
It grew from just a seedling
and God saw that it would.
I’ll get another friend in time
and though I may not live to see it grow,
God will take care of it.
This much I really know.
Simplicity
By Grace E. Easley
Lord, I would ask one thing of Thee,
The gift of true simplicity:
A cheery fire, a rocking chair,
Enough to eat, enough to wear.
A tiny cottage built upon
A spot that I can call my own,
A garden and a shady tree,
A dog to keep me company.
A bed, a lamp, a book or two,
An old friend and perhaps a new,
A song to sing, a prayer to pray,
A grateful heart for every day.
A welcome mat that’s out to all,
Whenever neighbors come to call,
A pot that’s big enough to hold
Enough to fill another bowl.
A place where I may put the seed
For all the birds who come to feed,
A tiny dwelling made to hold
Them safely from the winter cold.
My needs are small, my wants are few,
A little, Lord, will more than do,
And since all things are mine in Thee,
… Then this is quite enough for me.
Double Trouble
By Bernice Laux
If mother Eve already knew
what the darn apple would do,
why did she let Adam eat
of the apple so sweet?
She could have said, “Adam, no!
Drop it, Adam. Let it go!”
If she loved Adam at all
why let Adam also fall?
Our little Eve was stalling
while poor Adam was falling.
Now both Adam and Eve
the garden did leave.
So, the first man and wife
led a miserable life.
If only one had fallen away,
would things be different today?
So, it was double trouble
that burst the bubble
of what might have been,
if they had run from sin!