Snow and Springtime

At noon today I sat outside on a bench, reading the Bible and contemplating this view.

Dear Friends and Family,

A blessed Passion Sunday to you all! Among many blessings today I spent some time sitting outside with the above view, reading the Bible and praying. I was thinking in particular about the Beatitudes and about Our Lord's beautiful call to trust where He invites us to consider the lilies of the fields. His wisdom and ways our so different from ours, so different from the world's. It gives real peace and joy to contemplate His promises in the Beatitudes, to refocus our gaze on what is important in His eyes.

On the Feast of the Annunciation, He decided to cover everything in a visible sign of Our Lady's purity, as can be seen in the photos below:

Here in Florence, such things are a rare sight! It felt a bit like Christmas morning to wake up on the Annunciation and walk outside in this winter wonderland. I couldn't help but think of Our Lady whose purity and love can make all things new, no matter what may be taking place in our lives.

Probably the most significant change in my daily life here this past week has been praying the rosary online live with so many of you. In fact in 5 minutes I need to sign off to prepare for that so I'll be brief...

Even if no one else were following online it has been such a joy to pray with so many of your families in real-time. Thank you for all of the birthday wishes and greetings online! Since I'm serving a broad audience I've felt it was better to not single out those I already knew in the live broadcasts, but please know that each of you has a special place in my heart and that it is a very particular joy to stop and think that you are praying with me.

Beyond that, it was a rather strange experience to begin speaking in front of a computer, with no one else in the room, but to know that people throughout the world were listening and praying. But I am getting more used to it.  I wrote one of you for feedback after the first live broacast, saying that my image looked a bit funny to me on the screen. You wrote back saying, "Well, Father, that's what you look like so you'll just have to get used to it." After such encouraging words.... I have carried on. I'd best sign off now.

You are in my daily prayers, especially in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Even if you do not post intentions online, please know that I am keeping you and your intentions in my heart.

May Jesus protect you and Our Lady guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Consecration to the Immaculate Virgin Mary written by St. Maximilian Kolbe

Consecration of St. Maximilian Kolbe

O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you.  I, (name), a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet humbly imploring you to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to yourself as your possession and property.  Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases you.

If it pleases you, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of you: "She will crush your head," and, "You alone have destroyed all heresies in the world."  Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing your glory to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.  For wherever you enter, you obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

V. Allow me to praise you, O sacred Virgin. 

R. Give me strength against your enemies.

LiveStreamed Daily Rosary from Italy

Signs of spring.

Dear Friends and Family,

You all are in my prayers and thoughts in a particular way these days. Though there are large bodies of water separating me from many of you, you are very much in my heart here during my daily Mass and other prayers.

I would like to ask for your prayers for me--not for my health, which is great at the moment! but for an international rosary that I was asked to lead, starting tomorrow. LifeSiteNews asked me to lead a daily live rosary from Italy. So, as of tomorrow, I will be leading a rosary at noon Eastern Standard Time.

Please pray that I might use whatever words God wishes. The technical set-up is quite simple: my iPhone sitting on a table, with a little statue of the Virgin Mary. God-willing Italy's internet connection will not falter. The goal is to permit people around the world, many of whom feel now quite isolated, to pray together at the same time, and to sense--even if at a distance--the presence of a priest. I was asked Wednesday if I would accept, and said yes without taking too terribly long to pray or think. It is a worthy project, but it's a rather strange position to be in. I have purposely avoided having a social media account and will now find myself leading a rosary on a social media platform, and having an account there. At any rate, I would confide this to your prayers.

If you wish to participate, the Livestream can only be accessed via the app "LifeSite Connect". I think they will be putting on their website soon instructions as to how to connect, but you should be able to just download the app for free from google or apple. Here is something they put together for youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HiTjjPN6Ms&feature=youtu.be 

On a personal level, it was another quiet, contemplative week here. Much of my time was spent on the second chapter of the long theology paper, which focusses on the divine missions. It is a wonderful blessing to know the Trinity but a much more challenging thing to write about it! There were many small joys. For example, one of the children was teaching me the rules of hopscotch one morning after the rosary. She had drawn a hopscotch pattern with chalk on the stones outside, and I was trying to do it. But she informed me that I had violated several of the rules and then showed me the proper way to do so while moving a pebble. Other interesting lessons in Italian included them teaching me the Italian word for lizard, while they were trying to chase down three little lizards who had hidden themselves in some rocks in the garden.

Physically, I'm in about the best possible situation in Italy, living out in the country, in the mountains, one of which I'm going to go jogging up in just a moment.... and Amazon pantry is still working, so I have stocked up on enough energy bars, tuna, and oats to last quite a while, should there be any difficulty in the food supply at some point in the coming months. But above all, I am praying that God grant many graces of conversion during this time--including my own, that I might become a better priest!

Well, now I am going to implement the saying mens sana in corpore sano by going for a jog. May Our Lord and Our Lady watch over each one of you. And hopefully, some of you will be able to join in the rosary tomorrow.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

Homeschooling in Italy

The mountains outside my front door--2 days ago.

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from Italy! Since an abundance of words has already been spilt on the current situation here, the lack of public Masses, etc. I will simply refer you to a brief article I wrote a few days ago for LifeSite: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/priest-coronavirus-is-a-great-spiritual-opportunity-to-deepen-faith-help-others , and will describe a bit the "situation on the ground" out here in the countryside near Florence.

After offering the Holy Sacrifice this morning, I went for a run up the mountain. Contrary to the photo above, today it is sunny with a blue sky and around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. I ran into a few couples going for a stroll and smiling. This was good to see because over the past week it has been sad to see the amount of fear and panic in people's eyes and in their voices. Though most people are not out and about I have spoken with a few of the neighbours or others who have passed through.

Italy is, sadly, a country where 90% of the population, if not more, has abandoned the practice of the faith. So the faith, peace, charity, hope, etc. that should normally accompany a situation like this are a bit harder to find at the moment.

What is my own situation like? How is this affecting me on a daily basis? I have more solitude and silence than previously, and likely will for the next few weeks since everyone has been essentially ordered to "stay at home." But those who know me know silence and solitude are treasures for me! So on a personal level, it seems that I am being given the gift of a number of weeks of these treasures. Providentially, I am also in the midst of writing a very difficult and long theology paper for France. Uninterrupted time for reading and writing is the best way to make progress in this, so my goal is to make the most of these next few weeks in order to have at least the draft finished by Easter.

Another blessing of this time is that every family in Italy with children is being offered an experience of homeschooling. As many of you know, I am a big fan of homeschooling and so am delighted to that families will have this opportunity. Here, I will likely begin Monday teaching some English and Catechism to the children each afternoon. The classic English book for children "Know Your Mass" will likely be the first text--a good way to give them practice reading out loud and deepening their knowledge of the Mass.

You are in my daily prayers here. Please keep Italy in yours--especially praying for its conversion.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Quiet Italy

Looking out my front door a few minutes ago.

Dear Friends and Family,

Blessed second Sunday of Lent! Here, Italy has become very contemplative.... people say they have never seen the cities so quiet. Unfortunately, as you are no doubt aware, many dioceses in Italy have cancelled all public Masses from now until early April. A terribly sad situation, and not at all the way saints of the past have responded. If you are curious to see how St. Charles Borromeo responded, including calling for three public processions---so massive gatherings of people--see here: https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2020/03/de-mattei-how-st-charles-borromeo.html .

But from the point of view of the contemplative life and study, the current situation is quite favourable. There is little external activity to report from this past week--all schools in Florence are now shut down and all public Masses are forbidden, even funerals! But it has been a fruitful week of study for me. Rather than write more at the moment, I would encourage you to take a look at the post about St. Charles Borromeo. May he intercede for all of us, and may Our Lady guide you as we enter the second full week of Lent.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Lent: Season of Hope and of Grace

Fire in the wood-burning stove that heats my current quarters.

Dear Friends and Family,

Blessed First Sunday of Lent! It always strikes me that Lent is a time of hope, a time in which God wishes to make all things new if we will cooperate with Him.

I currently have the blessing of beginning each morning by lighting a fire in the stove that heats my current quarters. There is something refreshingly good about watching a well-built fire slowly grow, spreading from log to log. The fire reminds me in a particular way of the graces of the Holy Spirit that God grants and that, if we cooperate with them, can grow from a tiny flame to an all-consuming fire that consumes and enlivens everything within us. It also reminds me of how God's graces can pass from one member of the Church to another (or rather, how God's grace in one soul can help others open to God's grace), producing an amazing fullness of life, as happened at Pentecost.

Today's Gospel on the temptation in the desert is also a good reminder of how the enemy attacks and tempts: often by presenting evil so that it appears to be a good and reasonable option. Turning stones into bread, when someone is severely weakend by 40 days of fasting, so that one's body can be nourished and have the minimum of energy to serve God, seems reasonable and good.

Performing a public miracle in the holiest place of the People of Israel--in the temple--so that the priests and those gathered there for prayer would see Jesus miraculously descending from the pinnacle without being hurt, might seem like a good idea. After all, a key part of His mission would be performing miracles as signs, so that we might believe in Him. What better place to begin than the temple?

Even the temptation to adore the devil for an instant in order to gain power over every kingdom on earth might seem reasonable and good: think of how much good would be done if Jesus were in charge of your country, of every country? And then, no one would see Him prostrate before the devil. They are alone in the desert. It doesn't seem that it would harm anyone else, and it's only for a moment, so that so much good can then be done...

Jesus shows us how to defeat the enemy's attacks: by faith in and obedience to the word of God. Not just a vague knowledge of what He has revealed, but a thorough knowledge of the word of God. And that takes study, time and work, much like my regular trips to the woodshed to get more wood for the stove...

We need to invest time in studying all that God has revealed--by reading Scripture, studying catechism, lives of the saints, Church history, and so many other good things.

May this Lent be a time of nourishing your souls with good things, and a true time of conversion, where God can make all things new.

Sending you prayers from Italy.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari