Rogations

Blessing the Fields

Dear Friends and Family,

Blessed Second Sunday after Easter! Yesterday I had the blessing of leading a rogations procession (within the appropriate legal limits--hence in the fields that make up part of the agriculture connected to the home, and with the family I am staying with being the only ones to participate) to bless the fields and above all to beg for God's mercy upon our world.

The procession begins in a church, where the priest kneels in silence for some moments and then stands to intone a chant begging God to hear our prayers. And then come our prayers... in the form of an extended litany of the saints asking for almost anything that can be asked for, but finishing with about 10 strong prayers asking for the forgiveness of our sins and that God might turn away the punishment we deserve. Especially appropriate for the current crisis.

The litany of the saints is repeated as many times as necessary while processing. In our case, I think we prayed it three times. It is beautiful to call on the saints as you walk through the fields. In our case, I would call out the first half of each prayer, for example, "Sancte Michael (St. Michael)..." and then everyone chants in reply "ora pro nobis (pray for us)." The cross in the photo above was carried before us by the young men of the family, and then every so often we would stop for a prayer of blessing over the fields.

The procession concludes in the Church, where the priest once again kneels down and leads the congregation in prayers. Then, the priest changes into vestments for Mass and the "rogations Mass" begins, which contains the beautiful words of Lk 11 where the Lord concludes, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" What a wonderful promise! We should take Him up on His offer and often ask Him for this best of gifts.

Much else took place this week, but I will conclude by showing you one of the things God is currently doing here: making flowers blossom...

May Our Lady watch over you and Jesus be your strength.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

Divine Mercy Sunday

Our Eucharistic Lord

Dear Friends and Family,

Blessed Divine Mercy Sunday! There is so much to be thankful for on this day, so many graces available, so much joy and hope that God wishes to pour out into our souls. Among so many helpful quotes from the Diary of St. Faustina, Our Lord said to Her, "The greatest sinners would achieve great holiness if only they would trust in My mercy."

Among the many joys and blessings of this past week was spending an hour kneeling before the Lord, adoring Him by candlelight in the form you see above. I find the words of Our Lord in the Diary quite helpful for my own prayer, so it was a particular joy to lead others from around the world in a Holy Hour, sharing some of the Lord's words from the diary and imploring His mercy upon the world.

If you wish to unite yourself to that Holy Hour, adoring Him in all the tabernacles of the world from your own home, you can find it at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=732&v=jDQ2oUjAiks&feature=emb_logo  .

Another blessing was, after a few weeks of working through some technical items, going live with broadcasting software for yesterday's rosary--software that should not only make for a better connection and better audio and video quality, but that should also allow me to begin making use of sacred images for different mysteries of the rosary. This may sound like a small thing, but for me, it was a particular source of joy as it should make the process more steady and peaceful on my end and more prayerful for those praying along from throughout the world.

It was also a blessed week with my host family. In addition to celebratory meals with them, there were a host of other blessings, which out of discretion I will not describe. In a few minutes, I will join them for lunch and then will play soccer (football for those of you in Europe!) with the teenage boys this afternoon.

You will be in my prayers throughout this week, asking God to pour out graces of mercy upon you and your family.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Resurrexit sicut dixit, Alleluia!

Cherry Tree Blossoms outside a neighbour's house. 

Dear Friends and Family,

He is risen! On this beautiful Easter morning, may Jesus and Mary enter each of your homes and lead you into some share of the abundant joy that the Father wishes to pour out upon the world today in honor of the triumph of His Son--triumphant over sin, death, and the world!

I am very happy and grateful, even if exhausted, for all the blessings God gave these past few days. This was a most unexpected Holy Week for me--living it within a family home, preaching in Italian, doing the best we could with what was at hand in order to honor the Lord and pray for so many of you throughout the world who do not have access to the Sacraments right now. My plans had been to make my annual retreat in the monstery of Norica from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, but God obviously had other plans.

Due to my situation here, where for all practical purposes I am part of the family as I learn Italian, I was able to celebrate the Triduum for 9 children and 4 adults. On Thursday afternoon, the family cut down branches from a number of the cherry trees in the yard (such as the one pictured above) and made beautiful bouquets for the Lord, that were used especially for the time of vigil after the Holy Thursday Mass and then again at the Easter Vigil and this morning. It was wonderful to begin, at 9PM, the Holy Mass, which we lived entirely by candlelight. Each child had a little candle in a candlestick (of various shapes and sizes, and not all of the wax stayed in the candlesticks...). It made for a beautiful Mass. At the end, I took many of the candles and placed them around the ciborium on the altar, and surrounded the Blessed Sacrament with vases of flowers. There followed 30 minutes where I led them in a meditation on our Lord's fervent prayer and suffering in the garden that night, and then from 10:30 to midnight, those who wished were free to stay or to come and go. I was especially happy to see that the two oldest teenage boys spent extra time adoring and that two other teenage boys came back for the last half-hour to adore. May God's graces continue to work in those souls...

Good Friday involved leading an outdoor Way of the Cross through the fields surrounding the house, and Holy Saturday's high-point was, of course, the Easter Vigil.

The week involved other blessed times of ministry such as visiting an elderly man seriously ill (not from the Coronavirus), and bringing him Holy Communion, hearing Confessions, and the blessing of beautiful weather.

In a few minutes, I will be joining the family for a celebratory Easter lunch. Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers here. In spite of the painful situations in which so many of you find yourselves, may our Risen Lord grant you an abundance of Easter you and peace.

Resurrexit sicut dixit, Alleluia!
Fr. Pillari

Chapel on Good Friday.

This morning. Flowers fading a bit, but still pretty. There were many more Thursday evening!

Blessed Palm Sunday!

Passion according to St. Matthew, which I chanted this morning

Dear Friends and Family,

A blessed Palm Sunday to all of you!

A quick note to those of you who have been praying the rosary with me. If all goes well, I will be praying it live on Youtube at the usual time today, for those who may wish to join together in prayer through that means.

This past week has had many blessings. The freshest one in my mind was the join of celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass this morning and chanting the Gospel of the Passion. While it takes a good 25 minutes to chant it--especially when one priest is chanting alone all three voices (narrator, Christ, and other voices)--it is moving to chant. The melody is beautiful, if simple, and it is moving to recall what our Lord did for us, Peter's betrayal, and so many other things.

I am also living in an area surrounded by olive orchards, some of which you can see below.

So on Holy Thursday evening, I should be able to step outside at night and be in an olive orchard, as Our Lord was...

It is a beautiful sunny day here and in a little bit the children want me to watch them playing a game outside, and then I will be getting ready for the rosary. So I will sign off here. But you all will be in my thoughts and prayers this week, especially in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. I'm sorry for the suffering so many of you are caring due to the absence of accessibility to the Holy Sacrifice. May God accept these sufferings and grant graces for the world and the Church.

Sending you prayers from Italy!

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

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