September 4, 2020

St. Rosalia

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St. Rosalia
St. Rosalia is the patroness of Palermo, and the citizens of that place annually celebrate two feasts in her honour. One of these was raised to the rank of a holy day of obligation by Pius XI in 1927. It is celebrated by a procession of unequalled magnificence, heralded by cannon fire. The saint’s shrine, atop a gigantic carriage filled with musicians, is drawn through the town by forty mules, accompanied by prayers, hymns, and acclamations. The top of the carriage is level with the roofs of the houses; fireworks are set off everywhere; the musicians blow ceaselessly on their trumpets; and for the five days during which this celebration lasts, enthusiasm mounts to an increasingly high pitch.

September 6th – 2020

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We are called to be people who pursue deep faithfulness in living with integrity and virtue. There are two parts to this work.

First, we need to be mindful of ourselves, being attentive to keeping our hearts open and tender, yet watching for our own temptations and sins against love and the Commandments. If we have not checked our own sinfulness and aren’t open to being corrected by others, then we need to start there.