St. Gianna Beretta Molla MD

Mary Suffered Suspicions And Accusations

"The one who exemplifies for us the way of self-abandonment to God in every situation was not free from the prosaic situations in life, from the all-too-common suspicions and accusations. The difficult experiences did not diminish her faith. God led her through them in a way known only to Him. Moreover, she accepted every design of God."

(In the Arms of Mary, pg. 127)

http://www.stmichaelgodsknight.org/

St Gianna Beretta Molla MD

Feastday: April 28
Patron of mothers, physicians, and unborn children 
Birth: October 4, 1922
Death: April 28, 1962
Beatified By: April 24, 1994 by Pope John Paul II
Canonized By: May 16, 2004 by Pope John Paul II

St. Gianna Beretta Molla was an Italian pediatrician born in Magenta in the Kingdom of Italy on October 4, 1922. She was the tenth of thirteen children in her family.

At three-years-old, Gianna and her family moved to Bergamo, and she grew up in the Lombardy region of Italy.

As a young girl, Gianna openly accepted her faith and the Catholic-Christian education provided to her from her loving parents. She grew up viewing life as God's beautiful gift and found the greatest necessity and effectiveness in prayer.

In 1942, Gianna began her study of medicine in Milan. She was a diligent and hardworking student, both at the university and in her faith.

As a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Gianna applied her faith in an apostolic service for the elderly and needy.

She received degrees in both medicine and surgery from the University of Pavia in 1949, and in 1950 she opened a medical office in Mesero, near her hometown of Magenta.

In 1952, Gianna specialized in pediatrics at the University of Milan and from there on, she was especially drawn toward mothers, babies, the elderly and the poor.

Gianna considered the field of medicine to be her mission, and treated it as such. She increased her generous service to Catholic Action, a movement of lay Catholics dedicated to living and spreading the Social Teaching of the Catholic Church in the broader culture. The Catholic Action movement is still at work today, throughout the world.

Gianna hoped to join her brother, a missionary priest in Brazil, where she intended to offer her medical expertise in gynecology to poor women.

However, her chronic ill health made this impractical, and she continued her practice in Italy.

She chose the vocation of marriage and considered this to be a gift from God. Gianna embraced this gift with all her being and completely dedicated herself to "forming a truly Christian family."

In December 1954, Gianna met Pietro Molla, an engineer who worked in her office. They were officially engaged the following April, and married in September 1955, making Gianna a happy wife.

Gianna wrote to Pietro, "Love is the most beautiful sentiment that the Lord has put into the soul of men and women."

In November 1956, Gianna became a mother to her first child, Pierluigi. Their second child, Maria Zita, in December 1957, and their third, Laura, in July 1959.

Gianna handled motherhood with grace and was able to harmonize all aspects of her demanding life.

In 1961, Gianna became pregnant with her fourth child. Toward the end of her second month of pregnancy, Gianna was struck with an unimaginable pain.

Her doctors discovered she had developed a fibroma in her uterus, meaning she was carrying both a baby and a tumor.

After examination, the doctors gave her three choices: an abortion, which would save her life and allow her to continue to have children, but take the life of the child she carried; a complete hysterectomy, which would preserve her life, but take the unborn child's life, and prevent further pregnancy; or removal of only the fibroma, with the potential of further complications, which could save the life of her baby.

Catholic teaching affirms what medical science, the Natural Law, the Bible and unbroken Christian tradition affirm, the child in the womb has a fundamental Human Right to Life. Wanting to preserve her child's life, Gianna opted for the removal of only the fibroma.

In fact, she was willing to give her own life to save the life of her child.

Gianna pleaded with the surgeons to save her child's life over her own. She sought comfort in her prayers and her living faith.

The child's life was saved, for which Gianna graciously thanked the Lord.

After the operation, complications continued throughout her pregnancy, but Gianna spent the remainder of her pregnancy with an unparalleled strength and insistent dedication for her tasks as a mother and a doctor.

A few days before the baby was to be born, Gianna prayed the Lord take any pain away from the child. She recognized she may lose her life during delivery, but she was ready.

Gianna was quite clear about her wishes, expressing to her family, "If you must decide between me and the child, do not hesitate: choose the child?I insist on it. Save the baby."

On April 21, 1962, Gianna Emanuela Molla successfully delivered by Caesarean section.

The doctors tried many different treatments and procedures to ensure both lives would be saved. However, on April 28, 1962, a week after the baby was born, Gianna passed away from septic peritonitis. She is buried in Mesero.

Gianna was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 24, 1994, and officially canonized as a saint on May 16, 2004. Her husband and their children, including Gianna Emanuela, attended her canonization ceremony, making this the first time a husband witnessed his wife's canonization.

In 2003, mother-to-be Elizabeth Comparini experienced a tear in her placenta when she was 16-weeks pregnant. Her womb was drained of all amniotic fluid. She was told the chances of her baby's survival was little to none. Elizabeth is said to have prayed to Gianna Molla and asked for her intercession. Elizabeth was able to give birth to a healthy baby.

During Gianna's canonization ceremony, John Paul II described her as, "a simple, but more than ever, significant messenger of divine love."

St. Gianna is the inspiration behind the first pro-life Catholic healthcare center for women in New York, the Gianna Center.

St. Gianna Beretta Molla is the patron saint of mothers, physicians, and unborn children. Her feast day is celebrated on April 28.

Today we celebrate the feast of the immaculate conception, of the mother of God -- The ark of the new covenant. The original Ark, portrayed in the film the raiders of the lost ark, contained manna used to feed the Jews on their travels seeking the promised land, the tablets given to mosses... containing the 10 commandments, and Aaron's rod, which spotted and began to grow before the very eyes of Pharaoh during the captivity of the Jews.


Today is a day of reflection on the power and foresight of God, as we celebrate this great miracle, which is the begging of our freedom as Catholics.


What better day to reflect on the voiceless victims of abortion. 


The Supreme Court Holding in Roe v. Wade can be seen as spiritual decline. One may also see it as the starting point for the rhetoric of victim blaming?


An innocent victim in the womb is blamed for making life uncomfortable, unprofitable, an annoyance, an interference, a burden, a threat to feminist values, and female health. As with all forms of victim blaming this type of thinking is designed to absolve one from sin, by holding the innocent victim accountable, as if doing so somehow absolves makes the actions of others reasonable. In God's eyes all have equal value, and none are burdensome.  


If we are truly a free country based on unalienable rights, these must be extended to all from conception to natural death.


Victim blaming has become fashionable in some circles, many very powerful. We blame victims for their poverty, their disabilities, their old age, their homelessness, we even blame victims for their incarceration and execution with or without a trail and due process. 


You say you believe in civil rights and equality for all. Life begins at conception, and the rights we hold dear begin, once a human being is conceived.

Civil Rights to the Conceived NOW!


One would expect no less from a society, that does not value the conceived as human beings. From their the downward spiral begins. The moment we start to categorize human life in an artificial hierarchy, is the moment we sin by blaming those on the rung lower than us on any ladder for being lower than us. This is not in line with Catholic social teaching, which reflects Jesus, the mind of God.


In God's eyes their are no ladders nor rungs, there is no one to blame, save ourselves for not helping a brother or sister up, help to bring them out of the womb; alive and kicking, and anyone else who we may perceive to be beneath us. 



Luke 16:19-31Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)

19 There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen; and feasted sumptuously every day.

20 And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores,

21 Desiring to be filled with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table, and no one did give him; moreover the dogs came, and licked his sores.

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died: and he was buried in hell.

23 And lifting up his eyes when he was in torments, he saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom:

24 And he cried, and said: Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, to cool my tongue: for I am tormented in this flame.

25 And Abraham said to him: Son, remember that thou didst receive good things in thy lifetime, and likewise Lazareth evil things, but now he is comforted; and thou art tormented.

26 And besides all this, between us and you, there is fixed a great chaos: so that they who would pass from hence to you, cannot, nor from thence come hither.

27 And he said: Then, father, I beseech thee, that thou wouldst send him to my father's house, for I have five brethren,

28 That he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torments.

29 And Abraham said to him: They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

30 But he said: No, father Abraham: but if one went to them from the dead, they will do penance.

31 And he said to him: If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe, if one rise again from the dead.
Without due reflection, these days it has become fashionable to blame the victims of poverty, incarceration, refugees, the disabled, the mentally Ill, and victims of Sexual abuse in favor of clergy perpetrators. 



Matthew 25:31-46Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)

31 And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty.

32 And all nations shall be gathered together before him, and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.

34 Then shall the king say to them that shall be on his right hand: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

35 For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in:

36 Naked, and you covered me: sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me.

37 Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and fed thee; thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 And when did we see thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and covered thee?

39 Or when did we see thee sick or in prison, and came to thee?

40 And the king answering, shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.

41 Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels.

42 For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink.

43 I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you covered me not: sick and in prison, and you did not visit me.

44 Then they also shall answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee?

45 Then he shall answer them, saying: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me.

46 And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the just, into life everlasting.
Matt 25:31-46 is quite clear. We blame the homeless and look the other way, for they are invisible. Often Angels take the form of the homeless, and we walk by as if we do not even see them and miss a conversation, with perhaps St. Michael himself. 

What better way for an angel to move about the world unnoticed than to take the form of a homeless person. 
How quickly we look away from stories in the news and justify, when African American males, innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, are executed without trial while in police custody, on camera or after body cams mysteriously turn off.
And what of those incarcerated, justly or unjustly. Innocent victims, in ever increasing numbers are being released from our prisons, after having served time for crimes they did not commit. 30% of the time our criminal justice system imposes the death penalty on innocent inmates.
Mary Was Full Of Grace And Fully Free
"Mary was free from original sin and from internal temptations but not from external temptations. Even Jesus himself was tempted. So just as Adam and Eve sinned, Mary also could have sinned - since in fact she was fully free."
(In the Arms of Mary, pg. 151)
How would our blessed mother be received by your parish, if she were to walk in to Mass this Sunday. She a young unmarried woman carrying a bastard child. A young woman who heard voices and saw visions of angels. 
Advent is not only a time when we wait for the baby Jesus, it is a time to reflect on how we see and treat others. 
Are we ready?
Are we Worthy of the baby Jesus.
Pax Christi
Copyright Fred Celio 12/08/2016 

Disgust as Argument

Please click to see the Aticle from the Catholic Register by Mark Shae

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/mark-shea/disgust-is-not-an-argument

My response is below.

I am sorry Mark, but I have no idea what you are talking about other than a put down of atheists and a raising up of Muslims. This piece that you call and article and is published in reputable Catholic journal is nothing but a series of ad-hmenium attacks on atheists.
Experience teaches just the opposite. There are many atheists I know who actually love thy neighbor, and in many ways other than their own ad-homenium attacks on we Christians live a Christ like life including living, which I believe Pope Francis I has recently pointed out Matt 25:31-46 not just as an action here and there but as an attitude, a way of life.
On the other hand Islam has in it's holy book has the concept of Jihad, now whether they pretend to be moderate or are violently engaged in Jihad, their Holy book commands thus, give the infidel a chance to convert and if he/she does not then kill he/she. Like it or not that is in their holy book, and it is a tenet of their "faith" no matter what their PR wing says. What we see in the world if we look at the facts only what we see is conversion to Islam rising while Islamic violence is also rising, one would expect except for Jihad to see an inverse relationship between the increases in violence and rising conversion rates. Increasing violence should draw people away from conversion not to it. But with jihad the force is convert them first once that occurs the converted or indoctrinated have accepted jihad and so the numbers of growing violence and conversion continues and it will Mark until they come for us individually. Ultimately their goal is to go to each and every individual and try to convert them and if they don't succeed to kill them this is what Allah commands.
I do not see this in atheists. I see many of them especially the secular humanists standing u for the poor and question us as Catholics thusly, "if we want to end abortion, we do we not support political programs parties and policy that help mothers and families and individuals in poverty. The Republican party while claiming to be pro-life, but never really doing anything about it except to court pour vote, continuously reject policies to help those in poverty and to take away what benefits those in poverty that are still left. Atheists question us on this dichotomy and with the words Pope Francis is no saying and particularly en cathdrea on the environment we cannot ignore these challenges just because the come from atheists or as John Paull II put it may in fact be anonymous Christians by their actions.
Additionally, atheists while they may not easily be converted are the easiest people to discus our faith with. All one has to do is point out that the do have a god the god of their own reason and they worship at his alter they think they can out think or figure that out. That get's them to think. Then one adds that hey I am the creature not the creature yes, there are many things that God does that I do not understand not because He is mean or does not exist but simply because I am the creature not the creator. Additionally I point out to atheists the evidence of God. Faith is not the lack of evidence faith is not the same as believe it is not the holding on to a belief or belief system in spite of the empirical evidence. Faith is knowledge. faith is a gift as well and it is well to remember that when dealing with atheists, faith is the certain knowledge of the spiritual realm, as knowledge as evidence it is based on personal experience with the spiritual realm. I have many such experiences I have personal knowledge and evidence of the spiritual realm that is faith.
What I tell my atheists friends is that A the universe is ordered we know that because using the simplest analogy 1 + 1 =2 it will always equal 2. Were the universe not ordered were it truly not ordered one time 1 + 1 would equal 2, the next time 1 + 1 would equal a black cow, and the next time 1 + 1 would equal a trip to the moon. But the universe is ordered mathematics even at it's highest levels proves this. Additionally we don't understand it all. Now if the universe is ordered and we don't yet order stand how it is ordered then who ordered it? The Creator. What is more we study and learn how the universe is ordered and it unfolds before us. From this study and learning we derive satisfaction and joy. Now we have proof of a God who ordered the universe and gives us pleasure in the learning of juts how He ordered it. Thus we have not only a creator but one who gives us joy and pleasure, thus the Creator God loves us.

These same arguments cannot be used with a follower of Islam a Muslim. Unfortunately they do not respond to either faith nor logic but only their own belief system.

And mark I have never heard of an atheist strapping on explosives and blowing up him/herself in the name of Allah.

Atheists can be reasoned with and converted, Muslims cannot.

One day a Muslim will approach each and every one of we Catholics and he/she will give us a chance to join their mosque and if we don't they will kill us. Because that is what their God says to do. This is not faith it is a belief system.

Mark, I could not disagree with you more and I do not understand the purpose of this article which seems to me to be a lot of name calling with no substance or evidence to back it up. There is too much of this among Catholic "writers" today. It is as if we are afraid of or believe knowledge intellect are bad things this is a tenant of fundamentalism not Catholicism; we have a long history of both intellectuals and mystics. And God supports this if God thought intellect was as somehow wrong or sinful then He would not have an omniscient aspect. Bu god is Omniscient, He knows all things and thus has a respect for knowledge has elevated it and approves and respects it in individuals.

Atheism is not a threat to the Church Mark Islam is. 

The following is a response to my comment

Fred, I think what Mark was trying to say in this column is that we need to
use our intellect to dispute with Muslims instead of just saying, "That's
gross, because atheists say the same thing about what we believe.

And my defense of my original comment 

My first point is with Mark's article in general. the writing is just not of the caliber I would expect from as prestigious a publication as the National Catholic Register. I'm not talking about editing, because I have my own challenges with that. However the content is nebulous rich in ad-homeniums and low in useful content. My second point is that the title Disgust is not an argument backfires on the author. While It is perfectly understandable that Catholics, Christians and indeed people of many faiths are disgusted with Islam and rightly so, the teaching on Jihad is disgusting. The point about Mohammad's urine I know nothing about. I know that Islam is a cult that we Catholics have a long history of battle with them, I know that St. Francis tried to get the Muslims to martyr him during one of the crusades and instead they were amused by him and he even ended up converting a member of the sultan's court. However Islam in their holy book contains not just the suggestion but the tenet of jihad and to not take this seriously and I even gave an example from the facts the sheer numbers that we see in the world today. More and more people are converting to Islam as they become more and more violent, again as I stated one would think that the inverse would be true the more violent a cult like  Islam becomes the fewer converts we should see. Jihad says give the infidel an opportunity to convert and if they don't then kill them and do this until there are only Muslims left on earth. What this has to do with drinking Mohmand’s urine I do not know but I do find it disgusting. 

Atheists on the other hand I don't find disgusting I find them confused arrogant intellectually unsaved but capable of saving.  They worship their own minds and seem to think that the creature should be able to figure out the mind of the creator which as I point out to my atheist friends on a regular basis is a logical fallacy. When they poke fun at out traditions when appropriate I enjoy the joke when inappropriate I defend the faith. Things like the real presence can be understood logically in the atheist mind as mystery. So I do not find them digesting nor do I think they are disgusted with Catholics especially when the verses about clove the neighbor, love thy enemy and Matt 25:31-46 are pointed out to them. Most atheists are gifted intellectually and they support there concepts from a very real concern about humanity.

One of the truths that atheists like to point out about Christians is that we do not live up to these verses. I do not find this disgusting I find it true. As a Catholic with an inner life when these things are printed out to me I have to reflect how well have I incorporated for example, Matt 25:31-46 not just as theory are a once in a while thing but as a way of life the Catholic way of life. 

So the title backfires on Mr. Shae. Islam is disgusting because of the tenet of Jihad it disgusts me and many others. While the comments of atheists are not disgusting at all but cause me to think to stand up for my faith to point out their errors using logic which is something they do understand. 

Atheists believe that their minds are god so they should be able to logically figure God out using their minds. This proof course is a logical fallacy historical in nature but one that atheists do understand. How could the creature's mind be capable of understanding the mind of the creator?

Another point I made and how the title backfires is that Muslims are disgusting the strap themselves with bombs and they blow up themselves and innocent people in the name of Allah. I find this to be disgusting, and I have never heard of an atheist doing such a thing. 

The threat from Islam is real and disgusting the threat from Atheism is not disgusting it is the same old thing we Catholic intellectuals with atheists Friends have been dealing with for years in our efforts to convert them. 

My final point is that there is way too much of this nebulous name calling finger pointing ad-hominums in Catholic periodicals, without sufficient care in either citing sources or proving facts. Some Catholics may find this type of writing entertaining. I do not. And   I can see  how an atheist might see this piece as disgusting, because will quite frankly I find it to be disgusting and insulting to my intelligence and faith myself. 

Additionally if someone else has to explain to me what another writing is saying they are not writing very well. Sue. I think I understand perfectly clearly what Mark was trying to say all too clearly. 

And again I must remember it is the Holy Spirit that does the converting not me.

Additionally I want to share my tender love and Christian affection for both you and Mark Sue we are all Catholics having received the sacrament of confirmation we are family   We are bonded to each other and the Holy spirit through apostolic succession with a spiritual bond that cannot be broken by mere words and disagreements. 

Ave Maria,

Fred Celio

Ps I think Mark uses the phases about drinking Mohammad's urine for it's shock value and really has no place in a distinguished Catholic periodical particularly when he does not explain what it means. 

Comments and disagreements are encouraged.

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St. Michael God's Knight

The Assupmtion of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Two excellent homilies today on the daily scripture page. One from the Deacon and on from the Hermitage. But these can be found at http://www.stmicahelgodsknight.com/. I look for your suggestions on what else may need to be included. There you will find today's Roman Catholic scripture readings as well as an excellent homily from the hermitage of our lady of Guadalupe.

When I think of this day, well I wonder what it must have been like to be present, the rapture as our partly christian friends would understand it. I spent some time at Calvary Chapel, "learning" to live like first century Christians, which was my longing at the time.

Little did I know that I was learning from them, and the Episcopal Church, that what I was longing for was to come home. Home to the Kingdom of God/Heaven on earth -- the Catholic church.

Refer to something called "the rapture" but without an understanding of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is as foreign to me now as the idea that one can "walk with the Lord" without following the liturgy. The Liturgical year allows us to literally walk with the Lord, as they did in that first century.

Imagine if you will being huddled in the attic waiting. Waiting for what, Jesus was dead hanged from a cross; even though He had promised to send and advocate. Where was this advocate? Well the Holy Spirit was among them all the time. Our Blessed Mother was there; she having had the Holy Spirit with her, as these brave men now huddled at her feet for fear they would meet the same fate as Jesus, and waiting for the Romans. Instead they had her strength from the Holy Spirit, who dwelled within her. And behold Jesus appeared to our nascent church, our first magistirium, hand picked from the beginning for this sacred calling of carrying on the kingdom on earth.

And Jesus showed himself in His glorified body, and breathed the Holy Spirit into them, while at the same time ordaining them, save St. Peter who was ordained prior to the Crucifixion separately, and given the keys to the kingdom of God on earth, that God himself humbled to found.

Filled with the Holy Spirit and thus the courage to move on with the building of the kingdom. They now had what Blessed Mother had and then some. For they unlike Blessed Mother knew sin. She as the stand in for eve, never knew sin.

She was and is not divine. She was just a susceptible to sin as the rest of us or having been born immaculately conceived without original sin was nonetheless just as susceptible as Eve. But where Eve succumbed to temptation, blessed mother did not. Not even when they hammered the nails into his hands. God whom she knew as a human mother.

For this she was and we all were rewarded with "rapture" the Assumption. This we celebrate today as part of the liturgical year, Universally. We literally walk with the Lord.

Please pray for those who are sick, and the souls who suffer in purgatory, as we celebrate the triumph of our blessed mother, who crushed the serpents head rather than listen to him.

Peace to you all

copyright Fred Celio 2009