Pray For Journalists

Our Saint today has a special significance for our Fraternity – St Francis de Sales, the gentle Bishop of Geneva, is the patron of writers and journalists.  Throughout his ministry St Francis taught the faith with great love and earnestness converting many who had left the Church for Protestantism.  He was so successful the Calvinists of Geneva deeply resented him and he could not live in the city.

Francis wrote a great deal, and his writings are mainly concerned with holiness.  In his book Introduction to the Devout Life, he offers spiritual advice to a laywoman, reminding her that she is called to become a Saint by living a life of virtue where she is.  For his writings and their influence, he was declared a Doctor of the Church.    

As patron of journalists, we can commend to his intercession those who work in the media, and let’s face it, they need our prayers.  Their patron was dedicated to the truth and taught others how to live the truth; unfortunately there are those in the media who are not really interested in truth, but rather work according to a political agenda and chose their stories in order to promote that agenda.  Yet the profession of the journalist is one of testimony to the truth, so we must pray that those who struggling to remain true to that may have the courage to do so, and those who have wandered off that path may return to it. 

To celebrate the saint’s feast day, the Archbishop of Chieti-Vasto in Italy, Archbishop Bruno Forte, has composed a new prayer for journalists.  Here is my translation of the prayer.   

Lord,

You have called me to serve my neighbour

through the means of information.

Grant that I may do so always in obedience to the truth,

with the courage to pay what is due to each person

so they are never betrayed.

Help me also to unite the truth with charity,

never to hurt anyone's dignity

and promote in all, as much as I can, justice and peace.

That I may not have favourites,

but that I may propose my ideas with humility,

honesty and freedom of heart.

Grant that I may be a witness

to the love that comes from you,

to the truth that liberates and saves.

You who live and reign with God the Father,

for ever and ever. Amen

Today the Holy Father release his Message for World Communications Day which will be marked on the 12th May this year.  You will find the text here.

Profession Day

I'm off to Stamullen, Co. Meath this morning for the Solemn Profession of my friend, Sr Cora Marie as a sister of the Visitation Order.   It promises to be a great day.  Our bishop will preside over the ceremony - he's flying back from the US where he was on a mission for the national seminary to be present.  Can I please ask you to remember her in your prayers?  Today was specially chosen because it is the feast of St Margaret Mary Alocoque, the most famous member of the order.   St Margaret Mary is, as you know, the visionary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the one chosen by the Lord to promote devotion to the symbol of his love and mercy in a time afflicted with Jansenism.  Providence decreed that this apostle should be a member of an order renowned for its gentleness and devotion to the love of God, as exemplified most profoundly in its founder, St Francis de Sales.  

Today is most appropriate for Sr Cora's profession because she is named after the Sacred Heart of Jesus himself: Cora means heart.  She did not choose this name when she entered, she was baptised Cora, Marie was added when she was received into the order.  God has great panache!   The one he would call to the order of the Sacred Heart was prepared when she was named.  Every Visitation sister is called to reveal through her life the virtues of that Heart which has consumed Itself with love for mankind.  This is an apostolate which is badly needed in these times when so many people are looking for God.  That will be Sr Cora Marie's task, and I hope other women will join her.  If you are interested in the Visitation Order, see their website: http://www.visitation.ie/