August 24, 2015
Marian Shrine E-Newsletter
Volume 4, Issue 4
Fr. Jim McKenna Greetings!

A while back, somebody asked me, "What Inspires You When Nothing Else Can?" I got to thinking about that question rather seriously, and what I discovered was interesting.
The spirit of the question was intended as "When you can't get yourself going, what do you do to get going?" Inspirational quotes, thoughts, videos, poems, stories, etc.

In my serious discovery, I decided to take the question further and explore it from a "Dark Night of the Soul" perspective. In other words, what can we do when we experience life as so beyond miserable that NOTHING else can inspire us?
 
The answer surprised me... When *nothing* else can, only 1 thing works:

Entertaining distraction.
 
That's because when life seems miserable, your mind is so consumed by a negative state that it can't even recognize there's a positive aspect to the world. This negativity becomes a habit so bound to your psychological state that it can only be broken by completely severing your connection to that negativity.
That isn't easy because it requires an equal and opposite consuming force.

Something so consuming that you completely forget about the negativity long enough to break the downward spiral your mind is in.

And in a moment where you lack even the basic self-awareness to realize you're in a deeply negative state and you don't want to be, there's almost nothing you can do to bring yourself up.
 
That's why in my experience with extreme circumstances; entertainment and distraction are the keys to opening that door. It becomes a way that the mind can literally "forget" about the negativity. All it takes is a small crack to let a little bit of the light in.
There are two things to keep in mind about this though:
(1) Make sure that your entertaining distraction includes humor and/or inspiration.
No horror movies. No purely action flicks. No dramas. All of those will only serve to reinforce your negative state in one way or another.
Instead, fill your mind with stories of success and triumph. Fill your heart with moments of laughter and joy. In other words: choose something that can help align you with the way you'd like to live.
(2) Don't make the entertaining distraction a habit of its own.
When you do that, you're only trading one distraction for another. And while it may feel better, it perpetuates the lie of positive thinking. That keeps you from living a truly happy and fulfilled life.
  
Instead, see the entertaining distraction as a momentary gateway to lift you up. From that initial lift, start re-using your personal transformation tools: meditation, affirmations, brainwave entrainment and whatever else you can think of.
The entertainment and distraction won't heal the fundamental problems that brought you into a negative state.

Only self-awareness has that ability.

Still, when you find yourself completely down and out... in a negative hole you can't find your way out of -- find an entertaining distraction. And if at all possible, one that will make you laugh.
If you can find a laugh, you can find a light.
 
God bless you.
In Mary Help of Christians,
I remain,
Fr. Jim McKenna SDB
Director
 

Birthday of the Rector Major

On Friday, the 21st August, we celebrated the Birthday of our beloved Rector Major,
Fr. Ang�l Fernandes Artime. As he celebrated the 'Gift of Life' that God has given him, we thank him for the gift he has made of himself to the congregation and to the
confreres. We keep him in our prayers and assure him of our support at all times
during his ministry as Rector Major.

Ceferino Namuncur�: 26th August

Ceferino Namuncur� was born on the 26th August 1886 at Chimpay, on the banks of the Rio Negro. His father, Manuel, last great leader of the Araucane Indian tribe, had surrendered
three years earlier to troops from the Argentine Republic.
Manuel Namuncur� sent Ceferino, after he had wander
ed free on the pampas for eleven years, to study in Buenos Aires, so one day he could defend his own people better. The
family spirit in the Salesian school brought him to love Don Bosco.
The spiritual dimension of life grew in him and he began to yearn to become a Salesian priest to evangelize his people. He chose Dominic Savio as a model, and over a period of five years, by his efforts to adapt to a totally new culture, he himself became another Dominic Savio. He was exemplary for his piety, charity, in his daily duty, and for his self-sacrifice.

Salesian aspirant
This boy, who had found it so difficult to "get in line" or "obey the bell", little by little became a true model. As Don Bosco would have wished , he was exact in his fulfillment of his
duties of study and prayer. He was a referee at recreation: in any dispute his word was
accepted. The care with which he made the Sign of the Cross was striking, how he thought about each word; he encouraged his friends with this example teaching them to make it slowly and with devotion.
In l903 (he was sixteen and a half years old, and his father was baptized when he was 80) Bishop Cagliero accepted him as an aspirant at Viedma, the center for the Vicariate
Apostolic, to begin his Latin studies. Because of his poor health, the Salesian bishop decided to take him to Italy so he could follow up his studies seriously and in a more appropriate atmosphere. In Italy he met Don Rua and Pope Pius X, who warmly gave him his blessing. He went to school in Turin and then to the Salesian College, Villa Sora, in Frascati. He studied so hard he was second in the class. But an illness not diagnosed in time, perhaps even because he did not complain about it, became life-threatening: tuberculosis.
On the 28th March 1905 he was taken to the Fatebene fratelli Hospital on the Tibertine
island in Rome. But it was too late. He died peacefully on the 11th May. From 1924 onwards
his mortal remains were laid to rest in his own village, at Fort�n Mercedes, where crowds of pilgrims come to visit.
Declared Venerable 22 June 1972; beatified 11 November 2007 in the pontificate of
Benedict XVI.

 

Laughter the best medicine

 

Anyone who enjoyed George Carlin will enjoy this!  

English language isn't the easiest language to figure out.

The English Plural

 

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,

But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.

One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,

Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.

You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,

Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

 

If the plural of man is always called men,

Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?

If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,

And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?

If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,

Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

 

Then one may be that, and three would be those,

Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,

And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.

We speak of a brother and also of brethren,

But though we say mother, we never say methren.

Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,

But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

 

Let's face it - English is a crazy language.

There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;

Neither apple nor pine in pineapple.

English muffins weren't invented in England.

 

We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,

We find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,

And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write, but fingers don't fing,

Grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

 

Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend?

If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them,

What do you call it?

 

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?

If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

 

Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speakingEnglish

Should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.

In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?

 

We ship by truck but send cargo by ship...

We have noses that run and feet that smell.

We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.

And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,

While a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language

In which your house can burn up as it burns down,

In which you fill in a form by filling it out,

And in which an alarm goes off by going on.

And in closing..........

 

If Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop????

 

 

Devotion of the Three Hail Marys

The devotion of the THREE HAIL MARYS is a very simple yet most efficacious devotion.

Everyday, recite Three Hail Marys, adding the invocation: "O Mary, My Mother, keep me from mortal sin." Many people recite the Three Hail Marys as part of their morning and night prayers. To practice this devotion in time of danger, stress, special need or temptation, is a sure means to obtain Our Lady's help.

 

Our sincere thanks to Mother Mary for taking care of me during my surgery and for curing me of severe anxiety attacks. Our heartfelt thanks also for the many favors received through the recitation of the 3 Hail Marys. Dear Mother do continue to bless and protect all the members of my family.  Irene, Canada

 

Dear Jesus, Mother Mary and Don Bosco I am most grateful for the gift of a son to my nephew and the betrothal of my niece. Please keep my entire family in your care. I continue to pray the 3 Hail Marys fervently and faithfully. Dominic Dodd, NY 

 

My sincere thanks to Our Blessed Mother for all the favors received and for answering our prayers. Please continue to shower on us your blessings and keep us in your care.

R. Cook, ME 


In Closing

Dear devotees of Our Lady and Don Bosco,

If you have received a miracle through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother, we would like to hear from you. Email us at [email protected].

 

Bookstore hours: Monday - Saturday - 10 am to 5 pm, Sundays: 12 - 4 pm

 

Weekday Masses: 12 noon. Confessions on weekdays begin at 11.30 am.

Sunday Masses: 11 am and 12.30 pm

 

Other activities: Day Retreats, Weekend retreats, Don Bosco Summer Camp, Eucharistic Adoration, Friday night Lenten Dinners, 50/50 raffle, 350 club, Rosary Madonna Statue. Rent Lomagno Hall, Rent our Banquet Hall.

 

MEMORIES

Remember a Loved One: Engrave plaques on Wall of Memories, adopt a Tree, Engrave blocks on Walk of Honor, All Souls, All year Candle lighting, Holiday (Christmas and Easter), Flowers, Schedule a Mass, Bell Chimes.

 

MASS INTENTIONS

To offer a mass intention, please write to

Fr. Jim McKenna SDB

174 Filors Lane,

Stony Point, NY 10980

[email protected].


 


Our ministry is only possible with your help. Visit our website: www.marianshrine.org to donate.

 

 

Marian Shrine

174 Filors Lane, Stony Point, NY 10980

www.marianshrine.org 

(845) 947-2200


 


Venerable Maria Troncatti FMA: 25th August

Maria Troncatti was born at Corteno Golgi (Brescia) on February 16, 1883. In a large family
she grew up happy and worked hard in the fields and in the care of her little brothers and
sisters, in a warm atmosphere enriched by the affection of her parents. Diligent at parish
catechism classes and in receiving the Sacraments, as an adolescent Maria developed a
profoundly Christian awareness that opened her to a religious vocation. In obedience to her
father and to the parish priest, however, she waited until adulthood before seeking
admission to the Salesian Sisters.
She made her first profession in 1908 in Nizza Monferrato. During the First World War
(1915-1918), Sr. Maria followed a course in health care in Varazze and worked as a Red
Cross nurse in the military hospital: an experience that would prove very useful in the
course of her long missionary work in the Amazon forest of eastern Ecuador. In fact, she left
for Ecuador in 1922, and was sent among the Shuar indigenous people. There, with two
other Sisters, she began the difficult work of evangelization, in the midst of every kind of
risk, including those caused by the animals of the forest and the perils of swirling rivers to
be waded across or crossed on fragile 'bridges' made from creepers, or on the shoulders of
the indigenous men.
Macas, Sevilla Don Bosco, Suc�a are some of the flourishing 'miracles' of the action of Sr
Maria Troncatti: nurse, surgeon and orthopedist, dentist and anesthetist. But, above all,
catechist and evangelist, rich in marvelous faith, patience and fraternal love. Her work for
the promotion of the Shuar woman flourished in hundreds of new Christian families, based,
for the first time, on the free personal choice of the young couple. Sr. Maria died in a tragic
air accident at Suc�a on August 25, 1969, offering her life for reconciliation between the
settlers and the indigenous people. Her remains lie at Macas, in the province of Morona
(Ecuador). She was declared Venerable on November 8, 2008.