ALMANAC

of the Institute of the Missions

for the year 1922

Almanac for the year 1922

Moveable Feasts

1. All Sundays                                             8. Corpus Christi - 3rd June

2. The Circumcision 1st January               9. St.John Baptist- 24th June

3. Epiphany 6th January                             10. Ss.Peter & Paul- 29th June

4. Conv. of St.Paul 25th January                 11. Assumption of Our Lady-15th August

5. St.Paul's shipwreck 10th February         12. All Saints - 1st November

6. St.Joseph 19th March                                13. Imm. Conception - 8th December

7. Ascension 25th May                                 14. Christmas - 25th December

Lent and Ember days Assumption of Our Lady -Vigil -14th August

Pentecost Vigil -3rd June All Saints' Vigil 31st October

1. Spring 8th,10th,11th March 3. Autumn 20th,22nd,23rd September

2. Summer 7th, 9th, 10th June 4. Winter 20th,22nd,23rd December

Meat is prohibited on the vigils referred to above, on Ember Days, on Ash Wednesday, on all Fridays during the year, and on Saterdays during lent. On all other days during lent one may eat meat only once although there is the obligation to fast. Fasting and Abstinence, however, end on Easter Saturday at noon.

On Feasts of obligation (which do not fall during lent) which occur on days of fast or on Fridays, there is no obligation to fast or to abstain from meat. So, this year there is no obligation to fast on the Christmas vigil because it falls on a Sunday.

From the first Sunday of Advent, 3rd December to Christmas ,25th December, and from Ash Wednesday, 1st March to Easter, 16th April, both days inclusive.

Although MALTA is a small country, however it resembles larger countries in several things.

This holy country, the faithful daughter of her father the Apostle of the gentiles is proud of its history, courage and the heroism of its people. Yet it must be prouder still for its faith in religion which it has upheld for twenty centuries.

Last year Malta proved the power of its faith in Religion when in its first step through the new of constitution it declared that its Religion is the Catholic Apostolic Roman Religion. Apart from these, we can speak of several other stories which verify the faith of this country.

Among these it is worth mentioning the power, ability and courage of many who, as true Maltese, children of the great Apostle Paul, left their country to lead a missionary life.

Many are and were such people who performed immeasurable good in far away lands, in America, in Australia, in Asia and in Africa.

So, the erection of an Institute where missionaries are formed, missionaries who will one day be able to care for souls in other countries was a wonderful thought which compared MALTA to other larger countries.

This almanac is being published for the first time by those who are taking care of this holy work. We are publishing it not without fear, but with the hope of a warm reception from those who understand the need of this Institute and the good it can do by God's help.

We hope too that this small ALMANAC helps all its readers and the same Institute through the spiritual and temporal help they would like to give it.

MATT.XXVIII.20

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WITH THIS LETTER the Pope gave the Church of Jesus Christ the means to further the spreading of the Gospel. He should how all Christians can help to fulfill Christ's will expressed in the Gospel of St. Mark:" Go preach the Gospel to the people of every lineage".

Here the Pope is handing a programme. He calls, first of all, bishops and all superiors of the mission and shows them their duty and how to perform it.

In the second place he speaks to missionary priests about the method to overcome so many obstacles and perform excellent good work in the missionary field.

In the third place, he showed also how all christians can help the missionaries not only materially and through personal work, but above all through prayer. These are in fact the words of Pope Benedict XV: "The first means", with which one can help the missionary", is possible to all - it is prayer which attracts God's favour on them . We have already noted that the work of the missionary would be fruitless and in vain if not helped by God's grace. This is what St.Paul used to say about this matter: 'I planted, Apollo ewatered, but is God who gave growth"- (1.Cor 111 6). We can obtain this grace in one way only. That is the perseverance of prayer in humility and earnestness because the lord said," Anything they ask will be given them by my father".(Matt XVII 19).

There can be no doubt about this prayer being heard because the thing in hand is such a noble matter, pleasing to God.

One day Moses was on the mountain top, hands uplifted to heaven and receiving God's help for the people of Israel, while at war with Amalec. In the same way all christians should help by their prayers all those who proclaim the Gospel and sweat in the field of holy ministry. The apostolate of prayer was instituted just for this reason. We recommend it wholeheartedly to all good christians. We augur ourselves that there will be no one who does not enlist. Moreover, we hope everybody wishes to have a share in the holy apostolic work by one's zeal, if not by one's work".

This is then the way in which all christians can be missionaries. Yes, everybody, because no christian can excuse himself because he cannot pray.

We know the importance of praying God humbly, as described by the Pope. We know how easy it is to fulfill the will of our universal Father, which is the same will of God. Let us try to be true sons by being obedient. Sure of what he told us in his letter, let us promise to pray as much as possible for such a necessary venture.

ST.PAUL ROM X.15.

In the world you meet some noble-minded people who cannot bear to be thought of as being faint-hearted.

There is no need to encourage such people; for the love of suffering and great suffering for Jesus and for souls which are so precious to him forces them to long for the mission field.

But not all people are like this. You meet people who can never decide. People who like Jonah flee God's face when he calls them for an apostolic life. They defend themselves by silly excuses which reveal their fear and foolishness. These poor people are really cgood- for nothing people.

While others feel courage and enthusiasm by reading stories about the missions, these poor creatures lose heart by such reading and they make a mountain out of a molehill.

What can we say to encourage such people? We cannot tell them that the life of those who follow Jesus is an easy life full of pleasures similar to those provided by the world. Because Jesus did not say such words when he met that man lacking courage. Instead he told him, Foxes has their holes and the birds of the air have got their nests, but the son of man does not have anywhere where to lay his head".

To follow Jesus, to follow Jesus closely and to be able to continue the Mission of this Divine Master, One must prepare oneself for hard work, sacrificing oneself from many things; one must be prepared for suffering and sweat.

But courage, my brothers: My faint-hearted brothers, courage! This is not something which one cannot do , especially when we understand the strength and power we receive through prayer in any difficulty and obstacle.

Prayer gives us all we need from God; it opens the great God's infinite treasures of grace.

So we ask these people to pray and courage will not be lacking.

Matt XVI 25

It was the nineteenth century. At that time hell raised a war against the holy church, the bride of Jesus Christ. Terrible tempests troubled Peter's boat, trying to destroy it .

The Christians, full of great fear, begged God to restrain the enemies of the church. Sure of Jesus'own words, the vicar of christ asked God ferfectly to enlighten him in guiding the church through so many difficulties. Suddenly a really wonderful thought illumined the Pope's mind. It was as if it were a ray of light! His sadness turned into joy. What was the though? Full of hope, the Pope had recourse to the Great St. Joseph and enttusiastic him with the mystical boat of Peter so that by his protection he guards it against the assaults of the enemies. For this reason on the 8th of December, 1870 St. Joseph was declared Patron of the whole church by Pope Pius IX.

Now St. Joseph is to take care of the church of Jesus Christ. Won't the Great Joseph care the more for the holy mission? A good look at the entire church will show us that the greatest obstacles lie in the mission field. So St. Joseph's care as a true patron is really special toward holy missions.

In these lands the devil raises a really fierce war so as to hinder the expansion of the word of the Gospel which destroys his kingdom. In this war against Jesus Christ's workers, the devil uses not only his cunning; he also enlists the help of the same human beings who, so to say, more than him try, by every possible means, to destroy whatever the minister of Jesus Christ did with so much hard work. If however there is so much work in the mission, neither does the love of the Great Joseph does not fall short. There he is, protecting the church from its enemies. That is why all endeavours to destroy it fail. And if they do sometimes succeed, this happens for the greater good of the church.

While the missionary is still in his own country, he already receives help from the Great Patriarch. What help won't the missionary receive when he reaches the country where he is to preach the word of God? He receives the power and courage to continue this ministry of God to fight against his enemies and win; to bear patiently the suffering and toil of the mission. The missionary receives also power in his word. His word will be mighty on that people. Finally Joseph the Great Patriarch pours great consolations in the heart of the missionary. Such consolations strengthen him to progress in his work.

Joseph's special solicitude does not extend only to the missionary, but also to the people who listen to his word.

St. Joseph enlightens their mind to realise that they live in darkness and to embrace the true light, Jesus Christ. He soften their heart so that his word is effective on them and yields fruit abundantly. St.Joseph continues to care and to help persevere all these who started on their way to salvation.

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LUKE XII.49

THIS institute of the missions has always needed lots of help, like a small babe. But it has always found help in the Bishops to whom it has been subject till the present day. However, we reserve a special esteem to our Dear Diocesan Bishop, Dom Mauro Caruana who as a true father, from the first days of his bishopric, showed a very special attention towards this institute. So much so that after a few months that he was here in Malta, this institute was honoured with one of his visits. He thus showed it his love and his wish that it progresses. He encouraged its members to advance always in their wonderful vocation.

He accepted two times, with pleasure, the superior's invitation on the occasion of the Patron's feast, Saint Paul the Apostle. Although the feast in chapel is held on a very small scale, he showed his appreciation in the words he said in his homely speech, in front of all those present.

This institute was visited by its dear Pastor many other times; such visits always brought God's blessing on it. We feel bound to mention the last one of such visits. That was on the 26th of April last year. In that year, Msgr. Alfred Mifsud, a canon of the Cathedral, died. The institute had to move house (the house it had before was donated to the sisters of St.Dorothy.) The Institute moved to another house, where it is at present. The superior wished the bishop to bless the new house. The bishop was pleased with this invitation and wanted to come for this same function. On that occasion he wanted also to say mass in the chapel and ordain two members.

After the function he was gentle enough to be entertained by all these who were present for the occasion.

We are moved by so much attention and care. The institute seizes this opportunity to show sentiments of gratitude which it feels towards Msgr. Bishop Dom Mauro Caruana.

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MATT. IX. 37

When Our Lord Jesus Christ was on the cross, he made his dear mother as the mother of all human beings by those words, " woman, behold your son!". "Behold, your mother!" From that moment onwards, in the person of St.John, Mary accepted as her offspring all human beings. From that moment onwards she started behaving as a true mother for them, by helping them in their needs.

The whole world can witness in truth how much Mary is a wonderful mother. No less can be said for this institute which can nearly feel the touch of her help. So, from the very start it showed a special devotion towards this great mother who is in heaven.

The institute always had recourse to Mary in any obstacle and trouble; she always kept away any danger, and so it has always been pleased by the result.

Mary has always accepted its prayers and provided all the institute's needs. Many in fact, and great, have been the graces which it has received from Our Lady that , had it not been for her intercession, the institute would not have received them.

The Blessed Virgin is a very kind mother towards this institute; she won't deny anything to her sons. As an act of gratitude towards this dear mother it always seeks to honour her in the highest manner. For this reason, in the chapel we celebrate her feast under the title of the Assumption, a title which has brought new graces on the institute.

Mary accepts everything willingly from her dear sons. Then, as the generous mother that she is; she pays handsomely the little work done in her honour.

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ST.PETER IV.8

My brothers, willingly I am leaving

I wish to salute everyone for the last time,

You, my relatives, my friends.

I hope we will meet again in heaven.

My last greetings, not without tears

Goes to you, Malta, the holy country of my birth

A force of love separates me from you

As I am an apostle of the true faith.

I feel called for other countries

To continue the work of the Divine Master.

I must obey him, without fear

So, I will not waste time in leaving.

I want to continue this mission

Which the Lord gave me from on high

My heart is prepared for every suffering

I am ready to go where he has prepared for me.

There full of gentleness and love

I will go around villages and even cities

I will proclaim peace, I will call back to God's bosom

Souls, by the thousands and the hundreds, if I could.

A great joy fills my heart, I feel very happy

Although there I will surely meet suffering

I feel very happy, although I have a premonition

That I will die for the Faith.

Before leaving I kneel at your feet,

Oh Star of the sea, Oh infinite beauty

Mother and Queen of the Missionaries

Now I want to say a prayer to you.

In this beginning of this new life

You are to take care of my soul and my body

So that I will spend the rest of my life

Like those last three years of your son Jesus.