Medical work makes the days go by quickly

Here is a picture of the medical table we work with. All medicines are kept inside the hermitage until they are needed. Your donations help to supply this table daily. Right now the hermitage is desperate for your help.

I am nearly out of the curative Malaria medicine as well as pediatric and adult antibiotics. Without your kind help I will not be able to help folks in need, like these people shown waiting for help last Thursday.

If you feel God is calling you to donate just drop me an e-mail

brodismas@gmail.com

and I will tell you how you can send money donations via western union or Money Gram. I can only buy these medicines locally which is why I am looking for cah donations right now. Before God called me to this life I would have been so embarrased to beg like this but , in the service of the Lord, I feel no shame being a beggar hermit.





These people are the first arrivals at 10:00 AM and more keep arriving until I close at noon. The hermitage is open again at 4:00 PM until 6:00PM.






Meet Ibrima Jawo, he is a real help in this ministry. This young man helps me every day. He first began by helping to clean wounds of some of the sick and now he has learned so much more. Here is is shown taking the Blood pressure of one lady.

Ibrima just recently graduated from High School which is a wonderful thing as in the past most children were not able to go to school and there were only two High schools in the country. Now there are many more and all children, boys and girls, are able and encouraged to attend.

RAINY SEASON

The rainy season began in June and now is really in full swing but it is wreaking havoc on all the countries around us with flooding. Many folks are homeless in these surrounding countries.

So far, The Gambia has been spared the floods and up to now the farmers are pleased with the amount of water.

I just pray it doesn't begin to cause trouble for all of us.

As you can see by these two pictures, the Hermitage has been adversly affected (mainly the roof over the chapel and my cell) but the corrugate roof is leaking everywhere. Moving buckets around has become a real challenge.

There are some days when I wonder if the strong wind will blow the entire roof off but fortunately God is taking care of the hermitage. On Sunday, early morning there was such a violent storm and I was certain there would be some terrific damage but the hermitage survived.

I could add more pictures of the damage but you can at least see some of the damage from these two pictures.




I am only showing you these pictures so you can get an idea of what the rains are like. Just imagine what other folks are going through when their roof's leak and flood their rooms, soak their beds, etc.

Please pray about donating for the important medicines I mentioned above and send me an e-mail if you are interested.
God bless you All
dismas

PO ADDRESS CHANGE(again)

The Bishop has permitted me the use the Catholic Mission PO box however I sadly discovered today that in order to collect any packages sent to that PO address, it is necessary for the adressee to travel all the way to Banjul, The capital City, to collect the parcel. Banjul is over an hour away from here. I had imagined that all parcels would be collected by Mission staff and brought to the Catholic Mission office but I was mistaken. The Mission may only collect letters but anything else has to be picked up up in person. Since I am truly a beggar, I do not have funds to buy petrol to get to Banjul so now I would request anyone sending packages to begin sending them to the original Hermitage PO Address which is:
Brother Dismas
Nazareth Hermitage
PO Box 3197
Serrekunda, The Gambia,
West Africa.
The Post office in Serrekunda is much closer and will be a lot easier to collect parcels. Please be sure to make a note of this. If there are any further changes, I will let you know.
If you have already sent packages to the Catholic Mission address, I will certainly collect them but using the old PO address above is more practical and saves money on petrol.
God bless you

Brother dismas

St Leo the Great on the Beatitudes

This is the second reading from the office of Readings for today

The blessedness of Christ's kingdom

After pronouncing his blessing on poverty, the Lord added Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Dearly beloved, this mourning that is promised eternal comfort has nothing in common with the afflictions of this world. No-one is made blessed by the kind of lamentation that the whole human race indulges in. The sighs and blessed tears of the saints have another cause. Holy sorrow comes from contemplating one’s own sins and the sins of others. It does not weep at the actions of divine justice but at the sins committed by human wickedness. It is the one who does evil here who is to be pitied, not the one who suffers it: for what the evil man has done thrusts him down to punishment, while what the just man has put up with leads him up into glory.
Then the Lord added Blessed are the meek, for they shall have the earth for their inheritance. To the meek and gentle, to the lowly and unassuming, to all who are prepared to endure injury – to these the earth is promised. This is not a small or unimportant inheritance, as if “the earth” were somehow distinct from a dwelling-place in heaven: in fact, you must understand it as meaning that only the meek will enter the kingdom of heaven. This earth that is promised to the meek, that is to be given to the gentle to possess, is the body of the saints, whose humility will raise them up and clothe them in the glory of immortality, united at last with the Spirit of unity. Then the outer self will belong to the inner self at last, a peaceful and secure possession.
The meek will possess this inheritance in everlasting peace and their right to it will never grow less. Our present perishable nature must put on imperishability and this mortal nature must put on immortality, so that a danger to the soul becomes a reward and what was onerous becomes an honour.

Blue Hermit Rustic Rosary's

Serving the sick is a real joy for me however it means that I must beg for your help with medicines/medical supplies since the folks here are treated free of charge and there is no charge for medicines.

One way I try to supplement finances is by making cord rosaries and offering them for sale. They are real sturdy and have a great feel to them. I pray with one myself every day.

These Rosaries, like all 5 decade rosaries, can be used to pray the Divine Mercy chaplet.

Below you can view some of the beads I have made. All beads are wood and the cord is synthetic twine.

In the 5 years I have been making these beads, I have never had one break or received any complaints from buyers.

I also make many other types of devotional chaplets you might wish to order. Just let me know if you have a special request.

If you would like to place an order just send me an e-mail and I will answer you the same day (if the network is functioning and there is petrol in the generator since the hermitage has no electricity).

The wooden beads are 10 mm beads and very convenient for everyone especially for the bedridden and folks with arthritis.

Bead colors presently in stock are brown, black, antique white, ivory, blue and green.

I also make first communion rosaries in white and brown using 8mm beads which are smaller for the children.

In the last two years I've donated many of these beads to many of the little ones in The Gambia making their first communion and I would like to continue doing this but need your support to be able to replenish the beads and cord.

The crosses for the rosaries vary from plain wooden to simple metal. Whatever is in stock will be put on your rosary.

The price for all adult rosaries is $23.00 which includes packaging and mailing via registered mail.

Since they are mailed from the Gambia it can take from two weeks to a month to receive your order. I know that is a lot slower than most other shops that sell rosaries but there is no other way to send them out unless someone happens to be traveling to the US from here. Then I can send them along with the traveler and your waiting time would be shorter. If the beads seem to be expensive please consider that they are hand knotted by myself and all proceeds are used for the sick poor. One exception is when I must use some of the proceeds to restock rosary making supplies.

Your purchase of these beads would be such a great help in this work that the Lord has blessed me with.

If you would like to order a rosary or several just drop me an e-mail:

brodismas@gmail.com

and I will send you the ordering information.

Your purchase of these rosary beads also makes you a helper in this work of caring for the sick.

If you do not want to purchase a rosary but care to send OTC medicines, supplies or a donation just let me know via e-mail.

God bless you

Brother dismas

Nazareth Hermitage

Catholic Mission

PO Box 165

Banjul, The Gambia

West Africa

Feast of Pope St. Gregory the Great

This reading below is taken from the office of readings for the feast of St. Gregory. Prior to becoming a Pope, Gregory had been a simple monk. One can read from this homily the humilty of this great man. I would venture to say that he would have preferred to remain a simple monk but was obedient to Gods call. A true man of God. I hope you will read this as I think it is such a humble piece of writing.

From a homily on Ezekiel by Pope St. Gregory the Great

"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel." Note that a man whom the Lord sends forth as a preacher is called a watchman. A watchman always stands on a height so that he can see from afar what is coming. Anyone appointed to be a watchman for the people must stand on a height for all his life to help them by his foresight.
How hard it is for me to say this, for by these very words I denounce myself. I cannot preach with any competence, and yet insofar as I do succeed, still I myself do not live my life according to my own preaching.
I do not deny my responsibility; I recognize that I am slothful and negligent, but perhaps the acknowledgment of my fault will win me pardon from my just judge. Indeed when I was in the monastery I could curb by idle talk and usually be absorbed in my prayers. Since I assumed the burden of pastoral care, my mind can no longer be collected; it is concerned with so many matters.
I am forced to consider the affairs of the Church and of the monasteries. I must weigh the lives and acts of individuals. I am responsible for the concerns of our citizens. I must worry about the invasions of roving bands of barbarians, and beware of the wolves who lie in wait for my flock. I must become an administrator lest the religious go in want. I must put up with certain robbers without losing patience and at times I must deal with them in all charity.
With my mind divided and torn to pieces by so many problems, how can I meditate or preach wholeheartedly without neglecting the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel? Moreover, in my position I must often communicate with worldly men. At times I let my tongue run, for if I am always sever in my judgments, the worldly will avoid me, and I can never attack them as I would. As a result I often listen patiently to chatter. And because I too am weak, I find myself drawn little by little into idle conversation, and I begin to talk freely about matters which once I would have avoided. What once I found tedious I now enjoy.
So who am I to be a watchman, for I do not stand on the mountain of action but lie down in the valley of weakness? Truly the all-powerful Creator and Redeemer of mankind can give me in spite of my weaknesses a higher life and effective speech; because I love him, I do not spare myself in speaking of him.

John the Baptist, Precursor of Christ in birth and death

I have added the reading from the office of readings for the feast of St. John the Baptist because of his great importance in Christianity as Martyr, Prophet and precursor of Jesus.

From a homily by St. Bede the Venerable, priest

As forerunner of our Lord’s birth, preaching and death, the blessed John showed in his struggle a goodness worthy of the sight of heaven. In the words of Scripture: Though in the sight of men he suffered torments, his hope is full of immortality. We justly commemorate the day of his birth with a joyful celebration, a day which he himself made festive for us through his suffering and which he adorned with the crimson splendour of his own blood. We do rightly revere his memory with joyful hearts, for he stamped with the seal of martyrdom the testimony which he delivered on behalf of our Lord.
There is no doubt that blessed John suffered imprisonment and chains as a witness to our Redeemer, whose forerunner he was, and gave his life for him. His persecutor had demanded not that he should deny Christ, but only that he should keep silent about the truth. Nevertheless, he died for Christ. Does Christ not say: I am the truth? Therefore, because John shed his blood for the truth, he surely died for Christ.
Through his birth, preaching and baptising, he bore witness to the coming birth, preaching and baptism of Christ, and by his own suffering he showed that Christ also would suffer.
Such was the quality and strength of the man who accepted the end of this present life by shedding his blood after the long imprisonment. He preached the freedom of heavenly peace, yet was thrown into irons by ungodly men; he was locked away in the darkness of prison, though he came bearing witness to the Light of life and deserved to be called a bright and shining lamp by that Light itself, which is Christ. John was baptised in his own blood, though he had been privileged to baptise the Redeemer of the world, to hear the voice of the Father above him, and to see the grace of the Holy Spirit descending upon him. But to endure temporal agonies for the sake of the truth was not a heavy burden for such men as John; rather it was easily borne and even desirable, for he knew eternal joy would be his reward.
Since death was ever near at hand through the inescapable necessity of nature, such men considered it a blessing to embrace it and thus gain the reward of eternal life by acknowledging Christ’s name. Hence the apostle Paul rightly says: You have been granted the privilege not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake. He tells us why it is Christ’s gift that his chosen ones should suffer for him: The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us.

Shortly after he had baptized Jesus, John the Baptist began to denounce Herod Antipas, the tetarch of Galilee. Herod had divorced his own wife and taken Herodias, the wife of his half- brother Philip and also his own niece. John the Baptist declared, "I is not lawful for you to have her," so Herod threw him into prison.
Not only did Herod fear John and his disciples, he also knew him to be a righteous man, so he did not kill him. Herodias determined to bring about John's death. From prison John followed Jesus's ministry, and sent messengers to question him (Luke 7:19-29). One day Herod gave a fine banquet to celebrate his birthday. His entire court was present as well as other powerful and influential Palestinians. Herodias's daughter Salome so pleased Herod when she danced to entertain the company that he promised her whatever she would ask--even half of his kingdom. Salome asked her mother for counsel and was told to request the head of the Baptist (Matthew 14:1-12).
Because of his pride Herod, though deeply sorry, could not decline the request; thus, as Saint Augustine says, "an oath rashly taken was criminally kept." He sent a soldier of the guard to behead John in prison. Thus, the "voice crying in the wilderness" was silenced. The head was placed on a platter and taken to Salome, who gave it to her mother.
When John's disciples heard what had happened, they took away his body and laid it in a tomb, probably at Sebaste in Samaria, where he was venerated in the 4th century. His tomb was desecrated by Julian the Apostate. John's relics are claimed by many places, but it is unlikely that they are authentic. His cultus is ancient in both the East and West, because intercession to Saint John was believed to the coming of Christ in the soul, just as it was in history. There are a vast number of medieval churches in England dedicated to Saint John. He is the patron of the Knights Hospitallers, whose principal work was to guard the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem and protect pilgrims

St. Moses The Black

One of the more exciting of the early monks in the period of desert Christian monasticism was a Black African (Nubian) now honored as St. Moses the Black. He had been a slave of a government official in Egypt who discharged him for theft and suspected murder. He became the leader of a gang of bandits who roamed the Nile Valley and had the reputation for being associated with terror and violence.
On one occasion, when he sought to hide from local authorities, he took shelter with some hermits in Skete in the western desert near Alexandria. The dedication of their lives and their peace and contentment seem to have influenced him deeply. Eventually, he gave up his old way of life and became a hermit/monk himself.
The conversion of Moses was not instantaneous, he had a rather difficult time adjusting to regular monastic discipline. He was zealous of everything he undertook, but became discouraged when he concluded he was not becoming a perfect monk advanced in all the degrees of spiritual perfection. Early one morning before dawn, St. Isadore, abbot of the monastery, took Brother Moses to the roof and together they watched the first rays of the dawn come over the horizon. They stayed there until the new day had begun. Then Isidore said, "Only slowly do the rays of the sun drive away the night and usher in a new day and, thus, only slowly does one become a perfect contemplative."
In another incident, one of the brothers committed a fault. A council met and Moses was invited, but refused to attend. Someone came to him to let him know the others were waiting, at which Moses went to the meeting. He took a leaking jug filled with water and carried it on his shoulder (another version has him carrying a basket of sand with a hole in it). When he arrived, the others came out to meet him asking, "What is this?" Moses replied, "My sins run out behind me and I do not see them, but today I am coming to judge the errors of another." Hearing that, they said no more to the erring brother, but forgave him.
Moses became the spiritual leader of a colony of hermits in the desert near Skete. At some time, he had been ordained a priest -- an uncommon phenomenon at that period for desert monks. When he was 75 years old, about the year 407, word came that a group of renegades planned to attack the colony. The brothers wished to defend themselves, but Moses forbade such action. He told them to retreat rather than take up the sword. He and seven others stayed on to greet the invaders with open arms, but all were martyred by the bandits. A modern interpretation honors St. Moses the Black as an apostle of nonviolence. Moses is honored by the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Catholic Church and the Coptic and Orthodox Church.

Feast of St. Augustine

Augustine (Aurelius Augustinus) was one of the greatest theologians of Western Christianity. (In his day the Mediterranean world consisted of an Eastern, Greek-speaking half and a Western, Latin-speaking half, with different ways of looking at things, and different habits of thought.) He was born 13 November 354 in North Africa, about 45 miles south of the Mediterranean, in the town of Tagaste (modern Souk-Ahras) in Numidia, in what is now Algeria, but near ancient Carthage (modern Tunis). His mother, Monica, was a Catholic, and his father for many years a pagan (although he became a Catholic before his death). His mother undertook to bring him up as a Catholic, and on one level he always found something attractive about Christ, but in the short run he was more interested in the attractions of sex, fame, and pride in his own cleverness. After a moderate amount of running around as a teen-ager, he took a mistress, who bore him a son when he was about eighteen. Theirs was a long-term relationship, apparently with faithfulness on both sides, and the modern reader is left wondering why he did not simply marry the girl. He never tells us this (and in fact never tells us her name), so that we can only guess. It seems likely that she was a freedwoman, and that the laws forbade marriage between a free-born Roman citizen and a slave, or an ex-slave.
When he was 19 and a student at Carthage, he read a treatise by Cicero that opened his eyes to the delights of philosophy.
He was from the beginning a brilliant student, with an eager intellectual curiousity, but he never mastered Greek -- he tells us that his first Greek teacher was a brutal man who constantly beat his students, and Augustine rebelled and refused to study. By the time he realized that he really needed to know Greek, it was too late; and although he acquired a smattering of the language, he was never really at home in it. However, his mastery of Latin was another matter. He became an expert both in the eloquent use of the language and in the use of clever arguments to make his points. He became a teacher of rhetoric in Carthage, but was dissatisfied. It was the custom for students to pay their fees to the professor on the last day of the term, and many students attended faithfully all term, and then did not pay. In his late twenties, Augustine decided to leave Africa and seek his fortune in Rome.
For a long time Augustine was attracted by the teachings of Manicheeism, named for Mani, a Persian who had preached an alternate form of Zoroastrianism, the dominant religion of Persia. Zoroaster had taught the existence of a power of light, God, the supreme Creator, and of a dark and evil power that opposed him. On the Zoroastrian (Parsi) view, the dark power was a rebel against his creator, and doomed to ultimate defeat. Mani, on the other hand, was a thoroughgoing dualist, who taught that there are two gods of equal power and eternity, and that the universe is the scene of an unending battle between light and darkness, good and evil, knowledge and ignorance, soul and body, etc. The Manichees as they moved west into the Roman Empire adopted many traits of what is generically called Gnosticism. In particular, they advertised themselves as being not an alternative to Catholocism but as the advanced version of it, as the faith for the spiritually mature, the intellectually gifted. They claimed that their beliefs were based on reason rather than authority, and that they had answers for everything, at least as soon as the learner was sufficiently advanced to comprehend them. They differed from the classical Gnostics by not contrasting spirit with matter. On their view, everything was composed of material particles, but these were either light or dark. Since the mind was composed of light particles, imprisoned in the body, a cage made of dark particles, something like the Gnostic contrast between spirit and matter was there. Members were divided into an inner circle, the "elect," who were expected to be celibate and vegetarian, so as to avoid all those dark particles, and the "learners," of whom considerably less was expected. Augustine signed up as a learner. He was at first completely captivated, but then met with a series of disappointments. The rank and file of the movement did not seem to be very clear thinkers. He met the leaders, who were advertised as the Towering Intellects of the Ages, and was not impressed.
Augustine prospered in Rome, and was eventually appointed chief professor of rhetoric for the city of Milan, at that time the capital city of the Empire in the West. It should be noted that this was an extremely prestigious appointment. In classical times, when laws were often made and issues voted on by huge public assemblies, when even juries typically had several hundred members, and when a man's public influence, or even on occasion his life, depended on his ability to sway large audiences, rhetoric -- the art of manipulating an audience -- was a skill that few men thought they could afford to neglect. (Socrates was one of the few, and we know what happened to him!) The art, at first intensely practical, had by Augustine's day become a display form admired for its own sake. However, the admiration was there. Every lawyer, arguing a case, was expected to give an eloquent speech, full of classical allusions and standard rhetorical flourishes. And Augustine was at the top of the field.
In Milan Augustine met the Saint Ambrose, and was startled to find in him a reasonableness of mind and belief, a keenness of thought, and an integrity of character far in excess of what he had found elsewhere. For the first time, Augustine saw Catholicism as a religion fit for a philosopher.
Soon after his arrival in Milan, Augustine was plunged into two crises.
First, his mother arrived from Africa, and persuaded him that he ought to give up his mistress and get married. He agreed to a betrothal to a suitable young lady; but his betrothed was too young for immediate marriage, and so the actual wedding was postponed for two years. Meanwhile the mistress had been sent back to Africa. Augustine, not ready for two years of sexual abstinence, lapsed back into promiscuity.
The second crisis was that Augustine became a neo-Platonist. Plato, as interpreted by his later spokesmen, in particular by Plotinus, taught that only God is fully real, and that all other things are degenerations in varying degrees from the One--things are progressively less good, less spiritual, and less real as one goes rung by rung down the cosmic ladder. By contemplating spiritual realities, directing one's attention first to one's own mind and then moving up the ladder rung by one to the contemplation of God, one acquires true wisdom, true self-fulfilment, true spirituality, and union with God, or the One. Augustine undertook this approach, and believed that he had in fact had an experience of the presence of God, but found that this only made him more aware of the gulf between what he was and what he realized that he ought to be.
Meanwhile, he continued to hear SaintAmbrose. And finally, partly because Ambrose had answers for his questions, partly because he admired Ambrose personally, and chiefly (or so he believed) because God touched his heart, he was converted to Catholicism in 386 and was baptised by Saint Ambrose at Easter of 387. About 12 years later he wrote an account of his life up to a time shortly after his conversion, a book called the Confessions, a highly readable work available in English. Ostensibly an autobiography, it is more an outpouring of penitence and thanksgiving.

St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine

The circumstances of St. Monica’s life could have made her a nagging wife, a bitter daughter-in-law and a despairing parent, yet she did not give way to any of these temptations. Although she was a Christian, her parents gave her in marriage to a pagan, Patricius, who lived in her hometown of Tagaste in North Africa. Patricius had some redeeming features, but he had a violent temper and was licentious. Monica also had to bear with a cantankerous mother-in-law who lived in her home. Patricius criticized his wife because of her charity and piety, but always respected her. Monica’s prayers and example finally won her husband and mother-in-law to Christianity. Her husband died in 371, one year after his baptism.
Monica had at least three children who survived infancy. The oldest, Augustine, is the most famous. At the time of his father’s death, Augustine was 17 and a rhetoric student in Carthage. Monica was distressed to learn that her son had accepted the Manichean heresy and was living an immoral life. For a while, she refused to let him eat or sleep in her house. Then one night she had a vision that assured her Augustine would return to the faith. From that time on she stayed close to her son, praying and fasting for him. In fact, she often stayed much closer than Augustine wanted.
When he was 29, Augustine decided to go to Rome to teach rhetoric. Monica was determined to go along. One night he told his mother that he was going to the dock to say goodbye to a friend. Instead, he set sail for Rome. Monica was heartbroken when she learned of Augustine’s trick, but she still followed him. She arrived in Rome only to find that he had left for Milan. Although travel was difficult, Monica pursued him to Milan.
In Milan, Augustine came under the influence of the bishop, St. Ambrose, who also became Monica’s spiritual director. She accepted his advice in everything and had the humility to give up some practices that had become second nature to her (see Quote, below). Monica became a leader of the devout women in Milan as she had been in Tagaste.
She continued her prayers for Augustine during his years of instruction. At Easter, 387, St. Ambrose baptized Augustine and several of his friends. Soon after, his party left for Africa. Although no one else was aware of it, Monica knew her life was near the end. She told Augustine, “Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now left for me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this world being now fulfilled.” She became ill shortly after and suffered severely for nine days before her death.
Almost all we know about St. Monica is in the writings of St. Augustine, especially his Confessions.

Today is the feast of St. Poemen (Pastor), Hermit

St. Poemen lived in the fourth/fifth century and is sometimes called by the Latin form of his name: Pastor. Together with a few of his brothers, he embraced the eremitical life in the Egyptian desert of Skete in the abandoned temple of Terenuth.
Under Poemen’s rule, during the night the hermits slept for four hours, worked for four hours and chanted the office for four hours. By day they worked until noon, read until three, and did chores for the rest of the time.
Poemen became one of the most famous of the desert fathers, noted for his sayings, such as: “Silence is not a virtue when charity calls for speech” and “A living faith consists in thinking little of self and showing consideration for others.” He died about the year 450.

The five paths of repentance

Good advice from a great Saint. Do you dare follow it????

St John Chrysostom on the temptations of the devil

Shall I list the paths of repentance? There are certainly many of them, many and various, and all of them lead to heaven.
The first path is the path of condemnation of sins. As Isaiah says, Tell your sins, and you will be acquitted. And the Psalmist adds: I said “I will bear witness against myself before the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. So you, too must condemn the sins you have committed. Condemn them, and that condemnation will excuse you in front of the Lord, since whoever condemns the sins he has committed will be slower to commit them next time. Stir up your own conscience to be your accuser – so that when you come before the judgement-seat of the Lord no-one will be rise up to accuse you.
This is the first path of repentance but the second is in no way inferior to it in excellence. It is to forget the harm done to us by our enemies, to master our anger, to forgive the sins of those who are slaves together with us. As much as we do this, so much will our own sins against the Lord be forgiven. So this is the second path to the expiation of our sins. As the Lord says, Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours.
Would you like to know the third path of repentance? It is prayer: fervent prayer, sincere and focused prayer, prayer coming from the depths of the heart.
If you want to know the fourth path, I will tell you it is the giving of alms. It has great power.
And finally, if someone acts with modesty and humility, that path is no less effective as a way to deprive sin of its substance. Look at the publican, who had no good deeds to speak of. In place of good deeds he offered humility, and the huge burden of his sins fell away.
So now I have shown you the five paths of repentance. First, condemnation of sins. Second, forgiving the sins of those near us. Third, prayer. Fourth, almsgiving. Fifth, humility.
So do not be idle, but every day advance along all these paths at once. They are not hard paths to follow. Poverty is no excuse for not setting out on the journey. Even if you are destitute you can do all these things: put aside anger, carry humility in front of you, pray hard, condemn your sins. Poverty is no obstacle – not even to that path of penitence that demands money: that is, almsgiving. Remember the story of the widow’s mite.
Now we have learnt the right way to heal our wounds, let us apply these remedies. Let us regain true health and confidently receive the blessings of Holy Communion. Thus we may come, filled with glory, to the glory of Christ’s kingdom, and receive its eternal joys through the grace, mercy and kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

FEAST OF SAINT BARTHOLOMEW, APOSTLE

Todays second reading from the Liturgy of the hours is from a homily on the first letter to the Corinthians by St. John Chrysostom, bishop

The weakness of God is stronger than men
It was clear through unlearned men that the cross was persuasive, in fact, it persuaded the whole world. Their discourse was not of unimportant matters but of God and true religion, of the Gospel way of life and future judgement, yet it turned plain, uneducated men into philosophers. How the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and his weakness stronger than men!
In what way is it stronger? It made its way throughout the world and overcame all men; countless men sought to eradicate the very name of the Crucified, but that name flourished and grew ever mightier. Its enemies lost out and perished; the living who waged a war on a dead man proved helpless. Therefore, when a Greek tells me I am dead, he shows only that he is foolish indeed, for I, whom he thinks a fool, turn out to be wiser than those reputed wise. So too, in calling me weak, he but shows that he is weaker still. For the good deeds which tax-collectors and fishermen were able to accomplish by God’s grace, the philosophers, the rulers, the countless multitudes cannot even imagine.
Paul had this in mind when he said: The weakness of God is stronger than men. That the preaching of these men was indeed divine is brought home to us in the same way. For how otherwise could twelve uneducated men, who lived on lakes and rivers and wastelands, get the idea for such an immense enterprise? How could men who perhaps had never been in a city or a public square think of setting out to do battle with the whole world? That they were fearful, timid men, the evangelist makes clear; he did not reject the fact or try to hide their weaknesses. Indeed he turned these into a proof of the truth. What did he say of them? That when Christ was arrested, the others fled, despite all the miracles they had seen, while he who was leader of the others denied him!
How then account for the fact that these men, who in Christ’s lifetime did not stand up to the attacks by the Jews, set forth to do battle with the whole world once Christ was dead – if, as you claim, Christ did not rise and speak to them and rouse their courage? Did they perhaps say to themselves: “What is this? He could not save himself but he will protect us? He did not help himself when he was alive, but now that he is dead he will extend a helping hand to us? In his lifetime he brought no nation under his banner, but by uttering his name we will win over the whole world?” Would it not be wholly irrational even to think such thoughts, much less to act upon them?
It is evident, then, that if they had not seen him risen and had proof of his power, they would not have risked so much.

(It is a good for us all to look back and see what the early church fathers had to say regarding the scriptural and theological areas of the church and which the church still maintains to this day. )

God bless your Monday and may you be filled with the peace of the Lord!

dismas

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us.

This is the second reading from the Liturgy of the hours for this morning and is from a homily by St. Amadeus of Lausanne, bishop
"Observe how fitting it was that even before her assumption the name of Mary shone forth wondrously throughout the world. Her fame spread everywhere even before she was raised above the heavens in her magnificence. Because of the honour due her Son, it was indeed fitting for the Virgin Mother to have first ruled upon earth and then be raised up to heaven in glory. It was fitting that her fame be spread in this world below, so that she might enter the heights of heaven on overwhelming blessedness. Just as she was borne from virtue to virtue by the Spirit of the Lord, she was transported from earthly renown to heavenly brightness.
So it was that she began to taste the fruits of her future reign while still in the flesh. At one moment she withdrew to God in ecstasy; at the next she would bend down to her neighbours with indescribable love. In heaven angels served her, while here on earth she was venerated by the service of men. Gabriel and the angels waited upon her in heaven. The virgin John, rejoicing that the Virgin Mother was entrusted to him at the cross, cared for her with the other apostles here below. The angels rejoiced to see their queen; the apostles rejoiced to see their lady, and both obeyed her with loving devotion.
Dwelling in the loftiest citadel of virtue, like a sea of divine grace or an unfathomable source of love that has everywhere overflowed its banks, she poured forth her bountiful waters on trusting and thirsting souls. Able to preserve both flesh and spirit from death she bestowed health-giving salve on bodies and souls. Has anyone ever come away from her troubled or saddened or ignorant of the heavenly mysteries? Who has not returned to everyday life gladdened and joyful because his request had been granted by the Mother of God?
She is a bride, so gentle and affectionate, and the mother of the only true bridegroom. In her abundant goodness she has channelled the spring of reason’s garden, the well of living and life-giving waters that pour forth in a rushing stream from divine Lebanon and flow down from Mount Zion until they surround the shores of every far-flung nation. With divine assistance she has redirected these waters and made them into streams of peace and pools of grace. Therefore, when the Virgin of virgins was led forth by God and her Son, the King of kings. amid the company of exulting angels and rejoicing archangels, with the heavens ringing with praise, the prophecy of the psalmist was fulfilled, in which he said to the Lord: At your right hand stands the queen, clothed in gold of Ophir"

Short post today. So here is St. Joseph

This picture was ouside my retreat room in the hallway. It was pretty faded and washed out . I tried my best to fix it up with a paint program. It was just so meaningful for me during the retreat. I was probably the only one to see the picture since I was in the end room where it was hanging. How special it is in capturing the real role of Saint Joseph with Jesus.

It is time to treat the sick so I am going to have to close this page today and will let you think about St. Joseph.

God bless you all

dismas

The hermitage chapel

I thought you might like to see some pictures of the Chapel here at Nazareth Hermitage. Above is the Altar. Originally the only item in the chapel was the large wooden cross.

This is a side view of the chapel.

Looking from the other side of the chapel. The painting of Divine Mercy is a gift from a beloved friend who had this painted while stationed in Haiti.

Looking at the rear of the chapel you can see the prayer bench and the Painting of Our Lady Of Guadalupe where I sing the Salve Regina each night. The carpets on the floor were donated by a Gambian friend.

A small shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary with a hanging oil lamp from Turkey, donated by another friend who had been working with USAID in Kosovo.

Small shrine to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Since this is Nazareth Hermitage, it is dedicated to the Holy family and St. Joseph is a wonderful part of the family. What a loving, consecrated, obedient, humble man. St. Joseph is the model for all Brothers and hermits.

Saint Martin de Poores is a special friend and a role model for me as I care of the sick. This small statue is in the rear of the chapel.

I hope you enjoyed these pictures of the chapel. There will be more pictures of the medical work tomorrow.

dismas

Return from the retreat for the religious of the diocese of Banjul

I returned on Monday evening from a wonderful retreat and am still trying to put all my thoughts together and tell you what it was about. Allow me a few days to just savor the experience. I was the only hermit (and the only male) making the retreat. 27 Sisters from various communities were also there and it sure seemed like I was a thorn among the roses. All of the Sisters were so wonderful and we became real brothers and sisters.
The retreat master (I am sure there is another word for that role nowadays but I don't know it) was Father Daniel Kamara, who is also Vicar General for the Diocese of Makeni, Sierra Leone. He is a real scripture scholar and led us on the path of Moses and Paul and applied them to our lives today. It gave me a new way to read the scriptures and the one question we all had is how could we have read the scriptures so many times and missed all those 'nuggets' that Fr. Daniel kept referring to. I know my lectio Divina will begin to change as I pull all that I have learned together and I look forward to sitting at my desk and begin to rewrite my notes.
Our wonderful Bishop Ellison came to the retreat house and celebrated mass on Sunday, spoke to all of us and then left to go home and pack for his trip to Ireland for a well deserved vacation and then he is off to Rome for meetings and will return here in late September.
I brought a camera with me and became so involved in the retreat that it just seemed I couldn't get the time to even take pictures.
I will begin putting more pictures on the blog tomorrow.
I ask your prayers that I may make what I have learned during the retreat a real part of my life.
Pax et Bonum!

Today I will be going on a retreat

I will not be putting anything on the blog for the next ten days as I will be on retreat. This is a time when I can pull away from my normal life of prayer and work and take the full time to listen to the retrat leader speaking on how to come closer to Jesus and also time to read the scriptures and contemplate. Personal time with Jesus is the simplest way to put it. Not very long ago most catholics regardless of their professions or age would set aside a week or a weeked for a retreat at some monastery or retreat house. I don't hear of many folks doing this any more and it is sad because you really miss out on a chance to take stock of your own lives in Christ. Many retreats are just silent or some, maybe two talks a day by a guest speaker and then silent time. Some of my fondest memories are of of the retreats I made. Most often I went with my cousin Edith to a Carmelite (O.Carm) Monastery in Hamilton, MA and one with several of my Air Force mates at New Mellary trappist abbey in Dubuque, Iowa.
Do yourself a favor and plan to make a retreat for yourself. If you are busy, tired or neglecting prayer or if you are totally spiritual. You'll be happy you did this and will be blessed. Even the Lord and his disciples went aside to be alone so they could pray and learn.
God bless you all and I ask your good prayers that this retreat will be life giving.
I will remember all who read this blog in my prayers as well.
Your brother in Jesus, The Divine Mercy,

dismas

Here are some views of Nazareth Hermitage. I thought you might enjoy a quick tour around the property.

There are lots of bananas throughout the property . These are just beginning to ripen.

The Middle hut is a guest hut. If you want to come and pray you will have to 'rough it' There is a bed and indoor plumbing but you have to flush by pouring buckets of well water down the hole. Your bath will be using a bucket of water and a large plastic cup. There is

no electricity at Nazareth thus there is no refrigerator. Breakfast is tea and bread and the main meal is simple rice with dried fish. Supper meal is whatever is left over from the main meal.

Nazareth is pretty secluded but there are plenty of good trails to walk. And you can stop and visit with the wonderful folks in the different villages. You will need to wear 100 % cotton cloth or you will wilt in any synthetic material.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of Nazareth hermitage. This painting was donated by some wonderful friends and it was painted by a Muslim in Kosovo.

More pictures will follow but I am about to go on retreat tomorrow. I hope you enjoy this Blog site and will keep following it. I will be back in 10 day. In the meantime, please pray for me and I will for you.

Remember Jesus is LORD!!

More pictures from Nazareth hermitage and more to come

Some of the medicines and supplies that YOU have all donated. You may note that they are diminishing rather quickly so If you feel the Holy Spirit is prompting you to make any donation at all you can send them to:

Brother Dismas (Nazareth Hermitage)

Catholic Mission

PO Box 165

Banjul, The Gambia

West Africa

If you wish to donate cash, you can simply go on line to Western Union (or many of the shopping centers have Western Union booths) and send your Donation to Brother Dismas, Nazareth Hermitage, Banjul, The Gambia. They will ask you for a question the receiving office will ask me . Please let your question be " who was your favorite teacher. My answer is: Sr. Theresa Mary. Then you need to notify me at once via my e-mail that you have sent a donation via Western Union ( or Money Gram, another money sending company)) and include the code number on your receipt and the amount donated. The donation cannot be picked up without the code number or the amount or the question.

You can e-mail the question and code number to :

brodismas@gmail.com

All cash donations will be used to purchase medicines and medical supplies that can only be bought locally such as anti malarials, antibiotics, worm medicines and other similar items.

If you are wondering what to send, it is easy to go on line to

Amazon.com

and see my wish list which contains a list of some of the medicines and medical supplies that are in demand here. Please note that there are also Life of the saints DVD's and religious books listed . Those are used for teaching the catholics in this and the surrounding villages. There are also items listed for myself, for my personal spiritual growth. The important needs are the medical items but anything else will be gratefully appreciated. To see the wish list, please go to

http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/RY70QKEEDQ49

Thank you for any help you might be able to give. Remember, I can only do the hands on care but I do not have the means to buy the medicines or supplies. This makes makes the caring of these folks your work, as well as mine. I depend on your gracious help......God will certainly bless you for it. Just remember, never donate unless the Holy Spirit leads you to do it. One other thing to remember; you also have to pray to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Watering the garden the old fashioned way....from the well to the watering can.

Some of the villagers waiting to be treated.

Say Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

More pictures from Nazareth hermitage

This is one way to get the Nazareth hermitage from the village. Actually, this lad brought his donkey for treatment. Poor brother donkey wounded his foot.

As I said life is never dull here and it is full of surprises each day. I like to think that God sends these little surprised just to boost the spirits of this weak hermit.

Above is the blue hermit giving instructions for taking a medicine.

This next picture is the well for the Hermitage. I thank God daily for this convenience as we are able to use it to clean woulds, wash clothes, cook rice and water the gardens. This is our only source of water. I am praying daily for a solar pump along with some water storage tanks and towers to elevate the tanks . What a great garden could be had and woulf help in the goal toward self sufficiency. At the present time I am able to sell the lemons and limes from the hermitage trees as well as the herbs from the garden but it is does not provide enough but than God, it is enough to buy a few boxes of medicine. When I am able to buy many boxes, I am able get a good discount. The hut behind the well contains my cell and another larger room where the Chapel is located. The Blessed Sacrament is reserved in the Chapel which is such a great blessing. I am able to receive the Eucharist daily and have Eucharistic adoration several times a week. If you would like me to remember you in my prayers, send me a note and I will put your prayer request right by the tabernacle. It is a privilege to be able to serve the mystical body in ,y prayers. One thing I ask though; that you also pray for me....

Now I will start adding pictures of those who come here each day. All pictures have approval from the individual or from their parents.

Lots of folks come here with terrible toothache problems which can be temporarily relieved by using orajel (or its equivalent) and then a generic brand of motrin. This young woman came to the hermiage a few months ago.

More to come but I must ring the Angelus and say my prayers.

God grant you all peace!

br. dismas