In word and deed, these two new Saint popes imitated St. Francis de Sales, and by doing so, imitated Christ, who shone through him! To prepare for Sunday’s chat, please read our article, “Bl. John XXIII, Bl. John Paul II & St Francis de Sales”.In our Living Jesus Chat Room this Sunday, we will discuss these points: What does the canonization of these two popes mean to us a Catholics? Do we, like Pope John XXIII, choose a patron saint to imitate? What virtues have we learned from these saints?

Guest933 (guest): Cloistered? But obviously much better at this than I am. Yes it is my first time here. I visited your main website a few weeks ago.

SrSusan (guest): We have constitutional enclosure but the Visitation in general has papal enclosure

SrSusan (guest): We developed the chat to help people discern and to learn the spirituality as well

SrSusan (guest): Powerful canonizations!

Apr 27 2014, 7:36 PM

Guest933 (guest): I’m not sure what that means: constitution vs papal enclosure.

SrSusan (guest): Actually the Sisters are all watching the re broadcast now

SrSusan (guest): Constitutional means we have a different type of enclosure based on our school; the monasteries without schools are more strictly enclosed

SrSusan (guest): We were hoping some commentator might have picked up on the new saints’ familiarity with St Francis de Sales, but so far no one heard a comment like that

Apr 27 2014, 7:38 PM

K (guest): I haven’t seen any of the canonization. I’ve been in Kentucky with family and traveling back to Memphis today. I hope to watch some of the rebroadcast later. It is a glorious day!

SrSusan (guest): Yes! And it will probably be on you tube tomorrow

Guest: Actually, our Pastor listened to or watched or read rebroadcast. (4 AM in Rome would be a little early even for the sisters, I’d think. But at our beautiful Divine Mercy Celebration he repeated most of it. Wow! You sure are a fast typist, Sister.

SrSusan (guest): Yes we had a Divine Mercy celebration in our chapel today too, not as eleborate as some years

Apr 27 2014, 7:44 PM

Ca: Thanks for reviewing the homily- I was half awake for the liturgy

SrSusan (guest): We pray the Chaplet daily as a private devotion

SrSusan (guest): So you did get up early!

Ca: I was watching the EWTN app in bed!  M

SrSusan (guest): That’s funny! on your cell?

Ca: Yes

Most cell phones have that capacity these days

SrSusan (guest): I was impressed by the sense of the two new saints courage in the face of tragedy, as Pope Francis daid

SrSusan (guest): said

SrSusan (guest): Cell in common, but not an app in your room!

Ca: Aha, well that makes sense

SrSusan (guest): Only use cell phones for travel, usually

SrSusan (guest): Hi Sr M Roberta!

Ca: Hi Sister

Mary Roberta Viano: Hello. We were just watching the canonization on EWTN.

Guest933 (guest): Sr, you do mean calling your rooms “cells” Right?

SrSusan (guest): Yes our Sisters are too. but on Net tv, the Brooklyn Prayer channel

SrSusan (guest): Yes cells are another name for rooms- can get confused with cell phones

Mary Roberta Viano: Our Jesuit pastor told us he and his confreres had a “pajama party” to watch it at 3 AM.

SrSusan (guest): It was amaxzing to me, I had not realized before I read it, that St John 23rd actually picked St Francis de Sales as his model

Carla Marie Formisano: Hi Guest!

Guest933 (guest): Mary, Funny!

SrSusan (guest): He became a saint- so we who follow him have no excuse??

Mary Roberta Viano: Yes, St. John 23rd apparently said as a young priest, if he could be like St. Francis de Sales, he wouldn’t mind being pope!

Ca: You know, I think Pope John’s esteem for St Francis shows through in his pastoral style

Guest933 (guest): You may call me by my real name, Ruth. M

Mary Roberta Viano: Hello, Ruth. That was my favorite aunt’s name.

SrSusan (guest): Hi Ruth> C, do you mean in his outreach?

K (guest): Yes Sister Susan, I was thrilled to hear that he picked SFdS too. I am having a lot of internet problems, so if I don’t respond much you know what’s going on.

Ca: In his down to earth style reminiscent of current pope

Guest933 (guest): Yes, Mary. I read that before. And I like the way he put it, “wouldn’t mind” being Pope.

Mary Roberta Viano: Maybe if SFdS had lived a little longer, he would have become a cardinal and then pope!

Ca: True; he might have worked wonders

SrSusan (guest): Hmn. Never thought of that. he would have had to leave Annecy, tho. He was so committed to that diocese.

SrSusan (guest): So may SFDS’s legacy is thru St John 23rd!

Mary Roberta Viano: Well, he had already worked wonders in the Chablais by reconverting the whole region from Calvinism to Catholicism!

Guest933 (guest): Who knows! Hasn’t the Lord worked wonders through SFDS?

Mary Roberta Viano: Very true, Ruth!

Apr 27 2014, 7:56 PM

Ca: Absolutely; I just meant politically

K (guest): I find it amazing how one saint builds off of another to bring more of the teachings of the Church to light.

Mary Roberta Viano: He was called on by the nobility of his time to resolve political tensions. 7:57 PM

Mary Roberta Viano: Good point, Kim. Holiness grows and grows.

SrSusan (guest): Yes Kim, even St John Paul 11 built on St John 23rd

Ca Then St F did more good than I thought

Mary Roberta Viano: And then the two new saints inspire us and intercede for us so we can become holier.

Ca: Yes who can forget the late pope’s do not be afraid

Guest933 (guest): J23 when was asked by a 9 year old boy whether he thought the boy should become a fireman or a pope, John 23 replied, “A fireman! Anybody can become a Pope; I’m proof!”

Mary Roberta Viano: That’s what true saints want: That everyone around them become saints.

K (guest): I am not comparing myself to St. John 23rd, but I feel that way too when I read SFdS. There is a beautiful Ignatius Press video “John XXIII – The Pope of Peac :

Mary Roberta Viano: Yes, that burning love of Christ is at the center of all the saints. 02 PM

Mary Roberta Viano: Yes, that burning love of Christ is at the center of all the saints.

SrSusan (guest): When you read St John 23rd JOurnal of a Soul, it burns one’s heart with beauty

C: Thanks for the recommendation Kim

K (guest): I must read his “Journal of a Soul”.

Apr 27 2014, 8:04 PM

SrSusan (guest): I wonder if we have that video- will look around

Ca: I need to Reread mom’s old copy

SrSusan (guest): You know there was a big to-do about St John Paul 11’s journal that he wanted destroyed but it was not. I wonder how St John 23 felt about his journal?

Mary Roberta Viano: Our Gallery Community seemed to think there was a new video on St. J23. I haven’t checked.

Ca: Did Pope John not want it published?

Apr 27 2014, 8:06 PM

SrSusan (guest): That’s what I wonder.

Mary Roberta Viano: Being open and transparent seems to be what saints are, so I wouldn’t think they’d mind whether what they wrote is published or not – all for the good of souls.

SrSusan (guest): A few portions of St John Paul’s was translated into English like excerpts I think but he had wanted it destroyed. It is published in Polish

Guest933 (guest): It kind of surprised me that John XXIII wanted to become a “perfect copy” of SFDS instead of inspired by SFDS to be the best version of himself — unless maybe, right from seminary days he had so much in common with SFDS that to “copy” him was to John a simpler version of an “Imitation of Christ.”

SrSusan (guest): Phone call! Sorry

Mary Roberta Viano: True, but that’s probably because she was so self-effacing – wanted to be the lowest and the least.

Kim (guest): In the video I mentioned, St. John 23rd says all he wanted to be was a poor country priest.

J I: geeze…Vatican calling again!!!!

Ca: Hahaha! And sharing His glory doesn’t come during our lifetimes

K (guest): Right, perhaps just the opposite.

Apr 27 2014, 8:34 PM

Ca: Even His came afterwards

K (guest): Very enlightening chat. God bless you all. I must go. Goodnight.

Mary Roberta Viano: It’s all about being “useless” servants – doing what we’re expected to do – the right thing.

Guest933 (guest): Uh oh! Maybe I was getting too personal. But putting that label on some of the persistent “challenges” of living the Gospel makes it a bit easier — even seem, at times, a privilege.

Ca: No, Ruth- thank you for sharing!

Apr 27 2014, 8:37 PM

Guest933 (guest): Thanks.

Apr 27 2014, 8:37 PM

Mary Roberta Viano: Yes, Ruth – the privilege of carrying a small portion of the cross with Christ.

Apr 27 2014, 8:37 PM

Am: I like the term “useless servants”. but even the greatest act in the light of God is minor

Apr 27 2014, 8:39 PM

Ca: 4 popes are inspiring servants of the servants of God

Apr 27 2014, 8:39 PM

Mary Roberta Viano: Sorry, but I have to go get music ready for tomorrow’s Lauds. Till next time…

C: Good night; great chat all

Apr 27 2014, 8:39 PM

J I: night all