Father Paul Wattson, SA
Fr. Paul Wattson, the founder with Mother Lurana White of the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement, gave hundreds of sermons, conducted numerous retreats, delivered many radio addresses, and wrote extensively in four magazines: The Pulpit of the Cross, The Lamp, The Candle, and The Antidote.
From time to time, we will be putting on our website some of his words.
The selections from the words of Father Paul for the month of January 2012 are:
- Solemnity of Mary Mother of God (Jan. 1)
- New Year’s Day (Jan. 1)
- World Day of Prayer for Peace (Jan.1)
- Baptism of the Lord (Jan. 9)
- Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan. 18-25)
- John Reid (Bro. Philip, t.s.a.) (Jan.30)
- One & Two Liners of Fr. Paul
Solemnity of Mary Mother of God (Jan. 1)
As the Mother of Christ, Mary holds the highest rank among the Saints of God; and — once established the principle of invocation — she above all others illustrates the saying of St. James, “the prayer of the righteous avails much.” [Jm.5:16] At the marriage feast of Cana of Galilee the Blessed Virgin played the part of intercessor for the young married couple so successfully that at his Mothers’ request our Lord changed water into wine, thus performing his first miracle through her intercession.
Now that she is with her divine Son in heaven, neither his disposition, nor hers towards the children of men on earth has changed. She is nonetheless interested in our temporal sorrows and joys than when she was present at the marriage feast in Cana of Galilee. Neither is our Lord any less disposed to hearken to her intercessions now than then. (The Lamp)
For a printable version of this article click here.
New Year’s Day (Jan. 1)
Standing upon the threshold of the New Year, my first thought is to convey to you, the Friars' best wishes for a happy New Year. What the next twelve months has in store for us we simply do not know. But one thing we do know: All things work together for good to those who love God and keep His commandments. The one solid and sure basis of real happiness whether in time or eternity is to love God above all things and to serve him as Jesus our Saviour did. (Fr. Paul Radio Talk Jan. 2, 1938)
For a printable version of this article click here.
World Day of Prayer for Peace (Jan.1)
Since the beginning of the present century, the world has passed through one of the most terrific ordeals that it has ever experienced in the history of man [namely, World War I].
So the experience which we of this generation have passed through is one of the nearest approaches to that statement of Our Lord, “Unless those days had been shortened, no one would have survived; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened.” [Matt.24:22] We have had an illustration of that; if that state of affairs that went on through the world war had continued very much longer, it certainly would have been pretty hard for the men that were living on the earth, for men were devouring each other with a tremendous rapidity, but there was the prayer of the elect and for their sake the days were shortened and we have a breathing spell.
But in the meantime men are improving on the inventions of the instruments of war, the great alchemists of the world are studying the powers of poisoned gas and they are getting things ready so that when the next time the human family get at each other’s throats they will have these gas bombs so perfected that they will wipe out whole cities at a swoop, at least some of them say so. (Fr. Paul Sermon, Nov. 21, 1926)
For a printable version of this article click here.
Nativity of the Lord (Dec. 25)
By the time you receive the mid-December number of The Lamp, the Feast of Our Lord’s Nativity will be fast approaching, and in anticipation thereof I am writing this letter.
The advent of the infant Redeemer has made Mary the most blessed among women and predestined her to be crowned in heaven as the most exalted being ever created by the omnipotent hand of God. She is to bear through eternity a unique relationship to the Three Persons of the adorable Trinity: the Daughter of God the Father, the Mother of God the Son, and the Spouse of God the Holy Spirit. In relation to the created intelligences of the universe, she is to reign forever as Queen of Angels and of Saints.
By virtue of this same infant Saviour of mankind, Elizabeth, her cousin, has conceived and brought forth a son in her old age, who not only by the grace of God is to be preserved through life in sinless sanctity, but is to exercise the sublime office of herald and forerunner of the King of kings, and to occupy a place loftier than the highest archangels in the palace of the Most High not for centuries and millenniums but as long as the throne of God himself shall endure.
Elizabeth will always retain her place among the elect company immediately attached to the High Court of the Incarnate Son of God in that celestial Kingdom “which shall have no end.” [Lk.1:33]
Not only did the nativity of Jesus bestow immeasurable benediction and grace for time and eternity upon his Virgin Mother, and the infant John the Baptist, but from that birth in Bethlehem an ever-widening river of grace and of benediction has flowed forth over the whole world, embracing Christian mothers and their offspring without number, in joy and gladness which cannot be circumscribed by material bounds, nor measured in years or centuries of time; because the benefits which have come to redeemed humanity through the birth of Christ, transcend both time and space. (The Lamp Dec. 1926 p.379)
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It is to be expected that Our Lord in some degree would manifest his Divinity; so that his disciples might believe in him. We have the testimony of his Divinity that was given at his Baptism, not by himself, but by God the Father in heaven, for when he was baptized the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove and a voice from heaven was heard to say: “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” [Matt.3:17] That was the voice of the Father. So at that time we really have a manifestation of the Trinity. Although God is One, there are in him three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This was the first revelation of the presence of the Trinity, when the Father spoke and the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove with Jesus, the Son of the Father, who, clothed in our humanity had submitted himself to baptism. (Fr. Paul Sermon Aug. 6, 1939)
For a printable version of this article click here.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan. 18-25)
Once again we ask all our readers to do their best to observe effectively the Church Unity Octave (West of Prayer for Christian Unity) and when we say effectively, we mean most of all by prayer, for prayer is the dynamo by which the power which does things is generated and set in motion. Many of our readers would be nonplused were they to ask themselves: How can I observe this Octave in a practical way? But the answer would be very simple, if you were to ask yourselves: How can I observe it in a prayerful way? (The Lamp Jan. 1934 p.1)
For a printable version of this article click here.
John Reid (Bro. Philip, t.s.a.) (Jan.30)
[That day, after Bishop Cusack of New York told us the Rule of the Union That Nothing Be Lost was too strict to be followed by the faithful,] we bent over the host in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and asked our Lord to give evidence that the foundation of the Union was an inspiration from him. The answer was the advent of John Reid to Graymoor to become the first life member of the Union and certainly a more perfect observer of the Rule could not have been found. The Rule is embodied in the prayer which the members say daily,
Lord Jesus Christ who commanded your Apostles to gather up the fragments that nothing be lost, give me grace to waste nothing but to use all my time, talent, substance and opportunity to the greater glory of God, the good of my neighbor and the salvation of souls.
This grace was conferred upon John Reid in a pre-eminent degree. He wasted nothing and he spent the minimum upon self that he might give the maximum to God for his greater glory, the good of his neighbor and the salvation of souls. (Fr. Paul Radio Talk Nov. 5, 1939)
For a printable version of this article click here.
Beautiful Graymoor:
I can appreciate [your description] of the natural beauty of the church in the carpet of snow. Graymoor is like an etching of white and silver this morning, after the snow during the night. You would have appreciated that with your keen eye for the artistic in nature. (Fr. Paul to Mrs. John R. of Belleville, N.J., Feb. 7, 1939)
Thanks for the warm socks:
I presume that you understand that, being Franciscans, these nice warm, woolen socks come very opportune during the cold weather. They are very comfortable with our sandals and I am sure prevent our Friars from catching colds. Therefore, we are very appreciative to you. (Fr. Paul to Mrs. M. of New York City, Feb. 4, 1935)
Restoration of man’s image:
God having made man in his own image, originally, intends to restore that image through his Son Jesus Christ, and finally to exalt man redeemed and sanctified and perfected to heights of immeasurable glory in the highest heavens. (Fr. Paul Sermon, Sept. 12, 1926)
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