St Gianna Beretta Molla

Born on October 4, 1922, Gianna Beretta was the 10th of 13 children, even though only 8 of the siblings survived infancy. She grew up in Bergamo, Italy where she was very active in the Catholic Action movement. In 1942, in the midst of the chaos of World War II she started her studies in Milan and graduated as a doctor in 1949, specializing in paediatrics. She actually wanted to go to Brazil to work as a paediatrician with her brother, a missionary priest, but her health prevented her from doing this. So she worked happily as a doctor, eventually meeting her future husband Pietro Molla, whom she married in 1955. They had 3 children within 5 years, and in 1961, she was pregnant with her 4th child. During the pregnancy, she developed a fibroma in her uterus, and the doctors suggested her to have an abortion to save her life. But she continued with her pregnancy and the baby was born on April 21, 1962, Easter Saturday. Gianna made the ultimate sacrifice for her daughter, and she got weaker and weaker and died a week later, on April 28, 1962. Her daughter Gianna Emmanuela became a paediatrician herself, and was present with her father and two other siblings at her mother’s beatification in 1994. Another sister had died in 1964, 2 years after her mother. The miracle that certified her canonization was done on a Brazilian woman Elizabetta Comparini, who in her 16th week of pregnancy experienced a tear in her placenta, losing all the amniotic fluid. Praying to Gianna Beretta Molla, she continued with her pregnancy and gave birth to a healthy baby, defying all the negative prognosis the doctors had given her. Gianna was proclaimed a Saint by Pope St John Paul II on May 16, 2004, with her husband and three children present. She has since became the patron for pro-life and for pregnant women, and a great statement against abortion. The church honors her on her feast day today April 28, the day of her death.

Divine Mercy Sunday

The Sunday after Easter will always be known as Divine Mercy Sunday, as people pray the novena handed down to us by St Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun and visionary, who was pushed away by many church authorities in her time and after her death. But Pope St John Paul, a Polish himself, re‑opened her case and authenticated her visions, and even canonized her in the year 2000, precisely on Divine Mercy Sunday. The faithful pray the novena by reciting 50 times "For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world." The image of Jesus with white and red rays coming out of his heart has become a popular image among devout Catholics, after it being condemned for many years. The original painting was painted by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski in 1934 with Sister Faustina's instructions and before her death in 1938. Another popular version of the painting was done by Adolf Hyła painted in 1943.

Pope Francis – final words

 Of all the words Pope Francis has written or said, these are probably the six most important phrases which we will always remember.

“Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy … Time and time again he bears us on his shoulders. No one can strip us of the dignity bestowed upon us by this boundless and unfailing love.” 

“Please do not forget the poor.”

“The Lord entrusts to the Church’s motherly love every person forced to leave their homeland in search of a better future … In this regard, I wish to reaffirm that ‘our shared response may be articulated by four verbs: to welcome, to protect, to promote, and to integrate.”

‘Don’t forget that the words : "May I ?", "Thank you," and 'I'm sorry" are key to maintaining peace in the home.’

“Our dreams of justice, of peace, of solidarity can make it possible for our young people to have new visions; in this way, together, we can build the future,”

The Holy Father insisted priests be shepherds "with the smell of sheep," urged consecrated brothers and sisters to bring God’s "light to the women and men of our time," and called on laypeople to "bring the novelty and joy of the Gospel wherever you are."

Pope Francis’ burial

Basilica of St Mary Major, where Pope Francis will be buried

In the history of the Catholic Church, there have been 266 popes, and only about 30 of them have been buried outside of Rome. About 90 popes are buried in St. Peter’s Basilica (21 in the Vatican grottoes), 22 in St. John the Lateran, seven in Santa Maria Maggiore, five in St. Mary of Minerva, five at the Basilica St. Lawrence Outside the Walls, three at St. Paul Outside the Walls, and one in the Basilica of the Twelve Holy Apostles. Leo I the Great is the first pope buried in St. Peter’s. Over the centuries several popes have chosen Roman basilicas for their burial spot. The last was Leo XIII in 1903, who wanted his tomb in the Basilica of St. John Lateran. Pope Francis has also instead arranged for his tomb to be in another basilica — the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Pope Francis had a special connection with the basilica. He prayed before the icon of the “Salus Populi Romani” before and after each apostolic journey. He went there on the first day of his pontificate. The pope — a Jesuit — was tied to this basilica because it was there that St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, celebrated his first Mass. Pope Francis will not be the first pope to be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore, however. The basilica contains the tombs of Honorius III, Nicholas IV, St. Pius V, Sixtus V, Paul V, Clement VIII, and Clement IX. St Pius V is of particular interest to the Maltese people, because he sent his architect Francesco Lapparelli to build our capital city Valletta in the 1560s. He is also the Pope who introduced the white cassock for a Pope. Since he was Dominican, he wore white in the summer Roman heat. He liked it and kept wearing white, and so did all his successors.

88 years, not 8 weeks

It often happens that when a person dies, we tend to remember only the last few weeks, maybe months, often the last few days of that person’s life. And we tend to overlook the entire life-span of that person, how loved he was because of the work he accomplished, how appreciated she was because of her generosity, and how admired the person was because of the sterling example he/she set for us to imitate. The same seems to be happening with the death of Pope Francis, with expressions of ‘how weak he looked!’ ‘no one could understand him...’ ‘he could hardly raise his arms,’ and other remarks. Let us instead remember the entire 88 hard-working exemplary years he spent among us, especially the last 11 and a half years he lived as the Vicar of Christ. As thousands of people honor him with a sign of respect at St. Peter’s Basilica, may we virtually join them to remember a life given to others, sensitizing us to be kind to the poor, to accompany those who feel lonely, and show compassion to the hurting and abused. Lord God, grant Pope Francis the eternal rest he so much deserves.

Pope Francis’ travels

These are the countries Pope Francis visited in his 12 years as our Supreme Pontiff. Besides these nations there are also many cities and towns in Italy which he visited, among them, his first trip to the island of Lampedusa to visit the migrants and refugees, and sensitize the world about the need to be welcoming and compassionate towards the poor, lonely and emarginated.

2013 – Brazil (World Youth Day)

2014 – Jordan, Israel, Palestine, South Korea, Albania, France, Turkey.

2015 – Sri Lanka, Philippines, Bosna and Herzegovina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Cuba, USA, Central African Republic, Kenya, Uganda.

2016 – Cuba, Mexico, Greece, Armenia, Poland, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Sweden.

2017 -  Egypt, Portugal, Columbia, Myanmar, Bangladesh.

2018 -  Chile, Peru, Switzerland, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania.

2019 – Panama, United  Arab Emirates, Morocco, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Thailand, Japan.

2021 – Iraq, Hungary, Slovakia, Cyprus, Greece.

2022 – Malta, Canada, Kazakhstan, Bahrain.

2023 – Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Hungary, Portugal, Mongolia, France.

2024 – Indonesia, Papua, New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Singapore, Luxembourg, Belgium, France.

Pope Francis - his legacy

                   

12 years ago, when he appeared at the balcony at St. Peter’s Basilica, the two qualities that came out of Pope Francis’ first appearance were silence and simplicity. He asked the thousands of people gathered at St Peter’s square to silently bow their heads in prayer and then bless him, before he returned the favor. One could hear a pin drop in those 20 seconds of silence. Obviously his humility and simplicity were all over his personality. His Papacy was definitely different, as he became to be known as the Pope of the poor and the underprivileged. Pope Francis had the trait of all his previous predecessors. He had the seriousness and decisiveness of Pius XII, the affability and down-earthedness of John XXIII, the ecumenical perspective of Paul VI, the pastoral humility of John Paul I, the charm and attractiveness of John Paul II and the theological knowledge of Benedict XVI. Many details about his early life started coming out a few days after his election in March 2013. He reportedly had a girlfriend, Amalia whom he asked to marry when he was 12. His only surviving sibling is a sister, Maria Elena. He loves to dance the Tango and is a fan of Buenos Aires’ San Lorenzo de Almagro soccer team. He’s near to the people; he’d always taken the subway to go to these poor neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, lived in a  simple apartment and cooked meals for himself..

Family photo: Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, second from left in back row, poses for a picture with his family at their home. Top row from left to right, his brother Alberto Horacio, Fr Jorge, his brother Oscar Adrian and his sister Marta Regina. Bottom row from left to right, his sister Maria Elena, his mother Regina Maria Sivori and his father Mario Jose Bergoglio.

He was also the first Jesuit pope and the first to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi, the Italian poveretto who in the 13th century founded a "back to the basics" movement within Christianity: ignoring the church's late medieval wealth and influence in favor of caring for those in need, and taking care of the environment. The Argentine pope clearly drew inspiration from his chosen Italian namesake. Early actions from the new leader of the Catholic Church included returning to the hotel he had booked for the conclave of cardinals to pay his bill, riding the bus with fellow Cardinals, instead of a white limousine waiting for him. And turning his back on the Vatican’s opulent Apostolic Palace for a room at the motel Casa Sancta Marta, where he has lived ever since, celebrating daily Mass in a small chapel and even waiting on line to have breakfast. His early years as pontiff surprised everyone when he washed drug addicts’ feet, women prisoners and unwed mothers while nursing their babies.

Pope Francis dies

The Vatican just announced that Pope Francis passed away today at 7:35 AM. More will follow about this sudden news, after he had appeared at the balcony at St. Peter's yesterday, Easter Sunday. Pope Francis was 88 years old, coming from Argentina, the first Jesuit Pope to be elected in March 2013. The conclave to elect a new Pope will be held over the next few weeks.

Risen Christ procession

In various parishes, yesterday a festive and joyful procession was held with the statue of the Risen Christ. Obviously the mood was much different than the sombre atmosphere that prevailed on Good Friday, as people cheered and clapped as the statue was carried around towns and villages, frequently seeing the carriers run with it, with a few extra strong arms and hands to make sure it doesn't tilt to one side, something which has happened in the past. 

Most processions were held in the morning, but this particular one was held in the capital city Valletta in the evening. Plenty of tourists were at hand to photograph this unique event. Churches were decorated with flowers, candles, angels  as the nice aroma of incense and perfumed smell blended well with the scent of flowers, predominantly lilies and hydrangeas. 

Easter Joy – Easter Hope

Christ’s resurrection brings Joy to all Christians who have suffered and sacrificed during Lent. It brings also Hope, during this Jubilee Year dedicated precisely to the virtue of Hope. The Joy is reminiscent of the presence of Jesus once again among the apostles and disciples, the first of whom was Mary Magdalen, privileged to be the first person to see His glorified Body. The Hope is a prelude to what the weeks ahead have in store for us, the Risen Christ mingling with His disciples, at Emmaus, at the sea of Galilee, in the upper room, then the arrival of the Holy Spirit, the continuous presence of Jesus among us in the Eucharist, and the hope of Peace, which He imparted every time he appeared... ’Peace be with you.’  As we rejoice, we continue to hope, and as we hope for better things ahead, we encourage Christian joy on those who have been struggling, hurting or simply alone.

Risen Jesus, we are blind, but You opened our eyes so that we can recognize You when You appear in front of us to help us and bail us out of some problem we probably caused ourselves.

Risen Jesus, we are deaf, but please do open our ears so that we can hear your message and those of other preachers who constantly remind us to listen to You with our hearts and minds, as well as our ears.

Risen Christ, we are lost, but if you lead us by our hands, we can walk with You, and hope we can stay close to You and never get lost.

Risen Christ, we are mute, but if You open our mouths, we promise that we will speak in Your name, and praise You always by saying ‘You are Alive – Hallelujah.’

More Holy Week Exhibits

Good Friday procession at Naxxar parish

These are just a few more items at various exhibitions held over Holy Week. So many enthusiasts collect religious articles from years past and during this week they put them together in various clubs and parish halls. These are just a few which I photographed and share with you today. Please click on each thumbnail photo to see a sharper image. Now the mood changes to a more festive atmosphere with many churches organizing a procession with the Risen Christ. The first photo shows part of the procession of Good Friday, and the last one shows the Altar of Repose, both at Naxxar parish.

Good Friday

Scenes from a Good Friday procession

All you who are crying, come to Him, because He is crying, too.
All you who are suffering, come to Him, because He can heal you.
All you who are afraid, come to Him, because He always has a smile waiting for you.
All you who are hungry, come to Him, because He’ll feed you the Living Bread.
All you who are in darkness, come to Him, because He will guide you with His Light.
All you who are lost, search for His guiding hand, and you will never get lost from now on.
All you who feel persecuted, come to Him because He had His share of persecution, too.
All you who feel you’re always struggling, come to Him, and He’ll give true meaning to your life.
All you who are lonely, come close to Him, because He, too, was very lonely on the Cross.
All you who feel you are being punished unfairly,  just look at Him! He died for you—unfairly.
All you who’ve lost your sense of direction in life,  come to Him. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life!
All you who are dying, come to Him, and you will live forever. 

Scenes from a Good Friday procession held in Malta (click on each photo to enlarge)

Holy Thursday

One of the most solemn days in the life of the church is Holy Thursday, the day the Eucharist and the Priesthood were instituted, both at the Last Supper which Jesus hosted for his 12 apostles. The foot washing ceremony takes place during the evening Mass, re-enacting the humble gesture Jesus did to his beloved apostles, encouraging them to do the same to others, humbly serving them, the mission of every priest. Following the Mass, a procession with the Blessed Sacrament is held, placing the Eucharist in a special Altar of Reposition, usually a side altar, away from the main altar. The main altar is then stripped of altar cloths, candles, flowers, etc. Many churches decorate the Altars of Reposition in a magnificent display of flowers, candles, angels and other symbols of the Eucharist. 

These photos show just a few of the altars decorated in Maltese churches. People then visit these altars out of respect towards the Eucharist and pray until midnight. These visits continue also in the morning on Good Friday until noon. The tradition of visiting seven churches on Holy Thursday is an ancient practice, originating in Rome, traditionally started by Saint Philip Neri, who took the members of his Oratory to visit the 7 major basilicas as penance. These churches are Saint John Lateran, Saint Peter, Saint Mary Major, Saint Paul-outside-the-Walls, Saint Lawrence-outside-the-Walls, Saint Sebastian-outside-the-Walls, and Holy Cross-in-Jerusalem. Along the way they sang hymns, written by one of the Oratory member, Pierluigi da Palestrina.

Passion images from Spain

As much as Malta is rich in devotion towards the celebration of Holy Week, other countries are just about spectacular in the reverence they have towards images and decorations they use during Holy Week. I take you today towards southern Spain around Malaga and Seville with images in churches depicting various states which are usually carried out during the processions held during this holiest of weeks. 

Among these 3 images, you may notice on one of the banners the Maltese cross, while on another Jesus is riding a donkey as he enters Jerusalem, a tradition that I had started in my three Oregon parishes, with a donkey or two leading our Palm Sunday procession, all of which unfortunately have been discontinued.

What Jesus saw from the Cross

We always look at  the crucifix from our perspective. Today we’re going to look from Jesus’ perspective, what He actually saw during the three hours he spent hanging on the cross. The most famous of all 365 watercolors in his epic series The Life of Jesus Christ, Jacques Tissot daringly helps us to imagine the scene from the perspective of the Jesus hanging on the Cross as he dies slowly. In this scene, we are able to look out with him tenderly at his mother, as she holds her heart as the sword of sorrow is mystically piercing it; at Mary Magdalene, clinging to the foot of the cross; at St. John, grasping onto two fingers in his right hand, a profession of Christ’s eternal divinity as his humanity was approaching its death. With him, we see arrogant Pharisees, seated on horses who, unlike their riders, were bowing in adoration before their Creator. We behold Roman soldiers, standing or seated, taking in the awful spectacle, one awaiting with the lance that would soon open up the heart of Jesus. We glimpse the crowd of passers-by, spectators and some stunned believers, for whom Jesus prayed to the Father for mercy. We see the tomb that would soon become the tabernacle of his body and the most famous sepulchre in history. And somewhere, we imagine Jesus lovingly seeing those whom Tissot didn’t depict: you and me. 

3 new watercolors

As we start this Holy Week with reflections on the Eucharist, the Passion of Christ and His eventual Resurrection, let me share with you three new watercolors I’ve done recently. The first one is a peaceful scene on a lake with a large cherry blossom tree on the right and 2 geese resting on a little peninsula on the left, with rows of hills and mountains in the background.

The second one shows a mountain with a row of trees reflecting on a lake beneath. The whole mountain is also reflected on the lake which creates like a mirror-image, producing another peaceful atmosphere. This is a nostalgic scene I saw so often in central Oregon, something which I miss terribly in Malta as we have no mountains, no lakes and no rivers, and of course no wildlife other than some lizards basking in the sun and all kinds of critters and bugs which can be annoying in the hot summer months. 

The third painting is another country scene with groups of houses, barns, small huts, a church and a windmill creating a pastoral setting with plenty of space in between. This is typical of what I remember from my dear Oregon’s countryside, with plenty of wildlife sprinting in front of my car as I reach my mission churches in Halfway, Long Creek, Monument, North Powder and Unity. (Click on each photo to enlarge)

To see more watercolors from my humble collection, look here:

http://dungiljan.blogspot.com/2020/05/watercolors-and-calligraphy.html

http://dungiljan.blogspot.com/2020/11/more-watercolors.html

http://dungiljan.blogspot.com/2020/11/watercolors-part-3.html

Palm Sunday

As we celebrate Palm Sunday today, we honor Jesus as he is welcomed into Jerusalem before his passion and death. This was the Palestinians' way of giving a ticker-tape parade to their hero whom they have listened to, followed and saw performing many miracles among them. Many of those people healed by Him were there waving palm branches and laying down their cloaks on the road. Others were still suspicious of him and soon will shout "crucify Him!" or "release Barabbas!" And as Holy Week starts today, we focus on the last few days of Jesus among us, and be prepared to follow in his footsteps during the Last Supper, his trial, his crucifixion, and his eventual Resurrection.

The King of Kings

This is a life of Christ from a different perspective. The animated The King of Kings, being released today in the USA, UK and Ireland  is unique: It’s especially geared toward a younger audience — although adults will appreciate it, as well. In The King of Kings, the story centers on Charles Dickens’ youngest son, 5-year-old Walter, is a bit rambunctious in the theater, interrupting Dickens’ reading performance and irritating his father. Later at home, the master storyteller attempts to calm his family by retelling the story of Christ. His presentation is from Dickens’ ‘The Life of our Lord,’ a book which he intended to be reserved just for his family and the reading of which became a Dickens family Christmas tradition. The Life of the Lord was not published until 64 years after the author’s death. Charles Dickens’ beguiling storytelling draws young Walter into the scene; and with his cat at his side, the boy darts through the Holy Land, following Jesus through the streets of Jerusalem and into the Garden of Gethsemane, witnessing his miracles and understanding his ultimate sacrifice. 

A short documentary on the making of The King of Kings

The scenes will be familiar to viewers acquainted with Scripture: the manger, the parting of the Red Sea, Satan tempting Jesus, Peter’s denials and Judas’ betrayal, followed by the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. The artwork in The King of Kings is exceptional, owing to the talent of Korean visual-effects expert Seong-ho (Jay) Jang, who also co-directed the film. This movie is 10 years in the making, but when it’s released in your area, it’s worth watching.

Our Sorrowful Mother

                         
When we look at statues of the Blessed Mother under the cross, we see her with a sword in her heart, although most statues have 7 swords – 7 moments when the heart of Mary was broken. And these are:

1.    The prophecy of Simeon at the Presentation of Jesus in the temple, when he told her a sword will pierce her heart.

2.    The escape into Egypt to avoid the wrath of Herod who wanted to kill all boys 2 years and younger.

3.    When Jesus, 12 years old was lost in the temple and found 3 days later.

4.    Mary meets her son on His way to Calvary to be crucified.

5.    Mary sees Jesus crucified and dies on the cross.

6.    The dead body of Jesus is taken down from the cross and laid on her lap, the famous image of the Pieta’.

7.    The dead body of Jesus is buried in the tomb lent by Joseph of Arimathea.

But while recollecting these 7 sorrows that Mary felt during her life, I would like to highlight today 7 modern mothers who are presently experiencing some form of sorrow. You probably would know some of them personally, for which we ask you to pray for them.

1.   Mothers who have lost a child at a young age. This could be through an accident, or a sudden illness. We remember also many mothers who lost many babies because of lack of medicine and health education in years past.

2.   Mothers who have been abandoned by their husbands, and were  left to raise 3 to 5 children alone.

3.   Mothers who stay up waiting for their children to return home from Night Clubs and Disco Dances at 3 AM and 4 AM.

4.   Mothers whose children are in the army defending their country, never knowing if they will ever return home safely.

5.    Mothers who sit by a hospital bed all night long waiting for a miracle, with a child or husband, a sibling or a parent who is terminally ill.

6.   Those who have been abused by domestic violence and find it very difficult to get help, often being ignored and neglected by the authorities.

7.    Prospective mothers who would love to get pregnant but they cannot, hoping they can adopt a child without going through so much red-tape and paperwork. And those who are a carrying a child right now that they will continue with their pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby.

8.   Mothers in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and other countries affected by senseless wars and conflicts, those who were separated from their husbands and children, and are now homeless and unsure about their future.

Just as Mary raised infant Jesus in her humble home at Nazareth and see him grow as a teenager and into his late 20s, until he left home to start His public ministry, may we ask her for her intervention on our lives and the lives of those closest to us, especially our children and youth. May we never experience what she went through in seeing her Son being arrested, tried and killed.

Crucifix exhibition

These are photos from an exquisite exhibition of crucifixes, all types, all sizes, all different materials. Some of them are hanging crosses, others are standing crosses, but all of them are unique and special. The first one is an overall view of a section of the few rooms dedicated to the symbol of our faith. The last one shows a few crucifixes made out of mother-of-pearl. There must have been over 300 different crosses displayed, and as is often the case, every year there are a few more, or should I say, many more new ones. (click on each photo to enlarge)

A great philanthropist

John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937)

John Rockefeller was one of the wealthiest Americans that ever lived. By the age of 25 he owned  one of the largest oil refineries in the USA. At he age of 38, he controlled 90% of all oil deposits. By the age of 50, he was the wealthiest person in the USA. At a young age he had an incredible drive to be as wealthy as he could have been. But at the age of 53 he got very sick, was in constant pain and lost all his hair. The richest person on earth could not even slurp a little soup or snack on a few crackers. He could not sleep, was in constant pain and any semblance of  happiness disappeared from his life. The doctors gave him one year to live. So one day he got up from bed and realized that he was not taking any of his wealth with him when he dies. So he called his lawyers, the directors of his empire, managers and staff, and told them that he  had decided to put all his wealth into a Foundation to help hospitals, medical research, charitable work, and other philanthropic projects....the Rockefeller Foundation. With his invaluable help, scientists discovered penicillin, medicine against malaria, tuberculosis, dyphteria, yellow fever and others.  But the strange thing is that as soon as he decided to part form his wealth, his health recovered. To such an extent that after the doctor told him he would not live beyond 55, he lived into his 97th year. He wrote in his diary ‘God taught me that eveything belongs to Him, and I am simply an instrument  to do His will on earth. My life was a long journey, pleasant and beautiful, filled with work and happiness. Then when my anxieties and worries disappeared, God remained close to my heart until the very end.’

Microsoft is 50 !

Bill Gates, the co-fonder of Microsoft

Fifty years ago, Micro-Soft was founded by friends Bill Gates and Paul Allen. As the name implies, Microsoft was originally focused on microprocessors and software, and Gates and Allen created the company to develop software for the Altair 8800, an early  personal computer. Founded on April 4th, 1975, Microsoft went on to strike a deal with IBM to provide software for its first PC in 1980. This became the foundation of MS-DOS, which dominated IBM-compatible PCs during the ’80s. Microsoft’s early success in developing software for PCs eventually led to the first version of Windows in 1985 and a dream of a PC on every desk and in every home. 

Paul Allen and Bill Gates in 1975

The biggest day in its history was probably when they launched Windows 95, with a completely new interface of what we were used to with DOS. Microsoft’s success with Windows and Office has allowed the company to expand in many directions over the past 50 years, including the launch of the Xbox game console in 2001, the Azure cloud push in 2008, and even the Bing search engine launch in 2009.   The company’s headquarters is in Redmond, Washington.