October 2011 Archives
Is this Cell a
Human Being? Exploring the Status of Embryos, Stem Cells and Human-Animal
Hybrids (Springer, $139; slightly less expensive on Amazon). Antoine Suarez and Joachim Huarte are the editors. The book follows the 2009 meeting of international experts who worked with the ethical considerations of human
cell use and the implications and hope of the research.
The book has 10 articles and an introduction published by the Social Trends Institute of Spain and the US which explores matters of family, bioethics, culture & lifestyles and corporate governance. One of the contributors to Is this Cell is Dominican Father Nicanor Austriaco of Providence College. Father Nicanor is also the author of the popular monograph, Understanding Stem Cell Research: Controversy and Promise (www.kofc.org/un/en/resources/cis/cis326.pdf).
Of their new work STI said, "The central question of this book is whether or not particular cell entities of human origin ought to be considered human beings."
The CNA article is here.
From the point of view of truth, Ed Stannard's article in today's New Haven Register, "New Haven Church to Fill Spiritual Void" is a bit misleading when he fails to distinguish between the Church --meaning the Catholic Church-- and the various ecclesial communities such as the Protestant types. He reduces the truth of being one, holy, catholic and apostolic, i.e., being authentically Catholic-- to being opportunistic. No doubt there are opportunities for evangelization that the Catholics are unable to engage in now, but the presence of the Catholic remains solidly in New Haven and can never be replaced by a denomination, which the Catholics are not.
One should note, there is no one-to-one correspondence. One church community is not as good as another. They do not believe the same things (dogma and doctrine, the nature of the priesthood, Eucharist and apostolic authority) even though there are some superficial things that are the same (some liturgical practices). Hence, Catholicism is not on par --theologically or liturgically or justice-wise-- with the Episcopal Church. And, the Rev. Robert Hendrickson knows this theology and ecclesiology well. What he is doing is poaching Catholics from the truth in a period when the Archdiocese of Hartford has been unable to assign young, vibrant priests and pastoral ministers to the area and frame their work as a call and mission from God and the Church.
While it is true that the Archdiocese of Hartford has not responded as best as it could to the religious needs of the people in the Hill section of town, the Catholic Church is still very present in this area of the city with the fact of Saint Anthony's Church and the Catholic Worker House and with the people present.
Clearly, the new evangelization proposed by Benedict XVI needs to be enacted today.
Let's pray for our parish priests, indeed, all priests.
Saint John Mary Baptist Vianney, pray for us!
On 25 October 2011, Los Angelus Archbishop José H. Gomez, STD, 60, spoke on the slow loss of America's first freedom. On March 1, 2011, Archbishop Gomez became the Archbishop of Los Angelus, after being the Archbishop of San Antonio; he's been a bishop for nearly 11 years. A stellar article follows:
There is much evidence to suggest that our society no longer values the public role of religion or recognizes the importance of religious freedom as a basic right. As scholars like Harvard's Mary Ann Glendon and Michael Sandel have observed, our courts and government agencies increasingly treat the right to hold and express religious beliefs as only one of many private lifestyle options. And, they observe, this right is often "trumped" in the face of challenges from competing rights or interests deemed to be more important.
These are among the reasons the U.S. Catholic bishops recently established a new Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty. My brother bishops and I are deeply concerned that believers' liberties--and the Church's freedom to carry out her mission--are threatened today, as they never have been before in our country's history.
Catholics have always believed that we serve our country best as citizens when we are trying to be totally faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ and his Church. And since before the founding of the American Republic, Catholics--individually and institutionally--have worked with government agencies at all levels to provide vital social services, education, and health care.
Several days ago the Dominican Friars of Saint Catherine of Siena Priory (NYC) elected Father Juan-Diego Brunetta, OP, as their new religious superior (their Father Prior).Tonight at Mass, the new Conventual Prior made the Profession of Faith and took the Oath of Fidelity as is assuming an ecclesial office of the Church.
Until recently, Father Juan-Diego was the Director of the Catholic Information Service at the Knights of Columbus (New Haven, CT). He earned the Doctorate in Canon Law at the Catholic University of America.
May the Lord and His Blessed Mother bless Father Juan-Diego's new ministry. Besides being the Father Prior of the Dominican Friars, he'll also assist Father Jordan in parochial ministry at Saint Catherine of Siena Church and in the Dominican Friars Healthcare Ministry.
O God, who by the blessed Apostles have brought us to
acknowledge your Name, grant graciously, through the intercession of Saints
Simon and Jude, that the Church may constantly grow by increase of the people
who believe in you.
Today, the Dominican community and the assembled laity --about 150 people-- honored Saint Jude by the Sacrifice of the Mass and the re-dedication ceremony of the Shrine to St Jude located at the Church of Saint Catherine of Siena (NYC). The Shrine of Saint Jude had been recently renovated, thus honoring the memory of this great intercessor. These last nine days the annual Novena to Saint Jude led by Dominican Fathers Walter and Bruno, pastor and curate respectively at Saint Vincent Ferrer Church.
The St Jude Shrine assists the Priory and Church of Saint Catherine of Siena by their prayers and the financial support given to the Dominican Friars Healthcare Ministry of NY (the Catholic chaplaincy and professional bioethics center for the 4 area hospitals).
The website of the Dominican Shrine of Saint Jude can be visited here.
The Catholic Artists Society is hosting a lecture on October 31st at 6:30pm titled "Art, Beauty and the Sacred" given by Oratorian Father Uwe Michael Lang. The evening will include the celebration of First Vespers of All Saints in the Church of Saint Vincent Ferrer (NYC). The flyer can be viewed here: Catholic Artists Society All Saints and lecture.pdf
Vespers
We will celebrate the ancient and beautiful liturgy of Solemn First Vespers for All Saints, officiated by our special guest, Father Uwe Michael Lang, C.O. Father Bruno Shah, O.P. from Saint Vincent Ferrer, and Father Michael Barone from the archdiocese of Newark, will assist in the liturgical celebration. Gregorian chant and polyphonic settings will be provided by a professional choir led by David J. Hughes, Organist & Choirmaster at Saint Mary's Church, Norwalk, CT.
Vespers
We will celebrate the ancient and beautiful liturgy of Solemn First Vespers for All Saints, officiated by our special guest, Father Uwe Michael Lang, C.O. Father Bruno Shah, O.P. from Saint Vincent Ferrer, and Father Michael Barone from the archdiocese of Newark, will assist in the liturgical celebration. Gregorian chant and polyphonic settings will be provided by a professional choir led by David J. Hughes, Organist & Choirmaster at Saint Mary's Church, Norwalk, CT.
Continue reading Vespers for All Saints and a lecture "Art, Beauty and the Sacred" in NYC.
Father Aldo Trento, 64, hails from Belluno, Italy. Father Aldo is a priest of the Missionary Fraternity of Saint Charles Borromeo and has been living in Paraguay since 1989; currently he is the pastor of San Rafaél Church, Asunción. The life of this parish generated the Clinic "Divine Providence Saint Richard Pampuri Home" for the terminally ill and for the poor. Moreover, Father Aldo has established an elementary school, a shelter for pregnant women who suffered sexual abuse, four homes for orphans affected by HIV/AIDS, a shelter for chronically-ill children, and two residences for poor and abandoned elderly people. At the present time they are building new facilities for the Clinic as well as a vocational school with several subject concentrations to facilitate the introduction of the youths who complete their primary education at Pai Alberto School into the job market. In June 2008, Father Aldo has been named a "Knight of the Star of Solidarity", by the president of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano. In September 2008 he was also designated an illustrious citizen of the city of Asunción by the City Council.
Anyone who knows even a little of the scholarship on the Rule of St Benedict knows the name of this famous monk who has done a tremendous amount of work in this area. Father Adalbert was indeed a force to be reckoned with, even if you disagreed with him. One could not escape Father's orbit. Sadly, I mention his death."The Abbey of Pierre qui Vire announces the painful and enigmatic death of P. Adalbert de Vogüé OSB, 86. His body was found 2 km from the monastery after a search of eight days. He probably died Friday, 14 October 2011.
The publication of Community and Abbot in the Rule of Saint Benedict (1960) began a distinguished career of research and publication concerning the Rule of Saint Benedict and early monastic literature. He served frequently on the faculty of thePontifical Athanæum of Saint Anselm in Rome before taking up the hermit's life in 1974 near his monastery. The monks will celebrate the Mass of Christian Burial, Wednesday, 26 October, 11 a.m. Donne-lui, Seigneur, le repos éternel."
H/T Brother Richard Oliver, OSB @osb.org
How often do you think mainline Christians take the personal piety of others? How frequently do we take someone who says "I am spiritual but not religious"? "Not very often" is the best answer to offer. Saying that one is spiritual and not religious lacks a certain seriousness of belief and unbelief. Catholics in the USA number circa 65-70 million and in the world Catholics number just over a billion this notion of being spiritual and not religious gaining currency. Why? Because a personal relationship with Jesus is lacking. There is no encounter with the living Messiah, Jesus is an abstraction.
Last week someone asked me what I thought of being spiritual but not religious. I simply said, to hold that belief is to lack a certain convergence of faith and reality; while understandable from the point of view that many professed Christians lack a true conviction of faith in Jesus Christ both from the point of doctrine but also in practice.
David Briggs has an article that is to be read: "Religious but not spiritual: The high costs of ignoring personal piety."
Instead of jumping to a negative conclusion, why not ask the question of what you are doing to work on your own education in the Faith and its practice? Adherence to Christ is a life of love, but it is also an ongoing work.
A timely piece to think seriously about daily is the notion of religious freedom not only around the globe, but also and significantly here in the USA. Today, the Most Reverend William E. Lori addressed the Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representatives, Subcommittee on the Constitution. Here are a few paragraphs (the link to the full text is noted below):
Religious liberty is not merely one right among others, but enjoys a certain primacy. As the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI recently explained: "It is indeed the first of human rights, not only because it was historically the first to be recognized but also because it touches the constitutive dimension of man, his relation with his Creator." (Pope Benedict XVI, Address to Diplomatic Corps, 10 Jan. 2011.) The late Pope John Paul II taught that "the most fundamental human freedom [is] that of practicing one's faith openly, which for human beings is their reason for living." (Pope John Paul II, Address to Diplomatic Corps, 13 Jan. 1996, No. 9.) Not coincidentally, religious liberty is first on the list in the Bill of Rights, the charter of our Nation's most cherished and fundamental freedoms. The First Amendment begins: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...." It is commonly, and with justice, called our "First Freedom."
Continue reading Clarifying the meaning of religious freedom.
US Congressman Frank R. Wolf, 72, (Virginia 10th District) proposed the bill in 1998 which created The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom is a bi-partisan US Federal commission, appointed by the US President to advise him and Congress on matters pertaining to the freedom of religion. The CIRF reports to Congress and the State Department, is now in jeopardy.
It's work is research and advocacy for freedom and human rights. It looks at the practice of religion and it's freedom to exist.
HOWEVER, there is one senator who is blocking funding, anonymously. We need to write to our senators. We need to speak out!!!
After November 18 the Commission may go out of business.
Congressman Wolf thinks that if the bill is passed, Obama will sign the bill. But truth be told, the President is not really in favor the Commission's work.
Today is the first time the Church prays the Mass for the liturgical memorial of Blessed John Paul II. To date, Blessed John Paul II's feast is observed in the USA as an optional memorial. The US Conference of Bishops is requesting of the Holy See that this feast be an obligatory liturgical memorial. The second reading for the Office of Readings is here. Other texts for Mass and the Divine Office are taken from the "Common of Pastors: For a Pope."
The Collect (opening prayer for Mass) is given here in English and Latin:
O God, who are rich in mercy and who willed that the Blessed John Paul II should preside as Pope over your universal Church, grant, we pray, that instructed by his teaching, we may open our hearts to the saving grace of Christ, the sole Redeemer of mankind. Who lives and reigns.
Deus, dives in
misericórdia, qui beátum Ioánnem Paulum, papam, univérsae Ecclésiae tuae
praeésse voluísti, praesta, quaésumus, ut, eius institútis edócti, corda nostra
salutíferae grátiae Christi, uníus redemptóris hóminis, fidénter aperiámus. Qui
tecum.
The Scripture would be: first reading is Isaiah 52:7-10; the responsorial psalm is 96/95:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10); the alleluia is John 10:14; the Gospel is John 21:15-17.
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments published on April 2, 2011, the "Decree Concerning Liturgical Worship in Honour of Blessed John Paul II."
"The absolute, and yet sweet and gentle, power of the Lord responds to the whole depths of the human person, to his loftiest aspirations of intellect, will and heart. It does not speak the language of force, but expresses itself in charity and truth.
The new Successor of Peter in the See of Rome today makes a fervent, humble and trusting prayer: Christ, make me become and remain the servant of your unique power, the servant of your sweet power, the servant of your power that knows no dusk. Make me a servant: indeed, the servant of your servants....
Do not be afraid. Open, I say open wide the doors for Christ. To his saving power open the boundaries of states, economic and political systems, the vast fields of culture, civilization and development.
Do not be afraid. Christ knows "that which is in man". He alone knows it.
So often today, man does not know that which is in him, in the depths of his mind and heart. So often he is uncertain about the meaning of his life on this earth. He is assailed by doubt, a doubt which turns into despair.
We ask you, therefore, we beg you with humility and with trust: let Christ speak to man. He alone has words of life, yes, of life eternal."
Pope John Paul II
Homily at the Beginning of the Pontificat
22 October 1978
Office of Readings for the Liturgical Memorial
On October 6, Father Bob Bedard, founder of the Companions of the Cross, died. This congregation of priests is known for their preaching, missionary and evangelization efforts.
Mostly in Canada, The Companions of the Cross have two houses in Houston, Texas.
May Father Bob rest in the arms of the Good Shepherd.
The "Day of reflection, dialogue and prayer for peace and justice in the world: Pilgrims of Truth, Pilgrims of Peace," is to take place in Assisi on 27 October. The event needs our prayer and solidarity.
Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace had a press conference in which he said, "Following two and a half decades of collaboration and joint witness among religions, it is time to assess the results and to re-launch our commitment in the face of new challenges."
Continue reading More on the Assisi Day of Reflection and dialogue 2011.
Saint Isaac Jogues wrote, "My confidence is placed in God who does not need our help for accomplishing his designs. Our single endeavor should be to give ourselves to the work and to be faithful to him, and not to spoil his work by our shortcomings"
Saint John de Brébeuf, pray for us.
Saint Isaac Jogues, pray for us.
Saint Gabriel Lalemant, pray for us.
Saint Anthony Daniel, pray for us
Saint Charles Garnier, pray for us.
Saint Noël Chabanel, pray for us.
Saint René Goupil, pray for us.
Saint John de la Lande, pray for us.
On October 14, 2011 Pope Benedict XVI received Father Julián Carrón, President of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation, in audience in the Apostolic Palace, the day before the Vatican meeting on "New Evangelizers for a New Evangelization," a two day event that will culminate in the Mass with the Pope on Sunday at 9:30 in Saint Peter's Square. What follows is an interview with Vatican Radio's Alessandro Gisotti (emphasis mine).
Alessandro Gisotti interviewed Fr. Carrón about tomorrow's meeting and the challenge of the new evangelization.
Father Julián Carrón: The first thing I would like to express is how grateful and moved I am at this opportunity the Holy Father has given me to be with him in this audience, because it enabled me to tell him how, in this moment of travail due to the social, cultural, and economic situation, we are seeing that when people verify the faith in their own life circumstances, they flower into a type of person that leaves us speechless. Being able to share with him living the faith, as he testifies it to us, was a true consolation.
How important is this meeting? How important is the Pope's challenge for a new evangelization?
Since the found of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization with Archbishop Rino Fisichella as its president, all eyes looked to today's event in the Pope Paul VI Auditorium with nearly eight thousand people from every continent gathered in Rome to experience what it means to share the Faith of Jesus Christ with others through word and music. Pope Benedict attended part of the gathering and said, "The world today needs people who proclaim and witness that Christ is the one who teaches us the art of living, the way of true happiness, because He himself is the way of life."
Archbishop Fisichella invited Mother Veronica Berzosa, founder of Iesu Communio, a religious community of women dedicated to the evangelization of the youth, Italian writer Vittorio Messori who spoke about the reasons to believe, and the Italian scientist Marco Bersanelli who spoke on about the dialogue between science and faith. Colombian bishop Fabio Suescun, spoke to those assembled on experiences of the New Evangelization in Latin America.
For many, it was beautiful to hear Andrea Bocelli who said:
"I think I owe my faith to an internal search, the rejection of the idea of feeling like I was the product of coincidence. I followed my road, I hope to do so consistently, even when certain episodes of life make us tremble and feel weak before our convictions."
The Pope's called for a few days (a journey) of reflection on truth and peace in the world in Assisi on October 27. This gesture recalls the first Assisi meeting of religious leaders in 1986. But you know this. You've also heard that among some rigid Catholic-types there's been an expressed outrage. Sad, I think. The past events have been "interesting" due to the way the event was organized and perhaps on how it was conceived to bring non-Christians together for prayer when the notion of prayer is not common to all religions and philosophy, but a complete dismissal of the gesture is unwarranted. I trust that Pope Benedict knows what he's doing. The emphasis is not on prayer; the papal emphasis is on a pilgrimage. The list of participants is incomplete but it is expected that those who participate will represent the major religions and philosophies of the world and number under 100.
The theme for the Assisi meeting: "A Day of Reflection, Dialogue and Prayer for Peace and Justice in the World: Pilgrims of Truth, Pilgrims of Peace."
The program for the Assisi meeting was rolled out today (in Italian).
[Saint Luke] told of the power of the Lord, and his praise. (MP resp.)Saint Luke is known to have brought light to a dark world with the writing of his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. As a disciple of Saint Paul, much of early Christian life that appears in Luke-Acts is due to this connection.
The particulars of his life are fuzzy, at least in this sense: we know he was born into a pagan (that is, unbelieving) family in Antioch and that he was a doctor of some sort and that he's reported to have been an early convert to Christianity. His work as a painter, life and death are not well known. We commonly attribute a picture to Luke but certainty doesn't exist. Some say he was martyred and others say Luke died of natural causes. The date of death is thought to be around AD 74. Saint Luke's relics are venerated in Padua.
Saint Luke's feastday is a traditional day to pray for healthcare professionals but also for artists, brewers,goldsmiths and laceworkers.
Patriarch Béshara Raï, 71, is making a pastoral visit to the Maronite Catholic communities in both US eparchies from 4 to 23 October 2011. His Beatitude will visit Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon and the Eparchy of St Maron of Brooklyn.
President Barack Obama has roundly refused to meet the Patriarch. Bishop Gregory openly makes the case that it is a mistake of the current administration to ignore His Beatitude's visit to the USA.
Béshara Raï, was elected on March 15, 2011 as the 77th Patriarch of the Maronite Church.
Bishop Gregory's letter:
September 30, 2011
Dear Mr. President:
I am terribly disappointed with the rebuff of Patriarch Bechara Peter Rai who is the Catholic leader of the Maronites worldwide and one of the most respected Christian leaders in Lebanon and the Middle East . The motto of his coat of arms reflects his personality and is call for "communion and love." He has been trying to achieve what no other Middle Eastern political or a religious leader has been able to do: meet others with respect and love, not take sides, and build bridges to a future that will hopefully lead to peace and happiness for all people in the Middle East.
Muslim and Christian groups have all found in him a real father, a Patriarch. Because he has spoken out expressing his concern for the future of Christians in the Middle East , he has been rebuffed by you and your Administration. It is pure hypocrisy for the leader of the free world to refuse to meet with Patriarch Rai especially since the Prime Minister of Israel can come and completely disregard essential parts of a peace plan and still be given a warm welcome, and the King of Saudi Arabia, where Christians have no freedom whatsoever, can be received with highest honors. Mr. President, you are ignoring the plight of Christians in the Middle East!
Patriarch Rai's warning about the future of Christians in Syria is not taboo. Christians are in a state of peril in the same way that Christians of Iraq were a few years ago when two thirds of them migrated out of the country and are still not protected to this day. To say the Patriarch supports dictators and sides with terrorists is pure nonsense. With his own unique charisma, Patriarch Rai has reached out to all Lebanese with whom he has to live side-by-side. It is a beautiful outreach, one that is uniquely his, without having to be beholden to anyone. He speaks with love and tempers the divisive, hateful talk of many. He gives hope
A new day is dawning in the Middle East. The Arab Spring is happening with little vision for the summer that will ensue. Mr. President, you do not have to agree on everything with Patriarch Rai, but there is no need to avoid or rebuff him. By doing so, you are showing your disrespect for him and for all Christians of the Middle East.
+ Gregory J MansourBishop of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn
On Saturday I drove up to the Abbey of Regina Laudis situated in Bethlehem, Connecticut, to purchase cheese and note cards made by the Benedictine nuns there. Cheese is a homemade product of the nuns of this monastery made from milk of 5 dairy cows. But in addition to cheese and note cards I picked up a beautiful DVD interviewing Mother Dolores Hart, OSB. In 2000, Chantal Westerman interviewed Mother Dolores for an hour long presentation called "Conversations with Remarkable People: Mother Dolores Hart."
From this conversation I learned a few things and a new perspective among which Mother Dolores was not only an actress but also a carpenter who made chairs and tables but also coffins for the nuns in her earlier life at the abbey and she took the time to welcome guests. Patricia Neal was of particular interest. (A convert to Catholic before her death, Neal died in August 2010 and is buried at Regina Laudis Abbey.) Of particular interest to me was not Hart's work in Hollywood but her concrete witness of Christian faith. Ms Westerman asked Mother how she understood faith and the phrase "I am spiritual but not religious." Mother answered (my notes):
Indeed! There is no separation between spiritual and religious. The soul needs integration of each to make any real sense.Faith is remembering the exquisite gifts of God given us in particulars of space and time and people; faith is having the guts to say 'yes' when you have no idea what the 'yes' means; the 'yes' is given in response to a mystery.With regard to the spiritual/religious distinction often made: the two are complementary and have a convergence.
If you can get a copy of the DVD from the Abbey, do so. I recommend it. And stay for Vespers (the Church's evening prayer) daily beautifully sung by the 40 nuns.
You may be interested in other blog posts on Regins Laudis and Mother Dolores Hart found here.
On October 8, 2011, a film series co-sponsored by the Siena Forum for Faith and Culture and Crossroads Cultural Center on extraordinary Christian lives concluded with the showing of the documentary conducted by Elena Guarnieri of "Vita Straordinarie: Don Luigi Giussani" (Extraordinary Lives: Fr. Luigi Giussani") on the life and work of Monsignor Luigi Giussani, called: the priest wounded by beauty by Pope Benedict when he offered the Sacrifice of the Mass for the repose of Giussani's soul on 25 February 2005.Dominican Father Peter John Cameron gave his commentary the film 150 people watched at New York's Church of Saint Catherine of Siena (E. 68th Str.). Watch it... Cameron's insights are good to reflect upon....
She's known because of her background: the actress who worked with Elvis Presley. That's what many people remember of Dolores Hart. Some recall that in 1963 Hart left Hollywood to follow her heart: to give her heart to Jesus Christ as a Benedictine nun at the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut. Today, Hart is known as Mother Dolores. At 73 (her birthday on October 20th), there are no signs of slowing down, despite flares of neuropathy.
As buildings and property age --more than 60 years old by now-- the wood, bricks and mortar give way and updating needs to happen. Working for the Church, I can attest of the serious need and reasonableness to invest buildings and property. Regina Laudis needs our help! Read about it here.
Continue reading Dolores Hart steps out of the Abbey to help her sisters.
The feast day of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque is a fitting reminder of our seeking the Heart of Jesus. What else is the Christian journey the seeking the Heart of Christ??? Or more precisely, allowing the Heart of Jesus to seek us. That He, the Lord, wants to be in a relationship with us personally and forever. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the famous nun of the Order of the Visitation of the 17th century, gives us a personal witness to the deep love Christ had for her, and she had for Him. I encourage you to spend a few moments in prayer with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is not a quaint devotion of a former time. Is it is as Mother Dolores Hart, OSB said, love (faith) is an antagonism for life.
Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
I give myself and consecrate to the Sacred Heart of our
Lord Jesus Christ, my person and my life, my actions, pains, and sufferings, so
that I may be unwilling to make use of any part of my being other than to
honor, love and glorify the Sacred Heart. This is my unchanging purpose,
namely, to be all His, and to do all things for the love of Him, at the same
time renouncing with all my heart whatever is displeasing to Him. I therefore
take You, O Sacred heart, to be the only object of my love, the guardian of my
life, my assurance of salvation, the remedy of my weakness and inconstancy, the
atonement for all the faults of my life and my sure refuge at the hour of
death.
Be then, O Heart of goodness, my justification before God the Father,
and turn away from me the strokes of his righteous anger. O Heart of love, I
put all my confidence in You, for I fear everything from my own wickedness and
frailty, but I hope for all things from Your goodness and bounty.
Remove from
me all that can displease You or resist Your holy will; let your pure love
imprint Your image so deeply upon my heart, that I shall never be able to
forget You or to be separated from You.
May I obtain from all Your loving
kindness the grace of having my name written in Your Heart, for in You I desire
to place all my happiness and glory, living and dying in bondage to You.
Today, the Church puts on our lips at the entrance antiphon a wonderful psalm verse that captures Saint Teresa of Avila to a "T": As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When can I enter and see the face of God? (Psalm 42: 2-3).
Teresa of Avila is one of my favorite Spanish saints: her intensity is beyond compare, her fidelity is extraordinary. I was searching for something on Saint Teresa and I found the following from our Holy Father. These few paragraphs really capture for me what the Christian life is about, what Teresa was about, what I want to be about. Perhaps what the pope says will orient your thoughts today:
It is far from easy to sum up in a few words Teresa's profound and articulate spirituality. I would like to mention a few essential points. In the first place St Teresa proposes the evangelical virtues as the basis of all Christian and human life and in particular, detachment from possessions, that is, evangelical poverty, and this concerns all of us; love for one another as an essential element of community and social life; humility as love for the truth; determination as a fruit of Christian daring; theological hope, which she describes as the thirst for living water. Then we should not forget the human virtues: affability, truthfulness, modesty, courtesy, cheerfulness, culture.
Continue reading Saint Teresa of Avila.
This coming year Pope Benedict is going to spend time teaching matters of Justice. In fact, he's called for a new emphasis on Justice several times in the past year. St John's University is a college operated by the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians), the religious order founded by the great Saint Vincent de Paul who had a special love for the poor and marginalized but also taught that one can't effectively serve the poor without an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. For Saint Vincent de Paul, in order to walk with the poor one had to first first walk with the Lord. To that end, the Vincentian Fathers, Brothers and laity organized the Vincentian Center for Church and Society.
Next week, there is the 7th Biennial Vincentian Chair of Social Justice at St. John's University (Queens, NY Campus) on "Poverty Eradication and Intergenerational Justice: Stewardship, Solidarity and Subsidiarity" to take place on October 22, 2011.
More information can be found here: Poverty Eradication and Intergenerational Justice.pdf
"New Evangelizers for the New Evangelization - The Word of God grows and spreads" in a spirit of joy
How does one evangelize? Why does one evangelize? Or not? Tomorrow in Rome, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, will host a meeting entitled "New Evangelizers for the New Evangelization : The Word of God Grows and Spreads." In a recent interview, Fisichella said:
"For new evangelization, this [the issue of immigration] is certainly a factor to be taken seriously, because we have millions of Christians on the move in different countries, bringing with them not only the richness of their Christian experience, but who also come to meet the challenges which Europe in particular but also the United States present, with regards to secularization".
"... we want to reinforce that evangelisation is the very mission of the Church and it has been going on for over two thousand years, but it needs to find a new language, a new lifestyle one that is respectful but has a deeply rooted identity", evangelisers "who have a profound sense of belonging to the Church and the Christian community but at the same time who are open to others. And also a good dose of joy and enthusiasm, which is never a bad thing!"
More of the simple lay friars were made saints than the Capuchin priest friars. I wonder why? But a snippet from a biography on Saint Seraphin may be helpful to get a sense of the man:
In 1556, Felix repeated his request to the provincial minister who admitted him to the novitiate at Jesi, where Felix received the name, Seraphin. Upon his reception into the Order, Seraphin remarked, "I have nothing‹just a crucifix and a rosary‹but with these I hope to benefit the friars and become a saint."
Although he was not totally illiterate, Seraphin could speak about God more eloquently than any theologian. Even the bishop of Ascoli, the eminent theologian, Cardinal Bernerio, sought Seraphin's advice in especially difficult cases.
With himself, Seraphin was austere. Only once in his life did he accept a new habit, and then, only out of obedience. For 40 continuous years, all he ate was soup or salad. In keeping with the spirituality prevalent at the time, Seraphin had a personal devotion of serving as many eucharistic liturgies as possible.
In speaking at a Charterhouse on October 9, Pope
Benedict contrasted modern life and the monastic life saying that society
"throws light on the specific charism of the Carthusian monastery as a
precious gift for the Church and for the world, a gift which contains a
profound message for our lives and for all humanity. I would summarise it in
these terms: by withdrawing in silence and solitude man, so to speak, 'exposes'
himself to the truth of his nakedness, he exposes himself to that apparent
'void' I mentioned earlier. But in doing so he experiences fullness, the
presence of God, of the most real Reality that exists. ... Monks, by leaving
everything, ... expose themselves to solitude and silence so as to live only
from what is essential; and precisely in living from the essential they
discover a profound communion with their brothers and sisters, with all
mankind".
This vocation, the Pope went on, "finds its response in a
journey, a lifelong search. ... Becoming a monk requires time, exercise,
patience. ... The beauty of each vocation in the Church lies in giving time to
God to work with His Spirit, and in giving time to one's own humanity to form,
to grow in a particular state of life according to the measure of maturity in
Christ. In Christ there is everything, fullness. However we need time to
possess one of the dimensions of His mystery. ... At times, in the eyes of the
world, it seems impossible that someone should spend his entire life in a
monastery, but in reality a lifetime is hardly sufficient to enter into this
union with God, into the essential and profound Reality which is Jesus
Christ".
"The Church needs you and you need the Church", the
Holy Father told the monks at the end of his homily. "You, who live in
voluntary isolation, are in fact at the heart of the Church; you ensure that
the pure blood of contemplation and of God's love flows in her veins".
O God, through mortification of the body and preaching of the faith, you raised the blessed Louis, your confessor, to the glory of the saints; grant that what we profess by faith we may ever fulfill by works of piety.
The preaching one hears from a member of the Order of Preachers ought to lead each person to a deeper relationship with God. Saint Louis Bertrand said, "If because of your preaching men lay aside enmities, forgive injuries, avoid occasions of sin and scandals, and reform their conduct, you may say that the seed has fallen on good ground. But to God alone give all the glory and acknowledge yourselves ever unprofitable servants."
~Saint Louis Bertrand to the young Dominican students
Let us pray through Saint Louis Bertrand's intercession for the Church in the Americas and the Islands.
The annual report on religious freedom lists 14 countries which deny religious freedom to their citizens. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (www.uscirf.gov) is a bi-partisan US Federal commission, appointed by the US President to advise him and Congress on matters pertaining to the freedom of religion.
Visit the above link for the report and other interesting information.
Of particular concern are: Burma, China, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam.
Rome Reports gives the story.
The rosary is essential to the life of Christians. We ought to live the rosary.The rosary is a practical study of sacred Scripture in the we remain faithful to the call to be close to Christ through constant a memory of the life, death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord. We call this the Paschal Mystery.
The rosary, popularly seen as a Marian prayer (connected to the Blessed Virgin Mary), but really it is a Christological prayer.
The supreme victory promised by God through the intercession of Mary is none other than being generated by love and the grace of conversion. Praying the rosary keeps us in touch with Christ, the Savior, the Good Shepherd.
Read more in the John Paul II teaching found in his apostolic letter, Rosary of the Virgin Mary, and a more of the feast today given by CNA.
Amy Sullivan of Time magazine wrote a piece today, "Why Catholic Bishops are Targeting Obama on Religious Freedom." I don't particularly think Sullivan's article is not all that informative, in fact, I think she needs to review it again and republish it. She does, however, indirectly say that Catholics --indeed all people of faith-- better wake up today and get with the program: the current presidential administration of the US government is narrowing an understanding and practice of religious freedom. Catholics, unlike the Jews or the Muslims are too often slow to know the horizons of the debate. Catholics don't often go up to Mount Nebo to survey the geography or their own history. Whether recent events are the most egregious in 30 years is a matter of opinion, but the trampling (or reduction) of religious freedom harms everybody, atheist and the Legion of Mary member alike.
It's time to get fluent in the terms of religious freedom, pun intended.
This is not a Catholic issue. This is an issue for all people who live a life of faith.
Every 5 years a bishop is to make a visit to the Eternal City first to pray at the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul and secondly to make a report to the Pope (and his curia). The church-term for such a meeting is called the "ad limina" -- to the threshold of the apostles, the Church, the heartbeat of our faith. It is not a meeting of checking-in with the CEO, CFO and the COO of the company. For a bishop is not a branch manager. This is a gesture of communion between two people who are in love with Christ and His sacrament, the Church; it is a meeting of one pastor meeting the Supreme Pastor, Christ, through the ministry of the See of Peter. It is a time to verify the good being done and to get feedback about what more needs to be done for the good of the faithful. With Benedict's age I think the 5-year meeting is now about every 7 years.
In recent weeks, Benedict has been meeting with Indonesian bishops. Part of his concluding address to the latest group has an encouragement to advocate inter-religious dialogue. As you can tell, Pope Benedict XVI is a pope of dialogue. The relevant paragraph follows:
Continue reading Pope encourages sustained inter-religious dialogue .
Well, that's a question. Provocative or not, I am quiet sure that it is germane 6 years later with little evidence. But Time magazine's Jeff Israel brings to our attention the hypothesis of Dr Lina Pavanelli who, in an article, "The Sweet Death of Karol Wojtyla" (Micromega), claims Blessed John Paul II was euthanized. The first thing I think of is: someone is trying to make a book deal with conspiracy theory accusing the Vatican of hiding something. But I am wondering, as Israel pointed out, that if the issue is actually the doctor's reception of Church teaching on life --or not--, especially on issues like euthanasia. Many in the medical community want to dismiss the Church's teaching on life in order to liberalize medicine enough to reduce the dignity of the human person to absurdity. There's a vibrancy in questioning Magisterial teaching on life in Europe because of proposed legislation.Remember all the questions about the death of Pope John Paul I?
Here's Israel's article.
Spending time doing lectio divina on today's reading at Mass taken from the Prophet Jonah, would you say that Jonah's anger was justified? How do you characterize his relationship with God? Your relationship with God?Read James Dennison's commentary.
We have to face our anger, our disappointments and the mercy of God. We have no choice in the matter. None.
O God, who made your priest, Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, outstanding in love, that he might proclaim the mysteries of redemption, and comfort those in affliction, grant, by his intercession, that we may work zealously for your glory and for the salvation of mankind,
The Siena Forum for Faith and Culture is having a Year of Marriage beginning with an afternoon presentation on October 22, 2011, 1-4:30pm by Dr James Healy, Director of the Center for Family Ministry in the Diocese of Joliet. The title of Dr Healy's presentation is "How to be Married and Stay Engaged."
Other events in the series in this Year of Marriage include:
January 28, 2012: Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers on "Why is Marriage Prep So Important?"
March 10, 2012: Frank Hannigan on "Building a Real Marriage"
April 21, 2012: Fr Jordan J. Kelly, OP on "The Domestic Church: Formation for Today."
Francis, the man of God, left his home behind, abandoned his inheritance and became poor and penniless, but the Lord raised him up.O God, by whose gift Saint Francis was conformed to Christ in poverty and humility, grant that, by walking in Francis' footsteps, we may follow your Son, and, through joyful charity, come to be united with you.
The mystery of the Cross is likely never made more evident in Christianity than through the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. The above prayer, in fact, the new collect for the Roman Missal brings this to bear on us. Francis' life of charity and apostolic zeal effected God's love for all.
The Pope offers a glimpse into the Poor Man of Assisi:
Continue reading Saint Francis of Assisi.
Yousef Nadarkhani, 33, is a Christian; he's never practiced Islam, the faith of his family. He converted Christianity at the age of 19. A court ruled that he's guilty of apostasy but he's also being accused of security charges, running a brothel, being a rapist and being a Zionist. And now he faces death. BUT it seems that the charge of apostasy is being minimized or completely discounted now; information conflict. Nadarkhani was arrested October 13, 2009.
"I am resolute in my faith and Christianity and have no wish to recant," Yousef Nadarkhani said.
Benjamin Weinthal's article in The Jerusalem Post gives some more detail.
"Magdalene's Song," is a film by Mauro Campiotti about Blessed Mary Magdalene of the Incarnation (Caterina Sordini) foundress of the Perpetual Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament, an order of contemplative nuns who had an extraordinary relationship with the Lord and devotion to the Church in a time of great difficulty.This film was the third in a series of four films on "Interesting Lives for Our Times" sponsored by the Siena Forum for Faith & Culture and Crossroads Cultural Center.
The Director, Mauro Campiotti, and 4 nuns from the Perpetual Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament were present to answer questions at the end of the film.
The Director, Mauro Campiotti, and 4 nuns from the Perpetual Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament were present to answer questions at the end of the film.
Thanks to Rita Simmonds and Tom Sullivan for the pictures.
I loved this film and I look forward to having a copy of it. I recommend seeing "Magdalene's Song."
A great treat was meeting the nuns who are a part of the order founded by Blessed Mary Magdalene. These two sisters are also blood sisters and there's a third sister who's a sister.
Here's a blog post on the Blessed Mary Magdalene and here order.
The 27th Sunday through the year trumps the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. BUT I can't resist thinking about angels. Today in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd I spoke to the children about the angels, though I centered my thoughts on the Archangels but the Guardian Angels factored in, too. Remember to say a prayer to your Guardian Angel intercession before God the Father.
Our belief in the existence of the guardian angels is not a pious idea that we teach to children; angels are biblical; Jesus speaks of the angels and the Church continues to give witness to the existence of angels in our lives.
So, what can we conclude? We conclude that God has concern for every human being by the protection of the Guardian Angels. Pope Benedict encourages us not to forget our angels in weekly audience (read about it here).
The Church prays....
O God, who in Your unfathomable providence are pleased to send Your holy Angels to guard us, hear our supplication as we cry to You, that we may always be defended by their protection and rejoice eternally in their company.
Angels are spirits. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that "The existence of spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith (329).
What do these spirits do? What is the nature of spirits?
They angel. Again, from the Catechism of the Catholic Church we hear of the Saint Augustine of Hippo who taught "'Angel is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name their nature, it is 'spirit'; if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are, 'spirit', from what they do , 'angel'" (329).
What does the word "angel" mean?
Messenger.
What does the Church teach about angels?
Angels "are servants and messengers of God. Because they 'always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven' (Mt 18:10) they are 'the mighty ones who do his word' (Ps 103:20).
The Jewish people are familiar with angels --there are plenty of angels in the Old Testament (see Genesis 28-29; Exodus 12-13 and 32:34; Psalm 90:11; Job 38:7 among many sources). The Prophet Daniel (c. 550BC) speaks of Michael as "the great prince which stands for the children of His people." And Our Lord speaks of the 12 legions of angels as being at his side.
Do angels exist? I think so. The witnesses are hard to beat.
Mike Aquilina's 2009 book, Angels of God, is an excellent resource.
I recommend all of Mike's writings, so purchase everything!!!
AND send an angel postcard given here...
Pray for the monks of the American-Cassinese Congregation who have the Holy Guardian Angels as their heavenly patrons. Monasteries in this congregation places like St Vincent's (Latrobe, PA), St Anselm's (Manchester, NH), St Martin's (Lacey, WA), St Mary's (Morristown, NJ), Newark Abbey (Newark, NJ) and a few more.
The week was a bear on many levels. The agony started when I arrived at the office and found out that the office laptop was stolen from my desk. Of course, not only was I angry at the un-named person who stole the computer, but at myself because nothing was backed up. Not having a virtual copy of the documents on an external hard drive was a big mistake. And the rest of the week was down hill because I began thinking about all the things I've worked on that are now gone plus all the personal information with it.
AND, the person who took the computer also took the pennies being collected for the poor. Well, at least that's the assumption. The children in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd are collecting their spare change --or their parent's pocket change-- for the "Pennies for the Good Shepherd."
I've got to find room in my heart to let go of anger toward the thief and pray for his conversion and my own. So pray with me and for me and for the other person. Saint Dismas and Saint Nicholas, pray for me and the other.
Hence, not a lot of posting this past week.
I saw and realized that love sets off the bounds of
all vocations, that love is everything, that this same love embraces every time
and every place. In one word, that love is everlasting.
(From the Autobiography.)
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