November 2011 Archives

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Let us pray that Saint Andrew, first-called, will bring us to the Lord as he brought Saint Peter and countless others to the Lord to experience salvation.

Let us pray for concrete unity among Christians, particularly Orthodox Christians with the See of Rome.

The Church prays~

We humbly implore your majesty, O Lord, that, just as the blessed Apostle Andrew was for your Church a preacher and pastor, so he may be for us a constant intercessor before you.

Lectio Divina is of course central to Benedictine spirituality, with several hours a day of prayerful reading of Scripture and other spiritual texts required of monks in the Rule.

 

And it is also one of the central themes of Pope Benedict XVI's Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini.  Scattered through the document are the reasons why lectio is so crucial.  Here is my summation of the reasons he sets out for why we should do lectio divina.

 

1.  To please God by listening to him. Pope quotes Origen: "Do your reading with the intent of believing in and pleasing God."

 

2.  To build the Church as a community.  "While it is a word addressed to each of us personally, it is also a word which builds community, which builds the Church...The reading of the word of God... enables us to deepen our sense of belonging to the Church, and helps us to grow in familiarity with God."

 

3.  To nourish and sustain us 'on our journey of penance and conversion': through it, we grow in love and truth.

 

4.  In order to discern God's will for us, and convert us: "Contemplation aims at creating within us a truly wise and discerning vision of reality, as God sees it, and at forming within us "the mind of Christ" (1 Cor 2:16).

 

The Pope particularly recommends lectio divina to seminarians because: "It is in the light and strength of God's word that one's specific vocation can be discerned and appreciated, loved and followed, and one's proper mission carried out..."  Lay people to should be trained, he urges, "to discern God's will through a familiarity with his word, read and studied in the Church under the guidance of her legitimate pastors."

 

He goes on: "Saint Paul tells us: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect " (12:2). The word of God appears here as a criterion for discernment: it is "living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Heb 4:12).", and "....by nourishing the heart with thoughts of God, so that faith, as our response to the word, may become a new criterion for judging and evaluation persons and things, events and issues"...."

 

5.  For the spiritual benefit of others. First, to equip us to fulfill the duty of all Christians to evangelize, contributing to the Churches mission to convert the whole world to Christ. And secondly to aid the souls in purgatory through the Church's offer of indulgences for Scripture reading and certain Scripturally based prayers (such as the Office), which teach us that "to whatever degree we are united in Christ, we are united to one another, and the supernatural life of each one can be useful for the others "
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In today's editorial piece, Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski personally addressed the US President Barack Obama on matters pertaining to conscience and religious freedom. Conscience is more than a policy; conscience is a basic human right given by God Himself. It is good piece for all to read --especially Catholics-- as it outlines recent history lest we forget. Wenski is right to bring to light the transgressions on conscience by this Administration. Our thanks to the Archbishop for teaching the faith. Thoughts?


In May 2009, President Obama gave the commencement address at Notre Dame University and received an honorary degree. That Notre Dame would confer an honorary degree on an elected official who advances abortion rights in contradiction to Catholic teaching caused no small controversy among many Catholics throughout the United States.


Those who supported Notre Dame felt vindicated, however, when in his speech the President promised to "honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion," stating that his Administration would provide "sensible" protections for those who wanted no involvement in the procedure. This would presumably include health-care providers, social-service providers, and consumers who might otherwise have to pay through their health-care plans for other people's abortions. Obama later reiterated this position to Catholic newspaper editors, stating that he would make such protections "robust."

Male religious life revives

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A recent article in the National Catholic Register by Trent Beattie, "Surprising Revival for Men in Religious Life" notes that tide may be turning for some religious orders of men, especially those who remain faithful to prayer, orthodox theological reflection as proposed by the Church, a common life and work and the wearing of a religious habit. Beattie highlights the Texas Carmelites, Connecticut's Franciscan Brothers of the Eucharist and the Oklahoma Benedictines of the Creak Creek abbey. All of the groups are beautiful expressions of the work of the Holy Spirit today.

Our Lady of the Way, pray for us.

Benedict on music and Liturgy

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Two central interests in the ministry of Pope Benedict are music and the sacred Liturgy; other interests you might say are evangelization, theology and culture. At recent gatherings with the Pope he spoke about music as a concert given by a group of Spanish musicians and then to the bishops of New York State making their pilgrimage to Rome to pray and speak with the Pope about their work. Below are two interesting sets of ideas worthy of reflection:

On music

"...the magic worked by music, the universal language which can overcome all barriers and allow us to enter the world of others, of a nation or a culture, at the same time enabling us to turn our mind and hearts ... to the world of God."

Pope Benedict XVI to musicians

November 26, 2011

On the sacred Liturgy

"A weakened sense of the meaning and importance of Christian worship can only lead to a weakened sense of the specific and essential vocation of the laity to imbue the temporal order with the spirit of the Gospel. America has a proud tradition of respect for the Sabbath; this legacy needs to be consolidated as a summons to the service of God's Kingdom and the renewal of the social fabric in accordance with its unchanging truth."

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First Sunday of Advent

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Therefore we are called to be vigilant because we do not know the 'precise moment' when the master will return to the house. The 'house' can be seen as an image of the Christian community which prepares itself with vigilance through prayer and works, to welcome the master. The 'house' can also be thought of as the spiritual dwelling of each of us that needs to be built daily.

Everyone must also take care to complete the work that God has entrusted to them, watching that they will not find themselves unprepared for the Lord when he comes. The season of Advent calls us to strengthen our spirit of prayer, carefully fighting the negligence and the weakness that makes us yield to sin.

Blessed John Henry Newman wrote in his spiritual diary that to be vigilant with Christ is to look ahead without forgetting the past. It is not to forget that He has suffered for us, it is to lose ourselves in contemplation of the grandeur of redemption. It is to continually renew the passion and agony of Christ - to cover with joy that mantle of affliction that Christ wore first and then left behind when he ascended into heaven. It is separation from this sensible world to join the life beyond the senses. This is how Christ will come, and come in the way he has said. (J. H. Newman, Diario spirituale e meditazione, 93).

Excerpts of a Letter for the First Sunday of Advent from the Congregation of Clergy

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Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

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Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.  On this day, November 27th, in 1830, the Immaculate Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Catherine Laboure in the chapel of the motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity in Paris. 


At one point during the apparition Catherine saw Our Lady standing on a globe, with dazzling rays of light streaming from her outstretched hands. Framing the figure was an inscription: O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee


Mary spoke to Catherine: "Have a medal struck upon this model. Those who wear it will receive great graces."  The Medal of the Blessed Virgin Mary, popularly known as the Miraculous Medal, was approved by Pope Leo XIII on July 23, 1894.


For more info, visit...

As you know, the Pope is meeting for next several months with all the bishops of the United States. Two weeks ago I noted the Ad Limina Apostolorum of the New England bishops; this week the Pope meets with the New York bishops and next week he'll be meeting with the New Jersey and Pennsylvania bishops. His reflections and leadership on key areas are crucial for all of us to pay attention to right now for the good of the Church. The text of his address to the bishops of these three regions is given below.


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I greet you all with affection in the Lord and, through you, the Bishops from the United States who in the course of the coming year will make their visits ad limina Apostolorum.

Our meetings are the first since my 2008 Pastoral Visit to your country, which was intended to encourage the Catholics of America in the wake of the scandal and disorientation caused by the sexual abuse crisis of recent decades. I wished to acknowledge personally the suffering inflicted on the victims and the honest efforts made both to ensure the safety of our children and to deal appropriately and transparently with allegations as they arise. It is my hope that the Church's conscientious efforts to confront this reality will help the broader community to recognize the causes, true extent and devastating consequences of sexual abuse, and to respond effectively to this scourge which affects every level of society. By the same token, just as the Church is rightly held to exacting standards in this regard, all other institutions, without exception, should be held to the same standards.

Presentation of the Blessed Virign Mary3.jpgAs we Venerate the glorious memory of the most holy Virgin Mary, grant, we pray, O Lord, through her intercession, that we, too, may merit to receive from the fullness of your grace.

PAX

In the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

On this Feast of the Presentation in the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I, too, offer myself to God through this renewal of my oblation. I commit myself anew to Stability of Heart, Fidelity to the Spirit of the Monastic Life, and Obedience to the Will of God as a Benedictine Oblate of the venerable monastery of Saint Meinrad.

Saint Mechtilde

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St Mechtilde2.jpgThe Benedictine liturgical calendar and some diocesan calendars observes the memorial of Saint Mechtilde today.

On 14 November the US Catholic bishops established a permanent Subcommittee on Health Care Issues to deal with the highly contentious subject. The subcommittee will be under the supervision of the Bishops' Committee on Doctrine which is now chaired by Donald William Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, DC. Wuerl will appoint members of this new subcommittee. The bishops have followed through on their own recommendation from the June 2011 meeting to make this project a reality.

Hartford Archbishop Henry J. Mansell strongly supported the new subcommittee of the relation of health care to "the Gospel mission of the Church" and because the bishops need to have a handle on the "billions and billions of dollars in funding." Mansell also said, "We run the risk of losing a major ministry of the Church if we don't keep a close eye on health care issues." 

Cardinal Donald Wuerl will be succeeded by the Archbishop of St Paul and Minneapolis John C. Nienstedt.

The list of the bishops and consultants to the Doctrine committee is noted here.
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His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI met recently with the participants in the conference, "Adult Stem Cells: Science and the Future of Man and Culture," meeting 9-11 November, in Rome. The Pope's November 12th address can be read here where he underscores the unique opportunity to discover the beauty of human life in all its complexities through the work of science. He points out that there are possibilities for the healing of chronic degenerative illnesses. He advocates for an ethic that respects the integral good of human life and the common good of society, especially citing Dignitas Personae.

He's lending his voice to scientific research which gives the best outcome to regenerative medicine. Dr Robin L. Smith and her company, NeoStem, organized the symposium with key Vatican offices.

Listen to a Rome Reports clip on the meeting.

Here's a previous post about this meeting.
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Report
on the Implementation of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus
November 15, 2011
by
His Eminence Cardinal Donald Wuerl
Archbishop of Washington

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Thank you Archbishop Dolan.  With me for this presentation are Bishop Robert McManus and Bishop Kevin Vann, the other members of the Conference's ad hoc Committee on the Implementation of Anglicanorum coetibus.

With us, as well, are Father Jeffrey Steenson and Father Scott Hurd, who have worked with the committee.

At our June General Assembly meeting in Seattle, I provided a brief report and update on the progress being made in the implementation of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus. At that time, I asked for and received a show of support for the material I presented by way of a consultation with the bishops.
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Kevin W. Vann.jpgAt the general assembly of the US Bishops today, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, DC, announced the Vatican appointment of Bishop Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Fort Worth Texas, to be the Ecclesiastical Delegate for the Pastoral Provision (in effect since 1981). Vann succeeds Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark. Vann will oversee the  the formation and admittance of former Anglican clergy to the Roman Church. He will work closely with Cardinal Wuerl who has oversight of the temporary church structure of the Anglican Ordinariate in the USA.

Bishop Vann writes about the work on his blog.

January 1, 2012 is the date slated for the establishment of the new American, Personal Ordinariate for former Anglican Clergy and people coming into full communion with the Rome Church. The official name of the Ordinariate has not been announced.

You may be interested in "Anglicanorum Coetibus: Questions and Answers." It is quite helpful in terms of defining meaning, significance and timeline of events.

I've known Bishop Vann for some time and he's an excellent choice for the good shepherd who will help the former Anglican clergy.

Saint Albert the Great

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S. Albertus Magnus.jpgSt Albert the Great reminds us that there is friendship between science and faith and that through their vocation to the study of nature, scientists can take an authentic and fascinating path of holiness.

His extraordinary openmindedness is also revealed in a cultural feat which he carried out successfully, that is, the acceptance and appreciation of Aristotle's thought. In St Albert's time, in fact, knowledge was spreading of numerous works by this great Greek philosopher, who lived a quarter of a century before Christ, especially in the sphere of ethics and metaphysics. They showed the power of reason, explained lucidly and clearly the meaning and structure of reality, its intelligibility and the value and purpose of human actions. St Albert the Great opened the door to the complete acceptance in medieval philosophy and theology of Aristotle's philosophy, which was subsequently given a definitive form by St Thomas. This reception of a pagan pre-Christian philosophy, let us say, was an authentic cultural revolution in that epoch. Yet many Christian thinkers feared Aristotle's philosophy, a non-Christian philosophy, especially because, presented by his Arab commentators, it had been interpreted in such a way, at least in certain points, as to appear completely irreconcilable with the Christian faith. Hence a dilemma arose: are faith and reason in conflict with each other or not? 

This is one of the great merits of St Albert: with scientific rigour he studied Aristotle's works, convinced that all that is truly rational is compatible with the faith revealed in the Sacred Scriptures. In other words, St Albert the Great thus contributed to the formation of an autonomous philosophy, distinct from theology and united with it only by the unity of the truth. So it was that in the 13th century a clear distinction came into being between these two branches of knowledge, philosophy and theology, which, in conversing with each other, cooperate harmoniously in the discovery of the authentic vocation of man, thirsting for truth and happiness: and it is above all theology, that St Albert defined as "emotional knowledge", which points out to human beings their vocation to eternal joy, a joy that flows from full adherence to the truth.

Pope Benedict XVI
March 2010
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At their annual meeting, the US bishops voted to have add to the US liturgical calendar Blessed John Paul II and Blessed Marianne Cope, both are optional liturgical memorials in the proper of saints. October 22 is designated to honor Blessed John Paul and January 23 for Mother Marianne.

The Church sets dates for liturgical "memorials are typically set for the date of the person's death, which in Mother Marianne's case was Aug. 9, 1918. However, that date is the feast of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), who died Aug. 9, 1942. Jan. 23 is the optional memorial in the United States for St. Vincent de Paul. That date was transferred from Jan. 22 so that the U.S. church can observe the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children -- which itself shifts to Jan. 23 when Jan. 22 falls on a Sunday."
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The USCCB Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty headed up by Bishop William Edward Lori announces the bishops and consultants:

Ten bishops and 10 consultants were named to the committee in early November. 

New members are Bishop John O. Barres of Allentown, Pa.; Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia; Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas; Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta; Archbishop John C. Nienstedt of St. Paul and Minneapolis; Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix; Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, Ill.; Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi of Mobile, Ala.; Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle; and Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington.

Consultants include Carl Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus; attorneys Kevin Baine, Philip Lacovara and L. Martin Nussbaum; Father Raymond J. de Souza, a columnist and priest of the Archdiocese of Kingston, Ontario; Richard Garnett, associate dean and professor of law and political science at the University of Notre Dame; John Garvey, president of The Catholic University of America; Mary Ann Glendon, Harvard Law School professor; Judge Michael McConnell, Stanford University Law School professor; and Mary Ellen Russell, executive director of the Maryland Catholic Conference.

Lori said we need to have "a new appreciation for religious liberty and a renewed determination to defend it." 

As mere commentary, the lay members of this committee are impressive.

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You can read Archbishop Dolan's presidential address in its entirety elsewhere; here I offer a few points from the address to reflect upon:

...our most pressing pastoral challenge today is to reclaim that truth, to restore the luster, the credibility, the beauty of the Church "ever ancient, ever new," renewing her as the face of Jesus, just as He is the face of God. Maybe our most urgent pastoral priority is to lead our people to see, meet, hear and embrace anew Jesus in and through His Church.

Because, as the chilling statistics we cannot ignore tell us, fewer and fewer of our beloved people -- to say nothing about those outside the household of the faith -- are convinced that Jesus and His Church are one. As Father Ronald Rolheiser wonders, we may be living in a post-ecclesial era, as people seem to prefer

a King but not the kingdom,
a shepherd with no flock,
to believe without belonging,
a spiritual family with God as my father, as long as I'm
the only child,
"spirituality" without religion
faith without the faithful

Christ without His Church.

Benedictine All Souls

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OSB funeral.jpgIn Benedictine communities around the world today's Liturgical Observance is offered for the souls of all Benedictine monks, nuns, sisters and Oblates in purgatory. 

The Commemoration of the Faithful Departed is Benedictine in origin established by Saint Odilo at the Abbey of Cluny in 998. By the 14th century the observance of All Souls would be celebrated by the Church universal.

The Sacrifice of the Mass, the Divine Office, Rosary and the praying of the 150 psalms helps in the purification of the holy souls in purgatory.


Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine on them.
bishops waiting to see Pope.jpgThere's not been lots of details revealed about the recent Ad Limina of New England's 18 bishops. That may be because most of the meetings are private affairs between a bishop --or a group of bishops-- and the Pope and his 12 key Vatican collaborators. The pilgrimage in Rome happened 3-9 November. The two New England Metropolitans, Cardinal O'Malley and Archbishop Mansell, led the bishops with the coordinating help of Bishop Evans.

There are things that are becoming more known because of the generosity of the bishops speaking about their experiences and their concerns. 

Several stories of the recent Roman pilgrimage are noted here:

Boston's Cardinal Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap: "Together with the Holy Father"

Burlington's Bishop Salvatore Matano: "US ad limina visits in focus"

A great example of religious freedoms being trampled is what's happening with Belmont Abbey College. This is exactly what Archbishop Dolan and Bishop Lori are working on with the new Ad Hoc Committee of the USCCB on Religious Freedom (see previous posts linked on the right).

Belmont Abbey College is being forced by Federal government to provide contraceptives to employees of the College going against the clear, consistent and well-known Catholic teaching. This is not merely the teaching of a small and localized group of "conservative monks" or an over zealous bishop, but the teaching of a global Church founded by Jesus Christ.

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty is handling the lawsuit.

The story in The Washington Post can be read here.

Let's beg the Holy Spirit's guidance for Abbot Placid Solari, the College President and the lawyers. May Saint Benedict guide the hearts and minds of the monks.

Today, Pope Benedict spoke to the volunteers who work with the Cor Unum group led by Cardinal Robert Sarah. He defines very clearly charitable work. Pay attention Communion and Liberation people!!!

I am grateful for the opportunity to greet you as you meet under the auspices of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" in this European Year of Volunteering.

Let me begin by thanking Cardinal Robert Sarah for the kind words he has addressed to me on your behalf. I would also like to express my deep gratitude to you and, by extension, to the millions of Catholic volunteers who contribute, regularly and generously, to the Church's charitable mission throughout the world. At the present time, marked as it is by crisis and uncertainty, your commitment is a reason for confidence, since it shows that goodness exists and that it is growing in our midst. The faith of all Catholics is surely strengthened when they see the good that is being done in the name of Christ (cf. Philem 6).

For Christians, volunteer work is not merely an expression of good will. It is based on a personal experience of Christ. He was the first to serve humanity, he freely gave his life for the good of all. That gift was not based on our merits. From this we learn that God gives us himself. More than that: Deus Caritas est - God is love, to quote a phrase from the First Letter of Saint John (4:8) which I employed as the title of my first Encyclical Letter. The experience of God's generous love challenges us and liberates us to adopt the same attitude towards our brothers and sisters: "You received with paying, give without pay" (Mt 10:8). We experience this especially in the Eucharist when the Son of God, in the breaking of bread, brings together the vertical dimension of his divine gift with the horizontal dimension of our service to our brothers and sisters.

Since its establishment there's been little concrete news on the make up of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty. The President of the USCCB, Archbishop Timothy Dolan, established the committee to address the concerns surrounding the reduction of religious freedom in a variety of arenas, not least government and culture. Dolan named Bridgeport Bishop William E. Lori as the chairman, the member bishops and consulters have yet to be named. A group of bishops will meet, however, Sunday, 13 November, in advance of the annual general assembly of the US bishops.

Lori told CNA that the goal "...is first of all to lift the whole area of religious freedom, beginning with the teaching of the Church in Dignitatis Humanae [1965]-- the Second Vatican Council's declaration on religious freedom" and the exposition of "...the vision of the Founding Fathers of the United States."

Read David Kerr of CNA's post on the developments here or here.
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What, rather who, is Wisdom?

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The first reading at Mass today was taken from the Book of Wisdom. Not a regularly heard from book of the Bible. The Church offers us at least two things today with regard to Wisdom: what is it (how do we define what it is) and who is Wisdom?


Both Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Paul indicate that Wisdom is Jesus Christ. You might say that the contents of the Book of Wisdom is perfected in the person of Jesus Christ. With that in mind, here's what we heard today.


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In Wisdom is a spirit

intelligent, holy, unique,

Manifold, subtle, agile,

clear, unstained, certain,

Not baneful, loving the good, keen,

unhampered, beneficent, kindly,

Firm, secure, tranquil,

all-powerful, all-seeing,

And pervading all spirits,

though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.

For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion,

and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity.

For she is an aura of the might of God

and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty;

therefore nought that is sullied enters into her.

For she is the refulgence of eternal light,

the spotless mirror of the power of God,

the image of his goodness.

And she, who is one, can do all things,

and renews everything while herself perduring;

And passing into holy souls from age to age,

she produces friends of God and prophets.

For there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom.

For she is fairer than the sun

and surpasses every constellation of the stars.

Compared to light, she takes precedence;

for that, indeed, night supplants,

but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom.


Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily

and governs all things well.


Wisdom 7:22b-8:1

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Saint Leo the Great

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Pope Saint Leo the Great stated: "The faith of those who live their faith is a serene faith. What you long for will be given you; what you love will be yours for ever. Since it is by giving alms that everything is pure for you, you will also receive that blessing which is promised next by the Lord: the Godhead that no man has been able to see. In the inexpressible joy of this eternal vision, human nature will possess what eye has not seen or ear heard, what man's heart has never conceived."

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News seems to be made about a Catholic married clergy in the USA, at least among the Eastern churches. It's not new news but it is an interesting development in the USA that needs insight and pastoral action. The new bishop of the Melkite Church in the USA, Bishop Nicholas Samra (btw the first American born leader of the eparchy), spoke of the need of having a properly formed clergy to pastor the 27,000+ souls of the Melkite Church in the USA, even ordaining married men. In the coming year there may be one celibate man ordained.

This is not the first time the Melkite Church is doing such. More than 3 decades ago several married men were ordained in Canada but judged by the Holy See to be illicit; the former eparch Bishop John Elya ordained 2 married men and his hand was slapped.

In the western world married clergy is not viewed by the Holy See to be pertinent whereas in the old world, married men serve as priests. This carries the old prejudice of Archbishop John Ireland who demanded a celibate clergy of the Eastern Churches; his unreasonable proposition helped create the Ruthenian Orthodox Church in the USA.  With the Eastern Catholic Churches it is part of their venerable ecclesiology to ordain married men to the priesthood. On a pastor's side, the needs of the laity to follow their traditions. Looking at reality in front of him, there is a demonstrable need for Samra (and other Eastern Churches in the USA) to provide a clergy for his people. The eparchy doesn't have enough single men willing to do the work, nor does it seem reasonable to hope beyond all hope for an exclusive celibate priesthood. The gospel needs to be proclaimed and sacraments administered for our salvation.


Pray to great Mother of God and Saint Nicholas for the grace of prudence for Bishop Nicholas!
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Carlo Maria Viganò.jpgHis Excellency, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, 70, was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to be his personal representative to the Church in the United States and to the US government, on 19 October 2011. As ambassador he'll have to recommend to the Pope the new bishops, handle ecclesial matters of significance and work with the US politicians. Archbishop Viganò met with the Pope this morning. He is set arrive in time for the general meeting of US Bishops, 14-16 November in Baltimore.

David Kerr of The National Catholic Register has a story relating these diplomatic events and more of Viganò's history.

You may also want to read Cindy Wooden of the Catholic News Service's October 19th article for a another perspective.

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You are invited to a screening of CATHOLICISM with ArchbishopTimothy Dolan's introduction and a presentation by project's creator Father Robert Barron, and Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete.

A reception and book signing following the event.

Presented by Crossroads Cultural Center and Word on Fire


Wednesday, December 14, 2011
6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
The Times Center
242 West 41st Street
New York, NY  map

Click here to RSVP


Dolan.jpgArchbishop Timothy M. Dolan
Archbishop of New York

President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 





Albacete.jpgMonsignor Lorenzo Albacete

Author, theologian, columnist






Barron.jpgFather Robert Barron

Author, speaker, theologian Founder of Word On Fire.





MORE INFORMATION

This event is open to the public and free of charge, but seating is limited.

Tickets must be obtained online through www.catholicism.eventbrite.com

Bishops of CT and RI.jpgPope Benedict XVI met Nov. 5 with U.S. bishops from northeastern states on their "ad limina" visits to the Vatican to report on the status of their dioceses. From left are Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Providence, R.I.; retired Auxiliary Bishop Peter A. Rosazza of Hartford.; Archbishop Henry J. Mansell of Hartford; Pope Benedict XVI; Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport; Bishop Michael R. Cote of Norwhich; Auxiliary Bishop Robert C. Evans of Providence, R.I. (CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano)
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NEN Bishops Ad Limina 2011.jpgThe bishops of the United States have begun their official visit to heart of the Church by praying at the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, meeting with Pope Benedict, and meeting with the various heads of the Church's departments at the Holy See to report on the various apostolic works undertaken for the proclamation of the Gospel.

The visit is called "Ad limina apostolorum," meaning, "to the threshold of the apostles." The Ad limina is a gesture of communio, an act of love, between individual bishop and the Pope. Hence, this is a pilgrimage of a bishop to center of faith. The Ad limina visits typically take place every 5 years though with Pope Benedict these pilgrimages are taking place every 7 years. Pope Benedict will meet all the diocesan bishops with the auxiliaries in the coming months and into 2012; he'll have met 190 heads of dioceses, plus.... by the time all is said and done.

John Thavis of CNS has a review of what's expected.

Saint Charles Borromeo

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St Charles Borromeo with old man.jpgPreserve in the midst of your people, we ask, O Lord, the spirit with which you filled the Bishop Saint Charles Borromeo, that your Church may be constantly renewed and, by conforming herself to the likeness of Christ, may show his face to the world.

The humanity of today's saint is brought out in an address celebrating 400 years since he was raised to the altars. Here are three paragraphs of the Pope 2010 talk (the rest may be read at the link below):

The love of St Charles Borromeo was first and foremost the love of the Good Shepherd who is ready to give his whole life for the flock entrusted to his care, putting the demands and duties of his ministry before any form of personal interest, amenity or advantage. Thus the Archbishop of Milan, faithful to the Tridentine directives, visited several times his immense Diocese even the most remote localities, and took care of his people, nourishing them ceaselessly with the Sacraments and with the word of God through his rich and effective preaching; he was never afraid to face adversities and dangers to defend the faith of the simple and the rights of the poor.

However it is impossible to understand the charity of St Charles Borromeo without knowing his relationship of passionate love with the Lord Jesus. He contemplated this love in the holy mysteries of the Eucharist and of the Cross, venerated in very close union with the mystery of the Church. The Eucharist and the Crucified One immersed St Charles in Christ's love and this transfigured and kindled fervor in his entire life, filled his nights spent in prayer, motivated his every action, inspired the solemn Liturgies he celebrated with the people and touched his heart so deeply that he was often moved to tears.

His contemplative gaze at the holy Mystery of the Altar and at the Crucified one stirred within him feelings of compassion for the miseries of humankind and kindled in his heart the apostolic yearning to proclaim the Gospel to all. On the other hand we know well that there is no mission in the Church which does not stem from "abiding" in the love of the Lord Jesus, made present within us in the Eucharistic Sacrifice. Let us learn from this great Mystery! Let us make the Eucharist the true centre of our communities and allow ourselves to be educated and moulded by this abyss of love! Every apostolic and charitable deed will draw strength and fruitfulness from this source!

Pope Benedict XVI

Saint Martin de Porres

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Today's the feast of the great Dominican saint, Martin de Porres (1579-1639). A native of Peru, he was the son of a slave mother and a Spanish father (who weren't married).

Martin's holiness and charitable work is beyond compare. For a man of no education he had the reputation for wisdom that people of civil and ecclesial government along with the common person sought his counsel. One Dominican Friar told me that he and Saint Rose of Lima are two of the most popular saints from the Order of Preachers surpassing Aquinas and others. He was what we call today, "a man of the people." Martin was the first black person to be given the habit of the Order of Friars Preachers taking vows in 1603. Blessed John XXIII canonized Martin in 1962 who called him, "Martin of charity."

Each day I pass Saint Martin's altar sometimes aware of De Porres' supreme affection for Jesus and intense love for his brother and sister; other days, not so aware. But aware or not, my love for Saint Martin has only grown in recent times because I recognize in him an authentic and recognizable model of Christian charity and the desire to seek the Face of God in prayer.

Do you desire to be Christ, to follow Christ more closely? Walk on the path that Saint Martin shows....

Saint Martin de Porres, pray for us!

All Souls

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 The Church remembers before God the Father Almighty all the dead. Our Commemoration of the faithful departed --All Souls-- is a poignant time remember and live life more intensely. 

In Rome, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of this gesture of remembrance:

Today, the day after the Solemnity of All Saints, the Church invites us to pray for the faithful departed. This yearly commemoration, often marked by visits to the cemetery, is an occasion to ponder the mystery of death and to renew our faith in the promise of eternal life held out to us by Christ's resurrection. As human beings, we have a natural fear of death and we rebel against its apparent finality. Faith teaches us that the fear of death is lightened by a great hope, the hope of eternity, which gives our lives their fullest meaning. The God who is love offers us the promise of eternal life through the death and resurrection of his Son. In Christ, death no longer appears as an abyss of emptiness, but rather a path to life which will never end. Christ is the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in him will never die. Each Sunday, in reciting the Creed, we reaffirm our faith in this mystery. As we remember our dear departed ones, united with them in the communion of the saints, may our faith inspire us to follow Christ more closely and to work in this world to build a future of hope.

Benedict Oct 30 2011.jpgThe general intention

That the Eastern Catholic Churches and their venerable traditions may be known and esteemed as a spiritual treasure for the whole Church.

The missionary intention 

That the African continent may find strength in Christ to pursue justice and reconciliation as set forth by the second Synod of African Bishops.

About the author

Paul A. Zalonski is from New Haven, CT. He is a member of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation, a Catholic ecclesial movement and an Oblate of Saint Benedict. Contact Paul at paulzalonski[at]yahoo.com.

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