August 2012 Archives

Dad's 72

| | Comments (0)
Mom and Dad 31 Aug 2012.jpeg
My Dad is 72 today. Happy Birthday!
Here's a picture of both my Mom and Dad after lunch today.

May God grant many years!
The typical protocol is for the Pope, often through the Secretary of State, to send a telegram on the death of a churchman, or on the occasion of another significant event. In the case of cardinals, a pope sends a more personal message. Pope Benedict knew Cardinal Martini well, and even saw him in June when he was in Milan. The pope writes...

B16 and Carlo Maria.jpgHaving heard with sadness the news of the death of Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini after a long illness, which he lived with a tranquil soul and with confident abandonment to the will of the Lord, I wish to express to you and to the entire diocesan community, as well as to the family of the late Cardinal, my profound share in their sorrow, recalling with affection this dear brother who served the Gospel and the Church so generously. I recall with gratitude the intense and profuse Apostolic work of this zealous, spiritual child of St. Ignatius, an expert teacher, an authoritative biblical scholar, and a beloved Rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University and of the Pontifical Biblical Institute, and a wise and diligent Archbishop of the Ambrosian Archdiocese. I think also of the competent and fervent service he gave to the Word of God, always opening to the ecclesial community the treasures of the Sacred Scriptures, especially through the promotion of Lectio Divina. I raise fervent prayers to the Lord that, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, He will receive His faithful servant and worthy shepherd into the heavenly Jerusalem; and upon all those who mourn his death, I warmly impart the comfort of the Apostolic Blessing.
Carlo Maria Martini, SJ.jpgThe famed Jesuit Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, 85, died today following a long battle with Parkinson's disease. He had been living at a Jesuit retirement home near Milan.

Born in Turin, Carlo Maria Martini entered the Society of Jesus in 1944, was ordained a priest in 1952, professing solemn vows as a Jesuit in 1962, a bishop in 1980 and created a cardinal in 1983. He retired in 2002 and participated in the conclave that elected Benedict.

By training Martini earned two doctorates and he is known as a Scripture scholar (working on the Gospel of Luke)  having been the head of the Biblicum at the time of his appointment to the archbishopric of Milan. A man of great sensitivity for the spiritual life and sacred Scripture, Martini, in his healthy years, was sought after as a retreat master. His insight in Ignatian spirituality has aided many people.

With Cardinal Martini's death the College of Cardinals numbers 206 members, 118 of whom are able to enter a conclave to elect a new pope.

Saint Ambrose and Blessed Ildefonso, pray Cardinal Carlo Maria, and for us.
Enhanced by Zemanta
Until I read this story in the National Catholic Register (NCR) I didn't know who Kellen Clemens was. Those who know me know that I am not a follower of football, let alone any other sport for that matter. I am not anti-sport, I am just not a sports-type-of-person. But, I fact I fully advocate an integration of faith and morals in the world of sports; something that many other sports-people could benefit from. What caught my eye in the NCR were the words "Catholic" and "St Louis Rams." Interest piqued. I am glad it did. Until now one would think that Tim Teabow was the only man in American football that had a faith life. As it turns out, Kellen Clemans also believes in God, is a Catholic and a family man. Let's pray that these virtues remain solid for a very long time. The NCR story is not only a good human interest piece but it emboldens the rest of us (I hope).

Read Trent Beattie's article "St. Louis Rams' Quarterback Is 'Catholic by Blood'." But one section is worth quoting here (emphasis mine).

Did you grow up in a devout family?

Kellen Clemens.jpeg
I'm a cradle Catholic, with four sisters, and the faith was always an integral part of our lives. I went to confession, received holy Communion and was confirmed. We were taught the difference between right and wrong and enjoyed the stability that brings. We also benefited from being so close to nature on our family's cattle ranch. That encourages you to be humble and also to respect and work with God's creation.

Blessed Ildefonso Schuster

| | Comments (0)
Bl Idelfonso Schuster, card.jpg
Almighty God, who through your grace, the Blessed Alfredo Ildefonso, by his exemplary virtue built up the flock entrusted to him, grant that we, under the guidance of the Gospel may follow his teaching and walk in sureness of life, until we come to see you face to face in your eternal Kingdom.

Today we honor the Church honors a great 20th century Benedictine monk, priest, bishop and cardinal, Blessed Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster. He died on this date in 1954. At the time of his death he was the cardinal-archbishop of Milan.

Blessed Ildefonso is one of my great Benedictine heros. He's known for promoting catechetics and the role of the laity in life of the Church in a time prior to it becoming a "normal" thing. Moreover, he diligently looked after the poor, denounced the totalitarian thinking of Facism, Nazism and racism, proposed models of holiness for all people --not just the clerical elite-- and he lived the sacred Liturgy and founded the Institute of Ambrosian Chant and Sacred Music.

When the process of beatification came to a certain point, church officials opened Cardinal Schuster's tomb and found his body to be incorruptible. A more certain sign of holiness. He was announced as a Venerable Servant of God on March 26, 1994 and beatified by Blessed John Paul II on May 12, 1996.

For more info, see his birthday post and another post on his feast day.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Peggy Noonan blogs

| | Comments (0)
WJS Peggy Noonan blog pic.jpgI find one of the most consistently reliable persons that we ought to read is Peggy Noonan. Her considered opinion is needed today. She's a published author of 8 books on culture, religion, politics and history. You may remember Ms Noonan as an assistant to President Reagan.

Plus, Ms Noonan is an incredibly fine person.

Visit Peggy Noonan's Blog, and bookmark it.
Margaret-Clitherow

Saint Margaret Clitherow (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The English Catholic martyrs, in my opinion, ought always to amaze the believer whether he or she is English or not. All of them really lived and died in a noble way and with conviction that shames most. One of the 40 martyrs canonized at the same time (here's the list), Margaret Ward, was killed for her faith during the era of Elizabeth I on the charge of helping Father William Watson, a Catholic priest escape. She kept Father Watson's confidence and for that act was tortured.

Margaret Ward, canonized by the Servant of God Pope Paul VI on 25 October 1970, is recognized as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. The Church generally recognizes the date of her canonization as her feast day. However, the Dioceses of Birmingham, Leeds and Shrewsbury liturgically recall today as the feast for Saints Margaret Ward, Margaret Clitherow and Anne Line. And, so do I. Join me in prayer for the Church of England, Scotland and Wales.

My 2009 post on these women can be read here.
 
Enhanced by Zemanta
No doubt Cardinal Dolan's presence to give the Benediction at both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions is history in the making. A cardinal from a prominent US See and president of the USCCB is in front of world politics. Does he know what he's doing? Certainly, he's following the method of Pope Benedict --and John Paul II before him-- engaging in the conversation. Presence vs. absence is seen as a key value. AND it is. BUT.......

I don't quote the NCR at all in these pages. I don't like their politic, nor do I like their way of being Catholic. But this editorial is worth reading and breaking down. There are several points I disagree with, but I think the writers are correct in trying to address the implications of the Cardinal's presence on the dais and how well we know our own teaching, witness to it. Catholic Social Doctrine is not all that known even in sophisticated Catholic circles.

A Swan Song

| | Comments (0)

In view of the swan episode that I experienced a few weeks ago St Louis Abbey with their swan walking the street, I thought you'd want to know that Abelard the Abbey swan was found dead yesterday morning by the maintenance staff of the Priory School (St Louis Abbey). My friend Father Ambrose wrote me about this event. They think he was probably killed by coyotes or maybe by a big dog. 

Whether you have a liking for birds, I am sorry about this. Abelard was a beautiful animal. He was already 18 years old; in captivity, swans can live into their twenties. So he was already old by swan standards; and I think his mind was going. In fact, after I left, he wandered off several more times and had to be brought back. I think he had the swan version of Alzheimer's. Also, several of the monks think he missed Father Michael (who used to take care of him and give him bread scraps, etc.). So he was old and debilitated, and in the natural order of things, another species brought about his demise.

Now the Priory has all those odious Canada geese.

Abeland died on my friend's priestly ordination anniversary, the feast of St. Augustine. Abelard came to live with the monks as a gift from Father Bernard, back in 1998.

You may want to see Father Augustine's update on the Juniors at St Louis Abbey!!!

Feast of Herod ASpinello.jpgO God, who willed that Saint John the Baptist should go ahead of your Son both in his birth and in his death, grant that, as he died a Martyr for truth and justice, we, too, may fight hard for the confession of what you teach.

The Church honors the cousin of the Lord, John the Baptist. The name of the feast is correctly called "The Passion of Saint John the Baptist" is a hinge feast of a prophet and lover of Truth.

We pray for those who stand up for what's right and truthful in the face of hostility.
SC detail.jpegYou know Salvatore Cordileone's name --he's the new archbishop of San Francsico. A high profile appointment made several weeks ago by Pope Benedict XVI. He was arrested for a DUI charge on August 25. He's admitted wrong-doing, spent 11 hours in jail, paid the bail and is due in court on October 9, just 5 days following his scheduled installation in SF.

He made a serious error in judgement. His Excellency needs to attend not only to his public persona but also to his spiritual life to make sure he's not abusing alcohol, his authority and power. No doubt he's brought on the Church and his person unwanted attention for such a matter as DUI where he could have injured or killed others. BUT this act in no way defines the man --it opens a new door for his conversion, that of others. The test of his acceptance of this grace will depend on him. By all reports Archbishop-designate Salvatore has cooperated with civil authorities.

The Christian community prays for Archbishop Cordileone. We pray for his recovery and for his witness.

Saint Augustine

| | Comments (0)
St Augustine VFoppa.jpg

LET me speak of another celebrated conquest of God's grace in an after age, and you will see how it pleases Him to make a Confessor, a Saint, Doctor of His Church, out of sin and heresy both together. It was not enough that the Father of the Western Schools, the author of a thousand works, the triumphant controversialist, the especial champion of grace, should have been once a poor slave of the flesh, but he was the victim of a perverted intellect also. He who, of all others, was to extol the grace of God, was left more than others to experience the helplessness of nature. The great St Augustine (I am not speaking of the holy missionary of the same name, who came to England and converted our pagan forefathers, and became the first Archbishop of Canterbury, but of the great African Bishop, two centuries before him)--Augustine, I say, not being in earnest about his soul, not asking himself the question, how was sin to be washed away, but rather being desirous, while youth and strength lasted, to enjoy the flesh and the world, ambitious and sensual, judged of truth and falsehood by his private judgment and his private fancy; despised the Catholic Church because it spoke so much of faith and subjection, thought to make his own reason the measure of all things, and accordingly joined a far-spread sect, which affected to be philosophical and enlightened, to take large views of things, and to correct the vulgar, that is, the Catholic notions of God and Christ, of sin, and of the way to heaven. In this sect of his he remained for some years; yet what he was taught there did not satisfy him. It pleased him for a time, and then he found he had been eating for food what had no nourishment in it; he became hungry and thirsty after something more substantial, he knew not what; he despised himself for being a slave to the flesh, and he found his religion did not help him to overcome it; thus he understood that he had not gained the truth, and he cried out, "Oh, who will tell me where to seek it, and who will bring me into it?"


Archbishops Youssef Anis Abi-Aad, 72, and Jean-Clément Jeanbart, 69, have taken refuge in other places since their residences were ransacked in the past few days. Clashes between Assad's forces and other groups are to blame. It is said that "unidentified groups, who want to foster a sectarian war and involve the Syrian people in a sectarian strife." Not a much more is known at this point.

Youssef Anis Abi Aad.jpg
Maronite Archbishop Youssef Anis Abi-Aad (left) said his residence and a local Christian museum were ransacked destroying personal and professional affects including icons.
Jean-Clément Jeanbart.jpeg

Melkite Archbishop Jean-Clément Jeanbart (right) and some of his priests went to Lebanon in the face of violence.

It is reported that Christians make up about 7.5 to 10% of the Syrian 20 million population.

Both Maronite and Melkite Churches are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome.

We pray,

O God, author and lover of peace, to know you is to live, to serve you is reign; defend against every attack those who cry to you, so that we, who trust in your protection, may not fear the weapons of any foe.
Enhanced by Zemanta
Ignacio Carbajosa Prez.jpgWe continually need to get to the heart of who our influences are as people. That is true of Father Luigi Giussani who is being spoken of not only as the founder of the ecclesial movement of Communion and Liberation but also because his cause for canonization is now being studied. Father Ignacio Carbajosa Pérez, 45, said of Father Luigi Giussani, "For me the most striking thing was to hear this man with this love for my humanity, finally, to find someone who knew very well what is my humanity and then looked upon it in a sympathetic way." (Read more of what Father Ignacio told David Kerr here at The Rimini Meeting 2012.)

Father Ignacio, a Madrid native and currently an Old Testament professor at Madrid's San Damaso Institute, was part presentation at The Rimini meeting 2012 on "Education, Identity and Dialogue." Perhaps the text will be available soon.

Rimini Meeting 2012

| | Comments (0)
Rimini 2012.jpgTHE most significant cultural and religious meeting in the world is held in the late August: "Rimini Meeting" in the seaside town of Rimini (Italy). From 19-25 August, The Meeting coordinated by members of Communion and Liberation attracts numerous speakers and more than 800K.



What is the Rimini Meeting, you ask? The answer is here...

The work of the Meeting has been in progress since the late 1970s and it debuted on the world stage in 1980... and counting...generating a culture of dialogue and understanding among people.

This year's theme is "By Nature Man is Relationship to the Infinite."

Pope Benedict XVIs August 10th letter to The Meeting can be read here. (Must read!)

August 20 kick off review video presentation

Several video clips from the week's Meeting can be viewed here. It's really essential to spend the time listening to what's happened (and happens to people).

One of the reviews of the Rimini week is seen here, produced by Rome Reports who has been ably following the progress of the Meeting.

The coverage of The Meeting is the best thus far in English followed at the link above, however, there is some information that is old and needs updating. Staying current in other languages is a challenge for the CL movement, one that is still somewhat an Achilles' heel. But instead of swimming the River Styx we've moved to the banks. Media coverage in English is getting better (though our American works need help!)

An American equivalent of The Rimini Meeting is the New York Encounter held yearly in January. In 2013, the NYE will run 18-20 January.

The Holy Father, Pope Benedict closely follows The Meeting. He was in attendance several years ago, as was John Paul II in 1982. Picking up from Father Luigi Giussani's thinking of "life as a vocation", the Pope reminds us that everything is answered in relationship to the Infinite. On July 11, 2012 I posted a piece called "The Vocation to Life" which is essential reading if you want to know more of what the Pope, Giussani and Christianity is all about.

The Pope's letter for the 2012 Meeting follows (emphasis mine).

To the Venerable Brother Monsignor Francesco Lambiasi,

Benedict XVI.jpg

 Bishop of Rimini 

I wish to extend my cordial greetings to you, to the organizers and to all the participants in the Meeting for Friendship among Peoples, now in its XXXIII year. The theme chosen this year - "The nature of man is a relationship with the infinite" - is particularly significant in view of the approaching start of the Year of Faith, which I have willed to proclaim to mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council.

To speak of man and of his yearning for the infinite means, first and foremost, to recognize his constitutive relationship with the Creator. Man is a creature of God. Today this word - creature - seems almost passé: we prefer to think of man as a self-fulfilled being and master of his own destiny. The consideration of man as a creature seems "uncomfortable," because it implies an essential reference to something else, or better, to Someone else - whom man cannot control - who enters in order to define his identity in an essential way; a relational identity, whose first element is the original and ontological dependence on He who wanted us and created us. Yet this dependence, from which modern and contemporary man attempts to break free, not only does not hide or diminish, but luminously reveals the greatness and supreme dignity of man, who is called into life in order to enter into relationship with Life itself, with God.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Saint Monica

| | Comments (0)
saint-monica.jpgEveryone ought to have a "Saint Monica" figure in their lives. The sainted mother of Saint Augustine is the patron of spiritual maternity. Even though Monica was the biological mother of Augustine, she worked hard in the spiritual realm to get her son to give himself to Christ and his plan rather than his own plan of self-destructive behavior. Her constant prayer, fasting and good works all contributed to Augustine's conversion. The collect for today's Mass speaks volumes.

The Church prays

O God, who console the sorrowful and who mercifully accepted the motherly tears of Saint Monica for the conversion of her son Augustine, grant us, through the intercession of them both, that we may bitterly regret our sins and find the grace of your pardon.
 
Enhanced by Zemanta
John Paul I.JPGToday is the 34th anniversary of papal election of Albino Luciani as Pope John Paul I. He's remembered for being the smiling pope and the pope who reigned for 33 days. In some way, Divine Providence gave us this gift and then opened the door for yet another. John Paul's cause for canonization is being studied.

O God, faithful rewarder of souls, grant that your departed servant Pope John Paul I, whom you made successor of Peter and shepherd of your Church, may happily enjoy for ever in your presence in heaven the mysteries of your grace and compassion, which he faithfully ministered on earth.

George Weigel gives his reflections here.
B16 with Eucharist.jpg

Among a certain crowd of priests, religious and laity you will hear that Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is no longer an appropriate method of prayer: "Vatican II changed all that..." or they'll say "That's ol'time religion." One priest even told me that Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is cookie worship. Really? Giving praise to God is outdated? Adoration of the Holy Name is no longer in vogue? The God who created you is not worship and made known? None of this reflects my Catholic faith!

I am somewhat certain that those who claim Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament neither know the Commandments (to worship God), the Tradition of the Church, the documents of the Second Vatican Council nor the post Conciliar work of Popes Paul, John Paul and Benedict. It is safe to say that these people who reject the the practice of a Holy Hour are the same who who haven't had a good formation in the faith or the Lex Orandi tradition.

Perhaps we all should recall what the Servant of God Pope Paul VI said in Mysterium Fidei

The Catholic Church has always displayed and still displays this latria that ought to be paid to the Sacrament of the Eucharist, both during Mass and outside of it, by taking the greatest possible care of consecrated Hosts, by exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful, and by carrying them about in processions to the joy of great numbers of the people (56).

The Catholic News Agency carried a story by David Kerr on Chris Bacich the US leader of Communion and Liberation (CL) this week at the Rimini Meeting in Italy.

Notable in Chris' interview is that Chris puts his finger on the reality of Christian faith today when he speaks of those who find in CL a "real willingness to grapple with the real life, everyday culture in which [they] live, while showing no fear" because they "recognize that the encounter with Christ, and his presence in our life, is the answer to this desire for a life that is better, that is great, that is worthwhile and fruitful."

As point of clarification, CL is not a "lay ecclesial movement"; it is technically improper to call the ecclesial movements "lay ecclesial movements" because the movements are not limited to the lay faithful, but are open to the ordained as well. Many of the movements have ardent followers who are deacons, priests and bishops in the movements. Therefore, not "lay ecclesial."
Enhanced by Zemanta
T-Shirt_Logo.jpgMy friend Father David Bornio sent me this note asking to kindly to get the word out. If you live in the New Haven area, please consider walking to Defeat ALS.

A walk to Defeat ALS will be held Sunday, September 16, 2012 at Lighthouse Point Park New Haven, CT 06512. 

Registration at the park will begin at 10 and the walk at 11. To register now, visit  or call 203-874-505.

Proceeds from the walk to Defeat ALS fund vital services for Connecticut patients and families living with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and support research to find a cure. Volunteers and donations would be greatly appreciated. 

The ALS Association Connecticut Chapter is located at 4 Oxford Rd., unit D4 Milford, CT 06460. Please direct donations to (heavens hopefuls). 

Presently, Sister Marie Elise, Deacon Horace Harmor, Father David Borino and many of our New Haven friends are living with this illness. 

Lou Gehrig, the famous baseball player walked 1508 times for his team. How about walking once for ours? 
Enhanced by Zemanta

Saint Louis

| | Comments (0)
St Louis IX, MO.jpgSaints come from all walks of life. We've got every group represented in the group of canonized. Today is the feast of a saint of a rare group --a king. The Church honors King Saint Louis IX.

The Church prays

O God, who brought Saint Louis from the cares of earthly rule to the glory of a heavenly realm, grant, we pray, through his intercession, that, by fulling our duties on earth, we may seek out your eternal Kingdom.

Please keep in your prayers the Connecticut native who made his solemn profession of vows as a Benedictine monk of the Abbey of Saint Mary and Saint Louis today.
 
Dom Dunstan Holms is now a permanent member of Saint Louis Abbey; Abbot Thomas has assigned him the work of being the chair of the classics department; he's a well respected Latin teacher at the Priory School. May God richly bless Dom Dunstan as he moves more and more toward the Paschal Mystery.

Likewise, say a prayer for the Archdiocese of Saint Louis on their feast day.

Saint Bartholomew

| | Comments (0)
St Bartholomew MdiGiovanni.jpg

ST. BARTHOLOMEW, whose Festival we celebrate today, has been supposed to be the same as the Nathanael mentioned in the text. Nathanael was one of Christ's first converts, yet his name does not occur again till the last chapter of St. John's Gospel, where he is mentioned in company with certain of the Apostles, to whom Christ appeared after His resurrection. Now, why should the call of Nathanael have been recorded in the opening of the Gospel, among the acts of Christ in the beginning of His Ministry, unless he was an Apostle? Philip, Peter, and Andrew, who are mentioned at the same time, were all Apostles; and Nathanael's name is introduced without preface, as if familiar to a Christian reader. At the end of the Gospel it appears again, and there too among Apostles. Besides, the Apostles were the special witnesses of Christ, when He was risen.  He manifested Himself, "not to all the people," says Peter, "but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead." [Acts x. 41.] Now, the occasion on which Nathanael is mentioned, was one of these manifestations. "This is now the third time," says the Evangelist, "that Jesus was manifested to His disciples, after that He was risen from the dead." It was in the presence of Nathanael, that He gave St. Peter his commission, and foretold his martyrdom, and the prolonged life of St. John. All this leads us to conjecture that Nathanael is one of the Apostles under another name. Now, he is not Andrew, Peter, or Philip, for they are mentioned in connexion with him in the first chapter of the Gospel; nor Thomas, James, or John, in whose company he is found in the last chapter; nor Jude (as it would seem), because the name of Jude occurs in St. John's fourteenth chapter. Four Apostles remain, who are not named in his Gospel,--St. James the Less, St. Matthew, St. Simon, and St. Bartholomew; of whom St. Matthew's second name is known to have been Levi, while St. James, being related, was not at any time a stranger to our Lord, which Nathanael evidently was. If then Nathanael were an Apostle, he was either Simon or Bartholomew. Now it is observable, that, according to St. John, Philip brought Nathanael to Christ; therefore Nathanael and Philip were friends: while in the other Gospels, in the list of Apostles, Philip is associated with Bartholomew; "Simon and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew." [Matt. x. 3.] This is some evidence that  Bartholomew and not Simon is the Nathanael of St. John. On the other hand, Matthias has been suggested instead of either, his name meaning nearly the same as Nathanael in the original language. However, since writers of some date decide in favour of Bartholomew, I shall do the like in what follows.

What then do we learn from his recorded character and history? It affords us an instructive lesson.

When Philip told him that he had found the long-expected Messiah of whom Moses wrote, Nathanael (that is, Bartholomew) at first doubted. He was well read in the Scriptures, and knew the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem; whereas Jesus dwelt at Nazareth, which Nathanael supposed in consequence to be the place of His birth,--and he knew of no particular promises attached to that city, which was a place of evil report, and he thought no good could come out of it. Philip told him to come and see; and he went to see, as a humble single-minded man, sincerely desirous to get at the truth. In consequence, he was vouchsafed an interview with our Saviour, and was converted.

Blessed John Henry Newman

Plain and Parochial Sermons, 27

A new book is available from the eminent theologian and bishop, John Zizioulas, Remembering the Future: An Eschatological Ontology (T&T Clark International, Continuum, 2013). I very much enjoy the thinking and the challenge of Zizioulas.

From the publisher...

Remembering the Future An Eschatological Ontology Zizioulas.jpgThe predominating concept in theological ontology is that of a protological ontology which defines being itself as being defined by the past. The future of things in this perspective is defined by its origins and the "given" or the "factum". In this major new book John Zizioulas shows that eschatology can have important implications for ontology, i.e. for being itself. The world was created with a purpose and the end which would be greater than the beginning. This is the view of the Fathers, such as Irenaeus and Maximus, who made the end the "cause of all being". The implications of such an idea are revolutionary, both historically and experientially. It represents a reversal of the ancient philosophical idea of causality as well as of our common sense rationality, according to which the cause precedes chronologically as well as logically. It is the opposite of protological ontology, which makes the past decisive for the future. Eschatological ontology, therefore, is about the liberation of being from necessity, it is about the formation of being. Man and the world are no longer imprisoned in their past, in sin, decay and death. The past is ontologically affirmed only in so far as it contributes to the end, to the coming of the kingdom. The eschaton will 'judge' history with this criterion alone. The last judgment as part of the eschaton represents an ontological, not a moral event. Zizioulas shows how this eschatological ontology permeates Christian doctrine, particularly that of creation and ecclesiology. He also points out some of its ethical implications.

About

John Zizioulas, Metro.jpg
John D. Zizioulas, 81, Metropolitan of Pergamon, was Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of Glasgow and Visiting Professor at King's College, London. His thinking is widely respected across confessional lines. The key points of his thinking, I believe, are freedom (human and divine), ontology and otherness (personhood), communion theology, one and the many, and the contours of Christian unity. Zizioulas is the author at least 8 books and numerous articles. He is the Orthodox voice in ecumenical discussions especially between Rome and Constantinople. Since 1986 John Zizioulas has been a bishop.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Queenship of Mary

| | Comments (0)
Mary crowned Van Eyck.jpg

We, too, approach thee to-day, O Queen; and again, I say, O Queen, O Virgin Mother of God, staying our souls with our trust in thee, as with a strong anchor. Lifting up mind, soul and body, and all ourselves to thee, rejoicing in psalms and hymns and spiritual canticles, we reach through thee One who is beyond our reach on account of His Majesty. (Saint John of Damascus)


... devotion to Our Lady is an important element in our spiritual lives. In our prayer, let us not neglect to turn trustfully to her. Mary will not neglect to intercede for us next to her Son. In looking to her, let us imitate her faith, her complete availability to God's plan of love, her generous welcoming of Jesus. Let us learn to live by Mary. Mary is the Queen of heaven who is close to God, but she is also the Mother who is close to each one of us, who loves us and who listens to our voice. 

Pope Benedict XVI

Queenship of Mary, 2012

RGH.jpgToday, Raymond Gerhardt Hunthausen, the emeritus archbishop of Seattle (1975-1991), celebrates his 91st birthday. He studied chemistry and later served as an assistant professor of Chemistry at Carroll College before becoming that school's president in 1957. In 1962, Blessed John XXIII appointed him as bishop of Helena and from there he attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council. at 40 years old, he was the youngest bishop at the beginning of the Council. In 1975, the Servant of God Paul VI appointed Bishop Hunthausen to the See of Seattle. Hence, he's been a priest for 66 years and a bishop for 50.

Archbishop Hunthausen is the last surviving US bishop to have attended all of the sessions of the Second Vatican Council.

Saint Bernard Tolomei

| | Comments (0)
Bernardo Tolomei (1272-1348).jpgAn obscure Benedictine saint is liturgically honored by the Church today. Saint Bernard Tolomei, (1272-1348) the founder of the Benedictine Congregation of the Blessed Virgin of Monte Oliveto  (near Siena) in 1319. He was beatified in 1644 but not canonized until 2009, though he was revered as a saint for a long time before Pope Benedict canonized him.

The Olivetan monks have an intense devotion to the Virgin Mary due to the founder's attribution to the healing of his blindness by the intercession of the Virgin; their life has been one of penance and silence. Hence, Saint Bernard is called the "hero of penance and martyr of charity." And this is our desire today.

Saint Bernard Tolomei's brief biography can be read here and a set of photos can be viewed here.


Saint Pius X

| | Comments (0)
St Pius X.jpgO God, who to safeguard the Catholic faith and to restore all things in Christ, filled Pope Saint Pius the Tenth with heavenly wisdom and apostolic fortitude, graciously grant that, following his teaching and example, we may gain an eternal prize.

Saint Pius was known as an ardent defender of the purity of Christian doctrine. He's one of those popes that really got what it means follow the 5th century Saint Prosper of Aquitaine's emphasis on the Liturgy as the heart of our faith, that is, to be "liturgical." Pius knew the full value of the sacred Liturgy as it forms our worship, believe system and life as Christians. He's credited for the renewal of our worship, the promotion of plainchant and beauty public prayer. Most people will recall that Pius established the practice of early, frequent and daily communion. 

Pope Pius X was born in 1835, known as an intelligent, industrious and pious priest and bishop, died August 20, 1914 and canonized on May 29, 1954.
Capuchin General Chapter logo 2012.jpgBeginning yesterday and for the next five weeks the Capuchin friars are engaged in their 84th General Chapter in Rome. The General Minister, Friar Mauro Jöhri presides over the Capitulars from many nations. The Capuchins have set a wonderful multilingual website to cover the work of the Chapter, pictures included. Walk with the Capuchins in friendship and prayer for a good meeting guided by the Holy Spirit.

The Sacrifice of the Mass opening the Chapter was celebrated and preached by  Capuchin Bishop John Corriveau former General Minister. It was reported that Bishop Corriveau, 71, said,

During the homily Bishop Corriveau stated strongly that when his words did not penetrate the heart of his people the Prophet Ezechiel acted with deeds and dramatic actions in his own life. No one understood this way of acting better than Francis of Assisi "Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words". Quoting Blessed John Paul II, he said that the Church's prophetic response to the individualism of our day is communion: "to make the Church the home and school of communion: this is the great challenge which is laid before us in the millennium that has just begun. If we wish to be faithful to God's plan and respond to the deep expectations of the world"(NMI, 43). We have been created to live in communion, to be family. Bishop Corriveau also said, the call to Trinitarian communion, which for a Capuchin is a call to fraternity is much more than a slogan. It implies deep conversion of the heart, Only the heart which is fraternal and decidedly relation oriented can offer the secularised world a prophetic word. By way of conclusion he hoped that by keeping our gaze fixed on Christ we would be able to touch the hearts of the men and women of our day. May this Chapter discover once again the relational aspect of our Franciscan inheritance. In this way we will be able to assist the Church to give visible expression to a spirituality of communion. (Capuchin website for the Chapter)

May Our Lady of the Angels, Saints Francis and Clare and all Capuchin saints, pray for the Capuchins and their work for the Church and the Order.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Working with your FOMO

| | Comments (0)
Many people are plagued with FOMO. Do you know what FOMO is? Think: Fear of missing out.

Why ain't I doing this? Why ain't I at that party, in that conversation, being recognized for this and that achievement. FOMO questions our making of the right choices? FOMO wants to advance my cause. The other as other counts for little. FOMO paralyzes our humanity because its focus on the sentimental, superficial, on the unfocussed. It reduces our human relationships to an object. FOMO is a post-modern way of speaking of deadly sin (mortal sin). FOMO leads to the death of one's personhood.

FOMO is an insecurity not only in social circumstances but also, and more importantly, in the spiritual life. It is a reduction of our religious sense, a reduction of someone greater. FOMO is not living life in the present moment. FOMO is the sin of envy, pride, and self-centeredness. It is the un-awareness that you can't do it all. Reversing the effects of FOMO is the recognition that you are not able to be everywhere at all times. Most people are not given the gift of bi-location. Saint Padre Pio had the gift, but he likely used it for the building the Kingdom of God and not his own agenda.

Do you have joy? Do I love? What fills me with anxiety? How does Christ answer the desires of my heart? Are you aware of the gifts that are in front of you? Can I discover my true self in the life I lead, in the work I do, in the person I am? Are you bitter towards others? Are you aware that you are loved by God and others for the person you are, and not the person you think you are, or should be? The focus on Christ overcomes FOMO because it's less about the whim (what could have happened...) and more on the certainty that Christ exists, that He's a concrete reality and that only God makes and sustains us. say it another way, attention to the religious sense in my life (and other others) acknowledges that God has a tenderness for me -- and this tenderness is a sign of a relationship with Him.

Above I mentioned that FOMO is a reduction of one's religious sense. What does that mean? Well, look at it this way: what are the desires of your human heart? How do these desires of the heart allow us to see the attractiveness of everything, even to consider the implications of  a desire's inadequacy. The masters tell us it is not enough to be aware of the religious sense, the religious sense has to push us forward in our relationship with God (the Divine Mystery) so as not to lose my personhood, my "I".
Bouncing around in Catholic religious orders for some time is the notion that one can be a member of the Jesuits or the Sisters of Mercy and "go beyond Jesus and the Church." I can remember hearing from a Jesuit whom I respected in the early 1990s that he was a "post-Christian Jesuit." I wondered how a member of the Society of Jesus, a son of Saint Ignatius, could be post-Christian. The former Dominican Father Matthew Fox tried the same line of thinking. In fact, he's neither a Catholic nor a Catholic priest and a professed member of the Order of Preachers as he's gone to the Episcopal Church and now some kind of new ager. Christ is optional for him. Not long ago a religious sister who teaches at CTU said that the sisters in the USA can go beyond Jesus. So the recent crisis in faith in religious orders reflects a deeper divide in Christian faith in the rest of society.

I try to wrap my mind around what it means to be a post-Christian American. Father C. John McCloskey III, priest of the Opus Dei wrote a piece, "Post-Christian America," which I am recommending. Father McCloskey is a Church historian and research fellow at the Faith and Reason Institute (Washington, DC). The point of the article is not demonstrate America's abandonment of Christian faith but to say how it happened.
Nearly 900 years ago Bernard of Fontaine-lès-Dijon led a group of young Burgundian noblemen, to the Abbey of Cîteaux in 1112 or 1113. The fledgling new monastery got a burst of new life and from there set the world ablaze with what became the Cistercian charism. 

Let us pray for the Cistercians in the North America, paying particular attention to the intention of young men and women entering the monastic life under the gaze of Saint Bernard. Beginning today until a year from now, the Cistercians are observing a Year of Saint Bernard. Let's join them in knowing more about this pivotal saint and monk.

Vision of St Bernard Fra Bartolomeo detail.jpg
Most loving Father, in establishing the New Monastery at Cîteaux our fathers followed the poor Christ into the desert. Thus they lived the Gospel, by rediscovering the Rule of Saint Benedict in its purity.

You gave Bernard of Fontaine the ability to make this new life attractive and appealing to others, in the joy of the Holy Spirit.

Grant that we today, after their example, may live our charism deeply in a spirit of peace, unity, humility, and above all, in the charity which surpasses all other gifts.

May men and women of our time be called to follow the Gospel in monastic life, in the service of the Church's mission, in a world often forgetful of You.

May the monks and nuns of our Order  continue to live in the enthusiastic and generative spirit of the founders. And in all of our needs may we always turn to Our Lady whom Bernard called the Star of the Sea.

Holy Father, from whom we have already received so much, grant us again your blessing that our communities may grow in numbers, but above all in grace and in wisdom, to your glory, who are blessed for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer adapted from the original by Dom Olivier, abbot of Citeaux.
Badia Primaziale arms.jpgThe Office of the Abbot Primate announces...
 
Almost 300 monastics will gather in Rome, 17-25 September 2012, for the international Congress of Benedictine Abbots and Conventual Priors at the Primatial Abbey of St. Anselm on the Aventine Hill. Preceding the Congress, new monastic superiors will participate, 15-16 September 2012, in an orientation program. 25 representatives from Communio Internationalis Benedictinarum (CIB), an association of Benedictine sisters and nuns, will also attend the Congress. The Abbot Primate has invited ecumenical guests from the Orthodox and Reformed traditions.

The two keynote speakers are Prof. Michael Hochschild presenting his research on the viability of Benedictine monasteries, and Fr. Michael Casey OCSO offering a paper on autonomy in Benedictine life. In addition, a wide range of workshops will address current topics in monastic life; such as, Benedictine identity, stress and burnout, associate membership programs, management of monasteries, individualism in the monastery, relationship with Benedictine women, new forms of Benedictine presence in society, ecumenism, the paschal mystery in the sacred liturgy, new directions for inter-monastic dialogue, new structures for AIM, the changing role of the Athenæum S. Anselmo, the sexual abuse crisis, the role of the abbot, communio in the confederation, and the formation of "traditionalist" candidates.

The assembled abbots and conventual priors will have the opportunity to visit in pilgrimage the monasteries of Subiaco, Montecassino, Norcia, and Camaldoli, which is celebrating its 1000th anniversary this year. Nearly half of the 250 abbots and conventual priors will reside in the Collegio S. Anselmo, with the others, including CIB representatives and ecumenical guests, housed in area religious houses and hotels.

An important item on the agenda is the election of the abbot primate of the Benedictine Confederation. According to the Lex Propria of the Benedictine Confederation, the abbot primate is elected for an eight-year term, and renewable thereafter every four years. There is no term limit to the office of abbot primate. The current abbot primate, Dr. Notker Wolf OSB, a monk of St. Ottilien Archabbey in Bavaria, is completing 12 years of service, having been re-elected in 2008. 

Your prayers for the success of the Congress are greatly appreciated.
In March, 60 Minutes ran a story on the archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, and the response to the sex abuse crisis in Ireland. On August 19, 60 Minutes is running the story again. It is a slow news time of the year, but I think the story is worth seeing again.

All Saints of Ireland, pray for us.

Last weekend Nellie Gray, 88, the "Mother of the Pro-Life" movement in the USA died at her Washington, DC home. She was the voice of the marginal in the USA. The annual March for Life was founded by Nellie 39 years ago. She worked to shed light on the evil of abortion which has claimed 55 million lives. The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated for the repose of Nellie Gray on the Solemnity of the Assumption.

Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, OFM, Cap, said of Nellie Gray:


Nellie Gray.jpg

Having received news of Nellie Gray's death, I wish to express my sincere condolences and prayers for her family and for all who came to know and love her in the Pro-Life Movement. Her love for life and her dedication to protecting the unborn, the most vulnerable among us, have inspired countless generations of Catholics and non-Catholics alike, and we will miss her tremendously.

Nellie Gray will be remembered as the Joan of Arc of the Gospel of Life. The architects of the pro-abortion movement in the United States thought that the opposition would go away, but close to 40 years later the issue is still very much alive, thanks in part to the annual March for Life and because of people like Nellie who are committed to the culture of life. Having participated in every single March for Life since its inception, I have witnessed firsthand her advocacy and dedication. I was honored by her presence in Boston in 2009, when during the Boston Catholic Women's Conference we conferred upon her the Culture of Life Award.

Her death is a great loss for both our Church and our Country, but her life has left a meaningful and lasting impression upon the hearts of those who knew her and upon the many hearts of those whose lives she saved. We will keep Nellie Gray and all those who mourn her death in our prayers. We ask God to grant her eternal rest and peace, and we give thanks to Him for the gift of her life.


Our Lady of Life, pray for Nellie Gray, and for us.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Rev. Mark Morozowich.jpgSalvation comes from the East! You've heard that before, no? If not, then it is news you ought to welcome, not just because an Eastern Catholic priest, Father Mark Morozowich is the new Dean of the School of Theology at the Catholic University of America.

Father Mark is a longtime friend, and I rejoice in his selection. A brilliant choice! CUA could use a deeper appreciation for the Christian East and with Mark, perhaps they'll get it.

Perhaps Father Mark's appointment will be an opportunity for all the Eastern Churches in the USA to send their seminarians to CUA for their theological education. The Maronites and Ukrainian Byzantines already do so; can the Melkites and Reuthenians do likewise? No sense in being too provincial, is there?

The National Catholic Register carries an interview with Father Mark here.

May the Holy Theotokos guide Father Mark's work for Christ and the Church.
Enhanced by Zemanta
Christ in Coptic Art.jpgThe Coptic and Ethiopic Churches face the elections of new popes in the coming  weeks. Pope Shenouda III died in March 2012 after serving as pope of his Church for 40 years. Yesterday, the patriarch of the Ethiopic Church Abune Paulos died at the age of 76. Shenouda had health issues and Paolus apparently died of a heart attack (there's some controversy on the reason for the death).

The Coptics are preparing to elect the 118th successor of Saint Mark. The list of 17 possible choices is being scrutinized now; the more than 2500 electors have been gleaned from the clergy and laity alike.

The New Jersey eparchy (diocese) for the Coptic Orthodox has introductory material to read. The US doesn't have a large group of Coptic Orthodox in comparison to the Greek Orthodox Church or Catholicism --let alone the Coptic Catholics, for that matter-- but the Church is growing. Worldwide there are 18 million adherents. In the Tri-State area there are some 19 communities of the Coptic Orthodox faithful. For example, the Copts purchased the former Benedictine abbey of Corpus Christi in Texas for a monastery of their own.

Catholics have a keen interest in the Coptic Church because of the role she has played in the forming Catholic faith across the many centuries.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church will also have to elect a new leader, the 6th patriarch, with the death of Abune Paulos yesterday. He served as head of his Church since 1992.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church Church established themselves as separate from the Coptic Church in 1959 and claims 45 million faithful.
Enhanced by Zemanta
There's been a lot of posturing --let alone misinformation-- about the recent revelation that the Cardinal of New York, Timothy M. Dolan, invited the US President to the famed Al Smith Dinner. He wants to be inclusive, open to dialogue, and helpful in trying to inform politicos about Catholic teaching on life and public service. Civility is Dolan's hope. 

Indeed, it is noteworthy that civility ought to be a Catholic approach. In a time when civility is lacking in and outside the Church, perhaps this event may be a good example. Who could deny the value of such a method. Perhaps, one may ask, is it time to change the focus of the Al Smith Dinner or do away with it altogether?

Read the Cardinal's comments on his blog here. (Why it took so long for the Cardinal to make his reasoning public is negligent.)

Nevertheless, I wonder if the Al Smith crowd and the Cardinal with his managers are working overtime to defend a prudential (reasonable?) judgment that's really too difficult to defend by inviting a pro-choice US President.
OL of Assumption with angels.jpg"those He justified, He also glorified" (Rom 8:30)

Almighty ever-living God, who assumed the Immaculate Virgin Mary, the Mother of your Son, body and soul into heavenly glory, grant we pray, that always attentive to the things that are above, we may merit to be sharers of her glory.

What was given to Mary, is offered to us: to share in the glory of the Most Holy Trinity. Unlike the Gaga song of "being on the edge of glory," we Christians are offered the possibility of being in the center of glory. But do we believe it?

Eastern and Western Christians observe on the same day the glorious move of Mary from this world to the next. The Eastern Christians call today's feast the "Dormition," the falling asleep of the Theotokos and the assumption to heaven. In the West, we refer to this feast as the Assumption. That Mary, without decay of the human, was called to heaven body and soul, by God.

Saint Maximillian Kolbe

| | Comments (0)
Maximilian Kolbe.jpgCome, you blessed of my Father, says the Lord. Amen I say to you: Whatever you did for one of the least of my brethren, you did it for me.

O God, who filled the Priest and Martyr Saint Maximilian Kolbe with a burning love for the Immaculate Virgin Mary and with zeal for souls and love of neighbor, graciously grant, through his intercession, that, striving for your glory by eagerly serving others, we may be conformed, even until death.


Saint Maximilian is clearly one of the 20th centuries most notable martyrs we have. I can think of anyone who has really followed so closely the entrance antiphon (noted above) than Kolbe.

Earlier today I had a visit from a friend, Brother Maximilian of Newark Abbey, who was visiting family. I am also reminded of Brother Maximilian of St Louis Abbey today, especially as he prepares to go to studies for the priesthood.
Enhanced by Zemanta
O God, who made Saint Jane Frances de Chantal radiant with outstanding merits in different walks of life, grant us, through her intercession, that walking faithfully in our vocation, we may constantly be examples of shining light.

visitation cross.jpg
While today is Sunday and Saint Jane's feast is not celebrated by the Church at Mass, the Visitation nuns will observe her feast with great solemnity. I saw one of the St Louis Visitandine nuns yesterday at the ordination of the two monks and we had a good laugh and a few moments talking about important things, like my coveting the cross of a Visitation nun (look at the picture closely). It is, for me, a strikingly beautiful sign of Christ's love and human commitment to that love. I really want one!

I pray for the nuns of the Order of Visitation whom I have known over the years and I keep in prayer the Monasteries in Georgetown, St Louis, and Tyrringham.

Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, keep us "walking faithfully in our vocation," pray for us.

Monks brewing liquid bread

| | Comments (0)
Ampleforth Abbey Beer.jpgNews flash! A growing number of Benedictine monasteries are brewing beer in the USA and in Europe.

Originating in Babylonia and Mesopotamia, around the area of Georgia, about the year of 6,000 BC, beer was brewed. Fast forward several years and you'll find Benedictine monks perfecting the brewing beer. Rich in vitamin B, beer was seen as safer than drinking water and it had nutritional value, hence, liquid bread.

The monastic communities in Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Ireland,  Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands among others have been busy with the brew.

Recently, monasteries have been starting up companies like Abbey Beverage Company (of the Abbey of Christ in the Desert) to meet a demand boutique beers. One can also point to the monasteries of Ampleforth (UK), La Cascinazza (Italy), Norcia (Italy), and Spencer (MA) as new brewers.

Drink up!

Cassian and Francis ordained deacon.jpgToday, The Most Reverend Robert J. Carlson, archbishop of Saint Louis, ordained two Benedictine monks of the Abbey of Saint Mary and Saint Louis to the Order of Deacon. Brothers Francis Hein and Cassian Koeneman received this sacrament of order at the request of Abbot Thomas Frerking. May God them many years of faithful service!


The archbishop ordained these men to the Order of Deacon and next year, Deo volente, he will ordain them to the Order of Priest.


Brother Francis has been at the Dominican House of Studies (Washington, DC) and Brother Cassian has been at Rome's Angelicum.


What does the Church teach about deacons? The Catechism answers:


Deacons share in Christ's mission and grace in a special way. The sacrament of Holy Orders marks them with an imprint ("character") which cannot be removed and which configures them to Christ, who made himself the "deacon" or servant of all. Among other tasks, it is the task of deacons to assist the bishop and priests in the celebration of the divine mysteries, above all the Eucharist, in the distribution of Holy Communion, in assisting at and blessing marriages, in the proclamation of the Gospel and preaching, in presiding over funerals, and in dedicating themselves to the various ministries of charity.


Since the Second Vatican Council the Latin Church has restored the diaconate "as a proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy," while the Churches of the East had always maintained it. This permanent diaconate, which can be conferred on married men, constitutes an important enrichment for the Church's mission. Indeed it is appropriate and useful that men who carry out a truly diaconal ministry in the Church, whether in its liturgical and pastoral life or whether in its social and charitable works, should "be strengthened by the imposition of hands which has come down from the apostles. They would be more closely bound to the altar and their ministry would be made more fruitful through the sacramental grace of the diaconate." (CCC 1570-71).

On the question of relating to our fellowman - our neighbor's spiritual need transcends every commandment. Everything else we do is a means to an end. But love is an end already, since God is love.

Saint Terese Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)

The white-tie Al Smith Dinner on 18 October may have one of the worst public officials whose record for life issues at a key table: The US President. Mr Obama is known as one of the worst offenders on matters of life. And his dinner partner is Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan of New York. In extending an olive branch to the Democratic and Republican Presidential candidates His Eminence is fueling a fire that may not merely do away with troublesome undergrowth but kill off the roots, too. Exactly, how is inviting Mr Obama and Mr Romney helpful to the pro-life movement?

The Gremlin still prowls

| | Comments (0)
Gremlin.jpgI've been walking past this AMC Gremlin for two years now. I am now taking a picture of it for the sake of culture, even if it's a wrong side up. This car resides as it were on East 68th Street in NYC.

When I was kid my mother had a silver AMC Gremlin car. It was an interesting looking car but I remember a dreadful driving experience.

According to the stats the AMC Gremlin was manufactured for 8 years (1970-78) and with a production total of 671K. You can more about this car's cultural relevance at the link above.

May it rest in peace.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Saint John Marie Vianney

| | Comments (0)
St JM Vianney.jpg


Almighty and merciful God, who made the Priest Saint John Vianney wonderful in his pastoral zeal, grant, we pray, that through his intercession and example we may in charity win brothers and sisters for Christ and attain with them eternal glory.

The August liturgical memorial for Saint John Marie Vianney, the patron of priests, is yet another reminder we ought to have in interceding on behalf of priests. God needs to hear from us n this subject...

May Saint John Vianney approach the Throne of Mercy for all priests.
I'm seeing headlines in the Catholic press that say or suggest that a persecution of those who claim the importance of Christian faith as essential to the person. This is making me think of what follows the HHS mandate. Education and service of the poor? The work of knowing the contours of religious freedom are not for an elite group of Catholic academics, or the clergy, or the daily communicant. It is important for each of us to understand, and to live, and to share with others the fruit of a living faith in Christ. These issues have me searching for what the Church has said and is saying. John Paul II helps to begin to frame the issues.
Enhanced by Zemanta
Today is Day 7 of the London Olympics and with 37 medals for Team USA at this writing, reminded me of a Franciscan Sister of the Renewal Sister Catherine Holum who was an Olympian in 1998. The National Catholic Register ran a story on Sister Catherine in a recent issue. You can read about Sister's journey here. The journey of Sister Catherine is poignant.

The risks the fire

| | Comments (0)

A fantasy [that people have] property takes no account of the fact that, for the great majority of mankind, life is a struggle. On those grounds I would see this idea of choosing one's own path in life as a selfish attitude and as a waste of one's vocation. Anyone who thinks he already has it all, so that he can take what he wants and center everything on himself is depriving himself of giving what he otherwise could.


Man is not there to make himself, but to respond to demands made upon him. We all stand in a great arena of history and are dependent upon each other. A man ought not, therefore, just try to figure out what he would like, but to ask what he can do, and how he can help. Then he will see that fulfillment does not lie in comfort, ease and following one's inclinations, but precisely in allowing demands to be made upon one, in taking the harder path. Everything else turns out somehow boring, anyway. Only the man who "risks the fire", who recognizes a calling within himself, a vocation, and ideal he must satisfy, who takes on real responsibility, will find fulfillment. It is not in taking, not on the path of comfort that we become rich, but only in giving.


Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger

 God and the World, p. 258

What is the Church for?

| | Comments (0)

We inundate Him with problems, with demands for information, for clues, for an easier path, forgetting that in his Word he has given us the solution to every problem and all the details we are capable of grasping in this life.

Hans Urs von Balthasar

Little Portion chapel.jpgThe spiritual tradition of the Franciscans is connecting the with the good work of the sainted founder, Saint Francis, who as you know, fixed three chapels: the third was called the Portiuncula (the Little Portion), dedicated to Saint Mary of the Angels. As you can see, the chapel sits in a large basilica in Assisi. The friars have been at the Portiuncula since early thirteen century. SaintClare made her vows following Palm Sunday in 1212 and where Francis died on 3 October 1226.

For centuries the Church, at the request of Francis, has attached a spiritual favor in the form of indulgence, a grant remission of sins to all who came there. It used to be given only at the Portiuncula but now the privilege extends beyond the Portiuncula especially those administered by Franciscans, throughout the world, to others churches as well.

The Church teaches that a plenary indulgence is a powerful tool for works of mercy and weapon in the living of the Christian life, that is, in our spiritual warfare. A plenary indulgence is the remission of the effects of sin, through the merits of Jesus Christ and the saints, through the Church, of all temporal punishment due to sin already forgiven through the reception of the sacrament of Confession.

To obtain the Portiuncula plenary indulgence, a person must visit the Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels at Assisi, or a Franciscan church or chapel, or even one's parish church, with the intention of honoring Our Lady of the Angels. The recites the Creed and prays the Our Father for the Pope's designated intentions (see the monthly papal prayer intentions). Key is going to Confession ("free of attachment to venial and mortal sin). One can make a confession and receive Holy Communion 8 days before or after.

Previous posts here and here.
Enhanced by Zemanta
Nowogrodek martyrs.jpgThis picture of the Blessed Martyrs of Nowogródek has been imprinted in my mind and heart since I was in grammar school with the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. How could one be not moved by the death of these women?

The martyrdom of Sister Stella and her 10 companions by the Nazi occupation is one the events in history that keeps me attune to the possibilities of men and women doing evil things to others.

Today, let's pray for the grace to resist doing evil by keeping heart and mind focussed on Christ and his Gospel. Blessed Stella and companions, pray for us.
Enhanced by Zemanta
Br Benjamin Sunday.jpg






Notre Dame High School (West Haven, CT) legend and friend to all Brother Benjamin Sunday, C.S.C., recently celebrated his birthday! 


In true Brother Benjamin style, he wouldn't tell us what day nor how old he is, but we wanted to wish him a happy birthday publically nonetheless! But he can't be more than 55.


To view a photo album of Brother Benjamin pictures through the years, please visit the ND photo album page .


Happy Birthday and abundant blessings, Brother Benjamin! 

B16 at Gandolfo 2012.jpgHow often do we take seriously the Lord's teaching that we ought to pray (and care for) our enemies? Likely, not often. We allowed our emotions and prejudices and our hurt to get in the way of loving those who oppose even in a small way. It's been said, "Our simple and profound life, in which every moment of the day is offered to God, helps them find purpose in their often difficult life behind bars." Pope Benedict's intentions for August draw us closer to what the Lord wants. Let's join him and the Church in prayer for the human dignity of those in jail.

The general intention 

That prisoners may be treated with justice and respect for their human dignity.

The missionary intention

That young people, called to follow Christ, may be willing to proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

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.

Categories

Archives

Humanities Blog Directory

About this Archive

This page is an archive of entries from August 2012 listed from newest to oldest.

July 2012 is the previous archive.

September 2012 is the next archive.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.