Paul Zalonski: April 2011 Archives

Holiness is all that matters. Period. Being with God is the ultimate goal of every Christian's desire. The holiness of a person whose cause is being considered for beatification rests on the verification of a miracle -done by God at the request of another, in the case at hand, at John Paul's intercession. The person who received the gift of the miraculous healing was Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, a sister of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of Catholic Motherhood. Sister Marie Simon-Pierre was living with Parkinson's and attributes a complete healing to the intercession of Pope John Paul II. The pope suffered from the same disease. The following testimony given in 2006 and verified by medical professionals last autumn, sealed the case to beatify Pope John Paul II. Zenit provided the text.

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In June 2001, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The disease had affected the whole left side of my body, creating great difficulties for me as I am left-handed. After three years, the initial phase of the disease, slow but progressive, was followed by an aggravation of the symptoms: accentuation of the trembling, rigidity, pain, insomnia.

From April 2, 2005, I began to worsen week by week, I grew worse day by day, I was unable to write (I repeat that I am left-handed), and if I attempted it, what I wrote was unintelligible. I could drive only for short trips because my left leg would stiffen sometimes, and my rigidity would have impeded my driving. Moreover, to do my work in a hospital, it took more time than usual. I was exhausted.

After learning my diagnosis, it was difficult for me to watch John Paul II on television. However, I felt very close to him in prayer and I knew he could understand what I was going through. I also admired his strength and courage, which motivated me not to give in and to love this suffering, because without love none of this made sense. I can say that it was a daily struggle, but my only wish was to live it with faith and in loving adherence to the will of the Father.

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Cardinal Agostino Vallini, 70, Pope's vicar of Rome gave the following talk at tonight's Vigil at the Circus Maximus in advance of Pope John Paul II's tomorrow's beatification.

Divine Providence gives us this evening the joy of a great experience of grace and light. With this Marian prayer vigil we hope to prepare ourselves for tomorrow's celebration, the solemn beatification of the Venerable Servant of God John Paul II. Even though it has been six years since the death of the great Pope--Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the universal Church for 27 years--his memory is particularly vibrant. We feel veneration, affection, admiration, and deep gratitude for the beloved pontiff.

As Father Gabriel B. O'Donnell reminds, being a saint doesn't mean that you are divested of your own personality, to have intimacy with God doesn't mean you change who you are as a person. Domincan Father Gabriel O'Donnell is currently the academic dean at the Dominican House of Studies, Washington, DC.

Watch PBS Religion & Ethics Newsweekly which helps us to understand the role of saints today.

Father Gabriel speaks to the process of sainting a person based on shepherding the process for two Americans, Father Michael J. McGivney and Rose Hawthorne. See the "Sainthood Process."

Another piece is worth watching, too: "Path to Sainthood."

John Paul II exhumed

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Pope John Paul II was exhumed today in a quiet ceremony. The papal body will not be seen (at least for a while) but it will rest in the Vatican Basilica for a time.

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Blessings on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Catherine, who wed today, the feast of Saint Catherine of Siena


"Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire."

So said St Catherine of Siena whose festival day this is. Marriage is intended to be a way in which man and woman help each other to become what God meant each one to be, their deepest and truest selves.

Many people are fearful for the future of today's world but the message of the celebrations in this country and far beyond its shores is the right one - this is a joyful day! It is good that people in every continent are able to share in these celebrations because this is, as every wedding day should be, a day of hope.

In a sense every wedding is a royal wedding with the bride and groom as king and queen of creation, making a new life together so that life can flow through them into the future.

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William and Catherine, you have chosen to be married in the sight of a generous God who so loved the world that he gave himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ.

In the Spirit of this generous God, husband and wife are to give themselves to each other.

The spiritual life grows as love finds its centre beyond ourselves. Faithful and committed relationships offer a door into the mystery of spiritual life in which we discover this: the more we give of self, the richer we become in soul; the more we go beyond ourselves in love, the more we become our true selves and our spiritual beauty is more fully revealed. In marriage we are seeking to bring one another into fuller life.

Saint Catherine of Siena

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St Catherine receives new heart from Jesus diPaolo.jpgToday is a fitting day to pray for the Holy Father, Pope Benedict. Saint Catherine was a woman of great courage and vision who promoted unity with the Church. Her crusade was a crusade for souls, for the salvation of many to heart of Christ through the ministry of Christ's vicar, the Pope. That today we are still in the Easter Octave, Siena's feast is not being observed except in places of the Order of Preachers. We are doing so today the Church of Saint Catherine of Siena, NYC, with a Octave Mass of Easter with elements of Saint Catherine's Mass parts intelligently placed; Holy Mass is being celebrated by the Most Rev'd Octavio Cisneros, an auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn.

One my favorite images of Saint Catherine is the one of her heart being exchanged with Christ's. It what's supposed to happen with all of us: to be recreated by Christ. An image for foreseen by the Prophet Ezekiel.

Here are few thoughts of Saint Catherine of Siena to Pope Gregory XI:
PAZ with TMD April 27 2011.jpegThe second annual Saint Gianna Mass was celebrated earlier this evening at The Church of Saint Catherine of Siena (411 E. 68th St., NYC) by the Archbishop of New York, Timothy Michael Dolan. The Mass was co-sponsored with the Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of NY. About 600 people turned up for the Mass to ask for Saint Gianna's intercession in the fertility issues. We tend to think it is easy to get pregnant, but for many couples having a biological child is quite difficult that creates much suffering.

The picture is of the Archbishop meeting the young servers and their guide prior to the Liturgy.
Holy Saturday Baptism.jpgIn these first days of Easter the Church rejoices in Christ's resurrection from the dead, which has brought new life to us and to our world. Saint Paul exhorts us to make this new life evident by putting to death the things of this earth and setting our hearts on the things that are on high, where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father (cf. Col 3:1-2). Having put on Christ in Baptism, we are called to be renewed daily in the virtues which he taught us, especially charity which binds all the rest together in perfect harmony. By living this new life we are not only interiorly transformed, but we also change the world around us. Charity in fact brings that spiritual freedom which can break down any wall, and build a new world of solidarity, goodness and respect for the dignity of all. Easter, then, is a gift to be received ever anew in faith, so that we may become a constant leaven of life, justice and reconciliation in our world. As believers in the risen Lord, this is our mission: to awaken hope in place of despair, joy in place of sadness, and life in place of death. With Christ, through him and in him, let us strive to make all things new!

Pope Benedict XVI
Summary of Wednesday General Audience
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The supper at Emmaus raises questions for us: Does my heart really seek the Lord? What did we see happen to us during these last days? How have I changed given the events of the Three Holy Days? What does the Lord really want from me? What does it mean to remain with the Lord?

Only the heart tells the truth.

Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously and plead the cause of the poor and needy" (Proverbs 31:8-9)

Several weeks ago I focused my attention --our attention-- on the rights of women and children, especially unborn children, in China, by highlighting the work of Reggie Littlejohn. How can one be unmoved by the plight for another human being; in case, women and unborn children??? What about the preference for the poor? What about human dignity?

When I met Reggie through my friend Suzanne Tanzi, the editor of Traces magazine, I was instantly drawn to her work for others. I recognized in her that Christ is working directly through the words and works for those who really have no voice in a country that forcibly holds a One Child Policy. China is among the most offensive countries when it comes to human rights abuses and our Chinese brothers and sisters need an advocate.

Here's an amazing interview with Reggie: Open your Mouth --Littlejohn Interview.pdf 

A recently published essay by Reggie Littlejohn: "China: Family Planning Official Stabs Man to Death"

The link above will take you another blog post which has links to Reggie Littlejohn's work.
JP II funeral 2005.jpgJust days ahead of Pope John Paul II's beatification on May 1st --the first time in 11 centuries that a successor beatifies his predecessor-- the former vicar for Rome, Cardinal Camillo Ruini, speaks about the letter he received as the conclave was about to open that was to elect Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedixt XVI, by which several cardinals asked for John Paul's beatification. Read the La Stampa story...
Blood drawn from Pope John Paul II prior to his death and saved in case there was need of a transfusion at a local hospital, will be presented to Pope Benedict XVI at the May 1st Mass at which John Paul will be declared a "blessed." The blood relic will be kept with other relics at the Apostolic Household. Read the entire story here.
Thumbnail image for Easter Monday April 25 2011.jpgThe day following Easter Sunday, indeed, all of the Easter Octave, is just as important as the Easter mystery of the solemn celebration of the Resurrection: the concrete risen Lord fulfills his promise of new Life. Pope Benedict said today at Castle Gandolfo today, "With greater joy than ever, the Church celebrates these eight days in a special way, as she recalls the Lord Jesus's resurrection from the dead. Let us pray fervently that the joy and peace of Our Lady, Mary of Magdala and the Apostles will be our own as we welcome the risen Lord into our hearts and lives. I invoke God's abundant blessings upon you all!"

A slight shift in our daily prayer moves from praying the Angelus three times a day (at least) to the Regina Coeli, another radical call to live the Gospel is known in this prayer. With the Mother of the Savior we call the promise come true.

Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
For He whom you did merit to bear, Alleluia.

Has risen, as he said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.

Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
For the Lord has truly risen, Alleluia.

Let us pray.

O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Easter 470 years later

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Ignatius Loyola detail2.jpg470 years ago on this date, another Easter Sunday, Ignatius of Loyola and his first companions elected Ignatius as the first superior of the new group, a year following the Church's approval of the society. Just two days before his election, the companions went to the Basilica of Saint Paul outside the Walls to profess their vows.

With these events, Loyola had more concrete points in following God's will in forming a new society of priests aiming to reform Christian culture under the Roman Pontiff.

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"In resurrectione tua, Christe, coeli et terra laetentur!

In your resurrection, O Christ, let heaven and earth rejoice!" (Liturgy of the Hours).

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Rome and across the world, Easter morning brings us news that is ancient yet ever new: Christ is risen! The echo of this event, which issued forth from Jerusalem twenty centuries ago, continues to resound in the Church, deep in whose heart lives the vibrant faith of Mary, Mother of Jesus, the faith of Mary Magdalene and the other women who first discovered the empty tomb, and the faith of Peter and the other Apostles.

Easter Vigil 2011.jpgDear Brothers and Sisters, The liturgical celebration of the Easter Vigil makes use of two eloquent signs. First there is the fire that becomes light. As the procession makes its way through the church, shrouded in the darkness of the night, the light of the Paschal Candle becomes a wave of lights, and it speaks to us of Christ as the true morning star that never sets - the Risen Lord in whom light has conquered darkness. The second sign is water. On the one hand, it recalls the waters of the Red Sea, decline and death, the mystery of the Cross. But now it is presented to us as spring water, a life-giving element amid the dryness. Thus it becomes the image of the sacrament of baptism, through which we become sharers in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Church is silent. The Lord is dead; His mother and the Beloved disciple have buried the Lord. We carry on in sorrow, our hearts are quiet and searching for the one who made the promise that things would be different if we believed in Him. Holy Saturday is a distinct day in the Church. Good Friday totally transforms us from something old to something new, this is a time of patient awareness that it is not business as usual. If it is, if we can't see that our real lives are not the same, then we need to beg the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Mother to show the reasons why life is different now with Jesus crucified and in the tomb. 

Pope Benedict's meditation at the Colosseum lst evening gives us focus:

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This evening, in faith, we have accompanied Jesus as he takes the final steps of his earthly journey, the most painful steps, the steps that lead to Calvary. We have heard the cries of the crowd, the words of condemnation, the insults of the soldiers, the lamentation of the Virgin Mary and of the women. Now we are immersed in the silence of this night, in the silence of the cross, the silence of death. It is a silence pregnant with the burden of pain borne by a man rejected, oppressed, downtrodden, the burden of sin which mars his face, the burden of evil. Tonight we have re-lived, deep within our hearts, the drama of Jesus, weighed down by pain, by evil, by human sin.


Who is St George?

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How can anyone not like Saint George's story? Whatever happened to the real cult of Saint George? Does the saint have contemporary relevance for us today? What witness does he offer the "post-modern" people we purport to be? Do we still struggle against Satan, the evil one, the great tempter? How do deal with the noontime devil that seeks to divide us from a filial relationship with God? Jesuit Father George Nedungatt, professor emeritus of the Pontifical Oriental Institute (Rome) wrote an essay "Saint George without the Dragon" explaining contemporary --at least since Vatican II-- Church's remembrance of and prayerful reliance on, the Lord's dragon slayer. As the summary of the article says, "The post-conciliar reform has entered the liturgical celebration of St. George [on April 23] amidst the facultative memoirs, attributing the historical date of his martyrdom in Lydda circa 303. It follows the protest, both by those who have chosen St. George as patron and, and for opposing reasons, by those who deny the killing of the dragon by the saint. To shed light on the issue, the article distinguishes between the current liturgical (the cult certificated since ancient time on the saint's tomb), and the literary tendency, (legends based on his figure as a symbol of the struggle against the forces of evil)." You can read about Saint George in La Civiltà Cattolica (3859, 2011, II, pp. 20-29).

Cantalamessa.jpgThe papal preacher preaches to the Pope each Good Friday. A distinction not given to many. The renown Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa said many good things to think about, not a few points that are crucial to our own witness of the Gospel, a few are given here now. The link to his homily is given below.

There is a truth that must be proclaimed loud and clear on Good Friday. The One whom we contemplate on the cross is God "in person." Yes, he is also the man Jesus of Nazareth, but that man is one person with the Son of the Eternal Father. As long as the fundamental dogma of the Christian faith is not recognized and taken seriously -- the first dogma defined at Nicea, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and is himself God, of one substance with the Father -- human suffering will remain unanswered.

The response of the cross is not for us Christians alone, but for everyone, because the Son of God died for all. There is in the mystery of redemption an objective and a subjective aspect. There is the fact in itself, and then awareness of the fact and our faith-response to it. The first extends beyond the second. "The Holy Spirit," says a text of Vatican II, "offers to all the possibility of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery."

One thing distinguishes genuine accounts of martyrdom from legendary ones composed later, after the end of the persecutions. In the former, there is almost no trace of polemics against the persecutors; all attention is concentrated on the heroism of the martyrs, not on the perversity of the judges and executioners. St. Cyprian even ordered his followers to give twenty-five gold coins to the executioner who beheaded him. These are the disciples of the one who died saying: "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing." Truly, "Jesus' blood speaks a different language from the blood of Abel (Hebrews 12:24): it does not cry out for vengeance and punishment; it brings reconciliation."

Read the papal preacher's homily in full here: Fr Cantalamessa Good Friday homily 2011.pdf

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Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said to fulfill the Scripture: "I thirst." A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished"; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

"I thirst." "It is finished." With these two phrases Jesus, looking first to humanity and then to the Father, bequeaths to us the burning passion at the heart of his person and mission: love for man and obedience to the Father. His is a love both horizontal and vertical: in the shape of the cross! And at the intersection of this twofold love, at the place where Jesus bows his head, the Holy Spirit wells up, the first fruits of his return to the Father.

This final breath which brings Jesus' life to completion evokes the work of creation, which now is redeemed. But it is also a summons to all of us who believe in him to "bring to completion in our own flesh what is lacking in Christ's afflictions". That all may be complete!

Lord Jesus, who died for our sake!
You ask, that you may give,
you die, that you may leave a legacy,
and thus you make us see that the gift of self
opens a space for unity.
Pardon the gall of our rejection and unbelief,
pardon the deafness of our hearts
to your cry of thirst
which echoes in the suffering of our many brothers and sisters.

Come, Holy Spirit,
parting gift of the Son who dies for us:
may you be the guide who "leads us into all the truth"
and "the root which sustains us in unity"!

Last supper detail Duccio.jpgHere we are: Spy Wednesday, the eve of the sacred Triduum. Lent is about to end and we're entering into a liturgical period and facing the Paschal Mystery of Christ. The term "Spy Wednesday" is not heard often these but we get the point: the struggle between life and death, sin and grace, friendship and betrayal, good and evil.

Jesus shares the Passover meal his closest collaborators, he was having "Communio" with his friends and not strangers and one among them has already set in motion the process of betrayal. The intimacy once shared vigorously is now betrayed; it is one of the most terrible experiences any person can live through.

Spy Wednesday is not a day to point the finger at someone else's problem. It's a day to examine the soul to understand the ways we've betrayed Christ in simple and also likely profound ways. There is portion of Judas in all of us. While we may not have used 30 pieces of silver but perhaps we've opened the door to evil.

How different are you going to live today?

At home with Pope Benedict

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Pope & president souza.jpgTime Magazine published a now translated story written by Andrea Tornielli of La Stampa. Tornielli did a recent piece on the Pope's living arrangements and the people living and working with him. Last week I mentioned that a new member of the Papal Household was introduced recently to Benedict's family.

Pope Benedict in choir dress.jpgBefore going to the Noon Mass, I want to offer this prayer for Pope Benedict on the 6th anniversary of his election as the Supreme Pontiff. Be sure to unite your intentions when you receive Holy Communion and pray the rosary for Benedict and the Church. May the Lord bestow on the Pope the graces needed to live a holy life and to lead the Church unto salvation.

O Lord, in union with millions of believers, and prostrate here at thy feet, we pray Thee to save, defend, and long preserve the Vicar of Christ, Pope Benedict XVI the Father of the glorious society of souls, our own Father. Today and every day he prays for us, fervently offering to Thee the sacred victim of love and peace. Turn then, O Lord, thy loving eyes upon us, who forgetful as it were of ourselves pray now above all things for him. Unite our prayers with his, and receive them into the bosom of thy infinite mercy, as a most sweet perfume of that living and efficacious charity, in which the children of the Church are united to their Father. All that he asks of Thee today we too ask for with him. Whether he sorrows or rejoices, or when he hopes or offers the victim of love for his people, we would be united with him. We desire that the utterance of our souls should be one with his. Amen.

Subtle differences need certain light in a canonization process. Scholasticism advocates that we always distinguish. Benedict XVI will be beatifying his friend, colleague and boss, Pope John Paul II on May 1. So, the faithful are asking what's the difference between the ecclesial acts of beatification and canonization?

The Holy See told us what's considered to be the distinguishing marks of any beatification. There are three differences:

  • location of dioceses that can hold annual public liturgical celebrations in the holy person's honor;
  • who ceremonially requests the pope to act;
  • and the level of papal authority involved in the proclamation.

What Pope Benedict has worked hard to remind the Church, "at a beatification ceremony, the bishop of the diocese where the person dies asks that the candidate be declared blessed; at a canonization, the prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes speaks in the name of the whole church and asks that the candidate be declared a saint."

But a central difference between a beatification and canonization is that with a canonization there is an act of declaring dogmatically, that God has revealed this person with Him in beatitude. Essentially, it is a matter of papal infallibility. Being a saint is a dogmatic statement; being a blessed is not. A saint can be liturgically commemorated at the sacred Liturgy worldwide and remembered in other circumstances like naming buildings after the person. When the Church says a person is a blessed, it is an administrative act of the papal office; a blessed can be liturgically commemorated is limited to certain circumstances, like where the person lives or in the houses of the religious congregation should the person be a religious.

TMDolan smile.jpgOn Wednesday, the 27th April, at the Church of St. Catherine of Siena (411 E. 68th St.) Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan will offer the Sacrifice of the Mass for the intention of couples struggling with infertility & pregnancy-related difficulties. The evening will begin with Mass at 6:30 pm, followed by comments by Mr. Robert White, President of the St. Gianna Society followed by a blessing with the St. Gianna relics by the Archbishop.

At 7:45 pm, there will be time for personal veneration of St. Gianna relics - with a light reception following Mass. Physicians, including Dr. Anne Mielnik, and other practitioners specializing in infertility will be present in reception area to answer questions and offer support following Mass. For more info, check out the flyerSt. Gianna Flyer 2011.pdf

Vatican newspaper online

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LOsservatore Romano web.jpegThe Roman Observer (in Italian L'Osservatore Romano) is now online --and free till August.

The miracle of a significant web presence is due to the leadership of the paper's editor Mr. Vian.

Independently founded in 1861 to defend the papal states against Garibaldi political expediencies in a new political era of "unified" Italy. Pope Leo XIII bought the newspaper in 1885. LO is a semi-official news outlet.

Portsmouth Monks 2011.jpgBenedictine monasticism has a beautiful way of adapting, in a sensitive and intelligent way, to the times. Being contemporaneous doesn't mean trendy. It means, in my mind, taking seriously the fact of the Incarnation: that in all things God may be glorified. Pope Benedict has been advocating the prudent use of social media, a point for this blog!


Pope Benedict is nothing if not a master of the spiritual life and superb pastor of souls. His Palm Sunday homily delivered earlier today is extraordinarily beautiful for its content and style , but most importantly it gives us a path to Jesus. He's not giving a legacy; he's giving us truth.

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It is a moving experience each year on Palm Sunday as we go up the mountain with Jesus, towards the Temple, accompanying him on his ascent. On this day, throughout the world and across the centuries, young people and people of every age acclaim him, crying out: "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

But what are we really doing when we join this procession as part of the throng which went up with Jesus to Jerusalem and hailed him as King of Israel? Is this anything more than a ritual, a quaint custom? Does it have anything to do with the reality of our life and our world? To answer this, we must first be clear about what Jesus himself wished to do and actually did. After Peter's confession of faith in Caesarea Philippi, in the northernmost part of the Holy Land, Jesus set out as a pilgrim towards Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. He was journeying towards the Temple in the Holy City, towards that place which for Israel ensured in a particular way God's closeness to his people. He was making his way towards the common feast of Passover, the memorial of Israel's liberation from Egypt and the sign of its hope of definitive liberation. He knew that what awaited him was a new Passover and that he himself would take the place of the sacrificial lambs by offering himself on the cross. He knew that in the mysterious gifts of bread and wine he would give himself for ever to his own, and that he would open to them the door to a new path of liberation, to fellowship with the living God. He was making his way to the heights of the Cross, to the moment of self-giving love. The ultimate goal of his pilgrimage was the heights of God himself; to those heights he wanted to lift every human being.

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Saint Robert of Molesme

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St Robert of Molesme welcomes Bernard.jpgApril 17, 2011 marks the 900th anniversary of the death of St. Robert of Molesme, which, this year, is Palm Sunday. This anniversary of death of Saint Robert coincides with the historic beginning of the Cistercians with Robert's arrival with his group of monks first arrived at Cîteaux on Palm Sunday (March 21, 1098). Along with Saints Alberic and Stephen, Saint Robert is one of the founders of Cîteaux.

The text of the Life of Saint Robert is available hereYou'll find the rather lengthy article referred to at: Life of St. Robert of Molesme.  A shorter version of Saint Robert's life can be found on Wikipedia.
The Jerusalem Post published a story today picking up on Pope Benedict's clarifies what Christians believe about the Jews viz. the death Jesus. Sergio Minerbi's article "Pope Benedict Revises the Gospels" looks at Benedict's volume 2 of Jesus of Nazareth. This issue has been a painful one among Christians and Jews through the millennia. In his typical manner of precise writing --because of sharp thinking-- Benedict challenges the reality of ideology that's been a force for violence than reconciliation. This article ought to get you to re-read Nostra Aetate and to read volume 2 of Jesus of Nazareth.
Prayers and good wishes to Pope Benedict on his 84th birthday.

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Benedict-Joseph Labre ACavallucci.jpgBlessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven; Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. (MT 5:3,8)

Saint Benedict-Joseph Labre is one of the most endearing saints of the Church; some call him a misfit among the saints for his sensitivities, honesty and gentleness. There is so much about him that draws the heart: he was persistent in his pursuit of a religious vocation but never found a home among the Cistercian or the Carthusian monks, he was a perpetual pilgrim, a made of exactness in religious devotion, and a man known as the "saint of the Forty Hours" (the forty hours is a devotion of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament). The Scriptures were his constant companion and guide for life. He's a great example of following the Pauline spirituality. Ultimately, his vocation was lived as a Third Order Franciscan.

Benedict-Joseph was born on March 26, 1748 in Amettes, France, the eldest child of 15. At 35, he died of malnutrition on this date in 1783 during Holy Week on the steps of the Church of Santa Maria dei Monti with the consolation of the sacraments. How interesting that his liturgical memorial falls on the very edge of the Lord's triumphant journey into Jerusalem. Labre was canonized by Pope Leo in 1881.

Saint Benedict-Joseph is the patron of the homeless, those making pilgrimages, for those who make adoration of the Eucharistic Lord in the Blessed Sacrament a regular spiritual gesture, and for those who suffer from mental illness, depression, anxiety.

Read a brief biography of Saint Benedict-Joseph here.

The Guild of Saint Benedict-Joseph Labre has an old website and they're promising a new one this spring.

Thumbnail image for Anderson with US flag.jpgCarl A. Anderson, the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, gave a lecture in Boston's famed Faneuil Hall on President John F. Kennedy's faith known in the inaugural address. The President was a KofC member. Anderson uses history, philosophy and theology to demonstrate that our human rights come from God, thus they are sacred rights. The location of the talk was brilliant given the tensions between Church and secularism. Anderson's talk follows:

Your Eminence, Cardinal O'Malley; Your Excellencies, Archbishop Wenski, Bishop Lori and Bishop Kennedy; Reverend Fathers; Seminarians; Members of the Board of Directors and State Officers of the Knights of Columbus; Members of the Boston Leadership Forum; Brother Knights; Ladies and Gentlemen - fellow Citizens...

Here at Faneuil Hall, in this historic setting, the injustices of the colonial system were first addressed. It was here that the Sugar Act was protested more than a decade before the Declaration of Independence. Here that the Tea Tax was protested. And here the Boston Massacre was recounted. Here too was born the idea that there should be "no taxation without representation."

All week many of us who work in a parish have kept the events of Holy Week in front of us. Mostly because of the work that needs to be done in preparing the sacred Liturgy. Sadly, not enough time for prayer. Reminder: Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion is this weekend, it is not only the liturgical memorial of the Lord's move to Jerusalem, it is also our hour of judgment. Jesus is not one among many saviors. Jesus is THE Messiah, the Son of Man, the Son of God who opens the door to God the Father and redeems us. No one, absolutely no one, can avoid the Lord's hour of supreme love and self-giving in dying on the cross. It is, for us Christians, the tree of life.

Too many people these days have difficulty in accepting a positive view of Christ dying on the cross. Far from their hearts are Pope Leo's words: "How marvelous the power of the cross; how great beyond all telling the glory of the passion." Here's Pope Saint Leo the Great's Sermon on the Passion:

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Our understanding, which is enlightened by the Spirit of truth, should receive with purity and freedom of heart the glory of the cross as it shines in heaven and on earth. It should see with inner vision the meaning of the Lord's words when he spoke of the imminence of his passion: The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

Afterward he said: Now my soul is troubled, and what am I to say? Father, save me from this hour. But it was for this that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your Son. When the voice of the Father came from heaven, saying, I have glorified him, and will glorify him again, Jesus said in reply to those around him: It was not for me that this voice spoke, but for you. Now is the judgment of the world, now will the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself.

How marvelous the power of the cross; how great beyond all telling the glory of the passion: here is the judgment-seat of the Lord, the condemnation of the world, the supremacy of Christ crucified.

Lord, you drew all things to yourself so that the devotion of all peoples everywhere might celebrate, in a sacrament made perfect and visible, what was carried out in the one temple of Judea under obscure foreshadowings.

Now there is a more distinguished order of Levites, a greater dignity for the rank of elders, a more sacred anointing for the priesthood, because your cross is the source of all blessings, the cause of all graces. Through the cross the faithful receive strength from weakness, glory from dishonour, life from death.

The different sacrifices of animals are no more: the one offering of your body and blood is the fulfillment of all the different sacrificial offerings, for you are the true Lamb of God: you take away the sins of the world. In yourself you bring to perfection all mysteries, so that, as there is one sacrifice in place of all other sacrificial offerings, there is also one kingdom gathered from all peoples.

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Where is he?                                                                  Hey, I am over here!

Saint Martin I, pope

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St Martin I, pope.jpgMerciful God, our Father, neither hardship, pain,nor the threat of death could weaken the faith of Saint Martin. Through our faith, give us courage to endure whatever sufferings the world may inflict upon us.

The Mass collect is appropriate today when prejudice and suffering is prevalent due to one's adherence to the Church's teaching.

Pope Saint Martin I was the 7th century pontiff who held firm to the orthodox teaching that Christ had a divine and a human natures and wills. Speaking of Christ's nature is not commonly heard at the dinner table, never mind from the pulpit these days but at one point, there was significant dissent among the people of God. Every-now-and again you encounter monothelitism (a slightly different form of monophysitism which rejected the human nature of Christ) in university and parochial settings. Beware!
St Stanislaus, BM-2.jpgAs a child my sister, cousin and I were enrolled in St Stanislaus School (New Haven, CT) under the guidance of the Vincentians and the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. The great bishop and martyr has been in my consciousness for some time and it was a privilege to make deeper connections with the saint when I was in Krakow a number of years ago. We Poles regard the sainted bishop and martyr Stanislaus as Poland's Saints Thomas Becket and Thomas More who took a stand against societal and governmental injustice. Today, we'd use the term "speak truth to power" to capture what Stanislaus did in his native Poland.

The Collect for today's Mass reads, "Father, to honor you, Saint Stanislaus faced martyrdom with courage. Keep us strong and loyal in our faith until death."

Stanislaus was born July 26, 1030, educated in Poland's capital city Gniezno and at Paris. His skills were recognized by the bishop of Krakow as he was appointed the archdeacon and preacher. In 1072, Stanislaus was elected bishop of Krakow. J. Michael Thompson's hymn captures the life of Stanislaus:
papa01g.jpgThe pope's household --the Pope's family-- gets a fourth assistant with Rossella Teragnoli. She joins three other Memores Domini women, Loredana, Carmela and Cristina.

Rossella Tereganoli comes from Soresina in the Italian Province of Cremona. She will take up the duties formerly done by the late Manuela Camagni who died in November as the result of a car accident.

Memores Domini is the consecrated lay group of men and women who live a life of virginity, obedience and poverty living in community and active in the world. Memores Domini is not a religious order but a new way of total dedication to God. The Memores are part of Communion and Liberation.

But the Pope doesn't only work with the Memores Domini but he also is assisted by Birgit, a consecrated lay woman who belongs to the Schoenstatt movement.

More detail on the papal household is found here. If you are interested, the Pope answers Peter Seewald's question about his life in the Apostolic Palace in his recent interview, Light of the World.
Raising of Lazarus Giotto.jpgThe raising of Lazarus from the dead not only restores Lazarus to life, a life with his family and friends, but he begins a new life on earth because of his relationship with Jesus. The gaze of his friend Jesuson Lazarus is one of profound emotion and penetrating teaching. There's no question that something unique happened to Lazarus because on the Lord's journey to Jerusalem to face his own passover from life to Life. This is a final act of Jesus before he walks the via Dolorosa. But what does Lazarus's new new life and Jesus' own resurrection say to us today?

Lazarus' human life is not permanent even after divine intervention for he will definitively die at the proper time. But the gift of new life --in a normal sense-- gives us the awareness that life is anything but ordinary for those who know the Lord. It identifies our own aspiration for eternal life with Him. We are changed by meeting the Lord "which breaks through and overcomes every barrier! Christ breaks down the wall of death, and in Him there resides the fullness of God, which is life, eternal life. Therefore death had no power over Him; the resurrection of Lazarus is a sign of his full dominion over mortal death, which is like sleep before God."

Frère André, nous t'acclamons: Dieu t'achoisi depuis toujours. Grand ami de Saint Joseph, prie pour nous dans la gloire. (hymn by M. Dubé, OP).


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Today the members of the Congregation of Holy Cross gathered for a Mass of Thanksgiving for the Canonization of Saint André Bessette of Montréal at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph, celebrated by His Excellency, the Most Reverend Henry J. Mansell, archbishop of Hartford. About 250 people attended the Mass, including members of André Alfred Bessette's family, a few alumni of the Notre Dame High School (West Haven, CT) and Holy Cross High School (Waterbury, CT). Several of the Brothers and Fathers of Holy Cross came from a good distance with together for this wonderful occasion. It's not everyday that one could say that a saint has come from your region of the world! Saint André, as very young man, labored outside of his native Canada in New Hampshire and Connecticut.

Pictures always tell a story, they're also worth a thousand words. OK, how much money would you give to preserve an archive of photography devoted to the Second Vatican Council? What is preserving photographic memories to such a legendary event like Vatican II worth to you? I hope much.

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In 2009, Sister Leideke Galema, who managed Foyer Unitas for many years, gave Centro Pro Unione library a gift of 740 photographs taken at Vatican II. This precious collection not only records of the sessions of the Council, but also include important ecumenical moments from the pontificate of the Servant of God Pope Paul VI, including the historic meeting when he gave his own episcopal ring to the archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey.

Rome's Centro Pro Unione is a long time work of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement dedicated to ecumenical action, research, and formation at the Piazza Navona. The Centro's mission is known through intensive programs, conferences, courses, and dialogues that attract theologians and academics from around the world. It's staff works closely with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and with various ecumenical leaders as well as teaching in the various theological faculties in Rome.

Foyer Unitas, a ministry of hospitality operated by the Ladies of Bethany, had since 1950 collaborated with the Centro in welcoming non-Catholic pilgrims arriving in Rome. During Vatican II, Pope Paul VI asked Foyer Unitas to provide lodging for the ecumenical observers. The Centro Pro Unione is working to make this collection available to the public during the 50 th anniversary of Vatican II's opening council in Rome later this year.  To support the project and for more information visit the Friars' website.

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After 11 years as chancellor and 26 years as president, Father Michael Scanlan, TOR, announced today that he'll be retiring from Franciscan University. Scanlan is to move to the TOR motherhouse in Loretto, PA. The retirement is effective June 30, 2011.

More can be read here, included is a brief biography.

May Saint Francis of Assisi reward Father Michael abundantly for helping to rebuild the Church.

Cardinal Joseph Zen.jpgOften he is called the conscience of China, Joseph Cardinal Zen, SDB, 79, visited members of the US government this week. The cardinal has stood against any thinking that doesn't support life issues --human rights. Zen is the bishop emeritus of Hong Kong. He's been critical of those who talk without knowing the situation and unable to make crucial distinctions in policy. That is, Zen belives the 2007 letter of the Pope has been wrongly interpreted by members of the Roman Curia. Where the Pope talks about reconciliation of mind and heart, influential members of the Curia talk about a reunification of the two Chinese communities: the open church and the underground church. Reconcilation and renunification are the same thing and ought to be confused for each other. Pope Benedict never talks about reunification. He does talk about reconcilation. The premises are different.

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His Beatitude Sviatsolav is making headlines these days with all kinds of hott button issues. The news is reporting, predictably, that His Beatitude wants to work on relations with the Russian Orthodox Church. No doubt his own predictions for dialogue leading to deeper full, visible unity would indicate his desire to be fraternal with the ROC and one may also say that he's taking note of Pope Benedict's desire to meet with Patriarch Kyril.

Sviatsolav said: "Our church has voiced its readiness and openness for a dialogue ever since it emerged from the underground." And he's also reported to have said, "I think that today, we should heal the wounds rather than irritate and deepen them. One can heal the wounds of our memory only with mutual forgiveness. Therefore, as for any our brethren or neighbors who wounded us or were wounded by us, the best way to communicate is to be open in a brotherly dialogue, be open to the purification of our memory, to ask for forgiveness and to forgive."

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Some seats are still available:

RSVP to jfk@kofc.org or call 203-752-4483


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Help and Pray for Japan.jpegThe Capuchin Franciscans in Japan are on the ground working and praying for grace to face the problems the Japanese people are living. The Capuchin mission to Japan is sponsored by the Capuchin Friars of Saint Mary's Province (NY & New England).

Prayers (Mass intentions, rosary, fasting) and financial assistance welcome.

Here is part 2 of communications from the Capuchins: Capcuhins in Japan United part 2, April 3 2011.pdf

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St Padre Pio is a much beloved, internationally famous and yet not entirely known. That is, until now with Stefano Campanella's new published book, Oboedientia et Pax: The True Story of a False Prosecution.

The author researches the history of the rocky relationship the Capuchin saint Padre Pio had with the blessed Pope John XXIII. Much misinformation was rampant that soured the Pope's and other's, view of Saint Pio who lived with the sacred Stigmata.

Both are icons of holiness and priesthood but there some fragility in human relations...

The author speaks to his work here.

Rejoice, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation.


Lætáre Jerúsalem :et convéntum fáciteómnes qui dilígitis éam: gaudéte cum lætítia, qui in tristítia fuístis: ut exsultétis, et satiémini abubéribus consolatiónis véstræ.


Psalm verse: I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: we shall go into the house of the Lord.


Lætátus sum in his quæ dícta sunt míhi: in dómum Dómini íbimus.


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The Mass prayers and Divine Office for today was written particularly for Laetare Sunday and for the Roman Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Holy Cross in Jerusalem). You can go to Jerusalem without having to leave Rome when you visit this basilica! I had the great joy of spending a month with the Cistercian monks of Santa Croce in 2007 and celebrating today's feast with them. The monks pastorally administer the basilica which contain the relics of the Holy Passion of Lord and the mortal of remains of the Servant of God, Nenolina Melo.



Thumbnail image for Frère Théophanius-Léo.jpgThe accepted the recommendation of the Congregation for Saints today advancing to the next step several causes for saints, including the North American, Adolphe Chatillon (known in religious life as Frère Théophanius-Léo). Pope Benedict signed a decree that said Chatillon lived the Christian virtues in a heroic way. The Servant of God Adolphe Chattillon will now be called "The Venerable Servant of God Adolphe Chatillon --many will just use the simple form of the title "venerable."

Adolphe Chatillon (1871-1929) was a professed member of the LaSalle Christian Brothers. He served in the Canadian schools administered by the Christian Brothers as a teacher, headmaster, novice-master for 30 years and a General Vicar for the USA.

Chatillon needs a miracle attributed to his intercession before he would be beatified and another prior to a declaration of sainthood.

We pray to God the Father almighty that He'll give us the gift of calling Aldophe Chatillon a saint in the near future. Venerable Servant of God Adolphe Chatillon, pray for us.

The other holy people of Canada can be found here.
the ONION
America's Finest News Service
APRIL 2, 2011 | ISSUE 47•13

BALTIMORE--After years of observing people in their late 30s to early 40s, researchers at Johns Hopkins University have determined that once an individual reaches 38 years of age it is too late to make any meaningful life changes. "Our analysis indicates that if people turn 38 before getting the job they always wanted, meeting that special someone with whom they can settle down, or accepting themselves for who they are, they never will," said study coordinator Dr. Erik Heuer, adding that those who haven't "figured things out" by their late 30s die sad, miserable, and alone 100 percent of the time. "In order to bolster our findings, we observed several subjects ages 38 and above who attempted to finally resolve their troubled relationship with a parent or write that novel that's been kicking around in their head, and the results were, well, very sad to say the least." The study has been criticized in peer-review by multiple scientists aged 38 and older, many of whom said they are going to yoga and learning Korean cooking and that it's really going quite well.

h/t to Fr Charles
The culture editor at America Magazine Jesuit Father James Martin, reviews the stunning movie "Of Gods and Men" on Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. His comments are worth hearing.

Here is a previous post on "Of Gods and Men" with a few links to other pages including Prior Christian de Cherge's testament.
This Sunday & coming Tuesday the lay ecclesial movement Focolare is celebrating their 50th anniversary in the United States of America.

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The 50th Anniversary of the Focolare Movement Sunday, April 3 at 2pm: Archbishop Timothy Dolan will celebrate a Mass for the 50th anniversary of the Focolare Movement in North America at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
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Tuesday, April 5 from 9 am - 4:30 pm

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Focolare Movement's presence in the United States, this conference at Fordham University, "The Spirituality of Unity: a Gift for our Times," delves into the unique resources that the Focolare spirituality of unity might offer for transcending divisions and joining together to sustain constructive projects for the common good. Topics for discussion include the "Economy of Communion," featured in Pope Benedict's 2009 social encyclical, Caritas in veritate; as well as the "Love of Neighbor and the Law" interfaith project for lawyers, judges and law students.

All those interested may review the the program & register at: law.fordham.edu/unity.

Read John Allen's NCR article, "Memo to a divided church: meet the Focolare": Memo to a divided church- Meet the Focolare, John Allen March 10, 2011.pdf
Varkey Vithayathil.jpgVarkey Vithayathil, 84, a Redemptorist, bishop, cardinal and Major Archbishop for the Syro-Malabar Church (in India) died suddenly today of a heart attack at 2pm Ernakulam time.

Cardinal Vithayathil was ordained a priest in 1954 and ordained a bishop in 1996. In 1999, he appointed the Major Archbishop by Pope John Paul II. The same pope created Vithayathil a cardinal in 2001 giving him the title of San Bernardo alle Terme.

Trained in Canon Law at the Angelicum, Vithayathil taught the subject in the Redemptorist seminary. For a term he served as the Father Provincial of the Redemptorists of India and Sri Lanka and later serving as the Apostolic Administrator of a Benedictine abbey of monks.

Cardinal Vithayathil was a supporter of the 5th Marian doctrine, that of Mary's role in salvation history as the co-redemptrix.


This will mean the Church will have a third election of a Major Archbishop in 2011. The Maronite and Ukrainian Greek Catholic Churches have just recently elected new heads.
Shevchuk & Pope Benedict Mar 31 2011.jpgCindy Wooden's CNS article, "Ukrainian archbishop says he was chosen 'despite age to promote unity" on Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk gives a clearer sense of the man and some of priorities. Wooden and Shevchuk met in Rome this week on the latter's visit to Pope Benedict.

Archbishop Sviatoslav described the nature of his church in this way: "We are an Eastern Church with its tradition and inheritance, ... a synodal Church is governed by the synod of bishops together with the major archbishop. But, we are also a Catholic Church that lives its identity in a full, visible and real communion with the Holy Father."

What are Archbishop Sviatoslav's priorities?

  • to strengthen the proclamation of the Gospel (kērgma) and the teaching of the faith (didachē)
  • to work on the Church's liturgical theology and praxis; to make the liturgical patrimony intelligible in all the countries where the Ukrainian Catholic Church exists
  • to develop programs that attack secularism and engages the positive secularity
  • to strengthen the service of justice (diakonia)
  • to promote unity in the Church and among the other churches
  • to develop better social communications strategies for the Church
  • to identify ways in which to inculturate the Gospel and Byzantine tradition
  • to work with the Ukrainian people to heal from past injuries viz. the Russian Orthodox Church; to work on the fears that are paralyzing some members of the Church
  • to dialogue and work with the Orthodox Churches in the Ukraine (and where the Church is present) on matters of theology and mutual human interest
  • to promote healthy celibate and married vocations to religious life and priesthood.
Read the CNA story on the archbishop.

The Archeparchy of Philadelphia's newsletter The Way also gives another sense of the recent events in the Church: The Way March 2011.pdf
The transcript for the talk on whether a scientist can be a believer that was given at a lecture hosted by the New York Encounter in January has just been released by the Crossroads Cultural Center. Faith and reason is being explored here. It is a great question to ask if a believer in Christ --or perhaps a Jew or Muslim adherent-- can be credible, true to his or her being given a certain intellectual formation. Does belief in God forfeit our true search for the Divine? Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete's portion of the discussion is the most interesting to me and it is noted below (emphasis mine). A believer sometime has to work overtime to convince him or herself that faith and science are compatible. The other day my attention was drawn to what a little girl said about Lent: her view of life and the simplicity by which we have to look everything realizing that we don't make ourselves; everything is given. Albacete answers the question of the compatibility of faith and science: The answer, I propose, is not only yes he can, but, in fact, it is faith that will sustain his or her passion for investigating nature, and prevent the process itself and its results from becoming enslaved to political, economic, and religious ideology.Let me know what you think.

In such a case, is awe, wonder, and joy at scientific discoveries possible? When I was thinking about this, a friend sent me the text of a speech given by Msgr. Luigi Giussani about the "love of being" that is remarkably appropriate to this reflection.  Giussani's argument is that the truth of Christianity can be verified by a proper consideration of the evidence for it. Evidence, he says, is the correct word, even if the evidence for the Christian claim is given to us through signs. Signs are things that can be touched, seen, and experienced. The Apostles had Jesus in front of them and this presence was a sign of His victory over death, and therefore of His mysterious identity. But what about us? What happens with the passage of time? What signs are there for us as evidence of the truth of the Christian claim, of the reasonableness of the Christian claim?

The interpretation of the signs available to us engages our liberty, he says. In this drama, our liberty is a manifestation of our love for being. Without this love for being we are not truly free and we will never grasp the evidence of the signs given to us. At this point, as an example of this love for being, Giussani invokes the Magi.
Bryan Kemper.jpgComing to Christ --that's what I am calling it when some comes into full communion with the Catholic Church (or Orthodoxy)-- is not an easy thing for some people. Family, friends, employment, fear, and second-guessing the discernment can make "converting" all the more a royal pain. Only grace can sustain one's move from one ecclesial body to another. A case in point has been those of the Anglican Communion coming to Catholic Church and now Byran Kemper, a baptized Catholic turn Presbyterian who founded the Stand True Ministries, among other things. Kemper is also the author of Social Justice Begins in the Womb (2010).

Why is Byran Kemper coming into full communion with the Catholic Church (he's reverting to the Church in which he was baptized and through whom he received the pledge of future glory)?

He mentions a few factors that cradle Catholics often dismiss as important: the Liturgy, the Seven Sacraments, church authority, pro-life theology and activity, and friendship.

In the coming weeks as we move closer to the great feast of our faith, the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead, and where our brothers and sisters come home to Christ, add Bryan and the others in the RCIA programs around the world who will receive the Easter Sacraments at the Easter Vigil to your prayer list. Beg the Holy Spirit for the grace of fortitude.

Atheists feast day

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"Fools say in their hearts, 'There is no God.'" ~Psalm 14:1. Happy feast day, atheists!

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Prayer is consenting to unite our desire to God's passion for our salvation. And, that's what we'll do...

The general intention

That through its compelling preaching of the Gospel, the Church may give young people new reasons for life and hope.

The missionary intention

That by proclamation of the Gospel and the witness of their lives, missionaries may bring Christ to those who do not yet know him.

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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This page is a archive of recent entries written by Paul Zalonski in April 2011.

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