Paul Zalonski: September 2012 Archives

... as God himself revealed through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah: "My thoughts are not your thoughts, / your ways are not my ways" (Isaiah 55:8). This is why following the Lord always demands of man - of all of us - a profound conversion, a change in our way of thinking and living, it demands that we open our hearts to listen, to let ourselves be interiorly enlightened and transformed. A key point on which God and man differ is pride: in God there is no pride, because he is the complete fullness of love and is entirely disposed to love and give his life; in us men, however, pride is deeply rooted and requires constant vigilance and purification. We, who are little, aspire to appear big, to be the first, while God, who is truly great, is not afraid to abase himself and become last. And the Virgin Mary is perfectly in "synch" with God: let us invoke her with confidence so that she might teach us how to faithfully follow Jesus on the path of love and humility. 

Pope Benedict XVI
Sunday Angelus, excerpt
30 September 2012
The beginning of the critically important meeting of church leaders, clergy and lay alike, on the New Evangelization, is fast approaching on October 7. Cardinal Wuerl and Dolan and Archbishop Kurtz offer a 3 minute insight into their work. CNS did a video clip on what they said.
camisasca massimo.jpgThis morning His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, nominated Monsignor Massimo Camisasca, 66, as the new bishop of the Italian Diocese of Reggio Emilia - Guastalla. The Reggio Emilia was erected as a diocese in the first century and as 2010 notes about 504,000 Catholics.

Bishop-elect Camisasca born in Milan on 3 November 1946, ordained priest of Bergamo in 1975 succeeds Bishop Adriano Caprioli who has been Ordinary of the diocese for the past 14 years.
RD Pietro Vittorelli.jpgThe 191st abbot of Monte Cassino Pietro Vittorelli, 50, needs our prayers for his recovery from a stroke he suffered recently. He's recovering and doing therapy at a clinic in Switzerland.

Born in Rome, Abbot Pietro graduated in 1989 from La Sapienza (Rome) and later that year he entered the Archabbey of Monte Cassino. He was ordained a priest in 1994 following studies at Sant'Anselmo; Dom Pietro served as novice master, a consulter in bioethics as well as authoring articles in the area of Church's Social Doctrine.

With the move of the Abbot-bishop Bernardo D'Onorio to the Archdiocese of Gaeta, Dom Pietro was elected abbot in 2007.

Members of Communion and Liberation ought to make Dom Pietro's intention for good health particular in the daily prayer since the founding of the Movement has its spiritual paternity with a prior abbot-bishop of Monte Cassino, Dom Martino Matronola (+1994). We in CL are still inspired by the Rule and charism of Saint Benedict.

Saint Benedict and all Benedictine saints and blesseds, pray for Dom Pietro and us.
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By now you ought to see a significant theme in the work of Communio, both on this blog and as a way of being in the Church: it is as Dom Luigi Gioia, OSB Oliv., has said about this theological point, "To describe the whole Church, as well as each Christian community, as a communio before speaking of 'body,' or 'society,' or 'institution,' -terms which have of course their share of truth- is knowingly to make charity the essential element of a Christian community, the condition sine qua non of its existence, its raison d'être." Charity has as its essential element of extroversion the living and sharing of the truth of the faith received by us from the Trinitarian life of God. Faith is a lens by which we live, it is not a pious statement of what we supposedly believe about God. The sharing of faith, this sharing of charity and faith in a communio, is the heart of evangelization.

Categories being what they are, are helpful in seeing the division of labor and thinking. This is no less is the true for the Thirteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, 7 to 28 October, discussing "The new evangelization for the transmission of the Christian faith." 

The leaders from the various ecclesial movements are worth noting because the vital presence they and the movements they represent have in the life of the Church: 

  • Br. Enzo Bianchi, prior of the Monastero of Bose (Italy)
  • Maria Voce (Italy), president of the Focolari Movement 
  • Marco Impagliazzo (Italy), president of the Sant'Egidio Community 
  • Lydia Jimenez Gonzalez (Spain), director general of the "Cruzadas de Santa Maria" Secular Institute
  • Francisco Jose Gomez Arguello Wirtz (Spain), co-founder of the Neo-Catechumenal Way 
  • Chiara Amirante, founder and president of the New Horizons Community (Italy)
  • Florence De Leyritz, member of the Alpha France Association (France)
  • Marc De Leyritz, president of the Alpha France Association (France)

  • *Father Julián Carrón, the President of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation might be counted here, too, but he actually is listed by the Holy See among the bishops.
The Holy See has appointed 45 persons as Experts and Observers for the forthcoming Thirteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, 7 to 28 October on the theme: "The new evangelization for the transmission of the Christian faith." While they are not the full members of the Synod of Bishops (they're not bishops) these people do have an essential role in that they will contribute to the conversation and will help to frame the outcome. Noteworthy are the number of women invited: 10 experts and 19 observers.

There will be seven US bishops and ten other Americans at the Synod

The is the list of non-bishops from the Americas which ought to be noted (more noted here):

  • Sr. Sara Butler M.S.B.T., professor, St. Mary of the Lake University, Mundelein, and member of the International Theological Commission
  • Sr. Paula Jean Miller F.S.E., professor, Department of Theology of the University of St. Thomas, Houston
  • Sr. Mary Lou Wirtz F.C.J.M., president of the International Union of Superiors General
  • Marylee J. Meehan, president of the International Catholic Committee of Nurses and Medico-Social Assistants
  • Fr. Jeremy Driscoll O.S.B., professor, Theological Faculty of Rome's St. Anselm Pontifical Athenaeum, and professor, Mount Angel Seminary, St. Benedict, OR
  • Edward Peters, professor, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit
  • Ralph Martin, director of graduate theological programs in the new evangelization at the Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit
  • Carl Albert Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus
  • Curtis A. Martin, founder and president of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students - Focus Missionaries
  • Peter Murphy, executive director of the Secretariat for Evangelization and Catechesis, US Conference of Catholic Bishops.
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Ratzinger Prize 2012

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The "Ratzinger Prize" is also known as the "Nobel of Theology." The Prize is sponsored by the Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) Vatican Foundation, whose aim is to "promote the publication, distribution and study of the writings of former university professor Joseph Ratzinger." The Prize, though, recognizes excellence in theological study and teaching and not the echoing Ratzinger's thought. Vatican Radio explains more here.

In 2010, the Holy Father established, in consultation with other, a Prize in Theology noting three areas: Sacred Scripture, Patristics and Fundamental Theology.

2012

  • Rémi Brague, Professor emeritus of medieval and Arabic philosophy, University Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris I) and professor of Philosophy of the European religions (Romano Guardini Chair), Ludwig- Maximilian University
  • Father Brian E. Daley, SJ, Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame

2011

  • Professor Dr. Manlio Simonetti, Professor of Ancient Christian Studies and Patristic Biblical Interpretation, La Sapienza University
  • Father Dr. Olegario González de Cardedal, Professor of Dogmatic and Fundamental Theology, Pontifical University of Salamanca
  • Father Dr. Maximilian Heim, OCist, Abbot of Heiligenkreuz Monastery, Austria, Professor of Dogmatic and Fundamental Theology, University of Heiligenkreuz.
The Ratzinger Prize will be conferred on Brague and Daley on 20 October 2012, during the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization.

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I am delighted that Father Brian won the prize not merely because I know him (lived with him when I was in studies at Notre Dame) but he is a generous man, a faithful priest, and terrific scholar and teacher. 

Father Brian is a New York Province Jesuit, studied at Fordham, Frankfurt and Osford, and he is an avid runner.

Saint Vincent de Paul

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Vincent de Paul by Gagliardi.jpg

I want to remember the Vincentian community in here in Connecticut, and particularly at Saint Stanislaus Church in New Haven. 

My prayer is that the Vincentian priests and brothers fulfill what the Church prays in the Mass Collect (see below) so that their witness be bold and clear for the faithful following of Jesus Christ. We need the witness of Saint Vincent de Paul and his sons and daughters through the vowed life of the Vincentian Society today more than ever. In an age of diminishment in vocations, the love with which the Vincentians live their vocation needs to be extroverted.

With the Church we pray,

O God, who for the relief of the poor and the formation of the clergy endowed the Priest Saint Vincent de Paul with apostolic  virtues, grant, we pray, that, afire with that same spirit, we may love what he loved and put into practice what he taught.

Saint Joseph Seminary College located at Saint Joseph Abbey (Covington, LA) suffered a fire overnight. the fire apparently started in the computer server room. Everyone --64 students displaced-- is reported well.

The local news is noted here.

Prayers and fraternal support for the monastic community, faculty, staff and students.
Sts Cosmos and Damian.gifMay you be magnified, O Lord, by the revered memory of your Saints Cosmas and Damian, for with providence beyond words you have conferred on them everlasting glory, and on us, your unfailing help.

Today, the Holy Church celebrates the liturgical Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian. They were twins who were known to be doctors and/or pharmacists in the Roman province of Syria but born in what is known as Turkey. According to their biographers, the saints accepted no payment for their medical services; they were given the title of "Unmercenary" for loving God and man. The gospel line comes to mind: freely you have received, freely give. The brothers paid very close attention to the gospel as it was a light for their feet. 


St Benedict french illumination2.jpgThe Benedictine Abbots are going home now. They've been meeting in Rome since the 17th. Their work was not deliberative in any meaningful way as much as they gathered for the reason to elect an abbot primate, to gain perspective, to meet new and old monastic superiors, to hear how the worldwide Benedictines can assist one another in living the life more effectively and intensely according to the Holy Rule and the mind of the Church. Time was spent in prayer, study, and pilgrimage. How could one not spend time in prayer before the holy places of the martyrs in Rome as well as some of the central points of interest to Benedictines. Cindy Wooden from CNS published this article today as a sort of synopsis of one aspect of Benedictine life--the attraction of new members. Father Michael Casey, a Trappist monk, priest, author and speaker, addressed the assembly. He, by the way, is one of my favorite contemporary monastic thinkers. If only the abbots and other monastic superiors would listen to Father Michael. Alas, they're too timid and many can't (won't?) do the hard work necessary to figure out what they ought to do so as to not live in diminishment mode. One often gets the feeling that some monasteries would rather die than alter their Benedictine observance and the adherence to Christ and the Church. But, I will say that despite a lack of clear and intense thinking, praying and living, there are significant points of like for Benedictine monasticism in the USA.

What follows is an extract of what was published (read the text in full here):

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One of the main speakers at the Benedictine abbots' congress was Cistercian Father Michael Casey, an expert on monastic spirituality from Tarrawarra Abbey in Australia.

Maintaining tradition while responding to changing needs is an inescapable part of life, both for individuals and for religious communities, he said. "The fact that we are alive means that we are continually influenced by our past, continually interacting with our present, and looking forward to the future. It's really just a matter of personal integrity, personal vitality that we do respect and allow our past to continue speaking to us."


Humans are Useless, indeed

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Marc Barnes publishes his essays on his blog, Bad Catholic on Patheos. A recent installment, Humans Are Useless, is a beautiful piece on humanity, God, human relationships, sex, art and Love. My friend Tacy give me the tip to read this essay. It is rewarding. The essay is an excellent piece for faith formation.
daylesford abbey santc.jpgOn August 27, 2012, the Abbot of Daylesford Abbey in Paoli, PA, vested two secular priests in a traditional rite as novices of the Norbertine Abbey.

The video digest of vocation story of Father Herb Sperger being vested with the Norbertine habit can be viewed here.

Father David Driesch gives us his vocation story on the occasion of being vested as a novice at the same ceremony as Father Herb.

On August 28, 2012, Brother James Garvey professed first vows as a Norbertine. His narrative can be seen here.

Saint Norbert and all Norbertine saints pray for the novices!

If interested, here are two very brief posts on Saint Norbert here and here.

Pics of the St Meinrad Archabbey

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Ablen's pic of Meinrad buildings.jpgHere are some wonderful photos of the Archabbey of Saint Meinrad (in southern Indiana) by Mark S. Abeln, a photo journalist and blogger of 2010. The images are posted on Mr. Ablen's blog, Rome of the West. I hope he has time to go back to and record some of the monk's life, particularly the sacred Liturgy. 

As a Benedictine Oblate of the Venerable Archabbey of Saint Meinrad, and a friend of several monks there I am very enthused. The Abbey is a spiritual home with great men of good spiritual reputation and considerable talent. Watch for the good work of Father Denis Robinson, OSB, president and rector of the Seminary and School of Theology. 

The sites of interest:

Our Lady of Walsingham

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Our Lady of Walsingham St Louis Abbey.jpgSeptember 24th is the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham. She has had greater recognition in the past few years by Catholics in the USA due to an increased interest in ecumenism and the establishment of the personal ordinariats that offer Anglicans to come into full communion with the Catholic Church. The prayer, though, is prayer not just for ecumenism but for Our Lady to be present to us in mercy. We pray...

O blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Walsingham, Mother of God and our most gentle Queen and Mother, look down in mercy upon us, our parish [our monastery], our country, our homes, and our families, and upon all who greatly hope and trust in your prayers, (especially...). By you it was that Jesus, our Savior and Hope, was given to the world; and He has given you to us that we may hope still more. Plead for us your children, whom you did receive and accept at the foot of the Cross, O sorrowful Mother. Intercede for our separated brother and sisters, that with us in the one true fold they may be united to the Chief Shepherd, the Vicar of your Son. Pray for us all, dear Mother, that by faith fruitful in good works we may be made worthy to see and praise God, together with you in our heavenly home. Amen.

Image above is from the Oratory Ss. Gregory and Augustine, the Benedictine oratory at St Louis Abbey.

Our Lady of Mercy

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Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you do we cry poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, O most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.

O clement! O loving! O sweet Virgin Mary!


The narrative of this feast of Our Lady has its origin in the devotion of Saint Peter Nolasco in the late 12th century France. Father Paul Haffner tells us more here.


The feast of Our Lady of Mercy is close to the heart of the Sisters of Mercy of Alma, and those who have an awareness of the role of Mercy in life.

May Our Lady of Mercy be with us, pray for us.


Heilengkreutz monks.jpgThe promise of the hundredfold of the Lord is evident in the lives we lead; how we live our Baptism ought to be evident and with those who have responded to the Lord's call to follow Him more closely in the Christian life in which we live more intensely by through the consecrated life.

As Pope Benedict said, 

It is no less challenging to follow Christ today, It means learning to keep our gaze fixed on Jesus, growing close to him, listening to his word and encountering him in the sacraments; it means learning to conform our will to his. This requires a genuine school of formation for all those who would prepare themselves for the ministerial priesthood or the consecrated life under the guidance of the competent ecclesial authorities. The Lord does not fail to call people at every stage of life to share in his mission and to serve the church in the ordained ministry and in the consecrated life (48th World Day of Vocations, 2011).

Calling of St Matthew detail  Caravaggio.jpg
The key words for us ought to be "to follow," "to keep our gaze," "listening," "conforming," and "encountering." The crux is, to whom do we belong? Of course, I would hope that we could easily say that we belong to Christ and to His Church. But we know that while we may honestly believe this fact, it is not so every day. We say one thing but we don't always follow and keep our gaze on the Lord. May this be our prayer and our work today!

This is the third year that I have surveyed, in representative manner, some of the US monastic communities and religious orders who have had members profess simple and/or solemn vows, new members who received the habit or have receive ordination to the Order of Deacon or Priest. While the numbers may be sobering, the point is not about numbers as much as to recognize the many testimonies of grace, the rich living of the offer God has made to our sisters and brothers to love and serve Him in religious life. Corrections welcome.

Monastic life

monks


  • St Vincent's Archabbey: 4 profess simple vows; 4 profess solemn vows; 2 ordained deacons, 2 ordained priests
  • St John's Abbey: 2 monks make a profession of solemn vows; 3 professed simple vows
  • St Benedict's Abbey (Atchinson, KS): 1 monk solemn vows, 3 received as postulants, 1 postulant in Brazil
  • Belmont Abbey (Charlotte, NC): 1 novice entered; 2 monks profess solemn vows
  • St Martin's Abbey: 1 entered as a novice


nuns


Saint Matthew

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St Matthew VCampi.jpgO God, who with untold mercy were pleased to choose as an Apostle Saint Matthew, the tax collector, grant that, sustained by his example and intercession, we may merit to hold firm in following you.

Pope Benedict said today,

Matthew, the author of the first of the four Gospels, was a publican - a tax-collector - and the story of his call to become an Apostle reminds us that Christ excludes no one from his friendship. Tax-collectors were considered public sinners, and we can hear an echo of the scandal caused by the Lord's decision to associate with such men in his declaration that he came "not to call the just but sinners"  (Mt 2:17). 

This is the heart of the "good news" which Jesus came to bring: the offer of God's grace to sinners! The parable of the publican in the Temple makes this same point: by humbly acknowledging their sins and accepting God's mercy, even those who seem farthest from holiness can become first in the Kingdom of Heaven.

So, there's hope for  me (us).
Ab Notker Wolf.jpgAbbot Notker Wolf, 72,  was elected for the third time by the world's abbots and conventual priors who are at the quadrennial meeting currently in session at Sant'Anselmo, Rome.

Abbot Dr. Notker was the Archabbot of St Ottilien when he was elected the Abbot Primate in 2000. Abbot Notker professed vows in 1962, ordained in 1968, elected abbot in 1977, and elected the primate in 2000, 2008, and now in 2012. Abbot Notker will serve in the Office of the Primate for 4 years.

The election for the Primate's Office happened today 9am Rome time following the singing of the Office of Terce. Typically the election for Primate is chaired by the Archabbot of Montecassino, but being sick, instead of Abbot Pietro, the Abbot of Subiaco, Mauro Meaci chaired the election. Each monastic superior was called forth to drop his vote. Dom Mauro announced the tally, and called on Abbot Notker seeking to know if he accepted election. He did accept. According to law, the re-elected Abbot Primate made a profession of faith and the oath of fidelity with his hand on the Bible. All assembled then sang the Te Deum followed by a solemn blessing imparted by the Abbot Notker. Noon Mass was celebrated at the nearby Santa Sabina Church and the normal work of the Congress continued.

I would hope that Catholics know and utilize the work of of the Apostleship of Prayer. You would know the Apostleship because of their publication of the Pope's monthly prayer intentions, the advocacy of the Morning Offering and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Well, there is good work being done to make the ministry of these faithful Jesuits more known so as to lead all to Christ. 

Cindy Wooden of CNS notes, 

"Membership in the Apostleship of Prayer involves a commitment to beginning each day with a prayer offering one's life to God and praying for the needs of the universal church and the intentions of the pope. Members promise to end each day prayerfully reviewing their blessings and failings.

The morning offering and prayers are the basic membership requirements, and in many countries the apostleship has no registration, no groups, no fees, and no special meetings. The Jesuits estimate that about 50 million people fulfill the membership requirements in the apostleship and its youth wing, the Eucharistic Youth Movement."

The September 17th article is here.

Please join the Apostleship of Prayer (see the link above).

Representing 126 Billion dollars

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126 billion.jpg

Yahoo News published a story this morning published online a story, "Forbes Photographs 'Titans of Philanthropy'" noting the group which represents $126 Billion dollars. How many of those photographed can you name? Honestly... I can name a few but not the entire group without help. My prayer for these people is that they give their money to good causes that genuinely promote the common good influenced by virtue.

In the Forbes photo, left to right: Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, Peter Peterson, Leon Black, Jon Bon Jovi, Marc Benioff, David Rubenstein, Steve Case, Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, Marc Andreessen

Michael Brescia, MD.jpgThe 2012 White Mass of the Archdiocese of Hartford will host Dr Michael J. Brescia, Executive Medical Director of New York's Calvary Hospital on Sunday, 28 October 2012, St Mary's Church and Hall, (5 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT). 

Hartford Archbishop Henry J. Mansell will be the celebrant of the Mass at 10am.

Dr. Brescia is known for the development of the Brescia-Cimino Arterio-Venous Fistula, a critical treatment for kidney disease.

The White Mass prays in thanksgiving for the service of physicians, nurses, helathcare providers and administrators.

Questions and reservations: Heather Vaccola: 2012whitemass@gmail.com


The White Mass is co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of Hartford, The St Luke Society, The Connecticut Guild of the Catholic Medical Association and the Pope John Paul II Bioethics Center. This is the second annual Mass and it moves around the state.

Saint Hildegarrd of Bingen

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O Lord, you were generous with your gifts of grace to the virgin Hildegard. By following closely her example and teaching, may we pass from the darkness of this life into your marvelous light.


Saint Hildegard (1098-1179) was a Benedictine of great learning ( a true polymath), a holy woman who was known for her visions, prophesies, poetry and spiritual guidance. Some have likened her to Dante and William Blake. She was given the title of the Sibyl of the Rhine. Since the 15th century Hildegard's name was in the Roman Martyrology but was not officially canonized. On May 10, 2012 Pope Benedict XVI gave the entire Church the liturgical memory of Saint Hildegard (the equivalent of canonizing her); the Pope stated that on October 7, 2012 he will name the Saint a Doctor of the Church.

We pray for the Benedictine Congress in Rome that begins today and goes until the 25th through the intercession of Saint Hildegard.

Rosh Hashanah 5773/2012-13

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Pope with Shofar.jpgA blessed Rosh Hashanah (head of the year) to our Jewish brothers and sisters!!! The Jewish calendar marks 5773.

The feast of Rosh Hashanah is remembrance that we didn't make ourselves. It is a fitting opportunity to make the biblical connections of God's creation of the world. Some will call this feast a time to get your spiritual house in order. Thus, a time of prayer and reflection.

Rosh Hashanah is observed variously according to the Jewish which is followed.

The feast begins on Sunday, September 16 and ends Tuesday, September 18 (in the evening).

Our Lady of Sorrows

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Nuestra Senora de Dolores.jpgThe Virgin Mary, who believed in the word of the Lord, did not lose her faith in God when she saw her Son rejected, abused and crucified. Rather she remained beside Jesus, suffering and praying, until the end. And she saw the radiant dawn of His Resurrection. Let us learn from her to witness to our faith with a life of humble service, ready to personally pay the price of staying faithful to the Gospel of love and truth, certain that nothing that we do will be lost. 

Pope Benedict XVI
Angelus - September 13, 2009

Dolan meet Colbert

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Dolan and Martin.jpg
One of the most clever, that is, funny men in show biz today is Stephen Colbert. He's also practicing his Catholicsm and serves as a catechist.

Mr Colbert, with a friend, Jesuit Father James Martin of American Magazine will host a show with New York's archbishop, Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan. Get ready for a laugh!

Followup:

On the Cardinal's blog there's his article "Humor, Joy and the Spiritual Life."

Laurie Goodstein from the NY Times wrote, "A Comedian and a Cardinal Open Up on Spirituality."

On the AP is Rachel Zoll's article: "Colbert to NY Fordham students: 'I love my church.

Nuns... pray for vocations

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Sr Lauren Funk and Sr Mary Dominic Linden Monastery.tifI was reminded earlier today of a need to pray for vocations to the contemplative life. A former colleague of mine recently entered Dominican life as a cloistered nun at Saint Dominic's Monastery in Linden, VA. It is a traditional monastery of nuns, a very young of women who make a sacrifice to pray for us and the needs of the world. The postulant, Sister Lauren (left) is seen with a veteran nun, Sister Mary Dominic.

Pray for vocations.

As an aside, the Huffington Post had this special article with pictures of those who "thought" they had a vocation. One actually did pursue a vocation as a Benedictine nun at Regina Laudis Abbey (Bethlehem, CT), Mother Dolores Hart.

I am giving emphasis these days on knowing what we believe as Catholics by looking at the liturgical sources. We first go to the sacred Liturgy to study and pray the prayers prayed by the priest for Mass, Lauds, Vespers, or those smaller rites such as the Blessing of Basil that you would find on today's feast of the Holy Cross, also called the Roodmas. Ours is a richly endowed sacramental faith.


"The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which, the day after the dedication of the Basilica of the Resurrection raised over the tomb of Christ, is exalted and honored, in the manner of a memorial of His paschal victory and the sign which is to appear in the sky, already announcing in advance His second coming" (from the Roman Martyrology)


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The Blessing of Basil

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.

R. Who made heaven and earth.

Let us pray.

Almighty and merciful God, deign, we beseech You, to bless Your creature, this aromatic basil leaf. + Even as it delights our senses, may it recall for us the triumph of Christ, our Crucified King and the power of His Precious Blood to purify and preserve us from evil so that, planted beneath His Cross, we may flourish to Your glory and spread abroad the fragrance of His sacrifice. Who is Lord forever and ever.

R. Amen.

The bouquets of basil leaf are sprinkled with Holy Water.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

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Today's liturgical observance of the Holy Cross is a fitting day to ask what we understand it to mean. Because the Cross is the key that unlocks the door of our salvation, Christians ought to ask themselves what they believe the Cross to mean. When you encounter the Cross, what does it really mean for the Church, for you, for those who see the Cross on your person? With the proliferation of the image of the Cross in various places it's power is not diminished as much as our recognition of the meaning of may have. The Cross in any media is not a decoration for a building, a body, a cake or a book, the Cross is not merely one symbol among others; the Cross is not a talisman that can be summoned upon demand. As Saint Paul says, the Cross is our glory. Catholics learn the meaning of things in the Faith by looking at what is prayed at the sacred Liturgy. Hence, taking time with the antiphons, the Collect and the Preface of a given Mass will indicate what we believe.

We believe....

Christ on cross.jpgWe should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection, through whom we are saved and delivered. (antiphon)



O God, who willed that your Only Begotten Son should undergo the Cross to save the human race, grant, we pray, that we, who have known his mystery on earth, may merit the grace of his redemption in heaven.


For you placed the salvation of the human race on the wood of the Cross, so that, where death arose, life might again spring forth and the evil one, who conquered on a tree, might likewise on a tree be conquered through Christ. (excerpted from the Preface)


We adore you Christ and we praise you, for by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world. 

Saint John Chrysostom

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St John Chrysostom mosaic.jpgThose who are wise will shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars for ever.

O God, strength of those who hope in you, who willed that the Bishop Saint John Chrysostom should be illustrious by his experience of suffering, grant us, we pray, that, instructed by his teachings, we may be strengthened through example of his invincible patience.


The entrance antiphon and the Collect are enough to pray with today.

We pray for the Church in the East.

Prayer enables us to discern the events of history in the light of God's plan for the spread of his Kingdom. That plan is symbolized by the book closed with seven seals which only the Lamb, the crucified and risen Lord, can open. In prayer, we see that Christ's final victory over sin and death is the key to all history. While giving thanks for this victory, we continue to beg God's grace for our earthly journey. Amid life's evils, the Lord hears our prayers, strengthens our weakness, and enables us to trust in his sovereign power. The Book of Revelation concludes with Jesus' promise that he will soon come, and the Church's ardent prayer "Come, Lord Jesus!". In our own prayer, and especially in our celebration of the Eucharist, may we grow in the hope of Christ's coming in glory, experience the transforming power of his grace, and learn to discern all things in the light of faith. 

Pope Benedict XVI 
General Audience
12 September 2012
For Greater Gloory movie cover.jpg

The movie, "For Greater Glory," is now available on DVD on Amazon, but it is also available from Ignatius Press.

What price would you pay for freedom? In the exhilarating action epic "For Greater Glory" an impassioned group of men and women each make the decision to risk it all for family, faith and the very future of their country, as the film's adventure unfolds against the long-hidden, true story of the 1920s Cristero War the daring people's revolt that rocked 20th Century North America.

This movie is an excellent addition for your Catholic library of film and appropriate for a high school Catholic curricula, the RCIA and adult faith formation work of your parish. This forgotten part of our North American history needs to be better known.

The President of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation, Father Carrón's, said the following in tribute to Carlo Maria Cardinal Martini in a September 4th editorial in Corriere della Sera

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"And like Archbishop Montini, who initially confessed that he did not understand Fr. Giussani's method, though he did see its fruits, Cardinal Martini also encouraged us to go forward. I am still moved by the words that he addressed to Fr. Giussani in 1995, during a meeting of priests, when he thanked 'the Lord, who gave Msgr. Giussani this gift for continually re-expressing the core of Christianity. 'Every time that you talk, you always return to this core, which is the Incarnation, and - in a thousand different ways - you propose it again.'"

The full text of the editorial: Julian Carron Letter on Carlo Martini's death.pdf

This text is a brief, honest and yet key reflection not only on the life and influence of Cardinal Martini, perhaps an excellent synthesis of Christian life and how it is extroverted in a human being. There are some very tiresome reviews of who the Cardinal was, and what he meant to the Church too often in political language. To my mind those authors who evaluate a man such as Martini in this manner does not abide with the Gospel and faith.

The letter of Father Carrón acknowledges the fact that Communion and Liberation has significantly neglected the various opportunities of collaboration with Cardinal Martini that presented themselves over the years. This admission to members of CL should help all of us to reassess how we live and breathe in our given ecclesial context. This is a serious point that we can't pass off to circumstance. That is to say, we who claim to be faithful members of CL need to work more diligently with the Diocesan Ordinary "in giving reasons for our hope" in concrete ways so that we are witnesses as the Servant of God Pope Paul VI said (cf. the letter).

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The Most Holy Name of Mary

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Czestochowa OL.jpgThe Church has offered us a "Marian sandwich." Let me explain. This week we are honoring the Mother of God with three distinct memorials: The Nativity of Mary (Sept. 8) and Our Lady of Sorrows (Sept 15) and today the commemoration of the Holy Name of Mary. In liturgical history this feast has been observed on various days before settling on this day. The feast was reintroduced to our Roman Missal by Pope John Paul II.

The Roman Martyrology writes,

The Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a day on which the inexpressible love of the Mother of God for her Holy Child is recalled, and the eyes of the faithful are directed to the figure of the Mother of the Redeemer, for them to invoke with devotion.

The Church prays,

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, for all who celebrate the glorious Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, she may obtain your merciful favor.
You might ask why I care about the Subiaco Congregation... well, I care about the Congregation because it's the largest and most diverse of all the groupings of those who follow the Benedictine Rule, and many of the monasteries do interesting things outside the typical works of parochial and educational ministries. And, because I care. Subiaco monks and nuns tend to be more focused on living the monastic life with intensity. One may also say that the English Benedictines have certain intensity in life and ministry which distinguishes them from other groupings.

The other day I mentioned that the Cassinese Congregation (the Italian monasteries of which Monte Cassino is part) was seeking re-union with the Subiaco Congregation, and today the vote was positive. Of course, the Cassinese Congregation is very much in "diminishment mode" with very few new vocations with an outdated way of doing things. The vote for the revised constitutions was also positive.

Abbot Philip of the Abbey of Christ in the Desert writes a weekly notebook. This week he notes some of the "goings on" of the 19th General Chapter.

Saint Benedict and Saint Scholastica, pray for the monks, and for us.

9/11 - eternal memory

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Agimus tibi gratias, omnipotens Deus, pro universis beneficiis tuis, qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum. Fidelium animae, per misericordiam Dei, requiescant in pace. Amen.

St Scholastica Abbey Subiaco, Italy.jpegThe General Congregation of the Subiaco Congregation of Benedictine monks are meeting this week at one of the monasteries founded by Saint Benedict, Saint Scholastica Monastery, Subiaco, Italy. 

There are four monasteries of the Subiaco Congregation in the USA: the Abbey of Christ in the Desert, Saint Mary's Monastery (Petersham, MA), Holy Cross Monastery (Chicago, IL) and Thien Tam Monastery (Dallas, TX). These monasteries comprise the English Province of the Subiaco Congregation (which the video).

The meeting of the superiors (abbots and priors) is the normal manner of doing business of and for the Congregation which unites the monasteries throughout the world. As a point of comparison, the Subiaco Congregation is the largest grouping of  monks and nuns in the world with 1,293 members (a 2010 statistic). Among the tasks for the abbots and priors is to: approve the Constitutions of the Congregation which were newly revised, vote on the request to admit the Cassinese Congregation to the Subiaco Congregation and to elect an Abbot President.

Regarding the vote of the Cassinese Congregation: if the vote is positive the Italian monasteries of this congregation would then belong to the Subiaco Congregation thus re-uniting the two.

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, pray for the Subiaco Congregation, and for us.
Every bishop needs prayers. Yesterday was the year anniversary of Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Joseph Chaput's taking over the work of being the pastor. He's had a very tough year but not one without the finger of God directing his way. If there is a bishop that we ought to follow on this side of the Atlantic, this is the one. Here's an insightful story of the Archbishop's past year.... Read it please, and offer a prayer for both the archbishop and the archdiocese.

Be opened!

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Lower chapel Regina Laudis Abbey.jpgThe gospel for today has the word, "Be opened" --in other words, listen. It is a word that is most known by Christians in the Rite of Baptism where the priest touches the ears of the person to be christened saying, "Be opened."  Later in history, the word is made more famous for being the first word in the Rule of Benedict, Listen.

Today, the Mother Church recalls for us that Jesus uses mud to open the ears of a deaf man in front of Him; the Lord gives the man what he wants --the capacity to physically hear sounds-- but Jesus also gives the man to capacity to hear the Good Word, to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and thus is indicating a more profound manner of listening. It is our belief that the heart is where our desires, our needs, our total being is transformed by the hearing of the words of Eternal Life. Jesus opens our ears 2000 years later not only as an allegory for the inner life which we all need to attend to, but for some, there is a physical healing that also happens. "Be opened" now takes on the keen sense that without the Word of Life, without the Bread of Life, we can't really understand who we are, and what we are about.

Speaking of the Saint Benedict's Holy Rule, I was at the Abbey of Regina Laudis taking in the monastic environment of the Benedictine nuns who make it a point to listen. The Abbey is a special place. The nuns' listening is not only relegated to Scripture, the Rule, and the Fathers of the Church, but to each other. It is in the Rule that we learn more poignantly that there is such a thing as mutual obedience. This is the way of the Church. That is to say, following another who witnesses and therefore teaches us the way of Christ. I wonder if the Benedictine experience of life is possible not only for women in Connecticut, but also for men. Can it be conceived that a monastic presence of men following the Church's teaching on Baptism and Saint Benedict's Holy Rule is possible in the Nutmeg State today?
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Let us celebrate with joy the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for from her arose the sun of justice, Christ our God. (antiphon)


Impart to your servants, we pray, O Lord, the gift of heavenly grace, that the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin may bring deeper peace to those for whom the birth of her Son was the dawning of salvation.

Several things to pray for today,

  • the Most Rev. Edoardo Aldo Cerrrato, CO, on the day of his episcopal ordination in Rome;
  • the Cistercian Order;
  • those who professed vows today;
  • the Benedictines of Saint Mary's Monastery (Petersham, MA);
  • Archbishop Charles Chaput, OFM, Cap, on the first anniversary of being the archbishop of Philadelphia;
  • Michael Maggiore who is healing.


Keeping in mind what Saint Thomas of Villanova reflected upon for today's feast,

"What joy, what happiness there is in heaven! The shoot for the root of Jesse, sown so long ago in the patriarchs, has today sprung up and began  to grow, and will bear a Flower which is destined to heal the world; a Flower whose scent revives the dead, whose taste heals the sick, whose beauty delights the angels; a Flower both white and red, which the angels long to see."


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I am not a subscriber to Entertainment Weekly but this week when I saw the magazine I had another reason for not reading this rag.  The well-known actress Jessica Lange is on the cover wearing a religious sister's habit, a crucifix around her neck, brandishing a cane and wearing fire-engine red lipstick and painted nails advocating "American Horror Story." Hmmm, the artists got the look of many women religious, right?  It doesn't take a brain surgeon to see the ugliness of this image viz. with conversation the Church is having with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). 

While I am not a fan of what the LCWR stands for, or perhaps more accurately, what some members of the LCWR stand for, there is no need perpetuate the crass cliché through mocking portrayals of ruler-wielding nuns  who are seen as backwards and stupid. The vast majority of religious sisters and nuns are not this way. One ought to ask, "What about the beautiful work of teaching children Catechism, their work with the poor and the marginalized, all those women of prayer and learning in hospitals, and schools?

I think EW has stooped way too low in publishing a cover with anti-Catholic stereotyping. One can't claim that some members of the media are not anti-Catholic when a prominent magazine puts silly things on the cover. Really, a terrifying nun to advance a fictional plot?

What does one say when EW describes Sister Jude (Miss Lange's character) as a "scarily stern woman of faith...and a fan of corporal punishment...who has a penchant for red lingerie and vivid fantasies about her superior, Monsignor Timothy O'Hara." Further, EW quotes Joseph Fiennes who says, "Clearly she's attracted to the monsignor for his grace and religiousness." Fiennes plays O'Hara, "the monsignor might play with that, manipulate that."  Slutty nun.  Manipulative priest.

The show's co-creator, Ryan Murphy says, "I'm scared of aliens and I'm scared of Nazis and I'm scared of nuns."

To posit that there is no anti-Catholicism, I would think you might want to revise your opinion given the presence of fact:  anti-Catholicism has a history,  it's alive and well. Some Catholics are not bothered by dysfunctional nuns priests. Art, in this case, is claimed to be in the realm of opinion, that is, subjective.  It is said that what is one person's good-natured ribbing is another person's offensive stereotype. Do we really think it is appropriate to hold this idea at all, never mind if we apply the whole issue to those who hold Judiasm or Islam as their faith? Would the media think that making fun of a rabbi, an iman or a Buddhist monk is a good thing? That doing so is good natured? Why do it to Catholics?

EW's incredibly sad portrayal of a Catholic sister as the centerpiece of fictional show on TV is wrong, disrespectful, especially when the reality is very different. The concept is ill-conceived.

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

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The most well-known face of 20th century Catholicism and care for the human person after Pope John Paul is Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Her life and work is incomparable as well as her relationship with God even if there was distance between the two. Nothing is more beautiful in the spiritual life than an honest relationship, especially with God. Mother Teresa died on this date in 1997. Soon after her death, the Church waived the waiting period before a cause for canonization could be submitted to the Holy See. She was beatified on October 19, 2003.

The Church prays

O God, who called blessed Teresa, Virgin, to respond to the love of your Son thirsting on the cross with outstanding charity to the poorest of the poor, grant us, we beseech you, by her intercession, to minister to Christ in his suffering brothers.

You may want to listen to Veronica Scarisbrick's interview with Monsignor Leo Maasburg, a close friend of Mother, posted at Vatican Radio. He recently published a book, Mother Teresa of Calcutta: A Personal Portrait, 50 Inspiring Stories Never before Told (Ignatius, 2011).

A prior post on Blessed Teresa and Divine Mercy

 


Saint Moses

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Moses and the Burning Bush DBouts.jpgThe Kontakian of the Byzantine Liturgy the Church prays,

With the divine and righteous Moses and Aaron, the Prophets' choir today rejoices with gladness, seeing their prophecy fulfilled now in our midst; for Your Cross, O Christ our God, whereby You have redeemed us,, shine in the sight of all as the end and fulfillment of that which they foretold in ancient times. By their entreaties, have mercy upon all of us.


The Church honors Old Testament figures liturgically, and today we recall Moses, a Holy Forefather. However, these Old Testament people do not appear on the Roman Calendar but they do in the Eastern Calendar. In the Roman Martyrology (an official liturgical book that catalogues the cult of saints, including the ecclesial acts of beatification and canonization) we find Saint Moses.

It is to Moses, whom we call a holy prophet and lawgiver. He was chosen by God to lead the oppressed people out of Egypt to the Promised Land. To Moses we learn that God has revealed Himself through the burning but unconsumed bush and it is on Mount Sinai through Moses that we learn God's name, "I Am Who I Am." It is through Moses that we receive the Law and "at a ripe old age" Moses died before entering the Promised Land and designed by God.

According to Catholic theology, Moses is an Old Testament type of Jesus, who in the Gospel of Matthew, is known as the "new Moses" and and is said to be Elias on Tabor at the Lord's Transfiguration.

Moses is a particular appropriate saint for Benedictines to know, follow, and imitate. His life and vocation to be a prophet --that is, a witness, to the encounter with God, ought to motivate us to a deeper call to seek the face of God. The Benedictine vocation to be present to the Divine Mystery in front of us.

So, yes, Catholics call Moses "saint."
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Saint Gregory the Great

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St Gregory the Great statue, Portsmouth.jpegBlessed Gregory, raised upon the throne of Peter, sought always the beauty of the Lord and lived in celebration of that love.


O God, who care for the your people with gentleness and rule them in love, though the intercession of Pope Saint Gregory, endow, we pray, with a spirit of wisdom those to whom you have given authority to govern, that the flourishing of a holy flock may become the eternal joy of the shepherds.


Let us pray for the Pope, Benedict XVI and his ministry as pastor. Likewise, I would like to remember in prayer the monks of Portsmouth Abbey who live under the patronage of Saint Gregory the Great.

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"... it is the community prayer of the Word of God that stands out for ... [St Benedict] as the most vital prayer for everyone because everyone is involved in it, because the whole Church and all mankind are included in it..."

Saint Benedict's Rule
Abbot Patrick Barry, OSB

Ampleforth Abbey


For September, let's offer a rosary and other good works for the intentions of the Pope. As Abbot Patrick said above, the community's prayer includes all people.

The general intention

That politicians may always act with honesty, integrity, and love for the truth. 

The missionary intention

That Christian communities may have a growing willingness to send missionaries, priests, and lay people, along with concrete resources, to the poorest Churches.

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 September 2012.

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