Paul Zalonski: December 2012 Archives

Go to Mass on New Year's Day

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Benedict XVI vespers Dec 31 2012.jpg

The Pope's homily for Vespers at the Vatican basilica follows below. He sets out a very clear direction for Christian living and pastoral activity. Are we going to listen? The Pope preached:


I thank all of you who have chosen to participate in this liturgy of the last hour of the year of the Lord 2012. This "hour" bears a particular intensity and becomes, in a sense, a synthesis of all the hours of the year that is about to come to an end. I cordially greet the Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, consecrated persons and lay faithful, and especially the many people from the ecclesial community of Rome. In a special way I greet the Authorities present, beginning with the Mayor of the City, and thank them for choosing to share with us this moment of prayer and thanksgiving to God.

Sing the Te Deum in thanksgiving for the past year and the Veni Creator for new year, and gain a plenary indulgence.

In the Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, 4th edition, 26:

§ 1. A plenary indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who, in a church or in an oratory, are present [take part] in a recitation or solemn chant of: ... 

1° the hymn Veni Creator ... on the first day of the year, imploring divine assistance for the whole of the coming year...

2° the Te Deum hymn, on the last day of the year, in thanksgiving to God for the favors received in the course of the entire year.

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English: Holy Family, Mary, Joseph, and child ...
Today is the feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth. In the liturgy the passage from Luke's Gospel presents the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph who, faithful to tradition, go to Jerusalem for the Passover with the twelve-year-old Jesus. The first time Jesus had entered the Temple of the Lord was forty days after his birth, when his parents had offered "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons" (Luke 2:24) on his behalf, which is the sacrifice of poor. "Luke, whose Gospel is filled with a whole theology of the poor and poverty, makes it clear ... that Jesus' family was counted among the poor of Israel; he helps us to understand that it was there among them where the fulfillment of God's promise matured" ( The Infancy Narratives, 96). Today Jesus is in the Temple again, but this time he has a different role, which involves him in the first person. He undertakes the pilgrimage to Jerusalem as prescribed by the Law (Ex 23.17, 34.23 ff) together with Mary and Joseph, although he was not yet in his thirteenth year: a sign of the deep religiosity of the Holy Family. But when his parents return to Nazareth, something unexpected happens: he, without saying anything, remains in the City. For three days, Mary and Joseph search for him and find him in the Temple, speaking with the teachers of the Law (Lk 2: 46 ,47), and when they ask him for an explanation, Jesus tells them they have no cause to wonder, because that is his place, that is his home, with the Father, who is God (The Infancy Narratives 143). "He - Origen writes - professes to be in the temple of his Father, the Father who has revealed Himself to us and of which he says he is the Son" (Homilies on the Gospel of Luke, 18, 5).
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James R. Albers OSB.jpgThe monastic chapter of Saint Benedict's Abbey (Atchison, KS) elected Father James Robert Albers, 41 as the 9th abbot earlier today. Until now, he's served the monastic community as the Prior and vocation director.

Abbot James was born 19 October 1971, entered the abbey in 1996 and ordained in 2000.

The Benedictine community here was founded in 1857; it was given the rank of an abbey on 7 April 1876. Saint Benedict's Abbey administers Benedictine College (1858), Maur Hill Prep School (1919); in 2003 the Prep merged with Mount Scholastica Academy (1863) to build a more dynamic and stronger school known as Maur Hill-Mount Academy. Saint Benedict's Abbey is a member of the American Casinesse Congregation.

The monks also have a dependent Mosteiro São José in Goiás, Brazil.

The newly elected Abbot James succeeds Abbot Barnabas Senecal who was elected 8th abbot on 30 May 1994 and re-elected on 27 December 2002.

Forward, always forward.

May Our Lady of Guadalupe, Saint Benedict, Saint Scholastica with all Benedictine saints pray for the abbey and for Abbot James before the Throne of Grace.
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New NFP newsletter ... Naturally

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Virginia Corbett, the coordinator of the programming for Natural Family Planning for the Archdiocese of New York is now publishing a monthly newsletter, Naturally. The newsletter will concern itself with fertility, infertility, contraception, etc. To receive a copy of Naturally read the attached newsletter to get Virginia's email.

The Family Life and Respect Life Office at the Archdiocese of New York does a terrific job.

On Sunday, December 30, 2012, there will be a Saint Gianna Mass at Saint Peter's Church, Haverstraw, NY at 12:45 pm.

The Saint Gianna Mass is connected to the one held in NYC annually on May 16th at the Church of Saint Catherine of Siena (W. 68th Str).

Naturally may be read here: Naturally NFP Newsletter NY.pdf

The Holy Innocents

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Today's feast of The Holy Innocents has renewed meaning with the recent tragedy involving the death of 20 children in Newtown, CT on December 14. The entrance antiphon for Mass is rather startling (as is the Collect): "The innocents were slaughtered as infants for Christ; spotless, they follow the Lamb and sing for ever: Glory to you, O Lord."

So many violations of human dignity come to mind. Most notable resonances of recent days are the Newtown children, but there are also the countless of children aborted daily, the merciless killing of the elderly, sick, immigrants, and the list can go on. There is much work to protect human life.

Christmastide is filled with opportunities to recall those who died for Christ: Saint Stephen, the Holy Innocents, Saint Thomas Becket, CT little ones. The 16th century Coventry Carol, was sung as part of a pageant demonstrating chapter 2 of Matthew's Gospel where Herod kills male children under the age of two. The unknown author captures the scene perfectly, and even today it has a poignant message.

The Most Reverend Peter A. Rosazza published this editorial on his Facebook page:

Duccio Holy Innocents.jpg

On December 28th our church commemorates the massacre of the Holy Innocents by King Herod shortly after the birth of Jesus. The Magi disturbed Herod when they asked him where they could find the new-born King since they had been led by his star to Jerusalem. Herod, jealous of his power, sent soldiers to kill all baby boys two years of age and younger in Bethlehem and its surroundings. Some scholars estimate the number at approximately twenty-eight.

Just two weeks earlier, on December 14th, another massacre of innocents occurred. As we know, eight boys and twelve girls, between the ages of six and seven, along with six women, were executed by twenty-year old Adam Lanza who had first killed his own mother. The principal of the school another woman ran toward him and were killed in the process.

St Benedict Abbey KS.jpgLater today the monks of Saint Benedict's Abbey (Atchison, KS) enter into a special chapter (the group of solemnly processed) to begin the process of electing a new Abbot.

Abbot Barnabas Senecal, 75, is leaving the abbatial office. The Constitutions of the American Casinesse Congregation of monks has the abbot submitting a resignation on his 75th birthday. Abbot Barnabas has served for the last 18 1/2 years.

Please keep the monks in your thoughts and prayers as they gather to elect a new Father in Christ.

The abbey recently saw two monks profess temporary vows and three men enter the novitiate.


May the Holy Spirit guide the hands of the monks. Saint Benedict, pray for the monks.

Saint John the Evangelist

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St John on a 12th c MS.jpgToday we honor the Apostle who likely knew the Lord's mind and heart the best. Typically, Holy Church uses Scripture to bring us into the sacred Liturgy but today the entrance antiphon is taken from the other leg of the Magisterium, that of tradition to orient our prayer and belief. We are told,

This is John, who reclined on the Lord's breast at supper, the blessed Apostle, to whom celestial secrets were revealed and who spread  the words of life through all the world.

With the Church we pray,

O God, who through the blessed Apostle John have unlocked for us the secrets of your Word, grant, we pray, that we may grasp with proper understanding what he has so marvelously brought to our ears.
The beautiful sections of Pope Paul VI's encylical Mysterium Fidei (1965), are the ones dealing with the manner in which Our Lord is present in the Church today. Christmastide is nothing if not about the Presence of Someone who makes a difference in our lives, who redeems us from sin, who gives Himself completely, par excellence, to us in the Eucharist. The Presence is not about the doing of nice things, but offering us concretely eternal life. As Saint Ignatius of Antioch famously said of the Eucharist, the Presence of the Lord in the Eucharist is given to us as the "medicine of immortality."

The full text of Mysterium Fidei is obligatory reading for those who want to be well-educated in the Faith. Emphasis added.

Detail - Glory of the New Born Christ in prese...

Glory of the New Born Christ Child in presence of God Father and the Holy Spirit (Annakirche, Vienna) Adam and Eve are represented bellow Jesus Christ Ceiling painted by Daniel Gran (1694-1757).

35. All of us realize that there is more than one way in which Christ is present in His Church. We want to go into this very joyful subject, which the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy presented briefly, at somewhat greater length. Christ is present in His Church when she prays, since He is the one who "prays for us and prays in us and to whom we pray: He prays for us as our priest, He prays in us as our head, He is prayed to by us as our God"; and He is the one who has promised, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them." He is present in the Church as she performs her works of mercy, not just because whatever good we do to one of His least brethren we do to Christ Himself, but also because Christ is the one who performs these works through the Church and who continually helps men with His divine love. He is present in the Church as she moves along on her pilgrimage with a longing to reach the portals of eternal life, for He is the one who dwells in our hearts through faith, and who instills charity in them through the Holy Spirit whom He gives to us.
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Saint Stephen

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Stoning of Stephen.jpgThe gates of heaven were opened for blessed Stephen, who was found to be first among the number of the Martyrs and therefore is crowned triumphant in heaven. (Entrance Antiphon)

There's nothing sentimental about the Christmas season, at least, liturgically speaking, with the day after the feast of the Incarnation being dedicated to the first martyr, Saint Stephen. The antiphon for Mass (above) tells us what the Church believes. The Stational Mass in Rome for today is the Church of Saint Stephen on the Coelian Hill.

Stephen is clearly one of the earliest followers of Jesus, a convert to the way of living proposed by Jesus. Stephen is known to be the first to lay down his life for Christ.

What comes to mind for Saint Stephen's intercession is help is all those Christians around the world who live in fear of persecution, and those who live in an atmosphere of being misunderstood --falsely accused. Today is also a day to pray for our deacons since Saint Stephen was among the first 7 deacons of our Church.

"Yesterday the Lord of the universe welcomed us whereas today it is the imitator [Stephen] of the Lord," Saint Gregory of Nyssa preached.

Nativity of the Lord

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Blessed be the Child who today delights Bethlehem.
Blessed be the Newborn who today made humanity young again.
Blessed be the Gracious One who suddenly enriched all of our poverty
and filled our need.

Saint Ephrem

A change of heart

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The New Haven Register's Michael Bellmore has something to say to me in "Lapsed Catholic has a confession to make." His struggle with Christian faith is not unique to him, nor is the struggle for living coherently. Earlier this evening I had a conversation with friends about faith, meaning and struggle for truth in the lives we lead. I was privileged to be invited to a gathering at a friend's house sharing in an interesting conversation with his niece who's a freshman at Providence College and who just read Saint Augustine's Confessions as part of a Western Civ class. Wow! Someone is still reading Augustine's Confessions. Admittedly, the book is challenging for a well-educated person, and yet I find it clarifies my own journey and the path most people make in life.

To be honest the first line of the article gave me the feeling, "Oh, hear we go again, another angry, complaining, silly reporter trying to give another black eye to the Church." But I read the article and I found something else. I found a young man searching for meaning, reaching out in anxiety and finding friendship, mercy and forgiveness: a stony heart exchanged for new  one.

Festivus, a celebration?

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festivus1.jpgTODAY IS THE SOLEMNITY OF FESTIVUS! It is a Holy Day of Obligation. Be sure to go to Holy Mass!!! 

May I be the first to wish all of you a warm and happy and healthy and prosperous Festivus!

My friend Basil composed what would be an opening collect: 

O Lord, you have given us the great feast of Festivus to remind us that despite sending your only begotten and eternal son to redeem mankind, your people still prove to be a HUGE disappointment to just about everyone, including yourself I'm sure. We tell you this through our Lord Jesus Christ your son, who lives and reigns with you (because after 33 years down here, we ran him out of town) and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever, Amen.

Another friend, Dominic composed following alternative:

Having received, O Lord, from your abundant kindness this annual memorial of Festivus, we humbly beseech you, that, mindful of the saving mission of your Only-Begotten Son for the redemption of mankind, even as we prove a disappointment to ourselves beyond due proportion, so also we do to you as well. Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who etc.

Popularized by Seinfeld in 1997, Festivus is a another way for some to celebrate a season. Supposedly it rejects the commercialism of the season. It was invented in 1966 and includes feats of strength. You can make a donation to the Human Fund.

Happy festivus.
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The Perfect Gift

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(Mary prays:) "The Lord has exalted me by a gift so great, so unheard of, that language is useless to describe it; and the depths of love in my heart can scarcely grasp it. As I contemplate his greatness, which knows no limits, I joyfully surrender my whole life, my senses, my judgment, for my spirit rejoices in the eternal Godhead of that Jesus, that Savior, whom I have conceived in this world of time."

The Venerable Bede

Father George Rutler, pastor of the Church of Our Saviour (NYC) wrote the following in a recent newsletter that ought to be part of our ongoing reflection on what happened to the good people of the Sandy Hook Elementary School:

Locking school doors will not keep Satan out if our hearts are open to him. Nor will banning weapons ban murder if God is banned from the conscience. Cain slew Abel without a gun. An illogical world can be saved from self-destruction only by loving the Logos who was in the Beginning, who was with God and was God.
B16 Paolo Gabrele.JPGForgiveness is only possible with God's grace. Pope John Paul II taught us this fact several times with the events of his own life and in Church life. Pope Benedict's papacy has notable grievances that require pardon. Today is a good example with the Pope forgiving the actions of his former butler Paolo Gabriele who leaked to the world the Pope's private letters and arrested on 23 May 2012.

Paolo Gabriele, appealing to a high moral standard, said that he wanted the good of the Church by exposing evil and corruption that he loved the pope and the Church. No doubt Gabriele's actions personally grieved Benedict in a very personal way, by the breaking of trust, it also opened the governance of the Church to harm. A Vatican Tribunal found Gabriele guilty and sentenced him to jail on 6 October 2012.

Paolo Gabriele, 46, is married with three children.

Vatican Radio's Emer McCarthy posted this report. The Holy See's Press Office released the following today:
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Pope Benedict gave his annual address, a "State of the Church," if you will, to the curial officials of the Holy See today. 

You might say the content talk is crucially relevant for the work of the Church and the proclamation of the Gospel as he reviews key events and focuses on some themes.  Among many things which need our attention and reflection, the Pope spoke about nature of man, family life, and inter-religious dialogue. Regarding man in which he gave insight into, he speaks of how evil and destructive vague and ideological the "gender conscious crowd" is to the nature of the person and removes God from conversation. Read the full text here.

The Pope notes the crisis of the family and its effect on society, caused by the unwillingness to make a commitment and by unwillingness to suffer.  But he goes beyond the symptoms to diagnose the cause of the crisis. This talk is not an attack, it is an appeal to truth.

Each of Pope Benedict's addresses to the Roman Curia are important, certainly the 2005 address stands out, but today's will be memorable. 

Here's a section:

First of all there is the question of the human capacity to make a commitment or to avoid commitment. Can one bind oneself for a lifetime? Does this correspond to man's nature? Does it not contradict his freedom and the scope of his self-realization? Does man become himself by living for himself alone and only entering into relationships with others when he can break them off again at any time? Is lifelong commitment antithetical to freedom? Is commitment also worth suffering for? Man's refusal to make any commitment - which is becoming increasingly widespread as a result of a false understanding of freedom and self-realization as well as the desire to escape suffering - means that man remains closed in on himself and keeps his 'I' ultimately for himself, without really rising above it. Yet only in self-giving does man find himself, and only by opening himself to the other, to others, to children, to the family, only by letting himself be changed through suffering, does he discover the breadth of his humanity. When such commitment is repudiated, the key figures of human existence likewise vanish: father, mother, child - essential elements of the experience of being human are lost".

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B16 blesses Curia 21 Dec 2012.jpgIt's custom for the Holy Father to speak to the members of his Curia in way that reviews the past year, assessing the "situation" faced in the Apostolic ministry, and to give some idea of what will be worked on in the coming year. The address is ALWAYS worth the time to read, to study, and to reflect on in a serious manner. The Pope is a masterful thinker and writer; he really sets the bar pretty high but with clarity. One is clear to me is that the Pope is calling the laity to a new engagement in faith formation, worship of God, and cultural and political activities (not activism, there's a difference). You might say that the goal of the Pope in his address is to help us to rediscover the gift and beauty of Catholic faith. As he notes, God comes to us in the circumstances of life. Some people will latch on the sensational parts of the talk, especially with some of the more heated topics discussed in society today but the raising of issues and talking about them intelligently isn't a sign of trouble or weakness in the communion of the Church, but a way to seriously look at what is before us and to rely on God for help. We do, as you will agree, have a nostalgia for the Infinite which shows that we are limited human beings in need for a deeper conversion to the Good News. What the Pope reminds us here is that our Salvation doesn't come from within us but is given by Someone outside, that is, by the Most Holy Trinity.

The foci:

A. pastoral visits: Mexcico, Cuba, Milan, Lebanon 
B. post-synodal exhortation to Eastern Churches
C. synod of bishops: on the New Evangelization
D. matters of concern: the family, marriage, justice, peace, interreligious dialogue, sexuality, evangelization, the person, community life, self-giving, conversion

The papal address

It is with great joy that I meet you today, dear Members of the College of Cardinals, Representatives of the Roman Curia and the Governorate, for this traditional event in the days leading up to the feast of Christmas. I greet each one of you cordially, beginning with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, whom I thank for his kind words and for the warm good wishes that he extended to me on behalf of all present. The Dean of the College of Cardinals reminded us of an expression that appears frequently during these days in the Latin liturgy: Prope est iam Dominus, venite, adoremus! The Lord is already near, come, let us adore him! We too, as one family, prepare ourselves to adore the Child in the stable at Bethlehem who is God himself and has come so close as to become a man like us. I willingly reciprocate your good wishes and I thank all of you from my heart, including the Papal Representatives all over the world, for the generous and competent assistance that each of you offers me in my ministry.
We all are hurting today. Whatever the reason, joy seems to be lacking in many. For some people any celebration of Christmas is out of the question. They believe that joy is not permitted due to the murders of children and adults. There is no room for hope, no possible way to feel anything but misery. There is no question that the radical absence of loved ones is very trying and almost hopeless. I think we can understand this line of thinking, but I think for people of true Christian faith this is not the answer.

Our friend, Dominican Father Peter John Cameron (Editor-in-Chief of Magnificat), tells us why Christmas is important and how it shapes our humanity and our belief that death and violence doesn't have the final word. He makes a clear case for a true celebration of JOY. Father Cameron celebrates the sacred Liturgy weekly at the now famous Catholic Church in Newtown, Connecticut, Saint Rose of Lima.

For your prayerful consideration: Fr. Peter Cameron Newtown Homily Dec 16 2012.pdf

English: President John F.Kennedy visits Pope ...

US President John F.Kennedy visits Pope Paul VI.

The Prefect of the Congregation for Saints, Angelo Cardinal Amato, SDB, in the course of an audience with His Holiness today, received permission to promulgate a decree certifying those whose causes have been studied and have reached a particular place in the ongoing work of judging who are candidates as saints. There is a human process in "saint-making" but true be told, ONLY God makes saints.

Notable on the list moving ahead is the Servant of God Pope Paul VI (Giovanni Battista Montini) who died on August 6, 1978. 

Montini of Milan was the 261st pontiff taking the name "Paul VI" and followed John XXIII (now a Blessed) and was before John Paul I (who's cause for sainthood is also being studied). Paul is among with many others on the move.The list presented to Pope Benedict today is here.

Who was Pope Paul VI? Vatican Radio's Veronica Scarisbrick helps to answer the question.

Pope Paul there are three new saints and many others who now move up the proverbial ladder. The pope is now referred to as the Venerable Servant of God Pope Paul VI.
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The Knights make me feel safe

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The emblem of the Knights of Columbus
The circumstances in Newtown, Connecticut, have raised the awareness of many with regard to human need: love, peace, fraternity, fidelity, acceptance, and safety. Sometimes we are unaware of our own human need, sometimes we are unaware of the person next to us, and sometimes we are unaware of the gifts given to us by God that are in front of us, like companionship. 

When I worked at Saint Rose of Lima Church several years ago I came into contact with several very impressive men and their families. These men were impressive because they weren't so different from me, or others that I knew, yet their regular faith, friendship and actions made difference in concrete ways. The concrete is always an expression of someone else at work: for me it is Jesus Christ.

I am proud member of the Knights of Columbus and I cherish my membership with other Knights. Why? In a recent email from the Grand Knight about the work he's calling brother Knights to do, and attending to what others need and feel for a greater good inspired me because of the one line in the letter (see below). See how important a presence can be? See how important THE Presence can be if we allow the Him to act in and through us?
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Cardeal Emmanuel III Delly.jpgThe 85 year old Chaldean Patriarch and Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly resigned today.

The Pope accepted his resignation and has called for a special synod of bishops of the Chaldean Church to meet on January 28, 2013 to be supervised by Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, the Prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches.

The Chaldean Church will be governed by Archbishop Jacques Ishaq, 74, a curial bishop. The Chaldean Church in Iraq numbers about 450K+ and 1.5 million worldwide.

Patriarch Emmanuel III was ordained 60 years ago today; has been a bishop since 1963. When he was elected he was a retired bishop. Benedict XVI nominated him a cardinal in 2007.

Delly attended several sessions of Vatican II.

The Orthodox equivalent to the Chaldean Church is The Assyrian Church of the East who has its headquarters in Chicago, governed by Patriarch Dinkha IV. In the USA, there are two Catholic eparchies for the Chaldeans, one in Michigan and one in southern California. Whether Orthodox or Catholic, these church in Iraq considers the Apostle Saint Thomas to be a founder of the Church. Since November 11, 1994, the Church of Rome and the Church of the East (the Orthodox group) signed the Common Christological Declaration meaning that the Churches held Chalcedonian faith in Christ's humanity and divinity.
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Fasting to prepare for Christmas

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The Four Men in the Fiery Furnace. Три отрока ...
Latin Catholics are accustomed to fasting once a year at Lent. Historically speaking, there was a time when the tradition of fasting was proposed a few more times a year than merely Lent, e.g., the Assumption fast, the Saints' fast and the Advent fast.

Liturgically speaking the time before any great feast of the Lord (i.e., Christmas & Easter), the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, and also of Mary (Assumption of the BVM) was preceded by a distinct time of preparation: prayer, fasting almsgiving.

In time, Catholics have relaxed some traditions and now they have become virtually obsolete. Think of the practice of Ember Days. Today, in fact, is the first of the three Advent Ember Days. You may have heard that the US bishops are encouraging the reinstitution of abstinence on Fridays. Fasting and abstinence are different; do you know the difference? What can we do to restore a reasonable practice of the Catholic faith that includes expanding our utilization of spiritual disciplines such as fasting? Can Catholics reinstitute the Ember Days in the praying of the Novus Ordo Liturgy?
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English: Coat of arms of Francis cardinal Geor...
Chicago's archbishop, Francis Cardinal George, soon to be 76, spoke to 45 members of his Archdiocese Pastoral Council on November 17th about the need to clarify what we as Catholics believe and how we ought to live if we want to make a contribution to any of the national dialogues. For example, had the topic been center stage at the time of the meeting, the cardinal may asked a question like, given the tragedy in Newtown, CT, how would an informed and reasonable Catholic respond to matters: of mental health, to the Second Amendment, to God's role in our life with such violence?
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From Nazareth to the street

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Srs Mary Ellen and Jude Thaddeus CSFN Newtown.jpgIn the days following the Newtown tragedy many people are applying the concept of hero to those who lived and died with dignity offering themselves for the good of others. The adults at the Sandy Hook School can certainly be labeled as a heros. We can also bestow the title of hero on those who responded: police and fire personnel, healthcare professionals and social workers, and members of the clergy and consecrated religious. 

Here on Communio I want to single out the good and exemplary witness of Monsignor Robert Weiss, Father Ignacio Oritgas, Father Luke Suarez, Sister Mary Ellen Genova, CSFN and Sister M. Thaddeus Rajka, CSFN. The deacons are to be mentioned here, too. Each of them, with affection for the self lived the law of the Gift given in spirit of the family.
John Yaziji.jpgThe Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch elected a new patriarch, His Eminence, Metropolitan Archbishop of Europe, John Yazigi, 57. He will be known as John X.

The special synod of 18 bishops gathered for the election following the death of Patriarch Ignatius IV who died on December 5; the synod met at the Balamand Patriarchal Monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Patriarch John was born in 1955 to a Syrian father and Lebanese mother in family of six children. His brother Paul is the Metropolitan of Allepo and his sister is a nun.

Patriarch John X is an Athonite monk ordained a deacon in 1979, a priest in 1983 and a bishop in 1995. In 2008, he was elected to pastoral service in Europe. His education includes degrees in civil engineering, theology, liturgy and music. His skill as an administrator can be seen in his work as Dean of the School of Theology at Balamand twice. John is known to be an exceptional pastor with competencies in the sacred Liturgy and Music; he's a published author and popular speaker.

Blessings on Patriarch John!
Antiphons O.jpgThe tradition of the "O Antiphons" is now upon us. We will hear them beginning tonight at Vespers.

ERO CRAS is a convenient nemonic device, meaning, "tomorrow, I will come."

During the 8 days before Christmas, the Church has collected, one for each night, a biblical verse from the Advent Prophets Isaiah and Micah (that is, an "antiphon") that is known to be prophetic of the birth of Jesus; each notes a title of the Messiah. Each offers us a key to understand the gift of the Messiah promised through the use of typology.

The Octave of Advent begins on December 17th and concludes on the 23rd. Seven different antiphons are traditionally sung prior to and following the Magnificat during Vespers as part of the Divine Office (the Liturgy of the Hours). The eighth day of the octave is Christmas Eve, so Vespers for that evening is the Christmas Vigil. Each antiphon begins with the word, "O" in the incipit. Hence, "O Antiphons."  Most of us are familiar with the Advent hymn, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," the content of which the O Antiphons form the structure Vespers at this time of the liturgical year.

The Church always distinguishes what she says and since in our theology we derive our belief from the manner in which we pray, the O Antiphons give ample food for what we belief the Messiah to be, who he is. Secularism gives the world an emasculated Santa Claus but the Church gives us a Messiah. He is known through his titles, that is, his activities. In the final stretch before Christmas use this time to pray with the O Antiphons: they provide a beautiful framework for reflection before the Nativity.

Past Communio blog entries here, here and here.

Advent Three, Gaudete

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Los entering the grave Wm Blake.jpgOur worship of God began today with the the Church quoting Saint Paul who wrote, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near" (Phil. 4:4-5).

Hard to hear these words today following the tragic events of Friday the 14th where the citizens in Newtown, Connecticut, indeed, the nation, faced horrific acts of evil. As we "faithfully await the feast of the Lord's Nativity" our affect, our prayer, our humanity has a new orientation: a cry of anguish and a cry of joy. That's the Christian paradox. We are sad (troubled and grieved) to have young people gunned down. Lives cut short. The living who are searching for ways to go on with meaning and peace. The somber joy of the Third Sunday of Advent is an invitation, a recognition, a way being, to a life of joy found only in God no matter the circumstance.
Some Year of Faith initiatives

The monks, nuns and oblates of Saint Mary's Monastery and Saint Scholastica Priory in Petersham, MA, had a day of reflection on October 20th that covered the New Evangelization and the Benedictine charism. Dr. Philip Zaleski, an Oblate of the monastery and Father Christophe Vuillaume, OSB, a monk at Saint Mary's gave the two presentations.

Audio files

Saint Lucy

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st lucy icon.jpg
May the glorious intercession of the Virgin and Martyr Saint Lucy give us a heart, we pray, O Lord, so that we may celebrate her heavenly birthday in this present age.

Saint Lucy's life is rather obscure now with the passage of time and the lack of accurate records from her period in history. She died c. 304 during the time of Diocletius. Since Saint Gregory the Great added Lucy's name to the Roman Canon in the 6th century we hear her name with other virgin martyrs.

Remembering liturgical history, the liturgical memorial of Saint Lucy was commemorated on the shortest day of the year on the Julian calendar. The meaning of "Lucy" is drawn from the Latin word "lux," light, hence Lucy illumines our path to Christ; her light shines in the darkness.

Today, December 13, is no longer the shortest day of the year with the least amount of light but we retain the memorial of Lucy, a woman linking us to the Lord through the light of her life of virtue.

Hagiography points us in a direction:

Our Lady of Guadalupe

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OLOG.jpgO God, Father of mercies, who placed your people under the singular protection of your Son's most holy Mother, grant that all who invoke the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe may seek with ever more lively faith the progress of peoples in the ways of justice and of peace.

The icon of Mary revealed on the tilma of Saint Juan Diego shows the "depth of her love for humanity...her maternal love" [for all peoples]. The Virgin "...desires intimacy with us, just as the Father desires intimacy with us, just as Jesus does... [Mary] is the one who leads us more fully to Jesus," said Archbishop Samuel Aquila in Rome in a address, "The Encounter with Jesus Through Mary" on December 10, 2012.

I'd like to entrust the soul of Avery Cardinal Dulles, SJ, who died on this date in 2008. He was a good man, holy priest, and a faithful friend. May the Virgin of Guadalupe bring him to Jesus.
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Papal twittering has a history

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The real history of papal tweeting.



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Millions tweet, even the Pope

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Habemus Twitter.jpgWe now have a Pope that tweets. It's big news. Now there seems to be close to a million people following Pope Benedict's Twitter account @pontifex in a variety of languages.

Below the fold in today's USA Today Cathy Lynn Grossman wrote a story, "Papal faithful a-Twitter" looks at the phenomenon of papal twittering. Now we have papal cars, papal vestments, papal candidates, papal infallibility and now papal tweets. Among some incident things Ms. Grossman profiles Rachel Amiri who asked the Pope a really great question: 

"Holy Father, what is the best way to show others that God is Love in a world that thinks Christians only hate?"

Ms. Amiri hit the nail on the head. I hope her question gets chosen to be answered but if it doesn't we now have the benefit of asking ourselves how we would answer Amiri?

Following the Pope's lead I reactivated my Twitter account @paulzalonski because I thought he's right to engage in social media because it is consistent with the missionary impulse of Jesus and it's plain good sense to respond to those who are genuinely seeking God (cf. Saint Benedict & Saint John Bosco). We need to have their questions responded to. Want to effect change, want to inspire faith, want to show the beauty of the faith of the Church --you and me-- need to be present in the lives of people. 

The personal is the only way to evangelize but it's a little difficult with 1.3 billion Catholics in the world. To close the gap Twitter is one among many ways to attempt to be personal. Nothing replaces the personal presence of another; nothing is better that hearing another's voice and feeling their hand extended in friendship. That's the Divine lead we follow in the Incarnation: God so loved us that He sent His only Son. Let's face it, we all want to know that those who lead us are actually listening to and caring for us. Sadly, many of the bishops and priests aren't listening to faithful. Perhaps tweeting will yet again make the personal nature of the Incarnation known and love and followed. Perhaps the papal tweeting will help all of us see the face of Christ.

Will you follow the Pope, me?
Massimo Camisasca epis ordinazione.jpgOn Friday, Monsignor Massimo Camisasca, FSCB, 66, was ordained a bishop at Basilica of Saint John the Lateran (the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome) by Cardinal Carlo Caffarra, Archbishop Adriano Bernardini and Bishop Adriano Caprioli. 

Camisasca is now the bishop of Reggio Emilia-Guastalla, a diocese that has had a bishop since the first century. The bishop is the founder and until his episcopal election was the superior general of the Fraternity of Saint Charles Borromeo, which follows the charism of the Servant of God Father Luigi Giussani (& Communion and Liberation).

Bishop Massimo said of his new ministry,

This is the fundamental reason for my episcopate: to announce Christ, the Son of God made man, who underwent the Passion and the Cross for love of us, is risen and so is living, and acts in the history of mankind with the attractive force of his divine humanity through his Body in history, which is the Christian people, his Church. 

Massimo Camisasca, FSCB
Bishop of Reggio Emilia-Guastalla, Italy
Ordained to the episcopate, December 7, 2012 

Perhaps what Bishop Massimo clarifies a little what Blessed John Paul said about CL,

Communion and Liberation, therefore, has chosen and chooses to indicate not a road, but the road toward a solution to this existential drama. The road, as you have affirmed so many times, is Christ. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, who reaches the person in his day-to-day existence.

Bishop Massimo is one of two bishops who are members of the Fraternity of Saint Charles Borromeo and 15 other bishops who follow the charism of the Servant of God Father Luigi Giussani and the life of Communion and Liberation.

Veni Sancte Spiritus.
Veni per Mariam.
Mother Marie des Douleurs.JPGToday marks the 29th anniversary of death of Mother Marie des Douleurs, known in history as Suzanne Wrotnowska (1902-1983), the foundress of the Congregation of Benedictines of Jesus Crucified. A true spiritual mother of all who need mercy, especially women who would not be able to enter the monastic life due physical impediments. Mother Marie's spiritual maternity extended also to priests who haven't repented of their sin.

The vocation of a Benedictine sister of Jesus Crucified is to be a victim, a total offering of self to the Lord for priests in view of who we know our Messiah to be, Jesus Christ, priest and head of the Church (Christ the King). The law of the gift is lived par excellence in union with those in most need of mercy. The vocation is especially needed today for those priests, bishops and deacons who are public sinners and who have not repented of their sins. We are all aware of our own sin, we all need forgiveness and to forgive, we also note that not all the clergy have been living a life of purity of heart. And for this intention a Benedictine of Jesus Crucified promises to offer prayer and sacrifice.

A friend, Father Mark tells us, upon learning from Father Luc de Wouters, OSB, who wrote the biography of Mother Marie, who said that she was facing death Mother Marie said,

In the eventide of my life, I have such a need of recollection, such a need to obey and to humble myself. I am unworthy of having been chosen to found the Congregation. I suffer being pulled between heaven and earth. The cross grows heavy. The Lord gave me as my portion the souls of guilty priests...my own soul disappears beneath an accumulation of iniquities! But I had asked for this humiliation! How is that the Lord was able to make use of so little a thing? His fidelity, His consuming love, this all my life, my light my death.

Mother Marie des Douleurs is also the author of Joy Out of Sorrow (1965).

In the US, there is one monastery of 17 nuns at the Monastery of the Glorious Cross, Branford, CT.

The biography of Mother Marie is written by Father Luc de Wouters, OSB, Le Sperpent et la croix, is available by writing to Soeur Marie-Isabelle, OSB, Monastère Saint Benoît, 25330, Nans-sous-Sainte Anne, France.
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Hear with favor our prayers, which we humbly offer, O Lord, for the salvation of the soul of Father Louis (Thomas Merton), your servant and Priest, that he, who devoted a faithful ministry to your name, may rejoice in the perpetual company of your Saints.


The famous Trappist monk, Thomas Merton (b. 1915) died on this date in 1968.


In very many ways Merton was a consummate human being: loved pleasure and engaged his freedom only to transform pleasure and his version of freedom with his embrace a life of prayer and silence as a  Strict Obsernace Cistercian (a Trappist monk) in a Kentucky abbey.  In the monastery Thomas Merton was known as Father M. Louis, a name I still prefer to use because of his commitment to the monastic life. At the command of his abbot, Merton wrote of his conversion in his 1949 best seller, The Seven Storey Mountain, introducing millions of people to the monastic life. No other book since this one has had such a critical impact on Catholics.

His conversion story was only one of many books and essays published by Merton and even in death Merton continues to publish due to the finding of new materials or the repackaging of thought into new books. The irony of Merton's life as a monk is that he died in Asia conferencing with an international and interfaith group of monks and nuns. His body was brought home in a steel casket on a military transport.

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Vatican Radio on iTunes

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Vatican Radio.jpegVatican Radio launched an iPhone app on iTunes. The app is free. It lets you follow the Pope and the work of the Church throughout the world as well as providing you with other pertinent information and cultural engagement.

Vatican Radio has programming in 47 languages with 70 daily programs. Vatican Radio was founded in 1931.
The attribution to the following is given to Saint John Chrysostom but the citation has not been found, but the Pope quoted the saint in a recent Wednesday Audience. It's a striking reflection for our spiritual life, it even can be used for our daily examen. The saint said,

What do you lack? You have become immortal, you have become free, you have become a son, you have become righteous, you have become a brother, you have become a joint heir, with Christ you reign, with Christ you are glorified. Everything is given to us, and - as it is written - 'can we not expect that with him he will freely give us all his gifts?'(Rom 8:32). Your first fruits (cf. 1 Cor 15:20.23) are adored by angels [...]: what do you lack?
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Lord our God, as we celebrate Mary, daughter of Zion and figure of the new Jerusalem that descends from heaven, we await the coming of your Son Jesus Christ in glory. Hasten the day of his coming, and all the nations, together with all of Israel, will find salvation in your eternal kingdom. We ask you this through the Holy Spirit, who consoles us and intercedes for us now and forever.


Today's feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary ought to be interpreted on the basis of sacred Scripture (Zeph 3:14-18a; Gal 4:4-7; Lk 1:39-55), sacred Tradition and the Magisterium. This feast is best understood from the point of view of the eschatological context of Advent which focuses our attention essentially on the coming of the Lord at the end of time. Consider what the prayer above notes. Christians, remember, live in the end times now.

Mary's conception (through her parents Anne and Joachim) celebrated in the liturgical season of Advent is a fitting time in which we long, really desire, the Lord's coming. Our waiting for the Messiah, now for the second time, is a true hope of all hopes.

The Church in the Eastern Roman Empire, known as Byzantium, has observed this feast with great interest before it reached the Western Empire by the 10th century. In the East today is also called the Conception of Saint Anne.  If you recall, the Franciscan and Doctor of the Church Saint Bonaventure has a clear teaching on the Immaculate Conception of Mary, defended and promoted by other Franciscan theologians and made part of Catholic dogma in 1854.

The precise Catholic theological teaching of the Immaculate Conception is not shared by some Protestant ecclesial communities and the Orthodox Churches. "For them, Mary's conception has the value of a sign: through the divine intervention that was needed to heal Anne of her infertility, all of humanity has been healed of its sterility, brought on by sin, and has become the womb capable of welcoming the Word's Incarnation. It is the Lord himself who, in his infinite mercy, prepares the way for his decisive intervention in history." In many ways there is not that much difference in substance but acknowledged nonetheless here.

Under the title of the Immaculate Conception, Mary is the patroness of the United States of America.

Saint Ambrose

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O God, who made the Bishop Saint Ambrose a teacher of the Catholic faith and a model of apostolic courage, raise up in your Church men after your own heart to govern her with courage and wisdom.

The prayers for todays Mass that honors the ecclesial memory of one of the famous saints are key to pinpointing what the Church most revers about the man who was concerned about right-thinking and right-praying Christians.  Who was Ambrose? The Collects tells us that he was a bishop, saint teacher, model of courage seen in the apostles and capable of good governance, that is, he had courage and wisdom. What moved Ambrose? Again, the collects tell us he was constantly inspired by the light of faith.

The Church recalls Saint Ambrose of Milan (340?-397), bishop and Doctor of the Church. Ambrose was born in Trier to a Roman family: his father was praetorian prefect of Gaul and educated in Rome In about 372 he began his public service as prefect of Liguria and Emilia, whose capital was Milan.

Let's recall that the ecclesial tradition indicates that the gospel was brought to Milan by Saint Barnabas and that the city's first bishop was Saint Anathalon. In 374 the bishopric of Milan became vacant. An astute Ambrose tried to work with the conflict between orthodox Catholics and Arians over the appointment of a new bishop. His words were convincing and hopeful that the people demanded --not the pope-- that he become the bishop of Milan. 

Ambrose's personal holiness was such that he gave his material belongs to the poor and to the Church. We attentive to the prayerful reading of the Scriptures and praying the Liturgy. He was a very attentive bishop as the Good Shepherd. Works of charity and clear teaching was attractive to many. As bishop he defended the rights of the Church and tried to correct the errors of the Arian heresy with learning, firmness and gentleness. 

The Divine Office that we pray today is still peppered with Ambrose's hymns. 

Saints beget saints. Ambrose was central to the conversion of St Augustine to Catholicism.

Pope Benedict gave his own catechesis on this great saint today. Ambrose is the "Icon of Christ."

Saint Nicholas

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We humbly implore your mercy, Lord: protect us in all dangers through the prayers of the Bishop Saint Nicholas, that the way of salvation may lie open before us.

Today's saint restores the human dignity to his people and brings supernatural light to them, that is, he carries Jesus Christ to others. 

Most people today have lost sight of who the real Nicholas is: he moves from being a bishop, one who offers the Divine Liturgy, wonder-worker, and a man of great charity in his teaching truth and helping the poor. We recognize in Saint Nicholas today not a man love and adherence to Christ but someone who represents insipidity. Nicholas is far from the commercial mindset. Hopefully we can target the reality and sweep away silliness.

 Two Benedictines who blog give a little more insight into Saint Nicholas: Dom David and Dom Mark Daniel.

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The Most Reverend Daniel A. Cronin, Archbishop Emeritus of Hartford, is coming to East Haven on Thursday, December 6, 2012 to preside and preach during an Advent Evening of Reflection, with a focus upon the "Year of Faith."  

The presentation begins at 7:00 PM and takes place at Our Lady of Pompeii Church, 355 Foxon Road, in East Haven. 

The reflection will be offered in the context of a Holy Hour, to also include prayers, readings from Scripture, and the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. 

Join us for prayer and let friends know.

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Can I say this? I want every priest to be like Michel-Marie Zanotti-Sorkine: a sign of unlimited availability to Christ and to humanity.

In Marina Corradi's Avvenire article "The Pope is Right: Everything Must Start Afresh from Christ," (thanks to Sandro Magister for bringing this article to our consideration) she portrays a French priest that is attractive and full of humanity. 

Two paragraphs strike me as important for us to reflect upon: 

  •  "...he affirms that a priest who has an empty church must examine himself and say: 'It is we who lack fire.' He explains: 'The priest is 'alter Christus,' he is called to reflect Christ in himself. This does not mean asking perfection of ourselves; but being conscious of our sins, of our misery, in order to be able to understand and pardon anyone who comes to the confessional.'"

  • "In church, he welcomes everyone with joy: 'Even the prostitutes. I give them communion. What should I say? Become honest, before you enter here? Christ came for sinners, and I have the anxiety, in withholding a sacrament, that he could bring me to account for it one day. But do we still know the power of the sacraments? I have the misgiving that we have excessively bureaucratized the admission to baptism. I think of the baptism of my Jewish mother, which in terms of the request of my grandfather was merely a formal act: and yet, even from this baptism there came a priest.'"

His pastoral plan for those who ask the question about returning to the practice of the faith: "the Marian embrace, and impassioned apologetics, which touches the heart."

A man with Russian-Jewish-Corisican-Italian blood, a singer-song writer, author (his latest is Au diable la tiédeur, {To the devil with lukewarmness}), and now an ordained Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Marseille.

Father Michel-Marie Zanotti-Sorkine is pastor at Saint-Vincent-de-Paul in Marseille.

Dave Brubeck, 91, RIP

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On his way to the cardiologist with his son, and one day before his 92nd birthday, jazz musician David Warren 'Dave' Brubeck died.

He was a resident of Wilton, CT.

Carl E. Olson has an obit of Dave and the NY Times obit.

May Dave's memory be eternal.
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According to UNHCR data, Lebanon is currently hosting over 135,000 Syrians, not including many lucky enough to find work who haven't sought to be registered. 

With AVSI, you can help by visiting this link.

Part of your Advent charitable giving, please consider making a donation to AVSI for this good work, others in the USA and internationally.

AVSI-USA is a non-profit of the international AVSI network, supporting human development in 38 countries, with special attention to each human person, according to Catholic social teaching.

The Mission of AVSI is "To support the AVSI network by leveraging resources and contacts in the U.S. in order to enhance and broaden the achievements of member organizations in promoting human dignity in developing countries. The Association of Volunteers in International Service is an international not-for-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) founded in Italy in 1972. AVSI's mission is to support human development in developing countries with special attention to education and the promotion of the dignity of every human person, according to Catholic social teaching. The AVSI-USA office was established in 2001."

Ignatius IV Hazim .jpgGreek Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim, 91, died today, Wednesday, at a Beirut hospital after suffering a stroke a day earlier.

Born in the village of Mhardey near Hama in Syria in 1921, Habib Hazim was the son of an Arab Greek Orthodox family and was attracted to ecclesial ministry early in life. After finishing school in Hama, Hazim moved to Beirut where he studied literature and started serving the Orthodox Church in Lebanon.

Hazim helped found the global Society of Orthodox Youth Organizations and he became a bishop in 1961 and in 1970 he was elected Orthodox Metropolitan of the Syrian city of Latakia, a coastal city. Hazim was elected Greek Orthodox Patriarch of  Antioch and all the East in 1979, succeeding Patriarch Elias IV. The Patriarch of Antioch is the third most important See after the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Alexandria. 

Eternal Memory.

Vatican Library digitized

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Vat library.jpgThe manuscripts of the Vatican Library, 82K of them, are in the process of being digitized.

New avenues of research are being explored and catalogued; one of the possibilities is that the Vatican Library may be open to those who use technology well.

Watch the video presentation here.
wanted for work vocations.jpgPray for men to respond to priesthood and consecrated life.

Saint John of Damascus, pray for us.

Saint John Damascene

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John the Damascene.jpgGrant, we pray, O Lord, that we may be helped by the prayers of the Priest Saint John Damascene, so that the true faith, which he excelled in teaching, may always be our light and our strength.

Saint John of Damascus (c. 676-749) is a pretty amazing man, priest, and Father of the Church; noted as the last of the Greek Fathers. He's known as the "golden speaker" and while he was not an original or brilliant theologian, his gift is his ability to compile what the Church believed in his era. In many ways Avery Dulles was the same. 

Much of his preaching and teaching was a defense of the faith in the face of severe opposition, particularly with the rise of Islam.

The Damascene is revered as a saint by the Churches of East and West.

From The Statement of Faith by Saint John Damascene

O Lord, you led me from my father's loins and formed me in my mother's womb. You brought me, a naked babe, into the light of day, for nature's laws always obey your commands.

Tweeting. Are you? Join me.

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Since the Holy Father is tweeting, I thought I would re-activate my Twitter account. 

Hope to be a good Catholic presence in the digital world.

Follow me at @paulzalonski

Hard to believe that 15 years have passed since John Paul's post synodal exhortation Ecclesia in America. It is a remarkable document in my opinion, even though it touches on many very serious problems that we need to face from Alaska to Argentina. We hear nothing of this document these days. Every so often we hear a reference to it when a hierarch wants to say something intelligent about the situation at hand in America. Perhaps we could go back to EA with fresh eyes. What is clear is to work on ways for greater communion and solidarity with the Christians across the boarders.

We need to continue to answer the thematic of the "Encounter with the living Jesus Christ: The way to conversion, communion and solidarity in America." We can't set tight with only what John Paul gave us to think on, and to work on. The strength of the Church in America rests not merely on our own solution to the matters at hand but also to our persistent call to holiness.

To honor the publication's anniversary events have been scheduled in Rome from 9-12 December. Among the presentations/dialogue we have:

  • the event in Guadalupe as the origin of evangelization in the New World
  • the post-Synodal Exhortation: prophecy, teaching and commitment
  • the Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in America with the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, star of the new evangelization and mother of the civilization of love
  • the meaning of the Year of Faith
  • Scenarios and proposals for communion and co-operation between Churches of the Americas and for solidarity among their peoples.
There will be Masses celebrated, rosaries said and other devotions prayed.

Happy to see that Carl Anderson, supreme knights of the Knights of Columbus was chosen as one the presenters for today's conference. He gives gravitas coupled with reasonableness. You may want to listen to Carl Anderson's interview with Vatican Radio it is here.

English: My photograph of an image of the tilm...
Mr Anderson's remarks:

It is indeed an honor for the Knights of Columbus to have the opportunity to help organize this conference on Ecclesia in America - together with the Pontifical Commission for Latin America - under the patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

As a lay organization that has been in the United States, Canada, Mexico - and other parts of Latin America - for more than a century, we are particularly aligned with the vision presented in Ecclesia in America, and are working with the Church in our hemisphere on the project of the New Evangelization.

In re-reading Ecclesia in America 15 years after the close of the Synod for America held here in Rome in November and December 1997, three things stand out to me as particularly important to our discussion here and at the conference next week.

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You heard yesterday that Pope Benedict XVI is now tweeting. Terrific!

The Papal Twitter account is up and running: @Pontifex

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As of right now, the English page has 381K followers, the German has 9.5K, the Spanish 88K, the Italian has 36K, the French has 7k and the Arabic has 3,000.

The Press Office of the Holy See said the following about the Papal presence in the digital media.

The The Pope's presence on Twitter is a concrete expression of his conviction that the Church must be present in the digital arena. This initiative is best understood in the context of his reflections on the importance of the cultural space that has been brought into being by the new technologies. In his Message for World Communications Day 2009, which was published on the same day as the Vatican's Youtube channel was opened, Pope Benedict spoke of the necessity of evangelizing the 'digital continent' and he invited young believers, in particular, to introduce into the culture of this new environment of communications and information technology the values on which you have built your lives.

Connecting people is a dangerous thing. It is even more perilous if you connect people from different centuries, places, ethnicities, religions and politics. I read this quote from Dr Martin Luther King, Jr (1929-1968) that made me think of those like Saint Francis Xavier had some difficulty convincing the "powers that be" that their behaviors, policies and attitudes are incoherent with the Gospel and Christ's Church. I am thinking of Bartholomew de las Casas, OP, Blessed John Paul II, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, OFS, Saint Katharine Drexel, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Saint Thomas More, Venerable Servant of God Father Michael J. McGivney, Servant of God Dorothy Day, Obl SB, Father Alexander Men and countless others.

What leads me to make this connect the dots? In his 1963 book, From his Sermons In Strength To Love, King stated, 

The Church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state and never its tool. If the Church does not recapture it prophetic zeal it will become an irrelevant social club without morals or spiritual authority.
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Saint Francis Xavier

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francisco javier detail.jpgO God, who through the preaching of Saint Francis Xavier won many peoples to yourself, grant that the hearts of the faithful may burn with the same zeal for the faith and that Holy Church may everywhere rejoice in an abundance of offspring.

In Spanish he is known as Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta, from the Castillo de Javier, Navarra. The saint is known as Francis Xavier (1506-1552), canonized in 1622 and named patron of the missions.

Never satisfied with the status quo of living the faith and the rigid adherence of structuralism, Francis Xavier always knew that when faced with his own personal conversion and evangelization of those who had not heard of the saving name of Jesus Christ was the most important part of his life to remember. Ever since his first encounter with Saint Ignatius Francis knew what consistency of faith and the desires of the meant. Francis was the first Jesuit missionary sent by Ignatius opening a window of new world yet to be accepted as a grace, and not as a economic opportunity.

For the 500th anniversary Xavier's birth in 2006, the John J. Burns Library at Boston College pulled together an exhibition to honor the saint.

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It was love...

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This article by Rebecca Hoeffner about the ordination to the episcopacy of Joseph Strickland for service as the bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, is a terrific testimony to grace at work. The whole article is worth reading for the last sentence. The whole of the ecclesiology is summed up in that one sentence, with that one word...  You can follow Bishop Strickland on his blog, FatherRunFather. Blessings on Bishop Joseph Strickland.

Prophet Habakkuk

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Prophet Habakkuk.jpgThe Byzantine liturgical calendar includes the prophets in its commemorations because they foretell the coming of the Messiah, as the Kontakion states for today. (The Latin Church has the prophets in the Martyrology but does often feasts.) As a liturgical note, kontakion is a poetic text tied to the celebration at hand, or of a particular saint recalled during the Liturgy, most often sung by the deacon or some designated person following the proclamation of the gospel.

The holy prophet Habakkuk was the 8th of the 12 minor prophets from the Tribe of Simeon and he prophesied c. 650 BC. You'll remember that Habakkuk prophesied the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, the Babylonian Captivity and the return of the Israelites. Habakkuk's encounter with an angel transported him to the prison where the Prophet Daniel was exhausted from hunger (Daniel 14:33-37).

Divinely eloquent Habakkuk, you announced to the world the coming forth of God from the south, from the Virgin. Standing on the divine watch, you received a report from the radiant angel: "You proclaimed the Resurrection of Christ to the world!" Therefore in gladness we cry out to you: "Rejoice, splendid adornment of the prophets!" 

Byzantine Liturgy, Kontakion   

Advent's First Sunday

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At the Sunday Angelus today, the Holy Father notes some crucial points about our Christian faith that can't go unheard and need to be savored deeply in the heart. Notice, please, that Benedict doesn't talk about expectation but he does speak of the Lord's coming and presence; his death and resurrection and our final destiny (that is, love) and doesn't mention the Christ Child as the exclusive image of Advent. The Cross, resurrection and ascension is our only Hope. Pope Benedict addressed the faithful with the following:

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Today the Church begins a new liturgical year, a path that is further enriched by the Year of Faith, 50 years since the opening of the Second Vatican Council. The first Time of this journey is Advent, composed, in the Roman Rite, of the four weeks that precede the Birth of the Lord, that is, the mystery of the Incarnation. The word "Advent" means "coming" or "presence." In the ancient world, it signified the coming of the king or the emperor into one of the provinces; in the language of Christians, it referred to the coming of God, to His presence in the world; a mystery that involves the whole of the cosmos and of history, but that recognises two culminating moments: the first and the second coming of Jesus Christ. The first is the Incarnation itself; the second is the glorious return at the end of time. These two moments, chronologically distant - and it is not given to us to know how far apart they are - touch us deeply, because by His death and resurrection Jesus has already accomplished that transformation of humanity and of the cosmos that is the final goal of creation. But before that end, it is necessary that the Gospel be proclaimed to all nations, as Jesus says in the Gospel of Saint Mark. The coming of Christ is continuous; the world must be infused by His presence. This permanent coming of the Lord in the proclamation of the Gospel requires our continual collaboration; and the Church, which is like the Betrothed, the promised Bride of the crucified and risen Lamb of God (cfr. Rev. 21,9), in communion with her Lord collaborates in this coming of the Lord, in which His glorious return is already begun.

Charles de Foucauld.jpgGod our Father, you called Blessed Charles to live through your love in intimacy with your Son, Jesus of Nazareth. Grant that we may find in the Gospel the foundation of a more and more luminous Christian life and in the Eucharist, the source of universal  kinship.

Blessed Charles de Foucauld (15 September 1858-1 December 1916) the French priest killed as a result of hatred for the faith in Algeria. Hence, he is identified as a martyr.

He made a few attempts at following a religious vocation, first with the Trappist monk, then as a priest and then as a hermit. Charles was inspired to found a manner of living that entailed a fraternal life with adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and hospitality. It was only following Charles' death did this fraternity get formally accepted by the Church in the form of a religious congregation called the Little Brothers of Jesus.

Benedict XVI beatified Charles on 13 November 2005.

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 December 2012.

Paul Zalonski: November 2012 is the previous archive.

Paul Zalonski: January 2013 is the next archive.

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