Paul Zalonski – Page 301

Christ’s desire for unity, a communio

The Papal General Audience given in the Paul VI Hall today, Benedict spoke of the desire for unity that our Lord expressed in his priestly prayer at the Last Supper (John 17):

Against the backdrop of the Jewish feast of expiation Yom Kippur, Jesus, priest and victim, prays that the Father will glorify him in this, the hour of his sacrifice of reconciliation. He asks the Father to consecrate his disciples, setting them apart and sending them forth to continue his mission in the world. Christ also implores the gift of unity for all those who will believe in him through the preaching of the apostles.

Sacred Scripture and sacred Tradition and now echoed by Pope Benedict, believes that Christ’s priestly prayer is understood as His instituting the Church, the community of faith, the communio found explicitly in a church that is one, holy, catholic and apostolic. Taking the Pauline manner of thinking, we are disciples of Christ who, through faith in Christ, are one and share in His saving mission:

In meditating upon the Lord’s priestly prayer, let us ask the Father for the grace to grow in our baptismal consecration and to open our own prayers to the needs of our neighbors and the whole world. Let us also pray, as we have just done in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, for the gift of the visible unity of all Christ’s followers, so that the world may believe in the Son and in the Father who sent him.

Introduction to the Devout Life –De Sales lasting legacy

Good books are one thing. Books considered “classic,” that is, those books that can withstand the test of time are not only an excellent resource but a true companion for one’s journey. No doubt, our human and spiritual needs mature over time, but a classic continues to give insight and guidance. Wisdom collected from a true living experience is hard to underestimate. The Introduction to the Devout Life by Saint Francis de Sales, bishop and Doctor of the Church, is one such book. It is not to be missed by any person wanting to know the Christian life better, and how to live it coherently. The book is about the universal call to holiness.

The Introduction to the Devout Life was an instant success from the moment it rolled off the printing press. In the Saint’s own time the book was revised a few times.

If you ask yourself: What do I need to do be better Christian? How do I live my life with all its complexities and remain faith to the Gospel and the Church? Do I have to be a priest, sister or brother to be a good Christian? How does one live a Christ-centered life? Then this book is for you.

“The writings of Francis de Sales, filled with celestial doctrine are a bright light in the Church, pointing out to souls an easy and safe way to arrive at the perfection of a Christian life” (Breviarium Romanum, 29 January, lect. VI).

Pope speaks on the World Communications Day: Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization

Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization

As we draw near to
World Communications Day 2012, I would like to share with you some reflections
concerning an aspect of the human process of communication which, despite its
importance, is often overlooked and which, at the present time, it would seem especially
necessary to recall. It concerns the relationship between silence and word: two
aspects of communication which need to be kept in balance, to alternate and to
be integrated with one another if authentic dialogue and deep closeness between
people are to be achieved. When word and silence become mutually exclusive,
communication breaks down, either because it gives rise to confusion or
because, on the contrary, it creates an atmosphere of coldness; when they
complement one another, however, communication acquires value and meaning.

Continue reading Pope speaks on the World Communications Day: Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization

Saint Francis de Sales

O God, who for the salvation of souls willed that the Bishop Saint Francis de Sales become all things to all, graciously grant that, following his example, we may always display the gentleness of charity in the service of our neighbor.

Charity and meekness are hallmarks of today’s saint who was a terrific bishop and is a Doctor of the Church. Without charity how can one truly be a disciple of Christ?

Among many things, Saint Francis de Sales was a co-founder of the Order of the Visitation with Saint Jane De Chantal.

Let us follow his witness and good example.

Prayers for those who have died as a result of abortion

The intention for today is for those who have died as a result of abortion and for the women and men directly affected by abortion.

Give peace, O Lord, to those who wait for you; hear the prayers of your servants and guide us in the way of justice (antiphon for the Mass For the Preservation of Peace & Justice)

O God, who have revealed that peacemakers are to be called your children, grant, we pray, that we may work without ceasing to establish that justice which alone ensures true and lasting peace.

Day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion

Day of Penance and Prayer to be observed on January 23rd
this year.

In November, 2001, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
approved the adaptation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal.
Following confirmation by the Holy See in February, 2002, the following became
particular law for the dioceses of the United States of America:

In all the
dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when the
22nd falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of penance for
violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of
abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the
right to life. The Mass “For Peace and Justice” (no. 21 from “Masses for
Various Needs”) should be celebrated with violet vestments as an appropriate
liturgical observance for this day.

On January 22, 2003, a “day of penance for
violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of
abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the
right to life” will be mandatory in the dioceses of the U.S. for the first
time. As an “Optional Memorial,” the Mass celebrated that day may be the Mass
“For Peace and Justice” or follow the normal weekday Mass readings and prayers
for the day found in the Ordo, with or without optional prayers related to St.
Vincent of Saragossa whose Feast Day falls on January 22.

Secretariat for
Pro-Life Activities
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 4th Street,
NE
Washington, DC 20017-1194

(202) 541-3070

Jonah and the whale

Do you know the narrative of Jonah? Is there a connection between Jonah and the 12 Apostles?

William Charles Skurla elected 8th bishop of the Ruthenian Eparchy, Pittsburgh

Pope Benedict XVI elected William Charles Skurla, 55, as the 8th bishop (and 5th Archeparch) of the Pittsburgh Ruthenian Church, until now, the Eparch of Passaic (NJ).

The Archeparch-designate has been a priest for nearly 25 years and a bishop for nearly 10. This is third eparchy to have been elected to lead. He succeeds Archbishop Basil who died on June 10, 2010.

The Archeparchy of Pittsburgh is a See of nearly 60,000 souls (2010 stats).

May God grant Archbishop William many years.

Church has role proposing a more excellent way: happiness & freedom

At 11:30 am, Rome time, Pope Benedict XVI met with the bishops of region IV (Baltimore, Delaware, Virginia, DC and the Military Services) to give his address during their Ad Limina.

Below is a selection of the Pope’s text, (emphasis mine):

For her part, the Church in the United States is
called, in season and out of season, to proclaim a Gospel which not only
proposes unchanging moral truths but proposes them precisely as the key to
human happiness and social prospering (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 10). To the extent
that some current cultural trends contain elements that would curtail the
proclamation of these truths, whether constricting it within the limits of a
merely scientific rationality, or suppressing it in the name of political power
or majority rule, they represent a threat not just to Christian faith, but also
to humanity itself and to the deepest truth about our being and ultimate
vocation, our relationship to God. When a culture attempts to suppress the
dimension of ultimate mystery, and to close the doors to transcendent truth, it
inevitably becomes impoverished and falls prey, as the late Pope John Paul II
so clearly saw, to reductionist and totalitarian readings of the human person
and the nature of society.

Continue reading Church has role proposing a more excellent way: happiness & freedom