Author: Paul Zalonski

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

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

WC Skurla.jpgPope 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

Faith Comes by Hearing: Illiteracy not an obstacle in sharing Biblical faith

An extraordinary gift has made the good news of the Bible better known for those who are unable to read and write. Reportedly 50 percent of the world is illiterate. An initiative of Jerry Jackson and colleagues, Faith Comes by Hearing, is making it possible for the world to hear the Bible in one’s language. It is available in more than 610 languages, reaching 185 countries and 5 billion people to date. AND the Pope now has an iPod with the audio Bible.

Watch the video clip on Faith Comes by Hearing here.
Support Faith Comes by Hearing!

Pope explains the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

This week, as you know, is a period of time for prayer (and fasting, I hope) for the intention of Christian Unity. The intention in my mind, and I might say, in the mind of the Pope, is a non-negotiable: we need not only to pray but to actively work for unity among Christians. This week, therefore, is an invitation to beg the Lord for the grace of unity for the Church.

Pope Benedict speaks to the matter of our own conversion, a deep change of heart viz. unity. We need a united witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ today.

It’s Christianity. Simple.

We seem to be asking the same question: What is Christianity? A perplexing question for believers, I suspect. Test everything, Saint Paul tells us. Indeed, probe the question and don’t be afraid of doubt and the questions. The certainty of faith is known in the experience and the investigation of the reasonableness of the faith.


Antonio Quaglio in article published today on ilsussidiario.net, “It’s Christianity. Simple.” reflects on what Father Julián Carrón spoke on at the New Encounter 2012 this past weekend: that Christianity, in its true sense, need to be lived without reservation and without excuses and justifications.

Continue reading It’s Christianity. Simple.

Unpacking the Pope’s World Day of Peace message for 2012


On January 1, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Mother
of God, the open the new civil year, and we observe the World Day of Peace. The
Pope gives a message on this day that sort of works as a programmatic statement
for his work throughout the year. 2012 is a year to work on the virtue of
justice. At some point the future I will define the virtue of justice more than
“giving another his or her just due.” The Pope clarified his thinking on justice which can be read here.


Mario Toso.jpg

The secretary of the Pontifical Council
for Justice and Peace, the number 2 person at the Council, Bishop Mario Toso,
SDB, 61, spoke about the meaning of the Pope’s message for the Day, titled “Educate
Young People in Justice and Peace.” His interview with Mercedes de la
Torre from January 10 with Zenit follows:


ZENIT spoke with the Salesian bishop,
professor of social philosophy, former rector of the Pontifical Salesian
University and Consultor for 20 years of the Pontifical Council for Justice and
Peace, about Benedict XVI’s message.


ZENIT: Why does Benedict XVI address young
people in particular in this 45th Message for the World Day of Peace?

Continue reading Unpacking the Pope’s World Day of Peace message for 2012

Saint Anthony of the Desert

St Anthony of the Desert.jpg

The father of monasticism, Saint Anthony reminds us of two things: to deny the self is a freeing gesture in one’s relationship with God and with others. Remember: we have communion with God and communion with our friends.
The denial of self is not merely the denial of material things but our preconceived ideas and skepticism. The second prayer highlights for me the vigilance needed to be aware of evil. The powers of darkness are real and need to be confronted.

The Collect

O God, who brought the Abbot Saint Anthony to serve you by a wondrous way of life in the desert, grant, through his intercession, that, denying ourselves, we may always love you above all things.


Prayer After Communion
Nourished for our healing by your Sacraments, O Lord, may we escape every snare of the enemy unharmed, just as by your grace Saint Anthony won glorious victories over the powers of darkness.