Paul Zalonski – Page 469

Francis Joseph Cardinal Spellman: 42nd anniv. of death

The Archdiocese of New York recalls the service of one of their prominent churchmen, Francis Joseph Cardinal Spellman on the 42nd anniversary of falling asleep in the Lord.

O God, Who did raise Thy servant Francis Joseph Spellman, to the dignity of priest in the apostolic priesthood, grant, we beseech Thee, that he may be joined in the fellowship with Thine Apostles forevermore.

A sketch of his life:

Life: May 4, 1889 to Dec. 2, 1967

Ordained priest: 1916

Consecrated bishop: 1932 (served as auxiliary bishop of Boston 1932-1939)

Appointed archbishop of NY: 1939

Created Cardinal: 1946

For more, see…

Blessed Mary Angela Astorch

Come you who have my Father’s blessing. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.

O God, grateful towards those who invoke You, You gave the virgin, blessed Mary Angela, the grace to penetrate the secrets of Your richness through her daily office of praise. Grant that we, through her intercession, may direct all our actions toward You, that they be in praise of Your glory.

New Jesuit Review

Today is the Feast of Saints Edmund Campion and Robert Southwell. It is also the launch date of a webzine venture called the New Jesuit Review — guys trying to do the right thing. So far, so good.

God bless them for their effort. Perhaps editors can attract other good Jesuits to write for them. Time will tell if they can maintain the momentum of publishing worthwhile literature, unlike some other notable Jesuit sponsored publications.

Prayer for Those Who Suffer with HIV, AIDS

God of our
weary years, God of our silent tears, O Good and gracious God, you are the God
of health and wholeness.

In the plan of your creation, you call us to struggle
in our sickness and to cling always to the cross of your Son. Father, we are
your servants. Many of us are now suffering with HIV or AIDS.

We come before
you, and ask you, if it is your holy will, to take away this suffering from us,
to restore us to health and to lead us to know you and your powerful healing,
love of body and spirit.

We ask you also to be with those of us who nurse your
sick ones. We are the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, and friends
of your suffering people. It is so hard for us to see those whom we love
suffer. You know what it is to suffer. Help us to minister in loving care, support,
and patience to your people who suffer with HIV and AIDS.

Lead us to do
whatever it will take to eradicate this illness from the lives of those who are
touched by it, both directly and indirectly. Trusting in you and the strength
of your Spirit, we pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Islam stagnant & the West has alzheimer’s

An astute observer of religion has to pay attention to the current situation of Christianity and Islam, in all its forms. One person to listen to is Jesuit Father Samir Khalil Samir, a Cairo born Islamic scholar and Catholic theologian teaching at Saint Joseph’s University, Beruit; Father Samir is well-published and well-sought after for counsel on Christian-Muslim matters.

Today at Asia News, Father Samir has a keenly written article on Islam and Christianity as we know it right now. Really, you need to read this article.

You may also be interested in a primer on the basics of Christian and Islamic thought, What Catholics Need to Know About Islam by Sandra T. Keating be helpful to you.

Saints Edmund Campion, Robert Southwell & companions

Almighty,
eternal God, You raised up among the people of England and Wales the holy
martyrs Edmund, Robert and their companions, and willed that they should
imitate Christ, who died to redeem the world. Grant that, by their
intercession, Your people may be strengthened by the same faith and love and
always rejoice in Your gift of unity.

On Saint
Edmund Campion

On Saint
Robert Southwell, plus there’s more here.

Behold the
father is his daughter’s son,

The bird that
built the nest is hatched therein,

The old of years
an hour hath not outrun,

Eternal life to
live doth now begin,

The Word is
dumb, the mirth of heaven doth weep,

Might feeble is,
and force doth faintly creep.

O dying souls,
behold your living spring;

O dazzled eyes,
behold your sun of grace;

Dull ears,
attend what word this Word doth bring;

Up, heavy
hearts, with joy your joy embrace.

From death, from
dark, from deafness, from despairs

This life, this
light, this Word, this joy repairs.

Gift better than
himself God doth not know;

Gift better than
his God no man can see.

This gift doth
here the giver given bestow;

Gift to this
gift let each receiver be.

God is my gift,
himself he freely gave me;

God’s gift am I,
and none but God shall have me.

Man altered was
by sin from man to beast;

Beast’s food is
hay, hay is all mortal flesh.

Now God is flesh
and lies in manger pressed

As hay, the
brutest sinner to refresh.

O happy field
wherein that fodder grew,

Whose taste doth
us from beasts to men renew.

Pope Benedict XVI’s monthly prayer intentions for December 2009

Pope Benedict has asked us to pray for these two intentions for the month of December. So, our prayer is united with his before the Divine Majesty asking that His Will be done and for these two points of intercession.

The general intention

That children may be respected, loved, and never exploited.

The missionary intention

That during Christmas the peoples of the earth may recognize the Incarnate Word as the light that illuminates every person, and that every nation may open its doors to Christ, the Savior of the world.

Have you connected with the Apostleship of Prayer? It is a good organization to link yourself to: faithful to the Gospel and Church

Blessed John of Vericelli

God of power and mercy, you made Blessed John an outstanding promoter of the Order of Preachers. By his remarkable zeal, his wonderful prudence and his courage, and with the help of his prayers may your family always and everywhere be governed by beneficial rule.

A brief bio about Blessed John.

And how are making the Holy Name of Jesus better known today?

God gives us a role in what happens in life

“Freedom is to acknowledge that God is all…. It is complete self-fulfillment … the possibility to reach and confront one’s destiny” (Giussani). Pope John Paul II reminded us that “communion with the crucified and risen Lord is the never-ending source from which the Church draws unceasingly in order to live in freedom.” Freedom means adhering to the risen Lord with the full force of our full-blown faith. As Cardinal Christoph Schönborn writes, “To allow oneself to be led by God, to abandon oneself to his direction, is the highest expression of our freedom.” For “God willed that man should be left in the hand of his own counsel so that he might…freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him” (CCC 1730).

Fr Peter J. Cameron, OP

Magnificat April 2002