Paul Zalonski – Page 492

Avery Dulles’ NEW book due: Evangelization for the Third Millennium

Cardinal Avery Dulles is still producing intellectual stimulation. Due to be released next week is Evangelization for the Third Millennium (Paulist Press), the final work that he had already in progress during what became the Cardinal’s final months.

In her Preface to this anthology, Cardinal Dulles’ longtime colleague, administrative & research assistant and former student, Sister Ann-Marie Kirmse, says that Dulles’ work explores the theme of evangelization based on the seminal work of Pope Paul VI and later on the work Pope John Paul II on the same topic.

Avery Cardinal Dulles, SJ, died on December 12, 2008.

Covenant with the Jewish people to be clarified in Adult Catechism

A recognitio from the Holy See following a vote from the US Bishops, was received allowing for a clarification that all the covenants God made with the Jewish people are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Don’t think this is change is revisionist theology or fancy foot work on the part of the Holy See or the US Bishops. Rather, it is standard theology and it is what the Church has consistently taught for a very, very long time. The editors of the Adult Catechism slipped up by being a bit imprecise in their work, shall we say. Of course, the statement announcing the clarification notes that the Adult Catechism is a catechetical work and not a theological text. True enough, we know…but this rationalization is a bit much. Does that mean we have to check each and every fact in the second printing of the AC, too? The Bishops’ Conference statement is here.

Saint Augustine of Hippo

O blest teacher, light of holy Church, blessed Augustine thou lover of God’s law, plead with the Son of God for us.

O almighty God, hearken to our supplications, and by the intercession of blessed Augustine, Thy Confessor and Bishop, graciously grant the effect of Thy wonted mercy to those who hope in Thy loving-kindness.

St Augustine, whom we are commemorating today, has some
marvellous thoughts about the invitation found in Psalm 105[104]: “Quaerite
faciem eius semper – constantly seek his face” (v. 3).

He points out that
this invitation is not only valid for this life but also for eternity. The
discovery of “God’s Face” is never ending. The further we penetrate
into the splendour of divine love, the more beautiful it is to pursue our
search, so that “amore crescente inquisitio crescat inventi – the greater
love grows, the further we will seek the One who has been found” (Enarr.
in Ps 105[104]: 3; CCL 40, 1537).

This is the experience to which, deep down,
we too aspire. May the intercession of the great Bishop of Hippo obtain it for
us! May the motherly help of Mary, the Star of Evangelization whom we now
invoke with the prayer of the Angelus, obtain it for us. (Pope Benedict XVI, 28 August 2005, Angelus)

Saint Monica

Give unto her of the fruit of her own hands, and let her works praise her in the gates, alleluia.

O God, the comforter of the sorrowful and the salvation of them that hope in Thee, Who had merciful regard to the pious tears of blessed Monica in bringing about the conversion of her son Augustine: grant us by their united intercession to grieve over our sins and obtain Thy merciful pardon.

Our Lady of Czestochowa, a morning prayer

A Morning Prayer to

Our Lady of Czestochowa

Holy Mother of
Czestochowa, thou art full of grace, goodness and mercy. I consecrate to thee
all my thoughts, words and actions -my soul and body. I beseech thy blessings
and especially prayers for my salvation. Today, I consecrate myself to thee,
Good Mother, totally -with body and soul amid joy and sufferings to obtain for
myself and others Thy blessings on this earth and eternal life in Heaven. Amen.

New vocation video: Ordination 2009

… the character of the Good Shepherd is branded on your hearts.. at ordination.

A powerful video of the 2009 priesthood ordination rites in the Archdiocese of New York is link here.

The video is bone-chillingly beautiful.

The video was produced by Grassroots Films.

Contact Father Luke Sweeney, the NY vocation director, fr. luke.sweeney @archny.org.

Friends for Lunch: Fr Vincent, fscb visits Connecticut

The occasion for gathering for lunch was the brief visit of our friend, Father Vincent Nagel, FSCB. Cristina graciously opened her home and prepared a tasty lunch. Father Vincent is a California native and a member of the Missionary Fraternity of Saint Charles Borromeo (FSCB), a fraternity of priests of pontifical right founded on the work of Communion & Liberation; the priests serve in Denver, Washington, DC, Rome, Moscow and a host of other places. The fraternity is growing by God’s grace!

Father Vincent currently works in the Holy Land as the personal assistant to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Fouad Twal. The visit was a wonderful opportunity to connect with friends and to hear a few brief stories on the situation in the Holy Land: this is particularly important for us to see how Christ works in our reality today. Many thanks to Cristina who labors hard for meetings of friends like this one!

Medjugorje & 2 popes

On the premise that the faithful require the truth, I am still wondering about the authenticity of the apparitions of the Blessed Mother at Medjugorje, especially with how one pope dealt with the cult and how the current pope is dealing with it. At the end of July I posted a question about the possibility of the apparitions being a hoax with the reduction to the lay state of the Franciscan priest who promoted the apparitions. With 30 million+ pilgrims since the messages were revealed, there seems to be some continued interest among the Church, Mariologists, and the faithful. I think we all need the discernment of the Church.

The day before the octave day of the Assumption an interview regarding the Medjugoje appearances was posted. Matt Abbott makes some interesting known.

After reading what Abbott’s article, I wonder if the lack of a more swift ecclesial judgment on Medjugoje’s validity whether this is a good example of justice delayed is justice denied.

Saint Bartholomew

Almighty and everlasting God, Who has given us this day a reverent and holy joy in the feast of Thy blessed Apostle Bartholomew, we beseech Thee, grant unto Thy Church ever to love that which he believed and to preach that which he taught.

The historical facts regarding the Apostle Bartholomew are murky: his real name is unknown, he’s not mentioned in the Fourth Gospel and only curiously listed in the Synoptics but is closely connected with Nathaniel and Philip, where he preached the Gospel after the Pentecost is speculated, the manner of his death is obscure and even his relics are “thought by some” to be in Rome in a church named for him. But some of the relics are in Frankfurt and others in Canterbury.

Regardless of all this, the Church honors Bartholomew as an apostle of Jesus Christ who gave his life for the Good News.We honored him in a liturgical memorial for ages and we continue to do so today asking for his intercession before the Throne of Grace.

Today let us offer a prayer for the Church in Armenia and for Francis Cardinal George, archbishop of Chicago whose titular church in Rome is Saint Bartholomew on the Island and for tanners.

Rimini Meeting 2009: follow it NOW

Hey!!! Follow
the progress of the 30th Rimini Meeting working under the theme of Knowledge is always an event.

Particularly
fascinating to me are the photos of the events which speak a 1000 words.
Remember to keep the Meeting in your daily prayer to the Holy Spirt: It’s
an opportunity to meet Christ!

Given the hard and beautiful of work that has
transpired over three decades in putting the Meeting together, a 2-part video
presentation takes us through the highlights. See 30 years of the Rimini
Meeting: A Review —part 1
and part 2.

If
you care to watch some of the Meeting on TV
if you can manage Italian and Spanish.

Take a look at what’s on deck for the
program and notice the variety of speakers… the program can
be found here which I recommend your perusing.

Pope Benedict XVI
said at the Angelus: “Today the 30th edition of the ‘Meeting for
Friendship Among Peoples’ has opened in Rimini, [Italy], taking as its
title ‘Knowledge Is Always an Event.’ In addressing a cordial greeting to those
who are taking part in this significant gathering, I hope that it will be a
propitious occasion for understanding that ‘[k]nowing is not simply a material
act, since … [i]n all knowledge and in every act of love the human soul
experiences something ‘over and above,’ which seems very much like a gift that
we receive, or a height to which we are raised’ (Caritas in Veritate, No.
77).”