Sr Marie Simon-Pierre: If you believe, you will see the glory of God

Holiness is all that matters. Period. Being with God is the ultimate goal of every Christian’s desire. The holiness of
a person whose cause is being considered for beatification rests on the
verification of a miracle -done by God at the request of another, in the case
at hand, at John Paul’s intercession. The person who received the gift of the miraculous
healing was Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, a sister of the Congregation of the Little
Sisters of Catholic Motherhood. Sister Marie Simon-Pierre was living with Parkinson’s
and attributes a complete healing to the intercession of Pope John Paul II. The
pope suffered from the same disease. The following testimony given in 2006 and
verified by medical professionals last autumn, sealed the case to beatify Pope John Paul II. Zenit provided the text.

Sister Marie Simon-Pierre.jpeg

In June 2001, I was diagnosed
with Parkinson’s disease. The disease had affected the whole left side of my
body, creating great difficulties for me as I am left-handed. After three
years, the initial phase of the disease, slow but progressive, was followed by
an aggravation of the symptoms: accentuation of the trembling, rigidity, pain,
insomnia.

From April 2, 2005, I began to worsen week by week, I grew worse day
by day, I was unable to write (I repeat that I am left-handed), and if I
attempted it, what I wrote was unintelligible. I could drive only for short
trips because my left leg would stiffen sometimes, and my rigidity would have
impeded my driving. Moreover, to do my work in a hospital, it took more time
than usual. I was exhausted.

After learning my diagnosis, it was difficult for
me to watch John Paul II on television. However, I felt very close to him in
prayer and I knew he could understand what I was going through. I also admired
his strength and courage, which motivated me not to give in and to love this
suffering, because without love none of this made sense. I can say that it was
a daily struggle, but my only wish was to live it with faith and in loving
adherence to the will of the Father.

Continue reading Sr Marie Simon-Pierre: If you believe, you will see the glory of God

Agostino Vallini: John Paul II kept his gaze fixed on Christ


Agostino Vallini.JPG

Cardinal
Agostino Vallini, 70, Pope’s vicar of Rome gave the following talk at tonight’s
Vigil at the Circus Maximus in advance of Pope John Paul II’s tomorrow’s beatification.

Divine
Providence gives us this evening the joy of a great experience of grace and
light. With this Marian prayer vigil we hope to prepare ourselves for
tomorrow’s celebration, the solemn beatification of the Venerable Servant of
God John Paul II. Even though it has been six years since the death of the
great Pope–Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the universal Church for 27 years–his
memory is particularly vibrant. We feel veneration, affection, admiration, and
deep gratitude for the beloved pontiff.

Continue reading Agostino Vallini: John Paul II kept his gaze fixed on Christ

Who are saints? They are “Flesh and Blood Human Beings”

As Father Gabriel B. O’Donnell reminds, being a saint doesn’t mean that you are divested of your own personality, to have intimacy with God doesn’t mean you change who you are as a person. Domincan Father Gabriel O’Donnell is currently the academic dean at the Dominican House of Studies, Washington, DC.

Watch PBS Religion & Ethics Newsweekly which helps us to understand the role of saints today.

Father Gabriel speaks to the process of sainting a person based on shepherding the process for two Americans, Father Michael J. McGivney and Rose Hawthorne. See the “Sainthood Process.”

Another piece is worth watching, too: “Path to Sainthood.”

William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wed

Blessings on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Catherine, who wed today, the feast of Saint Catherine of Siena


“Be who God
meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”

So said St Catherine of
Siena whose festival day this is. Marriage is intended to be a way in which man
and woman help each other to become what God meant each one to be, their
deepest and truest selves.

Many people are fearful for the future of today’s
world but the message of the celebrations in this country and far beyond its
shores is the right one – this is a joyful day! It is good that people in every
continent are able to share in these celebrations because this is, as every
wedding day should be, a day of hope.

In a sense every wedding is a royal
wedding with the bride and groom as king and queen of creation, making a new
life together so that life can flow through them into the future.

William, Catherine and Canterbury.jpg

William and
Catherine, you have chosen to be married in the sight of a generous God who so
loved the world that he gave himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ.

In
the Spirit of this generous God, husband and wife are to give themselves to
each other.

The spiritual life grows as love finds its centre beyond ourselves.
Faithful and committed relationships offer a door into the mystery of spiritual
life in which we discover this: the more we give of self, the richer we become
in soul; the more we go beyond ourselves in love, the more we become our true
selves and our spiritual beauty is more fully revealed. In marriage we are
seeking to bring one another into fuller life.

Continue reading William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wed

Saint Catherine of Siena

St Catherine receives new heart from Jesus diPaolo.jpgToday is a fitting day to pray for the Holy Father, Pope Benedict. Saint Catherine was a woman of great courage and vision who promoted unity with the Church. Her crusade was a crusade for souls, for the salvation of many to heart of Christ through the ministry of Christ’s vicar, the Pope. That today we are still in the Easter Octave, Siena’s feast is not being observed except in places of the Order of Preachers. We are doing so today the Church of Saint Catherine of Siena, NYC, with a Octave Mass of Easter with elements of Saint Catherine’s Mass parts intelligently placed; Holy Mass is being celebrated by the Most Rev’d Octavio Cisneros, an auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn.

One my favorite images of Saint Catherine is the one of her heart being exchanged with Christ’s. It what’s supposed to happen with all of us: to be recreated by Christ. An image for foreseen by the Prophet Ezekiel.

Here are few thoughts of Saint Catherine of Siena to Pope Gregory XI:

Continue reading Saint Catherine of Siena

Crowd turns out for St Gianna Mass

PAZ with TMD April 27 2011.jpegThe second annual Saint Gianna Mass was celebrated earlier this evening at The Church of Saint Catherine of Siena (411 E. 68th St., NYC) by the Archbishop of New York, Timothy Michael Dolan. The Mass was co-sponsored with the Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of NY. About 600 people turned up for the Mass to ask for Saint Gianna’s intercession in the fertility issues. We tend to think it is easy to get pregnant, but for many couples having a biological child is quite difficult that creates much suffering.

The picture is of the Archbishop meeting the young servers and their guide prior to the Liturgy.

Benedict: to awaken hope in place of despair, joy in place of sadness, & life in place of death

Holy Saturday Baptism.jpgIn these first days of Easter the Church rejoices in
Christ’s resurrection from the dead, which has brought new life to us and to
our world. Saint Paul exhorts us to make this new life evident by putting to
death the things of this earth and setting our hearts on the things that are on
high, where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father (cf. Col 3:1-2).
Having put on Christ in Baptism, we are called to be renewed daily in the
virtues which he taught us, especially charity which binds all the rest together
in perfect harmony. By living this new life we are not only interiorly
transformed, but we also change the world around us. Charity in fact brings
that spiritual freedom which can break down any wall, and build a new world of
solidarity, goodness and respect for the dignity of all. Easter, then, is a
gift to be received ever anew in faith, so that we may become a constant leaven
of life, justice and reconciliation in our world. As believers in the risen
Lord, this is our mission: to awaken hope in place of despair, joy in place of
sadness, and life in place of death. With Christ, through him and in him, let
us strive to make all things new!


Pope Benedict XVI
Summary of Wednesday General Audience

A voice for the voiceless — women and children in China: Reggie Littlejohn speaks out

Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously and plead the cause of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:8-9)

Several weeks ago I focused my attention —our attention— on the rights of women and children, especially unborn children, in China, by highlighting the work of Reggie Littlejohn. How can one be unmoved by the plight for another human being; in case, women and unborn children??? What about the preference for the poor? What about human dignity?

When I met Reggie through my friend Suzanne Tanzi, the editor of Traces magazine, I was instantly drawn to her work for others. I recognized in her that Christ is working directly through the words and works for those who really have no voice in a country that forcibly holds a One Child Policy. China is among the most offensive countries when it comes to human rights abuses and our Chinese brothers and sisters need an advocate.

Here’s an amazing interview with Reggie: Open your Mouth –Littlejohn Interview.pdf 
A recently published essay by Reggie Littlejohn: “China: Family Planning Official Stabs Man to Death“
The link above will take you another blog post which has links to Reggie Littlejohn’s work.