João Bráz de Aviz of Brasilia named by Pope as Prefect of Religious

João Bráz de Aviz of Brasilia.jpgPope Benedict XVI named today João Bráz de Aviz, 63, Archbishop of Brasilia, as the new Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life  (AKA Congregation of Relgious), replacing Franc Cardinal Rode, CM.

Archbishop Bráz de Aviz’s family is Portugese and German. He is not a religious (and to hold the job it is not a prerequisite to be a vowed religious) but he was educated at a PIME seminary and he’s friendly with Focolare, even overseeing the beatification process for Focolare member Ginetta Calliari. At the service of the Pope at the Holy See, Bráz de Aviz is the second Latin American among the current leaders of one of the central offices.
Archbishop João Bráz de Aviz has been a bishop for nearly 17 years and has served as such in 4 dioceses, three of them as the Diocesan Ordinary.
Many consider Archbishop João Bráz de Aviz to be personable, reliable, discrete, relatively traditional and is not known to have a penchant for religious life (considered so because he’s not one). In short, he’s an outsider to much of the Vatican politics. What he’s connected to are the lay ecclesial movements which is also something Pope Benedict –and John Paul before him– is also very interested in.

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton


St Elizabeth Seton3.jpg

But we lack
courage to keep a continual watch over nature, and therefore, year after year,
with our thousand graces, multiplied resolutions, and fair promises, we run
around in a circle of misery and imperfections. After a long time in the
service of God, we come nearly to the point from whence we set out, and perhaps
with even less ardor for penance and mortification than when we began our
consecration to him.

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Divine Office, Office of
Readings

There are very few American women who have had an impact on civil and religious society because today’s saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton, with the work of education and hospitals and other institutions of culture that her order, the Sisters of Charity, did for all of us.

Ask Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton to intercede for us right now to help us to make Jesus known through acts of charity and mercy.

Holy Name of Jesus

In the Name of Jesus let every knee bow, of those that
are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth: and let every tongue confess that
the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father. (Ps.8. 2). O Lord
our Lord: how admirable is Thy Name in the whole earth!

O God, Who didst constitute Thine only-begotten Son
the Savior of Mankind, and didst bid Him to be called Jesus: mercifully grant,
that we who venerate His holy Name on earth, may fully enjoy also the vision of
Him in heaven.
Holy Name of Jesus.jpg

“If you ask the Father anything in my name he will
give it you.” (John 16:23)
 
By no other Name are we saved!

NYC’s Largest Catholic Festival January 14-17

New York Encounter
 
Crossroads invites you to New York Encounter, an annual

four-day public cultural festival that intends to offer to a large
audience opportunities for education, dialogue and friendship
through conferences, artistic performances, and exhibits.

 

Friday, January 14, 2011

7:00 pm | Education and Freedom in Contemporary America Opening key note speech by John Garvey, President of The Catholic University of Americafollowed by a live Jazz performance by the Xaverian Jazz Band

Saturday, January 16, 2011

3:15 pm | Jérôme Lejeune: a True Scientist The life and work of the great geneticist and doctor through the eyes of his daughter, Clara Gaymard

4:30 pm | How to Build a Human Economy for the Long Term in a (Post-?) Crisis Environment A discussion on the fundamental questions about work, economy, and finance with Clara Gaymard, VP of Government Strategy and Sales at GE International, and President and CEO of GE France, Carla Hendra, founding Chairman, Global Strategy & Innovation atOgilvy & Mather Worldwide, and William McGurn, Columnist with the Wall Street Journal
8:00 pm | The Tidings Brought to Mary The Blackfriars Repertory Theater and The Storm Theater present a special benefit performance of the play by Paul Claudel

Sunday, January 17, 2011

2:30 pm | Reality, Reason, Freedom: At the Root of the Religious Quest A discussion on The Religious Sense by Luigi Giussani with speakers Fr. Julián Carrón, President of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation Movement; H.Em. Sean Cardinal O’Malley,Archbishop of Boston; and moderator Michael Waldstein, Professor of Theology, Ave Maria University

5:30 pm | Can an Accomplished Scientist be a Genuine Believer Today? Exploring the boundaries of faith and science with panelists Msgr. Lorenzo Albacete, Theologian, and Author; Kenneth Miller, Professor of Biology, at Brown University; and Charles Townes, Nobel Prize winner in Physics

8:30 pm | A New York Night Images and voices from the heart of the city, presented by “Blue Lou” Marini

Monday, January 17, 2011

10:30 am | Giacomo Leopardi: Infinite Desire A homage to the Italian poet on the occasion of the publication of his poems in the U.S. with speakers Jonathan Galassi, President and Publisher of Farrar, Straus and Giroux; Davide Rondoni, Author and Poet; and Joseph Weiler, University Professor at NYU School of Law

Continue reading NYC’s Largest Catholic Festival January 14-17

Egypt’s civil & religious leaders condemn attack

The various news agencies are reporting that Egypt’s civil and religious leaders are condemning the New Year’s Eve suicide bombing of a Coptic Church which killed 21 people and wounded a reported 100 others. The attack happened with 30 minutes of 2011.

Pope Shenouda III joined with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed al-Tayeb, the Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa and the Egyptian government’s Minister for Religious Affairs, Mahmud Hamdi Zaqzuq at a press conference condemning the attack.

Continue reading Egypt’s civil & religious leaders condemn attack

Epiphany 2011

O wondrous exchange!
The Creator of humanity,
taking upon Himself a living body,
vouchsafed to be born of a virgin,
and, proceeding forth as man, without seed,
has made us partakers of His divinity.

Adoration of the Magi PAertsen detail.jpg

“The Magi worshipped a simple Child in the arms of his Mother Mary, because in him they recognized the source of the twofold light that had guided them: the light of the star and the light of the Scriptures. In him they recognized the King of the Jews, the glory of Israel, but also the King of all the peoples” (Benedict XVI).

A blessed Epiphany to you!

Egyptian fanatical Muslims offend God, Pope says

“An offense
against God and all humanity,” Pope Benedict XVI told those gathered in St Peter’s Square for the praying of the Angelus and an address in which he described the
New Year’s eve bombing of a Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria, Egypt. There’s been a consistent campaign to terrorize and kill Christians in Arab nations. This was the latest round of Muslim attacks.

The Pope said “Yesterday morning we learned with sorrow the
news of the serious attack against the Coptic Christian community in
Alexandria, Egypt. This vile act of death, such as planting bombs close to the
homes of Christians in Iraq to force them to leave, offends God and all
humanity, who only yesterday prayed for peace and began the New Year with
hope”.

The Holy Father appealed for Christians to recall the Gospel
teachings of non-violence: “Before this strategy of violence that has targeted
Christians, and has consequences for the whole population, I pray for the
victims and family members, and encourage church communities to persevere in
faith and witness to non-violence that comes from the Gospel”. 

“Today we
continue to contemplate the divine mystery of Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem
of the Virgin Mary. He is the Word of God made flesh for our salvation, the
Wisdom of God who has come to enlighten us. Let us always cherish this presence
of Jesus who brings us grace and truth! I wish you all a pleasant Sunday and
renew my good wishes for a Happy New Year!”

… as Christians “we remain united
in Christ, our hope and our peace!”

Mary, Mother of God

The sacred Liturgy of the Church fittingly calls to mind three aspects of worship and gives us the essential qualities of Christian life and praise of God. We can note from the Liturgy the (1) humility of all the characters in today’s Gospel, (2) the adoration of the Holy Name of Jesus, (3) and closeness to the Virgin Mary, Mother of God.

Humility proclaims the greatness of GodAdoration of the Name of Jesus El Greco detail.jpg

Approaching to the divine is done only in humility; only in recognizing that we don’t make ourselves; only in knowing who we are in front of God, creator of heaven and earth. The gospel tells how to approach God: like the humble people of history:
  • Jesus, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, was made flesh, who fulfilled the Law with the rite of circumcision and accepted the name given by the angel
  • Mary, the teenage virgin who stands in wonder and awe before the Spirit
  • Joseph, the righteous carpenter, who protected the Gift
  • shepherds, the rustic men who were amazed and glorified and praise God.
Adoration of the Name of Jesus

The last line in today’s reading from the Book of Numbers says: “So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.” This OT prefiguring of the centrality of the name of Jesus having power is startling and it helps us to keep in mind that Jesus himself said that if you ask anything in his name he will give it to you.
In the Missal of Blessed John XXIII (1962) has the Church celebrate the feast of the circumcision of Jesus, which, besides dedicating a male to God, it is also giving of the name of  to the baby. A separate feast day is given for the Holy Name of Jesus in this missal prayed on the first Sunday of teh year, or if Sunday’s dates are 1, 6 or 7, the feast falls to January 2.
But connected here we recall that Mary’s son was given the name “Jesus,” meaning God saves. Paul’s letter to the Philippians tells us that God the Father gave us Jesus’ name so that at hearing his name we would recognize and adore the name of Jesus above all others (2:9). In another place in the NT we hear Saint Peter saying that “there is no other name under heaven , given to men, whereby we must be saved,” and that at the name of Jesus “every knee shall bend, in heaven, on earth and under the earth.”
The spiritual teaching of many saints includes a profound reverence for the divine name of Jesus. One can think of Saint Bernard, Saint Bernardine of Siena, Saint John Capistrano, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the orders such as the Cistercians and Dominicans who promoted the devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. Pope John Paul II restored the feast of the Holy Name in the 2002 Roman Missal as an optional memorial giving it another day, that of January 3
Catholic custom is at the hearing of the name of Jesus one bends the neck in a slight bow as a sign of respect. Ultimately, the feast takes seriously the dominical saying, “hallowed be Thy name.”

Closeness to Mary, the Mother of God

Hodigitria Mother of God.jpg

The feast we observe on this the first day of January is an old Marian feast. We recognize that woman gave birth to the Son of God. It is through Mary that we know the face of God, who had a heartbeat. Indeed, through her ‘yes’ to God’s invitation the Eternal Word of God became man, in fact, God-man. Theologically, through Mary the activity of the Holy Spirit is made known to the world. That is why we say, “Come Holy Spirit, come through Mary” as a pious aspiration. In the Year of Grace Pius Parsch says that “she is the priestess who joyfully and solemnly offers on high the Lord’s fruitfruits of sacrifice in redemption” (vol 1, p. 246).
For a man schooled in Jewish theology and the Law, Saint Paul acknowledges and preaches that in the divine plan we personally meet God. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul states: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Further on Paul says that we are “no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then also an heir, through God.” How did this happen? It happened through a woman allowing herself to be disponable to God. That Mary was close to her son Jesus, who is our brother and Savior, Mary our Mother advocates our cause with her Son. Mary is the mediatrix of graces. That is, she intercedes on our behalf with Jesus. And as some preachers will say, “a Jewish mother always gets what she wants from her son.” Mary, the Mother of God, pleads our cause if we go to her with our heart open and supple for grace to be received.
In looking at what the Liturgy gives to us we can put the words of the Pope on our lips: “In giving ourselves to Christ, our Hope, you, O Mother of God, are always present.”

Benedict XVI to mark 25th anniv of the World Day of Prayer for Peace in October 2011, Assisi

JP II Day of Prayer, Assisi 1986.jpg“The year 2011 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the World Day
of Prayer for Peace convened in Assisi in 1986 by Pope John Paul II.
On that occasion the leaders of the great world religions testified to the fact
that religion is a factor of union and peace, and not of division and conflict.
The memory of that experience gives reason to hope for a future in which all
believers will see themselves, and will actually be, agents of justice and
peace.”


Pope Benedict XVI
2011 World Day of Peace message