Pope Benedict XVI’s monthly prayer intentions for December 2009

Pope BenedictXVI in Advent.jpgPope 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

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

Saint Andrew, Apostle

Crucifixion of St Andrew CBraccesco.jpgTheir sound goes forth to all the earth. And their speech to the end of the world.

We humbly beseech Thy majesty, O Lord, that as blessed Andrew the Apostle was both a preacher and ruler of Thy Church, so he may unceasingly interceded for us with Thee.
Pope Benedict’s General Audience of 14 June 2006 talks about Saint Andrew, the first called.
Today we particularly remember the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (Istanbul) on their patronal feast day as well as the Christians of Scotland and the Rus peoples. Read the Pope’s message to Patriarch Bartholomew I.

Pope calls for prayers and care for those living with HIV/AIDS

This coming December 1 the World AIDS Day will be
observed. My thought and my prayer go to all persons affected by this sickness,
in particular children, to the poorest and to those who are rejected. The
Church does not cease to combat AIDS, through her institutions and the
personnel dedicated to it. I exhort everyone to make their own contribution
with prayer and care, so that those who are affected by the HIV virus will feel
the presence of the Lord who gives support and hope. Finally, I hope that, by
multiplying and coordinating efforts, this sickness will be halted and
eradicated.


Pope Benedict XVI
Sunday Angelus Address
29 November 2009
Vatican City State

Appeal to Pope Benedict

Banner Appeal to B16.jpg

As you know, 21 November 2009 the Holy Father held an
audience in Rome with a number of prominent artists, musicians and architects.
In support of his efforts, a number of Catholic architects, academics,
musicologists, journalists have drafted a letter of appeal to Pope Benedict
offering considerations for the recovery the sacred arts in support of the sacred
Liturgy.

I have attached the English draft translation for your consideration.
This is still in draft form, but is substantially in place. Appeal to His Holiness.pdf

A Congress on
Sacred Art in Rome is being planned next year to draw attention to the issue.
At present, we are still looking to get the word out, and to enlist signatories
of architects, artists, academics, journalists, cultural critics, clergy,
concerned laity, and the like to add their support to this endeavor.

Would you
please visit the website to become a signatory to this letter, and forward this email to your own circle
of influence, and perhaps give it some space where ever you publish or
contribute?

Advent 2009: Come Lord, Jesus, “my eyes are toward, You Lord, leave me not defenseless”

Los entering the Grave Wm Blake.jpgTo Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul: in Thee, O my God, I put my trust; let me not be ashamed. Neither let my enemies laugh at me: for none of them that wait on Thee shall be confounded.

(Introit, 1st Sunday of Advent)

The Latin Church begins her observance of Advent with First Vespers for the First Sunday of Advent tonight (in Rome Advent has already begun with the Pope’s leading Vespers at Saint Peter’s Basilica). Vespers (evening prayer) is a way of sanctifying the day, giving to God all of the fruits of the day.

Other Catholic Churches, for example, the Ambrosian Church (the Archdiocese of Milan), the Syriac Churches, as in the Maronite Church, and the Byzantine Churches (as well as the Orthodox) began their Advent observance and fast two weeks ago.

B16 with new pastoral staff Vespers Advent 2009.jpg

Saint Paul invites us to prepare for the coming of Lord in a blameless manner. Paul uses the word “coming,” in Latin, “adventus,” meaning “presence, arrival, coming.” An adventus is arrival of an official but can also mean the diety’s coming forth showing his Presence to us. Christians adopted the word to establish a relationship with God. We participate in his coming by our participation in and with the liturgical assembly which knows in the heart: God is here, He has not left us and visits us in many ways: Advent is a personal visit from God entering into my life who wants to talk to me. We have to guard against the “doing” of our lives which monopolizes our interior life and thus distracts from the talking personally with God. Advent invites to see the daily events of our lives as God’s gifts to us, as signs of His Presence in our life, His love in our life. Our recollection of these events is a gesture of gratitude and a method recognizing the Presence of God personally.
With Saint Paul, let’s keep our body and soul blameless for God calls, He is faithful; and He will do it. We are with Mary in preparing room for the newborn Child, the Incarnate Word of God, Jesus.
At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…

Month of All Souls comes to an end

The other day my mother and I had the opportunity to visit one of the cemeteries where some our family’s dead rest. Today, my parents went to the other cemetery to make a visit and offer prayer. These visits made me think. The gives us an opportunity to make an act of devotion which annually begins on November 2nd and is carried through the month of November. Namely, Mass are said, prayers offered for the dead and we make visits to the cemetery to keep alive the names/memory of our deceased family and friends’ in front of God by asking God to be mindful of our loved ones with mercy. Hence, we pray for the dead, for those in purgatory (those who are saved but not yet with God in heaven) with the hope that one day they will see God face to face. You will recall that the only ones in heaven besides the Blessed Trinity and the Theotokos are the saints. Saint Robert Bellarmine said that those in purgatory are close to God and so having knowledge that they are saved, their prayers are effective for us. Hence, we pray for them, they for us.

Now at the end of the month of November, and that we are in the Year for Priests, say an extra for the deceased priests that you have known.

Eternal rest, grant up onto them, O Lord; and let me perpetual light shine on them. May they rest in peace.

Christ becoming man answers the desire for the infinite

The Christian event is the answer to the demand for the infinite which is the heart of man. So that man may walk along: “homo viator,” a man who draws near by the movement that has been put into him, that has been brought forth in him by the Mystery which makes all things and of
which he is made aware by the encounter, the encounters of life.

Monsignor Luigi Giussani
Founder of Communion and Liberation

Saint James of the Marsh

As a fruitful olive tree in the house of God I have hoped in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
God our Father, You made Saint James an illustrious preacher of the gospel for the salvation of souls and for bringing sinners back to the path of virtue. Through his intercession grant us the grace to atone for all our sins and to attain to everlasting life.
 

Read his bio