Keep
your eyes open!...Keep
your eyes open!...
Eucharistic Celebration followed by Healing Service
St. Anthony of Padua Parish
5770 N. Maroa, Fresno CA 93704
Contacts:
Ben & Christy Villas
(559) 271-1246
Sister Rosa Maria
(559) 439-0124 x 112
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 5- "On painstaking and true repentance"
30. Do not be surprised that you fall every day; do not give up, but stand your ground courageously. And assuredly, the angel who guards you will honour your patience. While a wound is still fresh and warm, it is easy to heal; but old, neglected and festering ones are hard to cure, and require for their care much treatment, cutting, plastering and cauterization. Many from long neglect become incurable, but with God all things are possible.
April 29, 2008
(Mar
16:17-18) And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name
they shall cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues. They
shall take up serpents: and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it
shall not hurt them. They shall lay their hand upon the sick: and they
shall recover.
THOUSANDS FLOCK TO SEE 'SAINT OF OUR TIME'
The
exhumed body of Italian mystic and friar Saint Pio of Pietrelcina has
drawn tens of thousands of pilgrims eager to get a glimpse of him to
this small southern town.
Since Thursday, devotees and members
of the Roman Catholic clergy have trooped to Padre Pio's hometown of
Pietrelcina to revere the saint, who died in 1968 at the age of 81.
Padre
Pio was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002 before one of the
biggest Vatican crowds. His sainthood was fast tracked on account of
some 1,000 miracles submitted to the Vatican for his case.
Padre
Pio's remains were exhumed from a marble crypt on March 3 by the
Vatican and "restored" for public viewing to commemorate the 40th
anniversary of his death. Church officials declared the saint's body "
in relatively good condition", with the beard, nails, knees and hands
reported to be incorrupt.
However, since the face was not
well-preserved, the Church commissioned a silicone mask of the monk's
face be made for the viewing. The body was then dressed in a brown
Capuchin monk's habit and the fingerless gloves Padre Pio wore in his
lifetime.
The controversial priest, who became popular for his
many miracles and intercessions, was believed to have manifested the
stigmata - the bleeding wounds of Jesus Christ- in his hands. The
fingerless gloves were meant to "catch" blood dripping from the wounds
on his hands.
Reports said some 15,000 devotees, majority of
them Catholic priests and nuns, attended Mass before the saint's
remains went on display on Thursday.
By Friday, Church officials
reported that more than 800,000 people have requested to view Padre
Pio's remains that the Church was forced to extend the display until
September 2009.
Earlier reports said the viewing will only be
for several months. However, San Giovanni Rotondo had already been
welcoming seven to eight million of Padre Pio's devotees every year.The
public exhibit of the saint's remains are expected to increase the
numbers even more.
VIDEO: An Italian saint_24_APR_08
VIDEO: Padre Pio - Father Pious, the first years - part 1(1887-1910)
LINK: http://members.aol.com/fmrega7/emptytomb.htm
FROM THE MAILBAG VIA Dawn: Every evening, at the 20.30, the Frati Cappuccini will be gathered to the grave of the blessed Padre Pio to recite the S. Rosario according to the intentions of all those people that ask to be remembered in the prayer. To that time, this your application will be deposed on the grave. If you find possible, anywhere you find to yourself, spiritually unite to us with it recites of the S. Rosario.
LINK: http://www.conventopadrepio.com/inglese/padrepio/scrivi_san_pio.html
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 5- "On painstaking and true repentance"
29 (cont.). Previous habit often tyrannizes even over him that mourns. And no wonder! The account of the judgments of God and our falls is shrouded in darkness, and it is impossible to know which are the falls that come from carelessness, and which from providential abandonment, and which from God's turning away from us. But someone told me that, in the case of falls which come to us by Divine providence, we acquire a swift revulsion from them, because He who delivers us does not allow us to be held for long. And let us who fall wrestle above all with the demon of grief. For he stands by us at the time of our prayer, and by reminding us of our former boldness before God, he tries to devastate our prayer.
THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(Luke 1:28) And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of Rome, April 11, 2008, Zenit.org
On one occasion an exorcist friend of mine asked the devil what most hurts him about Our Lady, what most annoys him. He responded, 'That she is the purest of all creatures and that I am the filthiest; that she is the most obedient of all creatures and that I am the most rebellious; that she is the one who committed no sin and thus always conquers me.'
LINK: On Mary Immaculate by Padre Pio
BREAKING: New Pictures of Padre Pio Straight from Italy
Every day, O my soul, pay your respects to Mary,
Make her feasts solemn and celebrate her brilliant virtues;
Contemplate and admire her elevation;
Proclaim her blessedness both as Mother and Virgin;
Honor her so that she delivers you from the weight of your sins;
Invoke her so as not to be driven by the torrent of passion;
I do know if anybody can honor Our Lady worthily
Yet he who keeps silent in her praises is senseless;
Everyone should exalt and love her in a special way,
And never cease to cherish and pray to her;
O Mary, the honor and glory of all women,
You who God has raised above all creatures;
O Virgin of Mercy, hear the prayers of those who never stop praising you;
Purify those who are guilty and make them worthy of heaven;
Hail, O holy Virgin, through whom the gates of heaven were opened to undeserving souls
You, who, the old serpent's snares never managed to seduce;
You repair and console despairing souls
Preserve us from the evils that will fall on the wicked;
Obtain perpetual peace for me,
And save me from the misfortune of the flames of Gehenna;
Obtain for me to be chaste and modest, gentle, kind, sober, pious, prudent, upright and the enemy of all falsehood;
Grant me meekness, love of harmony and purity;
Make me strong and constant on the path of righteousness.
Mary is a Woman Who Loves (III)
Finally,
Mary is a woman who loves. How could it be otherwise? As a believer who
in faith thinks with God's thoughts and wills with God's will, she
cannot fail to be a woman who loves. We sense this in her quiet
gestures, as recounted by the infancy narratives in the Gospel. We see
it in the delicacy with which she recognizes the need of the spouses at
Cana and makes it known to Jesus. We see it in the humility with which
she recedes into the background during Jesus' public life, knowing that
the Son must establish a new family and that the Mother's hour will
come only with the Cross, which will be Jesus' true hour (cf. Jn 2:4;
13:1). When the disciples flee, Mary remains beneath the Cross (cf. Jn
19:25-27); later, at the hour of Pentecost, it will be they who gather
around her as they wait for the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:14).
Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter, Deus Caritas Est #41 (2005)
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 5- "On painstaking and true repentance"
29. The sorrowful humility of the mourning is one thing; the condemnation of the conscience of those who are still living in sin is another; and the blessed wealth of humility, which the perfect attain by the action of God, is yet another. Let us not be in a hurry to find words to describe this third kind of humility, for our effort will be in vain. But a sign of the second is the perfect bearing of indignity.
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 5- "On painstaking and true repentance"
28. It is impossible for us who have fallen into the pit of iniquities ever to be drawn out of it, unless we sink into the abyss of the humility of the repentant.
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 5- "On painstaking and true repentance"
27. I am fully aware, my good friends, that the struggles I have described will seem to some incredible, to others hard to believe, and will seem to some to breed despair. But to the courageous soul they will serve as a spur, and a shaft of fire; and he will go away carrying zeal in his heart. He who is not up to this will realize his infirmity, and having easily obtained humility by self-reproach, he will run after the former; and I do not know whether or not even overtake him. But the careless man should leave my stories alone, lest he despair and squander even the little he has accomplished, and thus correspond to the man of whom it was said: 'But from him that hath no desire or eagerness, even what he hath will be taken away from him.
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 5- "On painstaking and true repentance"
9. Others were continually beating their breasts, and recalling their past life and state of soul. Some of them watered the ground with their tears; others, incapable of tears, struck themselves. Some loudly lamented over their souls as over the dead, not having the strength to bear the anguish of their heart. Others groaned in their heart, but stifled all sound of their lamentations. But sometimes they could control themselves no longer, and would suddenly cry out.
THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(Rom 11:18-21) Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root: but the root thee. Thou wilt say then: The branches were broken off that I might be grafted in. Well: because of unbelief they were broken off. But thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear. For if God hath not spared the natural branches, fear lest perhaps also he spare not thee.
HISTORY AWAITS THE POPE AND THE RABBILadder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 5- "On painstaking and true repentance"
8. Others sat on the ground in sackcloth and ashes, hiding their faces between their knees, and they struck the earth with their foreheads.
April 17, 2008
POPE BENEDICT XVI: "In
every time and place, the Church is called to grow in unity through
constant conversion to Christ, whose saving work is proclaimed by the
Successors of the Apostles and celebrated in the sacraments."
EDITORIAL: BENEDICT XVI- A pope with a talent for clarity
by Henry G. Brinton, Senior Pastor of Fairfax (Va.) Presbyterian Church
Five hundred years ago, when
Protestants were locked in a theological cage fight with the Church of
Rome, Martin Luther described the papacy as "truly the kingdom of
Babylon, yes, the kingdom of the real Antichrist!'' But today,
Protestants are more likely to praise the pope for his messages of
moral clarity, and the incendiary language of the past is relegated to
blogs such as "666, the Pope, Anti-Christ & Vatican -- for
Dummies!'' As a Presbyterian pastor, I have respect for Pope Benedict
XVI that would have been incomprehensible to Protestants of the past,
and I won't be leading any protests when he visits Washington and
celebrates Mass at Nationals Park today. In fact, I am convinced that
he can help to provide an antidote to all that is fractured, fuzzy and
cerebral about contemporary Protestant Christianity.
Catholics remain united
For starters, the pope is a symbol
of the unity of the church. While I've heard it said that Baptists
''multiply by division,'' forming new congregations every time a church
splits, Catholics remain united under the leadership of the Bishop of
Rome. This is not to say that all Catholics agree with his teachings --
according to a Pew Research Center survey from August 2007, 51 percent
of American Catholics believe that abortion should be legal, 42 percent
are in favor of gay marriage and 60 percent support the death penalty.
But all do have a connection to the same Holy Father, and 66 percent
say they would like to attend one of his public events.
Aside from the Archbishop of
Canterbury, there is no other international figure who can take a stand
for the unity of the Christian church -- a body that is now fractured
into more than 33,000 distinct denominations in 238 countries. Unity is
important for Christians who want to work together to fight AIDS,
global poverty and the materialism of modern life.
I am also impressed by the fact
that the pope speaks with remarkable clarity. Whether you agree with
him or not, you have to admit that he is completely clear about where
he stands. Pro-life. Pro-celibate priesthood. Anti-contraception.
Anti-ordination of women.
Even non-Christians admire him for
holding on to strong beliefs in our morally wavering world. In
contrast, my denomination opposes abortion in most cases but supports
the continued legality of the procedure -- a position that makes sense
to me but leads some to criticize us for sending a fuzzy, mixed
message. We Presbyterians need to communicate more clearly where we
stand.
In addition, I envy the pope for
his human touch. I was once given a humorous coffee mug that defines
Protestantism in the following way: ''It's the thought that counts.''
The same mug's definition of Catholicism: ''Stop thinking those
thoughts.'' A focus on ''thought'' is a problem for many overly
cerebral Protestants, because Christianity has always been a very
earthy religion, seeing Jesus as God in human flesh and Communion as
the body and blood of Christ.
A brother in Christ
While some may say, ''The pope is
only a man,'' others will say, ''Exactly. That's the point.'' The pope
is a human, representing God-in-human-form. There is power in his
flesh-and-blood presence, in his ability to speak with visitors in
their own languages, in his human touch.
There is no equivalent in a Presbyterian Church that looks for leadership in a biennial General Assembly of pastors and elders.
For all of these reasons, I am not
bothered as the pope descends on Washington this week. To me, Benedict
XVI is not the Antichrist, but a brother in Christ who can teach me
lessons in how to offer my church unity, clarity and a powerful human
touch.
RELATED
The pope's global reach
Pope finds points of stress with other religions
US Muslim Group Declines to Meet Pope
THE DARK SIDE
Abortion-rights supporters Kerry, Pelosi take communion at Papal Mass
PELOSI:
"Communion is the body of the people of the church coming together,"
Pelosi said at her weekly news conference after returning from the
Mass. "I feel very much a part of that."
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 5- "On painstaking and true repentance"
7. Others stood in prayer with their hands tied
behind their backs like criminals; their faces, darkened by sorrow, bent
to the earth. They regarded themselves as unworthy to look up to Heaven.
Overwhelmed by the embarrassment of their thoughts and conscience, they
could not find anything to say or pray about to God, how or with what to
begin their prayers. But filled with darkness and a blank despair, they
offered to God nothing but a speechless soul and a voiceless mind.
April 16, 2008
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POPE BENEDICT XVI!
NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER PROFILE: Benedict, The Simple GeniusLadder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 5- "On painstaking and true repentance"
6. Others lifted up their eyes to Heaven, and with
wailings and outcries, implored help from there.
POPE BENEDICT XVI:
"Dear brothers and sisters, I ask you all to pray for the success of my
visit, so that it may be a time of spiritual renewal for all Americans."
AMERICA IS READY TO TAKE THE MEASURE OF POPE BENEDICT
Americans
will get their closest and most sustained view yet of Pope Benedict XVI
this week, when the pontiff visits the United States for the first time
since his election in 2005.
So far, many people know him for who
he's not — namely John Paul II, his charismatic, crowd-pleasing
predecessor — or perhaps what he was for many years, the Vatican's
chief enforcer of doctrine.
But with six days of public events —
including stadium Masses in Washington, D.C., and New York City —
Benedict will have ample opportunity to connect with Americans.
"It
will be on the news every night. It will be some further enlightenment
about who is this man, Benedict XVI," said the Rev. Joseph G. Hubbert,
associate professor of religious studies at Niagara University.
It
may be the only chance for most Americans to get a glimpse of Benedict
in person. The pontiff turns 81 during his visit and has not been
nearly as globe-trotting as John Paul II, who toured the U.S. seven
times in his 26-year tenure.
OPINION: Pope bravely offers test for all religions
APOSTOLIC JOURNEY RESOURCES
http://www.uspapalvisit.org/
http://www.ewtn.com/USPapalVisit08/index.asp
http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/
http://benedictinamerica.blogspot.com/
SCHEDULE: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/religion/5691301.html
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 5- "On painstaking and true repentance"
5. I saw some of those guilty yet guiltless men
standing in the open air all night till morning, and never moving their
feet; by force of nature pitifully dazed by sleep, yet they allowed themselves
no rest, but reproached themselves, and drove away sleep with dishonours
and insults.
April 14, 2008
(Phi 1:21-23) For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.HOMILY - Fr Ignatius: My Soul Thirsts for You My God
Our life in this world should be a sort of Purgatory - thirsting and longing for God - He alone who can satisfy the desire of our souls. Ave Maria!
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Dawn: UPDATE
I
am on top of the world! I had a lumpectomy on Thursday morning. Orders
weren't received when my husband took me to pre-register at the
hospital on Tuesday, so I had to be there by 6 am the day of surgery
for tests! My sister came with us...Let me explain...
I am not
sure what all I had filled you in on, as so much was such a whirl at
the time. Our family doctor, a "good Catholic boy" I call him (he is),
agreed with me when I said I wanted the breast cancer lump out. MD
Anderson had scheduled tests on April 29th, and my meeting a surgeon on
the 30th. No date for surgery. I wanted it out! Our doc has a surgeon
friend, who actually had performed a sugery (navel hernia) on my
husband a couple of years ago-and did a great job. I asked him: What if
I were your wife? He said he'd send me to him, not wait for MDA. So, to
him I went.
Wednesday, April 9th, I was annointed again by one
of our Parish Priests during Holy Mass. Thursday, like I wrote, we
arrived at 6, I had a chest x-ray, EKG and bloodwork done. Then
surgery. The surgeon said when he opened me up, it came right out. No
growth into muscle (Thank You, Jesus!) Both masses, lymph node(s) to
the sentinel removed. I was hurting when I woke up in recovery. The
nurse gave me morphine, but they waited until I woke to do so.
Shortly
after 11 am, I was wheeled out to the car. We were on our way home! I
was so relieved, and elated, I started to cry. The nurse started crying
with me (she was so sweet!) What a relief. Dear God in Heaven, Thank
You.
I was buoyed up by all the prayer, I was. I felt it. I knew
it. I want to thank each person for their prayers and supplication(s).
I cannot begin to tell you what a relief it was and is for me to get
that cancer out of me. I know it's not over. But, I'm over the first
hurdle. Biopsy results will be back Monday or Tuesday. I'm meeting with
the surgeon Thursday, the 17th.
I may have to wait until Heaven to thank each of you (personally), but I will. I promise!
I
don't know if it is psychosomatic (totally) or not. I definitely feel
better. I think I look better (my eyes), and it's not just nerves-I
don't think. I believe my body knows that the 'poison' is gone. Maybe
so. I'm having to make myself 'stay down.' I'm not supposed to be
lifting anything with that arm (staples and a drain). I am feeling
really good. Rest, yes. I'm so happy, after being so down. I was scared
(maybe I still should be-but I'm at peace).
My sister came over
and spent the day with us today. We went to confession this evening. I
spoke with our Priest who'd anointed me. I said I turned everything
(myself) over to God--- then I take it back again (worry). ;o)
I
love you in Christ Jesus. You are my brothers and sisters in Christ. I
know that. I knew it before, but I know it like never before. I am
forever grateful, and each of you are in my prayers forever.
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 5- "On painstaking and true repentance"
4. And so, coming to this abode of penitents and
to this true land of mourners, I actually saw (if it is not audacious to
say so) what in most cases the eye of a careless person never saw, and
what the ear of a slothful person never heard, and what never entered the
heart of an indolent person- that is, I saw such deeds and words as can
incline God to mercy; such activities and postures as speedily attract
His love for men.
April 11, 2008
(1Jo 4:8) He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.
Spirit Daily: Vatican assumes authority over Medjugorje
Medjugorje Witness: I Implore You, Do Not Come to Medjugorje Again If You Do Not Want to Listen to Our Lady
Reflection by Father Ted – April 7, 2008Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 5- "On painstaking and true repentance"
3. Weak as I am, I heard that there was a certain powerful and strange way of life and humility for those living in a separate monastic establishment called 'The Prison' which was under the authority of the above-mentioned man, that light of lights. So when I was still staying there, I asked the good man to allow me to visit it. And the great man, never wishing to grieve a soul in any way, agreed to my request.
April 10, 2008
(Psa 112:4) To the righteous a light is risen up in darkness: he is merciful, and compassionate and just.
WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS (Mat. 24:6)
Mideast countries prepare for war
Iran, Syria, Lebanon on military alert over US Gulf movements and Israel’s home defense drill
Middle East mystery
Syria Plans Emergency Drill amid Fears of War with Israel
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Dawn: My Miracle (So Far)
-Monday, March 24th, I went for a mammogram and ultrasound images of the lump I have found.
-Tuesday, I went to Holy Mass, and received the Anointing of the Sick from one of our Priests.
-Wednesday,
March 26th, I went back to the ultrasound lab for a biopsy (using
ultrasound & needle). The radiologist used the ultrasound to look
first. He found a 2nd mass under the 1st. He asked the tech if she'd
seen it, and she said no. I could tell by her voice that she was
shocked (and embarrassed). I said maybe it wasn't there
before---silence. He took some images with both on the screen. Then, he
did the biopsy. He said the 2nd mass looked like a fibroid to him
(benign-but needs removed too). He said it may be protecting my lymph
nodes from the cancerous mass. There is tissue between the two. I asked
his opinion on the 1st, and he said he thought it was cancer. It is.
After
he left the room, and the tech was finishing cleaning up, I asked her.
She said she agrees and thinks that the 1st is cancerous, and the 2nd
is a fibroid. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ!
Thank you to all
for your support. To those who've e-mailed (you know who you are), and
everyone else. I am grateful. Humbled and flattered. God Bless you, my
friends in Christ!
Further Update:
We just got back from meeting with the surgeon, and I'm getting it out
Thursday morning at 8 am, Texas time! I pray it hasn't reached my lymph
nodes. (please, please, please? God's Will be done.)
I am offering it all up to Our Lord and God. Jesus, I Trust In You!
VIA Dennis: Jesus has emptied Himself
From St. Paul:
“Jesus
though He is by nature God, did not consider His equality with God a
condition to be clung to, but emptied Himself by taking on the nature
of a slave, fashioned as He was to the likeness of men and recognized
by outward appearance as Man.”
Even
though taking on the nature of a slave was necessary, His real purpose
was to humble Himself and became obedient to death; yes, to death even
on the cross. This emptying restored to His Father all the glory that
had been stolen from Him by sin and in the process redeemed sinning and
sinful mankind.
Above from the “Spiritual Secrets of a Trappist Monk” - A Wonderful book
Jesus the Man, Jesus our God is waiting for all of us. He is here on this earth in the form of the Eucharist (the real presence). He is waiting as the Son of Mercy (the Divine Mercy). He is waiting as our merciful Savior. We need to go to Him now as there is little time left. When we go, we need to go as a child and He will place us in His Merciful Heart. If not, then He will be our just judge.
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 5- "On painstaking and true repentance"
2. Gather together and come near, all you who have
angered God; come and listen to what I expound to you; assemble and see
what He has revealed to my soul for your edification. Let us give first
place and first honour to the story of the dishonoured yet honoured workers.
Let all of us who have suffered an unexpected and inglorious fall listen,
watch and act. Rise and be seated, you who through your falls are lying
prostrate. Attend, my brothers, attend to my word. Incline your ears, you
who wish to be reconciled afresh with God by a true conversion.
April 9, 2008
(1Jo 2:18) Little children, it is the last hour: and as you have heard that Antichrist cometh, even now there are become many Antichrists: whereby we know that it is the last hour.
EXCERPT: Dr. Peter Kreeft: "We are living in a spiritual Hiroshima"
History of the Jihad (Culture War in the battle between Christ and the Antichrist)
Since
the Middle Ages, humanity has been on a slow, ever-ascending upward
slope of becoming smarter, healthier, and more technologically
advanced, while, at the same time, being on a slow, ever-descending
slope of becoming weaker morally.
God's grace will save us, but on two conditions:
1. We ask for it, which means that we must value wisdom and holiness more than cleverness and worldly riches.
2. We believe that God will deliver (not to believe is to call God a liar).
These
past centuries, mankind has fluctuated between the sins of despair and
presumption. Despair is represented by Camus and other Existentialists.
Presumption is exemplified by Rousseau, the Enlightenment, and by New
Age ideas and practices.
We are entering an apocalyptic age,
which might be described as Brave New World or as The Abolition of
Man-each of which, ironically, is also the title of a book by Aldous
Huxley and by C. S. Lewis, respectively. We should recall that the
Bible predicts that the Great Tribulation of the end times will be so
bad that no flesh would survive if God did not shorten the days.
In
the First Millenium after Christ, the Church won the world. But then,
she became fat and weak. The Second Millenium has belonged to the
Antichrist. We are now in the Third Millenium, and the outcome these
next thousand years is anything but clear.
We need to remember that this world is not our home; heaven is.
GEORGE WEIGEL:
"The pope is coming to the U.N., not to give a pontifically guided tour
of the world scene, praising this and lamenting that. In this 60th
anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, he is
far more likely to challenge the world body to take more seriously the
moral truths that undergird the human dignity the U.N. was founded to
defend -- moral truths that can be known by reason."
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Jim Bramlett: Charlton Heston at Harvard - http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/heston_culture_war/2008/04/06/85865.html?s=al
This
is the late Charlton Heston's historic speech at the Harvard University
Law School on February 16, 1999. This is a profound speech, and a
keeper! Please pass it on.
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 5- "On painstaking and true repentance"
1. Repentence is the renewal of baptism. Repentance is a contract with God for a second life. A penitent is a buyer of humility. Repentance is constant distrust of bodily comfort. Repentance is self-condemning reflection, and carefree self-care. Repentance is the daughter of hope and the renunciation of despair. A penitent is an undisgraced convict. Repentance is reconciliation with the Lord by the practice of good deeds contrary to the sins. Repentance is purification of conscience. Repentance is the voluntary endurance of all afflictions. A penitent is the inflicter of his own punishments. Repentance is a mighty persecution of the stomach, and a striking of the soul into vigourous awareness.
April 8, 2008
(Mat 28:19-20) Going therefore, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.INTERVIEW: Frank Rega, author of St. Francis and the Conversion of the Muslims
OPINION EXCERPT: Bin Laden is Right: Pope Benedict is Leading a Crusade by Father Jonathan
Benedict's
crusade can be likened to a quiet pilgrimage in the pursuit of rescuing
human reason from the clutches of fundamentalism. It aims to restore
reason as the great cultural meeting point for people of every race and
creed.
While Benedict sees rationality as the only suitable
launching pad of all true faith, bin Laden sees it as the great
obstacle to his manipulation of the masses. While Benedict sees faith
and reason as mutually enriching sources of truth, bin Laden sees the
former as incompatible with the later. And while Benedict claims God
can never command us to do evil because the first universal moral
dictate of reason —"do good and avoid evil"— reflects his loving voice,
bin Laden on the other hand claims Allah can do whatever he pleases,
evil included.
The good news Benedict is preaching is that truth
and goodness are of universal attraction. The more Pope Benedict
whispers about universals, the more Muslims will listen. And they
already are. Earlier this month the Vatican announced 225 Muslim
leaders have asked to enter into official dialogue with Christians to
proclaim the need for peace and mutual respect. Last week the Muslim
country of Qatar inaugurated its first official Christian church. After
the historic and first ever visit of a Saudi King to the Vatican last
year, the two states are now in negotiations to allow the construction
of Christian churches in the Kingdom, the holy ground of Mecca and
Medina.
These are small, but incredibly significant signs that Muslims too are signing up to fight the crusade.
In other words, bin Laden has every reason to be afraid.
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 4- "On blessed and ever-memorable obedience"
5. You who have decided to strip for the arena of this spiritual confession, you who wish to take on your neck the yoke of Christ, you who are therefore trying to lay your own burden on another's shoulders, you who are hastening to sign a pledge that you are voluntarily surrendering yourself to slavery, and in return want freedom written to your account, you who are being supported by the hands of others as you swim across this great sea- you should know that you have decided to travel by a short but rough way from which there is only one erring path, and it is called self-rule. But he who has renounced this entirely, even in things that seem to be good and spiritual and pleasing to God, has reached the end before setting out on his journey. For obedience is distrust of oneself in everything, however good it may be, right to the end of one's life.
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