Keep
your eyes open!...
February 21, 2012
(1Pe 3:3-4) Your adornment should not be an external one: braiding the
hair, wearing gold jewelry, or dressing in fine clothes, but rather the
hidden character of the heart, expressed in the imperishable beauty of
a gentle and calm disposition, which is precious in the sight of God.
WEBSITE: The Church speaks about Modesty
POPE PIUS XII:
"The good of our soul is more important than that of our body; and we
have to prefer the spiritual welfare of our neighbor to our bodily
comforts. If a certain kind of dress constitutes a grave and proximate
occasion of sin, and endangers the salvation of your soul and others,
it is your duty to give it up. O Christian mothers, if you knew
what a future of anxieties and perils, of ill-guarded shame you prepare
for your sons and daughters, imprudently getting them accustomed to
live scantily dressed and making them lose the sense of modesty, you
would be ashamed of yourselves and you would dread the harm you are
making of yourselves, the harm which you are causing these children,
whom Heaven has entrusted to you to be brought up as Christians."
TRACT: Some Directives of the Magisterium on Christian Modesty
NEWS LINK: Churches see fashion no-no's, especially in summer
VIA CATHOLICCULTURE.ORG: Modesty is Unremarkable
My daughters told me recently that modest clothing is unremarkable in
itself, but remarkable in its potential effects. Ironically, the
benefit of modest clothing is its transparency, so to speak.
Modest clothing attracts attention neither to itself nor to the
superficial qualities of the person wearing it. In fact, by not
being a distraction or an end in itself, modest clothing allows the
character of the person to become more evident.
Indecent fashions tend to reduce the human person to the superficiality
of their exposed or accentuated body parts ... saying, in effect,
"Look at me, I'm an object. Look at me as an object." On the
other hand, prudish clothing, although rare, tends to provoke an
opposite but equally superficial criticism that the prude is socially
inept, awkward, and out of touch. Both styles miss the truth
about the dignity of the human person.
In our cynical culture obsessed with shallow sensationalism, modesty is
like truth in advertising: rare but powerful. It's the real
deal—and that's what makes it so special.
NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER ON MODESTY
Modesty at Mass Is a Must
The Death Of Pretty
God Cares about Modesty, Not Fashion
BLOG: Ten Reasons Women Should Dress Modestly
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: The Practice of Virtue
5. This strong insistence of grace that you feel
amidst so many relapses is, to my mind, a very good sign, because it shows
the ardent desire that God has to save your soul; this, nevertheless, He
will not do without your cooperation.
February 20, 2012
(Psa 127:3-5) Behold
the inheritance of the Lord are children: the reward, the fruit of the
womb. As arrows in the hand of the mighty, so the children of them that
have been shaken. Blessed is the man that hath filled the desire with
them; he shall not be confounded when he shall speak to his enemies in
the gate.
RON SMITH REPORT: Ensoulment
Note from Ron: To receive my Catholic Q&A reports please contact me with your correct email address.
FROM THE MAILBAG
REFLECTION by Father Ted - February 19, 2012
Dearest Jesus, on this 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time You remind us of an
important task that You desire us to fulfill at this time.
You have told us that You desire to forgive the sins of all of us
because of Your incredible love for us. You want all of us to
experience the Divine Mercy of our Father.
Yet many of us have a serious difficulty with this desire of Yours -
for we do not admit that we are sinners and that we have a real need
for forgiveness.
We believe that we are ok.
Although You gave to us a conscience, we have not formed it, or we have stifled it, or we have ignored it.
Today so many of us do not even accept the need to worship the Father
with You on Sundays. Much less believe that it is a sin to miss
Mass.
Today many of us do not accept that Your gift of our sexuality is meant
for the procreation of children and for the deep expression of true
love between a man and a women who are married to each other.
We have been taught that the purpose of sex is for our pleasure
primarily. We have been taught that it is ok to prevent the
possibility of conception - through the use of the condom and/or the
pill or some other technique.
We have accepted as if it were true that the misuse of this marvelous power is not sinful.
We have forgotten why You created us and how You have shown us how to
live so as to achieve our purpose in life which is union with You.
We have also neglected to teach our brothers and sisters how the evil
one strives to deceive us and as a result we have accepted his lies
regarding our relationship with You and we each other.
Since so many of us have begun to deny sin, and therefore the need to
repent, You have begun once again to call upon certain of Your children
to intercede for their brothers and sisters who are in denial of their
sinfulness.
You have exhorted them to help these spiritually blind members of our
human family so that they can begin to see the truth of their condition
and respond to Your call to seek forgiveness of their sins and be
receptive of You Divine Mercy.
Jesus, encourage us to pray for these brothers and sisters of ours who
still are denying that they are sinners in need of forgiveness.
Teach us how to motivate them. Teach us how to help them.
Jesus, may they come to know the truth. May they confess their
sins. May they accept Your Mercy. And may they become
filled with the fire of Your Divine Love.
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: The Practice of Virtue
4. What punishment will not that servant bring
upon himself who knows the will of his Master and does not do it?
February 17, 2012
(Luk 23:46) And Jesus crying with a
loud voice, said: Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. And
saying this, he gave up the ghost.
POPE BENEDICT XVI: "At
the same time Jesus, at the extreme moment of death, entrusted Himself
entirely into the hands of God the Father, communicating to us the
certainty that, however difficult our trials ... or burdensome our
suffering, we will never fall out of God’s hands, the hands which
created us, and which support and accompany us on life’s journey".
PETER KREEFT: God's Answer to Suffering
VIA MANILA: Why did God allow it?
It is heart-wrenching to see on TV the rescuers racing against time to
save helpless people pinned under collapsed walls, hit by debris, or
buried by landslides caused by a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake in
the Negros Island.
What was dramatically heartbreaking was a girl in La Libertad, Negros
Oriental, who phoned for help seconds before tons of soil flattened
their houses. Hoping against hope, rescue workers frantically dug
the location and unearthed the poor girl but sadly, she died – still
clutching her cell phone.
The death of the girl along with more than 50 casualties and thousands
of devastated properties bring us to the question: Why does a good God
allow this to happen? Is He some kind of a sadist, seeing with
some kind of twisted pleasure people die or suffer?
Our groping theological answer is, these “tantrums” of Nature or “acts
of God” are part of our imperfect world broken by Original Sin.
Still this does not satisfy human reason, considering the death of
numerous INNOCENT people against the image of a merciful and loving God.
It would be more understandable if it was the evil and corrupt people
that perished. We would say they got their just desserts!
UNJUST SUFFERING.
This highlights the mystery of unjust and undeserved suffering.
It is a problem that cannot be solved but a mystery to be lived.
Think of the unjust sufferings of the righteous Job in the Old
Testament. After he lost his cattle, properties, and finally
children to earthquakes and other calamities, he could still say, “God
gives. God takes away.”
This unjust suffering is also shown graphically in the passion and
death of the Lord Jesus Christ. But it was through His suffering
that He saved us.
Jesus is as though saying, “If I don’t take away all your sufferings,
it is not because I can not do it, or because I do not love you
enough. But buried deep within the human nature is the reality
that fulfillment comes from the PASSAGE to life through suffering and
death. All I can do is to tell you this... then ask you to
follow me and have faith in Me.”
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA David Hughes: Prayer Before the Image of Divine Mercy
Merciful Jesus, King of Mercy,
pour new graces into my soul
from the unfathomable ocean of Divine Mercy —
as you promised you would into souls who continued
to seek your mercy through this image
Let the merits of the blood and water
which gushed from your heart
as a fountain of mercy
purify me from every sin and stain of sin
and increase your divine life within my soul
Protect me always under the shelter of these rays,
and grant me your abundant gifts and blessings
for you are kind and merciful —
you love mankind
and I trust in you with all my heart!
Oh blood and water which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fountain of mercy for us — I trust in you!
Jesus, I trust in you!
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: Various Subjects
24. As often as you can, make the following aspiration:
I adore Thee and love Thee, O divine Heart of Jesus, living in the heart
of Mary; I beseech Thee to live and reign in all hearts and to perfect
them in Thy pure love.
February 15, 2012
(Joh 16:33) These
things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the
world you shall have distress. But have confidence. I have overcome the
world.
POPE BENEDICT XVI: APPEAL FOR AN END TO VIOLENCE IN SYRIA
"It is with great concern that I am following the dramatic and
increasing violence in Syria", said the Pope this morning after praying
the Angelus. "In recent days there have been many victims, some of them
children. I recall them all in my prayers, just as I do the wounded and
those who are suffering the consequences of an increasingly worrying
conflict. I also renew my urgent appeal to put an end to the violence
and bloodshed and, finally, invite everyone - particularly the Syrian
authorities - to favour the paths of dialogue, reconciliation and
commitment to peace. It is vital to respond to the legitimate
aspirations of the various components of the nation, and to the hopes
of the international community, which is concerned for the common good
of society as a whole, and of the region".
ASIANEWS.IT: Without dialogue Syria will become a new Iraq, Aleppo bishop says
“The international community must favour dialogue among the various
groups rather than fuel the spirit of vengeance. Backing one faction
against the other will turn Syria into a new Iraq. Otherwise,
Christians will pay a heavy price,” said Mgr Antoine Audo, Chaldean
bishop of Aleppo after last Saturday’s attack against two Syrian
security forces bases that killed 28. Mgr Audo spoke to AsiaNews a day
after Benedict XVI issued an appeal to the Syrian government,
opposition forces and the international community.
Mgr Audo noted that despite the climate of violence and vengeance of
the past few months, residents have remained united, not only in Aleppo
but also in other cities.
“Two Christians were killed in the attack,” the prelate explained.
“They had gone to the mosque near the blast site to express their
solidarity with Muslims. Yesterday, hundreds of people from both
communities took part in their funeral.” According to the bishop, all
Syrians irrespective of confessions are suffering from the violence and
the deep economic crisis that has crippled the country.
Sanctions and the climate of fear have interrupted almost all economic
activities, including the sale of food and drugs. Poor families are the
ones that suffer the most from the situation.
“The Catholic Church,” he said, “is helping the exhausted population of
Aleppo, Damascus and Homs. I am, as president of Caritas Syria,
personally working with other local humanitarian groups to provide food
and health treatment to families.”
CNS: Nuncio to Syria says priests in Homs choose to remain despite violence
REVIEW: State of Fear: Syria's Christians Face the Specter of Civil War and Sectarian Violence
EXCERPT NEW AMERICAN: Syrian Christians Fear Genocide if al-Assad Falls to Muslim Extremists
Catholic bishops are warning that if the Bashar al-Assad
(left) regime in Syria falls to Islamists, there may well be a
mass genocide of Christians, such as seen in Iraq after the fall of
Saddam Hussein. Though Christians cannot support the brutality of the
Assad dictatorship, few believe that rule by Muslim extremists will be
any better.
Syria — home to Damascus, one of the most important cities of the
ancient world and of special religious significance to Christians — has
long had a tolerant attitude toward religious minorities. Syria's
Christians — estimated to be about 10 percent of the population, or 2.5
million — cherish this tradition of non-religious government. The
Ba'athist Party of Syria had a counterpart in the Ba'athist Party of
Iraq, whose last leader was Saddam Hussein. The party was actually
founded by Michael Aflaq, a Syrian Christian, and although there are
many objectionable features to its politics (it is, for example,
overtly socialist), people of all faiths were able to live in relative
safety even in a Syria in which the overwhelming majority of the
inhabitants are Muslims.
EDITORIAL VIA PATRICK J. BUCHANAN: On to Tehran -- or Is It Damascus?
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: Various Subjects
23. He will reign in spite of His enemies, and
will make Himself master of the hearts which He desires to possess; for
the principal end of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is to convert
souls to His love.
February 14, 2012
(John 15:12-14) This
is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.
Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for
his friends. You are my friends, if you do the things that I command
you.
PRIESTS FOR LIFE UPDATE: No Compromise: The Mandate Has to Go, Period.
RELATED: Catholic Bishops Oppose Compromise on Birth-Control Insurance
LIFENEWS.COM: Archbishop Chaput: Obama HHS Mandate “Insulting, Dangerous”
ON ST. VALENTINE DAY
SOCIETY OF THE DIVINE WORD: A Valentine Day Story
LINK: The Legend of St. Valentine
The story of Valentine's Day begins in the third century with an
oppressive Roman emperor and a humble Christian martyr. The emperor was
Claudius II. The Christian was Valentinus.
Claudius had ordered all Romans to worship twelve gods, and he had made
it a crime punishable by death to associate with Christians. But
Valentinus was dedicated to the ideals of Christ, and not even the
threat of death could keep him from practicing his beliefs. He was
arrested and imprisoned.
During the last weeks of Valentinus' life a remarkable thing happened.
Seeing that he was a man of learning, the jailer asked whether his
daughter, Julia, might be brought to Valentinus for lessons. She had
been blind since birth.
Julia was a pretty young girl with a quick mind. Valentinus read
stories of Rome's history to her. He described the world of nature to
her. He taught her arithmetic and told her about God. She saw the world
through his eyes, trusted in his wisdom, and found comfort in his quiet
strength.
"Valentinus, does God really hear our prayers?" Julia asked one day. "Yes, my child, He hears each one," he replied.
"Do you know what I pray for every morning and every night? I pray that
I might see. I want so much to see everything you've told me about!"
"God does what is best for us if we will only believe in Him," Valentinus said.
"Oh, Valentinus, I do believe," Julia said intensely. "I do."
She knelt and grasped his hand. Then they prayed together.
Suddenly there was a brilliant light in the prison cell. Radiant, Julia cried, "Valentinus, I can see! I can see!"
"Praise be to God!" Valentinus exclaimed.
On the eve of his death, Valentinus wrote a last note to Julia, urging
her to stay close to God, and he signed it "From your Valentine."
His sentence was carried out the next day, February 14, 270 A.D., near
a gate that was later named Porta Valentini in his memory. He was
buried at what is now the Church of Praxedes in Rome.
It is said that Julia herself planted a pink-blossomed almond tree near
his grave. Today, the almond tree remains a symbol of abiding love and
friendship. On each February 14, St. Valentine's Day, messages of
affection, love, and devotion are exchanged around the world.
MORE: http://www.keytoumbria.com/Terni/St_Valentine.html
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: Various Subjects
22. In spite of all opposition, this divine Heart
will eventually triumph. Satan with all his adherents will be confounded.
Happy will they be who have been the means of establishing His empire.
February 11, 2012
(Jas 5:16) Confess
therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you
may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.
POPE BENEDICT XVI: Absence of God Man's Worst Sickness
GEORGIA BULLETIN: A Reluctant Pilgrim At Lourdes
VIA MANILA: Proof that God, Mary Care
There's a saying, “God cures; the doctor collects the fee.” That surely
applies to those free miraculous healings. This Saturday, February 11,
is the feast of our Lady of Lourdes designated as “World Day of Prayer
of the Sick” by Pope John Paul II in 1992.
It was to Bernadette Soubirous, a poor, unlettered 14-year-old
asthmatic girl that the Blessed Mother appeared. The first of 18
apparitions took place on February 11, 1858, at a cave in Massabielle,
France, while the girl was saying the rosary and gathering firewood.
On Feb. 24, the Lady asked her to scrape the ground and muddy
water trickled out. That became the eternal fountain from which
miraculous healings of the sick and incurable are taking place.
Since then, thousands have been cured. However, to date only
about 2,000 are authenticated with the Medical Bureau of Lourdes,
certified by a distinguished team of physicians, who include atheists.
DOCTOR OF MIRACLES- Interview with Dr. Patrick Theillier, head of the Medical Bureau of Our Lady of Lourdes.
EXCERPT: What is then the spiritual meaning of miracle?
- The reality of miracle depends first of all on our understanding of
God's action in the universe. As we know there are people who question
the existence of God (atheists) or people who do not ask the question
if God exists (agnostics). One can believe that God exists and at the
same time one can be convinced that God is completely outside our
world. In our cultural sphere people often treat God as a great
clockmaker who set the mechanism of the world once and switched himself
off. But Christianity claims something different. Man is loved by God
who will do anything to show us his love, especially through signs. For
example, miracles are such signs.
We often do not notice them because we believe - especially in our
materially developed civilisation - that everything depends on what we
have at our disposal: our strength, financial resources, material
means. Thus we have lost the sense of sacrum which for instance the
people of Africa have. When I meet them at various conferences they
tell me there are many miracles among them. They say that they do not
even mention them since they continuously have them. 'We have not got
medicines that the West has so we pray over the sick and they are
cured'.
RELATED LINKS
Place
your petition at the Grotto of Lourdes
Prayer
to Our Lady of Lourdes
The Message of Lourdes
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: Various Subjects
21. I think our Lord is like a king who does not
give rewards whilst he is engaged in fighting battles and overcoming his
enemies, but when he reigns victorious on his throne.
February 8, 2012
(Heb 10:24) And let us consider one another, to provoke unto charity and to good works:
VIS: POPE'S LENTEN MESSAGE: CHARITY AS A MEANS TO SALVATION
(1) Let us be concerned for each other: responsibility towards our brothers and sisters.
"This first aspect is an invitation to be 'concerned'. ... The verb
which introduces our exhortation tells us to look at others, first of
all at Jesus, to be concerned for one another, and not to remain
isolated and indifferent to the fate of our brothers and sisters. All
too often, however, our attitude is just the opposite: an indifference
and disinterest born of selfishness and masked as a respect for
'privacy'. ... Even today God asks us to be 'guardians' of our brothers
and sisters, to establish relationships based on mutual consideration
and attentiveness to the well-being, the integral well-being of others.
The great commandment of love for one another demands that we
acknowledge our responsibility towards those who, like ourselves, are
creatures and children of God. Being brothers and sisters in humanity
and, in many cases, also in the faith, should help us to recognise in
others a true alter ego, infinitely loved by the Lord. If we cultivate
this way of seeing others as our brothers and sisters, solidarity,
justice, mercy and compassion will naturally well up in our hearts".
"Concern for others entails desiring what is good for them from every
point of view: physical, moral and spiritual. Contemporary culture
seems to have lost the sense of good and evil, yet there is a real need
to reaffirm that good does exist and will prevail, because God is
'generous and acts generously'. The good is whatever gives, protects
and promotes life, brotherhood and communion. Responsibility towards
others thus means desiring and working for the good of others, in the
hope that they too will become receptive to goodness and its demands.
Concern for others means being aware of their needs. Sacred Scripture
warns us of the danger that our hearts can become hardened by a sort of
'spiritual anaesthesia' which numbs us to the suffering of others. The
Evangelist Luke relates two of Jesus' parables by way of example": the
parable of the Good Samaritan and the parable of Dives and Lazarus.
Both "show examples of the opposite of 'being concerned', of looking
upon others with love and compassion. What hinders this humane and
loving gaze towards our brothers and sisters? Often it is the
possession of material riches and a sense of sufficiency, but it can
also be the tendency to put our own interests and problems above all
else. We should never be incapable of 'showing mercy' towards those who
suffer. Our hearts should never be so wrapped up in our affairs and
problems that they fail to hear the cry of the poor. ... Reaching out
to others and opening our hearts to their needs can become an
opportunity for salvation and blessedness.
"'Being concerned for each other' also entails being concerned for
their spiritual well-being. Here I would like to mention an aspect of
the Christian life, which I believe has been quite forgotten: fraternal
correction in view of eternal salvation. Today, in general, we are very
sensitive to the idea of charity and caring about the physical and
material well-being of others, but almost completely silent about our
spiritual responsibility towards our brothers and sisters. This was not
the case in the early Church. ... Christ Himself commands us to
admonish a brother who is committing a sin. ... The Church's tradition
has included 'admonishing sinners' among the spiritual works of mercy.
It is important to recover this dimension of Christian charity. We must
not remain silent before evil. I am thinking of all those Christians
who, out of human regard or purely personal convenience, adapt to the
prevailing mentality, rather than warning their brothers and sisters
against ways of thinking and acting that are contrary to the truth and
that do not follow the path of goodness. Christian admonishment, for
its part, is never motivated by a spirit of accusation or
recrimination. It is always moved by love and mercy, and springs from
genuine concern for the good of the other. ... In a world pervaded by
individualism, it is essential to rediscover the importance of
fraternal correction, so that together we may journey towards holiness.
... It is a great service, then, to help others and allow them to help
us, so that we can be open to the whole truth about ourselves, improve
our lives and walk more uprightly in the Lord's ways".
(2) Being concerned for each other: the gift of reciprocity.
"This 'custody' of others is in contrast to a mentality that, by
reducing life exclusively to its earthly dimension, fails to see it in
an eschatological perspective and accepts any moral choice in the name
of personal freedom. A society like ours can become blind to physical
sufferings and to the spiritual and moral demands of life. This must
not be the case in the Christian community!"
"The Lord's disciples, united with Him through the Eucharist, live in a
fellowship that binds them one to another as members of a single body.
This means that the other is part of me, and that his or her life, his
or her salvation, concern my own life and salvation. Here we touch upon
a profound aspect of communion: our existence is related to that of
others, for better or for worse. Both our sins and our acts of love
have a social dimension. This reciprocity is seen in the Church, the
mystical body of Christ: the community constantly does penance and asks
for the forgiveness of the sins of its members, but also unfailingly
rejoices in the examples of virtue and charity present in her midst.
... Christians can also express their membership in the one body which
is the Church through concrete concern for the poorest of the poor.
Concern for one another likewise means acknowledging the good that the
Lord is doing in others".
(3) To stir a response in love and good works: walking together in holiness.
"These words of the Letter to the Hebrews urge us to reflect on the
universal call to holiness. ... The time granted us in this life is
precious for discerning and performing good works in the love of God.
In this way the Church herself continuously grows towards the full
maturity of Christ. Our exhortation to encourage one another to attain
the fullness of love and good works is situated in this dynamic
prospect of growth.
"Sadly, there is always the temptation to become lukewarm, to quench
the Spirit, to refuse to invest the talents we have received, for our
own good and for the good of others. All of us have received spiritual
or material riches meant to be used for the fulfilment of God's plan,
for the good of the Church and for our personal salvation. The
spiritual masters remind us that in the life of faith those who do not
advance inevitably regress".
"In a world which demands of Christians a renewed witness of love and
fidelity to the Lord, may all of us feel the urgent need to anticipate
one another in charity, service and good works. This appeal is
particularly pressing in this holy season of preparation for Easter".
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: Various Subjects
17. You can hardly realize what pleasure you give
me by your zeal for the glory of the Sacred Heart. It is, I think, one
of the quickest means of sanctifying oneself.
February 7, 2012
(Mat 24:6-8) And
you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that ye be not
troubled. For these things must come to pass: but the end is not yet.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And
there shall be pestilences and famines and earthquakes in places. Now
all these are the beginnings of sorrows.
HEADLINE: Iran warns against attacks on its nuclear bases
Iran has warned it will attack any country used to launch airstrikes
against its nuclear bases, as increasingly aggressive rhetoric
emanating from the Islamic Republic and Israel has increased
apprehension that military confrontation is looming.
"Any spot used by the enemy for hostile operations against Iran will be
subjected to retaliatory aggression by our armed forces," Hossein
Salami, the deputy head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, told the
semi-official Fars news agency.
The warning followed a threat by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, on Friday to attack Israel in retaliation for western
sanctions and a pledge to support any nation or group that wanted to
fight Israel.
In a two-hour televised speech, Khamenei said: "From now on, in any
place, if any nation or any group confronts the Zionist regime, we will
endorse and we will help. We have no fear expressing this." He referred
to Israel as a "cancerous tumour that should be cut and will be cut".
RELATED HEADLINES
Attack on Iran "would be disaster," must talk: Turkey
Iran raid likely to drag in U.S. and hurt global economy
War of nerves: Iran’s warships arrive in Saudi Arabia
STRATFOR ANALYSIS: Iran, the U.S. and the Strait of Hormuz Crisis
COMMENTARY: A Nuclear Iran in Biblical Prophecy
OPINION: We say no, again
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: Various Subjects
16. Endeavor to take all your delight in this divine
Heart, and beg the most Holy Trinity to make It known and loved by all
hearts that are capable of so doing.
February 2, 2012
(Act 5:27-29) And
when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the
high priest asked them, Saying: Commanding, we commanded you that you
should not teach in this name. And behold, you have filled Jerusalem
with your doctrine: and you have a mind to bring the blood of this man
upon us. But Peter and the apostles answering, said: We ought to obey
God rather than men.
EXCERPT COMMENTARY: The Jesus mandate vs. Obama’s mandate by William E. Lori, Bishop of Bridgeport, Conn
Recently the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a
mandate: Virtually all employers, including Catholic schools, hospitals
and social service agencies, must buy coverage for sterilization and
contraceptives, including drugs that can induce an abortion, for their
employees. Catholics and other people of faith are required to comply
although in doing so they must violate their teaching and their
conscience. If they do not comply, they face stiff financial penalties
that will gravely impact their ability to fulfill the mission of
service entrusted to them.
Yes, there is an exception to the HHS mandate. But for religious
institutions to claim this exception, they must serve primarily members
of their own church, synagogue or mosque, and so choose not to feed or
clothe, heal or educate practically anyone of another faith or creed.
A long time ago, the Catholic Church received a mandate from a higher
authority: “Go out to all the world and spread the Good News.” It
is the mandate of Jesus Christ: “This is my command: Love one another.”
When people in need walk into a Catholic institution we serve them.
We serve our neighbor based on need, not creed. The HHS mandate
would reverse that, telling us we must serve based on creed not need
for the government to consider us an organization deserving religious
liberty. Here the HHS mandate steps on, indeed tramples, the mandate of
Jesus Christ.
The effect the HHS mandate will have on our neighbors and on society is
alarming. In short, the administration is dictating that Catholic
institutions and individual employers violate what America has always
considered inviolable—their religious liberty and freedom of conscience.
LETTERS BY BISHOPS READ ALOUD AT MASS THIS PAST SUNDAY
Diocese of Lincoln: http://www.dioceseoflincoln.org/Documents/PDFs/BishopLetter_Jan29_2012.pdf
Diocese of Harrisburg: http://www.hbgdiocese.org/Admin/Uploads/Bishop/Bishop%20McFadden/Documents/Letters/Letter%20to%20Parishes%20on%20HHS%20decision%20January%202012%20(2).pdf
COMMENTARY BY ARCHBISHOP DOLAN: Obama Administration ‘Treats Pregnancy As Disease’
NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE: Free Birth Control vs. Freedom of Religion
BIBLICAL STUDY: Act 5:29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
The first thing that we should notice is that God Demands First Place.
The apostles were going to be obedient to God instead of to man when
there was a conflict between the laws of God and the laws of man.
God demands that man love him with all his heart, soul, mind and
strength. When Jesus was asked which is the greatest commandment
in the law, he replied that man is to love God with his whole being
(Luke 10:27). This kind of love will lead man to obey God even
though the law of the land demands contrary action. This was a
lesson that the apostles were learning well. They refused to
yield to the pressures from the society they lived in to compromise the
Word of God.
The second thing we need to see is that God Deserves First Place.
It is not an unreasonable thing that God should demand first place in
our hearts and lives because he deserves that place. He deserves
that place because he gave us life, and breath, and all things (Acts
17:25). He preserves our lives “in Him we live and move and
exist” (Acts 17:28). He gave his Son to die for us to save us
from hell (John 3:16-18). Since He has given us all, He deserves
first place in everything.
But there is another concept that
we should see here. God deserves our first love and obedience
because he is over all governments. No government has a right to
demand the first love and loyalty of a citizen, what that government is
itself in subject to God (Romans 13:1-6). Even governments are
subject to God (Daniel 4:28-37). If a government demands our
first loyalty it denies it subjection to God and sets itself in the
place of God.
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: Various Subjects
15. What are the joys of life where nothing is
lasting? They pass like a dream, and I cannot understand how a heart which
loves God and which seeks Him can take any pleasure save in Him alone.
Links 
E-mail
Dr. Zambrano 
Home
Jubilee
2000: Bringing the World to Jesus
The
Tribulation Times Archives:
FAIR
USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which
has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We
are making such material available in our efforts to advance
understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic,
democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this
constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted
material
as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance
with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is
distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest
in receiving the included information for research and educational
purposes. For more detailed information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.
If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of
your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain
permission from the copyright owner.