Keep
your eyes open!...
January 30, 2015
(Mar 4:21-23) And
he said to them: Doth a candle come in to be put under a bushel, or
under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick? For there is nothing
hid, which shall not be made manifest: neither was it made secret, but
that it may come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
NEWS.VA: Pope warns of globalization of indifference in Lenten message
EXCERPT ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT: The Great Charter at 800: Why it still matters
Democracies depend for their survival on people of conviction fighting
for what they believe in the public square — legally and peacefully,
but zealously and without apologies. That includes all of us.
Critics often accuse religious believers of pursuing a “culture war” on
issues like abortion, sexuality, marriage and the family, and religious
liberty. And in a sense, they’re right. We are working hard
for what we believe. But of course, so are the people on the
other side of all these issues – and no one seems to call them “culture
warriors.” In any case, neither they nor we should feel bad about
fighting for our convictions. Democracy thrives on the struggle
of competing ideas. We steal from ourselves and from our fellow
citizens if we try to avoid that struggle. Two of the worst
qualities in any human being are cowardice and acedia – and by acedia I
mean the kind of moral sloth that masquerades as tolerance but leaves a
soul so empty of courage and character that even the devil Screwtape
would spit it out.[iii]
In real life, democracy is built on two practical pillars: cooperation
and conflict. It requires both. Cooperation, because people
have a natural hunger for solidarity that makes all community
possible. And conflict, because people have competing visions of
what’s right and true. The more deeply they hold their
convictions, the more naturally people seek to have those convictions
shape society.
We have a duty to treat all persons with charity and justice. We
have a duty to seek common ground where possible. But that’s
never an excuse for compromising with grave evil. It’s never an
excuse for being naive. And it’s never an excuse for standing
idly by while our liberty to preach and serve God in the public square
is whittled away. We need to work vigorously in law and politics
to form our culture in a godly understanding of human dignity and the
purpose of human freedom. Otherwise, we should stop trying to
fool ourselves that we really believe what we claim to believe.
There’s more. To work as the Founders intended, America needs a
special kind of citizen. It needs mature, well-informed men and
women able to reason clearly and rule themselves prudently. If
that’s true – and it is – then the greatest danger to our liberty today
is not religious extremism. It’s a culture of narcissism that
cocoons us in vulgarity, distraction and noise, while excluding God
from the human imagination.
Kierkegaard once wrote that “the introspection of silence is the
condition of all educated intercourse,” and that a culture of constant
chattering “is afraid of the silence which reveals its
emptiness.”[iv] Silence feeds the soul. Silence invites God
to speak. And silence is exactly what American life no longer
allows. Securing the place of religious freedom in our society is
therefore not just a matter of law and politics, but of prayer and our
own interior renewal.
ALETEIA: Who Wants Good Men? Satan Does—And the World Doesn't
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
35. Hyperichius said, 'Let your mind be always on the kingdom of heaven, and you will soon inherit it.'
January 28, 2015
(Mat 5:10-12) Blessed
are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and
persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my
sake: Be glad and rejoice for your reward is very great in heaven. For
so they persecuted the prophets that were before you.
THOUGHTFUL COMMENTARIES ON CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION
CATHOLIC SUN: Persecuted for faith, Christians are united in bloodshed, Pope says
EXCERPT VATICAN INSIDER INTERVIEW POPE FRANCIS: Never be afraid of tenderness
Is Christian unity a priority for you?
“Yes, for me ecumenism is a priority. Today there is an ecumenism of
blood. In some countries they kill Christians for wearing a cross or
having a Bible and before they kill them they do not ask them whether
they are Anglican, Lutheran, Catholic or Orthodox. Their blood is
mixed. To those who kill we are Christians. We are united in blood,
even though we have not yet managed to take necessary steps towards
unity between us and perhaps the time has not yet come. Unity is a gift
that we need to ask for. I knew a parish priest in Hamburg who was
dealing with the beatification cause of a Catholic priest guillotined
by the Nazis for teaching children the catechism. After him, in the
list of condemned individuals, was a Lutheran pastor who was killed for
the same reason. Their blood was mixed. The parish priest told me he
had gone to the bishop and said to him: “I will continue to deal with
the cause, but both of their causes, not just the Catholic priest’s.”
This is what ecumenism of blood is. It still exists today; you just
need to read the newspapers. Those who kill Christians don’t ask for
your identity card to see which Church you were baptised in. We need to
take these facts into consideration.”
CNA: 100 million reasons for concern about anti-Christian persecution
AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED NEWS HEADLINES
Missionary: Boko Haram behind attacks on churches in Niger
Chaldean leader calls for ‘dismantling’ of ideology that justifies Islamist violence
Jesuit laments car bomb attack in Homs, Syria: 'young people were deliberately targeted'
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
32.
Syncletica said, 'Let us live soberly, for thieves get in through our
bodily senses. The inside of the house is sure to be blackened if the
smoke that is coiling up outside finds the windows open.'
January 26, 2015
(Isa 43:25) I am, I am he that blot out thy iniquities for my own sake, and I will not remember thy sins.
REFLECTION:
Let us be honest to ourselves: We are not that lovable. Our
faults pile up one on top of the other. We promise to do better,
and we try for a short time. But sooner or later, we fail.
So why does God still keep on taking chances on us? Why does God
give us chance after chance after chance? What does God see in us?
In prayer, I have asked God these
questions many times. And in prayer, usually after going to
Confession, I have always received the same answer. I challenge
God, “Who am I that you take such chances on me?” God responds simply,
“You are mine.”
NEWS.VA: Pope Francis: God always forgives everything
FR. Z'S COMMENTARY: Pope Francis says: GO TO CONFESSION!
PULSE.NG: 5 reasons Catholics go for confession
BLOG: Don't Play Chicken With Sin
It's a typically rash high school
adrenaline move. Two cars, headed directly toward each other at
high speed—and whoever swerves first is the "chicken." If no one
swerves, both people die. It's all about pushing as long as you
can before fear takes over and compels you turn the wheel—about the
thrill of nearing the cliff's edge and skating along it as it crumbles.
I never played chicken with my
car. The whole idea seemed dumb to me—why risk life and limb for
that sort of pointless thrill? I wonder though, if this isn't
exactly what we do with sin, all the time.
Christians who are dating love to
ask one question more than almost any other: "How far can we go without
it being fornication?" In a broader sense, I think that's often the
question we're asking: "What can I get away with?" These are, of
course, completely the wrong questions. We're playing chicken
with sin, but there's just one problem. Sin never swerves.
Either we swerve soon enough—and the temptation to swerve later and
later is always growing, because the thrill of almost doing something
wrong is so powerful—or we hit the other car, and sin wins.
The approach is dangerous,
fool-headed, and one we need to break ourselves of. The longer we
play chicken with sin, the more likely we'll fall. People who toy
with lust end up in adultery. People who toy with greed end up
embezzling from their company. People who toy with gossip destroy
friendships and tear apart churches. Pick your sin; the
consequences are inevitable. When you play with fire, you get
burned.
The question we really ought to be
asking is not, "What can I get away with?" but "How can I best glorify
God?" You see, it's more than the fact that sin will win every time in
our games of chicken. It's that asking "What can I get away
with?" is itself sinful. It betrays the real attitude of our
hearts: not a desire to honor Jesus Christ as Lord, but a desire not to
be punished. It shows that we do not understand the gospel or
know God well. In Christ all our sins are forgiven; God's mercy
is very great and his love beyond our understanding. If the only
question we are asking is, "How much before God punishes me?" then
either we are still very immature in our faith, or we are not believers
at all.
The more we know God, and the more
we understand what Jesus accomplished on the cross, and the more we
seek the wisdom given by the Spirit, the more we will learn to love
God—heart, soul, and mind. We will do good and hate evil not as a
means of avoiding punishment but out of love, and because—more and more
every day—we truly do love doing good and we truly do hate evil.
We will treasure the things God values and cast off the things God
despises not out of some misguided attempt to curry favor but because
increasingly we are like him. That sort of radical transformation
marks the difference between real gospel transformation and therapeutic
moralism with a Christian imprint.
And most of us are playing chicken with sin. God help us.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
30.
Some brothers once asked Silvanus, 'What way of life did you follow to
be endowed with such prudence?' He answered, 'I have never let any
bitter thought remain in my heart.'
January 23, 2015
(Deu 30:19) I
call heaven and earth to witness this day, that I have set before you
life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose therefore life, that both
thou and thy seed may live:
FROM THE MAILBAG: Reflection by Father Ted - January 22, 2015
This morning, dearest Jesus, You persuaded the sisters at Mass to sing
the Kyrie Eleison many times, not just the typical six times. I found
this most providential since on this day we commemorate the abominable
decision that our United States Supreme Court proclaimed forty two
years ago which has resulted in the murder of over 52 million babies.
You want us to plead with You as You have indicated in the Opening
Prayer for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time which I prayed at this
morning’s Mass.
You want us to plead with You for Your Mercy.
You want us to ask You again and again to pour Your grace into our
hearts so that we will accept the truth that all life is sacred.
So many of our brothers and sisters in our country are blind to the
sacredness of all life. They proclaim that their views are correct.
Some even proclaim that it the right of a woman to choose to terminate
the life of their unborn child through abortions. And many of the
members of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of our
federal government promote this lie.
Only if we plead with You through prayer and fasting will the truth of
the sacredness of all human life be able to penetrate their hearts. And
so we pray – Lord, have mercy on us! Lord, have mercy on us! Lord, have
mercy on us! Lord, have mercy on us! ....
Forgive us our sins! Save us from the fires of hell! Lead all souls to
heaven, especially those who have most need of Your Mercy!
DAILY SIGNAL: 29 Beautiful Reminders of Why People March for Life
VIDEO: New March for Life Video Celebrates Defenders of the Unborn
BOSTON PILOT: 2015 MARCH FOR LIFE VIGIL MASS HOMILY CARDINAL SEÁN P. O'MALLEY
LIFENEWS RECAP: Hundreds of Thousands of Pro-Lifers March for Life: Mourn 57 Million Abortions
Hundreds of thousands of pro-life people turned out for the annual
March for Life in Washington, braving cold temperatures to take a stand
for the right to life of unborn children. While marchers mourned 42
years of legalized abortion, many sounded a hopeful theme for a
pro-life future and think the decision will eventually be reversed.
The Roe v. Wade decision, handed down on January 22, 1973, overturned
pro-life laws offering protection for unborn children in most states
across the country, and made abortions legal and virtually unlimited.
Almost 58 million unborn children have been killed in abortions since.
Polling data shows Americans are pro-life and few agree with Obama’s
unlimited abortion position. Pope Francis sent out a tweet praying for
the marchers.
As with other recent marches, the number of young adults and high
school and college students impressed organizers and provided another
reason to be optimistic.
LifeNews has collected dozens of March for Life pictures from pro-lifers attending today’s March for Life. Below is a selection of those celebrating life and mourning Roe v. Wade.
LIFESITE: ‘The largest human rights march in the world’: Hundreds of thousands join DC March for Life
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
27.
A brother said to Sisois, 'I want to guard my heart.' He said to him,
'How can we guard the heart if our tongue leaves the door of the
fortress open?'
January 21, 2015
(Psa 139:13-14) You
formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you,
because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works! My very self
you know.
POPE FRANCIS (9/13):
"Dear medical friends, you are called to take care of human life in its
initial phase, reminding everyone, with facts and words, that this is
always, in all its phases and at any age, sacred and always of quality.
And not as a matter of faith – no, no – but of reason and science!
There is no human life more sacred than another, just as no human life
is qualitatively more significant than another. The credibility of a
health care system is measured not only in efficiency, but above all in
the attention and love towards people, whose lives are always sacred
and inviolable."
BISHOP EDWARD J. BURNS: "Abortion is the worst kind of domestic violence."
CELEBRATE LIFE MAGAZINE: Every life a universe: How one life can radically redefine the meaning of another by Terrell Clemmons
THE CATHOLIC VOICE: In search of healing after an abortion
THE AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE: Canadian Christians: Tomorrow’s Soviet Jews?
USCCB: National Prayer Vigil For Life
The National Prayer Vigil for Life is an all-night pro-life prayer
vigil held on the eve of the March for Life each January. Over 20,000
pilgrims from across the nation pray through the night for an end to
abortion and a greater respect for all human life. It is held at the
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in
Washington, D.C.
The vigil schedule
includes the Opening Mass celebrated in the Great Upper Church. Prayer
continues throughout the night with the National Rosary for Life, Night
Prayer and Holy Hours for Life. The following morning, the prayer vigil
concludes with Morning Prayer, Benediction and the Closing Mass the
next morning.
The National Prayer Vigil for Life is one small part of the Church's
"great prayer for life." It is sponsored by the USCCB Pro-Life
Secretariat, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception, and The Catholic University of America Office of Campus
Ministry.
A
great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up
throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer,
may an impassioned plea rise to God, the Creator and lover of life,
from every Christian community, from every group and association, from
every family and from the heart of every believer. - Pope Saint John
Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, no. 100
HEADLINE: March For Life Expects up to 500,000
Up to 500,000 mostly young people are queued up to rally for unborn
children on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, January
22, in what has become the largest ongoing civil rights march in
American history.
The backdrop to the 42nd March for Life is the increasing despair and
even desperation of abortion advocates best represented by an unsigned
editorial in Tuesday’s New York Times, entitled “A Perilous Year for
Abortion Rights.” The editorial laments, “The start of 2015 finds no
letup in the attacks on a woman’s constitutionally protected right to
make her own childbearing decisions.” The Times and other abortion
advocates note the huge number of state restrictions on abortion
providers that have resulted in the closure of dozens of abortion
clinics.
Pro-life legislatures have passed laws requiring abortion doctors to
have admitting privileges at the local hospital, something that is
fairly easy for most doctors but appears to be difficult for the more
marginal abortion doctors. Legislatures have also required abortion
clinics to bring their physical plants up to the level of surgical
centers, something that many clinics have not been able to afford.
The Times says, “Defenders of abortion rights have had their hands full
trying to block or at least minimize new restrictive laws, totaling
231, according to the Guttmacher Institute, exceeding the total for the
entire previous decade.”
REVIEW: Roe v Wade, Doe v Bolton: The Deception Continues
HEARTBREAKING: Diocese offers proper burial for fetus found in sewage treatment plant
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
25.
He also said, 'Do not stay with anyone who is always scornful when they speak.'
January 20, 2015
(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.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: The Papal Visit to the Philippines
EDITORIAL: The Pope’s challenge to the powerful
UPI: Pope Francis left the Philippines on Monday, ending his tour of Sri Lanka and Asia's predominantly Roman Catholic country
ALETEIA: Pope Francis' Closing Homily In Manila: "Remember Your Deepest Identity And Protect Your Family"
In his homily on the feast of Santo Niño [the Holy Child] in Manila on
Sunday, Pope Francis called the faithful to see in the Child Jesus
their deepest identity and to protect their families against the
devil’s insidious attacks against it.
Speaking to an enormous estimated crowd of 6 million faithful in Rizal
Park, site to the 1995 World Youth Day, the Pope said that the image of
the Child Jesus, which accompanied the Christianization of the
Philippines, continues to remind us of “the link between God’s Kingdom
and the mystery of spiritual childhood”.
The Santo Niño, he said, reminds us of our deepest identity. “In Christ
we have become God’s adopted children, brothers and sisters in Christ.
This is who we are. This is our identity.” Yet Pope Francis also noted
that the world and the devil seek to make us forget the truth of who we
are.
“The devil is the father of lies,” he said. “Often he hides his snares
behind the appearance of sophistication, the allure of being ‘modern’,
‘like everyone else’. He distracts us with the view of ephemeral
pleasures, superficial pastimes. And so we squander our God-given gifts
by tinkering with gadgets; we squander our money on gambling and drink;
we turn in our ourselves. We forget to remain focused on the things
that really matter."
“We forget to remain, at heart, children of God,” he said. “This is
sin: to forget, in one’s heart, to be children of God.” The Holy Child
also reminds us that this identity, and our families, must be
protected, the Pope observed.
“Sadly, in our day, the family all too often needs to be protected
against insidious attacks and programs contrary to all that we hold
true and sacred, all that is most beautiful and noble in our culture,”
he said. “Specifically,” he added, “we need to see each child as a gift
to be welcomed, cherished and protected.” Pope Francis’ words follow
his address to families Friday, in which he spoke of an “ideological
colonization” that is seeking to destroy the family and reaffirmed the
Church’s teaching set forth by Blessed Pope Paul VI in Humanae Vitae.
His comments come in the wake of the Filipino President Benigno
Aquino’s signing of a controversial reproductive health bill that would
require government-sanctioned sex education for adults, middle and high
school students, and a population control program that includes fully
subsidized contraceptives under government health insurance.
The Pope concluded his remarks by commending the Filipino faithful to
the Santo Niño, asking that he continue to bless the Philippines and
sustain Christians in their vocation to be witnesses and missionaries
of the joy of the Gospel, in Asia and in the whole world.
HOMILY IN TACLOBAN CITY: Pope Francis: in all our trials, the Lord goes before us
NEWS.VA: Moving encounter with Pope Francis: Testimony of Filipino street children
FIDES.ORG: "Year of the poor" and new evangelization: Bishops in assembly after the Pope's visit
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
24.
He also said, 'The beginning and the end is the fear of the Lord. For
it is written, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Ps.
111:10) and, when Abraham built an altar the Lord said to him, "now I
know that you fear God" (Gen. 22:12).'
January 15, 2015
(2Th 2:1-3) And
we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and of
our gathering together unto him: That you be not easily moved from your
sense nor be terrified, neither by spirit nor by word nor by epistle.
as sent from us, as if the day of the Lord were at hand. Let no man
deceive you by any means: for unless there come a revolt first, and the
man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition
SIGNS OF THE TIMES
HOMILY EXCERPT:
In his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Jewish author Elie Wiesel
said, “Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.
Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented” (Steve May, The
Story File, p. 55).
If all of us who claim to be Christians spoke out against the evils in
our society and got involved in working for a better world, our nation
would be spiritually transformed almost overnight; God’s grace would be
unleashed, and America would be filled with divine light and once again
become a glorious example for the rest of the world. To the objection
“But I’m just one person; what can I do?,” the answer is simple: pray
to the Holy Spirit for guidance, ask the Lord for opportunities to
serve Him, and then use the everyday events and encounters of life to
share Christ’s truth and love.
For instance, if the parish or a
community group asks for volunteers, seriously consider saying “yes.”
If someone seems to be having a bad day, share an encouraging word and
offer your assistance. If our Catholic Faith is ridiculed or
criticized, politely but firmly speak up in defense of the Church. If a
family member or anyone else over whom you have influence misbehaves or
makes a mistake, offer correction in a humble and loving way. If a
business or public figure sponsors or promotes immoral or offensive
entertainment or behavior, write a respectful letter of protest. If
someone you know is living a sinful life, never cease praying for that
person’s conversion. If you’re unexpectedly confronted with your own
human fallibility and weakness, have the courage to take an honest look
at yourself, and ask God to begin His process of renewing the world in
your own heart.
MEDITATION: Thoughts
by St Theophan (1815-1894) [Eph. 1:16-23; Luke 12:32-40]
Let your loins be girded about, and
your lights burning. We must be ready at every hour — one does not know
when the Lord will come, either for the Last Judgment, or to take you
from here; they are the same for you. Death decides everything. After
it comes the results of your life, you can be content with what you
have sought to gain for all of eternity. If you sought what is good,
your lot will be good; if you sought what is evil, then your lot will
be evil. This is as true as it is true that you exist.
All of this could be decided this
moment — here at this very moment, as you read these lines, and then —
the end to all: a seal will be set to your existence, which nobody can
remove. This is something to think about! But one never ceases to be
amazed at how little people think about it. What is this mystery
wrought over us! We all know that death is around the corner, that it
is impossible to escape it, but meanwhile almost nobody thinks about it
— and it will come suddenly and seize us. Even then... Even when a
fatal disease seizes a person he still does not think that the end has
come. Let psychologists decide this from a scientific aspect; from the
moral aspect it is impossible not to see here an incomprehensible
self-delusion, alien only to one who is heedful of himself.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
23.
Poemen said that someone asked Paesisus this question, 'What am I
to do about my soul? I have become incapable of feeling and I do not
fear God.' He said to him, 'Go, and live with someone who does fear
God: and by being there, you to.'
January 13, 2015
(2Co 5:19-20) For
God indeed was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not
imputing to them their sins. And he hath placed in us the word of
reconciliation. For Christ therefore we are ambassadors, God as it were
exhorting by us, for Christ, we beseech you, be reconciled to God.
VATICAN RADIO: Pope: Religion Must Never be Abused in the Cause of War
RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE IN THE NEWS
Armenian Catholic Cathedral in Aleppo Bombed Hours Before Mass
New Charlie Hebdo Cover Depicts Prophet Muhammad With 'I Am Charlie' Sign
Christians Burned Alive
STRATFOR ANALYSIS: A War Between Two Worlds
SPIRIT DAILY: Eruptions of Muslim Violence and Massive Demonstrations Bring up Amazing African Prophecy
NEWS.VA: Pope Francis begins his apostolic trip to Sri Lanka
This morning Pope Francis began his visit to Sri Lanka and the
Philippines, the seventh apostolic trip of his papacy. Like his
predecessor St. John Paul II, he will visit the two Asian countries
with the greatest number of Catholics in a single trip. The visit to
Sri Lanka will last for two days and will include an interreligious
meeting, the canonisation of Joseph Vaz and a Marian prayer at the
shrine of Our Lady of Madhu. During his three-day visit to the
Philippines the Holy Father will meet, among others, victims of the
typhoon Yolanda. The last day of his trip will coincide with the feast
day of the Holy Child of Cebu in the Philippines, whose shrine receives
millions of pilgrims.
POPE'S WELCOMING ADDRESS: “My visit to Sri Lanka is
primarily pastoral”, he began. “As the universal pastor of the Catholic
Church, I have come to meet, encourage and pray with the Catholic
people of this island. A highlight of this visit will be the
canonisation of Blessed Joseph Vaz, whose example of Christian charity
and respect for all people, regardless of ethnicity or religion,
continues to inspire and teach us today. But my visit is also meant to
express the Church’s love and concern for all Sri Lankans, and to
confirm the desire of the Catholic community to be an active
participant in the life of this society.
“It is a continuing tragedy in our world that so many communities are
at war between themselves. The inability to reconcile differences and
disagreements, whether old or new, has given rise to ethnic and
religious tensions, frequently accompanied by outbreaks of violence.
Sri Lanka for many years knew the horrors of civil strife, and is now
seeking to consolidate peace and to heal the scars of those years. It
is no easy task to overcome the bitter legacy of injustice, hostility
and mistrust left by the conflict. It can only be done by overcoming
evil with good and by cultivating those virtues which foster
reconciliation, solidarity and peace. The process of healing also needs
to include the pursuit of truth, not for the sake of opening old
wounds, but rather as a necessary means of promoting justice, healing
and unity.
“Dear friends, I am convinced that the followers of the various
religious traditions have an essential role to play in the delicate
process of reconciliation and rebuilding which is taking place in this
country. For that process to succeed, all members of society must work
together; all must have a voice. All must be free to express their
concerns, their needs, their aspirations and their fears. Most
importantly, they must be prepared to accept one another, to respect
legitimate diversities, and learn to live as one family. Whenever
people listen to one another humbly and openly, their shared values and
aspirations become all the more apparent. Diversity is no longer seen
as a threat, but as a source of enrichment. The path to justice,
reconciliation and social harmony becomes all the more clearly seen.
“In this sense, the great work of rebuilding must embrace improving
infrastructures and meeting material needs, but also, and even more
importantly, promoting human dignity, respect for human rights, and the
full inclusion of each member of society. It is my hope that Sri
Lanka’s political, religious and cultural leaders, by measuring their
every word and action by the good and the healing it will bring, will
make a lasting contribution to the material and spiritual progress of
the Sri Lankan people”. The Pontiff concluded, “Mr President, dear
friends, I thank you once again for your welcome. May these days we
spend together be days of friendship, dialogue and solidarity. I invoke
an abundance of God’s blessings upon Sri Lanka, the Pearl of the Indian
Ocean, and I pray that its beauty may shine forth in the prosperity and
peace of all its people”.
ANALYSIS: Pope Francis has a chance to do some good in Sri Lanka
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
12.
Theonas said, 'Our mind is hindered and held back from
contemplating God, because we are kept prisoner by our bodily passions.'
January 12, 2015
(Isa 58:10) When
thou shalt pour out thy soul to the hungry, and shalt satisfy the
afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise up in darkness, and thy
darkness shall be as the noonday.
POPE FRANCIS:
“Through the help given to our brothers and sisters in Haiti, we have
shown that the Church is a great body, one in which the various members
care for one another. It is in this communion, prompted by the Holy
Spirit, that our charitable service finds its deepest motivation.”
IN THE NEWS
The Pope’s appeal for Haiti: There’s still a great deal left to do to rebuild the country
Tens of thousands still living in tents 5 years after Haiti earthquake
View: Haiti earthquake changed my life
CNA: Haitian amputees lace-up soccer cleats on Roman sports field
EDITORIAL: Haitians can take the lead in confronting challenges by Archbishop Thomas Wenski
On Jan.10, I, along with Haiti’s cardinal and several other bishops and
church leaders from Haiti, the United States and other countries will
attend a conference convened by Pope Francis on the fifth anniversary
of the earthquake that was this hemisphere’s worst humanitarian
disaster of this century so far.
We will reflect on the challenges that confront Haiti and its
institutions, such as the Catholic Church, as the country seeks to
overcome endemic poverty and political instability.
It is said that the earthquake killed thousands of people. But more
correctly, those thousands died because of negligence, the absence of
building codes and a considerable dearth of technical competence. In
that same year, after a stronger quake in Chile, only a couple of
hundred people died, and in New Zealand another quake, again stronger
in intensity than Haiti’s, took no lives.
Haiti’s earthquake revealed deep inadequacies in infrastructure and in
governance. Five years later, much of these failings remain unremedied.
The world responded with compassion and generosity after the
earthquake. Yet today, in both the public and private sectors, everyone
is frustrated that rebuilding is not further advanced.
That is not to say that there are no gains to celebrate. The Catholic
Church in Haiti can point to several achievements. For example, Grand
Goâve has a new parish church, Jacmel and Port-au-Prince have
provisional cathedrals, several schools have been rebuilt and other
churches and schools are soon to come out of the ground.
Port-au-Prince’s St. Francis de Sales hospital, rebuilt with donations
from U.S. Catholic faithful and Catholic hospitals, will reopen this
month.
The Archdiocese of Miami contributed $1 million for a facility built on
the outskirts of the capital that now serves as a provisional seminary
housing 150 of Haiti’s future priests.
PROCHE — Partnership for Church Reconstruction in Haiti — is a
cooperative venture between donor churches in the United States and
Europe and the bishops of Haiti that directs funds through a
construction management entity within the Haitian Bishops’ Conference
to ensure that new construction is built to code and can withstand
future tremors and hurricanes. In addition to $70 million for
humanitarian relief, U.S. Catholics committed $30 million raised right
after the earthquake for rebuilding the church’s infrastructure.
Still, after five years, the pace is too slow and to replace the
infrastructure the Catholic Church lost, an additional $200 million
over and above what is committed would not be enough. The Catholic
Church is a key actor in Haitian society — it is the largest provider
of healthcare and education there.
In sum, Haiti’s efforts to rebuild have only barely gotten under way:
thus, Pope Francis’ initiative lest Haiti’s needs be forgotten by the
rest of the world.
Pope Francis won’t just be asking for donations to build more churches.
Haiti needs what he call the “globalization of solidarity” represented
by increased foreign investment that will create jobs for its
hardworking population.
The creation of jobs in the apparel sector was the basis for the
important role the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops played in
getting the U.S. Congress to pass original HOPE Act in 2006. The
expectation was for 150,000 jobs in the short term. At the end of 2014,
there were only 36,000 workers in apparel who nevertheless produce 90
percent of Haiti’s exports.
The potential for growth in the sector is clear. No sooner is a factory
space of 10,000-square meters built than are 1,200 to 1,500 workers
hired. But for those factories to be built, Haiti needs an effective
government to provide essential services as well as the legal framework
that encourages investment. At the same time, Haiti is a mostly
agrarian society; yet, more than 50 percent of food consumed is
imported. Creating opportunities to increase local food production
would also lead to real sustainable change for Haiti’s people.
Haiti suffers from extreme material poverty. Haitians must be the main
protagonists in their own development but not without help from the
human family. The outcome hoped for is a society and an environment
that uphold dignity, prosperity and peace.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
10. He also said, 'If you always keep in mind your death and the eternal judgment, there will be no stain on your soul.'
January 8, 2015
(1Pe 5:2-4) Feed
the flock of God which is among you, taking care of it, not by
constraint but willingly, according to God: not for filthy lucre's sake
but voluntarily: Neither as lording it over the clergy but being made a
pattern of the flock from the heart. And when the prince of pastors
shall appear, you shall receive a never fading crown of glory.
LIFESITENEWS.COM: Bishop refused to attend Rhode Island governor’s inauguration over her pro-abortion stance
The Roman Catholic Bishop of Providence declined an invitation to
attend Rhode Island Governor-elect Gina Raimondo’s inauguration Tuesday
due to her support for “the grave moral evil” of legalized abortion.
“Over the weekend I did receive a formal written invitation to the
Inauguration, the courtesy of which I appreciated,” Bishop Thomas Tobin
wrote in an email to the Providence Journal. “However, as previously
announced I will be offering Holy Mass at the Cathedral at that same
time to ask for God’s blessings upon our state and nation and our
public servants.” “I should add, though, that in conscience, it would
always be a problem for me personally to attend the inauguration of any
public official who promotes or supports abortion, which we consider to
be a very grave moral evil,” the bishop continued.
Raimondo, a Catholic, has been vocally at odds with her Church over the
issue of abortion-on-demand. She ran on a pro-abortion platform so
vehement that she vowed to support a repeal of Rhode Island’s ban on
partial birth abortion, and to oppose any attempt to offer a health
care package on the state health exchange that explicitly excludes
abortion coverage, as federal law requires.
Previously, Bishop Tobin had offered strong words in condemnation of Raimondo’s support for abortion.
“It is always disappointing when a Catholic candidate for political
office abandons the teaching of the Church on the dignity of human life
for the sake of self-serving political gain,” Tobin wrote. “Such
actions demonstrate an inexcusable lack of moral courage.”
MORE FROM BISHOP TOBIN: Hey, Watch Your Language!
LIFESITENEWS.COM: Miami Archbishop reminds diocesan employees: you could lose your job if you support gay ‘marriage’
Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski
wasted no time reminding employees of his archdiocese of their call to
fidelity to the Church in light of recent decision by a Florida judge
to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples.
The archbishop issued a letter to
Church employees explaining that public support for behavior in
conflict with Catholic teaching, including via social media, could cost
them their job.
“All employees should note that,
because of the Church’s particular function in society, certain
conduct, inconsistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church, could
lead to disciplinary action, including termination,” the standard
quoted in the letter states. “Even if it occurs outside the normal
working day and outside the strict confines of work performed by the
employee for the archdiocese.”
The conduct policy states as well that employees must use discretion
when posting on social media sites and they should be aware that online
activity which goes against the teachings of the Church could also
result in discipline or termination.
ARCHDIOCESE OF MIAMI: Bishops comment on 'redefinition' of marriage in Florida
VATICAN RADIO: Catholic Bishops in Ghana speak out against Corruption
Catholic Bishops in Ghana have spoken out against the bane of corruption in their country.
The Bishops have criticised what they are calling the “twin evils of
bribery and corruption” in Ghanaian society. These two evils, they say,
are ravaging the very fabric of society. They warn against impunity in
the face of endemic corruption which they say is now openly practised
and has become prevalent.
The Ghanaian Bishops made the pronouncements in their New Year message
to the people of Ghana released yesterday. The message is issued by the
Konongo-Mampong Diocesan Bishop, Joseph Osei-Bonsu, who is also
President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference. “If corruption is
rife in our country today, it is principally because, even though we
have strong institutions, there is generally speaking a lack of
integrity on the part of the people operating these institutions and on
the part of many individuals in the country. If people were guided in
their consciences by integrity and honesty, there would be no
corruption or, at least, it would be reduced drastically and Ghana
would be a better place than it is today,” the Bishops say.
MORE FROM GHANA: Build strong families to hold society – Catholic Bishop
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
9. Evagrius said, 'It is a great thing to pray without distraction. It is even greater to sing psalms without distraction.'
January 7, 2015
(Rom 12:19-21) Revenge
not yourselves, my dearly beloved; but give place unto wrath, for it is
written: Revenge is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. But if the
enemy be hungry, give him to eat; if he thirst, give him to drink. For,
doing this, thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. Be not
overcome by evil: but overcome evil by good.
HEADLINE: 12 dead after gun attack at French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo
A huge manhunt is underway in Paris after at least 12 people were
killed and seven others injured in a shooting at the offices of French
satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. A police official spoke of a
scene of “carnage” at the scene. The attack took place during the
magazine’s weekly editorial meeting. The editor Stéphane Charbonnier
and three other cartoonists are reported to have been killed.
A police source quoted a survivor as saying the attackers shouted: “We
have avenged the prophet!” and “Allah Akbar”. President Francois
Hollande called the shooting “an act of indescribable barbarity”. The
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve in a statement to the media
talked about the hunt for “trois criminels”, confirming there were
three attackers.
The government said it was raising France’s security level to the
highest notch and the prime minister’s office confirmed extra security
has been put in place at official buildings, media offices, churches
and department stores.
The Charlie Hebdo offices were the target of a firebomb attack in
November, 2011, which occurred soon after the newspaper published a
controversial image of the Prophet Mohamed on its cover. The last
tweet on Charlie Hebdo’s account had mocked Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the
leader of the Islamic State, which has taken control of large swathes
of Iraq and Syria.
France was already on high alert after calls last year from Islamist
militants to attack its citizens and interests in reprisal for French
military strikes on Islamist strongholds in the Middle East and Africa.
REUTERS: Vatican condemns Paris shooting as "abominable"
The Vatican on Wednesday condemned as "abominable" the shooting that
killed at least 12 people in the Paris offices of a weekly satirical
magazine known for lampooning radical Islam.
"It is a double act of violence, abominable because it is both an
attack against people as well as against freedom of the press," said
the Vatican's deputy spokesman, Father Ciro Benedettini.
He added that Pope Francis would likely issue a personal condemnation later on Wednesday by sending a message to the archbishop of Paris.
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G.K. CHESTERTON: It is the test of a good religion whether you can joke about it. – All Things Considered
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
7. When he was dying, Bessarion said, 'A monk ought to be like the Cherubim and Seraphim, all eye.'
January 6, 2015
(Psa 72:12-13)
For he shall deliver the poor from the mighty: and the needy that had
no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy: and he shall save the
souls of the poor.
POPE FRANCIS:
And so we can ask ourselves: what is the mystery in which God is
hidden? Where can I find him? All around us we see wars, the
exploitation of children, torture, trafficking in arms, trafficking in
persons… In all these realities, in these, the least of our brothers
and sisters who are enduring these difficult situations, there is Jesus
(cf. Mt 25:40,45). The crib points us to a different path from the one
cherished by the thinking of this world: it is the path of God’s
self-abasement, his glory concealed in the manger of Bethlehem, on the
cross upon Calvary, in each of our suffering brothers and sisters.
ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON: From Magi to Wise Men – A Homily for Epiphany by: Msgr. Charles Pope
VIA A MOMENT WITH MARY: This faith is fulfilled in the Virgin Mary
Today we are celebrating above all the
Epiphany of the Lord, his manifestation to the nations, while many
Eastern Churches, according to the Julian Calendar, celebrate the
Birth. … It is a juxtaposition which also makes us reflect also from
the viewpoint of faith. Moreover, at Christmas in front of Jesus, we
see the faith of Mary, of Joseph and of the shepherds; and today on the
Epiphany the faith of the three Magi, come from the East to worship the
King of the Jews.
The Virgin Mary, together with her husband, represents the “stump” of
Israel, the “remnant” foretold by the prophets, from which the Messiah
was to spring. Instead the Magi represent the peoples, and we can say
even civilizations… on their way to God, searching for his kingdom of
peace, justice, truth and freedom.
There was first a nucleus, embodied above all by Mary, the “daughter of
Zion”: a nucleus of Israel, the people that know and have faith in that
God who revealed himself to the Patriarchs and on the path of history.
This faith is fulfilled in Mary, in the fullness of time; in her,
“blessed because she believed,” the Word was made flesh, God “appeared”
in the world.
Mary’s faith becomes the first fruits and the model of the faith of the
Church, the People of the New Covenant. But from the beginning this
people is universal and we can see this today in the figures of the
Magi who arrive in Bethlehem…
MEDITATION: Thoughts
by St Theophan (1815-1894) [II Tim. 4:5–8; Mark 1:1–8]
Before the Lord's appearance to the
people, before He began the work of Divine economy of our salvation,
Saint John the Forerunner was sent to prepare people for receiving Him.
This preparation consisted in a call to repentance. Since then,
repentance has become the path to the Lord and Saviour, and the
threshold to faith in Him.
The Saviour Himself began His
preaching with the words: Repent ye, and believe the gospel (Mark
1:15). Repentance and faith lead a person who seeks salvation back and
forth between these two states. Repentance weighs him down with the
burden of his sins and frightens him with the impartial judgement of
God's righteousness. But faith comes along and shows him the Deliverer
Who has taken away the sins of the world. He who repents cleaves to the
Deliverer, and laying down the burden of his sins through confession,
joyfully runs after Him along the path of His commandments. Faith in
this manner is born of repentance and is founded on it.
He who repents holds firmly onto faith
according to his feeling of deliverance. Faith is alive through
repentance. Without repentance faith would be like a sapling which is
without an animating current — withered and not giving of life.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
6. He also said, 'If you really want to, by the evening of one day you can reach a measure of godliness.'
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