Keep
your eyes open!...
May 31, 2011
(Mat 5:32) But
I say to you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, excepting the
cause of fornication, maketh her to commit adultery: and he that shall
marry her that is put away, committeth adultery.
IN THE NEWS: Malta: collapse of Catholic marriage law's last stand
In a defeat for both the Catholic Church and the government, just
over half of the voters of the Mediterranean island of Malta (pop.
412,000) voted Saturday to allow divorce. Malta is the last European
country -- and one of the few left in the world -- where divorce is
illegal.
The Prime Minister, Lawrence Gonzi, had campaigned for a No vote. "The
referendum outcome is not the one I wished for," he said, "but the will
of the majority will be respected and parliament will enact legislation
for the introduction of divorce,"
The divorce law will be far stricter than the "no-fault" divorce which
prevails in the rest of Europe. The Referendum question asked whether
divorce should be available to "a married couple who has been separated
or has been living apart for at least four years", where there is "no
reasonable hope for reconciliation between the spouses", and once
"adequate maintenance is guaranteed and the welfare of the children is
safeguarded."
But in this predominantly Catholic island, where 95 per cent of the
population is baptized and more than 70 per cent go to church each
Sunday, the result -- 54 per cent voting YES, on a 72 per cent turnout
-- marks a substantial shift in relations between Church and state.
Because almost all marriages are solemnized in church, in the absence
of a civil divorce law annulment has been the only option available to
couples.
RELATED
: Philippines: Congress to start work on divorce bill
So far, only the Vatican City and the Philippines are left in the list
of states that disallow or prohibit divorce. A third one, Malta,
removed itself from the list after citizens voted for divorce in a
referendum.
The House Speaker's public statement of support for the divorce bill
should result in speedy proceedings and serve as a signal to the
Members of Congress he leads.
REVIEW: Church Fathers on Divorce and the Indissolubility of Marriage
FR. JOHN A. HARDON, S.J.: The Unity and Indissolubility of Marriage
NEW CATHOLIC DICTIONARY: "Indissolubility of Marriage "
"What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder" (Matthew 19).
When the sacrament of matrimony has been received by a man and a woman
and ratified by their cohabitation as husband and wife, their union
cannot be dissolved except by death. Protestants often quote those
other words of Christ in the same chapter, "Whosoever shall put away
his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another,
committeth adultery"; but it is plain that this permits not a divorce
but a separation. It is not a dissolution of the marriage bond, but a
putting away of the guilty party; for elsewhere our Lord declares that
"He that marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth
adultery" (Luke 16). Saint Paul commands that the wife shall not depart
from her husband, "and if she depart, that she remain unmarried, or be
reconciled with her husband" (1 Corinthians 7). Here there is a
distinction between the mere contract of marriage and the sacrament of
matrimony. The Church, for grave reasons, can dissolve the contract of
marriage when the sacrament has not been received, as explained in the
article on the Pauline Privilege, but when the sacrament has been
received and has been ratified by marital cohabitation, marriage cannot
be and never has been dissolved. Because the Catholic Church enforced
this law, schism and subsequent heresy invaded one of her choicest
realms when a pope refused to grant a divorce to a licentious English
king.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
27. We who are passionate must constantly pray
to the Lord. For all the dispassionate have progressed from passion to
dispassion.
May 27, 2011
THE TRIB TIMES WILL
RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(1Pe 2:9) But
you are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a
purchased people: that you may declare his virtues, who hath called you
out of darkness into his marvelous light
TIMELY REMINDER: Human Life International e-Column: Memorial Day
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
26. Faith gives wings to prayer, and without it
we cannot fly up to Heaven.
May 25, 2011
(Luk 13:1-5) And
there were present, at that very time, some that told him of the
Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he
answering, said to them: Think you that these Galileans were sinners
above all the men of Galilee, because they suffered such things? No, I
say to you: but unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise
perish. Or those eighteen upon whom the tower fell in Siloe and slew
them: think you that they also were debtors above all the men that
dwelt in Jerusalem? No, I say to you: but except you do penance, you
shall all likewise perish.
TRUSTFUL SURRENDER TO DIVINE PROVIDENCE
HEADLINE: Joplin churches suffer heavy storm damage, several destroyed
Churches in Joplin are reaching out to storm victims, but some churches were victims, too.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church, with little more than a frame topped by a
large cross still standing, and its attached elementary school were
destroyed by the tornado.
The Rev. Justin D. Monaghan serves as priest for the parish, which
serves nearly 650 families. Monaghan sought safety in a bathtub when
the tornado hit. The residence was severely damaged, according to a
spokeswoman from the Catholic diocese, but parishioners can and helped
dig their priest out. Monaghan was not injured and spent the night with
a church family, Recy Moore reported.
St. Peter’s in Jopin and the high school there were not hit by the
storm. The school was used as an overflow triage center last night. The
Rev. J. Freidel, pastor of the church, left these words on his Facebook
page:
“Just got back from closing down the Catholic High School which was
opened as an overflow triage center. Our area of town was untouched,
though the neighboring parish (20 blocks away) has probably lost their
entire physical plant...I know you've all seen the footage of St.
John's, our Catholic Hospital, which is probably also a total loss!
Please keep our community in your prayers...there has been and will be
much suffering. Such destruction and violence.... Thanks, everyone, for
your calls, texts, and messages of support. Going to sleep now, so we
can be at it again in the morning.”
The Rev. James V. Johnston Jr., bishop of the Springfield-Cape
Girardeau Diocese, posted a message on the diocesan website,
http://home.catholicweb.com: “Please keep the people of Joplin in our
prayers, especially those whose lives were taken as well as those who
lost loved ones. We pray especially for the people of St. Mary’s
Catholic Church and school who suffered a total loss as well as St.
John’s Mercy hospital which sustained major damage.”
RELATED: In Joplin MO, survivors called on God to deliver them from the twister
NEWSWIRE: Catholic Charities Preparing to Assist Joplin Tornado Victims
Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) and Catholic Charities of Southern
Missouri stand ready to assist with relief efforts and serve the
growing human need in the aftermath of the tornado that has devastated
Joplin, Mo.
"This has been an absolutely brutal Spring Storm season in the U.S. and
now our hearts are saddened once again and our resources tested by this
disaster in Joplin," said Kathleen King, SVP of External Relations for
CCUSA. "From the earlier tornadoes in Alabama, to the recent flooding,
to this downtown devastation in Missouri--the human need is huge and
donations are essential."
Over the past month, CCUSA has been coordinating with Catholic
Charities agencies to provide food, clothing and shelter for victims of
the Alabama tornadoes, and most recently, for the flood-impacted areas
of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The severity of the
situations has created a huge need for financial donations to support
the assistance efforts. Now, the disaster that has cut through the
heart of Joplin further increases the need.
Catholic Charities not only joins forces with all other disaster first
responders to deliver immediate relief, but also stays the course over
a long period of time - often a year or more - to provide case
management services for all individuals and families that need extended
help to put their lives back together and find employment.
To contribute help and support to those in need in these areas and others, please visit the Catholic Charities USA disaster donation Web page.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
25. Rise from love of the world and love of pleasure,
lay aside cares, strip your mind, renounce your body; because prayer is
nothing other than estrangement from the world, visible and invisible.
For what have I in heaven? Nothing. And what have I desired on earth beside
Thee? Nothing, but to cling continually to Thee in prayer without distraction.
To some, wealth is pleasant; to others, glory; to others, possessions;
but my wish is to cling to God, and to put the hope (Cf. Ps 72, 26-28)
of my dispassion in Him.
May 20, 2011
THE TRIB TIMES WILL
RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(Mat
24:26-27) If therefore they shall say to you, Behold he is in the
desert: go ye not out. Behold he is in the closets: believe it not. For
as lightning cometh out of the east and appeareth even into the west:
so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
CATHOLIC ESCHATOLOGICAL TIMELINE: http://wildwoodrates.com/timeline.cfm
RON SMITH REPORT: Eschatology Teachings of the Church and Bible
HEADLINE: Doomsday predictions for Saturday met with hope, prayer, skepticism
Billboards across the United States, including one near the Fargo
intersection of 25th Street and Main Avenue, are trumpeting a claim
that Judgment Day will arrive Saturday.
The message was reinforced by a decal-laden caravan of RVs that rolled
through the Fargo-Moorhead area last weekend and then headed out to
spread the word to other cities.
Humankind has received similar warnings before, though so far every
breathless claim has evaporated like morning mist when the day that
shouldn't dawn actually does.
What's behind such passionate pronouncements?
A fervent belief that good will triumph over evil, according to John
Helgeland, a professor of religion and history at North Dakota State
University.
"It is a brand of apocalyptic religious thinking that involves the
promise of the end of the world and the coming of God to put an end to
evil and evildoers," Helgeland said.
End-of-days prognostications are as old as the Book of Revelation,
Helgeland said, adding that many people thought the world's number was
up when the calendar turned from 999 to 1000.
The same thing happened a thousand years later.
"Y2K was probably the last really big one," Helgeland said, though he
added that many other examples can be found throughout history.
In the 1840s, he said, a group that gave rise to the Seventh-day
Adventists decided it had figured out when the final grain of sand
would sift through the hourglass.
On the day they believed God would return and bring an end to
everything, church members stood on a hill in white robes, waiting for
sunrise.
"I suppose you could guess: It didn't happen," Helgeland said.
CNA: Catholic scholar dismantles May 21 Judgment Day claims
COMMENTARY: It is impossible to predict doomsday — CBCP
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
24. For everyone, and especially for those who
have come to the King in order to receive remission of their debt, unutterable
contrition is necessary. As long as we are still in prison, let us listen
to Him who speaks to Peter (Vid. Acts 12:8): Put on the garment of obedience,
cast off your own wishes and, stripped of them, approach the Lord in your
prayer, invoking His will alone. Then you will receive God, Who guides
the helm of your soul and pilots you safely.
May 19, 2011
(Mat 18:4-7) Whosoever
therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater
in the kingdom of heaven. And he that shall receive one such little
child in my name, receiveth me. But he that shall scandalize one of
these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a
millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be
drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of scandals.
For it must needs be that scandals come: but nevertheless woe to that
man by whom the scandal cometh.
COMMENTARY: Sexual abuse in the Church written by Michael D. O'Brien (author and abuse victim)
HEADLINE: Vatican tells bishops to root out sex abuse
The Vatican told bishops around the world on Monday that they must make
it a global priority to root out sexual abuse of children by priests.
The headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church told bishops in a letter
that they should cooperate with civil authorities to end the abuse that
has tarnished its image around the world.
“This is telling the world that we mean business. We want to be
an example of prevention and care,” said one Vatican official, speaking
on condition of anonymity.
The letter is intended to help every diocese draw up its own tough
guidelines, based on a global approach but in line with local criminal
law. These must be sent to the Vatican for review within a year.
“The responsibility for dealing with delicts (crimes) of sexual abuse
of minors by clerics belongs in the first place to the diocesan
bishop,” the letter says.
It incorporates sweeping revisions made last year to the Church’s laws
on sexual abuse, which doubled a statute of limitations for
disciplinary action against priests and extended the use of fast-track
procedures to defrock them.
The Vatican has for years been struggling to control the damage that
sexual abuse scandals in the United States and several European
countries, including Pope Benedict’s native Germany, have done to the
Church’s image.
BREAKING: Latest Priest Sex Abuse Case Hits Archdiocese Of Powerful Cardinal, Close Advisor To Pope Benedict XVI
REPORT: Study blames culture of era for church's abuse crisis
MORE: Memphis Diocese responds to priest abuse study
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
23. If we are not alone at the time of prayer,
then let us imprint within ourselves the character of one who prays.
But if the ministers of praise are not with us, we may make even our outward
attitude conform to a state of prayer. For in the case of the imperfect,
the mind often conforms to the body.
May 18, 2011
(1Co 11:23-26) For
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that
the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread,
And giving thanks, broke and said: Take ye and eat: This is my body,
which shall be delivered for you. This do for the commemoration of me.
In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This
chalice is the new testament in my blood. This do ye, as often as you
shall drink, for the commemoration of me. For as often as you shall eat
this bread and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord,
until he come.
REPORT/VIDEO: Solemn Pontifical Mass at the Altar of the Chair, St. Peter's Basilica, Rome
CATHOLIC ONLINE: Expansion of 'Extraordinary Form' Mass Encouraged by New Instruction from Vatican
CATHOLIC HERALD: Pope's 'reform of the reform' in liturgy to continue
CNA: New guidelines for Tridentine Mass – 10 key facts
Local dioceses should give a “generous welcome” to any laity who wish
to attend Mass in the “extraordinary form” and to priests who wish to
say it. That’s the key message of new Vatican guidelines regarding the
extraordinary form of the Mass – often popularly referred to as the
“Tridentine Mass” or “old Latin Mass.” The “extraordinary form” is the
rite of Mass contained within the Roman Missal which was universally
used from 1570 to 1962. It was almost always celebrated in Latin.
The “ordinary form”, on the other hand, is the newer rite of the Mass
approved for use by Pope Paul VI in 1969. This Mass is most often said
in parishes around the world.
Today’s guidelines were issued to clarify various questions from around
the world about the Pope Benedict's 2007 document “Summorum
Pontificum.” In it Pope Benedict said that any priest wishing to say
the older form of the Mass was no longer required to seek the
permission of his bishop.
Questions arose, however, as to how aspects of the document should be
interpreted. Hence the May 13 clarification produced by the Vatican
body responsible for such matters, the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia
Dei. They state:
1. The two forms of the Roman rite are not in competition with each
other but, instead, are complementary, “one alongside the other.”
2. The older rite of the Mass is a “precious treasure to be preserved” with “appropriate honor.”
3. Bishops and priests should give a “generous welcome” motivated by
“pastoral zeal” to any groups of Catholics who ask for the older rite
to be offered.
4. Such groups can be of any size and can also be from one parish, various parishes or even different dioceses.
5. Those preparing for the priesthood should be given training in the “extraordinary form” in seminary.
6. If a diocese doesn’t have the necessary expertise to undertake such
training they should ask the Ecclesia Dei commission for assistance.
7. Every priest who is not impeded by Canon Law is to be considered “qualified” for the celebration of the “extraordinary form.”
8. A priest need only have a “basic knowledge” of Latin so as to be
able to “pronounce the words correctly and understand their meaning.”
9. The court of appeal over the interpretation of “Summorum Pontificum” is the Ecclesia Dei commission in Rome.
10. “Summorum Pontificum” wishes to heal the rift between the Catholic
Church and those who have left the Church over the liturgical reforms
which followed the Second Vatican Council.
Finally, the authority of today’s document is underlined by the fact
that it was personally endorsed by Pope Benedict XVI last month. Indeed
in today’s document “Summorum Pontificum” is described as an “important
expression of the Magisterium of the Roman Pontiff.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
22. Soiled prayer is one thing, its disappearance
is another, robbery another, and blemish another. Prayer is soiled
when we stand before God and picture to ourselves irrevelant and inopportune
thoughts. Prayer is lost when we are captured by useless cares.
Prayer is stolen from us when our thoughts wander before we realize it.
Prayer is blemished by any kind of attack or interruption that comes to
us at the time of prayer.
May 17, 2011
(Rev 12:10-13) And
I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: Now is come salvation and
strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ:
because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth, who accused them
before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the
Lamb and by the word of the testimony: and they loved not their lives
unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens, and you that dwell therein.
Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil is come down unto
you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time. And
when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the
woman who brought forth the man child.
MARK MALLET BLOG: The Great Ark
RON SMITH REPORT: Eschatology Teachings of the Church and Bible
HEADLINE: Pope calls for end of violence in Libya, Syria
Pope Benedict called for dialogue to prevail over violence in both
Libya and Syria on Sunday, denouncing bloodshed and the killing of
civilians.
"I am following with grave concern the dramatic conflict in Libya that
has caused a high number of victims and suffering, mostly among the
civilian population," the Pope said in an address after the Regina
Caeli prayer.
"I am renewing a pressing appeal for negotiations and dialogue to prevail over violence," he said.
He also urged Syrian authorities to do everything possible for the
common good and pay heed to the "legitimate aspirations for a future of
peace and stability" in the country.
Hundreds of people have been killed in both countries as the
authorities have used troops to crack down on anti-government protests
inspired by popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt that ousted
authoritarian leaders. Libya is now effectively in a state of
civil war.
ANALYSIS: Syrian Christians Say 'Arab Spring' Changes Could Hasten Extinction
As the Arab Spring protests reach Damascus, Syrian Christians look
warily at a future without a time-tested autocrat to protect them from
religious intolerance.
In Egypt, sectarian violence, an intermittent problem in the past,
flared anew since the ousting of former President Hosni Mubarak in
February. Twelve people were killed, hundreds injured and a
church was torched last week in clashes between Copts and Muslims in
Cairo. Christians and secular-leaning Muslims placed blame on
Salafis, who advocate a return to the practices of Islam's earliest
years.
In Iraq, where elections followed the U.S.-led invasion, Christians
also have come under attack. Hundreds of thousands have fled to
Syria, where minority Alawites, a Shiite Muslim sect, have ruled over
the Sunni Muslim majority since President Bashar al-Assad's father took
power in 1970. They also found havens in Jordan and Lebanon.
"History has proven to us that Christians have always had more secure
lives, better treatment by people who may be looked on as dictators,
like Saddam Hussein," said Archbishop Cyril Aphrem Karim, who leads a
U.S. branch of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch. In
Syria, "our feeling is, if the regime falls, the Salafis and the Muslim
Brotherhood will seize power and that is bad news for us."
Under the Assad dynasty, Syrian Christians have swelled the ranks of a
professional middle and upper class, enjoying secure lives while
accounting for only one-tenth of the population.
RELATED: Syria bloodshed spills into Lebanon
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
21 (cont.) A great practiser of high and perfect
prayer says: 'I had rather speak five words with my understanding', and
so on (1 Cor 14:9). But such prayer is foreign to infant souls. Therefore,
imperfect as we are, we need not only quality but a considerable time for
our prayer, because the latter paves the way for the former. For it is
said: 'Giving pure prayer to him who prays resolutely, though it be soiled,
yer performed with labour' (Cf. 1 Kings 2:9).
May 13, 2011
THE TRIB TIMES WILL
RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(Luk 1:48) Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
COURAGEOUS PRIEST: Archbishop Dolan – "Go To Mom's House"
FATHER CORAPI: Mary: Mother of The New Evangelization
EXCERPT: Our Lady of Fatima: The mystery in historical context
The message of Fatima has been heard in Portugal, and Mary's goodness
has marvelously repaid it. Has it been heard in the rest of the
world? Certainly not enough. Otherwise wars among nations
by armies, and "cold wars," and fratricides within countries would have
ended long ago.
However, not all have turned a deaf ear. The message of Fatima
has been received in part, at least, by a great number of
Christians. Devotion to the rosary continues to gain favor and
reaches into many countries. As has been said, all the dioceses
of the world have been consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by
the bishops. The visits of the Pilgrim Virgin statues have been
received with tremendous enthusiasm not only by Catholic populations,
but by Protestants and Muslims as well.
The message of Fatima has moved many and has contributed to making our
era an Age of Mary. It has not spoken its final word. What
that word will be depends on the cooperation which Our Lady of Fatima
receives from us. She extends this call and invitation to each of
us.
A MOMENT WITH MARY: Three Doves in Fatima
In 1946, two friends found themselves in a delirious crowd while the
statue of Our Lady of Fatima was carried in procession from Bombarral
to Lisbon, in the midst of ovations such as a prince had never
received. Carlos, a believer in his youth, exclaimed jubilantly
like everyone, but his friend, Fernando, on the contrary, had a mocking
look on his face. "It's hard to believe that such a thing can
still be seen in the middle of the 20th century! Granted, I can
basically accept Marian devotion, but this is only a statue. It's
almost idolatry! You must admit, Carlos, it's really too much!"
Then they looked towards the sky and saw three doves hovering in the
air. All at same time, the birds finally plunged and whirled
around the statue, and then they landed one after the other at the base
of the statue, near on the Madonna's feet. The crowds acclaimed
the feat with cries of joy - clapping their hands loud enough to wake
the dead - but the birds were by no means frightened. A shower of
flower petals fell upon them, but the doves still did not fly
away. Far from it! They seemed content to lower their heads
and cover themselves with their wings when the flowers became too
heavy. Cooing softly, they just pressed themselves closer to the
statue. There, they remained perched there for many days,
motionless; letting the crowds feed them, without leaving their post.
As the procession entered the Cathedral of Lisbon, the doves still did
not move. During high mass on December 6, 1946, one of the doves
flew up and settled on the Madonna's crown, thus symbolizing the Holy
Spirit. During the distribution of the Holy Communion to four
thousand worshippers, the dove turned towards the altar by extending
its wings and remaining in this attitude of worship until the end of
mass. The crowd watched the bird in astonishment, seized with
wonder and admiration. Fernando was watching too, he was there
holding a small girl on his shoulders so she could get a better look.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
21. If you constantly train your mind never to
wander, then it will be near you during meals too. But if it wanders unrestrained,
then it will never stay beside you.
May 11, 2011
(Rev 6:9-11) And
when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of
them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which
they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying: How long, O Lord
(Holy and True), dost thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that
dwell on the earth? And white robes were given to every one of them
one; And it was said to them that they should rest for a little time
till their fellow servants and their brethren, who are to be slain even
as they, should be filled up.
CATHOLIC OBSERVER: Urgent call for protection of Egyptian Christians
A bishop in Egypt has spoken out against the security services and
warned of anarchy after attacks against two churches in his diocese
left 12 people dead and 200 others injured.
Bishop Antonios Aziz Mina of Guizeh (Giza) said the Egyptian police and
army were ‘frightened’ and ‘slow’ to act as violence erupted on
Saturday in the Cairo suburb of Imbaba. Speaking in an interview
yesterday with Aid to the Church in Need, Bishop Aziz (above) called
for those responsible to be brought to justice, accusing fanatics of
wanting civil war.
“The police need to say clearly to those who have done this: ‘You
cannot do this. It is not allowed.’ Without action from the police and
the army, it will be chaos, complete anarchy,” he said told the
Catholic charity for persecuted and suffering Christians.
Following reports that it took several hours for the police to restore
calm, Bishop Aziz said: “The army will not stand up against the people
who do this sort of thing. They want to stay neutral. The police appear
but very slowly. They are frightened. They have not been strong
enough.” The Coptic Catholic bishop described how one of his faithful,
60-year-old Catholic grandfather Naashaat Rateeb, 60, had died in the
violence. He paid tribute to Mr Rateeb’s faith and courage, describing
him as ‘the right-hand man’ of the local Coptic Catholic priest.
The churches coming under fire included Imbaba’s Coptic Orthodox Church
of the Virgin Mary. Acccording to witnesses, the violence began after
500 Selafist Muslim extremists amassed outside the nearby Coptic
Orthodox Church of St Mina, where the fanatics alleged that Christian
leaders were detaining a would-be convert from Christianity to Islam.
The woman, an Orthodox priest’s wife, later appeared on television
defending her Christian faith but the fanatics responded by saying they
were also in search of another woman in similar circumstances.
VATICAN RADIO: Religious clashes in Egypt leave at least 12 dead
REVIEW: Christian Church Burnings Are Happening All Over The World And The U.S. Media Is Deadly Silent About It
FIDES: "Muslims must reject violence based on religion," says a missionary in Cairo
MORE FROM FIDES: THE NAMES OF PASTORAL WORKERS, PRIESTS, MEN AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS AND LAY CATHOLICS KILLED DURING 2010
Once again this year, Fides publishes an annual document of all the
pastoral workers who lost their lives in a violent manner over the
course of the last 12 months. According to information in our
possession, during 2010, 25 pastoral care workers were killed: one
Bishop, 17 priests, one male religious, one religious sister, two
seminarians and three lay people.
Analysing the list for each continent, again this year the place most
affected, with an extremely elevated number of deaths is AMERICA,
bathed with the blood of 17 pastoral care workers: 12 priests, one male
religious, one seminarian and three lay people. Following is ASIA, with
one Bishop, four priests and one religious sister killed. The least
affected was AFRICA, where one priest and one seminarian violently lost
their lives.
POPE BENEDICT XVI:
"The Holy See continues to appeal for the recognition of the
fundamental human right to religious freedom on the part of all states,
and calls on them to respect, and if need be protect, religious
minorities who, though bound by a different faith from the majority
around them, aspire to live with their fellow citizens peacefully and
to participate fully in the civil and political life of the nation, to
the benefit of all."
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
20. One kind of joy occurs at the time of prayer
for those living in a community, and another comes to those who pray in
stillness. The one is perhaps somewhat elated, but the other is wholly
filled with humility.
May 10, 2011
(2Co 1:3-5) Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies
and the God of all comfort: Who comforteth us in all our tribulation,
that we also may be able to comfort them who are in all distress, by
the exhortation wherewith we also are exhorted by God. For as the
sufferings of Christ abound in us: so also by Christ doth our comfort
abound.
POPE BENEDICT XVI: GIVE WITNESS OF CHRISTIAN HOPE TO MEN AND WOMEN OF TODAY
Commenting on today's Gospel reading about the two disciples from
Emmaus, "who after Jesus' crucifixion were returning home full of
doubt, sorrow, and disappointment", he said that: "The problem of evil,
sorrow, and suffering, the problem of injustice and tyranny, the fear
of others, of strangers and of those who come to our lands from afar
and seem to threaten who we are, leads Christians today to sadly say:
'We were hoping that the Lord would deliver us from evil, from sorrow,
from suffering, from fear, and from injustice".
"That is why it is necessary that each of us, as with the two disciples
from Emmaus, let ourselves by taught by Jesus: above all how to listen
and love the Word of God", participating in the sacrament of His Body
and Blood. "The Eucharist is the greatest expression of the gift that
Jesus makes of himself and is a constant invitation to live our
existence in the logic of the Eucharist, as a gift to God and to
others".
Benedict XVI noted that "a traditionally Catholic people can also
negatively sense or, almost unconsciously, assimilate the cultural
repercussions that wind up insinuating a way of thinking in which the
Gospel message is openly refused or surreptitiously hindered".
"In past centuries", he continued, "your churches have known a rich
tradition of holiness and generous fraternal service, thanks to the
work of priests and active and contemplative religious. If we wish to
listen to their spiritual teaching it is not difficult for us to
recognize their personal and unmistakable call addressed to us: Be
saints! Put Christ at the center of your lives!".
Benedict XVI
encouraged those present to "go forward confidently on the path of the
new evangelization, in loving service of the poor, and with courageous
witness to various social realities. Be aware of being bearers of a
message that is for each person and for the entire person: a message of
faith, hope, and love". The Pope extended this invitation,
firstly to the priests and also to consecrated persons and the laity.
To these latter he recalled that "holiness" doesn't mean doing
extraordinary things, but following the will of God each day, truly
living well one's vocation with the help of prayer, the Word of God,
the sacraments, and the daily effort of living coherently with that
vocation. "Yes!", he exclaimed. "Faithful laypersons who are fascinated
by the ideal of holiness are needed to build a society worthy of human
persons, a civilization of love!".
"I urge you", he continued, "to not hold back your energy in
proclaiming the Gospel or in Christian education, supporting catechesis
on all levels" and "dedicating special attention to the Christian
education of children, adolescents, and youth".
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Dennis: God has left the building
If you are a fan of Elvis them you may remember at the end of most of
his concerts the announcer would say "Elvis has left the building". In
the same way, I think it is pretty obvious that God has left the United
States. In fact many of us have invited him to do so. Why would God
even want to stay in a place that rejects Him and no longer believes?
Why would He want to stay or care about a country that is full of greed
and still allows the legalization of abortion? That alone is enough to
place a curse on a country, but who even believes in curses? They would
be right, there are no curses but only people who will get what they
want and what they want is complete godlessness. Be very careful of
what you want and not what God wants.
So here we are at almost the end of April 2011. Looking back at the
last 100 + days is not pleasant but seems pretty normal for a godless
world. Looking at all the disasters only makes me wonder what God must
take away until the world finally returns to Him? Strangely I have a
feeling that most will never get to that point and will only curse
their bad luck.
I know that I have repeated this over and over but the world cannot
work without love and there seems to be a real shortage of that lately.
If you can not love your brother, then your life will not work very
well either. Ya, you might think you have a great life but your spirit
(you may not know you have one) will be dead. If you walk this world
with a crooked eye to all those around you, you will never contribute
to what this world really needs and that is for you to love.
Love never went to war or aborted an unborn baby. It never was greedy
or self centered or had a foul mouth. Love never dropped a bomb or
fired a gun to destroy another. Love never ran around and was always
faithful. Love always shared and was kind and gentle and worried about
others. Love always serves and is last in fulfilling its needs. Love is
a smile and a "can I help you?". Love is the imitation of God as God is
love. If there is any love in your heart, then it was placed there by
your Creator. Take a look at it, do you know how to actually use love?
Perhaps it is all rusty and bent and is hardly recognizable as you
haven't made good use of it for a long time. In these darkening times
we really need love more than ever before. Love can light up the world
and offer a refuge to all those who seek it. To seek love is easy as
you only need to seek Jesus.
We really do need our Creator to return to our nation, cities, homes,
schools and into our hearts. It is my greatest wish that the Author of
love returns before it is too late and love disappears from the face of
the earth.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
19. The beginning of prayer consists in banishing
by a single thought the thoughts that assault us at the very moment that
they appear; the middle stage consists in confining our minds to what is
being said and thought; and its perfection is rapture in the Lord.
May 6, 2011
THE TRIB TIMES WILL
RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(1Pe
3:15-16) But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready
always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which
is in you. But with modesty and fear, having a good conscience: that
whereas they speak evil of you, they may be ashamed who falsely accuse
your good conversation in Christ.
VIA CHIESA: FROM BENEDICT XVI'S INTERVIEW ON ITALIAN TELEVISION
Q: Your Holiness, what is
Jesus doing in the time between His death and resurrection? Seeing that
in reciting the Creed it says that Jesus, after His death, descended
into Hell, should we think that that will also happen to us, after
death, before going to heaven?
A: First of all, this descent of Jesus' soul should not be imagined as
a geographical or a spatial trip, from one continent to another. It is
the soul's journey. We have to remember that Jesus' soul always touches
the Father, it is always in contact with the Father but, at the same
time, this human soul extends to the very borders of the human being.
In this sense it goes into the depths, into the lost places, to where
all who do not arrive at their life's goal go, thus transcending the
continents of the past.
This word about the Lord's descent into Hell mainly means that Jesus
reaches even the past, that the effectiveness of the Redemption does
not begin in the year 0 or 30, but also goes to the past, embraces the
past, all men and women of all time.
The Church Fathers say, with a very beautiful image, that Jesus takes
Adam and Eve, that is, humanity, by the hand and guides them forward,
guides them on high. He thus creates access to God because humanity, on
its own cannot arrive at God's level. He himself, being man, can take
humanity by the hand and open the access. To what? To the reality we
call Heaven. So this descent into Hell, that is, into the depth of the
human being, into humanity's past, is an essential part of Jesus'
mission, of His mission as Redeemer, and does not apply to us. Our
lives are different. We are already redeemed by the Lord and we arrive
before the Judge, after our death, under Jesus' gaze. On one had, this
gaze will be purifying: I think that all of us, in greater or lesser
measure, are in need of purification. Jesus' gaze purifies us, thus
making us capable of living with God, of living with the Saints, and
above all of living in communion with those dear to us who have
preceded us.
Q: Your Holiness, when the women reach the tomb on the Sunday after
Jesus' death, they do not recognize their Master but confuse him with
another. It also happens to the apostles: Jesus shows them his wounds,
breaks bread, in order to be recognized, precisely by his actions. He
has a true body, made of flesh, but it is also glorified. What does it
mean that His risen body didn't have the same characteristics as
before? What, exactly, does a glorified body mean? Will the
Resurrection also be like that for us?
A: Naturally, we cannot define the glorified body because it is beyond
our experience. We can only note the signs that Jesus has given us to
understand, at least a little, in which direction we should seek this
reality.
The first sign: the tomb is empty. That is, Jesus did not leave his
body behind to corruption. This shows us that even matter is destined
for eternity, that it is truly resurrected, that it does not remain
something lost.
But he then assumed this matter in a new condition of life. This is the
second point: Jesus no longer dies, that is, He is beyond the laws of
biology and physics because He endured this one death. Therefore there
is a new condition, a different one, that we do not know but which is
shown in the fact of Jesus and which is a great promise for all of us:
that there is a new world, a new life, toward which we are on a
journey. Being in this condition, Jesus had the possibility of letting
himself be felt, of offering his hand to his followers, of eating with
them, but still of being beyond the conditions of biological life as we
live it. We know that, on the one hand, He is a real man, not a ghost,
that he lives a real life, but a new life that is no longer submitted
to the death that is our great promise.
It is important to understand this, at least as much as we can, for the
Eucharist. In the Eucharist, the Lord gives us His glorified body, not
flesh to eat in a biological sense. He gives us Himself, this newness
that He is in our humanity, in our being as person, and it touches us
within with His being so that we might let ourselves be penetrated by
His presence, transformed in His presence. It is an important point
because we are thus already in contact with this new life, this new
type of life, since He has entered into me and I have gone out of
myself and am extended toward a new dimension of life.
I think that this aspect of the promise, of the reality that He gives
Himself to me and pulls me out of myself, toward on high, is the most
important point. It is not about noting things that we cannot
understand but of being on a journey to the newness that always begins
again anew in the Eucharist.
ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON: On Three Degrading Influences and How to Overcome them – A Meditation on Pope Leo XIII's Encyclical on the Holy Rosary
RECENT RON SMITH REPORTS
Who May Expose the Blessed Sacrament for Adoration?
Is a Cross with the Risen Christ Licit?
Explanation of Some Cult Beliefs
Furnishings of the Sanctuary and Altar
Silva Mind Control
Canon Laws Regulating Excommunication
The Role of the Church Choir
Note from Ron: To receive my Catholic Q&A reports please contact me with your correct email address.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
18. If you have ever seen the Sun (of Righteousness)
as you ought, you will also be able to converse with Him fitly. But if
not, how can you truly hold converse with what you have not seen?
May 5, 2011
(1Ti 4:1-3) Now
the Spirit manifestly saith that in the last times some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to spirits of error and doctrines of
devils, Speaking lies in hypocrisy and having their conscience seared,
Forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats, which God hath created to
be received with thanksgiving by the faithful and by them that have
known the truth.
HEADLINE: Cohabitation, confession, Easter Communion
For generations, people in pews knew what to call it when folks "shacked up" before marriage -- "living in sin."
"Sin" is a harder word to use, today.
The Catholic archbishop of Santa Fe, N.M., recently raised eyebrows
with a mere letter reminding his flock that cohabitation is a grave sin
that Catholics must take to confession or there will be eternal
consequences. Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan's priests read
his sobering words from their pulpits on April 3, the fourth Sunday of
Lent -- the penitential season before Easter.
Those who cohabit, stressed Sheehan, are "objectively living in a state
of mortal sin and may not receive Holy Communion. They are in
great spiritual danger. At the best ... they are ignorant
of God's plan for man and woman. At the worst, they are
contemptuous of God's commandments and His sacraments. ...
"Often their plea is that they 'cannot afford a church wedding,'
i.e. the external trappings, or that 'what difference does a
piece of paper make?' -- as if a sacramental covenant is nothing more
than a piece of paper! Such statements show religious ignorance,
or a lack of faith and awareness of the evil of sin."
In addition to forbidding known cohabiters from receiving Communion,
Sheehan urged priests to avoid public scandal by refusing to commission
them to serve Communion. After all, he said, "one commits the sin
of sacrilege by administering a sacrament in the state of mortal sin."
Also, priests should prevent those who cohabitate from serving as
godparents for baptisms and confirmations, since the documents for
these rites say it's "critical for the sponsor to be a practicing
Catholic." How, Sheehan added, "can anyone be seriously called a
practicing Catholic who is not able to receive the sacraments because
they are living in sin?"
FULL TEXT OF PASTORAL LETTER: Pastoral Care of Couples Who are Cohabitating
FAMILY LAW WEEK: Family breakdown at record levels, finds the Centre for Social Justice
The Centre for Social Justice has published a report, History and
Family: Setting the Records Straight. A rebuttal to the British
Academy pamphlet Happy Families?, suggesting that family breakdown is
at record levels.
The report states that births outside marriage are at the highest point
for at least 200 years. Cohabitation levels have also risen from
under 5% pre-1945 to 90% today.
The inquiry finds that births outside marriage were at low levels
throughout the 19th century and stayed flat until the 1960s. But
since then they have increased dramatically, from a long-standing
baseline of 5 per cent to 45 per cent today.
The report says that research shows that children brought up by lone
parents on average do much less well than those brought up by two
parents and that cohabiting couples with children are far less stable
than married couples with children.
The report states that:
- The percentage of births outside marriage in the England and Wales hovered
around 5 per cent (except during the two world wars) before rising in the
1960s onwards. - By the late 1970s, this figure was above 10 per cent, by 1991 it was 30 per
cent and today it is 45 per cent. - Levels of births outside marriage were the same in the 1950s as the 1750s at
around 5 per cent. - Claims that cohabitation levels, as opposed to marriage, were "high" in the
early part of the 20th Century are not borne out by the facts. The authors
point to research suggesting that in the 1950s and 1960s, only 1-3 per cent of
couples cohabited before marriage. Other research puts the pre-1945 level of
cohabitation at 4 per cent. Today, nearly 90 per cent of couples live together
before getting married. - Records of unemployment claims from the 1920s point to minimal levels of
cohabitation.
CATHOLIC REVIEW: Guest Columnist: Cohabitation's Curse
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
17. Try to lift up, or rather, to enclose your
thought within the words of your prayer, and if in its infant state it
wearies and falls, lift it up again. Instability is natural to the mind,
but God is powerful to establish all things. If you persevere indefatigably
in this labour, He who sets the bounds to the sea of the mind will visit
you too, and during your prayer will say to the waves: Thus far shall ye
come and no further (Cf. Job 38:11). Spirit cannot be bound; but where
the Creator of the spirit is, everthing obeys.
May 4, 2011
(2Ti 4:7-8) I
have fought a good fight: I have finished my course: I have kept the
faith. As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice which
the Lord the just judge will render to me in that day: and not only to
me, but to them also that love his coming.
LIBYAN BISHOP:
"We ask the intercession of John Paul II that can work miracles. I
remember that it was this pope who opened diplomatic relations with
Libya in 1997, when this country was under international embargo," the
bishop said. "I am praying ceaselessly so that,
through his intercession, a peaceful solution may be found to the
crisis," he said. He said one of Blessed John Paul's teachings was that
"war cannot bring peace."
VATICAN PICTORIAL: A Tribute to John Paul II
REVIEW: John Paul II: The Pope of Life by Fr. Frank Pavone
EXCERPT: Pope Benedict's Homily at Beatification
"Six years ago we gathered in this Square to celebrate the funeral of
Pope John Paul II. Our grief at his loss was deep, but even greater was
our sense of an immense grace which embraced Rome and the whole world:
a grace which was in some way the fruit of my beloved predecessor's
entire life, and especially of his witness in suffering. Even then we
perceived the fragrance of his sanctity, and in any number of ways
God's people showed their veneration for him ...
I wanted his cause of beatification to move forward with reasonable
haste. And now the longed-for day has come; it came quickly because
this is what was pleasing to the Lord: John Paul II is blessed!"
Dear brothers and sisters, today our eyes behold, in the full spiritual
light of the risen Christ, the beloved and revered figure of John Paul
II. Today his name is added to the host of those whom he proclaimed
saints and blesseds during the almost twenty-seven years of his
pontificate, thereby forcefully emphasizing the universal vocation to
the heights of the Christian life, to holiness ...
By his witness of faith, love and apostolic courage, accompanied by
great human charisma, this exemplary son of Poland helped believers
throughout the world not to be afraid to be called Christian, to belong
to the Church, to speak of the Gospel. In a word: he helped us not to
fear the truth, because truth is the guarantee of liberty.To put it
even more succinctly: he gave us the strength to believe in Christ ...
He restored to Christianity its true face as a religion of hope ...
(and communicated) the fullness of humanity and the fulfilment of all
our longings for justice and peace.
His example of prayer continually impressed and edified me: he remained
deeply united to God even amid the many demands of his ministry. Then
too, there was his witness in suffering: the Lord gradually stripped
him of everything, yet he remained ever a 'rock,' as Christ desired.
His profound humility, grounded in close union with Christ, enabled him
to continue to lead the Church and to give to the world a message which
became all the more eloquent as his physical strength declined.
In this way he lived out in an extraordinary way the vocation of every
priest and bishop to become completely one with Jesus, whom he daily
receives and offers in the Eucharist. Blessed are you, beloved Pope
John Paul II, because you believed! Continue, we implore you, to
sustain from heaven the faith of God's people. Amen."
COMPLETE TEXT: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20110501_beatificazione-gpii_en.html
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
16. Until we have acquired genuine prayer, we are
like people teaching children to begin to walk.
May 3, 2011
(Pro 24:17-20) When
thy enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not thy heart
rejoice: Lest the Lord see, and it displease him, and he turn away his
wrath from him. Contend not with the wicked, nor seek to be like the
ungodly. For evil men have no hope of things to come, and the lamp of
the wicked shall be put out.
VIA ICN: 'Prayers, not rejoicing, needed over bin Laden's death'
Following reports of the killing of Osama bin Laden by American forces
in Pakistan, Benjamin Harnwell, Chairman of the Dignitatis Humanae
Institute, said:
"It has been widely reported that many are rejoicing at the death of
Osama bin Laden. Leaving aside the extra-judicial circumstances
of his death and the issue of capital punishment, the Institute would
like to stress that everyone, without exception, is made in the image
and likeness of God. This imago Dei is inalienable and exists
even in such gross and fanatic murderers as Mr Bin Laden.
Yesterday, the Universal Church celebrated the Feast of the Divine
Mercy which intimately binds God's righteous justice with His infinite
mercy. Osama bin Laden is unlikely to have availed himself of the
sacrament of Reconciliation before his death, and in denying himself
the possibility of mercy, may at this very moment be suffering the
desolation of an eternity separated from Jesus Christ. And yet it
is proper for Christians to pray for his soul and God's mercy. In
life, Mr Bin Laden stained and fouled the image of God that was in
him. We should not do the same at his death by displaying a lack
of charity."
Founded in 2008, the Dignitatis Humanae Institute aims to promote human
dignity worldwide in both political and cultural spheres. Its
basis is the 'Universal Declaration of Human Dignity' which brings
attention to the infinite value of every single human life based on the
recognition that Man is made in the image and likeness of God.
The Institute is a growing presence in parliamentary working groups on
human dignity in legislatures around the world.
This morning. the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr
Federico Lombardi, SJ, said in a statement: "Osama Bin Laden, as is
known, claimed responsibility for grave acts that spread division and
hate among the peoples, manipulating religion to that end. A
Christian never takes pleasure from the fact of a man's death, but sees
it as an opportunity to reflect on each person's responsibility, before
God and humanity, and to hope and commit oneself to seeing that no
event become another occasion to disseminate hate but rather to foster
peace".
COINCIDENCE: May Day: Both Hitler and bin Laden Announced Dead on May 1
FIDES NEWS: Bin Laden killed, feared reactions against Christian churches and schools
Schools and Christian institutions closed, churches and Christian areas
guarded with utmost security measures, this is the situation that the
Christian community recorded in the main city in Pakistan after the
news of the killing of Osama Bin Laden.
Christians can be identified as a target because they are seen in
propaganda and in the ideological Taliban struggle, with Westerners and
the Americans, as being responsible for the death of their
leader. Paul Bhatti, Special Adviser to the Government for
religious minorities, confirms to Fides: "The situation is tense.
There are, in fact, strong reactions of fear, unreasonable, against
Christian minorities. The government is paying close attention to
preventive measures ".
Fr. Mario Rodrigues, director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in
Pakistan who lives in Karachi, has just come out from a meeting with
the civil authorities and told Fides: "they have put us on alert,
calling for the closure of our institutions and placing more police
personnel in front of churches. Christians in Pakistan are
innocent victims, even in this situation: any excuse is good to
threaten or to attack".
On the long-term consequences of the killing of the leader of Al Qaeda,
Fr. Rodrigues says: "According to some people, in the coming
months the persecution against Christians could decrease and the
Taliban ideological struggle weaken. We will see. We
observe, however, that intolerance and radical Islamic groups are
flourishing in the country, and other extremist leaders could establish
themselves and continue terrorist actions. Unfortunately in
recent days there have been massive attacks in Christian neighborhoods
in the city of Gujranwala. We urgently need a serious policy to
combat Islamic extremism by the state at all levels: in culture,
education, social level but also on a political and legislative level".
COMMENTARY: Is It Wrong To Celebrate Bin Laden's Death?
BLOG: Does Divine Mercy Apply To Bin Laden?
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
15. If you are clothed in all meekness and freedom
from anger, you will not have much trouble in loosing your mind from captivity.
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