Keep
your eyes open!...
October 30, 2015
(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.
ACN REPORT: Persecuted and Forgotten? A report on Christians oppressed for their Faith 2013-2015
COMMENTARY: Christian Persecution Reaches 'Extreme' Levels in These 10 Countries
Aid to the Church in Need U.K. has released a report titled "Persecuted
and Forgotten? A report on Christians oppressed for their Faith
2013-2015" that reveals the rapid growth of Christian persecution
in nations such as China, Iran, Pakistan, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia
within the last two years.
The report was presented to the
Parliament's House of Lords last week and was compiled by ACNUK members
John Pontifex, John Newton and Clare Creegan.
"Over [the] last 48 months the
situation [for Christians] has become worse in countries including,
China and Indonesia, Iraq, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan and
Syria. These are countries that show a massive deterioration of the
position for Christians and indeed other minorities," said Pontifex,
who discussed the document with Vatican radio last week.
"In fact, the number of countries
which seem to be extreme in terms of persecution of Christians rose
from six to 10 within this time frame of the last two years.
"What this report seeks to set out
is the extent to which Christians have been forced from their homelands
as a result of what we are describing as religiously motivated ethnic
cleansing of Christians," he added.
Pontifex further explained that
he's concerned Christianity could be completely eradicated from
countries such as Iraq, where the population of believers has dropped
to around 200,000 from over 1 million in 2002.
"This means that we're on course
now to see potential eradication of Christianity from Iraq potentially
within five years, if indeed trends continue as they have," continued
Pontifex. "If you consider that of the 200,000 Christians 100,000 of
them are displaced, looking for an exit from Iraq, you can see just how
close to a point of eradication we are."
"I use that word eradication
advisedly because Christians have [by] no means sought to leave Iraq
out of wish to do so. They feel they've been driven out by the attacks
in Mosul and the Nineveh plains where Christians have been driven out
by IS who've given them a 'choice,' — either convert or die," he
emphasized.
Pontifex said the driving away of
Christians in Iraq and even Nigeria by radical groups could limit the
reach of the faith and the persecution might lead to a day in which
people will no longer be able to say that Christianity is a global
religion.
EXPOSE: “Abducting Women” and “Destroying Churches” is “Real Islam”—Iraqi Grand Ayatollah
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CHALDEAN CATHOLIC BISHOP SORO:
“It takes a fool not to see the truth when the truth is presented to
them simply and objectively and in a non-offensive way. That is our
duty, who know the truth. We have to articulate it in a way that helps
the people to see it.”
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Patience
5. They said of Isidore, the priest in Scetis, that if anyone had a
monk who was sick or weak or insolent and wanted to send him away, he
would say, 'Bring him to me.' Then he would take him, and cure him by
his patience.'
October 27, 2015
(Gal 1:6-9) I
wonder that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the
grace of Christ, unto another gospel. Which is not another: only there
are some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But
though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that
which we have preached to you, let him be anathema. As we said before,
so now I say again: If any one preach to you a gospel, besides that
which you have received, let him be anathema.
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS XI DECEMBER 31, 1930: On Christian Marriage
ADDRESS: GREETINGS
BY METROPOLITAN HILARION OF VOLOKOLAMSK TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE
FOURTEENTH ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS OF THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH ON THE “VOCATION AND MISSION OF THE FAMILY IN THE
CHURCH AND IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD” (THE VATICAN. 20TH OCTOBER 2015)
Your Holiness!
Your Beatitudes, Eminences and Excellencies!
On behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus I
extend fraternal greetings to you on the occasion of the Fourteenth
Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops of the Catholic
Church on the theme of the family.
In our restless and disturbing world the human person needs a firm and
unshakeable foundation upon which he can rest and upon which he can
build his life with confidence. At the same time, secular society,
aimed primarily at the gratification of individual needs, is incapable
of giving the human person clear moral direction. The crisis of
traditional values which we see in the consumer society leads to a
contradiction between various preferences, including those in the realm
of family relationships. Thus, feminism views motherhood as an obstacle
to a woman’s self-realization, while by contrast having a baby is more
often proclaimed as a right to be attained by all means possible. More
often the family is viewed as a union of persons irrespective of their
gender, and the human person can ‘choose’ his or her gender according
to personal taste.
On the other hand, new problems are arising which have a direct impact
on traditional family foundations. Armed conflicts in the contemporary
world have brought about a mass exodus from areas gripped by war to
more prosperous countries. Emigration often leads to a disruption of
family ties, creating at the same time a new social environment in
which unions of an inter-ethnic and inter-religious nature arise.
These challenges and threats are common to all the Christian Churches
which seek out answers to them, proceeding from the mission that Christ
has placed upon them – to bring humanity to salvation. Unfortunately,
in the Christian milieu too we often hear voices calling for the
‘modernization’ of our ecclesial consciousness, for the rejection of
the supposedly obsolete doctrine of the family. However, we ought never
to forget the words of St. Paul addressed to the Christians of Rome:
‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God’ (Rom. 12: 2).
The Church is called to be a luminary and beacon in the darkness of
this age, and Christians to be the ‘salt of the earth’ and ‘light to
the world’. We all ought to recall the Saviour’s warning: ‘If the salt
have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth
good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of
men’ (Matt. 5: 13-14). The salt which has lost its savour are those
Protestant communities which call themselves Christian, but which
preach moral ideals incompatible with Christianity. If in this type of
community a rite of blessing of same-sex unions is introduced, or a
lesbian so called ‘bishop’ calls for the replacement of crosses from
the churches with the Muslim crescent, can we speak of this community
as a ‘church’? We are witnessing the betrayal of Christianity by those
who are prepared to accommodate themselves to a secular, godless and
churchless world.
The authorities of some European countries and America, in spite of
numerous protests, including those by Catholics, continue to advocate
policies aimed at the destruction of the very concept of the family.
They not only on the legislative level equate of the status of the
same-sex unions to that of marriage but also criminally persecute those
who out of their Christian convictions refuse to register such unions.
Immediately after the departure of Pope Francis from the USA, President
Barack Obama openly declared that gay rights are more important than
religious freedom. This clearly testifies to the intention of the
secular authorities to continue their assault on those healthy forces
in society which defend traditional family values. Catholics here are
found at the forefront of the struggle, and it is against the Catholic
Church that a campaign of discrediting and lies is waged. Therefore
courage in vindicating Christian beliefs and fidelity to Church
tradition are particularly necessary in our times.
Today, when the world ever more resembles that foolish man ‘which built
his house on the sand’ (Matt. 7: 26) it is the Church’s duty to remind
the society of its firm foundation of the family as a union between a
man and woman created with the purpose of giving birth to and bringing
up children. Only this type of family, as ordained by the Lord when he
created the world, can forestall or at least halt temporarily
modern-day society’s further descent into the abyss of moral relativism.
The Orthodox Church, like the Catholic Church, has always in her
teaching followed Holy Scripture and Sacred Tradition in asserting the
principle of the sanctity of marriage founded on the Saviour’s own
words (Matt. 19: 6; Mk. 10: 9). In our time this position should be
ever more strengthened and unanimous. We should defend it jointly both
within the framework of dialogue with the legislative and executive
branches of power of various countries, as well as in the forums of
international organizations such as the UN and the Council of Europe.
We ought not to confine ourselves to well-intentioned appeals but
should by all means possible ensure that the family is legally
protected.
Solidarity among the Churches and all people of good will is essential
for guarding the family from the challenges of the secular world and
thereby protecting our future. I hope that one of the fruits of the
Assembly of the Synod will be the further development of
Orthodox-Catholic co-operation in this direction.
I wish you peace, God’s blessing and success in your labours.
ARCHBISHOP AQUILA: Did Thomas More and John Fisher die for nothing?
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
87. A hermit was asked how it was that some peoplesaid they had seen
angels. He answered, 'Blessed is he who always seees his own sins.'
October 26, 2015
(Luk 12:49-52) I
am come to cast fire on the earth. And what will I, but that it be
kindled? And I have a baptism wherewith I am to be baptized. And how am
I straitened until it be accomplished? Think ye, that I am come to give
peace on earth? I tell you, no; but separation. For there shall be from
henceforth five in one house divided: three against two, and two
against three.
VATICAN RADIO: Pope Francis celebrates closing Mass of Synod of Bishops on Family
EXCERPT: Pope Francis addresses Synod of Bishops at conclusion
It (the Synod) was about
bearing witness to everyone that, for the Church, the Gospel continues
to be a vital source of eternal newness, against all those who would
“indoctrinate” it in dead stones to be hurled at others.
It was also about laying bare the
closed hearts which frequently hide even behind the Church’s teachings
or good intentions, in order to sit in the chair of Moses and judge,
sometimes with superiority and superficiality, difficult cases and
wounded families.
It was about making clear that the
Church is a Church of the poor in spirit and of sinners seeking
forgiveness, not simply of the righteous and the holy, but rather of
those who are righteous and holy precisely when they feel themselves
poor sinners.
It was about trying to open up broader
horizons, rising above conspiracy theories and blinkered viewpoints, so
as to defend and spread the freedom of the children of God, and to
transmit the beauty of Christian Newness, at times encrusted in a
language which is archaic or simply incomprehensible.
In the course of this Synod, the
different opinions which were freely expressed – and at times,
unfortunately, not in entirely well-meaning ways – certainly led to a
rich and lively dialogue; they offered a vivid image of a Church which
does not simply “rubberstamp”, but draws from the sources of her faith
living waters to refresh parched hearts. (1)
And – apart from dogmatic questions
clearly defined by the Church’s Magisterium – we have also seen that
what seems normal for a bishop on one continent, is considered strange
and almost scandalous for a bishop from another; what is considered a
violation of a right in one society is an evident and inviolable rule
in another; what for some is freedom of conscience is for others simply
confusion. Cultures are in fact quite diverse, and each general
principle needs to be inculturated, if it is to be respected and
applied. (2) The 1985 Synod, which celebrated the twentieth anniversary
of the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, spoke of inculturation
as “the intimate transformation of authentic cultural values through
their integration in Christianity, and the taking root of Christianity
in the various human cultures”. (3) Inculturation does not weaken true
values, but demonstrates their true strength and authenticity, since
they adapt without changing; indeed they quietly and gradually
transform the different cultures. (4)
We have seen, also by the richness of
our diversity, that the same challenge is ever before us: that of
proclaiming the Gospel to the men and women of today, and defending the
family from all ideological and individualistic assaults.
COMMENTARY: Stormy synod ends in stalemate: over to you, Pope Francis
Catholic bishops on Saturday wrapped up a divisive synod by approving a
compromise report reflecting a stalemate in the battle between the
Church's conservative and liberal wings over its approach to sex, love
and marriage. The document, which Pope Francis is free to ignore
or implement as he sees fit, fudges the key issue of whether divorced
and remarried believers should be allowed to play a full role in the
Church. And it confirms the pullback from the more explicit opening to lesbian
and gay believers supported by progressives when the review of teaching
on the family was launched last year. But it also leaves Francis
with room for manoeuvre should he wish to defy his conservative
opponents and push on with his attempt to make the Church more relevant
and more welcoming towards believers who find themselves in breach of
its rules.
Francis, who recognised in closing remarks that the three-week synod
had exposed deep divisions in the Catholic family, now has to decide if
and when he updates guidelines on Catholic teaching. The text
approved Saturday advocates a "case-by-case" approach to the most
controversial question, the handling of divorced and remarried
believers, saying they need to play a greater role in the Church but
stopping short of explicitly ending the current ban on their receiving
communion. People in this situation need to be treated with
discernment, allowed to play a greater role in the Church and not made
to feel as if they have been excommunicated, the document states.
Underlining how controversial this section of the text was, the
paragraphs related to divorced and remarried believers only just
scraped the required two thirds of synod votes to gain approval.
The document includes only one brief article on the Church's approach
to gay believers, framing the question in terms of how priests can help
support families who have "persons with homosexual tendencies" in their
midst. It reiterates that the Church believes every person, regardless of
their sexuality, is worthy of respect and a reception which takes care
to "avoid every sign of unjust discrimination". But it strongly reiterates the Church's opposition to gay marriage,
saying: "There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual
unions to be similar or even remotely analogous to God's plan for
marriage and the family." The emphasis contrasted sharply with
first drafts last year which spoke of recognising the value of loving
same-sex relationships, to the outrage of those opposed to any dilution
of Church teaching that homosexuality amounts to a kind of disorder.
In closing remarks, Francis said the synod had been about confronting
"today's realities" without "burying our heads in the sand". He
said the divisions that had emerged reflected important cultural
differences which the Church should embrace in the way it applies its
teaching -- an ambiguous comment that will concern conservatives.
"We have also seen that what seems normal for a bishop on one continent
is considered strange and almost scandalous for a bishop from another,"
he said. Francis, 78, also appeared to take a new swipe at the
conservatives who had accused him of rigging the synod's organisation
to try to engineer progressive conclusions. "The different
opinions which were freely expressed -“ and at times, unfortunately,
not in entirely well-meaning ways -“ certainly led to a rich and lively
dialogue," he said.
With conservative clerics talking of "Beasts of the Apocalypse" and the
"whiff of Satan" stalking the synod, the debates of the last three
weeks were played out against backdrop of frenzied claim and
counter-claim. It made for riveting drama and lively headlines but there are many who
fear the gathering will be remembered primarily for the divisions on
display rather than any progress on making the Church more relevant to
the modern world.
OPINION: Synod on remarried Catholics, consensus in ambiguity
CONSERVATIVE INTERPRETATION OF SYNOD FINAL DOCUMENT
Those Three Paragraphs in the Synod Final Report or The German Spin Machine in Overdrive
Final Synod Document Strongly Backs Church Teaching on Family Life
Left Tastes Sour Grapes as Vatican Synod Leaves Doctrine Untouched
LIBERAL INTERPRETATION OF SYNOD FINAL DOCUMENT
Catholic synod decides church rules can be eased
Synod offers striking softening to remarried, proposing individual discernment
Divorced people to be allowed receive Holy Communion on 'case by case' basis
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
85. A hermit said, 'Do not take
much notice of your abba, and do not often go to see him; for you will
get confidence from it, and start to want to be a leader yourself.'
October 23, 2015
(1Pe 1:13-16) Wherefore,
having the loins of your mind girt up, being sober, trust perfectly in
the grace which is offered you in the revelation of Jesus Christ. As
children of obedience, not fashioned according to the former desires of
your ignorance, But according to him that hath called you, who is holy,
be you also in all manner of conversation holy: Because it is written:
You shall be holy, for I am holy.
ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT:
Whatever develops in the short term from this synod, God remains with
his Church. We should cultivate that peace in our hearts. We need to
trust in God’s Word, and we need to pray for and trust the Holy Father.
Otherwise we defeat our own discipleship. Confusion – as I was famously
misquoted, out of context, a year ago – is of the devil. We shouldn’t
be part of it.
CATHOLICCITIZENS.ORG: The Purity of Soul Necessary for Holy Communion by Fr. Stefano Manelli, O.F.M. Conv., S.T.D.
BLOG: Catholic Teaching on Marriage and Divorce - the Bible, Our Lord, and the Constant Teaching, simple and to the point
THE TIDINGS: Holy spouses, holy families- Reflections on the final days of the synod by Archbishop José H. Gomez
As synod 2015 began its final week of work, Pope Francis canonized a
married couple, Louis and Zélie Martin, whose nine children included
the Doctor of the Church, St. Thérčse of Lisieux.
Louis and Zélie led a humble, hidden life. It was rooted in the rhythms
of daily Mass and everyday duties — earning a living, making meals and
doing the housework, teaching the children, serving in the community,
and simply enjoying time together as a family. The couple knew love and
joy and also suffering and sadness — four of their children died as
infants.
In his homily on Sunday Pope Francis called them “holy spouses.”
St. Louis and St. Zélie are not rarities. How many holy spouses are
there, hidden saints of the everyday, in every time and every place in
the Church? There are holy spouses and holy families in every part of
the world today — ordinary men and women trying to live faithfully by
the Church’s teachings and the grace of her sacraments.
This is what the synod is meant to be all about — helping spouses in
their vocations as husbands and wives, helping them to meet the
challenges they confront in society, inspiring them to live out God’s
beautiful plan for their lives.
In the media coverage of the synod, we can be tempted to think that the
Church’s doctrines and practices are a kind of political “policy” or a
set of “positions” on issues. But the truth is that the Catholic faith
is not a program or a set of rules. Catholicism is a vision of
creation, a vision of the human person and the human family, a vision
that is grand and transcendent.
Everything in the Church — all our teachings, practices and disciplines
— flows from this vision, which is given to us by God in the Scriptures
and the Church’s living tradition.
Pope Francis has said that in thinking about the family, we must be
“led by the Word of God, on which rests the foundation of the holy
edifice of the family, the domestic Church and the family of God.”
This is true. And as we enter this final week of the Synod, I think it
is important for us to keep this “foundation” in mind, to try to see
God’s vision for the family more clearly and to understand how
important the family is for the Church’s future and the future of
civilization.
God’s dream
St. Paul called marriage a “great mystery.”
This mystery is written into the pages of sacred Scripture from
beginning to end — from the marriage of the first man and woman at
creation to the cosmic wedding feast of Christ and his bride when the
new heavens and earth come and time is no more.
Pope Francis speaks of the Creator’s design in terms of wonder and awe.
At last year’s extraordinary consistory, he invoked “God’s magnificent
plan for the family.” At the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia
and again in his homily opening the current synod, he called marriage
“God’s dream for his beloved creation.”
Jesus Christ revealed this dream by coming into the world in a human
family. The Holy Family of Nazareth shows us that every family is meant
to be an “icon” of God, an image of the Holy Trinity in the world.
I always remember the beautiful words of St. John Paul II at Puebla,
Mexico, at the beginning of his pontificate: “Our God in his deepest
mystery is not a solitude but a family, since he has in himself
fatherhood, sonship and the essence of the family, which is love.”
This is God’s plan for the human family. Every family is called to be a
“domestic church” reflecting the communion of love in the Trinity.
Every married couple is given a vocation — to live their love forever
in a mutual and complete gift of self; to renew the face of the earth
with children, who are the fruits of their love and the precious love
of our Creator. Married love is forever and cannot be dissolved because
it is the sign of God’s own covenant with creation.
The Church’s mission is to continue God’s “family plan” for creation —
to call men and women from every nation and people to form a single
family of God, united in his son, Jesus.
So that is why the Church will always take these matters of human sexuality, marriage, family and children so seriously.
That is why the litany of the Church’s great martyrs includes countless
men and women who died defending the Church’s doctrines and practices —
Agnes and Cecilia in ancient Rome; Thomas More and Charles Lwanga; the
Franciscans martyred in Georgia during the evangelization of the New
World. And there were many more.
The family crisis
Some of my brother bishops have remarked on the sense of urgency — some
even call it anxiety — that has been felt during this synod. The somber
mood is reflected in the working document that has formed the basis for
our discussions during these past three weeks.
Pope Francis has spoken often of the profound cultural crisis facing
the family. And there is a sense in this synod that the family “as we
know it” is in danger of disappearing — threatened by forces that are
economic, cultural and ideological.
At the root of the family crisis is a crisis of confidence in God — a
loss of the sense that he is our Father and Creator, and that he has a
plan, a “dream” for his creation, a plan for our lives.
The family today is threatened by the same “anthropocentric” and
“technocratic” mentality that Pope Francis warns about in Laudato Si’,
his encyclical on creation.
This mentality rejects the “realities” of creation and human nature.
Everything — nature, the human body and mind, social institutions —
everything is seen as so much “raw material” to be “engineered” using
technology, medicine, even law and public policy.
What the pope calls the “technocratic paradigm” underlies the
existential threats that confront human life and the family today —
from artificial contraception and embryonic experimentation, to the
surgical manipulations of femininity and masculinity required for
“transgenderism,” to the redefinition of marriage and the forced
sterilization and abortion policies prevalent in some parts of the
world.
The way forward
In confronting this broad cultural crisis of the family, the Church
needs to proclaim once more the beautiful truth about the human person
and God’s loving plan for creation and the family.
“The best way to restore men and women to their rightful place … is to
speak once more of the figure of a Father who creates and who alone
owns the world,” Pope Francis writes in Laudato Si’.
At the center of our Father’s plan for the world, we find the married couple and the family.
That is why the Church cannot allow marriage and family to be reduced
to cultural constructs or arbitrary living arrangements. Because if we
lose the family, we lose God’s plan for our lives and for the world.
Marriage and family are gifts from the Creator that are “written into”
the order of his creation and expressed in the bodily differences of
men and women and their vocation to a communion of love that is
faithful for life and fruitful in creating new life.
Pope Francis affirms this in Laudato Si’ and he emphasized it again during his yearlong catechesis on the family.
The human person is God’s “masterpiece,” created body and soul in his image and likeness, the pope said.
The natural differences between men and women and their
“complementarity” stand at the “summit of divine creation,” and order
the couple to “communion and generation, always in the image and
likeness of God.”
These basic truths of creation are the source for everything that the
Church believes, teaches and practices regarding marriage and family.
The Church is called to proclaim these truths to the world in all their
fullness and in all their beauty. We are called to do everything that
we can to support those couples and families who are trying to live
these truths — to be “holy spouses” and “holy families.”
The Church is also called to reach out with tenderness to those who are having trouble understanding and living these truths.
But Pope Francis has also urged us in strong words not to sacrifice the
truths of creation in a vain effort to “please the people” or to make
the Church’s teachings sound less demanding.
At the end of the extraordinary synod last year he cautioned against “a
destructive tendency … that in the name of a deceptive mercy binds the
wounds without first curing them and treating them; that treats the
symptoms and not the causes and the roots.”
This is always a natural temptation when we are faced with human weakness and misunderstanding.
But the pope reminds us that kindness and compassion can never be
separated from the truth of God’s plan. A person’s conscience is
sacred. But our conscience is only reliable if it is formed according
to the truth that God has written into our hearts and the loving plan
he has for our lives.
The words we speak in mercy must always be the truth, or our words are not merciful at all, just sentimental feelings.
Telling people what they want to hear will never do them any good, unless what we are saying is the truth they need to know.
All of us in the Church, in these difficult times, are called to
accompany people, to meet them where they are at and to walk with them
in charity and tenderness and compassion. But the journey of the
Christian life is always a journey of conversion. Our “destination” is
not where we want to go, but where God wants to lead us.
A moment for mission
So as we enter these final days of the synod, I find myself turning to
our newest saints. Not only the holy spouses St. Louis and St. Zélie
Martin. But also our newest American saint, St. Junípero Serra, who
blazed the trails of holiness in the New World.
I believe that all of us in the Church need a new missionary confidence and courage for the times we are living in.
In fact, we are living in a time of hope, a new missionary moment — a
time when the Church has a great opportunity for the new evangelization
of our continents and the world.
Every day, as bishops from around the world gather in this Synod Hall,
we are witnessing the reality that the Gospel has been enculturated in
“every nation under heaven.”
This has been striking for me, this experience of the universal Church:
to realize that the Church today is able to truly pray, teach and
evangelize in one voice — as one family of God, drawn from every
nation, people and language, united in our faith in the Gospel and our
communion with the Holy Father in Rome.
With the unity of our doctrine and practice, and the rich diversity of
our local traditions of popular piety — the Church has tremendous
resources to resist pressures and worldly powers and to proclaim the
Gospel to a new generation.
We need to challenge the “orthodoxies” and the “anthropology” of our
culture. We need to find creative, positive ways to proclaim God as
Creator and to show the beauty of his plan for the human person and the
family.
Counting on the intercession of the Holy Family of Nazareth, my prayer
in this final week is that all of us in the Church will stay united in
our apostolic desire to be missionary disciples. And that we will use
this new moment to carry the beauty of God’s plan for our lives and his
original dream for creation — to the ends of the earth.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
84. A hermit said, 'He who bears scorn and injury and loss with patience, can be saved.'
October 22, 2015
(Isa 41:10) Fear
not, for I am with thee: turn not aside, for I am thy God: I have
strengthened thee, and have helped thee, and the right hand of my just
one hath upheld thee.
SAINT JOHN PAUL II NATIONAL SHRINE: Celebration of the Feast Day of St. John Paul II
VIDEO: John Paul II: "Open wide the doors to Christ"
EXCERPT: HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II FOR THE INAUGURATION OF HIS PONTIFICATE
Our time calls us, urges us, obliges us to gaze on the Lord and immerse
ourselves in humble and devout meditation on the mystery of the supreme
power of Christ himself.
He who was born of the Virgin Mary, the carpenter's Son (as he was
thought to be), the Son of the living God (confessed by Peter), came to
make us all "a kingdom of priests".
The Second Vatican Council has reminded us of the mystery of this power
and of the fact that Christ's mission as Priest, Prophet-Teacher and
King continues in the Church. Everyone, the whole People of God, shares
in this threefold mission. Perhaps in the past, the tiara, this triple
crown, was placed on the Pope's head in order to express by that symbol
the Lord's plan for his Church, namely that all the hierarchical order
of Christ's Church, all "sacred power" exercised in the Church, is
nothing other than service, service with a single purpose: to ensure
that the whole People of God shares in this threefold mission of Christ
and always remains under the power of the Lord; a power that has its
source not in the powers of this world but in the mystery of the Cross
and Resurrection.
The absolute and yet sweet and gentle power of the Lord responds
to the whole depths of the human person, to his loftiest aspirations of
intellect, will and heart. It does not speak the language of force but
expresses itself in charity and truth.
The new Successor of Peter in the See of Rome, today makes a fervent,
humble and trusting prayer: Christ, make me become and remain the
servant of your unique power, the servant of your sweet power, the
servant of your power that knows no eventide. Make me be a servant.
Indeed, the servant of your servants.
5. Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept
his power. Help the Pope and all those who wish to serve Christ and
with Christ's power to serve the human person and the whole of mankind.
Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ. To his saving power
open the boundaries of States, economic and political systems, the vast
fields of culture, civilization and development. Do not be afraid.
Christ knows "what is in man". He alone knows it.
So often today man does not know what is within him, in the depths of
his mind and heart. So often he is uncertain about the meaning of his
life on this earth. He is assailed by doubt, a doubt which turns into
despair. We ask you therefore, we beg you with humility and trust, let
Christ speak to man. He alone has words of life, yes, of eternal life.
Precisely today the whole Church is celebrating "World Mission Day";
that is, she is praying, meditating and acting in order that Christ's
words of life may reach all people and be received by them as a message
of hope, salvation, and total liberation.
EXCERPT: LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL II TO THE ELDERLY 1999
“Despite the limitations brought on by age, I continue to enjoy life.
For this I thank the Lord. It is wonderful to be able to give oneself
to the very end for the sake of the Kingdom of God!
“At the same time, I find great peace in thinking of the time when the
Lord will call me: from life to life! And so I find myself saying, with
no trace of melancholy, a prayer recited by priests after the
celebration of the Eucharist: In hora mortis meae voca me, et iube me
venire ad te (At the hour of my death, call me and bid me to come to
you). This is a prayer of Christian hope, which in no way detracts from
the joy of the present, while entrusting the future to God’s gracious
and loving care....
“Grant, O Lord of life,...when the moment of our definitive ‘passage’
comes, that we may face it with serenity, without regret for what we
shall leave behind. For in meeting you, after having sought you for so
long, we shall find once more every authentic good which we have known
here on earth, in the company of all those who have gone before us
marked with the sign of faith and hope....Amen.”
ORDER OF CARMELITES: SAINT POPE JOHN PAUL II AND HIS CONNECTION TO CARMEL
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
83. A brother asked a hermit, 'Tell me one thing, that I may keep it
and live by it.' He said, 'If you can suffer injury and endure, this is
a great thing, it is above all virtues.'
October 20, 2015
(Mat 6:33) Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.
ARCHBISHOP CHARLES J. CHAPUT, O.F.M. CAP.: Truth, conscience and the work of the synod
LIFESITE NEWS: Romanian doctor makes blunt, powerful plea to pope and bishops in her Synod talk
Dr. Anca-Maria Cernea, Doctor at the Center for Diagnosis and
Treatment-Victor Babes and President of the Association of Catholic
Doctors of Bucharest (Romania) made the following presentation to Pope
Francis and the Synod bishops on Friday:
Your Holiness, Synod Fathers, Brothers and Sisters, I represent the Association of Catholic Doctors from Bucharest.
I am from the Romanian Greek Catholic Church.
My father was a Christian political leader, who was imprisoned by the
communists for 17 years. My parents were engaged to marry, but their
wedding took place 17 years later.
My mother waited all those years for my father, although she didn’t
even know if he was still alive. They have been heroically faithful to
God and to their engagement.
Their example shows that God’s grace can overcame terrible social circumstances and material poverty.
We, as Catholic doctors, defending life and family, can see this is, first of all, a spiritual battle.
Material poverty and consumerism are not the primary cause of the family crisis.
The primary cause of the sexual and cultural revolution is ideological.
Our Lady of Fatima has said that Russia’s errors would spread all over the world.
It was first done under a violent form, classical Marxism, by killing tens of millions.
Now it’s being done mostly by cultural Marxism. There is continuity
from Lenin’s sex revolution, through Gramsci and the Frankfurt school,
to the current-day gay-rights and gender ideology.
Classical Marxism pretended to redesign society, through violent take-over of property.
Now the revolution goes deeper; it pretends to redefine family, sex identity and human nature.
This ideology calls itself progressive. But it is nothing else than the
ancient serpent’s offer, for man to take control, to replace God, to
arrange salvation here, in this world.
It’s an error of religious nature, it’s Gnosticism.
It’s the task of the shepherds to recognize it, and warn the flock against this danger.
“Seek ye therefore first the Kingdom of God, and His justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.”
The Church’s mission is to save souls. Evil, in this world, comes from sin. Not from income disparity or “climate change”.
The solution is: Evangelization. Conversion.
Not an ever increasing government control. Not a world government.
These are nowadays the main agents imposing cultural Marxism to our
nations, under the form of population control, reproductive health, gay
rights, gender education, and so on.
What the world needs nowadays is not limitation of freedom, but real freedom, liberation from sin. Salvation.
Our Church was suppressed by the soviet occupation. But none of our 12
bishops betrayed their communion with the Holy Father. Our Church
survived thanks to our bishops’ determination and example in resisting
prisons and terror.
Our bishops asked the community not to follow the world. Not to cooperate with the communists.
Now we need Rome to tell the world: “Repent of your sins and turn to God for the Kingdom of Heaven is near”.
Not only us, the Catholic laity, but also many Christian Orthodox are
anxiously praying for this Synod. Because, as they say, if the Catholic
Church gives in to the spirit of this world, it is going to be very
difficult for all the other Christians to resist it.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
79. A hermit said, 'Even if you have succeeded in the habit of keeping
silent, you should not have that in you as though it was a kind of
virtue, but say: "I am not worthy to speak."'
October 19, 2015
(Mat 16:18) And
I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my
church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
NEWS.VA: Pope Francis marks 50th anniversary of Synod's institution
Pope Francis on Saturday morning marked the 50th anniversary of the
institution of the Synod of Bishops as a permanent body. Gathered with
the Fathers of the XIV Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops – who
are currently meeting in Rome to discuss the vocation and mission of
the family in the Church and in contemporary society – Pope Francis
spoke of both the process and the substance of the Synod as
constitutive and expressive of the Church’s own nature and mission.
“Journeying together,” said Pope Francis in an enlargement on the Greek
words from which the English word 'synod' is derived, “laity, pastors,
and the Bishop of Rome, is an easy concept to put into words, but not
so easy to put into practice.”
The Holy Father went on to say that each and everyone has a place in
the Church, and that the key to journeying well together is listening.
“A synodal Church is a Church of listening,” said Pope Francis. “It is
a mutual listening in which everyone has something to learn: the
faithful, the College of Bishops, [and the] Bishop of Rome; each
listening to the others; and all listening to the Holy Spirit, the
‘Spirit of truth’ (Jn 14, 17), to know what he ‘says to the Churches’
(Rev 2: 7).”
“The Synod of Bishops,” continued Pope Francis, “is the convergence
point of this dynamism – this listening conducted at all levels of
Church life,” starting with the people, who “also participate in
Christ’s prophetic office” and who have a right and a duty to be heard
on topics that touch the common life of the Church. Then come the Synod
Fathers, through whom, “[T]he bishops act as true stewards,
interpreters and witnesses of the faith of the whole Church, which
[they] must be able carefully to distinguish from often shifting public
opinion.” In all this, the Successor to Peter is fundamental.
“Finally,” explained Pope Francis, “the synodal process culminates in
listening to the Bishop of Rome, called upon to speak authoritatively
[It. pronunciare] as ‘Shepherd and Teacher of all Christians’: not on
the basis of his personal beliefs, but as the supreme witness of the
Faith of the whole Church, the guarantor of the Church’s conformity
with and obedience to the will of God, to the Gospel of Christ and the
Tradition of the Church.”
The Holy Father went on to explain that the Synod always always acts
cum Petro et sub Petro – with Peter and under Peter – a fact that does
not constitute a restriction of freedom, but a guarantee of unity. “In
fact,” he said, “the Pope is, by the will of the Lord, ‘the perpetual
and visible principle and foundation of unity of both the bishops and
of the faithful’.”
FULL TEXT: Pope Calls for a "Listening Church"
LIFESITE NEWS: Voice of Family warns Synod proposal to give more authority to bishops conferences will shatter the Church
TRANSLATED COMMENTARY: Antonio Socci Blog: END OF CATHOLICISM
In fact, last March, the Cardinal Mueller , Prefect of the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith, had responded to Marx that delegate
decisions doctrinal or disciplinary matters of family or marriage to
the national bishops' conferences "is an absolutely anti-Catholic who
does not respect the catholicity of the Church " .
The truth does not change with the climate. If the truth is not
everywhere the same is no longer true. It would be the triumph of the
"dictatorship of relativism" in the Church as well, and therefore its
end.
Cardinal Burke has repeated: "is simply contrary to faith and Catholic
life. The Church follows the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ (and) is
a worldwide. There is no change in these truths, from one place to
another or from one time to another. Certainly the teaching of these
truths into account the particular needs of each area. But this does
not change the teaching "that, indeed," should be even stronger in the
places where it is more compromise. "
If it passes the idea of "regional diversity" - also indicated to the
Synod - "The Church is no longer Catholic [universal]. This means
"Burke adds" that is no longer 'a' in his teaching around the world. We
have 'a' faith alone. We have 'a' [set of] sacraments. We have 'a'
government in the world. This means 'Catholic'. "
A reform of the papacy that would transform the Church into a
federation of local churches who decide - each for himself - about
divorced and remarried and homosexuality, then a commandments and
sacraments - would undermine the "divine constitution" of the Church
(that is, the Church as it was founded by Christ) and such a reform is
not in the powers of any pope. Why the Pope is not greater than Jesus
Christ.
As you see, more to the Synod goes live and the more we discover that -
at the bottom - the real clash is on the fundamentals of the Catholic
faith and the survival of the same church as Christ instituted it and
as has existed for two thousand years.
CHIESA: Synod. The “Conspirator” Who Does Everything in the Light of Day
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
78. A hermit said, 'If anyone says, "Forgive me", and humbles himself, he burns up the demons that tempt him.'
October 16, 2015
(Luk 12:2-5) For
there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed: nor hidden that
shall not be known. For whatsoever things you have spoken in darkness
shall be published in the light: and that which you have spoken in the
ear in the chambers shall be preached on the housetops. And I say to
you, my friends: Be not afraid of them who kill the body and after that
have no more that they can do. But I will shew you whom you shall fear:
Fear ye him who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell.
Yea, I say to you: Fear him.
NEWS.VA: Pope asks forgiveness for the scandals that have rocked the Church
HERALD SUN: Pell vs Pope
Cardinal George Pell sent the Pope a public warning in July about his lurch to the Left:
Cardinal George Pell has publicly criticised Pope Francis’ decision to
place climate change at the top of the Catholic Church’s agenda.
Cardinal Pell, a well-known climate change skeptic, told the Financial
Times the church had “no particular expertise in science”.
“The church has got no mandate from the Lord to pronounce on scientific
matters,” he said, “We believe in the autonomy of science.”
It is now close to all-out war: Civil war has erupted at the top of the Catholic Church, with 13
cardinals, including Australia’s George Pell, warning the Pope in a
letter that the church is in danger of collapsing like liberal
Protestant churches in the modern era.
The cardinals say the threat of collapse has been accelerated by the
“abandonment of key elements of Christian belief and practice in the
name of pastoral adaptation’’.
As well as Cardinal Pell, the Vatican’s Secretary for the Economy,
cardinals from Bologna, Toronto, New York, Galveston, Nairobi, Mexico,
Utrecht, Durban and Caracas signed the letter, as well as other senior
Vatican officials. These included Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, the
church’s Prefect for Divine Worship, and German Cardinal Gerhard
Mueller, the Prefect for Doctrine.
The row centres on the three-week Synod on the Family under way in Rome
and being attended by about 300 delegates, mainly bishops, from around
the world…
The letter complained the process seemed “designed to facilitate
predetermined results on important disputed questions’’. Several of the
signatories, including Cardinal Pell, have also raised concerns inside
the synod…
One point of contention is whether long-established rules should be
changed to allow divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive
communion…
In a statement released after the leaking of the letter, a spokesman
for Cardinal Pell said: “There is strong agreement in the synod on most
points but obviously there is some disagreement because minority
elements want to change the church’s teachings on the proper
dispositions necessary for the reception of communion. Obviously there
is no possibility of change on this doctrine.”
RELATED
Cardinal says liberals and Islamists are 'Beasts of Apocalypse'
Cardinal Pell tells synod: no one can change ‘essential Church teachings’
Cardinal Burke proclaims controversial Synod proposals ‘simply contrary’ to Catholicism
EXCERPT: Messages of Our Lady in Akita, Japan
It was on Saturday, October 13, the anniversary day of the last
Apparition of the Virgin Mary to the three children of Fatima, that
Mary gave to Sister Agnes Her third Message, the most important and
serious one:
“If men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a
terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater
than the deluge, such as one will never have seen before. Fire will
fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good
as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors
will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only
arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by
My Son. Each day recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary,
pray for the Pope, the Bishops and the priests.
“The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a
way that one will see Cardinals opposing Cardinals, Bishops against
other Bishops. The priests who venerate Me will be scorned and opposed
by their confreres (other priests). Churches and altars will be sacked.
The Church will be full of those who accept compromises, and the demon
will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of
the Lord.
“The demon will be especially implacable against the souls consecrated
to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of My
sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will no longer
be pardon for them.
“...Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able to still
save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their
confidence in Me will be saved.”
The last Sunday of May, 1982, during the Benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament, Sister Agnes was completely cured from her deafness.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
77. A brother asked a hermit, 'What is the way to make progress?' The
hermit answered, 'Humility. The more we bend ourselves to humility, the
more we are lifted up to make progress.'
October 13, 2015
(Exo 8:19) And
the magicians said to Pharao: This is the finger of God. And Pharao's
heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them, as the Lord had
commanded.
VIDEO: The Miracle of the Sun in Fatima October 13, 1917
BLOG: The Stages of the Miracle of the Sun
PATHEOS: So That All May Believe: The “Miracle of the Sun”
COMMENTARY: Fatima Is for the Holiness of Families
The apparition at Fatima on Oct. 13, 1917, is the only approved
apparition in 2,000 years in which the entire Holy Family of Jesus,
Mary and Joseph appeared at the same time. The three little shepherd
children saw Our Lady with St. Joseph and the Child Jesus, both
blessing the world, during the time tens of thousands of people were
witnessing the sun miracle.
The Miracle of the Sun was one of the most spectacular miracles
recorded in the history of the Church. It was heaven’s verification of
the message that the Mother of God came to deliver to the world. A
miracle had been foretold months in advance, as to its exact day and
hour. While the nature of the miracle was not foretold, three things
were foretold: “In October, I will tell you [1] who I am and [2] what I
want, and [3] I will perform a miracle so that all may believe” (July
13, 1917).
It is not correct to say that Our Lady foretold the Miracle of the Sun.
She simply foretold a miracle, without stating what kind. The miracles
of Jesus in the New Testament were to bring people to faith with a
response in love. Such, too, was the reason for the Holy Family miracle
of Fatima.
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA READER: 2015 Relic Tour Schedule - Saint Maria Goretti
The Relics of Saint Maria Goretti are touring the United States in 2015.
Here is a link to schedule that I posted below:
http://mariagoretti.com/tour-schedule-3
Please note that modifications to the schedule (to start times, end
times, etc.) are an ongoing possibility. This page will always
have the most up-to-date information. Please check it before
making your plans.
SEE ALSO: The Relics of Saint Therese, the “Little Flower”, and Her Parents, Joined Together in Reliquary, Go on Tour
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
75. A hermit said, 'Do not ignore your
neighbour for you do not know whether God's Spirit is in you or in him.
I tell you that your servant is your neighbour.'
October 12, 2015
(Joh 8:31-32) Then
Jesus said to those Jews who believed him: If you continue in my word,
you shall be my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth: and the
truth shall make you free.
ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT: Marriage as a witness to hope
Archbishop Charles Chaput delivered the following speech, termed an
intervention, Oct. 7 in Rome at the Synod of Bishops on the Family.
Pope Francis is leading selected bishops from around the world this
month to discuss pastoral issues concerning marriage and family.
Brothers,
The Instrumentum seemed to present us with two conflicting views:
pastoral despair or a decision to hope. When Jesus experienced the
pastoral despair of his Apostles, he reminded them that for man a thing
may seem impossible, but for God all things are possible.
In mastering nature for the purpose of human development, we human
beings have wounded our oceans and the air we breathe. We’ve poisoned
the human body with contraceptives. And we’ve scrambled the
understanding of our own sexuality. In the name of individual
fulfillment, we’ve busied ourselves with creating a new Babel of
tyranny that feeds our desires but starves the soul.
Paragraphs 7-10 of the Instrumentum did a good job of describing the
condition of today’s families. But overall, the text engenders a subtle
hopelessness. This leads to a spirit of compromise with certain sinful
patterns of life and the reduction of Christian truths about marriage
and sexuality to a set of beautiful ideals — which then leads to
surrendering the redemptive mission of the Church.
The work of this synod needs to show much more confidence in the Word
of God, the transformative power of grace, and the ability of people to
actually live what the Church believes. And it should honor the heroism
of abandoned spouses who remain faithful to their vows and the teaching
of the Church.
George Bernanos said that the virtue of hope is “despair, overcome.” We
have no reason to despair. We have every reason to hope. Pope Francis
saw this himself in Philadelphia. Nearly 900,000 people crowded the
streets for the papal Mass that closed the World Meeting of Families.
They were there because they love the Pope, but also because they
believe in marriage. They believe in the family. And they were hungry
to be fed by real food from the Vicar of Jesus Christ.
We need to call people to perseverance in grace and to trust in the
greatness God intended for them — not confirm them in their errors.
Marriage embodies Christian hope – hope made flesh and sealed
permanently in the love of a man and a woman.
This synod needs to preach that truth more clearly with the radical passion of the Cross and Resurrection.
MORE FROM ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT: Disunity in the Church is perilous, Archbishop Chaput cautions at synod
MEDITATION: Thoughts
by St Theophan (1815-1894)
[II Cor. 1:8-11; Luke 5:27-32]
I came not to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance. What a consolation for sinners! But it is
necessary to leave sins and do only good; and when doing good, to
continue to call oneself a sinner not only on the tongue, but in the
heart. Do not sin, but as a true sinner repent and call to the Lord for
forgiveness. When you will be disposed in such a way, it means that you
stand in the truth; as soon as you give way to self-righteousness and
start considering yourself sinless, know, that you are turning aside
from the right path and have headed toward those for whom there is no
salvation. How we can combine a proper life with feelings of sinfulness
is something only scribes ask. They write, but do not do. For the one
who follows the path of action this is so clear that he cannot
understand how it could be any other way.
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA RON ROLHEISER, OMI: EXCERPT GOD’S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Then why be good? Why keep the commandments? What difference does our response make?
Our response makes a big difference, but not in terms of giving God
offense, driving God away, or making God punish or reward us. It makes
a difference in how we stand and feel in the face of love. We cannot
offend against God, but we can offend against others and ourselves. We
can, like Satan, live in bitterness and unhappiness right within love
itself and we can deeply hurt others. The spiritual and moral precepts
of the faith, all of them, including the ten commandments, are
therefore meant to do a couple of things:
First, for anyone who is mature in the faith, living out what faith and
morality asks of us is in fact a natural response of gratitude for
being loved and a natural expression of sensitivity to others. The
desire to be good and to keep the commandments, as Martin Luther once
said, follows from genuine faith and love the way smoke follows fire.
The intent is never to earn love or reward, but to respond properly to
them. This is true in the case of mature love and faith. However, for
those of us who are still struggling to be mature, the spiritual and
moral precepts of the faith are meant as a discipline – precisely as a
discipleship – that helps teach us what it means to be a spiritual and
a sensitive human being. Trying to be good should still not be an
attempt to somehow earn love or heaven, but rather an acknowledgement,
a humble one, that one still needs a lot of help in knowing how to live
in the face of love.
Why be good if God loves us anyway? For the same reason that an artist
doesn’t deface a masterpiece and a lover doesn’t violate his or her
beloved. Ethics follow naturally when truth, beauty, and love are
properly appropriated.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
74. A hermit said, 'I would rather be defeated and humble than win and be proud.'
October 9, 2015
(Rom 13:3-4)
For princes are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Wilt
thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good: and thou
shalt have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to thee, for
good. But if thou do that which is evil, fear: for he beareth not the
sword in vain. For he is God's minister: an avenger to execute wrath
upon him that doth evil.
GEORGE J. MARLIN, CHAIRMAIN ACN USA:
The United States must also do what it can to provide those Christians
committed to staying put in Iraq and Syria with all the humanitarian
aid they need — aid programs must be tailored specifically to come to
the aid of Christians; they also need political support, as in helping
them gain permanent status and full citizenship in Kurdistan; and, as
the situation requires, the military support to protect them from ISIS
and other Islamic extremists. That is what many of the local bishops in
the region want, although they are reluctant to say so out loud.
INTERRELIGIOUS COUNCIL OF RUSSIA:
“Strictly adhering to the standards of international law, our country
is again prepared to render support to the people whose life, health
and freedom are really endangered by the actions of international
terrorists.”
The statement expresses hope that “the
assistance of Russia will stave off the threat of terror and hasten the
coming of peaceful life in this country and in the entire Middle East
on the basis of dialogue and accord among different ethnic, religious
and ideological groups.”
NEWS REPORT: Islamic State murders 12 Christians for refusing to renounce Christ
Twelve Christians have been brutally executed by the Islamic
State, including the 12-year-old son of a Syrian ministry team leader
who had planted nine churches, because they refused to renounce the
name of Jesus Christ and embrace Islam. The martyrs were faithful to
the very end; right before one woman was beheaded by the terror group,
she appeared to be smiling slightly as she said, “Jesus!”
According to Christian Aid Mission, a humanitarian group which assists
indigenous Christian workers in their native countries, the horrific
murders took place on August 28 in an unnamed village outside Aleppo,
Syria.
“In front of the team leader and relatives in the crowd, the Islamic
extremists cut off the fingertips of the boy and severely beat him,
telling his father they would stop the torture only if he, the father,
returned to Islam,” Christian Aid revealed, according to a report from
Morning Star News. “When the team leader refused, relatives said, the
ISIS militants also tortured and beat him and the two other ministry
workers. The three men and the boy then met their deaths in
crucifixion.”
ACN: Letter from Aleppo: 20 years a bishop--fighting for his faithful to stay in Syria
PRAVMIR.COM: His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: One сannot remain indifferent to the suffering of the Syrian people
WSJ: Iraqis Urge Russia to Strike Islamic State
AINA NEWS: Russian Church: The Fight in Syria is a 'Holy War'
Russia's powerful Orthodox Church on Wednesday voiced support for
Moscow's decision to carry out air strikes in Syria against the Islamic
State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group, calling it a "holy battle."
"The fight with terrorism is a holy battle and today our country is
perhaps the most active force in the world fighting it," said the head
of the Church's public affairs department, Vsevolod Chaplin, quoted by
Interfax news agency.
Russia on Wednesday launched its first air strikes in Syria after
President Vladimir Putin won parliamentary approval to use force abroad.
"The only correct way to fight international terrorism.... is to act
preemptively, to battle and destroy fighters and terrorists on the
territories they have already seized, not to wait for them to come to
us," Putin said in televised comments.
In an official statement, the Church's Patriarch Kirill said "Russia
took a responsible decision to use military forces to protect the
Syrian people from the woes brought on by the tyranny of terrorists."
The Patriarch, who often weighs in on political matters in support of
the Kremlin, said armed intervention was necessary since "the political
process has not led to any noticeable improvement in the lives of
innocent people, and they need military protection."
He cited the suffering of Christians in the region, the kidnapping of
clerics and the destruction of churches, adding that Muslims "are
suffering no less."
Church spokesman Chaplin said that the decision on military action
"corresponds with international law, the mentality of our people and
the special role that our country has always played in the Middle East."
A senior Muslim cleric also backed the military intervention, saying Syrians are "practically our neighbors."
"We fully back the use of a contingent of Russian armed forces in the
battle against international terrorism," said Talgat Tadzhuddin, head
of the Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia, in
comments to RIA Novosti state news agency.
A council representing Russia's main religions -- Orthodox
Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism -- will release a joint
statement on Russia's role in Syria that will "support the decision
that was taken by our government," said Orthodox spokesman Chaplin.
Russia's Orthodox Church, after years of repression under the Soviets,
has regained much of its influence and built up close ties with the
government despite a formal separation of Church and state. President
Vladimir Putin is regularly depicted attending services.
The Church has sought to increase its influence in the armed forces and
achieved its goal of reintroducing religious chaplains banned by the
Soviets.
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Robert Moynihan: Russia in Syria
A Christian power in the Middle East The "Russia in Syria" story is of
far different importance -- I will not say of greater or lesser
importance, only of different importance -- than the Pope's meetings in
America, or the unfolding of this present Synod. What is happening in
Syria deserves our attention -- even if we cannot understand what it
really means or where it will lead. The Russians, in a way puzzling to
me (and, I think, to many), have simply waltzed (or, perhaps better,
flown) into the country, with little fanfare (how did they do it?) and
now, in a series of dozens of evidently quite accurate bombing sorties
based, it seems, on quite good satellite intelligence, now seem likely
to sharply curtail the activity and power of the monstrous,
head-decapitating ISIS movement, perhaps as soon as in the next few
weeks -- though the US efforts to do something similar over the past 18
months have yielded only... meager results.
This raises many important geopolitical, geostrategic questions, too
many to address here. But three may be mentioned. First, the plight of
the Christians in the Middle East may suddenly be less dire, if a
powerful, self-declared Christian nation is now entering the scene
militarily. Second, OPEC could be split, with consequences for the
price of oil, for the global economy, and for the dependence of Europe
on Russian as opposed to Saudi Arabian (and neighbors) oil and gas.
Third, the flood of immigrants into Europe might begin to crest, and
then to subside, meaning, that a solution to the immigration crisis may
have been found in this unexpected Russian intervention.
Of course, strategists in the US are watching all of this with various
levels of interest, surprise, and alarm. Some think the Russians will
get bogged down. Some think they have stolen a march and are now in a
powerful position. Some think they will stay. Some think they will
leave in a few weeks.
But what seems clear is that "something" has stirred the Russian bear
into activity in a new way, in a new sphere, and the world is different
in October than it was in August, for this reason.
OPINION: Top Western Middle East Reporter: Let's Welcome Russia's Entry Into Syria War
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
74. A hermit said, 'I would rather be defeated and humble than win and be proud.'
October 7, 2015
(Luk 1:38) And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
FR BROOM'S BLOG: TWENTY FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE MOST HOLY ROSARY
ARTICLE: Observing the month of the Holy Rosary
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA A MOMENT WITH MARY: Why pray the Rosary? (I)
October is the month of the Rosary. Pope Benedict XVI explained why we should pray the Rosary:
"The Rosary is not a practice relegated to the past, like prayers of
previous eras we might think of with nostalgia. On the contrary, the
Rosary is enjoying a new springtime."
"The Rosary is undoubtedly one of the most eloquent signs of love that
the young generations nourish for Jesus and his mother Mary."
"In today's world, which is so fragmented, this prayer helps us to
place Christ at the center, as did the Virgin who meditated interiorly
about everything that was said about her Son, and about what He said
and did."
"When reciting the Rosary, we relive the important and meaningful
moments of salvation history; we visit anew the stages of Christ's
mission."
"With Mary, we turn our heart to the mystery of Jesus. Jesus is placed
at the center of our life, of our time, of our cities, through the
contemplation and meditation of his holy mysteries of joy, light,
sorrow and glory."
VIA A MOMENT WITH MARY: Why pray the Rosary? (II)
Pope Benedict XVI addressed this question by giving these intentions:
"May Mary help us to welcome within ourselves the grace emanating from
these mysteries, so that through us she might "irrigate" society,
beginning with our daily interactions, and purifying it from so many
negative forces by opening it to the newness of God."
"Prayed in an authentic way, not in a superficial way, the Rosary
indeed brings peace and reconciliation. It contains within itself the
healing power of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, invoked with faith and
love at the heart of each Ave Maria."
"The Rosary, when it is not a mechanical repetition of traditional
formulas, is a biblical meditation that makes us retrace the events of
the Lord's life in the company of the Blessed Virgin, preserving them,
like her, in our heart."
"Let this good habit never stop. Let it continue even with greater
zeal, that, at the school of Mary, the lamp of faith may shine ever
more brightly in the heart of Christians and in their homes."
VIA A MOMENT WITH MARY: An Especially Effective Weapon
Remember that Sister Lucia (one of the three visionaries of Our Lady of
Fatima (1917 in Portugal) confided the following to Father Fuentes on
December 26, 1957: "The Blessed Virgin has given a new efficacy to the
recitation of the Holy Rosary. There is no problem, I tell you, no
matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer
of the Holy Rosary."
The earliest victory on record won by the Rosary was a
victory against the Cathars. It took place on September 12, 1213, in
Muret, France. This victory was fought by 800 French knights called by
Pope Innocent III and led by Simon de Montfort. They faced an army of
34,000 Cathars assisted by Spaniards led by Peter II of Aragon.
Throughout the battle, Saint Dominic prayed the Rosary in the church of
Muret. The victory was spectacular: only 8 were reported killed on the
French side against 10,000 on the Spanish and Cathar side, including
Peter II. This victory brought back peace.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
69. The hermits said, 'If an angel really appears to you, do not accept
it as a matter of course, but humble yourself, and say, "I live in my
sins and am not worthy to see an angel.'"
October 5, 2015
(1Th 5:19-21) Extinguish not the spirit. Despise not prophecies. But prove all things: hold fast that which is good.
NEWSBLOG: Don Bosco’s prophesy and today’s world-wide war against the Church (Part I) by Fr. Regis Scanlon, O.F.M.Cap.
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Rev. Joseph Leo Iannuzzi: End Time Questions
In light of my recent article, I have been asked to clarify the
following points pertaining to these End Times in which we are living.
Questions:
1) Is it true that on account of its recent scandals and infiltration by the freemasons, "the Church has failed us?"
2) Is it true that we are living in the End Times, and that many
cardinals, bishops and priests are taking many souls with them to hell?
3) When the Antichrist soon comes will he kill Christians (even the
Pope), put an end to the perpetual sacrifice of the Mass and leave the
Church without a shepherd, a hierarchy or the Sacraments?
4) Can someone in good faith believe in a Marian apparition before the Church approves it?
Answers: continued here
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
68. The devil appeared to a monk disguised as an angel of light and
said to him, 'I am the angel Gabriel, and I have been sent to you.' But
the monk said, 'Are you sure you weren't sent to someone else? I am not
worthy to have an angel sent to me.' At that the devil vanished.'
October 2, 2015
(Mar 10:6-9) But
from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. For
this cause, a man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave to
his wife. And they two shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are
not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no
man put asunder.
EXCERPT CATHOLIC SENTINEL: We Pray for our Families
The Synod on the Family begins its second session in Rome this Sunday.
The Oct. 4-25 synod will have the theme: “The vocation and mission of
the family in the church and the modern world.” Sunday’s Gospel offers
a powerful reminder of one of the most difficult issues facing today’s
families and, consequently, the Synod.
Certain Jews had come to Jesus with a question about divorce. This was
not simply an academic question in those days. Neither is it
theoretical today. The Jewish ideal of marriage was high but Jewish law
regarded the woman as a thing. The law had deteriorated to the point
that a man could divorce his wife on almost any grounds but a woman
could divorce her husband only if he allowed it or if he was guilty of
a very few serious offenses or was a leper. Marriage was devalued.
Our problems are more complicated both among the general population and
among Catholics. Many couples do not marry at all. Still other
marriages end in divorce. While the world screams for unity, it
is made manifest in the coming together of two persons in marriage. The
unity of humankind is made incarnate in the life expression of a
family. It is in the union of a man and a woman that we find the most
perfect expression of the Trinitarian Life. We have the assurance of
Christ himself that where two or more gather in his name, he is with
them. The Sacrament of Matrimony is the union of two persons in the
name of Christ. As the love of the Father and the Son breathe forth the
Spirit, the union of husband and wife creates a new spirit. This spirit
reflects the spirit generated in every gathering of the Church. The
family is more than an economic unit, more than a physical or
psychological union. Within marriage lies the possibility of mirroring
the Church and reflecting the love of the Father and Son.
ONLINE PETITION: Filial Appeal to His Holiness Pope Francis on the Future of the Family
FIRST THINGS: AN APPEAL RECALLING THE TEACHING OF HUMANAE VITAE (AND VERITATIS SPLENDOR)
An Instrumentum laboris (working paper) was prepared for the XIV
Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops and published on June 23,
2015. It covers a range of topics germane to the Synod’s theme of the
family. Paragraph 137 addresses a key document of the modern
Magisterium, Humanae Vitae, in a way that both calls the force of that
teaching into question and proposes a method of moral discernment that
is decidedly not Catholic. This approach to discernment contradicts
what has hitherto been taught by the Magisterium of the Church about
moral norms, conscience, and moral judgment, by suggesting that a
well-formed conscience may be in conflict with objective moral norms.
As Catholic moral theologians and philosophers, we feel morally
obligated to speak out against the distortion of Catholic teaching
implicit in paragraph 137. If endorsed by the Synod, the defective text
of the Instrumentum laboris would lead to confusion among the faithful.
Paragraph 137 should be removed and replaced by a paragraph that speaks
of the conscience in a more precise fashion, that celebrates the wisdom
and beauty of Humanae Vitae, and that helps spouses to appreciate that
the graces are available to them to live out God’s plan for the gift of
sexuality.
MORE: Twelve Fatal Flaws in the Instrumentum Laboris, the “Working Document” of Synod 2015
CHIESA ANALYSIS: Synod’s Turn To Speak. But Decisions Will Be Up To Francis
EXCERPT SOCIETY OF ST. PIUS X: Petition to the Holy Father
Most Holy Father, For the honor of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the
consolation of the Church and of all faithful Catholics, for the good
of society and of all humanity, in this crucial hour we petition you
therefore to let your voice resound throughout the world with a word of
truth, clarity, and firmness, in defense of Christian and even merely
human marriage, in support of its foundation, namely, the difference
and complementarity of the sexes, upholding its exclusivity and
indissolubility. With filial piety we beg you to let your voice
be heard by all, and that it be accompanied by actions too in support
of the Catholic family.
We entrust this humble petition to the patronage of Saint John the
Baptist, who underwent martyrdom for having publicly defended the
sanctity and exclusivity of marriage, even against a scandalous civil
authority in a case of “divorced-and-remarried persons.” And we
pray the Precursor give Your Holiness the courage to recall before the
whole world the true doctrine concerning natural and Christian
marriage.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
67. The hermits said, 'We become more humbled when we are tempted,
because God, knowing our weakness, protects us. But if we boast of our
own strength, he takes away his protection, and we are lost.'
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