Keep
your eyes open!...
April 29, 2015
(Mat 25:37-40) Then
shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry
and fed thee: thirsty and gave thee drink? Or when did we see thee a
stranger and took thee in? Or naked and covered thee? Or when did we
see thee sick or in prison and came to thee? And the king answering
shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of
these my least brethren, you did it to me.
POPE FRANCIS: “I
pray for the victims, for the wounded, and for all those who suffer
because of this calamity. May they be supported by fraternal
solidarity.”
VATICAN NEWS: Cor Unum sends aid to Nepal in response to earthquake
CATHOLIC HERALD: Humanitarian crisis continues in Nepal as death toll rises
AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED (ACN) NEWS: Bishop describes 'a very, very frightening scene' in Nepal
MORE FROM ACN: Help survivors of Nepal's devastating earthquake now
Thousands have died. Thousands more need your help to keep
living. The devastating earthquake of April 25th and its many
aftershocks have left families across a broad region without food,
shelter, medical aid or any means of survival. Local aid
providers are overwhelmed. Please reach out now and help bring hope to
those who are suffering.
Link to Donate Now: https://secure3.convio.net/acn/site/Donation2;jsessionid=243B778B2AB8764A99896BB73DF8E96F.app337b?idb=332589954&df_id=6522&6522.donation=form1&idb=0
PRAYER FOR NEPAL: Please join in prayer for the people of Nepal:
Loving God,
We pray for all those affected by the earthquake in Nepal as we offer
the words of the psalmist, “Be strong and take heart, all who hope in
the Lord” (Psalm 31:25).
May those who are paralyzed by fear …
Be strong and take heart
May those who have lost or are still searching for loved ones …
Be strong and take heart
May those who remain trapped under rubble …
Be strong and take heart
May those rescue workers who provide relief and recovery …
Be strong and take heart
May those who are moved with compassion to help …
Be strong and take heart
God, whose love knows no bounds,
fill all those who suffer with your comfort and peace.
We ask all this through Christ, our Lord. Amen
FIDES.ORG: Brief history of the Catholic Church in Nepal
The
Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks:
Unceasing
Prayer
1.
They said that on Saturday evening Arsenius used to turn his back to
the
setting sun and stretch out his hands towards heaven and pray until, at
dawn on Sunday, the rising sun lit up his face, and then he sat down
again.'
April 27, 2015
(1Co 6:9-11) Know
you not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God? Do not
err: Neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers: Nor the
effeminate nor liers with mankind nor thieves nor covetous nor
drunkards nor railers nor extortioners shall possess the kingdom of
God. And such some of you were. But you are washed: but you are
sanctified: but you are justified: in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the Spirit of our God.
AUDIO SANCTO: Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner
ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON: On Praying for a Deep Hatred and Fear of Sin and Its Darkness by Msgr. Charles Pope
Jesus light of the world, please
help me to fear and detest the darkness. Help me to love the light and
be shocked and disoriented by the darkness. May I never be able to
navigate its shadows or find the twilight a happy medium. Only the
light of you, pure, dear Lord, only light. May all else depress,
disorient, and cause me to despise it without compromise. In
Jesus’ name, Amen!
CRISIS MAGAZINE: The Case Against Same-Sex “Marriage”
EXCERPT DESMOINESREGISTER: Court’s same-sex marriage ruling to define our time
On Tuesday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in
Obergefell v. Hodges, perhaps the most important civil rights case in a
generation.
The court will consider whether the Fourteenth Amendment requires
states to license, or at least to recognize, marriages between couples
of the same sex. If the justices answer yes, then the federal
government will require all states to accept same-sex marriage, even
where it is strongly opposed.
If they answer no, then states where it is now legal but unpopular will
be able to re-illegalize such unions, causing immense legal and
financial uncertainty for same-sex couples living there. The ruling
will, in either case, define our epoch as Plessy v. Ferguson and Roe v.
Wade define theirs.
The story begins in 2013 with Ohio couple James Obergefell and John
Arthur. They had been together for twenty years, but now Arthur was
dying of ALS, and they wished to marry while they had time. Because
same-sex marriage is illegal in Ohio, they flew to Maryland. Arthur was
so weak that the ceremony was performed on board the airplane while it
sat on the Maryland tarmac. When Arthur died three months later, Ohio
refused to recognize Obergefell as his legal spouse on the death
certificate. He sued, and the case eventually made it to the Supreme
Court. It is the leading item in a set of four same-sex marriage
petitions to be heard on Tuesday.
EXCERPT CATHOLICPHILLY: Definition of marriage in America at stake in Supreme Court’s rulings
In agreeing in January to take the cases, the Supreme Court said it would consider two constitutional questions:
— Does the 14th Amendment require a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex?
— Does the 14th Amendment require a state to recognize a marriage
between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully
licensed and performed out of state?
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops filed a brief arguing that the
state laws limiting marriage of heterosexual couples should be upheld.
The first reason the USCCB cites is that “as a matter of simple
biology, the sexual union of one man and one woman is the only union
capable of creating new life,” and that homes with a father and a
mother are the optimal environment for children. It said it is
“reasonable and just” for states to treat heterosexual marriages as
having more value than other kinds of relationships.
“Government support for a marital bond between mothers and fathers
serves the interest of reducing, or preventing further increases in,
the incidence of single parenthood and the consequent burdens it places
upon the custodial parent (usually the mother) and the public,” it said.
The USCCB also argues that laws permitting same-sex marriages redefine
the traditional definition of marriage and would “needlessly create
church-state conflict for generations to come.”
RELATED
March For Marriage 2015: Organizers Say 10,000 Turned Out For Anti-Gay-Marriage Demonstration
Key briefs in Supreme Court's same-sex marriage case
NPR PODCAST: Same-Sex Marriage And The Supreme Court
The
Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober
Living
49.
A hermit said, 'When the donkey's eyes are covered it walks round the
mill-wheel. If you uncover its eyes, it will not go on walking in the
circle. So if the devil succeeds in covering a man's eyes, he leads him
into every kind of sin. But if the man's eyes are uncovered, he can
more easily escape.'
April 22, 2015
(Joh 20:5-8) And
when he stooped down, he saw the linen cloths lying: but yet he went
not in. Then cometh Simon Peter, following him, and went into the
sepulchre: and saw the linen cloths lying, And the napkin that had been
about his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but apart, wrapped up
into one place. Then that other disciple also went in, who came first
to the sepulchre: and he saw and believed.
POPE FRANCIS:
"The face of the man on the Shroud resembles all those faces of men and
women marred by a life which does not respect their dignity, by war and
violence which afflict the weakest … and yet, at the same time, the
face in the Shroud conveys a great peace; this tortured body expresses
a sovereign majesty. It is as if it let a restrained but powerful
energy within it shine through, as if to say: have faith, do not lose
hope; the power of the love of God, the power of the Risen One
overcomes all things.”
ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON: Becoming Witnesses of the Resurrection and the Truth of the Gospel – A Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter by Msgr. Charles Pope
NATIONAL REVIEW: What Does the Shroud of Turin Prove about Easter?
Millions of Christians firmly believe that material scientific proof of
the Christ’s resurrection actually exists today, and that evidence is
called the Shroud of Turin.
The Shroud, alleged to be the burial cloth of Jesus, is the most
studied, tested, and analyzed religious relic the world has ever known.
It is preserved in an underground vault in the Cathedral of Saint John
the Baptist in Turin, Italy. Beginning April 19, the Shroud will be on
a rare public display, through June 24. Pope Francis is scheduled to
pray in front of the Shroud on June 21, and his visit to Turin will
generate enormous global media attention. The Shroud’s public
exposition, highlighted by the pope’s visit, naturally will also
generate a debate about the Shroud’s authenticity. If you have read
this far, but are laughing at the idea that the Shroud of Turin is the
burial cloth of Jesus and proof of his resurrection, you should know
certain numerous indisputable scientific facts. In fact, they are far
too many for this space, but here are some highlights.
The key mystery of the Shroud centers on how and why there is a
detailed negative photographic image of a beaten, crucified man,
anatomically correct, front and back, head to toe, on a piece of fine
linen cloth measuring 14.5 feet by 3.5 feet.
Scientists have determined that the weave of the flax linen cloth dates
back to Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. Furthermore, pollen and dust
found on the Shroud are native to where, according to the Bible, Jesus
lived and walked.
Human male blood found on the Shroud is a rare type AB. As one would
expect, blood of that crucified male penetrates the linen cloth. But
here is where science enhances the Shroud’s mystery: Blood on the cloth
preceded the image of the crucified man. “Blood first, image second” is
a mantra of Shroud researchers.
Here is a startling fact that makes the Shroud nearly impossible to be
considered a forgery and enhances the mystery. Unlike his blood, the
man’s crucified image does not penetrate the cloth but rests on top.
His image could be scraped away with a razor blade. Since any earthly
substance used to create the man’s image would seep into and adhere to
the cloth, this lack of penetration continues to baffle modern science.
Moreover, tests on the mysterious substance constituting the image have
concluded that it was applied with 100 percent consistency, as it rests
on the cloth’s top two microfibers. Such consistency is a feat
impossible to achieve with human hands.
Then there is the latest technology that enabled the discovery that the
Shroud contains “distance information,” derived from techniques first
developed by NASA. Distance information means that the image can be
read like a 3D map. The application of this technology to the Shroud
was the basis for the History Channel’s 2010 mega-hit documentary The
Real Face of Jesus? (The show will be aired again today.)
Reading the Shroud like a 3D map enabled the artists and scientists who
studied it to develop what they determined was the beaten and bruised
human face of Jesus. Surprise! He looks like a Middle Eastern man in
his thirties.
Now comes the part where the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
with their accounts of Christ’s suffering and crucifixion, are
reflected by the specific marks of torture seen on the man in the
Shroud. In plain view are over 100 whip marks on every portion of
his body, left by scourging from Roman flagra. Blood stains that formed
a circle around the top of his head are consistent with the crown of
thorns.
Local Jerusalem road dust has been discovered on the cloth over his
knees, severely bruised after several falls. Most notable are the holes
left by large spikes, the marks of crucifixion, displayed on his wrists
and feet. Blood stains can be seen near a large wound that would have
been consistent with injury from a spear in his side. Also remarkable
and biblically compatible is that the man in the Shroud did not have
any broken bones.
Can you think of one person in all of human history whose well-known
suffering corresponds to the exact marks seen on the man in the Shroud?
As mentioned earlier, one of the most important Shroud questions
concerns how the image of a tormented, crucified man was formed on his
burial cloth.
A scientific answer can be found in a 2012 study by world-renowned Shroud researcher Giulio Fanti of Padua University in Italy. His study
strongly suggested that the force causing the man’s image to be
imprinted on the cloth was radiation released in the form of an
electrical discharge: in layman’s terms, a burst of light and energy.
This means that the Shroud may be proof not only of Christ’s Passion and crucifixion but also of his resurrection.
RELATED NEWS: Shroud of Turin on Public Display for First Time in Five Years, Over a Million Flock to See Alleged Face of Christ
VATICAN NEWS: Pope to honour Holy Shroud, St John Bosco in visit to Turin
VIDEO: Shroud of Turin Presentation with Dr. Wayne Phillips
VIDEO: Discovering Jesus in His Holy Shroud
PHOTO GALLERIES: Looking for the Face of Jesus
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
48. A hermit said to a brother,
'The devil is like a hostile neighbour and you are like a house. The
enemy continually throws all the dirt that he can find into your
house. It is your business to throw out whatever he throws in. If you
neglect to do this, your house will be so full of mud that you will not
be able to get inside. From the moment he begins to throw it in, put it
out again, bit by bit; and so with Christ's help your house will remain
clean.'
April 20, 2015
(Php 1:9-10) And
this I pray: That your charity may more and more abound in knowledge
and in all understanding: That you may approve the better things: that
you may be sincere and without offence unto the day of Christ
AUDIO SANCTO: Voices From Heaven: Discerning the Spirits About Apparitions
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA A MOMENT WITH MARY: The niche is empty but …
The following story may sound
unbelievable, but it is true. Although there is no statue of Our Lady
in the niche above the altar of the chapel of the Shrine of Our Lady of
Lourdes in Alta Gracia (Argentina), we can see her image—even though
the niche in question is actually empty.
Both the Christians and
non-Christians who flock to the shrine claim they see the image. It
appears even on photographs and it is distinctly visible from the front
entrance. Then, strangely, it gradually disappears as we approach the
altar.
This chapel, built and blessed in
1927, used to have a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes in a niche above the
altar. In August 2011, the statue was removed from the niche to be
restored.
The Discalced Carmelites brothers
subsequently issued a press release stating that "the apparition of the
image of the Blessed Virgin does not have, to date, a logical
explanation. We interpret it as a sign to increase and deepen the
Christian faith of God’s people."
RELATED ALETEIA ARTICLE (translated): The statue of the Madonna is not there, but people see it
RELATED VIDEO: Our Lady of Lourdes in Alta Gracia
MORE: Phenomenon of Our Lady in Argentina
PHOTO: Chapel at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, Alta Gracia, Cordoba province, Argentina
MORE FROM A MOMENT WITH MARY: A Moorish chief surrenders
In 778, the Frankish Emperor
Charlemagne, tired of the stubborn resistance of the Saracen Lord Mirat
who occupied the citadel of Mirambel (today’s citadel of Lourdes in
southern France), was preparing to lift the siege when one of his
companions, the bishop of Le Puy-en-Velay, a city in region of
Auvergne, had a sudden inspiration and obtained permission to go parley
with the besieging army.
The bishop asked Mirat to surrender, not to the Frankish sovereign but
to the Queen of Heaven. The idea was acceptable to the Moorish leader,
who agreed to lay down his arms at the feet of the Black Virgin of Le
Puy, and received baptism. On the day of his baptism, Mirat took the
name of Lorus, which was later passed on to the city that was called
Lourdes.
The written act of the surrender states that "Mirat recognizes no
mortal above him and prefers death to the shame of surrender. Therefore
he surrenders to the servant of Our Lady, and is ready to receive
baptism, provided that his county will never belong, either for him or
his descendants, to any other than her alone." Charlemagne signed the
agreement.
On February 11, 1858, Our Lady appeared to Saint Bernadette and asked to be venerated in Lourdes.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
47. A hermit said, 'Take care to be
silent. Empty your mind. Attend to your meditation in the fear of God,
whether you are resting or at work. If you do this, you will not fear
the attacks of the demons.'
April 16, 2015
(Joh
1:12-13) But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the
sons of God, to them that believe in his name. Who are born, not of
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
MEDITATION: Thoughts
by St Theophan (1815-1894)
The Bright Resurrection of Christ. [Acts 1:1–8; John 1:1–17]
Pascha, the Lord's Pascha! The Lord
has led us from death to life by means of His resurrection. And this
resurrection “the angels hymn in the heavens,” having seen the
brightness of the deified human nature in the glory foreordained for
it, in the countenance of the Lord and Redeemer. All Who truly believe
in Him and cleave to Him with all their soul are changed into His image
by the power of His resurrection. Glory, O Lord, to Thy most glorious
resurrection! The angels hymn, rejoicing with us and foreseeing the
filling of their assembly.
Vouchsafe us also with pure heart,
O Lord, to glorify Thee resurrected; seeing in Thy resurrection the
severing of our consuming decay, the sowing of a most bright new life,
and the dawn of future eternal glory, into which Thou hast gone before
us by Thy Resurrection for our sake. The tongues not only of men but
also of angels are have insufficient strength to express Thine
unspeakable mercy toward us, O most gloriously resurrected Lord!
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA RON ROLHEISER, OMI: THE RESURRECTION AS VINDICATING HUMAN FIDELITY AND GOD’S SILENCE
Theologians sometimes try to simply
the meaning of the resurrection by packaging its essence into one
sentence: In the resurrection, God vindicated Jesus, his life, his
message, and his fidelity. What does that mean?
Jesus entered our world preaching
faith, love, and forgiveness but the world didn’t accept that. Instead
it crucified him and, in that crucifixion, seemingly shamed his
message. We see this most clearly on the cross when Jesus is taunted,
mocked, and challenged: If you are the son of God, come down from
there! If your message is true, let the God verify that right now! If
your fidelity is more than plain stubbornness and human ignorance then
why are you dying in shame?
And what was God’s response to
those taunts? Nothing, no commentary, no defense, no apologia, no
counter-challenge, just silence. Jesus dies in silence. Neither he nor
the God he believed in tried to fill that excruciating void with any
consoling words or explanations challenging people to look at the
bigger picture or to look at the brighter side of things. None of that.
Just silence.
Jesus died in silence, inside God’s
silence and inside the world’s incomprehension. And we can let
ourselves be humbly scandalized by that silence, just as we can let
ourselves be perpetually scandalized by the seeming triumph of evil,
pain, and suffering in our world. God’s silence can forever
scandalize us: in the Jewish holocaust, in ethnic genocides, in brutal
and senseless wars, in the earthquakes and tsunamis which kill
thousands of people and devastate whole countries, in the deaths of
countless people taken out of this life by cancer and by violence, in
how unfair life can be sometimes, and in the casual manner that those
without conscience can rape whole areas of life seemingly without
consequence. Where is God in all of this? What’s God’s
answer?
God’s answer is in the
resurrection, in the resurrection of Jesus and in the perennial
resurrection of goodness within life itself. But resurrection is not
necessarily rescue. God doesn’t necessarily rescue us from the
effects of evil, or even from death. Evil does what it does, natural
disasters are what they are, and those without conscience can rape even
as they feed off life’s sacred fire. God doesn’t intervene. The
parting of the Red Sea isn’t a weekly occurrence. God lets his
loved ones suffer and die, just as Jesus let his dear friend, Lazarus,
die and God let Jesus die. God redeems, raises us up afterwards, in a
deeper more lasting vindication. And the truth of that statement can
even be tested empirically.
Despite every appearance sometimes,
in the end, love does triumph over hatred. Peace does triumph over
chaos. Forgiveness does triumph over bitterness. Hope does
triumph over cynicism. Fidelity does triumph over despair. Virtue does
triumph over sin. Conscience does triumph over callousness. Life does
triumph over death. And good does triumph over evil, always. Mohandas
K. Gandhi once wrote: “When I despair, I remember that all through
history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been
murderers and tyrants, and for a time they seem invincible. But in the
end they always fall. Think of it, always.”
The resurrection, most forcibly,
makes that point. God has the last word. The resurrection of Jesus is
that last word. From the ashes of shame, of seeming defeat, failure,
and death, a new, deeper, and eternal life perennially bursts
forth. Our faith begins at the very point where it seems it might
end, in God’s seeming silence at Jesus’ death.
And what does this ask of us?
First of all, simply that we trust
its truth. The resurrection of Jesus asks us to believe what
Gandhi affirmed, namely, that in the end evil will not have the last
word. It will fall. Good will eventually triumph.
More deeply, it asks us to roll the
dice of our lives on that trust and that truth: What Jesus taught
is true: Virtue is not naïve, even when it is shamed. Sin and
cynicism are naïve, even when they appear to triumph. Those who
genuflect before God and others in conscience will find meaning and
joy, even when they are deprived of the world’s pleasures. Those who
drink in and manipulate sacred energy without conscience will not find
meaning and life, even when they taste pleasure. Those who live in
honesty, no matter the cost, will find freedom. Those who lie and
rationalize will find themselves imprisoned in self-hate. Those who
live in trust will find love. God’s silence can be trusted, even when
we die inside of it.
We can live in faith, love,
forgiveness, conscience, and fidelity in spite of everything that
suggests that they aren’t true. They will bring us to what is deepest
inside of life and love because God vindicates virtue. God vindicates
love. God vindicates conscience. God vindicates forgiveness. God
vindicates fidelity. God vindicated Jesus and will vindicate us
if we remain faithful as Jesus did.
SEE ALSO: Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence by Father Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
46. A hermit said, 'Satan has three
powers, which lead to all the sins. The first is forgetfulness, the
second negligence, the third selfish desire. If forgetfulness comes, it
causes negligence, negligence is the mother of selfish desire, and by
selfish desire we fall. If the mind is serious, it repels
forgetfulness, negligence does not come, selfish desire finds no entry,
and so with the help of Christ we shall never fall.'
April 14, 2015
(Heb 4:15-16) For
we have not a high priest who cannot have compassion on our
infirmities: but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin.
Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace: that we may
obtain mercy and find grace in seasonable aid.
LINK: Misericordiae Vultus BULL OF INDICTION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF MERCY
Jesus Christ is the face of the
Father’s mercy. These words might well sum up the mystery of the
Christian faith. Mercy has become living and visible in Jesus of
Nazareth, reaching its culmination in him.
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Ethelyn David:
Happy Easter! Alleluia! He has risen!
What better time than to introduce you to the face of Jesus the instant
he conquered death and was resurrected. This moment can be seen on the
Veil of Manoppello treasured in the Volto Santo (Holy Face) Basilica in
Manoppello, Italy.
I belong to the Canadian Apostolate of the Veil of Manoppello. Our
small group of four in Vancouver, together with our patron in Bellevue,
WA have been praying and preparing for the Vancouver visit of Fr
Carmine Cucinnelli, Capuchin OFM, the rector of the Volto Santo
Basilica and the Guardian of the Veil. With him will be Paul Badde,
author of "The Face of God" and "The True Icon". They will hold several
presentations and will enthrone the image in two churches September 4
and 5, 2015. From there they will continue on to Los Angeles and then
to the Philippines.
Virtually unknown for the last 400 years except for a small number of
the faithful, it has been increasing in the number of devotees from all
nations ever since Pope Benedict XVI chose this shrine for his first Papal trip. There he adored the face of his Lord and Savior and composed a prayer:
http://holyfaceofmanoppello.blogspot.ca/2011/01/pope-benedict-xvis-prayer-to-holy-face.html?m=1
Please peruse the websites below and may the Holy Spirit fill your
heart with love for Him as you discover "the greatest miracle in our
possession" (St. Padre Pio - a strong devotee).
http://thesestonewalls.com/gordon-macrae/i-am-a-mystery-to-myself-the-last-days-of-padre-pio/
THE HOLY FACE ON THE VEIL OF MANOPPELLO AND THE SHROUD OF TURIN
http://youtu.be/mxDTNaJAwMo
THE HOLY FACE ON THE VEIL OF MANOPPELLO
http://www.sudariumchristi.com/uk/turin/index.htm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-403209/Pope-visits-Face-Christ-veil-time.html
http://insidethevatican.com/news/lead-story/veil-manoppello-unexpected-bridge-judaism
http://holyfaceofmanoppello.blogspot.com/?m=1
http://www.loamagazine.org/nr/the_main_topic/the_shroud_of_manoppello.html
http://www.loamagazine.org/nr/the_main_topic/the_greatest_miracle_in.html
http://www.loamagazine.org/nr/the_main_topic/the_resurrections_exhibit_b.html
http://www.voltosanto.it/Inglese/index.php
http://go.aleteia.org/WniZhlK
http://www.ilsussidiario.net/mobile/English-Spoken-Here/Culture-Religion-Science/2011/3/11/HOLY-FACE-The-Veronica-Veil-The-Portrait-of-the-Living-Christ-/157452/
http://www.gloria.tv/?media=178246
THE HOLY FACE ON THE VEIL OF MANOPPELLO AND THE VILNIUS DIVINE MERCY
http://thedivinemercy.org/momm/programs/divinecoincidence.php
http://youtu.be/KaIJtzyVV20
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
45. A hermit said, 'Unless the inner self lives soberly, the outer self is beyond control.'
April 12, 2015
(2Ti 4:1-5) I
charge thee, before God and Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living
and the dead, by his coming and his kingdom: Preach the word: be
instant in season, out of season: reprove, entreat, rebuke in all
patience and doctrine. For there shall be a time when they will not
endure sound doctrine but, according to their own desires, they will
heap to themselves teachers having itching ears: And will indeed turn
away their hearing from the truth, but will be turned unto fables. But
be thou vigilant, labour in all things, do the work of an evangelist,
fulfil thy ministry. Be sober.
VATICAN NEWS: Pope focuses on Divine Mercy in Mass for Armenians
Pope Francis processed into the Basilica of Saint Peter flanked by the
Catholicoi Karekin II and Aram I of the Armenian Apostolic Church, with
the Patriarch Catholicos Nerses Bedros XIX a few paces ahead. Patriarch
Nerses concelebrated Mass with the Holy Father.
Greeting the Armenian faithful who had come to Rome for the event, Pope
Francis spoke out boldly against cruelty, recalling the occasions when
he had previously spoken of “a third world war” being fought piecemeal,
a war “in which we daily witness savage crimes, brutal massacres and
senseless destruction.” Today, he said, “we are experiencing a sort of
genocide created by a general and collective indifference, by the
complicit silence of Cain…”
Pope Francis noted three “massive and unprecedented tragedies” of the
twentieth century, the first of which was the “Great Crime,” the
systematic massacre of Armenian Christians who were slaughtered because
of their faith. The atrocities of the Nazis and the Communists, along
with other mass killings, makes it seem as if “humanity is incapable of
putting a halt to the shedding of innocent blood… We have not yet
learned,” he said, “that ‘war is madness,’ a ‘senseless slaughter.’”
It is necessary, and even a duty, he said, to recall these events,
notably the massacre of the Armenians, “with hearts filled with pain,
but at the same time with great hope in the risen Christ.”
In his homily for Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Francis focused on the
wounds of Christ, the wounds our Lord showed His disciples so that they
might believe He was truly risen from the dead. “The wounds of Jesus
are wounds of mercy,” the Pope said. “Through these wounds we can see
the entire mystery of Christ and of God,” the whole history of
salvation. The wounds of Christ proclaim the mercy of God from
generation to generation.
Alluding once again to the centenary of the massacre of the Armenians,
Pope Francis said the tragic events of history can leave us feeling
crushed, wondering “why?” Humanity cannot fill the abyss left by the
mystery of evil. “It is only Jesus, God made man, who died on the Cross
and who fills the abyss of sin with the depth of His mercy.”
Pope Francis concluded, “Brothers and sisters, behold the way which God
has opened for us to finally go out from our slavery to sin and death,
and thus enter into the land of life and peace. Jesus, crucified and
risen, is the way, and His wounds are full of mercy.”
OPINION: It is necessary, and indeed a duty to recall the centenary of that tragic event
MORE: Pope Francis Utilizes 'Genocide' To Describe Armenian Killing, Turkey Reacts
RELATED: Here are ten things you should know about the Armenian Genocide
REFLECTION: God’s Perfect Mercy – A Meditation for Divine Mercy Sunday by Msgr. Charles Pope
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Rev. Joseph Leo Iannuzzi:
Divine Will Logo
Explanation of Divine Will Logo
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
44. They said of a hermit that his
thoughts suggested to him, 'Rest today; do penance tomorrow.' He
contradicted the thoughts, saying, 'No, I do penance today, and
tomorrow the Lord's will be done.'
Easter, 2015
(Ecc
3:1-7) All things have their season, and in their times all things pass
under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant, and
a time to pluck up that which is planted. A time to kill, and a time to
heal. A time to destroy, and a time to build. A time to weep, and a
time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to scatter
stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far
from embraces. A time to get, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a
time to cast away. A time to rend, and a time to sew. A time to keep
silence, and a time to speak.
UPDATES: Non-subscribers can access items emailed during Lent at https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/tribulaton-times 
Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!
Christos Voskrese! Voistinnu Voskrese!
Christ is risen from the dead! By death He trampled Death, and to those
in the tombs, He granted life. And to us He granted life eternal. Let
us glorify His resurrection.
(Above are all from the Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Church, and also Slavonic)
LENTEN SABBATICAL
The TRIB
TIMES will not
be updated again this year
during the Lenten season, extending to the first week after
Easter. My computer time will be limited to 30
minutes
each morning and evening during Lent. I will read all emails I receive,
and will answer all that I can, time permitting. I may also
occasionally
email non-reformatted news articles to Trib Times subscribers that I
find
to be of particular interest. But barring a major event (admittedly not unlikely these days), the Trib
Times
web page itself will not be updated.
I
apologize to all who have recently subscribed but
will keep your email information for use after my return. God
willing,
the next issue of the Trib Times should be shortly after Divine Mercy
Sunday, April 12, 2015. Please keep me in your
prayers, and be
assured that
I will do the same.
I recommend the
following links to keep up
with unfolding events:
Catholic
News
http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/headlines.asp
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/
http://www.catholicnews.com/
Signs of the Times
http://www.spiritdaily.com/
https://www.lifesitenews.com/
http://www.lifenews.com/
Readings & Meditations for Lent &
Holy
Week
http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/index.html
http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/lent.htm
Catholic Commentary
Courageous Priest
Statements of Archbishop Chaput
Crisis Magazine
Aleteia
Newer
subscribers may also be interested in a meditation
that first appeared in the Trib Times in 2004, The
Pain of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
ORTHODOX LENT PRAYER: “Grant unto me, Thy servant, the spirit of chastity, meekness, humility, patience and love.”
LINK TO DONATE TO AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED: https://secure3.convio.net/acn/site/Donation2;jsessionid=1B6D0D927CE5E03CD247F9BC016AAE5D.app322b?idb=1588471532&df_id=1240&1240.donation=form1&idb=0.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Sober Living
43. A brother said to a hermit, 'I
don't find any disturbance in my heart.' The hermit said, 'You are like
a door swinging open. Anyone who likes can go inside, and come out
again, and you don't notice what is happening. If you had a door that
was shut you wouldn't let wicked thoughts come in, and then you would
see them standing outside the door and fighting against you.'
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