Keep
your eyes open!...
January 31, 2025
(Dan 12:4) But
thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time
appointed: many shall pass over, and knowledge shall be manifold.
CRISIS MAGAZINE: A Spiritual Weapon for Our Time
X: The Shroud of Turin proves the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Gospels
ZENIT: This is what the face of Jesus would look like (according to Artificial Intelligence based on the Shroud of Turin)
NCR: A Shroud for Our Skeptical Times
Reports about
recent scientific findings that appear to support the authenticity of
the Shroud of Turin garnered widespread coverage in secular media
outlets last month.
But none of those media accounts delved into this central question:
Assuming the image visible on the fabric of the shroud really is that
of the Crucified Christ — supernaturally imprinted there by Jesus
himself, as he lay in the tomb between his crucifixion on Good Friday
and his resurrection on the first Easter Sunday — why did the Son of
God choose to leave behind this scientifically verifiable evidence of
his death on the cross?
The answer could be that even though the physical sciences would not
develop for another 2,000 years to the point where they could
conclusively authenticate the shroud, Jesus already knew that a day was
coming when this kind of evidence would be the only way to confirm his
resurrected reality to many of the souls who live in the rationalistic
and materialistic cultures of today.
Recent media accounts centered on a pair of findings. The first
involves research, initially published in 2022, that indicates the
shroud is indeed around 2,000 years old and not merely a few hundred
years old, as suggested by research conducted in 1988 using a less
reliable method of dating the cloth’s age.
That 1988 research was seized upon by skeptics as definitive proof that
the shroud was a medieval forgery — even though by that time other
scientific evidence, unrelated to the cloth’s dating, persuasively
pointed toward the conclusion that the shroud is indeed Jesus’ burial
cloth. Perhaps the most powerful evidence is the origin of the image
imprinted there: According to researchers, it was caused by an
inexplicable, superintense burst of ultraviolet radiation.
The second finding is based on new research into the stains visible on
the shroud, in places where it would have come into touch with Christ’s
wounded head and body. This research concluded these markings are
indeed bloodstains. More remarkably, detailed analysis of the
bloodstains’ composition disclosed the presence of particular compounds
that correspond closely with how the body of Jesus would have reacted
to the grievous injuries that were inflicted on him, according to the
biblical account of his passion.
In earlier eras,
scientific evidence was neither available nor required by the majority
of people to believe in the truth of physical miracles like the image
imprinted on the shroud; to believe in the deeper truth that God is
responsible for these miracles; and to believe in the deepest truth of
all about Jesus — that the Son of God walked on our Earth 2,000 years
ago and suffered and died here on our behalf, for the salvation of our
eternal souls.
But that doesn’t mean that these previous generations had no good
evidence of miracles. Not at all. As G.K. Chesterton pointed out in his
1908 “spiritual autobiography” Orthodoxy, there has always been
abundant historical evidence that miracles occur; it’s only our own
skeptical era that refuses to accept that kind of evidence as valid.
Perhaps this is why, in the case of the shroud, so much scientific
evidence now is emerging to support the centuries-old belief that it is
the actual burial cloth of humanity’s Lord and Savior. Perhaps Jesus
himself is gently saying to these skeptics of today, “I realize that,
due to the crippled collective lack of faith that afflicts you, you are
simply unable to accept any other kind of evidence. Please then take a
look at these research findings, delivered via the science that you
worship in place of me, and allow them to open your eyes to the Way and
the Truth of eternal Life.”
YOUTUBE: Joe Rogan: "NEW Shroud of Turin Evidence SHOCKS Everyone!"
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
60. A hermit was asked, 'What is humility?' He said, 'It is if you forgive a brother who has wronged you before he is sorry.'
January 29, 2025
(2Ti 4:2-4) 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.
CATHOLIC STAND: Promoting Orthodoxy in the Face of Heresies
NCR: Cardinals Sarah, Müller and Burke Encourage Priests Facing Today’s Challenges
CATHOLIC CULTURE: Synthesis of the Declaration of Dominus Iesus
This union of
Christ with man is in itself a mystery. From the mystery is born "the
new man", called to become a partaker of God's life, and newly created
in Christ for the fullness of grace and truth. Christ's union with man
is power and the source of power, as Saint John stated so incisively in
the prologue of his Gospel: "(The Word) gave power to become children
of God". Man is transformed inwardly by this power as the source of a
new life that does not disappear and pass away but lasts to eternal
life. This life, which the Father has promised and offered to each man
in Jesus Christ, his eternal and only Son, who, "when the time had
fully come", became incarnate and was born of the Virgin Mary, is the
final fulfilment of man's vocation. It is in a way the fulfilment of
the "destiny" that God has prepared for him from eternity. This "divine
destiny" is advancing, in spite of all the enigmas, the unsolved
riddles, the twists and turns of "human destiny" in the world of time.
Indeed, while all this, in spite of all the riches of life in time,
necessarily and inevitably leads to the frontier of death and the goal
of the destruction of the human body, beyond that goal we see Christ.
"I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me... shall
never die". In Jesus Christ, who was crucified and laid in the tomb and
then rose again, "our hope of resurrection dawned... the bright promise
of immortality", on the way to which man, through the death of the
body, shares with the whole of visible creation the necessity to which
matter is subject. We intend and are trying to fathom ever more deeply
the language of the truth that man's Redeemer enshrined in the phrase
"It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail". In spite
of appearances, these words express the highest affirmation of man-the
affirmation of the body given life by the Spirit.
-SAINT JOHN PAUL II REDEMPTOR HOMINIS
As Catholics, we
hold that Jesus Christ is the definitive revelation of God in human
history, and that His teaching, faithfully handed on by the Church down
to us today, is objectively true. It is what Almighty God, our Creator,
has revealed to us about what it is to be truly human; what we must do
to attain eternal life with Him in heaven.
Hence, for the Catholic, there is most certainly right action, right
doctrine and right worship—just as the definitive revelation of God in
Jesus Christ clearly excludes certain experiences, enjoyments and
desires. We have the privilege of living in the Truth and are not
limited merely to philosophical speculation. Thus, we must say that in
the light of Divine Revelation, subjectivism in faith or morals or
worship is false. It is not of God. It leads souls to hell, not to
heaven.
—Cardinal Robert Sarah
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
58. A hermit was asked why we are troubled by demons and he answered,
'Because we throw away our armour, that is, humility, poverty, patience
and men's scorn.'
January 27, 2025
(Rom 13:8) Owe no man any thing, but to love one another. For he that loveth his neighbour hath fulfilled the law.
FIRST THINGS: Theology of Immigration
NCR: Immigration: What Does the Church Teach?
CATHOLIC STAND: What the Catechism Says about Immigration
CNA: Colorado’s bishops on immigration: ‘An open border is not a just system’
Following
President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders on immigration,
Colorado’s Catholic bishops on Friday encouraged the U.S. to balance
justice and mercy in its regulation of immigration to the country.
Colorado’s bishops called for reform of the “broken” American
immigration system, criticizing both an “open border” immigration
policy for being dangerous and unlawful while at the same time
condemning mass deportations.
In a joint letter titled “Welcoming the Stranger, Protecting the Common Good,”
Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver, Bishop Stephen Berg of Pueblo,
Bishop James Golka of Colorado Springs, and Auxiliary Bishop Jorge
Rodríguez of Denver encouraged government officials to “welcome the
stranger” while taking responsibility to “ensure the safety and
well-being of local communities.” The bishops noted that the country’s
immigration system has “grown more unlawful” since 2020.
“The Catholic Church teaches that while individuals and their families
have the right to migrate, no country has the duty to receive so many
immigrants that its social and economic life is jeopardized,” the
bishops indicated.
The state’s bishops specifically criticized what it called an “open
border” policy that previously “restricted Immigration and Customs
Enforcement’s (ICE) ability to investigate, arrest, or deport spies,
terrorists, and felons.”
“This has
resulted in the loss of life and situations of unrest and violence,
including in Aurora, Colorado, where 16 recent migrant members of the
Venezuelan gang ‘Tren de Aragua’ were taken into custody in December
following an armed home invasion and kidnapping.”
CNA: Trump ends policy of treating churches as ‘sensitive locations’ for immigration raids
X: JD Vance to Bishops: Look in the Mirror
U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops issued a statement this week about Trump’s new
immigration policies and alleged ICE raids of churches:
“It turns places of care, healing,
and solace into places of fear and uncertainty for those in need. This
endangers the trust between pastors and the people they serve.”
@JdVance: “As a practicing Catholic, I was actually heartbroken by that statement.
I think that the US Conference of
Catholic Bishops needs to actually look in the mirror a little bit and
recognize that when they receive over $100 million to help resettle
illegal immigrants.
Are they worried about humanitarian concerns? Or are they actually worried about their bottom line?
If they’re worried about the
humanitarian costs of immigration enforcement, let them talk about the
children who have been sex trafficked because of the wide open border
of Joe Biden.”
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
57. A brother asked a hermit, 'Is it good to be always repenting?' He
answered, 'We have seen Joshua the son of Nun; it was when he was lying
prostrate on his face that God appeared to him' (cf. Josh. 5:14).
January 24, 2025
(Rom 8:18) For I reckon that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that shall be revealed in us.
MARK MALLETT: The Programme
ZENIT.ORG: The 50 Countries that Persecute Christians the Most Today and The Role of Communism and Islamism
X: Christians are still being targeted, silenced, and oppressed for their faith in the year 2025. Here’s a list of countries where being a Christian still comes with life-threatening risks and extreme challenges.
FACEBOOK: Antonio Cardinal Bacci: Meditations For Each Day
The Apostolate of Suffering
1. In God's plan suffering has a special mission. One might even call
it a kind of apostolate. Suffering reminds us continually that we have
not been made for this world, but are on a journey towards eternity.
“Here we have no permanent city, but we seek for the city that is to
come.” (Heb. 13:14)
Suffering is a spur which lifts our gaze towards Heaven, our real home,
in which we shall find a happiness which will have no end. It would be
disastrous if there were no suffering in this world. It is the salt
which preserves from corruption our poor, fallen nature, tainted by
sin. When everything is going well and the passing pleasures of this
life hold us fascinated, it is too easy to set our hearts on things
below and to forget God. But when our bodies are racked with pain and
our minds are troubled and lonely, then an inward turmoil seems to
detach us from this earth and causes us to raise our tear-filled eyes
towards Heaven. Purified and almost renovated, our hearts turn towards
God, our one, true and supreme good.
2. This is why the Saints loved suffering. Not only did they accept it
with complete resignation, but they desired and requested it from God.
"Either to suffer or to die," was the plea of St. Thérèse of the Child
Jesus. St. Mary Magdalene del Pazzi even added: "To suffer and not to
die." How well the Saints understood the mission which God has
entrusted to suffering! If it is accepted with faith, resignation and
love, it can make us loving images of Jesus, Who suffered beneath the
weight of the Cross and died upon it, His hands and feet pierced with
nails, His Head crowned with thorns, while He prayed for us and for all
those who had crucified Him.
3. Suffering has a still further purpose. Besides bearing the role of
an apostolate in our own lives, it can also be an apostolate for
others. We can offer our sufferings and sorrows to God, not only for
our own spiritual advancement, but also for the expiation of the sins
of the human race, for our enemies, for the persecutors of the Church,
and for all the other suffering members of the Mystical Body of Christ.
In this way we can accomplish great good and can acquire great merit
before God. As a result of our offering, who knows how many hearts
hardened in sin, or how many souls forgetful of Heaven, may be touched
by the grace of God? Let us suffer with Jesus. He alone can ease our
pain and make it meritorious for ourselves and for others.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
56. A hermit said, 'He who is praised and honoured above what he
deserves suffers grievous loss. He who receives no honour at all among
men, shall be glorified hereafter.'
January 22, 2025
(Deu 30:19) I
call heaven and earth to witness this day, that I have set before you
life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose therefore life, that both
thou and thy seed may live:
USCCB: No Sin is Beyond God’s Unfathomable Mercy, says Bishop Thomas on the Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
REVIEW: National Sanctity of Human Life Day – January 22, 2025
National
Sanctity of Human Life Day is an annual observance on January 22. On
this day, we raise our voices against abortion. The presidents of the
U.S. have been celebrating this day regularly since 1973 against the
ruling of the case Roe vs. Wade, which legalized the right of abortion
for a woman. Republican leaders since President Reagan have strongly
opposed the law and have stressed the need to give the rights of life
to every born and unborn individual. Because of this, January 22 has
been dedicated to celebrating National Sanctity of Human Life Day.
FLORIDA CATHOLIC: Pro-Life fight continues, 52 years post-Roe
FAMILY COUNCIL: Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders Declares January 22 ‘Day of Tears’ in Arkansas
LIFENEWS HEADLINE: Pro-Life Group Formally Requests Trump Pardon 21 Pro-Life Americans Biden Put in Prison
THE PILLAR EDITORIAL EXCERPT:
Agree or disagree with those pardons, pro-lifers are waiting now to see
if Donald Trump will pardon 21 pro-life advocates in federal prison for
violating the Freedom of Access to Clinics Act.
Among them is a priest, Fr. Fidelis
Moscinski, and pro-life Catholic activist Lauren Handy, who told The
Pillar in 2022 that she is “compelled by my deeply held beliefs to put
my body between the oppressed and oppressor.”
Handy was in May sentenced to almost five years in prison, because she
and other activists engaged in a non-violent protest, chaining
themselves to doors and in a waiting room of an abortion clinic. As
they did so, they gave women roses, and told them how beautiful their
babies were. They offered them support, and resources, and friendship.
Their goal was to stop abortions. To save lives.
Opponents of the group would argue
that pardoning them will see an increase in similar efforts to stop
abortion clinics from killing children. Supporters, actually, might say
the same thing.
The rule of law is important. It
matters. But non-violent protest against killing — direct, non-violent
intervention to save people’s lives — that’s got a long, storied,
celebrated, and heroic history for Catholics. And that kind of action
is returning to the pro-life movement, because people like Lauren Handy
haven’t been afraid to go to prison.
Those pro-life protestors don’t
need to spend years in prison for the rule of law to make its stand.
Especially because science tell us that unborn babies are humans, and
that law written on our hearts tell us that killing them is wrong.
PRAYER VIA Fr. Ripperger:
Immaculate Mary, patroness of the United States of America. Queen of
Heaven and earth, beneath whose sway are subject all things that are
lower than God, sorrowful and mindful of our own sinfulness and the
sins of our nation, we come to thee our refuge and hope, knowing that
our country cannot be saved by our own works, and mindful of how much
our nation has departed from the ways of thy Son, we humbly ask that
thou wouldst turn thine eyes upon our country to bring about its
conversion.
We consecrate to thee all of those governing our Republic, so that what
is spiritually and morally best for the citizens of our nation may be
accomplished, and that they would govern according to the spiritual and
moral principles which will bring our nation into conformity with the
teachings of thy Son. Bind any forces, spiritual or human, that would
seek to inflict harm or evil on our country, or against those who do
good for our nation by their governance.
Give grace to the citizens of this land, so that they may merit leaders
who will govern according to the Sacred Heart of thy Son, that His
glory may be made manifest, lest we be given the leaders we deserve.
Trusting in the providential care of God the Father and thy maternal
care, we have perfect confidence that thou wilt take care of us and
will not leave us forsaken.
O Mary Immaculate, pray for us.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
45. The same brother asked him, 'Do you think Satan persecuted the men
of old as he persecutes us?' Sisois said, 'More, for now his doom has
drawn nearer, and he is weakened.'"
January 20, 2025
(1Ti 2:1-6) I
desire therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers,
intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all men: For kings and for
all that are in high station: that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable
life in all piety and chastity. For this is good and acceptable in the
sight of God our Saviour, Who will have all men to be saved and to come
to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God: and one mediator
of God and men, the man Christ Jesus: Who gave himself a redemption for
all, a testimony in due times.
THE CATHOLIC THING: A Work of Special Providence
YOUTUBE: Trump’s Cabinet: The Most Catholic Administration in U.S. History?
EXCERPT EDITORIAL NCR: A Time of Hope
After four years of President Joe
Biden’s anemic leadership, Donald Trump is carrying the hopes and trust
of a broad, diverse swath of country that he can make good on his
promise to get America on the right track again.
There are good reasons to feel hopeful, especially since Trump’s top priority is to undo the damage his predecessor has done.
Lamentably, Biden’s record was even worse when it comes to issues of
special concern to Catholics. Throughout his tenure and even in the
last days of his presidency he prioritized abortion rights at every
conceivable opportunity, to an extent that can only be described as
astonishing for a man who continually proclaims his abiding attachment
to his Catholic faith. Moreover, when the U.S. Supreme Court fulfilled
the hopes of Catholics and other Americans of faith during his
presidency, by striking down the constitutionally indefensible Roe v.
Wade decision in 2022, he assigned “blame” for this landmark pro-life
victory to Trump’s appointment of three new Supreme Court justices.
In fact, abortion rights and gender ideology are two areas where sharp
improvements are virtually certain to take place under Trump 2.0. While
Trump has said he won’t seek to restrict abortion access nationally, he
is a strong supporter of allowing pro-life states to be as restrictive
as they choose.
Trump is also expected to roll back many of the pro-abortion rights
executive actions that were a Biden hallmark, including the Justice
Department’s unjust weaponization of the FACE Act against pro-life
advocates.
With respect to gender ideology, Trump has strongly denounced “gender
transition” procedures for minor children and allowing biological males
to compete against female athletes. And with respect to the conscience
rights of medical personnel, Trump had a stellar record of protecting
their interests in his first term, so there is every reason to expect
the same this time around.
The groundswell of support for Trump, which now includes some of his
fiercest former critics, coincides with some positive developments in
foreign affairs. After more than a year of bloodshed in the Holy Land,
a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appears to be moving
forward. At the same time, there is a growing consensus that the war in
Ukraine has reached a stalemate on the battlefield and ought to be
settled diplomatically as soon as possible.
As Catholics, we are cognizant that all these events are unfolding at
the start of a historic moment in the life of the Church: the 2025
Jubilee of Hope. It is Pope Francis’ earnest desire that people of good
will around the world will take advantage of a special outpouring of
grace this year to draw closer to God, to forgive those who have
trespassed against us and to resolve to set things right again — in our
hearts, our families, our relationships and our communities.
After years of turmoil in our country, God has granted President Trump
a golden opportunity to lead our nation in the same spirit. Let us pray
that he succeeds, even as the Jubilee reminds us that true hope is
rooted in our trust in the Lord’s mercy and love.
We can be sure of this: He will never disappoint us.
CATHOLIC REVIEW: Brooklyn priest who will give benediction at inaugural bonded with Trump over gravesite visit
CATHOLIC HERALD: Pope sends special inauguration telegram to Trump
The Honorable Donald J. Trump
President of the United States of America
The White House
On the occasion of your inauguration as the forty-seventh President of
the United States of America, I offer cordial greetings and the
assurance of my prayers that Almighty God will grant you wisdom,
strength and protection in the exercise of your high duties. Inspired
by your nation's ideals of being a land of opportunity and welcome for
all, it is my hope that under your leadership the American people will
prosper and always strive to build a more just society, where there is
no room for hatred, discrimination or exclusion. At the same time, as
our human family faces numerous challenges, not to mention the scourge
of war, I also ask God to guide your efforts in promoting peace and
reconciliation among peoples. With these sentiments, I invoke upon you,
your family, and the beloved American people an abundance of divine
blessings.
FRANCIS
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Humility
53. 'A demoniac, frothing terribly at the mouth, struck an old hermit
on the jaw, and he turned the other cheek. This humility tortured
the demon like flames, and drove him out there and then.'
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